Celeste's hands were shaking as she picked up the envelope from the table. Her heart was rapidly beating in her chest; her skin was crawling and itching. She was nervous and even a little afraid. She was worried that the judges wouldn't choose her even though she did well in all the trials. She knew she had performed excellently at every trial but was still worried. She feared the worst. She was insecure.
She struggled to open the envelope at first but eventually tore it open. She took out the letter inside the envelope, discarding the torn paper. Her hands were still shaking when she unfolded the letter; her eyes fell on the headline. She started to read the printed text, accidentally skipping a few lines. She had to reread some of them, but she got to the bottom eventually.
A loud, joyful cry escaped her lips; she jumped up and threw her arms in the air. She couldn't believe it. She really made it. After all these years of intensive training, she passed all trials and got accepted by the judges. Her dream had finally come true. She was accepted into the ranks of the Anxoyals, meaning the past decades of training had not all been for nothing. She finally did it. She fulfilled the dream she had for over sixty years.
Her heart was beating much faster than before; pure happiness could be seen on her face. This day was the best day of her life. She wanted to tell someone about the acceptance, but neither her father nor her mother were at home. She assumed her father was still on the Blessed Island while her mother was most likely attending a council meeting. She couldn't tell them the good news yet; she could tell her family's servants or Marjo. She should tell Marjo, especially because she wanted to know if he was accepted too. She had to meet with him.
She rushed out of the room, following the corridor to the entrance hall. She left the house quickly, sprinting through the front garden, ignoring the astonished faces of the gardeners and servants she passed.
She arrived at the massive gate of the steel bar fence around the estate. Two guards opened the gate so Celeste could leave her parent's estate without hesitation.
It took her nearly twenty minutes to walk through various streets until she reached the house of Marjo's family. She rang the doorbell, regarding the door expectantly. The door was opened a minute later, and a woman poked her head through the slit. She had long green hair and brown eyes; the expression on her face told Celeste that she was not pleased to see her. That was nothing new to the blonde. Marjo's parents had never liked her, and it had gotten worse since she had convinced Marjo to strive to become an Anxoyal.
"What do you want?" Marjo's mother pressed through gritted teeth.
"I'm here to see Marjo, Mrs Grevel."
Mrs Grevel fully stepped out of the house and crossed her arms before her chest. She wore a casual green dress and a white apron. She was not pleased to see her, but she knew better than to be mean to the high priest's daughter and one of the members of the Nine. She looked grim but held back and didn't say anything insulting or inappropriate. "I will tell him that you are here."
Celeste nodded. She didn't want to come in anyway, so she didn't mind waiting outside. Mrs Grevel went back inside the house, and Celeste didn't need to wait long for Marjo to come out. He appeared happy, letting Celeste think he also made it.
"Look who is happy. I assume you received the results."
Marjo smiled. "I did. They accepted me."
Celeste's smile went from one ear to the other. "Congratulations. I'm so happy that you made it," she said, pulling him in a quick hug.
"Thanks, C. What about your results?" he asked after he had pulled away.
"What do you think?"
"If I made it, there is no way you didn't," replied Marjo.
Celeste waved her letter in front of his eyes. "I made it as well."
"I didn't expect anything else. Did you tell your parents?"
Celeste shook her head. "My father is still on the Blessed Island, and my mother probably with the Nine. But I'm sure she already knows. I have no doubt the judges informed the Nine when they made their final decisions."
"Do you know where we have to go now? Because it's not told in the letter where we must go for our ascension."
"The ascension occurs in the Temple of Light, in the heart of the Blessed Island."
"So we have to travel there."
Celeste nodded. "We can travel by boat, but that will take a few days."
"There is no other way, right?" Marjo asked.
Celeste shook her head. "No, there isn't. There are no teleporters on the island because the Nine don't want unauthorised persons to enter the island."
"Makes sense. When will we go?"
"Nothing speaks against going now."
"I have to tell my parents first... They will not be happy that I will be away for a few days."
"You are an adult, M. You can do what you want."
Marjo smiled ashamedly. "Well, it's not that easy. I still live with my parents, so I must follow certain rules..."
"Then I think it's time for you to move out and find a new place."
Marjo exhaled. "Maybe you are right. I'm one hundred and seventeen years old. It's time to stop allowing my parents to boss me around."
"That's the right choice."
"I still tell them where I go so they won't worry about me."
Celeste nodded in agreement. "Do that."
Marjo went back into the house, returning after almost ten minutes. "As I said, they are not happy, but who cares? Let's go, C."
