Council of elders

"Come on, guys. Enough," Grandma Mildred shouted.

"Denis, meet your aunt Ingrid," Grandma introduced them. Denis didn't have a reasonable opinion of Ingrid. He just nodded in acknowledgment.

"Look at him. Rude," she said, sitting down.

Grandma chuckled under her breath. She knew Denis was doing it deliberately.

"Tomorrow, we are going to the initiation hall. Denis will be initiated as well as introduced to the council," she said

"No way. Why are you rushing?" Ingrid stood up immediately to oppose

"We need to hurry. Things are not as they seem. The enemy is closing in on us," grandma Mildred said to her.

"Even so, he is still an outsider," she blasted in anger, pointing at Denis.

Denis was really getting pissed.

"What's wrong with you, aunt. You don't know me, and you judge me just like that. Is this what family is like here. Am I taking something that should've been yours?" he asked angrily at Ingrid. She stopped talking, looking at him in bewilderment. Among the younger family members, only he and her son Aaron talk to her like she owes them.

"How could you talk to me like that?" she asked in annoyance

"How could you call me an outsider?" he asked back

"You!" she said, sitting down

"Okay. Do whatever you want?" she said, backing down

"The Dark forces are turning more people into different creatures. We are tasked by the king to find his hideout and take him down," she began, "it would be good for Denis and the rest of your Mar and Levi to join him in practice."

"But grandma..." Levi began and was stopped

"But what. You better show this guy what a true Ereng being is all about. He better be good by the end of practice. Or else"

"Or what. You are going to send him packing?" Aaron asked

"Aaron, you better know your place and have some respect for your mother," Grandma Mildred growled to her grandson

"Yes, grandma," Aaron answered distantly

Everyone went to sleep after the meeting

Hanging on the window was a black shadow. It jumped down, looking at the house longingly before disappearing in thin air.

"What are you thinking being rude before a guest?" Ingrid asked his son.

"Mom. You have been busy working on your powers for years and never cared about anyone but yourself. Why can't you just ignore this young man and mind your business" Aaron said, standing on his feet. He was tired of all ruckus with his mother.

"That boy is a disaster. You don't remember what happened when he was born. So many people died to protect him."

"What has that got to do with me, mum? He is still a member of this family." Aaron said, throwing himself on his bed

"I will have to wake up early for the rounds in the woods; I want to sleep." Aaron threw and covered himself on the bed

"Are you throwing me outside your room?" Ingrid asked

"Close the door behind you." He said

"Hump"

Denis went to his room as well. He knew too well someone had been spying on him, but he was not sure who it was.

He stood at the door listening to the sound of footsteps along the corridor. He sensed light steps walking, and then it stopped in front of his door. He didn't move and observed the movement. He was ready for whoever was outside. Being trained before, he would handle almost five people at once.

The person didn't do anything and walked away. He opened the door cautiously and peeped at the fading footsteps. He saw Ingrid walking to the third room along the corridor.

"So it was her," he said in deep thinking, "I will have to be careful around her"

Early in the morning, in a grand and old hall, a team of six appeared the midst of elders.

"Mildred, Is this the young chap?"

"Yes, Sirus," she answered an old man sitting at the head sit

"That's great. Young man. Welcome to the family. After the initiation ceremony, you will be required to train with the others," he said, looking at Denis

"Yes. Sir," Denis coldly answered. He didn't understand what was really going on, but he had to be alert

"Get the scepter and the bowl." He asked one of the attendants beside him

"The Ereng family welcome you Denis Ereng to the family," he said, holding the bowl

Denis, who stood before the elder, walked to him and bowed as shown by his grandma

"I Denis accept to be a member of the Ereng family. I will be loyal and protect the family," he said, repeating what he was taught

"Take from the bowl and drink the sacred water to finish the ritual," The old man said, handing the old white bowl to Denis. He looked at the clean water in the bowl and frowned

He could smell herbal from the water. He, however still, closed his eyes and took a huge gulp of water

Apart from the tasteless water, there was a slight herbal smell on it. He waited to see if he felt any pain but nothing. He handed the bowl over to the attendant. His body felt nothing strange

He looked around and found everyone almost popping their eyes out. Frowning slightly, he looked at himself, wondering if he had done something inappropriate

"What?" he asked the older man

"You! How come?" The old man staggered and almost fell on his chair

"How come you felt nothing?" Another older man among the elders walked towards him and asked

"What is it supposed to do?" Denis couldn't take it anymore and ask

"Only a great seer with magical powers cannot feel the pain of the sacred water," he finally explained. That's why everyone in the room was stunned

While looking at the group of people staring at him with weird expressions, he felt a surging power rise. There was a warmth that came from deep within his body. It was like an extinguished flame that just awakens.