Caelum, Vaelen, and Helvega eventually arrived at the medieval-esque ceremonial building, with green vines latching onto its facade. In front of the building, a long, stone-arched gateway was situated. Beneath the gateway, three other individuals stood in front of the wooden door, awaiting the arrival of the two brothers.
They were a trio of late teenagers. The tallest, most commanding attention one was a young man named Declan. He was dressed in a dark brown leather, loose-fitting long coat over the black shirt he wore underneath. He had a handsome face, and his hair was short blonde.
Next to him was an androgynous young man named Lunar. Someone noticeably shorter than the other two. He was dressed in a form-fitting hooded black tunic. His skin was smooth and pale, and his white tresses were short and curly. His face appeared charming. Not as chiselled as Declan’s, but a lot more… eloquent, in a way.
Finally, there was Geneve. A well-built young lady almost as tall as Declan. She had long, crimson-red hair that fell over her shoulders. Her skin was tanned, and she was dressed in a white Victorian blouse with loose sleeves that matched well with her black pants. Her face often seemed serious, and unsocial.
Caelum waved at them upon arrival, greeting them all with a joyous tone. Declan walked towards him with a wide smile, patting his back like a proud father.
“Look who it is!”
“Perfect timing,” Vaelen said behind Caelum, crossing his arms as he, too, smiled. “Seems like the three of you got ahead of us.”
“We did,” Declan said. “Not too long ago, though.”
“Let me guess, did Declan bring you both here?” Caelum asked, looking at the other two. Lunar stepped towards him with his arms crossed behind his back.
“He did. It wasn’t necessary to bring guardian figures since we only needed to have our identities confirmed.”
He then raised his head to meet Helvega’s eyes. “Though, it seems like your sister brought you here. It is a honour to meet the caretaker of Ventoria’s greatest library here, within the clutches of the Gaian temple.”
“It’s okay,” she smiled. “They wouldn’t be able to locate the ceremonial room without my aid, anyway.”
She then took an uplifted breath as she looked at Geneve, who also stepped into their bubble. “Do the three of you know about the upcoming procedures?”
“As far as I know…” Geneve began. “We’ll be given keys to our dorms at some point, as well as the Initiation Ritual that will take place soon after settling in.”
“Correct,” Helvega nodded. “It seems that the other groups have already gathered, given you are all the only ones outside the building. I will have to stand by the background, so this will be the last time we’ll see each other for a little while.”
“Thank you for bringing us,” Vaelen responded. “We’ll make sure to visit both you and Mother as soon as we can.”
“Don’t worry about that for now,” Helvega smiled. “You can think about visiting us after you’ve done your necessities.”
She then turned to the other side, passing a final wave before walking towards the adjacent building, where parents or guardian figures were to spectate the ceremony. Declan took the word after silence seeped into their bubble, folding his hands.
“I couldn’t help but eavesdrop on some people who apparently already knew about the other students. It seems like we’ll be dealing with members from prominent families.”
“Oh?” Caelum sounded, raising his eyebrows, as Lunar added, lowering his head.
“Apparently, people from both the Yraemonde and Haemour families are participating in this year’s Inquisition.”
His words caused Vaelen to squint his eyes.
“Yraemonde…”
Lunar then turned his head towards him. “Ah, you remember?”
“I do. I am quite well-versed in the history of our family, the Jinton family. For as long as the Jintons and Yraemondes were established, they, in essence, initiated many wars against each other for the sake of Grudea, the homeland of the Jinton family.”
“However,” he continued. “It went far deeper than just that. The two then acknowledged Heads, during the fourth Age, were known to have a deep-seated hatred and resentment towards each other. For centuries, the Yraemonde sought after the destruction of Grudea so that it would correlate to the downfall of the Jinton family.”
“But, at a grander scale-wise, none of their plans ‘really’ succeeded mostly because of the alliance between the Jinton and Haemour families. This resulted in even more conflicts between Haemour and Yraemonde primarily within Vayonne, the homeland of the Yraemonde family.”
Lunar then crossed his arms, adding to Vaelen’s anecdote.
“Makes you quite curious as to how this Inquisition will play out, no?”
“We’ll find out later,” Geneve said, opening the door. “Let’s head inside.”
***
The group was met with a small threshold with three different pathways leading towards different directions. Geneve took the lead, walking onto the left verge as the others followed suit. After several moments, she opened a second door which led right into the heart of the ceremonial room.
It was a wide, empty vast space that only comprised wide, lengthy balconies for the guardians and parents to stand on. Helvega was to be seen alongside just two other individuals. A middle-aged man and a middle-aged woman, both dressed in dark, Victorian suits.
The two other groups were indeed also present. Standing at the far right, and far middle of the space. Whilst most of them did not mind the arrival of the third group, one of them, a young man, dressed in a brown suit with a leather hat over his curly blonde hair turned his pupils towards them. The moment his eyes were met with Caelum’s figure, he couldn’t stop the corners of his lips from curling up in a closed smile.
