Chương 12: Family Toast

Why does Dad have three core threads? He's supposed to be a Blessen just like me.

"You must be starving, son," Father said, offering a hand.

"Let's go join everyone for dinner." Anadis took Father's hand and stood up, but just before they started walking, he decided to ask.

"Dad, why do you have three threads instead of one?" Father gave him a puzzled look.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, sorry, of course you wouldn't know," Anadis said apologetically.

"When I used my Blessing to see Divine cores, Albus, Aelia, and even I all have this one little thread that shows how many ascensions we've had." The man crossed his arms and studied him, unblinking.

"Is that so?" Father groaned in a good-humored way.

"How many threads do I have?" He emphasized the word.

"Well…" Anadis scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"You have three." The words sat between them.

"Which doesn't really make any sense because you're a Blessen just like us… right?" Giving his dad a serious look, Anadis considered the possibility that his father was more than a Blessen. But that just couldn't be it. Why would he hide something like that from the world—from his own family? Was it even possible? Blessens had to be checked annually by the Blessen Guild so they could track the Fourbloods' current power against the Grulls.

"I don't know what to tell ya, son," Father said with a shrug.

"I'm just a Blessen, as you know. I never really concentrated on absorbing Grullshards, and therefore I couldn't ascend. But hopefully my kids will be different." He let out a quiet breath and ruffled Anadis's hair.

"Maybe you see three because of my many years of experience. Now come on, let's go eat." Father smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Anadis noticed. He always noticed.

"Heh, of course, Dad," Anadis feigned a laugh as he walked toward the veranda. But a knot tightened in his stomach. His father was lying… he was hiding something from him. From the family. ❧❧ ⫷ ❁ ⫸ ❧❧ Under the veranda, lantern light mingled with the stars as the whole family gathered around the patio table. His mother moved between the kitchen and the patio, bringing out platters of pork loin. Anadis breathed in the aroma of sizzling pork.

His mouth watered, a fountain of saliva slipping from the corners of his lips. Now that he thought about it, this was his first real meal since the Blessed Trial.

"Wow, your eyes really changed, huh?" Anadis turned away from his plate to see Noe walking out of the house, sipping grape wine.

"People will start looking at you funny now," Noe stated, peering into Anadis's eyes and coming off as the elder brother who knew just what buttons to press.

"Oh, I didn't know you were joining us tonight," Anadis replied, as one of his now golden eyes twitched. Anadis looked at his older brother, Noe. The boy was only nineteen and had managed to become the youngest senator on the island, and even after such an accomplishment, he still hadn't stopped acting like a fool. Nora stuck out her tongue mockingly at Noe, then threw herself at Anadis, hugging him so tightly he let out a small oof.

"So what? He looks even better now," she shot back at Noe in her cheeky voice. Her curly raven hair brushed against his face as she squeezed him.

"I'm so glad nothing happened to any of my little brothers," Nora said, kissing his cheek.

"And sister, of course," she added, smiling at Aelia. Anadis grimaced and tried to pull back, but she kept his face trapped between her hands. She pulled back, scowling.

"And here I was thinking you'd finally allow some bonding time." He was convinced that no matter how many years passed, Nora would always remain the same: mischievous, jester-like, and irritating but quick to defend him when it counted. He'd never admit how much he appreciated that. Or how much her clinginess got on his nerves. Aelia gave Anadis a breezy smile, her golden hair catching the lantern light.

"When I saw you and Albus lying there at the cathedral after the trial, I feared you might never return to us. After such a dreadful ordeal, a simple change in your eye color feels like a mercy beyond measure." Her words were like silk smoothing over his worry. She reached out and softly ran her hand along his wrist. Both sisters' personalities couldn't be more different, yet Aelia's reserved, introverted nature blended like honey and tea with Nora's energetic, outgoing one.

They were inseparable, just as Albus and he were. Before he could thank Aelia, a fork appeared in front of his mouth, a piece of pork speared on the end.

"Eat, Anadis," Grandma Anna said with her stern tone.

"It's been too long since you had a real meal." Looking up at her, she was nearly in her sixties now, her forehead creased with decades of worry and will. Her once-bright blue eyes had begun to fade, but the fire behind them hadn't dimmed.

"Thanks, Grandma," he mumbled, already chewing the rib meat she had handed him.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," she sighed, though he caught the slight curl of her lips. Oh, Grandma, when are you going to learn to let loose a bit and just admit you were worried for your grandchildren? He grinned, despite knowing he wouldn't dare say it out loud.

