The Seventh Path (On Hold)

Assignment

"Today's the day," muttered my childhood friend, Sora Echethier. Her head was downcast, but, from a space in between her light black bangs, I could see her dark brown, almost black eyes looking up at the hut before us. It was unlike the girl to seem nervous, but I could see in her eyes that today was different. It made sense, the day of Assignment was stressful for everyone, determining the rest of our lives. While I was afraid at the thought of losing my only true friend, I believe she was scared because of her parents, for they had come from a land far to the east and had only been accepted into our village because of the Talents they possessed. Supposedly, possessing a Talent outside the village was almost unheard of, and thusly their acceptance into our home had been unheard of. As their child, Sora had to worry about possessing a Talent or risk exile. I had never heard of anyone from our village being born without a Talent, but maybe things were different? Maybe in other places, a Talentless could be born from those with Talents? If people with the yellow skin of Sora could exist, then I suppose much more is possible.

"It'll be okay," I attempted to assure the girl, staring down at her with a worried smile. I don't think she noticed, though I still fell better for attempting to console her.

"How much longer?" She whined, grinding her heel into the earth beneath her.

I stared up at the sun, squinting as I tried to determine it's precise position. "Half an hour at most. But...where are the others? They're cutting it close."

Sora laughed, very obviously forced. "Not everyone's so picky about arriving early as you, Tair." She paused and looked up at me. "What if?"

"What if what?" I asked when she fell silent.

Her fists clenched and she swallowed hard, taking a deep breath before speaking. I had expected her voice to come out shakily, and was surprised when it was instead strong and filled with a confidence that didn't seem to belong. "I know it's unlikely we'll possess the same Talent, so what if we never see each other? What if I'm Talentless and forced to leave forever? I can't...I can't...Nevermind."

I switched my gaze back to the hut, which loomed above us menacingly. It wasn't large, nor was it small, however, it being raised atop a large mound of earth seemed to make it grow as I stared up at it. We would be let in at exactly noon, when the sun was directly above the roof. I had to focus my mind on it to keep myself from crying, for Sora had forced me to remember something I had wished to avoid thinking about. Those of different Talents rarely interacted, though some did still manage. My parents, for example; they possessed the earth and water Talents, yet had still married.

"We'll be fine," I assured her, surprising myself as I reached over and clasped her left hand in my right. I was even more surprised when she let me keep it there. "You'll be fine. I know you'll have a Talent. You're too amazing not to. And with your fiery personality, I imagine you'll have the flame Talent."

"Thank you, Tair," her hand squeezed mine tightly for a very brief moment before removing her's from mine. She took a deep breath through her nose, exhaling for several seconds. "Thank you."

We waited for quite some time, others of the same age joining us one at a time until all ten of those facing Assignment were present. I had my hands clasped together in front of me, waiting...and waiting...and waiting, until the door to the hunt swung inward, a man with long, thinning, greyed hair motioning for us to follow him inside, disappearing inside. I had expected someone to be eager or confident, and stride forward. But no one did. Taking the initiative, I took one hesitant step, followed by another, and another, until I was the first one to enter.

I only had a few seconds to take in the scene before I was pushed out of the way. Six men sat on the rounded side of a half-circle stone table, a blazing hearth in the center. I recognized all six, for they were village elders, and the leaders of each Talent Path. Each was dressed in a black cloak, their hoods cast back so their aged faces could be clearly seen. Each cloak was adorned with a wide colored stripe around the shoulders, representing their possessed Talents. Blue, red, green, brown, white, and silver. Water, fire, earth, air, nature, and strength respectively.

Once all ten of us were inside, standing shoulder to shoulder, the man with the white stripe rose from his seat and warily moved around the table. I noticed he held a bronze bowl in each, which he proceeded to place at each end of the table. He stepped between us and the hearth, standing close enough I am surprised his cloak failed to catch fire. Exaggeratedly, he cleared his throat and began to speak something I heard every year during the summer and winter solstices. I could practically recite it along with him.

"Six Paths, which this world divides. While separate, they are all part of the greater balance, granted to us by the gods. It is up to us to thrive with their gifts, which the heinous heathens in the outer world have long since lost." I attempted to stare down the line of people in search of Sora when he said this, though she was hidden by the taller boys and girls between us. "Since the beginning of the world, those who follow the Paths have thrived, have lived without fear. No beast save for the vile man is capable of harming us! We are superior! Water, the giver. Earth, the defender. Air, the enlightened. Fire, the taker. Nature, the keeper. And strength, the immortal. Together the Six Paths guide our lives! We must use them to thank the gods! Now come! Claim your path!"

We knew how this was supposed to work, we would go down the line, left to right, tossing a handful of the substance from the bowls into the flames. Whichever color it turned was supposed to indicate our Talent. Being the furthest to the right, I would be the last to go, provided my nerves didn't claim my life first.

The first to go up was one of three girls my age. I didn't know her, nor did I really care to. I only cared about Sora. Wherever anyone else ended up had little to do with me. Sora...she was the only one that mattered. And she was the third to go. I could see her slightly trembling as she plucked a handful of white powder from the left bowl. She took the two steps required to reach the hearth, swinging her right hand from left to her right as the powder flew into the flames. I had prepared myself for nothing, and was more than relieved when the flames changed to the color of molten silver. I glowered at everyone mumbled under their breath, including the elders.

A smile on her face, Sora marched back to her position in line, the next person going up once the final murmurs had died down. From then on, I didn't pay much attention until it was my turn, though I am sure no one's flames turned as solid a color as Sora's. It made me happy, thinking that her affinity with her Talent was stronger than that of everyone else.

As the boy next to me returned, I strode up to the bowl on the right, claiming a large handful of the fluffy powder. I stepped in front of the hearth's flames, faking as much courage as I could. Mimicking the actions of the others, I held the powder in my right hand over my left shoulder, swinging downward diagonally as I released the substance. It seemed like forever that the flames didn't change, and I feared I was talentless. Yet, within a moment, all the light in the room was gone, save for a few embers in the hearth. I could just barely see and hear as a figure jumped onto the table, what sounded like the ruffling of feathers soon following. Then, as suddenly as it had disappeared, the light was back. And I was staring at a cloaked man atop the table. He wore the same cloak as the elders, only his was entirely black. 

I stared at the elders, seeing if they were just as surprised as I was. They weren't. In fact, they looked almost angered. I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to look behind me. What was about to happen? Did I perform the ritual wrong? Was this actually how the Talentless were shown?

"Come with me," said the man atop the table with a low growl. His tone of voice told me there was no room for discussion.