Sacrifices
When in the service of the gods, making sacrifices are to be expected. But can a sacrifice be considered for the benefit of the deity you claim to serve when the real reason behind it is only to further your own interests?
Hi there,
After a difficult year where my day job demanded most of my attention, I'm back with another one-shot short story.
To be honest, I've been sitting on this one for a little too long, and have even forgotten about it for most of the year. But better late than never, I guess.
I hope you enjoy.
Sacrifices By Icurthus The morning found Anyita on the lower terrace of the temple complex, leaning against the marble railing that separated the paved space from the harbour below. She looked on absentmindedly as thin wisps of mist drifted through the cool, salty air, like ghostly shapes that glided amidst the vast forest of bobbing masts. After a long, tiresome night, she found the lazy, unsynchronised rhythm surprisingly relaxing on her frayed nerves. She suppressed another yawn and absentmindedly brought the wooden rod she was holding up to her mouth again. She was so lost in thought, thinking back on the events the night before and what it meant for her now, that she gave a startled meep when her teeth bit through the last tether of wood and a small section clattered to the stone paving. She regarded the wooden fragment for a moment before giving a snort and kicking the bit of waste through the railing. It bounced once on the marble paving before dropping off the small cliff and disappearing into the water below with a soft plop. With the incriminating evidence disposed of, she forced the hand holding her chew toy down to her lap and even went so far as to secure it in place with her other, before allowing her mind to drift again. She allowed herself to smile. The previous night had been long and stressful, but the trials were a thing of the past. She had given the sisterhood her best, and she could finally go home for some proper, well-earned rest. Yet, even though she felt as tired as the sun-bleached sails dancing before her view, she was too excited to retire. Her mind was still racing with the new possibilities that had opened up for her. Her! A nobody from the Hard-Labourers, one of the lowest castes of civilisation. She had finally done it! And she couldn't wait to share the exciting news with Lupharas. After three long years of hard work and constant study, she had finally... "So I see the rumours were true," a deep feminine voice shattered the tranquillity of the morn. Anyita was not sure if she managed to suppress the startled yelp in time. Or was it rather an annoyed sigh? Both would earn her retribution she would prefer to avoid. She didn't have the mental strength to deal with the loathsome creature behind her. Her knuckles turned white for the barest of moments as she gripped the chew stick, before quickly hiding the shameful object in the folds of her new robe. "Salisha," she said as she turned around, trying too hard to keep her tone neutral. "What brings you to the lower terraces?" "I heard you were formally accepted into the sisterhood this morning," Salisha replied with a disinterested drawl. "It seems like they will let just about anyone join the Temple Service these days!" "So it seems," Anyita said softly. She held her breath as she noticed the badger's eyes linger longer than they should have on the golden thread that now lined her sleeves. "And now that your curiosity has been sated, you may be on your way!" "If you had managed to come this far, you should know that that is no way to talk to your betters!" Salisha said through a barely suppressed growl. "We are both acolytes of Athena now!" Anyita said quickly. She turned to walk away from the domineering badger, but Salisha would not be denied so easily. She quickly stepped into Anyita's path and cornered the smaller beaver up against the railing. "But I am an acolyte two tiers your senior!" Salisha smirked for a fleeting moment when her prey gave a startled meep as the marble railing dug into Anyita's back. Something wooden clattered to the pavement between them, but Salisha paid it no mind. Instead, she focused on the way the beaver was nervously stroking a golden bangle about her wrist, the badger's eyes filled with a cold delight. "You, on the other hand, are a charity case. A project to make the lesser classes feel like they mean something to society." "My..." Anyita tried to speak naturally, but she turned her face down instead, looking at a chip in one of the paving stones. Her next words came out as a barely audible gasp. "My devotion to Athena had earned me..." "Bah!" Salisha interrupted her with a disdainful flick of her hand. "There is more to the order of priestesses than mere devotion! Things you simply never will be equipped to provide!" "Does that include lording