---Silves's POV---
Looking at the book floating in the middle of the room, I frowned. This was unexpected. We had been watching the book for a good bit, but it didn't do anything other than float there. Finally getting up off of the bed, I moved over to the book. Trying to figure out what it could want. Placing my hand on it, the book opened its pages flipping wildly. Before the voice of the oracle came through.
'Guardian of the Siren, ancient power was released alerting many who are sensitive to the change. Any learning of a champion would either rise with you or against you. Your job as Guardian is beginning. If you fail in your task, many will suffer. Know this your knowledge of magic is as flawed as everyone else's. Not only do Sirens have great power, so do you. Even without the old blood, your bond with your Siren must become strong. Triton magic is unusual, I'm unsure what they were thinking when they bound the magic the way they did.
Limiting their power the way they did, internal magic is powerful, if you know how to properly utilize it. Magic was never meant to be split, yes people always had specialties, yet separating magic.' She sighed sadly.
“I argued against it, saying it was folly. To just limit the overall power that could be accessed. I was overruled. Originally we were not a matriarchal society, mermen were our original leaders. Yet we were lead time after time into foolish confrontations. Overthrowing the leaders, the mermaids of the time felt this would help them keep their power. Wither they are in the right or not, I don't care. My worry is for the future. This guide is important for your Siren, yet do not feel that there is nothing for you to learn here.
Learning how Siren's access and control their magic will allow you to learn more about your own magic. I apologize, but seeing as at this time there are no Tritons, I have little information as to how it will affect you all. I am deeply sorry that it has come to this. I have a feeling it will only take a few generations before most of the power of the Tritons is lost. They don't want a war in the future. Some noble or nomadic families may be able to keep some of the knowledge, but I fear most of it will be lost.
Hidden in this book is a large section of internal magic, everything I could think of in the time I had to prepare. I cannot stress this book is a guide and while it is full of information it is not full of everything. Once this book is finished I will never have another vision, so I have no idea how this will all turn out. I'm burning through my power to create this book. My acolytes are sacrificing their magic as well. It will be generations before we are able to recover from the tole this will take. This book is a compendium of all the knowledge that we have. Please do not let our sacrifice be in vain. Your life is just as important as your Siren's though so do not neglect your own safety.”
The light vanished and the book started drifting to the floor. Reaching out and taking it before moving back to the bed to sit next to Echo. Placing the book in his lap. “I think we need to study,” I said softly.
“I'd like to know more about that book too,” A voice said causing us both to jump.
We turned to see Saous standing in our doorway. “Saous,” We called out together.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I was doing my rounds when a bright light, like a small sun emanated from your window before vanishing. Curious what you two could be up to, I decided to come and find out. It is very late after all.” She said, her voice not unkind.
“Close the door please.” I said softly, she did, “Did anyone else see?” I asked.
“Only I was patrolling this corner tonight. And I didn't alert anyone, thinking you were just practicing a spell. How much of what that book said was true?” she asked, sitting on my bed.
“Everything as far as we know. There is so much that it has shown us already.”
“That's how you pulled that spell off?” She asked.
“No, we have only heard the introductory information and now this about my Guardian needing to train harder, because of what happened.”
“Your Guardian?”
“Yes, Echo, the Triton who will guard me against others.”
“But wait?” Echo said sitting up straighter, “Didn't the book say no one else would be able to hear it, other than the two of us?”
“I don't remember, but this at this point it will be good to guess that they can. Though it could be because Saous is a female Triton that she could see and hear the book.” I offered.
“How are we going to be able to study this book the way we need to. When the lessons start, you don't notice the passing of time until it is over.” Echo asked.
“We will have to study on the weekends at our cave,” I said softly.
“You both want to go there when you could be attacked, and while you are immersed in your lessons you will be unable to defend yourself?” She asked sounding incredulous.
“We don't have a choice.”
“I will follow you on your trips then. I cannot as a Guardian of this Academy allow you to go out when there is such a high chance of you getting into trouble. I will not interfere in your studies, I will just stand by and watch for trouble.”
“Can you do that?” I asked.
“I am a Guardian of this Academy, so protecting the students is my main job,” she said confidently.
