"Zayn." A soft voice calls, making Zayn turn around.
Amur and Chase stand by her dressing room door, both on each side of the doorframe, looking at her with mixed emotions, one she feels at the moment.
It's only a few minutes until she walks down the steps and into the Temple hall, where crowds of prestigious people and distinguished knights sit, watching her walk down the aisle as the Bishop blesses her with a golden metal and royal cloak, and the royal family grants her the honor of putting it around her neck and on her right shoulder.
Zayn is petrified.
Call her a scaredy cat, a foolish, young girl shaking under nervousness and pressure, a young maiden who accepts this unknown destiny only to not even know how to prepare for the unknown--Zayn knows she looks heroic in her silver armor suit, with a long black and gold royal fur cloak covering her right shoulder and Excalibur in her other hand, the chain that locks both of their existences together litter onto the floor and trailed in heaps of chains in a pile, glowing a soft golden hue, like Excalibur is cooing to her. However, Zayn feels like a fool, holding a scary weapon and wearing scared clothes she barely knows the meaning of nor what it represents.
"You look great!" Amur grins, wiggling her eyebrows. "You look like some hero in those fairy tales."
"It's pretty cool." Chase said. "Kind of want a metal suit now."
Zayn snorts, but then she sniffs, and then she lets out a shaky breath. Chase goes to move forward, but Amur puts a hand on his chest and heads to where Zayn sits, standing up straight until she opens her arms wide and tightly hugs Zayn's helmeted head in her small bosom, holding her tight.
"No matter how scared you are," Amur said, "it's okay. We're here, Zayn. Don't be afraid. We're with you."
Zayn wraps her strong arms around Amur, shaking, but nodding her head, feeling a bit better from her anxiety.
"Knight Zayn." it's a voice from outside the door--Livia--that calls. "The priest calls for you. They are ready to begin the ceremony."
Zayn nods her head, swallows heavily, stands up, and moves forward, but a small hand stops her in her tracks.
"We'll always be here." Amur said. "No matter what."
Zayn nods, feeling a small smile creep onto her lips.
"Now go get 'em, Ms. Hero." Chase said. "You look too cool to be upset."
Zayn nods her head, letting out a hearty laugh as she walks towards the door, Amur and Chase following closely behind, a small smile on each of their faces as they watch Zayn head out the door and to the grand hall. They walk up a flight of stairs before turning their heads to catch Livia's eyes, signaling Amur and Chase with their heads to step to the side.
"The priest will say his words." Livia said. "Then Knight Zayn, please head in."
There's a few minutes of quietness, then Zayn hears the priest's soft voice bounce against the walls, echoing under the royal room's door until Livia lets out a soft breath and cradles the door's long handles in her hands, holding the door for Zayn. Zayn flinches back, holding a heavy armor hand in front of her eyes to block out the bright lights of the room. By the time Zayn's eyes focus themselves, she meets eyes with many people in the room--all wearing fancy uniforms to embark on their prestige titles and ranks--and she hears muffled cheering from a source she cannot find. There is a small section a level higher than the one the rest of the audience latches on, and a group of handsome people stare below, eyeing Zayn with emotionless eyes, except for one, where Zayn recognizes him to be Prince Miuoi.
Beside him sits an older man with white hair and pale, pink eyes, and two younger-looking women. The taller woman, who has short magenta-purple hair and bright aqua eyes, holds the arm of the older man tight as she snuggles against him. The other woman--the young lady that sits next to Prince Miuoi, peers down at Zayn in disinterest, a complete contrast to her soft, feminine appearance. She looks like a porcelain doll with her bright pink hair, stunning aqua eyes, and curvaceous figure, emphasized by her tight pink and white gown and white tights that cover her thicker thighs, yet her attitude seems to be on par with a cursed doll.
There's a soft clearing of their throat. Zayn turns around, meeting eyes with Jeremiah, who looks at her with an unreadable expression until he nods his head like he's offering Zayn comfort. Zayn shyly waves back, which results in Jeremiah beginning to do the same, but beside him--Clarke--rams into his sturdy shoulder and waves cheerily at Zayn. Besides Clarke stands Lia and Aliane, both wearing their official magician cloaks and holding their holy staffs, and soon after piles in Chase and Amur, who offer Zayn grins and thumbs up in encouragement.
"Remember where we are." Jeremiah softly mumbles, causing Clarke, Amur, and Chase to stand up straight and look the other way.
Zayn softly laughs, turning her head to see a Null, offering Zayn a small smile as she makes her way to the front of the room, where a large altar resides. The large chandelier above glimmers and casts down a shadow of golden lights onto the golden cups and crosses sitting on the altar, singing soft melodies as if Zayn asked them to sing for her coronation.
"Greeting Knight Zayn." The priest soft mumbles. "It is alright. It'll be short and quick."
Zayn's tense shoulders relax as she nods her head, feeling Null place a hand on her shoulder and tap said shoulder, signaling for Zayn to fall to one knee, which she does. Zayn looks to the red and golden carpet her silver boots press against, feeling the many eyes at the back of her head seething into her silver armor, and her nerves jumble themselves in the pit of her stomach.
