[FB] Terra's First Blessing

Terra ambled towards the Temple. He had very little interest in this old tradition at this particular temple. It was small and dinky, plus he felt as if it was not fair to represent their god in such a way. The green Ortusi looked at his family walking with him through the forest and signed. There was no getting out of it, this had been their tradition for generations. His family, which followed Ortusi tradition and the Jarl incredibly closely, was excited about the occasion; Terra much less so. The people around him were not his parents, well he assumed they were somewhere in the crowd, maybe. Instead, they were those who raised him, as well as those he grew up with. Their particular section of the herd was one of many that invested heavily in agriculture, but Terra's interest lay elsewhere. He was fascinated by those who could use the forge, he craved the smell of metal melting and the clang of tools. His desire to be different is what caused him to dislike the culture the Jarl had created. From those around him, one would think it was a utopia, but he felt the lack of choice and freedom was suffocating.

The trail through the fields was quiet despite the large group he traveled with. All that could be heard were the whispers of those around him, filled with nerves. Questions flew around him, what would his blessings be? Would he match everyone else in their herd? Would Ortus bless him with something unique? Terra was too invested in his thoughts to care. Appearances were the least of his concerns, whatever he was blessed with he would be grateful for. His mind was deep in thought of his plan for that night, going over the plan one more time.

He had a plan, one no one else knew about, he was going to leave tonight, after this ceremony. His belief was the Ortus did not give them this strength to have it wasted under the control of another, he would forge his path. With this reminder, the young Ortusi walked quickly towards the temple. It took a little while longer as the temple was in the very back of the fields, separate from every other field. This particular field was only tended to by the senior members of his group, no one else was trusted. Though he did not understand why there was a restriction on talking to their god. Finally, it appeared, a small pile of rocks in a clearing of the fields. It was a sacred space that was never farmed, for it was only ever used for these ceremonies. Very rarely did ordinary members of his group get to look at this area; only during the ceremonies were Enivi allowed even close to it. No one was allowed in the clearing beside the Enivi being blessed, so as Terra walked closer to the stone, those who had accompanied him backed away. The buzz in the air was undeniable, his hair tinged with energy, and now he was excited. He thought over his words one more time until he was directly in front of the stone.

With a bow, Terra prayed to Ortus, "Please give me strength in this next chapter. Bless me not only with these gifts of strength but also courage for the journey. I wish to live my life as strong as possible, in the way I believe you intended for us to. I will forge my path and be who I want to be. I refuse to let my life stay the same as the others, this is not a utopia. I do not believe this is not the herd you wanted when you slayed the dragon. Your strength, fortitude, and perseverance are my stepping stones. My path is my own, but it is modeled in your honor. Thank you Ortus."

As he prayed, he felt the magic wrap around him and tighten. It was warm and gentle, like a hot cup of tea on a cool day. The image of the sun appeared in Terra's mind and he felt peace. A gentle sigh came out of his mouth and with that he felt the small scales form on his side. His horns slowly formed into antlers, strong as tree branches. Finally, he felt scales appear on his face, the common trait amongst all Ortusi.

"Thank you," Terra whispered.

He turned to his group; all of them stared at the green Ortusi and cheered. He let a small smile grace his face, he was proud of his blessing. The strength that flooded through him was something that let him know he could make this next step. With one last look back towards the stones, Terra followed the others back to his village for one last night.