Many years prior, between the two valleys of light and dark, stood two large statutes, their heights that of skyscrapers'. One statue of a Lumen Sage facing its respected land, and an Umbran Witch doing the same. Between these two statues lead a bridge that linked the two vastly different worlds together in such a narrow and fragile way.
On this particular evening, a collective of Sages and Umbra alike gathered in the small hall located below the Lumen Sage Statue's crown. The Umbra Elder and a small number of her most trusted and experienced sisters. Opposite of them sat the Lumen Sage's lead Father and his close brethren of the same value.
The meeting was very uneventful, at least to a few of them it had felt like it. This was the first time some of the Sages and Witches had ever looked upon the other. They would rarely ever cross paths outside of their homeland. This meeting was a rarity for the few that would go with their Elder.
As the two leaders droned on, one young Sage wandering eyes surveyed the room, trying to find some escape from the boredom that was taking over him. Between the architecture and fading sunlight through the windows, he hadn't much to look at.
Except when his wandering eyes happen to pass by one of the Umbra sitting across from him, and he sees that she staring directly at him.
Both of their eyes meet, and they then quickly avert them. The Sage shifts in his chair, trying to pass off the occurrence as just a meaningless thing. He kept his eyes towards the ground, but he was getting this feeling like he was being watched.
Without moving his head, He shot his eyes up to look at the witch again. And sure enough, she was staring at him once more. This time she didn't back down in her staring. Balder, seeing she wasn't looking away, averted his eyes once more. He shifted in his chair again, a level of unease washing over him. He reached up and adjusted his singular eye monocle.
He kept his eyes away for a short while, but could still feel the presence of someone looking at him. He gathered up enough courage to look back at the Umbra, and she was still staring him down. This time, he could see a small smirk grow along her red lips underneath her black veil covering her face.
He was surprised by this and decided it would be best to not make any more eye contact for the remainder of the session. He averted his eyes once more and kept them down, forfeiting the urge to look up again, even though he could feel someone watching him.
As the meeting drew to an end, each person stood from their chairs and gave a respected bow to the other. The Sage turned and left without exchanging another look to the Umbra. Despite this, he could still feel that aura. Eyes looking straight through him.
The Sages descended the long stairway, reach the grand doorway at the bottom that stretched out onto an arching bridge. Across it, the glorious Sunset Valley. It's rich and dense green woodlands, and a slew of colorful blooming flora as far as the eye could see.
The Sage was conversing amongst his brothers when he caught the sound of clanking footsteps behind him.
He stopped and turned, looking back towards the tower they had just descended.
"What's wrong Balder? Afraid a witch will come out and pounce on you?" Another Sage joked, elbowing him as he kept his attention behind him.
"Now now, Brother Simon, you shouldn't joke about such things," The Holy Father scrutinized. "It was most likely nothing. Come now, we should be getting back."
The Sages followed suit, despite Balder keeping his attention behind him. They traversed across the stone pathway to the scenic path that laid out before them. The trail would lead them directly back to their city.
As they continued to stroll, the Holy Father and his disciples idly chatted, but Balder could not focus on it. He kept snapping his hearing back to what was ever behind them, continuing to make noise. It so was so fainted that it seemed only Balder kept noticing it.
He stopped in the path, looking forward again to his kin in front of him.
"Father William, I shall relinquish myself of your company for the time being. I wish to stay behind for a bit. I will join you again later," Balder said, a respectful bow.
The group ahead of him stopped suddenly, they all turned to face him as he stood a few feet back from them.
"Still waiting for that Umbra? Come now Balder, you know it's nothing," Simon pipped up again. Father William shot him a hard glance, making it clear he did not want to warn him again. Simon quickly coiled up apologetically.
"If you wish. But do not be out too long, Brother Balder," William said, a slight bow to give him confirmation that he could stay behind. "We will see you back at the Grand Hall."
Balder bowed in return, watching as his brothers departed and continued their pace down the winding pathway.
Balder turned back to the direction of the great statues. He waited and listened, his eyes straining to try and pinpoint the noises he had heard before. He then heard it, the faint sound of branches breaking. Balder turned his head in the direction of the noise to his right.
