Temple

That has to be the place.

Rapunzel flew towards the complex of buildings. Each one seemed to glow, either from natural light, the nature of the materials used to build them, or magic. They were white in color, and had windows decorated with glass and gems in shades of yellow and gold. What stood out the most, however, was the most central of all the structures. It completely dwarfed the other buildings around it and seemed to radiate something that Rapunzel could not put into words. She felt what seemed like a magnetic pull to it. Yes, this was what she was looking for.

It was the largest temple dedicated to the Divine Deity in the area, possibly the largest one in the entire realm.

Rapunzel had never been to a temple before. Like most tortuvina she was raised in a household where spirituality was considered a personal experience, and worship was something that one does privately.  A shrine had always been in her home while growing up, though Rapunzel barely remembered it. To Rapunzel the Deities felt like a mystery, almost something foreign, even when she came across her Divine totem.

Rapunzel descended until she was nearly on the ground in front of the complex and then began to hover. She passed through oversized pillars that denoted the entrance to the grounds. Rapunzel was amazed by the architecture of the buildings. They were eclectic but unified by their visual theme. Rapunzel continued on, following that pull that would lead her to the large temple. It would not allow her to linger in one place for long. Around her, clergy as well as fellow visitors roamed about, entering and leaving the smaller buildings. Candle noodles seemed to make up the majority of Faians there. There were also a few ruptours, and even some tiny lumendra… but no other tortuvina save for herself. She was thankful that the grounds were so large. The complex was designed for all the Lightkeeper species, though some of the buildings were too small for an adult tortuvina.

Rapunzel finally reached the destination that was calling her. She pushed open the tall doors engraved with the Divine symbol. Once inside, Rapunzel looked around. The temple had a high ceiling and low seats on the ground for meditation and prayer. Against the walls were statues representing the rarely witnessed Divine Deity, each one unique with their artists’ own interpretations of him. Rapunzel recognized the same motifs she saw in her textbooks. What stood out to her the most, though, was the lack of other Faians in this central temple. Rapunzel understood it was not yet time for any services, but the grounds outside seemed almost bustling. Surely there would be someone else besides her here?

Rapunzel moved to one of the larger seats and settled onto it. She looked up at the first statue within her line of sight. It reminded her of a figurine that she once had long ago. She stared at it for a moment. It was made of the same materials as the shrine of her childhood home. She saw the room the shrine was in and her grandmother’s meticulous upkeep of it before her passing. The room was not visited as often once she was gone.

Rapunzel decided she must return to that room again when she finished here. It was years since she last saw her parents, they would appreciate that too. Before she left the temple, Rapunzel prayed.