The ground of the Kushiks was generally little regarded. The nature-loving and small tribe called Kushiks avoided civilization and its changes as best they could.

Thanks to their remote location in the north of the country, they could live undisturbed without the threat of progress in the near future. Some wondered if that time would ever come. Probably this would never be the case, because according to their relevance, the tribe as well as their living place could just as well never have existed, and yet there was one special feature ...

"Hurry, Kiyu!" Rika exclaimed, full of excitement, as she ran towards the hill, "the Rite will start any moment!"

"Come on, Rika…" A small, tender girl panted as she followed the girl in front of her.

They ran, but Kiyu's skin was pale like no exhaustion could ever bring some life into her skin color. "You know mom forbid me to watch the Rite! If she notices, that I am not in my bed she.."

"You are worrying too much, Kiyu. Just a few glimpses, okay?" Rika reached the cliff of the hill and lay down. With cautious movements, she crawled to the end to see what lay beyond.

'Ha! It's always the same…' Kiyu sighed.

Arguing against Rika was some kind of impossible task, in her opinion. When Rika got an idea, no one could keep her off her anymore.

'Worse than a deertiger….'

Kiyu approached her best friend without making a sound, which was remarkable considering her height. "You're causing trouble all the time. We will get into big trouble because of your…"

"Psst!" hushed Rika, placed a finger in front of her mouth and signaled her friend to be quiet. "It seems they are starting any moment. It is so exciting!"

Kiyu also lay down next to her best friend. The torches and bonfires of the Spirit Incarnation Rite twinkled in her green-blue eyes. Members of her tribe prepared everything needed in the camp below and were pretty busy with their tasks.

Amid the small, temporary camp was a rune circle, drawn by the purple blood of marsh frogs. Was this the place where they would summon the spirit into the material plane?

"It is beautiful, for sure." said Kiyu.

Never had she seen something related to the Rite before. Clan rules forbid members below 18 to take part in the Rite, and therefore she knew little about what happened there. Though she, at first, feared the risk of tribe members catching them while peeking, the beauty of the scenery in front of her made the fear disappear.

Kiyu had dreamed of seeing the Spirit Incarnation Rite for so long. Dreamed of seeing the most important event of her tribe.

The Spirit Incarnation Rite was a sacred Rite of her tribe, which allowed members to receive soul of a spirit, and to merge with it, thus gaining the power of a spirit.

To merge one's body with a spirit granted unbelievable power, and even though it was a normal occurrence in this world in other cultures, it was still a sacred union between humans of the Kushik and spirits.

This Rite originated from Avescar - the spirit war.

Long time ago, far before Avescar, there were only few spirits who interacted with the mortal world sometimes. They meddled with humans and acted as guides through a chaotic world.

However, humans weren't the only race that felt greed and envy. A war broke out amongst the spirits, and it was a never-ending one. Back then, the war swept over to the mortal world and soon humans got involved in a fight of extraordinary extent.

Humans fought all spirits entering the mortal plane at first, but over time they grasped the depth of this war. Avescar happened - Humans vs humans, spirits vs spirits and humans vs spirits. Spirits combined their power with humans in order to defeat their enemies, and an unknown force was born - the Spiritformers.

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Kiyu heard stories of tribe members who gained those powers and responsibleness and became spiritformers.

Every member, who received a spirit's blessing, was the pride of the tribe. She would see how one tribe member would gain powers and become a new spiritformer!

Drumming tore her from her thoughts. Some members drummed on archaic timpani, made of wood and leather of river crocodiles. More and more people started gathering at the drawn rune circle amid the camp. The tribal elders uttered strange, melodic sounds, but Kiyu was too far away. No chance she understood a word of what they said.

The rune circle radiated from one moment to the next, the rune circle radiated. Brighter than any fires that were placed around the circle. White light, purer than anything she had ever seen, danced to the sound of the elder.

The light moved like a veiled thread. It danced around the gathered people in the runic circle and rose higher and higher.

