Chapter 149

“So, that was faster than I thought,” Delta said. “Figured we’d be getting up to this in a few days, not right away.”

“Hit a dead end with the Church, so it’s not like we have much choice,” Zoey said. “Ephy might be our last chance to get another hint on what’s going on.” Though she wasn’t sure how fruitful another conversation with the goddess would be. She had made it clear there were limits on what she would, or could, tell Zoey. “And even if she’s not helpful, it’s smart to establish a way to communicate with her.”

“And she said ‘communing’ was best for that?”

“Whatever that means.”

“Think I’ll get to see her? Or will it be just you?”

Zoey paused. That was a good question. “I assumed just me. Depends on how all this works, I guess. And whether she wants to see you.”

“Huh,” Delta said. “Chatting with an actual goddess. Not something I thought I’d ever get up to.”

“Any ideas for how it will work?”

“Communing? Nope. But I bet we’ll need a lot of lube.”

Zoey shook her head. Colorful phrasing, like always. “And what’s the plan for finding someone to help?”

“A nubile, virgin priestess to ravish, you mean?”

“Don’t be crude.”

“We’re looking for a priestess to double team, and you’re complaining about me being ‘crude’?”

Touché.

“Still, our goal’s only to talk to Ephy. We don’t know if we’ll need a priestess to help. Or whether one will want to.”

“I don’t think that second part will be much of a problem. Have you seen yourself?” Delta laughed. “Have you seen me?” She made a lewd gesture as she traced her hands down her body. “I’m sure we’ll have a few takers. Just look for a repressed blonde with big blue eyes. You have a good record with those.”

“Oh, be quiet,” Zoey said. “Though, you should probably give me the rundown on how all this works. So I know what’s going on.”

“All this?”

“The temple district. And all that.”

“Our world’s religion?” Delta asked dryly.

“Yeah.”

“I’m probably not the best person to ask. I’m not exactly what you could call pious.”

“You aren’t?”

Delta rolled her eyes.

“Besides,” Zoey said, “that might make you a better person to explain. You’re less biased.”

“Maybe.” Delta was quiet for a moment as she thought. “I’ll do my best to give a rundown. So, in most cities, there’s three major temples people worship in. The Temple of Natural Order, the Temple of the Arcane, and the Temple of Ascension.”

“Oh?”

“Inside each, there’s different shrines to worship different gods or goddesses. You can probably guess who belongs where. Aelorithia, the Goddess of Blossom, and Lunestrya, the Goddess of Nights and Beasts, would be worshipped in the Temple of Natural Order. So would Ephythithys, representing fertility and sex—a natural process.”

“And the Arcane Temple?”

“Mistralthys for enchantment. Voltaryn for elemental magics. Elendriya for healing and protection.” Delta shrugged. “There’s a lot of gods. One for everything. Some are more popular than others. Their names change, too, depending on where you are. I find it hard to remember them all.” Delta glanced skyward, pausing as if waiting for something. After a second, she nodded. “Cool. Didn’t get smited for that.”

“What about the Temple of Ascension?”

“That one’s different,” Delta said. “And is mostly worshipped by wayfarers and wayfaring families. Depending on where you go, the Temple is dedicated to one god, Cod’elix, or several aspects of the same god, given different representations. But the Temple is for everything related to ascension. Questaryn, the God of Adventure, Lev’Alora, for Progression, and Egarion, Mastery.”

“So everything related to classes, shards, and advancements.”

“Yep.”

It made sense that there would be a major Temple dedicated to such a thing. Wayfarers were the eminent force across the world, and for good reason: individuals could wield power that threatened entire cities.

Zoey wondered how many of these gods were real. Only Ephy and the enigmatic ‘Ezariel’ she had mentioned had any substantial proof. Otherwise, the rest had—if they weren’t invented as a matter of these people’s culture—shirked their duties and abandoned the world, according to Ephy.