Jeremy Laszlo - The Choosing

“Temple row.” Ashton was the one to answer as he turned to point opposite the wide street of the castle. “Sasha told us the temples span from here all the way to the western wall of the castle, there are supposed to be nineteen gods and Goddesses represented here, each with their own temple.” Ashton recited the words spoken to him earlier by the inn’s owner.

“Ok so what do we do now?” Seth again asked.

“I am going to visit the temple of my Goddess.” Ashton stated.

“I have to go learn about Gorandor.” Garret added.

“What about you my angel, is there any temple you care to visit?” Seth asked.

“Not particularly my love, I will come with you if you have one you would like to see.” Sara answered.

“Well honestly I had just thought to walk the street and admire them, but I suppose if one should stand out I might go inside.” Seth stated and then added in a whisper for Sara’s ears only. “After all, we have to get joined somewhere, might as well pick a place.”

Sara nodded happily, and smiled lovingly to the man she adored. They said their farewells and agreed to meet back at this corner in a couple hours, and then they parted ways.

Seth and Sara watched Ashton lead Garret away down the wide street where they eventually vanished among the other people traveling up and down the road. Losing sight of his brother, Seth tightened his hold on Sara’s hand and led her slowly in the same direction his brother had gone.

Seth led them to the nearest temple, almost directly across the street from where they had separated from his brother. The building was a magnificent structure covered from the road to the highest arch with intricate stone carvings. Each of the carvings that sprawled up the walls depicted scenes of nature and various animal and plant life. The door to the temple sat between the trunks of two large stone trees. The trees’ branches were interwoven above the door and at the doors peak was carved a nest. Standing inside the nest was a majestic looking bird, its stone gaze peering down at the two people in the street who stood gawking at the temple. The building was beautiful. It was as if it were a part of nature that had petrified here beside the road. However as beautiful as it was, the stone gaze of its protector made Seth uncomfortable and so he decided to move on. With Sara walking beside him Seth again traversed down the street to where the next temple sat. Though the buildings were large, they were placed so close to one another that it was not long before they once again paused to admire another temple. This temple too rose majestically from the ground, covered with carvings and sculptures of its own. It looked much like the first temple in design, only here the scenes of nature were replaced by various symmetric symbols carved into the stone walls. Above this door was a carving of two hands. The hands reached palms out toward one another holding between them an open eye. This too made Seth uncomfortable, but even so he waited until Sara was done admiring the building before leading her once again to another.

Sara and Seth visited the doorstep of temple after temple to admire the painstaking detail that was poured into building each one of them. Even after stopping to admire each and every temple on the street, they realized they still had a significant amount of time before they were to reunite with their companions. They were stopped at the last temple on the street, and had inspected it thoroughly when Seth once again turned to walk away. This time in the direction they had just come, but before he could take a step, Sara squeezed his hand asking for his attention.

“Did you see any you were interested in?” Sara asked. Her amber eyes pleading.

“I’m afraid none of them really stuck out.” Seth replied. “But there are a couple that seemed more appealing than the others.” He added in an attempt to not destroy Sara’s hopes.

“Really?” Sara asked enthusiastically. “Which ones?”

“There was the one with the teardrop above the entrance, that one felt the least uncomfortable. Then there is the one with the weird symbols and the eye. It was a little creepier, but it was kind of intriguing. Then after that one I think the temple with the big dragon statues at the entrance.” Seth told her honestly, letting his discomfort with the temples be known.

“I know the gods and worshipping isn’t anything you hold in high regard Seth, but would you stop to take another look at those three for me?” Sara asked, still clinging to the hope that he might choose one and in doing so allow them to make plans to be joined.

“For you my angel I would do anything.” Seth answered earnestly.

Sara led Seth back the way they had come, a slight bounce in her step. Seth couldn’t help but notice the happiness mingled with hope in her eyes as they walked. He did not want to disappoint her so as they walked he again gazed upon every temple they passed. They stopped again at the temple guarded by the immense stone dragons. Nothing on this temple made Seth feel uncomfortable. The dragons did not stare at him with empty eyes. They did not menace him with bared teeth. The thing about this temple that Seth did not like was the fact that dragons were just fairytale monsters used to frighten children into obeying their parent’s rules. Seth imagined if the temple was inhabited by people worshiping a god that was depicted by a dragon, then he must assume that their religion had a lot of strict rules the followers were frightened into following. As Seth decided upon the temple he could not help but notice Sara watching his reaction. She seemed to recognize his decision before he could speak it, seeing something in his face he had not intended to show. Knowing Seth did not like the temple, Sara again led him down the road to their next stop. She still had a bounce in her step, though it had diminished greatly. Seth hated that he was making her unhappy, and could not stand to look upon her in his guilt. He instead chose to look to the temples they were passing. It was then that he noticed something he had missed previously. The temples were exactly the same as before, but as they walked away from the dragon temple and approached the next one Seth noticed a structure between them.

It was nothing magnificent, it was not even large. No grand statues or carved scenes marked its entrance. Nothing wrapped its walls at all. The structure between the two grand temples was as plain and bare as the road beneath his feet. Looking down to actually make the comparison, Seth realized he had stopped. Looking up from his feet he found Sara staring at him with a questioning look in her eyes. Smiling to reassure her he hadn’t forgotten how to walk, he gestured towards the small stone building between the temples.

Sara scrutinized the small stone building hiding in the shadows of its neighbors. It was made of bare stone with a wooden door. The door had a word carved into its surface, but from this distance she could not make it out. Besides the door no other detail marked the front of the building. Sara marveled at a sudden realization. She knew instantly that Seth would want to inspect the building further. The building, Sara felt, was a lot like her. It was small and plain, it appeared all but forgotten by the people who once took care of it, and nothing about it was remarkable. Like her, the building was a lost cause. Seth seemed to like lost causes, after all he loved her. This in mind Sara returned her gaze to the man she loved and smiled at him already guessing his decision.

“You want to go take a look?” Sara stated more than asked.

“How did you guess?” Seth answered with a look of surprise.

“I think I know you well enough.” Sara stated honestly.

“Well then, let’s go have a look.” Seth said.