As the clock showed four and a half hours had passed, the first row was just finishing, and Emory could feel herself falling asleep. She stood up and stretched while most of the Five did the same. But instead of returning to her chair like the others, she snuck behind the thrones and practiced her magik. Unfortunately, since she closed her eyes while doing this, she never knew just how far her magik spread out. To make matters worse, she had been using more and more magik to temper her body. It wasn't noticeable at first, but then it began to roll off her body like water. First, it just formed a puddle around her that grew into a small pond. When it pooled out far enough to reach the Five's feet, no one immediately noticed as there was a small lip at the edge of the stone. Then, like a river encountering a small dam, the magik built up until a trickle started on one edge.
Like a clogged drain, magik began pouring over the edge and down the side. Emory, though, was far too focused on circulating her magik, so she didn't hear the dull roar of idle line chat die out as everyone looked at the developing scene. The section of faux wall below the Five sat three feet above the podium and stretched a hundred feet across, and magik covered the whole length as it ran down the sides and across the stage. It wasn't the amount of magik being used that shocked everyone; it was this much magik being used for training. Within one person's turn, the pool of magik had reached the pits of the Legion seating, causing someone to scream in shock. Emory jerked to attention which caused the magik to disappear instantly. She snuck back to her chair and slinked onto it while the requests continued as if nothing happened.
Finally, after the first half of the second row finished, carts with trays of food began rolling into the room. Once a cart reached its designated spot along the wall, the trays started floating off toward the people, one tray per person. Emory was thoroughly impressed by how intricate their spell craft was that allowed for this level of automation. Humanity still used drones powered by electricity, and even the Witches were nowhere close to this level of accuracy or detail. It took only five minutes before everyone had been served a tray of food. Opening up the top, Emory found a piece of fried Terran, a mixture of fruits and vegetables, a bread of some sort, and a glass of water which all smelled enticing.
The pace of the introduction ceremony slowed significantly as people were trying to eat and queue at the same time. Still, Emory took her time enjoying the flavors of the food since she wasn't sure when she would have fresh food again once she left. The fruits were sweet with a hint of tart, like strawberries or cherries while the vegetables were fibrous like broccoli or celery. On the other hand, the bread reminded her of a buttered roll, and the Terran looked to be seasoned with spices of some kind. She dragged out eating it through six requests while most people finished their lunch in three. Without any more interruptions, the ceremony returned to its normal pace and churned through people.
Yet, they still listened to the rest of the second row and part of the first half of the third row before the Five paused the ceremony for the day. It was almost dusk outside, but the sounds of the festival began to rise in the air. As some of the Legion opened the doors to the outside world, joy and laughter rolled in like the evening tide and washed over the people like a refreshing spring breeze. Emory was the first to hop up, stretch, and jump around a little bit once the Legion started clearing out. Soren stood up as well and walked over to the others to offer his hand to help them up. As they were all stretching, Emory couldn't contain her questions any longer, "Athos, I have to ask. How did you all make those decisions so quickly?"
"Well telepathy, of course," Athos chuckled lightly, "These chairs are not just for looks; they also create a private lobby of sorts for our telepathy. All of us can share our opinions and deliberate very quickly without interrupting or slowing the flow of process here. Additionally, all of us have one fifth of the Empire to look over, so each of us knows the general issues facing every town in our section. That's what Bramimond and I were preparing last night."
"Group telepathy, wow. I am continuously impressed by the level of magik your technology possesses," Emory murmured.
"Funny you should say that," Soren smirked, "Because we had an overwhelming request after your little stunt earlier. It seems that you've piqued their interest enough to request a speech from you tomorrow."
Emory squealed, "What! What do you mean they want me to give a speech tomorrow?"
"I'm guessing you went to channel your magik in the morning after the first row finished," Athos mentioned casually.
"Yeah, I did. I felt myself falling asleep," Emory embarrassingly admitted, "What's wrong with that?"
Soren stifled a laugh, "As you know, channeling releases your magik into your surroundings to draw in more magik for yourself. With your mana pool and special case, you produce so much magik that it fills a wide area with such density that it takes physical form like a liquid. Earlier when you were channeling, it ran across the stage and started to flow into the Legion pits before your concentration was broken."
"Oh no! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to cause a disturbance," Emory apologized with reddened cheeks, "But surely these people have seen that level of power before or at least heard of it. I mean, you've been at war for a thousand years."
"In battle, sure, especially with the way stories grow. But the amount you produced in such a short time just from training was beyond comparison. Elimine, pleased to make your acquaintance," the short, white-haired woman smiled.
"She's right; that was spectacular. My name is Hanon, nice to meet you," an average brown-haired woman added, "Is it true? Has Athos really found an Ancient?"
Emory nodded, "My father was an Ancient. My name is Emory; it's good to meet you both. But I'm not sure if I should speak. I'm not the best public speaker."
"Please, think it over before making a final decision," Bramimond implored, "Your presence and actions today have already planted seeds of hope in the Legion. With a charismatic speech, you could rouse their spirits and breathe life into them again."
"And with a bad speech, it could mark the turning point of losing the war!" Emory snapped before she stomped away. Once again, the pressure of life weighed down on her like a boulder. The Five just stood there, dumbfounded, for they could do nothing; with the amount of magik Emory was starting to harness, she could fight and win against several of them simultaneously. Soren decided to chase after her and caught up just before she opened the main door. She glared at him with a look that could make a god tremble, yet he said nothing and opened the door for her before following her out.
Decorations had been strewn across every building while hanging lanterns on rope connected each building to another. However, what really caught Emory's attention were the kabuki masks she saw everyone wearing. Some were cute and playful, like foxes, raccoons, or bear masks. Others were fearsome, clad in dark colors with horns or scales. "What is all this?" Emory gasped with amazement.
"Traditionally on the nights of the festival, everyone wears a mask," Soren explained, "It's an old legend that these were sacred times of the year. So, to avoid demons that might try to get in on the festivities, everyone wears a mask to confuse them. A silly and outdated notion, but everyone really enjoys it and personalizes the masks to show a little of their personality."
Emory covered her face with a mask made of different Primal sphere to create a truly awe-inspiring look. Then she turned to Soren, "What do you think of this then?" The base of the mask was an obscured icy layer that created a prismatic effect from the city lights. Her eye holes were surrounded by a deep brown, and she had moving lightning bolts accenting her cheeks. Finally, two curled horns made from flame sat at the top of her mask.
"It looks stunning," Soren breathed as he scanned her face repeatedly, "You are truly spectacular, Lady Emory. May I accompany you to the festival?'
"As long as you don't try to convince me to speak tomorrow," Emory warned.