During the next few days, Laila and Isaac would use their time to train as much as they could. Isaac would bring forth a flurry of magical energy by releasing long, crackling streams of flames from his left hand and arcs of lightning from his right, then switching to icy blasts. If Isaac wanted to delve into the more dangerous and useful parts of [Energy Manipulation], he would need a higher mana reservoir and an understanding of his magic. He had a series of goals in mind, and the first goal was to figure out how to fly, if not levitate.
As for Laila, she would summon weapons of different sizes and classes, ranging from daggers, swords, spears, assault rifles, handguns, etc. using her mana. Being able to conjure a weapon as fast as possible will be quite handy in life-and-death situations. She was akin to a proprietor of deadly weapons. After their mana training, the two of them would head to the back of the house and spar one on one with their blades. Their spar would go on for hours at a time as they honed the teachings Zelke and Solgen instilled in them.
No one other than Taligen visited them. The Elder's returned to their respective villages while the Grand Elder was busy preparing for the memorial service. Taligen would drop by every two hours, asking the pair if they needed assistance. At this point, Taligen was their personal assistant, heeding their beck and call. Isaac and Laila felt bad for even thinking about using Taligen as an assistant, so they would reassure the man they weren't in need of his services unless it was really important, like food and necessities. For about a few days of this routine, it was finally time for the memorial service. After the siblings showered after sparring, they heard a knock on the door. A masked man was standing in front of the doorway.
"Good day, esteemed guests. The Grand Elder sent me to inform you today is the day of the memorial service. She asked me to bring you two to her directly. We will depart whenever you're ready. I'll be waiting out here."
Isaac and Laila glanced at each other.
"Alright then. We'll be out in five minutes," Laila informed, shutting the door slowly. There wasn't much to prepare as the pair just put on their regular clothes; a hoodie, joggers/leggings, and shoes that fit snuggly. By then, the two were out the door and ready.
"Follow me." Taligen called, leading them back to the lodge. As she walked to Frigiod, Laila could hear the voices of Apithiens swelling on the streets, more than she had ever heard before. The females had long dresses, in an ethereal white or a soft pearl gray, cascaded down to their knees as they moved. The cherry on top was the fact that many of them had a scarf strapped to their necks. A species that are practically immune to freezing temperatures wearing scarves was a funny sight to Laila. The men all wore collared suits, the colors of which complemented those of the females, and with cuffs that were decorated with a colourful spiral design.
They must be from the different villages the Grand Elder was talking about, Laila thought. The streets were bustling with people, wagons, and carts. Taligen had to take a detour just to avoid the masses. It took a bit more time, but they arrived at the lodge. There was one person waiting for them as they entered the lodge, and it was none other than the Grand Elder. She was sitting on a chair near the entrance, reading a book. The text was barely legible, so Isaac couldn't read the title. Once the Grand Elder felt their presence, she tilted her head and greeted the siblings.
"Hello there, Laila, Isaac," she smiled, but it wasn't the regular, warm smile Laila was accustomed to. The Grand Elder's eyes were puffy and red, as if she had been wiping away tears until the early morning hours. Laila didn't know if it was her imagination, but she counted a few wrinkles on the Grand Elder's face like she had just aged a decade. Preparing for her children's memorial service, especially when their body wasn't present must be extremely hard on her. Isaac noticed the Grand Elder's off appearance too, but he kept his mouth shut.
"Apithiens from all over North and South Osmen will be at Frigiod soon to pay their respects. This ceremony will be a week-long since Solgen and Volken, leaders of the Apithiens are… deceased." Her voice trailed. Sadness flashed over her crystal eyes.
"You're probably not familiar with Apithien customs since you're new and all, so I'll summarize the gist of it," she continued. "We do things a little different from others, like the Bellagros and Ashia. When a warrior in Bellagros dies, they are given a warrior send-off. Their bodies, along with the sword they died with, are tossed into a smoldering pile of fire and incense. Once their bodies are burnt, they recover the ashes and stuff them in a little sack. When that's done, they climb the highest peak in Bellagros and spread their ashes into the wind, where the warrior's spirit is returned to the land. As for Ashia, there are a variety of customs, depending on the land and ruler, but the most common is that they just throw them in a casket and bury them underground."
The Grand Elder closed the book gently and lifted herself up, walking toward the three."The Apithien way is quite simple really, and it doesn't require a body. How much do you know about mana crystallization?"
Laila and Isaac stared at her, their faces a mix of confusion and curiosity and said, "Um, excuse me?"
