When the village of Milren finally came into view, he almost sighed with relief. Lucius... no, Aster felt like he had finally reached the end of the first part of his journey. Much has happened since he stepped foot outside the groove. Some were expected, while others he was forced to adapt to. One of the few things he still struggled with was his new name, Lucius. Honestly, he understood the need for secrecy, as just by surviving, he already had a list of enemies a mile long, if his master's words were any true. But no matter how many times he tried to parse the new name on his tongue, it still felt strange and unfamiliar to him. So an agreement had to be reached between them. When he was alone or with people he absolutely trusted, he could keep his true name, but to others, he could only identify as Lucius, a mysterious young blood mage who happened to come across an inheritance that completely changed his life. Such a simple truth would serve to explain almost everything strange about him, and anyone who dared ask for more would be encroaching upon his personal secrets, which he had every right to keep private.
That did not mean he had to like it, of course.
He was almost sure that even if he lowered his hood and removed his half-mask, none of his enemies would recognize him. The ritual had changed so many of his features that he looked like a completely different person. But it was an undeniable truth that he was still weak, and since he had taken a soul oath with his master, he had no choice but to cooperate. He would wear his new name like a persona and wield it like a tool to the demise of his and his master's enemies. At least he would do so until the day he attained enough strength to confidently walk amongst others with his true name and not fear any retaliation. For now, though, it would be enough for everyone, including the hunters he had recently crossed paths with.
In addition to that, there was another thing he hadn't expected—one that had taken him rudely by surprise.
'This village does not look impressive, little apprentice. Are you sure you will be able to get a ride to the academy here?'
Aster sighed for what might have been the umpteenth time.
'If the words of the last hunter were to anything to go by, then this is the place we are looking for.' He replied.
He could practically feel his master's disdain slipping through his words.
'We can only hope.' He griped. 'After watching you battle some weaklings for several days, it had quickly gotten old.'
Aster didn't even dare answer.
In short, the past few days have dragged on for him. When his master revealed the orb he was supposed to carry with him, for a few short seconds, he thought he would finally be bequeathed a powerful artifact for the journey. But what had happened was that his strength had been too weak to wield it, and the true reason his master had wanted him to bring it along with him was because his soul was also hitching a ride. He had gotten so used to his form as shade throughout the time they had spent together that when the time came for him to go, Aster had thought he would be forced to leave his master behind, or perhaps he would convey to him his last wishes as he ultimately faded away in motes of light, like in several of the old tales he had used to read when he was a child.
But instead, his master, like an undying roach, had bonded himself to his artifact, which was in turn bonded to him. That allowed Eiseldawn to establish a link between their souls, one that was already formed from the soul oaths they had taken years before. This meant that whether he liked it or not, Aster now had an unwanted visitor with direct access to his soul and the only thing that placated him was the fact that his inner thoughts were still his despite the bond. His master had to repeatedly assure him that he could not read his mind through the bond, but that did not stop him from making his every thought known to him through the soulwhisper.
'Do not just stand there, little apprentice; we have a long journey ahead of us. It might have been a while since I walked these lands but I can still tell we have more than a few days until we reach the academy.'
Aster sighed again for what might have been a thousand times before he finally relented.
'Yes master…but for tonight, I have to rest.'
He might be an unwilling carrier for an almost 400-year-old soul, but he will be damned if he doesn't make sure he gets enough rest and a bath while at it.
He felt the old soul groan but Aster ignored it, favoring to make his way down the little hill into the main road. From where he was, the little village was spread out in a small valley, with raised slopes of the bronze mountain range looming far behind. At first glance, the village felt like a quant place, with several chimneys belching out smoke into the air and a few thatches of woven leaves making the roofs of a handful of houses. The fortifications around the village consisted mainly of wooden palisades raised several feet high, sharpened to the point, and the main road that met the gates before meandering its way inside, seemingly splitting the village into two parts.
Luckily, with the half-moon above, the night bloomed into a haze of silver-grey. The surrounding greenery was awash in the soft radiance and flickering lights of the torches on the gates. As he got closer, Aster could tell there were barely any guards manning the entrance. From the boisterous din spilling over walls, it seemed that despite the arrival of night, the village seemed just as lively as ever.
As soon as he left the cover of the forest, he was quickly noticed.
"Oy, who is there?" One of the guards hollered as he hefted his spear in his direction. "The gates are closed for the night. We are not expecting anyone to still be gallivanting about at this hour."
Aster, who had already learned his lesson once, was quick to answer.
