• Solo • The Embla, Part 3

[Victor Amielle]

Part 1
Part 2

Vhalar 4, Arc 720

“You know that you don’t have to pick your embla right away”, Ingrid told Victor once they had left Mrs. Andersson’s office and were walking through the streets of Raelia once more. “It’s not mandatory. Now that you are a citizen, you just have the right to wear one. And I know that you talked about getting a permanent one in the form of a tattoo, but you could just paint your face for the time being, until you are absolutely sure that you have found your true calling”, she told him in a tone of voice that was uncharacteristically serious for her (she often a bit too enthusiastic, cheerful and exuberant).

“Of course”, the young archer conceded with a light smile and momentarily traced her own embla that constituted of a line of arrow-like markings in blue to match the colour of her eyes. “It would be good to get an embla for social reasons. Most people that are old enough have them. The only ones that do not bear an embla are the destitute and homeless. It is considered a great dishonour to fail in serving Melrath in some form, and for that reason, such people are forbidden to wear any kind of embla.”

As she said those words, the look in her eyes darkened for a moment. Ingrid was a fairly tolerant young woman – she had no problem at all with foreigners, although she was a little wary of Immortal worshippers every now and then – but she really didn’t like poor people. They were not allowed within Raelia, and they had nothing of value to offer.

Victor didn’t comment on her statement in regard to poor people, but he agreed with his friend for the most part. He didn’t know any poor people well, but whatever beggars and homeless people he had seen over the course of his travels, had always tended to make him vaguely uncomfortable.

“I will get a permanent embla regardless”, he told her. He couldn’t help but smile at her. After his interview with the clerk had gone so well, and he had been granted citizenship, after he had been waiting for it for more than an arc, he felt unusually light, as if he could take on the entire world – and succeed. “I have found my true calling, and what I said to Mrs. Andersson was true. A home is more than just the place where you were born and grew up. Here, I feel as if I really belong. I can’t imagine ever leaving again – unless I travel abroad on a mission for the Syns, I suppose. They would have to force me to leave – and even then, I would put up a fight.”

Ingrid laughed when she noticed his passionate tone of voice. “Why should anybody force you to leave Melrath, outlan …” She had wanted to call him outlander as she sometimes did in order to tease him, but he was not an outlander anymore. For that reason, she amended, “… Victor Amielle? Is there anything that you haven’t told me yet? As long as you continue to serve Melrath and the Syns – and don’t become poor – there will always be a place for you here. So”, she continued. “Shall we go? Unless you don’t want me to be present when you receive your embla? I’d understand completely. It’s quite a personal and spiritual experience, after all.”

“I would love for you to be there”, Victor replied. “You are my closest friend here, and I don’t have any family that could experience this with me. Having you with me would mean a lot to me”, he admitted in a somewhat wistful tone of voice. His brother, the Lord of Lysoria, would probably not have travelled to Melrath to support him when he received his embla even if he had asked him. He had hardly ever approved of anything that he had done, and he would likely have disagreed with his decision to serve a foreign nation. He didn’t want him to be there anyway, not after the promise that he had broken, not after what had happened to his lover, not after all the pain that he had caused him.

[Victor Amielle]

Ingrid and Victor walked into a building made of dark blue stone that was located in the centre of Raelia, in the Alfar Hold, near one of the parks where Victor loved to go for a walk. He still remembered how amazed he had been when he had first arrived in Melrath, and how in awe he had been of its beauty. There had been something that had reminded him of Ne’haer. Raelia had always seemed like Ne’haer’s dark twin to him. The architectural style was similar, but the building materials were different. They had been taken from the Melrathi Mountains.

He knew that a lot of citizens of Melrath created their emblas themselves or received their markings by their parents or guardians, provided that they had grown up in Melrath. They painted their faces. Where something of a permanent nature was concerned, he considered it to be more prudent to approach one of the artists that created emblas though. He neither possessed any experience as a tattoo artist nor was he artistically inclined. He wanted something that looked good, and he wanted something that was truly meaningful, and he wasn’t sure if anything that he did would ever convey his ideas sufficiently.

Besides, it seemed more impactful to him this way somehow …

He took a deep breath and then another one before he finally walked through the entrance room that was decorated with wood carvings and tapestries that depicted scenes of Melrath’s history and culture and finally knocked on the wooden door that was located opposite the entrance door. When a woman called out to enter, he exchanged a glance with Ingrid, smiled at his friend, opened the door and finally walked in. As he did so, he sent a silent prayer to those that guarded Melrath as well as his own patron.

He was not worried, at least not anymore, not after the interview had gone so well. A prayer seemed to be appropriate to him though, considering what was about to happen. This was about more than just receiving a tattoo; the entire course of his life would change that trial. He would change that trial. He would finally become who he had been meant to be all along.

In his opinion, Melrath was his destiny.

[Victor Amielle]

“My name is Linnea”, the woman that stood behind the desk of the room that looked so different from what Victor had thought that a tattoo studio would look like introduced herself. There was, of course, the tattoo on his neck that he had received when he had become a Warlock of the Syns, but that had been taken care of at Lyngvi Tower, the headquarter of the Syns rather than in a separate building. “And you must be Victor Amielle? I don’t get the opportunity to give a Warlock of the Syns his first embla very often”, she admitted and smiled at him before the expression on her face became much more serious.

