I sat cross legged in front of Gran Gran’s cauldron as she paced back and forth between her table full of strange ingredients and the potion she had been brewing before sun fall.

I had originally planned on leaving back to my family's private quarters when she’d tucked Teters in for the night. Him and Ella having led the estate guards on a wild goose chase. .

I was thinking maybe I should leave to handle the fallout of those two causing havoc for the estate’s servants but Gran Gran demanded I stay.

Which was very unique in itself. Gran Gran had never been very forceful about anything when interacting with me. She was more like a guide than a teacher and only inserted her wisdom when she felt it necessary.

I’d taken a particular liking to her teaching methods though they had resulted in a few instances of explosions but that just made the entire experience that much more thrilling. Not anything like the droning Palius and his reading directly from the books Nora wasn’t so sure were completely honest in everything they claimed as truth.

The difference was a stark one. Palius ordered and claimed while the matriarch watched and informed.

Except for this instance when the goblin matriarch had commanded me to take a seated position before the cauldron and to meditate until she addressed me. I wasn’t sure beyond anything other than this was part of my coming of age test. That the goblin had made sure to start its process early to help guide me to success.

I’d ended up sitting here all night waiting for the goblin to address me again. It had gotten to a point where I began to suspect Gran Gran had forgotten me altogether but the moment I began to stir Gran gran would admonish me.

“Sit still child! One does not meditate by dancing upon their bottom.”

Finally just as the night was beginning to give way to morning my patience began to run dry. I’d spent the entire night awake before the most important moment of my life. What did she have in mind?. 

“What is the meaning behind the coming of age ceremony for a Mori like yourself Nora?”

Blinking with surprise I initially stumbled over my answer.

“We~Well Gran Gran. It’s to become one with our power. To permanently harness it at its peak.”

“And why is this important to do now and not later?”

“Because once it’s peaked it does not grow, it only fades and every moment without locking in my power is an amount lost.”

“Correct child. While Palius had previously surmised you’d reached your upper limits a few years ago I’d suspected otherwise. I am almost certain it will reach that point by tomorrow afternoon. It is by then that you should have reached the meditation stone at the heart of Jousle and have begun peering into the void.”

“Gran Gran, only summoners peer into the void at the center of Jousle. It’s called the summoner’s stone for a reason. I’m not a…”

“What you are not is the average Mori. Nora, you can’t be, because if you are we have all been lost.”

“but..”

“I know you think that if you should fail then your sister shall take up the torch but I tell you without a pureblood Almagest present and powering the blood runes at the base of the totem every morning then the curse will take me and my child within the week and the village not long after.”

This fact was not lost on me nor had the reality been beyond my realizing to this point. Without another Almagest present none other Almagest could venture out to claim their innate magic abilities.

No coming of age ceremonies and they’d be at the mercy of the curse’s grasp until they both died off and then the city would be overcome by the curse and swallowed by this unnatural forest.

Still, though, Nora found Gran Gran’s instructions confusing.

“But I’m not a summoner.”

“Not yet, child.” Gran Gran was quick to correct her.

“How could you know such a thing? Be so sure that it is the case?”

“Because if it is not the case, young princess, then we are all already lost. None of those Mori abilities other than that of a summoner can change our situation.”

I nodded in agreement. knowing how being able to cast fire or mold water couldn’t save my lands. If all one needed to do was burn the curse away I was sure the Matriarch would have done so with her Fireclan sisters all those years ago.

No, they did not sacrifice themselves just to let Gran Gran and her son live a little longer to die to curse themselves at a later date. No one knew the true events that day outside of Myself and Gran Gran.

Gran Gran and her Matriarch companions were not on their own. They were a small contingent of flame-spewers from the last great army of goblin firestone clan.

They had been battling their brothers and sisters on the other side of the city in an attempt to usher away the young Teters and his Gran Gran. They’d been attacked by a roaming band while on their escape and had fought them to the iron doors of the Almagest Estate. 

They’d pleaded with Guage for nearly ten minutes until the captain of the guard agreed to allow the entry of only Gran Gran and Teters so long as the others led the roaming goblins away from the village.

A death sentence and all of the matriarchs knew it. Except keeping Gran Gran and Teters alive was so important that they did it without a second thought.

