Chương 17: Taste of Ichor

The Blessen registration room was modest compared to the rest of the cathedral. It was little more than a dim chamber with a tall Gothic-arched window overlooking the cathedral's backyard. Vines crept through the open frame from outside, and a few simple standing candelabras cast flickering pools of dim light across the stone floor, though the twin suns provided more illumination than any candle could. There, the same pastor from the ceremony insisted on reciting a short prayer for every god.

Hel's chest puffed out with obvious pride when the pastor reached Helphrena's prayer. The entire ritual dragged on for nearly twenty minutes before he finally ordered a deacon to produce a needle and an ornate silver chalice.

"This," the pastor said as the deacon lifted the chalice, "is water from the River Lethe. It flows down from Elandris, the resting place of many virtuous souls, into our planet Gaelora. Fifteen hundred years ago, when the gods descended, the River Lethe's water became mixed with ichor—the ethereal golden blood the gods spilled in their battles. As their blood merged with the river, it turned golden and divine." Anadis stared at the liquid in awe. It shimmered inside the chalice as if it were genuine molten gold.

It was beautiful yet unnerving, and somehow less thick than he had expected. The deacon poured the ichor-infused water into three smaller cups, then moved in front of each of them in turn. He pricked their fingers with the needle. Anadis winced, grimacing at the sharp sting. Once again, no warning had been given. Three drops of blood fell into each cup. The golden ichor shimmered faintly before settling back into its ordinary appearance.

The deacon then drew out a long wooden box lined with a linen mantle and set it before them.

"Here," the pastor said, gesturing toward the box.

"Pick one of these. They will serve as your insignias, marking you as Blessens to the world." His assistant held the box open. Inside rested three pieces of jewelry: a necklace, a ring, and a bracelet, all crafted from silver with a small star embedded at the center. That star marked their status as Blessens of the first ascension. When it came time to choose their insignias, Anadis hadn't expected it to matter. He had planned to let his siblings pick first and simply take whatever was left.

But the moment his gaze landed on the silver bracelet, something shifted inside him. A small, warm flame kindled in his chest, as if he owed it to himself, or perhaps to someone else, to claim it. Without hesitation, his fingers closed around the bracelet.

"I'll take this one," he said, glancing at the others.

"Unless one of you wants it?" Aelia shook her head.

"I like the chain." Albus shrugged, indifferent.

"I don't mind the ring."

"Perfect," the pastor said.

"Wear your chosen jewelry, then drink the ichor-infused water from the River Lethe. Once you do, the insignia will sting you as it binds to your blood." So… the third time is the charm, Anadis thought, glancing at the pastor with mild distaste.

"And it will fuse with your Blessed blood," the pastor continued.

"Only then will you be able to hear the Divine Voice again, just as you did during the trial." As Anadis picked up his cup, he caught the hesitation on Aelia's face. Albus, by contrast, simply tilted his head and downed the liquid in one smooth gulp. Not wanting to be outdone, Anadis drank his own. The ichor was thick and viscous, carrying a sour, metallic tang that left a chalky layer on his tongue and made his stomach twist.

As if the taste were not bad enough, his new silver bracelet suddenly pricked sharply into his wrist. The embedded star glowed softly as it bonded with his blood. For the first time since the Blessed Trial, Anadis heard it again—the soothing yet commanding tone of the Divine Voice. ✦ · ✦ Greetings, Blessen Anadis Kalonis. Divine Core Black Ascension First-Blessed Blessing name Soulblessed Imprints collected 0 Weapons allocated 0 Boons allocated 1 Imprints collected 0 [Godkiller] Godkiller…?

He remembered the Divine Voice saying that in its sputtering of nonsensical words when it attempted to bless him. Just what does it mean?

"Congratulations on being chosen by the Gods, Blessens," the deacon said, yanking him out of his thoughts. After that, Anadis and his siblings stepped out of the room. The silver insignia was light on his skin, but it was also heavy because of what it meant, because this was one of the first steps taken to become what he had wanted since he was a child—real power, power to do and bring good, not yet but eventually. I'm officially a Blessen now.