"Oh Holy Hero of this country, The Great Avia," Null said. "I call upon you and the holy one, Excalibur, to receive the blessing of the heavens, and to swear your oath."
There's a soft, warm feeling that seeps into Zayn's arm until the chains wrapped around her metal armor are unraveled, and Zayn hears a few gasps from within the room. Soon after, Zayn feels a presence next to her, alluding and blaring, and Zayn moves her gaze to see Excalibur in his humanoid form, wearing white and gold robes that contrast with his red hair and bright, crystal ruby eyes. Excalibur exchanges a glance with Zayn before he closes his ruby eyes, slightly bowing his head as Null places a gloved hand on Excalibur's shoulder, his pale glove glowing gold.
"I bestow the blessing of strength, tranquility, and vitality until you, Excalibur, and I offer you the gift of promise and servitude in the form of powerful blessing, and as discussed, a hefty meal, as Avia will serve you as you will stand with us." Null said, his gentle eyes moving between Zayn and Excalibur. "Will you accept, Excalibur?"
Excalibur pointedly shifts his eyes to Zayn, then up at Null.
"As long as my master stands with you," Excalibur said, ignoring some of the soft gasps that escaped the room, "then so will I. Now, feed me."
Null sighs, beckoning for someone behind Zayn to hand him something. It is Livia, who holds a cage of something that bangs against its metal cage, covered by a thick, velveted red cloth.
"Oh boy, I'm quite hungry. That woman from before made a good snack." Excalibur said, watching as Livia removed the blanket to reveal a small black orb, hitting itself repeatedly against the metal cage to escape. "However, I will never say no to an offering. Open its cage."
Livia rolls her eyes, opening the cage to release a black, smokey orb. The orb stutters, seeing the open cage and hurriedly attempting to rush out of it, but Excalibur is fast, grabbing the black orb, picking the orb by its wiggly tail, and opening his mouth wide, swallowing the black orb whole.
"I do love me a dark soul." Excalibur remarks, soon after burping and patting his chest.
Zayn stares at Excalibur in disgust.
"Y-you eat what?!" Zayn whispers, nudging Excalibur's shoulder. Excalibur only shrugs in response.
"We will discuss that later." Excalibur said. "But I eat strong souls. Don't make me sound pathetic."
Zayn sighs, turning away from Excalibur to squeeze her eyes shut, biting her plump lip as she curses in her mind.
"And Knight Zayn, now bestowed upon you the title Holy Knight." Null said, meeting eyes with Zayn. "Avia offers its friendship and love, its honesty and loyalty as our sworn knight, and now Holy Knight of Avia. We exchange this offer as well as our promise to stand beside you, guide you, and offer you the Cloak of Heroes, and the Metal of Holiness. Will you accept?"
Zayn stares at her feet, her clenched fist shaking as she nervously licks her plump lips, telling herself through her thoughts to relax, that everything will be okay, that although the unknown is scary and Zayn may suck at a lot of things, the unknown won't kill her, right? It won't like, run a community bill she has to pay back, right?
There's another soft clear of the throat behind her, and Zayn turns, meeting eyes again with Jeremiah, who not only offers her a soft nod of his head but this time, a small--so tiny that Zayn almost misses it--but a subtle smile.
The unknown is scary--Zayn agrees--and Zayn does suck at a lot of things, but she isn't facing the unknown alone, she's facing it together with good people.
"I accept!" Zayn exclaims. Null smiles and nods his head, waving his glowing golden hand, a mist of golden dust infiltrates near the temple's high ceiling before the dust sprinkles across the room, swiping the room like a ghost. After the golden dust falls and touches the ground, the dust forms into skinny, long branches, the roots growing and stretching like veins until they intertwine into one, single branch, and touch Excalibur's back. Excalibur closes his eyes, slowly opening them for his once crystal ruby eyes to glow gold, and his loose cape that trails behind turns into a heavy, velveted white cloak. He soft exhales before Excalibur's body glows, morphing first into a whirlwind of smoke before Excalibur transforms into his weapon form. His spear body now shaded half gold and half black, with curved designs of a mixture of both colors and a burst of golden lighting singing from its body.
Zayn gulps, reaching for Excalibur, his spear body instantly feeling like another part of Zayn, filling her up with warmness and comfort, even when Excalibur releases chains to cover Zayn's right hand.
"This way, Holy Knight." Null said, motioning to the large window behind the altar a level above. Zayn nods, strutting to the small set of stairs before she peaks out the large window.
"May I?" Null asked, pushing the window open to release the beautiful blue sky, and a balcony decorated with flowers, gold coins, and streamers. The noise from before--Zayn realizes as she reaches the end of the balcony to look down at the packed streets, is where hundreds of citizens are cheering above, throwing up more flowers and presents for Zayn to catch in her shaky hands.
"Congratulations, Holy Knight Zayn!" Null said, offering Zayn a soft smile. "Avia's Holy Hero of our land."