Draco opened his sleepy eyes and quickly squinted, blinded by the morning sun. The dragon muttered something incomprehensible and rolled over onto his other side. Through the open windows, birdsong, the gentle rustling of the forest and the distant sounds of rural life drifted into the bedroom.
The boy lay there for a moment, then lazily sat up in bed. He yawned widely, stretched, and looked around. After spending the afternoon with his master, Draco went back to the forest and walked among the trees until late, listening to the sounds of nature. When fatigue set in, he returned to his bedroom and opened all the windows before going to bed. Now he decided that it might have been better to at least leave them covered. Although he slept quite long for himself. Everyday life outside was already in full swing.
Draco jumped when there was a knock at the door.
-Please come in,- he responded with a slight delay.
One of the maids entered the room, a middle-aged woman dressed in a dark gown without any additional embellishments.
-Good morning, young master. I hope I did not wake you.
-Good morning, no, although I just got up.- Draco yawned widely again. It was a bit strange for him, as he usually did not feel tired to this extent and was bursting with energy in the morning. He looked at the maid.
-Breakfast will be served shortly. The honourable Earl asked me to inform the young master.- The maid turned towards the exit.- A bath has been prepared for the young master in the room opposite.- With these words, the woman left.
-Thank you.- Draco managed to say.
The dragon stared at the closed door for a moment. Then he looked around the chamber. His trunk stood on the opposite side of the room, and on top of it lay the clothes he had worn the previous day. Only now did he remember that after returning from the forest, he didn't want to wander around the house looking for someone to ask about a bath, so he decided to leave it until morning. Apparently, the problem had solved itself.
Draco got up and stretched. A morning bath was just what he needed. The dragon glanced at the trunk again, deciding that he should put something on before going to look for the bathroom.
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Refreshed and with his usual energy, Draco entered the dining room. They had eaten dinner here the previous day, so he managed to find his way without anyone's help. The room was dark, but candles were burning on the table, allowing him to see the food on it. In addition to fresh bread, he spotted fresh vegetables, various types of cheese, honey, two kinds of salad and butter. Several people were sitting at the table. Captain Forth was talking quietly to the sergeant, who was responsible for the security of the estate. The older man seemed to be listening intently to his superior. Next to him sat a burly gentleman with a weather-beaten face and bushy eyebrows that were perpetually furrowed, who was introduced to the dragon as supervisor Firsk.
Draco bowed politely, and the assembled guests responded in kind. The boy took a vacant seat at the table. As no one had started the meal, the dragon could only wait, trying to hear something from the quiet conversation of the military men.
Finally, after an agonisingly long wait, the master entered the room accompanied by the priest Sommenfell. The two men engaged in a rather courteous conversation. Everyone stood up to greet them. At the same time, the housekeeper Bardson appeared in the second doorway. After exchanging pleasantries, everyone sat down at the table and began to eat breakfast.
For the dragon, it was a somewhat strange meal. No one was talking, and everything was as quiet as possible. He also noticed that the master often looked as if he wanted to ask him something, but gave up at the last moment. When the meal was over, the priest spoke.
-Would you like to join me in morning prayers?
-Of course, Reverend. - The housekeeper replied before he had even finished his question.
-Unfortunately, we have some duties to attend to. - The sergeant looked embarrassed. - I'll visit the chapel when I have a free moment. - He added quickly.
-Perhaps another time,- echoed the captain.
-Hmm... There will be some time before the work piles up,- the supervisor nodded seriously. His face showed that he was still calculating something.
-We'll be happy to join you,- the master smiled slightly.
Draco said nothing, relying on his mentor.
-There is nothing left to do but thank everyone for this shared meal.- The priest rose from his seat and moved towards the door. Mrs Bradson and Supervisor Firsk followed him.
Darius rose from his seat and then stopped, looking at his student.
-I haven't asked you this yet.- Bleist glanced at the door behind which Reverend Sommenfell was disappearing.- Which gods do you worship?
-Actually... none.- The dragon shrugged.- I'm not very religious. - A crooked smile appeared on his face involuntarily. - I've always had enough problems of my own to worry about whether the gods would cause me any more. - He muttered quietly enough that only his master could hear him. Darius nodded in understanding. - Although once in a while I went with my aunt to the temple of Tianlong or Thanatos. On the anniversary of my uncle and cousin's death, we also made offerings to Direl.- Draco didn't attach much importance to this. He had learned long ago that the gods did not listen to the prayers of their followers, but appeared when they themselves needed something. Sure, sometimes they graciously appear in temples to warn of something or command something that, in hindsight, will prove to be a salvation for many. More often, however, divine prophecies, commands and prohibitions remain incomprehensible to mortals. It also happened that offended deities would curse someone or, through their followers, make that person's life difficult, if they did not want to take their life away. Draco weighed the pros and cons of faith and decided that it would be best for him if the gods were not interested in him at all. He hoped that he was doing quite well.
-The most important thing is to treat the gods with respect and not incur their wrath.- Darius nodded, pointing to the exit.- As for the rest... I completely agree with you.
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The chapel surprised the dragon. The room was flooded with colourful light coming through stained glass windows depicting various plants and small animals. In the centre was a round altar entirely decorated with bas-reliefs of vines and ivy. Against the wall opposite the entrance stood a statue of a goddess with a wreath of spring flowers on her head, a bouquet of grain in her hands, and various animals at her feet. From the statue, on both sides along the walls, there were waist-high pedestals with shrines resembling miniature temples, through the doors of which one could see the statues of the deities to whom they were dedicated. In the middle of the right aisle, in accordance with tradition, there was a golden altar decorated with symbols of stars dedicated to Solas, the god of light. Opposite, in the middle of the left aisle, there was an obsidian shrine, which was the only one with a closed door. The black altar belonged to Direl, goddess of darkness and the underworld. Right next to it was another ink-coloured shrine made of black marble. However, there was no divine image inside it. The altar was dedicated to Thanatos, the god of death, and according to the doctrine of his religion, he was a god without a single form. He appeared to everyone in a different shape. For this reason, he was not depicted in any way, and all sacred places were decorated with symbols of a skull inscribed in a spiked ring. In addition to these customary shrines, there were six others in the room, but Draco recognised only the one dedicated to Gaia, the goddess of the earth.
