Chapter 24: The Blessing Ceremony Part 2

"It is thanks to our gods, Nemean the First and Second, that we have been able to survive for this long. We give our thanks to them with these offerings, and we pray that their radiance gives life to a greater future. Please, a moment of silence for our gods."

The Chief lowered his head, and the villagers followed his example. Every year during the Blessing Ceremony, it was imperative to give their thanks to their gods first before moving on.

Once the moment of silence was over, each of the offerings was burned, and the smoke and ashes were sent to the heavens.

"My people! The day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived! Today will shape the future of our people for generations to come. I know every one of you has been longing for this moment with eager hearts, and believe me, so have I! By the grace and blessing of our gods, the hour is upon us. Let the Blessing Ceremony begin!"

The villagers erupted with excitement and anticipation. The next generation was not only becoming fully realized adults, but they were going to lead the village into the future, as the previous generation had done so before.

Parents looked at their children with anticipation; the soon-to-be-blessed were excited to know what their blessing would be, and the younger children looked up to their older siblings with pride.

It was a day to celebrate, a day to rejoice, and a day that would mark the turning point for their people, good or bad.

"Some of you may not know how the Spirit Totem works, so I shall demonstrate." Chief Solan walked over to the Spirit Totem and placed his hand on it.

"When you arrive up here, place your hand on the Spirit Totem. After that, you will close your eyes and let its energy flow through you. It may feel overwhelming at first, but it’s okay. You will be feeling the power of our gods flowing through you. Once that feeling vanishes, your Blessing shall be revealed to you in your mind. Your body will also glow a certain color that correlates to your blessing. My mate shall explain it to you now."

A woman walked onto the platform with a smile on her face. She radiated a motherly aura that felt as if she was protecting everyone in the village. It was a warmth that could only be described as love.

"It is an honor to be the one to explain the colors of each blessing. As my Mate said before, once you learn what your blessing is in your mind, your body will glow a certain color. I shall now tell you the colors for each blessing."

Kanan couldn’t wait to find out. The colors were such a simple thing to get excited about, but knowing was still really cool in his eyes.

"Farmers will glow Violet. Butchers will glow Indigo. Herders will glow Silver. Herbalists will glow Pink. Healers will glow Gold. Craftsmen will glow Amber. Lumberjacks will glow Yellow. Fishermen will glow Blue. Blacksmiths will glow Orange. Miners will glow Black. Carpenters will glow Gray. Guards will glow Brown. Hunters will glow Green. Warriors will glow Red. And finally, if you have the potential to be the next Chief of this village, you will glow Purple. The totem has stars on it called celestial stars. There are seven of them. The higher the star, the better."

The villagers erupted into cheers as they looked forward to what the next generation would bring to their village. No matter what blessing they got, Job or Power, the people would be happy and make sure no one was left out.

"Now, out of the fifty young ones of this year’s generation, your name will be called. One by one, you will come up to this platform and place your hand on the Spirit Totem. Now, Golin."

Golin, Kanan’s friend. He rose instantly, with his mother, father, and older brother cheering him on. It was clear by the look on his face that he was nervous, but he walked up to the platform with pride and placed his hand on the Spirit Totem.

A wave of energy that everyone could feel rushed into Golin, but it felt calm, peaceful, and warm. Soon after, his body started to glow, and after a total of ten seconds, golden energy wrapped around his body.

"HEALER!"

"WE HAVE ANOTHER HEALER!"

"GOLIN!"

The villagers roared with pride and joy. Yala was the village’s only powerful healer, and the others were only herbalists who knew how to mend the body with their herbs.

After those ten seconds, another five seconds passed, and out of the seven celestial stars, four of them lit up.

"What great potential!"

"Our future is secured!"

Yala personally congratulated Golin and told him that she looked forward to training him.

"Okay. Next up, Harol."

Harol, a muscular boy, got up on the platform and placed his hand on the Spirit Totem. Fifteen seconds later, his body was glowing red, and he lit up 5 celestial stars.

"Warrior!"

"Warrior!"

"Warrior!"

Harol’s future was now set to be bright. A warrior was always welcomed, even when the village didn’t need one. On top of that, his potential was high, so he was bound to succeed.

"Next up, Omula."

Everyone went quiet once Omula’s name was called. She was the daughter of the Chief and his Mate, so everyone had high hopes for her. Still, even if she underperformed, no one would judge or badmouth her. Every role served a purpose.

Placing her hand on the Spirit Totem, the divine energy seeped into her body. Another fifteen seconds later, she was glowing purple, and she lit up all seven celestial stars.

"W-What is this?!"

"Village Chief with all seven celestial stars?"

"Blessed! We have truly been blessed!"

Kanan was taken aback; everyone was. They had already gotten a promising healer, a promising warrior, and now, not only did they learn who their next leader would be, but she had the highest potential of everyone so far.

"Hahaha! That’s my daughter for you! Good job, good job! Your father is proud!" He wasn’t the only one who was proud; everyone was. Their future was looking brighter and brighter each second.

"I understand that all of you may be discouraged after witnessing Omula’s blessing, but worry not. No matter what blessing you get, we are all equal in the eyes of Lord Nemean!"