After a while, a person presented in front of us who was the bearer of the staff. It was a woman, about the same as the height of a child infantry trainee (10 years old). Her presentation and posture makes her age obvious because her hair wore a snow-white tinge. Her posture's curved, further complementing her manifestation on her physique that she is quite old. On her hand, she held an aforementioned gray staff which she used as a support to make her way here.
She looked at me with dark-cerulean eyes as she spoke which further intensified her presence:
"So young man, is this the girl you were referring to?" she said while staring deeply at me.
Her voice was cold. Too cold. It intensified due to her seriousness on her very expression.
"Y-yes, Grandseer! She- was-… that is her!" Roy suddenly spoke.
It seems that my childhood friend just got over his fear of this mob, but got piled up with another nervousness and thrill this time- to her.
Suddenly, muffle of voices rang from every angles of the smithy:
"What is she doing here?"
"Whoa. It is the Grandseer of Estocia!"
"Isn't this rather bad? Let us head out!"
Who is she anyway?
The "Grandseer" did not reply to Roy's words but instead looked on her surroundings then spoke:
"Indeed, I am the Grandseer of Estocia. I need not of any name since my existence is but to carry the message of the Heroes from the past. People of this very city! The small, yet mighty Estocia! I was relieved from my duties from the altar of Heroes to inform you that I found yet another carrier of their will!"
She closed her eyes then took her staff with both of her hands.
Then, in a relative effort, she opened the center of the staff by pulling the end tip of it on their respective directions. With a metallic sound, a same length of a silvery substance was inside of the staff.
It was a sword.
She sheeted it out of the staff and, while looking at me, she bellowed the words:
"I beckon thee: Eureka!"
Just as she said those funny-sounding terms, I noticed that the smithy swiftly turned in a familiar shade of blue. It was illuminated clearly that it might seem that the entire city might be colored blue with its respective shade. Speaking of familiarity, I did felt that I've seen this color before.
That's right! That is the shade of color akin to those azurites in that multh-infested cave.
While wondering the spectacle of the color, I noticed that everyone's eyes were affixed into me.
And that's where I realized…
"AHHHH!!! WAHHH!!! WHAT IN THE NAMES OF FORGOTTEN HEROES IS HAPPENING IN MY BODY!!!!?"
Needless to say, if your just saw your over-all body illuminating in the shade of blue, you would do the same reaction just like I did.
"Okay then, it is settled!"
The Grandseer gave me a cold smile then said lowly.
"Astoria, daughter of Samson GrinLock Justocia, I order thee to be a part of the 'Beckoning'.
Huh?
When I was in the stage of my life where I felt that I've become functional for my land, I had a gigantic impression that everything that will happen inside of this city will be expected and nothing will surprise me anymore.
Aiding in the infestations of dark rusts on some of the treasured swords of the swordsmen/women? I did some of those. Looking for extremely rare ores? I just actually found some earlier! Helping Pops to sort the ores and gems and fashion them correctly to the cores of those pesky sticks? No problem!!!
But this, this one's new.
I was wearing my best confused face while staring at Granny here and waiting for her to say that she was just kidding then finally, I can sleep and forget all of these things happening on my life!
But, reality seemed to become my greatest stranger when it turned its face at me and introduced a jarring situation that left my unsuspecting psyche stunned and dazed.
Suddenly, the Grandseer spoke once again:
"Astoria, you said earlier that something was strange and yet, you are just standing there and questioning which part was the most peculiar? Huh, amusing. If that ray of blue light that shone earlier was not already a sign of strangeness ensuing in your life, then what is?" she seemed to be laughing a little.
"Furthermore…" she said while looking at Roy.
"Young man, do not tell me that something strange happened earlier with this little lass, yes?" even without seeing her face, I can feel that a small and taunting smile is plastered on it.
Hold on, are you implying about that accident earlier?
The one with ninjajukaki?
As my unease about this Granny further deepened, Roy seemed to be mirroring my reaction when he nervously denied:
"I-I do not know if something happened in any of that sort, G-Grandseer…" he said, as if holding his bladder back.
Waa. I don't know, this spectacle that Roy is showing as of late is rather funny. I might tease him ever so soon about this, but I just have to figure that out later.
But about Granny here?
Do not tell me that this old Grandma can tell the past of an individual just by looking at them? Is it because of that stick that she was holding that makes her do that kind of ability? Wait, what if, she can read the thoughts and emotions of people through the aid of the sword? She even said my statement earlier: "how strange" and she repeated it, even if her presence was absent there when I said it!
Sharp, this is confusing!
"OH-HO! Is that so, lad? You know, when you gained that sword of yours, you swore an oath that you'll never lie! Well, no matter…" the Grandseer said when she turned her back on Roy and finally faced me for the second time.
"Regardless of your thoughts, lass, you will attend the rite!" she said with a shout when she raised her staff-sword.
Everyone- all of the swordsman/woman and adventurers present on the smithy took some of the silence they could muster, then decided to make a gradual raise in some of their voices that says:
"Whoa. Tori, attending the Beckoning?"
"I thought she hated swords?"
"This is great!"
"Let her go to the rite!"
