As he looked out of his barred windows and at the full moon tinted a pale blue which was shining brightly in the velvet dark sky , his ears pricked up from the sound of the women shuffling around in the house as they seemed to be a bit more hasty than usual.

Though he already had a good idea of the reason why that was.

They always became like this when it came to that time of the year , and how he knew when it was that time was by the given behaviours that would come out of nowhere and seem so out of place compared to what he would usually know. Yet he recognised they would arrive more or less around the same time each instance he would see them appear.

When the nights got longer , the stars could be seen a bit more clearly and looked brighter than in any other seasons. When a noticeable chill would run through the city that would be illuminated by heavenly lights and the like and any inch of darkness would be cast away by the multitude of lights adorned and held to and fro by the people as they would make preparations for the time to come.

It was from those signs he knew exactly what was meant to be occurring , and even without them being witnessed , it still was obvious given the different behaviours he noted.

Especially this time around.

There was a lot of talk going on recently , both from what he would hear from the outside conversations he would witness and also the mentions that the stone faced ladies would make frequently regarding a certain event that he knew was upcoming with the end of the year approaching.

It was an occurrence that would get nearly everyone into higher spirits than usual. The usually drab and stoic stone faced ladies would actually be a bit more animated and restless whilst there would be a sort of buzz present in the air as that given night would arrive yet again.

That night being , the night he would witness the nation become truly alive.

That night when the nation would become it's most captivating.

The night of the annual festival of Almeta.

The festival where even from the confines of his room he could feel the excitement that would linger as people dressed even more nicely than usual in an assortment of different tones and designs and an unusual joy would start to be in the midst of it all that would be filled with the presence of giddiness and anticipation.

Not to mention he would witness a much greater number of people walking by , going in and out of town , swarming the streets like a sudden torrent of rainfall and that would simply continue , gradually beginning to fluctuate until the festivities of the nation would come to an end , and he'd find the flame in the people had become extinguished not long after.

And life would be what he knew as normal again.

He was aware that this festival was not one on it's own in the nation's life , no he knew that there were actually a number of festivals and celebrations that came and gone through out the passing year , each that came and went with a buzz of it's own and that occurred for a reason different than the last.

And whilst they all had in their own right a level of excitement and thrill about them when they would come , it was never on the level of this upcoming festival in particular. Compared to any other celebration , this one blew the anticipation of the others completely out of the water , being enough to change the state of the nation just through it's arrival.

And people too ; it didn't matter if they were old or young , rich or poor , man or woman , strong or weak…

They would all be infected by the cheerful spirit that came around such , and alongside come off deeply emotional and attached , which was incredibly surprising given how he knew the life among the people to be something so distant compared to that.

He couldn't help but wonder though , for these numbered days for people to become so uncharacteristically in their ways and avid in doing so , what was it that these special days contained which changed the whole vibe of the nation to the point even he ; someone confined in the walls of his room could feel the sudden switch in atmosphere.

All those people , dressed in incredibly beautiful and vibrant tones and decorations and looking incredibly fresh and radiant , as if they were trying to look their best for something very important or the like.

Even the guards whom he knew to be rather scary looking and equally as stone faced seem to also have a less tight expression , even showing a kinder smile or letting a light chuckle leave their usually finely pressed lips , and they would be dressed with a little bit more flashiness too as they would accompany the deluge of people who were travelling towards the capital in flocks.

It was really something!

And with bright smiles that were plastered along their faces , with warmth in the air that removed the present chill and made the atmosphere feel more comforting as he witnessed emotions he wasn't used to seeing on people's faces and they would make them shine so brightly.

Though it was only from the proximity of his barred windows , he still found himself mesmerised by the vibe that would possess the nation and he wouldn't be able to look away from the progression of people that walked past entering into the capital without a care in the world.

