The Mirage on the Brink of Oblivion (The Epic of Aravinda Book 3) (11 page)

“Okay,” they both said at once.

“Good,” Manu said. “To begin, there is something you need to know about the Empress Monument…”

CHAPTER
22

CEREMONY IN THE SKY

Adorned in a silky blue dress, Jyana found herself absorbed in how lovely the city looked at night.

Now that their sun had at last fallen below the horizon, it was as if a thick shadow had fallen over the city. Out of the corner of her eye, Jyana thought she saw something scurrying under one of the nearby domes, disappearing in seconds.

Yet there was beauty. The entire city was lit up with hundreds of blue, green, amber, and occasionally red pinpricks of light, lining the sides of most of the domes and towers. The sight mesmerized her.

Jyana turned to Torin, noticing for the first time the formal attire he had chosen, complete with a sharp white collar and a flowing cape that he somehow managed to keep hovering in the air just behind him. They turned a corner, and when Jyana saw the Empress Monument, she gasped, stunned to silence.

Haloed in seven rings of white light, the Empress Monument looked truly divine as it hung in the air over the center of the city, like a perfectly polished egg, flawless.

Torin turned to her and smirked. “Are you okay, Jyana? You’re acting like you’ve never seen a night before.”

“Huh?” she turned to him. “Sorry. It has been about a month since we’ve seen it like this.”

He chuckled. “Sure, and I like what the Empress has done with the monument. She may be somewhat of an enigma, but she certainly has taste. Come on. We’re due up there soon.”

Torin pointed to a huge flat disc hanging far above the monument. Its edge glowed a bright gold, appearing like a halo over the monument.

“Yeah,” Jyana nodded. “Lead the way.”

“We should hurry; don’t want to be late.” Torin zipped up into the air, and Jyana followed close behind, whizzing past the blue, green, and amber lights that hung in the middle space over the city.

As she flew upward, Jyana felt humbled to silence at the beauty of it all.

Once they reached the edge of the disc, two royal guards, clad in their traditional white robes, stopped them to confirm their identity. Jyana tried to discern their faces, as she always did, but remained unsuccessful. The energetic veil was impenetrable.

One of the guards nodded to them and handed Torin a thought-nugget, while another showed them to an array of tiny seats near the middle of the disc. As they sat down, Jyana surveyed the crowd, noticing that the seats fanned out radially from a raised platform in the center so that the rows grew narrower the closer you were. She studied her seat, which was so small that it seemed to serve as a marker, a mere organizing principle, more than anything else.

She reflected at the diversity of the crowd. Everywhere she looked, she saw a different face with its own unique beauty. And in the distance, she was shocked to see that Asha and Zahn were also there, seated on the far end of the disc.

Jyana quickly averted her gaze and turned to Torin, who was absorbing the small nugget that the guard had given him.

“Torin,” she said, “they’re here! Asha and Zahn.”

“What?” He glanced around. “Why would you invite them?”

Jyana leaned in. “I didn’t invite them! There’s something you should know.” Her voice reduced to a whisper. “Torin, they’ve been looking for someone the entire time. That was their mission, and Asha never even told me. I’m not sure we can trust anything she says.”

Torin shook his head. “I knew it. I knew there was something off about them. It’s Zahn, I bet. All he wants is for us to join their precious Confederation. He probably made her forget about the importance of her heritage, made her forget about where she belongs.”

“Maybe. I just don’t know how I can trust her if she isn’t transparent with us. How can we even be sure that she still cares about our world, at all?”

Torin groaned. “She needs to be reminded of the penalty for lying. Perhaps I’ll have to speak with her after the ceremony.”

“Torin, don’t!”

“Shh! The ceremony is starting.”

All around them, lighting along the edge of the ceremonial platform dimmed considerably, and the floor became a deep black that consumed all light. The change silently summoned everyone’s attention, and the few remaining stragglers quickly found their seats.

Up ahead, six royal guards flashed up to the elevated platform in the center. They bowed in unison and spoke as one.

