To Build a Shrine

[Lani Stranger]

9th of Fall 518AV

The first morning that Lani woke up in the new apartment, she forgot where she was. It was one of the few mornings in nearly a complete year where she woke with a roof over her head, or a stable ground beneath her. She didn’t mind the travel, she had done it her whole life, and in fact the apartment she now inhabited worried her a bit. The mixed blood pulled herself from the bed. With a practiced motion, she stood beside the bed, lining her ankles beside each other, and then reaching down to them. She was fairly flexible and could cup her forearms behind her calves. Straightening back up, she raised her hands above her head, stretching her shoulders back. Once she could feel the pops of the joints, she stretched to the left, and then to the right, ensuring she got fully stretched out.

The moon was still out, and even though her room had no windows, she could tell. Glancing up, Lani saw the air shafts that came through the ceiling letting the blueish light in. She would have to get used to that. At the moment, Lani had a goal for the day. She was due to start work about an hour after dawn, introducing herself to the Avora in the enclave and then doing whatever they told her to. Luckily, she was used to waking up early because of the caravan. And could already guess that she had two hours before the dawn. Good morning Leth. She thought to herself.

She shrugged into her clothes for the day, leaving her boots and grabbing her pack. She emptied the thing on the table that was provided for her, making sure to set the Aquiras’ offering bowl and her last stump of a candle were set down nicely. She had an idea in her head on how she was going to honor her deities this morning.

She had no money to buy them nice things, nor did she know anyone who could join her in prayer. But on her journey up the pass, through the early fall trees she had admired the bright yellow and reds that peppered the trees and ground. An idea had occurred to her.

As she walked through the warrens of the city, she got the distinct feeling that she was not supposed to be there. Before the sun rose, there seemed to be hunters and scouters preparing for their morning hunts, as well as a few of the lower class members, who she could not name, working as well. Even they stared. Her beauty, which she had always taken for granted wherever she was, was not a benefit here. She was not an exotic entity that children awed at or who men lusted after. She was a freak. It was a feeling that she always had, even in Alvadas of all places, the feeling of not belonging. At least if she was one race, these Inarta might oggle less. They would have their stereotypes to place on her and move on, but instead they couldn’t decide. At a glance she looked human, her skin and her eyes could be missed at a glance. But if she held anyone’s gaze for some time, they would see the Chaktawe traits, and rethink. If she held a conversation for too long, they would notice the shimmer in her skin and wonder at its origin.

Ducking her head, she headed up to the elegant gates, climbing the steps to Val’s hall. She was looking for something that would help her make a symbolic representation to Priskil. The Goddess did not demand much from her followers, in fact she detested the extravagant displays of wealth and sacrifice for her. Still, Lani appreciating have a symbolic gift to give to her Gods when she prayed to them. And she was hoping that a walk in nature would help her find something that stood out to her in a way that Priskil would appreciate.

[Lani Stranger]

Once she was outside, it was a long and steady descent down the stairs, before she got to anything that she called nature. Leth’s light looked kindly upon the trail before her, and she appreciated the blue of the moon that highlighted the tree branches. Sticking her hands in her pocket and leisurely walking down the stairs, Lani thought on how Priskil’s light had given the beginning humanoids hope and light to fend off the monsters with, before Leth graced the night with his light. In this sense Priskil had been partially forgotten. She didn’t mind, she had Aquiras. Until Aquiras was stolen from her. And then her domain transformed into that of hope and vigilance. The vigilance to stand by and protect Aquiras whom she loved, and the hope that one day he would awaken. Even if the only way for him to do that was with Sagallius’ death.

