They say that before The Shadow became The Shadow, they were a child like anyone else. A child of innocence and purity, starkly different from the antihero they became.
The sun set steadily over the small town of Lilan, its course bringing it closer to the edge of the world. As the shadows crept hurriedly over the Loakskin tents, their fibers crystalized, matching the snow around them like a soft, clean blanket. This day had begun like any other, but it would end extraordinarily because they would conduct their Liever Ceremony on this night.
The town had completed many Liever Ceremonies in previous years, but this ceremony would differ from all the others. Unlike in past years, there was only one child in the village whose ninth birthday had passed. There he knelt, arms raised in prayer, staring vacantly at the flap of his Loakskin tent, knowing what he feared would come to pass. Soon, his Granny Alice would step through that tent flap and lead him steadily towards the super-secret ceremony, towards his destiny. His shiny black hair matched the darkness around him, while his blue eyes, usually clear, had crystallized with a rush of sobs.
Granny Alice approached the tent, biting her lip nervously, her withered hands clutching her cane. She paced in front of the flap for a moment, but finally steeled herself and stepped inside. Masking her face into the clean facade of a confident older woman, she pressed the base of her cane firmly into the rugs that lay upon the snow and eyed the child. “Xiren, it’s time. Rise, and follow me.” After whispering these words, she turned on the spot and left the lodging, not checking to see whether he followed her or stayed where he was.
Within a few moments, however, she could hear the soft crunch of his boots in the snow behind her. He held his head low, watching her shuffling feet carefully, as though he were afraid to look up and see the world. “There’s no need to be afraid,” Granny Alice muttered, more to herself than the boy, but he looked up from her feet immediately and smiled solemnly at her elderly nape.
“Granny Alice, is water not enough? Must I wield darkness as well?” Xiren asked, picking up his pace to keep up with her.
He nearly bowled her over as she stopped suddenly in front of him. She turned to look at him, eyeing him thoughtfully. “You mustn’t do anything, the choice is yours. You may choose to refuse the ceremony, but if you do, you will need to leave the village.”
His jaw dropped, leaving his mouth agape. “But, there are several adults here who are not Lievers! Why would I need to leave? Couldn’t I live here, just like them?”
Granny Alice shook her head solemnly. “You know it’s not the same, child. They are adults, and thus unable to take part in the ceremony. They are too old to receive magic. Whereas, if you refuse to receive the magic, you will be turning your back on us and our ways. That in itself is a betrayal, and you would not be able to stay. Besides, if you stayed here, you would be without use.” She turned to face him and placed her hand gently on his shoulder. “The village trusted non-Lievers once before, your parents, and you know what happened to them. They stole the shipment they were supposed to collect payment for and abandoned you. If you do not take part in the ceremony, you will be branded a traitor, just like them.”
“Mom and dad wouldn’t steal!” Xiren croaked vehemently, his voice rising. “I don’t know what happened to them, but they wouldn’t steal, and they wouldn’t abandon me! Something happened to them.”
Granny Alice’s face hardened immediately, harsh lines of anger showing starkly across her face. “You were three years old when they left! What would you know?” She shuddered, trying to calm herself, but she looked into the boy’s eyes, and her anger seemed to swell. “You need to forget about those people. Where have they been for the past six years? It doesn’t matter what happened to them! In the end, they left you here, and they won’t be coming back.” Her grip hardened on his shoulder. He cried out in pain, but she kept her grasp and never loosened. “Listen to me Xiren. If you can’t forget those people and leave the past in the past, you’d better turn around right now, return to your tent, and pack your things. Otherwise, follow me, and take responsibility for your family.” She turned away in a huff, her cane smacking against the frozen ground much harder than it had earlier.
Xiren rubbed his sore shoulder and looked behind him at his tent. He imagined his Mother and Father stepping through its flap, laughing like they used to. Focusing on the sight, they waved kindly at him and then turned to walk past the tent into the darkness of the horizon. They didn’t come back.
He followed the tracks that Granny Alice had left, and after weaving through the many tents of the village, he reached the village square. A large bonfire was lit, posing the extravagance of this night. There were few trees left in the tundra near their village, so few that fires were only lit on nights like these, for Liever Ceremonies. The adults and children of the village who had already passed their tenth birthday stood in a semicircle around the fire, watching Xiren’s approach. Granny Alice and the other village elders stood at the forefront. The other children of the village would all be asleep in their lodgings, carefully supervised by the non-Liever adults, so they wouldn’t interrupt the ceremony.
Xiren stopped his approach only a few feet from the five elders of the village: Granny Alice, Granny Macha, Granny Izkerdo, Granny Prillan, and Granny Ledo. Granny Izkerdo stepped forward and began the ceremony. “Xiren, son of Tiran, we of the shroud call upon you as the day of your ninth birthday has passed. We ask you to join us in the protection of Sephiol and the connection of the clear unwavering darkness. If you choose to stay, your efforts will be rewarded, and you will forever be reared with care. If your choice is to leave us, we will provide you with safety on your future journeys, however, you must state your choice now.”
Granny Izkerdo stepped back into the line of elders as Granny Prillan stepped forward. “Xiren, son of Tiran, now is the time. What is your choice?”
