Stella Nova's Journey

Chapter 8- Generosity

As the sun rises I awaken to the sound of bells. I look over at Cygnus beside me, but he's not there. I jump up in a panic. Where could he be? I run to the door, throw it open, and come face to face with Cygnus, looking to all the world as if he'd just had the life scared out of him. "What's wrong? Did someone attack? Where were you?"

"First of all I'm fine, you just startled me. And secondly if you must know I was relieving myself and getting changed."

"Changed?" I look at him again and realize that he's out of the dedicate's robes and in the clothes he came here in. "Oh, right! Our clothes are suppose to be clean now."

"Yeah. Yours are in the wardrobe." He nods towards the tall, wooden wardrobe. I walk to the wardrobe and throw the door open. I see my white shirt and brown trousers hanging from a bar across the top. My boots stand tall and clean on the bottom of the wardrobe. I pull on my clothes, too grateful about having them back to care about Cygnus being in the room.

I sit down on the bed to pull on my boots. Then I stand and reform a bag out of my net. I put the bundle back together and stuff it into my 'new' bag. I reach under the bed and pull a sleeping Shadow out. I drape him over my shoulders. Then I pick up the well used and slightly bloodstained trident and walk to the door. "So... Breakfast?"

He shakes his head as though coming out of a trance. "Sorry, what?"

"Breakfast. You mentioned breakfast last night."

"Oh, right. Breakfast. Yes. We should figure out where that is."

We leave the room and make our way to the stairwell. I follow the tantalizing scent of smoked meat and the bread-like smell of porridge. It leads me down the stairs and into the basement. I follow the aroma down the corridor, in the opposite direction from the baths. Soon I arrive at a large door that sits slightly ajar. The delicious smell of food wafts through.

I peer around the edge of the large wooden door, into the brightly lit room. Two long tables sit side by side in the center of the room with a smaller table at the far end. The benches of the long tables are lined with kindly monks and nuns. The table at the far end houses the Father and the Mother. The tables themselves are covered in platters of foods; bacon, and ham, and fish, and eggs. Large bowls of porridge with silver or steel ladles are spaced out along the white table clothes, within easy reach of each Brother and Sister.

We step out from behind the door, and onto the brown wooden floors of the massive room. Upon noticing us, Father John waves us over to his table. As Cygnus and I walk across the long room, it feels as though all eyes are on us. I sit down on the bench, next to Father John with Cygnus on my other side.

Father John stands from his seat. "Now that all are present may we give blessing to those within our walls and outside them."

Together, as one, the Brothers and Sisters, the Mother and Father, and all the dedicates, speak in unison. "Oh, Dragon Gods above, save us all from the demons below. Face down and destroy their armies before the devils taint our world. Bless this food in order to stop the sins that would overwhelm us all. Stop the warring for land, glory, and wealth that threatens to destroy these realms, your home. Protect your descendants, so they may rise to bring peace unto our world and the lands in which we live. May we fly with you when we die." The Father sat down and the room filled with a clamor as people scooped porridge and grabbed meats and eggs onto their dishes.

"Father John?"

"Yes, my child."

"There's something in that prayer that I'm curious about."

"What would that be my dear?"

"Well I've heard that prayer many times before, but never with the lines about war or the dragons' descendants, and I'm wondering what those are about."