over everyone else?" Anyita replied under her breath. The statement was meant to be silent, but the angry badger picked up on it nonetheless. Her eyes flashed dangerously as she grabbed the beaver by the wrist whilst she pulled something from her belt. Anyita cried out as she registered the knife in the badger's hand, the blade made of some foreign, black material that glittered like Egyptian glass. She struggled to break the grip of the badger and it took several terrified pants for her to register that she was not going to be stabbed. "Obsidian!" was all that Salisha said as she held the knife under Anyita's wildly twitching snout. The badger grinned, her eyes shining with superior delight when the beaver didn't seem impressed enough, and she fell back into the tone she often used when tutoring ignorant novices. "A highly prized and expensive blade, something that is quite essential for the duties of the priestesses. No blade of stone or bone can ever compare with its ability to resist absorbing the essence of whatever it cuts, you see. And bronze cannot be sharpened to cut as finely. But it is extremely difficult to come by!" Salisha twisted the blade ever so slightly, letting the morning sunlight reflect off the mesmerising reddish-black surface. "The magical material can only be found on the other side of the Gates of Aidoneus, and there are precious few craftsmen amongst the isles of the Aegean who can work with it." Then, to Anyita's absolute horror, Salisha's eyes flicked down at the wooden rod the beaver had been chewing on. "Do you think you'll ever be able to give Athena anything better than... that? Let alone what she is due?" With flight no longer an option, Anyita's fight instincts kicked in. "Do you honestly think Athena's favour can be bought with simple trinkets?" she growled as she grabbed for the hand wielding the blade. "What else are the offerings people..." Salisha started to say, but was caught off guard when the beaver shoved the knife hand away from her face, nearly sending the blade flying into the sea. "Careful!" the badger hissed, pulling her hand away protectively. "This is not a toy!" For a second, she seemed genuinely worried about the fragile blade, but her face darkened as she regarded Anyita. "It... would be a shame if my hand were to... slip." "A blade does not know its owner, no matter its make!" Anyita hissed back. "It is as likely to cut the hand that wields it!" "What is going on here?" said a deep, booming voice. The two young females stepped away from each other as if burned and whirled about to face the newcomer. Salisha nearly stabbed herself in the thigh trying to hide her unsheathed blade. For a tense moment, the three stared at one another, and it took the badger a full three breaths to recognise the stranger was no one of importance. It was merely another beaver, and her bravado returned in full force, enough for her to sheath the obsidian knife in plain view. "The business of the temple does not concern you, commoner," she scoffed. "I doubt the business of the temple involves imperious conversations," the male beaver replied. He gave the badger little more than a sideways glance before turning away. "But I'll confirm with Lady Porullia if you insist." "Lupharas!" Anyita started to scold the male as he stepped up to embrace her, but their moment was interrupted by a rude snort from her rival acolyte. "There… is no way someone like you is on speaking terms with the High-priestess!" Salisha insisted. "I am part of the architect team working on the new expansion to the Oracle." Lupharas spoke smoothly as if completely oblivious that she was one of the notoriously fearless badgers. "She comes by every day to check on our progress, so it will be a simple thing to ask if the sisterhood regularly converses with exposed blades in one another's faces." "I... wasn't being imperious! I was just..." Salisha took a slight step back and cringed. A quick glance at the plaza confirmed that it was starting to come alive, and despite herself, she checked her sheathed knife once more to confirm that it was stowed away properly. That seemed to remind the badger of her position, and with an overly dramatic huff, she flicked her snout at the two beavers. "I do not need to justify myself to you!" She turned around, her robe billowing despite the lack of wind. "But if you must know, I was explaining how Athena demands more than mere... gnawed sticks from those who serve her." She kicked at the rod Anyita had dropped, seeming to delight in how the uneven shape of it caused the wood to clatter as it rolled towards them. Without another word, she walked away, but without her normal elegance. "You shouldn't have gotten involved!" Anyita said, rounding on her old childhood friend while he was busy picking up the chew toy. "Do you expect me to stand by and do