Well…He wouldn't be able to look away , until reality hit him and he acknowledged that he couldn't be part of that spirited atmosphere. He couldn't be like those boys and girls his age who were dressed nicely , he didn't own anything even near as presentable as them to accompany such a vibe. Not to mention he couldn't be in the midst of such a bubbling atmosphere , all he knew was dullness , incredible isolation and silence , someone like him wouldn't fit in the life of those who had colour and excitement accompanying them.

As much as he hated being reminded of that…that was the truth.

The truth that would make him recede from the passing view that would be present from his window and have his heart feeling weird as a depth would settle inside him. One that only got deeper with each year he would witness it all happen with just as much awe as the last , just to be reminded of the cruel reality that caged him when the sight would have come to an end.

Reminding him that the glimpse of striking merriness and colour he would witness was probably going to be the closest he would be to such a pleasant atmosphere.

A sigh left his lips , unwilling to process that grim reality yet he knew deep down there was no changing it with the way things were , not now at least.

But before that sadness settled in , his mind recalled an occurrence which was upcoming with the festival of the city that he could enjoy too. Because on those nights when the capital would be full of life and colour , he had noticed that the night sky would look even more impressive than usual.

Taking on a deep and velvet looking haze that contrasted against the pinpoints of light that would shine brightly as the entire sky would fill with millions upon millions of clusters of stars of different intensities and colours. All the while he would sometimes witness a flash of sudden light striking across the magnificent scene that would disappear in the blink of an eye , and sometimes even the colours of the night would alter with rich and unusual lights that he couldn't help but marvel at.

Pinks , purples , blues , even having seen some kinds of reds at a point.

It was amazing!

He was looking forward to what sight would be waiting for him for this year as it truly never got tiring to witness.

Though if he had to be honest , the place of speculation from his room didn't provide the best viewing point. A lot of the heavenly beauty seemed to occur closer in the direction of the capital , which he could only see so much of from his chamber , but at least he could witness a spectacular sight even if he didn't share the same joys as the people of the nation.

However…

For the skies to change so noticeably and for the people to all of a sudden become so energized with the occurrence of this main festival , he couldn't help but wonder…Was the change in the nightly allure also to do with something of the festival? Because it was only on those days specifically he could recall seeing such a sight become apparent , any other night the heavens would look beautiful as always but there wouldn't be that mystic nor enchanted touch as they would have soon.

But if the case was that the festival and the heavenly change was linked , why would that be? Was it a natural occurrence or was someone possibly behind the manipulation of the skies to make them the way they were?

If it was a natural occurrence , then he could understand why maybe such a sight wouldn't be present more often , but if it was not , then he wondered why wouldn't the sky be changed more often like this as it looked extremely pretty and breathtaking that way.

Why in these specific nights was the change so apparent?

It was something he was curious about.

But then again he could have just been clutching at faint straws with his ever inquisitive mind so he didn't try to think too deeply about it.

Something he was aware of though , was the reason for why the majority of these festivals happened in the first place. 'Venerating the gods' he would hear , and each one had their respective festival for their own importance. And each festival was usually meant to please each god for the people to have their desires heard and granted.

And each god or goddess had a different speciality from what he could recall.

Alzir being the god whom was worshipped and meant to bestow justice and balance amongst the nation. Itrï was another who was the god responsible for bestowing the nation's abundance in wealth , luck and tellings of divination. Ursa being the goddess who was revered for her promise to bestow beauty and fertility to the people along with good fortune in other matters (the ones which Itrï did not cover). Then of course Seren , who was worshipped regardless of what time in abundance because of her promise for safety and protection.

And then finally there was this other god that he knew of ; Zerith being his name. A god who was revered for his power and might , said to be the strongest of them all , even more than Seren , but also the most chaotic. The people worshipped him alongside the others , however there was an element of fear or anxiety regarding his matters.

As if they did not worship him strictly out of reverence and love but something…else.

With what he noted , each god of course had their own number of followers and different sorts of people that would celebrate them for their duties towards Almeta , however he did realise that certain gods had more preference with others more than the rest.

