"What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"
Mihel grabbed Riche's arm and hauled him to his feet, brushing dirt from his own cloak. The dirt still stuck to his hands but he wasn't focusing on that now.
"I got a letter from Cilluh Mentor," Mihel said shrugging slightly. "He says he'll recommend me to the military. Top student privileges, apparently."
Riche nodded. "Yeah. Same here." He tilted his head, looking curiously at Mihel. "So…..what are you thinking?"
Mihel walked a few steps before answering. The trees around were shedding their leaves, a common event in Avra. It was usually during the transition into a new year the rains poured heavily. During this time the trees also lost their leaves.
"I think…for me, the Exousia makes the most sense. I'm not…really dependent on a Church for advancement….You know my situation…" He hesitated. "But….you might prefer to join the Holy Order…as you're an Angel Destined…" his voice died off, words turning into silence.
"I don't want us to be separated. So I'm ready to follow you, Riche.."
The forest breathed around them as they continued the walk back toward the village, leaves whispering under a passing breeze, as it gently floated down.
"Thought you'd say that…I feel the same to be honest," Riche muttered. "But you think I should join the Holy Order?"
"From what you said yesterday, it's a strict system." He scoffed. "The moment they find out I'm a Destined Angel, I'll be consumed. I don't want chains disguised as wings."
Mihel nodded slowly. 'That's good…he's not considering the Church…we might still continue together.'
"Then we don't let any of them own us. We could go by ourselves. Write our own story. We can find out the secret of advancing your Circle and recreate it." Mihel said with a small hope growing.
Riche shook his head. "No….Not yet… We're not strong enough to go around alone. How are we going to find out how to advance if we can't beat some people up…" he chuckled lightly.
He stopped walking and looked at Mihel. "Here's what I'm thinking. We join the Exousia first. Get stronger. More experienced. Learn. And then when we're powerful enough, we leave and walk our own path. A life of freedom."
Mihel closed his eyes.
He imagined his parents' faces when he told them. His father's calm mask would hold, but Mihel knew the truth beneath it.
'They will be disappointed with my choice of the Exousia…'
They were Healers. They loathed the hands that caused death, no matter the reason.
'But I have to grow stronger,' he thought. 'And because of what I am, no Church will ever take me in. Nothing will work for me. The Exousia seems to be my only path.'
He opened his eyes. Riche was still intently looking at him.
"Alright," Mihel said. "We'll go home and confirm it. We're joining the Exousia."
Riche nodded once. A small smile appearing on his face
"Hey, Mi," he added, a sudden softness in his voice. "We should have a family dinner. Both our families. At my place."
Mihel looked at him, surprised. 'Is he trying for a final dinner before we leave?...typical Riche…'
"It'll be quite some time before we see our parents again, we could even reveal our choice then." Riche said quietly.
Mihel smiled. "Yeah. I like that idea."
***
That night, at 7:15 astra, Mihel walked with his parents up the steep hill toward the Malant household. This was considered the biggest and most luxurious house in Wahum, which was generally a poor village.
The massive structure loomed above them like an ancient castle, its dark stone walls silhouetted against the fading sky. The sloping roofs, coupled with the twisting spires, gave the household a medieval look.
It's been here for a long time. This Malant family was considered one of the first dwellers of Wahum, and this building was similar to a family heirloom.
As he walked up memories hit him- him and Riche running and playing as children, over the yard in front, careless and free. Without a worry of their Destiny. Mihel breathed out a sigh, reminiscing over the past.
The black, ornately carved door came into view as they reached the doorstep and his father tugged the rope for the bell.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
They waited for a moment before the door swung open. Riche stood there in a casual brown shirt and light pants.
"Welcome, Sir, Ma'am." He shook hands with both of Mihel's parents, then turned to Mihel, whose hands were buried deep in his coat's pockets.
He opened his palm; Mihel knocked it firmly.
Inside, Riche's mother, Velis, was preparing roasted boar with potatoes and fried vegetables. The smell wafted into the hallway, and Mihel's mouth started watering.
'That smells so good…'
"There's Tallow in the pot. Grab a cup and go sit in the hall. I'll be bringing in the food in a second," She called from the kitchen.
"That's all fine, Velis. Just make sure the boar is cooked proper." Nathene joked. Laughter rose from everyone as they went to sit in the hall.
