Sora Brontarion
I walked into the prayer temple. Dressed in my ceremonial white tunic lined with silver and light blue streaks of silk. I was going to practice a Brontarion ritual my grandmother taught me. It felt like I was home again, even if it was just for a little bit.
Walking further into the building, I saw Cendra talking to someone in the pews. Cendra was beautiful and cunning, and over the past few days, she received many requests to be someone's date for the school dance.
But as I drew closer, I realized the person in the pew was a boy, and that boy was Cyrus.
I stopped short, shock rooted me in place.
What was Cendra talking to him about?
She glanced up from him and saw me standing across the cathedral.
"Sora, come here!" Cedra insisted, causing Cyrus to turn around, only to slouch back in the pew.
I knew she wouldn't accept no for an answer, so I trudged over to them.
"Guess who's taking me to the dance?" Cendra asked, beaming with excitement.
I indulge her question, "Who?"
"Your good ole pal Cyrus, here." I raised an eyebrow at him. All he could do was just shake his head. I could see and feel his embarrassment.
"Out of all the suitors you have, why pick him?"
"He's the only one who interested me. Wait, Sora, do you want to go with him?"
The thought of that almost made me jump back, "Of course not."
"Sora, your hair is frizzing," Cyrus said as he gave me a side eye.
Quickly, I patted it down.
"Well then, I guess it's settled. Now we just need to find a date for you, Sora. Any prospects?" Cendra asked.
"I'll figure it out," and with that, I left them to head to my pantheon's section.
As I approached the Sango Mata's entrance, I felt a familiar softness brush up against me.
"Hey, sis." I looked up to see Jace, dressed in our ceremonial attire for prayer. It was the first for him since we have been at Xhatal Academy. I wondered what sparked the decision.
"Thanks for being on time."
"Want a ride?" he asked me jokingly. I just shook him off and stepped inside.
In our constellation's section, our clan's colors were present everywhere: blue, silver, and white. There was an opening in the ceiling, and murals depicting the region we controlled in the astral realm.
Instruments made out of our land's famous cloud steel lay at the altar.
We were the heirs to the Brontarion clan, and so we were the only ones allowed to spark the altar.
The few branch members who attended Xhatal sat and waited for us—one of the few times they gave us respect.
I looked at Jace, and he gave me a subtle nod, and so began the ritual.
Lighting sparked in my hands, and I grabbed the scale and the gavel made from cloud steel.
Cloud steel was one of the few metals that could perfectly conduct lightning and channel its power; it was crucial to have during our ceremonies.
With that, I charged both instruments.
"High pantheon of judgment, we do your bidding; we relinquish control to your authority. Guide us, and show us the error of our ways, and how we can better serve you." As I finished the chant, I slammed the gavel on the altar. Lighting left the gavel and shot up to the opening in the ceiling, shooting into the sky above.
One by one, each member who was in our small temple took a step to the altar. They stood before the scale, each side hanging in balance with the other. Then a bolt of lightning shot down, striking both sides. The left signified the wrongs we have done, and the right signified the good we have done. Many members were not happy with their results.
The left side leaned lower, showing that they were not in high regard with the high pantheon or their lesser pantheon. This was often the case. Xhatal didn't foster doing things the right way; the culture encouraged doing whatever was necessary to achieve a goal.
I wished for others to follow in the Coterie's footsteps, but it seemed that having a deeper spiritual connection with our high pantheon always came second. Grandma would not have liked this one bit; she would never have tolerated it. But ever since our father made that decree, there was no swaying them.
When the ritual ended, Jace and I stayed behind to clean the altar. We lowered the heated metal into the cooling bath so nothing left behind would scorch the stone.
As I lifted the instruments from the water, something soft brushed against my chin.
I looked up.
Jace's cloud had shaped itself into a hand.
"Cheer up, sis."
"Easy for you to say."
"How so?"
"Everything comes so easily for you; it always has."
"Sis, you are the most capable person I know. It'll come. You just have to be patient."
My brother grinned and turned his fingers into sparklers, waiving them through the air to make me laugh.
"You know I'm not a kid anymore."
"Then why are you laughing?" he said.
"Thank you, Jace. I don't know where I would be without you."
"Hey, you think you have it bad; you should see how many requests I have for this dance," he said, his chin resting on his hand.
"Oh wow, suffering from success. Do you know who you'll take?"
"I haven't put much thought into it. I'm leaning toward just picking a random name out of a hat."
"You should be more considerate of them, you know."
"Yeah, but you know I don't like balls; I plan on just releasing them at the dance anyway."
"Jace!" I said, gently hitting him on the shoulder.
"At least I'm honest. But who are you going with? Do I need to do some recon on them?"
"I don't know who I'm going with. It's hard to even think about the dance because of our current ranking."
"Don't worry, Sora, we will finish strong."
"That's easier said than done," I said, staring at the communicator in my hand.
Just open it, Sora. Maybe the High Pantheon will bless us.
I clicked the notification and opened the message. My eyes scanned the screen as I quickly scrolled to the end of the message.
My heart pounded with every swipe; so much rode on this result. Then I finally reached the end:
Cluster 21 passed the third Midterm.
A sigh of relief left my lips, "Thank you, High Pantheon."