“May Ignis light your path,” a young Rao prayed, imitating the village boys he had met in the afternoon.

Clink.

Rao looked up at his mother, noting that the house guards also had their eyes stray towards her. She rarely set down her bowl in an audible manner.

She wiped at the corners of her mouth with a napkin, then turned her attention towards him.

“Where did you learn that?” she asked slowly. Rao looked at his mother curiously, wondering what she was reacting to.

“The boys from the village said this before they ate,” Rao explained. “I asked and they told me this is how to worship God Ignis.”

Lidian Ignis’ brows furrowed, but Rao could not tell if she was upset or angry. Frustrated?

“I see.”

Rao studied her forced response warily. “Why didn’t we ever do that?”

He always remembered the way his mother didn’t meet his eyes as she answered. Instead, her eyes darted around as she looked at the guards posted around their dining room, as though she were afraid of what they might hear. But she still answered.

“Because, Rao, and I remind you of this very carefully: Be careful what you pray for. The gods may just grant you what you seek.”

---

 

Rao had reached Ignis City.

It was dusk by the time he arrived and passed through the city’s gates. It has been more than five years since he last stepped in to Ignis City. Overwhelmed by all the changes, he found himself wandering around the bustling center watching his surroundings in wonderment. The east gate had led directly to the marketplace which was bustling with people, but Rao found it curious as to why there were such a festive atmosphere in the air. Even for the capital city of Ignis’ domain, this was extraordinary.

Smiles were everywhere even as the alcohol flowed freely into mugs, mouths, and then the streets. It was accompanied by the smell of sizzling food spicing up the air, covering even the acrid scent of the Great Forge where metal was being worked. Rao remembered associating that smell with Ignis City the last time he had been here when it had overwhelmed his senses, when his mother had taken him through the City when they left the Flame Pagoda.

Overcome with curiosity at the atmosphere of elation, he asked a market stall owner why it seemed there was a celebration. Had he miscounted the days and forgotten some festival or another?

“What? No! Are you from the outskirts?” the stall owner laughed, “Haven’t you heard? God Ignis is back from the dead! Our God is back! It’s an auspicious day indeed. God Ignis has been gone for almost 30 years since He fell in battle against the Demon horde. Our land is blessed again! In fact, have an apple!”

The stall owner tossed an apple from his stand at Rao, who caught it. Rao smiled back at the stall owner, “Thanks!”

“Of course! May Ignis light your path, sonny!”

Rao continued his walk through the marketplace. Biting into the apple, Rao mulled his thoughts as he chewed. Like all others, he grew up hearing the story about God Ignis and His fall in the battle against the Demon horde – the Engulfed Bridge tragedy.

Of course, Gods never truly die – they simply reincarnate, or so his mother had taught him. Gods spend some time in Hell, then reincarnate again into their mortal shell.

The joyous atmosphere made sense now. The Ignis had been without their God for nearly three decades, but a divine presence would restrengthen their standing with the other Cities.

At the very least, God Ignis would be a sign of stability and prosperity for Ignis City to rally around. Rao’s mother had told him about how the Ignis had been in steady decline over the past two decades as family quarrels arose without the help of divine judgment.

Rao chuckled to himself inwardly as he organized his thoughts.

And to think I once hated it when mother made me sit down with her to learn the political strife between the Cities.

“Watch out!”

Rao looked to his right at the source of the shout, but bumped into a pole regardless. Caressing his head, he looked up just in time to see the metal pot of flames tip over the pole’s side and drop in his direction.

Before he could react, the flames swirled upwards even as a gust of wind rushed in to caress the pot, allowing it to sink gently to the ground. Rao stood dumbfounded.

“Are you not an Ignis? How could you not even sense it as you were walking towards fire?”

Looking around, Rao saw the voice, but it was different from the one that had shouted the warning. It was a man dressed in the robes of an Ignis front-liner, one arm lifted as he directed the flames towards other pots that lit the streets. But his eyes were looking at Rao.

“Well?” the man demanded, “Not only were you not watching where you were walking, you also managed to give everyone a fright.”

But another man dressed in the garb of a Ventus Priest laid a hand on the angry man’s shoulder. Rao knew this was the man that had controlled the pot’s fall.

“Now now, Leizuo,” the Ventus Priest’s eyes were kind, and Rao knew from the voice that this was the one that had shouted the warning. “Don’t be too harsh on the youngster. He was probably just enjoying the festivities. After all, you Ignis have much to be happy about today.”

Leizuo seemed indifferent to the Priest’s cajoling, but finished his diverting of the flames. “Consider yourself lucky, and watch your step.” Leizuo warned Rao, then walked off without a second glance. The Ventus Priest gave Rao an apologetic smile and a wave, murmuring, “My friend has had a bit much to drink – forgive him.” He then followed Leizuo and the two disappeared into the crowd.

