The Meanings They're Given

On this night, we return to a rising cliff in Night, where Celeste has called to the Northern lights, and imbued her sister's moonlight thread with a rainbow hue. As she falls exhausted, another sister arrives, the youngest of the Daughters of Night, sweet Vega -- daughter of the stars and the constellations, and the meanings they are given...   Vega lifted her elder sister gently, placing her at a safe distance away, on a bed of moss at the edge of the woods. Then she returned to the threads of moonlight, now enchanted by aurora and mist. But there was more to the sky than the Northern lights, who had been made scarce by her sister's working, revealing the many stars that shined above them. She greeted the Sisters first, as was custom, and then the Father. The Mother was next, and then the Zodiac Beasts, for their service to the realm. She smirked at the Sun, and winked at the Moon, and wrinkled her nose at the Hunter's Belt -- which got far too much credit, and was comically vain for it.   She did not speak until she had greeted them all, and then made her will know before the threads. Nervous energy faded, and Vega became as her Father. Sure in purpose, and without restraint.   Vega: "To me, bright stars -- the holes in Mother's blanket! I do not beckon nor beg, but make clear my intent!"   Vega thrust her hands downward, lacing the threads in a complex constellation -- an overlap of all the stars in the sky, and the meanings they were given.   Vega: "Sisters, tonight we are coven! Father, protect me! Mother, guide my hand! Beasts of Heaven, obey my call, as you have done in ages past! Sun, stick close to thine lover, and Moon, light the path!"   Like a whip, she put each star and constellation to task, pulling them from the sky and into the circle, which took on an angry glow of power. The eldest of them took a great will to heel, but Vega was practiced in her art, and so they joined their lessers, until one constellation remained.   Vega: "Orion! Hero of Mortals, Hunter and Father -- I call upon thee! Keeper of Sword and Bow, of Names and Magic -- I call upon thee! Lord of the Light, the Devil's Kin -- I call upon thee!"   The light wavered, and Vega heaved, but its brightness did not come.   Vega: "Morning Lord, I have found you, and thine empty tongue! First Speaker, I bind you, and thine weeping lung! Last Azlanti, I twist you, and see thy enemy's grin! Dragon Heart, I lift you, and thy Shepherd's sin!"   The stars fell from the sky, their light overwhelming the dark, but still Vega pulled, and the constellation resisted.   Vega: "I summon He Who Walks with the Dawn! Come forth!"   Heat build around Vega's tether, scalding the flesh of her hands to the bone, but still she snarled and pulled, cursing all the while, until at last the constellation buckled, and joined with all the rest.   Complex sigils warped each thread, guided by the Sisters' hand, and that of the Mother. Father offered his strength, and Orion his wisdom, and so did their lessers follow, until the threads could barely contain the power. Vega gave her own will to the raging starlight, as her sisters had done before her, until her voice was but a low croak, and her knees could no longer keep her still.   Vega fell to the earth beside Celeste, who murmured only sleepy approval, and called out to the next sister.   The vision fades...

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