Orn stared at his father. What just happened? What was that?!

“It is a ceremony to show someone is part of the family. It is a promise that binds us all together. There is more to it than that, but the rest is harder to explain.” His father paused searching for the words.

Behind his father, Orn’s mother smiled at him encouragingly. I guess there is only one way to find out. Orn took a deep breath and raised his hand. Orn placed the tip of his new knife against the side of his hand where his father had, and slowly let the breath out. Orn could see realization in his father’s eyes and the tension falling away.

“Thank you,” his father said smiling, “Just repeat after me, and remember a drop is enough.”

Orn nodded, but suddenly felt a bit anxious, I… should I be doing this? Orn stole a glance at his mother. She usually panics over the slightest scratch... She seems completely calm.

Orn pulled his attention back to his father as he began to speak. Orn did his best to repeat after him, but the words felt strange. It felt like his mouth was full of honey and his tongue started to tingle. But with each word he spoke he felt the next become easier.

After a handful of words, he was not repeating his father’s words, but saying them with him. It was as if the words were coming out of their own accord. His knife moved likewise planting the tip at the edge of his palm. As the knife tip pricked the side of his hand, Orn understood the words meaning.

“I give my blood to the land and its people, as a sign of my vow.” The words were still alien and came out leaden, but he understood them! In his shock he flinched, sending the knife slicing across his hand.

He watched his blood pour from the cut, but it was as if it was the bleeding hand was not his. He knew it should hurt, but he did not feel any pain. Instead he felt a growing sense of vertigo, as the blood ran down his wrist and dripped on the stones.

“...This I give freely.” Orn felt as much as heard the words coming from his own mouth, as he uttered the last words. As the words left his mouth, he felt his hand pulled to the stack of stones, and his mind pulled deeper.

He could feel his hand on the stone, but he also felt himself pulled down. He watched as he passed through the stones, to the ground beneath them. The speed increasing as he raced to a point deep under the ground. Nestled among roots of the most ancient trees he saw points of light in the distance twinkling like stars. They seemed so close, but instinctively he knew they were incredibly far. While he marveled at what he was experiencing, the glow of the distant lights began to fade. When the last one faded he stood in a pool of light and felt himself float slowly back up.

As he rose he felt himself gathering speed until he once again stood in the clearing. The stones beneath his hand were glowing. Orn’s head spun as he stared at the stones beneath his hand. Struggling to keep uprite he placed his freehand on the stones, but it did not matter. The strength had gone from his arms, and he fell forward as a wave of exhaustion washed over him.

Orn felt hands catching his shoulders as his world went blank.

{A kingdom away}

Kao shook off the feeling. Goddess of Will or not, I will not have pity for him.

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Despite her words she could not take her eyes off the priest sitting in front of her. The once fat priest was a shadow of his former self. Months of barely eating had stripped the weight from his figure, and seemed to only deepen the madness taking root there. Kao scowled at Olrich as he slowly turned pages.

She could feel his refusal to give up, radiating off of him in waves. Unheard by the priest she started talking, I do not care how much you refuse to give up, I will not forgive you. You tried to take him from me, and give him to my sisters.

Even as she said the words she knew they were for her benefit, not his. The priest could not hear her, and continued to search for her name oblivious of her presence.

Olrich finished the book and setting it aside grabbed the next. The simple act of defiance, the refusal to give up struck her like a blow.

I should feel nothing from his penance. If I had not been the one forcing this on him...She shivered at the thought of the loss of control that sometimes overtook her. Her mind started to race, to the times where she had lost control. She slapped her hands to the sides of her face, cutting off the half formed memories. They were sad enough to watch once. I will not wallow in them.

Kao was about to leave when another wave of will washed over her. The force slid her away from the priest. Kao’s eye went wide. This is not your doing.

Kao turned in the direction she felt herself pulled. Orn? No, he is dong his tribal oaths today nothing...

The thought was cut off as the pull came again. Unlike the last time, the force was stronger sliding her halfway across the basement. Kao looked in the direction of the forest where she had left Orn. What kind of ritual are you doing?

Kao dug in her heels, but it was meaningless. When the next pull came, it gripped the deepest part of her essence and lifted her from her feet. Helpless to stop herself she flew with increasing speed toward the southeast. As she struggled, the force holding her became stronger, and even familiar.

The grasslands rushed by in a blur as she recognized the force. Mother? Fear ran through her. No, she is asleep... It cannot be...

The fear was replaced by confusion as she came to sudden stop in the middle of a forest. She looked around searching for her mother to appear, only to realize she was alone. Instead she felt more than saw points of power glowing in the distance. Before she could wrap her head around what was happening, she felt the pull again. But unlike the force that pulled her here this one, pulled in all directions.

The next instant, she was standing at the edge of the ocean.

But she was also in a clearing standing next to Orn’s family.

And at the edge of a sea of grass…

... and in a dozen other places at once.

Center… I have to…urry... Kao struggled to pulled her scattered essence back together. Her consciousness was stretched thin.

Painfully slowly, she felt herself coalescing. The force pulling at her was gone, but she was still exhausted when she felt the last bit of her consciousness returning. Taking stock of herself she could see that she was not quite whole. There were small cracks in her soul, where the pieces had not fully merged together.

This will take time to heal. But first… Kao looked north, in the direction of a child who she needed to have a long conversation with.