81125, Cera, 28
\nThe 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\u2019t 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\u2019s 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.
\nNervien 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.
\nThey 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.
\nAlthough 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.
\nAfter 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.
\nIt 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.
\nThe 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\u2019s 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.
\n\u201cPlease grant me entrance to the Nervien Temple.\u201d He said confidently
\n\u201cWhat is your business here?\u201d The lion asked with surprising volume causing the girl to jump backward in surprise.
\n\u201cTo deliver this young lady to the serves of Zarian.\u201d 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?
\n\u201cLet me consult the Timpquells.\u201d 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.
\nAfter 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.
\nThe 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.
\nThe 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.
\n\u201cBnivle.\u201d The catfolk spoke the word with a mixture of hatred and annoyance, at the Sickness Snuffer.
\n\u201cCiveen.\u201d Bnivle shot back with equal dislike.
\n\u201cThank you for bringing this young woman to us. You are dismissed.\u201d She waved him off with an elegant hand increased in golden rings.
\nHe stalked off back into the deep forest, dramatically sighing and huffing. Civeen quickly shifted her attention to the girl.
\n\u201cPlease enter, young one,\u201d She said with recurring confidence.
\nThe girl silently padded in on her bare feet, the stone feeling smooth and warm. The doors quietly closed behind her.
\n\u201cWhat is your name, and age child?\u201d She looked down at the girl with an encouraging look in her eye.
\n\u201cM-Manoglia, 5.\u201d The girl said quietly, she was intensely nervous.
\n\u201cWelcome Manoglia to the Nervien Temple of Zarian. As you know, I am Civeen, this is Talook, \u201cShe motioned to the Dragonborn. \u201cAnd this is Yinthall.\u201d She looked at the tiefling. \u201cWe are the high Gipins of the Nervien Temple, of which I am leader.\u201d
\nIt 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.
\n\u201cHere,\u201d Civeen continued,\u201d 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,\u201d She gestured to the lion carving which was watching them with growing interest. \u201cMade 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?\u201d
\n\u201cI-I understand.\u201d Manoglia nodded.
\n\u201cNow, 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.
\nManoglia didn\u2019t 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.
\nThe catdragon was back on Civeen\u2019s shoulder, and Civeen was whispering to a female drow dressed in an oversized tan shirt. The drow whispered back, very softly.
\nThen Manoglia\u2019s 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?
\n\u201cManoglia,\u201d Civeen seemed to read her mind: \u201cYou got a catdragon as your score.\u201d
\nShe relaxed, at least she had gotten a score. But she didn\u2019t know how or if they were ranked.
\n\u201cShe is a siamese named Tango Minah.\u201d Civeen smiled at Manoglia.
\n\u201cOkay.\u201d Manoglia squeaked. This already seemed like a challenge too difficult for her, but she wasn\u2019t one to quit quickly.
\n\u201cNiquex will show you to your dorm, in which you will spend the next eleven years of your life.\u201d She motioned to Niquex, who was standing next to Civeen\u2019s seat. She gave Manoglia a small smile. Then ascended the stairs and took Manoglia\u2019s hand.
\n\u201cThank you, Civeen,\u201d Manoglia said softly before allowing herself to get lead away by Niquex.
\nNiquex leads her through a series of corridors that were mysteriously empty.
\n\u201cRight now everyone\u2019s having dinner, so that\u2019s why the hallways are abandoned.\u201d Niquex launched into speech while they took a series of stairs upwards.
\n\u201cYou 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\u2019t worry, you can always go to sleep earlier. Your schedule for tomorrow will be on your desk, but it\u2019s kind of a make your own schedule. See,\u201d she pulled a folded piece of parchment from a pocket and read an item.
\n\u201cFrom 2:00 to 3:00, choose one to four of the following chores below:
\nPreparing dinner,
\nShelving books at the library
\nSorting laundry
\nFish supply run (check with Herbiorn in dining hall)
\nWash flufflumpabumps\u201d
\nManoglia was confused at the word fluffulumpabump.
\n\u201cWhat are flufinerpaburps?\u201d She asked in her five-year-old voice.
\n\u201cOh! They are small fluff balls that give the temple its spiritual importance. They are also said to be able to teleport between the patron\u2019s 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\u2019s quite adorable. You can see them roaming around the temple. You can pick them up and pet them, but you aren\u2019t allowed to keep them as pets, they don\u2019t like it.\u201d Niquex lifted Manoglia up a ladder effortlessly.
\nManoglia 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.
\n\u201cAh, here we are!\u201d 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.
\nManoglia 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\u2019s concerned face.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t worry, I know it\u2019s on here somewhere.\u201d She said soothingly, shaking the ribbon.
\nManoglia 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.
\nAfter 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.<\/p>\n
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.
\n\u201cAh! I\u2019ve seen you\u2019ve found your necklace.\u201d Niquex placed a hand on Manoglia\u2019s shoulder slightly startling her. \u201cNow,\u201d Niquex continue \u201cyou 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?\u201d
\nManogia nodded and slipped the chain over her head.
\n\u201cAlright! Moving on.\u201d Niquex walked over to the next of clothes and opened it. Then she reached down and pulled out a large shirt.
\n\u201cHere\u2019s your nightgown.\u201d She said, handing it to Manoglia.
\nThe 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.
\n\u201cThis 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.\u201d She said, pointing at a piece of parchment. \u201cIt tracks where your necklace is at all times, so you can know where you are in the temple. Now this,\u201d She picked up a list. \u201cIs your schedule for tomorrow, they get delivered every night. The rest of the stuff doesn\u2019t really need explaining,\u201d 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. \u201cSo I think my work here is just about done! If you need any help, feel free to ask anyone. I\u2019m sure they would be glad to assist. Oh, I almost forgot!\u201d She turned to the hammock. \u201cThat\u2019s your cat.\u201d She pointed to a little siamese catdragon, who was curled up on a turquoise pillow. \u201cBetter not wake her now, you\u2019ll have plenty of time to meet her tomorrow.\u201d She ruffled Manoglia\u2019s hair and put the key into her hand, \u201cGoodnight, Manoglia.\u201d She said, walking out the door.
\n\u201cGoodnight, Niquex,\u201d 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\u2019t 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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[5,4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecatdragon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecatdragon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecatdragon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecatdragon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecatdragon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=199"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/thecatdragon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":318,"href":"https:\/\/thecatdragon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199\/revisions\/318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecatdragon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecatdragon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecatdragon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}