The streets were not overcrowded at this early hour, so Celeste and Marjo could arrive at the harbour without being held up. It took them an hour to reach it, nonetheless. They went to one of the ships they knew could take them to the Blessed Island. They spotted a man with a long black beard who wore a brown coat and matching trousers.
"Are you the captain of this ship?" Celeste asked him, pointing at the ship behind him. The medium-sized vessel was large enough to accommodate a few dozen people. It had two masts with red sails.
"I am," the man responded. His voice was rough and unpleasant to hear. "You can call me Captain Kek."
"Captain Kek? That's an odd name," Marjo said.
"No offence," Celeste added.
"It's not my real name," Captain Kek responded.
"And what is your real name?" Celeste asked.
"That's none of your business. No offence," Captain Kek replied as politely as possible.
"You are a verified captain, aren't you?"
"I am. Do you want to see my brooch?"
Celeste nodded. "Yes. I want to be on the safe side."
Captain Kek brought his hand to his belt and removed a pouch, opening it. He took something out that had the form of an anchor, handing it to Celeste. She took it and ran her thumb over it as she took a closer look. It was a brooch made of bronze; symbols were engraved on the back. She had seen such a brooch before, so she knew it was a real one. Captain Kek was speaking the truth.
"Very well," she said as she handed him the brooch back. "Can you bring us to the Blessed Island?"
Captain Kek eyed them curiously. "You are one of those who passed the final trial, right?"
"We are. Can you take us to the Blessed Island or not?"
"I can, but what do I get in return?"
Celeste handed him a small pouch full of silver coins, which he opened to check its inside. "I can, but first, you need to hand over the documents to the priestess right over there," he said, pointing behind him. Celeste's gaze followed his finger, landing on a woman wearing a long white hooded robe. They approached the woman and handed her their letters, receiving an agreeing nod once the priestess was done reading them.
. "When will you set sail?" Celeste asked Captain Kek.
"You have just booked the last available rooms, which means we are full now and can set sail at any minute," the captain replied.
"That's just perfect," Marjo replied.
"May I know your names before you set foot on my boat? I have to keep a guest list."
"Of course, I'm Celeste Featherwind, and that's Marjo Grevel."
"Featherwind? Like High Priest Featherwind?"
Celeste nodded. "He's my father."
Captain Kek lowered his head in respect. "It's an honour for me to meet you."
Celeste chuckled, blushing a little. "Please, stop. I don't like to be treated like a famous person. Treat me like every other customer."
"As you wish. You are allowed to get on my ship. Your rooms are below the deck. Number Seventeen and Eighteen are free."
"We should have taken supplies with us," remarked Marjo.
"Don't worry; we have plenty of supplies on board. Feel free to go to the cuisine whenever you feel hungry. We have an excellent cook who wouldn't hesitate to make you something if you ask her nicely."
Celeste smiled. "That's good to know. Anything else we need to know?"
"I recommend locking your rooms from within when you go to bed. Just in case."
"Alright."
"Besides that, there is nothing else to say," Captain Kek replied.
Celeste nodded and walked across the plank that connected the kerb and the ship. She went below deck with Marjo and the captain and searched for their rooms, finding them quickly.
"Here are your keys," Captain Kek said, handing them two iron keys.
"Thank you, Captain."
"If you need anything, feel free to come to me."
"We will," Marjo responded, taking the keys out of the captain's hand.
"My crew and I will set sail; if the weather is good, we will arrive in about three days."
"And if the weather is not good?" Celeste asked.
"If we have bad luck, we might need five days instead of three."
"So we have to hope for great weather."
"Yep."
Celeste watched the captain leave and then took one of the keys from Marjo, opening the door to her left. She watched her friend doing the same with the right door. "I will take a nap, M."
"Alright, I think I will do the same. We will see each other later in that case."
Celeste gave him a small smile. "Yeah." She entered the room, letting her gaze wander. The room wasn't extraordinarily furnished. A solid wooden bed was in front of the right wall; a bedside table was on its left. On the left side was a small table with two chairs. There were no paintings or other decorative elements. It was a simple room.
She walked to the bed and sat down, removing her shoes and her coat. She put the coat on the bedside table and the shoes in front of it, lying on the bed. The mattress was not too hard but not too soft either. It was not like the mattress Celeste was used to, but it was still acceptable. She pulled the blanket over her body, rested her head on the pillow, and closed her eyes. She fell asleep within a few minutes.
---
Loud knocks on her door woke Celeste from her midday sleep. She opened her eyes and lifted her upper body, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She didn't respond to the one who knocked. She sat on the edge of her bed and waited for a few moments before she got up and walked over to the door, which she opened a crack to see who was disturbing her. It was no other than her best friend.
