Temple of Perizad

Doreen's eyebrows raised in surprise as she noticed Yosef and Joan walking up to them, Yosef clutching onto a peculiar-looking puppet. "Where were you?" she asked, her tone cautious.

"Just exploring the town," Yosef replied with a mischievous grin, the puppet dangling in his hand. "And before you ask, no, I didn't start any fights."

Joan rolled her eyes. "Did you even pay for that thing?" she asked, pointing at the puppet.

Yosef held up the puppet, examining it closely. "Of course not," he replied with a chuckle. "But I did save its life."

Doreen shook her head in disbelief. "You're lucky you didn't get into trouble," she said, glancing around nervously. "Especially with the great first encounter we had with the saints a little while ago."

~~

City of Babylus was massive. According to some sources, the city housed eight million people. Up above flew the flying fortress of Perizad, indicating the god had arrived in the city as well.

As they walked in the city, the sassans all stared at them. Giving them bad looks, like they had distaste towards humans.

"We are being stared at?" Gadaric whispered to Rufus.

"I know. Can't help it if they have disdain towards us humans," Rufus said as he looked at the crowd.

"I mean we are being stared at by people who wish not to be spotted and have been following us for a while," Gadaric whispered," They are skillful, hiding their presence and making sure they wouldn't spot us. But one made a mistake and I count at least three tailing us in the crowd, unbeknownst to everyone else."

Rufus tried to take a look. The sassans all stared at them, some more obvious than others, but saw nothing strange.

"You sure?"

"Yes. They are skillful and believe I haven't spotted all of them yet."

"How good are they?"

".....Hate to admit this, but. They are better at trailing than my soul watchers."

Let's not worry about them for now. Our mission is not exactly a secret, and let's see if they follow us to the Temple of Perizad," Rufus explained to Gadaric.

~~

In Babylus, the air was heavy with tension. The streets were filled with people on edge, their eyes darting around nervously. On the walls, the graffiti was disturbing, depicting the dead scethian sassan and slurs. The nomadic sassans, or at least their descendants, were constantly moving out of the city in droves, fleeing from the impending danger.

As one scethian family was packing their belongings and moving away from a house where they had been evicted, a group of sassans approached them, hurling insults and slurs.

"You filthy barbarians. You are not allowed here anymore. Go back to the north to be with your beastly god," one sassan yelled at the family, his face twisted in rage.

More and more sassans joined in on the taunts, hurling rocks and rotten vegetables at the family. Eventually, the oldest member of the family had had enough.

"You will all hate this day as this is the day your judgment was placed on you all!" the old scethian sassan yelled defiantly, his voice shaking with anger.

"Grandpa no. Be quiet," one of the younger family members pleaded with him.

"I will not be silenced," the old man continued, his voice growing stronger. "And if I am, I know my god. Arslan will get revenge for me. For all of us. For when he arrives. This city will burn and be trampled down under the feet of tens of thousands of riders from the north. You all will die," he declared, his eyes blazing with conviction.

The mob, incensed by his words, surged forward and started to beat him to death. The scethian family members looked on in horror, tears streaming down their faces as they watched their beloved grandfather being mercilessly attacked. It was a brutal reminder of the deep-seated animosity that existed between the two factions, and a harbinger of the violence and bloodshed that was yet to come.

~~

Rufus and his companions stepped forward, their eyes darting around in wonder as they took in the magnificent surroundings. The air was thick with the scent of incense and the sound of chanting filled their ears, creating a mystical ambiance.

A group of sassan wearing identical masks had gathered around an altar, their voices rising and falling in unison as they offered their prayers to the god. The intricate carvings on the pillars and walls were illuminated by the flickering torches, casting an ethereal glow on the entire temple.

Just as they were about to take another step forward, a maiden blocked their path, her voice filled with indignation. "Humans, get out of here. This is holy ground. Leave now."

Rufus, undaunted, squared his shoulders and spoke in a calm, assertive tone. "We are here directly invited by Perizad."

The maiden's eyes widened in disbelief. "Do not say his name out loud!" she warned, her voice tinged with fear.

Before the situation could escalate any further, a figure emerged from the garden grounds, flanked by identical maidens. He was a sassan man, dressed in a white gown and hood, carrying a staff. The temple leader, Rufus presumed.

"Temple leader," the maiden said, bowing down immediately.

The temple leader's eyes moved to Rufus and his companions, studying them for a moment before speaking. "The cult leader wishes to speak with you. You are allowed entry," he said, motioning for them to follow.

Rufus and his companions exchanged a quick glance before falling into step behind the temple leader.

Rufus and his companions followed the temple leader down a hallway lined with ornate statues and holy relics. The air was thick with the scent of incense and the sound of chanting grew louder with each step they took.

As they approached the heart of the temple, the leader turned to Rufus and pointed at him. "From here on, only this human is to continue," he said.

Rufus nodded and stepped forward, leaving his companions behind. The door to the chamber was large and heavy, and as he pushed it open, the flickering candlelight within revealed a large, dimly lit room.

The temple leader followed him inside and addressed a figure on the ground. "Faith leader. I am here with the human. What are we to do with him?" he asked.

Rufus glanced down to see a well-dressed Sassanid man groveling before a warrior in black armor.

"Lord Perizad..." the temple leader said, bowing down.

"Leave. All of you," the god said in a deep, commanding voice, cutting off any further conversation. "Let me be with the human alone."

The temple leader, without hesitation, groveled away, along with the leader of the faith. The man with the highest position in the faith of Perizad. Rufus was now alone with the god.