The Forgotten Shrine

The ebb and flow of power between gods has been happening long before the age of technology. We find the proof of it in their relics and temples scattered around the world. Some whole, having found loving hands to care for them, while others fell to ruin as their followers moved on and their names were forgotten.

Viridius was no different. A nature god from an era long forgotten, he had once brought spring to the villages of his followers. Allowing their harvests to grow and coloring the fields in a mosaic made of blooming flowers. But time had passed, the village grew into a bustling city that no longer relied on nature, and Viridius was left powerless in a realm of dirty gray concrete and darkly rusted steel.

At least, until a lone flower turned up on the steps of his ruined temple.

What remained of the temple stones were mostly buried beneath dirt and decaying leaves at the dead end of an unvisited city alley, forgotten and left alone by those who had simply built around it. But a single step still partially peeked out of the trash strewn soil a few feet into the dried brush and ivy vines that fought to reclaim the land and light that was stolen from them. And next to the step, was a small statue of one of the guardians that once guarded the temple. Viridius had walked past it every day for eons as he wandered around his prison, mostly ignoring it since the spirit it once housed had faded centuries ago, but today, he stopped to kneel and inspect it. For sitting at its base, was a single blue morning glory that seemed to have roughly puked from its vine.

Glancing around the filthy alley behind him, he turned curiously back to the flower, and picked it up before continuing his wandering. Inspecting the lovely blue flower as he walked, he tried to understand how it had gotten there. No morning glory vines grew near the alley, and it didn't make sense for a human to have put one there. Finally deciding it had to have been the wind and interesting luck, he tucked the flower into his belt and abandoned the thought.

A week passed, and while Viridius still carried the morning glory on his belt, it had wilted and turned brown without his magic to sustain it. But he hadn't thought again about how he'd come by it. Meandering up to where his temple used to stand at the same time as always, he froze in his step when his gaze landed on a single sunflower laying at the feet of the guardian statue.

Slowly waking up to it, he gingerly picked up the sunflower, and gasped in shock as his fingers warmed against the stem. It wasn't very much, but it was enough to notice, and he stared at the flower in disbelief.

“It's an offering?”

The concept was almost foreign to him now, but as the slightest whisper from his magic reached his mind, he couldn't stop the laugh that escaped him in the realization that he had a follower again. Gently brushing the petals of the sunflower with his fingers, he silently asked the flower to not wilt, and gingerly tucked the sunflower into his belt next to the wilted morning glory. Needing to know who had left the flowers, instead of wandering, he stayed in the alley, and was for once thankful that gods stayed invisible even after they lost their powers.

Almost two weeks had passed, and the sunflower in Viridius’s belt was beginning to wilt. Sitting in the shadows behind the guardian, he solemnly gazed at the fading sunflower in his hand, while cursing his naivety for thinking he'd actually gain a new follower when he knew he'd been lost to history. Footsteps in the alley interrupted his sour musings, and when he looked up, his eyes widened at the young woman walking towards him.

She was in her mid-twenties, with long black hair pulled up out of her face with an elegant clip, and bright, emerald green eyes that seemed to sparkle even in the dull light of the alley. And as she neared, his gaze landed on the small potted stonecrops in her hands, their bright yellow flowers a striking contrast to the grimy alley.

“Took a little longer than I expected, work has been busy, but I'm back with the stonecrops I promised.” The woman beamed at the little statue as she knelt in front of the guardian. “I'm still trying to figure out who you used to protect, but I'm not sure I'll ever know since I stumped the city librarian with questions about you.”

Glancing up as though she could sense the god’s presence, her brows drew together in suspicion as her sharp green gaze searched the area behind the statue, looking for someone she couldn't see. Seeming to brush the feeling away, she turned her attention back to the statue and pulled thick gloves, a plastic bag, and a small shovel out of her bag.

“Now, let's get these in the ground so I can start trying to fix your area up a bit.”

Intrigued by the woman's intentions as she pulled on the gloves, Viridius watched her dig a small hole, putting any trash in the plastic bag as she found it, and plant the small cluster of flowers in the ground. Tilting his head in confusion as she stood, a pleased grin pulled at his lips when she proceeded to walk around the small patch of dirt and dying weeds, collecting all the garbage she could fit in the plastic bag she had brought.