Rao found himself being stared at by the surrounding people who had come to look at the commotion, and decided it was best that he duck his way out and run to where he needed to be.

He rushed towards the city center’s billboard and found the information he was looking for regarding the upcoming Rite. Participants were to gather together tomorrow evening in front of the Great Forge. Scanning it twice to make sure he knew all he came for, Rao then searched for a nearby inn for lodging for the night.

---

The Great Forge

Ignis City contributed to the effort to staunch the Demon horde through creating weapons and armor to send to the front-lines, and Ignis City’s Great Forge was the heart of this operation. The furnace within was said to carry God Ignis’ personal flames since it was first created several thousand years ago, and had stayed lit ever since.

The temperature grew warm as Rao approached the Forge, the orange-light of the heated metals within spilling out and bathing the artificial water stream that ran around it. At one end, he saw the tell-tale signs of a gathering, and approached the group.

The group was gathered around a man in front-liner clothes, carrying a banner depicting God Ignis’ symbol. Sliding in, Rao viewed the people around him. A small gathering of youths his age or older, here to claim the Gift that fate had denied them. Many of them were talking in an excited manner, clearly believing that they were about to be delivered from the stigma of being Giftless. Some of the ones already there turned around to look at him, but Rao gave them what he hoped was an approachable grin and looked away.

He counted five people in total wearing military garb, and knew they were the front-liners responsible for leading this Rite. The one wearing a hood despite the heat pouring from the Forge sat a few meters away from the group, gazing up at the Forge. Rao wondered if that was the leader.

As the sun set and the orange glow from the Forge became more prominent, the man holding up the banner planted it in a pedestal and motioned to the group, who gathered around him.

“It’s almost dusk, so it looks like that’s that. Anyone who doesn’t arrive on time probably doesn’t want this enough anyways. Now, we should probably give introd-”

“Hey, mister front-liner. Isn’t God Ignis back? Can’t we just petition him?”

The banner man looked at the youth that interjected him.

“My name is Chaozui. You will do well to remember that,” Chaozui answered the youth, then continued, “I suppose you heard the legend that the Gods themselves can grant you your Gifts.”

The gathered youths murmured, but no one dared say anything.

“Our God just reincarnated, and has two decades’ worth of events and businesses to attend to, I’m sure. And how do you think you’ll get an audience with the God to ask Him personally?” answered the man.

“I’m sure that God Ignis knows it will be a boon for all of humanity and the war effort for more of us to obtain Gifts, and – ” but the youth was interrupted as well.

“And then what, you dolt? Aren’t you all here precisely because you don’t have any Gifts? And you think that just acquiring your Gift is enough to catch up to the front-liners, is it?”

The youth was visibly taken aback. “We don’t know if we don’t try, and – ”

The hooded man landed on his feet between the two arguing. Chaozui stepped back, then frowned, “Leizuo, I…”

Rao started at the name, but didn’t make a motion. Leizuo ignored Chaozui and turned around to the defiant youth before lifting his hood. The youth looked up at him, and Rao watched as Leizuo’s gaze never broke contact.

And then Leizuo spoke, his words a low tone, each one measured and slow, “You were born Giftless. Do not attempt to run while you don’t know how to walk.”

The youth stepped back, but then waved his hand wildly, “You dare insult a man based on the circumstances of his birth? On the front-line, all warriors are equal, and we would all receive the honor and glory we deserve!”

Leizuo’s eye didn’t twitch, and Chaozui poked his head around Leizuo’s figure, hissing, “And did you forget, young one, that we are front-liners? You have seen nothing, living here in the City, without ever seeing a demon close up.”

“In the end,” Chaozui continued, “Aren’t you really just a coward? Looking to petition our God instead of claiming your Gifts through a Sacrifice, it’s almost like you can’t bring yourself to do what needs to be done. A child like you, unaware of the cruelty of the world, being someone us front-liners have to place our trust in? Get over yourself.”

The youth visibly deflated, and stepped back in line.

Chaozui stared around at the rest of the youths as though daring any of them to speak out of turn again. “Now, introduce yourselves. We’re taking you to a killer tonight and for those who don’t know – and I can’t believe I’m saying this – but you will bond over it. He deserves to die, no doubt about it. But all of you, it’ll be the first time you’ve done something like this.”

The youths shifted uncomfortably, and a chill atmosphere settled in despite the warmth from the Forge that overlooked them. Rao didn’t dare look at the others, choosing to stare straight ahead and organize his racing thoughts.

