Acolyte Rekya (Ch.19)

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ro... what exactly is the 'Somber Night'?" A ten year old Weylyn asked curiously, frowning when her father broke out into laughter at her curiosity.

"Please tell her Ro, Lynn has been pestering father and I for months now ever since father let it slip that it was the first part of the knighting ritual." Rehan lamented in an aggrieved tone.

"What do you mean pestering? I was just asking, clearly you all know and none of you are willing to tell me!" A ten year old Weylyn insisted in annoyance.

"Well I'm not a knight Lynn, how would I know anything of it? And father clearly enjoys leaving you hanging but by the Creator, I need some peace to practice my magic." Rehan pleaded,

Ronan broke out into laughter as he watched his siblings bicker over it, shaking his head in amusement.

"Okay, okay I will tell you all about." Ronan promised,

Young Weylyn huffed indignantly at Rehan as she rounded the dinning table to Ronan's side.

"Well it is indeed the first part of the knighting ritual, a night spent waist deep in chilling cold water as the magic of the pool refines you from within and awakens your warrior marking."

"The cold seeps into your bones, chilling everything in it's path till you feel like you are completely frozen, yet that is only the beginning."

"Your mind is haunted by memories and the darkness of your past and you can no longer tell a mirage from reality... and so it stays till the night is up."

"It is a trial that tests the very limits of a warrior born, and once the night is up and you have earned the Creator's approval, your warrior mark is awakened and a new path begins." Ronan revealed in a haunting tone.

Weylyn frowned slightly, tilting her head to the side.

"It can't be that terrifying." Weylyn huffed in disbelief.

Ronan broke into laughter, ruffling Weylyn's hair much to her horror.

"Well it isn't...at least not until the call of nature arises at such an inopportune time and there's no way to get away." Ronan revealed with a shudder.

Duke Raego and Rehan broke into laughter at Ronan's recount of his experience and Ronan rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Well terrifying or not, when the time comes for you Lynn... I will be there, right by your side." Ronan promised,

"But the fully fledged knights aren't allowed in." Weylyn reminded,

"Oh yes, that is true. I'll wait outside the door then." Ronan replied, chuckling in amusement.

"It's a deal then?" Weylyn asked for confirmation.

"Deal... cross my heart and hope to die." Ronan promised with a wink, his lips stretched into his characteristic boyish grin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Weylyn gasped as the first of the memories faded off and she was drawn back to reality,

This was just the beginning as the cleansing pool would ravage her mind with memories of her past as a test of will.

The very first memory alone had already left Weylyn's heart aching terribly and Weylyn wondered how she would make it through the night.

She passed a glance to her side where the spectral Ronan still knelt beside her, his gaze turned to her and his lips stretched into that heart warming boyish grin.

'He came... just as he promised.' Weylyn thought, a single tear trailing down her cheek.

Ronan was by her side, just as he had promised and because he was here... Weylyn knew she would be fine.