Forced acceptance and the healing that comes from it

by Cosmo_18

Summary:

The events following Narinder's freedom thanks to the mercy of the Lamb. Whether or not it was a good decision to spare him, Narinder is forced to make friends and learn how to emote. Things get worse for Narinder when the Lamb manages to free and convert his siblings.

Why couldn't that damn Lamb just kill him when they had the chance?

Chapter 1: Prologue

No

NO

NO

This cannot be. This CANNOT BE.

I am The One Who Waits. The true bearer of the Red Crown. Death itself. I will not be defeated by a sacrificial lamb, a mere mortal who would burning in the afterlife with the rest of its pitiful kind if not for my interference, my mercy.

I can feel my power, my Eldritch Form slipping away from me like sand from my paw. I felt my body shrinking before I fell to the floor, the cuts littering my eyes and body from that damned Lambs blade hurting almost as much as the emptiness plaguing my soul from the newfound lack of power.

Opening my eyes was a mistake. Not just from the sight of my traitorous disciple standing above me, the somewhat comforting emotionless eye of my crown staring down at me from atop the Lamb’s head, but also from the bright red of the floor and the glowing sigils that were burning into my corneas, a pain that wouldn’t have been a problem with my stolen power. Closing my third eye to relieve some of the pain, I glared up at the Lamb before me.

My usurper.

The new God of Death.

The new bearer of the Red Crown.

“You have supplanted me. A vessel no more, instead a crown bearing deity. Damned Lamb!”

No reaction. Just empty red glowing eyes digging into mine.

“I…am at your mercy, are you to be a vengeful false idol, or a merciful coward? No longer can you blame your vile acts on me”

The Lamb blinked, their eyes finally back to normal and matching my glare. A smile slowly made its way onto their face as an icy cold feeling of dread settled in my stomach. Without my powers I could read my old disciple’s mind no longer, but I could tell I was no going to like their decision, whatever it shall be. I felt my ears pin back as the lamb approached, its crown taking the form of sword.

I squeezed my eyes shut. So, this is it. I am doomed to whatever hell the Lamb decides is fitting punishment for me. Free for a few mere minutes, nothing compared to the eons I have spent imprisoned in that porcelain hell prison my past sibling trapped me in for daring to think differently from their pathetic ideals that only really benefitted them and their wants and needs.

My siblings.

To think this is how the Ways of the Old Faith would end. All of us being undone by our own hubris.

Leshy: by his refusal to think over his actions or have caution and jumping into his fight with the Lamb.

Heket: by allowing her rage at someone defying the Old Faith and killing the youngest Bishop overtake her and block any intelligent thoughts.

Kallamar: by giving into the cowardice that is always followed him like the stench of salt water and allowing his fear to prevent his Eldritch Form’s true potential from potentially saving him.

Shamura: by refusing to run while they could and instead fighting the Lamb who had caused the downfall of the rest of the Old Faith.

And me.

Narinder The One Who Waits. Fallen due to my impatience for freedom.

The irony.

My ears pinned back as I felt a blade slash down beside my head, just barely missing my whiskers. My eyes snapped open as I looked up at the Lamb, who’s smug look filled me with more dread. The words they spoke next, the first words I had heard them utter to me since I saved them, made my fur stand on end.

“For your punishment, you will be spared and forced to become a follower in the cult you commanded be built in your name. Obeying and giving your entire self to the one who destroyed the chains who held you, the Bishops who guarded them and you”

What.

No

NO

NO

THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING

“You weak, snivelling, foul thing”

My growls did nothing as the lamb began chanting and I felt a portal begin opening beneath me.

“You—wait! WAAAIIIIIIIT!”

The portal swallowed me up whole. Its too late for me.

The next thing I was able to see was the damned Lamb’s cult. The Indoctrination circle beneath me yanked my body down to my knees as the Lamb walked up to me. I managed to  force my head up to glare at the cursed Lamb, egotistically strolling towards me with a pompous grin on their face. Their brainwashed community watching with curiosity burning in their eyes. I wanted nothing more than to curse out the Lamb, call them out for being a traitorous, hypocritical liar in front of their ‘dear followers’ , declare them for what they truly are. Instead, the words were forced out of my body by the circle, just as they were by all the followers before me and all the followers that will come next.

“Convert me to your Cult, I will follow your teachings faithfully”

A small proud ‘baa-ing’ noise came out of that heretic’s mouth and I heard snickers from the fools who obey them. At least my growl was able to silence the fools, but the lamb did not falter. Their chanting began once more, and I felt myself be lifted before the rags I was wearing shifted into the robes of the Cult and I was unceremoniously dropped back to the floor.

No longer chained held down by the crowns magic I stood up and glared at the crowd and its leader who stood before me. The bright pain these mortals call the sun was thankfully setting in the distance. The Lamb broke our stare to look up at the sky, a thoughtful hum emitting from their throat which echoed around the silent valley. They refused to even turn back to look at me, they just turned and started strolling towards their sleeping quarters, the rest of the Cult following like the brainless morons they are. A final command was thrown over their shoulder as they walked away.

“You will need to choose a sleeping quarters. Tomorrow you will be on faith generation. Sleep well Narinder”

I couldn’t move. I watched as the others went to their tents and started sleeping. All I could do was fall to my knees.

My wrists stung from the chains that once held me.

My head and eyes stung from the brightness of the mortal world.

My body hurts from my powers being unwillingly severed from me.

But that name.

Nothing the Lamb could do to me will hurt as much as that.

I was once a God. Someone who could control death itself. The first to defy the Old Faith and its self-centred ways. The One Who Waits. But now? I am nothing but a mere follower to the one who betrayed me. Now forever branded by the name I threw away years ago.

This is how my immortal life shall be spent? Forever serving the one who betrayed me, hoping that one day they will finally become sick of my presence and sacrifice me.

Hopefully.

Why couldn't that damn Lamb just kill him when they had the chance?

Chapter 2: The start of......something

Summary:

Progress for Narinder becoming a decent person! Small progress but, progress non the less

Notes:

I blacked out when writing this several times, I don't know how this happened. Enjoy anyway tho. Thank you for enjoying the first chapter of this. Hopefully the writing quality gets better as it goes on :)

Why did I not command this cult to be made in the forest? At least there I could hide in the trees from these disgusting peasants. But no, I had to choose a valley filled with empty space and not a single place to hide since the Lamb commands all trees to be felled.

“Narinder! Wait a second”

As with all the previous nuisances that have bothered me since my “willing indoctrination”, a single glare and hiss over my shoulder made them falter. Unlike the others however the putrid snail that had been following didn’t leave with an apology and instead took my halt as a sign that I cared about what they had to say. I suppose its movement was not the only thing slow about it. They finally made their way next me, an uneasy smile on their face.

“Finally, for a moment I thought you were ignoring me Narinder”

Did everyone in this cult lose their brain cells when they joined the Lamb?

“I did not realise that the Lamb’s teachings got rid of intelligence as well as freedom, although that is to be expected from people who are foolish enough to follow a failed sacrifice. And do not refer to me with that name, cretin”

A lesser being would feel satisfied by how the snail floundered. But even with my fleeting time in this hell hole I have been quick to learn that the Lamb’s strong will had unfortunately managed to rub off on their followers. A fact that was proven when the frown they had turned into a smile once more as they tilted their head in confusion.

“‘Cretin’? My names Putreon. And that’s what our glorious Leader said your name was, why would I not call you that?”

Curse these idiots.

“I did not care for your name you slimy fool, and that is not my name. For once, do try to have a thought of your own volition instead of allowing that damn Lamb to dictate them”

“Well, I… I was just giving you the benefit of the doubt. Besides, I just wanted to ask-”

“I do not care, get it through your head you irritating, pathetic excuse for a gastropod. I am not interested in your name, nor am I interested in whatever that fool you call a ‘Leader’ has made you ask of me”

At least the façade of innocent kindness was starting to crack if the frown was anything to go off.

“There’s no reason to be rude Narinder, to me or our glorious Leader. And I am not here to deliver messages or commands on our Leaders behalf. I just wanted to ask if you wanted to help me with the farm plots since you didn’t like generating devotion for our dear Lamb”

I shall be honest; I was expecting them to say something incredibly foolish and yet I was still taken aback by the idiocy. These morons never fail to surprise me with their ludicrous thoughts and questions. Was this buffoon being serious? I heard a snicker, and it took me a second to realise it was me. The snicker eventually shifted to full on laughter as I realised the snail was being completely genuine. It felt shockingly good to laugh and after a few seconds I could no longer stop myself from laugh in the snail’s face. Seeing the fools face slowly shift in confusion somehow managed to feel even better than laughing for the first time in centuries.

“I knew you people were stupid, but this just takes it to the next level. Do you actually think I would lower myself to menial tasks with the likes of you lot?”

I do not think I have laughed this much in my entire immortal life. I stepped closer to the snail and took immense pleasure in watching them back away from me.

“Let me tell you something, idiotic gastropod, I “did not like generating devotion” because I refuse to say anything positive about the traitor that forced me to be affiliated with beings who beneath me. Why on this disgustingly green earth would I assist you horrible mortals with your ‘farming’ when it does not benefit a holy immortal such as myself?”

The nuisance stuttered as they backed away from my continued approach. Good. At least now they realise they should not have bothered me, hopefully that is a lesson they will spread to the minds of their fellow followers. Annoyingly, my show power had managed to attract attention and I was rudely yanked backwards by the back of my robes and a fox shoved their snout into my face while a crowd surrounded the snail to see if they were ok.

“Leave her alone! They didn’t do anything wrong, and besides, we’ve all seen you eat, you’re just like us”

The growl that emitted from the fox was matched by one from me.

“They were foolish enough to think I would want anything to do with you freaks, that is what they ‘did wrong’ disgusting canine. And for being ‘just like you’? Hah! I’m a GOD you fool. And yet this is how you people treat a higher being? With this treatment I’m shocked that horrid Lamb hasn’t killed you all for your mistreatment. I mean even without your foul treatment of those above you, you’re all nothing but disgusting freaks. I’ve only been here for about a month, and I’ve overheard several of you ask the Lamb to feed you meals of poop or kill each other. I knew the Lamb was foolish, but I didn’t realise exactly how foolish they were before spending any amount of time with you freaks”

The crowd all looked at each other at my words, with some even having the dignity to look embarrassed at their disgusting ‘appetites’ and ‘prank’ ideas. The fox however just decided to prove just how little respect he had for deities by laying his disgusting hands on me to shove me backwards.

“You’re not above us just because you used to own our dear Lamb’s crown Narinder. It doesn’t mean you get to be rude to us and you definitely don’t get to talk badly about our Leader, you pathetic excuse for a God”

I was honestly speechless.

“What? Nothing to say?”

I just stared at the fox blankly, feeling the rage build up in me.

Not yet.

Wait for them to let their guard down.

Not yet.

I repeated it like a mantra as I watched the pest’s face fall to concern and their ears pin back.

“Narinder?”

What is the saying these mortals have? ‘The stick that broke the camel’s back’ or something like that? The use of that name was mine. I felt my claws unsheathe as I pounced the fool and began my attack.

“How many times do I have to say it? DO NOT REFER TO ME BY THAT NAME”

I have to admit, the fox had some guts fighting back. Soon it was no longer just the fox being beaten, but an actual fight. Soon the crowd decided to stop pampering the snail and instead started to crowd around our brawl instead. It’s about time these fools actually gave their attention to one more deserving of it instead of a heretic and a snivelling coward, even if I do have to share such attention with a pathetic mortal. Essentially all of the crowd were cheering the fight on, with only a few yelling for me and the fox to stop. I heard one follower say something before running off, but I didn’t care. I was just about to gouge out this fools eye when I felt something grab me and yank me off them, as a chorus of whines and groans echoes through the valley as our battle was forced to end.

“That is enough!”

The cursed Lamb.

The Red Crown had transformed into a hand which held me up the ground and the Lamb glared at us angrily.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“Silence you traitor! And release me! How dare you hold me hostage you foul traitorous Lamb”

As unfortunately expected, my commands did not faze Lamb, nor where they listened to. Instead, the Lamb turned towards the fox, who was nursing his cheek and side which had been damaged from my onslaught. It felt good to see him in pain after how rude he was to me.

“Anjul? Care to explain?”

The fox looked away and gave as much of a bow as he could despite still sitting on the floor.

“I-I’m sorry my Lord, I don’t know what came over me, I just couldn’t allow him to continue talked bad about you, our glorious leader and the community you have graciously made for us”

“It’s my fault my Lord”

All attention turned towards the snail, whose confidence immediately depleted.

“Anjul was just trying to defend me when Narinder got angry with me. I……I pushed him too far”

The Lamb let out a thoughtful ‘hum’ before dropping me onto the floor and turning towards us.

“Head to the med bay, both of you, immediately”

“Yes, my Lor-”

“No”

Everyone turned to look at me as I stood up and glared at the Lamb who merely tilted their head at me in confusion.

“Excuse me Narinder?”

“I said NO. You, foul creature, are not the boss of me Lamb! I do not need your help traitor. I can see through the lies you utter to your flock Lamb. You are a fraud!”

I had much more to say but unfortunately, the Red Crown grabbed me once more and dragged away from the crowd. No matter how much I struggled I could not escape its grasp. Finally, the painful grasp of the crown let go only to be replaced by the wooden top of one of the prisons. I looked at the Lamb in disbelief as they made sure I was trapped securely before they stepped back to me in the eyes.

“You will be staying here until you stop bad mouthing this community. When you are no longer looking for trouble and are willing to be a member of this Cult you will be let out and your injuries will be treated. I’ll be back to re-educate you when I am done healing Anjul”

With that the Lamb turned and left, heading towards the med bay as the crowd slowly went off to do their own things.

“So much for a God”

I growled at the follower who dared to murmur such heresy, thankfully making them run away. This is horrible. I do not deserve such disregard. This horrid Lamb wouldn’t have been able to even think about treating me like this. They wouldn’t have this ‘community’, these loyal followers, these powers.

MY powers.

My……my powers.

As much as I hate to admit it, that fox may be right. I am a pathetic excuse for a God.

What kind of deity gets shoved around by mortals?

What kind of deity gets overthrown and indoctrinated by their own disciple?

What kind of deity has to rely on a mortal in the first place?

What kind of deity gets imprisoned in their own domain?

………

What kind of deity gets imprisoned by their own siblings?

What kind of deity attacks their own kin?

