PHILTATOS // Foolish X Reader

26

"Your brother?" You asked, your eyes finding Foolish again. What did Sofos have to do with any of this - besides the obvious, of course. The festival was still in full swing around you, the festivities in a strange dichotomy with the cloud of panic that had settled around you and Foolish as you sat away from the throng.

If Foolish hadn't been looking guilty and scared before, he certainly was now as his eyes slid away from yours, looking down at the mosaic of him and his brother on the ground below his feet. In the firelight, the tiles seemed more lifelike, the colors of the stones blending together as the light cast shapes across the ground. It almost looked like the mosaic of Sofos specifically was watching you - the shifting light made his eyes look focused on you.

Foolish began to speak slowly, folding his hands in his lap as he gazed down at the mosaic. "So, you know how the future is already written and everyone has their place in it?"

You nodded. Writing the future was what Logios did - even the rest of the gods were subject to their whim. You all had a role to play in the timeline, even those who were able to bend it. "Of course."

"Right." Foolish continued. "My role in the timeline was more important in the beginning, which is why I'm referred to as the god of creation. And fools, but I never really understood where that part of it came from. Not important." He paused. "And you know how my brother and I are opposites."

"Right." You nodded along. This was all basic knowledge of the gods - things that even the most lazy temple goer knew from childhood stories and songs.

"I helped build the world." Foolish said, bringing his eyes back up to meet you. "Sofos was created to help destroy it."

And then it clicked. The were complete opposites - Foolish was the god of fools and creation, whereas Sofos was the god of wisdom... and destruction. Day and night, gold and silver, good and evil.

"Sofos is going to end the world." You said, voice barely hovering above a whisper. It was his purpose all along.

Silver swirled around you - the stars in the sky, the banners in the procession's hands as they passed, the prayer beads of the priests and priestesses as they moved around the altar, keeping the fire alight. The color was everywhere, and where before it had been entrancing, now it was sickening. There was some sort of cosmic irony here, in a city throwing a festival for the very god who would destroy them all.

They had been so focused on his wisdom that they had forgotten the second half of his title. Logios had some sense of humor, in making something like this. How could the caesar have been so blind? How could Anello? He should have known better than anyone not to call upon the god of destruction during unstable times - even if he was also the god of wisdom.

And then it clicked, again.

Anello had confessed to talking with Sofos on the bench, not more than half an hour ago. It had been in a weird, backwards sort of way, and he had only really implied it, but you were fairly sure after learning about how Sofos would be the harbinger for the end of the world that Anello had known. Why else would he have worked so hard for a festival in Sofos honor? And now, of all times?

Sure, you had broken the trust of the worship by keeping the appearance of Foolish to yourself - you could admit that. But now, knowing what Anello had done? He'd had no right to remove you from the hill, not after he'd committed so many more crimes against the practice than you. Not only had he kept his relations with Sofos to himself, but to have knowingly aided in the end of the world?

When you had signed on to be part of the worship, you had been told that the utmost mission of the members was to provide hope and community, even in the darkest of times. You were pretty sure that draining the city's resources to begin the end of the world - even if it was written into the strings of fate already - was going against that.

"And I think Anello was in on it." You finished, turning to Foolish. The panic that had already settled low in your gut only grew larger. "What do we do?" You paused, swallowing. "Is there even anything we can do?" You were only human - what could you do about the end of the world, something written in a format you couldn't even see. It was beyond your reach in the most astronomical sense in the world, and that thought made your stomach coil tight with fear.

So much so, that you didn't even notice how hard you were gripping the stone until Foolish reached down to unclench your fist, sliding your fingers between his own and running a thumb over his knuckles gently. "Nothing." He said, more serious than you had ever heard him before.

The dopey grin that he usually wore was gone from his face as he looked at you, emerald eyes glimmering just as the inlaid emeralds did in the mosaic below your feet. "Nothing?" You repeated, an edge of panic in your voice. Was this really how you were going to die?

"Nothing for the city, at least." Foolish said, sounding genuinely upset about it. "What's written is written - one way or another this is the end of the city, whether one god, or all of them oppose it."

Your spirits sunk even further as Foolish spoke. If what he was saying was true, and there was nothing you could do for the city, had it really all been for nothing? All the praying and pleading and waiting for the gods to intervene - showing Foolish around the city so that he would understand, bringing the offerings to the temple every day... it had made no difference in the end.

Foolish interrupted your thoughts again as he squeezed your hand. "It's not the city I'm worried about though."