"I'm only a traveler, mister. I have barely survived the outskirts of the glades, and I seek to rest only for the night."
He saw the guard slightly relax, though his voice was still wary.
"Come closer to the light so we can see you, boy."
With no other choice but to comply, Aster slowly lowered his hood as he came into their sight. The two burning lanterns fixed on each side of the gate cast him in a haze of golden radiance, and when his masked face was finally revealed, the guards fully let their weapons slacken as they stared at what could only be a young, frail youngster who barely survived the forest.
"You look a little rough to wear, son; what could possibly have brought you here?"
Knowing that was the cue to explain himself, Aster took a deep breath and then launched into a heavily edited story that was almost word-for-word like the one he gave the hunters. When they finally inquired about the half-mask on his face, he lightly alluded to some form of deformity that had plagued him ever since he was born. Garnering a lot of pity from his very convincing tales, in addition to him being younger than they expected, they finally welcomed him with open arms.
"You are certainly welcome for the night." One of the guards, an older man with a filled beard, smiled at him. "Rarely does our village get visited by strangers, but when they do arrive, a ride will always be available from the crazy Grendsburg once he comes back around, provided you can bear the cost. Other than that, come on in and be our guest. You are just in time to witness one of our famed festivities."
With profusions of heartfelt gratitude to the guards, he was quickly ushered through the gates. Entering inside, he found the place felt homely, with several people mingling about, adorned in bleached bones on their necks and vibrant leaves and feathers in their hair. On almost every door where he laid his eyes, two strange markings were repeatedly painted on the surface. Looking around, it didn't take long for him to realize that this was the festivity the old guard was talking about. From the excited whispers floating around, it was clear that whatever celebration they were having was just about to begin.
Not one to be left behind, Lucius let his curiosity lead him on. He followed the milling throng of people, all of whom were busy making their way into the village. On the way, he attracted more than a few glances, as the robes he wore were practically faded and torn, but as soon as he arrived, almost every villager gave him a wide berth, and that afforded him a clear sight of what was directly happening in the middle of the crowd.
In what seemed to be the center of the village, there was a large clearing where a huge bonfire was built in a circle of stones, its flames roaring into the night. Six people were seated around the fire, each holding various musical instruments in their hands, ranging from a small drum, a lyre, a harp, a flute, a metallic triangle with a rod, and the last one, which he couldn't recognize despite his efforts. Directly between them and the flames were two people, a man and a girl, each frozen in their positions. They both wore marks adorned with the same pair of markings he had seen everywhere, but while the man was dressed in gleaming fur, holding a bow in his hands almost as if he were about to hunt, the girl was dressed in a long willowy robe woven with leaves, her mask embellished with huge antlers, and her stance suspended almost as if she were about to jump. Fascinated beyond words, Aster was just about to ask someone close by what was going on when a single sharp beat of a drum reverberated through the air, and the whole crowd went quiet, as everyone present shifted their attention to the duet whose silhouettes flickered under the blaze.
The masked girl let out her voice.
"In the night of the silence..."
She gracefully released her previous pose, her voice a vibrating tenor that reached the stars.
"I can move like the wind."
She nimbly circled the bonfire, her feet barely touching the ground.
"With the hunter on my tail..."
The antlers fastened to her masks, twitching to and fro almost as if she were being hunted.
"I will bloom like the stars."
She abruptly jumped into the air, elegantly whirling around, her woven dress rippling after her.
"Wide awake as I am breathing, getting closer to midnight, midnight, midnight, midnight..."
Her voice hauntingly echoed as the drum joined in, along with the harp, the lyre, and the sharp ting from the metallic triangle, all to form a captivating mesh of a performance that completely snared his attention. The pulse of the music slowly rose, and the girl went along with it as she skillfully danced like she was prey, running from an imagined hunter while completely reveling in its natural grace and litheness. Her long hair flew as she gyrated around the hunter and the fire, her tempo increasing along with the chords until she abruptly froze just as the cadence was about to hit its climax.
In the sudden silence, the man's base voice joined.
"In the darkness of the night..."
"I can move like a king."
"With my eyes on my target..."
"I will bathe in its blood."
"Heart awake in its hunger..."
"Getting closer to midnight, midnight, midnight, midnight..."
The girl's voice mingled with his, and when the musical instruments soon followed, they entwined to form a haunting melody that stirred his heart. Both the man and the girl now danced around the flames, their physical bodies' intertwining and then separating and then following each other, the voices ululating, forming a strange visage of a hunter and his prey, endlessly chasing each other around the flaming star.
