EVENT - The Shattered Binding - Prayer Prompt (Monoceros, Oremizume, Higatami)

THE SHATTERED BINDING – Prompt: Prayer


Prompt: Draw or write your Reosean seeking help from elders, figures of power, or gods. The only eligible gods are those who have direct connections to the Haedians or Empyrians; Empyria and Oris. To do so, your Reosean will have to pray or perform a ceremony in order to commune with them. Perhaps they leave some fruit or gifts at an altar or use their magics to entertain the gods.

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If there was something Oremizume hated more than freezing water, it was Gods. He disliked the thought of someone that powerful controlling their lives... But at the same time, the weeks he spent in the Beneath slowly changed his way of thinking.

In his travel, he met a blind Empyrian, Higatami. She wasn't really religious, but she told him some of the legends of Vitalus, stories of Oris and Cosmosis.
He, honestly, disliked both. Just because they were so strong, they had to ruin the lives of smaller creatures?!

The Vayron snorted angrily, as he hauled a heavy basked on the side of his saddle. Near him, Higatami raised an eyebrow.

“What's wrong, too heavy?”

She mocked, but she carried much less than him. Oremizume pulled his lips back in a snarl, but then the third reosean of their party arrived, dragging her fluffy tail on the ground.

“Ugh... So heavy..”

Monoceros was a Haedian from the Beneath, more precisely from the Order Clan. At first Oremizume had been worried, remembering what happened with the Order when he first met them. They were an aggressive bunch, that for sure... But when he saw the condition the Matriarch was in, he kind of understood why they were so ferocious, like a child that wants to protect their mother.

“You good, Monoceros?”

“Yeah. My 'dear' friends wanted me to bring more stuff than an outsider...”

She hissed, and Oremizume dropped his ears. He felt sorry for the other: it was clear that Monoceros didn't like the Order, despite being born there. Now, to bring honour to the Order's Clan, she had to carry two full basket of freshly hunted meat and freshly picked fruits, right to an altar that was made in the Caregivers territory.

“Sorry to hear that.”

“Pff.”

“Stop laughing, Empyrian. It is not funny.” Monoceros growled at Higatami, who responded with a snort and by showing her tongue.

“Alright, alright... Let's go before it gets late.” Oremizume stepped in, fearing a war between the two. It was clear that Higatami was there only because she was asked by someone important to her, but in reality, she didn't really want to help.
That angered Monoceros, but there wasn't really anything they could do.

They started walking toward the Caregivers' territory, leaving the Order's, while thinking about the ceremony.
It was, at least on paper, simple. They had received instructions on how to perform it in a letter, that now rested in a pouch on the back of the Vayron.
Place the food, pray, leave. But somehow, both Monoceros and Oremizume had a bad feeling about it: they knew Higatami was going to be a needle in their hindquarters.

*

“Well, we are here.”

Higatami announced, smelling the air. The previous food left for the prayers had rotten, so the altar wasn't very clean.

“Seems like we have to clean up a bit.”

Said Oremizume, walking closer to the altar with a grimace. He didn't really like the thought of touching mushy and mouldy food, but they couldn't risk angering Oris.
So, he and Monoceros put down the offers, and then started cleaning with rags and water from the various ponds around, until the altar was clean again.

In all that, Higatami just sat like a dog in a corner, munching on a raw bone.

“...Higatami, where did you get that?”

Monoceros asked, once she realized what the Empyrian had been doing while she and the Vayron cleaned. The Empyrian smiled and gestured her pouch, in which she should have had some food for the prayer.

“You idiotic-”

“Higatami, what did you do?!”

“Oh, chill out you two. There is enough food for that rock.”

“We need to show respect!” snarled Monoceros, looking at Higatami as if her eyes could burn her to ashes. Higatami rolled her blind eyes, putting the bone away in the bucket that held the old offers.

“Fine, fine... It's not like a bull would eat this anyway!”

Oremizume chose to stay quiet, since Monoceros looked ready to kill the first one that drew a breath. Higatami seemed to enjoy getting on everyone's nerves, the Vayron observed.
He quietly finished cleaning the golden statue of the bull, so that it started to shine again. Then, with Monoceros, he placed the offers on the table of the altar.
First, a big piece of meat. Then, some lamb, that Oremizume had carried all the way from the Outside.
Then, carefully arranged around the meat, Monoceros placed the fresh fruits, sorting them by size, since she had no clue on how they tasted.
If the Vayron was surprised to see some tomatoes near the oranges, he said nothing.

“Good. Now, we pray. Higatami... Be respectful.”

“Yes yes, I know.”

Both Oremizume and Monoceros sighed, hoping that this time Higatami wasn't going to annoy them more than she already did.
The three sat before the altar, and Higatami started.

“Oh dear-”

“Dear? He is a God, not your cousin.”

“Who says I don't have a cousin that is also a God?”

“You-”

Oremizume sighed, loudly, and that made Higatami stop her bickering, at least for a bit.

“Fiiiiiine. Our lord Oris, please hear this prayer...”

Monoceros looked still a bit sceptical at her word choice, but she decided to avoid screaming again at the Empyrian: the sooner they finished the ceremony, the sooner she could go home.

“We bring these offers to you, in hopes that you might aid us in our mission. We wish to save the Matriarch, for now trapped in the rocks that bind her to this place. Please, please help us.”

Higatami stopped her prayers, and along with the other two Reosean, she lighted up some candles.

“Done. Now, we can only wait and hope he will hear us.”

“Hmm... Maybe I should have shouted?”

Both Monoceros and Oremizume whipped their heads toward Higatami, a snarl on their faces.

“NO!”

Higatami grinned happily, then trotted away, leaving the other two to carry the previous offers, now rotten and in four different buckets.

“...Why do we have to work with her?”

“...Ask the guy from the Forgotten. He said he was going to give her a dagger in exchange of her help down here, now she is going to be a pain in the butt for us two.”

“I will find that son of a turtle and I'll tell him a couple of things.”

Monoceros hissed, grabbing two buckets.

“Tell him that I hope he trips on a Zataro's tail.”

“Sure thing, outsider.”

Oremizume smiled, grabbing the other two buckets.