For example , Ursa was worshiped more by the females from what he knew , the stone-faced ladies spoke about her from time to time alongside Seren , the reasoning being she was the one who would be the most suitable for their prayers. Itrï being another that he heard people in the marketplace speak more of when he would go , but he had worshippers both male and female , yet notably more male and usually they would be those who looked rather affluent and well tended.

His understanding of the gods and their relationship with the people was a bit mixed up though if he had to say. Because if all of them had a blessing to bestow upon Almeta , why was one more worshipped than the other? Why didn't they all get worshipped with great reverence like Seren did? Wouldn't the other gods get jealous that she got the most love and affection from the people overall but they only got a fraction of the sort?

Alzir for example , he was one whom Jellal would just kind of say was just mentioned but nothing much more to that. Which was strange as his duties seemed very prominent by the importance that came from his descriptions , yet he was one of the gods that he barely heard mention of.

But then there were gods like Seren , Itrï and even Zerith that got more following and recognition and reverence than he did. Their festivals had a lot more life and devotion compared to Alzir's or Ursa's , which somewhat confused him.

With Seren and Itrï , he could make the importance of their duties to the country and why the people would be so grateful towards them , but Zerith was difficult to understand. He was a god who was known for incredible power and destruction , a god that didn't seem as pleasant as the other gods , even the statue of him he had seen didn't depict anything kind of comforting in the sense , yet he would be worshipped too , with less reverence and admiration compared to Seren , but more than Alzir , Ursa and possibly even Itrï.

It didn't make sense to him though…

Zerith seemed like…

If he had to be honest.

A bad god.

Not because he did anything bad…Well he didn't know that…But he didn't feel as safe or as welcoming as the rest. And since he was one who was also known as the god of wrath…That wasn't exactly a good thing was it?

And it was incredulous to believe that a god like him actually blessed the people and worked alongside the other gods. Even more that people would worship him and pray to him fervidly. Despite being in fear of him.

Whilst they would be in love with their worship for Seren.

It made him wonder…

Did Zerith notice that? From where ever he was? Did he notice the difference in the worship like he did? Did he get jealous of how much devotion there was compared to him and Seren? Or did he not care? And what about the other gods? How did they feel about having such a strange god amongst them? Getting more time and attention from the people compared to them who appeared more benevolent?

And if such happened , why would they grant the prayers of people who came off ungrateful , favouring one god over the other?

It was really strange!

But that's probably where the upcoming festival came into play. The biggest festival that occurred over the year. The one that took precedence over Seren , Itrï or Zerith's respective ones.

That festival being ,

The festival of the Gods.

Where each one of them would be revered conjointly with one another , none would be left behind and the people would pour their hearts and souls desires to the deities in hope through their prayers in hope that they will be granted and the coming year would bring a change to their lives through the blessings that would bestowed.

It was said that the gates of the heavens would open on that specific night , and that the gods would be bountiful in delivering their mercy to the people of Almeta , even going far as changing the fate of those who'd been struck with ill luck or other miracles of the sort , promising a better future for those who were devout and for their desires to be granted on that night of power.

On that night ,

It was said everything could change.

Turning away from the metal bars of his window , he sat down properly on his mattress , his shins having fallen asleep after having been propped up on them for who knows how long. Pressing his back against the familiar wall he was known to recline on , his dark eyes watched the darkness of his room that was subtly broken by the moonlight shining through as an idea came into his mind.

That being…

If people could change their future and have their innermost desires heard through their prayers towards the gods…Couldn't he also do the same for himself?

Bandaged hands played with the thickish blanket underneath him , crumpling the fabric in restlessness as he tapped his foot quietly , allowing his brain to travel on another train of thoughts , one that he hadn't really thought to explore until now.

But given the prompting of his own curiosity , he couldn't help but think on it more.

'The gods…Couldn't they answer my prayers too?'

'If I make one…'

'Would they listen to it?'

'Would they answer it?'

