Tu'Rehu

Biography
There were five of them. Five boys came to the Spring to be “introduced to Prime”. Came there to become men and fully-fledged members of the commune. As long as you do not have the Pattern on you – you are a child and everyone treats you like a child, even though you might be a head higher than the elders. The Pattern that Prime creates on your skin means that you are an adult. A man. A warrior. Introduced to Prime.

The Pattern… He could not sleep all night, trying to decide – or convince himself. During the rite of initiation everyone chose for themselves, how big a part of their body they wanted to submerge into the pure Prime of the Spring. The pain was insane – the priests say that that absolute of pain, which for a few moments eclipses your consciousness in a blinding flash, is when the Prime gets to know you, burning its mark into your soul and leaving the Pattern on your body. Of course, the bigger the area exposed to Prime, the more intense the pain – but also the higher the respect of the tribe. Usually Khr’Amin submerged a hand or a foot into Prime – most brave up to the elbow or knee. The priests washed their faces in Prime. Those who learned to cheat death – warriors Ha’Ka and Da’Ka – stood under a waterfall of Prime, letting it completely cover one half of their body from head to toes. Most of the daring succeeded. Those who overestimated their limits, returned to the sand forever. And where was his limit?..

The priest spoke melodically and his words echoed over the Prime Spring. The boy tried to concentrate on the priest’s speech – it was his introduction to the Deity after all and that is the most important moment in the life of any Khr’Amin. Yet his mind turned the same thought over and over in his head. “Yes. I’ll do it. I can do this. I can become a Warrior who Cheats Death”.

Finally, the priest’s introduction ended. Now it was their turn to introduce themselves to Prime.

He steadied his breathing, preparing for the beginning of the War Dance. Step, step – lunge. Step, step – terrifying roar and turn. Step, step – lunge and thrust. He gave himself to the dance – a true War Dance is a dance of the spirit more than it is a dance of the flesh. They say, sometimes there was not even need for battle after the Dance – the intimidated foe simply laid down arms and surrendered. With the final shout ending the dance, quiet confidence filled the boy. He thought of Ha’Ka and Da’Ka, who used elements of the War Dance in their fighting… Yes, he can become like them! For sure.

At last, the most important moment of the ritual was at hand. He stood fourth in the row and watched wide-eyed, how the introduction to Prime went for his compatriots. Judging by the tightly pressed lips and glimmering eyes of Kauri, the pain must really be serious – and he only exposed his arm up to the elbow… What if he’s wrong about his strength and his fate? What if the power to Cheat Death is not for him – and by exposing half his body to Prime he’ll die from the pain? It happened before…

While he was lost in thought, his turn came up. He looked at the wincing Kauri. At Tami, rubbing his leg. At the usually smirking Ameru, whose face was distorted by a grimace with tears running down his cheeks.

He didn’t tell anybody, how exactly he wants to introduce himself to Prime, so no one would accuse him of cowardice. Nevertheless, he wanted to show his strength of spirit, prove his fate. When approached the waterfall, he submerged his right arm completely – not to the elbow, but up to the shoulder…

Weirdly, there was no pain. At first. And then another sensation came instead of pain… The arm pulsed and seemed to grow a little in length with each pulse. It felt like his own and something foreign at the same time. In his stomach it felt like he ate some glowing coals for breakfast… and as if… something… tried to come out from the inside…

“Hey, you ok?” whispered Ameru, tapping his shoulder.

And that friendly tap on the shoulder seemed to switch him off. Switching something else on instead.

The priests watched in shock, as one of the young warriors sank his arm into Prime, then suddenly turned around to his friend, knocked him in the air and hurled him away. Then he turned to the others, crushing them with his hand, tossing them hard to the ground. His arm was not covered with the Pattern – instead, it was completely the colour of Prime. The warrior himself glowed like hot metal – even the air around him shined red – and dashed across the clearing like a Demon of death.

Then it was over. The warrior gazed across the clearing at the two priests left standing. He jumped to them, but just then the High priest finished reciting the ancient incantation meant to calm down Demons and Spirits. Sanity slowly appeared back in the eyes of the young warrior. He turned around slowly and looked at the bodies of his friends and compatriots, scattered around the Spring. He let out a stifled moan and hid his face in his hands. As his right hand touched his face, he lost consciousness…

- You are - Tu`Rehu. From now on, this is your new name. A demon, pretending to be a human.

The voice of the high priest was strict.

