Banshee listened to one rule after the next and very quickly lost track of what anyone was talking about.

High Speakers, communication boxes, permissions, tasks, texts from the first civilisation--her partner was over here talking like some kind of expert on the subject. Meanwhile, she was still wondering what was on the other side of the wall where the communication boxes were.

Maybe Viri was supposed to have given her an instruction manual on the temple or something that she'd forgotten about. It'd all been a little vague, now Banshee thought back on it, but well, she hadn't realised exactly how much to the Temple there was. Every system seemed to have about eight sub-systems and, well... she was lost.

It was fine though, she'd figure it out. Really, all that mattered was that she could transform and help people... not that she was apparently allowed to do that either.

Six months--who the heck needed six months to figure out how to use superpowers?

Banshee gave Cryo the side eye.

Six months to learn her powers, no--but maybe Harpy was onto something with the whole 'learning to work with your partner' thing.

Still, Banshee wasn't one to give up easily. A grumpy old bat and a frosty know it all partner wasn't going to be enough to kill her enthusiasm, no matter how hard they tried. Whatever she had to learn, she'd learn. There wasn't a rush to figure it all out on day one.

Banshee followed behind Cryo as Harpy led them up the stairs. She shifted into her shadow as they walked, trying to boost her confidence a little. Her footsteps were eerily silent on the starstone. It probably should have weirded her out, but instead, a smile crept across her face.

Maybe she didn't know how temple stuff worked just yet--but she could do a backflip on the rooftops. Sure, she'd overshot it, but only because she was way stronger than anticipated, and--

She stopped, realising Cryo had hesitated midway up the stairs in front of her. The ice crystals of his chandelier wings grated on the narrow starstone walls as he turned back towards her. A chill shot down her spine as she saw his hailstorm eyes, ready to berate her yet again.

But then he blinked, and the sharp, deadly ice seemed to thaw.

Banshee hesitated, waiting for the reason he'd turned, but he just kept looking at her.

Maybe he'd intended to say something, then it'd dried up in his throat. He didn't seem like the most socially adjusted of individuals, and maybe he was freaking out the slightest bit, just like she was. Maybe he'd intended to make the first move and couldn't--but she was more than happy to jump right in.

Banshee grinned and held out a hand towards him. "I'm Banshee, by the way."

That only seemed to throw him off even more, but she committed. He slowly held out a hand, shaking her extended hand. "...Cryophoenix," he said slowly.

She was going to add more, but the almost... confused look he gave her kept her silent as he quickly turned away. His wing ice caught on the wall again in his haste before he hurried up the steps after Harpy.

Banshee bit down on a smile, softly humming to herself as she followed. All things considered, that was a good start.

Harpy led them around the Starlight Hall, showing them each of the levels and giving them an overview. The ground floor was the Starlight Hall's reception, occupied mostly by High Speakers, but was also where Offerings took place every second week. The second floor was the Luminary only common room. Each of them had an assigned room to do whatever they wanted with. High Speakers were only allowed up with permission.

The third and fourth floor combined into a kind of training room, but Banshee found it... strange, to say the least. A balcony ringed the large room mid-way up the wall, accessed from the fourth floor level on the spiralling stairs, leaving the ceiling towering above them. The weird part was the room's interior itself, which aside from the balcony, looked like melted, silver-white starstone that'd been hardened into strange shapes. It created uneven walls, littered with gaps and footholds and a variety of obstacles extending from the ground, walls, ceiling, and even the undersides of the balcony.

Banshee ran her hand over the smooth surface of an almost people-sized blob of starstone. "Please tell me these aren't like, frozen people or something."

Harpy squawked with laughter. "Oh, definitely not. We've shattered these blobs enough times to ensure there was no one inside."

To prove it, she flicked out a hand, launching a bladed feather at a far chunk of starstone. The starstone was cleaved clean in two, its top sliding free to crash into the ground.

"The silver starstone heals during the auroras, but it also shifts its layout often. It keeps the room from becoming stale," continued Harpy. "It also seems to absorb magical and elemental attacks rather well, which was useful for DragonFae while she was learning." She smiled and looked to Cryo. "I'm sure you'll also find it quite useful."