It still doesn't feel real, he thought with a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Out of curiosity," Hel suddenly spoke inside his mind. It was still uncomfortable to just have someone inside his head that way. He looked up, her tiny face lit with unexpected interest.

"Why did you pick the bracelet?" She quickly added,"Not that I care or anything."

"I don't know," Anadis replied through their bond.

"It just felt right. Maybe I just thought it looked good on me." She looked thoughtful for a second, then glanced the other way and slipped back into her usual uninterested expression. However, her interest piqued again when he asked her about the [Godkiller] mark on his Blessen profile.

"I couldn't tell you, but it seems obvious. You killed a goddess," Hel said, floating upside down with one hand holding her shin in thought.

"No, I didn't. I just jumped to save my brother. I didn't mean to kill anyone."

"Ergo, Godkiller," she said.

"Still kinda irritates me they didn't put 'Goddesskiller' instead." Not far ahead were Nora and Selene, so he had to stop the topic and head their way.

"Hey," he waved at them.

"We're all done here." Then he looked at Selene.

"Thanks for waiting, by the way, Selene." She nodded.

"It was no problem."

"What did you choose as your insignia?" Anadis asked, pulling up his sleeve to reveal the silver bracelet.

"I picked this one. Looks nice, right?" Selene didn't answer right away. Instead, she slipped the satchel off her shoulder and reached inside. Anadis never would have guessed in a thousand years what she pulled out: a half-eaten sandwich, with beef flaking off the bread and sauce dripping down the sides. She took a bite and spoke around a mouthful.

"Mmph, looks good." She swallowed, then pointed to the silver necklace at her throat, her finger now lightly smeared with sauce.

"I picked the necklace." She must have noticed the expressions on all the Kalonis' faces, because she quickly added, "Umm… the sandwich is just… you know. For emergencies." He blinked twice, then nodded.

"I… see." Nora shook her head and nudged Anadis with her elbow.

"The necklace looks good on her, right?" she whispered, wiggling her brows. Taking a better look at Selene, he noticed how snugly the necklace sat against her neck. It was closer to a choker than a regular necklace. Still, his sister was right. It looked great on her. But he couldn't let Nora know he agreed, so he shoved her arm aside, completely ignoring her mischievous grin. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Seeing her eat that sandwich made me hungry," Nora declared.

"What do you guys say to some skewers by the beach?"

"Great idea," Anadis agreed.

"I have some money saved up. My treat. What do you say, Selene?" She shrugged.

"If it's not a problem, I'd appreciate it."

"Alright, it's decided!" Nora said cheerfully. But as they all turned toward the exit, Aelia spoke up.

"I'll pass." Her voice was soft, her brows slightly furrowed as if she already knew they'd try to convince her.

"I already made plans with a friend after getting my insignia. I'll see you all at home later." She did not wait for protests and slipped out the exit quickly.

"Enjoy your skewers."

"A friend?" Nora echoed, pulling the exact same face Anadis had made the day before.

"She doesn't really have that many friends. At least not close enough to make actual plans with." Anadis grunted in agreement. The way that boy had looked at her, and the way Aelia had sheepishly looked back… Could he be that friend? ❧❧ ⫷ ❁ ⫸ ❧❧"Eight Auri coins, please," the skewer seller said, handing over four glistening skewers. Anadis paid and let out a quiet sigh. Eight Auri for four skewers? He might as well empty his entire coin pouch with all his savings—well, not really.

He did have more money than ever before after selling that Grullshard to Selene's father. Still, it pained him to see the coins go; eight Auri was practically half of his entire monthly allowance. Behind the stall, his gaze drifted to the sea, to the sunlight scattering across the waves, twinkling like ripples of white light over a vast blue mirror, and on the shoreline, the sand gleamed almost as white as sugar.

Aura Cay was truly a beautiful coastal town despite being of little importance to the rest of the continent.

"By the way, Selene," Anadis asked hesitantly as he handed out the skewers, "where do you live?" She pointed farther down the shore.

"About ten minutes that way."

"We'll walk you," Nora declared, already steering them in that direction as if the decision had been made long ago.

