Neziul
MaeB
Lemons
Altered Tundra
Raijinslayer
Xiro Zean
WXer
Taka
Achronum
How did exactly did Kasper think Lucas showed promise exactly? Did he have his head up his own ass or was he unaware of Lucas' very public, problematic behavior? The response was about what Lucas had expected but he wasn't sure what the other Scion's line of thought was. His opinion of Rosemary wasn't too surprising since everyone thought the same thing, but the response was half-assed, empty, void of any original thought. One could mistake it for something proper but Lucas knew it was a neutral, servable response and not what Kasper really thought. Oh well, this one was a dud, and any interest Lucas had in continuing the conversation was gone.
Mercifully, Kasper ended the conversation before he could, and Lucas outright rolled his eyes. Sadly, where one boring Scion went another appeared, killing Lucas' desire to stand there and do nothing. His eyes nearly glazed over as the guy mentioned something about a gift and a legacy and blah...fuck, he couldn't even pretend to care, his disinterest plainly written on his face as he stared back at whoever this was. Said gift was presented to him as a rather dull looking rock with the holy sigil glittering light blue, likely to match Lucas' element of time.
Lucas had half a mind to reject the gift under the premise of not having any pockets, but something about the rock looked familiar. It hit him as he opened his mouth to speak--he had seen it before. He hadn't initially recognized it but the entire thing was supposed to be light blue, Theodore had one just like it on his desk and said that it had been a gift from a new friend of his. Once the thought crossed his mind, he straightened up a touch, looking the man up and down. Man was a strong word, this guy looked like he was perpetually stuck at the age of seventeen. He actually recognized the face, too; this was the one that kept doing stupid shit and had an online following.
The prince reached out and touched the rock gingerly, looking at it for a moment before looking up at his face. "It doesn't look anything like Theo's," He commented. "If you're going to regift something, you should try putting some actual thought to it. Or..."
He pushed himself off the wall, pushing aside the outstretched hand and getting right in his face. "If you have a problem, be a big boy and speak up."
Meanwhile Sonia nodded at Zacharie's statement. "That's good, the implant's constant upgrades are sort of a pain. Handy, but 'yknow, all in the pursuit of getting better stuff!" She told him, then grinned at Ionna. "I think it's cool, too."
Any further conversation would come to a halt as Fyodor glanced at his watch and excused himself, walking to the double doors. Within ten seconds, they opened, revealing a pair of church knights accompanying a tall, white haired woman. Lucas already knew what was going to happen and chose to disengage, though not without shoulder checking What's-His-Face on the way as he scooped Rosemary up, much to her delight. Every Templar present would immediately recognize her as Dame Irina Albakova, one of the senior Templars in charge of training inexperienced recruits. She held a small, open box housing ten crystals, each one colored in accordance to their element.
“Good evening Holy Ones, esteemed Templars,” she greeted the gathered audience in a palpable Rodian accent, offering a reverent dip of the head. “I thank you for your patience. The Brothers and Sisters of the Cathedra Incepta have blessed your armor crystals; Templars, please form a line to receive them. They will be worn on the chest as we proceed into the main chapel.” Although she spoke with great deference, the commanding presence of her voice left no room for discussion, a familiar sound to those who trained under her.
As each Templar took their crystal, Irina gave them a nod and a blessing: “May the Mother be your buckler and spear.”
Abram and Ulysse ended up continuing their conversation, but walked together and took up the rear. Princess Isabella watched them for a second, a small frown on her face, though she returned her attention to Nadine. “Doumerc needs to take its defenses seriously and stop relying on Rodion to bail them out at every turn,” She said, giving the older woman a serious look. “You need only say the word, I can convince Mother to lend Rosarian ships to the cause. The Prime Minister follows your every word.”
Nadine let out a laugh. “It’s all hearsay, my child,” She dismissed the offer. “The Federation is reeling from the loss of Theodore, any decisions made now are born of emotion and not logic.”
“And you think it irrational?”
