The Master of Ceremonies—a tall eagle beast with silver feathers—stepped onto a raised platform at the front of the hall. He raised his hands, and the room gradually quieted.
"Honored guests, esteemed nobles, divine deities," he announced, his voice carrying across the space. "We gather tonight to celebrate the successful completion of another Blood Moon Festival. A tradition that has endured for thousands of years, bringing together the strongest of our kind in a test of courage, strength, and survival."
The Master of Ceremonies raised his glass high. "To another successful Blood Moon Festival! To the hunters and the hunted! To survival and strength!"
"To survival and strength!" the crowd echoed, raising their glasses in unison.
Wish lifted her own glass, the golden liquid catching the chandelier light. She brought it to her lips and drank, the sparkling wine sweet and light on her tongue. Around her, others did the same, the ceremony concluding with polite applause.
