Baltamiros

Baltamiros couldn't take his eyes off that little flame which was growing bigger and smaller in short bursts, as though it was a supremely fickle minded person being pulled by two very convincing arguments about the viability and impossibility of the God of Ages being a real God.

"Come on. Get bigger! Get stronger! I have a ton of blessings to distribute!" Baltamiros urged the little flame in his heart.

He couldn't say those words aloud because for as long as he could remember, not a single God was able to distribute blessings freely.

It was always, always a skewed transaction where the believer gave the god his or her faith and life force, and the god gave a portion of that gift back in the form of "blessings".

It was the gods helping them realize their short term goals in exchange for their long term well being.

And through that transaction, the gods would be able to maintain their power.

Yes.

Maintain.