Caleb PoV
At night, I walked downwards and up out in Leshy’s temple… That… I wouldn’t call it a fight, a fight implies I could actually do anything.
Anyways, my interaction with Barbatos made me realize that I was really weak… as if I didn’t already know that.
Hopefully, Leshy was awake at this hour.
The temple was empty… this wasn’t Leshy’s temple.
His temple had tinted windows at the back, right above the wooden carved table… I really needed to get used to this power.
Who’s temple was I in, anyways?
Why couldn’t I move my foot?
I pulled and pulled, but it was stuck, I looked down, and… spider silk?
I pulled but it didn’t work.
What if I tried to teleport?
Nope, I couldn’t walk downwards if I couldn’t move my leg.
I pulled again and fell back, landing on more web, and I heard a string twinge, and a whole web network above me in the darkness.
I felt something… and looked up…
Was that?…
that… oh, that was messed up…
There was a pig, completely drained and desiccated… literally skin and bones, hanging and spinning slowly, coiled in webs, with only its head out, and massive… tooth holes in the center of the cocoon…
I needed to get out… NOW!
I pull out Kudaai’s blade and cut the web holding my foot and pants.
I sneak out slowly and move, avoiding webs, trying to find a spot open enough to walk downwards.
Then I felt pressure and was slammed into the ground, looking to my shoulders, webbing.
Massive claws scraped against the ground and lifted me up, and I came face to face with Shamura.
She was massive… I thought Kallamar was big.
Shamura’s crown alone was larger than me, by quite a bit.
She looked at me, unspeaking.
“Are you Caleb?”
I was too afraid to speak, I mean… if Kallamar was right, Heket must have told her about me, so that would make sense.
“Yes, Lady Bishop.”
“My brother gave you respect.
Call me Shamura.”
“Yes, La.- Shamura.”
She spat, the liquid covering me, feeling slick, but the webbing melted, as did part of my shirt.
She dunked me in a cup half my height and then pulled me back to her eye height, then examined me.
“Apologies, my digestive enzymes are simply the best way to remove my webbing from organic things.”
“It’s fine, I just freaked out… he’s dead.”
“Yes, he actually pretended to be you to get free items.”
Shamura considered me, she kept spinning me, seemingly examining every part of me.
I felt exposed.
“Indeed, using the rumor of Leshy’s Favorite Mortal to try to obtain free items.”
“…
You already said he tried to get free items.”
“Oh, I see, my apologies.”
Now I felt bad for some reason.
“Kallamar was correct, you do have Genuine Simplicity.
You have no layers.
Intriguing.
You can be relied on for secrets, but that also makes you dangerous, I can see where Heket got the idea of danger, even if misguided.”
Does she still think that?
I mean, she invited me to the Harvest Festival.
“Interesting, her image has updated in only 5 days, she is not one for quick adjustment.
It took her 300 years to even as much as engage us after Narinder’s betrayal… I don’t think I’m supposed to say that name.”
“I actually know the name already.” I mean, knowing as much as I do, I should know.
“Ah, I see, Leshy must have told you.
That does make sense.
What are you doing here in my temple?”
“I actually meant to teleport to Leshy’s Temple.”
She considered me for a second, “The portal did not light up, therefore that would be an ascendant ability.
Teleportation abilities are not one that deities even from the prior generation maintained, thus it has to have been a Self-Defined.
Known Self-Defineds in the Lands of the Old Faith are The Predator and the Fisherman.
The Fisherman gained lungs in addition to his gills as his self definition.
That means, you were ascended by the Predator.”
You know… I knew she was the wisest of the bishops, but that was insane deduction…
“Indeed, but Leshy’s temple is far to the south east, in the city of Leshy.”
“The city of Lessia…”
“You are correct.”
“My teleporting works by visualizing, but for some reason it brought me here.”
“Try visualizing a specific point rather than the whole room, many of my siblings’ temples have similar features.”
“Like Leshy’s table?”
Then go.”
Then she dropped me, and I fell, and my mind shifted to the table and the carved legs.
Then the ground opened beneath me and I popped out of the table and rolled, and slammed into the wall.
Teleport?
Success… Spine injury?
Maybe…
I stood, shakily.
This was definitely Leshy’s temple this time… the tinted window, the table, the two chairs.
I walked to a corner and leaned on a wall… wait… it’s a quartz door.
I jumped and reached the handle, then pushed it open.
It was a room covered in moss, fungi, mold, and vines… they created an odd fragrance.
Not bad at all…
The floor was very slick, and minorly slimy.
At the center of the room was a shimmering circle, Leshy.
He was fully curled up in the fetal position and asleep.
He didn’t snore.
He stood up, “Ah, Caleb it’s so good to see you.”
That was fast… “Was I too loud?”
He shook his head and smiled, “Not at all, see, I don’t actually sleep, I simply don’t move for a while, and my energy comes back.”
“Does Heket do that too?”
“Similar, but she actually has a bed, and she just burrows into it.
She made it specially out of sand with an enchantment to make it cushy.”
That was actually cool.
“Anyways, what are you doing here today?”
“I kind of wanted to ask if you’d train me how to fight.”
Leshy considered me, and thought for a moment.
He was quiet for a while.
Did I say something wrong?
“Very well, I’m guessing you want to be strong enough to fight that fox that ascended you.”
“That would be a benefit.”
He laughed, it was the familiar pure air sound.
“Very well, but listen, it’s late, come early tomorrow.
You can’t train without energy.”
That made sense.
He coiled back up and I left, then walked downwards into my house… I’d go early in the morning, and, I guess, get stronger.