With a tired sigh, Aria tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. Her arms ached with the weight of the baby, but she didn’t allow that to slow her pacing. Lilith had been colicky a lot lately, and a steady walk and quiet hum was the only thing that seemed to keep her from screaming at the top of her lungs. As tired as Aria was, the last thing she wanted was those shrill screams to resume and wake all the napping young ones.
Aria looked up with surprise when her mother quietly slipped into the room. She had thought her mother was hard at work in her studio, and hadn’t expected to see her until much later in the day. Quietly, her mother said, “Give me Lilith dear. You have visitors.”
“Visitors Mother?” Aria asked in surprise.
“Yes dear. Now smooth your hair and hurry along. Dahlia and I will be fine for the rest of the day.”
“Yes Mother.” Aria said, hurrying out of the room while fixing her hair to look as presentable as she could without a mirror. She knew any visitors would be waiting in the front room, and a little thrill of excitement ran through her as she approached the entryway, she’d never had visitors important enough for the front room before! Usually anyone who visited her would just come on back and talk to her while she took care of the kids.
Aria’s heart leaped into her throat when she entered the front room and saw the three visitors standing solemnly waiting for her. At last her turn had come! She did her best to hide her excitement as she gave a low bow and gave them the traditional greeting, “Peace, health, and joy my friends. How may I serve you?”
The man in the middle stepped forward. “Peace, health, and joy to you our friend. Today it is we who come to serve you. Please, kneel before us, not out of fear, but in the joy of receiving.” Aria knelt, head bowed, her heart thumping like a rabbit being chased by a hawk. Slipping a thin chain over her head the man continued, “With this gem we charge you.”
Stepping forward and laying one hand on her head another man spoke, “With this gem you start your journey into adulthood.”
The last of the trio, a woman, also stepped forward and place her hand on Aria’s head. “Now you leave behind your childish ways.”
Adding his hands on top to complete the ceremony the first man spoke one again. “Go forth, seek who you will and render them aid as you can.”
Speaking in unison the trio finished. “Change the world for good, and you shall be welcome back to your people. Change the world for harm and you shall be an outcast, forever to wander alone, never to know the joy of fellowship.”
The trio stepped back, and Aria slowly raised her head. “I solemnly promise to go out, to seek the one who needs me, and to change this world for good.”
The trio bowed gently, and quietly left the room, leaving Aria on her knees, trembling. As she heard the door close she lifted the gem from her chest, and stared into its dark green depths.
Her quest had begun!
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