Death Frost | Deathsworn #2

Chapter 4 ❆ Trials

I made my way inside the first building to another queue. This one took a while and the line behind me quickly began to lengthen. Maun was right behind me. As for Erenol, I decided to queue up behind her as well. There was another person in front of her but Erenol decided to give up her spot to move behind by one person just so she could be beside me.

There were five rooms in the building this time, all with monks standing guard outside. Each participant took about five to ten minutes inside. Some moved on to the next testing site while others moved to leave the Temple grounds.

Eren looked visibly nervous. This girl already knew she was a Conduit. I didn't understand why she would worry so much.

"Did you forget?" Eren asked me as she played with the fabric of her clothes.

"What did I forget?"

"My father," she whispered.

"What of it?" I inquired with a frown of confusion.

"Veneryan royalty usually have Raki as their bloodline Deliverer," she told me under her breath. "That usually means strong affinity for the elements of earth and metal. The energy signature we tend to have is also uniquely gold so even if I hadn't formally awakened yet, I have a big feeling this would be the scenario. But when I underwent that test before when we first met, the guy looked visibly disappointed. I don't know what to expect."

"You'll be fine."

"If that monk knows?" she whispered to me, looking around making sure no one could hear us. "Will he tell?"

"I'm sure Mistress Veronika has already made the proper arrangements," I told her reassuringly. "You've no need to worry about it."

"You sure?" she asked.

"Of course."

"Next in line please," the monk said. He was looking at Erenol.

Erenol inched forward and entered the room while gazing at me for comfort. I just nodded at her to continue. Very soon, the door was closed and it took a good five or ten minutes before she finally came out again. She gave me a nod before moving on to the next part of the test.

It was my turn next. I looked at Maun who was still silently standing behind me and proceeded to enter the room.

There, I saw the Abbot.

The door was quickly closed. I was bathed in the warm glow of an overhead candlelight and utter silence.

"Sit." The Abbot motioned for the pillow cushion across him.

I awkwardly inched my way forward and sat, my legs folded under me and my ankles propped at the base of my spine.

"You're all special cases," he said with a nod. "I'm personally evaluating you to be safe. It's clear to me now why Veronika asked me to personally do so. That girl from before...Erenol, was it?" he began.

I nodded.

"She has the classic signature of the Sixth Dragon," he told me. "I would reckon she also has a high favorability with her Deliverer being of that blood. It is a shame she is born a girl."

"Why so?" I asked, feeling my brow twitch at that last bit.

"Don't misunderstand. I am not downing her for that. Women in the royalty are usually only seen as bearers of the torch. They are not deemed fit for the race. They are expected to pass on their fortune to their sons. As such, having such favorability complicates her fate and puts her in danger of being taken advantage of—the story would be different had she been a man."