The Meeting of Clans - Part 1

At some point Alsian had started showing his emblem while passing through checkpoints, as they were walking in a spiral inwards. Less and less people were found along the way as the checkpoints went on.

Until finally they reached a hallway that didn't continue, instead there were two large doors that when Alsian brought forth his emblem it made almost the same sound as a bell before the doors slid open.

Inside there was a large assembly hall with seats in a ring. Thirteen clan emblems were adorned on the seats, but also carved upon the ground.

Then one short floor above was another set of twenty six seats overlooking the middle in close proximity, the lesser ancient clans. Samuel looked up and found another half floor above them were many seats for other clans, that he figured to be the new clans.

The seats were very fancy chairs so to speak except for the fact that they were made out of stone or metal, there was another set of doors on the other side that were identical to the one they had entered from, which Alsian quickly walked towards.

But he stopped before those doors and turned to Samuel, "Inside here is where new clans normally petition to join, but it is also where they register the new official head for a clan..."

Samuel understood what he said and gave his older cousin a nod. He was about to open his mouth and say thank you when he heard the large doors they had entered from open once again.

He was surprised to see Vuldara and Zalbas enter behind their respective masters. "It is good to see you again!" Zalbas master was quick to speak and walk up and shook his hand.

Samuel simply nodded and smiled happily, "I was hoping to see you here again buddy!" Zalbas quickly chimed in. Vuldara also gave him a smile but a litte more distant which made Samuel happier.

Always better at reading the room, "Don't you worry young man, we will make sure to confirm any revelations about you!" Zalbas master spoke once again, he had probably figured out what was going on because they were in front of the second set of doors.

"I don't think it will be necessary, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt just in case!" Alsian agreed before patting and kind of shoving Samuel towards the doors.

Samuel understood and quickly got a move on, he opened the doors to the other side and wasn't surprised to find a corridor that led straight forward. Quickly following the path he found himself at the end where several people were currently present.

Samuel saw one staring at a note with a number so he quickly looked around and found a small number post where he could take a small parchment with the number 45 on it.

There were a number of empty chairs in the corridor and he sat down on the nearest one, there were about another twenty or so people in the room which gave him a slight clue about how many remained.

With an inward sigh the waiting began, soon enough the doors slammed opened and a flustered young woman with flaming red hair stormed out, after she stormed past an older looking elven gentleman sighed and muttered, "So young and impatient tsk."

Samuel decided to just use the moment to practice a bit of his breathing technique and soon enough one by one people started getting called up and then leaving shortly after. Some taking longer than others, some that leave more flustered while others look smug or happy.

When Samuel's number was finally called he realized that an hour or two must have passed, but he entered the room nonetheless and found a small square room with a clerk behind a large desk.

She looked like a very old human woman, which made Samuel realize that being a child of mana that looks like an old human woman must mean that she is in her hundreds.

"Well young man, take a seat!" She spoke in a tired but interested voice. The door opened again and a guard stepped in, "This is the last one madame Osira!"

The old lady nodded her head with a smile before turning her attention back to Samuel, while the guard made himself useful by standing guard inside the room.

"So have you come here today to make yourself a new head of an existing family or to petition for a new one?" The old lady asked him which made him sigh.

"I would like to declare myself the head of an existing bloodline and clan." Samuel responded, the old lady looked like her interest was more piqued.

Samuel of course had no idea that it was a lot more uncommon for new clan heads to step in. Children of mana did die, but considering how long they could live it wasn't a frequent thing. Maybe once or twice per fifty years or so.

"Of course dear! I am sorry for whatever loss has occured! Please tell me which clan head you intend to replace!" Old Osira quickly pulled out several papers from a drawer.

Samuel took a deep breath. "Clan, Household, Bloodline, Xaxiaz!" Upon those words it was like the temperature dropped inside the room, one could almost see their own breath turned to frost as those words left Samuel's mouth.

The guard instantly turned his head in shock with wide eyes while the old lady opened her eyes wide to look closer at the young man.

"This is no place for jokes!" The guard raised his voice after the shock had passed, "House Xaxiaz is long gone... Tell us your actual purpose or I will kick you out right this instant!"

Old Osira held up her hand at the guard while studying the young mans face, there was no lie, no deceit, no ill intent. She realized the young man to be serious.

Samuel quickly pulled out the paperwork he had brought along that Alsian had him sign on his own. The old lady accepted it and quickly read through the parts of it that most likely was more important.

"You do realize I will need to take a bloodstone test?" Osira asked Samuel whom quickly nodded and placed one of his hands on the desk with the palm facing the roof.

Osira didn't hesitate to take out a stone from a drawer and a sharp tiny knife, she looked at Samuel as if to give him one last time, but Samuel simply nodded which made the old lady excited.

She had worked this job for hundreds of years, she was a master at this. There was no fooling her eyes with any magic of any sort, her eyes ability to see blood in its pure form and it's connection to mana was on a par of it's own.

The moment she made a small shallow cut across Samuel's palm she could see the quality of mana in his blood, but she could also see the shape and color that it took.

She had never before seen it herself, but she was quick to place the bloodstone in his open palm, the stone itself quickly started drawing the blood to itself before lifting itself into the air.

Thousands of particles exploded into the surroundings as the stone that was usually red now shined a light blue, that shifted into a yellow one before finally into a deep violet. One of Osira's books on the desk quickly started turning by itself going through hundreds of pages all the way to the front.

Before it stopped and lit up the rune on the page. The rune which was the emblem of house Xaxiaz, silence before the storm. The bloodstone quickly exploded into dust and the room was showered in colors.

The guard stood there dumbfounded just staring in disbelief. Samuel sat there and quickly used the most basic healing and only healing he could to close the small wound.

He looked at the old woman again and was a bit taken aback by what he saw, because the old woman was crying uncontrollably, but at the same time she smiled before taking one of Samuel's hands.

"The successor, finally the clans are whole again. Finally the lost piece has returned to us after so long. You are Lord of Clan Xaxiaz!"

Osira quickly took an empty emblem and made almost like a magical card with the Xaxiaz emblem on it. Much like Alsian's emblem he now had his own.

"I wish you well on your journeys ahead Lord Xaxiaz!" The woman spoke and gave Samuel a small head bow as well as could be expected of a really old woman.

"Thank you!" Samuel gave her the same courtesy as he stood up. Osira looked at the guard and grabbed a few folders of papers, "Quickly do your job and go update the archives!"

The guard snapped out of his frozen state and took the papers and walked out to do as instructed, he never once looked at Samuel as if he was ashamed of something.