Welcome to Gaia! ::

Heather looked to see the sceptor things being passed around. "Might as well..." She wandered over to see what they were, maybe even to pick one up though she wasn't sure. Everyone was moving again but she didn't really want to. She felt quite depressed though these sceptors looked beautiful, maybe they would cheer her up.

He saw someone else coming closer.

"Think quickly, m'lady. We're starting soon." He did not offer a scepter, directly, but the nearest one to her was of a very coarse silver, tipped in rubies and emeralds- upon which: "Triumph" was written.

Jal peered out cautiosly just in case. "Are ya sure?" He asked but thought best not to stay under there to long. He crawled out and stood up looking around all worried, "WHAT? Cope an eyeful. Why miss you are perty and all but I'm a VERY moral man. I woul' ne'er do such a thang." Jal lied.

He tried to put on the charm a little. "I wish'n I knew how to repay ya. I'm Jal by the way." Jal held out a hand for a friendly handshake. "You'm must be them gypsy folk that don' come round here too ofen. I can tell by the way ya dress an' tha' exotic animals ya keep. I hear'n they turn into littl'uns!" Jal said all too excited. "My I can't turn thins' into littl'uns but I'm mighty skilled with fixen just bout anythin ya'll could think of. I woul' think with so many littl' ladies travlin round in those wagons all lonesome like you would need a man folk ta help out an all." He smiled at her hopefully. Jal really needed to find some way out of Temranillo now, and these gypsies could be his very ticket

"I'm called Altaira, and this is Sindri, my little one." She shook his hand, and smiled, with just bit of charm of her own. "You're right, we're of gypsy stock - " well, half, "- and there are many more women than men in our caravan. We get by alright, fixing things. It's can be lonely, but with friends and our little ones, not too lonesome."

Altaira leaned to look around the tree, clearly checking if their balding friend was coming back or not. As annoyed as she was, all thoughts of kicking Jal where it hurts for the skirt stunt had faded away. All that remained were a few more rejoinders - then it was back to being fed up of Temranillo, the scene of the first real fight between Kala and Sindri.

"A word to the wise, Jal, dear. A /moral/ man wouldn't get under a woman's skirt without her permission." A slightly arched eyebrow."But from what the man was yelling, someones permission or no, you got under someone elses before mine."

The Ceremonies

The ceremony is beginning, and in the square, a beautiful flash of light that seems to come from the siphoners bowls- illuminating and bathing everyone near the corresponding color bowls. It's a lovely display- but the result is the same- your eyes spin and swirl as they adjust... and when the fuzzy blur clears from your vision, gyspy eyes... will be surprised. Nusa is now a redheaded, freckle-faced infant with no speck of fur or tail about her... and Anezka suddenly appears as a young girl with black, braided hair- and no sign of any of her wings or rabbit-like features. Pierre was a rough and tumble looking teenage boy... but not a hedgehog. Amkia's wings had disappeared... and Kala... was a largish black cat with flashing green eyes.

This had all been done by the Heraph- the High Priest who was directly beneath the Peror. He sat on a dais in the city square where he could oversee the ceremony below, his throne lower only than the Peress...whose chair was as of yet empty. Now that the non white-sect magic had been nullified, the ceremony had begun. The many Corphori and Ztilors- and even a gangly Fermer woman or two who had wandered into the ceremony- they smiled and seemed excited... purposefully acting as if the gypsy children around them that had previously been so magical and mysterious were no different than before. It would do them no good to recognize the difference in this other form of magic: besides, after the ceremony had completed, the Nullification effects would drip off like paint.

The scepters began to glow. Patience, Charisma, Virtue, Charity, Purity, Serenity, Kindness, Composure, Triumph, Perserverance, Respect, Creativity, and Beauty. These were the scepters that lasted beyond a flicker- all others light died almost as soon as they were lit, and the siphoner bowls around them grew dim.

Beauty, Perserverance, and Triumph cease to glow.

In the city park, the priests and priestesses are overjoyed at the start of the ceremony- and so, they begin to pass through the crowd gifts. In Marissa's hands lands a small leather Sewing Kit, and ending in Altaira's hands, a Mountainglass Flask.

Creativity, Respect, and Virtue... cease to glow.

