Thomas Wolfe sprang awake with a start. Sitting there rubbing his eyes, he groggily tried to get his brain to explain what they were doing wide awake at the crack of dawn. As his tired mind sifted through conscious thought it hit him like an electric charge.
The coming of age ceremony! Thomas bolted out of bed and quickly dressed in a plain shirt and briches. Realizing the ceremony wouldn’t start until this evening, Thomas contended himself with trying to envision what his magic focus would be.
Once a year a priest of the church would visit every local village where they would perform the coming of age ceremony. There, youths who had turned 16 would be allowed to approach and receive a blessing from Shiatar. Then if luck was with them and with the aide of the goddess, they would form their focus. A stone which filtered out the chaos inherent in all magic so that only the desires of its wielder would be made manifest.
The catch was that only about one in every ten who underwent the ceremony would be able to form a focus. The majority of people only seemed to get some mild blessing of improved health or stamina. Perhaps some mental clarity. With only five in his village reaching 16 this year, the odds were not good, but Thomas didn’t care. He knew he was going to form his focus today.
While every focus was unique to the individual, certain similarities could be noted. Elemental focuses usually held some quality of the element they channeled. A fire focus would be warm and usually were colored reds and orange, water would be cool to the touch and were usually more blue and green. The holy focuses with healing or blessing abilities such as the one the priest carried seemed to have a soothing affect when handled but otherwise could be any shape or material. Those were extremely rare but powerful allowing a direct link to the goddess Shiatar. Summoning focuses then held some design of the type of creature the wielder was attuned with. Then there were any number of unique focuses that didn’t fit any pattern though the chances of that were rarer than having a holy focus.
Thomas had been dreaming of this day since the first time he had heard the stories from the village elder and he was absolutely certain that he wanted to have a summoning focus.
Or perhaps an elemental fire focus, or maybe a salamander summon focus so I can have fire and summoning! No, be realistic! Just a summoning focus with a lion, or eagle, or bear or… Thomas started bouncing on his toes as he imagined all the possibilities.
“Thomas, you up?!” A voice called from outside his window. Thomas looked outside to see his friend Zeik staring up at him nibbling a bit of pie. Zeik had a reputation around town that wasn’t exactly the best. Always up to something, Thomas wouldn’t be surprised if that slice of pie wasn’t “Liberated” from a window sill. Before the birds could get it. Thomas shook his head and replied “Yeah, be right down!”.
Thomas’s dad was already out in the fields. Thomas and his dad lived alone. His mother Lucielle passed when he was a boy. He didn’t really remember her much except for a single memory he had clung onto. It wasn’t anything important. Just a memory of his mom feeding the chickens. He had come up behind her and latched onto her leg. She smiled with those sky blue eyes and her blond hair blowing in the wind then reached down and picked him up. Soon after she had caught the rot. A mysterious illness that puts a black mark over someone’s heart. Only a strong priest can cure the rot but it’s really expensive. No one knows what the priest do but they take you to the capital and after a couple days you come back cured though the effects seem to linger for a good while with the person remaining listless and pale. Thomas’s dad had managed to save enough for a priest by selling a good amount of the farm and animals they tended but a week after the priest had taken Lucielle to the capital they received a letter stating Lucielle had succumbed to the illness and was now with Shiatar.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Shaking his head clear Thomas grabbed some cheese and bread then stuffed them into a knapsack he slung on his shoulder before heading outside.
“About time, blimey. It’s only our coming of age ceremony today. Common then.” And Zeik started off towards town.
What was left of their farm was a good 15 minute trek outside of town. They really didn’t get many visitors except for Zeik and he had never once complained about coming out to meet him.
“The priest is already in town. Came in under the cover of darkness. Very fishy that. They’re staying at the inn right this moment.” Zeik said excitedly.
“And you are telling me this becauuuuuse?” Thomas asked, unsure he wanted to know the answer.
“Well I just figured we could go say hello. Maybe ask a few questions. You know they say priest spend two years up north fighting the undead as part of their training? They also say that priest kidnap those touched by sin and actually turn them into the undead?” Zeik looked over grinning from ear to ear.
“Don’t be dumb, everyone knows the priest have a pure focus from Shiatar. They couldn’t do anything Shiatar herself would disapprove of.” Zeik’s smile faltered a bit. “Maybe….” Then his grin returned “But I bet they still have some awesome stories!”
“Just don’t go asking about kidnappings” Thomas chuckled shaking his head. Zeik meant well, he just always saw the world as full of grand happenings. Sometimes life is just plain, dull and boring.
As they approached the gate to their little village, they passed the alchemist daughter Mary heading out. She wore a satchel that was always full of wild plants or insects that she would collect for her mom and dad.
“Morning Mary!” Zeik called out. “Going to go catch some bugs?”
Mary turned towards Zeik with a scowl forming, though it softened when she noticed Thomas was with him. “No, for you information I am delivering a health tonic to Mr. Cratch. He’s fallen ill as of late and my ma made him something to help”
“We wont keep you then” said Thomas. “If Mr. Cratch seems seriously ill though maybe remind him there’s a priest in town today.”
“It should be a minor malady but I’ll mention it should it seem needed. Thank you Thomas” Mary nodded her head at them both then continued on her way.
“Think she’ll get a focus today to let her summon a giant caterpillar?” Zeik asked leaning in towards Thomas.
Thomas chuckled. “Who’s to say, What kind of focus are you hoping to get?”
Zeik made a face “Nah, that kind of thing isn’t for me. Although can you imagine what kind of fun we could have if I could shoot fireballs out of my hands, or other areas?” For a minute Zeik stared off dreamily before shrugging. “I just hope to get a minor luck blessing or something. Besides, we both know your hoping for some sort of summoning focus. We wouldn’t have enough luck for both of us to get one so I’m rooting for you. Just don’t go forming a focus with spiders on the brain” Zeik shuddered.
“No worries” Thomas said then stopped dead as he looked to the inn. Rubbing his eyes he heard Zeik suck in his breath “Pinch me Thomas, I must be dreaming.” There, exiting the inn was the most beautiful lady Thomas had ever seen. She almost reminded him of his mother with her piercing blue eyes and blond hair. But what really stood out were the pair of downy white wings coming out of her back.
“I think I’ve went to heaven and met an angel.” Said Zeik.
“You and me both” whispered Thomas.