05-10-2008, 09:22 PM
57. Sacrificial
"Shonasha..." A voice echoed between the pillars of the open sanctuary and floated down to where I knelt at marble feet, my forehead pressed against the cool stones, "What are you doing?"
I sat up, letting my eyes follow the length of the marble statue where his head ascended above to be lost in the gray light of the open ceiling. He seemed so impossible to reach, disappearing into the heavens. "Trying to figure out what he wants from me." I looked over my shoulder at the priest. He smiled at me serenely, as he always did. "Flamoya was always so easy," I said looking down at my hand imprinted with a spiderweb of silver scars across the fingers, "She wanted our blood for our sins. She wanted sacrifice before her open eye, but..." I turned back to the statue standing serene and perfect, "What does he want?"
"A sign"
"What?" I turned back to the priest as I slowly rose to me feet.
"You will not get answers out of a marble statue Shonasha," The priest smiled as he crossed to the center and ran a hand along the smooth lengths of the mock sleeve. "It is only something that can be admired for it's craftsmanship. It simply gives us a face to picture when we worship. Would you like to see the real Luphana?"
"The real..?" I choked on my words as I clutched at the priests robes like a child as I stood in wander. Was a god really so tangible that I could view him, for my own? Could I make him mine? Capture his heart? Beg his help to me?
"Only if you are willing to give up your place in this world. Flamoya is not kind to demon who chose her brother over herself."
"Yes," I said ,"Yes! I want to be his servant. I want his protection." My hands had gone numb from clutching at the other man's robes.
He smiled and gently removed my hands, "Come with me."
I followed the priest out of the temple. He walked slowly on, accepting my anxiety with bemusement. We walked along the side of the temple to the staircase that started up around. On we went under the shadow of trees. I looked up between their branches at the swollen gray sky that I had known since birth. I was glad of the cover that hid my deed from the eye of Flamoya.
The stair wound it's way to the very center of temple where we stood at the top. Here not even the trees could follow, though they tried with branches reaching to the heavens. The priest brought out a candle. The pure white wax stood out in the darkness. He held it at arm's length before him. "Say your prayer and light the candle." He said solemnly, for once not smiling.
Gripping the flint in my hand I thought about what I wanted. I want to know you. I want to know the god that Sharazai followed and protected me with. I want to be under the full protection of Luphana. "Please, I will do anything you ask of me, anything you call me to do," I gripped the necklace that I wore, his emblem, and then light the candle.
A sudden wind struck up. It whipped fiercely at us, howling with an unseen rage. I cried out, and moved to block the small flame but even as the wind blew the flame was steady. It stood like a soldier as it burned into the wick and flayed open the wax.
"There!" The priest shouted at once over the howl of the wind. He pointed above at the roiling belly of clouds. There I beheld a sight I had never seen before. The clouds parted not the dark realm of night that was Flamoya's lair, no here it parted and beams of pure golden light rained down. It took my breath away as it poured down on us, blinding me with it's intensity. The rays were not cold like the silver ones that Flamoya sent down in the night. No these warmed my very bones, warmed me when I had not even realized I had been cold. And for a moment the wind stopped and I was caught in the serene air of warmth and blinding light that was Luphana before the wind once again blew the dark clouds back together and I was lost once again in Flamoya's realm.
The reality of this world struck me to my knees. This atmosphere froze me. It tore at my lungs to steal my breath like a monster. It hurt to return. It hurt to be back now that I knew with completeness what I could have, did have, once long ago in a life I could not remember.
I hand touched my back then "Let it out," Then I realized that I was sobbing into the stone, clutching at the last warmth that was left imprinted on the stone. I knew that I would sacrifice anything to have that again.
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