Caleb PoV
My portalling seems to only work with areas I can visualize, so I had to climb trees a few times but I can finally see Lessia.
… wow, that is far…
The city was massive, I stood on top of a tree that couldn’t be more than ten times my height, but… I still couldn’t see the ending.
And Leshy’s Temple was a massive spire, it made the one we made for Ceres look like a hovel…
A massive encampment was outside of the city.
I walked downwards and up out of the exterior of the camp.
A brown dog, possibly a boxer, guard wearing… Deephaven emblem?
What is a Deephaven guard doing here?
Could it be related to Valefar’s defeat?
“Hello… wait, ah, you’re the associate of that white goat.
It’s good to see you.
I had thought you died to the Bloodcurdle.”
“Oh, I am very alive.”
He laughed, “indeed, well, I am Oedip, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Why are some people from Deephaven here?”
Oedip’s ears dropped, “yes, see, you heard Valefar was defeated, yes?”
“Who hasn’t?”
“Yes, but in that, the city of Deephaven was reduced to rubble in the clash between the Lamb and the Tyrant.
All here are the only survivors…”
… … … … … … … …
“What?”
Something built up inside of me, and a red mist formed… but I breathed and it faded.
Oedip was pale, despite his fur, his ears were back… he was afraid.
“I’m sorry, but could you tell me how to get in the city, it’s my first time this far from home.”
He blinked and intended, “Yes… right, it’s over there…”
“Are you okay?”
“Sorry, I just didn’t know you were an ascendant… and that was powerful, you a self defined?”
“No, I was just force ascended by a jerk.”
“Oh, yeah, that sucks, watch your back, Lord Leshy is already merciful by letting us live, despite us noting the Lamb’s part in our survival, he’s on edge.”
“Got it.” … yeah, I was in no risk from Leshy, the rest of his guys?
Maybe, but worst comes to worst, I still have the sigil.
And, I was definitely fast enough, I checked and, post ascendance, I clocked myself at a 2 minute mile.
Not amazing compared to other ascendants, but it was way better than my previous 12 minute mile.
I approached the line inside, and… the gate was massive, it had 10 pretty big guys with pulleys holding it open, and they had shifts.
So, a total of 30 guys only to hold that one gate open.
The 20 not working were drinking water and eating food.
There were 6 lanes, and each one had 5 guards.
Wagons and merchants entered.
This made Deephaven’s gate look like a hometown village’s
I had a hood but I didn’t need it on, especially given the guards already asked everyone to remove hoods and hats.
As I finally reached the front, a guard took in my height.
“Ascendant?”
“Yep.”
“Alright, do you have any weapons?”
I pulled out the crude sword.
The guard blinked, “Yeah, I don’t even know if I would consider that a weapon.”
“I don’t know if I would either.”
“Alright, well, what reason do you have to enter?”
“I want to see the library.”
The guard snorted, “Ah, we got a scholar.
Yeah, that’s definitely an attraction, just a warning, it’s near the temple, and our lord may not take much liking to an unfamiliar ascendant, and trust me, he’ll notice.”
“Then I will hope the lord Bishop is in a good mood.”
The guard saw my lack of hesitation and blinked, “Alright then… uh, enjoy your time then.”
I entered and was instantly hit with the same feeling I was hit with when I entered NYC the first time.
This was insane.
The buildings were almost as large as the gate, and thousands of dense residencies were obvious.
Children ran through the streets and adults swept streets and waved at patrols.
This was… almost a utopia, at least inside… outside was still the refugee camp…
I wonder if people in here even knew of the horrors outside, done by the same guards they waved at.
I was able to navigate… close to the temple… the spire made it easier, but the streets were a maze, dense amounts of people that I had to avoid moving too rapidly.
I still remember Trenar’s broken horse body… that was really only a week ago…
So much happened since I met Ceres, it felt like years.
I sighed and moved along, careful not to punt anyone.
Then I stumbled into the market, a tower in its own right, it was a dense place with thousands of stalls, and shaped like a cone, expanding outwards with an incline.
There were so many people shopping.
Ceres, of course, gave me funds that I could spend as I wish… a cut from my literal hair being the medium for our most popular item… which was being resold here… called Fortune Amulets.
That sounded like a scam.
But they were making quite a bit.
We sold them for 5 each, they sold them for 7… clever, 2 coin benefit.
I also saw a stall selling swords… with a nice looking one for… 300 coins?!!
I only had 100, there’s no way I could afford that.
“Pardon me, why is that blade so expensive?”
The merchant, a female yellow cat, smirked at me, “this is a blade made by the legendary Kudaai.”
“Kudaai, how did you get that?”
“Believe it or not, I scrubbed his forge.
But I’m not a swordsman, I’m a smith, so, I am selling it.”
… I believed it, that blade definitely was powerful, potentially even able to meaningfully clash with the Red Crown.
“I unfortunately don’t have enough.”
“Ah, well that sucks.”
“I have enough, though.”
A pale skinned worm with 6 antlers approached, he was calm, and powerful.
“Ah, so, you have enough?
Well, show the money first.”
The worm approached the stand and pulled put a large coin purse.
“I wonder, cat, why you sell this blade for only 300, you could sell one of this quality for 10000 and not be questioned once one realizes it’s legitimacy.”
“I didn’t get it for much, why would I sell it for much, besides, you know how much danger a 10000 coin weapon brings?
I need to get it off.”
She was honest, that was clear.
Barbatos made the trade and then vanished with a light clap of the wind.
At least that’s what he did with everyone else, to me, he spun and seemingly transformed into a blur as he zoomed off.
The cat was shocked, “What in the world?
Where did he go?!”
I smiled, “You didn’t recognize?
That was Barbatos.”
She blinked, and blanched, “oh, well… that was as lucky he was in a good mood.”
“Lucky?”
“Oh, you don’t know?
He’s Leshy’s strongest commander, and some even say he can give the Bishop a run for his money.
I don’t believe those ones, but the fact those rumors exist already means he’s tough.”
I blinked, “oh… yeah, he’s definitely strong… um, have a good day.”
“You too, weird guy, I have more swords to sell.”
I walked off, and didn’t find much else that interested me, but I did get a mug.
And finally, after wandering for a bit, I finally entered back into the streets.
They were far clearer than the previous set, and I saw the spire, Leshy’s Temple.
It was made of wood and quartz, and spiraled into the side, with vines draping down.
And next to it, almost looking small was a… cathedral?
It definitely looked like one.
I saw a worm walking, “Pardon me, sir, where is the library?”
He smiled, “Oh, this is it.
Yeah, I know, it looks like a temple, but that is the Library.”
He walked off and I entered and… that was a lot of books.
There was a massive hall, that dipped into the ground, how large was this Library.
I walked up to the desk, where a bird sat, writing in a ledger.
“Pardon me, where could I find a book on Dionynir?”
The bird looked up, “4th sublevel, section 5, labeled Previous Pantheon.”
“Thank you… … 4th sublevel?
How big is this place?”
The bird sighed, as though she heard this all the time, “Ten sublevels, the bottom two are Lord Leshy and his commanders only.”
“Okay, thank you.
Have a nice day.”
I walked and found the stairs, and the moment I saw under the floor… more shelves… they reached up to the ceiling…
Yeah, this would take a while… would it kill them to have a map?