[h1][color=da9100]Berenice Eldri[/color][/h1][hr]Berenice watched as the Magi walked onto the stage one after the other. She especially paid attention to their faces, their expressions ranging from boredom to apathy, excitement or thoughtfulness among others. Some were men, some were women, but regardless of their differences they all had one thing in common: the title of a Magus.

Standing further behind was her father, Anak, dressed up in the traditional, out-of-combat attire of the Order Sekhmet. Even one person among many, she would never fail to notice his presence. He never relaxed that one, forever a bastion of discipline and the way of the sword. It showed on his gait, how he dressed, and even how he stood. Straight as an arrow and with one hand resting on the butt of his sheathed sword, Anak had his sights trained on the Magi from the moment they entered the stage. Berenice knew quite well what was going through his brain; [i]“Who is it going to be? Are they going to be of use? How can I have her influence them to my advantage?”[/i]

Yes, unfortunately such was the relationship she and her father shared, something more akin to a soldier following her commander’s orders than a familial bond of love and affection. Fortunately, she had close ties with her mother and had experienced the so-called “parental love”, to some degree at least, that everyone else her age has.

Thinking about her family situation put her off quite a bit, especially at times like these when she was faced with incredible changes. If it wasn’t for the slight shifting underneath her Novitiate coat to break her out of her self-induced trance, she would have missed the start of the opening speech. She peeked under her coat and saw two beady, emerald eyes staring back at her all the while a comforting warmth suffused her body and mind, alleviating tension she hadn’t noticed building up.

[color=da9100][i]“You think I’m nervous, huh? Well don’t blame me, blame the gods for giving me an aptitude for magic…”[/i][/color] She joked inwardly before turning her gaze back to Grand Magus Amon. It would be a lie to say that she hadn’t looked forward to seeing the Crimson King during her commencement, everyone her age harbored feelings of reverence towards the mystical king residing in the Silver Tower, away from the view of the public. However, the Grand Magus was quite the figure himself, ranking second among all magi in power and experience. And when he started calling forth the names of the accepted Novitiates along with their future mentors, his voice was heard far and beyond, and clear as day. [color=da9100][i]“He must have used some kind of spell to enhance his voice just for this…”[/i][/color]

She threw a glance at each of the Novitiates called up before her, sizing them up, but knew that there would be time for introductions later. Hearing her name and the fact that she’d been accepted into the Cult of the Serpent felt like a literal boulder had been lifted off her, and her face immediately donned a smile. Getting into that Cult had been something of a goal for her apart from the fact that it was also the most suitable for her magical aptitude. She detested to admit, but if she had to pick one thing from her father’s teachings that she liked, it would be growing and developing a healthy body and mind. With Biomancy studying the inner workings of the flesh, Berenice felt that joining the Serpents was of utmost importance if she was going to maintain and built upon what she had already achieved. Plus, it was a silent jab at her father and his goals of her joining the Order Sekhmet.

Her impression of her soon-to-be mentor, Magus Nevrakis was nothing exceptional. It was the first time Berenice heard her name, and honestly, she couldn’t care much about who tutored her. As long as she got to learn magic, that was enough for her.

After finishing the formalities and paying her respects to the Vizier, Berenice approached one of the two that had been accepted into the Serpents with her, her fellow “classmates”.

[color=da9100][b]“Hello, I don’t think I have seen you before. I am Berenice,”[/b][/color] she said and greeted the girl with the usual fist over heart salute her father had drilled into her. [color=da9100][b]“What did you think of the selections? I don’t know what I would’ve done if I had been accepted into anything other than the Serpents to be honest…”[/b][/color]