A Country Falls (Greatest Thief 3)

Chapter Six

Navire's temple stood on the highest point of the city, far from the water. The winding path through the forest meant it was nearly impossible to see until suddenly it was right in front of us. It was a tall, rectangular building, sitting up on a platform and surrounded by a row of stone columns. The roof was triangular, and the space that bridged the gap between the columns and roof was decorated with painted carvings. Statues that were likely life-size, but looked small from the ground, stood along the peak of the roof.

The road had brought us to the back of the temple. Our convoy of carriages followed the path around to the front, through beautiful gardens dotted with more statues. There were plenty of people around. Some were tending to the gardens, others were sitting on benches or strolling around, deep in discussion. Some of them I knew were priests and priestesses, but many of them were dressed in regular clothing as opposed to pale robes.

When we reached the front of the temple, I was immediately struck by the view. Though the forest blocked the temple from the city, it sat close enough to the edge of a cliff that it had a wonderful view of the Navi river. I wondered if any of the worshippers had watched our ship come in weeks earlier. Then I turned around, and my jaw dropped.

Instead of regular columns, the eight along the front of the temple were large statues. Unlike the other statues, they weren't painted—they were made of the same glittery white marble as the rest of the columns. Each woman wore meticulously carved robes, complete with folds and pleats, and hair that hung over their left shoulders. But there the similarities ended.

The first statue held her hands above her head, like she was helping the roof balance on her head. The next had her hands clasped together over her stomach. The third statue was reaching out with cupped hands, as if she was trying to catch rain. The fourth and fifth statues mirrored each other nearly perfectly. The fourth had her right hand propped on her hip, and held a spear in her left, while the fifth held the spear in her right hand. Almost as if they were guarding the doorway. The sixth matched the third, the seventh mirrored the second, and finally the last statue was helping the first hold up the roof.

Tannix voiced my thoughts for me. "They're incredible. The workmanship is astounding. Who are they?"

For the entire ride to the temple, I had felt a little uncomfortable about Queen Navire's insistence that I join her in the first carriage with Tannix and Mayah. Now, I turned to hear her answer, grateful to be there.

The Queen smiled. "You know Virie is our patron goddess. These statues represent the four sides to her." She pointed at the first statue on the right, the one with her hands up, holding the roof. "Virie, mother to the moon, Anava. She holds her daughter in the sky at night." Then the one with the spear. "Virie, of the fierce winds." Then the statue with her hands clasped together. "Virie, of the gentle winds. And—" Queen Navire gestured to the statue with her hands cupped in front of her. "Virie, creator of birds and air spirits."

"The temple in Zianna..." Tannix faltered when the Queen turned to him. "It isn't this large. My brother wants to restore it, but I don't think it can ever be a grand as this."

"Zianna is a tightly built city," Queen Navire said, with a nod. "But the temple that still exists today, the one converted into a Teltish church, is not Zianna's Great Temple, and there lies the difference."

"Where is—" Tannix caught himself with a wince. "Where was Zianna's Great Temple?"

"The legend says that there was once a thin bridge of rock between the Cliffs of Loth and Jandor Island, and the temple stood there. When Zianna fell to the Teltans, the rock crumbled and dropped the temple into the ocean. Navirian superstition says that is why the Straits of Loth are unpassable. Our ships always sail around Jandor to enter the bay through the Straits of Draulin."