*#*#*#*#*
Ah, my darlings, back so soon? Well, settle in, because today, we turn our gaze to a young man named Juga. Oh, Juga, dear Juga, the supposed future leader of the EGNI House, once little more than a scrappy battalion of misfits, now the illustrious Thirteenth House of Elestis. Juga carries himself as though he's destiny's own, but I'll tell you a little secret: Juga's had his fair share of… let's call them "mishaps." Take, for instance, that time with his father's pet spider. Quite the treasured creature, mind you ,a "gathering spider," large as a melon and rather clever (for a spider). And who do you think squashed it during an ill-advised game of "target practice" with a broomstick?
"Not me," Juga swore, with a face so sincere it could fool a goddess. But oh, he knows that I know better, and we both know he's the guilty party. Still, a lad can dream, can't he?
Now, let's broaden our view. The land of Elestis has a peculiar system, you see. There's no royal family, no crowned lineage ruling forever from a single throne. No, no, in Elestis, royalty flows in cycles. Every 124 years, the mantle of power passes from one noble house to another in a great celestial rotation. Each house gets its turn as royal, a system that, so they say,keeps things balanced. (Though I daresay, those vying for the crown might see things differently.)
But then, one day, along came the Prophet. Ah, yes, the Prophet, he, with that divine spark in his eye and more self-assurance than a man with three lives. When he arrived, he rearranged the entire political board of Elestis like a child organizing their favorite toys. Declared that the goddess herself had sent him, and that a new house, House Thirteen, would be established. And guess who got to be that house? Yes, indeed EGNI. Overnight, this ragtag assembly of warrior monks and dreamers was elevated to the highest ranks. But not for the crown, oh no. They had a higher calling: to prepare for the arrival of the Saintess, who was destined to arrive,oh yes, you guessed it,in an "egg of fire."
And there they've waited, my dears, for eight thousand years. Yes, you heard right. Eight thousand. That's a lot of starry nights, a lot of watchtower duty, and more than a few hopeful sighs. But for EGNI, this vigil is a calling, a holy mission handed down through generations. Every member, from child to elder, whispers the same sacred refrain: "The Saintess is coming. The Saintess is coming."
Now, our young Juga? He says the words, of course, and he's been told the tale since he was in swaddling clothes. If you asked him to his face, oh, he'd insist he believes without a shred of doubt. But we both know better, don't we? He doesn't know that I know he's… uncertain. Not that he'd ever admit it, perish the thought. But he holds that tiny ember of doubt close, hidden beneath layers of bravado. Don't worry, darlings, I'll keep it between us.
So there Juga stands, one cool evening on that ancient watchtower, seven thousand years old, that tower, and never once accomplishing the task it was built for by the Hard of The EGNI house a thousand years after the prophecy. Can you imagine? And then, in the sky above him, a sudden streak of light cuts through the dark. A fiery glow descends, growing brighter, larger, hotter. Oh, I wish you could have seen his face. A mixture of awe, fear, and that delicious touch of realization that maybe,just maybe,this could be it.
He grabs the alarm bell, that ancient relic which had sat silent for centuries, and begins ringing with all his might, shouting, "The Saintess! The Saintess has come!" His voice echoes down into the valley, stirring the other EGNI members from their quiet watch. And above, that glorious flame falls closer, bathing the night in a golden glow.
And just as quickly as it appeared… it's gone. The flames vanish, leaving only the quiet stars and the wide-eyed silence of the crowd below. All that excitement, all that anticipation,and nothing but empty air.
The Prophet himself emerges from the shadows, that knowing glint in his eye as he regards his flock. "Finally ," he says, with all the authority of a man who has been waiting for a very, very long time.
Oh, but don't wander off yet, dearies! The story is just getting interesting, I assure you.