“He would have wanted a peaceful resolution. He would not have wanted blood shed in his name.”
Belle rolled her eyes. “That desire for peace is why we need to show Kaudus that they made a grave mistake,” She stated, insistent. “The ones responsible went through Doumerc, not Rodion. This is something I’ll be bringing up with High King Nathaniel as well.”
Nadine let out a sigh. “I’d advise against that. This is a time for celebration and remembrance.”
Once each Templar had retrieved their crystal and donned it, Irina addressed the assembly again. “Holy Ones, you will proceed into the main chapel in a line; Templars, you will each follow immediately behind your charge. Please line up now.” She took up her position and gestured behind her, ensuring there was no confusion. “Once ready, I will lead you in, and Commander Fyodor will take up the rear. Thank you.”
The Scions were lead through a path that took them from their previous chamber back to the entrance without going through the main hall. They stopped in front of a pair of double doors that lead into the main chapel. Once everyone had arrived, Commander Fyodor walked to the doors, turning back to address the Templars. “Arm yourselves,” He ordered.
The seasoned Dame Sonia placed her crystal on her chest, channeling a touch of mana to it. When she dropped her hand, the crystal remained alight with a bright, white glow, and metallic material shot out and covered her clothes and skin. Despite its form-fitting look, she was perfectly comfortable, though she touched the crystal again, the uniform’s cape dropping down and the crown forming on her head. A series of multi-colored flashes mimicked her as the rest of the Templars followed her lead.
After one minute, the double doors opened, and Fyodor walked in with the group following behind. The people stood and turned to look at the group walking down the aisle in quiet awe. The few permitted cameras followed them eagerly, and a few whispers followed suit. A closer look at the audience showed that those in attendance were those from high places, an assortment of dukes and wealthy folks who had connections. In front sat several of the Estoran Federation’s leaders, surrounded by an assortment of security.
The first the group would see was President Bruno Esposito, whose clothes were much more modest in comparison to the other leaders, but his smile was warmer as he gave the group a modest bow. After him was Prime Minister Pierre Dumont, a lanky, older gentleman who needed to be prodded to pay attention, though he bowed all the same. Tsar Aleksander Kresnik was next, and he was much like Fyodor in that he was much more imposing and gruffer than others. He gave the group a shallow bow, but it seemed more out of difficulty moving as opposed to disrespect. Queen Merecedes Callidora would be the next leader, looking particularly young for her age, but keen eyes would spot her age lines just starting to form. She gave the group a curtsy, a dazzling smile following as she raised her head.
High King Nathaniel stood in all his arguable splendor, with both of his sons, Ezekiel and Azrael, on either side of him. The two men were stern and graying, looking at Lucas with equal discontent. Next to Ezekiel was his son and Lucas’ brother, Arthur–who seemed much more approachable than his father–who held hands with his wife, Erica Bachmeier. She looked much like Rosemary, but bore golden curls and sapphire eyes. On seeing her older sister, Rosemary gave her a poorly hidden wave, and Erica happily reciprocated, her hand then resting on her pregnant belly. The group bowed their heads in unison.
Prince Rowan stood tall, watching his daughter with the utmost pride, his smile widening as hers did. He dipped his head in respect as well.
Commander Fyodor led the Scions up onto the grand dais and took his spot next to Elijah. Once the Scions were lined up, the bishop of the church approached the podium, beckoning for the crowd to sit. The bishop resembled Prince Rowan greatly, complete with matching brown hair and blue eyes that shone as he looked towards everyone.
“Good evening, my brothers and sisters,” He spoke. “On this auspicious day we gather to celebrate a momentous occasion–the millennial anniversary of the divine blessing bestowed on us by the gracious goddess Incepta. When William Bachmeier gave out his prayer, Incepta answered, and we were given the holy Scions to carry out Her will. Today’s ceremony will be heralded by High Cardinal Margaret. Please give her a warm welcome!”