"Whoever you are, come out this instance. You have some nerve to pursue our holy brothers at this late hour," Balder said, his tone sharp and fluent. He strained his eyes to look into the woods, as the night was getting closer. The shadows of the woods were difficult to distinguish shadow from a person.
He heard another snap, this time from his left. He swung his head around to look into the forest on the other side of the path.
"Show yourself! Enough games!" Balder raised his voice, his eyes darting around to try and find the person responsible for causing such a disturbance.
He froze when he heard a slight chuckle emanate from behind him.
"I thought you Lumen Sages would be more perceptive than that," A female spoke, only within a few feet from him. He spun around and took a defensive stance as he faced the stranger.
It was the Umbra Witch who he had been looking at during the meeting. She stood with one hand on a hip, slightly leaning to the side in an unimpressed manner. Balder took a few steps back as he recognized the Umbra.
"W-what are you doing here? This is the land of the Sunset Valley, home to only the Lumen Sages. You are not permitted to be here!" Balder said, swinging his hand through the air in a defiant manner. He posed himself up, regaining his posture.
"Oh come now, I wouldn't come all this way to cause trouble. Especially after that well-mannered meeting we just sat through," The witch waved her other hand about, in a nonchalant way. She seemed much calmer and free-spirited than Balder was expecting. His eyes narrowed.
"Why have you come all this way then?" Balder asked, suspicious.
The witch tilted her head to the side, as she looked him up and down for a moment. She hadn't realized how tall he was until she had gotten this close to him. She could still only barely make out his long hair that was tucked beneath his tunic, with a Lumen cape adorned on his head. What caught her eye the most was the golden monocule that rest on his left eye. Adorned with layered metals, they are shown beautifully even in the fading light.
"You are the first Sage I have ever spoken to," She said, her head rearing back a bit. "And I assume I am the first Umbra you have met?"
Balder hesitated, then slowly nodded in agreement.
"Well, I thought it be rather boring that I never got to speak to a Lumen Sage the first time I met one," She said, as she took another step closer. Balder had taken another step back. She halted her movement, scoffing a bit.
"Calm down, I mean you no harm. I just wanted a small chat, that's all," The witch said, rolling her eyes under her veiled face.
Balder took a moment to survey the situation, but also the witch herself. He hadn't gotten a good look at her until just now. Her long black robes were adorned with golden strips that stretched throughout her torso and wrists. Her hair was bundled up into a beautifully braided cone that was also tucked under a veil. Out of all of it though of the things that he could see, her piercing silver eyes are what struck him the most. Through her ornate glasses, they stared back at him with such intensity. But he could not see her face through the veil.
She tilted her head and giggled slightly. It shook Balder out of his transcendental state, focusing again.
"What's wrong, Sage? Cat got your tongue?" She said, being bold enough to step forward again. Balder scoffed.
"It just that you are not what...I had expected you to be," Balder said, not stepping back again, but still on the defensive.
"Oh? And what did you think and Umbra would be like, Sage?" She asked, quickly, leaning forward with eyebrows raised.
"Well, umm...I suppose I didn't expect you to be so…" He trailed off, thinking carefully of what words to use. A small grin formed on her face.
"Beautiful?" She leaned back, swiping a long strand of her thick black hair back over her shoulder. Balder's eyes widen suddenly as if he had been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to.
"That's not-, I didn't mean-" Balder raised his hand as if to deescalate what was started, but the Umbra cut him off.
"Well, you Sages are exactly what I had expected you to be," She said, confidently, and stepped another step closer, practically in front of him. He made no effort to step back, their eyes almost matching if he was not just a few inches taller.
He looked at her puzzled, his face beat red at this point.
"And what's that?" He asked.
"Uptight," She said, nearly in a whisper.
Balder's expression dropped back to one of annoyance, and the Umbra chuckled.
"I jest. We are good at that too, you know? It would be most dreadful to go through life without smiling. Especially with the life that we carry," She continued, still looking at him with her silver eyes.
Balder's annoyance seemed to falter, his stature relaxed, and he gave a small bow of his head.