He thought to himself pensively as his dark eyes illuminated with drive at the reasoning that soon connected in his thoughts.

The gods were told to be extremely merciful to the people of the nation on that night , even having been told not to make any distinctions amongst the people and their backgrounds. Overlooking many errors and woes the people would have committed out of mistake or intention , as they wanted to bless them with fortune and remove havoc.

That being said,

He was a person of the nation wasn't he? Living and breathing on Almeta's soils and lands , so doesn't that make him also included in the promise of the gods? Wouldn't that also mean he was permitted to make prayers to them and be heard? On that night especially?

When they were known to be the most gracious?

When they were known to look into the hearts of all in Almeta?

Wouldn't he have a chance?

He could feel his heart beating against his chest as the more he thought about the idea , the more it made sense to him , and the more he got excited by the possibility of something actually becoming different if the gods were to take consideration towards his prayers.

However that small high he was feeling quickly extinguished itself when he recalled his mother's reverence to the goddess , Seren. She didn't exactly listen to her , and his mother had been a devout follower. Which he exactly wasn't , not in Seren or in any of the other gods that he knew of.

In fact he always questioned them and had his own skepticisms and judgement regarding them and their ways , which probably wasn't favoured and he could infer that.

So compared to someone who had made heartfelt prayers and pleas , to someone who questioned everything and wanted answers for why he should do such , why would they even think to consider?

Because if they didn't listen to her.

Why would they listen to him?

A huff left his lips as his eyes fell from the darkness and onto his lap , looking at his kneecaps which had healed enough to have the damaged skin now concealed over with a layer of soft and silky flesh , not exactly the same as his paleish skin all over his body , this one was more pink toned and also more tender to touch than the rest.

Though as his eyes trained on the healing flesh , another thought entered his brain which had his hope and curiosity elicited once again , making him reconsider what he just tried to dismiss his plan with as there could have been another factor in the why things must have been like that with his mother.

She had been involved with the devil right?

Someone who made the gods angry , and maybe that's why they didn't want to listen to her as the devil was an incredibly bad man and everyone was aware of that. But Compared to him , who hadn't even met the devil once , regardless in flesh or spirit , he couldn't have done the same to anger the gods then?

They had no reason to dislike him as he couldn't be held responsible for the same his mother could have been accountable for.

That…

That should have meant he had a chance!

That should have meant the gods could possibly listen to him!

Sitting away from the support of the cold stone wall , he was revived with a sense of drive as he got an idea for what to do until the upcoming night of the awaited festival. Sure he hadn't been incredibly devout , but that didn't mean he couldn't begin doing so?

If he were to change and start making prayers towards the gods like he would see the stone-faced ladies and other people he had seen in the capital doing so , they would like that right? They liked when the people would ask of them and tell their desires , so if he would do the same then hopefully he would be listened to?

'I should probably try to start doing that from now on then…'

Possibly he could also try and attempt reading that more grown up book he had been given that mentioned the gods too , doing so until the festival so he could increase his likeability with the gods and they would be more willing to grant his prayers.

In fact.

He wouldn't wait for a later time to try and attain their favour , he would start immediately with changing his ways to try and please them in hope they would change his future for the better and bring him happiness along with getting his prayers granted like all the other people.

With hope freshly brimming in his little heart , he made the decision that he would end the night with attempting his first prayer to the gods. Though he wasn't exactly sure how to go about with doing so , he had seen enough of the stone-faced ladies with their hands clasped together , fingers locked and heads down and eyes closed whilst they said something to themselves for the duration of their prayers , in which they would seem to be incredibly deep in thought.

So he probably just needed to replicate them.

Taking a breath , he sat up more respectfully with presence , fingers interlocking with each other , causing him to wince a little as he could feel the friction didn't seem to go well with his healing lacerations under the bandages but it wasn't anything unmanageable.

Bringing his enclosed hands under his chin , he rested his face on his hands as he lowered his head and closed his eyes like he had seen many of the women do when in the midst of their prayers. He was about to open his lips just like he had seen the others do , when a thought struck him out of his concentration.

