Caleb PoV
I sit in the garden, I had to get out of the camp.
Amdusias warned me that Valefar had no loyalty, but he was sucking up to Ceres so much even Ceres had to leave on a crusade.
Valefar’s injuries keep him from being much of a threat, Amdusias even marking he would probably win if they were to fight right now.
No, don’t think about that, I would be kicked out of the Garden.
You know… I kind of want to talk to Leshy.
I walked over to the lilacs, and stepped into the portal, expecting to have to put the sigil down, instead I fell straight through, like there wasn’t even something there.
I just free fall for what feels like both hours and seconds, before popping out of a portal with a yelp, and landing on my back which I think I heard crack.
“…
ow…”
Then I stood, rubbing my back, and saw a blade, double my size, at my throat.
“So, ascendant, why do you come to my temple through my portal?”
Kallamar, the Bishop of Blight, looks at me.
He is visibly larger than Leshy.
“I apologize, Lord Bishop, I intended to go to Leshy’s.”
His eyes narrowed, “That would be Lord Leshy to you, ascendant.” I noticed he was staring at my mouth… right… he’s deaf.
Him reading my lips that accurately was honestly impressive.
“Of course, I am impressive, I am a god.”
“But, yes, I’m trying to go to Leshy’s temple… and before you say it again.” I hold up the sigil into his sight.
Kallamar seizes the sigil and examines it with 4 of his arms, the blade not leaving my throat.
The Squid felt and sniffed, as well as stared.
“Hm, that is a legitimate sigil, that’s rare.
Very well, how did you end up here though?” He throws the Sigil which knocks me over as he moves the blade back into a sheath.
“I entered through the portal in the garden, but rather than entering the network, I just fell.”
“That would explain your odd acceleration coming out.
Frankly, I initially assumed you were an assassin.
What class are you?”
“Uh… derivative… I think, is that what you’re asking?”
“Indeed, who ascended you?
I presume Leshy?”
“No, I actually didn’t want to be ascended.
I was forced by the Predator.”
The Squid cackled, a series of clicks.
“Oh please, given you’re not a half eaten Cadaver, I’d say that’s inaccurate.
Besides, even that beast wouldn’t risk messing with someone Leshy had given a Sigil.”
“He didn’t see it, he called me ‘Pet of Leshy.'”
Then Kallamar examined me, “Hm… are you that one they call Leshy’s favorite mortal?”
“I… suppose?”
“That explains it, then you are Caleb!”
“You know me?”
“Indeed, Heket rambled on, calling you a danger and far too open, but examining your mind it seems the opposite, you’re too simple.
You think only of the direct thing you are engaging.
So, even if you had secrets we’d have no way to tell.”
Huh… that makes sense… that would explain why Heket doesn’t question everything I think.
“From that thought, I suppose that means you do have secrets?”
“Who doesn’t?”
Kallamar smiled, “Yes, that is what Leshy sees, you speak as yourself without filtration.
Your thoughts are synonymous with your speech.
An admirable trait.
Leshy, himself, shares that simplicity.”
“That doesn’t seem nice to say…”
“Oh, don’t be like that, I don’t mean slow, I mean consistent.
Genuine Simplicity is a trait I’ve only seen in you, Leshy, and those three birds.”
“I see…”
“What?
How does genuineness help secret keeping?”
He smiled and looked at me again, looking smug, “Quite simple, see, you don’t even consider the secret in the first place, unless it’s directly prompted, meaning someone would have to know what to ask for it to even cross your mind.
Do you see how this is such a useful trait?
I’ve tried to obtain it myself, but I keep thinking in multiple layers, I cannot synchronize my mind and speech.”
“I see… so… how do I use the portal network so I don’t just fall straight through?”
Kallamar looked, almost mockingly, “It’s simple, just walk into it.”
“That’s what I did…”
“Well, you obviously did it wrong, try again.”
I walked, and my leg sunk in immediately, and I got wrapped by a tentacle and pulled out, “Okay… I see what you mean….
Here, I’m going to throw you in a direction where you should reach Leshy.”
“…
through the portal or the air.”
“Portal, obviously, you’d be red mist if I threw you with the power required to reach Lessia.
