Chapter Text
“ ∴ᒷ ∴⍑𝙹 ꖎᒷᔑ∷リ, ∴ᒷ ∴⍑𝙹 ᓭ!¡╎ꖎꖎ, ⊣╎⍊ᒷ ℸ ̣𝙹 ⍑ᒷ∷, ⊣╎⍊ᒷ ℸ ̣𝙹 ʖ⚍∷リ.”
Shadowed by a pitch darkness, swallowing the pale lands that broke into various islands that seemingly floated around the void itself. There stood the center island of it all, surrounded by dark pillars torched in blue light, pale stone strong but eerily bouncing off the cloaked clad people that chanted this quote low and foreboding, with two long lines bowed and slow- with at the center of the lines a small girl, no older than the age of five, walked up in a similarly dressed void black cloak.
At the center of the island stood a circular fountain pond, a center pillar erected and proud, with a black ash stone material making up the fountain. At the top of the pillar was a similarly fashioned netherite statue of a sharp-looking dragon- wide and open wings cast out, and their face facing down as if ready to strike whoever dared to defy it.
The chanting of the cloaked people hushed to a stop as they approached the fountain, with one of the cloaked people at the front still wearing a black cloak, but with little purple details along the sleeves and hood. This older man, tall as ever, spoke with a crooked tone, casting his marred hands open to the cloaked people around him and to the girl who promptly approached.
“ ∴ᒷꖎᓵ𝙹ᒲᒷ ᔑꖎꖎ ∴⍑𝙹 ∷ᒷᓭ╎↸ᒷ, ∴ᒷꖎᓵ𝙹ᒲᒷ ᔑꖎꖎ ∴⍑𝙹 ᔑ∴ᔑ╎ℸ ̣ ᔑꖎ𝙹リ⊣ ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ ᔑᓭ⍑ᒷᓭ ᔑリ↸ ᓭℸ ̣𝙹リᒷ 𝙹⎓ 𝙹⚍∷ ⍊ᒷ∷|| ⍑𝙹ᒲᒷ, ∴⍑𝙹 ⍑ᔑ⍊ᒷ ʖᒷᒷリ ℸ ̣⍑∷𝙹⚍⊣⍑ ℸ ̣⍑╎ᓭ ⍊ᒷ∷|| !¡∷𝙹ᓵᒷᓭᓭ ʖᒷ⎓𝙹∷ᒷ, ℸ ̣𝙹 リ𝙹∴ ∴ᒷꖎᓵ𝙹ᒲᒷ 𝙹⚍∷ リᒷ∴ᒷᓭℸ ̣ !¡∷𝙹↸╎⊣|| ℸ ̣𝙹 ⍑𝙹!¡ᒷ⎓⚍ꖎꖎ|| ʖᒷ ⊣╎⍊ᒷリ ⊣∷ᔑᓵᒷ ʖ|| ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ ↸╎⍊╎リ╎ℸ ̣|| ⍑ᒷ∷ᓭᒷꖎ⎓.”
Spoken in their true tongue, the people remained ushered as the older man then spoke again, proud and clear as the blue flames of the various torches and lanterns burned.
