[Bonus chapter] - A Shameless Visit

The fruit plate was passed around the table. It contained offerings from those on the table as well those who had come to the temple to offer their prayers to the deities. 

"When does the temple open its gates for the general public?" asked Anastasia as she dug her fork in a sliced apple and ate it. 

"We open it in the morning for two hours until the afternoon," replied the Shaman. "There is a long queue of devotees in front of the temple every day. Earlier it used to become very crowded and messy. So, we have made a system here whereby we open only for two hours. The devotees are allowed to enter one by one and when a devotee has offered his or her prayer to the moon goddess, Selene, in the main sanctum, we allow the next one to enter. We have also limited the time they can stay in the sanctum," he added. He kept his fork down and put his elbows on the table. He cradled his chin on the intertwined fingers of his hands.