Chapter 3: Key to the Promised Land

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"S-Special?!" I stuttered.

No. It couldn't be me. Why would I be special? I didn't even care much about the Day of Summoning, not even like everyone else did!
Although, now that I think about it, maybe there was a reason I didn't get to summon my weapon alongside everyone else.

"Yes," the Catalyst Holder reassured. "Special."

"How so?" I asked out of confusion.

"Well, young one," he said, sitting down. He patted the pedestal, telling me to sit. I sat. "Allow me to regale you with a tale..."

"The Tale of Cintara Citadel."

He sat there, motionless and speechless for a second or two, as if he were trying to recall the story. Soon, a look of recognition came across his face, and he resumed.

"Cintara Citadel was once a vast, beautiful place. It was filled with cities, with forests, humans and animals, and all was good. All was peaceful. Humans took resources from the forests, and in return, give it all back with love, care, and nourishment. Until one day, a dark evil swept across the land, destroying the cities and the forests, while also causing the deaths of hundred of thousands of human and animals," the Catalyst Holder began, successfully hooking me.
"The darkness also had many allies. An army, and the group known across history as the Forbidden Four. The Forbidden Four consisted on four different beings who have mastered weapons that have been corrupted by the same dark evil that wiped out Cintara Citadel all those centuries ago."

This was all news to me. I've read plenty of history books and similar stuff out of pure boredom, but none of them had anything close to this. I always made sure to read about the history that was as far in the past as possible, too. I wonder how I never stumbled across anything even remotely close to this story..Or maybe I could've just overlooked it.

Eventually, he continued.

"However, one day, a hero that was rumored to radiate a bright light around him, rose from the ashes of the fallen cities and forests. His weapon, a key that looked like-"

"A spear?" I interrupted, getting an idea of where this story was headed.

"Indeed, a key that looked like a spear." He resumed. "He used the strange power of they key to seal the darkness and the Forbidden Four, alongside the army. Afterward, he grabbed every survivor, both human and animal, and took them far, far, very far away from the Citadel. With that, the Citadel has never been found by any man, woman, child, or animal. Ever."
"That, is the Tale of Cintara Citadel."

"And that key...it's mine now, isn't it?" I asked.

"Ah," he said, followed by a hearty chuckle. "You are quite intelligent, young one. Very perceptive."

I was practically trembling. How could I, someone 16 year-old who didn't even get to summon a weapon at the Day of Summoning ritual alongside everyone else, and cares oh so little about the Day in the FIRST place, wield a power so strong as to banish ancient evils?

"Would you like to know another secret?" He asked, pulling me away from my thoughts.

Another secret. That must be why I didn't know about that tale he just told me. It was a secret. But why? I'd have to ponder that later.

"S-Sure," I hesitated, still nervous.

"I sent an anonymous, false tip to the Citadel Security Department." He said, surprising me.

"But why?! That kind of stuff is serious!" I replied, thinking he's a sort of convict.

"Normally, yes," he began. "But it was all so we could have this moment in secret. I covered the Day of Summoning pedastal with fog so thick that someone could be lost without a guide. I sent a light your way as well, to serve as said guide. All so we could have this moment in secret."

I was genuinely shocked. Shocked and confused. Him saying that invoked so many different emotions and questions in me that I couldn't even begin to explain.

"I will take any questions you have now before we continue," he said, looking as if he knew I had many questions cooking up inside of me.

"Well, for starters," I began, mustering up my courage to speak and trying to calm my trembling, gathering my thoughts.

"How did you know where I lived? After all, that's where you sent the light."

"Every person who decides to hold the role of Catalyst Holder has to do a disencouraging amount of paperwork and research on each and every person who is scheduled to participate on that Day of Summoning. It had your address along with all the others who were participating."

"How did you know I was going to be the one who had that weapon?"

He hesitated for a split second, then soon replied. "I..had a feeling. I do not really comprehend how, nor am I able to fully explain. That's also how I knew that I had to keep this secret, hence the tip."

"How did you get ahold of the light if it were in my meditation zone? Shouldn't it just be a personal thing, or exclusive to me?"

"Well, that's where the raspberries and blueberries come in. Normally, you'd only have to take one of the berries in order to link with your weapon, but every Catalyst Holder has them take two. When someone takes two of the berries, and a Catalyst Holder eats one, it allows them to connect their meditation zones to the meditation zone of the one who took two. However, this process drains the potency of the second berry, hence why you must take two."

Well, I guess you really do learn something new everyday. I heard that just one berry was enough, but I didn't want to ask straightforwardly. It also solved another question I would've asked depending on his answer.
So that was basically all I wanted to ask. I could've sworn I had more questions than that, but either I exaggerated a bit or they just sorta, I don't know, left me.

"I guess that's it, for now anyway," I said, feeling a bit more knowledgeable now.

"Well then," he began, getting up with a grunt of struggle. "It's time to truly summon your weapon. Rise, Ace."

I stood up by his command, trying to seem formal, because the moment, what I thought was so unimportant and miniscule, suddenly felt like I was carrying a responsibility so great, no one could handle it.

No one but me.

"Now, reach into the light," he commanded, as the light gently hovered toward me.

I reached out my hand, seeming touching the inside of the light. It felt..warm. warm and soft. So small, yet so spacey, as if you could fit a whole bedroom in such a tiny thing. Suddenly, as I began to grip, a cold, metal feel went through my hand.

That was it.
That was my weapon.
Passed down to me.

I pulled it out of the light as I got used to the feel of it. It was so light, yet so heavy, so cold, yet so warm..I didn't know how to explain it.

"Here goes nothing," I say, pulling out the weapon as it's shine began to reflect across my face.

Shing! Woosh.

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⏰ Last updated: Jun 10 ⏰

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