“Welcome, sire.” A voice crackled behind him. Spinning around Melaan saw the ancient figure, which stooped by the door, turning a large bronze key.
“I am sure you don’t need to lock the door, Hareshi.”
“I may be able to see that which other’s cannot, but none are safe from the evil which stalks our lands, let alone an old fool such as myself.”
Melaan smiled. He had come to this place partly out of desperation, a secret rendezvous of which none of his colleagues was aware.

Hareshi was a powerful mage, maddened somewhat with power; he had led the life of an outcast here in the wilderness of Minoc. With nothing but his books to keep him company, Melaan almost felt a pang of sorrow for the old man.
“Do not weaken your resolve with sympathy, the emotion of the arrogant.” Hareshi muttered, as he drew closed the curtains.
“I see that age has not gnawed at thy gift, my friend.”
Hareshi smiled as he turned, he harboured a great fondness for the guard who stood before him. Mulaan showed no fear in is presence, and had been the only person to request his audience for many years.

“Now, let us get straight to the point. What brings you here sire?”
Mulaan nodded, and spoke boldly.
“The Royal Lute has been stolen.”
“Times are indeed hard if you require my assistance in the pursuit of such an artefact.”
“We have gotten nowhere thus far.”
“Then I shall try, my friend, I shall try.”

Hareshi cleared a small space on the large table. Pushing vials and bottles to one side he gently placed a large wooden bowl in it’s centre. He took a large candle from a crate and rubbed the wick gently between two bony fingers. Muttering an incantation the candle grew a tiny flame, and Hareshi placed it close to the bowl.

Melaan has seen this ritual several times before, but it never ceased to fascinate him. He watched in quiet awe as Hareshi gently poured water from a flask into the wooden bowl, filling it almost to the brim. He sprinkled some powder onto the water’s surface, quietly humming a song in a tongue that Melaan did not recognise. The old man’s diligence complemented his aura of wisdom.

Hareshi sat so that he could see the candlelight reflected on the water’s surface, before raising a clawed hand in a gesture of silence.
Melaan became conscious of his own breathing, and his heartbeat seemed oddly loud. He must be patient and remain utterly silent as Hareshi descended into a trance-like state.

Before long the old man began to quietly hum to himself. Somewhere in the mists of time and space his mind wandered. He concentrated on the Royal Lute, so that he may reach to it from afar. The clouded images that flashed through his mind began to clear, and he found himself standing in a cavern, within the heart of a mountain. Vast pools of lava hissed and boiled nearby, and the searing heat threatened to burn the flesh from his bones. He saw a door, thought it was masked behind a cloud of acrid smoke. He knew he was watching something that had happened in the very recent past.
The door’s lock, twisted and warped by the relentless heat, snapped open.

Suddenly he was awake, wide-eyed, and aware once again of the interior of his home. The bemused guard remained still, staring unblinkingly at the old man.

“I am sorry sire, I have failed.” Hareshi broke the silence.
“Failed?” Said Melaan, with a tone of puzzlement.
“Aye, the Lute lies buried too deep, tangled in treacherous secrecy.”
“Then what hope have we?”
“It shall be found, my friend, it shall be found.”
As he spoke these words Hareshi slumped in his chair, with his face turned sideways on the table. He began immediately to snore gently.

Melaan knew the old man well enough to not risk disturbing his slumber. He knew the trances took their toll on him, and so left him at peace, snoring away in the solitude of his quaint cottage.
His ride back to Britain was a long one; the weight of the world seemed to rest upon his shoulders.

Despite all this Melaan felt oddly at peace, for the old man’s words had always brought him comfort.

He had never been wrong before; after all, he was an oracle.

The story is from http://www.uo-europe.com/