Little Pink Starfish

Nyne barely touched his dinner before returning to the tent. He wanted to lie in bed immediately, but reluctantly headed to the bath and soaked in cool water. While the attendant priests carefully washed his body and shampooed his hair, Lu suddenly let out a sharp scream.

“Oh my! Wh-What is this? How did this happen?!”

Half-asleep, Nyne slowly opened his heavy eyelids. Lu, pale-faced, was holding his ankle as he washed Nyne’s legs and feet. The other attendants were equally shocked. Only after a few seconds did Nyne finally recall the scratch on his calf.

“It’s nothing serious.”

“Nothing serious?! You’re injured! What were those who accompanied you even doing, letting this happen?!”

Lu jumped up and down, deeply upset. The attendants, who had already been gentle, became almost ticklishly cautious. Even Popo, who usually scolded Lu for being overly dramatic, looked worried. Lu cursed Iyu for daring to let Sha get injured and tossed in some complaints about Seinka Hoan as well.

Nyne repeatedly insisted the injury was nothing and not the priests’ fault—until he fell asleep in the bath.

When Nyne woke up the next day, the sun was already up—it was nearly lunchtime. The priests must have moved him while he was asleep, for he was now lying properly in bed. His body, sore the day before, felt relaxed—Lu must have massaged him during sleep. Instead of getting up, Nyne remained lazily in bed as the priests fanned him. While eating snacks, a loud cheer was heard from somewhere outside. Nyne asked,

“What’s that noise?”

“Forgive me, Sha. The priests cheer every time a game animal is brought in. Shall I ask them to quiet down?”

“No, I was just curious.”

As he sat up, the attendants quickly placed soft cushions behind his back. He had expended so much energy yesterday, he simply wanted to rest today. While sipping cool palm wine and listening to music from a performance priest, Lu burst into the tent, calling excitedly.

“Nyne-nim! Nyne-nim!”

He was drenched in sweat, his face flushed with excitement, and dressed in hunting attire. Popo frowned and gestured for the priests to block Lu’s entrance. Only after wiping down with a herb-scented towel and calming down was Lu allowed into the sleeping area.

“What’s got you so riled up?”

“I hunted a deer for you, Nyne-nim! A stag with huge, beautiful antlers!”

Apparently, Lu had gone hunting early that morning with the priests while Nyne slept. His cheeks were red with pride. Nyne finally got up and followed him outside to see the game. Before the tent lay a large stag, its legs neatly folded. Its antlers, as claimed, were massive and majestic—like a forest king’s crown.

“We can eat the meat for today’s meal, make sandals or belts from the hide, and use the antlers for medicine.”

Lu babbled excitedly about how not a single part of the beast would be wasted. His enthusiasm lifted Nyne’s mood, and he smiled without realizing it. He briefly thought about what reward to give for such an offering, then said,

“Then have two belts made from the hide. Make them look similar. One of them would suit you well.”

“Truly?!”

Lu’s face lit up—not just from receiving a reward, but from the joy of sharing something with Nyne. All the more so because it was from a tribute he had offered.

“Thank you so much, Nyne-nim! I’ll wear it always, and one day it’ll be a family heirloom!”

Still grinning, Lu rose at Popo’s scolding to behave properly. The priests carried off the stag to be processed. While Lu cleaned up and changed, Nyne also finished grooming himself.

When he stepped outside, the altar was piled with mountains of sacrificial animals for Sha. These were from the Reshas, who had gone hunting that morning with warrior-priests and slaves. The priests were documenting which Resha offered what, lighting incense, and performing the ritual of sacrifice.

“Where is Amon-nim?”

“Sha Amon went into the forest early this morning.”

Popo answered immediately. The priests of both Sha Amon and Sha Nyne always shared each other’s location—for whenever their master might inquire.

Nyne frowned at the heavy smell of blood from the slaughtering by the altar, his robes soaked by the priests working. Still, unlike human sacrifices, these beasts weren’t killed meaninglessly. Their meat would feed people; their hides become shoes and clothes.

To avoid the stench, Nyne walked to the opposite side. As he wandered past the altar and around the forest, he began to feel hungry and asked for a meal. Popo responded politely.

“Nyne-nim, would you care to dine with the Reshas? It may be too lonely to eat alone outdoors.”

In truth, this wasn’t about loneliness. It was a roundabout way of asking Nyne to show grace to the Reshas for Amon’s sake. Since Nyne had already intended to look after them at least once, he nodded. At Popo’s command, the priests hurriedly began preparing the meal.

The Reshas, having hunted since dawn, were visibly exhausted. Most were high-born, pampered in the Grand Temple, barely walking a few steps a day. Even if the actual hunting had been done by their warrior-priests, their stamina seemed lacking.

“When we return to the Grand Temple, reward the warrior-priests with a pouch of mana stones each.”

Recalling yesterday’s events, Nyne gave the order. He remembered their desperate chase after Amon, faces pale and drenched in sweat, bowing and begging for forgiveness. This was the least he could do in return.

“Thank you for your grace, Sha. I shall carry out your command.”

The priest bowed deeply in gratitude on the warriors’ behalf. Meanwhile, the meal had been laid out.

As always, the priests laid a freshly cleaned carpet. Long tables were arranged, and steaming dishes were served. Nyne’s table, set apart, held a feast of rare delicacies—far beyond the food given to the Reshas. When Nyne took his first bite, the Reshas followed suit with their utensils.

Normally, the Reshas would chirp like birds to amuse the Sha, but today, they were quiet—too tired to speak. Some who had apparently used their bows quite a bit were even trembling as they lifted their cutlery.

Still, after pushing some food into their bellies, they began to talk little by little. Nyne glanced at Gwen while eating grapes. He wanted to talk to him alone but couldn’t think of a good excuse that wouldn’t seem suspicious. He could call him out anyway, but Popo’s belief that Gwen was being favored already made him cautious.

As he mused, savoring a honey biscuit, one Resha—having finished eating—kept glancing at him. Sensing the gaze, Nyne looked up, and the Resha immediately spoke.

“Sha Nyne, may I humbly speak?”

Nyne slowly swallowed the biscuit and nodded. The Resha beamed and spoke politely.

“This morning, I hunted two gazelles in the forest. Their hides are pristine.”

At his signal, slaves waiting at the forest’s edge carefully brought over the two dead gazelles. They could’ve offered them at the altar already, but clearly, the Resha had waited for this moment. With eyes shining, he asked,

“If you would permit, may Resha Nefra offer these as tribute to Sha?”

“You may.”

“Thank you deeply, Sha. This is a blessing that will be passed down through my house.”

To Nyne, this seemed needlessly theatrical for something that would be offered anyway—but apparently not to the other Reshas. Soon, they all started bragging about their game. The animals varied widely—from ibises, herons, sheep, deer, and even a beetle with thick horns.

Then Nyne understood why they were doing this. The hunting festival was an opportunity for even poorer Reshas to display their devotion—not with gold decanters or gemstone jewelry, but through their sacrifices.

Feeling a bit pity and admiration, Nyne praised each offering one by one while enjoying dessert. That’s when Gwen finally spoke—for the first time, after all other Reshas had presented their tributes.

“Sha Nyne, may I also offer a tribute to you?”