"No worries," The Grand Elder giggled. "Mana crystallization is a phenomenon where clumps of mana from different sources conjoin to create a false crystal. It's like an artificial version of Torqinite, but there are no side effects."
"Woah, that's kind of cool…" Isaac mumbled.
"So you're saying that mana crystallization is something that will happen in the memorial service? Is that why you brought it up?" Laila asked. The Grand Elder nodded.
"All present, both young and old, solemnly pay their respects to the dead by walking up to the basin and projecting their mana outwards. Think of it as a bowl of water being filled periodically, but instead of a liquid, it's in a gaseous state. Once everyone is finished, I will use my mana and convert the mana to a solid form. After that, I crush the crystal into millions of little pieces and spread the contents into a pitcher of ice water, which we all drink. If we had the bodies of the deceased present, I would've forcibly extracted the mana out of their body and added it with everyone else's mana, but we'll make do."
The cogs in Laila and Isaac's brains malfunctioned as they tried to wrap their head around the ceremony.
"I… who… wow…" Laila stumbled, clutching her head.
"That sounds like a really crazy ceremony… Jesus," Isaac grumbled.
"That is what makes our ceremonies special! A ceremony where everyone present takes part! We have passed this ceremony down for generations, and the first to enact it was the first Apithien leader, Charitan!"
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Isaac thought back to the meeting room and said, "Charitan? You mean that guy in the painting with the black frame?"
"Precisely. Anywho, I must wrap up quickly. The ceremony will be held deep in the Forest of Snow. A ceremony site that has been standing tall for centuries lies there. Before everyone takes a drink from the pitcher of iced water, there will be a few speakers that will hold a toast for Solgen and Volken. And those speakers will be you two and I."
The Grand Elder's news left the siblings wide-eyed, their eyes unblinking as they processed the new information. They stared at the Grand Elder in horror.
"You want US to speak in front of the Apithiens? Are you crazy lady?" Isaac raised his voice, taking one step back subconsciously.
"I don't know about this… I'm not really fond of speaking in front of a crowd," Laila whispered, looking away. The Grand Elder's voice was low and grave as she placed a comforting hand on the sibling's shoulder.
"Please," she pleaded. "As the witnesses to Solgen and Volkens' last moments, and as Solgen's devoted disciples, you must deliver a eulogy. If you cannot do this for me, then do this for Solgen."
The Grand Elder attempted to mask her anguish, yet the two siblings, who had all too familiarly felt the ache of heartbreak, recognized it in an instant. Reluctantly, they both agreed.
"Thank you. Also, you can't be attending the ceremony like that since you're our special guests."
"Uh, what do we wear then?" Isaac asked, puzzled.
"Oh, you'll see soon enough," The Grand Elder smirked.
****
"Yep. This is embarrassing." Isaac muttered.
"I'm beginning to have second thoughts," Laila sighed.
Her face was set into a deep scowl, her lips pursed as if she had just bitten into a Carolina Reaper. The pair had just stepped out of their changing rooms and were standing in front of a mirror, located on the second floor of the lodge. Isaac's collared suit was made of fine silk, its snow-white color accented by a light-blue pattern that started at the shoulders and ended at the midsection. He also had tight pants and white dress shoes. The whole attire made it seem like he was getting ready for church. For Laila, she wore clothes she thought she would never wear in a million years, a style Laila would refuse to wear.
She was wearing a delicate white silk dress that hugged her figure and reached down to her comfortable flat-soled shoes. The design on the back of the dress had the same light-blue swirls as Isaac's, reminiscent of tendril roots, and the fabric felt smooth beneath her fingertips. Laila thought the design was cool, but the dress she wore spoiled it. She hated the fact that she looked like a Disney princess. Her wild, curly hair, which had been neglected because of the lack of hair products, was tamed with a simple comb over. Each of Laila's hair strands was small loops similar to a corkscrew, settled on her shoulders.
The clothes provided were tailor made. Apparently, the Grand Elder had already sized up Laila and Isaac when they first met. She only needed one quick glance to know their measurements, which freaked the pair out tremendously. Two assistants stood by their side, one male and one female. They helped Laila and Isaac into their new attire.
"White is just not my style…" she cursed under her breath as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.
"Oh, come now… You both look fabulous in those garments!" The Grand Elder squealed in delight. She glided around in circles, scanning every nook and cranny with joyful glee. "Ah! Look at the time! I must get to the ceremony site! Taligen will lead you both. I'll see you two later!"
