The entire chamber fell into darkness, the only light remaining on the Emperor's platform. He rose from his seat, walked forward and then stretched his arms wide as if to embrace the nobles.
"A noble's duty is to protect and guard its people. That is the divine role bestowed upon us by the goddess Nythera, She Who Veils the Void."
A tremor passed through the chamber. Everyone felt a light jolt and lowered their gaze.
"It is through her grace that we have come this far, and today we reaffirm what she has entrusted to us".
The Emperor lowered his arms with a soft declaration.
"Ascend".
At the word, a dizzying sensation swept through the chamber. The nobles felt their bodies lift as if gravity had no hold over them, their senses slipping from the material world into somewhere beyond it. Wein was no different. This was his first experience and nothing had prepared him for it.
He found himself in a field of thick swirling fog, no sense of direction yet aware of the presences beside him. The air was heavy, shimmering faintly with silver sparks. A strange warmth and coldness battled within him simultaneously, and he realized he was no longer entirely himself.
Wein's heart raced. Shapes began to emerge from the mist. Towering silhouettes of light and shadow appeared, their forms shifting as if caught between reality and memory.
Then he found himself in a foreign planet. Wein recognised it immediately, it was a Haven World, though not New Alven. The species were different yet he could feel the kinship between them. Just by breathing in the air, he could feel a power surging within him.
And then, in a way he could not explain, Wein found himself standing atop five different yet kindred worlds. Each containing the same divine feeling he felt on New Alven.
He was certain of one thing, he was experiencing all of this simultaneously. He stood upon five worlds, gazing at five skies and five untouched horizons.
Each Haven World breathed differently. One carried endless oceans of mirrored silver. Another stretched with forests whose leaves shimmered like living glass. One pulsed beneath a violet sky. Another groaned beneath ancient storms that ravaged the soil. And one lay dry beneath an endless sea of sand.
Yet they were all connected. Natural, untainted and united under one authority. Until then, Wein had felt utterly alone in that experience, then he became aware of others beside him. He began to vaguely see the other nobles next to him all facing the same direction.
Four times he felt the weight of collective attention, and once it was turned entirely toward him.
A voice, not spoken, not heard but understood tore across the void.
"Pay homage to the Keepers of Nythera's Sanctums".
Then it happened, all around him, the nobles dropped to their knees, throughout every world. They knelt in the forest, on the water, on the sand, they all bowed towards the same direction and there Wein could make out the other leaders of the Original Noble Houses.
Just as the others knelt around him, they also knelt towards him, while the other four Original lords remained on their knees as he did.
It was a forced acknowledgement, each noble compelled to recognise the five nobles.
The Divine Blood Core pulsed. For a fraction of a second, the pressure faltered around Wein and the other nobles. Then the force intensified and drove them to their knees.
Then everything went black, a void with no light, no sound, no sensation. After that darkness, light began to emerge from each noble and they appeared to be suspended within the darkness like stars scattered across the galaxy.
After what felt like forever, the nobles awoke, each of them lying on the floor where they had fallen. No one was standing, not even the Emperor.
Silence filled the chamber, broken only by the groans as the nobles stirred, disoriented. Everyone reached for support to stand, still disoriented from what had just happened.
Wein's head throbbed, his vision swimming, but he rose.
***
The ceremony concluded after further formalities. Hours later Wein was invited to dine with the other five.
The dinner was not held in the main palace, it was held in a chamber deep inside the royal quarters.
Wein was accompanied by Sir John this time, they both wore their suits as master and knight. The doors to the chamber were opened and inside were the other guests.
The first thing Wein noticed was how small the room was. On observation, he could tell how ancient everything felt despite that, everything felt preserved. The ceiling arched above, inlaid with constellations of silver that pulsed faintly with the room decorated with statues of knights with swords and spears.
At the centre stood a circular table and about ten seats.
When the door opened, no one rose to receive Wein. "House Voss greets you".
He spoke, inclining his head.
"Enter and sit" replied the Emperor who sat at the head. Around him were two knights also in suits like Sir John.
"Thank you" replied Wein as he walked towards the table.
