Like every major city that facilitated international trade, Kanark was a place where people from different regions and cultures mingled with one another. As such, people with different beliefs and religions also coalesced in one place. However, in most regions of Ashireth, people worshiped different pantheons of gods and spirits, and many of them were henotheistic in their faiths. Hence, in large cities presence of compounds and complexes dedicated to temples wasn't uncommon.
The Temple Square in Kanark was quite deep into the city. It was closer to the residential quarters and the slums on the outskirts rather than being near the market districts or the docks. This was mainly so that all kinds of people could visit the temples of their gods to pray without having to travel much.
There were eleven temples present in the Square, ten aligned on the sides while the largest one was built at the centre, on a raised brick platform. This belonged to the city's patron deity, Nisril who was a sea goddess. Eranae had decided to burn some offerings in this temple to thank the goddess for the safe voyage. Therefore she had bought a lamb and some flowers from the stalls and shops in the pavement of the Square. There were about a hundred such shops present there, and Eranae had some business in one of them.
But before that, she went to the temple. It was a mostly hollow structure, composed of pillars with a large central hall at the centre of which lay a shrine dedicated to Nisril. Near the shrine, a large brazier was lit, despite abundance of the natural sunlight entering through windows. A small team of priests and priestesses stood at the brazier to accept the offerings. Eranae followed the line of devotees, which someone commented was relatively short that day, to the brazier, holding the lamb in one hand and the flowers in another. Her decision of leaving Rel with Pearl was a good one, since now she could carry more weight.
The lamb bleated as Eranae approached the brazier. A priestess took the flowers from Eranae, chanting some hymns and then tossing them into the brazier. Another priest took the lamb from Eranae. Holding it over the fires of the brazier, the priest slit the lamb's throat, letting the blood flow into the fire. The lamb's bleating stopped almost immediately.
"Lady Nisril accepts your offering, traveller," the priest told Eranae, "The meat of this offering will be prepared and served among the city's poor."
Eranae nodded reverently, not saying anything. She then walked to the shrine and touched her forehead against the base, thanking the goddess and all the other watchful spirits that favoured their safe journey. As a child, Eranae never believed in gods and spirits and the teachings of the temple, but after learning that they truly existed Eranae had begun appreciating their existence. But she still believed that all spirits weren't divine and needed worship, but she also believed that some were. Hence, she had developed a personal habit of giving thanks to them whenever something went well.
Having done that, she walked down to the pavement of the Square and turned towards the line of stalls that crafted and sold amulets and talismans. There were about a dozen of such shops, a couple of them were large permanent structures with teams of artisans working there, while some were small movable stalls with just one or two working there. Eranae was looking for the latter kind. She had done some research about their agents in the city and had learned that one was established in the Temple Square under the cover of a charm-making artisan.
Maerin was a middle-aged Renaari woman with deep brown hair and a lighter complexion. She ran a small stall in the corner of the line of amulet shops. It occupied only a miniscule portion of the street, having only two tables, one for displaying the talismans and amulets, and the other for crafting them.
"Ah, welcome traveller," Maerin greeted, "See anything meeting your fancy, or do you want something made for a special occasion. I wager you won't find better craftsmanship at such an affordable rate anywhere else in Kanark."
"I want you to make a talisman inscripted with a blessing." Eranae told her.
"A blessing, I see," Maerin repeated, moving to the working table, "Of what god may I ask?"
"Rishith the Vigilant." Eranae said.
Maerin paused for a moment, processing Eranae's words before coming to a realization, "Tall stature...Renkayan...wait a moment, you are 'her'?"