Xiren stood up taller, almost on the tips of his toes, and cleared his throat to raise his voice. “Granny Prillan, I Xiren, son of Tiran, choose to stay.”
A small, knowing smile graced Granny Prillan’s face as she stepped back into the line. Granny Macha stepped forward this time. “Xiren, son of Tiran, the holy work to which we devote ourselves is to create, protect, and harvest Sephiol, the gift of the Tundra. In this way, we provide health and beauty to the world beyond our own. Do you promise to nurture and care for our village, its inhabitants, and the miracle plant that we are charged with caretaking?”
Xiren nodded firmly. “I solemnly swear to do that which I have been called upon.”
Granny Alice finally stepped forward. “Xiren, my child, the time has come.” She held up an obsidian goblet filled with wine and passed it carefully to Granny Ledo. Glancing around at the members of the village, she raised her voice into a harsh croak. “Members of this village, do you accept the oath of Xiren, son of Tiran?”
A resounding “Yes!” was spoken by all of the villagers around the fire. They smiled at him warmly, their gazes accepting and kind.
Granny Alice once again turned to face Xiren and looked him straight in the eyes. “Xiren, as you have vowed, and been accepted, you will now become one of us!” She pulled a knife from the pocket of the fur coat that adorned her shoulders and cut one of her fingers until her blood began to flow freely. “With this blood, that you receive from my own flesh, we will become one: one community, one village, one family!” She reached her hand over the goblet of wine that Granny Ledo now held and dripped a single droplet of her blood into the liquid, then she stepped back in line.
“Xiren, son of Tiran!” Granny Ledo called, walking directly in front of him. She held out the obsidian goblet and allowed him to take it from her. “From this moment on, you shall be one of us. We will guide you in the way of the crystalline Sephiol, and you will now receive your power. You may now drink!”
Lifting the goblet to his lips, careful not to spill a single drop, Xiren drank the wine quickly and handed it back to Granny Ledo. He had never had wine before. The sweet, almost dry-tasting liquid made him gulp for air, and he felt slightly nauseous. “How does it feel?” Granny Ledo whispered to him quietly. “Can you feel your new power?”
Xiren focused on a small point in his gut, the point where he could usually feel the source of his water magic. Water wasn’t the only magic source he had felt within himself, but he had never been able to tap into the other magic sources. This time, however, he could feel another magic. He opened his eyes and nodded to Granny Ledo. “I can feel it!”
Her eyes glittered with excitement. “Well, what are you waiting for? Use it!”
Xiren closed his eyes once more and focused on his magic sources. He focused specifically on the new magic source and imagined tapping it with his finger. A rush of power filled his bloodstream as something cold burst out of his right hand. His eyes flew open with astonishment at the new sensation, and he watched as dark mana poured out of his right palm. He imagined it flying over the fire before him and creating a circle above it in the air. To his surprise, the darkness followed his will immediately and took its place over the fire.
Within a moment, however, it disappeared. A wave of exhaustion overtook him. He focused once more on his magic sources and found that the source he had just tapped was thoroughly depleted. It would be hours before he would be able to use it again. The villagers before him looked from the area above the fire where the dark mana had just been and back to him. Then, they began to cheer. They rushed forward as one, hugging him, patting his dark hair, and congratulating him all at once.
It seemed as though hours had passed by before he was able to breathe, he was so smothered by his comrades. Eventually, they started moving back towards the fire. Food was brought out, music began to play, and the celebrations began.
Granny Alice approached him and wrapped him in a warm hug. “You did it, child! I’m so proud of you!” This was a night that Xiren would never forget.
A small girl around his age approached him as Granny Alice released him and turned to speak with the other adults. The girl was short, with long brown hair and matching chocolate eyes. “Congratulations Xiren!” She smiled shyly at him.
Xiren blushed slightly and smiled back at her. “Thank you! You’re Amalia, right?”
The girl nodded and stepped closer to him, her confidence beginning to make an appearance. “I never got to participate in the ceremony, but I love watching every year.” He looked at her in surprise, his eyes wondering how a ten-year-old had been to multiple ceremonies. As she noticed the look, she rushed to explain. “I was born as a Liever, so I never had to drink the blood wine. I’ve been able to come to all of the ceremonies for as long as I can remember because I never had the chance to do it myself.” Amalia blushed with embarrassment as she explained this. An awkward silence rose between them as they struggled to find something to say. “You must be hungry!” Amalia burst out, finally grasping the start of a conversation. “Let’s go get some food!”
Xiren nodded emphatically and followed her towards a table laden with food beside the bonfire. He had fasted during the day to be prepared for the ceremony. Seeing the food that nearly overflowed from the table, his mouth instantly began to water. He filled his plate with fish, loak meat, and Sephiol fruit; then he sat beside Amalia on the snow-covered ground, and they ate together. As they sat, enjoying the night air, not a word passed between them, but this was no issue, as both were content with each other. Not a word needed to be said.
Eventually, Granny Ledo approached them with the news. “Amalia, we’ve decided to assign you to Xiren. You will teach him how to use his power and how to take care of the Sephiol plants.”
Amalia’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Really? I’ll get to work with Xiren?” She set down her plate gently and took Xiren’s hands in her own. “I’ll be sure to teach you well! I can’t wait to work with you!”
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