The day is a good one for a cult meeting.
It is bright and clear, and the heat can be felt heavily against the skin. This contrasts nicely with the cool of the cave, into which the members will soon descend.
One by one they proceed -- descend, really -- until they are all together inside the mouth. They shiver.
They do not notice when they are joined by one more.
Young, quiet, short and stocky, plainly dressed. No visible jewelry.
No one is particularly startled. The echoes make it difficult to distinguish individual voices anyhow, and many members are less in-tune than Elen.
The voices get louder, and louder, and louder, until they suddenly stop. When they do, a blue flame is lit in an altar.
In the dim light, Elen can see the other figures opening their mouths.
She sees a similar blue flame appear in the mouths of each of the cult members.
A single voice can be heard from the back of the cave, near the altar. Elen may notice that, unlike before, she can understand him. He is singing: "we are as stars, and we convey the music of the spheres."
The performance goes on like this for many minutes. The man, who has a harp, tells the story of a trip through the underworld. The underworld has figures like Orpheus, and Hades, and Persephone.
For just a moment, there is a blue flame in the palm of her hand. It goes out.
This does manage to startle some nearby participants, who look at her, annoyed, as though she spoke out of turn.
The ceremony, at long last, ends.
"Philomena! Philomena! Who is that?" When everyone is milling out into the clearing, a young girl points at Elen. "Has a goddess joined us?"
Philomena looks at Elen, started and wary. "Welcome, stranger," she says.
Greetings. My name is Elen. I am a stranger here. I thank the harpist for his tale — it was new to me.
The child scoffs. "What? You've never made a sacrifice to Lord Hades? You better do that soon, or he might curse you."
"Hush, Alexia," Philomena mutters.
"What sort of sacrifice does he require, and with what elements does he curse?"
She makes a quick gesture, drawing her hand down her body. If any of them are watching with magical sight, she has just vanished to it.
Before Philomena can cut in, the child babbles excitedly about feast days. "There's a giant fire, and for Lord Zeus and the others you can eat the beef afterwards, but for Hades and Persephone and gods like them the beef is burned to nothing and the ashes are buried in the ground, and you use special water to clean after --"
"Alexia, please," the woman chastises the child, who pouts and quiets.
"Where are my manners -- my name is Philomena. This is Alexia. Where do you come from? Do you need a place to stay?"
If there is anything visible only to magical sight, she can see it.
"I come from Esland, where I was studying in the College but yesterday. How I came here I do not know. I expect if whatever brought me does not return me I will need a place to stay, and knowledge of what is about me. It is all very strange. I followed into the cave in hope of learning more."
"It is a place to learn magery, with many magisters instead of a single mage teaching his apprentice."
"A mage is someone who uses magic, more than ordinary people use in their daily life. A Magister is someone at the College who teaches the students about magic."
"Most mages are not trained in the college but as apprentices to a mage whose talents are similar to theirs, so that he can teach the spells the apprentice has the talents to learn to cast, as apprentices in other field are taught"