Summoning Ceremony.

 I fasten the clamp of my gold chandelier necklace that matches my scarlet mermaid gown.  I fix the long curly braid in my hair and adjust my baby hairs. I check the time, and just as I intended, I’m late for my own summoning ceremony. In my family when you reach the age of 20 that’s a milestone of adulthood, you get this big cake, a hammer, a large party and a familiar handpicked for you by the goddesses themselves. My family isn’t perfect but the choices we’ve made to ensure the success of each generation are a little unethical. Someone has to be sacrificed in order for the next bloodline to succeed. 10 years ago, my male cousin Crow was given as an offering to the goddesses in order for me to become the next Giant hunter. I do not agree with the sacrifices; I was only ten when it happened but this time things are going to change. “I just have to summon the goddesses and talk to them” easier said than done but I had a twinge of confidence when I touched a mahogany colored box, embedded in clear rhinestones wrapped by a dark purple coding hugging each stone carefully. I had not the slightest idea where it came from but something in my gut tells me, it will work in my favor.  “Yaris! Hurry up, you don’t want to displease the goddesses now do you?” I hear my sister Yris scream at me. “Mother has called me five times already let’s go!” I glance over myself in the mirror one last time before heading out the door.

The celebration is being held in the mansion of the head Warlock himself, Marson Klaus. We arrive at the mansion; a massive tiered water fountain greets us. The walkway to the fiber glass entry doors are encased with white peonies, magnolias and camellias. Amongst all the beauty and charm, I see a woman wearing a look of disappointment on her face. It’s my mother.  Top bun secured on her head and dressed in a sparkly navy-blue peplum dress, matched with silver accents. As I walk up the stairs to greet her, I can see her tightly gripping her purse. She grasps my arm vigorously it almost makes me trip into a butler serving buttercup chocolates. “Of all the times you’ve embarrassed me you chose to do it on this night!” I hear her screech between clenched teeth. My mother was the type of woman to live through her children, so me and my siblings had to be the perfect “polaroid” children. It has caused a strain between us, but it still felt good to defy her a little bit.

“Yaris, Yaomoni.” A deep voice greets us, my father stood tall and proud as he spoke to us, a wide childish grin came across my face as we met eyes. “Scold her Eros, she chose to be late to one of the most important things in her life, she’d be late to her funeral if she could!” My dad quickly raised his eyebrows at me as to signal “here she goes again.” “Yaris your ceremony started twenty minutes ago, I’m not a fan of parties either but you could’ve been thirty minutes lat- my dad tries to say but chokes on his own laughter.” “Eros!” My mom’s wide face turns beet red with anger. My dad fans her away, ”Honey we do this every couple of decades I’m tired of all this poise and uptightness let the girl have some freedom.” Freedom like that will get you killed out there, those monsters will eat anyone especially those who lack proper tact.” My mother cuts her eyes at me, over the years her words didn’t sting as much but at that moment it felt as though I was stabbed right through the chest. My eyes start to well up when my father places a hand on my shoulder, “Do your best sweetheart.” I shake the aching in my heart and give my dad the biggest smile I can. The sound of trumpets engulfs the room signaling the start of my summoning ceremony.

I was so caught up in my parents’ debacle, I never noticed how lavish the hall was. The sparkling glass chandeliers created rainbow patterns on the ballroom floor, the room was filled with white flowers and foliage, gold and white balloons signaling a new beginning and good luck. A gigantic cake sat in the center of the ballroom, alongside of an abundance of fine eatery and desserts that were arranged perfectly amongst dining tables and served by butlers. Becoming a giant hunter or a “Kiegan” was a tradition in my family. My father is a retired hunter while my mother was a stay at home Pixie. Me and my other two sisters would be the next in line to continue the Kiegan bloodline, but the sacrificial part comes to an end with me.

I walk through a crowd of familiar and unfamiliar faces. A familiar hand reaches out to me from the crowd, it was Maverick a long childhood friend of mine. His ebony skin and wolf smile were always my favorite features of him. He’s dressed in a forest green and black tuxedo with a gold pendant, he handed me a small bag full of summoning ash and a white anemone. My heart suddenly sinks into my stomach. We walked down the path of onlookers; I slowly tighten my grip around Maverick’s hand trying to keep my nerves down. I see my best friends in the crowd beaming with joy as if this was our high school prom night. We get to the end of the crowd where the warlock waits for us.

The music suddenly simmers down, and the room is filled with low inaudible chatter. He’s surrounded by hooded entities; I can’t make out their exact figures, but they are hunched over in a kneeling position. The warlock stands tall wearing a Victorian tailcoat, his hollow eyes were like dark caverns in his skeletal bird head. The true sight of him  up close was unnerving. I move closer to Maverick for comfort. I’ve heard rumors about the warlock how he’s ruthless and he gave up his human appearance to become the most powerful. He still has his human hands, but they are hidden under black gloves. “Welcome.” He says in a husky  voice. “Not many has made it as far as you, some have even run away or ended their lives.” Hearing that does not make me feel any better about this ceremony. “Yaris Ruby, daughter of Eros and Yaomoni Ruby, older sister to Yris and Yryn, welcome to the beginning of your adulthood, the other side welcomes you.”

