Still struggling to remain standing, Jasper didn't notice the man approaching them until he was nearly upon them.

The man was enormous in every way - taller by a head than the average Corsyth and bulging with layers of fat that drooped over his thin linen skirt like a dam about to burst. He wore thick bands of gold on his ankles and lower arms, and a massive golden star, studded with rubies, was nestled between the valley of his manboobs. Yet as he moved, it was clear that there was more muscle than fat beneath those folds, and the many, thick scars that decorated his torso and arms testified that he had, at least once upon a time, been a fearsome warrior.

"I've found that when a god wants you to kneel, it's generally a good idea to do so," the man greeted them, amusement twinkling in his eyes as he looked at Jasper's wobbling legs.

Is that what this is about? Irritation flared, but after a moment's pause, Jasper lowered himself to the ground. Sure, it was annoying, but it wasn't worth getting into a pissing contest with a god over a little pride. I can see why Kas̆dael doesn't like him.

The pressure abated as his knee touched the ground, and the man bowed his head slightly to the left in greeting. "You should feel honored," he said, gesturing for them to rise. "The Warrior rarely takes a personal interest in pilgrims."

"Well, aren't we lucky," Jasper mumbled beneath his breath, an action he quickly regretted as he felt the weight of the man's gaze fall on him. Geez, he's got the hearing of a bat.

He tensed, expecting a reprimand, but after a long pause, the man dismissed him with a shake of his head and turned his attention to Nīla. "Lady Sēlenīlat, Prince S̆ams̆ādur," his eyes flicked over to the durgu, "If you'll follow me, I'll bring you into the inner sanctum."

"How do you know my name?" "What about the rest of us?"

Jasper and Nīla spoke at the same time, and the priest smiled down at her. "How could I not? I am but a vessel for his Mantle. The rest of you," his smile fell away as he answered Jasper's question, "are free to stay here. Lord S̆ams̆a expressed no interest in you."

"I don't feel good about her going by herself," Jasper objected, and the man's eyes narrowed.

"And why not? Do you think anything will happen to her here, in the presence of the Warrior himself?"

"Uh-" Reluctantly, he conceded the point. "My apologies, I did not think of that. But are you sure we can't-"

"Be grateful his Lordship hasn't asked you to leave, Hand of Kas̆dael," the priest's tone turned frosty. "You are spoken for, and he has little love for your mistress. Stay here - wander the trails, soak in the springs, eat of his bounty, but do not ask to be invited into his sanctum."

Huh, I guess he's not too fond of Kas̆dael either. He bowed his head mutely, not trusting himself to come up with a response that the priest wouldn't find a way to take offense at, and watched discontentedly as the priest led Nīla and S̆ams̆ādur away. At least she's the durgu to look after her, he thought, though he wasn't sure how much good that would do as he had a feeling the priest was far more powerful than he appeared.

"Well, what do you want to do first?" He was broken out of his sulking as Ihra nudged him lightly in the ribs.

"What?" He asked dumbly, not having heard the question at all.

"What do you want to do first? I mean, look at this place!" She gestured excitedly. "We can go hiking, swimming, get some good food, pet the foxies…"

Jasper blinked, suddenly seeing the place with new eyes. Oh, it was true that it was a temple; there were a half-dozen shrines and idols within eye-shot, surrounded by faithful supplicants, and there were probably plenty more hidden within the bamboo forest or the main body of the temple, but there was also plenty of fun to be found. "Huh, it's almost like a resort," he mumbled to himself, before turning to Ihra with a grin. "Maybe we'll get a little vacation after all."

She rolled her eyes at his use of the term and pulled his arm toward the bubbling pools. "Let's try those first!" she suggested, taking the initiative after he'd failed to answer her question, and Jasper very nearly agreed, until he took a closer look at the pilgrims lounging in the springs.

There was no swimsuit industry in Corsythia, and while Jasper didn't consider himself a prude, the thought of skinny dipping with Ihra was an uncomfortable one. They were just friends, of course, purely platonic, he told himself, but there were certain parts of his body down below whose response he couldn't entirely control. "Forget the springs, let's go pet the foxes," he replied hastily, pulling her toward the bamboo forest. With any luck, she'd forget about the hot springs.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Nila wasn't sure if she was excited or scared as she followed the corpulent priest up the massive flight of gilded stairs that led to the equally golden temple. A god had taken interest in her, an actual god, and she couldn't for the life of her guess why.

Technically, as her name indicated, her patron goddess was Selene, the Warrior's consort, but though she'd prayed to Selene faithfully since she was a little child, she'd never been fortunate enough to encounter her. That was hardly surprising, of course; she was neither a priestess nor one of those adventurers who performed enough great deeds to catch a god's attention, but that only made the invitation she'd received from Lord S̆ams̆a all the more baffling. Why would he want to speak with me?