“ ∴ᒷ ᓭ⍑ᔑꖎꖎ ℸ ̣ᒷᓭℸ ̣ ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ ⍊ᒷ∷|| ᓭ𝙹⚍ꖎ 𝙹⎓ ℸ ̣⍑╎ᓭ ᓵ⍑╎ꖎ↸, ℸ ̣𝙹 ᒷ╎ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ∷ ᔑ∴ᔑꖌᒷリ ᔑリ↸ ⋮𝙹╎リ 𝙹⚍∷ ᓵᔑ⚍ᓭᒷ 𝙹∷ ℸ ̣𝙹 ʖᒷ ᓵᔑᓭℸ ̣ᒷ↸ ╎リℸ ̣𝙹 ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ ⋮ᔑ∴ᓭ 𝙹⎓ 𝙹⚍∷ ↸╎⍊╎リ╎ℸ ̣|| ⍑ᒷ∷ᓭᒷꖎ⎓ ℸ ̣𝙹 ⋮𝙹╎リ ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ ᓵ||ᓵꖎᒷ ᔑリ↸ ᓵ𝙹リℸ ̣╎リ⚍ᔑℸ ̣╎𝙹リ 𝙹⎓ 𝙹⚍∷ ᓭ𝙹ᓵ╎ᒷℸ ̣||. リ𝙹∴, ᓵ⍑╎ꖎ↸, ∷ᒷ⍊ᒷᔑꖎ ℸ ̣𝙹 ∴⍑ᒷ∷ᒷ ∴ᒷ ∴╎ꖎꖎ ᒲᔑ∷ꖌ ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ ⎓ᔑʖ∷╎ᓵ 𝙹⎓ ||𝙹⚍∷ ᓭ𝙹⚍ꖎ. “
The child then dropped her cloak, revealing the pure white garment dress she wore as was tradition, and then slowly dropped to her knees. She then slowly bowed down to the older man, planting her arms down and revealing the open back of the dress. The skin shown to the cloaked man was the choice she made.
As soon as she ceased, the older man then slid out a beautifully carved short dagger, glinting with a diamond color, and soon knelt to the child, as the lines of cloaked people began to chant.
“ ℸ ̣⍑╎ᓭ ᓵ⍑╎ꖎ↸ ⍑ᔑᓭ ᓵ⍑𝙹ᓭᒷリ ᔑリ↸ ꖎᒷℸ ̣ ╎ℸ ̣ ʖᒷ ꖌリ𝙹∴リ ℸ ̣𝙹 ⚍ᓭ, ℸ ̣𝙹 ⍑ᒷ∷ ↸╎⍊╎リ╎ℸ ̣|| ᔑリ↸ ℸ ̣𝙹 ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ ∷ᒷᔑꖎᒲᓭ. ∴ᒷ ⊣╎⍊ᒷ ℸ ̣⍑ᔑリꖌᓭ ℸ ̣𝙹 ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ ʖꖎ𝙹𝙹↸ ∴ᒷ ᓭ!¡╎ꖎꖎ, ∴ᒷ ⊣╎⍊ᒷ ℸ ̣⍑ᔑリꖌᓭ ℸ ̣𝙹 ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ ᒲᔑ⊣╎ᓵꖌᓭ ʖᒷᓭℸ ̣𝙹∴ᒷ↸ 𝙹リ ⚍ᓭ ᔑリ↸ ∴ᒷ ℸ ̣⍑ᔑリꖌᓭ ℸ ̣𝙹 ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ ᓵ⍑╎ꖎ↸∷ᒷリ ʖ∷𝙹⚍⊣⍑ℸ ̣ ᔑリ↸ ᓵ⍑╎ꖎ↸∷ᒷリ ʖᒷ⎓𝙹∷ᒷ. ”
He continued to chant the very phrase as the glinting dagger carved first into the child’s back, swirling with different runes of shape and size. Below, the child shook feverishly- gripping the ground, but relentlessly biting her tongue so as not to make a sound. Blood dripped and splattered not only into the ground below and into her dress, but down her arms and entire back.
The cloaked man then made his way to her arms, not missing an inch of skin as with the final nick- he was finished carving her skin and stood just above the shaking and blood-covered child. He ceased chanting, as did the others, and spoke down to the child.