"I think it to be extremely rude of me that I have not yet introduced myself. I am Balder," He said, swinging his hand across his chest and bowed further.
The Umbra head tilted her surprise, the sudden change of attitude wasn't something she was expecting.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Balder. My name is Rosa," She said, returning the bow with another.
"Rosa," He said, hanging onto the name for a moment as if thinking about it. "A very fitting for one such as yourself."
"Oh?" Rosa asked, her brows raised, placing her hands on her hips. "And why is that?"
"A beautiful flower, but with such dangerous thorns," Balder said, gesturing out towards her.
Underneath the veiled mask, he swore he could've seen her blush.
"You are more perceptive than I thought. And quite possibly not as uptight as I originally believed as well," She admitted, crossing her arms.
"It is our duty as Sages to be the utmost proper if we are to represent our Creator, Jubileus. But we are still human, and we mustn't embrace everything in this world in such a rigid way," He said.
"Well, perhaps you can tell more about your Lumen duties the next time we meet," Rosa approached him, so close she could've whispered in his ear. She continued her stride past him, back towards the great statues.
Balder swung around, perplexed.
"You are leaving so soon?" He asked.
"I have my own 'proper' duties I must attend to as well, Father Balder. The night does belong to Umbra, after all," She said, turning back, and wicked smile about her.
"What do you mean by 'the next time we'll meet"?" Balder said,
"The solar eclipse will occur this Autumn. When then the Sun and Moon's paths cross, the Umbra and Lumen Sages' pupils and trainees alike will meet at the Coliseum," Rosa said, tilting her head.
Balder had completely forgotten about the festival. One that only occurs when a total solar eclipse passes over Vigrid and their valleys, a very rare event. The two clans would converge inside of the massive Coliseum on the outskirts of both of their valleys. A ceremony that takes place as a means for the Eyes of the World to meet, but to also allow the younger and more inexperienced members of the Umbra and Sages to meet as well. It is meant to keep the peace through all levels of the clans, not just their leadership.
"I'm more than certain our paths will cross again," Rosa said, another smile behind her masked face.
"Very well. Until then, safe travels and may Jubileus, the Creator, grace you," Balder bowed once more, returning the smile.
She turned and continued down the path towards her own valley. Balder watched on, as the sun had completely set behind the trees, with the fading twilight bringing in the night.
"Do you think they'll cast spells on us?" Simon said as the Sage was fidgeting to get his rosary beads set across his garbs. His surrounding fellow Sages were also getting their uniforms ready. Each looked into their mirror, tidying up any loose or ill-fitting ends to ensure nothing seemed out of place.
"Why? Do you think one will attempt to 'seduce' you, Brother Simon?" Another Sage spoke up, chuckling as he did.
"I didn't mean it like that, Edwin," Simon turned with narrowed eyes. His fingers still struggling to get the beads to snap into place.
"Well, what did you mean it by? Do you think they'll sing you a song that will put you into an unending slumber?" Edwin prodded, looking up at him in his mirror.
"Or perhaps they will do a ceremonial dance to bring forth a century of curses," Another Saged joked, one named Marlow, also turning from his mirror to look at Simon.
"Very funny," Simon conceded, looking down to his beads and still unable to snap them down.
"Confound it all," He muttered under his breath as he struggled still.
"Maybe you could ask one to help with your rosaries. She might even choke you with it," Marlow continued, as he finished tucking his wrist cuffs into place.
"Wouldn't the holy beads burn her hand?" Simon asked, a genuine look of confusion on his face.
"By Jubileus, do any of you not have a wit about you? Of course, they wouldn't be harmed by the beads, that's not how that works. You do not need to worry about any 'curses' or 'spells', Brother Simon," Balder spoke up, attending to his long flowing, platinum hair.
"And how would you know, Balder? Did your nightly stalker from many months back give you some insight on their evil doings?" Simon joked, giving up on the beads and turning towards Balder.
"I told you, no Umbra had passed through that evening. I had merely over-exaggerated the danger at hand," Balder placed his brush down and cocked his head slightly to the side to see Simon. An annoyance had grown in his tone, compared to the other's light-hearted banter.
