The Priestess and the Dragon (Dragon Saga Book 1, Wattpad Version)

Chapter One

Sweat rolled down her neck before sliding down her spine and pooling at the basin of her lower back. She resisted the urge to itch a tickle near her nose, lest she smear the white face paint that adorned her face. The high priestess chanted in a sonorous voice and the procession moved forward a half step. Suzume sighed and lowered her head. The bells hanging from the decorative pins in her hair jingled as she did so. The second to the high priestess whipped her head around, somehow hearing the insignificant sound beneath the High Priestess’ chanting. The Second glared at Suzume who returned the look with a half-smile and a tilt of her head which jangled the bells further. The pinging sound was swallowed by the chanting but it felt like a small triumph for Suzume.

The Second did not approve, if the glare was any indication but she would not interrupt the ceremony to scold Suzume. If she had learned anything since coming to the temple, Suzume knew the Maidens of the Mountain took their ceremonies seriously. Suzume’s small rebellion had lost its appeal and she straightened further and took another half-step forward. What she wouldn’t give to rip this constricting robe and sash off.  I would trade all my father’s—the emperor as I must now call him—  I would give up all his gold and the power of the eight to be free of this robe!

True, she was no stranger to fine garments. Indeed, she had often donned fine silks and entertained at the palace. Before her mother had ruined everything, she had been often called upon by influential members of the palace. She should be viewing the cherry blossoms with general Tsubaki, her one time intended. He was the perfect match, powerful and old enough to not notice when I flirted with the younger lords. She sighed again and the second broke rank to hiss at her.

 Suzume rolled her eyes and took another half-step. Now she wore the white marriage robe and instead of marrying General Tsubaki. She was binding her life to the sisterhood, an unwilling bride of the mountain, exiled to a life of servitude. All because her mother didn’t know how to keep her legs closed.

A wind blew beneath the wooden archway that covered the pathway. It dried the sweat that was surely streaking the white paint on her neck. She chanced a glance to her side, beyond the red columns of the arches, an endless stretch of mountain range stretched to the west and if she turned to the east, she would see the ocean.  She had come a long way from the White Palace to this desolate mountain temple. Suzume suppressed another sigh, lest the second scowl grow deeper.  Let’s get this over with, she thought.

After what felt like hours, but was closer to a few minutes, they passed beneath the last of the red arches and the house of the God of the Mountain lay before them.

The high priestess stopped the procession and ended her chant with one long echoing note that bounced off the surrounding mountains. In the absence of her chanting, the following silence was more defined. The wind howled ominously. The head Priestess and all the other shrine maidens bowed in unison. Suzume, still new to the sisterhood, did not follow but instead stared into the inner sanctum of the god. A pedestal was the room’s only adornment and upon the white pillow was an obsidian stone.

“Bow you ungrateful girl,” the high priestess scolded.

Suzume did so with reluctance. Something about that object, the one housing the god, seemed familiar, as if she had seen it before. As she kneeled, she lost sight of it. She lowered her head in feigned obedience. However, a sensation began to stir in her gut and a tingling feeling spread through her body. She glanced up once more. The High Priestess stepped forward taking tiny steps while swinging a container of incense. The white smoke swirled around her and trailed after her as she approached the pedestal. 

The High Priestess kneeled before it and set the incense to burn next to the obsidian stone. The room filled with the pungent smoke.

“God of the Mountain, bringer of the rain, great master who parted the lands from the sea, please welcome your bride into your fold.” She clapped her hands together finishing the prayer. She rose up onto the balls of her feet and turned to face the group without rising from a kneeling position. She motioned for Suzume to come forward.