The Thousand Year Dynasty
22. Plot Twist
"So this teaching of Istar is the teaching of the followers of the Oracle?" nata asked as she, Aksa, Lily, and Val were resting on the bank of a river, two days later. Lucia and Jean are bathing at the end of an invisible river. While the trio of hunters went into the forest to hunt. And Fla, the runaway slave youth was resting in the carriage.
"really. The adherents are marked with long, all-white clothes and usually have a Leafcla altar," explains Lily who is seen cleaning her magic wand.
"What is the Lifkla Altar?" ask Aksa later.
"Leafcla. A wooden totem that is usually installed in the central square of a city or village." The rabbit girl answered.
"Oh, I've seen it in Herld." Aksa recognized the altar.
"really. Villages and towns in this eastern region are Istar adherents."
"So the Oracle was some kind of prophet or a flow leader, was it?" Aksa asked again.
"No. Followers of the Istar teachings consider the Oracle to be a saint. While the teachings of Istar itself is a teaching that is built from the teachings of the Musvar school. A stream older than this kingdom," Lily explained.
"So this Istar teaching is a rejuvenation of Musvar's teachings combined with the figure of the Oracle," said Aksa while nodding lightly as if he had managed to understand something.
"Is Musvar the belief of the Oracle?" This time Nata asked.
"No. The Oracle only believes in the task he carries." Lily answered.
"The task that was carried? Is it about keeping the world going?" guess Nata who was answered with a nod by Lily.
"Are you also an Istar believer, Lily?" Nata asked back.
"No. Yllgarian beliefs are not like humans. Our belief is more in the individual's connection to the forces of nature" replied Lily, who was seen cleaning her conical hat this time.
"What is the belief of humans?" Nata seemed curious about it.
"Human belief has doctrines and teachings that are prone to misuse. Making it very useful, but it can also be very scary" Lily replied later.
"Haha..." Nata laughed when she heard Lily's words. Lily was confused as to why Nata was laughing. "Not different from our world" Aksa sidelines while devouring a fruit called Giri, which is shaped like an apple but has a mango-like taste.
"If it's Realn, Val?" Tanya Nata continued.
"Elf had only one god to worship. The god Siphar the weaver of the universe. And his teachings are just about being grateful and at peace with this nature" Val explained densely and briefly.
"Are there any human beliefs that interfere in government and politics?"
"I think Elbrasta has a Fallen Star Temple. They serve as advisors to the kingdom." Lily answered.
"I understand." Nata nodded slowly.
"If you are, what beliefs do you follow?" Lily's turn to ask the question.
Nata and Aksa stared at each other then with a crisp smile they said simultaneously "our belief is science."
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Eventually they arrived at the village of Dyms not on schedule. More than two days of travel. It looks like the village is in a ritual ceremony. Many of its citizens are seen busy with various kinds of supplies and uniform custom clothing. The village is busier than Baltra.
"Oh, Miss Lily. You don't seem to know this yet" replied a middle-aged Morra woman who took the time to stop. "The Oracle died yesterday" he said later.
"What?!" Almost everyone was screaming at the same time. They don't believe what they just heard.
"What is true? The end of our anti-climate quest is like this?" Aksa looks drowned.
"This is called a plot twist" said Nata lethargic, his head began to feel dizzy.
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They then headed to Lily's house while she was still living in the village. This house is far from the village center. It was built on a land on a cliff in the east of the village. This house is no bigger than Couran's. It's just because it doesn't have a lot of furniture. This house feels bigger.
"Then what should we do now?" Lucia asked after they dropped off their supplies from the car.
"That's what I wanted to ask the Oracle," said Nata. "Now I have to rearrange my plans from the beginning," he said then increasingly lethargic.
"We can visit his residence after all this funeral service is over, if you want." Lily seemed to be giving me an idea. "Who knows there are clues that might be obtained," he continued.
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The body of the Oracle was cremated and then the ashes were sown in a river near the village of Dyms. His funeral service lasted three days later. Many pilgrims come to the village just to do the last honor or just pray to send his departure.
The day after, Lily and Val accompany Nata and Aksa to the Oracle's residence.
They were immediately greeted by the housekeeper as soon as they arrived. Who then brought a wooden box for Nata and Aksa, as if he had prepared and waited for the arrival of the two young men.
"So he said the day before he died. To hand over this wooden box to the two young men who would later come with Miss Lily and Mr. Val," explained the middle-aged woman, the housekeeper later.
"What's this?" nata asked while receiving a wooden box the size of no more than the width of his shoulder, which was neatly lit.
"That is my legendary relic" said Aksa excitedly.
"It was a box owned by the Oracle, according to him the box had been with him for three hundred years ago" replied the housekeeper.
"Look at the symbol of this box, Aks" asked Nata as if he recognized the symbol engraved on the box.
"really. It's not foreign, but what?" aksa replied for a while after observing the three-circle symbol with one circle position above the other two circles. And like the picture of a box whose top looks jagged, located under the three circles.
"It was the epitome of the Musvar movement that was the forerunner of Istar belief" Lily said later when she saw Nata and Aksa looking shocked to see the emblem on the box. "That's the symbol of 3 months on top of Jasvar hill."
"Jasvar?" Aksa and Nata asked almost simultaneously.
"According to what I've read, Jasvar is a mythical hill that doesn't exist in this world" Lily replied later.
"The Couran has no scrolls regarding the beliefs and religions of the northern plains" said Aksa who looked disappointed.
And then after thanking the housekeeper, they finally resigned.
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