nothing?" "It is just... it is not wise to make enemies with any of the badgers!" She sighed and turned away, staring out across the ocean again, searching in vain for the tranquillity of a few moments before. "Yes, yes!" He waved her concern off with the piece of wood before handing it back to her. "I have heard the stories of their grand stand against the might of the Eastern Empire!" Anyita snatched the rod from him and in one quick movement, flung it out into the restless waters below. "You need to keep your teeth in check..." "Tartarus's pits, my teeth!" Her snarl came out louder than intended, and she flinched as her voice carried uncomfortably across the plain. At least he backed away a single step, holding his hands up. Anyita growled at him a moment longer before she forced herself to calm down with a deep sigh. "Why did the gods curse us to be like this? Why couldn't we be like the higher classes?" "How should I know?" Lupharas smirked, daring to step closer to her again. "You're the priestess..." He quickly backed away again when she turned to glare at him, though he could not help but laugh as he held his hands up again. "In training at least!" he quickly added as he turned to lean on the marble railing next to her. "Which reminds me, I actually came to congratulate you on your promotion!" Anyita grumbled a half-hearted thanks, but continued to look out at the early morning sun rays that finally broke in golden beams through the distant clouds. "Look, I will not claim to know the mind of the gods!" Lupharas said, more to break the uncomfortable silence than to soothe her irritable mood. "But from what I have seen, everything serves its purpose. From hardship and fortune to even virtues and vices!" "Easy for you to say!" Anyita still did not meet his gaze, instead focusing on the ragged cliffs upon which the higher temple complex stood. "What good does it do for Athena that my teeth keep growing unendingly?" "Well," he smirked, leaning closer to her as if to whisper a secret to her. "Where would our great city be, where would the mighty badgers at Thermopylae have been, were it not for our fleet?" She finally turned to frown at him and he smiled at her with a confident smirk. "And, where would our fleet be, were it not for those annoying teeth of the beavers who inhabit the lower tiers of society?" Anyita gave an ungraceful snort and turned away from him, staring out over the forest of bobbing masts once more. But the more she considered the comment, the more logical she found it. It even sounded like something Lady Porullia would say. "Are you really on talking terms with the High Priestess of Athena?" she asked as she fidgeted uncomfortably at a small crack between the marble railing. "No!" Lupharas laughed in delight. "Sure, I see her every day when she inspects the building site, but I'm merely an apprentice architect-assistant!" He turned to smirk at her again, more confidently than was his due. "It may not seem like much, but I will have you know my skill with the abacus is second to none! Which is why they rely on me to double-check the calculations every day!" "Do you always look on the bright side of life?" "The world will be a dark and gloomy place if no one does!" "The world is a dark and gloomy place if one doesn't have the wealth to light your way!" Anyita grumbled with a rude snort, ignoring the sigh Lupharas failed to suppress. "Or... maybe the gods grant wealth to those who are not strong enough of character to find their own way in life?" he said, smiling even though his eyes did not share the expression. "If that was meant as some kind of comfort for the less privileged," Anyita scoffed, but Lupharas interrupted her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I have mentioned that High-priestess Porullia visits the building site, remember?" he asked, a twinkle having returned to his eyes. "Well, I may not be on speaking terms with her, but I have overheard the priestesses talking about the acolytes." "You shouldn't be eavesdropping on the priestesses..." "True," Lupharas gave an indifferent shrug. "But if they have something to say that is not meant to be repeated, they should not speak so casually where people can hear!" "Still, best not to spread gossip!" she said with a stomp of her foot for emphasis. However, he had noticed her touching her grandmother's bangle for just a brief moment, a nervous tick of hers from the day she had inherited that heirloom years ago from her mother. "I guess you have a point," he said, a devious smile on his muzzle as he turned his attention back to the harbour below, as if to leave her to her thoughts. "Best not to let people know how thrilled they are with the devotion of a certain beaver..." "But, I am the only..." Anyita gasped and grabbed for his arm. He chuckled as he twisted his head to peek at her rather cute