They came at night, they always came at night. Every night since they took him away from his parents eight years ago. He had not wanted to go and his parents had not wanted him to go either. But they said that it made no difference to the Naga what he had wanted. He was not the only one, they had taken Hime and Aed as well. Like him, Hime wanted to return to her home. But Aed was eagerly awaiting the trial of the Naga, he wanted more than anything to be a Cobra Night, but it seemed more likely that he would be made a Priest of the Naga. Cobra Nights were rare, he had only seen three of them in his whole life, short seventeen summers that it was. He knew that there had been twenty during the Great War, the largest number that had ever existed at a single time.
It was Sister Natsumi this time, she rarely came so tonite must be important.
"Sehkmet, tonite is the seventeenth nameday for you, Hime, and Aed. It is the night you three will face the Naga," she said. Natsumi had long green hair and emerald eyes. She wore the white and green robes of a high priestess to the Naga. Around her neak hung a jade Oroborus pendant on a golden chain. Behind her stood Hime and Aed, both clad in white shifts. Hime had waist length, curly, brown hair and blue eyes while Aed had vibrant red hair and aquamarine eyes. Sehkmet himself had short blonde hair and gray eyes, he was also clad in a plain white shift.
"Come, and do not speak a word until you are adressesed. You must not be rude to Mother Kiyoshi."
The three teens were surprised to learn that they would actually meet Mother Kiyoshi, even though they knew it was she who preforms the initiation ceramony of the novices.
Inside the Great Temple hundreds of priests and pristesses sat, their eyes all looking towards Kiyoshi who stood in the center of the dais (so Dais is named after a raised platform o0;). Behind her stood the three Cobra Knights: Isamu, Kenshin, and Hikari. Kiyoshi stood tall and regal in her white and golden robes of the High Priestess of the Naga. Her hair was blonde streaked with jade and her eyes were yellow. Isamu had green hair so dark that it apeared to be black and his eyes were silver. Unlike the priests, he wore a simple outfit, leather pants and a green shirt. Kenshin sported wild, short, light green hair and onyx eyes. He was garbed in a white shirt with a leather jerkin and leather pants. Hikari had back length emerald green hair and copper eyes. She wore a black shirt and tanned leather pants. All four wore an identical jade oroborus pendant on a golden chain.
"Sister Natsumi, name your charges," Began Kiyohsi.
"Hime, Aed, and Sehkmet. Eight summers have passed since they were brought here by the Finders," answered Natsumi.
"Bring them to me so that I might see them and so that the Naga might see them," said Kiyoshi. Natsumi walked forward to the dais and the three teens followed behind her. She stopped at the edge and walked back several steps, leaving them in front of Mother Kiyoshi herself. Kiyoshi walked towards them, she paced in front of them for a moment before stoping at Hime.
"You have great potential young lady, but not as a priestess," began Kiyoshi, "I have seen a spirit like yours once before. You will be an excellent Knight of the Cobra Order." With that said Hikari stepped forward and led Hime to the Naga's Chamber. Once the two were gone Kiyoshi began pace before the boys. Soon she stopped in front of Aed. She studied him for a moment then spoke.
"You have much ambition, but not enough modesty. You will learn much though, as a Naga Priest." After this was said Isamu led Aed to the Naga's Chamber as Hime was led out. Sehkmet was startled, her hair was streaked with green now and her eyes were golden. Then Kiyoshi was before him. He felt her searching within his mind, it was frightning. 'Don't be afraid of me, it is Aed you should fear. I saw it in his mind. You will not speak of this, I did not talk with the others.' Soon her 'touch' was gone from his mind.
"You have great potential, perhaps the greatest of all. Your mind sings of piety, I am sure the Naga would be pleased to have you as a Cobra Night. Two Knights out of three novices, I am impressed Natsumi." As the ceromony completed Sehkmet was led by Kenshin to the Naga's Chamber. He saw Aed leaving as he entered. The taller boy's hair was no longer red but dark green save for a single red lock that hung in front of his still aquamarine eyes. Those same aquamarine eyes flashed him a look of hatred as Aed realized that Sehkmet had been chosen as a Cobra Knight.
When he entered the chamber he felt a sudden burning sensation all over and heard a single phrase run through his mind, 'I accept thee'. Once the burning stopped Kenshin took his arm and led him out of the chamber, to where Natsumi waited with Hime and Aed. He didn't notice how much he had changed until he saw his image in mirror that they passed on the way baack to their rooms. His hair was now light green, it would probably seem blonde again in the right lighting, and his eyes were now onyx like Kenshin's. Only his eyelids had also changed, they were now permanatly tinted lavender. The three did not realize it yet, but much more had changed. The burning they had felt was there blood becoming poison, if the Naga had not accepted them they would have died.