As a Baron, he chose the seat furthest from the Emperor. There were four nobles already in the room and Wein was the fifth. Sir John stood right behind him, focused and composed.
He began to scan the faces in the room. He was already familiar with the Emperor, on his right sat Matriarch Wyren of House Xelkorr. She was unmistakably alien.
Her species, the Thren'ben were tall and elongated. Their limbs were slightly longer than a human's. Their skin was almost parchment white with faint cream undertones, unnaturally smooth. Otherwise, they were broadly similar to humans. Their hair was pale white and their ears flat against their heads.
Their eyes were an unbroken green. They had no eyebrows, a nose similar to a frog's that sat flat and a mouth otherwise human in shape. She wore a gown so thin it appeared translucent yet refracted light in subtle multicolour patterns, an ocean shimmer captured in fabric.
House Xelkorr was a County, controlling the Haven World known as Sythra Deep, the oceanic world of mirrored seas. Behind her was a knight, the same race as her who wore a custom-designed suit, befitting him.
Her gaze settled on Wein without warmth.
Next to the Countess sat Marquess Forrik Draevan. He was massive, not muscular but dense as were the traits of the Khar'goths. They were a war forged species evolved on a high gravity storm world. Their bones were reinforced with a metallic lattice, making them one of the most naturally strong races in the galaxy.
Lord Forrik's skin was dark grey, somewhere between smooth and rough. Everything about the Khar'goth showed they valued strength and dominance, and Forrik was no exception. House Draevan controlled the sand dune Haven World Korva.
Forrik's eyes lingered on Wein as if measuring his weight and suitability for battle. Behind him stood a knight nearly as broad, equally silent. Both wore attire that, while foreign in style, suited the formal setting.
Across the Countess and next to Wein was Duke Mirella Serandra, human.
The Serandras were a pureblood human lineage, though their generations of genetic refinement made them appear almost ethereal.
Mirella's features were sharp and elegant, his dark hair fell perfectly over a silver-stitched suit. His eyes were pale grey, his face the epitome of human beauty.
House Serandra governed the Haven World Ellyron, the world ravaged by ancient storms. Behind him stood a woman who, like him, was the definition of attractive stood as a knight.
Unlike the others, Mirella paid Wein no attention at all, despite him sitting right beside him.
Then there was the Emperor, who governed the Haven World Valeroi, the purple planet.
The Emperor let silence fester a little while then he spoke.
"This was the first gathering in centuries, and with such a low turnout" he said, his voice calm but carrying a lot of weight.
"It couldn't be helped, Your Majesty" Duke Serandra replied smoothly, his pale grey eyes on the table rather than the Emperor. "After the war, many Houses were lost".
"Those traitors!" Draevan's deep voice rolled like thunder. "At your order, I will hunt the remnants, Your Majesty. From whatever hole they hide in, we will find them".
The Countess Wyren inclined her head slightly, her green eyes narrowing. "Calm yourself, Marquess. Blind fury invites ruin lest you bring disgrace to your house".
The Emperor's gaze flicked to her, a faint approval in the tilt of his head.
"Grr..." Draevan grunted, accepting his defeat.
Wein, seated beside Duke, sensed the underlying tension in the room from the war born scars. He felt slightly left out as he was a newcomer, with no knowledge of the war.
He felt alone, but Sir John's presence behind him was comforting.
Wein spoke carefully. "Though the traitor nobles fled and their assets were claimed. It is possible they will return to reclaimed them by attacking the Empire".
The room quieted. Even Draevan's imposing frame shifted slightly in his seat. All their eyes shifted to Wein, they did not outright turn to him. But Wein could see their eyes were flickered with intrigue not of the thing he was talking about but that he spoke up.
Wyren's voice cut through the quiet, smooth yet sharp. "You speak. How does a commoner know about the matters of nobility?"
Wein met her gaze steadily, he could tell that was an attack, a way to belittle him. Still he kept his tone calm and measured. Before he could respond, Serandra spoke.
"Come now, Countess, Lord Voss is new. Don't humiliate him on his first day. After all as you said, a commoner knows nothing of our world".
Wein could see the jab he just got and worse, Serandra paid him no further mind, eyes already back on the cup before him.
The dinner was going to be rough.