Oracles

Do you know where oracles come from?
Believe me, they don't just get born with their gifts.
Let me tell you a story about a girl who found out the secret about them:

Her name was deleted out of our memories, to protect our consisting flourishing world, but some stories won't be forgotten. She was a mercenary like many, or at least she was at the beginning, soon her potential was shown. As a result she was called to Rocheste, the big town of soldiers. Her sword crossed many blades and killed even more enemies on her way to the top.
There is one rule you must follow, regardless which rank you have: “You mustn’t enter the castle without permission”, not even kings from other countries were allowed to just walk in.
As the girl climbed all the way up from a mercenary by just doing her job, she got invited many times to obtain the next rank.
Then Keaghan, a knight who was respected and honoured by the folk, went against the Royal Army and our girl was sent to officially get rid of him. But he was way too valuable, for the official news she would kill him, but the real orders were to take him as a prisoner to the castle. She started the mission on the morning of the 31th October and finished when the blood moon begun to rise.

There was no one in the town, except the 6 lifeless and stagnant guards which armours reflected the light of the moon. They didn't even block her way in the castle or asked for the purpose. They just let her open the heavy doors all by herself. The wooden doors screamed till the moonlight finally could flood the rather dark hall which was lit by only a few dripping candles here and there.
It was dark, no music was playing and the few candles didn’t help to identify the person who was sitting on the throne, she shivered.
“You may show me the traitor.” The king's voice filled the whole hall as if it was the only thing living in it.
Of course that was an order directly given by the king, she couldn't refuse, even if all her senses said to run back outside. Once again the doors screamed behind her, closing the only way out of this room filled with piercing darkness. Keaghan's unconscious body got heavier with every step towards the throne, she thought about hearing footsteps behind her, but was too scared to turn around and leaving her back open to the king. As she stopped, there was one more footstep resounding behind her. Her whole body froze, her heart beating as loud that she would believe the king would hear it.
“Good child.” The king spoke again, but his voice appeared to have its origin behind the throne. The candle lights couldn't reach the king's face, all what was to see was his red robe.
Then the body moved, he leaned forward, a smile of rotten flesh came into the light with eyes hollowed out to the white bones of the skull.
That was too much for her, she fell to the ground.

Her hands where hurting, something cold held them together. The girl was able to recognize the place as soon as she opened her eyes, she tied in the prison of the castle, she knew because she had leaded some people here but usually the corridors were much quieter, this time it was filled with screams, ones of wild beasts.
“Guess who woke up. Good evening little girl.” Riordan, the selfish leader of the Royal army stood before her, self-confident as always. She couldn’t make sense of this situation yet but she knew she wanted to hit him right into his stupid grin. She struggled a little but couldn’t bring up enough strength to even lift her ass off the ground.
“I'm sure you want to ask what all this is supposed to mean. Well … my little girl … if you would look to the right please.”
She looked and saw two skeletons, hanging together with a silver shine around them.
“These are oracles, or more, people with 'gifts'. To tell the full truth, these are the remains of Tieves parents, our oh so innocent sweet village oracle.”
Riordan touched her belly and she felt a sudden pain, as she looked town, she could see a light steam vanishing into her inner body. Pain ran through her whole body, it felt as if something was pushing from the inside to make space.
“You will get used to it, like the other two already did. Good thing you brought us Keaghan like the good soldier you are, since he already possesses some 'gifts' we don't have to find someone for you.”
She panted heavily: “Why?”
“Why? You foolish child of this country, the world needs oracles just as the country needs a king. But oracles became few by the time so we searched for a way to force the 'gift' into bodies. As we failed to summon the goddess, we discovered a parasite which eats the flesh of his owner and gives him these 'gifts' instead. Of course that wouldn't hold long, but we noticed that the children of these people are born with the same skills and live a longer life. In this moment I am ruling the country and the hope of the people with the dead voice of my brother, he hasn’t shown himself for ages and the people still think he is the one ruling, foolish pawns, nobody will be able to stop me.” Riordan turned his back, “Rest now, child, as a royal I will present you your new husband tomorrow.”

Once a rising star, now forgotten except by a few who wonder if it was all a dream, ever since the 1st November nobody was able to remember the girls name anymore and I was never able to help her. The birth of a new oracle was announced in the summer of the next year, it’s the story of how my mother died.