"Say what you will. I will not have an Umbra dance or sing in my presence if they ever do mean to cause strife," Simon lifted a finger, a stoic pose about him. Balder merely rolled his eyes and returned to brush his hair.
"And besides, we don't know what they are truly capable of. We have not yet seen these Umbra Witches before, at least outside of the meetings held at the Great Sage or Great Umbra temple. Father William and their Elder are the only ones that speak to one another," Simon continued, giving up on snaping his beads down, and he moved on fitting up the rest of his uniform.
"They have had these festivals many times before our time. The peace has always been kept, as Father William has said," Balder placed his brush down to then carefully began to tie a large braid down the middle, leaving his sides to be flowing freely.
"But we have not been to one of these before! We have no clue what could happen or what they'll do," Simon bickered some more.
"And Father William has been to many. Put faith in him, Brother Simon," Balder said, almost snapping at him. He could barely see him as he was trying to braid his hair by himself. Something he had done before, but it was always difficult to see what he was doing, especially with his remaining hair covering his face.
"I do agree with Balder, I doubt any wrongdoing will ever occur during this festival. Still, I am curious as to how these dark beings will act. I have heard they are rather brash, unruly people," Edwin said, as he placed himself in a nearby chair, finished with his uniform.
The other Sages continued with their theories and snide remarks concerning their soon-to-be guests. Balder sat silently through it all, finishing up his uniform by replacing his eye monocle.
He peered up through the window and saw the faint shadow of the moon beginning to encroach over the sun. It was time for them to take their leave if they wanted to get to the Coliseum before the eclipse fully began.
Once the many members of the Lumen Sages had been fully fitted for the occasion, they departed their familiar homes and began their journey down the winding path towards the Coliseum. It was further south of the Great Statues, and each clan could get their running parallel to the edge of the valley's cliff sides.
Many of the Lumen Sages kept turning their eyes to the opposite cliffside, wondering if they would see the Umbra Clan making the same journey. However, many were disappointed to see the many trees on either side obscuring their view. Some still clamored over one another to look, while others just gave up and continue their stride.
As they reached a clearing, the Sages stopped dead in their tracks, except for Father William leading in the front. The Coliseum was a behemoth of a structure, its large domed roof adorned with the many spirals and loops of the stars' paths. And two statues stood guard at the front, one of a Sage and one of an Umbra.
Just as they began to step forward again, chattering amongst themselves, they turned their gaze to the other path opposite them, now merging into the one road
The Umbra Elder, Isabella, lead her disciples as the mass number of Umbra Witches followed closely behind. Many of them had already seen the Sages from afar and were all whispering to themselves as they gawked just as much as the Sage's were.
The two clans eventually met at the merged paths, both Father William and Elder Isabelle giving their respected bows to one another.
"Blessed be you, Elder of the Umbra, and practitioner of the dark arts of Inferno, and Left Eye of the world, on this day for the Festival of the Eclipse," Father William rose from his bow, his arms outstretched in a welcoming manner.
"We hope the same unto you, Father William of the Lumen Sages, herald of the Leguna and Paradiso, and Right Eye of the world," Isabelle bowed in return, one arm placed across her chest.
Balder stood by William's side, giving a respectful bow to the Umbra who stood before him. But as he stood from his bow, he made eye contact with one who had met before. Rosa, but she was dressed much differently than she was before. Only a red veil concealed her lips, as the rest of her face and even hair were no longer shrouded with her black robes. Instead, her new attire seemed much more tightly fit than it was before. But regardless, she was adorned with the vivid gold strips, with flowing, oversized sleeves. Her hair was still tied up into a beehive-like shape, a red ribbon intertwined throughout.
She met his gaze, a small smile appeared under the thin veil, proof that she had remembered him.
As the clans filed into the Coliseum, the festival had begun, as the moon had fully crossed over the sun's light. The ceremony began with the two Eyes of the World taking in their sovereign duties, and recounting the past that humanity had encountered, and a brief telling of what destiny humanity would lead to next.