Leshy was too chaotic for his own good. His refusal to look and acknowledge the issues in even his own realm, no matter the rest of ours, meant that if I did not get to him first, surely another would have seen fit to gouge out his eyes instead. It was he who brought joy and completed our small, weird family; we would never have been as close as we once were if not for him

Heket definitely deserved it, her rudeness could cause even the kindness of creatures to act cruelly. Why bother leaving her with a throat to continue expelling her foul words which were more toxic than the mushrooms that grew in her domain? It was she who helped me learn to become so calculating and uncaring to those beneath us

Kallamar? No questions required, the coward got what was coming to him since he was so quick to give up the lives of his following and one remaining sibling if it meant he could live. No point in needing those ears since he refused to use them to listen to the beings around him, no matter the lessons they tried to teach. It was he who helped me learn to appreciate the finer things that could appear in this disgustingly mortal realm

Shamura……they were the biggest regret fool of them all. They didn’t, they never could have deserved it the most out of all of my poor siblings those traitors. I hope they at least no achieve peace are burning in the deepest, darkest pits of the afterlife. The great intelligence they possessed was wasted on one as surprisingly small minded as them. It was they who raised us all, who dealt with the tantrums, the misuse of powers, the pranks, everything

If I hadn’t been ripped off of Shamura I would have fully removed their wasted brain, not just a mere part of their skull. I’m so glad they prevented me from committing that action, and that their crown could save them from any brain damages I had managed to cause

If they hadn’t stopped me, I would have killed them all, not just Shamura

………

If they hadn’t stopped me, I would have killed them all.

………

What kind of deity attacks their own kin? A truly pathetic one. That’s what kind.

“You’re not pathetic Narinder”

I flinched so bad I would have fallen over if not for the prison. There standing over me was the Lamb, with a painfully unreadable look on their face. The growl that came from my throat earned me no change in reaction.

“Excuse me? What do you mean by that word Lamb?”

A small smirk spread on their muzzle

“Did you forget that you gave me the ability to read minds?”

“How DARE you read my mind Lamb?”

“I apologise, you seemed deep in thought, I did not want to interrupt you”

“Well then? What are you staring at me for? Are you finally here to free that who you’ve wrongfully imprisoned? Or are you merely here for taunts and jeers at a being who’s done nothing wrong but call out the falsehoods and stupidity in this ridiculous excuse for a cult?”

“You call yelling and laughing in the face of someone who just wanted to include you in something and starting a fight ‘nothing’?”

I scoffed and turned my head, so I was no longer looking at the cursed Lamb.

“The snail had been following me all day and refused to ‘take the hint’ as you mortals would say. And the fox had it coming after butting into another’s business. Maybe now they’ll have learnt their lesson and shall be less irritating to deal with, the rest of the cult too if they are smart. If anything, I did you a favour little Lamb”

Lamb just sighed before sitting down on the grass in front of me.

“I think you and I need to have a chat Nari”

“Why can you not just call me by my title? It is not Narinder nor is it ‘Nari’. You will call me by my true title or else I’ll-“

“Or else you’ll what Narinder? Attack me again? Attempt to steal my crown again? Reuse any of the other failed plans you have produced during your time here?”

I begged my mind to think of a single thing to say, but alas, nothing came to mind. The Lamb let out another sigh, a noise which seems to make up half of the words he says to me.

“It’s night Narinder. All the others have gone to sleep, no one will overhear whatever you choose to share. It will stay between us; you have my word”

I startled and looked at the sky. It was indeed night. How!? I was imprisoned in the early morning, how long have I been in this prison?

“I do believe I had your ‘word’ when you stated the Red Crown would be returned to me after the defeat of the four bishops”

The Lamb let out a small chuckle and had to decency to look guilty.

“I……heh yeah I suppose my word probably isn’t very reliable after that huh?”

“Correct, that is why I said it”

“Uh that was rhetoric-never mind. I……understand how with our…’history’ together that I am probably the last person you would trust with any problems you may have. But you are a member of my cult, my community, of my sort of…homemade family in a way. It is my job, my duty to attempt to fix any issues people may have. So seriously, if there is anything I can help with, please tell me so I can help”

The Lamb grinned and motioned for me to speak. I just stared at them as blankly and bored as I could. Eventually, the Lamb got bored of waiting because they spoke once more.

“Anything, anything at all Narinder”

“……”

“………do you want a bowl of poo-”

“NO! WHY WOULD I EVER WANT TO EAT THE WASTE OF YOUR FOLLOWERS?”

My outburst seemed to surprise the Lamb because they stared at me wide eyed before they started laughing, covering their mouth with their hand to attempt to muffle their laughs so they would not awaken their followers.

“My apologies Narinder, I guess after interacting with these followers for so long I……have developed expectations for when followers seem unwilling to share things with me”

“I am not one of your followers Lamb. I do not share their…weird fantasies. And I have no desire to share anything with you”

The Lamb just stared at me in response, clearly deep in thought. Oh, how I wished I still had the power to peek into their mind. A small smile graced their snout, reminding me where that ability had gone to.

“Alright then……don’t share anything with me. How about instead……you tell me how to improve this cult, so you feel more welcome?”

I raised an eyebrow at their inquiry.

“Are you asking me to give you a quest little Lamb?”

“Yes”

Hmm. I could use this, anything I ask for could be mine. Well, most likely not anything, I have doubts that they would give me the Red Crown back after all. So, what could I ask for to makes this more ‘welcoming’ for me? I thought about the events that had transpired today.

“Alright Lamb, I have my answer for you: my own space”

“Hmm?”

“You heard me. I wish for my own area, where those brainwashed fools and you can’t bother me. I don’t want to sleep surrounding by their snores, I don’t want to be followed by idiots who think they can help me”

The Lamb thought for a few seconds before they stood up and finally freed me from the prison. They regarded me with a smile before sending me off to be.

“I think that can be arranged, good night, Narinder. I hope you rest well”

“………good night ‘dearest leader’”

Chapter 3: The joy in opposites

Summary:

Narinder finally finds something that he can enjoy. Understanding thus ensues between him, the Lamb and someone he wronged before

Notes:

Thank you so much for reading this terrible story. I'm glad you have read this far and (hopefully) enjoyed it as well :)

Morning sermons are always the worst part of the day. A surprisingly ironic statement since I used to look forward to listening to them during my imprisonment. Afterall, who wouldn’t look forward to hearing someone praise your name to an entire group once a day? At least the Lamb doesn’t actually expect me to attend them, it gives me at most an hour of solace and quiet.

I wonder what the others think I do during this time. Whatever they think I do, I imagine it would not be close to the truth. I merely sit outside the temple and listen to the sermons. Whether the Lambs knows or not about my morning sit down I do not know, they have never mentioned it regardless. Not only does it ease the headache that spawns from the Red Crowns influence that occurs when the Lamb commands something, but it is also nice to be able to hold onto something from my past. Sometimes I just close my eyes and pretend I’m back in my prison, with Baal and Aym. Back with my power.

“Having a nap AGAIN Narinder? Gods, I know cats like to sleep but you sleep so damn much you might as well join those you govern over in the afterlife. Don’t pretend to be asleep I know you can hear me brother, Shamura wants us, don’t be more difficult than Leshy was”

I jolted forward and looked around. No one.

The only sound was my own heavy breathing and the Lambs voice as they continued the sermon. I was uncomfortably aware of how my ears were pinned back and my fur was sticky with sweat.

I could’ve sworn I heard………

My eyes rested on the yellow crown statue and the pedestal it sits upon. With the mushrooms that decorated it.

“Lamb, why would you put the trophy that signifies your defeat over Heket near the crops and the cooking area of all things? You do remember what she was the bishop of correct? Is that not a bad omen to have a symbol of famine near your food sources?”

“Well, I did it as a bit of irony to be honest. The trophy signifies my triumph over famine, not famine itself. That’s why I have it there, to show my followers that with enough effort you can defeat anything. Even hunger. That’s also why I put the other trophies near their opposites too”

“So, it is another one of your manipulation tactics little Lamb?”

“Well, WHEN YOU PUT IT THAT WAY NARINDER”

I stopped when I was in front of the crown. When had I started walking?

“Heket……”

Her crown stood between the cooking area and the crops, apparently a symbol of the Lambs power. I glanced towards the crops, several of the plots still requiring water or fertiliser, and in some cases even seeds. The full seed and fertiliser silos got my attention next, all ready for the followers on gardening duty to use.

Opposites huh?

I walked over to the silo of seeds and grabbed a few, watching them fall from my paw, back into the silo. A quick glance at the temple told me that the sermon wouldn’t be done for a couple more minutes.

I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to try.

------------------------------------------------A few minutes later------------------------------------------------

Honestly, how does this cult manage to do everything so ineffectively? There is no pattern, no order. By the state of it would think Leshy was the one doing. What has this Lamb been commanding them to do? Make this process as frustrating as possible? Actually, knowing the Lamb that most likely was a subconscious reason. That or their followers just decided to mess the whole up due to their stupidity. It could be either one and I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest.

This was actually a……surprisingly decent way to spend one’s time.

If you ignore the feeling of dirt tainting your fur.

And how irritating it is to find seeds when you drop them in the wrong place.

And how difficult it is to avoided a seeded plot to get to the next one.

And how difficult it was to carry the appropriate amount of water to said crops.

And how uncomfortable and gross the sun’s intensity makes black fur and three eyes feel.

Maybe it was not ‘decent’ per say. But it was definitely something to do with one’s hands which I appreciated. Not only because it gives someone even a temporary purpose, but it also gives a good distraction from……unwanted thoughts. Even if the refusal to look at my sibling’s the traitor’s mushroom adorned crown makes going around the farm plots more difficult.

“Narinder!?”

My swift turn revealed the Lamb was the source of the outburst. They stood there, hands shaking rapidly in front of their body with an accompanying dopy grin on their face.

“Lamb! What is the meaning of your yell? You are lucky I did not attack you in my surprise!”

I stared at the rude Lamb who had interrupted my solace. That is until I realised who was standing before me. And the crowd of people around them. And what they have caught me doing.

“Now Lamb, this isn’t what it looks like-”

“Are you……FARMING?? WILLINGLY??”

“What no- no I was- I was just- I was merely fixing your followers’ mistakes that’s all!”

The Lamb just ignored me and ran around he farm, rocking back and forth on their heels every so often, gleefully looking at the watered and seeded farm plots. They then ran back towards me and stopped in front of me, somehow not dizzy in the slightest.

“You were! You were farming out of your own free will! And you were enjoying yourself!”

“I WAS NOT-”

The Lamb grabbed my hands and shook my arms up and down with the force of their excited hopping and loudly happily baa-ing, still ignoring me to instead spout their unnecessary amount of joy. I was uncomfortably aware of the rest of the cult staring at the two of us. I would say I was grateful for the few cultists who had changed their stares towards the farm plots, however they were staring at the thing the Lamb was busy gushing over and besides, the farm plots didn’t hold their attention for exceptionally long.

The Lamb finally stopped jumping and baa-ing but still had of wide smile on their face. They also seemed to refuse to let my hands go.

“You were actually enjoying yourself Narinder! This is amazing! I never thought I’d see the day!”

I ripped my hands out of theirs.

“I was NOT ‘enjoying myself’ Lamb. As I said, I was just fixing your followers mistakes and horrible farming jobs. It was not for any personal enjoyment! And you all! Not only does your terrible farm plots rival even Leshy’s chaotic nature but you apparently have no purpose in your lives but to gawk at me and your leader being a fool”

Thankfully, the followers do tend to have some intelligent thought, however only when their stupidity is pointed out. Their acknowledgment of their absurdity was performed in them all dispersing from the crowd and going to do what had been commanded of them, sparing a quick glance towards me and the Lamb (who obviously had not decided to leave me alone) every once in a while. Turning my glare away from where the crowd once were, back towards the Lamb proved that my yell had done nothing to deter their joy about the situation they had annoyingly managed to see crafted in their mind. I rolled my eyes at them and crossed my arms.

“Out with-it Lamb, it is obvious you have something to say”

When do they not.

“Oh, Nari I’m-”

“Narinder, if you must refer to me by that name you shall use its full nature, not a shortened ‘nickname’”

“‘Nari’, ‘Narinder’ whatever. I’m just so glad you managed to find something you enjoy doing here. You’ve seemed so miserable since your indoctrination-”

“Unwilling indoctrination Lamb. And I have not been ‘miserable’”

“Uh huh sure. Anyway, I’m proud of you. This could be good for you, finding fulfilment in something, and something that’s the opposite of death as well!”

I had wished they were not going to notice that final part, but alas the stars do not seem to be aligned in my favour. I suppose Clauneck was correct once again, ‘A black cat’s luck is as dark as its fur’.

“You are mistaken Lamb. I took no joy in farming; it was merely something to preoccupy myself while everyone was listening to your stupid sermon. Nothing more, nothing less”

The Lamb dramatically sighed, slumping forward in what I belief was an attempt at a comedic action. They then, very ‘humorously’, straightened up again and looked at me with a mixture of slyness and joy.

“So, hypothetically of course, said that you could do farming as your job, you wouldn’t want to do it? Hypothetically of course”

Sneaky little Lamb.

“Well Lamb, ‘ hypothetically’ I suppose………I suppose ‘hypothetically’ farming would not be…such a dreaded way to spend my time here.”

Thank you.

The Lamb grinned.

“No problem, Narinder, how about in return…you give me some help with the Red Crown? That would allow you to spend some more time with Crown again and it allows me to learn more about it”

“…………all right. That seems acceptable. First lesson, if you think a sentence while reading someone’s mind you can telepathically send it to their mind. Now if you don’t mind little Lamb, I have to get to work”

“I CAN WHAT”

I turned around and grabbed some more seeds to continue farming, happily listening to the Lamb freak out about this ‘new revelation’. I quickly managed to get back into my previous routine from before I was interrupted. Although that solace was short lived, as it often is in this cult.

“Narinder?”

I looked up only to see that annoying snail from before. They shyly waved at me before hesitantly stepping towards me.

“H-Hey Narinder, it’s me Putreon, r-remember?”

“Of course I do. Why would I not remember someone who followed me around all day, refused to take the hint that they were not wanted, got me into an unnecessary fight and got me imprisoned unfairly for an entire day?”

“H-heh, yeah………”

They stared at me awkwardly, very evidently wanting to say more.

“Spit it out gastropod, I’m busy here”

“O-oh right…well I um…I was just wondering if you could…help me with the farming job?”

“Was it not you who wanted me to help with the farming in the first place?”

“Well,  I mean……yes it was but…well I’m new to this job, I used to do missionaries for the Lamb, but they do not need me to do that right now, so I am on farming duty for now. I figured that someone as old as- er as experienced as you could probably have a lot of useful tips and knowledge about this stuff”

The hopeful look on their face proved this was not an attempt to make me appear foolish, they were being completely serious.