"What's up, M?"
"We are almost there, Celeste. You can already see the island. It's so gorgeous; you need to see it."
Celeste fully opened the door and stepped out of her room, closing and locking her door. She followed Marjo to the deck; her eyes widened when she first caught sight of the island in front of them. There were gigantic mountains on the left and right sides, and the area between them was flat. The mountains were almost entirely covered by green vegetation. The sun shone down on the left mountain, illuminating the vegetation and making it look indescribably beautiful.
Birds flew through the air near the coast, and fish glided through the water; some were much bigger than others. The sand on the coast appeared golden from afar, but when they got closer to the island, they realised it was not golden—more like beige.
"You were right; it is gorgeous," Celeste stated.
"I went to many places, and I can tell you I saw many beautiful ones, but none of them was as beautiful as this one," Captain Kek said as he stepped to them, putting his forearms on the wooden railing.
"I heard that only Anxoyals and Keristians who are about to become Anxoyals are allowed to set foot on the Blessed Island," Marjo responded.
"That's not entirely true. The Community of the Blessed is also allowed to go there. My father might still be on the island, or maybe he already left, but he held a ceremony there in the name of the Lord of Light," Celeste corrected him.
"Aren't the priests and priestesses of the Lord of Light the ones who perform the Ritual of Ascension?" Captain Kek asked.
"I don't know, to be honest. I never asked my mother or father about it," Celeste admitted.
"We will find that out quickly," Marjo responded.
"You will, but I won't," the captain replied.
They said nothing else as they watched the island getting closer and closer. The ship eventually docked on the wide landing stage, which a dozen armoured warriors guarded. Some were floating in the air, others had their wings summoned but folded, while others didn't show them. Nevertheless, Celeste did not doubt that all of them were Anxoyals.
One of them stepped forward, a female whose armour was golden, just like the armour of the other guards. She wore a helmet that didn't cover her face; her hair was fiery red and reached halfway down her back. Her green eyes fell on Captain Kek first and then wandered to Celeste and Marjo, who had given him the keys to their rooms back in the meantime. "I assume you belong to those who passed the final trial," the woman said to them.
Celeste stretched out her arm and handed the guard her and Marjo's letter. "We are."
The woman skimmed through them. "Alright. You are allowed to set foot on the island." She pointed at Captain Kek. "But you will stay on your boat, is that clear?"
"It is, Commander," Captain Kek responded.
"Commander?" Celeste asked interested.
The woman's gaze fell on her again. "I'm Commander Athel; I will escort you to the island's heart." Her gaze fell on the captain again. "Are there any other Keristians meant to ascend on board?"
"Two dozen more."
"Then tell them to come. I don't want to wait longer than necessary."
Captain Kek nodded. "I will." He stepped away from the railing and rushed below deck. Celeste and Marjo didn't hesitate to walk over the plank and leave the ship, setting foot on the island.
"Welcome to the Blessed Island," Athel said when all passengers finally stood on even ground. "I'm Commander Athel; it's my task to ensure all of you reach the temple without getting lost. Unless there are any questions, we will set off right now."
There were some questions, but none of them were important. Commander Athel answered all of them and then told everyone to follow her. Four other Anxoyal went with her; two walked with her ahead of the group, while the other two were at the end of the group.
The commander led the group over a stony path through the middle of a green forest. Celeste recognised oaks, beech trees and other common trees. She recognised familiar plants that grew on the ground but also saw some plants she had never seen before, neither in books nor reality. She couldn't help but regard the vegetation around her when she followed Commander Athel and the others.
They finally arrived at their destination after a half-day march. The Temple of Light.
Even though night had fallen, they could see the vast, magnificent building before them. The material used to build it was glowing brightly, illuminating the surroundings. It was so bright that it could be seen from a distance if it had not been covered with a cloaking spell. It was so tall that the group should have seen it before they had even set foot on the island, but they didn't. They only spotted it the moment they stepped directly in front of it.
"Welcome to the Temple of Light," Athel announced. She walked over to the huge double doors in front of which a dozen Anxoyal were positioned. She spoke to one of them, a tall man with long dark hair. He went over to the double doors and knocked on them. The double doors were opened a few moments later, and the guards stepped aside to allow Athel to lead the group inside the temple.
The floor was golden, and paintings and symbols adorned the golden walls. Massive chandeliers hung from the ceiling, made of gold and decorated with beautiful gems. It was evident that the builders of the temple had spared no expense. The hall was huge; there was nothing in it, meaning it didn't have a purpose except to astound whoever visited the temple.
