“Death, what an intriguing question… I have… long ago.”
I blinked, I was not actually expecting that.
That… Leshy had died.
“If I may… when?”
Leshy stiffened, then sighed, before looking up.
“Have you ever wondered how the 4 Bishops formed?
You know…”
“I have, I mean, you’re a type of worm, Heket is a frog, Kallamar’s a squid, and Shamura’s a Spider.”
“There was also a cat, the One who Waits…”
“Narinder…”
He looks shocked and I freeze, worrying tha-
“Hm, I must have mentioned it before, or you ran into that large cat, surprised that we still let her live.
Yes, Narinder… The Bishop of Death.
You know, all five of us touch a different form.
See no evil, for it brings only disorder.
Speak no evil, for there will be nothing that remains for you.
Hear no evil, for its song will only make you retch.
Know no evil, for its tale will turn you against one another.
But, the 5th is what most have forgotten.
Do no evil, for it will drag you unto the grave.”
“I… didn’t know those terms had deeper meanings.”
“Few do, heh, my siblings would hate for me to share this, but you stood up to Valefar, despite bleeding?”
“You could tell?”
“It was obvious, I could smell you on those amulets, and your voice is distinctive.
But, importantly, you stood up to him, and stood your ground.
Few would do that at all, even fewer in Deephaven directly.
Not to mention, your size, if I couldn’t smell your mortality, I would’ve assumed you an ascendant, your steps are heavy and burdened.”
“I… don’t know how to take that?”
“It is a compliment, those who are unburdened are fools.
But, anyways… you wondered if I had tasted death before… and I noted that I did… well, let me tell you a story.”
Leshy PoV
5000 years ago
Mom… mom… where are you… please… I’m so hungry… I’m tired of eating this carcass you left me with… it’s started rotting… Why did we have to be the hunted?
Why couldn’t it have been anyone else…
Mom… you always said to pray to the Cold Mother, but I’ve prayed and prayed and she hasn’t come, and the Hunt keeps targeting me.
That cruel owl, why did he have to hurt our people… why did he choose us?
I took another bite of my sister’s carcass, it being the one food source remaining, of course, I had to share with bugs… they feasted on her…
I was sick, and my mom went out to town, hoping to find medicine… but… eating the meat, I was only getting sicker.
I couldn’t think anymore… darkness slowly came to me… and I embraced it…
I wasn’t hungry anymore, the chaos of outside was… gone.
I was… at pea-
“Wake up, worm!”
I jolted awake, and saw a weird cat… he had 3 eyes, icky.
“Um, I could say the same about you, horned worm.”
“Uh… di’ di I say tha out loud?”
“Nope, mind reading, nice to meet you… what’s your name?”
“L-Leshy…”
“Heh, dumb name, I’m Narinder.”
“…
you call my name dumb?”
“Yup, now, listen, you died, but don’t worry, I brought you back.”
“…
I died?
Narinder seemed to finally notice the half rotted half eaten worm corpse, as well as the few worm skeletons.
“…
yeah”
“You not gonna eat me, are you?”
“Why would I?…
listen, you died, but I brought you back, and if you stay here, you will die again.”
“No I won’t, Mama will be back soon, and she’s bringing my medicine.”
Suddenly, a spider crept from outside, “Hey, Nari, you sure there’s anything salvageable here?
Woah, there’s a survivor?”
“Yes, Shamu, there is.
Meet our new friend, Leshy, and please help me, he’s refusing my help.”
“Mommy will be back with my medicine!”
Shamu sighed and came up to me, “Listen kid, when did your mom leave.”
“10 light and darks ago.”
Shamu grimaced, and Narinder looked uncomfortable, “Here, let me take you too your mom.”
My eyes widened in excitement which for some reason made them cringe, “You know momma?!
Going to see mama!”
I followed them… to a body, frail, and skeletal, yet… I knew her, my mom…
“Mama, you’re back… mama, wake up, friends brought me here… hey momma, why don’t I smell medicine… momma… why don’t I smell you anymore…”
I sat… “mama… please don’t be like sissy…” tears welled in my eyes… “please…”
Narinder put his hand on my shoulder, “Shamura grab Heket and Kallamar, we’re setting camp here, and get this kid food…” the cat looked at my mom’s corpse, “listen… I am… an apprentice, trying to become the god of death… and I know a bit… she died right after leaving… and her last emotion… was pure love… she starved, so you would live.”
“You brought me back, bring her back.”
