A soft breeze drifted through the sanctuary and carried with it the heavy scent of incense and warm, sweet, wine. The curtains on both sides had been opened to let the light of the moons in, brightening the open hall as much as possible. A great variety of candles had been lit and placed around the room to add both light and ambiance for the occasion. In the center of the room sat a stone monument and before that sat a girl. She was surrounded by a circle of her elders and other oracles-in-training who had completed their own rites, just as she was about to do.
The anticipation singing in her veins made for a rather excitable stomach. She took a long, deep breath in an attempt to calm the churning and reminded herself that she was supposed to be meditating. She wiggled her fingers silently where they lay in her lap.
She couldn’t resist cracking one eye ever so slightly, just enough to be able to tell that Fai was ever so sneakily peeking back. They both grinned at each other in mirrored excitement. Fai’s eye flicked across the circle before suddenly snapping shut and Onoara couldn’t help her own eyes from following when she caught Elder Noam’s eye. She wore her own sly smirk and Onoara caught her wink before she closed her eyes again.
“Onoara,” the voice of Elder Reyra startled her and she jumped, shoulders shooting up to her ears. She opened her eyes fully to the warm smiles of her friends, her family, and her own smile grew until it practically split her face. She felt a flush rising in her cheeks so she quickly bowed low to the floor to hide it, placing her hands down in a point and placing her forehead atop them. The cool tiles of the sanctuary floor felt welcome to her hot face.
“Yes, Elder Reyra.” The words came out so calm and smooth she was surprised that they came from her own mouth.
“If you would recite The Oaths, please." There was a softness in her voice that, when Onoara rose up from the floor, she saw reflected in her eyes. Elder Reyra's smile was always small, just barely there in the upturned corners of her mouth. Her real tell was the soft creases around her eyes, placed there by time. When Elder Reyra was happy, Onoara had learned over her many Sol cycles, it showed in her eyes.
“Of course." Onoara took one deep breath and released with it her anxieties. Everyone in the room knew that there were few that knew The Oaths like Onoara.
She started with the most ancient ones, the ones that were only spoken in the Mother Tongue. There were so few of those but she enjoyed them the most. They felt rhythmic as they fell from her mouth. She felt the power imbued in the ancient words, many meanings lost to time but the fen remaining. Everyone in the sanctuary felt a buzz begin to fill the room.
“I lend my strength, my heart and my body to the gods that came before. I offer my service to the Sleeping God and the Order of Vraiste.” She said, placing her hand first over her heart and then her eyes. When she brought her hand away her eyes remained closed. She pushed herself to her knees. “Please guide me in my journey to understand the will of the Sleeping God.”
At that, Elder Reyra, Elder Noam and the others present in the room joined hands creating a circle ending on both sides of Onoara. With her eyes still closed tight and a helping hand on each side of her she turned herself around on her knees to face the stone at her back.
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It had been worn down over the many, many soltzet it had remained fixed in its place. It lay draped along the floor near the back of the room, swelling up in smooth curves and dipping at the waist. It was hardly recognizable as the human form it once was. Onoara reached out to place her hand upon the lump of stone that was once a god.
Nobody held their breath and the tension in the air was soft but excited. Onoara’s ceremony was the third and final one of the driev, Fai having gone just before her. When a blinding light erupted from the place where Onoara’s hand touched the stone nobody had been expecting anything of the sort.
There was chaos as the room erupted into motion. People rushed to get away as the temple shook. The beautiful, old, stained glass windows rattled in their panes and the old stone building groaned and shuddered. Elder Noam rushed forward, trying to reach Onoara but she was thrown back and to the floor by a second tremor erupting from the stone. They could see as the tiled floor rippled outward, leaving them uneven and loose. Reya rushed to her side, quickly helping her back to her feet.
With the heat a heavy weight settled over the room. The fen that was erupting out from the stone and from Onoara was extremely aggressive, choking the air from the room and all of the oracles present were especially sensitive to the vibrations. The younger ones became lightheaded and one girl collapsed. The older members of the temple did their best to evacuate the sanctuary.
Together Noam and Reyra watched as the light dimmed and they could once again see Onoara standing there, a shimmering radiance beaming from her, hand still pressed to the stone. There was a heat beginning to build in the room, hot enough to be uncomfortable.
Slowly Onoara turned her head to them, eyes spilling glowing tears that slipped down her cheeks. She opened her mouth and a single word fell from her lips.
“LoVelly.”
As she said it, light poured from her throat in a torrent, spreading out in all directions and bathing the entire room in an impenetrable brightness. Everyone present had to shield their eyes, even placing hands over their faces as just closing their eyes was not enough.
When it finally receded so did the tremors and the oppressive feeling of the fen. Fai and the others stood near the doors to the sanctuary, huddled together, afraid to move and unsure what to do yet. They looked on at what had become of Onoara; solid crystal, not unlike the landscape around the temple, encased her from head to toe. They could only barely see the impression of the girl through the thick layers. Elder Noam made to move toward what was left of the girl, slowly at first. She looked back to Reyra who looked equally unsure. Nobody else dared move.
Noam approached the girl, walking around the front of her. The crystal was heavily faceted, distorting what could be seen of the girl within. It appeared to be quite thick. Onoara’s eyes were closed and despite the previous moment, Noam thought she looked peaceful. Reyra approached the crystalline girl as well, eyes wide in disbelief. Neither of them made a move to touch the surface yet.
“LoVelly…?” Noam repeated, head tilted as she inspected it closely. She pulled back, regarding Reyra instead.
“I’m not sure, to be honest.” Reyra admitted. She quickly swept her gaze to the back of the room where the others were waiting for the all clear. She leaned in close to Noam and on a hushed breath, “We should contact Datsa.” Both women locked eyes and gave a quick nod. There was much more to be said but not here with an audience.