Chapter 21: 20. Celebration

I was sitting in the praying room fiddling with my newly acquired Scorn insignia.

It looked beautiful.

A raven holding a sharp-pointed diagonal cross. The same shape as Scorn’s Irises. Its wings folded over the cross and its beak nestled in the upper notch.

At the front of the room, the Scorn archkinsmann was discussing something with Hare. I had -accidentally- caused a bit of a scene after my baptism ended and so my guardian had to come intervene… Which seemed to have been a good idea either way.

As it turns out, after the baptism, children had to follow their archkinsmann to a prayer room to receive their insignia, a holy text and some guidance. As I couldn’t read or listen, it would have been a bit of a problem without Hare with me.

Looking around the room, it was blatantly obvious that I was the only child the archkinsmann had helped through the baptism today.

[Scorn isn’t very popular is she?]

I asked Darkie.

“I guess we weren’t the only ones who thought she was bad…”

[Yeah, but it is a bit confusing. Hating people is a good thing? She was convincing, but it’s still weird…]

While Darkie and I spoke, Hare and the archkinsmann finished their discussion and walked toward us.

Hare sat beside me while the archkinsmann showed me something in the palm of his hand. It looked like a small silver cube.

He held his insignia in his other hand and closed his eyes for a moment. Suddenly the cube shook and it transformed into a ring. He opened his eyes and showed me the ring. After a moment it turned back into a cube. He focused on it once more and it changed shape again, this time into a small bird.

It’s a blessing! A blessing! It’s my first time seeing one! Ela always said it wasn’t a game so she would never show me hers, but this was definitely the real deal!

 

The bird turned back into a cube. He looked at me. Hare showed me to open my hand and so I did.

He dropped the cube on my hand. Just as it made contact with my palm, it let out a small shock.

I instinctively dropped it, yelping in surprise and pain.

The golden-eyed man shook his head. He held his insignia while he picked up the cube and made it turn into a stick.

He extended his hand to place the cube in mine again, but I felt reluctant. I looked up at Hare for guidance, but he simply insisted that I follow along with the man.

Against my better judgement, I opened my palm once more and the man placed the cube at its center.

It stung again. It was very uncomfortable to hold, almost like holding a ball of needles. It hurt quite a bit too. I tried to make it change by thinking of something that felt more pleasant, but it didn’t work and I was growing scared of this weird cube.

The archkinsmann shook his head again and held his insignia in his hand insistently.

I have to hold... The insignia? I tried holding it in my hand as I imagined it taking a different shape, but nothing more happened. I closed my eyes as I tried to focus, but still nothing.

Maybe I have to pray?

Scorn did teach me a prayer.

[I will not be trampled. I will not trust those who seek to deceive me. I will not be abused. I will push back. I will expose those who deceive. I will fight those who abuse. I will hate for hate will drive me forward.]

I recited with my eyes closed. I opened my eyes but nothing had changed. I tried reciting the prayer over and over again, but nothing changed and the stinging continued.

I was growing irritated.

[Change you stupid thing!]

I said as I glared at the cube and suddenly, the cube changed into a flower and the stinging stopped.

It worked! The prayer worked!

...Was it really? It didn’t work the first few times… Maybe it’s because I got annoyed at it...? No…It was hate... I hated that cube at that moment, I wanted it gone and so it changed.

The flower turned back into a cube. The archkinsmann smiled and nodded approvingly.

Before it could shock me again, he picked it up from my palm and put it inside a small pouch which he handed to me.

A gift? Maybe it was to practice my blessing.

He said a few words to Hare before turning back to me. He handed me a small book he dug out from his pocket.

The cover had the Scorn insignia engraved and the words:

Sċrn Ċmṃndᵐnts

It must be the Scorn holy book.

Hare stood up and I followed suit. It was difficult to hold unto all the things he had given me along with Darkie. Hare tried to help by taking the pouch from me, but I pulled away. I wanted to show Jade later.

We made our way back to the main hall where the children were all slowly flocking back to. There were no more lines, only excited children and their parents all admiring their new insignias and other trinkets.

Meanwhile the orphans were standing in a corner. The older kids were trying to look excited about the newly baptised, but it was obvious they were bored of waiting. When they spotted Hare and I, their eyes lit up. The younger children ran right up to Hare, showing him their insignia, holy books and newly acquired goodies.

