The Picking had finally begun, all children from the ages of nineteen to twenty-two, one male and one female were picked to be used as Sacred vessels for the 'God Griffin' and 'Goddess Savianna' to use as they wished. This year just so happened to be Mulberry's first year being able to qualify as she only just turned nineteen a week before The Picking, Unlike the other members of the cult she did not find it a marvelous moment actually.
Mulberry never really believed in what her community believed so blindly, she believed that all her community and her family were just clinging to the hope that these 'beings' even existed because they needed to have something to believe in. She left her home early in the morning around 7 AM so she could go to the stream separating the land from the wooded area, she loved to watch the colorful fish swimming against and with the current, finding it more entertaining than the others her age were. She sat on the bank of the stream slipping her leather shoes off and dipping her stocking-covered feet into the brisk water of the stream, She shivered feeling the small hairs on her legs and arms sticking up at the temperature of the water.
Mulberry cracked a slight smile leaning back on her elbows not caring that the sleeves of her cornflower blue dress her mother hand-stitched for the picking especially, She looked up at the sky letting out a sigh that she didn't even know she was holding before saying to herself
"Mother and Father.....why do you believe in beings that never show themselves no matter how faithful you guys are?"
Mulberry let slip a soft chuckle, finding it rather funny that she had finally resorted to making conversation with herself rather than dealing with her family ostracizing her for her beliefs, She looked at the stream and the fish in there letting out a small phrase before getting up.
"I wish I could be free like all of you....Swim as far as you can before they try to convert you too."
She slipped her shoes back on her wet stockings walking back into town as the music started signaling the start of the festivities, in the town square many gathered around many tables eating the food laid out for the celebration. The sight would make any outsiders passing on the nearby road think they were celebrating winning a war by all the cheering and enjoyment shown on the people's faces but Mulberry knew better than to celebrate. She considers this a day repugnant, why would people think it's okay to basically sacrifice their own children to the beings that they worshiped blindly?
Her thoughts were cut short as a booming voice smothered all other sounds, She looked up and saw the leader of the cult, Sir Masson stood on a small stage officially beginning the festival by reading from the sacred book.
"We are all gathered here today to celebrate and pick the Sacred Vessels that will hold our God Griffin and hopefully Goddess Savianna too! Now let us start the festival with the story of the beginning..."
The crowd silenced and many took seats on the ground and on chairs put out eager to hear the 'Beginning' of the cult, Mulberry stood by the back sitting on one of the wooden logs barely paying attention but also a little curious as this was the first time she is able to hear the whole story of the beginning.
" The beginning starts with Griffin, a king well known for his triumph against the demons of Aven, he was the strongest of the humans back then and he could even wield the precious staff of faith. He was beloved by many but never loved anyone due to his vow of faith, but as he celebrated with his people his eyes fell upon a beauty that left his thoughts discomposed. He approached the beauty and learned that it was a woman who went by Lady Savianna, At that moment he knew that he wanted her by his side finding her meek and cute demeanor perfect for him. He then whisked her away and married her right that day, the spirits bestowed Griffin and Savianna with sacred powers to pass on their wisdom and history to us with the vessels! Every fifty years we pick a vessel for both and let them enter their bodies for a month so they may teach the young ones the old ways..sadly we have not been successful in summoning Savianna as our females have not been strong enough but Griffin has always appeared for us! Let us hope that this year we get both God Griffin and Goddess Savianna! Now let's begin!"
Sir Masson clapped along with all the other people there as two women dressed in white-wrapped robes carried two metal spheres one with male names and one with female names up on the stage making the people clap louder in excitement, Mulberry sighed and got up ready to walk away only to be frozen to her spot hearing her first name being joyfully announced by Sir Masson marking her as Savianna's official vessel. She looked back at the stage with obvious hesitation and displeasure in her shaky gaze, she had no other option than to go up onto the stage as the whole community was watching her like hawks waiting for her to make a wrong move.
Mulberry gulped, walking up the creaky steps making it fully onto the stage now thoughts falling into her mind about what she was getting into, She stood next to Sir Masson silently as he announced the male that would be the vessel for Griffin.
"Lucio Masson! My boy, this is a great honor for our family so come up with pride!"
Lucio smiled a little too wide, basically prancing onto the stage hugging his father, and winking at Mulberry who in return cheekily but discreetly flipped Lucio off behind his father's back out of view of everyone else, both looking towards the crowd. Mulberry looked out into the crowd of people searching desperately for her parents for help but as her eyes set on her parents they were cheering like all the others too
"Stupid Mulberry why would they help you this is their dream for you..."
Her thoughts were not wrong, this is what her mother and father always wished for, Her thoughts were interrupted by the ladies from before placed a medallion around her neck.
A matching one was placed upon Lucio's neck also as Sir Masson read aloud the summoning blessing
"Oh God and Goddess please show your presence to your followers! God Griffin please take Lucio Masson as your vessel for the following month, and Goddess Lucianna please take Mulberry Mordean as your vessel for the following month! COME FORTH! "
He called upon and a blinding light struck the stage devouring the stage in the light before instantly disappearing from everyone's vision leaving everything and everyone in silence, Mulberry's eyes adjusted back to normal glancing at Lucio seeing his body but it definitely was not his aura. The man standing there gave off a threatening but powerful aura of a king, She looked down at her own hands sighing with happiness but also with a ping of disappointment. Her moment of thinking was interrupted by a shooting pang up to her head making her cry out in pain grabbing at her face and falling on the stage, As Mulberry loses consciousness she catches a glimpse of Lucio or should she say Griffin looking oddly distraught before she passed out.
She woke in a bed but not her bed, it was the medical bed in the community infirmary with everyone around her looking relieved at her, her mother said with a broken voice from all the crying
"Mulberry my daughter...are you okay? You passed out after crying in pai.."
Her mother stopped talking from shock looking her daughter in the face as her little sister and father's faces twisted into shock, the silence was disturbed by her mother shouting and clinging to Mulberry's arms in glee
"Sir Masson! My daughter got the blessing!"
Sir Masson ran in with Griffin and the other followers too, looking baffled at the sight which panicked but confused her as she still was in control of her own body, her mother smiled, grabbing a hand mirror from her bag and shoving it into her hand. Mulberry opened the mirror in haste, shocked at the image she saw, Her beautiful deep forest green eyes were there but only in one eye as the other was a beautiful soft golden color which was a sign of blessing Goddess Savianna.
"...Goddess..."
Mulberry looked away from the mirror looking at all the faces around her before she stopped her gaze at Griffin, she didn't feel fear from him anymore, if anything she was pissed. She felt her body feel anger which was odd as she wasn't mad at all, acting on its own her body stood up from the bed and grabbed the closest thing to her which was the lamp on the side table throwing it at Griffin but he easily dodged it, Mulberry yelled at him but it was a more powerful voice that erupted from her mouth
"Why you little shit! I finally am able to go into a vessel and I have to see you! I would rather be trapped there for longer, all I wanted was to be free and I have to have my first sight during freedom be you...I wanna kill you."
Before she could step closer Sir Masson injected her with a needle that made her pass out again leaving everyone confused by the sight they saw, The Goddess was nothing like the story they were told.