The Jewel of Orlegon

Chapter 18: The choice of the Goddess

The immense gates of Agathil came to a halt in the silence of the night, only broken by the flickering of torches carried by the older Enartians walking among the now silent novices. The multiple voices that had risen beyond the walls had ceased after shouting their single order, and the air seemed charged with palpable anticipation. Finally, the torchbearers started moving, leading the younger ones along. Alteria quickly found herself in the midst of a dense crowd of novices who, like her, were following without truly understanding what was unfolding around them.

Before long, they passed through the imposing city gates, overshadowed by the towering walls of ancient stone. On the other side, Agathil revealed itself to its new arrivals in all its nighttime grandeur. Beyond the walls, past the city's grand gates, stretched a broad street that extended straight ahead, seemingly uninterrupted until it reached the flanks of the mountain rising on the other side of Agathil. The buildings on either side of the street were hewn from the same stone as the city's defensive wall, and Alteria noticed that their cutting was so precise that it was difficult to discern the joints between the blocks. These structures, standing at one to two stories high, displayed a simple and functional appearance, spreading on either side of the main thoroughfare. Torches with flickering flames illuminated their facades.

Gradually, as the novices moved along the main street, silent figures began to appear on some rooftops. Initially sparse, the silhouettes became more and more numerous on the rooftops, forming small crowds silently gathered at the tops of the buildings. The wind that occasionally swept through the city caused the white cloths of the figures' garments to flutter, betraying their presence.

The procession continued for several more minutes, during which the novices ventured deeper into the heart of the city under the gaze of dozens of silent Enartians. Finally, just as Alteria began to doubt they would ever reach the end of their journey, the street widened to open up into a large square onto which the newcomers poured. An amazed murmur began to rise from the crowd of novices as they took in the sight before them.

The square took the shape of a large paved half-circle, with the central area slightly elevated, leading to a staircase that ascended the mountain. The mountain's side had been excavated, adorning the rock with a gigantic facade that Alteria could only describe as a palace. Rows of arches alternated with half-columns carved into the mountain, and several alcoves scattered here and there held actual braziers, casting a red light onto the stone walls. In the darkness of the night, it seemed that not a single stone had been added to the structure; it appeared to be entirely formed from the hard rock of Agathil's natural wall. At the base of the facade, near the lower arches, extended a stone terrace overlooking the square, where eleven figures were illuminated by braziers lit all around them.

Among them, Alteria recognized the silhouette and smooth skull of Ieza. The old man was dressed in a sumptuous purple tunic richly embroidered in gold, which glittered in the firelight, and an immediate realization struck the young woman. Except for the man at the center of the group, the attire of those accompanying Ieza all bore the colors associated with one of the Enartian seals. The last figure was adorned in a wide cloak that appeared to be made of gold transformed into fabric. Alteria had seen gold ornaments before; some of Saisio's last wealthy families would sometimes ostentatiously deck themselves in all the jewelry they still possessed, but this attire was different. The outfit was simple, much more so than those of the other figures on the platform, and its color shifted according to the movements of its wearer, ranging from vivid gold to much darker shades, close to bronze. Under this cloak, resembling a sheet of metal, the man appeared to be dressed very plainly, even austerely. Around him, the ten figures immediately evoked the candles of the Calling through their colors.

When all the novices had arrived in the square, the man with the cloak of gold raised his arms, and silence fell upon Agathil.

"On this night, I, Suniv of the Enartians, am pleased to see so many new faces honoring Agathil with their presence. And it is with deep gratitude that I pray tonight to the Goddess for this year's Calling, which could mark the beginning of a new era. Welcome to you, children of Enartia, in your home, where you will always be welcomed as a brother or sister."