TATT: The Fall Of Neuhaven

Episode V

The night never came, the light of a false day hung in the air with no intentions of setting. My hunger went from snackish to near starving. I talked Alfred to let me, Talias and Axrea, rest in the general store. He offered a trade, I had to watch Anakin and Athena while he tended to Seridyn. The general store was ours. Axrea left to the rooftops wanting to scout the area.

I wasn't the best with kids. The two sat pretty much where I diced up Eliza, with none the wiser. They both look famished, so I was jostling my head as to how I could feed them.

"Mr. Ebenstall, did you know me and Anakin are a glass mages?" Athena cut through the silence.

I look down at her, smiling, "The Father has blessed the both of you with quite the ability. When were you two born?"

"April!" Athena cooed. "November.." Her brother spoke after.

"So Athena, you're blessed by Saint Augor. The Life Bearer. And Anakin, you are blessed by Saint Dysk, Witness of the night."

"What does that even mean?" The teenage girl asked.

I scratch at my chin, "Eliza was born in April too, so you two have a knack for channeling life to prosper. And Anakin, I've seen people with Dysk's blessing not even need sleep, you are the truest breed of hunters. Each person is different, however. Each person has a gift with hidden potentials. These potentials can be shared with others of the same Saintblood blessing. Or completely unique to yourself. You both have quite the adventure to go on developing your talents. Eliza had a natural ability, singing plants to blossom is a novice level spell. One I'm sure even Athena, you could pick up in a few days flat. But that was just one of her talents."

Athena smacks her brother in the shoulder. "Like that one time, she sang the birds wing back to healthy again."

I nod, "Exactly, but you two are vastly different. Glass mages take the potential of the Saintblood blessing and elevate it to the highest point. Each Saintblood blessing comes with an aspect and a chosen weapon. The church likes to call these holy artifacts Penumbrian weapons. Some people are born adept at hand to hand fighting with a weapon to complement their fighting niche. Some have a knack for ranged weapons. The majority, however, are just proficient in magic. You two are unique, you are blessed with all three aspects. Just like me. Born to not only push back the dark but to protect those who can't fight."

Anakin starts to tear up. "I.. I don't want to fight! I don't want to hurt anyone again!"

Athena comforts him, "I'll fight for you, Anakin. I failed Elizabeth, but I won't fail you. Okay?"

Anakin sobs to himself. To my amazement, the two are on totally different mentalities. Athena's hard-headedness seems to take the tragic loss of her friend as fire under her butt. Anakin buckled under the horrors, the poor kid.

I spot shards of glass on the floor from the nearby broken window, and like that, an idea sprouted. I picked up two sizeable pieces as well as a bunch of little bits, bringing it over to the kids.

"Both of you, let me see your hands."

I show them that no matter how hard I pressed the see-through material down on their palms, the glass wouldn't pierce their skin. Wonder recaptured their minds. "You are hungry, right? Heres your meal." I portion out the handful of shards to the two. The hesitant crunches of glass between their teeth fell into a swallow, the hunger leaped right from their faces. Raw excitement rushed through them as they ate up the shards like it was candy. I then place the more significant sized pieces in their hands. "Don't eat these, instead. Close your eyes, focus on the glass on your wrists. If you do it right, you can see what weapon your Saint presented you with."