Nisha's Sacrifice

Moriah felt a shiver of cold anticipation run down her spine.

The three Priests of the Night, the highest ranking men in the Cult of Nox, were accompanying her to an area of their small world she had only ever heard of in ancient stories.

The night before, these three revered men had come to her own home while she, her younger sister, Astrea, and her mother were settling down for the night. Moriah had been singing a soft lullaby to her little sister while their mother was busy organizing their blankets neatly onto their bed for the night.

Once their mother had finished setting up their bedding— which did not take long, having only a single bed and two thick blankets— they all knelt down beside the elaborate altar depicting a snake with bat wings; their only item of great value, the altar of their goddess निशा, or Nisha.

During their silent prayers to Nisha, Moriah had felt certain that she was being watched and wondered if Nisha was looking down on her and feeling approval… or disapproval. The idea of displeasing her goddess made Moriah feel weak inside. She focused harder on her praying and after about five minutes they had stood up to go to sleep when there came a knock at the door.

When their mother opened the door, Moriah gasped to see the people she had only ever heard rumors about: the Priests of the Night.

They came in and brought their mother away, and the four people spoke in hushed voices. All that Moriah could catch of their conversation was “Nisha’s sacrifice” and “daughters”. Moriah knew that every year in the deep of winter, the shortest day of the year when Nisha stayed out to watch her people the longest, she required her servants to bring her a female sacrifice of fifteen years old whose birthday was on that night. Rumor had it that this day was Nisha’s creation day too. But who could create a goddess?

Moriah knew that her birthday was on the longest night— tomorrow night— and she felt a thrill wondering if she could be the sacrifice. After what felt like ages, Moriah’s mother had turned around and asked her to come. The priests said nothing, but handed Moriah a bundle and walked to the door, beckoning for her to follow.

She hugged her mother and sister goodbye, knowing that this would be the greatest moment of her life.

So now Moriah shivered with barely subdued excitement as the wagon they rode in stopped. She was led into a temple with a dead tree nearby and told to open her bundle. Inside was a black silken gown with the familiar golden snake adorned with silvery bat’s wings.

She stared at the article for a minute, until a guard told her impatiently to change into it. So, Moriah took off her own drab clothing and replaced them with the sleek sacrificial gown; it fit like it was made specially for her.

Once in the clothing, an hour of special preparations— including prayers and strange potions— made Moriah ready to be led to the sacrifice grounds. She was helped into a container that looked similar to something she would carry water in back at home. Deep in the back of her mind, Moriah could feel a lick of fear burning; but whatever potions they had fed her were working and she felt on a distant border of life and the ether.

Once the strange jar was closed and sealed, the moonlight shone brightly down onto Moriah, whose clothing shone purple in the eerie light.

Somewhere inside her, Moriah knew that she was hungry, thirsty, and suffocating slowly. But all that mattered to her was the goddess she could see in the moonlight.

Nisha… Moriah gasped in her thoughts. I give my life to thee.

Moriah closed her eyes and was swept away.

Author Notes: I wrote this forever ago in eighth grade, based on a picture prompt, and it's surprisingly not terrible, so I decided to post it.

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