'I don't know what to say.'

He realised that he actually had no understanding of how to go about with reciting a prayer. No one had ever taught him or anything , all he had done was listen in on what he would sometimes catch or those worshippers he would hear in the market place which were a bit more vocal with their words than the rest.

The bluenet bit the inside of his cheek in frustration as he completely didn't think about that aspect and was getting whisked away in the moment of what he could achieve , forgetting the details that needed to be considered to even get what he wanted.

'I'm stuck…I don't know how to do this.'

Just from the thought he could feel his heart already beginning to let go of the small hope that had formed. Why would the gods listen to someone who couldn't even make a prayer like they would have wanted in the way they would have wanted? That wouldn't be appreciated would it?

His fingers disheartenedly started to let go of each other as he couldn't help but feel foolish in his intentions with being so unprepared. Wanting to make a prayer without actually knowing how one was done. How naive was he?

But then the thought struck him.

What was a prayer meant to be? What was a prayer to those who worshipped the gods? To the human ears it sounded like beautiful heartfelt words , but in essence wasn't it just a call to the gods? A call from the heart? A call the soul made and spoke to the gods? A call that was meant to be secret and personal?

Because it was meant to be of one's own desires and wishes.

So not everyone could be making the same sort of prayer right? Because everyone had different hearts and souls , everyone had different secrets and desires. Then it shouldn't have made a difference if his prayer sounded different compared to say a stone faced ladies or someone from the market.

It was what he put into it which ultimately mattered.

He just needed to tell them , like everyone else.

With that thought in mind , the azure haired boy swallowed thickly as he thought deeply about what he wanted , like everyone else. What truly mattered to him and what change he wanted the gods to grant him out of their power. Truthfully he already had in his brain what exactly was his deepest desires , but he wanted to make his prayer sound good to the gods rather than asking rudely or ungratefully so they would like him more.

As he came to terms with the gist of what his first supplication would be and generally how he would try to word it , which he thought of adding some of the words and phrases he understood from hearing other prayers being spoken , another thought came to him as he was just about to commence with the deed.

'Which god should I ask?'

There were 5 of them , and from what he knew about in the prayers given , the gods were usually addressed with their names respectfully to gain their attention. His problem here was that he didn't understand which god would be the best suited for his prayer or most willing to listen to him , and not to mention he didn't understand their specialities that well either to know which one would be best for his desires.

As he decided he wanted 3 things in total :

One being , he wanted to be able to live an exciting life like the rest of the people he saw , he wanted to smile and be happy without people being angry or hurting him. Like the man in his book actually , he wanted people to like him and be helpful to them too.

The second being , he wanted to explore the outside world and see all that could be found in it and hopefully make nice friends that could accompany him and be his true companions and in doing so also search and learn many things along the way that would truly keep him enticed.

The last being…He wanted his mother to look at him again. He wanted that woman across the room who only screamed and cried to change back to the woman he knew before in his memories and look at him. He wanted her to hug him again. To call him with her voice that used to be so sweet. To smile at him warmly and kindly. And accept him once more despite what the devil did.

Those were the things he wanted the most.

It was just about telling the gods about that in a way that they would like. And knowing who to tell it to.

'Maybe…I should ask….Hmmm…'

After a good few moments worth of consideration , Jellal came to the conclusion that he would not ask one of them in particular , but all 5 of them at the same time. That way he couldn't miss anyone or lose the attention of the one he needed. Also in his mind it would be more equal and they hopefully would prefer the fact he wanted all of their help and blessings as opposed to just wanting one or a few of them.

With that thought in mind , he took a deep breath as he finally would commence his first prayer for real. And this time nothing would stop him from doing so now he had it all thought out.

"Okay…Erm…"

He mumbled to himself as he tightened his grip on his fingers , ignoring the initial shot of pain that came from under the bandages as he put his head down and closed his eyes , trying to get into a state of total concentration. He wanted to be sincere and present , like the worshippers he would see otherwise they might have dismissed his prayer as being fake.

