Dragon Flu

[Ma'Zaz Tu'uk]

*BANG!* *BANG!* "SANCTUARY! PLEASE GIVE ME SANCTUARY!" Aonani yelled as she banged on the oak door of a church. She looked behind her, and saw the poachers not far behind on horseback. She was a Centaur, and those particular poachers did not favour Centaurs. It was twelve o'clock in the morning, and she doubted that anyone would hear her cries, but just then the door opened and she ran in just in time. She noticed that this was a polythistic church like so many others, with pictures of goddesses and gods on the stain glass windows. She heard a frustrated yell from outside, "ARRGGHH!" "Let's go before someone spots us." one of them said, then hooves becoming quieter as they quickly left. Their voices had been muffled by the doors. The room was large, but homely with gray stone walls, and large stain glass windows featuring scenes of goddesses and gods summoning messengers and angels, guiding people down paths in life, blessing children, blessing fields with fertility, priestess dancing, and performing handfastings, and priests praying to many deity figures. The floor was a beautiful, very red stained wood, and there were unlit wall sconces with bases in the shape of Hipocampi (a horse with a dolphin or fish tail for posterior legs, who pulls many an aquatic deitie's chariot). There were also unlit, half melted candles of every color, a mortar and pestle, an incense burner, a sheathed anthame, a vase of very fragrant flowers that could be smelled from across the room, colorful stones, and small statutory on a dark, wood alter table, covered in a medium blue alter cloth in the middle of the room on top of a beautiful, dark blue, square rug. She was so exhausted that when she leaned against a bench, everything went black. She woke up, in a grassy area in an impeccably groomed garden, with a pillow by her side, and covered in a crimson blanket. It appeared to be late morning. She saw that her saddlebags were on the ground next to her, and her hooves were curled underneath her. Curious, she stood, folded her blanket and put it next to the pillow, picked up her saddlebags, put them on, and began to walk around. She could see people in brightly colored dresses, robes, and hooded capes walking back and forth. She entered the main church building where the sound of her hooves on the stone echoed loudly. She realized that that must have been the church's magickal herb garden. She noticed that the back of the church door had a gear pattern painted on it in metallic copper paint. She brushed her long, medium brown hair out of her eyes, and began to search for someone to speak to about those poachers, and to ask for directions. She reached into her right saddlebag, and pulled out a map. When she held the map, the sunlight shining through the window made the large aquamarine on her wedding ring sparkle brightly, and the four other little gems (two green jade, and two turquoise), shone a bit too. "Hmmm...I must be in the village of Vangok." She folded her map, but still kept it in hand, and began searching for someone to help her, she was only going to stay in this village long enough to find her way to the next village for she had to hurry and find the first ingredient which was the herb called "Atepa's Tears" for her mother's medicine. She began to wonder if the Dragon Flu was contagious, and if anyone else would contract it..."No, I think not." she reassured herself. There were priestess and priests, and other religious people milling about, maybe one of them could help her. She adjusted her bright, colbolt blue and teal, Renaissance style saddle blanket dress, and began to look around the room for someone who did not appear busy.