The Rubbish Realm

Interlude 1b

Interlude 1b
Many years prior
Tobias paced through the hospital room, a worried look upon his face. “Are they okay?”
He received no response from the hustle and bustle of hospital workers moving around him. People, people everywhere, but no one with which to speak.
“Hello? Where’s Isadora? Are they okay?” Still they all ignored him. “Will anybody answer me?” Tired from asking and worrying as he had for many long hours the previous night, he sat down. He had a book, but he couldn’t concentrate, he was so wracked with consternation for his wife. She had given birth just a couple of days prior, and Tobias hadn’t seen her since.
“Will somebody at least tell me where she is?” He was exasperated. When still nobody replied, (Oh, the good old days when people actually cared about conversation), he got up and asked the strangest-looking person he saw - an old, white-haired and bearded man, his anticipation affinity making him look like a stereotypical mage, quite out of place in the formal hospital setting. To make matters even stranger, he carried a staff. “Do you know where my wife Isadora is?”
The old man straightened, as if he recognized the name. “That is where I am going.”
Confused, but realizing that any further questions he asked would likely get a similar response, Tobias followed the old man.
The old man paused at door 224, opened the door, and gestured for Tobias to enter. Actions speak louder than words, after all.
Tobias entered, and the sight that met his eyes he had been looking forward to for a long time: Isadora, safe on a hospital chair with their new baby boy on their lap. “What did you name him?”
Isadora noticed the old man and gave him a strange look. “His name is Alistaire. I named him after your great-uncle, the one that went off to war.”
Tobias frowned, a bit of disgust crossing his features. “Oh, him.”
Isadora snickered.
The old man spoke up. “I am Nikolai, the greatest prophet of this age.”
Tobias was too incredulous to process that properly. “And?”
Nikolai glared at him, disappointed. “Alistaire is special. He will be the greatest prophet the next age has ever seen.”
Isadora looked right at Alistaire, and as if she were noticing his vibrant pink eyes for the first time, she fainted. Tobias ran over to catch her before realizing she had been in a chair and was fine. He took Alistaire off of her lap, worried that she might drop him and noting how Alistaire looked like he already understood what was going on.
Nikolai continued. “He will be the one to see Beresford’s prophecy completed, for his health shall last as long as the sky does. And he will know when he is about to die, for his magic as well will die with the sky. And he must do all he can to delay that day as long as possible.” He stared off to the distance, as if he had lost all touch with reality. Tobias had known enough prophets to know that they always did that when they saw the future.
“And we will not live to see that day?” Tobias’ eyes inadvertently flicked towards Isadora, who lay unconscious on the ground.
“No, and you will be lucky that you didn’t.” Nikolai grimaced, seeing the rubble in his mind’s eye, knowing full well that he wouldn’t be around to see that either.
Tobias fell silent, taking in the full meaning of those words and their full implications.
Nikolai pivoted slowly for maximum effect before leaving the room. “Do not forget Beresford!” he said over his shoulder as he exited.
“I won’t.” Tobias muttered quietly enough that only he and baby Alistaire could hear. “I won’t.”