Perhaps that was the point of it all, but Aster didn't care as he stood there transfixed, his soul pulled along to a dance that felt both ancient and primal. The man and the girl continued their dance, their bodies twisting in strange and fascinating ways all the while their pace increased until, at the end, they almost blurred, their shadows seemingly incapable of keeping up with them. When they finally reached the peak of their act, a sharp blast of the drums resounded, and all of the performers, from the dancers to the ones who held their musical instruments, suddenly stopped, causing the twirling flames from the bonfire to explode in a climatic end before tapering off to their previous state.
A cloud of silence fell upon the crowd until it was abruptly shattered by a pandemonium of cheers as everyone around Aster clapped and laughed in sheer joy. For a moment, Aster felt invisible, as seemingly every villager was now competing over who could make the loudest clamor, but he was fine with it. He was still recovering from the strange performance, and a part of him was still in disbelief that mortals were actually capable of such feats.
'What was that?' he had to ask to the only fountain of knowledge he had at hand.
'That... I admit have no idea.'
'Have you never witnessed something like it? Even back then?'
He felt his master ruminating. 'You have to be aware that more than a few centuries have passed since I have walked among mortals. Even back then, I rarely involved myself with any kind of celebrations. Although…'
It was here he could practically sense his master's grudging admission.
'Their dance is something to commend. Such a performance must have demanded a certain level of dedication and skill.'
Aster was still staring at the duet, who were now showered with several praises from the villagers, when his attention was shattered by a deep cough beside him.
He nearly jumped as he turned.
"You are a stranger, aren't you?"
An elderly man with a walking cane and a flowing beard was staring right at him. Dressed in a simple garb that looked both warm and comfortable, along with a crooked hat on top, he would have passed as an old mage at first glance if it weren't for the quality of his robes and the wizened teeth in his mouth. But most of all, Aster couldn't sense even a single shred of mana on him; still, that wasn't enough to stop him from being flustered under the intense scrutiny he suddenly found himself under.
"Greetings." He half-bowed. "I truly just arrived a short while ago and happened to come across the amazing performance." He got quiet before he added. "Though I have to admit, I have no idea what they are celebrating."
Laughing loudly, the elderly man's eyes twinkled as he explained.
"What you have just witnessed is what we call the Festival of the Seasons. As another year nearly comes to a close, we celebrate the end of hunting season by reenacting the sacred battle between a hunter and its prey. It's an olden tradition, one carried throughout the years even before the forefather forever altered the lands, eternally banishing the winters, or so it's said. Now, instead of the blistering cold, we have heavy rains that still mark the end of whatever game hunters can still find in the forest."
"Hunters," Aster asked in confusion, "as in from the guild?"
The old man scowled at his words. "Those little money grubbers were barely born when this tradition began all those years ago. They have desecrated what it truly means to be a hunter. The title they carry is nothing more than a hollow one, as they have taken what was once revered and based it on silver and gold. None of them can be regarded as true hunters anymore. The true art has been lost after many years." He wistfully said as his eyes shifted, his mind no doubt carrying him back to the good old days, when his attention suddenly snapped back to him.
"But you are not here to listen to this old man ramble on." His gaze raked him from top to bottom before he added. "You seem like a strapping young man. What has brought you here to our small village?"
Aster took only a second to hesitate before he decided to be honest. He did need help, seeing as he was very unfamiliar with this village.
"I'm on a pilgrimage." He tried to inflect a note of pride into his voice. "I awakened just a few months ago and wanted to try my luck joining one of the recruitment drives from the academies."
The twinkle in the old man's gaze suddenly dimmed.
"Ah, you are one of those. Your age does look appropriate, but you must have come from afar if you were forced to arrive here."
Aster was just about to ask him how he knew when he gave him a sad smile.
"We do get your type once in a while, as those recruitment drives pull young mages from all over the place. But…"
He hesitated for a moment.
"I know we just met, but I have to ask. Are you sure this is a path you want to follow?"
Seeing the confusion on his face, he continued.
"These recruitment drives... are not what most people think. I have seen more than my fair share of people who had their hopes shattered when they were inevitably forced to return."
From his expression, Aster could sense there might be more to his words than he let on, but he already knew his answer. Once, his path might have led him to the Astral Clock Towers, which was much further, but now his target has changed to the Dawn Academy. Not only because of his master, who probably wanted to check how the academy he founded was going on, but also because of him, the academy usually opened doors to mages with all sorts of affinities, even the ones that were not seen in a favorable light. That included his blood affinity.
