Narrative - It's a New Game to Play

[byrightsinhell]

Who: Lucius Malfoy (Jr.)
What: Fulfilling a request
Where: Sebastian's former flat, Toivo and Shada's temples in Aspic
When: About a week after Sebastian's departure
Notes: Longish?
Warnings: none

Lucius took his time with the bequests; privately, he harbored a slight hope that Sebastian might return, but as time passed, it became more and more obvious that he wasn’t going to do so. At least not any time soon. He oversaw cataloging all the weapons into Hellsing’s armory, and got the books that Severus wanted into the other wizard’s hands. Finally, however, he could delay no longer in good conscience.

He’d also taken time to do a bit of research. Not being a religious man in any sense, Lucius wanted to make sure he wouldn’t offend anyone inadvertently. Even if Baedal’s gods were not important to him on any level other than practical, they had been important to his friend; odd as it was to admit that Harry Potter, of all people, had earned that description, it was a label that had to be justly applied now that he was gone.

Though Lucius didn’t know with certainty which of the temples Sebastian had frequented, those in Aspic seemed likely for both gods, given the geography. Carefully, Lucius spent the afternoon packaging Sebastian’s effects into a bag he’d enchanted to accommodate them all; the money he put in a small pouch on his person, spelled to be safe from pickpockets. Then he turned his attention to preparing his own small offerings. It took him until the light had begun to fade to be ready.

He apparated to within a few blocks of Toivo’s temple, far enough away from the bazaar to avoid startling anyone with the crack of the spell and his sudden appearance. Coincidentally, it also reduced the probability of knocking over a stall inadvertently. He didn’t have much of anyone to talk to anymore, but Lucius Malfoy certainly did his best to retain his dignity.

He entered Toivo’s temple at twilight, just as acolytes were lighting torches along the walls. The interior was spartan, almost bare. The scones revealed little beyond pallets for those who needed rest or care, and simple offering bowls set at the entrance and nearer to the altar. The hush of the place he had expected, but Lucius’ idea of religion (fuzzy as they were) had led him to expect something rather grander from a place of worship. He felt he should make some gesture of respect as he came in, but he wasn’t sure what was proper, so he just entered quietly.

A few of the dogs (those that looked most relatively spry) came over to sniff him. Lucius had brought a few simple treats to offer them, as Toivo’s affinity for the animals was well-known; he’d also brought a small ring, which he’d enchanted to shield the wearer from projectiles, as an offering to the temple and to Tovio. He hoped the gift was sufficient to please, given that the item was used for protection. In truth, even with his research, Lucius wasn’t at all sure how religion worked, especially in Baedal. If he should say or do something after leaving the ring in an offering plate, however, he didn’t know what, so he did nothing.

The fact that uncertainty was one of Lucius’ least favorite emotions might suggest something about his lack of drive for any sort of religious practice.

He sought out a priest, and politely explained the situation. He produced the bag and offered to help unpack the tools, as the enchantment might be confusing for a muggle. The priest was not chatty, but seemed grateful enough. Once Sebastian’s belongings had been neatly piled, the priest gave Lucius a small benediction and a blessing. Lucius did his best to accept it with good grace.

It was full dark by the time he left Toivo’s temple and started to walk toward Shada’s. Shada both interested him and worried him a bit, mainly because he suspected that his magic would make him of more interest to her than he’d been to Toivo. He sternly gave himself a mental shaking; there was no reason to worry as long as he was sensible and cautious. He was doing a favor for a friend. He needn’t be a coward about it.

Shada’s temple, in its graceful beauty, was in some ways more the sort of temple he’d have imagined if he’d been asked. The dimness inside would have been hard to penetrate in the day, but Lucius’ eyes had already mostly adjusted during the walk over from his first errand. His offering here was a small, polished stone that he had enchanted with a variant of the spell he developed to detect magical activity. He had made it a bit more decorative than it strictly needed to be for it to work, and he hoped it would serve as a reasonable tribute from a visitor. It rolled around the bottom of the offering plate at the front entrance, and he watched it until it came to rest.

Here, he felt a bit more delicate approaching the priestesses than he had on his last visit. But because of Sebastian’s instructions, he couldn’t simply leave the money on the altar. They needed to know who the money was from and, perhaps, who it could be for.

It seemed there was a great deal about Sebastian that Lucius hadn’t known.

The incense was relaxing, if the way some of the priestesses were watching him wasn’t, quite. Abruptly, sharply, his missed his wife and he didn't know if it was because of the temple's effect or simply because he was out of sorts. He pushed the thought of her aside for the time being, and made his way in, looking for someone official. His wand seemed to vibrate, gently, an echo of the very first time he’d held it, back at Ollivander’s as a boy, and though it should have been disconcerting, it contrarily made him feel better.

A woman came up and greeted him with a name that wasn't his; when she realized he wasn't who she thought, she frowned at him, but moved away without elaborating.

When he found a priestess willing to talk and subsequently produced the money, it took him a moment to explain his intentions (an awkward moment for Lucius, if not for her). Once he mentioned Sebastian’s name, however, she nodded, and weighed the purse in her hand. He mentioned that, if the temple approved, the money could be used for Sebastian’s daughter, and despite himself, he made the word a question. He didn’t mean, consciously, to imply the girl wouldn’t be well cared-for; if Sebastian had wanted interference, he’d have said so. Still, Lucius felt, as a father, he couldn’t quite imagine giving up his own child. Whatever the reason.

He felt more than saw the priestess give him a long, appraising look in the semi-darkness. Finally, with a tone he couldn’t read, she said that all would be well, and thanked him for delivering the offering and the message.

It wasn’t satisfying, but it was as much as Lucius could expect. On impulse, he offered her a short bow, and he heard her laugh, low and not unkind, as he turned to go. Lucius touched his wand again, lightly, as he walked toward the exit, and it settled him some. Something in Shada’s house of worship tugged at something deep and fundamental in him, and he wasn’t sure whether or not he liked it.

But easier to think of that, as he stepped into the street, than of the fact that now Sebastian was really, truly gone. Once again, Lucius was alone.