Stepping back to admire her work, she nodded her approval before tying off the bag and lugging it over to drop in one of the alley dumpsters. Pulling her gloves off as she walked back over to the statue to collect her shovel and bag, she kissed the pads of her fingers before pressing them to the statue's head, and Viridius had to dig his fingers into the earth beneath him to steady himself as his magic flared to life. The soil under him that had been choking on filth for decades, could breathe again, and the stonecrops the woman had planted, hummed happily at having a nature god nearby.

Staring in fascinated awe as the woman bid her farewell and started back down the alley, he decided in that moment, to do whatever he could to help her on her path. And for the first time in longer than he could remember, he followed hope instead of wandering blindly.

He learned her name was Selene, and she lived above the nearby coffee shop. Working at the coffee shop in the morning, she took classes at the university three times a week, and worked as a bartender in a restaurant down the street from the university at night. Which only left her with a few hours here and there every couple of weeks to stop by the temple. But she did, and for the first year, she always brought a new plant to put in the soil.

Some of them shouldn't have survived, but between the plants, the cleaning and watering she kept up on, and her devotion, Viridius had gained back enough of his power to sustain her garden. He had even been able to bless her with a few gifts of luck when she asked for it before interviews and exams. Her life wasn't perfect, and she still struggled since Viridius had no influence over the humans Selene interacted with, but she seemed happy, so he was convinced the small gifts helped.

By the time she had gotten married and moved into a house a few miles away, Viridius easily had two thirds of his original power back, and the sad plot of dirt the ruined temple had been hidden under, looked like a secret garden at the end of a dreary alley. Selene still visited once a month to check on the plants and speak with the guardian statue, and every month, Viridius would sit with a wide, pleased grin, and listen to the words of his worshiper.

The more successful she got at her career though, the more her marriage had problems, and while Viridius would still step in and help her whenever he could, the magic he used to gift her luck or relieve her anxiety, was useless when Selene caught her husband at work cheating on her with his secretary. Throwing her ring at him and storming out of the office as her husband frantically called after her, she ran through the rain, leaving her car and everything she had built her life around behind. The dark wet streets stretched out before her, and car lights raced by as she ran down the sidewalk, her clothes soaked and sticking to her skin.

Finally slowing as she turned into the poorly lit alley, her tears mixed with raindrops as she dropped to her knees next to the small guardian statue. Pain seeping into the soil beneath her, her voice shook as she spoke.

“At least you're always here for me… I just wish you were real…”

The wish pulled at Viridius as Selene rested her fingers against the statue, and he gave in. Pulling on his magic to give him a physical form on the mortal plane, he stayed in the shadows and kept his tone soft as he answered her.

“And what would you do if I was real?”

Quickly standing and taking a few steps away, Selene stood looking like she was ready to run as she searched the shadows for who the voice belonged to.

“Who's there?” She demanded, though fear tinged her tone.

“I suppose ‘the statue’ would probably be the easiest explanation.” Viridius chuckled and pulled the blue morning glory and sunflower out of his belt, holding them up for her to see. “But more appropriately, I'm Viridius, the God of Nature that you saved with your kindness.”

Eyes going wide as recognition flashed across her face at the flowers, her gaze immediately began searching for Viridius in the shadows. With an amused smirk, he slowly stepped forward until he was in full view of her, and a look of terrified awe claimed her features as she took in his muscled form, dark green hair, and black horns that arched back to make a crown over his head.

“What do you want?” Selene whispered a bit fearfully as she started to mentally pull herself back together.

“To ease the pain you are in.” Viridius replied simply with an encouraging smile. “You found me and gave me back myself, when time itself had forgotten me. You may be the only follower I have now, but you are the most important one I have ever had. If there is something I can do to ease this pain you're in, speak it.”

Starting and stunned speechless for a moment, she answered him with the first coherent thought she could make.

“Take me somewhere beautiful.”

Smile widening as he nodded in understanding and lifted his hand out towards her, she hesitated only for a breath as she considered that she was married, before a look of determination claimed her features and she took his hand. In a pop of magic and a floral scented breeze, they were standing at the top of a cliff that overlooked a forest framed valley so full of flowers, no green from the grass or leaves could be seen around the vibrant blues, reds, and purples of the blooms. Looking up at Viridius as he tilted his head to meet her gaze, Selene cast him a warm smile.

“Can we just stay here forever?”

Chuckling at her, he walked over to the edge of the cliff, and sat with his legs hanging over as he motioned for her to join him in admiring the view.

“If that is what would make you happy.”