Mona stood before the guardrail of the balcony, taking in the sight of the lands below. The cobbled together homes, the little people shuffling back and forth, the dying green scattered about. The muddied roads leading to the Aurum duchy seemed to ascend a ways away, as if they could reach Golron through the mountain ranges in the distance. The rays from that might shape baked the ground between the occasional passing cloud, its yellowish hue blanketing the lands in a tender embrace of heat. Not so much that the whetters hid in their tree dwellings, the little flighty things spreading their bluish black feathers about, conversing in a language only they knew, motes of light shining back and forth. As the swarm of those creatures made their way out of range, Mona blinked. He thought to himself.
I should be going now.
He took one last glance at the landscape, before turning and passing through the small door, a delicate click as he returned to his bedroom. The light of Golron cast his shadow against the floor, the dark shape ascending past the shapes of the panes scattered about the floor. On his bed was the costume set for the event, his event, a fabric of untold age. The colors, black and grey fitted with orange accents, had a peculiar appearance. The style was well out of fashion, and the clothing couldn't be called ceremonial. Mona couldn't think figure out why his founder created such a bizarre piece of cloth. Perhaps the meaning had long been cast away, but its purpose, to cover the young lord of Aurum, was all that remained.
"It doesn't fit well."
The robes were a struggle to put on, but then had the opposite problem once worn. The extra inches of cloth was easy to see in the body mirror before him. He'd have to grow several inches in his shoulders and width to make this work, as well as shrink the size of his head. Thankfully the clothing had been washed before he was given it; the gods only know what it could have smelled like after being left in the dust ridden storage for decades.
Looking about, Mona found a few pins, left behind by a thoughtful maid, to help hold this robe in place. Not accustomed to fashion, he spent more than enough time carefully pinning the extra fabric away, adjusting the cloth as best he could. Once he felt comfortable of his handiwork, he turned in the mirror a few times. A smile lifted his face.
"That's good. I was worried I'd mess that up."
Moving the robes around, Mona adjusted the robes to the best position he could muster. If only he could have a maid to assist, but sadly the current state of things forced them to let her go. Noticing Golron sinking closer to the horizon, Mona took note and made his way out of the room. His father was likely already in the great hall, greeting the guests at this rate. How could he be late to his own coming of age ceremony?
"I really need to stop staring into space. Father has told me several times, and so has the maid, and yet here I still am."
Disappointed in himself, the young man took steady steps along the hallway in the young lord's wing of the estate. The embroidery had seen better years, the rugs below and the ornaments beside could use some tenderness. Several of the affixed paintings needed to be wiped, and a few were missing altogether. A vase here, a small table there, Mona could remember how slowly all of the valuables in this estate of theirs was falling apart if not sold altogether. Money was tight, hands were few, and the once lavish manor could very well cave in on itself at any moment. The cracks in the paint didn't help, nor the magic lighting being of the cheapest variety. Dim and almost sickly, the little things came to life as he shuffled past, barely adding much illumination where he stood.
After a few turns, Mona reached for the doors leading out and made his way to the courtyard.
Whetters flew above, their scaly figures and feathers all too familiar. The sharp screeches fit the scene of the axonal trees, those barbed leaves glinting a menacing chill on each angle. A wind picked up, scattering Mona's hair and a few leaves free, one entered his hair. Tidying his appearance, Mona held the leaf in his hand. He could feel the pulsing energy dying off in the leaf, as its sharpness dissipated, the barbed bit now like a tender grass from the ground. He flicked the little leaf from his hand, his steps beginning again, the tack as his steps scattered across the leveled stone filled the empty courtyard with his presence.
Passing the axonal trees, he could remember his mother tending to them, that quiet woman pouring her little strength into the then saplings. The thought of her made Mona sigh. She never saw the final blooms, her life ended under Heron's High from a cold all too common. His steps grew quicker, trying to escape the reignited sorrows coming onto him. Grief had to be left behind, no matter how tender her embrace could be.
Mona recognized the building before he could see it. The dark shape, central to the large courtyard, the building a darkish red with arches about its exterior. Stained glass windows featuring figures from Aurum's aged days. From within you could better examine them, but from outside they looked all too simple. Nor could anything be seen within. His hands on the door, Mona gave a hefty push, the large door making enough room for him to slip in.
The thump sounded deeper than it was close, nearly catching on one of the pins in his robes. Worry flashed on his face as he took notice, before relief returned. The door only slightly tapped the end of the pin, and hadn't moved it one bit. Mona was glad he wasn't stabbed by his amateur work, and continued his way deeper into the hall.
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Past the murals at the entry of the hall, he walked in deeper, going into the largest gathering room. Here, tables had been set by the limited staff, some still at work placing utensils and glassware, scrubbing pillars, arranging chairs. The sweat coated their clothes, worrisome expressions on their face. A few took notice of Mona's arrival, and their expressions grew worse, their work mounting more in their minds.