It took them nearly five minutes to reach the exit on the other side of the hall. The bordering corridor was not as high as the hall but wide. Celeste had the impression that the temple had been built for giants. She couldn't find another explanation for the fact that the entrance hall and the corridor were so large. She wanted to know why it was like that but didn't dare to ask. Instead, she silently followed Commander Athel, admiring the ornamentations on the walls and ceiling.
They came to a much greater hall; unlike the first one, it was not empty. A colossal statue almost reached the ceiling in the middle of the room. The statue was made of white marble and showed a winged woman in robes. "That statue represents Gayle, the first Anxoyal. According to old documents, she ascended five thousand years ago. Her descendants run this place these days."
Celeste took a closer look at the statue, noticing that the statue's face was lovely. If Gayle had looked like this, she would have been gorgeous. With such looks and power, it was not unlikely that numerous men and women had laid to her feet. Celeste couldn't help but think that Gayle had gotten a lot of marriage proposals from her admirers.
"She is beautiful," Celeste whispered.
Athel, who had heard her, turned her head and looked at her. "She is. It's a shame that she is no longer alive."
"What happened to her?" Marjo asked interested.
"It is said that she died during the Great War of the Seven Kingdoms. She slew Cerestus, the first king of the Yxals, but sadly, she succumbed to her injuries."
"Cerestus? Never heard of him," Celeste said.
"I don't know much about him. I only heard that he was the most powerful Yxal that has ever existed. With skin as dark as night, horns taller than huge buildings and thicker than the thickest trees in the world and claws the size of villages, he was the most dangerous creature of the night the world had ever seen," Athel explained.
"He must be pretty huge then."
"Legends say he was taller than the tallest mountain in Xevas."
"If he was that huge, how could Gayle beat him? If she was as tall as the average Anxoyal, Cerestus was at least a thousand times taller than her," Celeste wondered.
"It's possible the storytellers exaggerated a little due to storytelling purposes, but we have proof that the Yxals that lived thousands of years ago were much taller than those in our time. And much more powerful as well," Athel explained.
"Makes sense."
"Have you ever seen a Yxal up close?"
Celeste shook her head. "No, I have only seen drawings of them in books."
"They might no longer be the powerful creatures they once were, but they are still pretty dangerous. Many of them are capable of dark magic. I recommend you to be careful and never make the mistake of underestimating them."
"I will keep that in mind if I ever encounter a Yxal."
"Do you already know which organisation you will join after your ascension?" Athel asked.
"Not sure yet, to be honest. The Vanguard sounds promising."
"If you join the Vanguard, you will likely meet such creatures one day. As a member of the Vanguard, you must deal with all outside threats."
"I know. My mother told me about the purpose of the Vanguard and the purposes of the other organisations."
"Your mother seems to know a lot."
"She does. My mother is one of the Nine; she must know a lot; otherwise, she wouldn't be one of them."
Athel's eyes widened in surprise. "Your mother is one of the Nine? Why didn't you say that earlier?"
Celeste shrugged. "You didn't ask."
"What was your last name again?"
"Featherwind."
A thoughtful look could be seen on Athel's face as she tried to recall the name. "Featherwind. I know about High Priest Featherwind, but none of the current Nine is called Featherwind."
"My mother is known as 'Helen the Holy' in public and not as 'Helen Featherwind'."
"Helen the Holy is your mother?" Athel asked, her face reflected pure surprise.
"She says the truth," a familiar voice spoke.
Athel, Celeste, and everyone else turned around and looked at the person who had spoken. It was Celeste's mother who was floating behind them. She landed a few moments later, approaching Athel. "There is no need to interrogate my daughter. She is not lying."
"I was not interrogating her, your highness. I wasn't informed your daughter is a part of the newest generation. I was just surprised that...," but she wasn't allowed to finish her sentence. Helen raised her hand and signalled Athel to be quiet. The commander obeyed her superior without hesitation.
Helen's gaze fell on her daughter. "Come, Celeste. Follow me. You will be the first to ascend and become an Anxoyal."
"What about Marjo and the others."
"Their turn will be after yours."
Celeste looked at Marjo, who nodded. "Go, C. I will wait here in the meantime."
Celeste returned her gaze to her mother, who had an expecting look on her face. The look of expectation that Celeste knew so well. Helen stretched out her arm and offered her daughter a hand. Celeste took it without hesitation, allowing her mother to lead her to the other side of the hall.
