It had been a year since Oli didn’t get a title and now today was the day I was supposed to be getting mine. I had turned 15 a few months ago and was just waiting for the ceremony. My mom and dad had always joked that after our 15th birthday we would change and after watching Oli change this past year, I really couldn’t doubt them.

It wouldn’t be exaggerating to say that my brother was becoming a man like my father. In his first month of training, the way that he treated our parents improved from loving but discontented to loving and respectful. He changed so drastically in the first month of his training that I thought it impossible for him to change even more.

I was proven wrong almost exactly a month into his training. Oli was being carried by our father. His eyes were red from crying but behind the puffiness, I noticed a vacancy that wasn’t in his eyes that morning.

My father stayed with my brother till he was sound asleep and my mom shuffled me out of the room with the cup of tea we had been sharing to get an explanation from father. I shouldn’t have stayed to listen but even after 15 years of watching Akeinan pick on Oli, I had never seen my brother so empty.

“Ronik told you that they were doing Oli’s first religious training today, correct honey?”

“He did, What exactly did the training do to my boy?” Mom sounded angry. There were few times I had ever heard my mom angry but this was the most ferocious that I had ever seen her. “If there isn’t a proper explanation for this I am going to hurt that dwarf many different ways. I do not care if he is the King of Earth Spirits.”

My dad did his best to calm her down before continuing. He explained how they were having him dream illusion training in scenarios that would challenge his way of thinking.

“He had to kill someone in training today.”

The room was silent except for the shattering of the mug in my hand against the floor. Even if the door was closed, I had just revealed that I was listening. My father came and opened the door giving me a judging stare but the worry on my face relaxed his gaze. “You were listening anyway. Come in and I’ll finish. There is a reason I didn’t gut Ronik myself when he told me and you are going to need to know if you are going to comfort your brother.”

Father spun a tale of the illusion that Oli had experienced and how it taught him what it meant to defend another even if it meant taking a life. Father was more soft-spoken than usual but the illusion still chilled me to the bone. I don’t know that if I was in my brother’s position I could do the same.

That night, I was restless with worry and slept little but to my surprise the next morning, Oli walked out of his room with a conviction that I had never seen before in my life. His gait was not of a boy who had needed to be carried to bed by his father the night before but of a man with a purpose.

The way that he carried himself made me understand that my brother would be a man to watch as he grew older. As he walked out of his room, his eyes caught mine and he altered his course over to me, wrapped me up in a big hug, apologized for worrying me, and then walked down the stairs.

It was the first time that I had noticed the changes in my brother’s physique. He no longer was the scrawny, sickly kid that I had seen as more of a younger brother than an older one. He walked down the stairs like a man leaving me with wide eyes in my door frame.

I must have been there a while because when I got downstairs he had already finished up with his breakfast and could be seen sprinting around the yard at high speeds. I looked at my parents and both of them were wide-eyed as they watched Oli. They didn’t even notice my entrance and it took my plate being set down on the table to get them to notice that someone else was in the room.

“Seri, did he say anything to you this morning?” My father asked.

“He walked out of his room, noticed that I was looking at him, gave me a big hug, and apologized for causing me to worry.”

My mother put her hand to her face. “He did the exact same with us. He seems different today. Good different, he reminds me of you.” She smacked my father on the ass. “I was prepared to really hurt that little man if he had hurt my sweet boy, but I can only see this as a good change for our son.”

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After that day, Oli changed at an even more rapid pace and would stop in to tell me about his illusion training which seemed to get harder and harder as it went on. His first training had only taken a day but the scenarios were getting more and more complicated.

His second had taken him two weeks to complete and he said it taught him about the sanctity of life. It was a long story about the many different races of the world. They sat at a dinner table and three guests were from each nation. Dwarves, Elves, Holomen, and Humans sat together.

It eventually taught him how important The King’s image in our creation was and why he was to never turn his back on someone who had fallen away from The King.

