Caleb PoV
“So… when Heket called me a pet…”
“My mind instantly flashed to that moment, when I first met Haro.”
That was completely different from Haro in the game.
….
…
“…
why is Heket sitting in the corner?”
“….
….” The big frog sighed deeply, “Leshy… good… I’m… good… Festival… … three days… come… Mor-…
… Caleb.”
She sunk into the ground and vanished.
Then Leshy spoke, “Also, I didn’t ask before, but how did you get here?”
“…
I… don’t know.
I just needed to talk to you, and then I walked down then back up.”
“…
odd, maybe that’s the ability you inherited from that fox you said ascended you.”
“Maybe.
So, I am derivative.”
“I mean, you were ascended, rather than finding your own path, so yeah derivative seems right.
But don’t feel bad I myself was a derivative when I was an ascendant.”
“You were?”
“Yes, Narinder was an avatar, and he ascended all 4 of us.”
“…
what trait did you get from him?”
“Life manipulation and higher reflexes.
We aren’t as proficient as the Red Crown, but it’s how Heket can drain vitality, and Kallamar can inflict illness without touch.
Normally only give off the effect if there is direct contact.
For example, Dionynir needed to have Garden so he could always generate food from it for people who would ask him for food, whereas Heket can simply curb hunger by touching someone.
And she doesn’t even really need to do that if she doesn’t want to.”
“…
so, what happened to him?”
“Who knows, he just vanished one day, and Heket found his crown in a corn field.”
“Oh…”
“You assumed we killed him.
That is a fair assumption, but no we have as much clue where he went as anyone else.
Even that accursed owl was unaware, he searched for 3 days and nights, but no trace…”
“…
wow…” to think, a literal god vanished….
That’s mildly… no, very terrifying to think about.
We talked a bit more, before I waved goodbye… I wanted to return to camp, so I walked down, and walked up out of the temple’s floor.
“Wow, so that is how that works.”
I saw Valefar with a broken arm and leg, using crutches, and he leapt out of his skin when he saw me.
“Where did you come from!?”
I left the temple, mildly satisfied, and Felen looked at me, “Now, where did you come from.
I didn’t see you enter the temple.”
“I learned how my ascendant ability worked.”
“Ooh, do tell.”
“It’s a teleport thing.
I basically walk downwards until down becomes up.”
“…
… what?”
“Yeah, it doesn’t make sense, but watch, you see Ceres over there?”
“Yes, I see her.”
I walked downwards and came upwards next to Ceres, who jumped, “Woah… that was epic!
That’s your power?!
That’s so cool, how much distance can you travel, can you take objects with you?
How about people?”
She battered me with questions I had no answer to until Felen dragged me off and had me help finish hammering on the upscaled playhouse.
That one was apparently for me, double the size of everyone else’s, which made sense given I was double the size of everyone else.
I pulled my sleeping bag inside, it was nice to have a wooden roof over my head.
Of course, the window wasn’t amazing for privacy… but it’s not like… what is Maty doing at my window.
“…
can I help you?”
“I was wondering if you could give me hair.”
“…
more necklaces?”
“Yeah, Gethel’s been running trade at Pilgrim’s point and those have become a highly liked item.
And now you’re an ascendant, so your hair is not only stronger but also more frequently harvestable.”
That explains the farm… it had gotten a lot larger these past few days.
“Why are the necklaces so liked?”
“Oh, yeah, so, it turns out your hair has a weird property that makes it so that fish go for it.
The Fisherman said that it could be that they think it’s food, cause of the smell or something.
Then he ate the three necklaces he bought…” the porpoise girl stared blankly, “that was a weird sight.”
After helping Maty cut some of my hair… and not give me a bowl cut, I saw Amdusias using tweezers on a few guys with splinters.
“Hey, Amdusias.”
“Hello, Caleb.”
“Um, you know lore, right?”
“Yes, I was the lead priest of Leshy, after all.”
“Do you know anything about a god named Dionynir.”
He smirked, “Ah, yes, I read about him in some ancient tomes in the Library of Lessia.”
“Library of Lessia?”
