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Makis opened the door behind him, revealing a set of stairs. "Follow me."
Just like all of the other temples, this one had multiple stories. The Temple of All Gods, however, was laid out completely differently. The open area at the front where all visitors entered went all the way up to the roof. That meant that the second floor only covered the housing wings and other private areas for the small selection of priests who called this home.
Makis led me through the halls, clearly knowing exactly where he was going. I tried to keep track of the twists and turns, but it didn't take long before I was completely lost. Then Makis gestured to an intersection where there was only a banister instead of a wall, and he lifted one finger to his lips.
"Down there is a conference area that is reserved for only the most elite in Calseth. The High Priests are using it today."
Tilting his head, he led me to the corner of the wall where I could look down and see a large round table with six people sitting around it, each one wearing the color of their god. The other priests they brought with them were standing by the walls or moving around the edge of the room, but it seemed the meeting hadn't started yet.
Then I noticed six more people who seemed to be completely ignored. Zeal leaned against a wall with Will beside him. Savi and Bode were walking around the table, looking at the notes laid out. Merci and Charisma were talking in the corner, but their hand gestures made me think they might be arguing.
"So if you happen to decide that this is the perfect place to pray to your god," Makis told me with a smile curling his lips, "then I would think it's my duty to make sure you're comfortable. Is there anything else you need? Paper? Pen?"
"Maybe a priest to sit with me so that if anyone asks, I will have a witness?" I asked.
So Makis slid down the wall until his rump hit the floor. "This is bad, isn't it?"
"I think so," I admitted. "All six of the gods are worried about this. No one believes in them anymore, which means they can't see the gods."
"But you do?" he asked.
I nodded my head slowly. "I do. I call my god my best friend, and he calls me that back. My desire is the woman who wears all five Paths. She's descended from the first priestess and has always been able to see all of the gods. So, because she needs help, they gave the four of us who protect her the ability to do the same. The snake has five heads, after all."
"The Chosen One," he breathed. "She's why I came here. I used to be a Priest of Action with Perception, but when the stories about her started circling, they felt wrong. Not like lies, but wrong because everyone was talking about Zeal, not the other five. We're supposed to worship all six gods equally. Maybe we're chosen as priests to serve only one, but that doesn't mean we should ignore the benefits the others offer."
"I think they'd like that," I told him. "Most people, if they believe without any doubts at all, they can learn how to see their own god. I can't help but wonder, if you believe in all of them, would you only see Savi or would you see her siblings as well?"
"How do we learn to believe that strongly?" Makis asked.
I could only shrug. "If Nari was here, she'd be able to tell you something that would make it suddenly click in your head and just work. All I can say is that for me, I knew there had to be something more. Maybe we can explain a lot of things, but not all of them. The law books write themselves. The same water will stain my arms black and your arms green. Those things are miracles, and if a god isn't behind a miracle, then what is?"
"It has to be the gods," he agreed. "But you said that you weren't sure if they could come here. If the gods can't enter the one temple that was made for all of them, then what good is this place? How will I ever see one of the gods if they won't walk beside me?"
"No, they're here," I told him. "Well, down there. I saw them when I peeked over the edge."
So Makis leaned forward and looked for himself. "What do they look like?"
"They're the people who aren't wearing robes," I said. "They gravitate to clothing in their colors, so Zeal is in black and Will is beside him in a red shirt. Savi and Bode were walking around the table a moment ago - "
"In green and yellow," he gasped, jerking back to look at me with wide eyes. "Her hair! It…" He looked the other way, then back to me as if trying to check to be sure we were alone. "Anver, there's a woman down there who looks like the softer version of my goddess, and she's talking to a man who looks just like her twin."
I leaned to check. "Yeah, Savi and Bode are reading - " I stopped hard, turning back to Makis as his words truly hit me. "You can see both of them? Most priests can only see their own god."
"They're all my gods," he reminded me, "but I only saw the pair."
The man was breathing just a little too hard, like he was both excited and afraid. I knew that feeling. Still, if he could see both Savi and Bode, it meant that Bode had one believer. Zeal said that one was enough to keep them alive.
"When this is over," I said, careful to keep my voice down as the room below us grew quiet, "you should pray to them. They need faith, Makis, and it seems you have plenty. Who knows, maybe you're why I'm here?"
"Or maybe my temple needs to know about this meeting," he countered just as someone began tapping a glass. And then we both strained to hear as the High Priest of Ambition called the meeting to order.
Chapter 45
Anver
The meeting carried on much longer than expected. Makis sat patiently beside me the entire time, the pair of us looking at each other in shock at what we were hearing. But, when the meeting finally ended with a stalemate, I knew I needed to tell Amerlee about this. The hardest part was being patient and waiting until Kinen and his entourage were gone, so they wouldn't know that I had been eavesdropping.
Outside, the sky had turned dark. The traffic on the streets had nearly vanished, and the few remaining people walked quickly, as if they were hurrying home. I was one of them. With my arms once again huddled around my body and my head bowed against the wind, I aimed for the back side of the Temple of Temptation.
