81125, Cera, 28
The strange man held her shoulder as they stepped off the drab carriage. His pale skin was wrapped entirely in crimson to signal his position as a sickness snuffer. People like him would travel to sick villages, find children who appeared not to be sick, and after a long grueling process of testing, they would send the healthy children far away, either to an orphanage or a temple, like this one. The carriage ambled along on its wheels as it was relieved from their wait. She turned around to get one more look at the creature who was pulling the wagon. It wasn’t like anything she had ever seen before. It was birdlike, but had no wings. It had two long scaly legs that led up to its round silver feathery body. Its neck was long too, with an enormous head perched on top. She looked into its mellow orange eye, as big as her head. It seemed to read her emotions, and buried its head into her neck, chirping softly. A strange warmth flooded over her as she held it’s neck with her arm. The man harshly pulled her away from the creature and faced her in the other direction. As quickly as the warmth had come, it vanished. She sighed and started walking toward the temple of the cat goddess Zarian.
Nervien was one of the six largest temples dedicated to the goddess. They took in children whose patron was Zarian and raised them until they were sixteen. Then the child would receive the money plus large items their parents had given them in their will. After that, the child would go about their life as an adult. This temple was located a little ways off the coast of? Senlor, on top of the Vnack River. Or so she was told by the sickness snuffer, who had reluctantly given her this information when she promised to ask no more questions.
They walked through a forest of ancient trees, along a seldom beaten trail. The leaves were giant and cone-shaped and had turned orange and yellow now that the weather was changing from hot to cold. The girl stared up in wonder as a breeze filled the leaves with sound. The cones were just the right shape so that they made music in the wind, like a thousand birdsongs. She relaxed slightly, listening to the music bouncing off of the trunks of the trees.
Although she could see no wildlife, she knew it was watching them as these two strangers threaded along the path. She tried to get a look at the creatures in between trees, but every time she looked, the only thing she saw was more plants. Perhaps the animals would be less shy when she got to the temple.
After what seemed like hours of drugging through the damp forest, a large building seemed to be coming into sight. The girl looked up, noticing by the light that the sun must be starting to set. She stared with awe at the large building.
It was made out of what seemed to be ancient sandstone but pulsed with mysterious energy. The stone was engraved with powerful images of felines of all types, magically moving. It had a broad base, but looking up it split up towers until it ended with what looked like could be an inner courtyard, like a secret garden. The Vnack River wound through one side and out the other peacefully babbling. Wispy trees grew out of crevices and windows, holding gorgeous glass shards in their branches. Cats jumped or flew along with the evermoving people, as they came in and out of the towers, occasionally ziplining down on one of the ropes that connected the towers. The final sunbeams glanced off of the temple, casting it in an eerie glow.
The girl and man walked up to the round door, so big a giant could easily slip through. She placed her hand gingerly onto the door, still warm from the sun’s gaze for it too was made of stone. The man stepped in front of her, addressing the giant lionlike carving that was watching the group with peaked interest.
“Please grant me entrance to the Nervien Temple.” He said confidently
“What is your business here?” The lion asked with surprising volume causing the girl to jump backward in surprise.
“To deliver this young lady to the serves of Zarian.” He replied slowly. She could tell he was carefully choosing his words as to not offend the lion. This could only mean that Zarian was not indeed his patron. Then why deliver her here?
“Let me consult the Timpquells.” It slowly turned its head around. She could hear muffled conversation as to whether she would be permitted inside the temple. She took this opportunity to reach into her satchel, grab her leather-bound sketchbook and a piece of charcoal, and start roughly sketching the temple.
After quite some time the lion swiveled its head back in their direction. It stared down at the girl, she stared back nervously. Its eyes glowed a sharp silver, and through the weight of its gaze, she felt as if Zarian herself was judging her. Abruptly it snapped its head around and continued its conversation.
The girl had no idea what this meant, but as she pondered, the door began to silently slide open revealing a large room with three stone seats, on which sat three serious-faced people, all clothed in dark teal the color of Zarian, with a feline companion sitting in front of them.
The one on the right was a Dragonborn man with milky white scales and lively amber eyes, clothed in draped robes. His feline was an enormous owlcat so powerful looking that it seemed as if it could fly around the globe in an hour without growing weary. The one farthest to the left was a male tiefling with deep plum skin, who looked down at them with no emotion in his obsidian eyes, his clothes were plated with thick armor. His companion was significant as well, made entirely of purple flames, but looked friendly and welcoming. The center being was a catfolk. She had skin the color of bark, with a waterfall of inky black hair, her deep blue eyes showed such compassion, and commitment the girl had never seen in any other creature. She was dressed in a casual one-piece garment, with a slightly darker cloak that rested around her sides. Her black feline ears were embedded with many circles of gold, and her tail had many bracelets around it. Unlike the other two, her catdragon was small and lythe. It was laced around her neck, like an elegant scarf.
