Jessy spread her wings and this time took in the air. We tilted down and, with the encouragement of the gauntleted man, I urged her speedily downward. When we finally shot up and slowed for a solid, silent landing I saw Lia and Hednar standing at the wide, flat field of grass. Hednar appeared to have recently been laughing. Lia kept brushing bleach-blond hair from her eyes.

By the time I landed, several people dressed in austere hues of single colors had gathered in orderly lines in the wide field. One single individual stood out amongst them, circled with a retinue as she walked toward Lia with elongated steps from thickly muscled legs.

“My dear Kagis, you have given me such a—” Lia began before the woman with the curved staff slung across her back interrupted her.

“Lia of the White Prophets,” the woman said as she came to a slow stop before us. As a massive ship comes to a controlled stop but still rolls on the waves as it docks, so she stood before us. The staff had two curves and would have resembled a massive bow had it not been for the large mace-like tips on either end. “It is a sacred thing, the first introduction. Don’t you agree?” Her neck always in motion like she were under water and rolling her hands to emphasize every word, I stared in spite of myself as I felt the incredible depth of this woman’s awareness.

“The incredible dishonor I offer today is in all respects a result of my carelessness, beloved Blesser. You must—”

“Spare the compliments, Lia, you know they bore me. I am more interested in the specimen lying before me.”

Though her hand never reached out, I backed away from those white polished nails.

Whether she was trying to look at me a dozen different ways or if she just disliked standing still, this woman Lia called the Blesser scanned me from all directions. Jessy flapped her wings to still her nerves.

“Again, I must ask for your most honorific forgiveness, Blesser,” Lia said with a slight bow. “The boy does not know and should be educated about proper manners and etiquette.”

Lia looked at me and with a smile I felt no tenderness from said, “Well go on then my boy, we must have you dismounted to give a proper greeting before the—”

“Have him sit atop his pet for now, Lia,” the Blesser said, and turned away. As she did, Jessy growled at her. When the women turned suddenly back around, the heavy bottom of her staff swept forward only a hair. It was enough to make Jessy feel the same as when she first saw the beast we slew and it was only after she’d flown in a low circle that I was able to calm both of us down.

“Kagis, over there boy, and hurry,” Lia said when I reached the ground. “Wait at that end of the field for the others.”

“Others?” I asked.

As Lia turned toward the gap in the trees where the field ended, I saw several shapes focus into sight. They followed the paved path leading from the gap cut toward the first steps of the gigantic building that housed the spire, steps just behind me, and continued toward us. Several dozen shapes came into view, most holding their glowing Prophet weapons above their heads as they led six figures with no such devices.

The Prophets walked in escort, but the other six used a unique form of conveyance. The one in the lead was a stout boy with an elongated metal craft that floated toward us but never touched the ground. Just behind him a girl with a ponytail reaching down past her waist stood upright in a round carriage-like vehicle that had wheels which turned silently with no visible means of propulsion. Just behind her another girl of ebony skin, thin and with slicked blonde hair cut short, rode a four-wheeled cart that made a sound like a million tiny explosions as it blew light smoke out its backside.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

A ways back but trotting to keep up, a freckled, tiny girl with an expression of stoicism I could feel from this far away trotted inside an enormous metal cage that had legs and arms and clanked angrily as it moved forward. The inhuman thing seemed shaped like a human and belched a black fog as it leaked steam from nearly all its moving parts. Taking up the rear but by no means far behind, a young man who must have been a little older than I and built sturdy and tall like the brown mare he rode trotted forward. He had a host of weapons slung across his back, and the brown horse’s saddlebags were bulging with metal devices for combat. I smiled in spite of this, finding the white diamond burst on the mare’s head a beautiful mark of honor. I didn’t notice the last girl in the robes before she was close enough to make eye contact. Blue eyes shown before a concealed face and loose robes. She was the only non-Prophet walking, and kept glancing toward the spire with excitement her robes failed to conceal.

“Who are they?” I asked as they approached.

“These, young beast slayer of Mother, are those with which you will train and battle to earn your color,” Lia said.

“What?”

“They’re your classmates,” Hednar said. “We finally got a good batch this time, Jin?”

The man Hednar addressed, walking swiftly to greet with a clenched fist smiled as he said, “All seven. We were all upset to see yours take off like that, but I’m just happy they all came.” Red edging was worked into the double-bladed axe strapped to the man’s back.

Hednar leaned his head back and laughed. “Lia loves the traditional stuff, I guess.”

“Don’t fault her too much for that.”

“Were we not about to begin with this most serious of traditions, I would scorn the both of you in a more appropriate manner,” Lia said with a calm tone I saw through to seething fury. “And I would appreciate if we all took our proper positions next to our individual candidates.”

The axe-wielding Prophet laughed and patted Hednar on the shoulder. Their visual exchange spoke volumes, though they said no words upon taking their positions. The Prophet with the axe walked over to stand beside the woman in the cart as it rolled to a silent stop.

I suddenly realized there was a spot for Lia, Hednar, and I just beside the many-weaponed man on the horse. Jessy took little notice of the mare, though the man yanked stiffly on his reigns to keep his animal from backing away from the crown. After doing this, he gave me a slight nod in greeting. I returned it and sent feelings of greetings and friendship. He cocked his head a moment but otherwise gave no emotion as he turned toward the Prophets assembling before us. I didn’t notice the girl in the robes beside me before it was too far into the obvious ceremony to speak.

Eight banners stood out behind the Prophets. Seven I didn’t recognize, though I could easily make out the large one in the middle: the banner of the Sevens Prophets. This swirl of red, gold, and white on a black background suddenly made sense to me after viewing its physical form on that spire. The other banners appeared to be green and blue circles and starry black fields. Planets, I assumed, though I didn’t know which ones.

All mumblings and perhaps the soft rippling of the banners ceased as the Blesser in a swirling motion took her staff and spun it round. She struck the ground and held her stance firm as she gazed at we seven, the only ones not Prophets in that massive field of grass.

The Blesser’s gaze waved over us in a long motion, then cast back to the boy at the beginning, singling us one by one as she spoke, “Prosper, Home, Meld, Soul, Triumph, Mother, and Sevens,” she said as her gaze enveloped us as a whole, “Seven planets, seven children, come to train to become a group of Sevens Prophets.”

I sensed the affronted pride in the horse-mounted boy beside me. The word child struck a chord with him, I supposed.

“That is the first lesson you will learn,” the Blesser said. “And possibly the most important. You are on another planet. You are on Sevens. There are seven planets and each comes with its own unique cultures and traditions, tragedies and greatnesses. Whatever loyalties you may have had, whatever prejudices you garnered while a citizen of your own worlds, is forever forfeit. The first and last lesson you must keep close to your hearts if you ever are to become Prophets is the charge of the Sevens Prophets. With these, unite in peace.”

At those words, the Blesser raised her staff and shone with a pure white light. The other Prophets did the same and Jessy shielded her eyes while all the Prophets raised their weapons and cast the glow of them about us.

“We are the Sevens Prophets,” the Blesser continued. “We are of the White, diplomats and wise arbiters. Of the Gold, defenders and unbreakable shields. And of the Red, wielders of death and relentless energy. It is of one of these you must choose. Each power is unique. Each power has its own uses and—”

The soft roar of a man’s yell echoed from the sky and caused the Blesser to pause. When she stuttered and looked up, we all saw the shape of a man with a golden glow about him tumbling from the side of the spire.