Chapter - 32
While Leo was having that conversation with Aiva, his gaze fell on Aliana
All that smug and arrogance she usually had plastered all over her face was long gone. He could see her hands shaking.
Right now this ritual was the one thing that could determine her future, and the future of the House of Dargan.
Meanwhile, the High Priest was making preparations for the ritual. He first placed a round soft cushion on Aliana's head as she stood still. On that cushion, he placed a fist sized crystal.
After that he grabbed a brass bowl filled with water. He dipped his fingers in it and splashed the cold, scented water on her. He did it seven times before placing the bowl back.
Droplets ran down her face, but Aliana did not dare move.
The High Priest then pulled out a silver cross marked with some runes from his robe. He then grabbed a tiny bottle and poured some black oil all over it.
He then lifted the cross and touched Aliana's forehead with it. Just as he did that, the cross instantly erupted in blue flames.
High Priest Remus held the cross high above Aliana's forehead and started muttering
Divinae Shaktiyaḥ, lumen vitae!
Ahem veritas, deva namah!
Benedictum darate, filiam rakṣa!
Illumina cordis, spiritus veni!
With every word he chanted, the air in the hall started to pick up. The curtains began to move, barely, but visibly. The flames of the torches flickered.
The crystal on Aliana's head glowed brightly, illuminating the hall.
Everyone in the hall waited with their breath held. They were all here to see the miracle.
A minute passed… Soon a couple of more minutes passed. But nothing happened.
As time passed, Aliana's face twisted, panic began to surge on her face. She was going to be humiliated in front of such a big crowd.
Lord Caelum's proud smile began to die as well. He wanted to make a big scene of her daughter's Divine blessing to show that the House of Dargan was on the rise, but his gamble did not pay off.
But when all hope was about to get lost, suddenly…
KRAAAAAAAK! BOOOM!
Thunder slammed down from the sky, right outside somewhere on the training grounds. The entire mansion was lit up with blinding light, and stone dust poured from the ceiling.
All the nobles in the hall looked hell scared.
Just then a strong gust of wind blew open the windows and toppled the chairs, crashing the plates on the floor.
In a split second it went from peace to chaos.
The ladies screamed, running around for cover.
Leo who was tired from all the shenanigans earlier was already seated on a chair, looking at everyone scramble like idiots.
Weren't they enjoying it just now?
He grabbed his chair and put it against one of the pillars.
'This should keep me safe.'
And then he turned his attention back to Aliana who looked scared shitless, but the High Priest wasn't letting her go anywhere.
It was getting really interesting. Leo had earlier dismissed this Divine Blessings ritual. But now seeing it with his own eyes, he could not help but be amazed.
At least the build up to this Divine Blessings was impressive.
And just when he praised the Gods for putting on a great show, the earth shook. Those in the hall almost fell flat on the ground.
And before they could get their footings, a blinding bolt of lightning tore through the ceiling, vapourising stone and metal along the way and fell straight on the crystal.
The crystal ball engulfed the lightning for a while, but soon it reached its limit. It grew hotter and hotter by the minute before it burst into thousands of shards.
The shards flew in all directions, some hitting the nobles in the hall, digging deep into their body and some got embedded on the stone wall.
With the crystal gone, the lightning fell straight on Aliana, surging through her body.
"Aagghhhh!" The lightning surged into Aliana, and she screamed in pure agony.
The air around her crackled, flashes of blueish-white flames burst across the walls.
A sharp scent as if the air had burnt itself spread through the hall.
In a matter of seconds, 5 lightning strikes fell on Aliana one after the other.
By the time the last burst was over, Aliana was standing on the platform, breathing heavily.
Her once beautiful gown was now scorched from places, barely covering her body, and smoke filled the air around her.
But every eye in the hall was on her hand. Right now it was basked in a blue lingering glow.
Just above her knuckles, a blue tattoo of a hammer wrapped in lightning had appeared. It felt so life-like that one could feel it pulsating.