I must have been staring at them for more than approved of by mortals because they seemed to panic slightly and start making excuses and apologies.

“S-sorry I didn’t mean to disturb you, I-I’ll go see if someone else would like to assist me, I-I’m sure I can find some-someone else”

“You’re fine. It’s fine, I would not mind assisting you. Just make sure to actually listen to me or else I will leave you to figure this out yourself. Come here”

They perked up and practically ran towards me, kneeling down next mee and waiting patiently for to speak.

“You need seeds in order to plant things”

“O-Oh right!”

They stood up and ran towards the seed silo before going to run back to me before stopping and grabbing some fertilizer and a watering can before finally making their way back to me. How they were carrying all of that without spilling anything is beyond me but they somehow managed.

It was surprisingly nice to have someone actually interested in what I have to say, something the rest of this cult should learn.

They were a surprisingly fast learner as well. Although there was something that was bugging me. The Lamb obviously had gifted several of their followers special necklaces, which was to be expected. Why would you not want to take advantage of the special abilities they grant. However, the one the snail was wearing a type of necklace I have never seen.

“Snail- er Putreon right?”

“Yeah!”

“Alright. Could you explain to me the purpose of that accessory you are wearing? I have never seen one like that before”

Putreon looked at me confused before looking down and making a sound of realisation. They held up their necklace, a piece of paper with writing on it that belonged to an old tongue that was attacked to a simple brown rope, to make sure they were thinking of the same item as I was.

“According to our leader, it provides me with safe passage during my missionaries”

“I see, well it makes sense for the Lamb to want the people they send on missions to have a safe journey. Do you know where they got it?”

“They said they got it from some kind of ‘Mystic Seller’? If I knew more, I would tell you, but all the Lamb told me was that they wear a robe and have a detached orb like head. I think you may have to ask the Lamb themselves, if you would like to know more”

“Thank you I think I will”

…………

“WAIT THE LAMB SPOKE TO THE MYSTIC WHAT?!”

Chapter 4: A most wonderous gift

Notes:

sorry for the late update, my brain had no ideas for this

The work at this cult can be……somewhat enjoyable if you are intelligent enough to make the irritating problematic parts of them as inconsequential as one possibly can……even if that can be challenging even for said intelligent people.

Every bit of work.

Except for missionaries.

Damn Putreon.

They had somehow managed to stupidly injure themselves and fractured their leg while on a missionary, managing to crawl back to the Cult completely safe otherwise thanks to their necklace, and has now been forced to remain on bed rest by Lamb until they heal fully.

They would be fine, I am sure. Unsurprisingly due to their apparent need to help the people they own, the Lamb was staying at the cult and was watching them, practically being stuck to their side all day and all night, tending to them, and even assisting them with transport and anything else they needed assistance with. It reminded me of the times of old, servants following me and my siblings every moment they possibly could. It was humorously ironic that it was now the God following the servant every moment they possibly could.

Unfortunately, the Lamb started to require meat. They had enough money to satiate themselves for now. There was no need for new followers at the current moment. They had generators for wood and stone so there was no need to leave for resources for once. The farm had berries, grapes, cauliflowers, pumpkins, and beetroots so there isn’t a lack of food per se. But meat is apparently a necessary food type for some of the followers. Apparently, I am one of those followers in fact, being a cat, according to the Lamb.

I have also learnt that snails seem to have some sort of mind control abilities.

Putreon had woefully explained to me how they felt like they were letting the Lamb down because they were the only follower who would willingly go on these missions and now, they could not. Apparently, no one wanted to go on the missionaries in their steed, even with the offer of borrowing their missionary necklace to guarantee their return. With Putreon’s recent injury, no one felt like they could trust it anymore, much to the Lambs misfortune.

When Putreon had explained to me their sorrows I had found myself signing myself as tribute, offering to take the snails place until they heal. The whole time I was seeking out the Lamb to ask, I felt a weird feeling in my stomach, like a weird warmth. A warmth which increased in intensity when seeing the snail and Lamb’s reactions to my offer. The warmth had also confusingly become entwined with pride, something I was actually aware of the feeling of, when they happily accepted my tribute and sent me off, Putreon’s necklace around my neck.

It is confusing. The warmth felt familiar for some reason, but I could not place it. I also could not exactly understand why I had felt so compelled to help Putreon with this. They have asked me assist others in their jobs, and I was not coerced into helping by a nagging feeling in the back of mind like this. They had not even asked me to take over their job.

Was it because it was Putreon who needed assistance this time and not one of the others?

………

No.

The only explanation is my newfound discovery of snails being able to manipulate the way one thinks. There is no other explanation, I’m sure.

At least I have finally completed the missionary and am on my way back to the Cult. I never thought I would actually miss the sleeping huts and the constant string of voices but in my isolation, they no longer seemed so bad. Or at least the sleeping quarters no longer seem so bothersome.

As I finally breached the tree line, the valley now in sight, I just then realised how used my eyes had gotten to the darkness of the forest. I had even managed to open my third eye, something I had missed being able to do, but now with the sun burning my corneas I was forced to close it once more.

There was no big welcome upon my arrival. Not a single “congrats” or “thank you” despite offering to suffer the vileness of a missionary. Not that I was too surprised by that fact. After spending so much time here, it was obvious the followers distrust and hatred towards anything to do with the Old Faith.

I made my way towards the missionary tent to wait for the Lamb so I could get the approval to go fix whatever atrocities these idiots did to my the farm in my absence. I looked around, hoping to spot the Lamb so I could summon them over to speed up the waiting process but unfortunately, I could not see a single tuft of white wool. I did however notice that the Cult has gone through some changes in my vacancy. There were some more decorations here and there, a second Med Bay, another two toilets (thank goodness, I was unaware of how much waste mortals could create until I came here), an extension to the farm (thankfully, there could never be enough food here, especially with Heket’s influence still affecting the land, even after her death) and what I assume to be a small garden of some kind. From where I was standing, it was impossible to look into. All I could see was wall of bones surrounding a small area with some blossom trees behind them, blocking anyone from looking inside.

“Narinder! I see you’ve returned at last”

My fur stood on end as I turned to glare at the Lamb.

“What is the point of that bell around your worthless neck if it does not announce your presence? Or is it a fake one because you enjoy startling people?”

The Lamb merely laughed at my outburst as they always do.

“Well, I can confirm it is a real bell. As for how I’m so quiet? I’m not too sure myself, so maybe blame the Crown? Anyway, I am glad you’ve returned and I’m sure Putreon will be happy to see you as well”

I bit back the growl that was forming in the back of my throat, I knew it would do nothing to deter the Lambs joy.

“I do not care what the snail feels, take the meat I found and allow me to leave your presence. I have no doubt the fools that follow you have messed up the farm, especially with the expansion I’ve noticed, so I would appreciate a head start in fixing it, so it does not take up all of tomorrow”

I handed the supplies I gathered to the Lamb, but they didn’t seem to register what I said, even as they took the meat I had supplied for them.

“Uh huh, yeah that’s great, thank you. Anyway, I have something I need to show you”

That was probably the last thing I wanted to hear. After my travels all I wanted to do was start work on the farm (something I had begrudgingly started to enjoy) and then get some well-earned and deserved rest. But alas, I’ve come to learn that when the Lamb wants something they don’t rest until they get it. I just sighed and held my arm out for them to drag me by and allowed them to lead me towards whatever trash they had most likely incorrectly decided deserved my attention.

The goal of our journey seemed to be the mysterious walled off area that had managed to pique my interest earlier. The lamb led me around the wall to a small opening which was guarded, for lack of a better word, by two skulls, both adorned by red candles and resting on a mossy rock, on either side of the entrance. Lamb didn’t bother to explain anything, just kept dragging me into the area until we reached the middle. They finally let my hand go and stood there with their arms spread out, seemingly awaiting my reaction.

The grass in this area had been paved over with some grey tiles, decorated with different phases of the moon. I recognised the tiles from the time of the Old Faith, an odd design choice for the Lamb. A few wheelbarrows filled with camellias from the Darkwood, and orange mushroom caps covered in red eyes from Anura were scattered around the place. The Lamb stood in front of a tranquil looking pond, filled with lily pads and red candles. Said pond also had a golden curved stand with a purple Anchordeep crystal lantern hanging from it on either side of it. Behind the pond was also two branches forced into the ground with black Silk Cradle cobwebs wrapped around them and knitted together to make a crown emblem. Two sculptures made with a mixture of wood and bones were on either side of the web sculpture. A grand shelter was at the very back of the area against the wall of blossom trees.

“Well?? What do you think?”

The Lamb’s words granted them my attention again. They were still in the same pose as before, indeed waiting for my opinion apparently.

“I don’t understand? Why are you showing me this? I’m sure anyone else would be more than happy to give you a much nicer opinion than I will”

The Lamb’s enthusiasm deflated, for once, and they just looked at me confused. They seemed to be thinking things through and eventually came to a conclusion.

“Wait, Nari do you not remember?”

“One, I’ve said not to call me that. Two, remember what exactly?”

The Lamb began to laugh.

“What is so humorous Lamb?”

“Nothing it's just I’m surprised to don’t remember. You were very adamant about how this would improve the Cult for you”

………Oh

“This is my…”

“Your private space? Yes, yes it is”

Oh

“Sooooooo? Is it up to your incredibly high standards Narinder?”

………

“It is adequate. Thank you………”

“Lamb” felt like the wrong thing to call them in this moment. Had they ever told me their actual name? I swore they had. But what was it? When had they told me?

…

It was back during my time in the chains. After they had slaughtered Heket.

"I enjoyed watching you destroy Heket. Her arrogance was always destined to be her undoing. Your merciless crusade against the Old Faith warms my cold, unbeating heart. You may return to your Cult now vessel and-”

“Lambert”

“…You dare to interrupt me when speaking vessel? Alright. As your reward for following me so well so far, I shall  humour you. What exactly is this nonsense you dare to impede my words with, little Lamb”

I enjoyed watching them squirm under my gaze as they refused to make eye contact and contemplated continuing.

“M-My name…it’s Lambert. I-I figured since we were now working together I should…I should properly introduce myself. You-You know…so you don’t always have to call me ‘Vessel’ or ‘Lamb’?”

The small bit of confidence they had mustered up was immediately squished to nothing when my laughter began to echo around my void, accompanied by my two servants.

“We are not working together Vessel. I do not care for your name Lamb; I shall refer to you however I please. Now go back to your Cult. You have more work to do”

“I’m glad you like it Narinder, now I’ll leave you be. Dinner will be ready soon and I need to start making food before the others start starving to death for no reason”

I watched them make their way to the exit, such a different Lamb from before and yet still the exact same.

“Thank you Lambert”

They paused and turned around to look at me in surprise before a smile spread across their face.

“Like I said, I’m glad you like it Nari”

“That reminds me, before you leave I do have a question for you. Is the reason you constantly refer to me by ‘Nari’ because I refused to call you by your name?”

Lambert laughed and started making their way to the exit once more.

“Yes, it is actually"

Chapter 5: Not a chapter but news

Hey guys, sorry this is not a new chapter. Unfortunately, I have been curse by writers block. Thankfully though, my friends (Deadanime_insomniac420 and FilthyWomanLiker) are helping me so this work will not end up being cancelled :D! However, I have decided to write short stories set along side this one so you guys still have things to read about this work during times of writers block or just during updates. It'll also allow me to write moments for this story that doesn't fit in the scheduled plan! I'm also open to writing any ideas and requests you guys have! The name of the work will be called: Forced Acceptance: Side Tales.

Hope you enjoy the short stories and the rest of this story that is still to come

-Cosmo

Chapter 6: A lesson leads to a question to feelings to something new

Summary:

The Lamb gets their first lesson from Narinder on understanding more of the Red Crowns powers. What happended afterwards is something neither of them expected.

Notes:

Sorry for the late chapter, hit a giant writers block that honestly is still going on. Thank you for being patient, next chapter will probably be a while so apologies for that. Anyway, hope you enjoy ^\/^

Everyone was busy with their work. I personally had finished everything I could possibly need to do, and even managed to do extra, and quickly as this mortal flesh would permit me. Hopefully, none of these fools will disturb me. Or ‘us’ I suppose. Eugh. That traitor should think themselves lucky that I am a man of my word.

I ignored the glances of the Cult as I made my way to the Temple to find the La-Lambert. Not ‘Lamb’, I know their name now I should attempt to call them by it, in my thoughts or to their face (I have a suspicion that calling them ‘Lambert’ in front of others would give the followers another reason to dislike me). Annoyingly however, I feel that will take a while to get accustomed to. Either way, there they were, The Great Lamb. Slayer and Destroyer of the Old Faith and its Bishops. Newest Holder of The Red Crown and the Newest God of Death. Reading their sermon book and not even paying attention to their surroundings, completely vulnerable to attack. Even the Red Crown seemed more focused on the book to notice my arrival, or probably anyone. I had to make my way up the Temple alter steps and fake cough right next to them in order to get their attention, finally startling Lambert and getting them to look up at me.

“Gods, Narinder you scared me! Is everything ok?”

“I pity your memory Lamb. I am here to help you with the Red Crown’s powers, if you are not busy of course”

“Oh! My apologies I did in fact forget. We can get started now if you wish”

“That would be preferable yes”

I turned and walked back down the stairs before sitting down in the centre of the Temple facing the alter. The Lamb quickly closed the book and ran to follow, sitting opposite me on the floor.

“First things first. I am not dealing with you being an idiot. Get distracted too often and I will leave, and you will end up being required to forget about getting my help”

“Understood! I’m ready for my first lesson Nari”

“Ignoring your irritating insistence on calling me that, remind me of the powers you have already mastered”

“Well…I have increased durability and attack, I can turn my crown into a bunch of weapons and tools, uh coming back to life, mind reading, portals, oh and cleansing sin from my followers! At least that’s all I can think of at the moment. Ooo! Could we start by practising that ‘telepathy’ thing you mentioned? I can’t quite get a hang of it”

“Cleansing what from your followers? Ugh never mind. I suppose we could start by practising your telepathy. If you truly are serious about being a successful cult leader then being able to speak to your cult without wasting your vocal cords would be helpful. Once you have mastered that, we can move onto another skill, such as summoning demons and your servants in this cult, whether alive or not, in order to assist you in battle…without the use of Chemach’s relics of course”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Training Lambert was a……confusing procedure. They were eager and excited to learn, none of their failures seemed to weigh them down, only fuelled their determination to try again. Once more I questioned how they could be so determined, it could not be an effect of the Red Crown, the Crown’s never had this effect on Kallamar, the spineless coward gave up and looked for the first way out whenever things got too scary or difficult for him. And yet they failed so often, and they were incredibly slow to learn, despite their everlasting eagerness. How could one, who was knocked down and failed over and over, be so eager to get back up and continue trying? Where and how did they learn to be so stubborn? Could it have been a result of their previous servitude under me? Or is it possible, despite the lamp species being known for their weakness and passivism, that they were like this before their execution? I suppose when their determination was concentrated to fulfilling my cause, finding out the source of it never crossed my mind. And now that our roles of master and servant have switched, I feel it is no longer my place to discover.