“Just in case, but does anyone here not know what is required for the Rite? I’m hoping none of you came here without mentally preparing yourself for what you need to do.” Chaozui looked around at the group, but no one spoke up. Rao could tell that everyone present knew what was required.

But the youth from earlier stepped up and asked, “Can you…can you at least tell us his crimes? So we can feel like …. feel like he deserves it.”

Chaozui’s face instantly turned somber. “Are you sure?”

The fact that the front-liner was unwilling to tell them made Rao and the other youths even more curious.

Chaozui looked at Leizuo. “It will help them,” Leizuo answered curtly, pulling up his hood and turning around to face the Forge.

Turning away from Leizuo, Chaozui grimaced and motioned for everyone to group closer. His face was a bit grave as he gave Leizuo one more look, as though confirming this was necessary. But Rao saw that Leizuo did not move a muscle, even as the other front-liners gathered around them. Rao noticed their faces were also extremely grim.

“Most Rites involve no more than three Giftless ones, because the soul energy you can get from a normal criminal is… limited. The reason we have as many as ten of you tonight is because this criminal committed atrocities. He was a front-liner too, you see.”

Rao’s eyes widened. A front-liner, becoming a criminal?

“He is… was … a Glacies.”

The youths exchanged glances in silence. A Glacies front-liner criminal, to be used as a Sacrifice in Ignis City?

“I suppose I should tell you everything,” Chaozui murmured, looking at the other front-liners. “The criminal’s name is Damien Glacies.”

The atmosphere changed again. The criminal was allowed to carry the surname Glacies, which meant…

“Yes,” Chaozui confirmed, as though he already knew what the gathered youths were thinking. “Damien Glacies, from the Glacies Familia.”

Rao frowned. From the main branch? So Damien Glacies is her blood relative …

“This is… unheard of,” a girl stammered from Rao’s left. “The Sacrifice is a Scion of the Glacies Familia? Wouldn’t Goddess Glacies pass judgment? Or, wouldn’t the Glacies want to be the one to Sacrifice their own? What is…”

“Goddess Glacies has passed judgment. When he was initially captured, he was brought to Her for justice. She chose to send him here as Sacrifice. That is all we know.”

Rao saw Chaozui look back at Leizuo again, who hadn’t moved an inch.

“And…his crimes?” asked the youth that had asked the question earlier. But he looked bewildered, and Rao couldn’t blame him. It was evident to all that the situation had ballooned out of control. They had come to participate in the Rite only to find out that the Sacrifice was a Glacies Scion.

Chaozui grimaced. “Crimes against humanity. Damien Glacies is guilty of killing two other members of his Quartet. As if that wasn’t enough, they were both Ventus and Terra Scions.”

Rao blanched inwardly. The Sacrifice was a Glacies Scion, guilty of killing two other Scions from the Ventus Clan and the Terra Tribe. An already big situation, made even bigger.

“Following that, Damien Glacies attempted to kill the final member of his Quartet, but the battle had attracted the attention of other Quartets in the area, who outnumbered and apprehended him,” Chaozui continued, looking around at the gathered youths. “And if any of you ever make it as a front-liner, always remember this. No matter how powerful you are, without your Quartet, you are nothing.”

Rao stayed silent with the rest, trying to process everything he had just heard. A Scion was responsible for killing two other Scions in his Quartet. That means there were three Scions in one Quartet – the fourth was most likely another Scion or warrior of equal standing. And since all Quartets are evenly divided, that meant the surviving member was an Ignis. But it couldn’t have been from my generation because I am the only Scion of my generation. Does that mean it was Uncle?

Snapping back to reality, Rao heard another ask, “Why….why is it so complicated? Are all Rites this complicated?”

“No, and you can leave. There is no shame in leaving,” Chaozui replied. “But if you choose to stay, know that this is a sanctioned Rite. Damien Glacies has been sentenced to become Sacrifice by Goddess Glacies, to be carried out in a Rite by the Ignis. There will be no repercussions for doing so.”

But Rao wondered at the decision, thinking back to what his mother had taught him in the past. How had the Clan or the Tribe accepted this? How much did his House know?

Rao imagined that among the deities, Terra and Ventus would have demanded blood, but only Ignis could have refused Glacies’ decision to have the Ignis carry out the Rite. And since Ignis had only just reincarnated, the issue was probably not even brought up to the God.

“Last chance, youngsters. There will be other Rites – this one just happens to be a bit more complicated in its setting, but the procedure and the results should be the same. Those of you ready to continue should – ” Chaozui pointed to a nondescript door to the side of the Forge ” – enter there and go down. May Ignis light your path.”

Even as the youths looked at each other, Rao broke off from the group and walked determinedly towards the door. He knew what he had to do. In his mind, there was no room for hesitation.