Ever since that day I’ve hated that man. He was a coward and it shone through. His seed was poisoned and it killed his wife because of the fact. A cursed man in a cursed land.

“Do you think I can even make it to the summoner’s stone? It’s miles away and that’s before factoring in the unnatural wilderness and whatever might be living within it.”

“Again, you waste time thinking about if something is possible or not. I tell you it doesn't matter either way. You must find a way or we all will die.”

“Now when you arrive at the summoner’s stone what are you going to do? What is it’s purpose?”

“It’s a focal point of power. It is a place where the planes of existence overlap and interact.”

“Yes child, we are of the land of Malkuth so we are one of the highest known planes of existence. When you search for your affinity, which way should you look?”

“I should look to the lower realms, Gran Gran. For if I look up to the higher realms I could go blind from the raw power of the ethereal realms and lose my ability to find my minion in the lower.”

“Excellent. Now, how long did it take Lady Ebba Nebula to find her familiar?”

“She sat in place for one entire week, Gran Gran.”

“It is true, but you cannot afford that much time. You will need to find yours within the day.” She turned to the cauldron and ladle some of the potion into her mouth. Raising her finger to silence me while I watched. Swallowing the concoction and smacking her lips as if to taste it all better she continued.

“You are exceptionally powerful for a Mori, strongest naturally that I’ve ever seen. But that does not mean much when compared to the power of this demon’s curse.”

I nod as she continues.

“It draws madness from my kind but for yours it drains your aether until you are left bone dry. Without aether we cannot continue to exist in this plain. You will dissolve and die. Do you know what this means child?”

I nod my head “It means I will have to make it to the platform, find my minion, and return before I’ve been sapped dry of my Aether.”

“Correct child and it would be an impossible task if not for what I give you now.” She smiles as she pulls at a string I hadn't noticed till just now within the Cauldron. Attached to its end and just priorly submerged in the potion is a talisman.

Gran Gran hands the talisman to me, string and all. I shift the piece of smooth Kelling wood within my hands. The particular species being well known for its enchanting qualities. For its ability to hold onto aether.

“I’ve been constructing this talisman since the day I saw you at the gates. That flower in your hair could only blossom when in the presence of power. The power of a summoner. This talisman has been formed with the rarest and most powerful of wooden elements and cooked amongst those flowers.”

“It will serve as a buffer for you between the curse and yourself. Not a complete protection but enough to give you a fighting chance to do what you must.”

I nod as she dons the necklace. 

“Thank you Gran Gran.”

“Oh child, do not thank me for doing something out of necessity and love. Come Come.”

The old goblin helps me to my knees and pulls me into a deep hug. I can tell she’s nearing tears and I honestly don’t know what to say.

“Gran Gran, I will be back in no time and we’ll all enjoy a feast in the main hall. You, me, Ella, and Teters along with my new minions.”

“Aye child, it will be the beginning of the new beginning. Now come.”

Holding my hand she leads me out of the little hut. I immediately pull away from the hold when we are outside and it is revealed that all of the elder citizens of the estate are present. They all stand silently as Gran Gran grabs my hand again and begins chanting words in Goblin Chatter. Pulling me along and through the crowd.

“Lady Almagest, we wish you safe travels!” The cook's wife calls out as I pass her, bowing her head as she finishes.

“Our lady, we are all proud of you and look forward to your return!” Aelius calls out as he bows deeply before me. An older guard and most likely should soon find himself on the elder council upon my return.

The calls and best of wishes continue as those who were not present outside of the goblin’s shack trickle to my path on my way through the estate and into the heart of the temple.

Before the entrance to my family's home, a wooden structure made by the greatest craftsmen in all the lands. Artwork chiseled into the walls of our family's great and long history. Battles fought and won by our founder to the most recent battles with the demon.

The home’s entrance is framed by two pillars that are at least ten feet tall and are actually statues of Lady Ebba and King Tonic in full battle garb.

Before them and the doors stand Palius, Guage, and my little sister Ella. They’re all adorn in their ceremonial attire. Palius in brilliant blue silk robes with his mane combed to a point behind his head.

