Act I
It's been a few days since I met our great ancestor the First Rider, now I was sitting in my home watching our clan friend the Merciful Sun trying to see if he can summon another ancestral spirit without doing it inside the [House of Champions]. . .
It was insulting that he would dare think it was that easy to summon an ancestor but then again, it's been generations since our clan was able to drum any ancestors that didn't come with our clan founder through the rift and had been born in these lands.
"I offer these small gifts, I ask for an audience, I ask this for I am the Blessed of the Lightbringer."
He spoke the same incantation, but nothing happened. His sacrifices didn't combust into orange flame as they all sat there, I didn't even feel any stirring of magic in the air, unlike before.
"Elder Swinnet, can you drum one of your ancestors if you're not at your clan temple?"
The giant asked, which made me smile as I answered him.
"Yes, I can. But the ancestor wouldn't be strong."
This made him look surprised and then happy.
"Elder, can you teach me? I know the clan can't teach me it's magic but I can trade anything. . ."
Normally I can't, because even a clan friend can't be taught the magic of the clan but. . . It wasn't a normal time, now that our ancestor appeared we needed to follow his lead.
The outcome of the meeting was simple. Do your best to prepare for the disaster and do whatever we can to strengthen our clan. We had half a year to prepare and because of that Councilor Talon told me to teach everything I know to Friend Merciful sun.
"No need, Friend Merciful Sun. you are a true friend to my clan, I don't need anything from you but a promise."
My words made his saddening face light up in joy.
"Anything!"
He said excitedly, it almost made my head shake in pity and amusement as I can remember a time where I was much more naive. . . If I was 20 years younger, I would already be riding this cute clan friend of ours until he stopped being so innocent.
"Ha ha ha! Just promise to fulfill our ancestor's mission, that's all I ask."
He agreed eagerly as he nodded and thanked me, but before teaching him anything I ordered him to clean my house. If I'm teaching him, he should atleast play the part of a proper apprentice.
Act II
"This should do it. . ."
I mumbled without much confidence as I finished creating the symbol of the Guardian Sun, in the middle of it was the corpse of a Terror bird.
I looked towards my friends and the young Faennar warriors in our party, I don't think we would have been able to hunt this thing without them helping.
Before starting the ritual magic, I took a moment to check every detail. The corpse of a powerful horror as a main sacrifice, check. The ritualistic circle to the patron you're sacrificing too, check.
Then I made sure the white ash I used to draw the circle were all completely wet with the grey blood of the Horror, it made me nod to see that they were. Breath* I took a deep breath and then ignited the bundles of herbs in my hand and tossed it inside the circle.
After that I reached forward touching the sacrifice with my pale blazing hands as I felt for my memory trying to remember the chant I made after learning the traditional chant used by the Divine speakers of the Faennar clan.
"Daughter of the Golden Sun, Wife of the Golden City Tertia, Wife of the Earth Lord Yald. . ."
[You have caught the attention of a being more powerful than you. . .]
The voice of a young girl spoke into my ears as I felt great heat burning around me, as I saw the sacrificial circle combusted into golden orange flames. I almost paused as I realized I caught the attention of the patroness.
"Loyal light of the Solar pantheon, Blazing shield of the summer court, Guardian Sun of the riders. I ask for a mount that is worthy of me, that is worthy of a lesser Sun. . ."
Thud* Weight, extreme weight appeared on my shoulders, as a figure wreathed in orange golden flames appeared infront of me. She was smiling as her light touch felt like mountains upon my shoulders.
"You are no lesser Sun."
Her words were simple, as it echoed all around me, after that she flickered into nothingness. . . I stood there dumbly, my mind blank as I looked around to see the grass and other foliage that was hiding us moments ago, turned into white ash.
[You had purified two souls.]
A whisper came, as I saw all seven of us were alright, maybe not that alright as the three young Faennar warriors were kneeling while praying their hearts out, kissing the dry burnt earth infront of them.
I looked away as I finally noticed a glowing floating ball infront of me, I reached forward and then felt a new connection in my soul.
[You have accepted a Nightmare Essence.]
It was completely different to the Dream Essences I accepted, as I felt its thoughts, its emotions, its instincts. . . it was alive, something alive was connected to my soul.
With a thought I summoned her, within moments she appeared. The nightmare essence took the form of a large bird monster, it had the head of an owl, with the body of a winged horse with its front hooves replaced with vicious steel cutting talons, her feathers were a mix of orange, white and yellow.
[Nightmare Essence (Nameless): Bronze Rank - A young Noctuagriff, she is a gift of the Guardian Sun to the young Merciful Sun.]
The whispers came again, as I patted the soft feathers of the beautiful creature infront of me, as I read the white text. . . A thought came as I saw the word nameless.