All of the voices seemed to become more audible and loud now (especially on the latter statement) and everyone soon started a ruckus-like noise.
Amidst all of the noise, the Grandseer asked me, her voice still can be heard from all of this clatter:
"What do you say, lass? Should you attend the rite, or not?"
"I refuse."
I said that without a single hesitation.
Yes, that is my one and only response. If I will be given another choice, it will be "Not in my life will I agree on attending that stupid rite!" and walk out of the smithy with a confident smile on my face.
I rummaged that imagination in my head when I noticed that the noise that erupted earlier died immediately.
As soon as I said my reply, in fact.
I looked to Roy and further intensifying his unease earlier about the interrogation of the Grandseer, now it was as though he found out a revelation from his parents that he was an orphan. Unbelievably on her side, Granny in front of me made an expression that resembles a mild shock.
The people in the smithy however…
"WHATTTT!!!?"
"WHAT IS THIS BRAT SAYING???"
"SHE IS A DISGRACE!"
Remember what I said earlier about me being accepted even though I feel that I am an outcast and do not love swords? That even me, a daughter of a well-known swordsmith can be respected even if I hate their preferred toy?!
Yes, I thought that way too!
I'll just throw away my expectations about my people to a faraway lobe of my thoughts…
The recently-dead noise erupted once again and this time, it cannot be regarded as a noise anymore but as an explosion of sounds! Voices of completely-irate and irritated people who just so happens to carry a sword with them erupted with a swiftness and passion in delivery. If Roy was the subject of judgement earlier, suddenly, it became me. This time though, it was as if I made a terrible poem in front of them and it annoyed/angered the living love out of them and it even reached skyward up to their dead ancestors.
Suddenly, I felt an unpleasant feeling inside of me…
All of the people that I offered my service to, those who once I thought are connected with me, the same people who, for all of the moments of my life thought that they are my family…
Now, it is as if, I became a stranger to them- no, a criminal just because I voiced out my wishes against their tradition.
I've had enough. I already experienced this countless times in my childhood. First Pops, and now this?!
That is it.
"ENOUGH!!!"
Amidst the tempest of accusations and protests that they are throwing at me, I have to release this.
"Enough! I am done with every single one of you! Pleasing all of your preferences even if I am not happy; flashing a smile when I complete your request even if I was extremely exhausted; cleaning off all of your messes when there are some sword-related accidents that happen and what, even I am just a young girl, all of you people are not grateful about it!"
Go, Astoria. Just let it all out.
"Grow up! All of you! You, Mister Grouch! When you asked me to hike the mountains just to collect some Anglesite for your Woodsaber, did I complain?"
"N-no…"
"How about you, Rayven? When I went to the league to explain how your core is messed up that resulted on the black explosion from your Ravenhook and then later sending you off from all of your penalties, did I wanted an exchange from that?!"
"… I was still thankful for you from all of that, no, you did not."
While I was asking various people who I can see (since I am now having a difficulty on seeing clearly), I am feeling my head might about to explode.
"It is funny that I learned one thing when I was pleasing all of you in my life: no matter how accommodating I am; how obedient I am to all of your wishes to the point that I do not know what is good for me anymore; and how I might be called as slave at this point; if I slip and just expressed my small wishes against our traditions, all of those things will be eradicated!"
Small droplets of tears are already forming in my eyes.
"I AM DONE!" I shouted.
I am done…
I wept. A hard one at that. I haven't done this since I was but a little child. I do not mind if there is a crowd looking at me. I do not care if I'll look a disgrace in front of the whole city. As long as I can release all of these pent-up feelings, I am already fine with that.
While crying, I felt that it's as if, Roy made his quickest reflexes just to get to me, but the Grandseer went first.
She patted my head.
Then she said a question…
A one and single question:
"There, there, lass. Do not cry anymore. But I was just wondering… If you hated all of the things about this city in the first place, why are you still offering your services to them?"
My weeping immediately stopped. All of my emotions that was dwelling continuously earlier came to a good and quick halt.
After all of that, confusion reigned over me.
Huh?
Why??? That's simple… the reason is because…
Wait, let me backtrack.
Basically, she was asking that why am I still doing all of these shenanigans even if I hate them in the first place?
Why… why though?
I felt numb. To be precise, I felt numb about myself.
I was dumbfounded.
***
To the plaza.
I am still stunned. The fact that Granny here stopped my crying just because of a one and simple question is something I was not expecting to happen today.
I do not know the reason on why I cannot get over on that fact and inquiry. Perhaps because I was too traumatized that I encountered two life-threatening situations on me that my emotions are not working properly anymore? Or is it because I was extremely tired on that quest and the overflow of my feelings earlier? You'll be the judge.
In the end, I reluctantly went to the flow because I was trying to find the correct response…
No, the correct answer to the question: a just and simple answer.
I do not mind if I become a full-pledged slave of this city already, I just need to form a good sentiment!
I will set aside my pride and natural hatred for these swords just to find the answer.