"I—" Selene looked like she wanted to object, but the protest died in her throat. Then, unable to contain his curiosity, like a researcher stumbling upon a lost civilization, he asked, "If you don't mind me asking… what's your Blessing?" There was no real stigma around revealing one's Blessing name. In fact, many great Blessens throughout history were known primarily by their Blessing rather than their birth names.

For example, if he were to ask any kid his age about a famous Blessen, they would all mention Dreadmark, a really famous war hero from the Ashen Vain War. His real name was Elba Roy, but he was better known by his Blessing name. In fact, Anadis could bet most civilians would react more knowingly to the name Dreadmark than to Elba Roy. However, the man was also a Sanctified —the fourth ascension a Blessen could reach, a rank so difficult that fewer than two dozen Blessens alive held it.

So perhaps he wasn't the best example. Everyone knew him, Blessing name or not. Still, Anadis hesitated. What if her Blessing revealed too much about her? What if she simply didn't feel comfortable sharing it with a total stranger? However, he realized his worries were for naught when she spoke.

"I don't mind," she said quietly. Then, looking around, she leaned forward and dawdle as if tasting the words of what she was about to say next.

"My Blessing's name is Blazeblessed. At least that was what the Divine Voice called it."

"Blazeblessed?" he echoed. So her Blessing was related to fire. Anadis couldn't hide the sharp tinge of envy that rose in his chest. Out of all twelve —well, thirteen now that he knew Goddess Helphrena was technically alive, even if only as a tiny, pestering, flying brat—Amatheris had always been his favorite. The Goddess of Eternal Flames was the first of the Twelve to descend during the Age of Sorrow fifteen hundred years ago.

She had charred entire legions of Grulls with a mere flick of her hair, as if it were nothing. To Anadis, she was living proof that fire, when wielded by the righteous, could bring far more good than harm. He had admired her more than any other god for as long as he could remember.

"What about you?" Selene asked." Both of you." She looked at Albus.

"Stormblessed," Albus said, holding up two fingers. Lightning crackled between them for a brief moment, as if that were all the explanation needed.

"Soulblessed. I can see sou—" He coughed, catching himself.

"I… can see Divine ones, dormant ones, even Grull ones. And hopefully a few other things I'm still figuring out." Selene nodded to each of them, chewing her skewer thoughtfully and hungrily, sauce smearing the corners of her mouth. After a pause, she asked, "Is it true? You actually fought a Grull during the trial?"

"Yeah," Anadis murmured, turning the skewer in his hand.

"I did, but… I still couldn't protect Zoe…" He noticed Selene gave him a look like she didn't know who he was talking about.

"She was the blond girl who sat in the same pew as us during the ceremony. She was with me during the trial." He stopped himself and decided not to elaborate anymore. To her credit, Selene didn't press him, choosing to nod once and simply say, "I understand."

"What about you?" Anadis asked after shaking his head and forcing a smile.

"What dangers did you face during the trial?"

"I didn't …" Selene glanced at the sand, then added, "I didn't find any Grulls or anyone else, for that matter. I just walked around. For however long the trial lasted, I don't even remember." She let out a small, dry laugh.

"I was hungry the entire time." Nora stared at her." That's it?"

"That's it," Selene confirmed, taking another bite. Nora's cheeks lifted in that familiar mischievous grin.

"Well, let's forget about the trial," she said, hooking an arm around Selene's shoulders and tiptoeing to reach her. Even though she was older, Nora was still much shorter.

"Tell me, for how long have you and Anadis been 'friends'? Do you guys have lots of classes together? Is that how you met?" Selene shook her head.

"We don't share a single one." Ignoring Nora's very obvious attempt to get a rise out of him, Anadis asked, "That's right. How come I've never seen you before in the Learning Hall?" Selene blinked, already halfway through her skewer and licking sauce off her fingers.

"I don't know?" She shrugged.

"I have some classes with your sister—the blonde one."

"So, you're a year older than us. Are you fourteen?" he asked. The girl simply nodded, as if it were obvious.

"Ooo, Anadis," Nora grinned, "I assumed you liked them older after seeing how you look at Esmel. But now I know you do."" Who's Esmel?" Selene asked, the small crease forming between her brows, revealing a new facet to the girl's persona.

