Shawn Desman the Pope
Bonnie and Dixie continued to look at the face of the Goddess until the Pope walked into the hall and stood in front. Their eyes moved down to the man and almost immediately they felt a sense of foreboding.
The faint sound of drumming could be heard, causing the sisters to glance at each other in panic. That sound meant some kind of major magical mojo was about to take place. Or, perhaps it was a warning of danger. The beating faded away immediately and both released the breath they didn't know they had been holding.
Still, they were tense.
The Pope raised his arms and greeted the congregation. He praised the Goddess for her never ending blessings towards the empire before stepping to the side to make way for Helena who now had a veil covering her face. She bowed before turning to face the Goddess and knelt down.
Everyone stood up.
Placing both hands on her chest, she began to pray. "Goddess Kartara, we humbly present ourselves to you as servants of your will! We ask for you to guide us and heal us through our trials and tribulations! We are nothing without your grace, so please do not ever stop watching over our lives and the lives of all those who live in this blessed empire abundant with resources! We bathe in this warm sunlight for you have granted it to us! Please do not allow the faith of this kingdom to ever weaken! Please cast into hell all those who seek to lead us astray and deliver onto us leaders filled with selflessness and wisdom! Amen!
"Amen!" Many voices chorused.
Everyone took their seat as Helena stepped to the side to make room for a Bishop from the first faction to speak his prayer. He held in his hand, the holy book of Kartara and began to preach in a monotone voice. He spoke for a good 30 minutes and Helena was forced to remain standing the entire time. It was the virtue of a Saintess to endure.
Bonnie snickered. The brat clearly wanted to sit down. She liked leading the prayer since the attention was on her, but she hated this part for sure.
Suddenly, she felt a chill and looked at Dixie. She was looking off to the side. Following her line of sight, Bonnie saw the Pope staring back at them. His gaze was intense. He looked like he was trying to see into their souls. His eyes moved back and forth between them, almost like a lion eyeing two zebras.
Bonnie and Dixie broke away from his gaze and looked at each other. They glanced back at the Pope who offered them a sinister smile.
Oh, there is definitely something up with this dude! He is bad news!
The man was bald and appeared very young. Too young to already be a Pope. Maybe in his mid 20's. He was also very good looking. He looked like a younger version of Shawn Desman.