The Will Of A Life: Astras

Propper Greetings & No Mana

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CHAPTER 5
Proper greetings and a starry hood
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   The next day the hoods all gathered in the same room, whilst Comera introduced herself. “I am Comera Westich, the future goddess of death. There is a god-killing group of beasts after my head and I humbly ask for your assistance in my protection if you're willing.”
   “Yori, Yan, and I have all sworn to protect her. She, regardless of your choice today, will be assuming an identity as a hood in the guild and she will be attending school with us.” Vera notified the Hoods, “If you are willing to protect her I ask that you stand and properly introduce yourself, one person at a time.”
   The room was silent, everyone gave an intense glare to Comera and Vera. Nobody moved an inch.
   “Leon Valock, a single raspy voice projected, stern, quick, and composed as a tall man rose from a wooden chair. He walked to the girl with silent steps, and bowed in front of her. He then made his way back to his seat. As he passed, Elaina arose and stood in front of Comera.
   “My name is Elaina, I welcome you as my friend and as the newest hood, I hope you will find a place to fit in here,” Elaina said, as she gave a formal bow with her hand over her heart. Comera followed suit with the same bow. As Elaina moved from Comera back to her seat, the next person walked forward. Well, this was more of a group.
   “I'm Rodrick Fells. I'm sure you’ll do great here!” Rodrick claimed as he gave the same formal bow, which Comera returned.
   “Amber Slike. Nice to meet ‘cha” she said with a cheery voice, but she offered a handshake instead of a bow. Of course Comera shook her hand and reciprocated the greeting.
   “Arthur Saintheart, Master illusionist, and stand up comedian. Plus I'm The Illusory Hood!” He said with another illusion of a hand, this time in a waving position. Comera waved back. After the group went back to their seats the bards came up and bowed in front of her as well, followed by the merchant and Yajurn, who kneeled in greetings. Yumida the oceanic hood, Aristia-Morri the rainy hood, Aldrador the blood hood, Yajurn the steel hood.
   Y’mura also came and bowed, but she did it hanging upside down from the ceiling.
  Nora hopped down from the couch and waddled over to Comera. She reached into a little satchel that was decorated like her mask, and pulled out a small pink potion. “I wanna be misses friend…” she muttered offering the potion to Comera.
   With a cheery smile Comera delicately grabbed the potion. She held the potion Nora had given to her, examining it. “Now this just won’t do.”
   The little girl’s face went pale, and her eyes became glossy. Comera knelt down and placed the bottle on the floor and a dark spot appeared and the potion sank into it. Comera placed her other hand to the ground and another spot appeared. A hand that looked as though it was black ink rose up holding a few beautiful metals and jewels. It held gold, silver, brass, mythril, adamantine, and various crystals such as quartz, diamond, and ruby. Comera looked carefully over the gems and metals but eventually she grabbed a beautiful gem of ocean aura quartz, and a gorgeous chunk of glittering white gold. The quartz shone with the mesmerizing colors of the southern ocean, a magical sea where the waves rise and fall in heavenly shades of blue, white, and purple. She held the materials and knelt on both legs, closing her eyes. The hoods watched as the metal melted and shifted, and they watched as the quartz climbed up the metal and sat itself neatly in a shining crown. She slowly opened her eyes and the  metal became filled with an almost mirror-like shine.
   Nora looked away, she wasn’t sure what to do.
“Look at me Petit,” Comera said with a calm sweetness in her voice “I have something for you.”
Nora’s eyes moved slowly, as she brought her gaze upon Comera. She placed the crown lightly on Nora’s head.
   “Friends?” Comera asked.
Nora gave a look full of happy tears as she hugged Comera as tight as she could. Comera hugged her back and picked her up, she walked over to where Nora had sat before and placed her on the couch. She went to the front of the room and bowed elegantly in front of everyone.
   “Today shall be the dawn of a new hood,” Vera said, placing a blank hood over Comera “I accept you as the starry hood.”
   The hood glowed a bright white light, and as it slowly disappeared the hood was filled with a galaxy that defied all reason. As the once blank hood now looked as though you were peering through a window into a vast galaxy, stars shot across the hood in the distance, and many different planets and systems flowed about.