“ ⍑ᒷ∷ ↸╎⍊╎リ╎ℸ ̣|| ∴╎ꖎꖎ ʖꖎᒷᓭᓭ ||𝙹⚍ 𝙹∷ ᓵ𝙹リᓭ⚍ᒲᒷ ||𝙹⚍, ᓵ⍑╎ꖎ↸. ⍑ᒷ∷ᒷ, ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ ⊣╎⎓ℸ ̣ ᓭ⍑ᒷ ⍑ᔑᓭ !¡ᔑᓭᓭᒷ↸ 𝙹リ ℸ ̣𝙹 ⍑ᒷ∷ !¡ᒷ𝙹!¡ꖎᒷ ᓭ⍑ᔑꖎꖎ ʖᒷ ʖᒷᓭℸ ̣𝙹∴ᒷ↸ ⚍!¡𝙹リ ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ ⚍リᒷᔑ∷ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ↸ ⎓ꖎᒷᓭ⍑. ╎⎓ ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ ᓭ𝙹⚍ꖎ ╎ᓭ ↸ᒷᒷᒲᒷ↸ ∴𝙹∷ℸ ̣⍑||, ||𝙹⚍ ∴╎ꖎꖎ ꖎ╎⍊ᒷ. ╎⎓ ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ ᓭ𝙹⚍ꖎ ╎ᓭ ↸ᒷᒷᒲᒷ↸ ⚍リ∴𝙹∷ℸ ̣⍑||, ⍑ᒷ∷ ↸╎⍊╎リ╎ℸ ̣|| ∴╎ꖎꖎ ⚍ᓭᒷ ||𝙹⚍ ᔑᓭ !¡𝙹∴ᒷ∷. !¡∷ᔑ|| ╎リ 𝙹⚍∷ ⍑ᒷᔑ∷ℸ ̣ ᔑᓭ ℸ ̣∷⚍ᒷ, ᔑリ↸ ᓭ⍑ᒷ ∴╎ꖎꖎ ⊣⚍╎↸ᒷ ||𝙹⚍. “
Turning around slowly, he then bowed over the fountain- gently with one finger, he touched the pitch black surface of liquid inside. Almost instantly, a string of the void-like liquid floated up along his arm, swirling up into a pillar and continuously moving- as if alive.
The lines of people began chanting the first phrase from before, stomping into the pale ground before, but remained bowed as the older man crouched down to the shaking child.
With the black liquid in hand, he too began chanting as he then plunged the swirling liquid into a splatter against the bleeding and open wounds. The dark liquid sizzled against the flesh as the child erupted into a scream of pain- but then soon fell silent.
The dark-cloaked man then stood up and brought his hands together in a prayer, as did the other cloaked figures, while chanting, awaiting the child was all they could do.
Not too long after, while the child remained crouched down and still as the black liquid seeped into their carved skin, the carvings then bloomed a bright purple hue- blinding light bursting through as the child slowly stood up. Shaking as ever, her head rose to the man before her with blooming, bright purple eyes, as if confused- but proud.
“ ∴ᒷ ℸ ̣⍑ᔑリꖌ ⍑ᒷ∷ ↸╎⍊╎リ╎ℸ ̣||, ∴ᒷ ℸ ̣⍑ᔑリꖌ ⍑ᒷ∷ ⎓𝙹∷ 𝙹⚍∷ ᓭ𝙹⚍ꖎᓭ, ∴ᒷ ℸ ̣⍑ᔑリꖌ ⍑ᒷ∷ ↸╎⍊╎リ╎ℸ ̣||, ∴ᒷ ℸ ̣⍑ᔑリꖌ ⍑ᒷ∷ ⎓𝙹∷ 𝙹⚍∷ ᓭ𝙹⚍ꖎᓭ. ”
Almost instantly, the lines of people erupted in much louder chants of this phrase, and the man then brushed a single strip of the black liquid on her forehead, a symbol of her awakened trial. Golden eyes from both participants peering down into each other, of both warmth and of duty.
“ ∴ᒷ ∴ᒷꖎᓵ𝙹ᒲᒷ ||𝙹⚍ ℸ ̣𝙹 𝙹⚍∷ !¡∷ᔑᓵℸ ̣╎ᓵᒷ ᔑリ↸ ∴𝙹∷ᓭ⍑╎!¡, Irene. “