"You alright, lass?"

She'd been so wrapped up in her own thoughts she'd almost forgotten the durgu prince had also been invited into the sanctum, but she forced a smile and bobbed her head in response. She was still a little bit unsure about the man; he seemed nice enough, with kind eyes despite his gruff voice and penchant for ale, but he was a durgu. It was hard to feel comfortable around a man whose people seemed poised to invade the Empire at any moment, and perhaps inflict a scourging that had not been seen since the last of the Fey Wars.

"What do you think he wants with us?" she whispered.

"I have ears, you know." She blushed as the priest's voice drifted back to her, but repeated the question to him.

"Do you know what Lord S̆ams̆a wants?"

"I do not," he responded promptly, "but there's no need to be concerned. I suspect Lord S̆ams̆a simply wants to get a better look at you; it's not often we encounter a party with the hand of so many divines on it, and you two are the only ones not spoken for."

Though Nila didn't know what the priest was talking about, the durgu's quick nod of acceptance told her that her new friends had more secrets she wasn't aware of. Are they all champions for one of the gods? The idea didn't make much sense; admittedly, she hadn't been around them for long, but they didn't seem particularly devout. Still, it was the only way she could make sense of the priest's remarks.

She mulled it over, trying to piece out which god they served, when they reached the gate of the inner sanctum, and all other thoughts were banished.

The chamber was simply impossible. She'd seen the outside of the temple, and while it was an impressively large building, it was a few hundred feet high at most. But the ceiling of the chamber they stood in seemed nearly as high as the heavens and just as expansive. Vast pillars supported the false heavens, each taller than the tallest building she'd ever seen, and wide enough to house a small village. Meanwhile, the silver floor, polished so bright that it was nearly a perfect mirror, reflected the sea of golden stars and deep azure tiles that covered the distant heavens.

Yet all of it faded into nothingness in comparison to the massive throne that occupied the center of the grand hall. Golden peacocks, covered in lapis, amethyst, and jade, crouched at its base, their feathers supporting the footstool and above it - her mind struggled and failed to comprehend the being sitting on the throne.

A sun so bright that it seared her vision; a grizzled warrior, covered in battle scars and blood, a pile of skulls around his throne; a golden lad, cheerful and bright, with the lovely moon upon his lap - dozens of images once assaulted her mind as she stared up at the god.

"Get up."

Her eyes felt strangely wet as she blinked up dumbly at the bloodied warrior suddenly looming before. "Wh-where-" As she glanced around in confusion, she realized the hall had faded away. Worse, globs of bright red rained down on the grass as her vision blurred and twisted, followed by piercing pain.

"So weak." The god growled with obvious disappointment, and she flinched as his hand reached out toward her.

"I'm sorry-"

He ignored her attempted apology, and for a brief moment, searing pain filled her body as his finger passed over her eyes. But when he withdrew his hand, she realized the wet feeling and blurred vision had vanished. "Can't let you go blind," he grunted.

Not sure how to respond, she opted for silence, waiting patiently as he stared at her with probing eyes. "So weak," he muttered again, "but I suppose you'll have to do. Do you know why I brought you here?" The god demanded, raising his voice.

"No, my lord, but if you have a quest for me, I shall do my best to accomplish it," she bowed her head.

"Quest? And what quest would you have me give you - fetch a glass of milk?" S̆ams̆a snorted derisively. "The only quest I have for you is to stay alive, but as weak as you are…" He shook his head, his judgment so obvious there was no need to finish the sentence.

Nila's legs shook, her cheeks burning with embarrassment as she felt the weight of his stare on the top of her head. It had been bad enough when the guards had mocked her for her weakness, but to have a god do the same? Blinking away the tears that threatened to fall, she fought to keep her voice steady. "Then what would you have me do, my lord?"

"Don't die," the god scowled down at her, "But as you are too weak to accomplish even that simple task…" His hand reached out again, and another bolt of pain burned through her body, so thoroughly deadening every nerve that she plopped to the ground like a jellyfish. "There, learn to use my gift, and it should keep you alive long enough for the Emperor's bloody campaign. Who knows? Maybe if he doesn't muck it up, I'll have found a suitable champion," he muttered more to himself than to her.

Then, seeming to remember she was there, he waved his hand. "Begone, lass, and may I not see your face again unless it be in victory."

The world dissolved around her for a second time, and with a wet plop, she landed chin-first on the polished silver floor in a tangle of limbs. "Selene's grace!" Painfully, awkwardly, she untangled herself, rubbing her bloodied chin ruefully. As she struggled to her feet, she saw the priest standing nearby, with an amused smile on his face."A quick trip," he greeted her, "unlike his," he added, as he nodded at the durgu. And that's when she noticed S̆ams̆ādur was standing right beside her, his body frozen mid-air and his face contorted in an expression of absolute terror. At least I'm not him.

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