An admirable quality none the less. The ability to be knocked over and fail again and again only to get back up and keep going. Seeing it firsthand, it is no longer a mystery how their cult had grown to be so stubborn as well. I am sure seeing their determination could be inspirational to mortals.

“Hey Narinder, I have a question”

“I said no distractions. Keep practising”

“Oh, come onnn, just one question? Please?”

“Fine. But you’re still practising regardless”

“Deal!”

……

“Well? Get on with it”

“How did you get the Red Crown? Do you know who held it before you? What about-“

“That is several questions. And why do you ask such questions anyway?”

“Pure curiosity, and besides they’re all basically the same question. I want to know how you became the Red Crown’s wielder”

“……I do not fully remember”

Lambert titled their head in confusion and opened their mouth to say something before I cut them off.

“I am hundreds of millennia old, Lamb. Don’t let this youthful looking body fool you, I have seen and learnt things your brain could never fully understand. It really should not be surprising that I am unable to remember every single moment of my life”

“Fair enough I suppose”

…

Lambert went back to focusing on their thoughts and my mind, trying to project anything towards me, continuing to struggle to send even a single word my way.

…

“I………I believe I won the rights to my Crown like you did with me and my siblings. A battle I think”

I tried to ignore the Lamb’s head snapping my to stare at me. I felt their eyes digging holes into my skull as I carved similar ones into my hands to prevent glancing up at them.

“I don’t remember who my opponent was. I don’t remember what they looked like, what species they belonged to, the weapon they used, nor their name. All I remember is we fought. And I won. It was not easy. I was badly hurt. But I won. And Shamura was……”

I forced my mouth shut before I said anything I could end up regretting. It was none of the Lamb’s business. It was foolishness that made me start talking in the first place. I should be thankful that clarity managed to shut me up before I gave them anything to use against-

A hand appeared in my field of vision, gently placing itself on one of my arms. I rose my head to glare at them, but I am guessing it fell short as Lambert’s already concern filled face somehow managed to soften more.

“‘Shamura was…’ what?”

“……proud. They were proud”

I hated-no despised-the way my voice broke. I loathed the way Lambert looked at me with pity. I hated how my hand turned around to let him hold it. I hated the comfort it filled me with.

“I…I don’t doubt they were proud of you. My fight with you was incredibly challenging and difficult, and that was after you were chained for…well you know…”

I yanked my hand from theirs and turned away again.

“It doesn’t matter. It is in the past, there is no point dwelling on it. Besides we should get back to practising.”

Besides it is not like there is anything left of that Narinder for any of my siblings to feel the slightest bit proud of.

From the newfound frown that appeared on the Lamb’s face I could guess they read my mind and heard that thought. It was no matter; I did not care if they weaselled their way into my mind to listen to my thoughts or not, as long as it was not spoken aloud.

If you insist Narinder…but I disagree with your thoughts.

“It matters not to me whether you disagree or-”

This Lamb has an apparent skill for gaining my attention. They seemed confused however at my stare of disbelief.

Nari? What’s wrong?

“Lamb. You do realise you are not speaking, correct?”

I’m not-

Wide surprise immediately replaced confusion as their hands flew to their throat. Surprise then traded places with joy as Lambert jumped up with a giant grin on their face before excitedly skipping around the Temple, their crown flying off their head to ‘skip’ with them.

“I did it! Yes! Finally! Why did that take so damn long?”

Their celebration ceased when they turned around to look at me, an odd expression spreading across their face with the Crown mirroring it (as much as it could with its extremely limited facial features). It looked like confusion and yet their mix or a grin and a smirk did not falter.

“What? Why are you both regarding me like that?”

“You’re smiling”

Huh…they were not wrong; I could feel the smile on my face now that it had been brought to my attention.

“Your reaction perplexes me Lamb. You have seen me smile before”

“Eh those were all grins, and yes there is a difference, your grin’s are usually due to smugness. And besides they were all from when you were imprisoned. This is……the first time I’ve seen you truly smile since you got here”

That cannot be right can it? Surely I have at least smiled near Putreon right?

No. Lambert is correct. I have not even smiled in response to some of my conversations with Putreon. And even if I had, The Lamb would not have seen it.

“Huh…”

“WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME!?”

Yells from outside grabbed our attention. The Red Crown went back to its usual spot atop Lambert’s head as they turned back towards me with an awkward air around them.

“I should probably uh”

“Yes you should. We can continue our training another time”

A grin accompanied their farewell before they ran off to settle what ever silly fight had begun this time.

I stood up from my spot on the Temple floor and walked towards the door. Perhaps I could sneak in a bowl of food and a nap before more farm work is required from me. I spotted Putreon on my way to the Cooking Fire and the Kitchen. They sent a happy wave my way and I felt a tugging on the corner of my lips, and for once I decided not to push it back. Their double take as I returned their silent greeting with one of my own, for once supported with a smile of my own, was definitely worth the possible embarrassment that could have spawned from it.

I was thankful when the smell of an available Tasty Fish Meal. It would seem that luck is on my side as it allows me to have some of the sustenance this cult provides. Any of the meals containing fish were the best food source the Lamb provides in my opinion, which is the objectively correct one. I sat down to eat on the grass and enjoyed both the taste of my meal and the sounds of a distant scolding from the Lamb followed near immediately by the fight starting again with a further scolding from their beloved leader.

I lifted a hand to my mouth, masking the action by pretending to wipe some food away.

First time I have smiled since I got here huh?

And then quickly followed by a second?

This cult, and by extension its leader, is certainly weirder than I thought.

Chapter 7: The newest arrival

Summary:

Just as things seem to be going well, the Lamb brings someone new to the Cult that makes everything crumble and ruins the small bit of peace Narinder has built for himself. He feels that this will be difficult to come back from.

Notes:

Sorry this took so long, writers block took me into a back ally and beat me up. It seems to have worked out though because i think this is the longest chapter I have ever written :D.
Although this never would have been finished if it wasn't for my friends Deadanime_insomniac420 (who wrote most of the comfort part from the words “I awaken” to “Perplexingly, they seemed happy”) and FilthyWomanLiker (who was esential in figuring out how to write the nightmare). I honestly never could have finished this without them

Since the creation of my garden, I have once again been able to indulge in afternoon and evening naps. The ability to sleep without the others insisting on knowing about my whereabouts has been a wonderous luxury that I have dearly missed. Of course, not all noise can be blocked out unfortunately, but the privacy makes it easier to deal with.

At least it is usually easier when I am not being rudely awoken by Putreon grabbing my shoulders and shaking me like a ragdoll.

“Narinder! Narinder! Wake up!”

“PUTREON! Release me! What exactly is the meaning of this?”

“It’s the Lamb!”

I managed to push the snail off me and glared at them while attempting to process both their panic and the words they used to disrupt my slumber. Them waking me up was no longer a new experience since their recovery. They had developed a habit of sticking to my side much to the dislike of that horrid fox, ‘A-something’ I believe, and had thankfully learned to stop being such a coward. While it could be annoying, I had learned to appreciate the newfound routinely company.

It was odd and unsettling to see that familiar look of worry etching itself on their face once more.

“S-Sorry”

“It is fine. Now would you like to explain what is going on? What about Lambe- the Lamb?”

“They’ve….they’ve brought a new person for the community”

“…You don’t seem very happy about that. I thought you would be happy to see this ‘great community grow bigger’. What? Are they some sort of idiotic oaf or something?”

“Well n-no…no that’s not it…I think anyway, I don’t really know them but…look I feel like it would be better if you just come see for yourself Narinder”

They stood up and shuffled in place awkwardly, waiting for me to rise. I stood up and beckoned for them to lead me. Putreon seemed very keen to get me there as fast as possible since they quickly hurried towards the exit, I was even required to run to keep up with them. I am beginning to suspect that the idea of snails being renowned for their lack of speed is a lie.

It did not take long before the crowd around the Indoctrination circle became visible. The crowd was an ocean of different emotions, none of which were positive. Nervous, scared, anxious, worried even. They huddled close to one another, blocking any possible gaps.

Putreon did not speak when I glanced at them, just shakily pointed towards the circle.

The yells reached my ears before my eyes could see what was causing the commotion.

“RELEASE ME YOU FOOLS! DO NOT DARE COME ANY CLOSER YOU WRETCHED LAMB. YOU MAY HAVE STOLEN MY SIGHT WITH YOUR THEIVERY OF MY CROWN BUT YOUR VILE SCENT GIVES YOUR VULGAR SELF AWAY”

My fur stood upright when the voice reached me. Waiting for the crowd to be polite and move for me to see no longer mattered. The whispers of the other followers as I pushed past them escaped my pinned back ears, but the movement of their mouths and their stares were vivid thanks to my third eye being as wide as the other two.

It cannot be.

It should not be.

It is not possible.

 

It was.

There in the centre of the circle, thrashing around and held still by two of the physically stronger followers, was……was Leshy. I was fairly certain that Lambert was in front of the three, most likely stuck between controlling their anger and attempting to calm Leshy down, but I found myself unable to focus on anything except the bagworm who had not ceased his yelling.

There he was. The youngest of the Old Faith. The Bishop of Chaos and Discord himself. Blood covered bandages were wrapped around his head, hiding his empty socket where his eye once resided. The cults branded robes were covering his body. His feelers were darting around violently around his head and his fanged mouth was wide open as he was yelling and attempted to bite the followers that were desperately trying to hold him still and prevent him from attacking the Lamb.

Then Leshy froze. Uncharacteristically still, like a statue. Abruptly, his head violently turned from side to side and the shaking began. Whether it was out of fear or anger or some kind of mixture I was not sure. Either way, I still flinched every time he faced my direction for a second too long.

“Where are you……WHERE ARE YOU, HERETICAL FELINE? I KNOW YOU’RE THERE TRAITOR”

“Leshy calm down-”

“DO NOT SPEAK TO ME LAMB, I REFUSE TO LET YOU DEFILE MY EARS WITH YOUR VOICE”

“Leshy, Worm of Chaos”

My voice seemed to cut through the yelling like a freshly sharpened scythe. All attention was on me: Lambert’s, the crowd, the two followers holding Leshy back.

Including Leshy himself.

My voice had unfortunately also allowed Leshy to find me, their fanged snarl now finally aimed towards me permanently instead of for a second or two. Annoyingly however, gaining the two followers attention loosened their grip, allowing Leshy to escape their imprisonment by lunging himself towards me. Thankfully, his lack of practise with his new form meant he fell to the floor rather quickly but that did next to nothing to deter him from continuing his pursuit of me.

I should have moved; I knew I should have moved. A single step to the side would have left the worm scrambling and confused. Moving was not only the smartest choice here but the only one that could possibly make sense. But my body didn’t move. It refused to listen. Perhaps stubbornness truly was a side effect of wielding the Red Crown and it had infected me with it as well as my fleeced ex-servant.

I was startled out of my thoughts by Leshy, who had pulled himself off of the ground and had managed to make his way to me, grabbing the front of my robe with clenched fists and giving me a disgustingly full view of his fanged maw.

“TREACHEROUS THREE EYED FREAK! IT’S NO SURPRISE YOU WOULD SIDE WITH THIS MONSTER, AFTER EVERYTHING THEY HAVE DONE TO US. WHAT’S YOUR PLAN NOW THAT I’M STUCK HERE HUH? PLOTTING TO RIP OFF MY FEELERS AS WELL, JUST TO GET RID OF ALL OF MY SENSES? MAYBE GO FOR MY ARMS AND LEGS THEN SO I CAN NO LONGER MOVE EITHER? SOME OTHER FORM OF TOTURE? WELL!?”

“Release me you foul creature!”

I struggled to push him off. The memories of Leshy besting me in play fights that arose were unfortunate reminders of how much physically stronger Leshy always was than me.

The worm surprisingly managed to actually cease his yelling for a second, his feelers twitching and feeling me and the surrounding air, purposefully ignoring my discomfort and attempts to shove him off. His furious, and most likely even disgusted, scowl slowly morphed into a manic grin. He leaned closer, his smirk only growing in length and craze as he tilted his head to the side.

“Oooh ho ho~ that’s not it at all, is it?”

“What are you laughing about, dirt eater?”

“You smell……different…WRONG”

Leshy cackled in my face. I was briefly aware of the followers sounding us, if only by the fact they took up more of my vision that wasn’t blocked by the bagworm grasping my shirt, and the Lamb attempting to speak but their words were cut off when the ex-Bishop of Chaos spoke once more.

“This Lamb has you under their thumb as well, don’t they? You’re stuck in the same situation as ME aren’t you? THIS IS HILARIOUS! Ohh, ‘The great and powerful One Who Waits’ felled by his weak. Little. Vessel. Defeated by a mere sacrificial LAMB of all things. Even being defeated by that old failure of a vessel ‘Ratau’ wouldn’t have been this pathetic! You absolutely ridiculous, embarrassing, disgrace of a god-”

“THAT IS ENOUGH”

Leshy was suddenly ripped away from me, now being held aloft by the Red Crown and a furious looking Lambert. Leshy was still cackling to himself, possibly out of fear or even insanity.

“HA! First, overthrown by the Lamb and now you are owned by them. Poor little God of Death, how far down your hubris has dragged you. Or can I even call you that anymore? Afterall, this Lamb is now in ownership of the Red Crown and therefore your domain. And seeing as they have removed me from deaths grasp, they already seem infinitely better than you, despite having no experience”

Whatever retort I could have thought up was forced to the back of my mind when Lambert saw me open my mouth. I was unsure if they were aware, but I could feel the grass under my foot wilt from their glare.

“I think that has been enough arguing for one evening. Everyone head back to whatever you were doing before……this happened”

I don’t think I have ever seen the others obey a command from the Lamb as quickly as they did now. Followers scurried off quickly. Axes and pickaxes were grabbed for resource gathering. Seeds and fertiliser were quickly gathered. Food is suddenly being prepared. The only ones who remained were me, Putreon, Lambert and Leshy, who was still being held in the air and laughing to himself.

