The Goddess's Hero

Where to Next?

Skye's POV

"So how do we get in contact with him?" 

"How did you know he wasn't dead?" Jasper was a little surprised. I shrugged. 

"Deities are immortal?" I offered. 

"You seemed mighty upset yesterday." 

"So did you." 

"Well, it's hard watching your siblings take their own bodies to the grave." 

"But you knew their spirits were still alive."

"That doesn't make it any easier." Jasper's glare reminded me of my own family's death. I sobered up immediately. 

"Oy, we're leaving! Stay here if you want, but if you go, I'll know if you've taken anything." Hetdreat and his company left to do who knows what leaving Jasper and I alone in their safe haven.

"I'm sorry." 

"Me too." We both scratched our heads in awkward silence. 

"Anyway, how do we get in touch with Nik?" I asked again. 

"We must sacrifice three young virgins and pour their blood among the ruins of Eak-aldamar." 

"Be serious." I deadpanned instantly. Jasper held his hands up in surrender. 

"Alright, alright." Jasper paced around the room with a hand on his chin. I sat impatiently on one of the barrels I had slept on. "Honestly, praying should do the trick. If he wants to come at least." 

"And how do we pray?"

Jasper stared at me as if I had just announced my marriage to a goat. "You don't know how to pray?" He spluttered. 

"Do I look like I was born before the Great Apostasy?" 

Jasper eyed me suspiciously, "No." 

"Then, of course, I don't know how to pray!" I jumped off the barrel I was sitting on. "I better get taught fast or Comwen might be destroyed before I'm able to finish the Trials!" I reminded him about the time limit. 

"Alright, alright!" Jasper pulled me around some barrels so we could have a little more privacy. "Usually, you have to be at a temple in the said gods name, but when you get there, you light the candles, kneel at the altar," Jasper knelt on both knees here, "and clasp your hands together like this!" He made his right hand into a fist and covered it with his left. "And then you bow your head in respect with your eyes closed and then say the words: Nikolai, (or whatever god you're praying to) with their title, God of Wind and Wisdom, Thy servant cometh to you in need (or want or whatever) and then you ask for whatever you need or want. After you do that, if Nik wants to show up he can or if he wants to answer he can, but he doesn't have to. Got it?" 

My look of confusion was more of an answer for him than anything else. 

"Oh, my sweet Jacqueline." He muttered. "Here, do it with me!" He pulled my arm down so I fell to my knees beside him. "Clasp your hands." I fisted my right hand and covered it with my left just like Jasper was doing. "Bow your head." I did as I was told. "Now say, Nikolai, God of Wind and Wisdom. Thy servant cometh to you in need."

"Nikolai, God of Wind and Wisdom. Thy servant cometh to you in need." 

"Now ask what you need to know." Jasper informed me. "But be polite!" 

"I ask for the location of the next trial." 

"Good, now tell him why." 

"So I may continue on this path thou hast put me on to save the world."