A lot of people were gathered in the center of the plaza when I reached the vicinity of it in the deepness of the night. They probably heard that there will be another rite that will ensue but there is something makes me curious for some reason…
Normally, rites are a "coming-of-age" traditions that are being exercised not just here in Estocia, but also all over around Ea. It is an act that signifies in the city that the person who undergoes the rite is a fully-functional person of the society and can be acknowledged as a novice by all of the inhabitants of the land.
Yes, a rite. That's what I know, anyway.
However, the Grandseer mentioned something else. What was it again?
While musing for different conflicting thoughts and emotions for this very evening, the Grandseer seemed to have noticed me when she tugged my trusty azure skirt and said:
"Proceed in the tavern at the center-most part of this place. The 'Beckoning' will begin shortly."
Ah, I see. So it is Beckoning. You have my thanks, Grandma. You answered my second query.
When we are already approaching the place preferred by the Grandseer, I noticed that in the circle of the place, there was indeed a golden tavern situated on it, just like she said. The tavern was uniquely big, huge enough that ten fully-grown drudges can fit in with ease. It is ornamented with black stripes of symbols that I am foreign about and all in all, it gives an antique feel on it.
I cannot help but gulp my natural fluids just seeing the sight of this ancient-looking structure which is saying something because, even if I am a long-time citizen of this city, I haven't seen this said structure before.
Maybe, I am not a long-time citizen enough? Perhaps an infant on it?
Amongst the seemingly-familiar faces I am seeing circulating the tavern, I happened to see the face of my seriously-looking friend, Roy.
Ah, I see. So you followed me here. How supportive of you! Perhaps, I will trip you to a small snack afterwards.
"Let us go…" a cold comment said by Grandma.
I became hesitant to her words as she gave me a vibe of uncertainty and shadiness. Hearing her voice like that, all I can do is to look blankly at her.
"Do not worry about them, this will not take ages."
Oh, okay that is fine. I gues- wait.
What?
Forming a face comparable on someone who ate a rotten fruit when they realized that the said fruit was indeed inedible, I entered the tavern.
I took some second to let my senses feel the entire tavern but…
Wait… is this a joke? There's nothing here!
I was expecting that there will be a ton of religious, or to be intense, occult paraphernalia affixed on every angles of this tavern but to no avail! All I see is the reflection of the exterior part of this structure and… oh, there are small piles of ply rock stacked into each other with a hole on it at the top.
"Um… excuse me, Grandseer. What am I supposed to do here?"
Stare at the interiors of this structure until the death of the universe?
*STONK*
"YAHHH! That hurts!"
"I see that patience is a departed attribute of you, lass." she said while carrying the sword-staff she hit me in the head with.
While scratching my head to check if I bled, she unsheathed the staff once again and with a metallic sound reverberating inside of the tavern, she showed it to me with a straight face.
"Do you know what is the core of this sword of mine, lass?" she inquired while staring deeply in my eyes.
Hmmm. Let us see.
The sword of hers has a unique build into it. Its hilt is ornamented with a weary-looking oak wood that is colored ash-white in its oldness. The grip is alike to the structure of it, further cementing its age alongside with its wielder. The sword has no pommel, however as it is fashioned in wood and it can be withdrawn or sheathed so it has to resemble the staff and serve its purpose.
But that's not the main point to look at.
At the center of her blade and situated on its cross-guard, the core positioned at the "heart" of the sword is a metallic-jewel with a color of "winter mood"- a shade of pure white. Perhaps it was pure white (Marshmallow shade) on its origin but with its age, it lost its purity in whiteness and had its present tinge. I cannot let my eyes away from it because even though it has a dullness on its color, the core shines brightly nonetheless.
Well, to be specific, since we started to enter this tavern anyway…
I took my time to answer since this jewel is just new to me, but due to lack of patience and wanting to get this over with, I just gave a half-baked answer:
"Is it a pure-white onyx?"
I waited for her reaction but she just kept staring at me.
Hoi, grandma. I am ready to be hit with your staff again so do not pretend on not hitting me twice!
"Well, you are not half-wrong nor half-right."
Huh? What does that mean?
"This is a sword that was passed down to me on this very city as a commemoration of my deeds on my youthful days. Alike to you in that form, I too had the same stature about this rite."
Well Grandma, are you trying to imply that I should just accept this rite since you did it too? If so, I would like to emphasize this:
People should not follow the example of their past selves- much force the person to be like them.
"HA!"
While answering a bold message on my head, the Grandseer let out a sound that translates to a sarcastic laugh.
I really think that this Granny can ready minds. Almost positive!
"Well, now that we talked a little to set the mood, let us start…" Grandma said turning her face at me and looked intently at the pedestal.
While holding her staff-sword with both of her hands, I noticed that she took a breath before impaling the said sword on the hole of the rock piles. When that happened, the room glimmered instantly in the tinge of white.
While marveling the scenery of the drastic change in color of the tavern, the Grandseer spoke once again:
"Astoria, answer my following questions. Whether you'll answer them honestly or playfully, it'll carve out the desires of your heart."
My heart, huh? Even if I play around and tell half-baked answers, it will reveal them?
Time to test this tradition on its authenticity!
The Grandseer once uttered those familiar-sounding words:
"I beckon thee: Eureka!!!"