"Where's Esmel?" Mother asked Noe as she sat in the chair to Father's left.

"She's in the powder room," Noe said, his voice muffled around a piece of pork. Anadis's heart quickened.

"Wait, Esmel is here?"

"Oho," Nora elbowed him with a grin.

"Are you getting nervous, little brother? You've always had a thing for her, right?"

"W-what!" Anadis stammered.

"No, I don't! How could I?!"

"Good evening, everyone," came the sweet voice of the prettiest girl in all of Aura Cay. She stepped onto the veranda from the house.

"Sorry for being late. I had to freshen up before eating."

"Esmel darling, sit here next to Noe," Mother said, gently pulling up a chair for the new arrival.

"Thank you, Marcia. Much appreciated," Esmel said, her voice soft, carrying a gentleness that made Anadis forget his own name. He looked at the girl as she sat before him in a daze. Esmel Venrie's beautiful skin had a striking bronzed glow that made the white silk of her chiton seem even brighter. Her hair was the color of the forest, a verdant sage that framed her crown of short, tousled locks like summer leaves.

And to top it all off, her best features by far were the lovely, long pointed ears partially hidden beneath her hair. Yes… she was an elf. Anadis's first crush, and—he noted bitterly—his older brother's fiancée. Argh, if only I had been born five years earlier… maybe I would've had a chance. Although he doubted it, Anadis hated to admit it, but his senator brother was far more handsome than he would ever be in this life, or in any life, actually.

For as long as he could remember, girls had always flocked to Noe like sharks to blood. He stood like a younger version of Father—tall, with strong, defined muscles honed from years of sparring. But where Father could be described as a rugged boulder, Noe was more like a statue sculpted by Mother's hand: sharp-featured, elegant, and handsome in a way that made anyone look twice.

"Hey, little brother, stop daydreaming," Noe said, snapping his fingers.

"I-I wasn't!" Anadis retorted.

"Hey, Anadis," Esmel said, wiggling her fingers in a smooth little wave.

"How are you… Esmel?" he replied shyly, lowering his gaze and feeling his cheeks flush.

"You look radiant today—not that you don't any other day, just you look extra radiant today." His voice shook with nervousness. Man, what am I even saying? She giggled, a glorious little sound.

"She's taken, little brother." Noe sighed, shaking his head. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

"Leave him alone. He's just being nice," Esmel scolded Noe and shot Anadis a wink. He could've died right then and there, and he would've been fine with that wink being the last thing he saw.

"Your brother is very lucky, isn't he?" A faint shimmer pulsed behind his ear. Hel appeared, hovering beside him, her wings beating rapidly.

"Such a pretty thing."

"I know, right?" he responded mentally.

"So… is she the cause of all your dirty thoughts?"

"Wait, what? No!" A clearing of the throat caught his attention. Father raised his wine cup.

"Today we're gathering here as family to celebrate," he said, "to celebrate the many achievements of my children, achievements that bring me pride like few fathers could boast of." The table erupted into applause and elated smiles.

"First, congratulations to you, Noe, for becoming the youngest senator in the parliament." More applause followed. Then Noe pushed his chair back and stood up.

"Thank you so much, Hadrian," he said. Anadis frowned. He had never understood why Noe called their father by his first name instead of "Father" or "Dad" like any normal son would.

"But there's one more thing worth raising a cup to," Noe said, standing a little straighter. He glanced at Esmel beside him, and for a brief moment, the polished senator act dropped away. There was just Noe, a nineteen-year-old, stupidly in love.

"In less than a month from now, we will have a wedding at the Venrie mansion, because Esmel has agreed to become my wife," he said, sitting down quickly, as if embarrassed by his own sincerity. The family burst into gasps and applause before he even finished. Mother was already out of her chair, hugging both of them. Father let out a real, raspy laugh and reached over to grip Noe's shoulder without a word. Nora knocked over her cup.

"Esmel, are you sure he's not making you do this?" Esmel laughed, covering her smile with one hand.

"I'm sure."

"Esmel, if he treats you badly, just let me know," Anadis added, though he avoided the pretty elf's gaze.

"I'm a Blessen now. I can kick his butt for you."

"You can't beat me, even as a Blessen," Noe added with a frown.