“The Empress welcomes our esteemed guests for this special ceremony in the sky. Behold, Her Majesty, The 11th Empress of the Mirage Sovereignty, Empress Amaraloka…”

They bowed again before parting down the middle, with three moving off to the right and three moving off to the left, each group forming a line.

Everyone waited as anticipation swelled within their hearts. Many had never even seen the Empress before and would likely never see her again.

And then, as if from a waking dream, a small figure appeared on the elevated platform, clothed in a fine, silky garment that half-hung in the air as she walked. A thin white hood covered her head, and everyone strained to perceive the face beyond.

When the Empress reached the front of the raised platform, she pulled back her hood, and to everyone’s shock, a wave of red-orange hair tumbled down over her shoulders.

Nearly everyone gasped at the revelation. None of them had suspected that the Empress possessed the rarest hair color in their society. But even without it, her beauty would have surpassed their expectations. Her features were at once striking and delicate, and even Jyana was surprised.

The Empress spoke softly at first, but grew in strength with each word.

“Thank you for coming,” she began. “Today, we recognize the faithful service of some of our most honorable citizens.”

Her voice was soft and kind, yet Jyana also felt a quiet strength behind her words, a confidence gained only through years of service.

“I am aware of the rumors, and it is true that we face a challenging time,” she continued. “Many of you have probably heard about an ambrosia shortage and increased tensions with our allies as a result. I make no excuses for this situation. We have indeed encountered difficulties, but we have negotiated such challenges in the past and emerged even stronger than before. And with the talent I have available to me, I am confident that we shall meet this challenge and be victorious.”

The Empress paused, her eyes scanning the room quietly.

“Today, we recognize three public servants. To begin, I ask Advisor Kathini to approach the platform.”

A woman with short brown hair clad in dark blue walked up to the front of the elevated platform which stood about a meter above the floor. “I am at your service, your Majesty.”

The Empress nodded and walked over to the edge. “For your excellent direction in our new accelerated education programs, I promote you to Prime Curriculum Coordinator. Open, and I will show you.” The Empress closed her eyes, and a ball of golden light shot out of her forehead and into Kathini’s.

Kathini gasped, her expression melting into pure awe.

The Empress remained expressionless. “Do you now understand the responsibilities inherent to this position?”

She nodded. “Yes, dear Empress.”

The Empress smiled down to her. “Then take on this new power and use it well, for the highest good of the Mirage.”

With her finger, the Empress made a circle around Kathini’s head, causing a ring of light to form above it for a moment before fading out of view.

The Empress nodded and looked up to the audience. “Let it be known Anurakti Kathini is our prime coordinator of curriculum taught in this city. Every teacher in the city is under her authority, and she does not take on this responsibility lightly.” The Empress looked back down to her. “My dear Anurakti, you are dismissed. Go forth and bless our city.”

The woman quietly zipped back over to her seat, and once again the Empress scanned the audience for a particular face. For a moment, Jyana thought she might be looking at her.

“I now call on a citizen who has shown great ingenuity in the face of adversity. Today, he deserves to be recognized for his excellence. A natural problem solver, this servant of our city is the perfect choice to help us face the challenges that lie ahead.” The Empress paused, running her fingers through her fiery hair.

A hush descended upon the room as she studied the faces of everyone present.

Finally, she spoke. “Torin Gavendra, approach the platform.”

A smile spread across Torin’s face as he practically jumped out of his seat and zipped over to the front of the platform.

He bowed to her. “I am at your service, your Majesty.”

The Empress nodded slightly. “Torin, today I present you with a chance to go beyond a mere apprentice. Today, I give you an opportunity to become the Chief Ambrosia Director.” She appraised him thoughtfully, and Jyana wondered what she thought of Torin’s sharp white collar and unnecessarily long cape. “However, to accept this prestigious position, you must understand the power you would be taking on. Open, and I will show you.”

Once again, the Empress closed her eyes, and a ball of golden light popped out of her forehead and into Torin’s.

He gasped and shut his eyes tightly. As Jyana watched him, she wondered what visions and feelings must have been rushing through him.

Still, the Empress remained expressionless. “Do you understand the gravity of this situation?”

Gradually, he opened his eyes. He appeared stunned from all that he had seen.