They stepped through the door, followed the bordering corridor, and approached a spiral staircase. They climbed down the stairs, arriving on the lowest level. They passed the next corridor in silence, eventually arriving in another room. The only source of light in the room was the glowing circle in the middle of the room. The closer Celeste got to the middle, the more the room got illuminated.
Her eyes were drawn to the light source, which turned out to be a fount filled with a golden liquid. Around the fount stood twelve women who wore golden robes. "What is this?" Celeste asked her mother.
"The Fount of Ascension. It contains an inconceivable amount of power. A power that can cause terrible things in the wrong hands. That's why this island is so heavily guarded, and only worthy people are allowed to set foot on it. Only the Anxoyal know of this fount. Every single one of us is sworn to keep this secret. Our enemies must not know of it," her mother explained.
"Don't worry, mother. My lips are sealed."
Helen gave her a small smile. "Good."
Celeste felt the strong desire to run her fingers through the liquid as her gaze fell on the fount again. For some reason, the image of her bathing in this golden liquid came up in her mind. She heard whispers, but she was unsure if they came from the fount or the women around it. She let her gaze wander from woman to woman, noticing that they were not moving their lips. They were silent.
The only explanation that came to Celeste's mind was that the fount was the origin of the whispers. She couldn't recognise any of the words that were said, but she didn't mind that. There was a feeling inside her chest. The feeling of security. She felt secure around the fount. She felt the desire to step inside it.
Her mother's gaze fell on her. "Are you ready for the Rite of Ascension? For the ritual that will free you from the shackles of mortality, purge your flesh of any weakness? You will leave your life as a Keristian behind and become a superior being. An Anxoyal."
She turned her head and averted her gaze from the Fount of Ascension, looking at her mother. "I am ready."
"You need to take off your clothes."
Celeste tilted her head a little and raised an eyebrow. "For real?"
Helen nodded; the look in her eyes was serious. "You need to be naked for the ritual."
A blush appeared on Celeste's cheeks. "Is this necessary?"
"It is, my dear. Why do you hesitate? There are no men present. Only women. Don't tell me you feel ashamed to undress in front of me and the Priestesses of the Lord of Light. No one will ogle you if that's what you are afraid of."
Celeste took a deep breath, exhaling loudly. "Fine." She started by taking off her top, undershirt, and bra. Her shoes, her socks and her pair of trousers followed next. She hesitated for a few moments, but then she took off her panties, removing the last piece of clothing with that. The blush on her face deepened even more; she felt the eyes of the priestesses on her, which made her feel uncomfortable. Her skin was crawling; her heart was beating rapidly in her chest. She could almost feel the sharp stares of the women around her.
She gulped, looking at her mother, whose gaze rested on her face. "Come forward, child," she requested.
Celeste did as she was told and got closer to the fount. She felt her mother's warm hand on her back, but she said nothing, nor did she resist when her mother shoved her forward and brought her to the fount's edge. "Get inside."
Celeste obeyed, setting her left foot in the fount. A strange feeling rushed through her body when her skin came in contact with the liquid inside the fount. She had no idea if this feeling was good or bad; she couldn't classify it. All she knew was that she wanted to go deeper into the fount. She set her right foot in the fount and moved forward until the liquid reached her knees.
She turned her head and looked at her mother over her shoulder, noticing she had also stepped inside the fount. But unlike her, she wore all of her clothes. "Keep going," her mother reassured.
Celeste walked to the middle of the fount, where the liquid reached her navel. Her mother was right behind her; her hands rested on her shoulders. Strange words reached Celeste's ears. She turned her head, looking at the priestesses that had formed a circle around the fount. They held each other by hand, their eyes closed, and their lips moved without pausing. They were speaking out the wording for the spell they were casting together.
"Relax, Celeste," her mother whispered into her ear. "Close your eyes and lean back."
Celeste did as she was told, totally trusting her mother. She felt her mother's hands on her back as she leaned back and pushed her legs upwards. Her mother held her above the surface and prevented her from sinking. Her mother started chanting a few words, letting the liquid drop down Celeste's face.
After a few minutes, Helen put her hands on her daughter's torso and pushed her down, making sure her body stayed beneath the surface. Celeste's lungs were filled with the golden liquid, but she didn't drown, nor did she suffocate. The only change she noticed was that she was slowly losing the feeling over her body. She should be panicking; her instincts should make her do anything necessary to get up and breathe in fresh air, but they didn't set in. Her body was in a state of comfort, and she didn't feel the need to get out of the state. Her vision started to blur out, becoming less precise with each passing second. Finally, her vision blurred out, and she lost consciousness.