Once the Elders had completed their duty, the festival continued with each clan putting on their performances. The Umbra did there's first, a dance. With more than half of their trainees joining into the dance, every Umbra looked to be completely in sync with each other. Their movements and rhythms were matched down to the slightest muscle twitch. While they danced, they sang their song Graa Lansh, a song owned to the moon and all its power it offers. Many of the Sages seemed put off by the Witch's moves and song, turning up their nose to what was perceived as beneath them. But there were still many more who were just as captivated by the dance, one of them being Balder. He hadn't realized it, but he had his eyes set on Rosa as she danced through the center of the Coliseum. Her voice fluctuated and vibrated with the foreign tongue she was singing. Balder watched on with awe-struck eyes.
The Sages' performance was a massive choir song that rallied in more than twenty Sages to take part in, including Balder. Their voices rang out and echoed within the large domed building, traveling far and wide, to every being in the room. A mighty hymn that was rich with the Laguna language.
Balder had kept his sight straight, keeping his focus on the song. Curiosity got the best of him as his eyes slowly wandered down to the seated Umbra in the front row seating in front of him. He was able to spot Rosa almost instantly, as he expected, she was staring right back at him. Her chin rested on her cheek as she watched on with a beaming smile. Balder returned his gaze away from her and continued the song with a booming voice. His deep vocals harmonized with his brethren as the song finished gloriously.
When the song had finished, and the group had dispersed, the Lumen Sages and Umbra Witches were then free to then interact with one another.
Many of the Umbra were not shy to approach the Lumen Sages from the choir, praising them for such a wonderful song. Some of the Sage was taken aback with their kind words, thanking them with a stuttered response. But there were still the many that either barely acknowledged them or completely disregarded them. The Umbra seemed put off but their brash attitude at first, but quickly disregarded them as well, and moved onto someone else that seemed less brooding.
Balder couldn't take a few steps without a flock of witches talking to him, complimenting him on his voice, his robes, and even his hair. Balder tried his best to speak to all of them, but they hounded him from all angles, and he mostly just became flustered to even answer.
"Babbling hyenas, the lot of you. Away! There are plenty other holy men here to ask questions too," A voice sprung up from behind them, speaking in the ancient tongue with such finesse. And one Balder assumed to be an authority since the group of young witches that surrounded him turned to her and immediately heeded her order. They broke off, seeking other Sages to speak to.
Rosa stood with her hand on her hip, waiting for them to completely break away and disperse into the group.
"You'll have to forgive them, plenty here were more than excited to come and speak to you Lumen Sages. They can get carried away," She said, stepping closer to Balder now that the others have walked away.
"My goodness, your hair is much longer than I had remembered it being. It looks better that way, letting it fall along your shoulders like that," Rosa gestured up towards his platinum hair. Balder lifted a few of his locks, wondering if it had grown that much since their last meeting.
"Why, thank you. I don't usually have it down, but today was such a special occasion," Balder said, looking back up to Rosa. She had begun to slowly step closer.
"I wish I could rally my brothers as easily as that. They heeded your order like you were the Elder herself," Balder said, surprised.
"The Elder and I were once equaled, I was her chosen combatant when it came time for her to take her place for the throne," Rosa said, looking over her shoulder slightly towards Isabelle in the distance. She turned back to see Balder's brow had furrowed.
"Combatant? You must fight for your chance to become the Elder of your clan?" Balder asked.
"The heir of the existing Elder will get to choose a rival that will fight them. If the heir wins, their bloodline continues, like her mother's before her. If the rival wins, a new bloodline begins until any of their heirs lose to a different rival," Rosa explained.
"That is...a peculiar way of choosing a new Elder," Balder pinched his chin between his thumb and index finger.
"It is to ensure the strongest always lead, no matter what. Our Elder's family has been the running bloodline for several generations now. Do Sages not do this?" Rosa asked, cocking her head to the side.
"No, quite the opposite Our Father is chosen from his peers, and even the Laguna themselves They are chosen based on their devotion to Jubileus, and to the devotion of the Lumen Sage heritage. Through their actions, teachings, and cunningness in battle is what will determine our next Holy Father, and to be the holder of the Right Eye of the world," Balder explained.
"Fascinating. I suppose it can be quite brutal for us to fight amongst ourselves for the throne, but it is what has made us strong throughout our existence," Rosa said, a slight shoulder shrug.
