Wind Wielder

Chapter 30 - Pools and Parties

The next morning, Zara did not wait for the rest of the Night Court before she left for the ceremonial grounds early.

She took a stroll around the silent, sleeping palace first. Settling her soul and basking in the heavy embrace of her winds around her this morning. She felt their presence with every step, brushing ahead and behind her, and swirling warm pressure around her palm, as if holding her hand.

Helion must have warned the priestesses that Zara would be participating this year, because when Zara mastered enough bravery to arrived at the ceremonial pool, they simply assigned Zara to a spot next to her lantern and continued their preparations. And Zara waited.

Much like she had seen yesterday flying overhead with Helion, the ceremonial pool was a small, austere pool with white simple descending steps on the west and ascending steps on the east, big enough for perhaps only three people comfortably. It was ancient, and sacred. The limestone rock directly around it was chipped and scratched, as if this sacred pool had been etched here into the stone long before the Palace that was now built around it.  The sacred pool was on a raised platform, with ionic style pillars covered in white flowers and hieroglyphics spanning on the north and south sides of the pool.

Seeing as the Palace itself was built on a hill above the city, this ceremonial grounds area was located on the far east side. So that nothing would interrupt the view of the sun rising in the next thirty minutes directly over top of the small sacred pool.

Like moths drawn to a flame, countless other priestesses and citizens took similar positions on all sides of Zara as the time to sunrise grew closer and closer. No one paid her any mind, even with her official wind wielder robes she had chosen to wear with the hood up and drawn over her head. Zara had packed her old robes just for this moment, this ceremony. She had spared no expense, from the restrictive chest bindings, to the cloistering face mask, to the hood over her head and loose navy robes. Fae of various shapes and sizes came on all sides of her, bearing clothes of black, and white. When Rhys and the inner circle arrived to the side, she was certain they would hardly be able to find her from the hundreds of people surrounding her. Each person had a lantern by their side.

Soon Helion arrived, with only minutes to spare before the first glimpse of the sun would become visible. He was dressed in nothing but his crown and a simple white shendyt– a white kilt like garment that wrapped around his waist and ended just above his knees. His face, limbs, torso, and back were all completely painted in golden hieroglyphics. As he approached the pool, the hum of the crowds murmured prayers slowly dissipated. Zara loosed a slow shuddering breath. 

It was silent enough to hear the rustling of the palm trees overhead, and the soft thud of Helion's footsteps as he approached the pool. He turned his back to the crowd, and removed his shendyt. 

Naked– utterly bare except for his crown– Helion entered into the sacred pool and submerged completely under the water without a single ripple or wave, leaving no trace of him behind. As if the water was a living beathing entity, and had swallowed him whole.  

Priestesses clothed in unblemished white stepped forwards on all sides of the pool, one for each pillar, and began chanting in litany. They spoke in the old language, from the time of the first High Lords. And Zara did not understand until the winds came to her, and whispered translations into her ear.

They spoke of the sun. And the suns rebirth with every winter solstice. And the hope for a new world–a new life–when the longest night finally ended and the time for light and brighter days would soon come again.

And as they finished their prayer, their story, the tips of Helion's crown became visible. At the exact moment the barest glimpse of the sun became visible over the world.