The Black Gods War

happen?”
    “Yes.” Caio nodded his head vigorously.
    “Good. Put your hands together like this and pray with me. Good.”
    Lucia knelt and did the same, thinking it’s what her father would want her to do.
    “We pray to you, The Ten of Lux Lucis, to lead Caio to his ideal patron today. My Lord Galleazzo, we pray thy will be done.” He prayed to his chosen deity, the god commonly worshiped by Rezzian kings.
    Vieri stood, lifted Caio into his arms, and carried him out of the room. Lucia followed behind them so her father wouldn’t see any disappointment on her face. Her father’s heavy footsteps echoed through the wide clay halls, while Caio talked to himself in his tiny voice.
    Muscled soldiers guarded each corner, standing with stately posture. Lucia tried not to stare at them, but she found their sculpted bodies too tempting to ignore. As usual, the soldiers did not look back.
    As they wound through the holy palace toward the atrium, the chanting and commotion of the pilgrims grew louder, as if they were coming upon a great waterfall of human voices.
    The king stopped at the twisting stairs leading down to the cavernous hall. Lucia peered through the cloud of sweet incense. Directly beneath the circular opening in the clay roof, dim sunlight reflected off the clear pool. On the other side of the stone path around the water, the ten alabaster statues of the gods towered over thousands of devotees.
    Communal religious ceremonies typically required worshipers to wear their sacred cream cremos robes to honor the unity of The Gods of Light. But on this day, the people celebrated the diversity of the gods with dress unique to each divinity.
    From below, a powerful voice shouted the prayer, “Havah ilz avah Haizzem!” The crowd of hundreds repeated after him before they observed silence.
    Lucia followed her father down the wide steps. A gathering of dignitaries received them at the landing. She recognized some of the most senior warpriests, bald men in loose, white tunics that covered all but their hands and feet. She recognized the three highest-ranking strategoi, military commanders in tasseled red uniforms; one of them, a cheerful man with curly hair, winked at her. Tiberio, the highest warpriest, The Exalted, stepped forward muttering prayers and sprinkled holy water on Caio’s forehead.
    Tiberio took Caio and carried the young Haizzem through the crowd. Lucia followed beside her father. They walked past worshipers of the goddess Vani jumping in place with their hands in the air, wearing colorful jewelry and crowns made of lavender flowers. One of them caressed Lucia’s hair as she walked past.
    Silver-haired Tiberio led them toward the pool and statues, to the front of the crowd, between the statues of Lord Galleazzo and his wife, the goddess Jacopa. By the statue of Galleazzo, the stately followers of her father’s patron god wore golden sashes across one shoulder, over their short white tunics and leather girdles. They bowed to their king and kept their heads low.
    The barefoot devotees of the goddess Jacopa mostly wore primitive dress, earthy, non-dyed clothing. Each of them held either a pomegranate or an orange. Lucia assumed they brought the fruits to give to Caio if he chose their goddess.
    The statues of Lord Danato and his sister the goddess Ysa stood across the circle. Lucia gave a quick glance at the bald, black-clothed devotees of Lord Danato. Many of them had a tattoo of an orange tear beneath their left eyes. Seeing them, Lucia felt unclean beneath her skin.
    She focused on the devotees of the goddess Ysa, her patron goddess, The Protector of Man. The men and women who worshiped Ysa wore red metal circles in their earlobes and clean yellow dresses or tunics. The metal symbolized the goddess’s holy shield, a relic Lucia knew she would be entrusted with some day.
    Tiberio placed Caio on the ground before the statue of Lord Galleazzo, the traditional choice for a future king. “Choose your god, young Haizzem.” Tiberio sprinkled more holy water over Caio and stepped back, still muttering prayers.
    Good luck, Caio! Lucia felt so excited she wanted to squeal.
    Caio looked up at Lord Galleazzo’s statue and smiled, but turned to his left and continued along the ancient stone path around the sunken pool. King Vieri’s eyes drooped in disappointment.
    Her brother looked up at the joyful goddess Orazia and giggled, leading to contagious laughter erupting around the atrium. Behind the statue,