Looking at the tattoo on the back of her palm, High Priest Remus yelled out loud, dropping on his knees with a thud. Suddenly it felt like his old bones which looked like they should be rotting in some grave were rejuvenating with newly found energy.
"Praise the Gods," He called out in awe, "The colour… The sigil… 5 strikes…"
"This is a B-Grade Blessing. This is the mark of Thorug, The mighty God of Thunder."
'What?'
For a moment after hearing the High Priest, the crowd was in shock.
'What did he say?'
Then when it dawned upon them, the hall erupted with a ripple of murmur buzzing through the crowd.
Some nobles stepped back, not wanting to taint the blessing. Some even dropped to their knees. And a few just stared at that mark on Aliana's hand.
"Did he just say B-Grade!"
"How long has it been since we have seen anything above D?"
"That too it's the Thunder God!"
"She is the chosen one!"
"Now she can go to that school where only a few can go."
"Not only that, she will receive the full support of the Temple."
"She even has a chance of becoming a knight in the King's service."
People cheered, praised, and clapped wanting to be the loudest suck-up in the room.
But the happiest in the room was Lord Caelum himself. He looked like he might explode with pride. The man was grinning ear to ear.
"My daughter!" he burst into a hearty laughter, "A true child of House Dargan!"
"Praise Thorug! A toast to the God of Thunder"
"A toast to the blessed Auravale!"
While Lord Dargan drank every drop from the glass he had, Aliana drank every bit of praise, awe and reverence thrown her way.
Her fear was gone, and now raw, wild power surged through her veins.
She felt unstoppable.
And now, her eyes, flickering with blue sparks, swept through the crowd with a new, bigger than before arrogance.
She didn't care about the nobles bowing to her. They were just insects in her eyes.
But she was looking for another insect. The insect she needs to crush badly.
And finally she found it, her gaze finally landed on Leo.
He was still sitting on the chair by the pillar.
She smirked seeing him rooted to his spot, 'Look at me,' her expression said, 'I am the God's chosen one. And you… You are nothing."
But Leo just stared at her, possibly not even getting the hints Aliana was sending her.
He blinked looking at her. Then turned away inspecting his fingernails, checking for dirt.
And this hit harder than before. Before, though she was the daughter of the Lord, she still was just a common mortal, but now… She was the chosen one. He can't ignore her. He just can't
Her chest tightened with rage, 'How dare he?'
Everyone else was treating her like she was divine, and he looked bored?
Her thoughts twisted in anger, 'I will show you, bastard.'
'Oops… Just got my new powers, can't control them. A little accident. No big deal if an insect died.'
She slowly lifted her hand. A spark formed, slowly getting bigger by the breath. She smirked as she saw the big ball of light in her hand.
Then she pointed her finger at him, she pushed the lightning through her veins.
But she was nothing but a clueless, arrogant amateur who had no idea how to use her powers. The lightning, instead of surging towards Leo, the ball just exploded in her hands, sending sparks everywhere.
It completely missed Leo. A burst of sparks detonated outward.
Screams erupted as the blast ripped through the front row. A few nobles were thrown off their feet, their clothes got scorched, their skin burnt.
One man fell on the floor clutching his arm, and another staggered back screaming with half his sleeve on fire.
The marble tiles cracked where the lightning slammed into the ground, leaving a smoking black crater.
The remaining energy shot forward wildly.
But the main target remained ungrazed.
CRASH!
The lightning smashed into the iron chain holding the massive chandelier in the middle of the hall. The impact sent a blast of sparks, and the metal became white-hot in an instant.
The hall went dead silent as the molten links began to sag.
Then the first one snapped.
Then another.
And then, with a sickening metallic roar, the entire chandelier dropped.
Lady Seraphine heard the crack and looked up. Her eyes went wide. Her breath caught. The terror locked her in her place.
For a split second, the entire hall froze, watching the impossible happen.
And then…
** ** ** ** **
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