Guage is adorned in his House Black’s full battle armor. The ore with which it is made from a perfect and pure white crystal. Unnaturally light and unreasonably strong. His helmet glistened even without sunlight readily apparent. The very material glows of aether. 

Aether Crystal is the raw material of the north and of which the mines are completely owned by house Black. Worth more than a fortune, it might sound crazy but his full armor, broadsword, and shield are said to rival the worth of my very estate. He is but a vassal and so is his house. They like to imagine it belongs to them but they are still my subjects. Which makes it mine as well. First and foremost. 

I would wear the armor myself but Gran Gran assures me this talisman will protect me more than battle armor ever could. If I should find myself fighting I won’t have the Aether reserves to make it back.

It’s a shame such treasure is sullied by the man who it adorns. Not all the Aether Ore in the world could change the fact that Guage Black is a coward.

Then finally is my sister, dressed in our house colors, purple and orange. Her dress being a modified hand me down from when I was about half her age and watched the procession of my parents leaving to their deaths.

It is beautiful but truth be told it leaves me utterly sad.

“My Lady.” Palius greets me as he, Guage, and Ella bow their heads. “Once we’ve entered the shrine we will perform the morning transfer ritual and from this day forward Lady Ella will perform the blood runes recharge ritual.”

I look to my sister who sneaks a peek up to me and smiles before bowing down again. I can feel the smile upon my face. She’s growing so old, do I grow so fast too?

“My Lady, after this has happened you will enter into the room of thoughts and must find your way from their to one of the high temples within the ruins of the southern kingdom’s jewel. From there you must grasp your power fully and completely and then make haste back to us so that our people might survive indefinitely in this forsaken land.”

I knew all of this before, the speech had more so been for the servants and guards and their families who’d followed me to this point.

All should already know, without my return, they would be doomed to the curse.

Palius motions to Guage who proceeds to open the main door to the estate house. The temple is a mere hundred paces away. My future and the fate of my subjects are on my shoulders.

____________________________________________________________________________

I found myself within the center temple of the estate. It was a grand hall with a dome for a roof above. In its center stood the village's protective totem which pushed past the dome and towered some bit above the ceiling in the exterior. 

I’d come here every morning since before I can remember, stabbing one of my given fingers and applying blood to the runes at it’s base. However, today I simply stood over my little sister as she performed the morning ritual.

A prick of her finger and then a wiping of a blood droplet onto the face of some unknown beast that constituted the bottom head of the totem. A faint and familiar glow came upon me and everyone else present in the room.

That being Gran Gran, myself, Ella, Palius, Guage, and the two wise men Jonas and Sephilese. Everyone present was not very happy with allowing me to do the ceremony but Palius and Gran Gran had successfully argued reality to the so-called wisemen and the coward Guage.

Sephilese had even suggested Guage come along as my personal guard but the coward had argued he was needed here to maintain order in the head’s absence. Everyone knew what he was really saying was he did not want to die out there alongside me whether it be our last hope or not.

He would rather cower in his hole until the end came rather than meet fate upon the field of battle and tempt fortune’s interaction.

No words were said as Palius pulled open a trapdoor I had not known existed prior to this moment.

“Young lady Nora Almagest, head of house Almagest, you are to begin your coming of age trial. Do you accept the challenges set before you?” Palius almost chanted to me.

“I do.”

“Then may the tests begin. When you return you shall be accompanied by powers gifted to the mightiest of Mori. I wish you safe travels and quick victory.”

I climbed down the hole dropping down to a lower level.  The illumination above me lasts until they’ve re-closed the trap door. As it snaps shut and the darkness around me becomes complete I begin to think just maybe, I’ve gotten into something a bit over my head.

I push those thoughts of doubt out of my mind the instant they fester however and with their expulsion purple flames erupt into existence along the walls of the room. 

The room is illuminated just within the range of sight. The walls are rounded and at its center is the true base of the totem. A goblin matriarch stands before me holding a tablet. Her hair is made up of goblin heads peeking out in all directions.

I look upon the tablet to see a stone sitting at its center. I reach for the stone but find it’s part of the tablet which is otherwise completely smooth.

