Chapter 3.17 G THE PURPLE MARK

Kingdom of Ravaryn

4th Darkday of the Full Moon

Ginka awoke to knocking at her bedroom door. The only one who had a key to her future shop was the snow-white Bast, Vastra.

“It’s open, V!”

The door creaked open a bit, and a white head peered into Ginka’s room.

“Ginka, it’s Darkday, the end of the week. You said you would come with me to Bastiva’s temple.”

“This early in the morning?”

“Sorry. I only found someone to watch the inn at this time,” V said as she flattened her ears to her head.

Seeing the cat cower a bit, Ginka threw off her new blanket and sheets.

“Alright, give me a few minutes to get ready. Do I need to bring anything?”

“Some type of offering is normal. Maybe a jar of your ice cream?”

“Good idea, V. I still have some in my inventory. I’ll be outside in a few.”

Ginka cleaned herself up and changed into some of the new clothes she had gotten the night before. When the princess had found out she had nothing to her name regarding clothes and even bedding; she insisted they go shopping. Ginka thought it was the princess’s way of paying her back for the two large containers of ice cream.

Ginka put on a dark green summer dress and stood before her mirror. The garment made her emerald hair stand out even more. She also put on a pair of hiking-style boots she fell in love with. Not wanting to make Vastra wait any longer than needed, Ginka tossed her hair into one long braided ponytail. After making sure she hadn’t forgotten anything, the green-haired baker left her apartment and walked down the stairs to her future bakery. Locking the now open front door, she found Vastra beaming at her.

“You look absolutely adorable, Ginka!”

“Thank you, V. I really need to find a way to pay Princess Kali back. She bought me way too much yesterday.”

“Don’t! The Thronnos family is known for their generosity. They may take it as a slight if you feel obligated to repay them.”

Ginka could see she wasn’t going to win this particular argument, so she just nodded. Vastra began to lead Ginka towards the eastside of the outer ring.

“Why is her temple on the east side? Well, I guess I should also ask how many gods and temples there are and where they are located? I should get to know them as this world is a fantasy world, with real to honest gods,” said Ginka.

The white Bast looked sideways at the human and back forward before she spoke.

“There are hundreds of Gods with a capital ‘G.’ They are those with the power to push the system to their whims and desires. Bastiva is one of such Gods. She is a part of the death and rebirth pantheon that helps those joining The Games and those who fail them. Most of these Gods have temples either in the various parts of Mea they control or in large population centers like here.

“One of Bastiva’s temples is here on the east side near what is commonly known as The Shadow’s Row. It is the central location for assassins and thieves alike. Bastiva is worshiped by many among them as she was the creator of my race, the Bast. As I’ve already mentioned, most view my race as the ultimate killer or thief, and those who worship Bastiva often do so to gain her favor in such areas.

“Then you have the gods with a smaller ‘g.’ There are thousands of such gods, and most do not have a temple to speak of. These entities still have enough power to sway the system, but it’s usually on a much smaller scale,” Vastra explained.

“How often do they interact with the players?”

“Not as often as you think. It is said that all of the gods are playing their own game and so have their own rules as to when they can aid or harm us. You are the first soul I’ve personally known to have been spoken to or even contacted by them.”

Ginka couldn’t think of a proper response, so she just smiled at Vastra, and the two continued their walk in silence. Thirty minutes later, they passed through a nicer-looking part of town. It took for a few moments before Ginka noticed many of the NPCs seemed to be tracking her. More than a few were outright glaring as she passed them. Ginka being Ginka, she just shrugged it off, chalking the behavior up to the fact she was probably the first human any of them had seen before.

They finally came to their destination, a small temple built out of what looked like onyx glass. The early morning rays of sunshine made each panel sparkle. Ginka thought its architecture was the perfect balance of darkness and light.

Walking inside the temple’s vestibule, they found a queue of people waiting to enter a closed-off portion of the temple.

“Why is there a line to get inside?” Ginka asked.

“Everyone is given one minute to commune with Bastiva’s statue alone. During that time, their prayers are only heard by Bastiva and her priestess.”

