Suzaku's Shrine

[Seiryuu]

A building located at the intersection of 18th Avenue and 69th Street houses a secret passageway leading deep, deep into the earth. The spiraling stairway is lit by burning torches that never seem to die. The stairway landing opens onto a small network of manmade caves where the Ignis Clan may have hidden from their enemies in times of war.

Deep in the caves, clan members have constructed a vast room filled with pits of fire, leaving a single path in and out of the room. At the back sits a magnificent statue of Suzaku, wings extended as if in flight. Firelight reflects off the metal of the statue, rubies set as the bird's eyes. Offerings were set down in front of the statue.

[Taylor Shin]

Making his way through the immense network of caves, Taylor turned left at a fork, remembering when he didn't have these winding paths memorized. He'd gotten lost here so many times, and each time wondered if he'd never be found. Each time though, an initiate discovered him in one back tunnel. It was like their connection to Suzaku enabled them to see through the whole network and locate anyone who was missing. Maybe Suzaku himself told them, though Taylor doubted it. Suzaku had better things to worry about than Ignisson kids who couldn't tell right from left.

Stopping inside the chamber of worship, Taylor shrugged off his pack and opened it, pulling out two sticks of incense. He set them down in the holders, straightening to wipe his forehead lightly. The heat from the fire pits was intense, even for him, sweat matting his hair.

He could have just manipulated the fire from the pits to the sticks of incense, but his father had told him ages ago that it wasn't an honest offering, and Suzaku wouldn't be pleased. You didn't really want a deity made of fire pissed at you. So Taylor took out his own lighter, flicking it open and lighting the end of each stick.

Stepping back and placing his lighter back in his pocket, he got to his hands and knees and bowed with his forehead pressed to the floor. It was what he'd learned back in Korea as the proper way to greet a deity, and he wasn't about to stop now, even if Americans looked at him weird for it.

He stayed there for a few seconds before rising again, looking up at the grand metal statue. He smiled and bowed lightly from the waist before turning and leaving.

[Taylor Shin]

It had been a while since the last time Taylor visited the shrine, and he let himself feel a small amount of guilt for that. Sure, he'd been in Korea visiting family for a few months. But he hadn't even visited the shrine there, and while he wasn't sure if Suzaku bothered to keep tabs on every one of his followers, he had no doubt the fickle deity would be ticked if he realized Taylor had been skipping out on services.

Reaching the main room, Taylor stopped and looked up at the metal statue, it's ruby eyes seeming to bore into him. He exhaled slowly before stepping closer. As a child, he'd visited once a week under his father's warning that forgetting would cause Suzaku to turn him to ashes where he stood. Now, older, he knew that was a lie to get him to behave. Even so he couldn't help a small flinch as he stopped in front of the statue, mistaking the reflection off the ruby eyes to be a sign he was about to become toast.

When no divine punishment rained down on him, he chuckled at his own foolishness and knelt to place his offering of rice and kimchi at the bottom of the statue. He knelt there for a long minute, forehead to the ground and eyes closed.

Punishment or no punishment, by the time he rose he felt infinitely better than when he'd come in. Smiling up at the statue, Taylor turned and left.