Which he didn't want.

"O Gods of Almeta…"

He started under his breath , opening in the way he would hear a lot of prayers being said but this time changing the usual phrase of 'O Seren' or 'O Itrï' and the like , to something that suited his supplication more and he felt wasn't just word service.

"Alzir…Itrï…Ursa…Zerith…Seren…"

Having named the 5 respective gods , he could feel a lump form in his throat as he wondered if he had caught their attention. There was no way of him knowing , he just had to continue and hope they were from wherever they could be as he decided to go on with his words.

"Please listen to my wishes…I don't want to ask much of you…But I have desires that I do want to have granted like all the other people of the nation…"

He came to a pause as he wondered for a bit if his prayer sounded a bit too forward or such , hopefully it wasn't insolent or anything as he really did not intend that. But if the gods could tell what was in the hearts and souls of men , then they would know he didn't mean to be rude or anything , he was just a bit nervous and on top of that inexperienced.

But to shake his nerves off he decided he should stop thinking so much lest he messed himself up or started to sound stupid or insincere. So he tried to just go along with what he believed his heart wanted to tell.

"I want to be blessed by you…I want my life changed for the better…"

"I want to live life properly like everyone else…Have adventures and learn so many different things and meet so many people and become someone amazing like the hero you blessed too after his suffering."

He could feel his heart racing as he thought of all the different things wanted from the gods just flashing vividly in his mind. Both from daydreams that would occupy him from the outside world and the story he would read with no end as he held it dear to himself.

The gods had listened to the man eventually so he wanted to keep faith that he would be listened to as well. And possibly him telling of his idolisation of the man they blessed would make them like him more?

'That's one thing.'

Clutching his fingers tighter , he could feel his chest beginning to clench on itself. Saying all these things out loud even if he thought no one could hear them was actually making him more emotional than he thought. Maybe that's why the devoted worshippers would quickly burst into tears and become incoherent not too long after?

Nevertheless he went on with his heartful supplication as he continued to whisper his deepest wishes for the gods to hear.

"I also want to make friends and be helpful to people…I want to be someone others can respect and can bring goodness to others and take away the suffering from others and be someone that can smile and bring smiles to others…"

Each sentence having uncovered a depth of his heart he didn't think to expose and was bringing up so many emotions in him as he actually heard his inner thoughts aloud to himself.

"I want to be someone that others like and listen to and that stops being a problem and stops making people angry or other bad things…"

'That's two.'

He swallowed thickly as he wondered how good his prayer was sounding to the gods , he was doing his best to be concise with his desires and as truthful as he could be despite the tears he could feel beginning to brim on his lash line as he went on.

"I also…"

"Erm…"

Jellal found the words of his final part of his prayer reluctant to leave his lips. Aware of how his mother had been disliked by the gods and what suffering had been put on her , he wondered if it would be okay of him to ask for such a thing. He was thinking if he should end his desires there lest he asked something not right.

And he was just about to do so.

But the more he thought about the dark haired woman , the more he could feel his heart pull. Remembering what she was and what she had become.

Her eyes that used to be so shining and full of life were now dull and drained. Her lips, which always used to be curved even in a tearful smile , only were the seal to stop those harsh words and sayings leaving her lips when she would awaken. Her soft voice that used to be comforting and even melodic to the ears , now being reduced to nothing more than horrific screeching and painful grit.

All which panged deeply in him about what his deepest desire really was , the one that was the most painful yet important to him of them all.

"I want to have my mother by my side again….I want to see her smile and laugh…I want to have her hug me again…"

"I want her to look at me in a good way and not with disgust…."

He could feel heaviness clogging up his throat as the tears flowed more freely down his face as sobs started to choke his words as his heart seared from the singular thought that burned brightly inside him with no end.