Amdusias smiled, before gesturing like he was pointing at something massive, “Largest library in the Lands of the Old Faith, if not the world.
It contains texts that are older than even the previous Pantheon, including rituals older than even the Bishops.
Definitely a treasure trove of knowledge…” he suddenly looked somber, “I’ll never get to see it again” then he looked at me calm again, “But, yes, if you want knowledge on Dionynir or any of the last Pantheon, that would be in there.
Of course, if you wander, you may just run into Haro… I wouldn’t go near him, but he’s the last living member of that Pantheon, so he’d be able to share knowledge.”
“Why wouldn’t you go near him?”
“I’m a worm, Caleb.
One thing you’ll see in the tomes, he dislikes things close to the Primal, believes the more connected a species is, the less they are.
Worms are connected enough that we have beasts and people able to move in full coordinance, whereas most species simply have beast counterparts that can be tamed at best. This story is hosted at g.com.
So, he may just see me as another thing to hunt.
Pity, I’d love to pick his brain over history.”
“I wonder if I could reach it with my teleport.”
“If you could, that would be incredible, either way, it would be a long time there, you’d have to be acknowledged enough in Lessia to get access to the section that holds the knowledge.
And you’d need money for room and board.”
“Yeah… hmm…”
How would I do that… I mean, if I used the… Amdusias, you’re not reading my mind right?
He noticed my look and rolled his eyes, “no, I’m not reading your mind.
You can think weird things in peace.”
I walked off.
Then I came to Ceres and told her I may want to scout out farther the next voyage, to see what else I could find, and given my ability, it would be easier.
She gave me extra money and so I departed… to Lessia.
Ceres PoV
I managed the camp, having finished the houses, we finally had roofs, they were sturdy enough to not collapse and held in rain without dripping.
Of course, the trade route Gethel set up worked well, with Valefar out of the picture, trade functioned through Darkwood far easier, allowing Gethel to get in contact with his old contacts, and get us a merchant network.
Amdusias had also been teaching Rinar, now he’s a half decent nurse.
Despite his weird fascination with internals he actually is really confident moving through them, which allowed him to learn how to do it quicker.
Maty, when actually given decent material, my wool, which I let her clip periodically, managed to make sweaters and other clothing, which were far warmer and softer than most clothes, making it another popular item.
I walked and entered the portal and came up in Pilgrim’s Path, and approached the merchant stand Gethel ran.
Multiple Pilgrim’s were gathered and I watched from under the hood…
Of course, an ascendant approached, I didn’t recognize him, he was big, and bulky.
Seemed to be some kind of boar, “hey, give me some of that stuff.”
Gethel held his ground, “We can, it’s not that expensive.”
“Listen, I’m Leshy’s favorite mortal.
You better give me some stuff now or I’ll call him over.”
That got some eyes… so this was the guy?
Honestly, I… honestly I didn’t know what I expected, but I at least expected that the Bishop had some taste in interests.
But, if that was true… he could be blackmail… as soon as I was strong enough.
Learning more about this guy was imperative.
I snuck up and bumped into him, “Hey, back off, peasant, I’m the Bishop’s favorite, you cannot touch me!” This guy was getting on my nerves.
But, I didn’t resist as he knocked me aside, as he was weaker than Amdusias, and slammed his fist on the counter, “I said, give me things!
I am the Bishop, Leshy’s, favorite, and I want things!”
Then I reacted first, completely shrouding my presence and leaping back into the trees… what… what was she doing here of all places?!
She towered to the top of the trees, spindling legs on the side of her face.
Long flowing dark robes reached the ground, making the movement look ethereal.
Her purple keratin shimmered in the noon sun, and her pure black eyes betrayed nothing, as her mandible chopped a loaf of bread she held in half as she ate.
Bandages were wrapped along the top of her head, and on top of her head were four t-shaped antennae.
She wore a crown with two points and a purple eye.
Shamura, the Bishop of War, entered the pass which went silent.
She looked around, inspecting the environment.
“…
I’m sorry, could I get directions to Silk Cradle, I believe I made a wrong turn.”
… what?