Ashton had left the Arvandor Village a month ago to survive. He had spent the majority of his ti training in the wild and his physique had co a long way since then.
But as the ti for the annual Coming of Age Ceremony approached, he knew he had to return.
The ceremony was a tradition in which all young feys between the ages of 16 and 18 were required to participate. It was a rite of passage, marking the transition from adolescence to adulthood. This year, there would be at least 150 young feys taking part. Well, at least that's the amount he estimated in his head.
Ashton felt sowhat nostalgic on his way back, but he knew that this feeling originated from the familiarity of this body's old owner. He had changed a lot since he had left. He had built up his muscles and cut off his long hair, which he had always kept tied in a knot. He knew he looked different, but he didn't realize just how much until he arrived.
As he walked through the village, he saw familiar faces, but no one recognized him. He was used to being known as the skinny kid with the long hair, but now he looked like a completely different person. This works in his favor of course.
At least this way, people wouldn't treat him badly as they did so before.
Ashton made his way to the center of the village where the gathering for the Coming of Age Ceremony was going to take place. He asked around and learned that the Supervisor was an elf nad Lirien. She was tall and graceful with long, flowing blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. She wore a white robe and carried a staff made of a pale wood that glowed softly in the sunlight.
Lirien was known for her stern deanor and strict adherence to tradition, at least that's what he heard. She had been the Supervisor of the Coming of Age Ceremony for many years and was highly respected among the fey.
When Ashton approached her, Lirien eyed him suspiciously. She didn't recognize him either and demanded to know who he was and what he was doing there.
'Can't she tell that I'll be participating as well? There's no way she can differentiate from an actual Fey right?' Ashton mused to himself but he was careful enough to not show any expression that will make him suspicious.
Ashton explained that he was a mber of the Arvandor Village and that he had left for a month to explore the world beyond the forest. He showed her his family crest, hoping that it would prove his identity.
He also told her about the false family history he crafted. He said that both of his parents died from old age and he's an only child. He ventured outside of the village to test his ttle and prove to himself that he could survive on his own.
Lirien studied the crest for a mont before nodding. "Very well," she said. "But you must understand that you will be held to the sa standards as every other young fey participating in the ceremony."
Ashton nodded eagerly, relieved that he had been allowed to participate. He was confident that she hasn't seen through him because if she did, there was no way she'd allow him to participate in this ceremony at all. If anything, she might turn hostile to him should she discover his secret.
Over the next few days, Ashton trained alongside the other young fey, preparing for the ceremony. He didn't do anything that would raise an alarm among the other participants.
He did the bare minimum like stretching, exercising, and shooting arrows alongside other Fey Youths around him. This way, he'd just blend amongst the crowd.
No one recognized him or acknowledged his presence. It worked well for him because he had no plans on socializing either, but he knew that he had brought this on himself by changing his appearance so drastically.
Finally, the day of the Coming of Age Ceremony arrived. Ashton and the other young feys gathered in the center of the village, dressed in their finest clothes. Ashton was an exception of course since he had no money to his na, but he didn't care.
Lirien stood at the front of the group, her staff held high.
"Welco, young feys," she said. "Today marks a significant mont in your lives. You have all worked hard to get here, and now it is ti to prove yourselves."
The feys nodded, and Lirien led them out of the village and into the forest. They walked for what felt like hours, passing through fields of wildflowers and over bubbling streams.
Eventually, they ca to a clearing in the forest. In the center of the clearing stood a massive tree, its branches stretching up to the sky. The feys gathered around the tree, their eyes wide with wonder.
"This tree is the heart of our village," Lirien explained. "It has been here for centuries and has witnessed the coming of age of countless feys. Today, you will each take a turn climbing this tree."
The feys exchanged nervous glances, but Ashton felt a surge of excitent. That three was sothing that he had never seen before.
It looks a lot like a single piece of Bamboo, but not a normal one. This one's girthy, it'll take at least five people hugging it to completely encase it. It's also incredibly tall, it almost pierces the sky itself.
The surface looked smooth, it had a glossy texture that shimred under the glare of the sun. The sections were noticeable, a single section would be at least a ter from the next.
"This is the Obsidian Tree Fortress. It's the Guardian of the Arvandor Village. For the first part of the ceremony, you must climb this tree as high as you possibly can. Don't be afraid of falling, I'll be here to catch you."
'Sounds easy enough, but I'd like to see how it goes for the others first.'
Lirien motioned for the first fey to step forward. The fey was a young girl with bright pink hair and a determined look in her eyes. She stepped forward and began to climb the tree, her fingers and toes finding purchase to...well, nothing.
There's nothing to grab onto the tree. It was smooth and glossy, making it look slippery. It has no branches or anything that could be used to hold on to.
The pink-haired girl struggled for a bit before she threw all caution to the wind. She ran up to the tree and manage to reach halfway across the first section before losing steam and falling.
Lirien caught her and told her to wait on the side. Her expression remain stoic but Ashton could tell that she was sowhat disappointed with the results of that pink-haired girl.
One by one, the other feys took their turns climbing the tree. So of them struggled, slipping and sliding. Others climbed with ease, their movents fluid and graceful.
Finally, it was Ashton's turn...
He could sense that so people were looking at him, trying to discover his identity and all that, but he didn't pay them any mind.
Pausing before the tree, he looked up curiously and touched it with his hand.
He sensed the inner workings of the tree. To his surprise, he could feel a strong activity happening underneath the thick shell of the tree. It was highly unusual and strange. Sadly, he didn't have enough ti to admire or study the inner workings of the tree for now.
'This should work...' he mused to himself.
He planted his foot on the surface of the tree, much to the other youths' surprise. Then, he started walking at the surface of the tree like it was a flat surface.
Forget about the other kids, even the adults who were observing the ceremony from afar were astounded by the unique thod he displayed.
The concept was really easy. He just released a thin layer of mana on his soles and controlled it in a way that will cause it to adhere to the surface of the tree.
Then, it's just a matter of keeping steady control over it and viola, tree-walking! It's just demanding for beginners but nothing too difficult for him.
Lirien who was observing him from the base of the tree looked at him with praise. There was a hint of a smile on her rather strict face.
'Not bad...' She praised inwardly, 'Youths nowadays put so much emphasis on raw strength and Mana Quantity, they don't put enough attention to purifying mana or even exercising sufficient control over it.'
'But this child is obviously different. Maybe it's because he had to fend for himself out in the wild. Whatever it is, it might be worth keeping an eye on him.'
Eventually, Ashton climbed to the top of the Obsidian Tree Fortress. He marveled at the sight beneath him and breathed in the crisp air before deciding to walk down the tree.
Upon returning to the ground, he was t by bewildered stares but he didn't pay attention to it, especially since the next part of the ceremony was about to start...
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