   Vera offered her a tray. Atop were a wide array of masks, but Comera picked up a black mask with a shining white star.
   Just then a knock was heard at the door, so Yajurn happily opened the door and welcomed the people who arrived. The first to enter were a Saint and Seer, both were blond haired fairies. The saint had charming green eyes whilst the seer had eyes that looked like a galaxy colored in blue, and adorned with shining stars. Both girls had a shining diamond in their forehead, with matching diamond earrings.
   Next entered an archer, wearing a black hood with ornate designs in red. She had a cloth mask with the same design over her mouth and nose.her bow was made with shining obsidian with two large rubies on the ends and a quiver of black arrows with red feathers sat on her back. Behind her were a small ghost and a mothkin. The ghost didn’t have many distinguishable features, other than a Victorian styled dress with hair that was far too long for the age at which she had died. She glowed with the same greenish hue that Elaina had on her coat, and she was almost completely transparent. Despite being somewhat tall the girl had died at only eight years old. If a child dies before they fulfill their dreams or reach a certain age they will become a ghost. Despite having dreams when she was alive, the girl wasn’t quite sure what they were.
   The mothkin was tall even in comparison to Aldrador. She was over twelve feet tall, in fact! Seeing her, Comera understood the reason for such tall ceilings. She was quite fluffy, and had a few different shades of magenta and tan with a mainly white body. She was clad in burgundy armor which matched her fur. It was adorned with beautiful white roses and covered by white silver chains. She had long antennae appearing from the tip of her head which flowed around her. Behind her were a pair of extravagant wings that radiated with the shine of a luminous diamond.
   Comera recognised the beautiful armor, and the stunning white roses grown only in the personal garden of Rosaria Intra Valorn, the woman that stood before her. She was the leader of the strongest adventurer guild the ‘Ceris-Valorn Guild’ who are known for never turning away a job and raising some of the strongest heroes to ever live. The guild used to be owned by Queen Isis before she ever became queen, as it was owned by her mother, whose granddaughter leads it now. She was the eldest adopted daughter of Queen Isis Sersai, Rosaria Intra Valorn.
   Following behind were two more people with large wings folded neatly behind their backs. The wings were a flowing gradient following a rainbow of colors, with each beautiful feather a separate color even prettier than the last. The very last feathers on the bottoms of their wings were lit ablaze in the elegant colors of the gradient. They had an almost identical appearance with white, almost crystal like hair that covered their eyes. If Comera hadn’t seen them walk in together she was sure she wouldn’t have been able to tell them apart.
Seeing more people enter the house, Vera let out a tired sigh as she would now have to explain everything again.
   “It's starting to look like introductions are never going to end.” Yori claimed.
   “Well this is all of us at least,” Yori sighed “I suppose it was a good idea to record this in some memory cores, huh?” A sly grin spread across her face as she drew a lineup of diamond like crystals that had been floating around the edges of the room.
   “Yori, I’m buying you all the cotton candy you can ask for.” Vera said with an admiring look on her face.
   Yori tossed the gems to the crew who’d entered. The gems shined brightly, and the information flooded to their heads as the gems disappeared. A few moments later the people all bowed their heads in front of Comera. The seer walked forward a few steps and introduced herself.
   “I am Emily, the lapis hood,” she said “behind me is Eris, the gold hood”
   A small hello came from Eris, the other fairy. Emily stepped back and Rosaria approached.
   “I am Rosaria Intra Valorn, the rose hood.” She said with a commanding voice “this is Nakunee, the phantom hood.”
   The little ghost girl waved and she waddled over to Nora, taking a seat.
   “And these are the twins, Far and Fir, despite their appearance they are phoenixes not angels.” Rosaria claimed. “They are the fire hood.”
   “It’s a pleasure to meet you!” Comera said
   “Rose, this is the starry hood, Comera Westich.” Vera introduced. “Could you please place her in the guild at whatever rank you deem fit?”
   “Can I borrow her to take a few tests so I may determine her most fitting rank?” Rosaria asked.
   “Go right on ahead!” Vera responded.