glare again. "I thought you didn't want to hear gossip?" "And you are obviously intent on telling me, come Hades' fires or Poseidon's storms!" she said in a far less playful tone. "There is honestly not that much to say." He turned back towards her, arms extended as if to hug her, but he changed his mind and folded them awkwardly behind his back instead. "I heard your name mentioned amongst a few expected to one day serve on the inner circle of priestesses. Not so, a certain badger we both know." He gave a meaningful glare up the hill towards the suburbs of the higher classes. "In fact, they are less than impressed with her performance recently, so if I were you, I would stop worrying about her!" "How so?" Anyita asked, the intensity of her stare no longer cute. "I... Well, there wasn't much more to it..." "Lupharas!" "Now, now! What happened to not spreading gossip?" He took a slight step back, holding his hands up as if to appease her, only for the slightly smaller female to close the distance immediately. They had been close friends since their childhood. He knew when he could challenge her and when best to retreat. And now it was best to give in. "You… haven't heard it from me," he said softly, leaning in closer to her as he looked about nervously. "But rumours say the Inner Circle are not impressed with her absolute lack of alchemical skill." "Alchemy?" "So, she is not as perfect as she pretends to be!" Lupharas dared to smile. "And this hurdle is something her family ties won't help. So you can stop worrying about her and..." "You know nothing is impossible for those with connections." Anyita dismissed him with a wave of her hand, turning to look out over the harbour again. She remained silent, all but ignoring what Lupharas was saying as her eyes darted about the masts, searching for the furled sail of the Phoenician Merchant she had seen earlier. "I wonder if the merchant will have any tomes on Alchemy?" she said when she spotted the bright red and yellow fabric. "I don't..." Lupharas started to argue but found himself unable to continue when she turned to him again, her eyes beaming with hope he did not have the heart to crush. "Sure. Apparently they have some sought-after tome on the subject." "How would you know that?" Lupharas sighed, not meeting her eyes as he focused on the sail as well. "Lady Porullia was mentioning that the badger friend of yours was desperately looking for someone to sponsor her, so that she can buy it," he admitted disdainfully. "The Inner Circle is worried about the lengths she seems willing to go, and the possibility of her ambition bringing the sisterhood into disrepute!" "But, Salisha's father has enough wealth..." Anyita started to argue, but the older beaver interrupted her with a rude scoff. "Wealth that she has been splurging needlessly on unimportant trinkets!" "You think she will get that sponsor she is looking for?" she asked after a tense hesitation. "If she gets her hands on that tome... if she can wriggle her way into the Inner Circle..." Anyita knuckles turned white as she gripped the marble railing again. "You know better than me not to get between a badger and the object of her desire!" Lupharas sighed as he watched the merchant ship, picking idly at his large incisors before turning his attention to the chew-stick hanging on his belt. "Which is why I need to get that tome before she does!" Anyita announced out of the blue. Lupharas gave a startled snort, abandoning his chew-stick to stare at her in disbelief. But she had already started to rush towards the stone steps heading for the harbour. "That is not what I had meant!" he called after her. She paid him no attention and continued down the steps without the slightest hesitation. He had to scramble after her lest she disappear completely in the throng of people starting to gather on the harbour. "Anyita! Wait!" But by the time he reached the stairs, she was already gone. He scowled, confirming the location of the conspicuous sail one last time before he dived into the gathering crowd of merchants and travellers on the docks. It was surprisingly difficult to weave his way through the mass of various species milling about the narrow boardwalks, and each accidental bump or shove only served to increase his desperation. He had to reach her before the impulsive woman got herself into serious trouble. He caught up with her just as she started to board the visiting Phoenician trader. "Anyita!" he called out, catching her by the shoulder as she stepped onto the ship's deck. "What are you doing? You don't have the coin to trade, and I do not have the means to sponsor you..." "I have to do something!" Anyita snapped back. "I fear I won't have the courage to continue at the temple much longer if Salisha... if she gains more power." Lupharas gasped when he noticed her stroking her golden