"Even the weakest Blessen can beat a regular person," Albus added matter-of-factly.

"Even Aelia could beat you now, Noe." Everyone turned to look at him. Noe opened his mouth, glanced at Aelia, then shut it again.

"You're probably right," he said with a laugh. That might have sounded like an insult if anyone else said it, but not from Albus. Everyone knew how straightforward he was.

"Alright, next I want to congratulate my eldest daughter, Nora," Father said.

"For graduating as a full-fledged Attuner." Nora stood up proudly, chest puffed out and cheeks glowing.

"Attuners are rarer than Blessens and far harder to produce," Father continued.

"They keep shard-work running and the world functioning by reading the planet's Leywaves and purifying Grullshards. Without them, half of what we take for granted wouldn't exist." He looked at Nora with warm pride.

"And this island has produced only a handful of Attuners in the last decade, and Nora is the latest one, having graduated just last semester." He raised his cup.

"To my daughter."

"Thank you, I know just how great I am. Keep on praising me," Nora boasted, arms raised dramatically to her sides. Sometimes Anadis forgot that his sister was kind of talented. Too bad she lacked any common sense.

"Alright, child, sit down. That's not the proper way for a lady to express herself," Grandma chastised her. Nora rolled her eyes.

"Now, last but not least, a toast to my three youngest," Father said, looking toward Anadis's side of the table. Aelia and Albus stood up, and he followed suit.

"Albus," Father said with a small smile, "for defying the impossible by carrying a white core and facing everything in life with that same quiet, unpretentious expression, as if the gods chose you and you simply nodded and got on with it." Father then glanced at Aelia and said, "To my daughter Aelia, for proving that even a paintbrush and a gentle hand can be just as formidable as any sword." His gaze settled on Anadis last.

"And Anadis." Anadis swallowed, not sure what to expect when Father's voice shifted to a softer and more deliberate tone.

"You walked into that trial with a black core and no guaranteed Blessing, yet you still killed a Grull with all the odds stacked against you." He raised his cup.

"That tells me more about who you are than any core color ever could. Congratulations to all three of you." Father squared his shoulders and held his head high, while Mother's eyes shone brighter and warmer than usual. They were proud of him. Of all of them, yes, but of him, too. Hel glided above Anadis's shoulder, unusually quiet. For a brief second, her sharp golden eyes softened as she took in the laughter and easy affection around the table.

"You have quite the family," she murmured, almost too softly to hear. Not knowing what to respond, he just gave her a nod.

"Why don't each of you tell us the name of your Blessing?" Noe encouraged.

"The one the Divine Voice bestowed upon you."

"Good idea," Mother said, hands clasped in expectation.

"You go first, Albus." Albus scanned the whole room with his usual discomfort at being the center of attention, shoulders tight and jaw set." Stormblessed," he said, his voice low. Lightning immediately flared around his fingers.

"Incredible," Noe breathed, his grey eyes catching the crackling light. After standing up and almost shocking himself by trying to touch it, he turned toward Aelia and asked, "Aelia, what about you?"" Inkblessed," Aelia replied. She traced her finger through the air like a paintbrush, drawing the shape of a small inky frog. It came to life and leaped onto the table. The whole family erupted into smiles, curiosity gripping them, but after a minute, it melted into ink, staining the tablecloth in one wide loop.

This one lasted less than the bird she drew with her Boon.

"What about you, Anadis?" Esmel's question interrupted his thoughts. For some reason, the question weighed heavily on him.

"Soulblessed," he declared softly, then activated Soul Sight.

"Wow, your eyes are so bright," Esmel said, stifling a gasp with a delicate hand.

"What can you do with them?" With Soul Sight activated, Anadis couldn't see their faces at all, only their outlines, so he couldn't gauge their reactions.

"My Blessing is a bit different. It's not flashy or creative, and only I can see what it does. I can see all of your cores with my eyes divine or not."

"Can you? That's interesting," Nora said, her voice brimming with what sounded like excitement.

"What does my core look like? Wait, do I even have one?" She indeed had one, and hers was actually different. Since she was neither a Blessen nor an ordinary person, but an Attuner, her core was chromatic with a rippling, polished surface. Instead of a single heavy lash like a Blessen's, hers manifested a dense spray of fine silver filaments.

"What can I say?" Nora flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"The gods didn't miss when they made every part of me, including my core," she said after hearing Anadis's description.

