Fulfilling Desires

While the girl and I sit side by side.

She's humming an unfamiliar song. Throughout the room, I can hear metal clanking on metal. Everyone's gaze is drawn to the room's entrance.

Two people dressed in metal armour enter the room through the door.

They take a look here and there. A boy and a girl enter from behind them.

A young boy with neatly combed red hair. He has a smirk on his face as he holds the hand of the girl next to him. He wears a small sword around his waist and appears to be the same age as me.

The girl next to him appears to be our age, but I'm not sure how elves age. She's an elf with long, slender ears that protrude from her long blonde hair. It's unmistakable. She, like the girl next to me, is dressed in a simple white gown though the dress she is wearing is made of a high-quality material. It is clear that it is luxurious. Her face is stunning even at this age. Her skin is as white as marble, with a pointed nose and rosy cheeks.

I'm sure she'll break a lot of people's hearts.

She looks around before turning to face me with a smile. She speaks to the boy next to her and motions towards me. The boy summons a man in armour and speaks to him while pointing at me.

The armoured man is approaching me quickly.

Could they have deduced who I am?

I look around, but there doesn't appear to be any way out. Then I notice the girl is no longer beside me, but rather behind me.

She has my shirt in her grip.

Could she have seen everything? Could they be pointing at her rather than at me?

"Please excuse me, young lady. Could you please tell me who your parents are?" The armoured man inquires.

He towers over us. He tries to smile, but it only makes him look more frightening.

The girl hidden behind me grips my shirt even tighter.

"Could you please explain what this is about?" I inquire.

"Oh, you're her brother? The prince wishes to know if he can purchase her." The armoured man speaks up.

The girl behind me jumps out as she hears those words. "Would the prince like to buy me?" She inquires in hushed tones.

"Yes, now tell me where your parents are."

"No, I don't have any.I live in the church."

"That simplifies things. I'll consult with the priests." The armoured man turns and walks towards the priests.

The girl next to me is simply smiling. I turn to face the boy, who is staring at the girl next to him.

The girl is smiling as she looks at us.

"Do you understand what it means when they say they want to purchase you?" I inquire of the girl next to me.

"It means they'll take me away from the church and place me in a new home." She responds with a smile.

I'm at a loss for words in response to that.

"Doesn't that mean you might end up as a slave?" I inquire of the girl.

"Isn't that typical?" She responds with a question.

"I'm not sure." I respond.

One priest approaches us.

"Millie, the prince is interested in you. It's fantastic news. Come along and introduce yourself to his majesty," the priest says, grabbing the girl's arm and pulling her toward the red-haired boy.

Sian, the priest, comes to my side at this point. "Where has your flower gone?" He inquires.

I point to the girl who is holding hands with the elf girl, who is jumping for joy and shouting, "I have got it, I have got it!"

"Oh, great," the priest says, clearly sarcastically.

Why is he inquiring about the flower? Perhaps he likes it a lot.

Oh well, he can always get it from Millie.

"All right, everyone, gather around," says a loud voice from the centre of the room.

Everyone in the room congregates in the centre of the room.

A cane-wielding old priest stands. "All right, everyone. Awakening is a straightforward procedure. First, we'll tell you to form a line and tell us your name."

"You will have two names if you are noble. We don't need your surname."

That comes to my rescue.

"If you don't have a name, we have a seer here who can read your soul and extract a name."

That is not something I want to do.

"After that, we'll divide into small groups. Make sure to stay with your group. The group will enter the awakening chamber one by one, beyond the closed doors at the far end of the room."

"When you enter the room, there is a massive crystal in the centre of the room. The massive crustal serves as a conduit for us to communicate with the Gods. The crystal can only be used once in your life. If you're lucky, you might be able to communicate with the Gods or their messengers, who might grant you unique or blessed abilities. Otherwise, simply touching the crystal will grant you the powers."

I might run into the God who brought me here.

"You must all touch the crystal at the same time. Because it requires your inner mana to activate. If you have any questions, we will be right here to answer them. Before you go in, make sure you ask them. Return to this room once you've finished. After that, you will be given the option of categorising yourself and will be taken to another room to do so. If you receive a blessing, you must be categorised as it is compulsory. You can now all form a line in front of the desk, where one priest will take your name."

Every child in the room forms a line in front of the desk, which is occupied by a priest holding a parchment of paper and ink.

I, too, join the queue. That's when I notice the red-haired boy, along with the two armoured men, standing on one side.

I look around and see Millie and the elf girl at the front of the line.