We found ourselves at a large square with multiple buildings. All rather different in style. One dominated over all, the temple of Imperius, the most worshipped god of the Empire. Standing there I realised how little I knew about the gods of this world.

“Uh… What temple would you recommend? Is there any god you worship?” I asked my companions.

“I am not very devout.” Lucy admitted. “In the village I grew up in, some people worshipped Sylphania. As the goddess of nature they hoped her blessing would help their crops. Others followed Goreath. A lot of beastkin think we were created by him. And of course the Empire pushed the worship of Imperius. I never understood why normal citizens would worship the god of nobles. A god that tells them they have to obey.”

“Good propaganda I suppose. And maybe they see him as a divine justification for having slaves?” I wondered.

“Perhaps.” Lucy admitted.

“Lilith encouraged the worship of Amoria, the goddess of pleasure.” Lily said.

“Demons worship gods?” I was surprised.

“Not all of them. Some demon lords want their followers only devoted to them, others are fine with certain gods. Priests can be useful. Not every god accepts demon worshippers, I should add. Some gods are picky about the race of their followers.”

“Are you following Amoria?” Lucy asked.

“Not really.” Lily admitted.

“So, none of us are religious. Ok then, what gods would make sense to visit?” I asked.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“Well, Astra is the goddess of magic. That would fit. Sylphania could work since you have a certain connection to the elements. As a countess Imperius would fit too, I suppose.” Lucy said.

I was not a fan of Imperius. But he did have the largest presence and therefore likely the best healers. I was not sure what his stance on mind control was. He was all about nobility and a strict hierarchy. Anyway, he would be a last resort.

So, nature or magic? How did that work anyway? Did elemental magic not touch upon both? Was Astra focused on wizards, on studied magic? Also, what about Goreath? God of the hunt seemed rather vague. Would that not also be a part of nature?

I looked around the square. One of the temples was not built, but grown. At first I mistook it for a garden. But I realised the trees were too dense. They formed a circle with an opening. The ring of trees was surrounded by some grass, bushes and flowers. Clearly this was the temple of Sylphania.

“I think we shall visit the goddess of nature. Well, her temple.” I corrected myself.

There were no objections so we approached the curious building. Hm, that did not seem like the right word. How did one call a tree circle that served at a temple? Maybe I should ask.

We used the dirt path leading into the curious structure. Branches and leaves formed the ceiling. In addition to the circle, one giant tree was in the centre. There were no visible doors, just open pathways. As we stepped into the first room an elf emerged. He had bronze skin and green hair, marking him as a wood elf.

“Greetings. What can the temple of Sylphania do for you?”

“Greeting priest.” I hoped that was the correct way of addressing him. “I am Amaya and those are Lucy and Lily. We are looking for a healer.”

“I see. I am Elandru. I can see no visible injuries. What kind of healing do you seek?”

“It is not for us. We freed a person from mind control. Now she is sleeping and will not wake. We hope to find someone who can help at your temple.”

He looked shocked. “Mind control? That is serious. You will need to talk to the high priestess. Please follow me.”

He led us deeper into the temple. I noticed that they had regular furniture inside. Desks, chairs, cabinets,... It seemed that only the building was special. Our destination was the tree in the centre. A tall hedge formed the wall of the surprisingly cosy room. There was a lovely couch, some comfy chairs, even a liquor cabinet.

“She will be with you shortly.” Elandru said and left.

As we explored the room I noticed something odd about the tree. My eyes could see magic in it. And it was moving. The magic flowed to a certain part of the trunk. Suddenly a hand emerged from the tree. But it was not only a hand. An entire person stepped out of the trunk. She looked like an elf with a skin made of wood. Her hair was made from leaves and twigs. She opened her green eyes and regarded me curiously. Was the high priestess a dryad?

“You smell of wind and rain. I can feel your power. Who are you?”

“Amaya Delphinium, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” I introduced myself.