“…
she already moved on.
As did all others here.
I can only retrieve them if they haven’t let go.
Past that, I’m powerless.”
“…
what good are you?!” I snapped, raging at the cat, not able to do much.
I could barely walk, due to my youth.
I punched weakly, and he stood there, taking it.
“You wanna be death, but you can’t even save us.
You… you gods are all the same, you never care!”
… I fell and cried, “…
mama” I nestled by body against her cold dessicated form….
And Narinder took off his cloak, and draped it over me.
“Resurrection is not my only power… let us bury your town.”
He dug as I watched, a frog and squid set out food and started a fire, while the spider, Shamura watched them, warning them not to set the forest on fire.
Then, when all the graves were dug, I saw him rise into the air, his eyes turn black, and vines grow… and the graves covered in flowers.
Then, he approached me, and took my hand, and guided me to the fire, and so I met my new siblings, Heket, Kallamar, Shamura, and Narinder.
Caleb PoV
Present Day
I was frozen, that… was intense.
“Mortal, did I scare you off.”
“Uh, no, I’m sorry.
I just wasn’t expecting all that.
I knew that there had to have been a time before you became a god, but, actually hearing about that time, it… was not what I expected.”
The worm smiled, “Indeed, most assume I was born in the center of a mountain.
In fact, I’ve heard one doctrine about me where there use to be a mountain, but as a newborn I shaped the mountain using my acid into my temple.”
“…
they do know gods start as mortals, right?”
He sighed, “You would be surprised… you know, tell me your name, you know mine, it is only fair.” This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
“I’m Caleb.”
“Ca-leb… unusual name, are you from the Land of gods and their Adherents?
Quite strange people there, or you could be from another distant continent.
It doesn’t matter, you’re here as of now.
Now, I’d like to know my own question, you came here… you didn’t survive Valefar, did you?”
His voice was certain, as I observed the Bishop of Chaos, it was like the garden was still, eerily still…
“Caleb, do you hate Valefar for killing you.”
… it seems he got his answer from my silence.
“Well, I…” Did I?
I mean, dying… wasn’t fun… but do I hate him?
“I don’t know…”
“I see.
Well, I do have a question, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t”
His voice went flat, “…
did you see the one who revived you… a lamb, perhaps?”
“I did, but she left after I was resurrected.”
Leshy regarded me, “Hm… would you say she is like him?”
“Like… Narinder?…
I… what he was then… yes, from what little I know, as I am new… she cares greatly.”
“Interesting, what if I told you she killed my priest.”
“What?” I was curious about this.
“As you may well know, I have 3 commanders, each Bishop does.
I have Valefar- The Tyrant, Barbatos- The Ordered, and until recently Amdusias- The Priest.
He was an ingenious doctor, someone who preached for me and established doctrine.
He taught my people and saved many hundreds, no, thousands of lives.
And that Lamb killed him, without mercy.
He touched into the Primal to save himself, and she killed him with no witnesses, except her burnt wool was left at the scene, he certainly gave a fight… of course, in doing the battle, they collapsed one of my first churches.
Is that still what you imagine as one who lives up to what Narinder was?”
“Weren’t lambs the target of your hunt?
Should the hu-”
“Choose your words carefully, Caleb.” His voice went dark, the Bishop imposing, “Do not incite what I have trusted you with.”
“Then what was the point of telling me in the first place?” this was ticking me off.
“Listen, you talk and talk, and try to justify.”
“Do you know what my siblings have been through, the Lambs were a threat to them, I couldn’t let them be that.”
“Is that how you justify Genocide?!”
“Don’t make yourself face death again.”
“Then will you do it?
Don’t pretend to just be tough, you’re already a god.
We’re in your garden, and you already told me.
If you meant to kill me you’d not be in here anymore.”
He flinched, and his glare made my knees weak, and he could probably smell my fear, but I wasn’t going to apologize.
Then he breathed, and laughed.
The ground shook with his laugh.
It wasn’t a normal laugh, but rather a sound like a hacking cough, except as though it was pure air.
He smiled and looked at me.
“Oh, my… you definitely intrigue me.
You are correct, I did not have intent to kill you.
… Tell you what, meet me here tomorrow, I want you to meet someone.”
“I will, Lord Bishop.”
“Leshy, call me Leshy, Caleb.”
“Understood… Leshy.”
A pentagram opened under Leshy and he nodded his head as he sunk into it.
… … Oh… did I just become friends with a Bishop?