I mean, that is far, so I’ll just throw you in the portal and hopefully you reach the right location.”
“Hopefully?”
He throws me, and again I’m falling through the network… Why.
Can’t.
I.
Just.
Use it NORMALLY!
I shoot out the other side, with a yelp and land on a table, with Leshy looking at me.
“Hi… Leshy.”
“Hello, Caleb, I didn’t expect you here… are you okay?”
“I don’t think the portals like me.”
“I can see.”
“Mortal… irritating…”
Oh, great, Heket’s here too…
The frog glared at me, not appreciating the sarcastic thought.
“So, did I interrupt something?
I apologize.”
“Oh, no worries, Caleb.
Me and her were just catching up, doesn’t happen often.”
“Mortal… everywhere?”
Leshy focused in her direction, “I mean, I don’t see why not.”
I blink, Heket blink… both of us were thinking the same thing… something was off..
“I mean, I probably shouldn’t get between siblings.” I got off of the table.
“Indeed… mortal… go..”
“No, Caleb, it’s fine, you can pull up a seat.”
“I really shouldn’t.
This is between you and your sister, after all.” Heket and I both tensed, it couldn’t possibly be…
“And, you can be here.”
“Leshy… slow…”
“Slow down?
What, Heket.
What are you saying?” Leshy didn’t seem to notice, but both me and Heket were tensing.
“Why are both of you tense?
Is there something I did not notice?”
“Mortal… not… Narinder…”
What?
“What?”
I froze, what did that mean?
Of course I wasn… I… wait….
No… definitely not, that couldn’t be it.
What are you talking about?”
“Mortal… not… Bishop.”
“Heket, get to the point, I’m not certain I like your implication.” Leshy’s tone darkened, and the lights in the temple dimmed, as though the whole thing reflected his demeanor.
“Mortal… not… sibling… Don’t… … place…”
That was… not what I expected… or did I… I really need to go.
“No, Caleb, you are staying.” He was reading my mind again.
“Mortal… go… Bishops… speak…”
“Why, so you can speak bad about him behind his back?
And try to turn me against him?”
“No… consider… for… pet… Leshy…”
“He… is not a pet.” Leshy stood, and I began to shiver, feeling an anger rise in the very earth around us.
Heket seemed to be offput, “No… didn’t… mean…”
“Oh, no, you meant that quite well.
You believe he is lesser, that he can’t count as a person.”
That was a jump, but Heket seemed unsettled, anyways.
“No… mortals… people.”
“Oh, so mortals aren’t people?”
That wasn’t what she meant.
“Not… said…”
“I understand, you think we can just operate so high and mighty.
Because oh, we’re gods, and who cares.”
Something was seriously wrong, he seemed genuinely mad.
“Do you know nothing about what we do?
What we keep doing?”
“Mortal… telling you…?”
Hold up, why was she aiming at me?
“No, Caleb doesn’t own me, and I don’t own him, and you don’t own me.”
“Never… said.”
“Oh, you don’t need to say it.
It’s clear.”
“Leshy, calm down, she is your sister, not an enemy.”
Heket glared, trying to look for ulterior motives.
“Caleb, even you see it.
Every time she looks at you she tries to find a way to divide.”
“Because she cares about you, not because she hates me.”
Leshy sighed, and walked into the portal without another word.
And Heket considered me, curiously, before snarling and vanishing with a clap of the wind… except I saw her… like a blur…
I needed… to talk to Leshy.
I walked but… downwards, before coming upwards out and next to Leshy.
He was quiet, and I sat next to him.
Blood flowed from the bandage… more than normal…
“Do you want to talk?”
“I was wrong, for how I spoke… and now she hates me.”
“Heket doesn’t hate you.”
“How do you know?”
“…
I have a sister, where I am from, an older sister.
We fought a lot… but we never stopped loving each other… So, please… don’t think she hates you.”
“I see…”
“But, why did you… get that mad.
I’d never seen you like that before.”
“For that… we would have to go a long time ago… shortly after I first met Narinder… Are you sure… no, you should know.”
“You don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to.”
“I do, though.” The Bishop turned to face me, “Now, over 5000 years ago…”