Every morning starting right at 5am, Claire took a jog around the island. It was something she did to ward off any smoking urges she had so early in the morning, and she preferred to keep her strength and stamina up in case she ever needed to fight. It’d been a few years since it was necessary, but she still found it to be a comfort in her daily life, knowing she’d be able to if she needed to.Â
Every week, once a week, Claire would stop at the Dragon Shrine for a prayer and to leave an offering. She did so with the small shrine she kept in her room at home, but it felt proper to do it at the official establishment. Claire had finished her jog about a block ago, and walked the rest of the way to the shrine so she wouldn’t be out of breath when she went to pray.Â
She knelt down in front of the altar for Fiersome, the fire-elemental dragon deity. As a fire mage, Claire felt a certain connection with the god, though it was probably just in her head. She leaned over and placed 100g on the altar, then leaned back to sit on her feet as she knelt. Clasping her hands together and shutting her eyes, Claire spoke softly.Â
“Fiersome, I’m back again. I’m leaving the usual offering, like always. Hopefully I have some good luck this next week. I’m going to try and take up fishing, since I heard it’s a decent way to make some money if you get something good.” She sighed. “And also, please don’t judge me when I take more smoke breaks than usual. I know it’s a bad habit, but it’s hard to quit it. I guess that’s all for today, I think…” She stood up and turned, only to find her boss from the casino.Â
“Oh- Firenze. I always forget you work here… How’re you?”
Fiersome was on his way to the Dragon Shrine about to start his work as High Priest when a familiar woman’s voice entered his mind.Â
“Fiersome, I’m back again.” And indeed she was.Â
He heard all the words prayed to him at his shrines. This woman--the one of golden hair and cerulean eyes--was one of his most faithful upon the islands. Without fail, each week her words entered his head: her prayer specific to him. Of course he listened to all that prayed to him. Whether or not he did anything about it was an entirely different matter.Â
He rolled his eyes when she mentioned fishing. Anything in those horrendous depths could remain down there. It was already bad enough that the planet was covered in water and even fell from the sky. One day, though, he would have fire rain down and fill the skies with smoke and ash while the world below burned.Â
It was curious for her to mention forgiveness at smoking. While he never had an issue with smoke in his lungs, he knew humans were ill-equipped for it, causing them issues and even death from such practices. But many of his followers did as such under the impression it made them more like him.Â
As if humans could be anywhere near akin to a dragon.Â
Usually Fiersome would hear her voice for a minute and that would be the end, but today so happened that she was praying while he was walking up the same path. He wouldn’t be surprised if he saw her while still mid-prayer.Â
“Oh- Firenze. I always forget you work here… How’re you?”
Sure enough, he arrived right at the end of it. He frowned at her comment, though.Â
“Odd that you’d forget who the High Priest to the dragon you worship is, Miss Hanson,” he said coolly to her. She may be one of the more diligent followers of his, but that meant little to him.Â
“Seeking forgiveness?” he asked, knowing full well the truth of what she’d been praying about. Except he couldn’t rightfully give away his true identity so readily, could he? Besides, she only knew him as Firenze, her boss at the casino and worker of the shrine.Â
Probably doesn’t realize I own this property, too, he thought sarcastically.Â