Ginka and Vastra waited twenty minutes before making it to the front of the line. At the entrance, a grey and white Bast stood watch in a trance-like state. She had her eyes closed and swayed slightly. A chime would ring out, signaling to the worshiper inside they were done with their allotted time. Like clockwork, the temple warden would wave forward the next person in line through the silken curtain. As Vastra stepped up and was just about to pass through the curtain, the priestess’s eyes suddenly popped open and stopped swaying. When she spoke, her voice was low and gravelly, like someone who wasn’t used to saying much.

“Both of you may enter as one.”

The few gasps from the line behind the two grew like a wave as people whispered what had just been said by the priestess. Ginka, not wanting to be the center of attention, walked up beside Vastra, grabbed her arm. Together, they passed through the curtain.

The room beyond the screen of tapestry smelled like a combination of lavender and citrus to Ginka. To her left stood another heavy curtain she assumed was the exit; a slight gap showed another priestess stood to its side. At the back of the room was a large golden statue of a Bast. Below the statue, a large stone table filled with what Ginka assumed were offerings from previous worshipers.

“That’s not how Bastiva looked when I met her,” whispered Ginka.

“That is how my people always see her. I can only assume she changes her form for those she meets.”

Vastra stepped forwards and placed a dagger on the offering table. She knelt in front of the statue and bowed her head for a few moments. Standing up, V backed up a few feet, then nodded in the table’s direction to Ginka.

Ginka walked up to the table, removed a jar of ice cream from her inventory, and then placed it on the table. She had no idea what else to do, so she began to speak.

“Thank you for sending me here, Bastiva. I’ve already made a few new friends. Also, I got your gifts as well. I don’t know how I’m really going to use them yet, but you have my gratitude nonetheless.”

As soon as Ginka finished her little speech, a burst of ethereal laughter broke out through the room. Then the statue bent down to pick up the jar Ginka had just placed.

“I have wanted to try this. I’m happy Vastra recommended you bring some,” said the statue.

The statue opened the jar and began to shake the gelatinous substance over the long tongue now sticking out of its mouth. A large portion of the ice cream came out of the jar and landed on the tongue. The snake-like tongue pulled back into the statue’s mouth, and a moment later, a deep low vibration permeated the room. It sounded to Ginka as if the statue was purring.

“Oh my. It is cold but unlike ice. The flavor could do with some adjustment, but I feel you may become quite popular with this treat, Ginka,” said the statue.

“Bastiva?”

“It is I, Ginka. I find it easier to commune with people if I use a statue in my temple. I can hold this form for much longer periods of time this way. Thank you for helping out my Vastra. She is different from her brothers and sisters, and because of her race, not many will get close to her.”

The statue turned to the kneeling white Bast. Ginka followed the statue’s gaze to see Vastra bowing and looking down at the ground.

“No need to keep bowing, Vastra. Know that I have heard your prayers and sent this one in answer to them. I believe you two will do wondrous things together. Vastra, Ginka has been given a gift and a request to aid. Please help Ginka aid those I’ve asked her to protect, as it will cause much strife for both the two of you and those who wish to remain close to you.”

As Vastra got to her feet, Ginka saw she was crying. She assumed they were tears of happiness due to speaking with the God she had felt so close to over her life. Ginka watched as the statue took a step over the stone table, knelt down on one knee, and kissed the snowy white Bast on the forehead. The room was then filled with a flash of light so strong Ginka had to look away. Averting her eyes in the direction of the exit curtain, Ginka saw the Bast priest there kneeling and bowing in the same way as Vastra did.

“Wonder how many times she’s seen the statue move?” Ginka thought.

As the light faded, Ginka looked back towards Vastra. The statue was back over behind the stone table where it had been when they first walked in. To any observer, the Bast statue looked like it had never moved. Looking back over at the crying white Bast, she noticed the change to Vastra immediately.

“Vastra, you have a purple diamond on your forehead now.”

Both the temple warden and Vasta gasped as soon as she finished saying it. Vastra walked over to the offering table and grabbed a shiny silver plate. Holding it up to her face, she began to ball her eyes out.

“Why?! What did I do wrong?” asked Vastra.

