“The first thing you must do,” said Katetheuna, “to be welcomed into the military family of Larakia, is wash in the fountain of Ayin.

Chloe and Hannah were standing with the lady called Katetheuna in the central square of the city of Ayin. Ayin, it had been explained to them, was the capital city of this country, which was called Larakia.

In front of them, in the central square, was an enormous fountain. Its waters were crystal clear, rippling out from a middle pillar of erupting bubbles. The circular pool of the fountain, almost as large as the whole square, was full of people. Children and adults alike were swimming in it, playing, splashing, enjoying themselves, even drinking the fountain water, which nobody seemed to mind. In fact, they seemed to encourage it. What’s more, they were all clothed. It was pretty odd, to tell you the truth.

“So what, you want us to just jump in?” asked Hannah.

“Yes, that’s right my dear,” said Katetheuna. “Immerse yourselves, in order to be initiated into the family of Larakia.”

Not one for lengthy philosophical ponderings, Hannah shrugged her assent.

She plunged into the water. It felt lovely and warm—just the right temperature. To her astonishment, it turned her school uniform, dirty and even a bit smelly from a week of use, completely white. But it didn’t just wash the already white parts white. It turned the whole thing white, from her blazer to her skirt to her socks. Then something even weirder happened. Her clothes morphed. Her socks and skirt and blazer disappeared, or rather shifted, changing into a single, white flowing robe, like the one Katehtuena wore, which clung to her in the pleasantly warm water.

“What the flip is going on?” said Hannah in astonishment.

“Your robes have been washed,” said Katetheuna, “and you have been fitted with a chemos, the customary garment of Larakia.”

“Cool!” said Hannah. “Come on Chloe, it’s your turn now!”

“Are you sure it’s alright?” Chloe said to Katetheuna, perched on the edge of the fountain. “I’m not used to going swimming in my regular clothes.”

“Of course. They will be transformed. Go on, follow Hannah.”

Chloe dipped a toe in, seemed to make up her mind, then jumped in. Soon she was swimming around in her own white robe, playing in the fountain with Hannah. They tasted the water out of curiosity—it was clean and delicious, quenching their thirst wonderfully with the tiniest taste, a relief to their tired bodies.

Kathetheuna smiled as she watched them play. After a while she said, “Good, that’s the first step done. Come along on now and get out of the water, you need to be ringed and sandaled. We can do it back at the house.”

The girls got out of the water reluctantly. To their surprise, once they were out, they were completely dry. This was impossible, but they were beginning to expect these kinds of things of Larakia.

“This place is amazing!” said Hannah.

“This place is weird…” said Chloe.

They walked back to the house of Hotzeh, the blind blind forthteller to whom they had also been introduced that day, in their new robes. On the way, they noticed how similar their robes were to Katetheuna’s, and yet they were unlike, for theirs were plain white, and Katetheuna’s had her beautiful pattern of swirling blue waves stitched into hers.

“Why don’t our robes have patterns stitched into them, like yours?” asked Hannah.

“Ah,” said Katetheuna. “The patterns will come with time. The robes change of their own accord, depending on how you use your gifts. They have been known to sometimes exhibit certain wondrous properties. You will see, my dear; soon enough your robes will have their own patterns. They do not ever stop changing, until you die. And even then the stopping is only temporary. My robe has this pattern now, but it may change in time. Though usually the patterns stick to some common themes, much as do our lives.”

Chloe and Hannah noticed more and more of the patterns on the other Larakians’ robes as they made their way back through the streets: a golden tree, a red lion, a silver moon...

“Will our robes have exactly the same pattern?” asked Hannah.

“I would highly doubt it,” said Katehtheuna. “You are two different people, are you not?”

When they got back to the man called Hotzeh’s house he was waiting for them with two rings and two sets of sturdy brown sandals. He gave each of them a warm hug, and then placed the rings on their fingers and the sandals on their feet ceremoniously, taking time and care as he did so, feeling his way around in his blindness. Chloe had an emerald set in her silver ring, which she placed on the little finger of her right hand. Hannah had a sapphire set in a gold ring which she placed, naturally, on the ring finger of her left hand.

“Now people will think I’m engaged!” she giggled.

When the sandals were on, Hotzeh put a hand on each of their shoulders and pronounced in a loud voice:

“Welcome princess Chloe, daughter of the One True King. Welcome princess Hannah, daughter of the One True King. Flight valiantly under the banner of the One True King against darkness, Shul, and the enemy! May the Light of Larakia shine upon you always!”

“…thank you,” was all that Chloe and Hannah could manage, not knowing what else they should say.

Katetheuna and Hotzeh beamed at them with pride.

“Are we initiated now, then?” said Hannah after a moment. “Are we ready to go on our mission for Larakia, so we can go home?”

“Absolutely not,” said Hotzeh. “You still need to be Gifted.”

Hannah’s eyes widened. “Gifted? What’s that all about?” she asked.

“Everyone in Larakia is given certain gifts,” said Katetheuna. “There are many different kinds of gifts, and many different combinations of gifts. But here, everyone usually has one main Gift, which is bestowed on you at your Gifting, after you receive the robe, the ring and the sandals, to prepare you for service.”

This was turning into one of the best days ever. New clothes, jewellery, some admittedly outdated but actually remarkably comfortable and practical footwear…they had already been given so much. And now some more Gifts!

“I have been meditating long on what your Gifts are to be,” said Hotzeh. “And I believe that the One True King has now shown me.”

He moved his hands so that they now rested on the top of Hannah and Chloe’s heads.

“To you, Hannah, is given the Gift of Trust. Use it well. You will be able to trust for things that others give up trusting for, when it seems all hope is lost.

“To you, Chloe, is given the Gift of Sight. Use it well. You will be able to see things that others cannot, of what has been, of what is, even of what is yet to come.”

“How come Chloe gets a better gift than me?” said Hannah at once.

Hotzeh was taken aback. “Young one, do not speak falsely! I do not mean to say that you will not learn to See and that Chloe will not learn to Trust in a measure, but these are your primary Gifts. And you have been given a wonderful Gift! Though Sight is important and much to be sought after, the root of the Gift of Trust is perhaps the greatest of all, being found as it is in the trusting of the One True King!”

“Oh. Ok then...” said Hannah. “Are we ready to go on our mission for Larakia now?”

“Of course not,” said Katetheuna.

She paused.

“You still need to be given your weapons.”