"I have to join." This time he did not have to pretend the desperation. "I have to try at least."
The old man stared at him until he sighed.
"At the end, each has to pave their own path." He looked at the skies and at the vacating square, where most people were assuredly going to continue their festivities elsewhere. "Seeing as its already late, the only place that would be open at this hour would be the inn called The Mother's Embrace. A comely old coot rules that place, and when you arrive, tell her the old man Al has sent you. She will surely offer you a room to rest in for the night."
Leaving him behind with a chuckle and a few directions, Aster soon found himself in front of a two-story building, with walls entwined with leaves blossoming with white-petal flowers. A sign of two hands holding the said flower hung over the entrance and when he finally went in, he was met with a cozy room filled with comfortable chairs and a table placed beside a roaring hearth to his right, its flames brushing away the night's chill, while on his left stood a long counter with a large book on top of it. There was a door behind the counter, and further back, he could see the stairs that probably led up to the higher floors.
"Welcome," a cheery voice met him, and when he turned, he saw a familiar girl with antlers standing behind the counter, almost as if she were waiting for him.
"Oh you…"Aster was dumbfounded as he stared at her. It was a face he would never forget, as she was the same girl who was at the center of the dance. It felt like it was just a minute ago when he saw her unearthly performance. The fact that he was crossing paths with her again boggled his mind.
When she saw the look on his face, she sighed.
"Welcome to the Mother's Embrace, stranger, and how may I help you?"
Realizing he was being quite rude with his actions, Aster coughed in embarrassment.
"Um, forgive me; I was not expecting to see you here. I had just entered the village when I came across your performance. I had never seen anything quite like it."
The girl's face visibly perked up at his compliment.
"Oh, thanks for the compliment. I thought you were-" She airily brushed away her long locks of hair to hide previous thoughts before nodding at the book.
"If you are looking for a room, the rate is 10 coppers per night. There is an additional charge of 5 coppers for breakfast in the morning, but I have to check with my grandma first to see if there are any available rooms tonight."
Turning aside, the girl whisked herself to the door that stood behind the counter. As she went further inside, she loudly called.
"Grandma! We have a guest!"
A smaller, raspier voice answered her from somewhere within.
"Mother forbid, child, you will end up waking the rest of the house with that noise."
In only a short moment, the wooden door opened, letting in a surprisingly spry old woman clothed in a washed-out purple robe, using an aged staff as a clutch, followed behind by what he could now only assume was her granddaughter. Her wrinkled face positively beamed when she saw him, and as she got closer, Aster was suddenly washed in a wave of the herbal scents.
"Oh, what do we have here?" She muttered as her eyes swept him from top to bottom. "You seem to be awfully young to be wandering about this night alone."
Inwardly wondering at how the elderly always seemed to say the same thing, he went with the same answer.
"I'm on a pilgrimage." He slightly bowed. "I was sent here by an old man named Al, if I'm not wrong, and he told me I could find a place to rest here for the night."
The old woman chuckled, her short, wavy hair gleaming silver in the light.
"I see that old bone is still sticking his nose everywhere. But if you met him, that means you must have attended the festival of the seasons." Her eyes twinkled as she drew closer. "So tell me, child, what you thought of my dear Leliana's performance?"
The girl behind her groaned in exasperation.
"Grandma! You can't go around asking such things to strangers."
A soft wheezing sound escaped her throat as laughter followed, with her eyes settling on him, clearly expecting an answer.
Not one to disappoint, Aster gave his honest thoughts.
"It was something I had never witnessed before." His eyes slightly flickered in the girl's direction. "She is truly talented. I cannot imagine the time she had spent mastering such an intricate dance."
The old woman boomed with laughter, while behind her, her granddaughter fought furiously to hide her blush.
"Oh yes, my granddaughter is talented enough to dance for the gods." She proclaimed affectionately as she stared at her before slowly turning towards him.
"But that's not the reason why you are here, traveler." She sized him up and let out a crooked smile. "Luckily for you, you are just here on time. There is a room that has been waiting for you upstairs on the eastern side." She rummaged behind the counter until she came up with a key, placing it on top.
"For you, it will only be 5 coppers per night, with 2 coppers extra for a proper breakfast in the morning."
Switching glances between her and her granddaughter, who also seemed bewildered, Aster shrugged, before quickly fetching his coin purse from the bag he carried.