Caelum and the others respectively took their stance at the left, as their attention was lured towards the centre of the room, where another balcony stood, allowing for the Head Master to step inside…
…Helvega, standing above, held a rather composed demeanour until it all shattered as soon as the Head Master stepped inside. Her eyes widened, her mouth left ajar, as sweat began to rise from beneath her skin. Phineas, dressed in an ancient, dark green layered robe that was engraved with intricate carvings, revealed himself from the shadows.
Ph… Phineas?! Helvega thought once more.
“Welcome to the Gaian Inquisition,” Phineas began, his deep voice echoing throughout the large, hollow space. “My name is Roderick Clinton, the Head Master of the Inquisition. It is a pleasure to meet you all.”
Vaelen squinted his eyes recalling Aurora’s tale from the day before. He then cautiously turned his head to the left to see Caelum looking right back at him, silently mirroring his passive emotion.
Phineas cast a quick glance at Helvega, as if he was aware of the tumultuous state of her mind. He then turned his attention back to the students, reaching his right hand in the air.
“The time has come for the worthy students of the city of Ventoria to gather and journey towards their Awakening. Given this period is considered a ‘trial’ procedure, meaning that your capabilities will first be tested, I advise you all to succeed your limits if you want to be someone acknowledged as one of the strongest individuals Ventoria has ever witnessed.”
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“Officially, this is the 250th Gaian Inquisition. Our Saint Avarion’s name shall be cherished, and held in high regard during this sacred period. Given the Gaian Administrative Office already predetermined the groupings, your assemblage shall be titled with a given name, followed by the arrival of your respective masters.”
After uttering these words, he clicked his finger, commanding a large, arched hole to form on the wall beneath him. From within, the three Masters stepped outside and stood adjacent to each other, silently awaiting Phineas’ guidance.
Phineas then turned his head to the far left. “Starting from the Haemour family. You will be given the name ‘Flock of Veils’, and will be put under the supervision of Eunice Wintermann.”
Eunice then stepped towards the Pale Fangs and graciously greeted the five group members.
“The second group will be titled ‘Pale Fangs’, Phineas continued. “And it will be held in collection by Simeon Carley.”
Simeon then stepped towards the group comprising the Yraemonde family, greeting them all with a bright demeanour.
“And lastly… we have Jormungandr, who will be taken care of by Vash Duncke.”
Caelum turned his eyes towards Vash’s approaching figure, who then gave everyone a firm handshake before turning back towards Phineas.
“Any possible queries you may have, your Master will be your main guiding point. They will be the ones explaining the upcoming procedures,” he said, as he continued,
“You will all be staying in three respective dorms. Each dorm consists of all the necessities you may need. Given your short arrival, let your Master guide you all towards your places of accommodation. Station your luggage and settle in before we begin the Initiation Ritual. I will see you all soon.”
Vash then turned towards the others, speaking in a friendly, whispering tone.
“We’ll be going first, follow me.”
Helvega, still standing above the others, silently watched Caelum’s group depart from the ceremonial room before turning towards an adjacent door leading towards the other building. The two other figures turned their heads towards her with little to no care for her actions.
***
Meanwhile, Vash led the group through the town, with pedestrians, most dressed in dark green layered robes passing by. Ancient-looking buildings, their facades evidently eroded with time, serving to accentuate the mystical atmosphere that encapsulated the place. He then turned towards the others, speaking in his usual friendly tone.
“Is the place finding you all well?”
“It exceeded our expectations, truly,” Declan responded, to his left. “We were already aware of how the Gaian temple was amongst few others one of the most aesthetically pleasing temples—but experiencing it firsthand is definitely a stark contrast to the tales we’ve been told.”
“Indeed,” Vash began, smiling. “We are currently close to the heart of the temple, where the Gaian Creed resides. The temple primarily consists of three separate locations: the threshold, where anyone interested in our culture and methodology is welcome to enter. Often visited by children or students under the age of eighteen.”
“Secondly, we have the Inquisition. This is where everything regarding one’s Inquisition occurs, given its advantageous location, with a few gates leading straight towards the Great Eastern Forest, the place where most of your quests will happen.”
“Lastly, we have the Creed, the holiest of places, where those who succeeded the Inquisition and wish to delve deeper into the Gaian phenomenon are allowed to enter. It is there where the Creed, as well as the Ruler of the temple, reside. The only times when the Creed is open for outsiders is during special and honoured ceremonies, such as the Gaian Requiem, where fallen soldiers, who served the temple, are memorialized and sent to the eternal Continuum.”
“Ah,” Lunar said, placing two fingers under his chin. “So that was it. I always assumed the Gaian temple was just one massively-scaled place.”
“Not at all,” Vash responded. “Most temples are built this way. This is why, when people comment on the state or situation of a temple, they will most likely refer to the outer layer. In our case, it would be the threshold. As you may know, given the threshold is situated in Eastern Ventoria, it is not necessarily renowned…”
“…But! Let me properly introduce myself,” he continued, raising his pointer finger in the air. “You can all just call me Vash. This will be my first time overseeing a group for an Inquisition, so I will be sure to do my best!”
