Ceres PoV
Ok, so, I’ve been doing sermons a lot, and now I’m seeing what Caleb meant.
Physically, I am much stronger, and I even accidentally knocked down several trees when I leaned on one while taking a break.
So, yeah, it is surprisingly effective.
Now, I need to go on another crusade, we’ve started our farm, but we still need food while the crops grow.
So, I took some coins and packed them in my fleece, with Maty’s help, I installed pockets into the interior of my fleece, which both keeps my gathered materials from falling out, and-
“My lady, we found a fish!”
I got snapped out of my thinking, very confused by… … why were my followers carrying the fisherman?
“I am not a fish, put me down!!!”
“So… why did you guys kidnap this guy?”
They looked at me, “Sushi.”
“No.”
“What?
Why not?”
These guys couldn’t be serious, “Because he’s a person, not a critter.
If you want sushi or other meals, get critters, don’t just kidnap random people.”
My followers sighed and dropped him, walking off.
“I’m sorry for that, but what were you even doing in the area that my followers could find you at all?”
The fisherman rubbed his gills with his fin, “Ah, yes, see, I was on from Pilgrim’s Path, planning on selling my fish in Deephaven, as that is the closest town to it.
Now, when I got there, see, I saw a poster.
It was a crude drawing of a thing as large as me, as well as a drawing of a goat, you see.”
My eyes widened, “Caleb and Gethel?”
“Yes, that was the name on those drawings.
10 gold a pop.
Now, being me, I don’t go looking into things, see, but multiple people, even guards, were warning people to be careful, as the last three days Mr.
Valefar has been throwing quite the fit.
See, even with such a big bounty, enough to buy a farm.
You know, sometimes I wonder if I should start myself a farm.”
“Ok… and about Valefar’s… fit?”
“Oh, yes, such a worrying thing, see.
He’s been killing folk for simply bumping into him as of late, not to mention his worries about that new favorite of Leshy.”
“New… favorite?” If there was someone that Leshy cared about, that could be useful…
“Yes, ma’am.
See, rumor has it that Leshy was seen talking about a mortal that wasn’t even ascendant, yet made him so interested that he told Heket about it.
Now aint that fun.”
“…
I almost feel sorry for the guy.” If it wasn’t an ascendant, his chance of survival with those beasts was as likely as me beginning sacrifice.
“Now, see, when I went into Deephaven, Valefar saw me and demanded my stuff, course my mamma didn’t raise no wimp, so I told him no, and see, that worm’s face turned redder than his fur.
If I wasn’t an ascendant myself, I reckon he would’ve killed me right then.”
“You’re an ascendant?”
“Course I am, why you think I can walk?”
I blinked, “…
most people can walk…”
“Yeah, but not most sea people, most of us swim.”
I blinked… it checked out, “Ok, so what happened after you angered him?”
“Oh, he destroyed my stall and stock and sent his men after me, ton of little guys.
I just walked out of there, but when I got to the Path, that worm had a whole group covering it.
So, obviously, I couldn’t go back to fishing, so I wandered the opposite way, then that weird kid with the snout saw me and your guys grabbed me and carried me in.”
The Fisherman was oddly calm about this threat to his life, of course, the fact that Caleb and Gethel had bounties was worrying.
Of course, with Valefar on the fritz, there was no way that Leshy would just let it stay unordered.
I would have to lay low-
“Now, see, the thing that you may be interested in, Lamb.” The Fisherman seemed suddenly calm, his voice dropping the playfulness, “Rumor has it Leshy is meeting with this favorite of his tomorrow for the whole day.
Which means, for the first time in a decade, Darkwood won’t have its Bishop watching it like a hawk, and with a commander already feeling unstable in his position, seems like a fun time.” He smiled, then stood and walked off, humming a silly tune…
That… was definitely something I would need to take advantage of.
I grabbed my pack and headed out, ready to take the path to Deephaven.
Caleb PoV
I headed out, Ceres having left the previous day for her crusade.
I followed the path I mapped out and became lost.
“How… how does this even make sense?
Suddenly, I feel a presence behind me.
“Tshhhhhh, fuuuuuuuuuu.” the heavy breathing only continued.
I was frozen in place, the whole of my being feeling oppressed… Almost like when I first met Leshy…
“Tall… … mortal….”
“I..
apologize… are you… Lord Bishop, Heket?” I felt the resulting sigh reverberate through my skull.
“Leshy’s….
obsession….
you?”
“…
I’m sorry?”
Then Leshy appeared in front of me, it was like there was no… in between.
I then heard a snap, and wind flowed through, flowing from the direction the Garden should be, as though reality just caught up with him
“Ah, so you two have met already, wonderful.
Come, let us go to the garden.”
“Um, if I can ask, why was I not able to find it, despite heading the way I did before.”
Leshy smiled, as though it was a simple answer, “Oh, that’s probably just because you were close to Heket, it sensed her mood and kept twisting you away.”
Which meant… she was following me the whole time…
“Mortal….
blind….”
Leshy laughed, the unnatural sound shaking the woods, “Be nice, Heket.
I’ve prepared an assortment of things.” Suddenly, we were in the garden, and I felt nauseous, my back also hurt, like something had pushed hard against it, I nearly doubled over.
Heket considered me then turned to Leshy, “Leshy….
tear…..
mortal.”
“…
Oh, yes, apologies, Caleb.
I almost forgot mortals weren’t built for that speed, luckily you seem strong.”
“It’s fine, Leshy… Thank you…” I was dizzy, but I didn’t want to show that… why was I giving so much consideration for him?
“Lord… Leshy….
Mortal…” I shook again, the glare of the Bishop of Famine seemed to burn into me even though I wasn’t looking at her, but Leshy glared back, his eyeless glare seemed just as intense.