bangle with more fervour than he had ever seen her before. "Annie, you can't! That is the only thing your mother could leave you. It has been in your family for four generations..." "What use is an heirloom then?" Anyita clenched her teeth as she spoke. "What good does any trinket do if it is protected simply to be passed along to the next generation? Is it not to be used in dire situations?" "This is not a dire situation!" Lupharas insisted, but flinched when the angry female snarled at him. "It is to me!" "You don't need to prove..." "You don't know what it is like in the Ekpaídefsi!" Anyita said, lowering her voice. "The drive to perform continuously, the knowledge that most of your peers will never ascend." She bit her lip, looking down at the deck. "If one like Salisha were to ascend, I don't think ..." "Can I help?" a tight, high-pitched voice suddenly interrupted her. "Yes!" Anyita said quickly, covering up her momentary lapse in confidence as she turned around to face the merchant who had appeared from below deck. "I hear you have a tome on alchemy?" "Ah, yes!" a rat-like creature with a rather squat snout replied eagerly. "The 'Great Works' of Democritus, quite the valuable set of volumes, as I am sure you are aware." Anyita licked her lips, despite her best attempts not to seem too eager. "How much?" "Well," the merchant replied smoothly. "I see you have an eye for quality. I am sure you will agree that this would be a steal at only fifty Nomisma..." "Fifty?" Anyita asked, her air of confidence crumbling as quickly as she had constructed it. "I know books are expensive," Lupharas said as he moved to Anyita's side. "But surely you don't expect us to believe..." "My dear sir," the merchant said. "Do you know who Democritus even is?" He looked at them in turn, failing to hide a scornful grunt when he received only blank stares in return. "Democritus is only one of two people confirmed to have created the Philosopher’s Stone." "The what?" Lupharas sounded unimpressed, but Anyita perked up at the mention. "The Philosopher’s Stone is a substance that is said to have incredible healing and transformative properties..." she habitually started to explain to him, only to be interrupted by the eager merchant. "That is correct, young priestess." The strange creature folded his hands in anticipation. "In particular, the crystal turns lead into gold, and the liquid it is formed from is the elixir of life itself! The only other person who had been able to make it was Democritus's teacher, a prophetess from Jerusalem called Mary, to whom these very tomes had belonged not so long ago." "So if you can turn lead into gold with this, why sell it?" Lupharas asked. "Would it not be more beneficial to keep it for yourself?" "I, er..." The merchant hesitated, only to be saved from his precarious position by Anyita, who scoffed at the question, somehow offended for the merchant's sake. "There is much more to Alchemy than attaining cheap successes in life!" she said as she rounded on her old friend. "It is about discovering the secrets of the world around us, understanding how everything works together to create, order and destroy the Cosmos itself. It is learning the very language of the gods!" During her tirade, she caught herself stroking her mother's bangle again, and the realisation seemed to be the final push she needed to make up her mind. Biting her lower lip, Anyita slipped it off her wrist. She turned back to the merchant, holding the golden band up at eye level. "I, I trust this should cover the cost?" "Ah, yes!" the merchant agreed. His large, greying snout quivered ever so slightly, and he had to lick his lips surreptitiously lest he started to drool when he laid eyes on the offered trinket. "That most certainly..." The odd creature made to grab for the bangle, but Lupharas snatched it from Anyita's grasp before he managed to close the distance. "The books?" Lupharas said, ignoring Anyita's shout of alarm. Instead, he glowered at the merchant, fixing the creature with a deadpan stare. "We have the right to inspect the wares before making our purchase." "I," the merchant tried to argue, but one look at the older beaver quickly convinced him to comply. "Of-of course, just a moment if you please." "Lupharas!" Anyita growled under her breath when the merchant had stepped far enough away from them to rummage through the contents of a leather-bound chest. "You have no right..." "I am not going to talk you out of this, am I?" "I need those books!" Anyita tried to hold Lupharas' emotionless glare, but she found his attention overbearing. "I, I need Salisha not to get her paws on them!" "Then at least go about it smartly!" Lupharas held up her mother's bracelet again so that it caught the morning sun. "Don't throw this away carelessly!" "I'm not..." Whatever she wanted to say died on her tongue