Celeste bowed her head silently as she knelt down on the cold obsidian floor, her royal purple hair creating sheets beside her face, shielding her closed eyes from the flickering light of candles scattered around the small altar room. Silence stretched, only being broken by the labored breathing of the High Priestess beside her, reminding Celeste how quickly she would replace her old mentor. Taking a breath herself, Celeste clasped her thin hands in prayer, the skin between her thin eyebrows bunching up with concentration. After a moment, she felt the High Priestess stand and she too stood gently, steadying the old woman.
Her mentor wore her age with grace, her skin no longer a brilliant shimmering silver like Celeste's but a tough, steel-colored leather to contrast against her fading purple hair. Her eyes, as wide and gem-like as Celeste's own, were still sharp with wisdom but creased with age. The loose fitting navy robes did not hide her straight posture and she looked down at her pupil with a solemn smile. "Dear, Celeste, do not forget that this day is also in thine honour."
She felt her lips twitch up as she met her mentor's gaze with her cool sapphire-like eyes. "I know, High Priestess."
The woman nodded, pleased with her detached answer, and turned towards the altar, a small piece of black star rock with a waterfall of liquid mercury flowing down into a gold bowl and overflowing to the ground, returning to its home. "Let us anoint you with the blood of our ancestors."
Nervousness began to tie Celeste's stomach in knots as the High Priestess dipped her fingers in the hot liquid. She was told it would not harm those chosen by Bothynus but what if the Lady Star had made a mistake? And Celeste wasn't chosen. She had to be, otherwise she would not be as silver as the liquid glinting on her High Priestess's fingers. This was ritual, it must be done to complete the connection with their Lady Star and finally become a High Priestess after years of training. Celeste held her arms out to the sides, parallel to the ground, and took a deep breath as the High Priestess inched towards her.
She trailed her fingers along Celeste's skin and...It didn't hurt. The toxic substance merely tingled her skin pleasantly as her mentor drew swirling patterns up her arms, over her shoulders, up her neck, and over her face, ending with a crescent moon in the middle of her forehead. With a nod from her mentor, Celeste untied her black robe and let it fall to the ground, letting her High Priestess continue painting down her spine and around her waist, trailing it down her legs until it ended circling around each ankle. But it wasn't done yet. As previously instructed, Celeste nervously dipped her own fingers in the mercury and nearly froze. This was when Bothynus would mark her, show her what she was to become, but for a second Celeste felt nothing.
Then the tingling of the mercury became hot, not uncomfortable, and Celeste knew what to drew. As if guided by instinct alone, her fingers drew two hearts, one just above each of her breasts. Her mentor frowned but nodded in approval once more. She stepped back and bowed with one fist over her right heart to Celeste, symbolizing the stepping down of her cherished teacher. "In our Lady Star's path may you walk, filled with wonders and star dust. Blessed be, High Priestess Celeste Nox."
She fisted her own heart and bowed as well, replying in a quiet but strong voice, "Blessed be, Star Sister."
They both straightened and Celeste was pleased to find a proud grin lighting up her mentor's face. "Get ready, High Priestess, the Princess awaits you." She turned and left the candle-lit room, leaving Celeste alone to pick up her black robe and once again dress in its draping fabric, tying it with a golden cord at her hourglass waist.
Looking down at her arms, Celeste was surprised to see the Mercury seeping into her skin, fading into a metallic purple and staining her skin, forever marking her as a High Priestess until her time would come as well. With a smile on her face, she bowed her head in thanks to Bothynus before hurrying out the wooden door and down the large obsidian bridge leading to the elaborate castle made out of jade. When she walked through the large double doors, Celeste wasmet with a crowd of people much like her in form, humanoid, but differing in skin. Her people, aside from herself and her previous mentor, were born with lavender skin that seemed to shimmer. That was how one knew who was chosen by the Lady Star, they were born with silver skin.
The people were gathered in the expansive entrance hall around a small stage-like object made of gold where two others stood next to a throne carved from ruby and onyx. One was the Queen, a tall, willow of a thing with faded hair and a warm smile. Beside her was the Princess, tall and graceful like her mother but Celeste noted her eyes were rather cold when they met her gaze. Celeste straightened her back and walked down the aisle made by the parting of the crowd and ascended the steps on the stage. She bowed to the two royals who nodded their heads in return before facing the crowd of citizens.
"Beloved people of Nova, of our Lady Star," Celeste began her well practiced speech, amazed at how her voice remained strong despite her nervousness. "we gather here this blessed day to honour our Queen." She paused as the citizens bowed and the Queen smiled. "As well as to honour our Princess, who together shall complete the ever-present cycle of life and death.
"We must complete this cycle and relieve the old of their well-performed duties. The time has come to usher in a new Queen to lead us on the path of Bothynus." She stepped aside to allow the Queen and Princess to face each other, folding her hands in front of her to quit their shaking. The Princess and Queen crossed their arms and grasped hands. Her mentor then walked up to Celeste holding a clear bowl of mercury and she dipped her finger into the substance, finding it as easy as penetrating water. She then stood behind their conjoined hands.
"I connect you in honour of our Lady Star, so that you may not have to relive the mistakes of your ancestors." Celeste trailed her painted finger over the Queen's hand and over to the Princess's, connecting them with one line. "I connect you in honour of our people, so that you may lead them rightfully and fairly." She did the other in a likewise fashion and barely stifled her gasp as the skin sizzled on both persons. But looking at their faces, Celeste noticed that they had expected the burning. "As you release her, you release her as our Queen and relinquish the duties you have upheld."
The previous Queen smiled and released the Princess's hands, her smile widening at the cheers of the crowd. The Princess stared wide-eyed at them and Celeste smiled, knowing she was feeling the happiness of her people through her newly made bond. With gentle hands, she led their new Queen on her throne and then faced the crowd once more. "I present to you: Queen Lynx Libra and I, her High Priestess Celeste Pavo."
There was cheers of happiness and applause from her people and the Queen smiled back at the High Priestess before a loud, shocking sound rang out and the Queen slumped in her throne, the ruby object soon being covered with golden blood. Shrieks erupted as the doors burst open and strange foreign things filed in with black things in their grasps, the sound multiplying as if echoing while her people crumpled around Celeste. She shook, her eyes wide as she watched her mentor spring into action, getting in the middle of the fray and yelling at the creatures but she crumpled like the others until only a few were left standing, among her included as she was rooted to the spot. The creatures turned to the citizens left, paying her no mind as if they had looked right past her, and the sound rang in Celeste's ears until she was the only one left...
