"What? Nothing happened? No light is shining."
"What is going on? A failed blessing?"
"I have never heard of someone not receiving a blessing before."
"Don’t tell me. Has he been rejected by the gods?"
The silence broke as murmurings resurfaced among the youths. No one understood what was going on, or what a failed blessing meant.
It had never been heard of that a person who stood before the pantheon would not receive a blessing from one of the gods.
Never in the history of Aldridge Mage.
"Um... is mine running late?" The words echoed throughout the hall as everyone cast their gaze upon him.
"Is he for real?"
"Does he take this as a joke?"
"Perhaps you should try again next year?" The old voice spoke, unsure of what was actually going on.
Derek, who had a less concerned expression about their worries, walked away from the center and back to where he originally stood.
While on his way, he cast his gaze at the wall where he and Roselle had watched the ceremony from and noticed that she wasn’t there anymore.
Hm?... Where did she go?
He looked around searching for her, and just then his eyes landed at her back. She was leaving the tower.
Where is she going? Did she forget our deal?... While the teenagers were busy talking about the failed blessing or about their own blessing, Derek paid no attention and walked out from the tower.
"Hey! Wait up!" He hurried and caught up to Roselle who acted as though she wasn’t being called.
"Where are you going?" Derek asked as he tried to catch his breath.
For a moment, Roselle didn’t utter a single word but continued walking, her eyes focused on the way back to the tavern.
"The ceremony is already over so I don’t see any point in staying any longer than intended." She finally uttered without turning to him.
Derek stared at her for a while, then faced his front, before saying, "You didn’t forget our deal, did you?"
Hearing this, Roselle stopped on her track and turned to face him. She had a stern expression as she looked him in the eye.
"What happened back there?" The words slipped out of her lips unintended. However, it was out and couldn’t be retracted.
"Um..." Derek tried to speak, but before he could she had already cut him short.
"I have never heard of a noble who didn’t get a blessing from the gods. You all are born from a good bloodline so getting blessed shouldn’t be a problem, so why didn’t you? Or, don’t tell me have you already gotten it? Is that the reason?" The questions came flying and this time she wasn’t ready to let go without a reasonable answer.
Does having a decent bloodline determine your status of mana in this world? If nobles are the second, then that means royals who are the first have more mana and chances of being blessed?... Derek wondered while he stood, staring at the ground.
For a moment, he was nearly lost in thoughts when he felt a pair of eyes staring daggers at him.
How am I supposed to respond to all these questions of her?... Derek stared at Roselle. Frankly, I thought she wouldn’t care and just take me to where we agreed. Damn. What should I say?
Maybe if I just explain to her that I am not from this world, then she would get it? Hold on. That’s definitely not going to work. It would do more harm than good. I don’t even know what I am doing here, more or less how to explain it to someone else. Plus, I have already made her believe I am a noble, I’d like to keep it that way.
Derek thought of how he was going to get out of this predicament, and in a heartbeat he found it.
Firstly, he chuckled. Then looking at Roselle with a smile, he uttered. "You keep guessing right. How do you do it? Honestly, I am not sixtee but seventeen years of age. So..."
He didn’t say more but let her complete the rest in her head. And just as he had planned. It succeeded.
Roselle had a bright expression filled with surprise and astonishment. Her eyes were wide open as though everything had made sense.
"So that’s how it is. I never would have guessed. If that’s the case, then why didn’t you say so earlier? And why would you be out here again if you had already received a blessing previously. Hold on. Were you curious?"
Before speaking, Roselle had thought that because he was seventeen years of age, he had already received his blessings when he turned sixteen which could explain why he didn’t get blessed at this current ceremony.
This was the outcome Derek was hoping for, and she felt right into it, believing what she had thought.
Hm... I only held your hand. But you crossed yourself. This should do for the time being... Derek smiled in his heart. Then, for her last question he replied. "Well, you know nobles and how they are, am I right?"
Roselle stared at him, truly amazed. This time she wasn’t suspicious but felt that she had gotten all the answers to her questions and was satisfied. "I still think you’re a weirdo." she uttered.
Derek turned, and looking into the distance, he said "Will you take me there?"
..
Night had come, the moon casting its warm lights from above. On a clear path a couple miles away from the town, two young stars journeyed to a forsaken region.
Under the golden light of the moon their way seemed clear as day and Roselle who was at the front had no difficulty in leading the way.
They both passed a path of rising weeds and medium side trees. They were already leaving the inhabitants of humans and going to a journey end.
There was a silence as they walked. It wasn’t awkward but rather a shared one that each had their own matters to think of
Just then, the silence broke:
"This is how far I can take you." Roselle uttered. "You are on your own from here."
Roselle stopped and turned around facing Derek. He had a curious expression on his face. For a moment, he wanted to speak but chose to close his lip.
Seeing that he didn’t utter a single word, she turned around and pointed at the distance. "If you continue going straight and turn to your left, you will see a building about five feet tall. It bears the mark of a four-winged bird."
The path that continued was filled with rising trees at each side of what used to be a working road. At the area where they stood was the end of this road and any further was covered in fog. Among the trees and bushes the noises of the night insects could be heard.
Roselle turned to Derek and noticed he had collected the information well. He also didn’t protest about her leaving him alone which was only right.
"I’m telling you this once again. This is suicide. You should turn around and go home. There’s nothing there for you. Nothing that’s worth losing your life over." Roselle tried convincing the young man but after seeing the expression in his eyes, she gave up.
You will not know this but I have no where to call home in this world. The only place I have left to go is the one which grandmother had directed me to... Derek held his chest, gripping his shirt alongside the amulet on his neck.
"Thank you. I will take it from here." The words silently left his lips as he walked past Roselle, his gaze solely only the lonely path to nowhere.
Roselle stood and watched him go until his figure blended with the fog. "Sigh... that dude is dead for sure. Perhaps he might be fine since he’s already been blessed?"
Following the instructions provided by Roselle, Derek walked straight ahead into the fog and after a couple minutes he turned to see a building.
Before him stood a grand weather-beaten stone manor wrapped in a thick creeping fog that completely swallowed the surrounding field.
Carved above the main entrance, a faint weathered sigil of a four-winged raven casting eerie shadow frames stared out into the mist while thick ivy clawed up the columns, leaving the entire place feeling completely haunted and forgotten in time.
Is this the forbidden building? This doesn’t look like a mere building at all. Did a noble family live here?... Derek was taken aback by the grand manor before his very eyes.
He had imagined it to be an abandoned wooden building, but what stood before was far beyond that.
"Is this the place grandmother wants me to visit? I’m here now. What should I do?" He mumbled.
The moon cast its light upon the manor bringing every detail into clear view as Derek walked towards the entrance.
He stood at the doorway and was just about to touch the handle when it swung open on its own, as if expecting his arrival.