"Wait, you had fought the Elder as her combatant, you had almost become the Elder?" Balder asked.
"Indeed, it was a close fight," Rosa, looking back to Isabelle. Her expression seemed to drop slightly. She turned back to Balder, inching a bit closer.
"But do you want to know a secret?" She said, barely a whisper.
Balder hesitantly leaned forward to hear her better, cocking his ear closer to her.
"I had thrown the fight."
Balder stepped back, bewildered.
"You what?"
"I had let her win. Near the end of our fight, I had intentionally delayed my response to blocking her attack. It had hit harder than I expected, it actually could have killed me. I thankfully blocked enough of it so it didn't," Rosa smiled, chuckling as she reminisced about it.
"Rosa, you must have more humility than that. You are to blame your loss as a thrown fight instead of admitting defeat?" Balder crossed his arms, looking almost disappointed in her.
"I did not want to be Elder, Balder," Rosa said, no hint of laughter or jest to be found in the cold sentence. Balder realized the severity of her statement and saw that she was not making it up.
"But why? Why give up the right, to become the Umbra's most trusted leader and bearer of the Left Eye?" Balder asked, dumbfounded.
"It was not the life that I had wanted. I couldn't imagine myself tied down to the Valley forever. With the immortality that we earn, I would rather go out and see the world. Explore everything it has to offer!" Rosa gestured outward, as to encompass the scale in one swift movement.
"I never thought of it that way…" Balder said, his words drifting as he pondered.
"Tell me, do you see the Right Eye to be something you want to pursue?" Rosa leaned in again, curious to see what he would say. Balder continued to ponder on it more.
"It had always been a dream of mine since I was a child. I had always looked up to Father William and always wanted to live up to that," Balder explained, taking a moment to think.
"But?" Rosa asked, sensing his hesitation.
"But I feel as though I could be doing more for people if I wasn't tied to that. The Eyes of the World make an impact on humanity and the world as a whole. But I feel as though making the small changes, to those around us, is what can push us forward," Balder said.
Rosa titled her head, surprised slightly by his response.
"That's very noble of you, Balder. And a path I think more Sages should such as yourself should consider. We cannot all be the great change in this world, whether it is light or dark. But the influence we make on those around us. That is what gives you purpose," Rosa said, her smile never fading under the crimson mask.
The two continued to discuss, going into detail as they explained the various techniques, rituals, tenants, and just daily life activities. Each seemed more surprised and intrigued with every piece of information the other indulged.
The entire Coliseum was alive not only with conversations but magic as well. The Umbra and Lumen Sages that were not afraid or stubborn enough to ignore the other had begun showing their magical abilities. From small incantations that would summon small objects, to the full transformations of their beasts within.
The two clans had continued their shared experiences until the solar eclipse had begun to falter, the shadow beginning to move out of the way of the sun. Some of the groups were beginning to move outside, hinting that the ceremony would soon disperse, and they would take their leave.
"I suppose, our the festival is at its end," Balder proclaimed with a sigh, looking out across the sea of dispersing people, and back to Rosa.
"Not quite," Rosa said, a sly look in her eye. Her hands were tucked behind her back.
"Oh? And why is that?" Balder said his eyebrow furrowing.
"It is not my time to leave until I have given you this," Rosa said, removing her hands from behind her back. Laid out in her open palms was a beautifully crafted sculpture, made entirely from marble.
Balder stepped closer to look at the fine piece of art and saw that it was actually the Lumen Sage sigil, down to the very last detail. Balder took it from her hands tentatively, as if his life depended on it.
He brought it closer and looked over the smooth stone with awe and wonder.
"This is...stunning," Balder said, looking back up to here. "Did you make this?"
"I did, yes. And all by hand. No witchcraft at play there," Rosa said with a humble smile.
"This...is such an honorable gift. Thank you, Rosa. But why give me such a thing?" He asked, clutching the stone closer to his chest.
"You are very peculiar for a Sage. You were not at all what I was expecting when we had first met many moons back. It is custom with the Umbra to offer a small token of thanks, peace, or friendship. And so I wanted you to have it," Rosa said, her eyes wandering off like she didn't want to make direct eye contact with him.
