Leaning against my broom, I yawned, tears rolling down the side of my face as I quickly wiped them away, pulling the cloth over my mouth properly and making sure the cloth is properly fastened on the back of my head.
I can't wait for a proper covering when I turn to a full-fledged priest. One of those masks so I do not have to show any part of my face to anyone. Oh, I am not self-conscious about my injury. It is just that, I have been able to scare children into submission just by showing them the wounds on my face.
I have also been thought of as an evil spirit by a few people because of the scars too so … I do not really like showing them, for the sake of my own safety. Not to mention, the rumours surrounding my injury is not something to sneeze about.
Some of them were quite interesting, to say the least. I like hearing rumours about myself. Most of them paint me to be this … mysterious person that does bad things in the darkness but I am anything but that.
I am a little shy and nervous about almost everything around me. I am cynical and sarcastic sometimes but I think I am a nicer person than people make me out to be, just because of the mark on my face.
For now, I have to make do with this cloth that one of the kids fashioned into a mask of sorts. When I become a full-fledged priest, I will be able to wear that mask made from materials blessed by the goddess herself.
Not everyone needs it, but they are all given it, as a formality. Some people have actually used it while others just carry it with them wherever they go. To show that they are fully-fledged priests of the goddess and, most specifically, this temple.
Until then, I am fine with this. I appreciate the sentiment from that kid too. Cloth is scarce here, why do you think we are freezing right now? So for him to spare some for me to cover my face with instead of just ignoring me, like most people tend to do, I really do appreciate it.
"You have gone off into your other world again," Nova said, shaking me with his hands on my shoulders. "Please come back, Orion, we need to focus on the work now. The sun is getting higher in the sky."
Shaking my head, I stared at the sky, seeing the sun peeking over the horizon. Is that really getting higher in the sky? I thought, shrugging and letting it be.
"Alright. Alright." I said, pushing the boy away from me and rubbing my sore neck. The goddess literally used her divine magic to keep me from telling about the type she has, are we sure she is someone worth fearing?
Just as I thought that, I suddenly remembered the way a flood came and took away only one house, destroying and killing everyone and everything in that house alone.
There was nothing they would not and neither could we, as we stared at the wave engulfing the house like it was nothing. It was incredible and scary at the same time. I could not sleep that night as I replayed that scene in my head over and over again.
If I am not wrong, they insulted the goddess and, after that day, no one else dared to say anything against the goddess. Well, no one except me. I am still very open about my opinions on her and I do not care if she feels offended because I know that she knows that I mean well.
I think, anyway.
Sometimes I wonder why she did not just kill me then I realised that the world would be a little bit duller without me around and I just accepted this responsibility given to me. To entertain the goddess as much as possible.
That was what she told me anyway, 'Be my little entertainment and I will take care of you.' Though I cannot say that I trust her words entirely because she has not appeared to me once after that night.
That does not stop me from telling other people about that meeting I had with her.
The other priests, after hearing my conclusion and observing me for a while decided that I was right, so … they had me take up even more classes compared to the others.
I learnt the different arts of dancing, singing, pottery, any type of needlework, cooking, even martial arts and holy magic: something only a selected few priests could do.
Well, if I was not able to do it, I wouldn't have. I am also excellent in all the skills they assigned me to learn, but, in exchange for those skills, I lack sleep.
Now, don't get me wrong, I am not excellent at them because I am naturally good at everything I do. I just work a little harder than a lot of the people here and that is something I can tell I do with pride. Even if it does seem like I am being vain. Then again … I love sleep more than anything.
So … I would rather be lower than average if I get to sleep a full night like the other kids in training. I am so bitter but at the same time, there is this well of pride in me when I am asked to perform or show my skills.
Oh, how hard it is to be the favourite and most blessed Beta. This is a burden I have to carry. Though, I feel like, if anything were to happen, I would be one of those that will die first after having lived a short, tragic life.
I'm sorry. I don't really believe that, well, that is how Nova told me to think like. Practice makes perfect and it just might help me with my confidence levels.
How sad.
"Orion! You are lost again!" Nova shook me so hard I swear I saw two of him shaking me much harder than a second ago.
