PHILTATOS // Foolish X Reader

16

Before you went to sleep that night, you said a prayer. You usually said one final prayer before turning in each night, but this time, your mind was largely focused on hoping Anello didn't know.

Was it a bit strange to be praying that Anello didn't know the Foolish had appeared to you? Of course - it felt backwards, when you had been praying for so long to receive some sign that they were still watching over you. But necessary, you felt. That he had been filled with such a strange energy the first time, and had come back a second time to make sure you hadn't been lying to him... something was off.

You slept uneasy that night - tossing and turning under your sheets as the moonlight streamed in from the window that sat behind your bed. Though you had meant to calm your nerves with the prayer, perhaps going to bed with the last thing on your mind being Anello wasn't the best thing you could have done.

Still, even a night of fitful sleep gave way to morning light eventually, and you pulled yourself out of bed when you heard some of the other worship members pass by the door to your room. A quick glance in the mirror as you pulled on your robes revealed some dark circles under your eyes - but a night full of fitful sleep and stressful dreams would do that to anyone. You were just hoping no one said anything.

You stepped out of your room as you pulled your prayer beads over your head, draping them around your neck where they belonged as you closed the door behind you. You nodded as you passed a few of Vryos' devoted, chatting amongst themselves as they made their way towards the center pavilion.

You joined the gentle flow of people, leaving the cluster of rooms where the worship slept and stepping out into the day properly. The sun hung low in the sky still, painting the clouds in shades of light pinks and oranges as it slowly rose higher. The grass that sprung up between the stones on the path was still wet with dew. You followed the stones towards the pavilion, eyes sweeping over the skyline of the city as you walked.

There was no telling how many people had succumbed to starvation or sickness last night. Families would be waking up to dead brothers and sisters, husbands and wives - even children. Hundreds would meet their ends in the colosseum fights today. There would be no mercy for anyone there.

And you would be here, above it all, praying for all of it to end.

It was a terrible dichotomy - to be surrounded by such beautiful temples and gardens, and to know that in the rest of the city, people were forced out into the streets. Still, now that Foolish knew of it too, you could only hope that he would try and do something.

The pavilion was bustling with other worship members when you arrived, all clustered around long tables as they ate breakfast. You grabbed a few things for yourself - a sprig of grapes and a few slices of still-warm bread drizzled with olive oil - before sitting down at your usual table with a few other priests and priestesses.

"... can't be something bad, can it? The gods might be our last hope - Vesapasian would be a fool to cut our resources now."

"More likely things are just getting worse in the city. The offerings from the coffers were already scarce last week and I can't imagine things have gotten better since then. He probably just wanted to talk to him about finding alternatives."

"Don't tell me we're going to have to start burning herbs again-"

You furrowed your brows as you listened to the conversation around you. Vesapasian had wanted to talk to someone, it sounded like. Who, though, was beyond you. "Who did Vesapasian call for?" You asked around a mouthful of bread.

One of Frontidas priestesses turned to you. "Early this morning, a message came through for Anello." She said. "He went off to see the caesar right away - the only reason we know he's gone is because he left Lykorguos to oversee worship this morning."

Your eyes found their way to one of the other tables near the edge of the pavilion where Lykorguos sat with a few other priests devoted to Logios as well. They all spoke in low voices, the same suspicious and speculating tone everyone else had at the moment. No doubt they were talking about Anellos' summons too - though even though Lykorguos had been left as overseer, they had any more information than anyone else.

Though you knew nothing about why Anello had gone to see the caesar, a stroke of panic still ran through your spine. You popped a grape in your mouth, giving yourself something to focus on instead. "Ah. I see."

"I can't imagine it could get worse than this." Someone down the table said, drawing the attention back away from you. "People are already dying in droves - what's next? Monsters arise from the sea?"

A laugh scattered around the people you were sharing your table with, and you half smiled as well. It was mildly amusing, but at this point, if the sea itself came to finish off the city you wouldn't have been too fazed. As often as people made light and joked about 'how could things possibly get worse?' everyone knew that there were infinitely many ways for things to go downhill, even from here.

Especially for people like you. The poverty hadn't affected you too much, being members of the worship, meaning you had the most to lose.

Shaking the thought from your head, you finished off what you would eat of your breakfast and excused yourself, carrying your dishes over to the fires and scraping the rest of the meal into the flames as a quick offering. You had hoped that the day would bring new rest from plaguing thoughts of Anello, but as you made your way to the temple, he was still in the forefront of your mind.