And just like that, the Grand Elder was out of sight, leaving no trace that she was ever there. Taligen took that chance to speak.
"The Grand Elder is heading toward the ceremony site as we speak. The Elders will string along the crowd outside as they march toward the location."
"Are we going to join the crowd outside, then?" Isaac inquired, fiddling with the suit's seams.
"No. We'll arrive before them. As speakers, it is common courtesy to arrive first," Taligen informed as he rummaged in his coat pockets.
"Really? Then how are we going to get there? By wagon?"
"No. That will take too long. The ceremony site is about twenty minutes west of Frigiod, settled between Frigiod and the Sea of Ice."
Taligen removed his hand from his coat pocket and pulled out a small glass orb the size of a marble. "With this, we'll be in front of the site in a jiffy."
Isaac ogled the orb like it was a limited-edition item and leaned forward. "That's neat as hell. Is it hard to make? Can I have one?"
Taligen raised an eyebrow at Isaac. "The materials to create a teleportation orb are scarce, so they are limited in stock. As for your second question… Ask the Grand Elder."
Without waiting for Isaac's reply, Taligen threw the orb to the ground, and it made an echoing, tinkling sound as it scattered. Smoke rose from the leftover pieces, soon developing the three. Laila's stomach dropped, and her heart raced as if she was on a rollercoaster careening out of control. The surrounding scenery changed as it went from a mix of logs, bricks, and yellow lighting to a sea of white and specks of brown. They found themselves in a large clearing. To the south, Laila's eyes could trace the contours of the snowy hills and mountains, and to the east the wide path was filled with the earthy scent of the densely packed forest. The west, however, was when Laila's jaw dropped.
"How beautiful…" she murmured. An archway sat before her, adorned with a colorful bouquet of white and green flowers. The space around it was peaceful and open, with no trees or rocks to be seen. The only thing that broke the tranquil view was the large wooden platform, enclosed by a wooden fence. In the middle of the platform, two rows of glowing braziers lit up the area, and in the middle was a long carpet that stretched up to a tiny red shrine, with dancing candles, a pitcher, and a wide basin. What caught Laila's attention was the sea Taligen mentioned. The Sea of Ice was a cold, treacherous landscape, with enormous chunks of ice drifting about. The sun glimmered off the turquoise water, and the large snow-capped mountains in the distance made it appear as if she was in a divine painting. Since little flakes of snow descended from the sky, the scene looked like a high-end snow globe.
"Oh, you've arrived. I thought I had a few more minutes." A voice said. It was coming from the shrine itself.
"The shrine can speak?!" said Isaac, baffled.
"No, you idiot. It's coming from behind the shrine," Laila snapped. As she said, the Grand Elder emerged from the backside of the shrine.
"I was doing a check-up, making sure everything was in order," she explained as she glided over. The Grand Elder was wearing the same clothes, a robe that could almost touch the ground. Despite the simplicity of her clothes, the woman carried herself in a majestic and dignified manner, as if she could make any outfit look regal.
"There isn't much to do other than to wait for the attendees," The Grand Elder murmured.
Laila took in the sights of the area, her eyes darting from one thing to another. A question popped up in her mind. "Speaking of attendees… Are they just going to stand? I don't see any chairs here."
"No tables, no chairs, none of that! We expect many Apithiens to arrive, around nine-hundred minimum. Standing is far easier to accommodate the limited space we have."
"That makes sense," Isaac said. "So, what do we do in the meantime while we wait?"
"It's simple," said the Grand Elder. She turned around and walked up the steps. Isaac and Laila followed along while Taligen stayed put.
"Us three will wait on this platform while Taligen stands guard near the steps in case a hysterical Apithien runs amok. I hope you practiced your eulogies!"
"Ah, yea… The eulogies…" Isaac looked away nervously. Laila and the Grand Elder raised an eyebrow as they stared at the boy.
"You do know what you're going to say, right Isaac?" Laila frowned. She hadn't expected her brother to slack off on an important day such as this.
"Don't worry about it. The words will come to me once I'm up."
"Hmm… If you say so…" The Grand Elder didn't look too pleased, but she brushed it aside, probably thinking that Isaac wouldn't disappoint her. The woman stood in front of the red shrine and inspected the items present.
"I will now tell you how the ceremony will proceed from start to finish. It's nothing too complicated. We'll practice until it looks like you've done this a million times!"
She picked up the empty pitcher and turned around, smiling.
"Let's begin, shall we?"