A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing

It was a spectacle. Surrounding the rectangle formation was a large group of dancers and acrobats. The latter group leapt through the air as if gravity didn't exist while performing rhythmic Maasai dances to the drumbeat. At the same time, the latter group danced gracefully to the harp music in flowing Egyptian dresses.

Somehow, these trained artists managed to create a beautiful blend of sound and movement that defied the chaotic blend of traditions they worked with. Erik, the people with him, and in fact, every person in the crowd below, were mesmerised by the sight and sound.

Yet, as soon as their gazes were drawn to the front, the dance and music became background noise.

At the very front, just behind the line of warriors, a graceful female form, accompanied by two older werepanthers, strode across the stone street with elegant steps. Naturally, this was Naeku, accompanied by her grandparents, Fatima and Tarek.

Surprisingly, she appeared to be in human form, albeit with her face covered. She wore a breathtaking Egyptian dress of flowing linen decorated with Maasai beadwork, while an Egyptian headdress, with decorated panther ears and a soft veil, covered her head and face.

It quickly became obvious why she was flanked by both grandparents, who'd hooked arms with her. Without omnisense, there was no way she could accurately judge where she was going, as even her eyes were covered. Even so, she walked with slow, steady steps that did nothing to suggest any helplessness.

Erik raised an eyebrow, but accurately assumed this was a kind of tradition for her family's public weddings.

Then, when he and everyone else were finally able to pull their gazes away from her graceful, yet mysterious form, they were dumbstruck by the beauty just behind her.

Emma, Emily, and Astrid walked forward hand-in-hand, with Astrid in the middle. They were all dressed much as Erik would have expected them to be, causing him to smile.

Emma wore the closest thing to a traditional white wedding gown, except with a little more elegance and fantastical elements. It was clearly one of Elora's creations, and it perfectly complemented Emily's dress.

The older sister's gown was nearly identical, except that it was pitch black rather than white, giving it a Gothic look. It transformed the large, ringed collar around her neck into more of a fashion statement than a symbol of her submission.

Both colours perfectly complemented the sisters' respective white and black locks, and even contrasted nicely with the fiery, strawberry-blond colours of Astrid in between them. Surprisingly, the vampire warrior flanking them both was actually not wearing any dress at all. Instead, she actually wore the very armour Erik had given her when they married in front of her mother.

Since pale skin was usually a sign of being a vampire here, as most humans and shapeshifters in Enkare Nkai had darker colours, some actually assumed all three were vampires, rather than only Astrid. However, that notion was quickly dashed when they became mesmerised by the sister's strange yet beautiful eyes.

Emma's heterochromatic eyes, a mix of white and green, were a far cry from the blood-red of vampires. Emily's, on the other hand, did possess some strange crimson streaks, but they were still distinctly black.

Surprisingly, none could judge their race by the power that usually radiated off any Runebound or Arcanist… simply because they radiated none at all. Elora had shielded them from this, not to hide their race, but their power level.

After all, the existence of two more third-rankers in Enkare Nkai was still subject to rumour, rather than fact… and they wanted to keep it that way for a while longer.

Yet, despite their mesmerising looks, some of the onlookers wondered who these three women were. There were those who recognised them as Erik's pre-existing wives, but even they wondered why they were in the marriage procession, rather than at the top with the rest of the family.

Meanwhile, Emma and Emily completely ignored the looks of wonder they got from the people around them. Both of their gazes were fixed on the man they loved, far in the distance—Emma with serene love, and Emily with mischievous anticipation.

Astrid was the only one who reacted to the crowd. Both her hands were occupied by the sister's, but she looked around with confidence, power, and a hint of smugness. With her look, she was telling the world about what was about to happen, that none of them could stop it, nor could any take her place.

She was fulfilling her childhood fantasy of marrying Erik and confidently boasting that fact to any who would hear it. Of course, the two women by her side were never a part of that fantasy, but when did fantasy ever truly match reality?

She was happy with the way things were, and that was all that mattered.

Slowly, the procession made its way towards the platformed pyramid ahead under the silent, mesmerised looks of those around them. With people surrounding the pyramid on all sides, however, there was one side that could only hear the music.

At first, they cursed their luck when they started hearing whispered words of what was happening, but that soon changed. Suddenly, strategically placed people on all sides of the ceremony structure tossed sigil stones high into the air. Instantly, these dozens of stones paired off into floating, four-stone square formations.

Before the people could wonder what was happening, the formations suddenly filled with a bright screen of light, before transitioning to showing a clear view of the processions.

Suddenly, floating screens filled the square and even started spreading to the rest of the city. Plenty of people still filled the streets, unable to worm their way into the square, but even they could now watch the ceremony from afar.

There were even several smaller screens with close-ups of Erik, Ankhur, and the four brides that floated around the square while the larger ones hung still. All this caused the crowd to gasp in wonder and amazement. Once again, they were filled with expectation for the future when their new emperor could conjure wonders like this.

Meanwhile, the procession reached the tall stairs leading to the pyramid's summit and began the long climb. Even now, the dancers and acrobats continued their performances, simply integrating the new level of verticality in their movements.

Erik could not take his eyes off the four women at the front, only ever wishing their movements would quicken, so that he could admire them from up close.

Fortunately, his patience was eventually rewarded when the procession reached the platform just below the top one. Here, the soldiers and performers began to veer off, leaving only the four women and Naeku's grandparents as they took the last few steps to the summit… and their future.