Lambert turned back to me and Putreon once everyone else had left, their annoyance not leaving.

“I believe I asked everyone to return to what they were doing”

A stuttered apology left Putreon’s mouth before they ran off to the fields. Meeting the Lamb’s gaze proved that they did not consider me an exception to their command. It only took a few steps towards my garden for Leshy to replace his laughter with a snarky comment.

“Yes run along little follower, with your tail tucked between your legs! You wouldn’t want to upset the failed sacrifice now would you failed god? Ha! No wonder they took you in, two failures staying together”

The Lamb’s annoyance at Leshy’s continued comments visibly grew when I turned around to put the worm in his place. The bagworm is clearly destined to be stuck in the prison for at least the entirety of this night and the next day and from the Lamb’s glare and silent command I would too have that fate if I dared to take Leshy’s bait. So, I bite down all my comments and made my way to my garden.

He continued to yell comments as I walked away, trying to use my anger against me. Surely, he knew a punishment was awaiting him, he’d be a fool not to. He must have been trying to get me to face Lambert’s wrath as well. And while I wish I could say he was failing; I am no liar. Not to myself at least. I believed distance would make it easier to ignore him but even when I could no longer hear his new comments, his previous ones continued to echo in my mind. The whispers and stares of the followers as I passed did not help to quell the thoughts.

They’re stares and whatever comments they were making meant nothing to me of course. The opinions of some pathetic mortals and a foolish dirt eater mattered not to me. Nor did it matter that Leshy was somehow alive once more. The only thing that mattered right now was that I could go back to my nap. Although at this point sleeping until tomorrow morning seemed more desirable.

I felt drained for some reason. The minute I was able to lie down in my bed I felt my eyelids drooping, the land of sleep threatening to take me. My bed felt far more comfortable than usual. The only other time sleep was so……tempting was when I was first indoctrinated, the first time I had been able to sleep in a bed for thousands of years.

 

The peaceful sleep I was joyfully sinking into was cut short by a scream. A loud, painfilled, screech that destroyed any drowsiness that dared to remain for more than a second as it continued, refusing to stop and only seeming to get louder and more frantic. The blinding white I was met with upon my wake was just as uninviting and unsettling as the yells that accompanied it. The bed I had been laying in was gone. The grass, the trees, the pond, the wheelbarrows of camellias, everything was gone. Nothing of my garden remained, nor did anything of the cult that was supposed to be outside it.

I had not realised the screams had stopped until it started again. A scream that sounded far too close and familiar to not send ice down my spine. Putreon was here somehow, trapped in this endless void with me. And from the sound of their screams something was happening, something bad. I had to find them. I know not what exactly this mysterious place is, but I doubt it is a safe place for mortals. I was quick to stand to try and search for them, but my movement was halted by someone grabbing my robes. The ice that had been creeping up my spine moved faster once I had turned to meet a singular red eye staring up at me, a fanged grin accompanying it. A black crown with a green diamond eye stared at me alongside it’s grassy holder.

“L-Leshy?”

The grin and the eye brightened at my acknowledgement and the young bag worm started tugging me towards him.

“Nari! Play with us! Please?”

In an instant the ice was replaced with a burning annoyance, and I removed his hand from my robe.

“No Leshy I am busy”

I tried to walk away but Leshy was apparently not content with my answer, reaching forward to grab my hand and yank me back towards him. My glare was met by one puppy dog eye and what I assume was supposed to be an attempt at a ‘cute’ plea.

“Pleeeeaaassseeee Nariiiiii?? What could possibly be more important than family time with your brothers?”

“Would you like the entire list or a shortened version in order to save time? I could even give it to you in alphabetical order or chronological order if that would be satisfactory”

The worm did not approve, their attempt at begging replaced with an annoyed and bored expression.

“S-so what exactly is this specif-specific reason?”

The slight burn of my annoyance spread further throughout my body, with the heat growing as I turned around to my cowardly older brother. Where had he come from? Thankfully, Kallamar had the decency to wilt under my stare, his tentacles writhing fearfully under his robe.

“If you have to know, you noisy fools, I’m busy looking for………for…”

What? What is this lapse in memory? I was sure I was looking for something, that locating it was my mission, my goal, before my brothers interrupted me. That something is important too. But what was it?

“ ‘Looking for’ wh-what?”

“OO! OO! Maybe you’re looking for camellias? Or some food? Something to sharpen your scythe with? Or someone~? If you wanna do some sacrificing I wanna help!”

“No, I am not looking for a sacrifice! Although……I believe you are correct about me looking for ‘someone’……I’m looking for…a friend. Yes, a friend”

“Since when did you have friends?”

Trust the first words out of Heket’s vile mouth to be snarky and rude. The frog had strolled up behind Kallamar with Shamura in tow. Shamura……why does seeing them feel so odd? Why does seeing any of my siblings fill me with such a sense of confusion and sorrow? My state of confusion was snapped when I felt Leshy jump onto my back, his arms and legs wrapping around my midsection to secure his position, his head resting on my shoulder.

“That’s what I wanna know too! With how grumpy Nari is I’m surprise even we have lasted this long!”

Leshy grabbed the sides of my face and squished them as though I were some sort of toy before my siblings began to laugh at their mockery of me despite being in my presence. All except Shamura who simply continued to smile at me, unblinkingly. It would be creepy, terrifying in fact, if the expression weren’t coming from my sibling. All my siblings turned towards Shamura suddenly, grinning still.

“You hear that Shamura? Nari thinks he has friends”

“First of all, your words and insults mean nothing to me. And secondly-”

“Five becomes four”

What? What does that mean? My other siblings seemed to find this amusing as they all started laughing once more, with Leshy even throwing his head back and Kallamar and Heket started leaning on one another. Their laughs got louder and louder at this apparent inside joke that I must have missed during my prolonged absence. Wait what prolonged absence?

A wet squelching noise forced its way into my ears as whatever caused it fell in front of me, rolling slightly before coming to a stop. It was an eye, a dark ruby coloured eye, staring right at me, a trail of blood following it and stopping at my feet. Its presence did nothing to my siblings mirth, the sound of their laughs continuing to echo. I heard drips and felt something wet on my shoulder. Turning revealed Leshy, still cackling away, but where his eye was supposed to be, was now a gaping socket leaking blood. It looked like a hole that had been dug into his head, like the flesh surrounding it had been teared apart by the claws of a wild animal. He seemed completely unbothered by his newfound injury, seemingly entrapped in his amusement. Even as I shoved him off my back, sending him to the floor, his laughs did not falter. I spun around, determined to not let him leave my sight even as I stepped away from him. And then suddenly his laughs stopped and was immediately replaced with screaming as he began desperately holding his empty socket, as if trying to stop it from bleeding.

“becomes three”

A slimy tentacle grabbed my arm and pulled me backwards, destroying my balance and causing me to grab onto them to prevent my fall. I only meant to look at Kallamar for a second. I did not wish to remove my sight from Leshy’s screaming and wriggling form, only turning with the intention of giving a small thank but the words died in my throat almost instantly. Half his face was swollen red and bumpy, forcing his eye shut and giving it a look of grotesque infection. The top of his head has seemingly been ripped open into a secondary mouth, teeth sticking out of flesh it does not belong in. His face was covered in scars and cuts, some deep enough to view bone when lingering for too long while others while others were slices completely through, allowing the white of wherever we currently we were to shine through. His body looked as lumpy as the half of his face, with Kallamar’s tentacles writhing and twisting beneath his cloak. His ears where the worst, or what was left of them anyway. Both of them looked like Leshy’s eye socket, like a rabid animal had gone crazy and ripped them apart, leaving behind lumps of flesh sticking out of the sides of his head.

“becomes two”

Trying to pull away from Kallamar proved unsuccessful, his strength somehow much stronger then I was used to. And it became impossible when my other arm was grabbed and forced in the opposite direction. Heket was my latest captor. Her eyes bore into mine filled with a seething hatred and yet so empty and dead. Blood flooded out of a hole in her throat, staining my fur and clothes. The flesh around her throat all the way up to her mouth was gone, showing the muscle and blood that once rested beneath. Like Kallamar, she had slices all over her face, cuts that were dug so deep the void behind her shone though. Blood dripped down from her mouth, seeping out from between her teeth and staining her exposed muscle with even more blood.

Kallamar and Heket dragged me backwards in an attempt to force me to the floor. I tried to resist but Leshy had stop wriggling on the floor and tackled me to the floor. The three pinned me to the floor, with Heket and Kallamar holding down my arms while Leshy gripped my legs. I tried to struggle but they had a grip of iron, even Kallamar who wasn’t known for his physical strength. I tried to yell at them to get off, even to plead for them to release me, but my voice was stuck in my throat, no words could escape my mouth. All I could do was try and struggle; to try and loosen their grasp but it was to no avail.

“becomes one”

Shamura finally walked back into view, their smile now replaced with a scowl. But that wasn’t the only thing that had changed about them. They had grown much taller and their abdomen now sticking out of their robe, the black fur on it looking sharper than any blade I’ve ever seen, a long spike sticking out of the end with a blood covered skull impaled on it. All eight of their limbs were out, the flesh on them rotting and falling off to reveal the bone underneath to the point where their front two legs were all bone. And the rotting flesh didn’t stop at their legs, their face was all bone except for a single eye. Bandages were wrapped around the top of their head, blood and black goop seeping through them, slowly dripping down their face and onto the ground beneath them. The worst part was their body. Their front and underside had been torn open with organs and ribs sticking out and oozing with blood. The surrounding area’s flesh was similar to Heket’s throat, with the flesh ripped away to reveal everything underneath.

All of a sudden my siblings released their grasp on me; however, I did not have freedom for long. As soon as they let go I felt something else replace all their hands. Thick black chains had grown from the ground, digging themselves into my wrists, ankles and waist to prevent all movement. I looked up to see my three other siblings standing around Shamura, all four of them wearing scowls on their desecrated faces, hatred so obvious I could practically see it seething off of them. I turned my attention back to the chains, testing their strength to see if I could possibly try to break them and escape.

“becomes nothing”

I looked up just in time to see the downward swing a razor sharp skeletal leg aimed directly for my head.

 

I awaken, coming to with a sharp intake of air. Everything still seemed dire and cold, just as it had been within my subconsciousness moments ago. I tried to move but soon found myself constricted by an almost supernatural force that not even the likes of me could fully comprehend; it felt like I was chained again, back when I was the one ruling over that wretched lamb.

Oh, how I despise fate, such a disgraceful concept.

I make another attempt at moving myself once more but to no avail, a heavy weight settling itself upon my chest. A familiar, yet foreign, feeling wracked me, only serving to worsen my appalling state. Fear, was it? That cannot be so. I tried to reject it, this pitiful mortal emotion not befitting of the likes of me, but no matter how much I tried, I failed to dispel it. My eyes stung as I sought for something to rid me of the visions and feelings plaguing my trembling soul. The most notable thing I catch sight of is the moon's beams seeping into my shelter. I reach out for it, as though I intended to grasp it like it wasn't an impossible feat. When I miss it, a frustrated growl leaves me as I pound the earth beneath me with a trembling fist. I retry, only this time though an unwanted intruder dared to obstruct my bleary view.

“...Lamb”

I didn't mean to sound so weak, so pitiful. I loathed the look in their eyes that followed, so full of sympathy and sadness; it made me sick to my stomach. Such audacity filled me with unbridled rage. Who do they think they are? I made them! I'm the reason that they have the power they bare now! So, with that in mind, what makes them think that someone of their disposition should display such atrocious kindness?! And to ME?! ME OF ALL BEINGS IN THIS ACCURSED PLAIN OF EXISTENCE?!!

“Narinder”

My thoughts come to a drastic halt as I hear them. How many times had they called out my name just now, I wonder? I glare up at them, intending to look hateful, or perhaps intimidating, but the soft look in their eyes clearly told me that my intentions were futile. A beat of silence passes before they sit before me and then tentatively extends their hands out to me. I flinch back of course, but that doesn't seem to deter them.

“You need to calm down”

What did they mean by that? I'm perfectly calm!

“No, you're not”

They heard that? Cursed lamb. My body tenses further as I feel their touch once more, this time landing behind my ears.

“Breathe…”

Was this really my chosen vessel, this sickeningly kind, gentle creature? Had they learnt nothing from when I was guiding them? Where was the ruthlessness that I had passed on?

“You're thinking too much Nari...just breathe...”

My breath hitches, staying trapped in my throat before it expels in the form of a gasp. My head was upon something softer than the grounds of my shelter, what I had to presume was wool. I continue to exhale gasp after gasp, trying my hardest not to asphyxiate at the hands of my sudden misery.

“You're safe here you know”

I hear them speak, his voice still holding a gentleness that most would expect from a being such as themselves. I decide to hold my tongue, having no desire to speak with them. A sigh leaves the lamb, but it wasn't out of contempt or agitation, rather understanding.

“You needn't say anything to me...”

I hated how reassuring their tone sounded. I hated how genuine they seemed. And I despised how much they seemed to care, even after having slain me to keep my red crown atop their woollen head. I knew they could read my thoughts, but it appeared that this time they were trying to read me externally, and my silence told them that I wanted them gone. They went to stand from their spot beside me, but before they could, I snag their robe on one of my claws. I don't seem to have to say anything else as they situate themselves back down instantly.

“I'm your leader...”

I sense the hesitation in their tone, further serving to irritate me. Gods don't hesitate.

“And that means it's my obligation to keep my followers safe”

That statement alone had so many meanings that I was far too drained to presume on the spot which of those they were trying to purvey. The little beast knew what had plagued my mind when I was in my earlier state of rest, neither they or I had to outright recount the horrors that had replayed then, but honestly, I was somewhat grateful for their lack of discussion. My breathing finally began to settle, and I no longer felt as constricted as when I had initially awoken. I exhale steadily, peering up at the lamb who gazed back, their eyes filled with what seemed to be relief. I had no energy to spare for them despite having regained a semblance of my usual composure, yet they still didn't seem to have a care in the world.

Perplexingly, they seemed happy. A small smile graced their lips as they continued to stare at me. That suffocating feeling stayed and grew every time I met their eyes. The silence between us remained unbroken, its consistence familiar and comforting, especially when compared to the harsh yells that had filled my accursed dreams. Our staring contest was broken when they lifted their arms, an open invitation, and the grass beneath us became much more interesting. Their smile and arms wilting downwards was almost a tangible feeling creeping down my spine, eerily similar to the ice from my sleep.