His third was about dignity. It took him 2 months but he held himself higher once he viewed himself with respect and carried himself in a way that helped him garner respect from others.

His fourth and what he is stuck on now is breaking his mind. He looks like he is really struggling but if he changes as he does after every one of these training dreams, it can only help him.

With Oli’s training going on, I was getting anxious about my Titling ceremony today. After his ceremony, the importance of his title is making me shake with anxiety over our differences. I know that Titles define the rest of our lives and it makes me nervous to think that I might get trapped into something that I am not prepared for in my life.

Oli has been encouraging me though and even though he was devastated, he is comforting and acting like a big brother for one of the first times in his life.

The crowd was much smaller this year because of the difference in elves my age versus Oli’s. The mayor still looked as sickly as ever but the weather was nice to go along with the day.

“We have a short ceremony today. Only three Titles to bestow today.”

The mayor rasped and the elves before me were called up one by one. My name was behind the others so I had to wait just like my brother.

The first elf, a young man, was given the title of Hunter, which was understandable considering I had seen him with his father, who is also a hunter, many times in the forest. The second, a young lady, was given Herbalist which made the small crowd cheered. Her medical expertise in the future would come in handy.

“Seri Vestwood, please approach the crystal.” The mayor sputtered as he called my name. He really needs to get checked out by a doctor.

I placed my hand on the crystal ball quickly and was sucked into a dark space with a sole light shining upon me. On a stone archway in front of me was a word written in gold. Seer.

I froze and looked around. The light at my feet expanded slightly and behind me stood a brazier burning with a bright red flame.

“That is quite an impressive title you got their sister.” Piper’s voice rang as she appeared at my side.

“Where are we exactly? I assume that flame is my connection with you. And that Seer is my title, but this is new to me.”

Piper chuckled. “Of course this is new, I hadn’t taught you this yet cause I was waiting for you to get your title. This is your heart space, the light at your feet is your essence pool. The crystal that Titles people just forces them into their heart space so they can see their title but through meditation, it is also possible to come here and to grow your essence pool.

“You might want to pop out of there though so you can get back to your family, Seer is a rare title but being able to see the future will come in handy for sure. Oh boy, I can’t wait to get back to training with you. Getting you used to your new power is going to be so much fun.” Piper twirled around me as she continued ranting.

“You’ll be in here a lot and I’m sure you can ask Oli if you need help meditating. He seems to do it a lot.”

I closed my eyes and found myself back on the stage. “What’s your title young lady?” the shivering mayor asked.

I looked at the crowd and proudly projected “My title is Seer.”

The crowd took on looks of both befuddlement and shock. I made eye contact with my brother and he had a big grin on his face. What an oaf.

The crowd dispersed and Piper flew up to me. “You go, girl. Loud and Proud. Up top.” Her tiny fairy figure held up a hand for a high-five.

I looked at her while trying to suppress my laughter. “Last time I high-fived you, you went rolling through the air. You sure you want a high-five?”

My mother snuck up behind me and wrapped me up in a warm hug. “I knew my daughter would do big things. I’m so proud of you.”

My brother and father gave me sincere looks and joined in on the hug.

“I don’t really understand what a Seer is, can someone fill me in on what on Gaea my title is?” Everyone was so excited for me and Piper had hinted at what my title does but I really just put on an act on stage. I am honestly really confused.

Oli was the first to speak and he spoke excitedly “I read about it in the library, A Seer is someone who can see and predict the future. Plus I assume it is also a double entendre for your fire magic which will likely be the medium for your future sight.” He was gushing over the title a little too hard but it made me happy that he was excited for me.

“I can’t believe that both of our kids have legendary titles.” My dad held his chest up proudly. “Our kids are going to go places.”

The rest of the evening was slow and celebratory. The house felt warm with love and I drifted off to sleep filled to the brim with relief and joy.

That night I dreamt of fire.