Balder looked back down to the stone with a warm smile.
"You are truly an exceptional individual, Rosa. I will treasure this forever, and I do hope that this will not be the last time we see one another," He said, giving her a gracious bow.
"I do hope so as well," She bowed.
The two clans then clamored out of the Coliseum, rejoining their groups as they departed from the other. Balder had rejoined his small group of brothers, including Simon, who was holding onto about three to four different items. Ones he wasn't carrying when he came in.
"What do you have there, Brother Simon?" Balder asked, looking him up and down, with a slight chuckle.
"Oh! Uh...the Umbra were quite nice enough to give me all these gifts!" Simon said, saying the words that he had a hard time believing. Even Balder seemed confused by it. Most of his brethren were just laughing about the Umbra before they came here, now many of them were holding gifts in their hands.
Not only that, but Simon's rosary beads that he had left to dangle across his robe were now perfectly snapped into place, and even woven into quite an eccentric pattern.
"I see you had your beads fixed," Balder said, smiling.
"Aye! They were quite helpful, and also understanding. They had so much to say and asked so many questions. They just kept handing me gifts!" He said, holding up the small trinkets and flowers the Umbra had offered him. Balder turned to look at his other brothers. Many had either one or multiple gifts, but some had nothing.
Balder's brow furrowed as he turned back to Simon, Edwin, and Marlow. He held up the stone sculpture in his hand.
"Whoa! That's a beautiful piece! I see your Umbra friend offered you one then. You two spoke for the entirety of the festival!" Simon said, his eyes widening when he saw the marble sculpture.
"There are some of our kin without such gifts. Perhaps they all did not bring something?" Balder asked, clutching the treasure.
"Quite the opposite, Brother Balder. There is only one reason why they did not receive a gift," Father William approached the group of experience Sages, beginning their trek back to their valley.
"The Umbra has a tradition of offering gifts to those they wish to make peace with and happens every festival, that they bring gifts to share," Father William explained, as they started their way up the path. The Umbra had regrouped and began their journey back as well.
"Anywho is without gifts either did not interact with the Umbra or did not give them the most hospitable attitude," Father William continued.
Balder looked back again at the group of trainees, those without gifts wore soured faces, or just show resentment overall.
"There are some Umbra, however, who do not heed by this tradition and will refuse to bring a gift to this ceremony. Both sides of this are noted by myself and Elder Umbra. This ceremony is more than the meeting of the Eyes, or for such frivolous performances and discussions. This is where we can see the differences in character between both Lumen and Umbra. And it will ultimately affect how that one will look in the eyes of the Laguna and Paradiso, should they ever want to ascend to be Father. A Sage and Umbra are equals, but opposite. But the balance must be kept, and peace is needed to keep that balance. Such discrimination would cloud one's mind, and hinder them from ever-growing to be more."
The words rang through Balder like a church bell. The meaning behind Rosa's gift gave him an overwhelming feeling of acceptance. But he had also felt guilt. Had he known the Umbra would offer gifts, he would have made it his duty to provide one as well.
He looked over to the opposite path, the gap growing wider between them. He could spot Rosa in the front, walking alongside the Elder.
Rosa kept her eyes mostly to the ground, the looming sun overhead cast her shadow in front of her. But then she could a second shadow. Not one of another Umbra, but instead something thin fluttering through the air.
She looked up, thinking it would be a leaf that had departed from its tree branch, but instead she saw a long, flowing white feather steadily float down from the sky. It was in perfect reach for Rosa, and she reached out and snagged it before she lost it.
As she pulled it in to look at it, she realized it was a peacock feather. Only this peacock was that of gold and white. A slight glowing aura emanated from it.
She looked over it with wonder but soon looked up across the way to see Balder. He was already looking at her. And she could tell even from that distance, he was smiling at her. She could see a small head nod in her direction.
She returned the smile as she tucked the feather into the beehive hair. It flowed in the wind with a gentle sway she continued walking.
The two had kept their eyes on one another for a moment longer before they eventually lost sight as they delved back into the rich forests they had emerged from.