She still wasn’t certain that what they used really was “magic.” There was no denying the existence of dragons, and the inferno stones seemed to be an unlimited source of energy that appeared to be magical, but she suspected there were logical explanations for everything on the world of Theia that could be considered “magic.” Humanity already understood that something that appeared to be “magic” was likely some kind of technology they just didn’t understand yet. The yan-kanat accepted the wonders of their world as magic, and seemed to lack the human need to find a logical explanation for them.
She was afraid that “magic” wouldn’t be enough to save poor Zan Cyall, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t worth trying. If nothing else, she thought it might be worth appealing to Seta Zul herself. The deity might not be a true goddess, but there was some kind of power in her worship that made her seals so effective. Power that Sarah could not even begin to explain.
She locked up the revolver and ammunition in the lockbox on her desk along with her notes on how the weapon functioned. Then she stacked her other journals and loose sheafs of handmade papers neatly before bidding Trazu Drakene farewell for the day, knowing that neither of them would be able to focus when they were worried.
Instead of heading straight back to the wing district to wait for Jotaha to return from his work at the training grounds, she made her way through the temple to the small market that had been built in the grand lobby. There she could purchase items to offer the various Ajda that were worshipped in the temple, each within their own chapel attached to the massive building. The market was always busy, even in the evenings, when many yan-kanat came to worship and hadn’t stopped in any of the shopping districts below to pick up offerings.
Though it was still midday, the place was packed, and she had to wait for some time before she could speak to the stall vendor and discover what offerings would most please Seta Zul. During her wait, she felt the eyes of the yan-kanat around her settle on her. Most of their attention was curious, and they would give her a friendly nod if she glanced in their direction and caught them staring. She suspected some weren’t as welcoming, but none would dare to spread their negative energy in this place. Seta Zul herself wanted Sarah here, as far as the yan-kanat faith was concerned. Questioning her will wasn’t a wise thing to do if one had come here to worship the Ajda.
The stall vendor knew her by now, as she often stopped on her way through the lobby to purchase small treats for herself and the lore-keeper from several of the vendors. The female was more than happy to provide suggestions for an offering to Seta Zul, and Sarah was pleased that none of them involved blood, though there were vials of various types of animal blood available at many of the stalls.
The fertility goddess liked flowers, perfumed oils and waxes, scented candles, anetaak berries, and something that only a male could provide that caused Sarah to blush at the mention of it. She hoped she wouldn’t walk into Seta Zul’s chapel to discover a male yan-kanat preparing that kind of “offering.” At her question about whether the chapel might already be “in use” the vendor seemed amused, as if she was aware of Sarah’s concern, quickly assuring her that any “offerings” were always procured beforehand.
Sarah selected some flowers in a vibrant purple color. She was still learning the names of all the different plants and flowers, but there were so many. The yan-kanat seemed to love anything that grew from the soil and their ancient history implied that they’d originally evolved in a jungle environment, so they cultivated every plant and tree on Theia to some degree, leading to an overwhelming variety to learn. She couldn’t name the flowers she’d chosen, but the vendor agreed that Seta Zul would appreciate them, as the goddess would approve of the oil she’d purchased.
Once she’d collected her offerings, she wended her way through the crowd in the vast lobby, walking through the light that beamed down from the crystal skylights in the ceiling and sparked off clusters of crystals that surrounded the many different dragon statues in the lobby. She passed beneath the massive and stunning central statue of Draku Rin and headed towards Seta Zul’s chapel.
The lush antechamber of Seta Zul’s chapel, filled with silken fabrics and elaborate sculptures and fragrant potted plants, was nothing compared to the beauty of the altar room, where a dais sat in front of a sinuous carving of the goddess herself, in all her draconic glory, her triangular head looking down upon the flat surface of the dais.
Sarah now understood the purpose of that dais, and also realized why there was so much room around it for an audience to sit upon the cushions that were now thankfully unoccupied.
When it was time for their first mating ceremony, a soft mattress made especially for them would cover the dais. She felt both excited and anxious when she thought about what would take place on that mattress—right in front of an audience of priests in training. If anyone had tried to tell her before she left Earth that this was how her wedding would turn out, she would have thought them insane—or perverted. Now, she could only feel frustrated that the very public event was being delayed, and deeply concerned that she was the reason for it, and that some human disease was killing a kind-hearted yan-kanat who only wished the best for her and Jotaha.
She made her way to the offering bowls that sat on the steps in front of the dais and poured the oil into one bowl. Then she set the flowers atop the fragrant oil that the vendor had chosen to complement the floral scent as well as the subtle incense that Seta Zul preferred. She lit the candles on either side of the bowl with one of the smoking incense sticks that always sat in a golden urn filled with sand at a side table. The highly flammable wicks burst into flame as soon as the heated tip of the incense touched them.
She knelt before the altar on a cushion intended for that purpose, bowing her head. Her hands moved automatically into prayer position, even though her parents had raised her to believe that all religions were pointless and an exercise in willful ignorance.
“Seta Zul, I bring you this offering to honor you, as I have come seeking your counsel.”
If she’d expected an answer from the goddess, she would have been disappointed. She already knew that Seta Zul had not “spoken” to anyone—even her priests—for many generations, though her “blood”—if that was what it was—still worked to seal and then make fertile the males seeking their mates. Jotaha had said that Seta Zul was “dormant” but still so powerful even in that state that she could hear the words of her followers and would even sometimes grant those requests that moved her.
Into the heavy, scented silence of the chapel, Sarah spoke aloud, voicing her concerns about Zan Cyall, and her worry that his illness could prove incurable because it might have come from Earth.
Speaking to a “goddess” was strangely comforting to her, despite having never sought any type of spiritual solace before. She found herself pouring out her feelings with an openness she wouldn’t have shown with a real person. Not even with Jotaha.
When she finished speaking, tears chilled her cheeks. She lifted a hand to touch her wet skin, surprised by their presence. She couldn’t remember what she’d ended up saying, but it had felt like a confessional for her.
She still had a question and a purpose for this visit, even if she hadn’t really thought it would make much of a difference. Maybe a part of her was hoping that all this “magic” stuff was actually real.