“Mortal, I asked a question.”
I couldn’t move, sitting in front of me, flower in hand, was the Bishop of Chaos, a literal god, and a murderous one at that.
“Mortal…”
“Ah, yes, I apologize, I had no intention of intruding.” His presence shone over me like the sun on a sweltering day.
Leshy almost seemed amused by my terror.
As his simple stare felt oppressing “Are you scared of me?”
“I no, uh, yes, I uh-”
The giant worm tilted his head back in laughter which shook the ground, “HA, no need.
In this garden, no violence can occur.
Any attempts or even thoughts of hostility are teleported out, reentry blocked.
An enchantment I made before my eye was taken… It’s fully impassable to those with hostile intent, even my other siblings would be unable to pass.
Making this garden the perfect sanctuary to relax.”
I was surprised, from his character in game, I had assumed he’d just be monstrous and volatile, but here… he was calm, almost playful.
“…
can I ask something?”
“You wish to know about my eye, yes?”
I nodded… then remembered he was blind, “Yes.”
He gave a look, as though staring at something far away, “A true story of betrayal… back in the start of my and my sibling’s reign, there were 5 of us.
But one of the five got greedy, wanting more power, and scarred us.
Taking my eye, Heket’s throat, Kallamar’s ears, and damaging Shamura’s brain.
She is still wise, but hurt…”
That matched the game.
“That… sound horrible.”
“It was… a lot of people marked us as crazy already.”
“…
can I ask something else?”
“Yes, mortal, I will allow it.” He looked at me, his look seeming inquisitive.
“With the Prophecy…” He instantly tensed, and I was worried I’d get to see the hostility block in action, but I was too far in now.
“Why did you kill the lambs, didn’t that just ensure one would get to the 5th bishop?”
His glare was stifling, but he answered anyways, “It was overcaution, and while yes, it ended up sending one lamb to him, we thought it wiser to ensure they couldn’t get ideas…”
“But… as far as I know… they didn’t even care about the prophecy.”
His voice darkened and I felt pressure.
“Indeed, but what if one did.
And that’s what we tried preventing.”
“By making one need to?”
He stiffened, his glare perhaps more oppressing, like he was considering testing the Garden’s enchantment.
But he moreso looked indecisive, as though he never thought that far.
Which did make sense, given he was the youngest bishop… but something struck me….
“Um… changing the subject… could I ask about divinity?”
He seemed to calm again.
“What about it?”
“How old were you, when you… ascended?” He looked at me, almost like he was interested I would think to ask that.
“I was only 4 years old, quite young.” I blinked in utter shock.
I had assumed he was like 18 minimum when he ascended, but he was 4?!
But, Divinity, or even ascending like Ceres did locked your age and made you immortal… so… did that mean….
“Are you still able to grow?”
He chuckled.
“Physically yes, but mentally we maintain our state at ascendance.”
My heart dropped.
That meant he was a toddler, given divinity while he had no way to know right from wrong…
“Mortal, you’ve gone silent, have you departed perhaps?”
“You ascended so young…”
“Oh, not too young, while I was indeed the youngest, but Heket ascended at 10, even Shamura was 17.
It’s not too uncommon.”
“And the 5th?”
“He was the last to fully ascend, and he did so at 19, but why are you so focused on the ages, mortal?
It seems an odd fixation”
My mind was spinning… the bishops… were portrayed as a group of murderous monstrosities.
Killing for power control… but they were just children and teenagers.
Put in positions that were way more than they could handle at that age… they aren’t monsters… they’re victims… children unable to even process their emotions.
Even Narinder was likely still hormonal and was mid-puberty.
Even Shamura was only my age.
And I’m still antsy about talking to girls.
I couldn’t even imagine being a god at my age.
I would panic.
Leshy seemed confused by my lack of hostility, but my audibly increasing heart rate.
“Mortal?”
“Apologies, Bishop, I… just… it’s… I never expected… I can’t imagine gaining that much responsibility so young…”
“I see.”
“May I leave?”
“I suppose.
You know, mortal, you’re oddly bold.
Even with the barrier, few would talk as bluntly as you have.”
“Uh, I’m sorry!!!” I was near panic, I didn’t even think about it, I got too casual.
I was chatting with a powerful god with the same casualness and pity of a homeless person.
He probably took off-
“It was surpisingly nice.
Do take your leave, and perhaps return again to this garden.” He seemed oddly serene.
“Uh….
Of course, Lord Bishop….” I left, shivering… that was unexpected, but I… I suppose he does have the mind of a 4 year old… he probably doesn’t want to be in control, so having someone speak to him bluntly… may have helped?
This is too confusing for me.
… I killed that child 100s of times… grinding for god tears… trying to see if I could no hit… I killed him… it was in game, but that Bishop… that child… I killed him so often… and his siblings… I killed them too… … those kids.
I killed them… I hurt them… I mocked them… I am a mo-
I bumped into a massive birdlike figure, his body was shaped like a triangle, and in front of him were many Tarot cards.
And so I sat before Clauneck, one of the 3 Children of the First gods.
“Hello, little one… do you wish for me to read your fortune?”
…
“I do… and perhaps some advice too?”
“I will see what I can do.” I selected 3 cards.
I drew the Fool, the Wheel of Fortune, and the Tower.
Clauneck looked troubled.
“You are from far, and you will face a dark cycle.
One that will break you… you will face horrors worse than you can imagine… I apologize… my cards rarely bring such dark prophecy.
Even the Lamb received better cards, and hers also included the Tower.”
“I… see… could I ask about…”
“You wish to save the Bishops.”
“I…
yes…”
“Let me ask you, they are children, yes, but does that mean they haven’t done evil?”
“It doesn’t…”
“Then why should they be saved?”
“…
because at least Leshy was too young to know right from wrong!
At 4, you can’t even know that lying is bad.
And Heket was 10, the age when she should be having fun with friends, not governing food and being a god.
None of them were prepared… none of them should’ve become gods… they didn’t deserve it…”
Clauneck seemed taken aback… then he smiled.
“Draw 3 more cards.”
I drew them: Devil, Tower, Death.
Even Clauneck was perturbed.
“Collapse and shattering awaits your entry, you may save them indeed.
But you will not do it with no cost.”
“I still have to try.”
I turned back to Clauneck, but the bird and cards were already gone, as if never there.
So I stood, and walked back to the camp, planning on how I could save the Bishops.