With my decision made, I started to write my letter on the slightly dried-out paper.
The first order of business was to thank him for his reply. I then made it clear that I wanted nothing more to do with my family and that it was best that he consider me dead. I went on to make an explicit statement that I had a fun-filled future ahead of me on this island and that he did not need to come for me. Further, I had no interest in enacting any revenge against my father, so anything my grandfather chose to do should be for his own satisfaction. I then hurried to write down my last point, needing to take extra care to keep my writing neat as I did so. I wanted him to visit my mother’s grave to tell her that I was alive and well.
There was so much I wanted to convey to him, but I was getting awfully flustered. I needed to compose myself. I had been sitting at this desk for some time now and had lost count of how many times I had gotten stuck on what to write or had to erase what I’d written with magic. However, I managed to finish it eventually!
I pressed the seal I had inherited from my mother into some wax. All that was left now was to send the letter. I looked around to see where I might do that from...which was when I realized that I had no idea of this shrine’s layout whatsoever!
“Perhaps I should have thought of this before I went to sleep, but where in the shrine have I placed my bed exactly?” I asked Salamander.
“Beats me. Though in the past, the folk who came by here all wore these super formal-lookin’ clothes.”
“You mean that they didn’t dress like other people? Might they have been shrine maidens or priests?”
The salamander on my shoulder gave me a questioning glance, so I looked away from him and surveyed the area. Behind the altar was a long narrow path—the one I’d followed to get here. From what Salamander had said, this must have been the deepest part of this ruined shrine where only the shrine maidens and priests had been permitted to enter.
As I set about, hoping to find my way out, I spotted a statue out of the corner of my eye that was in disrepair. It seemed to be modeled after a god—this shrine’s true master.
“Why, I didn’t expect to find an idol here...”
It was a rather large one too. I must have been in too much shock to have taken a proper look around this room yesterday. At the statue’s feet was a pedestal that seemed to be for burning sacrifices. Strangely, I didn’t feel any disgust at the thought that I had slept near it. Perhaps it was because there was no lingering stench of flesh or heat for burning said flesh coming from it. Or perhaps it’d been because I had felt safe sleeping in a sacred place, even if the god of the shrine had been completely forgotten.
But then, my chest tightened. Had I not aroused Alk’s interest, I would have lost my life just like the sacrificial animals that had been burned here. I offered up the tea left in my cup to the damaged idol before getting quietly to my knees and bowing my head. I didn’t know what happened to gods who had lost all their worshippers, but I felt it might be worth something to offer this one its first prayer in such a long time.
Salamander had followed me. He breathed fire beside me as I prayed. Several tiny embers sparked and glittered before vanishing into thin air.
“Thanks, m’lady. I’m sure the god appreciates ya!”
“It’s nothing, really. Besides, I shall be staying here for quite some time. It is only right that I introduce myself,” I reasoned.
Salamander chuckled and started rubbing at his eye with his front foot over and over. “You and your manners, huh?”
I gave him a brief pat on the head before imbuing the letter in my hand with magic. It twitched rapidly on my palm for a moment before transforming into a bird in the blink of an eye. This small bird had pure white plumage and blue eyes. It circled me several times before flying off in the direction of the cave’s exit.
That ought to reach grandfather safely! At least, I hope so!
Now that I was relieved to have dealt with an item on my to-do list, it was time to see Alk by the altar. Salamander darted up my body and came to a stop on my shoulder. Apparently, he had decided that this was his spot. Just like yesterday, his pretty flickering flames weren’t burning me. Hopefully, it was safe to take that as a sign of trust.
“Ya think Lord Alkerag’s up yet?”
“I wonder,” I said. “You’d think that this would be about the right time for it.”
“He can be awfully slow when he’s just woken up! But I don’t think he’d hurt ya or nothin’.”
Salamander and I passed through the crumbling entrance leading to the main portion of the shrine. There, the large dragon was resting his head on the altar like it was a pillow. He raised it slowly to look in my direction, and his brilliant yellow eyes were piercing. There had been a chilling, murderous air exuding from the ground beneath him, but that quickly vanished once he saw me. It seemed like he recognized me at once.
Alk wearily pushed up his upper body, flapped his wings once, and the next second, he was sitting on the altar in his human form.
I picked up my skirt and bowed my head. “Good morning, Alk. Did you sleep well?”
He loosely waved a hand in my direction. “Fran... I did, in fact, thanks to my full belly. You have done well.”
Salamander whispered in my ear that Alk didn’t like it when those he was fond of treated him with too much formality. But he did seem to be in a good mood, so I was sure he had enjoyed my offerings yesterday. I caught a glimpse of the fangs at the corners of his broad smile, which were another reminder that he wasn’t as human as he seemed. Even the way he crossed one leg over the other, rested his elbow in his lap, rounded his back, and put his chin on his hand made him look as though he was born to make that pose. I supposed there was no advantage quite like natural beauty.
I approached the dragon, whose eyes seemed very expectant, and activated my skill. I turned the screen in his direction and watched as his pupils narrowed into crescent moons.
I wonder what we shall be eating today?