“Nari thinks he has friends”

A growl was bitten back as I slowly made my way over to Lambert. I felt like a weak snivelling child as I crawled onto their lap and rested my head on a fleeced shoulder, facing away in order to avoid seeing whatever expression was currently on the Lamb’s face. They did not move for a few seconds but eventually I felt their arms gently wrap around me, holding me securely against them. I felt one of their hands disappear from my fur before reappearing between my ears atop my head. It paused their before slowly gliding back and forth, gently petting me as if I were made of glass.

Their gentleness frustrated me. I was not one of the annoying brats born and raised in this cult, special treatment and tenderness were not required for interactions with me and yet every so often their pets seized so they could make sure I was comfortable before they started again.

“Do you wish to talk about it?”

“No”

“Alright”

The conversation should have ended there. The Lamb seemed content with dropping the topic. And yet.

“Where is he?”

“Hmm?”

I didn’t have to continue speaking. If I didn’t give their confusion an answer they would act as though I had not said a thing. But I needed to know.

“Leshy. Where is he? What did……what have you done with him?”

Forcing the questions out was rewarded by silence at first.

“I believe it was obvious I intended to put him in prison until he learnt how to behave himself. As for now? Well…I had just released him and sent him to a bed when I heard noises coming from your garden. I assume he obeyed, but I will deal with him tomorrow if he did not”

“I see……”

The image of the Lamb punishing the foolish worm enticed me and yet the idea of seeing him filled me with dread. As did the idea of him being injured for some reason. If Lambert noticed my claws coming out and digging into their arms they did not mention it, nor did they mention me pushing my head further into their shoulder. Instead, they merely moved their other hand to my back and mimicked what they were doing to my head.

I was not sure when sleep’s cruel hand grabbed me once more. All I knew was that it was not so cruel this time and a sleeping infant God was accompanying me, still holding me in the same position as last night.

Chapter 8: The side effects of Chaos

Summary:

Leshy's arrival has brought newfound troubles to the valley and stress to the Lamb. Meanwhile, Narinder thinks a few things through, finds out something new and gets a new job. He isn't very keen on having it though.

Notes:

Oh my goodness, I am so sorry this chapter took so long. There was going to be more added to this chapter but I started getting too long so I'm splitting it into two. Hopefully, I can get that one done quicker than I did this one ha.

As always tho, enjoy :D

It seems the indoctrination of Chaos in the valley has infected the rest of the cult. Ever since the worm’s indoctrination it seems like his domain has managed to possess the Lamb’s followers, whether it is due to any lingering powers he still has or due to the followers unease at having two ex-Bishops now living their home. There has been countless fights between followers, tasks left undone, inane requests towards the Lamb. Perhaps this will finally be their undoing? Perhaps this will finally be their reason for wanting to abandon this cult and the fools in it?

Maybe once in the past I would revel in that idea. Maybe that idea, a belief that used to be a mere fantasy, would have filled me with such mirth I would already be plotting how to convince the Lamb to bestow me the Red Crown before their departure.

But now? The idea fills me with dread.

The Lamb’s usurpation of me and my siblings has certainly created a vacuum of power, an empty group of thrones and the power that comes with them that would surely entice anyone with the means to try and take them. The Lamb is the only one holding those people back, the only one preventing a war for power between the different realms of this island. But the Lamb is not only keeping the peace between the realms. They are also responsible for this cult, far too involved in their survival than they should be. The people in this valley can hardly sustain themselves in Lambert’s short absence during their crusades, any prolonged absence would kill them all. And as much as I despise admitting this, I have become attached to some of the followers. Putreon and some of the elders especially. Anjul has begun to grow on me, something annoyingly expected with how much he insists on hovering around the snail. Lambert has been…..nice to be around.

Not to mention it would most likely lead to my and Leshy’s end as well. While old age will never claim my mortal body, starvation could. It has been far too long since I last made a meal myself, my continued existence is unfortunately at the mercy of whoever creates meals, and I doubt anyone outside of this cult would replicate the kindness weakness of the Lamb. And if the golden skull now around Leshy’s neck signifies anything then from what I have heard from Putreon, the worm does not share my natural escape from age.

The foolish worm has clearly not given this current situation the same amount of though as I have, or any thought knowing him, seeing as he is usually the epicentre of the scenario’s causing Lambert’s latest set of migraines. He caused fights by antagonising the other followers or by getting them to spread cruelties about one another. He refuses to do whatever job the Lamb gave him. He broke Lambert’s decorations when no one was looking, including his own tent and at one point I even spotted him eyeing my garden although any action he had been planning on taking was halted once he witnessed me entering it. Although his destruction is not the worst behaviour he has been doing. The disgusting bagworm has even taken in copying the followers in dropping his excrement in places other than the outhouses. Near the farms, between the tents of the followers, even in front of the Temple. He does not even use the same excuse as them of it being out of their control, he merely grins at the Lamb’s annoyance before walking away. Such disgraceful behaviour, completely unfit of a God. What would Shamura think of such horrid behaviour?

The Lamb seems to be slowly losing their patience with Leshy, not that they would ever admit it out loud. Not that they needed to, the whole cult could sense their irritation. Although it did nothing to prevent them asking their ridiculous requests, it only caused them to hesitate once the Lamb turned to them.

Even now, as they were requesting for Putreon to go on a missionary for some seeds, their grin was stretched thin.

“Leader, Leader!”

A purple follower with four horns sticking out of their head ran towards us, their arm above their head as they waved at the Lamb. They shared an appearance with one of the Witnesses, Witness Agares I believe. They didn’t share the same aura as the witnesses, an aura I was sure would continue existing even if they gained the same fate as me, so it was obvious they were one of the followers who requested the Lamb to mutilate and transfigure their flesh into another form. Why they would choose the form of a Witness I could never understand; they are foolish creatures who believed they could overthrow the Bishops, although I suppose they might have now. A yellow unicorn with an uncomfortably sharp horn was right behind the purple follower, with a matching grin and waving arm. As the two got closer I noticed the black paint beneath the unicorn’s eyes, mimicking eyelashes almost.

The two quickly reached us and stood before the Lamb with matching, almost devious looking grins, practically shaking from their obvious excitement as they waited for the Lamb to turn around and acknowledge them. Lambert turned around stiffly and although I could no longer see their expression, the way the two followers froze slightly when they met their gaze was proof enough that it wasn’t as ‘friendly’ or ‘approachable’ as they liked to appear.

“Cam. Beth. Is there something you two needed?”

“Uh we um…”

The unicorn elbowed the fake Witness to interrupt her purple friend stumbling over her words. The stutterer took in a deep breath before continuing.

“Great Leader we wish to enter the fight pit and fight each other!”

“Yes. Of course, I’ll announce the ritual in the next sermon”

The bright grins from before reappeared as the two looked at each other before bowing slightly towards the Lamb.

“Thank you Great Leader! We’ll be sure to give you a good show!”

“Although…if we could make one more request?”

Lambert clearly did not want to continue the conversation with them, but they grinned regardless and gestured for the unicorn to continue.

“Well, we were thinking~……We wish to fight to the death! We would like you to have the loser killed!”

Lambert didn’t answer at first, they just stared at the two. Turning to Putreon showed they had the same shock on their face.

“I’m……sorry but could you repeat that for me?”

“We want the loser of our dual to be killed by the victor!”

“Um…okay? Of course, but I have to ask…have you both thought this through?”

They both nodded frantically, their grins never faltering. I leaned towards Putreon while the Lamb continued to question whether they actually wanted this, subtly trying to convince them they did not.

“I am confused why this is such an issue. It would not be the first time followers requested for death or murder to occur, why is it so unbelievable that these two would want that as well?”

“Well, t-they are um……they are a couple Narinder…that is why”

“I see….the request certainly does appear as a more unnatural inquiry given that context”

It did not take long before the Lamb gave up attempting to dissuade them and merely agreed to hold the fight pit ritual the way they want. The two’s excitement somehow managed to increase as they happily bowed and gave their thanks before running off towards the Temple, practically jumping up and down together on the spot as they waited for Lambert to summon everyone inside. Lambert did not follow them, instead they just let out an almost fond sigh before turning back to me and Putreon.

“Would you both like to join us for the sermon?”

“N-No offence Great Leader but I would rather to miss out on that uh ‘experience’ if that is ok”

Lamb’s smile grew slightly before it faltered again, the relief of having to deal with less followers almost immediately being overpowered by the realisation that they were losing one of the most well-behaved followers. The Lamb offered to show Putreon out and soon the two were walking to the valley’s exit, both of them waving goodbyes at me. I gave a slight wave back in response, my hand staying limp in the air when their backs were turned.

Now what?

Putreon is gone. Farming is unnecessary. I’ve down my assigned plots and all the others are occupied. Lambert would get frustrated and start being annoying if I just hid away in my garden until the snail came back, so that was regrettably off the table. So, what now?

…

Perhaps Anjul will suffice.

I stood up from the ground and began my search for the fox. The farm plots and those seeing to them were of no help. Searching around the cooking fire and kitchen provided the same results. There was also an annoying lack of the fox around the toilets, the medical bay and the cooking fire. There was no point checking around the Temple, followers aren’t allowed inside the ‘holy’ building without the Lamb’s presence. After walking around the Cult grounds for what felt like an eternity finally paid off when I discovered the canine nestled inside his sleeping hut and buried in his blankets.

“Anjul?”

He did not stir; his ears and tail not moving even slightly. I pushed my annoyance away and moved a hand to his side and shook his sleeping body in an attempt to wake him up. He growled in his dreams and tried to hide from consciousness in his blankets.

“Anjul, would you rise already!”

“…Mmrrphh…..? N..Narinder? What are you-”

Anjul’s barely open eyes closed again when he let out a yawn. I removed my paw from him and crossed them in front of me, watching as the fox sat up and rubbed his eyes.

“What’re you doing in…in my tent Narinder? Did the Lamb summon me?”

“I am not the Lamb’s messenger canine”

I mistook Anjul’s tiredness for annoyance at first as he stared at me, slightly slack jawed. He let out a whine and pressed the bottom of his palms into his eyes, most likely to get rid of the rest of the sleep in them before he stared at me again.

“So why are you here?”

“……Putreon has been sent on a missionary”

“…Ok? And?”

“And I am in need of entertainment and no other people of interest are available. So come on, let us find something engaging to partake in”

Anjul made no attempt to move for a few seconds. However, when he finally did move it was turning his back to me and pulling the covers back over himself.

“Go away N, I'm too tired for this”

I couldn’t think of a response for a short while, but the response I finally could think of was not very long.

“What?”

Anjul didn’t turn around to face me again. Instead, he merely waved a hand over his shoulder and wiggled under the sheets, presumably to get into a more to get into a more comfortable position.

“I’m exhausted N, I was one of the demons assisting our Great Lamb during their last crusade. I really need the sleep. Surely you can find something ‘engaging’ yourself right?”

“But-”

“Good night Narinder…….afternoon? morning?...whatever”

It did not take long before snores were reaching my ears. I ignored the growl rumbling in my throat and left his tent. Traitorous fox, now what am I supposed to do?

The sound of a bell echoed around the valley and drew my attention to the Temple that the other cult members were all heading towards, all of them dropping their tools to answer their leaders call. Sermon time. I suppose I spent longer looking for the fox than I first thought.

……

The growl from before resurfaced, finally forcing its way out of my throat as I walked over to the Temple. I cannot believe I am doing this.

I have seen the inside of this Temple hundreds of times through the eye of my……through the eye of the Red Crown. Every sermon, every ritual, every time the Lamb hid in here just for a break from the cultists. It was surreal to see it in person for once instead of from atop the Lamb’s fleeced head. I can only assume the other members of the cult and Lambert shared my surrealism, only theirs was most likely due to seeing me entering the Temple of my own accord. Thankfully, I was one of the last people to enter, allowing me to be right at the back and have access to the door in the scenario where I lost interest and decided to leave. It took a few moments of Lambert staring at me, frozen in surprise at seeing me present for their sermon, before they shook their head to clear their confused grin and begin.

The Lamb’s eyes glowed red as they read from the book before them, their feet rising off the floor and languages of the Old Faith flew off their tongue. Every follower walked into lines in front of the alter and bowed as they began praying to the Lamb. The sermons were different than I remember. They had been altered from last I heard them, understandably no longer sending its praises towards my chained form in the Afterlife but instead gifting them to the Lamb. The whole Temple practically reeked-no, it radiated with the adoration of the followers. It was almost intoxicating, I could no longer focus on the word’s the Lamb spoke, nor the words I was supposed to respond with.

“huh…..”

The words were quiet and soft, barely able to be considered a whisper; they would have been hidden in any other setting but against the loud, confident prayers of the other followers they stood out like a fire in an empty field. I lifted my head and looked around the Temple, very quickly finding the words origins. Leshy was two rows in front of me, right at the front and standing straight and sticking out like a sore thumb compared to everyone else bowing. His feelers were twitching every now and then and his face was scrunched up as he looked around. He ended up staring at me, my fur standing up before he looked away and I remembered his lack of vision. I suppose the adoration was affecting him as it was me.

My vision of Leshy was suddenly blocked by the followers standing up as the sermon ended. I had not even noticed the Lamb had stopped speaking until the followers filled my vision again. The sudden lack of praise slammed into me like a wave from Anchordeep in the middle of one of its storms. It was like when I first lost my powers, a feeling akin to jumping off a cliff. For a second you feel weightless, like you’re flying or frozen. And then you plummet. It was hard to concentrate on what the Lamb was saying when coloured spots spread across my vision. I blinked them away, forcing the dizziness to the bottom of my gut, and began following the other followers as they formed a circle. Some sort of ritual had been announced.

Something brushed against my whiskers, and I turned to see Leshy who had also turned and was baring his teeth in disgust at me. Somehow the other followers moving to stand where and next to who they wanted had ended up with us next to each other, whether the followers did it consciously or not. He seemed to be in as bad a state as I, a slight pant plaguing his breath and his feelers hanging limp. I could see the Lamb behind the worms head, staring at me and daring me to start a fight with the worm. Mixed in with the annoyance though was a tired plea to behave. I stared at the growling worm with a sigh.

“Do you think you can behave yourself for however long this ritual takes Chaos? Or do you need to be removed like a child?”

“Tch, only if you can Ex-Death”

The taunt in his words was meaningless when you acknowledge it was paired with a pout and his arms being crossed over his chest when he turned to face the centre of the circle. I spotted Lamberts smile out of the corner of my eye while turning to the centre of the circle, ignoring the wave of light headedness, before they summoned two followers to the centre: a yellow unicorn and a faux Witness. Ah, now I remember what ritual is being done. Lambert cleared their throat and held their hands up in the air.

