Not a speck of cloud today. Dareia thought as she stared into the sky, but she wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. On one hand, she couldn't conceive of a cloudless and windless storm, on the other...
She looked over to the old Oracle Parthena. She was in her late eighties, an almost unheard-of age for anyone to reach. More than twenty days ago, she seemed ripe to join the gods, barely able to eat, let alone speak; and yet she sprang up like a mushroom after rain, bearing news from the divine.
"In twenty days, a cloudless storm shall engulf the city of Inea, lightning shall burn the Holy Tonka Tree, and from its scorched trunk shall arise a cuprula destined to unite all his brethren."
Usually, divine revelations came decades in advance, allowing for the words of the gods to reach every single cuprulan ear, but this time, riders had to be dispatched to compensate.
Not only that, the entire populace of the city of Inea and neighboring settlements came, many with water buckets, hoping to avert the destruction of the tree planted by the Progenitor himself.
Others refused to believe the prophecy altogether, considering that the Tonka trees were resistant to lightning like cuprula themselves. However, to openly mock the words of an Oracle was not something anyone dared, and everyone had to at least humor her.
'The mask...' Parthena said, in a low hissing tone, 'Where is it?'The copper helmet she demanded for the prophesied cuprula was commissioned to the greatest blacksmith and crafter in the city, but his main downside was, of course, the time he would take. Dareia could sympathize with the pressure he was under, considering that it would be his mask that would be worn by an incarnated god.
'I'm sure he is on his way.' Dareia said, but the old Oracle grew even angrier, with her few remaining teeth loudly gritting.
Growing fearful, Dareia turned to the chief of the Storm-guards, who calmly pointed at the rider rushing through the open space on the road.
Thank the gods. She thought.
As soon as the rider reached them, he handed the wooden crate to the chief, who rapidly removed the few loose boards and revealed the mask neatly tucked inside with a tulle sheet. It was less of a mask and more of a helmet that covered the face as well.
Oracle Parthena took it into her shaky, wrinkled hands and lovingly caressed the copper helmet. 'He will be most pleased. However, any further shower of praise and gifts must be left to the prophesied one.'
With a hand motion, Parthena signaled that they should kneel.
Taking her steps towards the Tonka tree, Oracle Parthena rose to the platform overlooking the plaza. Dareia checked whether the heralds were ready to amplify Oracle's words; however, much to her surprise, thunder began to rumble.
'People of Inea', Parthena spoke with unmatched power as her words thundered across the plaza, leaving both the people and the priests stunned, 'My cuprulan brethren, today marks the end of an era, an era of division between sons and daughters of Cuprum the Progenitor. Today, we welcome our brother from the heavens, our biggest brother.
'While I lament that I won't live long enough to see the world he will bring, I pray that you all see reason and follow him in his vision.' She ended her speech and turned her back to the crowd, facing the holy Tonka tree.
'Incredible.' Dareia looked over to her fellow priestesses, but none of them were able to speak, with a few unable to even regain their wits.
Thunder louder than any before cracked through the plaza. Dareia looked into the sky frantically to find out where it could have come from, but there was nothing. Worse yet, the thunder grew more frequent, with lightning whips tearing up the sky without a tuft of a cloud or without a blow of wind.
Then, just like Oracle had foretold, over a dozen lightning bolts struck the holy tree. Dareia looked on in awe as it seemed that the divine was wholly intent on its destruction, but a part of her prayed that it wouldn't come to pass.
Finally, a massive bolt struck, setting the tree ablaze. Dareia and Storm-guard rushed to Oracle's defense while some in the crowd grabbed their buckets and began to frantically pour the water on the tree, in the hope of putting the fire out.
Oracle held Dareia and the guard back with a raised hand, while not averting her teary eyes from the blaze. The tree burned, and nothing short of a furious torrent could have even the slightest chance of putting it out.
Scorched branches fell to the ground, leaving even the most desperate fire fighters on their knees as they watched one of the holiest sites for all of cuprulan kind burn and die.
Another loud crack shook the crowd, except it wasn't from thunder, but rather the sound of wood being torn. From the Tonka's trunk a charred hand emerged, and Dareia couldn't help but shriek in fear and revulsion.
It didn't stop there as the tree continued to crack and break open with a figure engulfed in flame exiting it. As he got out, the holy tree collapsed behind him, like mere timber. With each step he made towards Parthena, a bit of flame went out on his body, revealing his bronze skin.
Dareia wanted to rush to Parthena's defense, but the old Oracle looked at him with pure awe and joy.
As the fire disappeared, more of his toned, muscular body was revealed. Head was the only exception where it still raged, though Dareia was able to catch a glimpse of his pulchritudinous profile through the flame.
Parthena was on her knees as her strength gave out, but "the one born of flame" helped her back up, gently like a grandson assisting his aging grandmother.
'I Parthena...' she shouted as thunder carried her voice once more, '18th Oracle of Ines, the Storm-mother, use the last of my breath to welcome and hail your arrival, oh the "Mightiest son of Cuprum".'
As she released the copper helmet in her care, the "Mightiest son of Cuprum" took it and placed it onto his head, putting the flame out. Parthena fell into his embrace and whispered something that Dareia couldn't hear, but she was able to read from her lips the word "luck".
He took her limp body into his arms and carried her over towards them. Storm-guard immediately took hold of her. Parthena seemed peaceful and happy as the last of her strength maintained her lips into a smile. Storm-guard retreated a few steps, but they remained on the platform, uncertain how to proceed.
She wasn't sure what compelled her, but once Dareia looked back to the 'Mightiest son of Cuprum', she noticed that only part of him that was covered was his head with the help of the copper helm. Yet he seemed unbothered as he turned back and got in front of the crowd.
'Brothers! Sisters!', he said with his hands raised towards the sky, his voice even stronger than Parthena's ever was or could be. Dareia could even hear the thundering in the distance as the storm carried his voice to who knows how far, 'I must apologize for many things, one of them being the destruction of the Holy Tonka Tree, but just like our great father Cuprum, I come suddenly, and out of necessity.
'The Gods, our beloved family, desired to allow you to find your way on your own; they now regret this salutary neglect. I was sent to be their voice and enforcer of their will.
'Cuprula, the descendants of Cuprum know no king other than him, for we are all his princes and princesses, but now I must step up and take charge, and for that I have been dubbed by the gods as the "High Prince". The end of this era will only mark the beginning of a new one, one I must guide you to, but for that, I need your help. Please, aid me!'
Though his speech was not a long one and carried a lot of power behind it, the crowd remained silent, giving him the cold shoulder. Everything had transpired in such a short amount of time, for Dareia, let alone for commoners, who unlike them had previous insight into the events to come.
Serve him, swear it. Dareia recalled the vow Parthena made them all swear. Though she made the vow, she remained hesitant.
High Prince didn't remain long before the crowd as he turned back towards the tree he had emerged from and began to punch at its charred remains, after which he took a seat.
'Dareia, Costas', he called out for her and the chief of the Storm-guard, surprising both that he knew their names. She exchanged an uncertain glance with him, but he seemed more resolute.
'My prince!' he shouted back, though it was clear he was barely keeping his composure. This gave Dareia strength to reply as well, but in a much meeker tone.
'I require paper, charcoal, and oil, everything you have in your stock,' he said, his voice feeling far less powerful than before, 'Get to it.'