Definitely, I’m the most lost I’ve ever been. Looking to the walls I see nothing but banners of the old kingdom, of house Algamst, and of the firestone tribe. I can see now that the breaks between the banners are not pillars as much as they are statues of warriors.

They wrap around the room in unison, banner, statue, banner, statue. Each statue holding a torch in one free hand illuminates the room in this purple glow.

 Still, as beautiful as this all is, I'm still a bit lost. Turning my attention back the the Goblin Matriarch at its center I begin to pace around it, Doing my best to look for any Goblin Scratch or Mori high language etched into it.

The base of the totem is easily two pertica thick and it takes me a bit to round its front edges or that of the back but when I reach that point I gasp in astonishment. Behind the Matriarch and almost completely consumed by its hair is a statue that I know to be Lady Ebba in her legendary battle armor. She holds a long sword with both hands before her as she looks out over the recreation of what looks like a giant city at her feet.

I know what this is now. This city is Jousle and I instantly begin to look for where house Algamest is in relation. Thankfully it is denoted with a miniature flag of our house. There are actually other flags of what I suppose to be other house’s estates interspersed throughout the metropolis.

I began to follow a path back to the feet of the great Statue and found that there were in fact small stairs running along it’s side and across it’s armor. Following it up I see a hole near her navel. Running back around to the goblin matriarch’s side I found a hole in her chest.

I started to get an idea of what this really was, a map of my destination. I was going to have to memorize the path from here to this place and back again. Now the only problem was how I was planning on escaping this room. The trap door was now beyond my reach on the ceiling and basically out of sight with the lighting in the room.

Moving back around to the miniature of the city I sat in with my legs crossed. I’d have to spend the next portion of my time thinking about this. The answer would make itself obvious. I just needed to observe and think. A little bit of patience.

As I sat staring at what I imagined to be my ideal path a chill ran up my spine. A pull of cold air blowing at my feet. Smirking to myself, I think I’ve figured this problem out as well.

Turning I pull at the tabard hanging behind me to reveal an entrance to a stone lined tunnel. Now that I have my escape in mind I look back to the miniature of the city and give it one last look run through.

I know it’s going to be hard identifying my surroundings with the woods overgrown upon it all but I must figure it out. I honestly don’t know where this tunnel will lead me and so it’s important I know the entire city as best as I can. It’s an impossible mission to do until I realize I’m thinking too small.

No matter where I exit there is going to always be one constant. The giant statue of Lady Ebba along the cliff face. I merely need to head towards the summit and I’ll be heading in the right direction.

Satisfied with my plan I head down the pathway. To my future. To find my minion, my familiar. 

OOOoooooooooooooooo

Corin-

So like any morally upstanding son I found myself parked outside my ancestral home. Well, I mean ancestral in the sense that I grew up here. In the sense that mom still lives here and while he was alive dad used to too. Three years away and now, honestly, this wasn’t my home anymore. Not even a little bit.

The place was nice. A mix between cookie cutter and colonial. four bedrooms, two full baths. Two stories and a backyard large enough for a dog the size of a horse to run free range in. That dog horse hybrid being my oldest and best friend Pudge. A mix between an Irish Wolfhound and a newfoundland. I don’t want you all to judge me but he was probably the hardest thing to leave behind when I left three years ago. Knowing I’d probably never see him alive again…

With that said, imagine my surprise seeing what looked like Pudge barking at me from the front bay windows. I mean, is it too much to hope that it could be him? He sounded the same but how am I to tell the difference between a dog that must have died by now and a new dog of the same breed?

Seeing him barking at me, head poking through the curtains, oh boy did it hit the memory circuits right in the feels. 

I’m not sure how long I sat there with the truck in idle before the phone buzzing in my lap brought me back. A message from Tye saying we were going to be throwing a welcome home party for ourselves at The Leaks. Of course, The Leaks being a bar owned by family and worked by family. Damnit, and I was hoping to avoid those types of people for a bit.

“Corin,” I told myself, “you can’t just run from all of your problems…”

Looking back just in time to see the dark hand of my new father-in-law pulling the curtains back and peering out. Forget running, I'm in a truck. Shifting into gear I hit the gas heading back to my actual home. Don’t judge me, I’m just not ready yet okay?

Obstacle Eight. Leaks