A chorus of priestesses begin to sing, and Patience ceases to glow. Across town, in the Gardens, another ceremony has already begun. The orb of light that the White Sect know only as Saviour... has left its perch above the priestesses head, and settles into the crowd. It scoots to the back row, where it passes over Ki. There is a bit of a smudge, there, in her past. Or is it her future? The spirit overlooks her. Then it flits beyond a few rows, and stops above the head of a few others, before moving on... to Silver. There it stops for a good long measure of time. So dark, so afraid. It shudders... can a spirit be afraid? And moves on so quickly, it's almost a blur.

Across town, Charisma and Purity cease to glow.

The spirt stops above the head of Caroline. It flits down, and does something... unusual... in that it pauses against her shoulder, then flits over to where Rojiza is, hovering there, and moving slightly back to Caroline, as if this daughter can help it decide. Then it comes slightly nearer to Aisrhan. But then it can come no closer, and it flits away once more, going towards a Ztilor woman and lingering there for nearly a minute.

Charity ceases to glow... and then... Composure.

It moves on from the Ztilor, who was in the second row... and goes not far- merely one row up, and settles near to Mirela's heart. It's there for the longest time of anyone- the spirit seems to brush against her cheek, then touch against her hair and settle back against her heart. But then it sees something: something in the woman's future. Her son will be great. This is not ... it's family.

Serenity is left, and Kindess. One, a beautiful gypsy who had once lived with her Dove sisters among the trees- another, a familiar face: a Corphori with a sweet, growling voice that helped someone who had need on the road... with answers, and kindness. They are connected, and glow... until one fails. The Heraph Rises. The Peress has been chosen.

The spirit moves on- moving directly against Irina's heart, as well. It was there for no more than a few seconds, that it moved away again and returned to Mirela. The spirit brushed against the woman's cheek again- a sweet, loving gesture... and then turned and floated directly... into Irina. And then it was gone.

The Heraph raised his arms, and cried out in joy. "The Peress has been chosen! Come forth, my Queen!"

The crowd parted, and the Corphori and the Ztilor bowed at the knees as the woman who would be their Queen hesitatingly stepped forward. All Corphori, that is- but the one who stood, humbled and majestied all at once. Clostho walked forward- and took her place as Queen.

Irina watched the glowing spirit move around the crowd, coming to rest in front or above several people, including Caroline, Silver and Mirela. She thought it might come to rest in Mirela, choosing her as its mother. It spent a lot of time examining her, it seemed, and as quickly as it had come to Mirela, it came to Irina, hovering for a mere second or two over her heart. It moved back to Mirela, brushing against her lovingly, and Irina was sure it had chosen her as it's mother.

But instead, something very surprising happened...Suddenly, the spirit disappeared--inside of her. She gasped as it entered, a warmth spreading through her body. Her eyes began to glow the strange, icy blue shade that they did when she was reading auras, and she felt calm and comfortable.

She was to be its mother.

Baptiste drinks deeply from a flask passed to him by one of the other men. They seemed to share a camraderie--those who couldn't be involved. He keeps a watchful eye on Tamlin, and his his mouth drops slightly as her scepter, like all those around her, begins to glow. He silently passes the flask on to another man and watches. So this was how they chose their ruler. His heart lifts when her scepter fades. From what he'd learned of his new friend and housemate, Tamlin is too free a spirit to be tied down by governing a place she wished to depart from.
He watches as a woman he doesn't know ascends to the throne as Queen. He bows at the waist in respect--she seems a solid woman. Hopefully the realm would prosper under her guidance.

Caroline watches in awe as the softly-glowing ball of light flits around to hover over this person or that. It stops over her head, and Caroline is struck with terror. The solid woman, who isn't afraid of spiders, snakes, or anything. She's terrified with the prospect of mothering this unknown spirit. Relief washes over her as the spirit moves away from her, but is struck again as it hovers over Rojiza. Rojiza?! She's not yet a woman! Incapable of mothering a child! Come back, she thinks to it. If it must be one, let it be me. A child doesn't need this burden, however a blessing it may be. Seemingly heeding her words, the Savior comes back to Caroline, but then shies away toward Aisrhan and then toward a Ztilor woman. The Savior flits among several other people, then finally dives into Irina.
Caroline begins to breathe again.

Rojiza fights the urge to bat the spirit away as it flutters near her. Instead she tightens her grip on Ais' hand, willing it to go away. She doesn't want it.