"Sorry," I said, pushing him away and stabilizing myself. "Right, we need to get this place cleaned up. I want to hurry so that I can get just a few hours of sleep."
"You did not get to sleep last night, did you?" Nova asked, as we both continued sweeping the massive stone grounds in front of a large stone building with glass paintings all around it.
"No." I yawned again, attempting to keep as much composure as I could because eyes are always on us and we need to represent the goddess and our temple properly. "I had to practice my dancing for a little longer because they wanted to make sure it is perfect for today's celebration."
"I am sure you will look lovely, Orion." The boy said, beaming up at me as wisps of my midnight coloured hair fell in front of my face. I have been growing it long for a while now and they are a pain. "I have seen how beautiful you looked while you danced those previous times. It was beautiful."
"I am merely offering a dance to the goddess for the prosperity of the soon to be king and his mate," I said, rolling my eyes at him though I could not help the smile that came on my face. It really is something that I am almost looking forward to.
By afternoon, this entire temple would have been converted into a festive place when the prince, who came out of the waters, will walk in with his mate with him.
As he walks into the place, all the plants that he passes will grow and bloom in a beautiful flurry of colours. The trees will bear twice the amount of fruits and the flowers will be twice as vibrant.
I was able to witness this event once, when I was just a child. The king brought his Luna into the temple and with every step they took, flowers bloomed.
I was in complete and utter awe at the radiance. Then, I got to watch the dance one of the boys did for the king and the queen, if I thought that I was dealt a lethal blow by what happened with the king and the queen, seeing the dance killed me.
It was beautiful, the colours of silver, white and gold that the boy wore, the light that surrounded him and then, in the end, the boy drops his blood into a cup that the king and queen will drink. That will make them officially be the rulers of our kingdom.
When I was chosen to do the dance, you cannot imagine my horror. I ran away that night but they found me and I had to have a talk with the Head Priest.
I was terrified. You are chosen by a lot. There you write your name on a piece of wood and place it in a box, then future king to be will choose it and, out of the thousands of boys, for me to be chosen, I was ready to throw up from the fear of it all.
Such an important role for someone like me. Besides, the previous dancer was beautiful, like the moons in the sky and I … I had this injury where the entire right half of my mouth is gone with only my teeth and fangs visible.
It truly is not a sight someone would have wanted to see. I asked them to redo the lot, as the first time, the future king's representative was the one that picked it, it might be a fluke and they agreed only if I promised to learn the dance without complaints if it landed on me. I promised.
There was no way I was to be chosen. I was the furthest choice from what the goddess likes and I do not think I will be able to do her justice.
They drew the lot with the actual king-to-be this time and I was chosen again. I could not get out of it this time and regretted every decision I ever made until that moment.
She was punishing me, right? Definitely. Maybe because of that time I stole a rich alpha's leftovers from their trash. That must be it.
Still, I kept true to my word and got to work. They brought the boy from before, now a priest and the more I looked at him, the more I felt like sinking into myself.
He radiated poise, elegance, something that I could only hope to achieve. I showed him my injury, the first time showing it to someone else in years, and he just smiled, not a hint of condescending in his voice or face.
"We could use a mask if you are not very confident." He said holding up the outfit I was to wear, a dress embedded with only the finest jewels, precious stones and anything else that I could count the value of.
It was white in colour with splashes of gold all around it. The precious metals made a sound every time I so much as moved it. It also had a lot of draping cloth to give that flow I saw when he danced previously.
"Can I really?" I asked, holding the dress in my hands.
"Of course." He said, handing me something that looked like a veil. "We will use this. After all, it would be a shame to cover your moonlight eyes."
Oh, right, my eyes. I had completely forgotten about that. I thought as he helped me dress into a simple replica of the dress to practice in.
From that day on, I practised day in and day out, until my legs felt like they were giving out then I would crawl into bed, blink and it is the next day so I have to go to practice once again.
I ached in parts of the body that I didn't know could ache like my fingertips and my hips. But I did give it my best, even though I complained over and over again in my head.
I am a whiner but I am not a slacker after all.