Dungeons & Disappointment

Chapter 9: Worker's Hijinx

Honestly, as I stared up at the magnificent front of the temple, I was kind of in awe. The way all of the stones fit together, almost in perfect symmetry, was stunning. The wood of the temple was also nice and furnished, a stark contrast to the rather dirty surroundings of the town. And, about halfway up the steeple, there was a large, stained-glass window, with a red sky, a set of rolling green hills, and a black sun.

"What's with the stained glass up there?"

"Oh, that's the sigil of the Pantheon. It appears different to everyone. What is it for you?"

"It's a black sun, red sky, and green hills."

"Huh. Thats weird. Mine is just the sea, with a turquoise sky, and a teal trident." She said. "I've never heard of a red sky with a black sun. then again, I haven't really asked that many people what they see in the steeple glass."

"Right. Maybe it's because I'm not from this world."

She nodded.

"Well, let's get in there, see if anything comes to us."

I opened the doors of the temple, and the moment I passed through, all of the sounds of the city were muffled by the thick stone walls, allowing for not total silence, but quiet enough that we were alone with our thoughts. There was a very, very faint breeze blowing through the air, carrying with it a scent that, unfortunately, I didn't recognize.

The actual inside of the temple was very grand and beautiful in its entirety, with nice, red carpet and paneled pews that were all leading up to an altar with a large, bronze bowl in the middle of it, with a fire burning underneath the bowl.

"If you want to sacrifice anything to the gods, you do it in that bowl." Finana whispered. "Just put whatever it is that you want to sacrifice in there, and it'll catch on fire and disappear."

"Sweet! Do you have to announce who it's being sacrificed to?"

"No, I don't think so." She said. "If any of the gods find favor with you, they all take it and split it up. Or, if you think about who you're sacrificing it to, they'll take it from you and accept the offering."

"Alright, so what should I sacrifice?"

"Not sure, maybe some of the jerky or some of the money?"

"I'll do some of the jerky."

I walked straight up to the altar, passing up all of the pews and the flickering candles and lanterns, and I broke off a few pieces of jerky and held them over the sides of the huge bowl. And, after a nice, deep sigh, I dropped them straight into the bowl, and to my delight, they caught on fire. And truthfully, I was expecting a bad burning smell as the beef jerky was consumed, but surprisingly, there was a very, very sweet scent that came from the brazier, and after just a moment of burning, the jerky just disappeared, right into thin air. And nothing happened.

"Well, that's a little bit underwhelming," I said.

"It can be sometimes," Finana replied. "Just spend a bit more time in the temples in the future, make a few sacrifices, and maybe they'll commune with you."

"Alright," I said, eyeing the bowl suspiciously. "Where to next?"

"The WorkBoard." She said. "Which I've been meaning to ask about for a bit."

"Yeah?"

"So, you seem like you're pretty capable." She said. "And truthfully, I'd rather not do this alone. Would you mind doing a job with me so that we can earn some money?"