Season of Sacrifice (Blood of Azure Book 1) Jonathan Michael (red novels .txt) 📖

him I’m not accustomed to the teachings. He politely smiles and nods in return, gesturing for me to enter.

Arden and Shae proceed to greet and mingle while the three of us head straight to the buffet of pickings and refreshments. There is an assortment of breads from sweet to spicy, three flavors of potato skins, fruits and vegetables of every kind, and various exotic meats. The only ones I recognize include stag, python, and beef, but I heard others voice elephant, panda, and stingray, among others. I’m not quite sure what a stingray is, but that doesn’t stop me from sampling one of everything. When I believe I’m done filling my plate, I see another buffet along the adjacent side of the room. It is filled with uncountable pies and other desserts. Mango tarts and rhubarb, spiced pumpkin and honey pecan, lemon cakes and strawberry bread pudding. I snatch a bowl of the bread pudding, one of my favorites. Soggy bread alone is as disgusting as it gets, but somehow, in pudding, it’s superb.

The festivities enliven once the mingling slows. A few lads dash to the thunder lanterns, placing a shade over each one. As the light in the great hall dims, at the front of the room a large screen, clear-white, almost transparent with silvery wisps streaking throughout it, drops from above. Then it miraculously lights up as bright as a thunder lantern at full charge. The silver streaks thread through the screen like oils in water. A bass drum beats steadily with a slow tempo. Not too loud, but heavy enough to reverberate in my bones. Soon after, a higher-pitched snare rips faster, creating a steady rhythm felt throughout the room. The show begins.

I’ve heard stories about the silver screen and the tales unfolding upon them, but I’ve never experienced it. It’s immediately addictive. As soon as the screen illuminates and the story begins, I can’t take my eyes off it until the last scene dissipates. The narrator offers the denouement, and the screen rolls back whence it came.

The rhythmic beats start heavier and louder. And suddenly, it drops into a broken-beat traditional dubstep. It isn’t my preference of music, but it seems to make the dance floor attractive. Soon, the formal attire strips down to untied ties, loose ascots, and rolled sleeves. And the festivities become even more lively. One of Arden’s good friends requests a dance with Jaymes, which leaves Stone and I sitting alone at the table together. Then, not a click later, Arden and Shae return, only to have Shae ask her son for a dance. Stone doesn’t jump out of his seat, but he accepts his mother’s request, nonetheless. That leaves Arden and me. A perfect chance for him to finish his explanation of Susy. I’m curious about what he has to say, but…there’s more bread pudding at the buffet that looks far more appealing.

“So…” Arden starts before I make a move to the buffet table. “…Elder, is there anything else I can fill you in on about our beliefs? Why we’re here?”

I shift in my seat to get more comfortable. I have a feeling I might be here for a bit. “Well…is there any actual worship that occurs at these festivals?” I ask. “It seems everyone comes for the entertainment.”

“This is our form of worship, Elder. During the festival, I mean. We celebrate the existence of life, the beauty of the seasons, and the nourishment Azure provides us.” He waves a hand at the buffet. I see a gentleman scooping the bread pudding into a dish. My heart sinks just a little. “Plus, if you had paid attention to the story on the silver screen, you would have learned something about the importance of this day.”

“It doesn’t sound so much like an arduous religion as it does a good excuse to party and succumb to temptations.”

“We have our day-to-day worship, prayer, sacrifices, and labor of the land. This is our time to celebrate Susy’s furtherance of the seasons, rather than worship his existence. And religion doesn’t have to be arduous. Religion is more of…a way of life. A man who meditates daily and a man who prays daily are the same type of man. It’s a means to understand yourself, knowing the values you care for, and doing your best to partake in and demonstrate those values. It doesn’t matter whether you believe in Susy or not. Susy will always be there for you.”

“So…do you have time to explain who this Susy fellow is now, or are there other acquaintances you must attend to?” I attempt to sound polite, but ultimately, my intention is to arouse guilt if he doesn’t alleviate my curiosity.

“I appreciate your fascination, Elder. Of course. Where did we leave off?”

“You explained the history of the religion, but didn’t make mention of where Susy derived from. What makes him so special? What makes him more than…a man?”

“Yes, yes, of course. Susy wasn’t a man. Not in the sense you and I know anyways. He was an ethereal being only a handful of the first Advocates claim to have witnessed. The testimonies have it that Susy appeared in different form in each season he chose to show himself. Two men saw a wisp of leaves in a human-like shape, and another had the same experience with the falling snow. A handful of other men witnessed either a man materializing out of the raging whitecaps of the spring creeks or in their gardens where plants cultivated into the shape of a man. Every one of them were changed men after what they witnessed.”

“But all it is…is a story. Didn’t anyone wonder whether they were lying?”

Arden smirks. “There have been further testimonials since then, but the original ones were far more descriptive and authentic. And the Advocates who claim to have witnessed this celestial being all originated from different regions and all had similar encounters. Each occurrence