The fifth floor wasn't anywhere near as exciting, but it was beautiful. There were no walls, only elegant arches that held up the ceiling above them, and a large, flat space that overlooked the City in every direction.

Banshee walked over to the edge, holding onto one of the arches and leaning out over the edge. She cast her gaze over the golden starstone of the temple, moving from the Core chamber to the outer ring of buildings, then on to the rose coloured starstone of the districts beyond where the skyshrines stood, watchful and proud.

"I like to come up here and remind myself what we're protecting," said Harpy quietly. "After twenty years, it can start to become routine. Even though I soar over this City almost daily, it's here that I feel most connected to it and remind myself why it matters."

"We shall treasure your wisdom, Harpy," said Cryo.

Banshee glanced back at him. His shoulders were back, his spine straight, and his gaze stiff across the City, like he was looking at it, but he wasn't really seeing it.

"I'm sure you will," said Harpy, rolling her shoulders. "Our tour of the Starlight Hall ends here. Before I leave to ensure my partner is not terrorising the High Speakers during their preparations, do either of you have any final questions?

Banshee glanced at Cryo, who simply said, "I am content."

"What about training?" said Banshee, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. For someone who apparently had every part of the temple memorised word for word, how could he miss something so basic? "Like, do we just show up every weekend for lessons or something?"

Harpy inclined her head. "We will not be training you. At least, not how you're imagining."

Banshee took a moment to process that sentence, wondering if it had a different meaning in temple speak than it did in normal person speak. "Don't you think it might cut down on that six month waiting period before Manifested if you did train us?"

Cryo's head snapped towards Banshee. "Banshee, it is not our place to demand--"

But Harpy held up a clawed hand. "No, it's a fair question, the answer to which is something we debate amongst ourselves often, especially in the last seven years." She drew in a breath, and for the first time, Banshee noticed the tiniest slip in Harpy's confidence. "To summarise it, each Luminary pairing has their own dynamic. If Wyvern and I were to train you, our dynamic would inhibit you from finding your own. We find it is often beneficial to allow a new Luminary pair to find their own way, especially with such an unusual pairing."

Banshee and Cryo looked at each other, then back to Harpy. "We're unusual?"

"A Cryophoenix hasn't Ascended in over three hundred years," said Harpy. "And to be paired with such a Banshee such as yourself only amplifies the oddity of it."

Banshee shrugged and folded her arms, but her grin slipped out. An unusual pair? She liked the sound of that. "I'm sure we'll make it work, eh, Cryo?"

He looked at her and blinked. "We shall certainly try."

"Time will tell," said Harpy, one amused eyebrow raised.

"If you'll permit me to ask," said Cryo. "What of our Ascension ceremony?"

"Usually, the Ascension ceremony is held as soon as possible," said Harpy. "But I suspect we may need the extra time to determine the most suitable High Frostspeaker. We'll likely hold it the day of Offerings, just before it, if Skypillar wills it."

"Ah," said Cryo, far quieter than before. "I, ah, see."

"Locating a suitable High Frostspeaker won't be an issue, Cryophoenix, if you're concerned," said Harpy. "We manage to find Pegasus a High Speaker every time he Ascends, and you will be no different. There are multiple Frostspeakers, they're just a little... odd. Our usual selection system doesn't quite fit their dynamic, shall we say."

Harpy smiled, earning a returning grin from Banshee, but Cryo just stiffly inclined his head in return. Harpy tilted her head to the side, her gaze on Cryo, then glanced at the mountain behind them.

"Before I leave, I'll leave you with one last piece of advice," said Harpy. "Despite what I've told you today, the only rules or systems that are absolute are those your Ascended gave you: Keep your identity a secret, and do not abuse the power that Skypillar has granted you. The temple is here to assist you, but you were both chosen for a reason. Doubt will follow you, the responsibility at times can be heavy, but there is something that Skypillar has seen that this City will need--in both of you."

Banshee closed her eyes and let those words sink in.

This City will need you.

When her eyes opened again, she set them on the City in front of her, telling herself that she'd commit this sight to memory. That just like Harpy, whenever she needed a reminder, she'd remember this.