“Let the fight pit-”

Lambert was interrupted by the unicorn letting out a screech and pouncing on her partner. In an instant, the two were a mix of swung punches and legs and were letting out sounds of pain. The pained noises however were quickly overshadowed by the cheers of the other members, with the Temple immediately being filled with yells of encouragement. The loudest being the bagworm next to me.

“….begin”

One punch from the faux Witness sent the unicorn stumbling backwards and clutching her eye. When the unicorn lunged for the purple one again I got a glimpse of the bruise already forming around the unicorns eye. The ‘Witness’ dodged to the side too early and ended up getting a punch in the gut from the unicorn since she wouldn’t be able to stop in time. The two glared at each other before charging at the same time, colliding and ending up on the floor, the ‘Witness’ hitting the unicorns head with balled fists while the unicorn yanked on the other’s horns. One fist hit the unicorns nose and drew blood, as revealed when the unicorn removed her hands from it to start throttling her partner.

“HA! It’s about time something interesting happened in tis bullshit valley! Let the blood pour!”

Surprisingly, the worms yells did not warrant any attention from the other followers, the ongoing fight far too entertaining for them. I have not seen Leshy this excited in decades.

The ‘Witness’ managed to kick the unicorn off her and pinned the yellow one to the floor. The unicorn struggled to get up, wriggling and trying to copy the purple one by kicking the other off but they failed to do so. After a few seconds of futile struggle, the unicorn allowed themselves to go limp, giving the ‘Witness’ the win. Another round of cheers echoed through the Temple as the ‘Witness’ got off the unicorn and they both turned towards the Lamb, waiting for their decision. A decision that had already been decided by the two followers in the middle of the circle. The ‘Witness’ had a starry look in their eyes as they gazed up at their leader, meanwhile the extent of the imminent future seemed to be only now dawning on the unicorn. Lambert let out a sigh before holding out a thumbs down, panic rising on the unicorns face before their partner gleefully attacked them again. With the power given to them by the Lamb and Red Crown’s approval, it only took one swing from the ‘Witness’ before the unicorn fell down dead. The corpse was only on the floor for a second before it burst into bones and fresh meat.

The purple one’s glee about her victory and the Lamb completing the request slowly drained away as they stared at the spot where their partner once was, a haunted look quickly appearing in their eye. Another cheer sounded through the Temple before everyone shifted into the rows again for the Lamb’s next words. The other followers were too quick for me and Leshy to separate so we ended up next to one another in one of the lines. Leshy had not moved however, he was merely standing as though the circle was still in place, angrily grumbling to himself about how the fight should have lasted longer. I glanced at the Lamb only to notice they were busy talking to the other followers.

“You…are aware you are facing the wrong direction, correct?”

“I knew that!”

Leshy hissed his answer at me before turning towards the Lamb. Except he turned too far and ended up missing the alter. I grabbed his shoulder and forced him into facing the correct direction, ignoring how he tensed and pulled himself away almost immediately with a hiss.

“Do not touch me traitor”

“You’re welcome Chaos”

I turned back to the Lamb as they brought the sermon to an end. Everyone made their way out the Temple and back to where they were before being summoned to the Temple. I for one was now making my way to my garden. While attending the sermon did provide some entertainment, for lack of a better term, I now once more had nothing to do. The sound of work and prayers filled the air, accompanied by a tearful “thank you” from the faux Witness to the Lamb. And the sound of footsteps rapidly following behind me.

I stopped walking and the footsteps followed suit. I turned around and saw the bagworm himself standing there, his head tilted to the side as if he was trying to listen out for something. I checked behind me for any obstacles before I began walking backwards. As expected, after a few seconds the worm let out a breath he had been holding and began following me once more. Another halt in my steps resulted in another delayed stop from Leshy. I could feel the annoyance building as I began walking on the spot, watching as Leshy began making his way towards me. His feelers began twitching as he got closer to me and he slowed his pace, most likely believing he had been walking to fast and had gotten too close to me. I stopped my movements once he was right in front of me, his head tilting and moving side to side with a confused look beneath his bandages. I suppose he was trying to use his feelers to locate me, but his inexperience with using them for that purpose made it futile. His vision was never the best even when he still had an eye in his socket, but he preferred to use his crown to assist him with sight instead of learning how to use his feelers. Seems like that mistake is finally catching up to him.

“What exactly are you doing worm?”

An annoying screech left the worms mouth as he fell backwards onto the floor. He sat there for a few moments, seemingly frozen in his surprise before he snarled at me, standing once more and moving right in my face.

“What are you talking about heretic? You’re the one who wondered into my path!”

“Am I now? Then why, may I ask, did you stop every time I did?”

“A coincidence! I know you’re stupidly egotistical but I for one have much better things to do then follow your tail”

“If you say so”

I began walking backwards again and lo and behold he started walking again, taking longer than before as if to pretend he wasn’t. I turned to my left and began walking in that direction, watching the worm over my shoulder and seeing he had once more followed me. I began walking in a circle. I was aware the other followers began staring but it was worth it to watch the worm unknowingly proving me correct. A bell sounded nearby, and I looked over to see the Lamb also staring, although closer compared to the other followers. They had a very confused smile as they stared before they walked closer. The closer they got, the more evident it was that they were holding back laughter. I stopped my walk and turned to face them as they spoke.

“So, uh….what’s going on here?”

Leshy stopped walking before turning towards the Lamb’s general direction.

“I have no idea what you’re talking-”

“Simple, I am proving the worm to be a liar”

Leshy flinched and turned his snarl towards me.

“For the last time feline, I have better things to do than follow you! If anything, it seems as if you are the one following me!”

“Well, uh, well Leshy I'm pretty sure you’ve been-”

“No no Lamb. Allow me. You see Leshy, you and I have been walking in circles for several minutes. Unless your idea of ‘better things’ happen to be walking in circles?”

The worm tensed and started attempting to stutter out excuses, none of which ended as a complete sentence seeing as he continued to interrupt himself with a different reasoning. Eventually, he gave up trying and instead stood there grumbling to himself and angrily glaring towards the floor as he tends to do when called out, a habit he has had since childhood which his recent repetition of has reminded me. I missed the feeling of pride, seeing Leshy reduced from argumentative to near silent complaining almost made me feel Godly again.

“Perhaps this shame will teach you not to lie next time worm. Or at least teach you to do a better job of not getting caught”

Leshy shrunk into himself and crossed his arms, still pouting like a child. He clearly had no response, so I turned around and made my leave, my garden was waiting for me. At least I attempted to leave, I was stopped by the Lamb grabbing my arm. Before I could demand them to release me, the Lamb gestured for me to wait. They dragged me towards Leshy, waving at the followers to continue doing their work.

“Leshy?”

“What do you want Lamb?”

“Can you explain why you’ve been following Narinder around?”

His only answer was a growl omitting from the back of his throat.

“Ugh just allow me to leave Lamb? The child will not give you an answer except his pathetic growls. It truly is not worth listening to, just ignore him until he finds something else to distract his restless mind”

“Narinder please-”

“I was following that three eyed freak because I’m trying to figure out how to properly walk in this hellish valley without bumping into anything! And unfortunately for me, you and he have the strongest scent in this god forsaken cult!”

“How DARE YOU, MY HYGEIN IS FAR SUPERIOR TO YOURS WORM!”

“THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT YOU IDIOTIC FELINE”

“CAN YOU TWO STOP ARGUING FOR FIVE SECONDS!”

The Lamb shoved their way in between us. From the Red Crowns glee upon their head, I could tell it was desperate to be wielded in its sword form and tear into us and from the fiery look in the Lamb’s eye, they were close to allowing it that desire. A few moments of the Lamb switching their glare from me to Leshy they stepped back, taking a deep breath in before releasing it.

“Ok ok. Leshy. What do you mean by me and Narinder having ‘the strongest scent’ if it isn’t about actual smell?”

Leshy didn’t answer at first, turning his face away from us and crossing his arms in front of his chest. He should count himself lucky that he spoke before either mine or the Lamb’s patience ran out.

“By ‘scent’ I meant power. The essence of Godhood clings to both you, from your rise to godliness and your fall from it. It is stronger than any of the other scents in this valley, stronger than the food, the farm, the lumber mills and the mineshafts. Even the waste your followers think they are hiding in the valleys corners don’t come close to matching the strength. I’ve been using your scent Lamb to find my way around despite my lack of vision but yours is too strong because you’re still a god. It clings to everything and gets distracting. Narinder’s is easier to follow”

“If you had learnt how to use your feelers when young this wouldn’t be a problem”

“This wouldn’t be a problem if you hadn’t ripped out my eye and betrayed us”

Lambert stepped in between us once more, the burning rage had re-ignited itself. Albeit it was not near the same heat.

“I thought we had agreed to stop fighting?”

“You might have……”

Lambert turned to Leshy with their rage fully ignited once more. The worm seemed to be to sense Lambert’s rage even without the ability to see it and was able to prove that he was in fact capable of some form of common sense as he did not say anything else, keeping his maw shut. Lambert took another deep breath, although it did not seem to have the same calming effect as it did the last time.

“If you are done talking Leshy. You said that you were following Narinder because his ‘godly scent’ is easier to track than mine, correct?”

“….That is correct Lamb”

“And you Narinder said that Leshy’s feelers could be used in substitution to his eyes?”

“Well of course. His feelers work like how the whiskers us felines have work. Something so basic even baby kits can do it”

“Alright then I suppose the answer is obvious. Narinder, you will teach Leshy how to use his feelers to navigate around the cult”

The Lamb turned around and walked away, not allowing us to process their words and give a response. When we both finally did understand what it was they commanded of me, me and Leshy exclaimed our shock, a loud “WHAT!?” echoing out of our throats, in almost sync before chasing the Lamb down. They stopped walking and turned towards us with faux innocence.

“What do you mean I am to help him!?”

“You heard me. Leshy needs to learn how to navigate the cult on his own and frankly I don’t particularly trust Leshy to not end up in fights with the rest of the cult”

“I am NOT listening to this traitor! He can shove his instructions up his-”

“If you two aren’t up to the test you can just say so”

“…..Excuse me?”

“Like I said. Narinder, if you think you would be unable to teach Leshy how to do something that you say is ‘so basic’ then there’s no shame in that! and Leshy, if you don’t think you can learn a new ‘basic’ skill then that’s fine too”

‘Unable’. ‘UNABLE’!? Does the Lamb truly think that I of all people would be unable to teach someone something so simplistic!? Something so trivial that even after eons locked away in that empty void, I could still use my whiskers just as well as when I was in my prime! I taught this smug ungulate how to reanimate the dead! How to control the speed of plant growth! How to ascend a follower to the astral plane using mere words! And they believe that teaching someone how to use something that newborns can do after only a few mere hours alive! How dare they-

No.

“I know what this is Lamb. You cannot manipulate us into following your commands with your insults”

“Can’t I?”

They looked me with a feigned expression of boredom, although they could not hide the smugness in their eyes if they tried. And I highly doubted they were trying very hard. This was bait. Even Leshy seemed to realise this. The Lamb was trying to trick us into agreeing to this horrible command. It wasn’t going to work.

…….

“Fine. I will teach him. But the minute he starts being difficult, he is no longer my problem, and you will find someone else to deal with him”

“I do not need your help!”

Ignoring Leshy, I held my hand out for the Lamb to shake.

“Do we have a deal, Lamb?”

Their ‘bored’ expression melted immediately, allowing the smugness to shine through unfiltered, and shook my hand.

“I suppose we do Narinder. Leshy, you will listen to Narinder’s lessons until they’re no longer needed. Do try your best to actually behave, I highly doubt anyone else in this cult would be happy to help you, so he really is your only chance of learning how to get around”

Leshy was slack-jawed as the Lamb walked off towards the farms, his shock slowly morphing into anger after a few moments.

“I am NOT training under you”

“It does not seem as though you have a choice”

“I’d rather continue running into the walls than listen to you treasonist”

“Go ahead then. Ill be waiting in my garden for when you finally relent”

I made good on my words and immediately set off towards it. If I was to be his teacher it would not be where others could see. And even if he chooses not to repress his stubbornness, then I will at least allow myself time to relax. Especially after the Lamb’s insults and manipulation.

The sight of my garden was heavenly. I am aware the ground and decorations inside these walls are the same as the ones outside it, but my ones feel different. The sight of them is welcoming, like two outstretched arms. Its calming here, more comfortable, quieter. Lying on the grass was comfortable too, even if it allowed the sun to bore its way into my eyes. I missed a lot during my imprisonment and while the sun’s irritating brightness definitely was not one of them, the feeling of grass against my fur and in my claws was one of the dearest. The sun’s warmth was just as longed for, even if it’s glare forced my eyes closed.

Putreon had stared me as if I had gone insane when they found out I preferred my naps and slumber to be done on the soft pasture of the ground instead of the sleeping beds the Lamb provides the cult. Telling them I found the floor comfier than the beds had persuaded them to drop the subject but that was not it. Not that I lied to the snail, as I mentioned the grass in this valley is almost heavenly in its texture, the Lamb’s powers and new deathly aura scaring away any bugs that dare to enter it. But the life that emanates out of it is can be almost intoxicating. It flows out of everything in this valley: the trees surrounding it and growing from within its grounds, the farm, the flowers, the birds that attempt to steal seeds from the crops, the people.

Now that I am thinking about it, the life that echoes around this valley was similar to the devotion that filled the Temple. And yet it differed slightly. While the devotion had a clear target and was so evidently aimed for the Lamb, this aura of life did not. It has no destination, merely a means to exist and exist it does. It ebbs and flows around, out of the nature and people, dancing through the air and then finding a home in others. Even the Lamb’s graveyard shares the energy, life and death dancing in unison and harmony. A rare, almost non-existent occurrence that not even I understand.

It does not seem to affect Leshy in the same way as I. My first few weeks here was filled with overstimulation, as well as the other mixed emotions of anger and betrayal and fear. Leshy seems to be only experiencing the emotions that I did, unless he has found a way to perfectly mask it. Something I highly doubt. Perhaps my past connection to death and rot has led to its opposite having a dislike of me, an odd dislike seeing as it brings me more comfort than not. It’s why I have admittedly become attached to the farm. The life that radiates off of it: it’s addicting, beautiful, reassuring. Heavenly.

I could lay here for hours, soaking in its energy. Feeling it buzz around me, sticking to my fur like the dirt I was laid upon. Unfortunately, the sound of footsteps on my grass altered me that I would not be able to. I ignored them until they stopped next to me. I opened my eyes to see the leafed head of an angry and embarrassed worm above, shielding my eyes from the bright sun.