“Bnivle.” The catfolk spoke the word with a mixture of hatred and annoyance, at the Sickness Snuffer.
“Civeen.” Bnivle shot back with equal dislike.
“Thank you for bringing this young woman to us. You are dismissed.” She waved him off with an elegant hand increased in golden rings.
He stalked off back into the deep forest, dramatically sighing and huffing. Civeen quickly shifted her attention to the girl.
“Please enter, young one,” She said with recurring confidence.
The girl silently padded in on her bare feet, the stone feeling smooth and warm. The doors quietly closed behind her.
“What is your name, and age child?” She looked down at the girl with an encouraging look in her eye.
“M-Manoglia, 5.” The girl said quietly, she was intensely nervous.
“Welcome Manoglia to the Nervien Temple of Zarian. As you know, I am Civeen, this is Talook, “She motioned to the Dragonborn. “And this is Yinthall.” She looked at the tiefling. “We are the high Gipins of the Nervien Temple, of which I am leader.”
It occurred to Manoglia how dirty and bland she must look. With her white blouse that she used as a dress, her scuffed up satchel, and her dirty legs, she must look like something one of their cats caught in the woods.
“Here,” Civeen continued,” you will be expected to help out your fellow-creatures through a list of chores that will include things like, cooking or bathing a cat. Ginell,” She gestured to the lion carving which was watching them with growing interest. “Made sure what your patron was Zarian because forcing creatures to choose her as patron is not within her interest. Moving on, you will be presented with a wild kitten witch you must tame, and who will become your closest friend. Around every two and a quarter years you will receive another cat until you have a total of four when you are sixteen. Do you understand?”
“I-I understand.” Manoglia nodded.
“Now, my companion here will examine you and find what species of cat, suits you best. Leaving no time for Manoglia to let this sink in, the catdragon flew towards her and placed its forehead against hers.
Manoglia didn’t know what was happening, it seemed like someone was flipping through her head like a book, unraveling all that was her. Only when the sensation had past did she dare open her eyes.
The catdragon was back on Civeen’s shoulder, and Civeen was whispering to a female drow dressed in an oversized tan shirt. The drow whispered back, very softly.
Then Manoglia’s worries crashed down on her, like a cresting wave. What kind of horrible score had she gotten? Would she get kicked out for having a terrible mind? What would happen to her?
“Manoglia,” Civeen seemed to read her mind: “You got a catdragon as your score.”
She relaxed, at least she had gotten a score. But she didn’t know how or if they were ranked.
“She is a siamese named Tango Minah.” Civeen smiled at Manoglia.
“Okay.” Manoglia squeaked. This already seemed like a challenge too difficult for her, but she wasn’t one to quit quickly.
“Niquex will show you to your dorm, in which you will spend the next eleven years of your life.” She motioned to Niquex, who was standing next to Civeen’s seat. She gave Manoglia a small smile. Then ascended the stairs and took Manoglia’s hand.
“Thank you, Civeen,” Manoglia said softly before allowing herself to get lead away by Niquex.
Niquex leads her through a series of corridors that were mysteriously empty.
“Right now everyone’s having dinner, so that’s why the hallways are abandoned.” Niquex launched into speech while they took a series of stairs upwards.
“You can either eat in the dining hall, or take it back to your dorm. Everyone has their own dorm so that they can have an adequate amount of alone time, although that means the dorms are quite small. Curfew is from 10:00 pm to 9:00 am, but don’t worry, you can always go to sleep earlier. Your schedule for tomorrow will be on your desk, but it’s kind of a make your own schedule. See,” she pulled a folded piece of parchment from a pocket and read an item.
“From 2:00 to 3:00, choose one to four of the following chores below:
Preparing dinner,
Shelving books at the library
Sorting laundry
Fish supply run (check with Herbiorn in dining hall)
Wash flufflumpabumps”
Manoglia was confused at the word fluffulumpabump.
“What are flufinerpaburps?” She asked in her five-year-old voice.
“Oh! They are small fluff balls that give the temple its spiritual importance. They are also said to be able to teleport between the patron’s realm, and ours! All they require is food, water, cleaning, and a home. They eat our scraps, drink from the river, live in the cracks of the walls (or in the houses you little ones can make in the craft room), and we clean them. The cats like them as well, instead of hunting them, they will pin them down and insist on licking them! It’s quite adorable. You can see them roaming around the temple. You can pick them up and pet them, but you aren’t allowed to keep them as pets, they don’t like it.” Niquex lifted Manoglia up a ladder effortlessly.