"Now do mine," Esmel said, batting her eyelashes.

"No, do mine," Noe cut in. The family dinner went by in a blur of laughter and stories. Anadis went through them one by one, describing each core, until he reached his father and saw the three whips again. That made him want to stop. Later that night, Anadis lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Albus snored softly on his side of the room; the rest of the family had already gone to sleep.

However, sleep was the last thing on his mind, so without much preamble, he slipped out of bed, tiptoed outside, and lay down on the grass to gaze up at the starry night.

"That dinner took long enough," Hel said as she unfurled into a ribbon of light.

"I trust you've enjoyed yourself tonight, but starting tomorrow, you'll work in earnest." Squinting against her brightness, he whispered, "Work on what?"

"Insolent child. Have you forgotten what our main objective is?"

"Actually, I wanted to ask… why my dad's Divine core has three whips instead of one if he's a Blessen?" She slapped his cheek. She actually slapped his cheek? How dare she? It didn't hurt at all, as if a bee had landed on him and pressed its sting against him but decided not to sting him all the way. But the surprise did keep him from blinking.

"Use your head," she adviced, raising one finger.

"One means Blessen." She raised a second.

"Two means Emanant. So three must mean…?"

"A Luminous…" She nodded.

"But why would he lie about it?"

"Whatever your father is hiding is his business, not mine, and certainly not relevant to you right now. So forget about that and listen." Despite her attempt to redirect, his mind still lingered on his father. Could it actually be true? His brows furrowed as he thought. If Dad really is a Luminous, that would make him the strongest person in all of Aura Cay. As far as Anadis knew, there was no one higher than an Emanant on the entire island. He didn't believe it. He needed proof.

"Pay attention!" the little winged creature bellowed, snapping him out of his musing. He straightened up and groaned as he gave her his undivided attention. Hel gave a proud smile.

"Remember what I told you. We need to start working on separating our souls." Right… And fast. I don't know how much more of this creature I can stand.

"The Seven Keys of Helheim," she began, settling cross-legged in the air above his chest as if she owned the space.

"Artifacts of mine that I sealed across the world millennia ago, when someone decided I needed to be dealt with."

"Sealed? Artifacts? Someone?" Anadis echoed, utterly confused.

"Yes, yes, and I'll tell you where when it becomes relevant." Anadis opened his mouth.

"Don't ask follow-up questions yet," she said.

"I'm not finished." He closed it.

"They're Boons, but think of them as keys, each carrying a fragment of my original essence. Together, they were used to ingress Helheim—the underworld—before those twelve cowards carved me out of it like I was nothing." Her voice didn't rise. If anything, it went quieter, which was somehow worse. She is calling the gods cowards?

"Individually, they're useful. Together they're something that no mortal soul should possess."

"And you want me to collect all seven."

"I need you to collect all seven," she corrected.

"There's a difference."

"What's the difference?" She looked at him flatly.

"Want implies we have other options." Anadis didn't speak, letting that sink in for a moment.

"Catch on quickly," she continued.

"Each Key is sealed against ordinary bonding. You cannot simply pick one up. There is a blood bond." She pointed at his chest, then at hers.

"Our bond is how you prove to the Key that you're a worthy bearer. That you carry enough of me within you to withstand what it contains." She paused, then said evenly as if it was expected.

"I suspect this will hurt."

"How… much?" She bobbed her head slightly, considering.

"More than any pain you've felt so far."

"That's not a specific answer."

"No," she agreed.

"But does it need to be?" Anadis stared up at the starry sky for a moment.

"And after all seven are collected? We separate our souls, and you go back to being… a god?"

"A goddess," she rectified and remained quiet for long enough that he turned to look at her.

"And that's the only thing I can think of." So she isn't even sure. He folded that thought away." Where's the first one?" he asked.

"Close," she said.

"Buried beneath a chasm in Aura Cay's forest." She paused.

"Distance is hardly the concern. The path will be littered with Grulls, and many of them will find you before you ever notice them."

"Fantastic," Anadis muttered.

"I thought you'd be pleased." Her sarcasm failed to make him smile.

"We need to get you ready—we'll leave in two weeks. Use the time well."

"To do what?" She gave him a look that suggested the question answered itself.

"To not die." He swallowed. Then, unbidden, his mind reminded him of something. Tomorrow is the start of the new semester at the Learning Hall.