The old wrinkly face of the physician showed no emotion as he went about his work. With clinical precision, he placed a drop of blood in each of the potions prepared and waited, watching for any reaction.
The old patriarch of the Rono family, Count Rono himself, was also present. With him, were several other patriarchs of similar standing in the various powers in the city. Each additional vasili, especially in the upper society of any kingdom, was an additional source of prestige and a pillar of the community. This was an important moment for the Rono family.
Along with the patriarch, the various vasilis and non-vasili members of the family were also present. Jata was a direct son of the patriarch, which meant that if any or both boys had the vasili talent, they would hold very high positions in the clan at large.
With bated breath, everyone waited. The physician's hands moved with precision, and his face was primed with seriousness. Critical moments passed, and something seemed to happen.
As everyone waited, the small movement of the physician was seen. The man grabbed the bell by his side and rang it once.
Suddenly, cheers and loud sounds of sighs could be heard. Everyone was clear of what this meant, another vasili had joined the ranks in the Rono family. With the understanding of what this meant, all those who had the Rono clan's interest at heart were genuinely happy, celebrating the potential rise in power.
Surprisingly, as they celebrated, they failed to notice the shock on the physician's eyes. For a moment, he thought he had seen wrong, but the test did not lie. After further verification, he was sure.
As the happiness was gradually rising, a second ring was heard, only moments after the first. Even those that were already celebrating were also shocked. No one expected such amazing talent.
Having just one ability was already wondrous, how much more for a double portion. The soft cheers suddenly erupted as ululations, and shouts of joy reached a fever pitch. For the Ronos, just this news guaranteed a rise in status.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Zukov, of house Rono!" The loud sound of the Rono manor butler echoed through the ceiling, leading to another bout of loud cheers.
Next up, the second son. The one who was almost forgotten in the womb. Unlike his elder brother, his body was weak and frail, lacking much of the vitality of his twin. While his cry was also loud, it lacked something, making it have a lot less luster.
The physicians got to their work once more, pouring potions and elixirs into tablets and then adding drops of blood into the mix. After several minutes of this, everyone waited for the ringing of the bell.
Since the two were twins, logically, they should both be equally gifted. This was what their mother believed, as did most people. Even the physician seemed to expect something to happen.
The moments seemed to stretch on, and even the physicians began to show impatience. After much time had passed, it became clear, no ring was coming. Once this was established, the physician announced the result. No talent could be found on the boy.
"Summon the seer, have her look into their fate," The patriarch said, ending the wait. While this was customary for babies to have their fate read after they were born, this was mostly done for non-vasili babies, to see if they stood a chance at being vasilis. If their fate refused them, then nothing could be done.
Soon, Old Chemua was brought forth, and after a significant fee, she agreed to a reading. No one knew just how much she wanted to read their fates. She had been waiting for this moment to peak at the children's fates.
Many had barely noticed the storm that had passed. Fewer still could pick up on the clues sent from the heavens. Hence, not many people bothered with the storm. However, she did, and she knew it was related to childbirth.
These two boys were the only ones of notable birth born in the city at the time. If anyone told her that they were not connected to the signs in the skies that night, she would not believe it.
After much consideration, she had decided to accept an invitation to the boys' naming ceremony, hoping to pick up on some clues. Usually, she did not need anything to discern the fates, or even a few clues. This time though, she could barely see through anything, as if something was obstructing her vision.
There was no way she could allow this, but she did not have an in. When the firstborn had shown such a dazzling performance, she could scarcely believe it. The more brilliantly the stars of the boys shone, the more she was worried.
Fortunately, a moment had presented itself. With her bones and other trinkets, tools of her trade, she got down to business. Shaking her bones before dumping them on the ground, Chemua made sure to pay keen attention.
As she read the meaning, she was shocked. In fact, it wasn't shock, but confusion. The signs were telling something very contradictory, and she could barely understand what she was seeing.
"Well, what did you see?" Impatient, the old patriarch demanded. He had seen her facial expressions, and this was not what he wanted to hear.
"Forgive me lord, but the signs are very confusing," Several minutes had passed, and still, the deep frown on her face only got deeper. The heavens were not making it easy.
Old Chemua wanted to know everything about the two boys, but after much investigation, all she could see were unanswered questions.
"Something is obstructing his abilities, wait, not something, someone," she blurted out. "It seems as though there's another fate overlaying over his own, and this new fate has taken away his attachment to this world."
Soon, she turned around and looked at the other baby, who was now being cradled by one of the many maids of the Rono family. Slowly, realization came to her.
"The other fate, it has much power over his own. My Lord, I request to check the older boy's fate as well."