High Priest Bordo's voice briefly pulled Roland's attention away from Gloria as he quickly explained in a low whisper.
"The Radiant Blessing is no simple ritual, Lord Roland. It is a sacred process of guiding the scattered fragments of our Lord Lodestar's radiance, gathering and purifying them, and finally inscribing them deep within the soul of a compatible individual."
"The Holy Mark doesn't bestow Power. Rather, it awakens the potential that already exists within the body—a potential that resonates with the radiance. Of course... this process is accompanied by tremendous risk and pain."
He gestured for Roland to take a seat on the side of the viewing platform. Then, he walked briskly toward the central platform to join the seven High Tier Priests and began to preside over the ceremony in a booming, ancient tongue.
The ritual began.
The low, solemn chanting suddenly rose in pitch, its resonance with the crystals in the dome growing ever stronger.
