Bonding

More and more people bonded with spirits, Korin bonded to a bull spirit, Sara to a nature spirit, Rayall to a warrior, twelve of those who came into the room received a spirit bond. Their faces filled with joy as the playful spirits would whizz around the room or stand silently at the side of their mortal companion. The others wore dejected expressions, all dreams, and aspirations of becoming an adventurer dashed away in a moment. The girl with the chalice now, drank the water and a falcon flew from the water basin to perch on her shoulder. It was my turn; the grinning girl turned and saw that I was the last one to participate in the ceremony and held out the chalice in my direction.

Nervously, I step forward and gratefully accept the cup from her hands. I approach the basin of water and hesitate for a moment what if I don’t get a spirit? Korin, Sara, and Rayall all bonded with one. What if I’m left behind, I think as worry fills me. Where would I go if I didn’t bond one? After all, going back to the village is not an option, and would I be able to defend myself if Motten sent men to the capital to retrieve me? Resigning myself to whatever fate the goddesses have chosen for me, I dunk the chalice into the water and raise it. The clear liquid sloshing from the sides as my hand shakes from the weight and the impending moments that will determine my life.

I raise the silver cup to my mouth and feel the hot water stroking my lips. Hot? I think to myself as it fills my mouth, sending a burning sensation throughout me, No one else looked uncomfortable, why is it so hot? Despite the discomfort, I struggle on and empty the chalice into my mouth, holding it there as my eyes squeeze shut and my mouth shakes with the pain, the water growing hotter. I swallow the water and feel the burning sensation spreading throughout my body, every nerve and fibre of my being igniting and stabbing into the flesh. I squirm, still hoping that the pain will relent and wash away. I have no such luck, the roaring agony becomes too much for me to contain; the burning and stabbing pain erupting from my mouth in a cry of pain, screaming my agony throughout the room. My strength leaves me, it feels as though my body is being burned and melted away from the inside. I drop to the ground and writhe in agony, my body spasming as the light from the room begins to fade Are the crystals failing, I think to myself for some reason before I succumb to nothingness.

My eyes open, I look around in the complete darkness. I turn my head and once more see a stream of vertical light rising upwards until it falls from view. The woman is standing there again, still gazing into the light. My body is free from the pain that had enslaved it in the chamber, I clear my throat and find not a hint of the burning sensation in my mouth. She turns around

For the first time, I see her face. Her hair contained in the dark hood of her cloak is a shining white colour, long and disappearing into the folds of her clothing, her features appear tender and, looking at her, I can only think that she looks sweet? At first glance, her face seems young, though with further observation it has the ageless appearance as that of the Elves; her figure is concealed by her cloak though it falls gracefully, and she certainly appears to be far from plump. And her eyes. The halo’s of her eyes are a shining gold, even in the darkness of this place they grow brightly as though looking onto a dragon’s hoard from afar, I am entranced in their warm hue and alluring aura.

My breath catches as I try to say something but find my body unable to do anything but stare at her. She smiles at me, and my insides melt, then she sighs and everything within me shatters at the thought that she could ever be disappointed with me

“We really ought to stop meeting like this my child” she says, the light from that stream in the sky billowing around her body and embracing her in its glow, “it does neither of us much good”

Seeing her again, I have so many questions; I want to say something, to ask who she is, to ask what this place is, to ask what happened with the water. My mouth opens to ask but my words fail me, and I just stand there with my jaw agape. Still transfixed by her eyes, have they blinked yet? I think to myself

“I know, you have questions. So many questions” she says gently, “But time is not a thing we have in abundance” she finishes as her figure seems to glide closer to me. My knees feel like they will buckle as the details of her face become clearer with her closeness. “I suppose you want a name don’t you” she adds, as though she is reading my mind. “I have had many names, some you may recognise, others in languages long forgotten” her words play out like a song as I nod my head to each one, “But you may call me Lilith, I have always wanted to try that one out. It has such a pleasant taste on the tongue”

“…Lilith” I manage to say, my tongue brushing against the roof of my mouth as I utter it

“You really should avoid drinking unusual waters from strangers. It’s terrible for your health” she says, almost a hint of amusement in her tone, she sighs again, “but alas, mistakes are made, and it appears that you are in need of a spirit”

I nod my head, “The test of divinities” I say in a whisper

“Hah!” she exclaims with laughter, “Is that what they are calling it, how novel”, the sharp edges of her lips reforming into her soft smile, “Do not worry, I have an old friend. They will serve you well” she finishes

I open my mouth to say something more, but as I blink the golden sight of Lilith is replaced by the pale face of Calendis leaning over my body. His arms are clutched to my body, his lips moving as he says something

“Aucus… Aucus… Aucus!” his voice finally reaches my ears as I sit upright on the stone floor, the pain that had been coursing through my body now gone

I groan as I look around and see everyone staring at me, Korin, Sara, and Rayall with worried expressions across their faces as they stare at me. “Are you okay” I hear Calendis say, the pretentious tone disappearing from his voice.

“I… I’m fine” I say as Calendis helps me to my feet though I feel an unusual surge of strength within myself. I try to give a reassuring smile to the others in the room, the disturbed expressions resolving into simple curious looks. As I see the empty chalice dropped on the floor, I look around my shoulders and above me, back to the floor and then all around me, “did I bond a spirit? Which one?” I ask

The noble who had failed to bond a spirit at the beginning looks at me and sneers, “Hah, he couldn’t even keep the water down and he thinks he took a spirit” he exclaims as though it was one of the funniest things he had heard, “No, if I did not get one then why would one such as you” he adds, turning up his nose, apparently in ignorance that others “such as myself” bonded spirits whilst he didn’t.

I glance to Calendis for him to confirm, his face turned deathly pale, worry etched across his features as he opens his mouth in silence. Appearing from the air and circling above me is a raven formed of dark purple energy, it flies through the air for a few more rotations with the eyes of everyone in the room fixed to it. It settles onto my shoulder, the purple energy resolving into pitch black feathers, the only light on it glistening from the beak and reflecting in its dark eyes. The young royal appointee stammers for a moment, his eyes fixed to the spirit atop my shoulder.

“A… A… A raven” he manages at last, swallowing a lump in his throat, “a disciple of Tallaque” he adds in an attempt to recover from the stammer that he had began with. He swallows again, pulling his eyes from my raven who caws loudly to the room. He takes in the view of everybody who gained a spirit and those who did not. “ Ahem… you are dismissed now. The guard outside of the room will take you to either the citadel entrance or the grand hall depending on your situation” he says, glancing down at the remaining spirits in the water.

As we file from the room, Calendis places a hand on my shoulder and halts me, summoning another guard over with his finger. “Aucus, you will be taken to my offices. I would like to talk with you after I have finished conducting the test of divinities. Do not leave the room” he glances at the royal guard who nods his head and leads me away.