"Here are coins." Giving the exact amount, including the additional fees, Aster recorded his new name on the large book before taking the key he was given.
"I'm grateful for the room. I honestly would have had no place to rest if it weren't for your help."
The elderly woman freely waved at him.
"The Endless Mother's always gives, with her heart knowing no bounds. Rest well, child; for the trials ahead of you will be many."
Aster could only stare at her mischievous smile before he was finally ushered on his way by the granddaughter, who seemed to have had enough.
"Come on." She beckoned a little too hastily. "Let me show you to your room."
Following behind her, Aster took the only stairs available until they finally reached the second floor of the building. Everywhere he looked, he saw a place that was very well taken care of. The wood panels on the floors glimmered under the candle lamps strategically placed on the walls, and even on a few corners, the same flowers that decorated the inn on the outside, were climbing their way towards the window sills, their petals only serving to enhance the ambiance of the place.
When the girl finally brought him to the door of his room, she suddenly turned towards him with a complicated look on her face.
"Please don't mind the words my grandma utters. Her mind is not what it used to be."
Aster shook his head with a chuckle.
"Honestly, you have nothing to worry about. I may not look like it, but I'm painfully aware of what it takes to take care of the elderly."
A smile of relief blossomed on her face when a certain someone decided to chime.
'What did you just say, little apprentice?'
Pointedly ignoring the dangerous tone in his master's words, they were both suddenly interrupted by a very loud voice.
"You little cretin, are you insinuating that I, your grandmother, have lost my marbles?"
The granddaughter snorted as she quickly waved to him towards the door before vanishing below the stairs, her voice drifting through the floors.
"What do you think, grandma? You were just about to scare our guest with one of your crazy prophecies."
A soft wap sound could be heard before she retorted, "They are called insights, you little snapper. If half of the town would deign to listen to me once in a while, they wouldn't have had to suffer much of their mistakes."
By this point, Aster had already opened the door and closed it behind him.
'That was definitely strange.' He mused, 'And what did she mean when she spoke of the Endless Mother?"
His master replied only a moment later.
'That's something I haven't heard of in quite a while. During the olden times, even before the Monarchy was founded, mortals, witches, and alike used to worship some old deities, ones they claimed predated the birth of the realm itself. I was not aware such beliefs still survived to this day, but it seems the old woman might be a practitioner of the old ways.' He paused before he continued.
'To my senses, she seems nothing more than a mortal, but then my strength is no longer what it used to be.' He then added, 'If we had more time in the village, it would have proven to be an interesting mystery to solve but we can't afford to waste time here. Tonight, you shall rest and then tomorrow, we would find this crazy riders of theirs and see if we can hitch a ride to the academy.'
Sighing, Aster looked around, finding a very comely room with a simple bed and table beside it, along with window that overlooked the town from the southern side.
'Well, whatever she is, she is none of our concern. I have had a long day and have been looking forward towards a proper bed for years.'
A quick search around the room revealed a small door to his right. The inn might have looked a little archaic on the outside, but on the inside, he was very surprised to see some decent plumbing. A small metal tap was tied to a hose that led into a large bath, while on the other side there was a pipe that probably led to some kind of water reservoir. At the bottom of the bath was a drainage outlet that was connected to another pipe, but by then Aster had stopped caring about all of the pipes as he had quickly opened the tap while he hurriedly undressed himself.
When the bath was finally filled, he slowly took a step inside, taking a sharp breath as the cold water kissed his shins and legs, and finally his whole body in a chilly embrace. Once his body stilled from the shivers, Aster would have definitely slept in the bath if it weren't for the fact that his body was still filthy from living in the forest for days. A harsh scrub later, using the small scented soap at the till, Aster came out of the bath, feeling fresh and reborn, something he could almost likened to the first time he had awakened from the ritual.
"That was definitely something I needed," he muttered to himself as his eyes settled on the bed, which looked even more inviting with each passing second. It didn't take long for him to quickly change into his undies and then jump on the bed, groaning as he did so.
"I have died and reached the cosmos," he giddily whispered before he immediately blacked out, his exhaustion overwhelming him in just a second.
Unbeknownst to him, out of the earring he wore, the faded visage of his master, Eiseldawn, appeared, floating as it peered at him from above. He shook his head in consternation.
"A thousand reminders of safety and he blacks out at the first sign of a bed." He stood watching over him until he sighed.
"You might as well rest, little one, while you still have a chance. The old hag might be strange, but she was right when she said we have a long, difficult journey ahead of us."