The Arcane Trickster

CHAPTER 2 - The March of the Masses

Asahel received his Class Identification Plaque and bowed again to the white robbed priest, who in his turn gently smiled and patted his head with a hand.

-“ Go now, child.” Said the priest as he turned back to the altar, “There is still quite some work for us to do here.”

Asahel understood that the priest was telling him to not linger any longer on the altar, after all, the line behind him wasn’t getting any smaller. Dashing out of the altar, he wanted to head home and tell the news to his mom, but he was stopped by one of the men who received the ritual with him.

-“ Hey man, we are the only people to get good classes in that batch, huh, My name is Hick, we should get together and chat sometime, after all, as an awakened of the same batch there is a chance of us being in the same regiment in the army, right?” Awkwardly said the young man who crystal shined with a light red color in the ritual.

Asahel was worried about his mother, her health was getting worse by the day and he spent more than five hours waiting in line to receive the ritual, eager to tell the news to his mother, he was about to reject the offer when Reynald came running to him.

-“ Asahel, I’m now a Bannerman.” Said Reynald laughing. “Can you believe it? Didn’t I say that Knight would be my future class, just wait.”

Reynald's intrusion in the conversation made the already awkward Hick even more nervous, and just before he could continue to invite Asahel to talk more, Reynald asked.

-“ So, Asahel, did you get as your class? Of course, don’t worry if you don't like it, after all, now that I’m awakened my father will need more help in the shop you know?"

 Hick who was thrown on the sidelines of the conversation looked to Reynald and tried to strike up a conversation with him too, after all, knowing more people who could be his future coworkers is a good thing.

-“ Reynald, huh, Bannerman is quite a good class, my name is Hick, I just awakened as a fighter in the same batch as Asahel.” Hick extended his hand to Reynald who easily accepted the handshake, and Hick continued. “ Your friend is as lucky as you, awakening as a dual-class, at such a young age, for sure he could get a good spot in the army.”

Reynald looked at Asahel in shock.

-“ DUAL-CLASS? Ms Couzens will be so happy.” Reynald laughed as he shook Asahel. “ Let’s go home, I need to tell the good news to my old man.” So Reynald dragged Asahel, as for Hick, well, Reynald forgot completely about Hick when he heard about the Dual-class awakening and left him there.

After leaving Reynald in his home, Asahel continued to his home. It was his first moment alone after the ritual, and finally, he could think about things carefully. To Asahel, his entire day felt surreal, from the ritual dreamlike chants to his dual-class awakening, and mostly that last cyan light that emerged from the core of his crystal.

He arrived home in an instant, and faced the door, Asahel took a deep breath and entered his home.

-“Mother, I’m home.”

A pale and frail-looking woman smiled at him. -“ How was your awakening Asahel? Don’t push yourself too hard, you know, my arms are getting better, you should stop worrying so much. ”

His mother said as she extend her hands to him, in a gesture telling him to come closer, Asahel held his mother’s hand and embraced her. His dad’s death caused his mother’s health to deteriorate rapidly, and the burden of providing for the family only made her already weak body even frailer, his mother never stopped working and always made the maximum effort to alleviate the work that Asahel needed to do.

Holding his mother’s cold hand Asahel smiled gently and caressed her, the happiness of having a successful and useful awakening only grew after seeing his mother, after all, now he could really provide a good life for her.

-“ Mother, my ritual was successful, is you that don’t need to worry.” Asahel said while he gently smiled at his mother, the hard times that the two endured were coming to a close, and for that he was glad. 

His mother tearful gaze stirred Asahel's emotions, so he continued. -“ I awakened as a dual class, mother, now that I can enter the army you should stop working you know? In the future, we could even move to a better house.”

“ Oh my, my little Asahel was grown so much, your father would be proud of the man that you have become.” His mother said while patting his head, pride filled her eyes. “ It’s great that you’re thinking about your future, but maybe you should first pass the army entrance exam before thinking so far ahead.”

And like this mother and child for hours talked about the future, the present, and most importantly the past, remembering the hardships they faced, the good times, the bad ones, and their most precious memories.

His mother told him old stories about his father, how he always was a very dedicated man towards his studies, how he would read her books when they were young, and about his fixation on books, botany, and all things related to magic.

His mother cherished his father’s book collection so much that even during their darkest time she refused to sell them, after all, the collection was one of the few things that he left them.

The emotional conversation only ended when Reynald came to his house, inviting them to a party his father was organizing to commemorate Reynald and Asahel's awakening.