 I tighten my grip around the small bag of ash and take a deep breath. “Don’t run away, don’t run away.” I hear the warlock chuckle almost as if he’s reading my mind, he probably is… “Please proceed with the summoning of the goddesses.”   I take a deep breath and loosen the string around the bag and began my summoning, “ I call on you Fire Goddess Vera, may your light guide me on my path to triumph. I spread the dark purple ashes as a walk in a circular motion. “Present yourself Agatha, Water Goddess, please shower me with your knowledge and wisdom, and lastly Earth Goddess Lilith give me the strength to vanquish the obstacles in front of me, pave the path desired for me.  Come at once goddesses of the living and the dead!

I shake the last of the ashes into an infinity shape in the middle of my circle. “I offer an Anemone as a symbol of my new beginning.” I drop the anemone in the middle of the infinity symbol, the ash begins to whirlwind around the anemone. The lights in the room began to flicker and the temperature suddenly drops immediately. I squeeze the rhinestone box as I wait for the  goddesses to appear.

Three mirrors appear out of thin air each with a colored gemstone representing the goddesses’ specific element at the base of its decorative frame. Coming from the mirror light sparkles seep out into the air, like tiny diamonds dancing around. The sparkles transform into clear women figures, each one taller than the other. Their frames ranging from slim to thicker even though their appearances are clear. Each wearing an  iridescent mask containing a glowing gemstone embedded in.

“Yaris, the summoner.” The three women say in unison, it almost sounds like an angelic whisper. “I am here to ask for your blessings on my upcoming  journey as Kiegan, but I also ask of a request.” “Request?” They ask in unison again; they tilt their heads in different directions awaiting my response. “I want to put an end to the sacrifices that curse our families, innocent blood has been shed for the sake of appeasing you.” The room falls silent, I can feel my mother’s glare burn the back of my head. “Surely you can’t be serious.” says the warlock. “But she is,” says Vera. “An unexperienced Kiegan like you asks for such a pompous request from us?”

I glance at the box in my hand that suddenly appeared in the corner of my room one day, no one in my family knows about it.

I open the box with shaky hands and inside is another gemstone like that of the goddesses. The rooms so silent that I could hear my own heartbeat. “Where did you get that?!” Lilith shrieks. “This cannot be!” screamed Agatha. I close the box hastily fearing I now possessed something I should not.

“Well it appears the summoning ceremony is rather interesting this year.” Warlock says while stepping forward. I look amongst the crowd shear fear runs across everyone’s face, for the first time in my life I’ve never felt so many different emotions in my life than I am now. “I have no idea what this is, it came to me out of nowhere.” “Well.” Says the warlock as the box magically appears in his hands. “You must not know child, there were actually four goddesses not three. This is the gemstone of the fourth goddess.” “She must be a renegade who wants to oppose us.” I hear one of the goddesses say. “I knew nothing about this!” “Who do you affiliate with, there must be some connection!” I take a step back baffled by the amount of information. The box, the gemstone, the correlation how none of this has anything to do with me. “There must be a reason for this, on this very day. My supposed to be special day.” “Let’s examine the gemstone to see its really that of goddess Mohmi. The warlock calmly interrupts. “Are you mocking us?! We know our sister’s gemstone when we see it. The dark hues of purple and blue it’s no mistaking it.” The goddesses now speaking in unison again. 

“There’s has to be a mistake, please your goddesses reconsider! My daughter had no idea what was in the box.” My mother pleads. “But she has it, that’s the problem. And we want to know why.” Agatha retorts. “Let’s imprison the child until she’s ready to confess.” suggests the warlock. “What?! How will that solve anything?” My dad shouts. “My daughter is innocent; this has to be some form of a set up!”

“Isn’t it our job to please our goddesses? No matter what the situation is, the quicker the child confesses the sooner she will be released. Simple as that.” The next thing I remember is being thrown into an iron box and trying to reach for my parents. My shrill screams go unheard of as I’m carried off into this cold and tightly dense box, it feels like immense pressure against my chest. I try to take slow shallow breaths to ease the pressure and calm my mind. I cannot see anything, but I hear muffled noise outside. There’s a tiny slot, I guess for the eyes but its closed. I don’t know where I am but suddenly, I’m dumped out onto a hard tile floor, I’m in a luxury suite bathroom. I smack my face on the tile and groan out in pain. I see four pair of shoes close by, but my head is too foggy from the pain.

 “It seems you were the right person after all Yaris Ruby.” I turn to a familiar voice, it’s the Warlock. “If you want to get out of here, you’ll do exactly as you are told.” “What is it that you want from me?” I ask, still confused by the previous events. “Its actually want I want, and that is to become a God, and you’re going to help me achieve that.” “I don’t believe this, you set me up!” I scream. “A minor step for my greatest achievement yet. If I become God, I’ll end all those generational sacrifices just like you wanted.” “What is it that you need from me?” I ask, fearful of the answer I might get.  The warlock paused for a minute, as if building the suspense of what he would say. “I want you to kill the goddesses and give me their gemstones.” Hearing that exact statement made me wish, I never even agreed to go through with the ceremony let alone continue my family’s tradition. Of all the times of being late I've never had such a challenge in front me as I do now in this moment.