Wait, In My Next Life I'm WHAT?!? - 3. In This Life, Sometimes You Need to Take Risks.

The ocean wind blows through the spring flowers, as they turn to summer fruit.

The sun lowwering itself into the shimmering horizon.

The moon hangs overhead, full, as a reminder of what's to come.

Today, children learn what it means to be an adult in the Crescent Isles.

The large town nearest the water has been bustling with activity for the last week as parents teach their children who are to take part in the ceremony to come what they are to do., as well as making sure they have the proper attire to enter the temple for this solemn time.

The childs very standing depends on how this one night in their life turns out.

As the last rays of light sink into the depths of the ocean, each family makes its way to the center of town; each child with excitement, each parent with reservations.

As they gather only one family appears to shake this dynamic. The child, a boy in his tenth year, appears quiet and thoughtful, his parents exited and over zealous.

Once the last family arrives, all eyes turn to the temple door, a large wooden thing conected to the outer wall that surrounds the building proper. The carvings upon it depicting the spirits these people call for in aide and need in almost everyday life.

As the boy looks at the carvings critically, the doors slowly creak open, and the temples priestess walks outside.

A tall, statuesque woman, she holds herself with power and athority, her ashen skin pale under her raven black hair. Her eyes, black with a white iris, roam over the gathered people. "Tonight the children of the Shade take the first step in understanding the role of adults. I sincerely hope you have all expressed how important this night will be to your children, because the spirits are not a forgiving force!"

With her warning made, the priestess stands to the side of the doors, gesturing for a nearby family to enter.

"Remember that once inside, to follow my directions exactly, and please no chatering from the family. We lost a child one year because the parents distracted her at a crusial part in the ceremony."

The family that was motioned to enter hesitates at this, but the child soon leads the way in, bouncing toward the doors.

As the last member passes by, the doors start closing, to await the end of this ceremony, before it will open again to call the next group in.

As they wait, the boy takes to examining the door again. His eyes seeming, to carve out every detail of the etchings before he nods his head, as thou he mde up his mind.

Looking around he figures that their are probably seven other children taking part this season, the smallest this past year, and grimaces upon reflecting why.

This town has lost many people in the last few years, the war claiming its strong as soldiers.

The doors start creeking open again, letting the family inside leave, the child, a girl, with a look of wonder, her parents with relief.

Before the priestes can even approach the door to signal a new family in, the boy is already moving. His parents following a step late as their suprise keeps them from acting at first.

As they enter the priestess looks at the boy, concern evident in her eyes. She knew that look, it was the same look she wore when she herself had taken the ceremony many years before.

The doors already closing, she leads them into the main building, a large cerimonial bonfire taking up the center of the room.

"We shall begin. Please kneel before the flame." She gestures to a cushion and the boy moves toward it.

After everyone gets seated, the priestess looks up to the parents "Remember you are not to interfere, for your sons safety, as well as your own." This warning suprises the boys parents, who look to each other, when has the parents ever been in danger before.

Turning her attention back to the boy "Now, as you advance, remember that what you do is not a game, you do not call a pet, but a being of power who can kill you if your thoughts so much as waver for an instant. Take this warning to heart, and when ready pick up the blade."

Almost as soon as she finished speaking the boy grabed the knife, all ready for the next part.

"Very well, I shall call to the spirits, when you feel their presence, cut your finger so some blood covers the blade then place it into the flames. This shall manifest a sprit who will then try and forge a contract with you. If at any point after it manifests you lose sight of what your doing the spirit will kill and devour you. Now I shall begin."

At that last warning, the priestess begins to pray chanting words that make little sense.

Nothing apears to happen for a little while, until the boy realizes it's getting colder despite the raging flames before him.

Griping the knife in hand , he pricks his finger letting blood cover the blade before plunging it into the flame.

The effect is imediate, with the blaze gaining intensity and size. Colours form from the flames, gathering into a frightening image.

In mear seconds, a large foxlike monstrosity, made of raging fire, stands before the boy, sevral tails lashing about behind it.

"Tell me, who are you who thinks to bind me?" The beast growls, its voice sounding of a multitude of peoples, man and woman, young and old. "I am hardly willing to lower myself to the whims of mortals, and you are but a child. Realese me and call again one who can be tamed."

The priestess sitting behind the beast is stunned, this boy called an elder spirit? Even the head priest in the capital cannot do that. She looks at the boy, wonder and fear in her eyes, if he can do this now, what can he do when trained?

The boy looks up to the spirit, respect and determination flashing across his face "Forgive me, but I seek more than a servant who carries out instructions, I require a teacher, adviser and friend who can help me become strong enough to end the war our world is under. I cannot wait to become a man in the eyes of my people to learn how to fight, nor can I just accept the life of blindly following orders of those who never see the bloodshed. I need your wisdom to revolutionize the people and stop the Deus from conquering us all!" The boys words carried a heavy weight, his parents suprised again, atempt to rise starting to speak before the priestess silences them with a motion.

The spirit glances at the adults around him and begins to chuckle "You are a curious child. Thoughtful of others, you ask for aide to help them, despite the influence of those who would have you look for personal gain. You do not wish to subdue me, but ask for an equal partnership, it seems I only gain from this, while you acquire more than any other. I guess I shall accept, for one such as you can only live an interesting life."

The fox raises a paw to the boys still bleeding hand and rests it on his palm, the boy never feeling the heat, before pressing into him. The form the spirit holds warping, flowing into the boys hand, the heat searing a mark onto the back of it in the shape of an eye.

"It is done!" The priestess whispers, awe still present in her voice.

Almost immediately the boys parents rush him. "What have you Done!" The man cries in rage, "Allowing a spirit to act as your equal will cause people to think you weak! Do you want to shame our family so badly."

The woman cries, her face red from embarrassment, "To think our son wishes to be a warrior, and I thought we had raised him better!"

The priestess look on in shock, the boy appering to adjust to the change his body and mind are going through, undisturbed by his parents reactions as they rant and carry on around him. Do they not realize what he's done, what he is so much more capable of doing in the future? Making her decision quickly, the priestess rose from her possition.

"Your son shall stay hear and be taught by myself directly. Consider this the highest honor I can grant at this time, but for now I must ask you to leave, so I might finish my duties. Your son shall help me." Dismissing them with a wave, the priestess already moving the boy to an empty room where he can rest, to begin his studies when he finishes his rest.

"You will be a force for change in this world. I will never dout that!" She whispers as she lays him down, the events finally catching up to him, his body relaxing as he falls asleep.

Making sure he's comfortable, the priestess leave. Her duty not done, she quickly hopes no other children feel the need to bear such burdens.

"This night cannot end soon enough!" She sighs reluctantly.