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Saval chuckled behind us. "I see you've found our god."
"He's beautiful," I breathed.
But his face was almost familiar. It felt like I should remember seeing this man somewhere, but I couldn't quite remember where. I figured it was a sign of a brilliant artist, probably a follower of Inspiration. The fact that the fabric looked light enough to move if a breeze blew through here was proof of his or her skill.
"He is the God of Temptation," Saval pointed out. "Beauty is one of the most common. Greed is another."
"Which is why his hands are offering what's freely available," I realized.
"Very good, Nariana," she praised before turning to the rest of the class. "Now, can any of you guess why we're here today?"
"To learn about the temple?" someone offered.
Saval canted her head to one side. "A bit, but that wasn't what I was going for. Anyone else?"
Ciella sighed dramatically. "Because we're going to dip our hands again? I mean, isn't that all this place is good for?"
"It's not, but you are correct. You see, this is the place for priests to pray to the other gods. It's a sanctuary for those in need to find the god who will best help them. It's also an option for those marked to follow the Path of Obligation, so they can expand their future. Every priest who serves here was marked for Obligation in their own temple and requested to transfer. You see, while the gods can know our souls, that doesn't mean we do. It's not uncommon for young priests and priestesses to resent the Path they're given."
Anver quickly looked up. "Wait, but can't we all choose a Path below the one we're given?"
"You can," Saval said proudly.
"Which means," he went on, "that even someone destined for the Path of the Word could choose to serve here instead?"
"Very good," Saval told him. "I'm impressed you figured that out on your own. So why don't you go first? Acolytes, make a line. I will assist each of you with your offering, because today, that is what this is."
"How so?" one of the older boys asked while the rest of us shuffled into place. "We've already been claimed, and this isn't for our final Choosing Ceremony, so what's the point?"
Saval led Anver to the edge of Temptation's basin. "Today marks the halfway point of your education. Think of this as your chance to see how our god, Zeal, feels about your progress. The change in your lace will signify a growth or stagnation. The new pattern will help direct your path for the future. If you don't see what you want, then you still have time to change it. And when you pull your arms out, I will read them for you."
The boy who'd only dipped his fingers that first day lifted his hands. "At least this time I know to stick them all the way in, right?"
"You do," Saval agreed. "Each of you will dip your arms in to at least your elbows. If you have any problems with this, let me know. There are stools for our shorter acolytes."
We all looked back to a girl who hadn't really grown much in the last year. She was staring at the ground, but her cheeks had turned noticeably darker. Thankfully, I was no longer one of the smaller kids. I might still be the youngest, but sometime after I'd turned fourteen, my legs had finally decided to grow. So had my chest. That meant I no longer looked like the baby trying to keep up with all these teenagers.
"Ok," Saval said, her attention turned on Anver. "It doesn't matter if your robe gets soaked, but you are allowed to take it off if you prefer."
"I'm fine," he promised.
"Then please reach deep into the tears of our god, and let us see what Temptation has for you."
The edge of the basin was at chest height for me, which meant lower for him. Anver leaned toward the water and pushed both of his arms down until his elbows were under the surface, and a smile began to grow on his face. We couldn't see the change, but it seemed that he could. When Saval nodded, he withdrew his hands and held them up for the rest of us to see.
Previously, he'd worn the black lace-like markings up to his wrists. Now, the color swirled to his elbow on the right side, and midway up his forearm on the left. Saval held a towel open, and when he turned, she carefully patted each one dry, then leaned over to read them.
"Your pattern is marked with sharp edges of violence more than the swirls of the gentler passions. This dark marking on the back of your left hand appears to be a shield of sorts. Are you still hoping to follow the Path of Protection?"
"I am," he assured her.
She smiled and stepped back. "Well, it seems you're well on your way. Zeal approves. Now, who's next?"
I was. Without hesitation, I stepped forward, removing my robe as I did so. I didn't trust myself not to have my sleeves end up soaked. Saval held out a hand, offering to hold it for me as I took my place at the basin.
"Whenever you're ready, Nariana," she said.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed my arms in to the elbows. For a single second, nothing happened, but then I felt a tug. A hard one. It almost knocked me off balance, and my arms thrust out to catch me. The only problem was that all I had to reach for was more water. The surface came dangerously close to my face, and I could feel the cool dampness to the middle of both biceps, but whatever had caught me quickly let go.