Still, Lani saw Priskil’s domain everywhere, in the shine from the mood, in the light that cast shadows from the trees, in her own stroll down the steps, even in the pale autumn leaves of every shade that allowed for the light to be cast upon them. She had remembered when she was a little girl, with no toys and nothing to entertain her, she would pick up the autumn leaves and arrange them in shaped by their colors. Other children would draw things using the lighter leaves atop the darker leaves, and she would enjoy making a gradient of the light leaves expanding out from something. To her small childhood mind, it looked as if whatever she had put the leaves around was glowing, even before she had decided to worship Priskil in any official fashion, she remembered thinking that she could pretend to have the power of those marked by Priskil, because she could make things look like they radiated light, even if they couldn’t.

The faint memory of her childish games brought light to her mind, and she paused, looking at the leaves strewn on the floor. The moon washed the colors out, but there was light leaves and medium colors leaves and dark leaves. She immediately thought that this would make an excellent homage to Priskil. Both a throwback to her childhood days when she would pretend to be Priskil, and it would satisfy her need for some symbolism to speak to her deities with.

Ducking under the railing, Lani began to step off the stairs onto the steep slope underneath the trees. Carefully stepping, she ducked down and felt the leaves that crunched under her feet. They were fairly dry, and like a madwoman, she began plucking the largest, most whole leaves from the ground. It was odd, she knew it was odd, and she was glad Syna had not yet risen to shine light on the weird thing she was doing. It would all come together. Once she thought she had a reasonable amount of leaves, she began back on the stairs, walking back up to the gates.

[Lani Stranger]

By the time she made it back to her room, the room was washed in a grey that meant the sun was coming up to meet the moon. She knew that Leth usually stayed in the sky in the morning to see his love, and she could imagine their dance now. Although she knew that when Syna graced the skies with her golden rays, that Lani had to begin working in this new city, and in the meantime she had to pay homage to her beloved Goddess.

The first thing the half-Eypharian did was grab her flint and steel and begin lighting her fire. There was some coals in there from last night, and she placed some kindling on top and then gathered her tinder on the stone ground to light it. Hitting the steel against the stone, she aimed the sparks at the tinder. A few skidded on the stone floor and gave up when nothing caught, but she saw one hit the tinder, and she quickly set her flint and steel down to blow some air into the tinder, watching the flame grow and crawl through the little hairs of tinder. Picking it up before it spread too far, she tossed the tinder into the kindling, which rested on the coals. She watched it for a minute, fanning it to help the air flow. And once she saw the coals beginning to light and grow crisp again, she left it alone, returning to the table.

Lani dumped the leaves onto her table beside the last half a candle she had, and the offering bowl for Aquiras. Her room was fairly empty, since she had almost no things. There was room for more furniture beside the fireplace, but she had not added anything to the bed, table, and small shelves that came with the room. So it meant there was a nice open corner for nothing but dust to collect and Lani intended to use it for her shrine.

[Lani Stranger]

Aquiras and Priskil always shared a shrine in Lani’s dwelling. Not only because they were lovers and she was sure they would appreciate it, but also because Lani knew that Aquiras’ domain was silent. There was nowhere for her prayers to go as he slumbered, and so by uniting the shrines, at least she could pray to them both together and Priskil could glimpse what she sent to Aquiras.

The mortal was not actually sure if that is how praying to the deities worked, she had never received an answer, so for all she knew it was a false hope. But the devote traveler was happy to hope and stay vigilant on this practice that she had grown to do. It didn’t hurt, and they were deities for a reason.

Lani began selecting the lightest leaves from her pile, separating them completely out into one pile. She then pulled the darkest leaves, separating those completely out into a pile. From there she attempted to separate the middle hues as best she could until she had about five hues of leaves. Carefully scooping the palest yellows, she stepped over to the corner, setting them down in slightly to the right of where she intended to set her dual shrine. She gathered the other piles and spread them out as well. She snagged the candle and the bowl which had a healthy coating of ash from her most recent offering, and then brought it to the corner. She allowed some room between the bowl and the wall, setting it down where she though it ought to stay, and then she began to grab leaves from the light pile, lightly spreading them in a circle around the base of the bowl. She did two lines of this, and then grabbed the next lightest group of leaves spreading it in a line around the lightest one.