“As you wish, though we should probably get some sleep now,” I said looking outside. “It is still really late and the book woke us up, now that it finished what it had to say we should sleep. The next couple of weeks are going to be hectic.”
“Of course, but don't think of trying to slip off without me. There is still the matter of if you will fight the winners from the year above you.”
Sighing, “I forgot about that. I don't know if it is a good idea.” I said.
“I'm unsure either. With what happened at the Arena, it would probably be better to just wait until we have had more time to learn.” Echo said.
“I figured you would want to fight Echo,”
“I do, but Silves is right, it's probably better to wait. Both of us need to study more if the book is correct.”
Saous left and we sat there for a bit before I went over to my own bed to lay down. Unsure what to do in the next few days. Echo looked at me, opened his mouth before closing it and laying back down. Closing my eyes, and letting sleep claim me. I dreamed of magic. Yet I was also aware of my surroundings, knowing I was dreaming.
A beautiful mermaid was swimming through a temple. She was surrounded by other mermaids, there was something about them. Something different which let me guess that this was a memory from the past. My body followed them, though I could see they were talking I couldn't hear them.
The beautiful mermaid looked right at me and smiled, somehow she knew I was there. Then I knew this was the Oracle of Delphi, the one talking to me through the book. I wasn't sure how I knew this as sure as I did.
They entered the temple and suddenly I could hear them.
“Oracle, this is a tragedy, the world stone is cracked.”
I followed them into a central room. My eyes widening, as I took in the sphere in the middle of the room, it was huge. It would probably take hundreds of merfolk liking hands to circle it. There was a huge crevice near the top which was sliced out of it. It was rough like a deepsea canyon.
“This is just one of the access temples to the world stone. Each of the Skyfolk and Landfolk have their own temple as well.”
“We know this Oracle.” the acolytes said, seeming stressed.
“Yes, but someone is having a vision of the past right now, and they may not. It is a young man with silver hair. I fear he may have to be the one to right the wrongs that will commence soon. The Landfolk are the ones who cracked the world stone with their incessant need for power.” She waved her hand and the orb turned three different colors.
“Since the dawn of time, we have been able to view the core of the world and see how it was fairing. As you see the crevice is in the part that dictates Landfolk. However, this doesn't just affect them. The weakening of the core has affected us all, As I’m sure our visiter knows well. Repairing the core will be hard, if not impossible. The odds of humans accepting their error is minimal. Seeing as it was their need for more power that created this imbalance. You will not be able to do this alone, young Siren. Land, Sea, and Sky will need to join together to heal what has been broken. How you will accomplish this I do not know. Surely our knowledge as Oracles is lost to the ages.” She said looking at me sadly.
“You left a book, filled with your knowledge, to train those you felt had a chance to fix the stone. You said that it burned your powers and that of the acolytes helping you. That level of power is something I could never imagine, not in our time.”
“Yes, of course, a compendium of the knowledge of the ancients. It would have to,” She stopped talking for a minute then said. “Oh, When the book has completed Neither myself of my followers will be able to have visions or even cast most magic. The toll it will take on us will be tremendous. It will take generations before our powers start to normalize again. Though at that point the reduction of power will still probably keep us from having visions.”
“My lady what are you talking about?” the mermaids asked.
She looked at me again, “The gift of prophecy is a gift and a curse. Nothing is set in stone. There were so many ways to avoid this,” she said waving at the core. “We guardian oracles failed in our duty. Know this, if you can fix this you will become the new Guardian Oracle for the Seafolk. The Landfolk you recruit will become the new for the Landfolk and same for the Skyfolk. This will not be easy, people will need to learn. Please don’t let small issues create a divide between the people again. We all must live on this world, each was given an area to live.” turning to look at the core again she sighed before turning and walking out of the temple.
I sat up in my bed, gasping for breath. Looking around the sun was just starting to rise, and Echo was still asleep. Grabbing the book, I flipped to the table of contents, looking over everything that was in the book. There was so much that I would have to learn. Flinching a little I glanced up at Echo, there was so much we would have to learn. And now we would have to find a Land and Skyfolk to help us. How were we going to be able to do that?
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