"Who are you, and where do you come from?" Garreth demanded. He was seated in the ceremony room, which had been rearranged to allow him and the other village elders to take council. Nathrae and Releid, who were members of the council, looked exhausted. They had spent most of the day healing those they could and administering last rites for those who they could not. Thamuk and Uther sat outside the circle, observing quietly. Aresis stood in the middle of the circle, leaning on his staff.
"I am Aresis, a seer and prophet of Aeindarhu. I have come from Tel Eramin, the court of Lord Shaaldir, ruler of the Harbingers."
"What brings you to our village?" Nathrae asked. "We have little stake in what happens in the land of Giants."
"You are wrong," Aresis said . "Shaaldir has led the Harbingers astray and abdicated his responsibilities as given by Aeindarhu. Because of this, the Sun's Phoenix has been chained down. It struggles greatly against the Tempest holding it down, and shall end in the destruction of the world."
"Is that why the Great Storm has expanded so much?" Relied asked.
"Aye, and it shall continue growing until it either consumes the world or the struggle end," Aresis answered. "Therefore, I have been sent by Aeindarhu to anoint the one who will raise the Sun and prevent this." He reached into his satchel and produced what looked like a drinking horn with a leather cap and looked at Uther. "Come here, boy."
Uther wanted to remain seated, but he felt compelled to obey.
"Hold, Aresis," Garreth rose to his feet indignantly. "If you are to anoint anyone, it should be my eldest." Behind him, Thamuk shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
Aresis fixed the chief with his fiery gaze. "The decision is final." He put his hand on Uther's shoulder, who now stood before him. "Kneel and bow your head."
Uther obeyed. He heard Aresis open the horn and felt the cool sensation of oil being poured on his head. As he poured the oil, Aresis spoke. "As Aeindarhu's seer, I pronounce this prophecy:
By sweat and blood shall the Anointed raise the sun.
In his light, gods will defeat kings,
and commoners shall defeat gods.
Their struggle shall spark war in all families,
And peace will come with the fall of the world.
Thus says Aeindarhu."
As Aresis spoke, the oil on Uther's head and shoulders began to feel warm. He opened his eyes and looked at his hands. They seemed to be made of fire. His long white braid had glowed like embers. When Uther looked up at Aresis, he felt like he could see into him, where a red star burned. Uther rose to his feet and looked around. While his vision was limited to the room, on another level, he felt like he could see the farthest ends of the earth, where clumps of souls gathered and glowed like galaxies, some brighter than others. As he turned to face the elders, several of them gasped and one of them pointed at him, crying, "His eyes!"
Uther could see into them the same way he could see into Aresis, and each of them carried a star in their chest, too. But as he continued looking, they faded away, leaving him in a world of stars separated by darkness, before that, too faded.
***
Once again, Uther woke up in the infirmary. I really need to break this habit.
He looked over to see Thamuk sitting beside his bed with Aresis behind him.
"Feeling alright?" Thamuk asked.
Uther nodded. "Just a little thirsty."
Thamuk poured him some water. Once Uther drank it, Thamuk asked, "Do you feel up to standing?"
In response, Uther sat up and slung his legs off the bed. Feeling no ill effects, he stood up. Other than some pain from the gash on his head and the bruises on his ribs, he felt fine.
"Pack your things, boy. We have far to go, and little time to get there," Aresis said gruffly.
"What are you talking about?" Uther asked, touching his bandaged head gingerly.
"I'll explain it to you at home," Thamuk cut in. "I'll help you pack your things, and in the meantime, Aresis can talk to Releid about any supplies he will need." He glanced up at the seer for confirmation. Aresis nodded his agreement and left the room. A minute later, the brothers followed him. As Uther and Thamuk walked back toward their home, the older brother was uncharacteristically quiet. "What's wrong?" Uther asked.
Thamuk shook his head. "You should have seen yourself. It was...unnerving."
"What do you mean?"
"Your eyes. They flamed like the seer's, but with a white light rather than his red. You muttered about seeing stars and then collapsed on the floor."
"Are they still glowing?" Uther asked, hands inadvertently going to his eyes. He lowered them once he realized how pointless it was.
Thamuk shook his head. "No, that stopped once you passed out."
"What happened after that?" Uther asked. "And how long was I out?"
"You collapsed about half an hour ago," Thamuk replied. "After Nathrae took you to the infirmary again, Father and the elders questioned Aresis about the prophecy, the Anointing, and the wolf pack that attacked last night."
"Well, don't leave me in suspense," Uther said.
Thamuk rubbed his chin as he recalled the conversation. "Anointing by a seer or prophet is not unheard of, but usually it's for something like becoming a priest or chief. In this case, it is a quest to raise the Sun. Mostly, Aresis emphasized that it would be a long journey and that you would need quite a few supplies. When Father asked him about the wolf pack and bear, he said that they had been sent by the half-giant you fought, Cegvir."
As Thamuk finished explaining, they reached Uther's room. How different the room seemed to Uther, as he began gathering his things. It seemed that he would indeed be departing the village, but under much different circumstances than he had thought. As he finished packing, Uther felt like something was still missing. He chewed the inside of his cheek and glanced over at Thamuk as he tried to recall what it might be. His brother—or half-brother, according to some in the village—sat with his back against the wall, holding one of his axes and absently feeling its edge as he stared into space. The sight of his weapon reminded Uther of what he had forgotten. His atlatl and darts had been broken by Cegivr, and he would need a replacement for his journey. Uther rummaged around in a bag. If he remembered correctly, there would be an old atlatl in it. A moment later, he had found it. It didn't have an obsidian back like the one he broke, but it would still assist his throws as intended. Still, he was missing ammunition.
He glanced over at Thamuk. "Do you have an extra quiver and darts?"
Thamuk stared at his axe and nodded. "In my room. You can have them."
Uther paused as he walked by his brother on the way to the door. "Are you alright?"
Thamuk shrugged and pushed against the wall to stand up.. "I will be. It's just..." He sighed and looked up to meet Uther's gaze. Though he towered over the younger Lunari, he suddenly seemed vulnerable. "It's not that I agree with Father about who should have been Anointed, but I'm a warrior, and your older brother. I feel like I should be the one to fight these Harbingers." He hefted his axe and flipped it around, offering the handle to Uther. "But since I wasn't chosen, and your weapon broke, you'll need something to fight with."
Surprised, Uther took the axe. It had been Thamuk's constant companion for as long as he could remember, and when they were younger, Thamuk had told Uther off for even touching them. The smooth wood handle fit his hand perfectly, and runes were etched into the wood near the axe head, spelling the names of the members of their family. Uther looked back up at Thamuk. "Are you sure?"
"Don't give me a reason to take it back," Thamuk's eyes twinkled as he smiled. "Besides, I've got the one I like better here." He patted the other axe still sheathed at his side. Then his face grew serious. "You are going far, and there's no telling when you'll be back. Think of it as something to remember your family by."
"Thank you," Uther said, sliding the axe into his belt. The two embraced tightly.
"For what it's worth, I think you and Father are right," Uther said when they broke apart. "Aresis should have chosen you." He patted his new weapon, mirroring Thamuk. "I will make you and Father proud with all this, I promise."