as the eager merchant returned, clutching seven large scrolls with almost exaggerated reverence. The merchant carefully laid an armful of heavy scrolls onto a large, flat-topped chest. "They are all here, I assure you!" He turned to smile at them, though his gaze drifted immediately towards the golden band in Lupharas's hand. Only to quickly avert his eyes again before he seemed over-eager. "Take one and make sure it is the real deal!" Lupharas said bluntly, giving Anyita only the barest of glances. "I beg your pardon?" The merchant snarled, folding his arms in indignation. But he stopped his tirade immediately as soon as Lupharas turned another withering glare at him. "We both know this bangle is worth much more than what you have asked for these tomes, and I will not have anyone swindle her!" The merchant's neck fur bristled at the accusation, and he seemed to puff up a bit in defiance. "And how do I know I'm not being swindled? When will I have the chance to inspect the item myself?" "When we are satisfied with the quality of what you have to offer, and before we leave your ship." "Lupharas," Anyita started to argue, but she fell silent again when he merely shifted his determined gaze towards her. She mumbled a complaint about his hard-headedness beneath her breath. He was in one of his protective moods again, and it was best not to argue with him, or he might get it into his head to call this whole deal off. And she could not allow even the slightest chance that Salisha could get access to these scrolls. So she held her tongue and picked a scroll at random from the bottom of the pile on offer. It had more weight than she had expected, thanks to a sturdy shaft of brass. The scent of heated Myrrh wafted up from the parchment as she began to unfurl it with a gentle paw, revealing the finely written text hidden on the inner surface. Anyita gasped as she was confronted by a section of complex text and symbols and incomprehensible diagrams and fantastic images that were as foreign to her as the pictorial scripts of the desert peoples south of the Great Sea. "And?" Lupharas asked, worried and impatient at the same time. And what? Anyita's mind felt like it was adrift in a pool of thick molasses. How could he expect her to verify the authenticity of a subject she wanted to start learning more about? She was about to make some snide remark, but when she looked up at him, she saw the concern in his eyes. Feeling a little foolish, she merely shut her open mouth and gave her self-appointed protector a curt nod. "What about equipment to make up for the shortfall?" Lupharas turned his harsh glare upon the merchant once more. "To answer that, I first need to inspect the wares you offer." The merchant's fists clenched around the fine cotton garb he was wearing as he fought not to bare his teeth at this impossible customer. "What equipment do you have to offer?" Lupharas matched the merchant's growl with one of his own, not willing to surrender the initiative just yet. "Lupharas!" Anyita snapped from the side. "It is my bangle." Lupharas turned to look back at her for a stunned moment before reluctantly relenting with an annoyed grunt. He held the bangle out to her again, and she snatched it from his fingers as if he had tried to steal it from her. "Here you are." Anyita was unable to keep a hint of irritation from slipping into her voice as she held out the precious heirloom. She had barely offered up her only treasure before the merchant snatched it from her grasp even more fervently than she had retrieved it from Lupharas. "I," the merchant started to say, but he had to pause to swallow a bit of drool as he inspected the bangle with bright eyes. However, he quickly realised he was being too obvious and, with a covert glare at Lupharas, forced himself to hide his eagerness behind a veil of professionalism. "Oh dear," he muttered softly to himself. He risked a glance at the two beavers to confirm they had heard him before turning his full attention back to the bangle he was inspecting. He turned it around a few more times, letting the silence hang between them before he looked at Anyita with a stern frown. "I fear there are some serious flaws with the stone inlays, and the gold seems to be not as pure..." "That is hogsh-" Lupharas snapped, immediately regretting surrendering the valuable trinket. Even if it was to its rightful owner. "Will it cover the costs of the tome?" Anyita interrupted her companion's tirade with a stern gaze. "Flawed as it may be, it is still excellent craftsmanship." "Annie," Lupharas said softly, but the merchant quickly nodded his head. "Yes-yes-yes, it will," he agreed, more eagerly than he should have. "Then we have a deal," she stated solemnly. To make sure there would be no further arguments from Lupharas, she turned her back to him and started picking up her new