The audience broke into applause as the high cardinal took to the dais, now dressed in holy garments passed down through generations of cardinals. She placed her hand on the bishop’s shoulder as he walked past her and down towards the front seats, where a multitude of church mages stood carrying what looked like bowls of glowing water.
Margaret herself approached the podium. “Thank you, Brother Bachmeier, and to all for a warm welcome. It is with hearts full of gratitude and reverence that we come together today to reflect upon a thousand years of Her benevolence,” Margaret stated, unfettered by her audience or the cameras all pointed in her direction as everyone waited on her every word. “I would like to take this opportunity to formally introduce our newest Scion–blessed is he with the power of Time, arbiter of the future who inherits the Sight like those before him. Our Goddess has determined that the best candidate for this position is His Royal Highness, Prince Lucas Estora the tenth.”
She looked back at said prince, whose expression was stony at best. He took a step forward and placed a hand on his chest before giving the crowd a shallow bow. There was a round of polite applause, but people immediately broke into murmurs. He straightened up and looked to Margaret for approval with a quirked brow, and she gave him a nod, allowing him to step back in line with the rest of the Scions.
“In the celestial dance of time, more than a thousand years ago, our beloved Mother once walked the world with us. When she departed, she asked us not to feel sorrow, for she would always walk with us,” Margaret continued, the crowd silencing itself to listen. “We see this every day in our Scions, the living proof of Incepta’s blessings. In the tapestry of history, the Scions of the past were like a radiant dawn and brought light into the darkest corners. As we stand on the shoulders of a thousand years, let us remember the genesis of these sacred blessings and the power they have had on our lives.”
The water began to glow at the end of her words as the mages channeled mana into them. She lifted her arm, revealing a bejeweled bangle, and the mana followed suit. Closing her hand, the mana dispersed, giving the air a glittering effect.
“With our hearts open wide, let us offer our deepest gratitude to Incepta, and may our actions reflect the abundance of her love. Let our hearts be filled with joy, that we may see another millennium be graced with even greater wonders, and may we continue to walk in the light of her blessings evermore.”
The rest of the ceremony went off without a hitch, and the congregation scattered once it was over. The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, the sky slowly glittering with the twinkling of stars as everyone left the Cathedral Incepta. The Scions and Templars temporarily went their separate ways but gathered once again at the Gile Manor. Said manor stood on a hill, its ivy-covered walls and towering spires giving it an air of timeless elegance. The cobblestone path leading up to the entrance was lit through mana-powered lanterns and a light dusting of snow adorned the manicured gardens.
Within the main ballroom were high vaulted ceilings and crystal chandeliers, a massive fireplace roaring with fire gave the room warmth. The walls were draped in rich fabrics colored burgundy and gold. In one corner sat an ensemble of musicians gently playing music to accompany the chatter littering the air.
Duke Boetius Gile was more than ecstatic to host the New Year’s Eve celebration and played his part well, greeting everyone that came through the doors with much enthusiasm. The majority of servants were dressed in black, walking around and offering drinks and food to the guests. Anything that was asked for was given, with a set of tables showcasing a variety of dishes and sparkling champagne flutes for those who wanted to get things themselves. A majority of Gaia’s royalty and nobility was in attendance, wearing resplendent gowns and tailored suits, mingling with one another and exchanging pleasantries as well as their thoughts on the ceremony. The one thing on most people's mind was that Lucas Estora was the Scion of Time, and many comparisons to his cousin and his brother were being made.
"Theodore was a kind soul, bless him, but I don't know much about Lucas' charitable work."
"Anani was also once a heathen, and see her patronage now! With any luck, Lucas will follow in her footsteps."
"Strange times will be ahead, but only She knows why he was chosen."
Lucas himself wasn't paying much attention. By the time they got to the manor, he looked paler than he did at the church. His headache had come in with a vengeance and he scarcely offered little more than a nod to most people. He was content to stand in a corner and do nothing, but even that felt like too much. He found an empty seat and plopped down, mannerisms and etiquette be damned, rubbing his temple.
