A priestesses' fate isn't so cruel

Chapeter 20

AT THE TEMPLE..

Shina got up as usual and got to the onsen bath. A few priestesses were already in the onsen, chatting away unnecessary chat. Shina just remained silent.

She wanted to know more. She needed to find the truth and bring it to light. She just needed to. As she soaked in the hot spring with the other palace maidens, she made up her mind.

She was going to secretly sneak and go to the Sanagi household. There was just nothing really to do on a particular Sunday. There was only some practicing and shrine work.

Shina needed to tell Sarata first. She hoped that she would understand. After she got changed in her priestess uniform from the bath, she went to Sarata's office. It was small, wooden and there was talismans and a painting of the temple goddess on the wall. Sarata looked up after finishing writing on a piece of white talisman.

"Shina ? do you have any problems?" She kept a serious face and put away the talisman she just wrote on slowly and placed the calligraphy brush back into it's inkwell.

"Sarata.. i have to go out for something important.. Please.. it's really..urgent.." Shina swallowed her saliva knowing that her request might get rejected plainly as Sarata was a responsible and dedicated Girl even though she just look like she just turned 16.

Shina was hoping no for an answer when Sarata smiled and agreed.
"Yes. you can." Shina opened her eyes wide and smiled.

"Really??!" She smiled and grasped Sarata's hand. "Yes. but be back before 5 in the evening. I will report to the head priestess that you have some errands to run." She smiled but put Shina's hands away.

"Now go before i change my mind. I have some matters to attend to." She looked down to some talisman cut papers and begin writing again.

"Thank you so much! i will remember this!" Shina bowed lowly and got out of the room. She didn't have anytime to waste.

Sarata just smiled for she finally made friends with her attitude.

Meanwhile, Shina got changed into a casual shirt and jeans and sneakers and sneaked out without anyone watching her. She hailed a cab and got to the nearest city where the Sanagi mansion was standing, Osaka.

She got off the cab and and looked at the paper. She followed the directions and walked for quite a while. She eventually reached a huge mansion. It was so beautiful, to think that her father had lived here.

She shook off the thought and saw some guards guarding the gate. She saw a small opening in the cracked wall that's big enough for her to fit in.

She crawled into it without being caught and spotted a tree on the far corner end which was high enough to climb into a room window. She took in a deep breath and climbed the tree.

She climbed the tree and slipped into the room. She was suprised that no one was in this room. It looked very deserted, to begin with. It was very dusty, there was a large bed in the middle, a desk on the right corner of the room, but there was no book on it or whatsoever. The room was so dusty and empty, with only a bed with thick covers and a desk.

She walked over to the door and slowly closed it. Then she goes over to the desk table. On the table was a name engraved; " Kesata". She suddenly realizes that she had been in her father's room the whole time.

She opened the drawers to find nothing. She went to the bed when she somehow lost her balance and fell onto the thick bed sheet that was partly onto the floor. But luckily no sound was really produced because of the thick layer of cloth. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt curious.

She opened the cloth and looked under the bed. it was dark but she pushed her hand in and tried to reach for something. She felt something like several tapes. she managed to get all of them out, a few tapes.

They don't have marked dates, but she fit them into her bag at once. She remembered that her foster parents has an old tape playing television. She sneaked out again and went out through the small crack in the wall. She looked at the time to see its 2 pm. She rushed to her foster parent's house and greeted them.

"Shina? why are you here? shouldn't you be back at the shrine?" Mrs. Senshino asks while Mr. Senshino looked puzzled.

"I found something at the Sanagi mansion. It might lead to why my father had died."