ANCIENT PROPHECY

Few days later, inside a tavern located at a small town which sat at a huge road that led to the Empire's capital…

A group of people cladded in hooded robe walked in through the door and sat at a long table. One of them called the waitress that was busy going back and forth serving the customers.

"Welcome! Can I get you folks something to drink?" asked the waitress.

"Just a cup of ale for each of us." said one of the hooded folks. "And serve it quick, yes? We need to get on with our journey."

"Very well!"

The servant then went to the counter, prepared the order, and served the drinks to the customers with swiftness.

"Here you go! Enjoy!" said the waitress with a bright smile. She decided to stay a bit longer for a chat. "By the way, where are you folks headed to?"

"To Shepherdsground." replied the one who gave the order earlier.

"The imperial capital?!" reacted the waitress. "Mind I ask why you're in such a hurry to go there? I don't think there's a festival in that huge city this time around."

"We're not going there for a festival." said the folk with a grin. They then summoned a magic staff to their hand.

"Hey, you're a mage! I've been seeing a lot of you passing by for the last few days. They were all also heading to the capital!"

"Indeed, miss!" said the hooded folk. "We're all going for the mage selection at the Imperial Palace."

"Oh my! Why would the palace in need of a mage? Is there a war coming?"

 "No war, miss! A subjugation quest!" replied the mage. "I believe you've heard the news about the Grimcloud Forest, yes?"

The waitress nodded eagerly.

"Ooh yes! We've had refugees from that area coming by here just yesterday. They said monsters have been pouring out from the forest and attacked the nearby villages and towns!"

"Well, His Majesty Emperor Arturos is quite concerned about the matter and is now ordering his children to take care of it."

"The seven Little Suns of Terraluna?" responded the waitress. "His Majesty didn't send the Imperial Army?"

"Surely you can think of as to why the Emperor is sending his children to handle a crisis in the Empire."

"Wait! I remembered hearing the fuss about the Emperor still haven't chosen the true heir for the throne yet." said the waitress. "Could that be the reason?"

"You're well informed, miss! Well, the word on the street is that this subjugation quest given by the Emperor is one of his tests to his children to see which one of them is worthy for the throne and crown."

"Is that so?" reacted the waitress. She suddenly frowned. "But I still don't understand why they would make a selection for a mage in the palace. I believed they usually just hired a bunch of them from the Adventurer Guild whenever the Imperial Army is going to do a subjugation quest."

The waitress's question brought a smile to the hooded mage. It was as if she had triggered something to make them excited. And it was because of this topic which the mage was about to talk about.

"Miss, have you ever heard of the Ancient Prophecy of Terraluna?" asked the mage.

"Ancient Prophecy? I think I've heard some priest from the Temple of Alpha mentioning it during one sermon I attended." said the waitress. "But I don't really remember what the prophecy was about."

"Well, you were correct in remembering where you heard of it. For the prophecy was indeed bestowed by the Great Goddess of Creation, Alpha." said the mage. "And that prophecy is the reason why many mages are heading to the capital right now."

"What does the prophecy says?"

Obliging to the request, the mage spoke the prophecy they conversed about. It went like so:

[When the servant's blood of Terraluna gave birth to seven Little Suns, Lacrima will then be nearing its turning point. For one of the Little Suns will grow to become the Sun of the Empire and bring, not just Terraluna, but also the entire world to a grand new age.]

The waitress's eyes were wide opened in surprise.

"Goodness! Our current Emperor have seven children just like in the prophecy!" said the servant. "And the Lacrima part, the goddess must be referring to the Lacrima Continent, right? As in the entire world?"

"Once again, good observation, miss!"

"But then again, the prophecy did not mention anything about a mage." said the waitress. "So why mages are heading to the capital?"

"Because there is another part to the prophecy. One bestowed by the Forbidden Goddess."

"Forbidden Goddess?"

"Nobody knows Her name but She had temples all over the continent. Only one would go crazy if they try to discover the truth about Her like Her name and title. It's as if it was forbidden to know about the goddess at all." said the mage.

"Well that goddess doesn't sound very nice."

"Her existence isn't exactly being promoted to the common folk because of that exact reason. She's like an old legend even to the adventurers." said the mage. "But, anyway, inside one of the Forbidden Goddess's temples, there could be found a tablet which spoke of the other part of the prophecy."

"What does Her part says?"

The mage proceeded to tell the continuation of the prophecy as so:

[The Prophesied Sun of the Empire will be guided by a soul who wields great magic. A soul which bears one of the seven great force of nature. It is upon this soul's guidance the fate of the world will be decided.]

"Oh my! So that's where you, mages, comes in!" said the waitress. "The future emperor in the prophecy will be guided by a mage!"

"Which is why mages are flocking in to the capital!" said the mage. "They wanted to be the guide of the future emperor who will bring the world to a grand new age! Just imagine the wealth and glory that mage will be getting once one of the Little Suns becomes emperor!"

"Oh wow! I can see why you're so eager." said the waitress. But she frowned once more due to a curiosity. "But what about that part of the seven great force of nature? What does that mean?"

"I'm surprised you didn't figure it out already!" said the mage. "That part was referring to the Seven Goddesses of Nature: Goddess of Prosperity, Fortuna. Goddess of Power, Valeria. Goddess of Light, Cecilia. Goddess of Darkness, Adrienne. Goddess of the Sky, Sora. And the Goddess of Earth, Bhumi."

"Ooh! I know them! They all have temples all over the continent as well!" said the waitress.

"Indeed they do! And if you're informed, that's where people learn magic!" said the mage. "And each temple would teach the foundation magic, which is the Lacrima Arts, and the magic art bestowed by the goddess of the said temple."

"So that's why the prophecy said the seven great force of nature! Since every mage there is represents one of the goddesses of nature because of where they learned their magic!" said the waitress. She once again frowned with confusion. "But wait a minute!"

The waitress recalled the names of the goddesses and counted them with her fingers.

"You said Seven Goddesses of Nature." said the waitress. "But you only named me six! What about the seventh?"

"Ah! She's not worth mentioning because she's the Forgotten Goddess."

"Forgotten? First forbidden and now forgotten?"

"Well, in the case of the Forbidden Goddess, you could still find Her temples all across the continent." said the mage. "But in terms of the Forgotten Goddess, She had none. Or none that we know of."

"Then how do we know She exists?"

"The temple of the Great Goddess of Creation, Alpha, mentioned there are seven goddesses of nature. Not six." said the mage. "Though we don't know who She is. But there is a seventh goddess."

"Goodness! What a sad being!" said the waitress. "Considering She had no temples, does She have any servant or a believer? Those that knows who She is?"

"Probably none!" replied the mage. "But who knows? It's a big world out there. There could be someone who actually knows who She is."

The mage was indeed correct. For that someone was currently riding fast on horseback through a great plain somewhere in the Empire. The figure was wearing a hooded robe like the mage. But the gale of the plain tossed the hood backward and caused the figure's visage to be revealed.

With her silver hair fluttering by the gale of the plain, her golden eyes fiercely looking forward to the horizon ahead, Luciana rode on to find the temple of the seventh goddess.