Ouroboros Spine kuvrak «

Sialuk did as instructed, feeling a sense of both pride and responsibility in this thing she did. There was no wince, no whine, no whimper as she cut her own flesh with her teeth. Only a sense of what was meant to be. Peace, calm, direction.

With the mark upon her, Sialuk picked the wrap of bones from the ground and began to feel the weight of it not only in her mouth, but in her mind, in her spirit. There was a sense that the mark upon her made the whole ritual more clear—brighter.

She closed her eyes; asked to hear the voices of taataa and brataa. The bones released to the ground, and they scattered as they had so many times before, but they felt different. Sialuk felt different. They laid themselves out for her, and she let herself read them.

The signs that she saw were good omens. Taataa and brataa were safe and at peace in dancing lights. Sialuk strained to make a more nuanced message from the bones, seeing their spatial relationship to one another. There was a reading of good things to come, a message to move on, and a warning of sorts she could not quite decipher. The girl sat silent, peering over the ivory pieces as she contemplated their meanings.