Manoglia looked around the hallway for flufflumpabumps. She watched as a small yellow puffball hopped into a crack in the stone, making soft chirping noises. Niquex climbed up behind her and stretched.
“Ah, here we are!” Niquex pointed excitedly at a dark brown door marked 28 Xinipth. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out an amber ribbon with an assortment of keys, varying in shape, size, and color. Grumbling, she inserted a large, yellow key, shaped like a perfectly elegant vase. It sprung back at her, knocking her into the glyph carved wall, where little kittens scurried out of her way.
Manoglia jumped back with shock at this scene, shocked that the door could be so violent. Niquex looked unfazed as she plucked the next key from the ribbon and attempted to insert it. This time the key refused to go in all together, as if an invisible force field separated the two. Niquex smiled down at Manoglia’s concerned face.
“Don’t worry, I know it’s on here somewhere.” She said soothingly, shaking the ribbon.
Manoglia looked up at the numerous keys on the ribbon, realizing that it could take a while to get inside. She sat down a little ways away from Niquex, as she grabbed the next key.
After what seemed to be quite some time, Niquex shouted triumphantly, startling Manoglia out of her doze. She walked over to where Niquex had successfully inserted a small, slightly transparent, ornate, azure-colored key. The door swung inward, revealing a small, pocket room. Manoglia tentatively stepped inside, looking around with excitement.
The room was made out of the same stone the rest of the temple was, with cat carvings darting around the walls. On the far wall was a window, which took up the entire wall. It had blue and green stained glass swirls, and an occasional golden fish, that twisted and glided across the windows surface, making it resemble some sort of magical lake. Slung across the window was a deep blue hammock, with teal blankets and pillow. On the left wall was a narrow desk with a variety of items neatly placed on it. In the center was a small circular table, made of dark wood that resembled the door, with three matching chairs. On top of the table lay a steaming bowl of broth in a brown, ceramic bowl. On the right wall, there were various hooks for storage. All except for two were unoccupied, one had a set of clothes, which resembled the clothing Niquex was wearing. On the other hook sat a metallic cord which held a silver sphere. Manoglia walked towards it, intrigued, Niquex trailing behind her. Manoglia lifted the necklace off of the hook, the ball made a delicate bell-like noise. Manoglia shook the ball gently, listening to the music.
“Ah! I’ve seen you’ve found your necklace.” Niquex placed a hand on Manoglia’s shoulder slightly startling her. “Now,” Niquex continue “you must keep this around your neck at all times. It signals to others that you are a part of this temple if you ever get lost. Got that?”
Manogia nodded and slipped the chain over her head.
“Alright! Moving on.” Niquex walked over to the next of clothes and opened it. Then she reached down and pulled out a large shirt.
“Here’s your nightgown.” She said, handing it to Manoglia.
The nightgown was incredibly soft and thick. Manoglia took her clothing, off and slipped the robe over her head. Then she looked over at Niquex, who was standing beside the desk. She walked over to her to see what she was doing. Niquex turned to her with a big green marble in her hand.
“This is your communicator. When the Gipins give communal messages, they will appear in this orb. This is a temple map for if you get lost.” She said, pointing at a piece of parchment. “It tracks where your necklace is at all times, so you can know where you are in the temple. Now this,” She picked up a list. “Is your schedule for tomorrow, they get delivered every night. The rest of the stuff doesn’t really need explaining,” She gestured to the remaining items on the desk. Pencils, paper, pouches, a small knife, a time teller, a few shells and rocks, and a living flame inside a bubble witch shed light over the desk. “So I think my work here is just about done! If you need any help, feel free to ask anyone. I’m sure they would be glad to assist. Oh, I almost forgot!” She turned to the hammock. “That’s your cat.” She pointed to a little siamese catdragon, who was curled up on a turquoise pillow. “Better not wake her now, you’ll have plenty of time to meet her tomorrow.” She ruffled Manoglia’s hair and put the key into her hand, “Goodnight, Manoglia.” She said, walking out the door.
“Goodnight, Niquex,” Manoglia said softly, she was feeling overwhelmed with all the new information. She silently walked over to the table and sat down in front of the soup bowl. Now she realized that she hadn’t eaten since that small breakfast of seeds. Her stomach growled impatiently. She pulled the soup close to her face. It smelled something strangely familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Leaning over, she drank the entire bowl. It was delicious, thick, and nourishing. She wiped her mouth and headed towards the hammock. With some difficulty, she eventually swung herself into the bunk. Curling up in the warm blankets, she fell asleep quickly.