Maybe it was a little dramatic, but if your first day as a Luminary wasn't the time to be dramatic, then when was?

Harpy stepped towards the edge and flared her feathers. Sunlight caught on the gold, leaving her edged in a gleaming halo.

Without looking back, she said, "If you want the advice of a Luminary who's been around the mountain a few times, I'd take this time to get to know each other--and welcome to the Starlight Hall, Luminaries."

Harpy swooped off the edge in a rush of blue and gold. Banshee hung off the edge, anchoring herself with one hand on the archway pillar, watching Harpy descend in an elegant spiral until she was gone from view.

She kept staring for several moments, long after Harpy was out of sight.

Starlight, this was real. By some miracle, she'd been chosen. Even if the rest of the City seemed to think Olivia was useless, Skypillar knew that Banshee was worth something. A body free from seizures and blackouts. As strong on the outside as she felt on the inside with more freedom than she'd ever had--and she didn't plan to waste a second of it.

Banshee pulled herself back up and bounced on her toes, turning around to face Cryo.

"This is exciting, right?" she said, heart hammering in her chest. "We're Luminaries!"

She expected maybe a smile, or at least another one of those confused glances he'd given her earlier after the handshake, but his expression was totally flat. His gaze was steady and stiff, focused somewhere off the edge of the Starlight Hall.

"It appears we are," he said.

Banshee bit down on her lip. Harpy had said to try and get to know each other, and looking at Cryo, she had a feeling she was gonna be the one that had to make the first move.

Well, second move, if you counted earlier.

"Soooo," said Banshee, sidling over towards Cryo like she was inspecting his transformation. His gaze snapped to her, far too cautious, like he almost expected her to attack. She took a step back, giving him space and resisting her urge to see if the crystals were as sharp as they looked. "How tough do you think it'd be to crack these wing crystals of yours?"

"I am uncertain," said Cryo, lifting an arm in front of him to inspect the crystals frozen there. "It would require ample testing and various sources of impact. I suspect they would be vulnerable to Harpy's bladed feathers given her demonstration earlier, though it is possible they would withstand a blunt force attack, such as those that Golem or Wyvern delivers. It would reason that DragonFae's magic would also have a significant effect."

Banshee blinked, wondering how she and Ericka had ever thought they were Luminary nerds as Cryo continued.

"If you are referring to Manifested," he continued. "I strongly suspect that it would be in my favour to prevent damage to my wings that may limit my mobility. Enclosed spaces also appear to be a common opponent, as we witnessed upon the stairs not but a short while ago." He paused and looked at her. "Why is it that you ask?"

"Well," said Banshee slowly. "I was just going to make a bad joke about how hard it'd be to break the ice, but after that explanation it feels significantly underwhelming."

"Oh."

Silence.

"Yeaaaah," said Banshee, sucking on her lip and glancing around the room for something--anything to immediately switch the topic to. "You seem to know a lot about all this temple stuff. What's the Ascension ceremony?"

"It marks the beginning of our official status as Luminaries," said Cryo. He made eye contact as he spoke, but it felt forced and did nothing but creep Banshee out. There was a flat, dead look in his eyes that made her wonder if his Ascended had accidentally bonded with a block of ice instead of a person. "We stand upon our podium and our first High Speaker is...is, uh..."

If it were at all possible, Cryo's face drained of what little colour it had to it. His eyes glazed over, and concerned, Banshee stepped forward, waving a slow hand in front of his face.

"Cryo?" she said, trying to catch his gaze. "Partner? Buddy? You okay?"

Cryo drew in a sharp breath and pulled himself out of whatever trance he'd slipped into before he continued like he hadn't just completely spaced out on her. "We stand upon our podium and our first High Speaker is selected and presented before us."

"Iiiiiii see," said Banshee. "Do we have to select the High Speaker, or does someone else do that?"

"Our first is selected for us by existing High Speakers."

