Though she wasn't sure quite what to make of it, she felt she'd have to make something of it soon.
"Magi-mi Chamba. When you asked me to tell you of the founders, was it because you didn't know or because you wanted to know how much I knew?"
He didn't need to answer, for it was clear where the answer lay.
"I know that magi don't interfere with mere land politics, but may guide here and there with celestial affairs. Isn't it?"
"It is," he smiled as if she were finally catching on.
"I assumed you stayed here solely to prepare for Magi Inio's burial and form a report for the elders. But now I'm assuming that you didn't just ask to come to the Salazā Spirits for the pretty flowers. Isn't it?"
His grin widened.
"Riddles do have their place, and I'm always up for sport. But please, as I'm both worn and weary, guide me."
"Very well," he nodded. "It seems that even immortals forget themselves after passing through many mortal states."
"Please, no riddles—"
"None were given. It's simple. You've forgotten who you are."
What is he talking about? Why can magi never speak in plain sentences?
"The great thing about you, however," magi-mi Chamba eyed the Salazā statue. "Is that you always leave clues that guide you back to yourself."
She almost protested again, yet out of his hands came a pocket-sized blank book which he left with her. He then nodded for her to touch the statue.
Everyone stared.
Salīa wasn't certain what was intended, yet she stepped forth and touched Salazā's stomach.
It was sudden.
The statues were all blackened with glowing gold light running rampant in their eyes and like veins throughout their body. And before her eyes, they all became flesh and blood, the founders in their true forms and sizes.
Even the temple lit up as if day where they stood.
Salazā had passed an ala-ball to the center. And all her siblings moved from their held statue positions to play amongst each other.
Yet neither looked to Salīa, that is, until Salazā's eyes flickered over.
"Surreal," Salīa said.
And it was. For she almost looked like Salīa herself, if not mightier and more majestic. The others looked quite mythical, too. Yet the only statue that wasn't moving was King Palosa's.
"He and I would've been wedded," Salazā said.
"What happened?"
"Hmm."
Salazā smiled, then her eyes lowered to the book.
"It seems even the celestials have grown tired of us making a mess of things. They're not meant to intrude too deeply, yet they must be really desperate if they're sending you to me. Tell me, how much of the prophecy have you found thus far?"
"Prophecy?"
"Ha!" Salazā burst out laughing. Her siblings looked to her, then continued playing. "I understand now. You don't even know that you're meant to find and fulfill a prophecy, do you?"
I don't like her overly amused tone. It feels strange having someone who looks like me show me such a smug face.
"Ah, I guess it's a good thing I blended some of my essence into these statues after all. Tell me something. You've come to me because you're currently going through a difficult time, yes?"
"Nothing too bad," Salīa said sardonically. "Just an attack on the land, leaving many dead, injured, and missing. And of course, in the midst of it, my family has disappeared, and so I have to try to find them all while suddenly ruling this land."
"You're right, it's not too bad."
Salīa's jaw clicked. She suddenly had an urge to throttle her, but calmed.
"Each incarnation will feel a bit tricky, but it's just to push you to see if you can fulfill the prophecy. I'm sure it's not the only reason, for life isn't the simplest game, but it's all I've made of it thus far."
"So, now what?"
Salīa could feel her remaining patience slip through. While she was in awe of what she was seeing, talking of her trials only made her want to confront them sooner.
"Do you not listen?" Salazā laughed, having Salīa glare, only spurring her on more. "You truly remind me of myself."
She grabbed Salīa's cheek. And Salīa smacked her hand. She expected this warrior to fling her into a wall, yet Salazā just chuckled.
"Whoever placed the prophecy in this lifetime certainly made it harder for you. I sense it's been fragmented somehow. This is just a guess, but it seems it's in eight pieces, all at the spiritual cores of the upper lands."
"What makes you think that?"
"Whoever placed the prophecy certainly did it to challenge you, but in order for them to do so, there still had to be some order to it – otherwise the placer would've probably been incinerated.
I assume it's in the spiritual cores of all the upper lands, because I can sense the first one right here."
Here?
Salīa looked around. It took a bit of sensing until she found herself in front of the eye cemented into the wall. And just behind it, in a crevice she hadn't noticed before, came out a small slip of paper.
No words, but a drawing that looked like Tama and the Awakened One.
It was of Tama reaching out and embracing as parents, while the Awakened One lay small in its grasp as if its baby.
And just by touching it, Salīa felt an instant clarity, and a link formed between the other prophecy pieces.
Is that it? The first prophecy piece is just a hint as to where the others are?
"Can't you just tell me what the prophecy is?"
"I could, but while the prophecy is basically the same in each lifetime…each prophecy delivered seems to have its own conditions. I failed to fulfil mine, which is why you're left to fulfil yours."
"Fine. But why does this prophecy even matter? The only thing I care about is—"
"I know," Salazā sighed. "Our land, our people, our blood.
I get it, of course I do. But I'm saying, you can't have one without the other. I learnt this too late.
Hear me. I'll gift you with some memories in that book you're holding to help you remember some things. But in turn, you must trust me and continue to collect each prophecy until you have a full one."
"But I still don't understand."
"Then let me make it clear," Salazā said firmly, her face void of expression. "If you think things cannot get worse, then you aren't thinking at all. If you'd like for the worse to become better, then you must think some more."
She stepped closer and let her fingers touch Salīa's necklace, which shone in blue, as Salazā's eyes did when touching it.
"It's not easy to store essence, you know? Ask that chief over there for the neck pieces your mother and siblings saved for you."
"Wait," Salīa lit up. "Do you know if they're alive?"
"As long as you have those links, the answer will be clear. But if they're broken, then that is an unfortunate omen. However, your mother did come here with your siblings to pray before leaving, and so it'd be best to ask that chief of yours about it before you leave the land."
Why is this none of this simple? Prophecies, links, moving statues? Am I going mad?
"I see your head is running around in circles. But it's best you don't include me in such boring events. I do need to retain some of my essence in case you mess up in this lifetime, and another version of you returns."
Salīa scowled, but this only left Salazā amused.
She nodded to her siblings, who all held hands and circled around Salīa. She felt their essence quite strongly.
With Salazā connected to the circle with Silio and Shaka touching her shoulders, she reached her own hands out. Salīa took it, and in a sudden flash, a surge of memories raced through.
All instantaneous, but she could grasp flickers of war, peace, demons, magi, riches, poverty, love found, hate lost, birth, death.
All of which the founder had faced over and over.
And all the energy poured into this pocketbook, filling pages with texts and markings of images like that inscribed into the walls.
Salazā's glowing eyes joined Salīa's as she whispered.
Then, just as quickly, all the figures had become statues again, left exactly as they were found.
Those who came with Salīa all lifted from their seats, unaware of what happened, for all they could see were flashes of golden light and nothing more.
Her eyes scanned over them, eagerly waiting for them to ask. Magi-mi Chamba said nothing, keeping his sage smile.
He's not going to let me pretend I don't know anymore, is he?
"I know," Salīa resigned. "I am the Protector."
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