Ginka walked up to V, but the Bast kept looking away. Realizing she needed space, Ginka stepped back and allowed her friend time to compose herself. A few moments later, the chime rang out. Vastra began to walk stiltedly towards the exit, Ginka right behind her. As Vastra walked through the silken curtains, the priestess bowed to V as she passed. Ginka stopped by the priestess and waited for her to stand up before speaking.

“What does the purple diamond mean?”

“It is a symbol of change. Many see it as an ill omen, though others see it as a brighter future. Whatever event is about to happen, she will be at the center of it.” The priestess said, then bowed to Ginka as she too left.

Looking around outside, Ginka found Vastra with her head down, shuffling slowly towards home. Running to catch up, Ginka immediately tried to cheer her friend up.

“The priestess inside said the purple diamond means a brighter future, V.”

“Did she also tell you it’s often an omen instead?”

“Well, yes, she did. Look at it this way. At worst, it’s probably a fifty-fifty chance. But I think if Bastiva sent me to you, it’s going to be a bright future. I mean, I haven’t even made my cupcakes yet. And if you think ice cream is great? Then wait till people try my cupcakes.”

Vastra let out a little chuckle and, for a moment, looked like her usual self. But then her frown was back as she heard the whispers from two other Basts on the street. They both caught sight of the purple diamond on the pure white forehead of Vastra’s. The Bast continued to remain silent as the two walked back to Zippy’s Thorn. But unlike their walk to the temple, this silence was heavy on both Human and Bast.

When they finally made it back to the inn, Ginka saw it was Aelithis who had been the one to watch over the place while V was at the temple. When the Lamia saw the purple diamond on V’s forehead, she immediately bowed to the Bast.

“Please don’t, Aeli,” said Vastra weakly.

“I’m sorry. I thought the symbol was given to those of importance?”

“It is. I just don’t want to be important. I’m already an outcast of my kind, and now this.”

By this point, Vastra seemed to be in a daze. She went into the kitchen, only to return a few minutes later empty-handed, and then sat behind the bar. The Lamia slithered to the front of the bar and curled herself around a stool. The two sat in silence, staring at one another.

Ginka made her way to the Bast and lightly placed a hand on her shoulder. Vastra’s ears were pinned back, her eyes glassy and unfocused. Over the years, Ginka had seen that devastating look many times, on many people's faces, including her own on several occasions. She wanted to say something that could help her friend, but Ginka knew what she really needed now was time to process.

“Well, I’m going into the kitchen to experiment some more. Let me know if you guys need anything,” said Ginka, trying to sound as comforting as possible.

Aelithis looked Ginka’s way and nodded once, a silent acknowledgment the Lamia would be keeping watch over her Bast friend. Ginka went into the back and began to experiment with cake batter. No matter what she did, the cakes didn’t come out fluffy after baking. After the third try, she decided to go back out to the market and see if they had anything that resembled baking powder, as it was the only ingredient she lacked in her experiments.

Saying goodbye to Aeli and V, she made her way down to the market. Ginka spoke with a few of the merchants, trying to explain what she was looking for. After several failed attempts, one of the merchants suggested she speak with an alchemist.

Ginka decided to give it a try and walked the twenty-three blocks to where the alchemist shops were located. One of the merchants had given Ginka pretty good directions that had brought her there. Walking into the first shop, she was surprised by the fragrant smells of pine and apples within.

Walking up to the counter, a man that seemed to be a cross between a turtle and raccoon greeted her.

“Hello, sir or madam. How can I assist you?”

“Hello, I’m looking for baking powder. I’m unsure what it may be called in the game. It’s used to make cake.”

“I’m sorry, I’ve never heard of baking powder before. Can you explain its effects or how it’s made?”

“Sig, how is baking powder made?”

[Cream of Tartar or potassium bitartrate. A by-product of grape fermentation. It’s the white crystal powder left behind in the barrels when they make wine. The second ingredient is sodium bicarbonate and is made from nahcolite deposits. These two are often mixed with cornstarch.]

Over the next hour and a half, Ginka explained what was inside baking powder to the alchemist. After describing each ingredient in more detail, the turtle-raccoon, Krim, agreed to have a few different batches made for testing tomorrow. Ginka gave him five of the Horde Voucher coupons for the material costs.

With that done, Ginka virtually ran back to the inn. After checking in on Vasra, she began to make dinner for Zippy’s Thorn.