-Maratia, lady of life, we thank you for another day.- Priest Sommenfell placed both hands on the altar and bowed to the statue of his goddess, his forehead almost touching the stone tabletop. - Accept our offering and look upon us with mercy. Remove the difficulties of life from us so that we may know your grace. - The clergyman pulled a bouquet of wildflowers out of nowhere and placed it on the altar. - We, your humble followers, offer you our silent prayers.
The servant of the goddess silently moved away from his place, and only his lips could be seen moving in silent prayer. Then Mrs Bardson approached the altar, prayed for a moment and left a small gift. Next was the supervisor, who offered several beautiful flowers. After him, the master approached the altar and prayed silently for a long moment, then took several gold coins from his pocket and placed them next to the other gifts.
When Darius returned to his place, it was Draco's turn. The dragon, somewhat reluctantly, approached the sacrificial table. Following in the master's footsteps, he took out one Galeo and looked at the divine representation. He had nothing to say to the Lady of Life. Nor did he want to complain or ask for anything. It was almost as if the goddess was completely indifferent to him. He slowly placed the offering on the altar, and among the emptiness of his thoughts, one appeared that he could consider a request - that his master's prayer be answered. The coin fell heavily on the stone tabletop, and the sound made Draco flinch, as if he had been violently awakened.
The dragon, this time quite quickly, crossed the room and stopped next to Darius. In the meantime, the priest approached the altar again.
-O lady, who looks equally upon every life, accept our requests and offerings. Look upon us, fleeting beings, and grant us your mercy.- From inside his robe, the reverend pulled out a silver censer in the shape of a cillian flower - with a ball-shaped seed pod and a crown of countless fluffy petals. Sommenfell leaned over the instrument and whispered something quietly. Fragrant smoke began to seep from all the intricately crafted seeds, filling the chapel with the scent of spring flowers and earth after a summer rain. The priest placed the silver object in the centre of the altar.- Mindful of our duties, we stand before you and give thanks. Bless those who bring you offerings and all living creatures under your care.
-God bless all life.- The congregation chanted in unison, and only Draco had to quickly figure out what to say.
-Let us pray to the other gods that they too may look upon us.- The reverend bowed before the altar, circled it, and stood before the statue of the goddess, continuing his prayer in silence.
The housekeeper turned right towards the first shrine from the entrance. She bowed before it and folded her hands on her chest, sinking into thought. Overseer Firsk joined the priest.
Draco felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked at his master, who just smiled.
-Can you wait for me? It won't take me too long.
The dragon nodded. Darius walked away towards the golden shrine. Solas was the patron deity of Atlantis, so the dragon was not surprised that his master worshipped this god. In fact, he began to wonder if he should start doing so himself. After all, the magic of light came from this god. However, with his approach to faith, he couldn't bring himself to approach his master.
Draco looked around the interior, deciding to explore the appearance of the chapel rather than its essence. He quickly noticed that in front of the small shrines there were offering bowls in the form of recesses in the pedestals. Most of them contained various gifts - from trinkets of value only to their previous owners, to flowers, pieces of food, and various coins. Interestingly, two bowls were almost empty. There were no offerings in front of Thanatos' altar, and only a few wildflowers, already dried out, had been placed for Direl. The dragon approached the black shrines, not knowing why he was so intrigued. He absent-mindedly felt his pockets, where he found a few Dagian coins. Without much thought, he offered half of them to the god of death and the rest to the goddess of the underworld. A memory of his visit to the Central Bank came to mind.
-May my parents rest in peace.- He whispered.- And all my relatives who have passed away.- He added, thinking not only of his uncle and cousin, but also of his father's family. He bowed before both altars, remembering only that in the end, one must show respect to the gods.
The boy withdrew to the entrance and watched the others pray for a moment. Finally, Darius threw something into the offering bowl, made the sign of the star at the height of his heart, and left the Solas shrine. The master approached his student, and they left together. However, Bleist did not head deeper into the house, but opened the door next to the chapel. As it turned out, it led outside.
It was warm, probably very warm for humans, but the temperature made no difference to a dragon. However, the cloudless blue sky was tempting. Flying in this place would probably be pleasant, but Draco refrained, not really wanting to share his secret with even more people, who were essentially strangers.
-As a way to relax, I'd like to go for a ride.- The master said casually.- I think you could use it too.
-Of course, I'd love to see the area.- Draco beamed a little.- Only...- He paused for a moment.- I've never ridden a horse before.- He looked around.- Dragons don't need them. In Dagos, animals were only used in transport carriages and the carriages of rich people who wanted to show off in society.- He shrugged.- My own wings are more reliable than even the best horse.
-It's hard to disagree.- Darius nodded in agreement.- Think of it as fun, a form of relaxation.
-Hmmm... I'll try.
-In that case, let's hurry, the mounts should be waiting.
Draco glanced through one of the transparent sections of the stained glass windows. Not much had changed inside. Now the priest was incensing the statue of Marati, the overseer and the housekeeper were still praying, and a blond-haired boy of no more than nine years old was standing by the black shrines. The child, as if sensing someone's gaze, turned towards the dragon. A smile lit up his innocent face, which Draco returned.
The dragon moved towards his master, leaving the sacred place behind him.