"Lassim Vanthar!" shouted the deacon.
Lassim's heart pounded in his chest as he heard his name called by the deacon, signaling that it was his turn to step forward and undergo the Spirit Awakening Ceremony. His uncle Gryphon's voice sounded in his ears, though soft, carried the weight of unwavering support as he said, "You've got this, lad. Trust in yourself and the gods will guide you."
He glanced at his father Everard, who offered him a reassuring nod,
Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Lassim rose from his seat and made his way down the aisle towards the stage. The eyes of the gathered crowd followed his every step, and he felt the weight of their expectations pressing down on him. As the Iron Marquis' son, he felt the need to show everyone a powerful reaction too. Hopefully he'd connect with Ribus and become a proud fire user like the rest of the Vanthar clan.
As he reached the stage, he could feel the intensity of the moment washing over him. He truly was an 8 year old boy in this moment, nervous to meet the literal gods of this world.
With a final glance at his uncle and father for encouragement, he stepped onto the stage and approached the pristine white marble pedestal.
Kneeling on the pedestal, Lassim closed his eyes and began to offer his prayers to the gods with all the earnestness in his heart. He called upon Ribus, the God of Flame, with whom his family had long been aligned, but also kept an open mind to whatever elemental power the gods saw fit to bestow upon him.
Suddenly, as he uttered his prayers, Lassim felt a strange sensation wash over him. His surroundings blurred and shifted, and before he knew it, he found himself standing in the golden palace realm, the divine realm of the gods mentioned in the ancient scriptures that Sir Ian described in his lessons.
Surrounding him were the towering halls of the palace, each gleaming with golden light, and seated upon thrones before him were the gods themselves. Bavdall, Undos, Ava, Ikmera, Ribus, Moftia, Famthar, and Miphine, each radiating with a powerful aura of their own elemental energy.
Lassim's breath caught in his throat as he beheld the pressure from the divine beings before him, his heart filled with both awe and trepidation. He knew that this was nothing like what had been described by his tutor. Normally the single god you prayed to would respond and offer you their power, your mind still in your body. This instead was totally different that what he expected. He stood unsure at first.
After the momentary pause he remembered his uncle's words to trust the gods guidance.
Approaching the thrones, Lassim knelt before the gods, his head bowed in reverence. "Great and mighty gods," he began, his voice trembling slightly, "I humbly seek your blessings. Grant me the strength and wisdom to serve as a worthy vessel for your power, that I may honor my family and my ancestors in battle against the Dragal."
For a long moment, there was silence, and Lassim feared that his prayers had gone unheard. He raised his head to look directly at Ribus. His raging fire burning bright. However, Ribus' expression was one of disappointment. Lassim was confused. This was his family's diety and he had often played at the shrine ever since he was 2 years old. He admired the strong and burly figure but felt surprised by the reaction he received.
Lassim grew deeply nervous. If not Ribus, then who? Would he not be able to awaken any elemental spirit?
He glanced at each god from left to right and right to left. After more a few more minutes of disappointed expressions, and one motherly look from Ava, the room suddenly was filled with a static electric tension.
To his surprise, it was then that Famthar, the God of Lightning, spoke, his voice echoing like thunder through the halls of the palace.
"You seek the power of the gods, young spirit warrior," Famthar boomed, his eyes crackling with electricity. "But the world of Nexaria is about to face a grave danger. The Dragal will soon invade the world more frequently and we need someone to rise up and become a bastion of hope. Are you prepared to wield the might of the storm, to harness the lightning and command its fury?"
Lassim was first shocked. The lightning element was extremely rare and magnitudes more powerful than any of the other elements. No one else in the Vanthar family had the Lightning element. He would need to work hard to adapt his family's techniques.
His heart swelled with nervous determination as he gazed up at the god before him. "I am," he declared, his voice growing more steady and resolute. "I will embrace the power of lightning and wield it in defense of my people and my homeland."
Famthar regarded him with a stern gaze, as if weighing his words and measuring his resolve. He stretched out his palm towards Lassim, yet his face turning to meet Ava.
Ava regarded him with a serene expression, her eyes shimmering like tranquil waters under the moonlight. "Yes my love, just like we planned."
After a moment of contemplation, she reached out her palm towards Lassim as well, her aura gentle yet infused with a profound energy that seemed to resonate within Lassim's very soul.
"Lassim of House Vanthar," she spoke, her voice echoing like the soft melody of a gentle flowing brook, "I see within you the potential for greatness and the heart of a true warrior that also protects the common folk. I will also bestow upon you the element of water, to flow with the currents of life and wield its power with wisdom and compassion."
Famthar proclaimed, his voice reverberating with authority, "You have been chosen to command the power of the storm. Never before have we given two elements to a human, but it will be needed during this tribulation. Using the strength of lightning and water as a tempest to fight back against the accursed Dragal. Accept our blessing!"
Suddenly, thick violet golden lightning bolts and a torrent of water shot directly toward Lassim.
As Famthar's and Ava's blessing washed over him, Lassim felt a surge of elemental energy coursing through his being, filling him with an unimaginable strength. His body consciousness becoming shocked as he quickly tried to adapt to both lightning and water elements filling and nourishing his body and soul.
His consciousness returned to the earthly realm, and he opened his eyes to find himself back in the auditorium, bathed in a resplendent and exceedingly bright glow of blue and violet. His hands holding a halberd. This elemental halberd shimmered with an otherworldly brilliance, its form a fusion of celestial energy and craftsmanship.
The blade of the halberd gleamed with a silvery sheen, reflecting the light in shimmering ripples that danced across its surface like sunlight on a rippling pond. Etched into the metal were intricate patterns reminiscent of swirling currents and crashing waves, a testament to the elemental forces that coursed through its form.
At its core, the halberd was infused with the power of lightning, crackling with arcs of electricity that danced along its length like miniature lightning bolts. But intertwined with the electric currents was another, subtler energy—the essence of water, flowing like a gentle stream through the heart of the halberd. Where the lightning crackled and sparked, the water element lent a sense of fluidity and grace to the weapon's movements, imbuing it with a tranquil strength that belied its fierce power.
The air hummed with the energy of the storm, and the weapon seemed to pulse with a life of its own, eager to unleash its electrifying power upon any who dared to oppose its wielder. Yet, he clearly noticed that it was not one life, but two inside the mighty storm halberd.
As Lassim wielded the halberd, he felt a deep connection to the elements, his spirit resonating with the power of lightning and water.
Thick clouds had covered all of Golden Lotus River City for miles surrounding the grand exalted altar of the gods as soon as he kneeled down on the pedestal. Lightning was shooting down from above and striking his body. Yet, a torrential rain had also started and begun powering down on the auditorium stage, soaking Lassim and the deacon.
The auditorium was quiet as the lightning and rain began to clear after several minutes. The elements stayed much longer than anyone else as if to signify the importance of this moment.
The deacon and audience had at some point completely stood up in shock and awe as they could barely comprehend what had just happened.
Not only had this young boy received a spirit of lightning, but he also awakened a water spirit?
With a sense of awe and reverence, Lassim rose gracefully to his feet, his body tingling with the electrifying energy that now coursed through his veins. He knew that he had been granted a rare and precious gift, but was worried about the words Famthar left him with before receiving the blessing.