Kiyu would have, despite of her previous fear, preferred to crawl closer to the action. However, the cliff ended right there and below them was a river flowing.

The hill wasn't high in particular, but dipping into the river bed would alarm the other members and disrupt the ceremony.

All she could do was continue observing the most beautiful and important event of her tribe from a safe distance with Rika.

She looked, as if spellbound, at the white dancing light in the near distance, and was glad that Rika had persuaded her.

She could have watched the spectacle forever, but out of nowhere the white veil of light changed its form. The spirit looked like a light ribbon before it transformed itself. However, the changed form was a more fixed shape comprising crystals. The melodious sounds which the elders uttered fell silent. All tribe members in the camp bowed to the light being in their midst.

'This is a spirit?' Kiyu wondered, since she never had seen a spirit on her own.

The Kushiks heard stories about members who received the spiritual energy of spirits, before they left their tribe to do great deeds.

Never she had seen a spirit, or the deeds, that spiritformer could accomplish. She only assumed that this floating crystalline light in the middle of the rune circle was a spirit.

"Rika! Do you see that?", she whispered in excitement, not taking her eyes off the spirit.

However, Rika stayed quiet. Kiyu only heard her friend gulping in front of this astonishing sight and knew indeed how Rika felt.

Seconds passed, and the spirit stopped forming its shape, and floated above the heads of the tribe members. It's melodic voice exuded a feel of warmth and security, and Kiyu felt relaxed.

'It is a pity that I can't understand what they talk about.' she thought.

However, she had no chance to get any closer to the Rite. Apart from the hill where Rika and Kiyu were hiding, there was only flat land. Grass didn't grow high enough to hide in it, anyway.

The spirit emitted a light so bright that it was impossible for Kiyu to see the stars anymore. Every Kushik member went on knees in front of this mighty being. That was what Kiyu imagined, at least.

'I will take part in the sacred Rite one day. Then I will understand what is happening here!'

There weren't many women chosen in her tribe for hosting a spirit, but Kiyu was sure - someday she would become a spiritformer!

"It's happening!" Rika whispered in excitement. Both looked at the spirit. It would choose a host for its body at any moment. This was the climax of the entire Rite for all tribe members.

It emitted rays of light into the sky, and for a few seconds, time itself felt like it stopped.

"Thank you for bringing me along, Rika. I would have never dared to sneak into the Rite without you!", Kiyu expressed her joy to her friend, but she just realized that her friend didn't reply, even after some seconds.

Also, there was no sound! Moments ago there was the melodic sound of the spirit, and the beam of light also released an indescribable sound. But now? Nothing?

Kiyu turned around and saw that Rika didn't move an inch.

"Hey! Rika! What is wrong?"

Rika didn't reply. She didn't even move an inch.

Kiyu on the other side felt uncomfortable. Her entire body trembled as the fear spread inside her. Panicked, she tried to move Rika but no chance. Her body felt like nothing but an enormous stone and part of the earth.

'What is going on?'

Kiyu pressed her head against the ground, and her hands intertwined on her head's back. The tremors got stronger with every passing second.

"Wha…. what is happening here?", she sobbed.

She regretted sneaking into the Rite with Rika now. Everything crumbled in a fraction of a second. Why? Wasn't everything fine just a few minutes ago?

"Do not be afraid, little Kiyu." A soft voice entered her head.

Kiyu almost failed to hear the voice while she lay trembling on the ground.

"Raise your head, Kiyu."

The mysterious voice called her again. This time she noticed the soothing sound in her mind. Warmth spread through her body, and the tremors disappeared faster than it even appeared.

'Huh?'

This inexplicable warmth, and also this calming voice, arouse Kiyu's curiosity. It has blown away her fear, which had put its grip on the young girl before. She released the grip of her hands from her heads back and lifted her chin.

'HUH?'

In front of her floated the spirit, which was a few dozen meters away from her. Bigger than before, the spirit flew in front of her.