[ THE CALL ]
The inhabitants of the Temple were all assembled in the Dining Hall. It was a large room with high ceilings, warmed by the fire in the fireplace opposite the main entrance and several smaller braziers scattered between the tables. The three large tables, normally set side by side, had been pushed against the walls to clear a space at the center of the room. On them, the very best foods and drinks had been spread, the results of three days of preparation from the kitchens.
Along the walls there were festive decorations made of jungle flowers and over-sized palm leaves, and the wall sconces had been polished so that the bronze and silver shone. Several intricately carved wooden chairs had been procured, dusted and cleaned so that the dark wood gleamed. On each seat, a green, plush cushion had been placed.
The people of the Temple had taken great efforts, not just with the appearance of the hall, but in their own appearances as well.
The men wore steam-pressed shirts and pants of fine linen, their very best shoes or boots, and vests and jackets of silk and brocade. Some of the women also wore pants and linen shirts, though most wore long, flowing skirts in bright colors with decorative trims and embroidery. Their shirts were made of muslin and laces, and some of the younger girls wore flowers in their hair. It was a night of celebration and everything was prepared to welcome those Called to Vertiline.
Apart from the main group, the caretakers of the Temple stood.
Loe stood near the head of one of the banquet tables, looking exceptionally uncomfortable in his formal clothing, picking idly at his vest. From the fact that he still carried a rifle comfortably in one hand, anyone observing could tell he was more accustomed to movement than finery. There wasn’t any real reason for him to be tense--the first Calling always went smoothly with Eir running things--rather, Loe simply didn’t know how to relax. Formalities eluded him. Action, however, he understood perfectly.
Raina stood to Loe’s right. Looking slightly more comfortable than Loe in her rich green and brown formalwear, she began tapping a booted foot on the stone floor. With her arms crossed over her chest, she cast a look to Eir. Raina was impatient, and found all of this waiting was making her feel antsy. They hadn’t sounded a Call in years, and had been preparing for this moment for months. The day was finally here and Raina couldn’t understand why Eir was just standing there, dawdling.
The thing was, Raina didn’t really understand how incredibly complex and difficult the first Calling could be. Eir was powerful and capable of great magic, but sometimes that meant what she did required more care than usual.
At that very moment, Eir was breathing deeply, and slowly, carefully gathering her will. With her hair pulled back into an elaborate coif, all could see her closed eyes and serene expression as she prepared herself.
“Any time now, Eir,” Raina said mildly, still looking past Loe to Eir.
Eir ignored Raina but for the brief, smile and rude gesture she made to the other woman.
Raina responded with a brief laugh and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She uncrossed her arms long enough to run her fingers through her black hair, then casually tucked them into her back pockets. The brief interaction did much to settle Raina’s antsy feelings.
Eir continued to slowly, steadily center herself and draw her power inward. It didn’t seem like anything was happening, but Eir could feel the magic rolling over her. It was alive, electric, and it crackled over her skin in a way that, while familiar, kept her alert and focused. It flowed from within her and constantly pushed at her, trying to find any way out that it could.
When she felt that she had drawn enough and was at her limit, Eir shifted and planted her feet firmly on the ground and began sounding the Call.
She reached out with the magic, beyond the borders of Vertiline, beyond the very earth itself, and far beyond any dimensional barriers that kept their world separate from the others. The magic flowed from her, invisible to all but Eir’s senses, and traveled through countless worlds. She called for people of all kinds. Strong of body, strong of mind, strong of heart. She called for heroes, she called for guardians, and she called for all those who had the potential to rise to the occasion.
Eir sounded the call, and when she had stretched herself to her very limits, reached out as far and wide as she could, she drew all of that magic back to her, and with it, all those who had unknowingly answered the Call.
In the center of the Dining Hall, on the decorative tile mosaic laid into the center of the floor, they arrived.
From behind Loe, a servant girl screamed.
Along the walls there were festive decorations made of jungle flowers and over-sized palm leaves, and the wall sconces had been polished so that the bronze and silver shone. Several intricately carved wooden chairs had been procured, dusted and cleaned so that the dark wood gleamed. On each seat, a green, plush cushion had been placed.
The people of the Temple had taken great efforts, not just with the appearance of the hall, but in their own appearances as well.
The men wore steam-pressed shirts and pants of fine linen, their very best shoes or boots, and vests and jackets of silk and brocade. Some of the women also wore pants and linen shirts, though most wore long, flowing skirts in bright colors with decorative trims and embroidery. Their shirts were made of muslin and laces, and some of the younger girls wore flowers in their hair. It was a night of celebration and everything was prepared to welcome those Called to Vertiline.
Apart from the main group, the caretakers of the Temple stood.
Loe stood near the head of one of the banquet tables, looking exceptionally uncomfortable in his formal clothing, picking idly at his vest. From the fact that he still carried a rifle comfortably in one hand, anyone observing could tell he was more accustomed to movement than finery. There wasn’t any real reason for him to be tense--the first Calling always went smoothly with Eir running things--rather, Loe simply didn’t know how to relax. Formalities eluded him. Action, however, he understood perfectly.
Raina stood to Loe’s right. Looking slightly more comfortable than Loe in her rich green and brown formalwear, she began tapping a booted foot on the stone floor. With her arms crossed over her chest, she cast a look to Eir. Raina was impatient, and found all of this waiting was making her feel antsy. They hadn’t sounded a Call in years, and had been preparing for this moment for months. The day was finally here and Raina couldn’t understand why Eir was just standing there, dawdling.
The thing was, Raina didn’t really understand how incredibly complex and difficult the first Calling could be. Eir was powerful and capable of great magic, but sometimes that meant what she did required more care than usual.
At that very moment, Eir was breathing deeply, and slowly, carefully gathering her will. With her hair pulled back into an elaborate coif, all could see her closed eyes and serene expression as she prepared herself.
“Any time now, Eir,” Raina said mildly, still looking past Loe to Eir.
Eir ignored Raina but for the brief, smile and rude gesture she made to the other woman.
Raina responded with a brief laugh and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She uncrossed her arms long enough to run her fingers through her black hair, then casually tucked them into her back pockets. The brief interaction did much to settle Raina’s antsy feelings.
Eir continued to slowly, steadily center herself and draw her power inward. It didn’t seem like anything was happening, but Eir could feel the magic rolling over her. It was alive, electric, and it crackled over her skin in a way that, while familiar, kept her alert and focused. It flowed from within her and constantly pushed at her, trying to find any way out that it could.
When she felt that she had drawn enough and was at her limit, Eir shifted and planted her feet firmly on the ground and began sounding the Call.
She reached out with the magic, beyond the borders of Vertiline, beyond the very earth itself, and far beyond any dimensional barriers that kept their world separate from the others. The magic flowed from her, invisible to all but Eir’s senses, and traveled through countless worlds. She called for people of all kinds. Strong of body, strong of mind, strong of heart. She called for heroes, she called for guardians, and she called for all those who had the potential to rise to the occasion.
Eir sounded the call, and when she had stretched herself to her very limits, reached out as far and wide as she could, she drew all of that magic back to her, and with it, all those who had unknowingly answered the Call.
In the center of the Dining Hall, on the decorative tile mosaic laid into the center of the floor, they arrived.
From behind Loe, a servant girl screamed.