"From now on, you'll be called Minerva. . ."
With that said, I felt a warmness in my chest, as she started rubbing her feathered head into my neck.
[Nightmare Essence (Minerva): Bronze Rank - A young Noctuagriff, Minerva is a gift of the Guardian Sun, to the young Merciful Sun.]
Act III
"Sorry girl, you're too small for me to ride." Brush* Brush*
I spoke gently as I brushed my mount, as we sat inside our house in the Faennar clan.
"She's beautiful."
Seraphina said in a factual tone as she helped me brush the resting young Noctuagriff. I tried riding her after we came back to the village, it was quite the scene as many of the commoners and some of the warriors gawked at the beautiful bird that appeared in their myths and stories.
Unfortunately she doesn't have the endurance to carry me for longer than a few minutes. . . She even fainted after forcing herself, as she tried flying while I was on her back.
Hoo* Hoo* She spoke back to me, her voice low, as she closed her eyes, within seconds she was sleeping. With a nod, I unsummoned her, letting her rest inside my soul.
"You need to start losing weight."
Cough* I felt myself choking on my spit, as I heard Eclipsa's comment. The girl in question was at our side with Chara preparing our dinner, a hearty stew of eggs, bird meat, grains and herbs.
"You know I can't control this."
I told her plainly as I motioned my body, I'm not sure but I was around 3 meters tall. Thankfully even after reaching 90 purified souls I stopped growing, I looked at my chest.
[95/100 Purified souls.] I only need five more, I wonder what will happen when I reach 100, would I become more of a giant? Would I rank up without the need of a temple? Or is it something else. . .
I shook my head clearing it of the thoughts of what ifs. I'll find out tomorrow, I'll explain what I can to councilor Talon, and then ask her to let me purify five of her tainted warriors.
Act IV
"And that's why I want to purify five of your warriors today, Councilor Talon."
It was a few hours after dawn, when my main house was visited by Elder Swinnet and our clan Friend Merciful Sun. My servants had barely enough time to prepare food and drink for the two guests.
"This request is simple, friend Merciful Sun. . ."
I started speaking, but then I changed the person I was sharing my gaze to Elder Swinnet.
"But I would like to ask, is this anyway dangerous Elder Swinnet?"
There was a moment of silence as I asked this question, I wasn't a divine speaker but I know enough magic to know that sometimes the powers bestowed upon us by the divine will commonly end life rather than help life.
"I am unsure, I had already asked the lore keepers, and they had advised me to keep this hatchling safe after satisfying his blessed mark."
I nodded, it wasn't odd to get vague answers from the lore keepers. There was a reason those wise elders would never directly answer a question asked of them.
It was something to do with the memory magic they practice, one of the reasons that even after so many generations they still know that my great great grandmother slept with so many commoner studs that it made her descendants have darker feathers compared to the other warrior families.
I wonder if that was the reason why my mother tried to burn a potion of the [Story House]. . . As I thought I gave orders to my servants, telling them to gather five of our family warriors with taint.
Within minutes they came back with the tainted warriors as I and my guests drank our hot mead. I didn't need to explain anything as the warriors quickly gave me and then my guests a respectful salute, before sitting at Friend Merciful Sun's side.
"Thank you again for this, Councilor Talon."
I gave him a small salute before motioning for him to do what he needed. The warriors stood up, and lined themselves infront of the still sitting friend Merciful Sun.
He reached out, his hand engulfed in pale fire. Even after seeing it so many times, I can't get used to seeing how beautiful it was. We spend entire herds in sacrifices whenever we need to cleanse the tainted in our clan.
Hmm* A clan warrior moaned as I saw the darkening of her orange feathers and the greying of her soul reverse, as the weight of death lifted from her form.
"That. . ."
He was about to say something but then, he stopped, Thud* He fell down, quickly I stood up as I felt fear. It was my responsibility to house and protect our clan guests, I will not be the councilor that had let one of them die in my own house.
"Elder check his health! Get a healer!""
I started commanding the frozen servants and warriors, my voice shaking them out of their daze as they started moving. But then I felt heat, it stopped me on my tracks, as I saw the giant was on fire.
I looked around to see that my Hall was burning, but there was no charring, as the pale flames burnt. Within moments the giant form of friend Merciful Sun, was turned into ash.
"Wow, that was painful."
A familiar voice came as the pile of ash moved, and what appeared was a smaller Friend Merciful Sun, he was even smaller than the first time he and his friends came to our clan. . .
No, something was different, I thought as I saw the blessed mark on his chest, it was now two stars instead of one. . . Something was different with him, I don't feel like he had ascended in power but, I felt more compelled to confess my sins and ask him to bless me even more than before.