On the island of Cunabula, approximately two hours before the start of the Day of Sun Purification, a leopony in light armor stood atop the island's highest peak, observing the preparations for the "Purification Ceremony."
This was Dana of Cunabula, the younger sister of King Dal, and she held the title of 'Primado' of the temple brotherhood. It was her responsibility to organize various activities related to the Day of Sun Purification, such as accompanying the Grand Patriarch throughout the Grand Procession, being present at the King's midday address, and delivering the closing speech, among other tasks.
Normally, these responsibilities didn't discourage her; quite the opposite, they provided her with a sense of purpose and fulfillment. She loved her work, she loved Cunabula, and ever since she was a cub, she had awaited this special day with a smile.
However, on this occasion, the situation she faced was tense. An event that hadn't occurred in over a thousand years had been announced: the official arrival of a foreigner to Cunabula.
The King, the Council, and the population in general, including Dana herself, received the news with surprise and apprehension. And for good reason, the Grand Patriarch had made the announcement during an emergency Council meeting the day before, without providing any further explanations.
No one on the island knew who the foreigner was or why they were being received. Only a select group of individuals, including the Grand Patriarch and the King, knew the stranger's identity.
However, the most crucial aspect was not discovering the identity of the foreigner, but rather understanding the purpose of their arrival.
Dana closed her eyes and uttered a prayer for the kingdom. It was all she could do in that moment, and she still clung to the faint hope that everything would turn out well.
"Excuse me, Primado Dana. The preparations for the welcome ceremony are complete," announced one of her temple brotherhood colleagues. He interrupted her prayer, but she didn't take offense since she had instructed him to inform her when everything was ready.
"Come with me. I will review the work you have prepared," said Dana solemnly, and they both headed towards the temple.
In front of the temple, a small crowd of cavalry fraternity members and temple brotherhood members had gathered. The cavalry members had divided themselves into six squads of six members each. They were formed in three groups on both sides of the welcome carpet. Each squad represented one of the six main houses of Cunabula: House Draco Dragon, House Quetzalkan, House Urutaú, House Ofiotauro, House Akhtubut Qirshin, and finally, House Leopony. In addition, there were regular soldiers around the temple perimeter, and a small number of temple brotherhood members were waiting on the other side of the welcome carpet.
Dana quickly reviewed the formations. Along the way, she stopped a couple of times to evaluate the soldiers' discipline, the cleanliness of the area, the lighting, and the decorations. Finally, she ascended the temple's highest steps and nodded with satisfaction.
"Good job. That will be all for now. You may return to your assigned tasks," expressed Dana with contentment.
"Thank you very much," responded the Leopony assistant. He bowed respectfully and quickly departed.
From the temple's portico, Dana carefully observed everyone present in front of her, while the crowd attentively watched her, waiting for her orders.
Dana sighed, feeling insincere. She wasn't sure if she had done a "good job" in preparing for the foreigner's welcome. That afternoon, she searched through the history books in the grand library to find out how the last welcome event had been conducted, but she only found a few references to the decorations and attire that should be used. It all seemed too "festive" for the occasion, so she decided to set it aside. She asked one of the brotherhood members assigned to the "Grand Procession" to help with the formations while she took care of the invitations. The final result seemed to be the most appropriate for that moment.
On another note, the painter she had requested was already preparing the paintings for the nation's historical record, so that in the future, those in charge of welcoming would have a more tangible reference.
"The future," Dana thought, pausing on that word. Once again, the sense of darkness and silence enveloped her.
"Silence... Too much silence!" exclaimed Dana, alerted by a sense of danger. The soldiers, knights, and temple acolytes also sensed the change in the atmosphere.
Dana turned and looked toward the temple. The light that always emanated from it had vanished. The air itself felt tense, as if it was about to burst. The moment had arrived.
"Hold your positions. Follow the orders you have received. Each and every one of you is the pride of Cunabula, show it tonight!" roared Dana, and her cry was met with the excitement of everyone present.
In response to her words, there was an explosion of light from the temple. It burst into multicolored flames, and a rainbow beam shot up into the sky. Soon, the entire firmament began to twinkle, revealing the invisible dome that covered the entire island.
The temple doors began to open, and Dana bowed in respect. Seven trumpets started sounding consecutively as the banners of the knightly fraternity and the temple brotherhood rose majestically.
Finally, the temple doors opened fully, revealing two figures advancing toward Dana. One of them was the 'Great Patriarch,' renowned for his authority and wisdom. The other figure, shrouded in mystery and hidden under a black cloak that evoked the darkness of the abyss, was the 'Midnight Emissary.'
"Rise, daughter of Cunabula," resonated the magnanimous voice of the Great Patriarch.
Dana obeyed, finding herself face to face with her mentor and, beside him, the enigmatic Midnight Emissary.
This title was bestowed upon the foreigner visiting Cunabula, but Dana knew their true name and was aware of their past "unofficial" visits. Like on those previous visits, they concealed their figure under the black cloak, which seemed like an abyss in itself. The only difference she noticed was the three-star brooch adorning their attire.
Following the established protocol, Dana spoke solemnly, "Great Patriarch, Midnight Emissary, on behalf of the blessed kingdom of Cunabula, I extend the warmest welcome to you. As the Primado of the Order of the Temple of Harmony, I will be your guide on this occasion."
"I thank you, Primado Dana," replied the Great Patriarch with gratitude.
"I thank you, Dana," added the musical voice of the Emissary with a hint of seriousness. "However, it will not be necessary at this moment. I will remain in the temple until summoned to deliver my message before the council of Cunabula. The Great Patriarch will inform you of the additional details," the Emissary concluded abruptly and without bidding farewell, quickly retreating into the depths of the temple.
Dana felt surprised and irritated by the Emissary's arrogant demeanor. Moreover, the temple was the most sacred place in the kingdom, and for a foreigner to treat it as if it were their own property was offensive. However, it was 'she,' and Dana had no choice but to accept it.
"What does all this mean, Great Patriarch?" Dana asked her mentor seriously.
"Dana, at this moment, I need to meet with the king and the council. Accompany me, and I will explain the situation to you on the way," the Great Patriarch responded with a tone of weariness and sorrow rarely displayed. Dana understood that she shouldn't ask any more questions and began to walk alongside her mentor down the path that descended toward the city.