Prompt-O-Rama

The Artifact (Prompt: New)

"... Navagraha, the nine celestial bodies. A Hindu artifact, I am sure." I snorted at the comment a friend made made about a small, square board that hung from the wall in front of us. It had been ages since we - three of us - had met and I had resolved to be a gracious host. And, I failed sooner than I had anticipated.

"The red, yellow and blue. A riot of colours. Must be the Chinese dragon represented in abstract form. Remember, the number nine is associated with the dragon," the second friend quipped with stark disregard for my snort. 

"A whole new perspective, I must say. But the lines aren't straight  and the dots are in a three by three grid," the first one retorted. "I am fairly certain it is the Navagraha. That's how the deities are installed in any temple that has a sanctum for them. "

"That's precisely why I believe this is an abstract representation of the dragon - no square lines. Look, the edges are painted in red, the grooves around the nine holes are painted yellow. Also, each deity of the navagraha is represented by a unique colour. The nine holes are all blue. A blue-hued dragon that is spitting a glowing yellow fire that is rendering the night sky crimson. That's my interpretation," the pro-dragon friend reclined and sighed. 

"What of the raised pedestals around the nine holes?" The first friend was in no mood to give up.

"Good question. Scales of the dragon perhaps?" The second friend wasn't so sure, but then he wasn't sure of anything else he had said too. He was keen on sticking to his guns and was all set to dish out the most outlandish explanations to prove his point. 

"Scales? Ha! Lousy explanation," the first friend who sensed a minor setback was keen on making inroads.

"Not quite. The number nine is auspicious to the Chinese, as it signifies something long-lasting. The grid itself could be interpreted as a representation of auspiciousness, going by the number nine, the bright and auspicious choice of colours and finally the dragon that is so dear to the Chinese."

"Guys," I had to intervene. "Sorry to sound like an iconoclast, but..." I had hardly begun explaining, when the duo cut me short. 

"Please," the first friend said, "This isn't for the cynics like you. All you do is stir up debates, watch learned people beat each another up and go out and claim that religion and spirituality are all hogwash. At what point are you going to reform?" He was taking his frustration out on me.

"I am not," I protested. "All I am trying to say is in this case you guys are..." I was interrupted again. 

"See." The second friend joined hands with his moments-ago-adversary. "This is why such soulful artifacts shouldn't be placed in undeserving hands. I would've placed it in my altar."

"Me too," the two had found common ground and had reconciled. Just when I wondered how to extricate myself from the mess, my daughter came to my rescue. 

"Appa, please give me the Tic-Tac-Toe board," she demanded. I obliged, for a change, instantly and handed her the artifact.