Linnea was, by Victor’s estimates, approximately twenty-five arcs of age, and slightly curvy, with skin that was a tone or two darker than the average Melrathi’s, dark eyes and a pleasant, round face. She wore her brown hair in two braids that she had weaved ribbons into, and her long, forest green robe was decorated with intricate golden designs, stitched with metallic threads. On the back of her hands were golden tattoos, her embla.

“I am”, Victor confirmed in a calm tone of voice and inclined his head slightly. For just a moment or two, his gaze went to the small shrine that was dedicated to Melrath’s spiritual protectors and that stood in the corner before he turned to face her once more. “And I’m grateful that I was deemed worthy of receiving this honour. My good friend, Ingrid”, he continued and gestured towards the blonde woman that stood next to him and nodded upon being introduced to Linnea. “As I do not have any family in Melrath that can share this moment with me, I asked her to accompany me.”

“I remember that an older gentleman used to work here”, Ingrid remarked. “My brother’s wife received her embla here as well. What happened to him, if you don’t mind me asking?” she wanted to know, blushing slightly as she was not entirely sure if it would be appropriate to ask, especially considering the importance of this moment. She could not help but wonder what had happened to the former owner of the building though.

“My father. He died in Cylus, quite unexpectedly”, Linnea remarked in a calm and friendly tone of voice – she did not mind the question, she was beyond the point where people talking about her late father caused her pain – before she gestured for Victor to come with her.

“I’m sorry”, Ingrid replied in a sincere tone of voice.

Linnea inclined her head before she moved past the reception area. Despite her relatively young age, she was rather serious, and she moved with confidence, like a woman that was much older. They moved towards the shrine in order to pray together and talk about the importance of this moment before Victor would finally receive his embla.

[Victor Amielle]

Strangely enough, Victor decided as he lay there, on some sort of bench, with his eyes closed and one arm on his chest, as if to steady his breathing, receiving his embla hurt less than receiving the tattoo that had granted him the Gleam Sight had, even though it would be located on his face. Perhaps, it hurt less because there was nothing magical involved?

It was a deeply spiritual experience though, and it made him … he abruptly winced as Linnea moved her needle to a more sensitive area and inhaled sharply before he relaxed once more. The discomfort and the pain were a part of it, and they made the entire procedure more impactful.

A part of him almost appreciated them, in fact …

As Linnea went about her work, he thought about the events that had brought him to Melrath again, rather than about what the young woman was doing, about how he had arrived by ship and seen the buildings that were made of dark stone for the first time, how he had participated in a local festival and made friends, and even about his imprisonment in Niflheim which was something that he avoided thinking of, most of the time, at least.

What happened now was the end of one journey and the beginning of another one though, and thus he felt the need to confront certain aspects of his past. How else would he able to move forward?

When he realized that he couldn’t feel Linnea’s needle anymore, after what seemed like an eternity, he opened his eyes abruptly (he had kept them closed because doing so made it easier for him to focus, on the experience, the pain and the memories, and because looking her in the eyes would have felt strange). He glanced at the young woman questioningly.

“We are done”, Linnea replied, put her needle away and smiled at him. When Victor wanted to sit up, she raised a hand, and he lay there for a few moments. Finally, they walked to where Ingrid was waiting though.

His friend put her hands on her hips, grinned at him and eyed him appraisingly before she proclaimed, “This embla suits you, Victor Amielle. Now, you really are a true Melrathi. I’m sorry for what I said earlier. It was a good decision. Shall we go and introduce the newest citizen of Melrath to the people of Raelia now?”

Victor looked at his face in the mirror, resisting the temptation to touch it. The embla that he had chosen was made with golden ink. It was located on the right side of his face, on his temple, and took the shape of intricate geometric patterns, almost resembling an ether bolt or a lightning bolt of sorts, and matching the tattoo on his neck, to reflect who he was, a Transmuter, and a member of the Syns, a Warlock.

“Let us go”, he told Ingrid before he bowed to Linnea respectfully. She had given him a great gift that trial, a greater gift than she probably realized. He felt strangely light now, and happy, as if … as if he was at home now, after he had spent so many arcs looking for a place where he belonged.

[Kasoria]

Review Rewards

Name: Vicky

Points awarded: 10

Knowledge:
Discipline x1
Endurance x1
Etiquette x2
Meditation x2

Loot: + 1 embla, all official-like

Renown: 5 points, for becoming a citizen

Injuries: Soreness and redness around the mark, heal up in 2-5 trials

Skill Review: All Skills used appropriate to level

Notes:
Bitchin' ink, brah. Bitchin'.

But seriously, folks.

This had a slow burn quality to it, mainly because you didn't rush. You took the time to set the scene and paint as as well as you could before going for the finish. You explained to the reader as best you could without recapping everything to come before, and I appreciated that. Enjoy your new ink and sign of social status, your bourgeois oppressor!

If you have any questions, comments or concerns in regards to this review, feel free to PM.