I was pushed away from Hare by the excited kids, so I started looking around for Jade, but someone else stood in front of me. It was the boy again.

The same fat purple-haired boy that tripped me at breakfast. It wasn’t our first encounter. Since the first week I arrived, he was constantly trying to pick fights with me.

He looked down at the insignia around my neck. An ugly smile appeared on his face as he spouted something. He tried to grab it, but he was interrupted.

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Jade had grabbed the boy's hand and pushed it away. She put herself between him and I, and stared him down. It was at these moments that I remembered that she was much taller than I was, even towering over the boy.

He tried to glare back at her, but eventually turned tail.

Jade finally turned around and gave me a huge hug and looked at me excitedly. She held my insignia in her hands observing it. I could tell she was very curious about it… and a bit worried.

We waited until the last few stragglers came back from their baptism and we all made our way back to the orphanage.

To my surprise, some adults were already there, cooking food and decorating the orphanage. Baptism was a huge time of celebration, even to households without children.

It was customary to hold a celebration, but I didn’t expect this would happen here too!

I ran into the main room and noticed a huge pile of gifts! This was the real deal! I had no idea they would also celebrate it here! I looked back excitedly and saw Jade beaming at me, as if this was part of her plan all along.

Well I guess she did keep it a secret... Although that was no miracle in my case.

I felt my stomach grumble lightly. I suddenly remembered that with all the day’s events we didn’t have time to catch lunch. I noticed some kids were already walking around with plates filled with festive foods. I was surprised since we were never allowed to eat food outside of the dining room.

Jade followed my gaze and understood right away. She gave me a thumbs up and pointed at the windowsill we usually sat on, telling me to wait there while she went to grab food.

I nodded enthusiastically. She left the room and I headed for the windowsill. I put the things on top and hoisted myself. Once on top I put Darkie on my laps and glanced at the snowflakes lazily falling from the sky just outside the window. I considered taking out the cube and trying to play with it again, but when I remembered the shocks, I opted against it.

Instead I opened the book the Scorn archkinsmann had given me. The first page looked very beautiful. The script was perfectly centered and generously spaced. It reminded me of how poetry books were written.

I couldn’t read it, but I tried to recite the prayer Scorn had taught me and to my delight the numbers of lines matched!

[Hey Darkie! I think I can read this!]

“Really?!”

[Yeah! Let’s see, this must be…]

Just as I was about to start. I noticed a shadow in front of me. I looked up expecting to see Jade, but to my disappointment it was the boy from earlier.

Before I could say anything, he snatched the book from my hand. I tried to take it back, but he held me back with his free hand.

He started mockingly reading the book out loud. After he was done, he looked at me and laughed out loud. When I gave no reaction, his expression changed to anger and he pushed me, my head hitting the window hard.

He then took the pouch with the cube inside away. I tried to stop him, but I was too preoccupied with rubbing the sore spot on the back of my head.

He looked at it curiously for a moment, before opening it and dropping the content into his palm. He looked at the cube for a second, before the inevitable shock hit him.

He yelped and dropped the cube and pouch on the floor.

Ah! That will teach him!

I dropped from the windowsill and picked up the cube and pouch from the ground, being careful to do it fast enough so I didn’t get shocked.

I looked up and noticed him sucking on his fingers with tears in his eyes.

I snort loudly in reaction.

His face immediately turned red with anger and he punched me on the shoulder.

It was a weak punch, I could barely feel it and it made me explode into a fit laughter.

What a wimp!

He looked so tough a minute ago when he was pushing me around, but now he looked like my little brother Dalton when he lost at a game.

I continued laughing until suddenly he tackled me.

I landed roughly on the ground.

[Oh now you’ve earned it!]

I said angrily.

Jade and Hare usually always pulled me back, but they weren’t here right now.

Time for him to get a taste of the ‘Silika’s Best’ in the teeth!

I kneed him in his fat belly and slammed my palm against his chubby cheek.

He grabbed my arm in retaliation and landed his fist on top of my head.

Stars appeared in my vision, but I wasn’t done with him. I headbutt him right on the forehead. More stars appeared in my visions, but nothing I couldn’t shrug off.

The impact had made him sit up holding his forehead in pain.

I crawled to my feet and as I was about to give him another smack in the face, Hare caught me by the arm.

I looked up at his face.

I immediately understood that I was in trouble…

...A LOT of trouble...

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