Once she had a loose scattering of the leaves, radiating out from the bowl from lightest to darkest, she assessed the placement, and then began filling it in with the rest of the leaves. Within a few chimes, she had created a perfect circle radiating out from the base of the bowl from lightest to darkest. In the early morning light and by the crackling of the fire, it seemed to fit the Goddess well. And her symbol was circling the clay bowl that she used to document her travels to Aquiras.

She took a lighting stick from beside the fire, waiting until the end caught flame, then brought it over to light the tip of her candle. When the wick caught flame, she pinched the tip of the stick to put it out and set it beside the fire again. Once the candle was going, she tilted it inside the bowl, letting it drip for a stream. Before the wax hardened, she stuck the candle in the center, sticking it into the bowl. Lani sat back on her haunches then. She was almost proud of her small dual shrine. She wasn’t too concerned about the size, as the seasons in Wind Reach went on, she would surely be adding to it. She wasn’t one to buy her God’s many things, but enjoyed giving them gifts with her prayers when she found something she could identify with them.

[Lani Stranger]

Feeling a little somber, she leaned forward on her knees, watching the candle slowly burn itself down a little more. She had been giving Aquiras his dues along her journey and once she reached Wind Reach, and she was beginning to realize she had not given Priskil her dues.

“Hey Priskil.” She watched the flame, her voice taking on a soft tune. She always felt a little more connected with her deities when she could kneel in front of her little personal shrines and just talk to them. She had much to thank Priskil for, and some things to ask of her, and at this point she hoped she could speak directly to the beautiful Goddess.

“I’ve been talking to Aquiras. I know he can’t hear me, I’m still not sure if you hear me talk to him, but I’ve been talking to him. I know you’re with him, watching over him, protecting him, and I’ll always be thankful for that. I’ll always be proud for that. But I know I’ve been dipping into your domain more and more since leaving The Spires, and once again I’m using some of your hope. However it comes to me, I’m grateful that you give it to me. I was worried I wasn’t going to make it to The Spires, and even if I don’t, I’ve got some faith for my time here. I know you’re by my side, perhaps not as literally as being beside Aquiras, but you’re my light in the darkness.” Lani jabbered, nearly whispering in the reverence she held for the Goddess. She crossed her fingers, twiddling her thumbs and looked down at them. She always asked the same think of Priskil, to lend her hope for the future and strength to see it through. But today was different. But she didn’t feel the need to ask Priskil for anything. Perhaps it was because her trust in the deity had solidified over the past few years. Perhaps she had come to understand that hope and vigilance required time to work, or practice at least. It is hard to hope without proof that it will be okay, its easier when you know you’re going to be able to handle what comes at you.

When she was ready to speak again, the mixed blood looked up as if that was where she would find an opening to the Ukalas. “I guess I’m saying thank you because I don’t have to ask you constantly for hope. I’m good now. I know the future is uncertain and my situation is dire, and I know that even if it doesn’t work out perfectly I’m going to be okay. So thank you, for, uh… me not needing to say thank you anymore.” Once the words settled, she scrunched her brow. “Which definitely doesn’t meant that I am just going cold turkey on you. I love you, Priskil, I love everything you rule over, and the wonderful parts of my life it brings, and you know I would serve you in any way you ask, in any way I can. Even if you didn’t ask, I would, I truly would. That hasn’t gone away. I wanted to check in to remind you that I’m here for you. Thank you for providing me with the light and the hope, and I’m happy to support you in any way that I can, in every way that I can.”

She sighed, relaxing into her ankles again. “Thank you, Priskil.” She said once more in finish.

Word Count: 2,636

[Ssezzkero]

Observation +2, Meditation +1, Scavenging +1, Wilderness Survival +1, Organization +1, Religion: Solitary worship, Religion: Worship with a shrine, Shrine: Combined for Aquiras and Priskil, Priskil: An ancient deity