Windscript Volume 24, 2007-2008 - Saskatchewan Writers' Guild

The Magazine of Saskatchewan High School Writing
Will Gordon
The Oracle’s Guard
Cepra glanced at the door he was guarding. He adjusted his chair again until he was certain no one could
sneak past him. He looked down the brightly lit hallway as a man approached.
“Still the oracle’s guard are you Cepra?” Asked the man as he passed by.
“It’s Oracle Vaura,” corrected Cepra. He crossed his arms and scowled when he recognized the man. “Get
out of here if all you’re going to do is cause trouble.”
“Alright!” growled the man, quickly leaving down the hallway.
Cepra looked around the hallway and relaxed.
“Quit being so jumpy,” he whispered to himself. The guard had never been like this before on a job.
That’s what you get for falling in love! He didn’t know how, but he had fallen in love with Vaura.
The oracle was very secretive. Cepra was only allowed into the room to escort guests, and never past the
violet curtains. The voices in his head jeered him about his feelings for her. He had never seen her full face.
Vaura wore a large blue cloak that almost completely engulfed her. The guard rarely saw her, until it was time
to escort her to her living quarters. Even then she stayed hidden. “You’re an idiot,” Cepra told himself, punching
himself in the leg. He was getting used to these feelings though. Cepra had never had luck with love.
Cepra quickly grabbed his chair as the door opened. A pale man quickly left the room. Cepra watched the
customer leave. The man didn’t look very happy. Vaura slowly appeared at the doorway and watched her supplicant
leave. Cepra looked at her and almost blushed. In an effort to hide his redness, if it did come, Cepra
bowed to her and watched the pale man go away.
“If it is not too much to ask, I’m assuming that things didn’t go well,” Cepra said, trying to make conversation.
He silently cursed after he said it.
“It is not too much to ask,” Vaura said. Cepra’s neck prickled as his hair stood up. He loved listening to her
accented voice. He loved everything about her.
“My customer asked when he would die. I warned him about asking such questions from one like me. He
refused and demanded. That man is going to die tonight. Poor soul.” Cepra turned and stared at her. Her
face was hidden to him, but she moved a hand out of her cloak and toyed with the glowing rock on a necklace.
Cepra stared down at her hand and the necklace. One of the few things the guard knew about her was that
the necklace was precious to her.
In his thoughts, Cepra came to his senses as a snap sounded. The glowing rock on her necklace fell off. Vaura
made a mad grab at the rock, missing it as it tumbled to the ground. Cepra fell to the ground and caught the
glowing rock. At the same moment Vaura too fell to the ground and they knocked heads.
“Sorry!” Cepra moved backwards. He opened his hand and gave the rock back to her.
“It’s okay. Thank you,” she said, clutching the rock. Vaura attempted to retie the rock back onto her necklace,
but failed.
“Let me,” offered Cepra.
Vaura looked up at him. Her eyes were the only things Cepra could see of her face. She handed over the
necklace and watched him like a hawk. Strangely, Cepra didn’t blush as he thought he would when she looked
at him. He retied the necklace in an efficient knot, tested the strength of it and handed it back to Vaura. The
oracle placed back on her necklace, finding it a suitable fit.
“Thank you again,” Vaura said. She got up and went back into her room.
“My pleasure,” Cepra said, speaking the truth. He softly closed the door and replaced his chair.
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