Chapter 1: Introduction
The temple rose like a slumbering behemoth against the indigo sky, hulking amidst gardens of dapper topiaries and shards of shattered stone—remnants from the temples of forgotten gods. Its walls spanned heavenwards, weaving elaborate tapestries of Selûne’s divine history so extravagant and vast, they seemed to cradle the waning moon in a celestial embrace.
Entering the temple, Reya paused and took a deep breath, inhaling the thick, heady fragrance of incense mingled with the earthy aroma of money. The air was thick with anticipation, charged with the promise of divine intervention. Moonlight poured in from the dome above, casting everything in tones of silver and blue. It was a breathtaking sight, her eyes drawn inexorably to the altar, where Selûne, her deity and patroness, reigned glistening and serene on its opulent pedestal.
She knelt before the statue, her knees aging from the stone floor a little, her hands trembling as she began to unbind the sack containing the entirety of her life's savings.
"All of it, Selûne," she murmured, lips brushing against worn leather. "Take it, take all of me."
Her offering, a stash amassed over years of relentless toil and abstinence, poured out, a flood of gold and precious gems staining the altar with their precious golden hue.
Coins clattered against the marble floor, and Reya let out a sigh of relief and a quiet prayer to the lunar goddess. The cacophony seemed to scatter the hushed whispers and reverberated around the chamber like the booming toll of bells echoing into eternity.
And then, in the distance, someone cleared their throat.
Reya looked up sharply, and there he was: a cloaked figure at the entrance, now silhouetted under the temple's threshold. He stepped closer, shedding darkness like liquid shadow, revealing himself.
A handsome man with a mischievous smirk, his youthful face at odds with the hard edges and scars etched onto his chiseled body. Like some sculptor’s forbidden fantasy, a visage of power and temptation.
“By the fucking moons,” Reya hissed, averting her gaze, blushing hotly.
“Oh?” The stranger murmured, now standing just inches away from the altar, moonlight silvering his wickedly arched eyebrows. “So the rumors are true.
A celibate warrior-priestess of Selûne devotes her entire life's fortune and chastity at the altar,” the stranger purred.
“Who the fuck are you?” Reya demanded, annoyed but unable to stop the flush creeping back into her cheeks. “How did you even get in here?”
“Names are for nobility. I am a traveler, a pilgrim, a disciple of life.” His grin widened, exposing straight, gleaming teeth.
She swallowed hard at the suggestive tone of his voice.