Nathene and Meria chatted briefly with Riche about his experience on Revelation Day, already informed of his Angel Destiny. They continued until Velis summoned everyone to the table.
"Everyone, let's lift our cups to the future of Mihel and Riche. Our newly Destined" she said.
They raised their drinks and drank the Tallow in one gulp, then settled to eat the meal.
Meria broke the silence. "Riche getting Angel was unexpected. I thought he'd be Destined for the Blade."
Velis nodded, still chewing. When she swallowed, she asked, "What about Mihel? I forgot to ask Riche yesterday."
Nathene glanced at his son, just for a split second, before replying quietly, "Velis… Mihel never received a Destiny. His Slate literally says Destiny Not Found."
Velis's eyes widened in surprise, then she grinned. "Nice joke, now be honest,"
No reply came. Seeing the graven faces of Nathene and Meria, she became serious as well.
"Then your son must be some kind of a chosen one."
"Well," Mihel said, trying to lighten the mood, "I'm not sure how good that is. I can't use any powers tied to Destiny. Even my blade… is pointless."
Everyone laughed. The tension clearing slightly. The fog of worry slowly thinning.
Riche cleared his throat loudly. "Ehm… well, Mihel and I have an announcement. Big news."
Everyone turned to Riche who had stood up.
"We've decided to join the Exousia to follow our Destiny."
Mihel noticed, even briefly, the fallen expressions on his parents' faces.
'Damn it…they seem really sad….but what can I do…'
Then Velis also stood up and raised her cup. Tapping her spoon to its side. Ting. Ting. Ting.
"Then a toast to that as well."
Mihel's parents raised their cups slowly, their hesitation evident to him. He winced slightly at their silent disapproval.
After the delicious dinner, the adults stayed inside the living room, while Mihel and Riche stepped outside.
The night was cold, clouds dark and heavy, rain lurking at the edges. It was going to pour again soon.
Riche pointed to a ladder, newly installed, leading to the roof.
"The view from above is amazing."
They climbed up and settled on the tiles.
Below them, Wahum glowed like a beacon in the darkness. The Church of the Lady of Life shimmered faintly in the distance, a lone sentinel amidst shadowed streets. A supposed guardian against evil.
"So… I guess this marks the end of our lives as children," Riche said. "Protected, comfortable… living under everyone else's care."
Mihel nodded.
"The world's huge, I mean bigger than Avra for sure." Riche continued. "I want to travel everywhere. I also want to find some clues about my father. I refuse to believe he just suddenly left. My mother won't tell me anything about what happened to him."
'He's clinging onto hope…does he actually consider finding him?'
Mihel closed his eyes, thinking back to yesterday.
"Riche… I experienced something unusual," he said.
Riche turned. "Yeah?"
Mihel nodded. "After we parted yesterday, on the way back from the Skola, I felt an immense weight of Destiny. I even heard a voice commanding me… 'Eyes forward, move.'…."
Riche whistled. "Whoa… some high-Circle Destined already knows about you? That's dangerous. On the bright side….the Exousia might offer some temporary protection."
"Yeah… but I'm also worried about that. My parents aren't all that supportive of me joining the Exousia."
Riche frowned. "Why is that a problem…oh, wait...is it because they're Healers?"
Mihel nodded.
Suddenly, a scream tore through the woods. Loud and clear. It didn't just enter their ears, it was like it had forcefully intruded.
It was raw and jagged, the kind of sound a man makes when death has already found him, and he has no way to escape his demise.
Mihel and Riche froze, eyes wide, then scrambled down from the roof and plunged into the forest.
'What in the world was that…somebody is going to die…'
Branches clawed at them as they ran, breath tearing from their chests. The scream did not come again. That was worse.
'Is he dead…No…Please No…'
They searched in silence, hearts hammering, breath short and loud, running until the forest opened.
And they saw it.
A body.
The man lay twisted on the ground, blood soaking the leaves beneath him. His left shoulder was gone, not cut or torn, but bitten away, as if something enormous had taken a single, deliberate mouthful of him. The area was a gory mess, with bone protruding.
Mihel trembled as he stepped closer, fighting the urge to retch. He could hear Riche breathing deeply beside him.
Pinned to the corpse was a scrap of paper, darkened with blood.
The message was written in Avraic, the letters sharp and unforgiving.
"Pay your dues in time."