scrolls. "Glad to have done business with you." The merchant grinned, not even bothering with a proper farewell, as he fled their presence to escape with his new loot in hand. "Anyita," Lupharas tried to appeal to her one last time, but his voice lacked any determination. "Are you trying to ruin this deal?" "You are making a mistake. I was trying to ensure you don't make it worse." Though he spoke as if worried for her well-being, his tone lacked conviction, and he mumbled his reply just loud enough to be heard. "Well, I don't need your help!" Anyita turned to glare at him again, her arms overflowing with the large scrolls. It was too much for her to handle, and she hissed an unflattering curse under her breath when two of the tomes dropped to the wooden deck. "You should have gotten more for your mother's bangle," Lupharas continued as he stooped to pick the dropped scrolls up for her, but quickly stepped back when she growled at him. "Will you just stop it already? You are making things worse, not better!" "I just..." Lupharas hesitated before finally stepping away from her, head bowed, leaving her to struggle with the tomes on her own. He watched her fumble with a deepening frown for a bit before he shifted his gaze away, staring blankly out towards the far side of the harbour. She somehow managed to get the mass of disobedient rolls of metal and parchment under control, and the two left the harbour wordlessly. The emotional cloud that hung over them persisted when they reached the top of the stairs again. Lupharas glanced up at the residential district, then frowned. He was not in the mood to walk her home today, and just one glance at her confirmed that any show of empathy from him would not be welcome. "I... need to return to the building site," he mumbled, not even looking at her as he spoke. "I'll meet with you later then." "As you wish," she replied in kind, pretending to fidget with one of the scrolls that was threatening to slip from her grasp again. He opened his mouth once more, but then thought better of it and, without further ado, turned about to return to his post. Anyita held her breath as she listened to him walk off, his footsteps a little more forceful than usual. When she was finally alone, she released it with an almost relieved sigh. But the tension she had felt the entire morning did not dissipate, even after repeating the exercise a second time. When calm did not return, she stomped off to the lower sections of the residential district. She rented a tiny attic there, in return for small errands to the shopkeeper. How could a day that started so excellently fall apart so quickly and completely? She reached her room, barely registering her journey home and dumped her new scrolls onto her bed with a grateful sigh. She sat down on a still clear section of the mattress, allowing herself to enjoy the small delight of just sitting for a moment. The stress and excitement of the last few hours were finally at an end, and she felt drained as she regarded the mess of parchments she now owned. Dully, she pulled a random scroll closer and opened a small section of it. It was a different chapter, and while she vaguely recognised a sketch of boiling off of liquids, most of what she saw still felt completely incomprehensible to her. It made her feel lost, like a child alone in a thunderstorm. Unconsciously, her hand shifted over the back of her other, seeking comfort in the touch of her mother's bangle. But instead of the cool, hard surface, she only felt the coarse fur of her wrist. Startled at the unexpected touch, she gasped and looked about the room in a blind panic, searching for where her grandmother's prized jewellery lay. It took her several moments before she recalled the transaction not so long ago. She had sacrificed that which had been so dear to her for most of her life, in exchange for the secret knowledge that now lay scattered across her bed. Lupharas' warning came back to her, and despite trying to suppress the thought, she started to wonder if her old friend hadn't been right all along. Had she overreacted in a vain hope to gain an edge over her rival? To ensure that Salisha would not be able to get her claws on these very scrolls? No! Second-guessing herself now will only make things worse, not better. What was done is now past. Looking back at what is now lost has never helped anyone. Fighting the urge to stroke the missing bangle again, she carefully rolled the opened scroll up before turning her attention to the small cupboard in the corner of the room to start making space for her new treasure. Even though she could only hope her sacrifice was worth it in the end, she kept reminding herself that she did what she had to do. Now, she had to build upon her decisions and focus on the future. She had to follow her destiny. Wherever it may lead her. End.