Only Skeletons Remain

Chapter 25: The Gifts

Miguel led Javier and María through the Cave of the Ancestors, holding a torch. He remembered when he came here all those years ago. How long had it been? He stopped at the edge of the hallway where the Ancestors would be. "I cannot go any further with you." He said. 

María looked at her father. "Papí, you've seen them before." She whispered, walking over to him. "Why can't you come with us?" 

"This is an experience for you and you alone, hijita." Miguel told her, kissing her forehead. "I will be waiting for you when you return. The Ancestors will not hurt you."

María nodded, giving her father a hug before she turned and began following after Javier. The air around them was thick with magic, and the glowing runes in the walls seemed to whisper secrets carried from the past. 

In María's arms, Harper was cradled, her small, curious eyes peeking out from the blanket wrapped around her. Liam rested against Javier's chest, his tiny fists occasionally grasping at his father's cloak.

Ahead of them, the path twisted into a series of glowing stones, leading them deeper into the heart of the cave where the Ancestors resided. Javier glanced at María, his gaze softened by both love and the gravity of the moment. They had snuck out of DEMA under the cover of night, seeking the sanctuary of the Ancestors, hoping their children would receive the blessings that could shape their futures.

"I can feel them," María whispered, her voice barely above a breath. She looked down at Harper, whose eyes seemed unusually bright for a baby. "They're close."

Javier nodded, tightening his grip on Liam. "We're almost there."

The path opened into a wide clearing, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight. In the center of the clearing stood a large stone altar, around which several ancient figures were gathered—the Ancestors. Each one embodied a different aspect of nature: one was covered in moss like the forest itself, another had the appearance of flowing water, and yet another seemed to radiate the warmth of the sun.

As Javier and María approached, the Ancestors turned to greet them. The tallest of the Ancestors, Aegishorn, stepped forward, his deep eyes glowing with ancient knowledge. His horns curved above his head, twisting like the branches of an old oak tree.

"You have come," Aegishorn's voice rumbled like thunder in the distance. "The children of prophecy." The Ancestor's eyes seemed to study them. 

Javier and María exchanged a glance, both kneeling as they held out their twins to the Ancestors. Aegishorn leaned down, his massive form towering over them. "What you seek, we already know."

A smaller Ancestor, Starling's kin Lothwing, fluttered forward on quiet wings. "These two," she said, her voice like a breeze, "are meant to shape the future. The girl—her sight will carry her far beyond this realm."

A shimmering light passed over Harper, and for a brief moment, her gray eyes seemed to glow with a strange and powerful light. María gasped as Harper stirred, not in distress, but in a calm, knowing way. It was as if the baby had seen something in that moment, a glimpse of something far beyond her understanding.

"She has the gift of Foreseeing," Lothwing continued, her wings fluttering gently around Harper. "Her visions will guide her through the many trials to come. She will see many things. Both good and bad. She will see many wars. Many victories." 

Javier looked down at his daughter, his heart swelling with both pride and a hint of fear. To carry such a gift meant she would face dangers, many of which he would never be able to protect her from. He swallowed a bit before turning back to Aegishorn.

Aegishorn turned his attention to Liam. "And the boy," he said, his voice lowering as if in reverence, "he will hear the voices of those who have passed beyond the veil. His gift will be the Voice, and through it, he will speak to the dead. He will use this to learn secrets from the Glorious Gone. To hold such a gift comes with many facets."

As the words left Aegishorn's lips, the air around Liam seemed to thicken. The baby shifted in Javier's arms, as though something unseen had brushed past him. Javier looked down at his son, and for a moment, Liam's eyes opened wide. There was an eerie calmness in them, as if even at this age, he could feel the presence of spirits around him.

María looked to Javier, her voice trembling slightly. "The Voice and Foreseeing... They will be powerful." She looked over at Javier, fear evident in her eyes. Were these gifts able to save their children from DEMA's wrath?

"They will be more than powerful," Aegishorn corrected. "They will be necessary. The road ahead is filled with shadows, and only through their gifts will they be able to navigate the darkness that looms over the land. Over the City of Neon Lights."

With their words spoken, the Ancestors took a step back, allowing Javier and María to rise to their feet. Javier held Liam close, feeling the weight of responsibility growing heavier on his shoulders. María, too, felt the shift, though her heart remained focused on protecting her children from whatever dangers lay ahead.

Aegishorn dipped his head, a signal that the ceremony was complete. "Go now," he said, his voice once again deep and ancient. "Raise them well, for the day will come when their gifts will be called upon. And when that day comes, they must be ready."

Javier and María bowed deeply, cradling their children in their arms. As they turned to leave the clearing, the glow of the Ancestors faded behind them, but their words and the gifts bestowed upon their children remained like a burning truth.

"They will be ready," Javier whispered, as if reassuring himself as much as his wife. "They will have to be."

Javier and María made their way back to Miguel, and Miguel walked over to them. "Well?" He asked. "What happened?"

"The Ancestors bestowed gifts to them." María said. "I hope this is enough to protect them from the bishops."

"It won't be," Miguel replied darkly, "but it will help protect them." He stared at his daughter and son in-law. "They will have the Bandito support if they make the right choices. But right now, we need to you back to the city before the bishops know any better."

The three of them made their way out of the cave system on Voldsoy, where Starling was waiting for them. They climbed onto her back, and they took off towards the City of Neon Lights. If Javier and María were caught, they'd be in serious trouble, and Javier wouldn't be able to sweet talk his way out of it.