- I ... What happened to me? - He felt terrible weakness and pain through all of his body ; and an unbearable sense of guilt. He now knew that the priest was right, perhaps not about his demonic nature but about him in general - he wasn`t a mere human anymore. Or even a human at all. The young warrior stood up from the cold ground and shook his head. He intently looked away from the Prime Spring, where the bodies of his comrades lay.

- I should be asking you this question. What happened to you? What were your thoughts, when the Prime peered inside your soul?

- I ... - Tu`Rehu shook his head again, as if trying to remember something, or on the contrary, trying to forget. - I was hesitant. How exactly could I introduce myself to Prime? At first I wanted to do it the same way Ha`Ka and Da`Ka did, but at the last minute ... - he swallowed - I collected myself and plunged only my arm into the Spring.

The high priest was silent.

- I ... I thought it would cause unbearable pain. So I decided to act the way my mind told me. I know myself, and I know what I can do, better than anyone.

- Yes. This is true. But you should also have been able to hear your inner voice, through your own fears and doubts, and accept them to be able to overcome them. Your mind told you that you could be a hero. But at the last moment, you turned your face away and chose the way of fear.

The priest stood up. His voice was still rough.

- But the Prime also knows what your abilities are. The force with which you have just fought, it seems like you have become one of those who know how to cheat death. You are a hero. But you have started walking this path with the murder of your friends. Only your cowardice has lead to it.

Tu`Rehu began to moan.

- We curse you! We - your tribe - curse and cast you out. Never come back and never forget that this place was once your home. We - Khr`Amin - curse you. No one will give you shelter, because you are too dangerous. Prime has also cursed you for your cowardice, just as you have cursed yourself, with this mark on your face.

But then the lower priest began to speak:

- That is true. Prime has cursed him. But it has also blessed him! It has given him an almost unlimited power. He is a hero, but not like Ha`Ka and Da`Ka. The mark on its arm is not just a pattern, it is raw Prime. Look into his eyes and you will see Prime flowing inside of them. The handprint on his face - the Prime has marked him twice!

- Yes, you are cursed and marked. No one can predict your fortune, but there is no doubt that you will have an extraordinary destiny. Now go away. We need to take care of your friends.

- Can I at least take leave of them and help you?

- You may take a leave, but we do not need your help.

Tu`Rehu was sitting on a stone. A pile of dry wood beside him, He threw them in the fire. The flame illuminated his face - his lips were firmly pressed together, the Prime handprint was on his face, the pattern going from his arm to his upper body. Many months had passed since the last terrible events, but they felt to him as years. At this time he almost walked through the entire Khr`Ay continent, his reputation before him. The Khr`Amin respected him, but all the same, also feared him... fear that stemmed also from deep-rooted, hidden contempt. Whenever he came into the settlements, he was offered food, but never was invited to the campfire to share it with the others.

Cursed and marked by Prime...

He hunted a lot. Not so much because of hunger, but to understand his new power. And soon he had understood the whole irony of Prime: The more furious and powerful he was, the more pain he felt and deeper his wounds were. He did not fear pain anymore, on the contrary, he longed for this atonement, on the eve of every battle! He had become a fearless warrior.

His power was a sight to behold: his arm infused with Prime left his enemies with even deeper wounds than his favourite brass knuckles. Adroit and fast, he could defeat a lion in seconds.

But how long could he hunt lions in a desert? He was a warrior, not a hunter. When he reached the Spic Sea and tried to cross the Khr`Ay, he went north to go where he could finally unleash his power and discover its true potential. To where no one knows that he is cursed. The handprint cannot be hidden - but he could let others think he had been marked by Prime. He would probably not conceal this part of his story.

The coal crackled in the hearth. It smelled of humidity. The salty air could be felt, yet there were still two days of traveling left to reach the sea. Tu`Rehu raised his head - and winked so his eyes better accustomed to the darkness. The fog in front of him seethed. There was something odd - the smell the fog carried... and a strange feeling he only could sense before a fight ... Maybe that was the fog, rumours of which had also reached Khr`Amin? They said this fog could distort the way, so that something that far away seemed to be within reach and vice-versa. Travelling to the sea would take days, but only a few steps if he went through the Mist. Yes, he knew what awaited at the end, but did not falter.

Tu`Rehu clenched his fist on the medallion he had taken from his slain friend - he intended to use it as a Catalyst to hand over to his Lord during the signing. He took a deep breath and stepped into the fog...

Talents
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