V E S P E R
"Because even the stars they burn, some even fall to the earth"

The walk wasn’t far, but with each step I felt my energy returning as opposed to draining away. I felt lighter now that I felt like there was a place here in Helovia where I could find some clarity even though this whole situation had done nothing but cloud my mind. I had never had much appreciation for the Gods before today. Well, I did for grandmama, of course, but I hadn’t given much thought to the other Gods. Clearly I needed to pay all of them more attention. I knew that there were seers back in the Edge who’s job was to take care of everything pertaining to the Gods. I made a note to seek them out as soon as we’d finished, or not finished, this task.

I followed Papa, wondering when we would come across the shrines to the Gods. I was expecting something large and extravagant dedicated to each of them - clearly marked structures with tributes. I had only had a few minutes to craft what I thought they looked like in my mind, but my imagination had been busy. What we found was not at all what I expected. There was no extravagance. No offerings. No towering structures reaching up towards the heavens. If anything, the shrines looked like they needed tending for if I hadn’t known what they were, I may have walked right past them. They were black and almost appeared in disrepair - nothing like how I imagined a shrine to a God to look. I had half a mind to try to clean them, repair them, decorate them. However that was not why we were here today.

At Papa’s question I stepped closer to the shrines, stepping forward hesitantly. I glanced back at him, uncertainly, before examining the shrines more closely. “I think this one is you mother’s,” I said, confidently, gesturing to the crumbling stones marked with symbols of wind I recalled from home. I stepped over to a neighboring shrine, covered in coals and ash, and said simply “Sun,” again confident in my choice. That left two - Earth and Time. One of the shrines was split in two and on the other a strange, glowing flowers grew among the stone. ”Well, the one with flowers must be the Earth’s, so Time’s must be split in half.” I finished, looking to Papa for confirmation.

I then stepped back to Papa’s side, again seeking his comfort. “How would we ask the Earth God about Kisamoa? Does he know we’re here? And what happened to the shrines? They look like they’ve been...ruined.”