Will approached the pool along with the others. A gesun waited for them with a long ladle in hand. It was about four feet long with a cup at its end.
Rebecca went first, and the priest handed the ladle to her. She walked up to the barrier and reached for the waterfalls with her ladle. Will couldn't see past the barrier, and her choice remained a mystery.
Rebecca scooped back the ladle and poured the water onto her palm and drank. The gesun whispered something to her. She nodded and headed for the gatehouse beyond.
Patricia and Kade followed, and soon it was Remy's turn. The brunette made his choice quickly and finished the ritual. He gave a nod towards Will and headed for the gatehouse.
Will had half a mind to follow Remy, but he put that impulse aside. The gesun gave him a small nod and handed him the ladle. Will looked at the falls. Health, wealth, or fame? He was tempted to just go with the money when he felt a familiar twinge from his leg. All his problems seemed to stem from this. He reached for the first fall and drank to his health.
The gesun took back the ladle. "Go to the first entrance to the left."
Will nodded and took the first exit out of the gatehouse. A set of stairs greeted him, and he passed the cliff face and moved onto a stone path.
"Health is a fine choice," came a croaking old voice. Will was surprised to find the old priestess waiting for him up the path.
Will greeted the old priestess, and she waved it off. "Why don't I accompany you up the mountain, young man? You seem to have a lot on your mind."
"I suppose." Will glanced at the old priestess, who seemed to be keeping up with him effortlessly. Her steps were sure, and the cane seemed ornamental in her hands. "I have a question, All Mother."
"Questions are good," she said.
"What would happen if I choose health but walked up the path of wealth?" asked Will.
"You can do that," she said simply.
"I can?"
"The choice is up to you."
"No thunder or lightning then?" Will grinned.
The priestess chuckled. "Isn't walking a path not of your choosing punishment enough?"
Will fell silent at that comment. Mist started rolling in as they approached the cloud layer.
"I can see why you choose health," she pointed her cane at his right leg.
"It's not going to do much good, is it? I'm not going to get my foot back," said Will.
"Yes, yes," the priestess said gently. "And yet here you are, already awakened in an awakening ceremony. The same goes for the rest of your companions."
"Wait, was Rebecca already awakened?"
The old woman just smiled and said nothing.
Will chuckled. "Alright, I have already awakened, and I'm attending an awakening ceremony. Futile, I know."
"No," said the priestess. "What I'm saying is that you want good health as you awaken. Have you done anything to have that good health?"
Will scowled and was about to reply when the priestess cut him off. "Yes, very hard. Very difficult. It's not the right time. It's not possible. And yet you want it. So, have you done anything to get what you want?"
"We are not supposed to use psionics when we are underage. It's dangerous." Will kept his face neutral. The old bat was starting to annoy him. What did she know to lecture him?
The old woman nodded. "Yes, yes. It is good that you waited. I've seen my fair share of unfortunate accidents from the over-eager. It was the right thing to do."
Will nodded.
"Perhaps you should wait three more years just to be sure."
Will scowled again. "You're joking."
The old priestess cackled. "Do you know the reason why we hold the ceremony this time of the year? We could have chosen a more convenient time."
"The subspace gates. They open this time of year," said Will.
"Precisely," said the priestess.
"The awakening day was a ritual for the initiation of warriors in the old days. Unblooded youths sent to fight the swarm and returning as adults. It was a coming-of-age ceremony. Months of continuous battle until the gates close and returning on Returning day." She gave a quirk of a smile. "Not anymore. We have lost that now, and in turn, you are lost."
"So, I just need to face a horde of mutants, and I'll be fine," said Will. "Then I'll know what to do every time, all the time."
The old woman chuckled. "The immediacy of death tends to simplify things. As for your question that you asked and yet didn't. What to do and when to do it? When is the right time for action?"
Will remained silent. He didn't have an answer.
"Well?" the old priestess prodded.
"I... don't know," said Will.
"You seemed unsure the moment you stepped onto the mountain," she said. "You have a path, and you don't know if you should walk on it."
Will felt cold. The clouds rolled over the mountain as they passed the cloud layer.
The old woman continued. "The judgment needed for right action at the right time, humans are very poor in this regard." She pointed at a passing tree. "Trees know when to grow and when to shed leaves. Flowers know when to bloom and when to wilt. And as for fruits..." She reached out with her hand, and an apple dropped out of the tree into her palm.
Will's eyes went wide. "How did you..."
The old priestess chuckled. "Intelligence, wisdom. It takes the wisdom of a lifetime to know when it is the right time for action and when it is not. It comes with age and experience. So, how do the young know what to do and when to do it?"
Will was so caught up with the question that he didn't notice the stone path end. His feet struck pavement, and he was surprised by the bricks underneath his feet. To his side, Will saw Patricia and Rowan come off their paths. Walking alongside them were two identical copies of the old priestess.
"Wait? What?" He turned around and saw the old priestess smiling at him. She laughed, and she and her clones started walking back down the path.
Will quickly put the clones out of his mind. He didn't care for it. He just needed to know one thing. "How, All Mother?" Desperation tinged his voice. "How do you know when it is the right time?"
The old priestess didn't turn around. A red blur came rushing at him, and Will caught the fruit by reflex. Once again, a shiny red apple was in his hand, and Will watched the priestess disappear into the clouds.
Will stayed rooted to his spot, unsure of what to do. Drums began to play up the mountain as the ceremony began. A long horn from a conch shell sounded from the distant temple.
Will felt his jacket and found his slate vibrating as he received the second ping. The location had been found.
The shell horn rang loud, and Will clenched his fist. He didn't know if it was the right choice or the right time. He wasn't even sure if he had a choice. He was going to do it anyway. The shell's resonant tone carried on, and Will walked away from the temple and plunged into the trees.
