Lotus Talisman

A small wooden carving of a lotus flower, though marred by time and long journeys, still seems to keep the warmth of its previous owner. 
Carved and painted by his great-grandmother when she herself was just a child, this lotus - a reminder of better times, eventually was passed along to Aussirmolik. In fact, it was the last present his parents gave to him before leaving the temple, and with it the last memory left of them.
"Know that just as a radiant lotus blooms among the muck of mires, so is the light of hope shines through the sorrow's twilight", said his mother the night before departure, as father put the carving in his hand. From that very moment, never did Aussirmolik so much as leave this figurine, always keeping it close by in a small satchel at his hip.