“Yes, Empress,” he whispered. “I have imagined this day for years, and nothing would make me more joyful than providing this service to my people.”

The Empress smiled. “Turn around.”

He did, and in one swift motion, the Empress tore his cape from his body, sending a collective gasp through the audience.

“Today, you transcend your past self!” the Empress called out, her dark eyes radiating a raw power that few in the audience had ever seen.

Jyana was held transfixed as the Empress made a wide circle with both of her hands. To her surprise, her fiery hair blew around as if it were in a chaotic storm, and a band of golden light appeared over Torin’s head, like the outer edge of a bubble. The golden band of light flowed around him for a moment, before rushing into him, causing his entire etheric body to glow golden for a few moments.

The Empress closed her eyes, and her hair went limp, falling down over her shoulders. She took a step back and gestured toward Torin with open palms, showing the audience a man who would never be the same.

Her eyes flashed open once again, and she spoke quietly. “Behold, my dear citizens, your new Chief Ambrosia Director.”

The audience could no longer hold back and erupted into applause. Jyana looked around and noticed that even Zahn and Asha seemed happy for him as they clapped, and for the first time in a great while, Jyana felt proud of Torin.

“Use this power well, Torin Gavendra, for the highest good of the Mirage.” The Empress spoke with conviction.

He nodded. “Thank you, wise Empress.”

“My dear Torin, you are dismissed. Be well, and join your Empress after the ceremony. My royal escorts will locate and assist you.”

Torin bowed to the Empress and turned back to the audience, an unstoppable smile filling his face. He really did look sharp in that white collar.

Once he returned to his seat, Jyana noticed that he was quietly crying, and she embraced him tightly.

“I’m so proud of you,” she whispered into his ear.

“I know,” he said, holding back for a moment. “I’m sorry.” He hesitated. “I guess my emotions are overwhelming to me right now.”

“It’s okay,” she said softly. “It’s okay to cry.”

He backed away, his gaze becoming intense. “Things are going to change now. Life will be better. You’ll see.”

Jyana saw something new on Torin’s hand. “Look! Something is on your hand.”

As if it were a holy brand, the back of each of his hands now had a small glowing symbol of a square within a square.

She looked back up to him. “What does this symbol mean?”

“Every Ambrosia Director has had the symbol. It means I work with planetary resources. It’s a great honor.”

She would have embraced him again, but the Empress spoke once more, demanding the attention of all present.

“The final person I acknowledge tonight travelled a fantastic distance to be with us. She is the first refugee to return home, and we must honor her for her bravery in crossing the light-years to return to us.”

A hush fell upon the room, and Jyana noticed that the Empress was smiling at someone on the far end of the platform.

“Oh no,” she whispered.

“Ashakirta,” the Empress said, “approach the platform.”

Jyana watched as Asha stood up, carefully glided past dozens of Mirage citizens, down the aisle, and toward the Empress. When she reached the foot of the platform, Asha bowed.

“Your Majesty, I do not feel worthy of being honored tonight. I never asked to be honored.”

The Empress gazed down to her. “My dear Ashakirta, you need only to return home safely to be deserving of recognition. No doubt you have experienced much and have overcome many trials to return. Indeed, I am quite curious about your methods in reaching us, and I wish to speak with you later in private. For now, take this nugget and consider it.”

A golden ball flew out of her hand and into Asha’s head, and she froze.

Jyana studied the scene as it unfolded, desperately wondering what the Empress could be sharing with her.

“You are indeed generous, dear Empress,” she said. “I will consider your offer.”

Jyana turned to Torin. “What’s going on up there?”

“I don’t know, but obviously the Empress knows something that we don’t.”

The Empress looked out to the audience. “For those of you who have not heard, Ashakirta left our world twenty planetary years ago, an expansive length of time by our standards. She and her father barely escaped with their lives. Yet fate has brought her back home. As the Empress, her thoughts are as plain to me as Rundikha rising in the sky, and I have found her trustworthy. She is on the healer’s path, and I advise you all to treat her with the respect that such a path deserves.” The Empress looked back down to Asha, who was still at the foot of the platform. “Ashakirta, go forth in peace. We shall convene later.”