#TimeTravelingGhost EP 7 Post 80: 12 May 1999: London (2 of 2)

#Wss366 #MastoPrompt #TimeTravelAuthors

Emily recovered before me and asked, “Who are you?”

“I see no reason to share information with my adversaries. Unless…”

He paused and waved at the room. “As you can see, I am a collector. If you have something of interest, I might share some tidbits. You might even learn something useful.”

I appraised the man before answering. He was of medium height and slimly built, with a sharp nose, a high forehead, and dark eyes. A short, trimmed beard did nothing to hide his faintly amused smile. For a supposed “adversary,” he appeared calm.

“Would this do?” I showed him a silver egg we'd gotten from Amelia Earhart’s signal fire. A blue fire, like an opal’s, moved in its depths.

“A wish-fulfilling gem, Vishnu’s blessing in #stasis. I have read about those, but have never seen one,” the man said. “I will tell you what I can without violating the oaths that bind me.” He stepped forward and took the orb from my hand.

“Before you stands Michel de Nostredame,” he said, bowing.

“Nostradamus, the prophet?” Emily sounded incredulous.

“Nay, hardly a prophet. I merely set down the scenes shown to me as Hermes’s companion.”

“I hope you're going to tell us more than your name,” Emily said. “Don’t be a mug. We paid handsomely for information.”

The Third Pillar of Isis beneath the northern crown,
A prince in ancient Londinium shall gather the silent stones.
From hidden labors the relics bear their sign,
Though shadowed the work, its root is noble—known to Saint Judas.

Yet more the tongue must seal, and the hand conceal,
For Heaven’s will walks paths no mortal charts.

From his gestures, I understood the first lines referred to himself and the things we saw around us. The reference to Saint Judas was striking, but I didn’t know enough about the apocryphal writings of Saint Judas to understand its meaning. From the context, however, it seemed to refer to something that appeared evil but was actually noble. The last lines meant he wouldn’t tell us more.

“Still a grifter, I see,” Emily said. “Flimflam. Give the wish-fulfilling gem back.”

Nostradamus looked amused, making no move to return the orb. Instead, he added, “If as Faust, yea seek, what is divinely hidden, go where the words of the betrayer were illuminated and the covenant set down.”

“The Council of Nicosia,” I said. Everything pointed to the Templars' meeting in Nicosia.

Wish-fulfilling Gem:

Desert Hearts: Part 1

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#Wss366 Stasis #Mastoprompt Figment

[Two parts for White Day in Japan and one for tomorrow is fir White Day in the West]

•⋅☾The Royal Academy☽⋅•

“Lady Sorrona would like to approach,” Cordula said to Hannelore.

Hannelore had successfully dodged Sorrona for the last three days on instructions from home. She’d come to the commons early today, thinking Sorrona wouldn’t be there yet, but she arrived seconds after Hannelore had taken a seat. Her bad timing had struck again.

“Can’t I say I’m too busy?” Hannelore asked.

“I’ll tell her you only have a few moments to spare. But saying no when you're clearly relaxing would cause an open breach. We’re in a public place, and you’re rumored to be on excellent terms with her. Let's not give the other duchies a hint of our concerns. They will try to take advantage of it.”

“Very well.”

Sorrona approached, and after a fulsome greeting, presented Cordula with a red box for Hannelore. Scarlet ribbons adorned the present, with a carnelian at each ribbon tip. The box itself made a stunning present.

“I hear Dregarnuhr, the Goddess of Time, has woven your threads exceptionally short today, but when you have time, please partake of the contents,” Sorrona said, curtsying.

“Thank you,” Hannelore said, putting on her best smile.

She continued, “It seems Dregarnuhr, the Goddess of Time, has woven today’s threads with exceptional speed and grace.” Then she quickly withdrew.

Once Hannelore was back in her chambers, Cordula checked the box and handed it to her. Inside were light-red heart-shaped cookies. Each one had a “desert heart” leaf pressed into its surface.

“From Wilfried?” Hannelore asked hopefully. It was a #figment a of hope since Sorrona was from the Duchy of Alexandria, while Wilfried remained in Ehrenfest. But perhaps Rozemyne was acting on her brother’s behalf, Hannelore thought desperately.

Cordula crushed those hopes. “It’s from Aub Rozemyne, my lady. I fear you must make your feelings clear to your parents soon about a match with Ferdinand. The present we return must reflect the direction we wish to take. We can no longer ignore their overtures. #Stasis is not an option.”

#TootFic #MicroFic #NMFic #WhiteDay #ValentinesDay