As the bell tolled Lanna opened her eyes. Her vigil was complete.
"Arise Lanna."
Lanna ignored the old man in front of her and looked up. Seven empty thrones. "I've failed" she said softly.
The old man looked at her quizzically, "failed? You have not failed child. Your vigil has ended, and you are welcomed as a Sister of this order. "We-"
"Where are the Paragons?" She interrupted. "I had always thought they would welcome us."
The old man knelt down beside her. "Not here child, not now." "He said. "This is but your Initiation. In the coming months your performance shall be judged, and when you have been recognized one the seven shall invoke you, and you shall enter their service."
Lanna nodded, the thought of a second proving was a new weight upon her. The man's hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality.
"Enough of this." He said. "You have passed the first trial, and that is cause for celebration." He turned to the door and yelled "Welcome your new sister!"
The door flung wide and the initiates who went before her crowded into the room. As they clasped and cheered, her disappointment was banished by camaraderie.
Lanna awoke the next morning in her new quarters. For the first time on months it was natural, no instructor, no alarm. She had been given the day to recover from the celebrations of the night. As she laid in her bunk she reflected on the words of the Old Man. "One of the seven will invoke you." "Invoke" She repeated aloud. The path she now walked as steeped in tradition, but the Old Man had sounded religious. "I wonder wha-" she began to say, but the thought was shattered by the sudden assault of her hangover.
Lanna flopped out of bed and crawled desperately, luckily her new quarters came with their own bathroom. As she huddled around the toilet she was resolved to hold it together. She had trained for months to serve with the Paragons, and she would not be defeated by anatomy. After a long battle, she felt well enough to make it to the mess hall.
She had missed breakfast, but she was able to put together enough leftovers to make a meal. All her work this morning had been for this, however as she raised the fork to her mouth the alarm sounded. The sudden noise shattered Lana's fragile state into a thousand tiny pieces. As she clutched her head she saw what seemed to be everyone on post run towards the docking bay.
Lana rose slowly to follow. She was in no shape to run, but something towards the bay seemed important. As she made her way through the halls she began to realize she had never heard this alarm. She had gotten an earful of the standard emergency alarms during indoctrination, but this was different. The sound was loud, but low. Not danger, but urgency. She stopped to catch her breath by a window, and all at once she understood the alarm.
"Arise Lanna."
Lanna ignored the old man in front of her and looked up. Seven empty thrones. "I've failed" she said softly.
The old man looked at her quizzically, "failed? You have not failed child. Your vigil has ended, and you are welcomed as a Sister of this order. "We-"
"Where are the Paragons?" She interrupted. "I had always thought they would welcome us."
The old man knelt down beside her. "Not here child, not now." "He said. "This is but your Initiation. In the coming months your performance shall be judged, and when you have been recognized one the seven shall invoke you, and you shall enter their service."
Lanna nodded, the thought of a second proving was a new weight upon her. The man's hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality.
"Enough of this." He said. "You have passed the first trial, and that is cause for celebration." He turned to the door and yelled "Welcome your new sister!"
The door flung wide and the initiates who went before her crowded into the room. As they clasped and cheered, her disappointment was banished by camaraderie.
Lanna awoke the next morning in her new quarters. For the first time on months it was natural, no instructor, no alarm. She had been given the day to recover from the celebrations of the night. As she laid in her bunk she reflected on the words of the Old Man. "One of the seven will invoke you." "Invoke" She repeated aloud. The path she now walked as steeped in tradition, but the Old Man had sounded religious. "I wonder wha-" she began to say, but the thought was shattered by the sudden assault of her hangover.
Lanna flopped out of bed and crawled desperately, luckily her new quarters came with their own bathroom. As she huddled around the toilet she was resolved to hold it together. She had trained for months to serve with the Paragons, and she would not be defeated by anatomy. After a long battle, she felt well enough to make it to the mess hall.
She had missed breakfast, but she was able to put together enough leftovers to make a meal. All her work this morning had been for this, however as she raised the fork to her mouth the alarm sounded. The sudden noise shattered Lana's fragile state into a thousand tiny pieces. As she clutched her head she saw what seemed to be everyone on post run towards the docking bay.
Lana rose slowly to follow. She was in no shape to run, but something towards the bay seemed important. As she made her way through the halls she began to realize she had never heard this alarm. She had gotten an earful of the standard emergency alarms during indoctrination, but this was different. The sound was loud, but low. Not danger, but urgency. She stopped to catch her breath by a window, and all at once she understood the alarm.