“That’s reassuring to hear, Vash!” Caelum smiled.
“Surely!” he responded, taking a few moments before continuing as he squinted his eyes at the two brothers. “Caelum and Vaelen, wasn’t it? I learned that both of you were adopted into the Jinton family. Your father, Emon Moreau, was someone widely considered to be one of Ventoria’s most successful individuals. But you must have heard thousands of tales about his adventures at this point.”
Caelum, still smiling with closed lips, lowered his head as he responded,
“We don’t really know much about him. Most of what we’ve been told was regarding his role within the Luria Assembly. At the peak of his career, it was said that he was picked to become Luria’s new Head, but it was during that period when he suddenly vanished from existence…”
“The same goes for our biological mother,” Vaelen said, mirroring Caelum’s bittersweet crestfallen demeanour. “She died while giving birth to us, which resulted in Aurora taking us in as her own.”
“But, hey,” Declan joined in, patting Vaelen’s back. “That is not to say your current household is any less than Emon’s heritage. Like, seriously, I should be jealous of how well-off the both of you are. Aurora was also a former member of the Assembly, and held an esteemed position as both Emon’s right hand and the Head Overseer of Operations.”
“Not only that,” Lunar added, next to Caelum. “But Helvega, Aurora’s daughter, ended up becoming the Caretaker of Ventoria’s greatest library.”
He then smiled at the brothers.
“Quite the weight of responsibility that has fallen on your backs, no?”
“It doesn’t matter!” Caelum explained, raising his fist in the air. “We will all pave our own paths and reach greatness! Your birth is and will never be an excuse for the dreams you have,” he then turned towards his brother. “Is that not right, Vae?”
“Indeed it is,” he nodded, as Geneve from behind chimed in, her arms crossed and eyes closed.
“Funny how even our dreams are scattered around, perfectly mirroring our group as opposed to the other two.”
“The Inquisition was actually supposed to hold around thirty participants, but some prominent changes were made, and the ones left available to be invited just so happened to be you all, as well as the other two groups,” Vash said. “The groupings often consist of people from various backgrounds, so this is most definitely a special occasion.”
“Indeed,” Declan responded. “That, as well as the fact that this is the 250th Inquisition, officially. However, given the Gaian temple is one of the oldest out there, how did people become Awakened under the Gaian influence?”
A doubtful expression washed over Vash’s face. He, as a Master, was expected to be knowledgeable regarding Gaian history. It was a completely reasonable explanation with a reasonable answer, yet, Vash remained silent for a few moments, casting the question away as he said,
“…Good question. Perhaps you may find more about the history in one of our libraries.”
“You guys have libraries here?” Caelum sighed. “What’s up with Ventoria and its libraries, man? It’s as if there has to be a library in any corner I turn towards…”
“The main city only has two libraries,” Vaelen retorted. “As far as I am concerned, the libraries designated for temples aren’t considered ‘libraries’, there’s a specific term for that.”
“They are referred to as Divine Archives,” Lunar responded, his arms crossed behind his back. “Places comprising old books and tales regarding any specific temple. However, fragments of their books aren’t limited to the Archives alone. For example, a book containing the history of the Gaian temple can reasonably be found within any regular library due to Ventoria’s alliance with the church of Urdall.”
“Indeed,” Vash nodded, confidence suddenly alighting his countenance. “Ventoria solely houses the church of Urdall, the central point of the entirety of Deneve. Correspondingly, Urdall’s church has two acolytes, which are the Gaian and Arcane temples. The distribution of the holy books throughout the country stems from the Convention Slate. Have any of you been taught about this specific event?”
“Yes, I remember,” Vaelen said, staring into the distance as a horse-powered carriage passed them, its driver waving his hand in the air in greeting. The group would then arrive at a long bridge that led straight towards their dorm which was now visible in the long distance.
“The Convention Slate, in essence, refers to the third Age when the church of Urdall signed a treaty with the two temples to further spread out their alliances. The Slate, currently held within the church, held various agreements stemming from Inquisitions, infrastructures, associations with foreign temples, and the distribution of materials, as well as intellectual resources, which I will assume the allocation of the holy books within the generic libraries stem from.”
“Seems like someone’s well taught, huh?” Declan jested, as Caelum responded,
“He’s always like this. It doesn’t outweigh his lack of social skills, though.”
“Very impressive, young man!” Vash exclaimed. “It seems that the Inquisition will be held in good hands!”
***
Outside the temple, Helvega would have already crossed the bridge leading to the main parking lot. She sat in her car, contemplating Phineas’ appearance.
What… is happening?
Why is Leander here…?
Is it not practically impossible to overtake the role of a Head Master at any given time?
Why… why is he here?!
Urgh!
…
There was no mistaking it.
That smile, that posture…
…Mother has to know about this!