For the nervous companions, the two days before the Elemental ceremony appeared to fly by. They were eager to rise in the ranks and be free of the administrative responsibilities, so they speculated about which Element they might belong to in their free time. Only Yan Zantara was still unsure by the time the ritual came around, divided between the elements of Fire and Earth, which spoke to him equally strongly.
The ceremony was to be carried out by five seasoned Elemental fighters, one for each Element. They were temporarily anticipated to be transported with all the required ceremonial equipment. Yan Zantara, Kieran Ravy, Nayla Zantara, Luna Trevyn, and Nora Rahmyn were waiting in the landing bay next to the designated touchdown zone, all dressed again in full ceremonial attire. For the sixth time, Kieran Ravy anxiously checked the seating of his blade. Yan Zantara smoothed his hair several times. Nora Rahmyn kept shifting positions, unable to settle into a comfortable position, while Nayla Zantara shuffled her feet restlessly. Only Luna Trevyn, as always, remained calm and collected.
Everyone sprung to attention when the transport ship appeared. The ramp deployed as soon as the landing gear touched down, and it settled smoothly. Wearing flowing robes and headbands in the colors of their individual Elements, two women and four men departed. At the base of the ramp, they stopped and moved aside to let two others pass with a big altar made of white stone. Small stone icons, each symbolizing a distinct Element, were set on the altar, which was sturdy enough to hold the six officiants behind it. The ceremony began with a traditional bow exchange between the candidates and the officiants.
On opposing sides of the altar, the priests and the five companions stood in parallel lines. One by one, the candidates moved forward in the predetermined order, from left to right. Luna Trevyn took the lead. She knelt down at the table and picked out a piece of onyx that was carved into the shape of a skull, which is the jewel and symbol of the Death Element. It has a high-capacity data drive hidden in a recess on its back, much like all the other ceremonial stones. These disks held vital initiation information for new Elementals, such as battle strategies, meditation manuals, and other vital details for surviving in the Elemental realm.
Stepping up, the black-robed priest bowed to Luna Trevyn and carefully took off her headband. He swapped it out for a black band with a skull stitched on the front. After getting up and bowing back, Luna Trevyn put the onyx skull in her uniform pocket and went back to her spot in line. The priest took a step back and matched her bow.
Next up came Yan Zantara. The Earth priest moved forward as he knelt and selected a rough emerald from the table. Yan Zantara reappeared in the line a few moments later, sporting a green headband with a rock insignia on it. With a growing sensation of satisfaction, he gripped the emerald tightly in his right hand and turned it over and over again.
Following, Nayla Zantara picked out a piece of white marble that had three wavy lines carved on it. Before she joined the others, she was given a light grey headband with the same emblem and fastened the marble stone in a bag that hung from the belt of her tunic.
The fourth applicant, Nora Rahmyn, approached the altar and raised a dark blue topaz that was shaped like a single drop of water. Her new deep blue headband now bore this insignia. She cleverly incorporated the topaz stone into the band's back fabric.
The last was Kieran Ravy. There were just two stones left: a white opal that looked like a four-pointed star and a sunstone that was carved in the shape of a flame. The sunstone was his choice. Wearing a dark crimson headband with an orange flame painted on the front, he made his way back to the line.
The priests bowed silently, collected their supplies, boarded their spacecraft, and left as quickly as they had come once all five had received their new headbands and stones. As soon as the shuttle disappeared, the friends took their elemental stones and studied them carefully. Hurrying to a neighboring wall panel, Kieran Ravy slipped his disk—which was little, measuring just three millimeters square and a millimeter thick, yet contained almost 500 gigabytes of data—into the corresponding slot. They were jam-packed with intricate guidelines, methods, animations, traditions, and the honor codes unique to each Element.
To put their disks into readers, everyone hurried back to Kyara. They retired to the seclusion of their new quarters and used Kieran Ravy's high-resolution screen-equipped portable gadgets to explore the extensive knowledge banks. For the rest of the day, every companion tested newly acquired rituals or procedures in short sessions, using the ship's simulator continuously.
Based on their new Elemental connections, all five intended to change their armor, weaponry, training schedules, or personal behavior. Luna Trevyn needed the fewest changes; her techniques already fit the codes, disciplines, and strategies of the Death Element almost exactly. It would only take a few tweaks to her meditation spaces and small upgrades to her armor.
Yan Zantara arched his eyebrows as he read the Earth warriors' Code of Honor, figuring he would probably only follow it to the letter when there were other Earth fighters around. But his fighting strategy needs a serious revision. The tactical manual specifically forbade his current practice of mocking opponents into mistakes. Luckily, his armor and weaponry were already in compliance.
Inspired by the manual's statement that "The essence of the Air warrior is to approach invisible, and to know what to expect long before arriving," Nayla Zantara intended to include more sensors onto her suit. She also realized that in order to improve her ability to surprise, she would need to do more endurance training and make adjustments to silence her handguns.
There were not many significant changes for Nora Rahmyn. Her fighting techniques only required minor adjustments to conform to the Water Element's Code of Honor, which placed a strong emphasis on treating all people fairly, regardless of their position. Her combat training was more than adequate.
Kieran Ravy envisioned a radical alteration: a six-foot bladestaff in place of his existing 36-inch, single-edged sword. It would need clips on his armor to carry, eliminating the need for a cumbersome six-and-a-half-foot sheath. It was just two of his old blades fused blade-forward onto a central two-foot handle. It would take a lot of training to become proficient with this traditional Fire weapon, and he couldn't start until he built it. The Fire Code of Honor was simple; it just required good sportsmanship at all times and post-battle handshakes with opponents.