It had been a long, long time since the Spring Seers had been so young and they were enjoying the pleasures that come from a young body. “They are too young for that!” the Summer Seers had said, seeing the lust in the young couple’s eyes when they had left the chamber, but that was the voice of bitterness and jealousy. When you found yourself suddenly in a young body free of any of the trials of age there was nothing you were too young for.
They were left with Mario and Rosa to console. The youngsters had suddenly found themselves aged beyond imagining and without the knowledge and experience of the Seers they did not know how to hold the decrepit bodies together. Mario had wet himself and Rosa was sobbing uncontrollably, just from looking at her hands. They would keep a looking glass from her as long as was possible.
“It is nothing to be upset about,” the Summer Seers lied. “It is just a temporary thing.”
Neither child seemed consoled by the idea. “Your bodies have great powers,” the female Summer Seer told them, coming across the chamber towards them. “You will learn how to harness them. But you must maintain the bond.” Or you will die, she neglected to tell them.
She held up her husband’s hand to indicate that they should do the same, but the children were too distraught to pay them enough attention to follow her bidding. The male Summer Seer was having a great deal of trouble focusing on the fact that these were not the people he knew, falling apart before him, but were in fact children. It seemed to him that if he ever let go of his own control he might behave just like them.
The female Summer Seer sensed this in him and squeezed his hand tighter, forcing him to focus. But in return a little of his doubt filled her. It was too much like looking into some mirror of the future, she thought, or alternative reality. She drew in a breath and said, in a stern voice, “You can wallow or you can adapt. There is nothing else for it now.” Neither child responded. She felt annoyed, it should have been the Spring Seers doing this, rather than cavorting and exploring each other’s flesh like a pair of love-starved youths. But again, she wondered how she would respond if it were her and her husband in their bodies. It had been a long time since the flesh had held pleasures for them. Who wouldn’t dream of the smooth and unblemished flesh of youth? And with a partner who knew your every whim and wish.
The Spring Seers had undoubtedly sacrificed a lot of their powers to choose the bodies of these two children, but they would regain that in time. As the two children would regain their senses and come to understand their responsibilities – in time – and then there would be three sets of Seers once more. As they would undoubtedly find another set of Seers eventually.
Still holding her husband’s hand she stepped forward and pulled one shaking hand from Rosa’s face and pressed it into the boy’s hand. “Hold it,” she commanded. Mario hung onto it for a moment, but Rosa pulled it back to cover her mouth, as great racking sobs were now escaping her. The Seer grabbed it again and pressed it once more into Mario’s hand. “Hold it tighter,” she told him. He looked at her, blinked and did as he was told, as Rosa tried to pull it back from him again.
She stepped closer to Rosa and raised a hand to strike her face, but could not bring herself to do it. She could easily have struck the female Spring Seer as she watched her leading her child lover out of the chamber, but she could not bring herself to strike the face of the woman in front of her. They had endured too much together.
She stepped back and said to her husband, “Let’s leave them alone for a bit. They may need the solitude to recover.”
He knew that was very unlikely. What they most wanted was undoubtedly comforting and some explanation they could accept. But they were not going to get that here. “Yes,” he said. “I hope they find that possible.”
“In time,” she said to her husband, and turned to lead him out of the chamber. So many things would happen in time. She would adapt to the reality of who were children and who were not, and they would adapt to the fact they were now Seers and with that came great sacrifice and they would adapt to finding a new balance of their powers to protect the city.
“I fear we do not have that luxury of time,” he said.
“I fear so many other things above that,” she said, and they left the chamber without once looking back.