Mona thought to say a few things to quell them, but he wasn't sure if his words would help or hurt their efforts. A single servant broke out from somewhere, guiding Mona to the center, seemingly advised by the Lord of Aurum to have his son in that particular spot. The man offered Mona no answers for where he stood, and quickly disappeared behind a pillar, off to do another chore before the guests arrival.
Golron was now heading into the horizon, Maget making its way steadily up. The mix of yellow and red lighting from either side of the great hall mixed, contrasting on each side of Mona Aurum. The murals above each window shimmered in the light, the stones used for eyes shined sparks as Maget made its arrival. The entire history of the Aurum clan was right here, in full view, the founder in the most prominent mural of all, donning an all too familiar robe design, albeit more elaborate.
The sounds of a crowd making their way in soon followed. Mona could see in the distance as his father guided a small crowd into the venue, donned in his formal robes. Behind him were a few familiar faces, noble friends of his father, their respective children, as well as commoners from the town below. While the Aurum duchy was lacking in funds, they did their best to maintain appearances, such as now. Much of the visitor locations were kept in good showing, even if a tad expensive. Given the lack of wealth, it was only expected that the commons had even less. Thus, noble and commoner mixed about, given the chance to share in their children having a coming of age together.
Mona reviewed his clothing once again, before moving to reach his father's beckoning hand. His father had joy in each crease of his face. He couldn't see the dull gloom that filled that old face from his mother's passing. Instead, a hint of color filled that visage, and reassured Mona to give a smile in return.
"Come, come. You know the count from way back, right Mona? His son will be joining us. Be sure to make friends. Those of us in the countryside should work together."
Mona saw the count, a man who had visited his father several times in the past, a young boy thinner and paler than Mona himself not far away. As he heard his father's words he turned to the youth, but just as Mona he seemed to be reluctant to say anything. At this point his father had returned back to talking to the guests, so he didn't notice the awkward silence between the two. The boy gave a nod, and Mona returned one, but that was the limit of their interaction for the rest of the night. It didn't seem either had much to say to each other, and Mona didn't want to force a conversation. Something like that would only make him feel sick.
Eventually the servants, the tiredness in their eyes barely concealed, came out once more. Their limited numbers quietly led the crowd to prearranged seats, the light of Maget and the mage candles mixing in coloring their faces. None of the guests seemed to have noticed the servants were fewer this year than every year last, their attention still attached to their conversations among themselves. The tables were steadily decked with foods of different types, fruits plucked from the ground being the more obvious ingredient among them. The sweet sent of earth wafted through the air; at last, the head of these servants came quietly to guide the inner circle of the Aurums to the lord table, decked in sapphire sheets and more elaborate ware.
Mona's father stood up, giving a few words once they settled down a tad more. His Master aura carried his words above theirs, making it difficult for anything else to be heard. He went on describing the history of the Aurum, pointing towards each of the murals, giving his thanks to all present, before declaring everyone to enjoy the food. The sounds of utensils hitting plates began as soon as Mona's father placed his now empty cup back on the table, chugging the spirits in one go.
Meat was rare in other parts; on each table a healthy portion was visible. In a dying territory, such delicacies were rare, rare enough to give wonder if some present had children to taste these morsels before them. The cooks in the kitchens made the meat tender, the sparse spices available carefully applied. Of course vegetables were also offered, but few reached for roots they could taste with their minds from seeing alone. Mona's father gave his son a slight chuckle before moving their platter closer towards his son. He looked less inclined to eat meat, and more interested in hearing what the other noble to his right was thinking. The count's son from before was quietly eating away and the leg of some creature.
By the time Mona had his fill of the last of the food before him, much of the clattering had largely died down, the crowd returning back to their topics among themselves, the speech a tad slower from all the liquor involved. The servants shed some of their agony, relief and vigor in their movements as they took the finished plates off all the tables, exchanging with a few bottles for the guests to drink. The youth going through their coming of age were offered a small glass to try. Not too much to disrupt the upcoming ceremony.
Maget now filled the sky, that phoenix of flame and heat in full view. The great hall felt slightly warmer, the axonal trees outside rustled as whetters returned to their roost to avoid the extra heat. Seeing the crowd growing calmer once more, Mona's father took one look outside, recognizing the signal of Maget at its peak, and spoke once more.
"I hope your hunger has been sated, and your thirst satisfied. With the rise of Maget and the disappearance of Golron, the time is now. Let us began the Ascension of Flames."
The crowd clapped, some more energetically than others. The main event was about to begin. The guests watched as a set of maids and servants worked together, carrying what looked like an obelisk of sorts to the center of the room. It lacked color, and seemed to transcend existence, yet absorb all color near it.
Mona could feel it calling to him, beckoning him to come closer. His Ascension was at hand.
