Start Of Ceremony

The round arena owned by the wealthy dwarflings in the kingdom of Raxes was fully packed with teens from different races. These teens, with their parents, took a seat from the bleachers with only one thought running through their minds, the annual coming-of-age ceremony. The siblings, Ryzen and Raya, took the farthest seat from the bleacher assigned to the lowest races. The distance was not a big deal for Ryzen. First, he was not that interested, if not only for Raya. Second, using the beast's eyes would bring them trouble, and he could not risk it.

The center of the stage looked extravagant. It was also there that the silver holy knights and centaurs formed a circle position tasked by the crown to protect the sacred fire of Raxes. At the center of the stage was a huge goblet where the sacred crimson fire was laid. Behind it was the thrones for the King, the Queen, and the heirs.

Ryzen looked at the giant hourglass above the arena designed for this event only. It showed there would be five minutes left before the whole ordeal. He could sense Raya's frantic heartbeat, so he placed his hand above her trembling hand.

 "It will be okay. We will be okay," he convinced her as he looked at her in the eye. 

'It should be okay,' Ryzen added at the back of his mind.

"But what if things go wrong?" She asked him. 

Deep down, he could not answer her because he hoped the gods would favor them somehow—just this once.

"It won't," his voice was clipped. 

Ryzen did not want to think of anything that might lead to triggering his beast. He barely contained it. Caging a beast for a long time, especially with a lot of people around, was risky. 

Raya became silent. 

While the other levels of races were excited, the lowest rates were gloomy. 

Who could blame them? The lowest races either got to become a red blood noble's slave or the Avatar—which was very rare but was still an inevitable fate for any sixteen years old from the lowest of the race. While the higher races got eight fortunes. 

Either they would become a mentor or scholar, fighter, guard, messenger, a servant for the Silver Bloods, squire, housekeeping, or the most sought-after fate, a familiar. Familiars were the Red Bloods vested by the Silver Bloods to stand alongside them, and if they were lucky, they might be betrothed to a Silver Blood which would be the highest honor red blood could achieve. 

'What a piece of crap. How can sleeping with a Silver Blood be considered the highest honor? Red blood nobles with their stupidity and desperation.'

Ryzen's train of thought was cut off by a roar that resonated throughout the arena. 

Everyone got silenced when a vast shadow loomed above them. The flapping of the wings grew louder, and the cold, harsh wind's course changed, making Ryzen's hair lose the tie—his mouth agape from what he saw. 

A gigantic beauty stood proudly beside the stage. No beauty could ever be compared to the sight before them, a grey-scaled dragon with perfect talons and tail. Its beastly eyes roamed around the arena as if sensing any danger. The dragon roared again, making the others jump off slightly. And it was then the king emerged from the back of the dragon. 

His golden crown shone the brightest that night. From the corner, the queen, wearing a silver crown, strode towards her husband. And everyone stood up when the royal couple stood before their people, including Ryzen and Raya.

A Silver Blood came into view as the royalties sat down to their thrones. "Distinguished guests from different races, a pleasant evening to all of you!" He opened his arms wide before he continued. "Tonight, history will be made, and lives will change. To keep Raxes alive and flourishing, new generations will help, and through this annual coming-of-age ceremony, Raxes will keep on soaring!" The man paused for a minute before he continued as he waited for the applause to subside. "And to formally start the ceremony, let us welcome once again our king, King Kuhei!" 

Loud applause followed, stopping only when the king raised his right hand.

"This traditional ceremony has started by the kings of the old. It has been passed down from generation to generation with only one goal, to keep our kingdom alive, and it never failed. Amidst the peace and unity between the four kingdoms, the ceremony will continue until the two suns merge. For this ceremony, Raxes's future will be shaped. To Raxes!" 

The king once again raised his hand, which the people followed.

"To Raxes!" The people screamed, and the dragon roared while the knights and soldiers raised their swords.

 'For Raxes or power?' Ryzen merely crossed his arms without lifting his hands, even for an applause of cordiality.

"Let the ceremony begin!" 

And just when the king sat down, the dragon breathed blue fire, causing the crimson fire from the goblet to turn blue. The goblet started to freeze. Nobody moved, and everyone stood silent as the ceremony began. 

And now they watched as their futures were shaped by the sacred blue fire.

The silence was ripped by the beat of the drums. Slowly a group of old maidens descended. Their hair was tied into a knot as they wore the traditional dress for Raxes's women. It was a deep blue satin dress with a flowing sequence traced in the linings. The dancers were bare feet as they slowly danced around the frozen goblet near the watchful eyes of the dragon. 

They glided, turned, paused, and bowed. It was truly a very Irahtic and slow dancing driving out the magus from the flame; the people still are frozen in their place as they absorb what was happening before them. Everyone was just drawn to the dance, and when the beat of the drums started to ascend and the dancers were now nearing their climax, the people's heartbeat turned frantic in synchronicity.

Just like it was at its peak, the dance and the rapid beats suddenly stopped. Then the sacred blue fire grew as if it was now alive. Awoken from being entranced, the people gave applause. 

"That was awesome," Raya whispered in his ear.

'Raya will always be Raya no matter what's at stake at the moment,' he thought about his twin sister, which he was thankful for.

Not long after the dance, a figure wearing a black cape came. The figure stood there mumbling ancient language before the fire. Magically, the fire started to become smaller. Ryzen could feel the end of the ceremony. The light caused by the sacred blue fire grew dimmer and dimmer, and when the fire could barely be seen, a loud explosion happened before them. 

Thousands of blue butterflies emerged from the goblet, earning a collective gasp from the crowd. But the royalties seemed to be unfazed.

'That might be normal for them,' Ryzen observed.

The butterflies flew towards the people—to them. 

'Seems like each one of the sixteen years old has one blue butterfly. Each one of them has a butterfly attached to their body.' Ryzen observed, his senses alert for any disturbance. 

'But what's this for?' Ryzen pondered as he gazed at the butterfly on his lap and the butterfly at his sister's back.

It was at this moment that he was able to notice the paper the butterfly was carrying.