A booming sound pierced the air, the blowing of the trumpet to announce the arrival of the Queen and her posse, along with other esteemed dignitaries. They filed into wooden podium, situated at one end of the arena. It was a large suspended wooden stage, attached to the side of the parapet of the first floor. The queen took her seat, at the front and center of the stage, on a gold encrusted seat. On her left, was the valvar chief. On her right, Raghor sol, the heir of sol family. Today he wore flashy orange satin robes; his muddy blond hair was straight and parted in the middle of his head, it hung below his waist.
The
queen was resplendent today in golden robes, which caught the rays of the sun
and flashed.
Her
crown, with Hugh red rubies, glittered so brightly that Dora could see it all
the way from her enclosure.
“Oww…..my
eyes.” Skar whispered, shading his eyes. Dora laughed.
She
spotted her uncle Kyiv, who was there representing house Kashinov; take his
place a few seats away from the queen.
After
refreshments were served and all had settled down, Raghor Sol stood up and
addressed the arena from the Podium.
"We are gathered here by the wills of the god, so let’s start this auspicious day by offering prayers to the sun god."
The
sols were rabid sun worshippers. They were one of the richest house on Olympus.
They owned the arena, which had many rich patronages, the royal house being one
of them. The Kashinovs were also one of the patrons. A sore point with break.
It was common knowledge how the arena came into being.
Soon
enough, the arena reverberated with melodious chanting followed by the
appearance of the twelve priestess of the sun god. These were beautiful
maidens, pledged to the sun god. The priestess followed a head priest, dressed
in a white and golden ensemble, into the arena. The center of the arena had a
dais, cut from black rock to form a roughly hewn oval shape, irregular and
grainy on its surface. The black rock called onyx was one of the most powerful
substance known to god kind, for its property of being able to absorb mana, and
sometimes reflect the residue. Weapons made of onyx were prized possession.
Ironically, it could only be found on certain regions of Gaia. Four metallic
pillars on four sides surrounded the oval dais. In the center of the dais, the
floor rose to form a stone chalice, supported on a column, raising four feet of
the ground. The stone chalice contained a white translucent orb in it.
The
head priest took his place, center of the dais, next to the stone chalice. The
priestess formed a circle around the dais, just outside of it. Each of them
carried a silver chalice containing a finger of red flame . The priestess were
dressed in white flowy robes. Transparent veils covered their faces. The beauty
of the sun priestess was renowned throughout all the realms, paralleled to the
‘pulchra tribe of women’ from the mountains and the sirens under the oceans.
The priestess never showed their faces to public. “Then how can we judge their
beauty” Pandora thought.
