Sabele's surroundings melted around her and as they did she fell to her knees and took her position. She sat on the cold marble floor just a few feet away from the steps which would lead to his throne. Her small form sat in the middle of a large, quiet room filled with other gods. They didn't speak but a few leaned forward to see the child while others covered their eyes.

She looked so beat up that it really did hurt to look. Amist stared in shock unable to look away while Saphite clutched to her husband’s arm and turned away. While she was known for her uncaring demeanor, she did pity the child and couldn't bear to see the marks.

Zenké felt rage build in her. It clung to her form and left her face steaming hot red. She remembered the old priestess's decree. The head chief was to be miserable without relief for a long, long time. Standing, she would start with his family. Nothing worse than a family feud. With these thoughts in mind, the goddess of war left, leaving a slight breeze behind her.

"You've summoned me, young priestess Sabele?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then speak," Fliana cut him a fierce glare but he ignored his wife. They may want to be sweet to the child but he needed to see reason. She was a child. He needed to see beyond that. See her worth as a priestess.

"I understand you are busy but the head chief of my city, Eztil-Catl, would like to speak to you in person. I sought you out to let you know that he has requested to make the offering in person." Sabele slightly shook under the presence of the god who was the king among his kind.

Being the god of water and associated with the weather that governed the lives of everyone, he was pure power and that was why he sat at the top. When he stood, the room seemed to shake and every step he took, the floor beneath her trembled. Her frail body hurt as the tremors hit her bruises and cuts.

"A head chief who hurts his own priestesses is not a man I would ever see in person, dear, and I would never associate myself with such a man or god. No one should ever touch a priestess. You realize this correct?" Sabele nodded her head quickly and he continued, "go wash yourself in the stream nearby your cave then go to him and asks what he wants. Then leave and sacrifice something of your choosing to my wife, Fliana. When you have done that, go back to your head chief and tell him that if he or any citizen of the city makes a sacrifice to me dealing with whatever he wants that I will not do as he asks. Do you understand?" He reached down and touched the base of her neck gently to heal her wounds.

"Yes, sir. Should I sacrifice at the altar?" A corner of her lip twitched upward as everything that had once been told to her felt like a lie.

They were not snobbish like some would say they were. They didn't exactly care about their followers' interests and while they didn’t have to, chose to deal with them anyway by accepting the deal handed to them or propositioning.

Agous sat on the highest throne as a king among them and he acted like one. Calm and watchful, but lending a hand to her to heal her wounds, not getting angry at her for things she couldn't control like what the head chief had asked of her to do which was a big no-no from start to finish.

"No, please summon me with your sacrifice," Fliana spoke from her perch on the throne. She idly swung her feet around while looking at the child. It fascinated her how she could stand the presence of Agous.

Priestesses tried not to be close to him or to touch him at all simply because of the power he admitted. A few had even openly moved away as if his presence had burned them, but Sabele didn't shy away. She had control over herself and stayed put, not giving in to possible instinct.

"Yes, ma'am." Sabele faded from their view as she headed home.

"I don't see why you are so worked up. She is a child, yes, but she has to go through this," Diez, spoke for the first time. As their goddess of the moon, she had a habit to be out walking late in the night and sleeping while the sun was up. It was even rarer that she'd join the rest of them in the Great Hall.

Other gods and goddesses would, such as the god of festivities and such, but they never stayed too long. It was a known thing to let the "main" gods have their time together and not interrupt family issues. After all, those who sat upon the specially crafted thrones had been the first to come here and make this place home. Every other chair lacked such a decoration, declaring those who occupied them as secondary to their counterparts.

"The thing that works me up is that her parents were taken from her. She has no protection." Saphite turned to look at her daughter fiercely. "I am a mother. Your mother to be exact and I would never want my child going through that. I know you don't sympathize with those you know little of but..." She pursed her lips and silenced herself before said something further.

"Don't get worked up dear," Ugaras rubbed her arm before pulling her up and leading her from the room. Their daughter Diez followed shortly.

"That family can be very cold to outsiders, can't they?" Mia voiced her opinion in the open air, hardly respecting a response.

However, she got one from her husband.

"They were the same with our situation, love. It takes time. Saphite understands from a mother's perspective but they all don't like those outside the circle. Why do you think they only come when it's mainly us fifteen or so gods here? She doesn't like most of our second and third generations simply because they haven't been around like us or aren’t as close as we are. They don’t understand what some of us here went through to make this place safe. Don't take it to heart." He pulled her into his lap to hold her to his chest, a sign he was stressed.

"Is there something I can do to help?" Evåinic stood then looking at them all.

"Let us wait. Then we can decide what should be done. We have our rules for priestesses. They are the communicators and helpers to their village. This," Agous waved his hand symbolizing the whole deal going on, "is not acceptable but there is little we can do. As Diez said, she must do this. If we interfere, we could make everything worse. Shall I remind everyone here of Zallato? That didn’t end well."

"No.” Tatisic’s interruption came as a surprise to those sitting around him. He simply raised a brow at their reaction, closing gaping mouths in an instant. “Yes, we could make this much worse, but no, she doesn’t have to do this at all. Sabele has free will. That will never change and she will always have the option to leave and travel far away. Her parents are what keep her tied there. That is her home, she is too young to understand the importance of letting go. However, I along with Zenké, have made our deals in dealing with the child." Tatisic tone remained calm but fierceness edged his words.

"What deal?" Ragous asked but those in the room knew better. The god of storms and anger spoke for his fraternal twin brother Seren, a mute god of rivers and tranquility.

"I decreed that those who anger the gods will have hell rained upon them. The only thing stopping us other than Agous's word being almost law is the fact that it's her home and she'd have nowhere to go. A priestess who survived the gods' wrath upon her village wouldn't be looked at as good by other people in the empire. The old priestess summoned deathly and darkly creatures as well as Zenké to bring pain and misery to those who would harm the child. Zenké already is working on it as well as getting Zannaa mixed into it." Everyone gasped at the news. No one had heard of the old priestess's deal but no one could be really surprised. In fact, Amist was grinning like a moron and her eldest son attempted to close her mouth several times to no avail.

"Well, Sabele has promise for being an excellent priestess. I like her and she is working hard but she is starving and freezing. I know a lone hunter nearby who may provide some assistance to her," Have spoke and as he did his mother Haven nodded in agreement with everything he said.

"Do as you wish. Don't upset the balance. We are here to uphold it. I have my duty to do as you do." Agous returned to his seat where Fliana quickly perched herself on his lap.

"Then send your hunter her way!" Amist clapped in glee. While these gods did actually care somewhat about human life, this was like watching the Housewives. The game had begun and the drama was on a roll, one just couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

Sabele, after being sent down, did as the god had asked. Eztil-Catl wanted good weather for travel and for trade since the holidays were quickly approaching with the new season. However, he also believed she had lied and sacrificed many things to the gods and urged everyone to do the same causing horrible storms and bad weather to cut back trade. He didn't come back for Sabele and she received no visitors as the seasons changed.

Sabele also caught a large rabbit for the sacrifice and summoned the goddess of power. Fliana was delighted to find the juicy meat already cooked for her. Happy with the sacrifice, Fliana flounced back into the hall to chat with her family.