The Extraordinary Accounts of One Lost Girl

-15-

If there was a way for me to go home, I figured out that I needed two things.

One was enough money. The other was the golden eyes man. Living like a caged bird inside the temple, with the eyes of the temple guards fixed on me whenever I walked about didn't help me. I realized that I barely knew anything about the world I was in. I didn't know the currency. I didn't know about the religion, their customs and their habits. The only thing I knew was about their food and I still didn't know form what they were made with. So one day I took courage and said to Zharu.

'I want you to teach me about your religion.'

Zharu stared at me, surprised. I had always avoided their religion. But religion was the foundation of a society and their culture. It determined what people valued as important.

'You are finally interested? Isn't it better to ask from your mother, or from another priestess?'

'My mother barely talks to me. The priestesses have biased views,' I said. 'I want you to teach me.'

Zharu nodded, 'As you wish.'

It was like learning about Greek mythology. There were so many names, so many characters and gods and goddesses. Their belief say that their gods and goddesses ascended and decided not to come back once they have realized that mankind can look after themselves on their own. Obviously, there were more cities other than Malhawd. But those cities were so far apart that it was almost a suicide mission to go from one city to another. Due to the population of different type of fauna in the world, humans seemed to be in the bottom of the food chain. Hence a person might as well spend his or her life entirely in one city, never leaving due to fear of death. Only a few daring merchants would go from city to city, to exchange their goods and it seemed to be only a profession for the brave and hence they are paid very well for their services, in addition to selling their goods.

Also, most cities were located underground. Malhawd was an exception due to its natural barriers around.

Each city was devoted to two deities. No two cities were devoted to the came deity, as each city was founded by the said deities. Saying that the city was founded by deities made it seem as if there were actually once alive.

'They took human form when they descended,' said Zharu. 'Most of them married humans and thus their descendents still thrive. That is why prayers sent through the high priestess are considered to be affective.'

I was in a heap of confusion by the time he was done. I almost wanted to argue that the stories didn't make any sense; then again, my current situation didn't make any sense either. In the end, I decided that trying to make sense of things one didn't know entirely about was fruitless.

To my surprise I learnt that it was considered taboo for a woman to take a life. If a woman ever takes a life, even for self defense, she was considered unfit to carry a child as a woman was considered to be an existence that is able to give life. The same goes for a mother whose child died at childbirth. She will be labeled unlucky for the rest of her life. Such mothers usually enters the temple as priestesses to atone to the sins they had committed in their past lives. Also, mothers with still-born babies usually are chased out of their families. Being infertile is also considered to be very unlucky, almost a crime.

After hearing that did I realize what my biological mother was trying to tell me, to be a social outcast for the rest of one's life. I almost shuddered. I decided that if would figure out a way to leave the city or return home if that happened as I was quite certain that I didn't inherit the Gift of Prophecy.

My next course of action was to gather information about the golden eyes man. I could not ask from mother. For one thing, she was unapproachable and I couldn't ask during lunch or dinner since Syanaam stopped insulting me in front of me now that I understood what they were saying. Syanaam didn't speak a word to me yet.