"Okay," said Banshee, clawing at any thread of conversation she could find. "So, you seem pretty familiar with all this temple stuff. I'm guessing that you're probably from one of the Central districts to speak so formally. I think I've probably stepped on golden starstone like, three times maybe in my life, so it's all a bit of a sho--"

"We should not be discussing details of our civilian lives between ourselves," said Cryo. "There is no purpose to it, and it may only serve to endanger our identities and interfere with our duties in the future."

"I wasn't exactly telling you which street to find me on," said Banshee with a frown. "I just thought that you could..."

Cryo kept talking as if he hadn't heard her, straightening his already perfect tunic. "I should inquire as to whether my assistance is required for the Ascension ceremony or any other tasks."

With that, he turned and began walking towards the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Banshee called after him. "Harpy said we should bond!"

Cryo didn't stop. "There are more pressing issues that require my immediate attention." He paused, only to turn his head towards her and briefly incline his head. "Skypillar be with you."

"I'll wait for you in the training room?" Banshee said, but she didn't get a reply as he vanished without another word.

She watched the stairwell for a moment, half expecting him to return. She wasn't even sure if he'd heard her over the clacking of his talons on the starstone, or the tinkle of ice from his chandelier wings.

He didn't.

Banshee wrapped her arms around her stomach and drew in a long breath through her nose, struggling to keep the prickling on her face from turning into something more. Her doubts swarmed up from the shadows of her mind where she'd shoved them, melding into her thoughts like her shadow shifted into her body.

He doesn't think you're good enough. He doesn't think you can do it.

They all think you're a joke. An imposter, sure to be Dark within a few months.

Maybe she'd got ahead of herself. Maybe it wasn't anything special how quickly she'd picked up her abilities. No one but Cryo had realised what Luminary she was. She'd been a Luminary less than a day and she'd already scared one guy into thinking she was a Manifested after nearly stabbing him by accident.

Banshee huffed and whirled around to stare down the mountain that had towered over her from the day she was born.

Maybe things had gotten off to a bad start, but Skypillar itself had chosen her. Whether it was a challenge or not, she was going to meet it and rise so far above it that even Cryo with his stupid wings wouldn't be able to keep up. Who cared what any of the other Luminaries thought? Cryo couldn't even turn around on the staircase without scraping ice on every wall in a ten metre radius. Baseline expectations or not, she'd jumped through a wall, flipped daggers, run across rooftops--she was just as good as he was, pompous attitude or not.

She didn't need his approval--she didn't need anyone's approval. People kept telling her she couldn't do things as Olivia, but there were no seizures holding her back as Banshee. She'd spent years blaming her body, and now, her fate was in her own hands. She was out of excuses.

Banshee glanced at the starstone below her, shifting her silent boots against it thoughtfully.

Harpy thought she needed months to fight a Manifested?

Well, she'd see about that.

Banshee closed her eyes and knelt down, focusing on phasing through the floor below her. With her shadow wrapped around her tight, she slipped through the starstone, hand first, followed by her upper body and legs. She landed neatly on the balcony of the training room, then set about channeling that stubborn energy into practice.

Jump, flip, throw.

She was good enough.

Throw, swing off hilt, touch that weird loopy piece of starstone hanging off the roof.

She didn't need their approval.

Eventually, she ended up sitting slumped with her back against the wall, throwing small, dagger-sized pieces of starstone that she'd carved with her actual daggers at the same spot in the wall. They didn't quite have the same weight her daggers did, but it meant she didn't need to retrieve them every second throw.

Maybe she didn't need their approval, but she'd wanted it anyway.

Banshee threw one last piece of starstone, hitting it near perfectly before she leaned her head back against the wall behind her with a thunk.

Especially from her partner, no matter how ridiculously formal he was.

With a huff, Banshee threw her daggers at the wall, breathing in the satisfying thud as they both sank home before she pushed herself up to her feet and retrieved them.

None of it mattered, anyway, because she was going to be the best Starlight-dimmed Luminary this City had ever seen.

*+*+*+*

A/N - Hope everyone is doing okay <3 

Setting myself a challenge: Posting another chapter before Wednesday. TIME TO GET OUT OF POTATO MODE. JOIN ME IN BEING PRODUCTIVE, MAKE A THING! <3