Algernon Black

(Chapter 120) The Fate that Leads You

"Good morning students," Brickwood chimed in his usual address but this time strutting into his classroom donning a suit lined with black fur as winter on the mountain of Attwood made for particularly cold mornings.

Lucy wasn't acclimated to the cold as anytime winter came, Jared would move them to a warmer location, and it took Pecilia snidely criticizing her lack of layering for her to figure out how to accommodate for the weather.

"This will be our last class together in the cycle of destruction and next time we meet will be in the times of the god of darkness, and with it will bring many exciting things in the near future for all of us." Brickwood's eyes grazed over his students, before settling on Algernon. His cousin usually greeted him with a scowl but of late he seemed too introspective to manage even that. The professor didn't need to wonder much what had caused it when he caught him stealing pining glances at Lucy. 

Brickwood grinned over his cousin's tragically funny longing.

"As always I encourage you to visit the shrine of the god of destruction and thank him for the blessings he bestowed on you, and ask what you will from the god of darkness during this time"

"And I hope you all pray for grace and good bearings as the ball of winter is right around the corner and I'm expecting the very best of behavior from each of you." The professor raised encouragingly smiles at his students. Lucy withdrew into her shoulders. She had been endlessly reviewing the dance steps in her mind, but it didn't always translate into reality as she was still constantly tripping over her own feet in practice. And she anxiously worried that she'd embarrass the school when the time came.

"And you better act quickly if you plan on securing yourself a desirable date," Brickwood continued, as the class grew unsettled, most scanning around to check the pool of available partners. "You never know who else might have their eyes on them." He stared at Algernon who held his gaze with a tensing jaw before it fell as he turned even more pensive while turning to Lucy. Pecilia watched the scene from her seat beside Algernon as her crossed arms tightened. She met Jasper's eyes, who had just finished analyzing Algernon's sight line himself.

"This transition will mark the end of your first semester of Attwood, and since the time of darkness is meant for reflection, I have enlisted the help of the Karares today," Brickwood said, strolling to the back of the classroom to open the heavy wooden doors.

Most students sat on the edges of their seats, looking annoyed or suddenly stressed when two rows of men and women walked down the aisle in the traditional long black robes of the god of darkness and the dark red of the god of destruction. Lucy questioned Jasper as to what was happening with raised eyebrows.

"A Karare is a leader of worship for the gods," Jasper explained.

"They are meant to pass along the god's guidance, but really they just spout some vague nonsensical advice and throw water on us," Jasper concluded, as the humming of the gods' hymns started to fill the room with the start of the ceremony. At least some of them had halfway decent singing voices.

The leaders of darkness carried with them the chime bells of his call, while the Karares of destruction held a bucket of water and a silver ball on a stick they used to sprinkle water over their attendance.

Lucy peered over the red clothes of the men and women to notice veils over their eyes on all except one. From even far away Lucy could see the drain of color in the old woman's eyes, and how she lacked vision. It was a scary sight and Jasper noticed Lucy's reaction, recalling how he felt the first time he saw one of the chosen Karares for himself.

"The blind are said to be more connected with the gods," Jasper revealed, as the blind woman tentatively meandered through the aisles, her eyes trained on none of the students in the room but looking far off into the distance, as she droned the god of darkness's teaching. "They apparently have visions sent to them, but who is to say if they're true or not."