“Sister, I have granted this mortal permission to speak with me by name, do not press authority in my own garden.”
Heket’s glare faded, and when I looked, she seemed visibly offput, but breathed deeply, “Apologies….
Leshy…..
unaware….”
Leshy nodded, then went back to smiling, and guided us to a place with a blanket, and a basket… like a… picnic?
Heket looked as confused as I did, so I wasn’t getting anything there.
Leshy was already sitting down, smiling, with tea in his hand.
He gestured for us to sit.
What… what was I invited to?
Ceres PoV
I walked, unnoticed.
A hood blocked my crown, which kept peeking, my wool was also completely covered.
I formed an artificial shadow that kept my face fully secluded.
I walked into a line at Deephaven, carts going in.
Guards kept inspecting every cart, knocking merchants down, and throwing their merchandise to the floor.
I kept my calm, despite my building anger.
I watched them throw people around then force them to retrieve their own things.
As I approached, they saw me, and approached.
“Hey, take off the hood pilgrim.”
“Apologies, but I am unable to do so.”
“What, are you wanting to join a cult?
You know you have to show your face.”
Then one of the guards thought, “Wait, Adren, what if this lady’s sick, maybe the hood is to block it.”
“That would be a mask, you idiot, what kind of hood blocks sickness.”
“You never know, what if it’s a parasite.”
“Dude, we serve Leshy, it’s not like we’re in Anchordeep, we’re not gonna run into a random new plague.
Goodness, remove your hood, pilgrim.”
I smiled, “I want to speak with Valefar.”
Their eyes widened, and both of them looked uncomfortable.
“What, you got a death wish?”
They drew their spears and approached, now visibly wondering.
The merchants around were tense, wondering who would make such a blatant threat at one of Leshy’s commanders.
“Pilgrim, remove your hood now.” Even Adren wasn’t flinching there, his look focused, his cat ears were straight back, his orange fur stood on his end.
“Very well,” I flipped back the hood, and they paled.
Even the merchants began to shiver, as my crown glimmered in the dawn, along with my two small and pointed horns.
My snow white wool breaking any doubt of who I was, “now, will you call Valefar, or should I go in and hunt the Tyrant myself.”
Both dashed at me, Adren making a stab, but I sliced the tip of the spear head off then grabbed the cat and threw him into the wall, the wind snapping under him as he flattened the moment he left my hand and spurted blood before slamming into the wall, making it shudder.
I looked at that, blinking.
“Holy… that… was way more pressure than I intended… I can do that?” I looked at my hands.
His body was tearing prior to even letting go… what did I do… no… it was me or hi-
“Adren!
No!!!” The second guard ran forward and held the crushed form of his friend, tears dripping down his body… It was a worm, the same species as Leshy, green fur and one eye.
He held his friend.
“You…” he looked at me, “I’ll kill you.”
I looked, and I saw people shudder… … was this who I’d become?
A monster?
… no…
I approached Adren and the worm, “I’m sorry, I did not mean to kill him.
Let me do this.” I breathed, and a circle formed around the corpse, and I saw the soul leaving, but grabbed it, and pulled it back in.
I flowed my air through it, and placed it back in Adren’s body.
Suddenly, there was more snapping, and the worm stepped back in utter fear, but Adren’s body began to reshape, bones reconnecting.
Then, his skin closed, and even his ears reshaped.
Then the ichor of death left through his mouth, seeping into me.
Then he coughed, and I rasped, my breath being heavy, it was like I aged 20 years in that moment.
The worm looked at me, then back at Adren and ran up, hugging his friend, “Dude, you’re… alive?”
Adren coughed, “…
what, Leshy?
What happened?
The Lamb!
Where is she?!”
The Worm, Leshy… should’ve expected that name, it is the most common for worms, pointed at me.
“She… I don’t know… she killed you… but then brought you back.”
I felt tired, I clutched my chest… it seems it took far more energy outside of my cult.
“I… am not another one of them… I won’t become a monster…” I don’t know if I was saying it for them, or myself.
But the slow clap definitely wasn’t any of them.
“How touching, Lamb.
You seem to have definitely become stronger, but that resurrection drew a lot out of you.” Valefar smirked at me, “See, that’s your problem.
You’re far too merciful, that’s why you spared Amdusias too, right?” My eyes widened, and the red worm smiled, “What, you really think I don’t keep tabs on everything?
The moment he disappeared I made very certain to locate him, I wasn’t going to just believe someone as stubborn as the Priest would just die, and I found him, at least where he went.
Of course, annoyingly, your cult I still can’t find.
But, no worry, I executed all of his contacts, that way his network can’t help you.”
“…
You… murderer, they had no ties to me.
Amdusias specifically pretended to be dead even to them so that they wouldn’t be hurt.”
“Oh, really?
My bad,” the red worm’s smile didn’t match his fake sincerity.
“Well, I mean, they were irritants either way.
But now, you’re here, your mercy limiting you.” He grabbed Adren and Leshy’s heads and twisted his hands, instantly snapping their necks.
“See, all that effort and kindness, and I reverse it in two seconds.
How worthless are y-”
I roared and slammed into him, crashing through the wall, debris forming around us.
“Murderer!
I will stop you.”
He kicked me back and sent out a Bloodcurdle, the same move that killed Caleb prior, and I responded with Touch of Turua, the tentacles bursting through the ground and taking the Bloodcurdle head on.
Holes burst through the Tentacles as the curse died.
I took advantage of the blocked vision to slam into him again, my blade slashing, but he dodged.
“My, oh my, Lamb.
If I knew you’d be this angry about the death of two guards who hated you…” his calm smile expanded, “I would’ve killed the entire city.”