Page 61 of The Divine Shallows
Aunora’s expression turned flustered, but she swiftly composed herself, offering a deferential nod towards Elowyn. With a quick motion, she pulled down her brown hood, revealing her face framed by deep, claret-red locks, and dipped into curtsy. “I apologize for my informality, Princess Elowyn.”
“No need for apologies or formalities,” Elowyn reassured her. “If anything, I should be commending you for your performance at the music house. Hearing you play was a wonder to experience.”
“Thank you! All I’ve ever wanted to do is make others fall in love with music the way I have.” Aunora’s smiled. “Come to think of it, you may be among the first royalty from Eriden to hear me play.”
“Really?” Aunora’s words confirmed Elowyn’s suspicion that the soloist’s troupe had never been granted entry into Eriden’s borders. “In that case, I feel even more honored to have experienced your music.”
“I’m delighted to hear that!” Aunora beamed at Elowyn. “Well, I must take my leave to the royal castle and settle in before the start of the Fifth Day.” She turned to Elowyn, embracing her warmly. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you. Hopefully, we’ll have the chance to meet again later tonight!” With a final hug for Draeden, she whispered something in his ear, to which he chuckled, before she departed in a differentdirection.
Draeden waved after Aunora, his laughter echoing through the air.
Elowyn arched an eyebrow. “Secrets aren’t any fun.”
“What she whispered isn’t exactly a secret,” he grinned. “Aunora warned me to not to act like a fool and mess this up.”
“Oh,” Elowyn murmured, her cheeks flushing. “I think you should definitely follow her advice—I quite like her perspective.”
“I was already planning on it,” he grinned.
They strolled across the cobblestone street and soon found themselves back in the bustling square they had visited nearly an hour ago. Elowyn’s eyes widened in wonder as she beheld the transformation that had taken place. The cobblestones now gleamed with a midnight black hue, illuminated by twinkling feylights that danced beneath the feet of passersby like stars in the night sky.
Looking up, Elowyn marveled at the sight of glowing moons and stars hovering above the market square, conjured by the magic of the fey of Orwyn. Each ethereal projection depicted a different phase of the moon or a radiant star, casting a spellbinding aura over the square. Elowyn gazed skyward, her heart swelling with delight at the display.
Since the dawn of the New Age, during the Fifth Day, the folk of Neramyr take part in the Offering. This ritual is one of the most favored days of the week-long affair, namely because it celebrates the magic that runs freely in the veins of fey. What sets this ritual apart is that any fey who can wield magic is welcome to participate, regardless of their social standing.
On this day, the fey offer a portion of their own magic to the heavens to honor Caena.
Each magical offering manifests as a celestial formation, appearing as a phase of the moon or a star. The appearance of these projections varies based on the strength of the magic wielder. Those with stronger abilities conjure phases of the moon, while those with lesser magical abilities contribute smaller stars. These ethereal manifestations linger in the sky leading up to the ritual. When the High Priestess utters the sacred wordsof the Offering, the fey of Neramyr relinquish their hold on the magic, allowing it to ascend to Caena’s realm.
Legend said that this ritual recurs every seven years to replenish the magic within the feylands. Some believe that the magic offered transforms into the very stars seen in the night sky, others say the magic nurtures the land. Some claim that the Goddess herself accepts the magic to preserve the divine link to the Bridge Between Worlds—the path between Neramyr and her divine realm.
The sight before her stirred a wave of nostalgia within Elowyn; she reminisced about watching the Fifth Day festivities from her bedchamber window as a young feyling. In the last Ceremony, at the age of twelve, she had summoned a crescent moon in her palm to offer to the Goddess. She could still vividly recall the joyous squeals she shared with Ora in that moment. Later, she discovered that Elyria had conjured one of the most radiant full moons witnessed in centuries, earning praise even from the High Priestess herself.
Elowyn found the collective release of magic by the city folk of Eriden to be nothing short of magical, like witnessing millions of shooting stars ascend into the night sky.
“I’ll never tire of the Fifth Day,” Elowyn remarked.
“Neither will I,” Draeden agreed, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
Together, they strolled across the cobblestone streets painted with fey-created constellations, leaving a trail of twinkling stars in their wake. Amidst the busy marketplace, they maneuvered through the stalls until they reached the serene alleyway where their journey had begun. Draeden summoned a moongate portal with a flourish and extended his hand to Elowyn once more.
“I know I promised to show you more of the city, but I couldn’t let you leave Orwyn without experiencing this as well,” Draeden said, his smile bright.
Elowyn returned his smile as she took his hand, ready to follow him wherever their adventure led, disappearing behind the veil of feylight.
21
Offering
Emergingfrom the moongate with Draeden, Elowyn found herself standing atop one of Orwyn’s magnificent burnt-orange rocky hilltops. It was a location far removed from their previous surroundings; even from this summit, she couldn’t spot the familiar landmarks of the market square or the grand arches of Darkmaw castle.
“Where are we?” Elowyn asked.
“I wanted to show you one of Orwyn’s hidden oases,” Draeden replied as he ran a hand through his hair. “I stumbled upon this place while riding Orix across the badlands.”
“Orix?” Elowyn’s head tilted.
Draeden brought his thumb and index finger to his lips and let out a sharp whistle. In response, a piercing screech echoed from below the rocky hilltop, and soon a majestic feather-winged gryphon emerged into view. The chestnut-hued creature soared gracefully before landing a short distance away from them.