"Oh, she's our sister-in-law," Nora said, waving her hand in a placating motion. Her tense expression softened at that. After a moment of silence, Selene spoke in almost a whisper, "Anadis… well, if you want to… I'm always in the library after classes. If you… I don't know… only if you want to go there… we could talk about stuff. Anything, really." This made him stop mid-step. Was this her version of a friendly invitation to spend time together as friends?

"Y-yes! Of course I'd like that," he beamed.

"What type of books are you currently interested in?" Her red eyes darted from side to side before she answered, "I like reading about daemons." Her breath caught on the word for a brief moment. Then she added quickly, "And elves… and mimikins. You know, their different aspects and cultures."

"Never mind that," Nora interrupted. Then she tilted her head, eyes perking up as she studied Selene with the exact puckish expression she always wore right before asking something that she absolutely shouldn't ask, especially to someone she just met.

"Why do you wear that headscarf? I can see a few strands of your hair poking out, and it looks so beautiful. It feels like a shame to hide it." Selene's stride didn't falter too much, but her posture stiffened a little.

"Uh… I just like it this way," she said, sounding unconvincing.

"And the gloves," Albus added, breaking his usual silence. He gestured vaguely at her hands.

"Are you hiding a scar?" A small smile touched his lips.

"Dad always says those shouldn't be hidden. They show the resilience of your past battles." Oh, Albus… always so himself, Anadis thought, shaking his head. He glanced sideways at Selene. It was true. Every time he had seen her, the headscarf covering her hair and ears and the gloves on her hands had been there. At the ceremony before the trial. At her father's shop the day before. And now, walking beside them in the afternoon sun. He had noticed, but hadn't let himself dwell on it.

Although he couldn't deny the growing curiosity: how would she look without that headscarf? Selene's fingers tightened slightly around what remained of her skewer.

"I just like wearing them," she said.

"But why—""Nora." Anadis's voice came out firmer than he intended.

"I'm just curious," Nora said, not unkindly.

"It's not a topic I want to discuss," Selene said. Her tone hadn't risen, but there was an edge to it now mixed with a flatness that hadn't been there a moment before. And with that she closed the door of that topic without a slam. Nobody uttered anything for a few steps. Then Selene took the last bite of her skewer, looked straight ahead, and said, "Out of the mimikins, I like usamimis best, actually. Their ears are as soft as cotton." That made Nora chuckle, white teeth flashing in a bright grin.

They naturally drifted along the shoreline as they talked, the cobblestones eventually giving way to packed sand beneath their feet. Anadis glanced ahead and spotted a man opening the door of a small, quaint house nestled tightly between two others. His long black hair was braided, with a few blond strands catching the light.

"Look, isn't that your dad, Selene?" he asked, pointing ahead. She nodded.

"That's where I live." But two other men stepped out of the house. Their black-and-gold uniforms were unmistakably from members of the Blessen Division, just like Father. What do Blessen Division officers want with a blacksmith? Anadis's first instinct was to assume it was just a routine visit. Then he remembered: the Blessen Division didn't make routine visits. Not unless there was a problem. That was when Anadis noticed Roger's grim, darkened expression. This clearly looked like a problem. Selene noticed too.

"What do they want?" She tried to rush forward, but Anadis caught her arm.

"I don't know what's going on," Anadis said, "but our dad is part of the Blessen Division. Maybe we could help." She shook her head.

"No, it's okay. I'm sure it's nothing important." She offered a small, grateful smile.

"Thank you for the skewer and for walking me all the way here. It was nice meeting you all." Then she looked directly at Anadis.

"I'll see you tomorrow at the library." He nodded as she sprinted toward her house. Anadis allowed his eyes to linger on one of the Blessen Division men in particular. Shorter than average, but his chitinous armor and the way his hands were clasped behind his back made him appear as dangerous as a scorpion. Then the man turned his head, and the deep, cicatrized gash running down his right eye solidified the image.

"Let's go home," Anadis told Nora and Albus.

"I'll talk to Selene tomorrow about this." But he didn't. Because the next day, she wasn't waiting for him at the library. Selene had lied.