"I w-want my m-mother b-back…"

The words left him tearfully as his own chest heaving from the deep confession , his shoulders bobbed as his cries got harder to contain but his emotions kept speaking for him as his throat continued to burn with anguish.

"P-Please forgive her…T-The devil made her suffer e-enough…A-All she does is cry…A-All she does is s-scream…A-All she does is h-hate…P-Please don't give her more to do so…P-Please…"

The bluenet sniffled as he felt wetness touching his bandages , dampening the fabric progressively as he tried to keep his crying to the minimum by biting his lips and swallowing the sorrow that suffocated him as he wanted to see his true prayer to the end.

"I-I don't know w-what she did with the d-devil…B-But h-he's ruined her enough…A-And she wants your mercy too…S-She wants your help…S-She's sorry…S-She so s-sorry…"

"D-Don't punish her a-anymore…P-Please…"

He could feel his throat becoming tighter as each request came out mindlessly , simply the throes of his heart speaking whatever it could muster as tears fell plentifully from his face and his fingers clutched tighter with the intensity of his emotions that stirred in him.

"M-Make her my m-mother again…D-Don't k-keep her a d-devil…"

"D-Don't let h-her h-hurt anymore…"

"P-Please…"

The final request left his lips in a bare whisper , quiet and frail compared to the rest.

"P-Please…"

Unable to think of any words to express himself other than that frail request which spoke the volume of his heart.

He could feel his face had gotten increasingly moist from his overflowing tears , parts of his longish unkempt hair stuck to the sides of his face as he swallowed down his lingering sorrow so he could keep his prayer from getting any more compromised than it was.

Releasing a shaky breath , Jellal allowed his breathing to regulate itself a bit after having become strained through his small emotional outbreak. Hollow sounds left him as his fingers loosened their painful grip that had locked onto one another in the midst of it all before he decided to reach the conclusion of his prayer.

"I'm s-sorry…"

"I-I didn't m-mean to become l-like that…"

He started , wanting to apologise for becoming overwhelmed and less structured in the moment. He swallowed again as he could feel the remainder of the anguish that had possessed him for that moment finally subsiding.

"I-I know my prayer doesn't sound as nice or pleasing as the rest you get…But I hope you've listened to me…"

"Thank you."

And with that he concluded his final words to the gods , wherever they may have been , he hoped that they heard all his words even when they became less easy to understand. Unclasping his fingers , he softly wiped away the tear stains left across his cheeks , feeling the softness of the bandages soothe them as he took another breath to himself.

It was a lot harder than he expected. He thought it would be similar to talking to oneself , but having to speak in such an intense and private manner , he couldn't have expected it to be so overwhelming. But he knew for a fact that his words were truly from himself , sincere and intent in being heard. His heart was in those words for sure and the gods had to know that.

'I hope I did good.'

For his first attempt of a prayer , it may not have been the utmost best but he did try. Though it was possible with how unstructured he was , the gods might not have liked that , and he could have come off a bit too demanding in points.

Ah…He would get better at it! There were a great number of days until the festival , all the more time he needed to become more learned in what to say and what the gods would like and also how to truly speak his desires in a way that didn't become embarrassing or pathetic.

He would try to prepare himself in time , saying a prayer at night for the coming days until the big day and hopefully gain the attention and favour of the gods with the more he would practice.

And he knew those books he had would probably help him do so. Possibly learning some better and prevalent words and phrases from the man he admired in him favourite one ,and also he could learn a few words from him and pay more attention to what the stone-faced ladies would say in confidence to help strengthen the likeability of prayer.

Though…If he had to be honest.

He still did not think he felt the presence of the gods like people would claim. He felt a well of emotions for sure , but not something that told him about them. For all he knew he could have been speaking to himself , and none of them bothered to even give him the time of day.

But he didn't want to think like that.

Not when he had this small hope for himself.

That if the gods truly would grant his desires as they said in their promise.

And allowed him to change his future.

Then he would learn to appreciate and revere them as they wanted.