“Narinder”

“Leshy”

“I presume you have decided to accept the Lamb’s command?”

His face scrunched up as he growled at me, pride building as he continued to not answer.

“Well then. I suppose we should get started, hmm? Wouldn’t want to make the Lamb angry now would we?”

“No. we wouldn’t, after all we both know what happens when they are angered”

“That we do Chaos”

Chapter 9: One step forward

Notes:

I'm so sorry this took so long! Writer's block won't leave me alone :(. Hope you enkoy this chapter regardless though!

Leshy let out an enraged yell as he bumped into a scarecrow once again. Lambert had been kind enough as to create a couple of the faux Lambs for the training. Despite having already been several days since this training had begun, Leshy had not made any progress in improving, something I expected from the beginning. And while it was entertaining to watch at the beginning, it was quickly becoming dull. His attachment to me outside of lessons has also hastily become grating to deal with, even if one were to exclude the Lamb’s constant reminders of how he was ‘only doing it because it was comforting to know what was around him’. He walked into another scarecrow, this time managing to knock it over in his stride.

“This has far exceeded being pathetic Leshy. Are you even trying at this point?”

“OF COURSE I AM!”

He turned around and walked straight into another.

“I SWEAR IF I FIND OUT YOU’RE MOVING THESE IN MY WAY-”

“I can promise you that I am not partaking in such childish actions Worm. As much as this is very entertaining for me, I am not attempting to sabotage your progress. It would make no sense for me to as it would only force us to remain in these lessons for longer”

Leshy turned to face me with a snarl.

“Can you please explain why still insist on speaking like that? it doesn’t make you sound anything but pretentious ya know”

“I do not-regardless. You should be making at least the smallest bit o

f progress in this by now, are you positive you cannot sense anything?”

“If I could sense where the scarecrows were why on earth would I make myself look like an idiot and walk into them on purpose!?”

As if to prove a point, Leshy immediately walked right into another scarecrow and then backed into one that was right next to it. At first, I thought it was on purpose, some sort of joke, but the way he immediately swung a fist at the second scarecrow in anger proved me wrong. His childish tantrum did not stop there however as when the scarecrow fell to the floor he went down after it. I sat there and watched as he ripped into it; straw, sticks and pieces of a once carefully stitched cloak went everywhere, thrown haphazardly over the worm’s shoulder and landing on the floor around him. He ended up ripping the entire head of clean before throwing it towards me. He seemed to stare in my direction, panting from his fit, before he went back to destroying what little of it was left.

I picked up the fake Lamb head and stared at it before dropping it to return it to the floor, walking over to Leshy.

“Are you done yet?”

“Shut it”

“Your outburst is just wasting time Leshy, and I highly doubt the Lamb will be pleased when they discover that the scarecrows they provided have been used for you to sharpen your claws with”

“I said. Shut it. Narinder”

The usual triangle shape in his bandages had shifted into a V shape when he turned to face me with a bared maw, either a side effect of using the Green Crown or something the Red Crown had added when forcing him into a follower body. It could almost be considered threatening if he was not surrounded by broken straw and sticks. He seemed to sense that his anger was having no effect on me because he quickly turned his ‘glare’ to the floor and the mess he had made. I turned around with an eyeroll, preparing to make my way back to where I had been sitting.

“Make sure to let me know when this childish display of yours is over so we can get back to work”

I got nothing but a weird sniffle noise in return. At first, I thought it was him saying something under his breath or a weird sounding growl. But then he made the noise again, and again and again. I paused my stride and turned to look at the worm again, watching his body shudder slightly as another one of that noise left his mouth.

“Are you………crying?”

“……..No”

He turned his head slightly as if to hide himself more but made no other attempt at hiding the weeping he was clearly struggling to hold back. I spun around again, only this time my garden’s exit was my goal.

“As if you could not get any more pathetic, stay here. Continue your senseless destruction if you must. I will get the Lamb, hopefully they can get you out of this weird mood, so I do not have to deal with it”

“……How typical”

Say what you want about the worm, he certainly has a talent for making people halt in their tracks.

“Excuse me?”

“I said How. Typical”

He stood up, throwing down the clump of straw that had been in his hands and turning to face me.

“You do understand that all of this is your fault, right? YOU are the reason we are stuck here!”

“You cannot blame me for the Lamb indoctrinating you Leshy. I did not even know that was a possibility, even after they stole my Crown and powers”

“And who’s the one who allowed them to have that power in the first place? You can pretend that you are not at fault but everything that has happened and is happening is your fault!”

He stepped forward and shoved his finger into my chest, forcing me to step back.

“YOU are the one who could not accept your place in our Faith”

He stepped forward again and forced his finger back into my chest, practically pushing me back now.

“YOU are the one who attacked me and our siblings”

No longer content with merely jabbing his finger into my chest, Leshy used both of his palms to shove me backwards.

“YOU are the reason we had to destroy an entire species to avoid that prophecy. A plan which did not even work!”

He grabbed the front of my robes and yanked me close. Uncomfortably close. I could see the spittle in his mouth when he spoke.

“YOU are the one who sent that Lamb on their mission to kill us! And YOU are the one who made the Lamb chose between allowing their entire species to be completely gone or rebelling against you”

He seemed to have finally tired himself out, simply holding my robe. We stayed like that for a while, with me just staring at him while he panted from his outburst, tears where seeping out from between his bandages.

“You are correct”

“…….what?”

I forced his claws to release my robe, shoving them back into his own chest.

“I said, ‘you are correct’ Leshy. This is all my fault”

I sat down on the ground of my garden, gesturing for him to follow suit. When he did not, I turned to look at him before remembering his lack of sight, as he was just staring at where I once was. I patted the ground next to me and his feelers twitched. His confused expression turned to one of suspicion before he sat down.

“I am the one who sent the Lamb on their mission to end the Old Faith and kill you all. I am also the one who harmed you all in the first place, making you all be in a much weaker position and possibly making the Lamb’s job of ending you easier. And you are also correct that I am the one that gave the Lamb the ultimatum. They would not have betrayed me if it was not for my own actions”

“Well, it’s about time you finally admit it”

“But your fates do not just rest on my shoulders, you are to blame for them as well”

“There we go. It is always one step forward, two steps back with you, isn’t it? You can never take responsibility; there’s always someone else-”

“Let me finish. Let me ask you this Leshy: Do you think the Lamb would have followed my command if you and the rest of our siblings had not destroyed the rest of their species?”

There was no response from the worm, they just stared at me and waited for me to continue.

“Well? You cannot tell me that the Lamb’s actions weren’t spurred by the want for revenge. Like you said yourself, they are the last of their species. I did ask them to end their species for good by giving me back the Red Crown, but you all are the reason that ultimatum could possibly be made in the first place”

“We were trying to prevent-”

“ ‘The prophecy’? You know how prophecies work Leshy. If you try to resist them, you only ensure it’ll happen even worse and doom yourself further. The Lamb died thinking their species was gone because of your hand. Because you wanted to prevent a lamb from destroying the Old Faith. And by trying to escape that fate, you all gave the Lamb the perfect and justified reason to want to end the Old Faith”

Leshy was silent once more. His tears had, thankfully, halted and he merely stared at me before turning towards the ground, slightly curling into himself.

“I do not regret wanting to escape my role. I regret having to attack my siblings in order to gain that escape, but I refuse to say that I did not despise being the Bishop of Death. I had chains far before you locked my in that void of death and the Lamb succeeded in freeing me from them. Not in the way I intended them to, but I still escaped that role with their assistance”

“…….you think you were the only one?”

I turned to face him, confused and surprised by his words. His fists were clenched in anger, and he was turned away from me, arms wrapped around himself.

“You think we didn’t all hate being in those roles? You truly think that I was happy being the ‘Bishop of Chaos’ and nothing more? I cannot speak for our siblings, but I despised being stuck as ‘He of Havoc’. But unlike you, I understood that we had those roles for a reason and didn’t attempt to break the status quo”

“What good is any ‘reason’ if those roles made us so miserable brother?”

“Our personal opinions weren’t supposed to affect our actions. What sort of leaders would we have been if we allowed our feelings to dictate everything we did?”

“Well……we would probably have ended up being similar to the Lamb I suppose. And their followers seem appeased”

Leshy did not answer for a few seconds, the Lamb’s method of ruling clearly on both of our minds. Would my followers have revolted more against my siblings? Would theirs have tried harder to kill the Lamb? Would my betrayal have even happened?

“…….Heket would have disowned us if we did that. Could you imagine what our followers would have been like?”

“Ha! I think her anger would have been more directed to the boundless indecency that would have been a constant in Kallamar’s”

Leshy let out a cackle in response, probably the most genuine laugh he’s had since joining this cult. And it was frustratingly infectious. The worm had to lean on my side to prevent falling backwards, and I had to do the same. I could envision the stares people outside my garden were giving it as they could surely hear us.

“You…you say that like Shamura wouldn’t have taken Heket’s away with how prone to anger she was. At least any members that had not died or ran away”

“I think most of our followers would have abandoned us in favour for Shamura’s if we had ruled them however we wished. For having war as their responsibility, they always were the more patient and collected of us”

“The Lamb would not have needed to kill me; my followers would have done it themselves after too many of my shenanigans”

“So, you’re self-aware of how irritating you are Worm?”

“Of course. That’s what makes it fun Feline”

As surprisingly nice as sitting here was, it could not last, and I was sure Leshy could sense that too. I could tell from one glance that he was searching his brain for some new topic for us to discuss but alas he was coming up empty. And I would be remiss if I did not admit that I too was struggling to think of anything. I stood up and walked over to the scarecrow Leshy had shoved over, picking it up so it could stand once again.

“Come on, we have work to do”

A loud, over exaggerated groan left the Worm, but he stood up without an argument walking over to where I was.

“How can you find me so easily but struggle with the scarecrows and others?”

“I told you before, the scent you have from your past godliness is both strong and easy to track. The Lamb made these, so their stench radiates off them in groves. It’s………difficult to tell where the source of the smell is when there’s just…….so much of it”

“Hm. And what about the rest of the garden? The Lamb built it, but that was a while ago. Is the Lamb’s presence as strong emitting off the objects here?”

“It’s there but…less. I can tell they don’t come in here very often. While they cling to it all it’s mainly just yours. What is the point of these questions?”

“I am realising that perhaps we need a new way of fixing this. Stand there with your arms out”

I ignored his confusion in favour of rounding up the scarecrows, handing them to Leshy in small groups to hold until they were all in his arms. He looked unsteady and was awkwardly holding them, the mound of them would have made it impossible to see if he could.

“Are you able to follow my scent through the scarecrows?”

“I…think so?”

“Good. Follow”

I led him out of my garden and upon not instantly spotting the Lamb, led Leshy towards the Temple. I instructed him to drop the scarecrows, which he happily agreed to, before leading him back to the garden. Once we returned I told him to stay put before going towards my shelter and grabbing my sleeping mat. I dragged it over to Leshy before going for more objects around the garden; the wheelbarrows, the wooden and bone formed structures, the branches knitted with webs. Moving them all took a while and I am sure it will be frustrating to return them all back to where they belong but when I was done I had created a new ‘maze’ of objects, a near replica of the previous one made out of the scarecrows. I stepped back and watched Leshy look between I and the objects. Slowly the realisation dawned on him, the corners of his maw stretched upwards into a grin.

“Well? Get started. I don’t want to keep looking at you longer than I have to”

Leshy let out a cackle in response and began walking between the objects, occasionally bumping into them but doing much better than before.

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I am both a genius and a fool.

The Lamb’s scent clinging to the scarecrows truly were the issue and replacing them with objects that had more of mine allowed Leshy to make incredible process. But perhaps I should have used the objects of others as well. He seems to have become dependant on my scent, following me around the Cult. Whether I am eating, resting in my garden, attending the farm, strolling with Putreon and Anjul, teaching the Lamb more of the secrets of the Red Crown, no matter where I am, nor what I am doing, Leshy is there. But he continues to refuse to do anything but follow me. He does not help with the garden, he adds nothing to conversations, he merely stands nearby and ‘watches’. Leshy could not even notice my glares as he ‘hid’ behind the seed silo.

“Narinder? Is everything ok?”

“No”

Putreon opened their mouth to say something, but Anjul smartly motioned for them to not and continue working. The fox stepped over the beetroots and joined me in staring at the worm.

“He still stalking you?”

“Yes. Irritably.”

Anjul let out an uncomfortable noise before jumping at the sound of a bell. I have learnt to listen out for the Leader’s cloven feet, but it appears that even the mortals here fail to listen out for them.

“Is something the matter you two?”

Putreon walked over to us and spoke before I could dismiss the Lamb, speaking of the worm’s annoying presence.

“Leshy and Narinder have began getting along! Just uh….a bit too much for Narinder’s tastes”

“I see…….you say they’re ‘getting along’? is that true Nari?”

“Narinder. And he certainly seems to think so. I still see him as an annoyance”

“Uh huh, that’s why you let him sleep in your garden when even Putreon needs to put on the ‘pleading eyes’ ”

Anjul’s smirk wasn’t snuffed out by my glare. Perhaps I have allowed him to get too close, he’s becoming cocky. The Lamb meanwhile was quiet, watching Leshy fiddle with the seeds and growl at anyone who came close, with an analytical look. Although I could see the beginnings of a smile starting to take place.

“What are you plotting Lamb?”

“Weeeell, I have thinking about giving Leshy a job. He has had a bit…….too much free time on his hands. But he refuses everything I’ve offered. But if you encourage him to try-”

“I am not your errand boy Lamb. You want to make him work, use your powers or threaten him. Punish him for not obeying. Your word is law in this valley, act like it”

Anjul and Putreon somehow still get surprised whenever I refuse to obey the Lamb. Even they seemed surprised for a second before they quickly shook it off.

“I am aware of that. I’m sure that I’ll be able to crack Leshy like I did you-”

“You did not ‘crack’ me Lamb-”

“But I thought you would like to help me get through to him quicker! I mean after all, if he’s busy doing work then he will certainly have less time to follow you around~”

……

I unsuccessfully bit back a growl and gestured for the Lamb to start walking, ignoring the Lamb’s gleeful ‘baa’ and the muffled laughs coming from Putreon and Anjul.

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“Are you positive this is a good idea Lamb?”

“Well cooking is one of the easier jobs we have here! I’m sure he’ll do perfectly fine”

The Lamb and I have very……different definitions of ‘perfectly fine’. I learnt that far before I was overthrown but the reminder became incredibly prevalent as I watched Leshy….’cook’. It could hardly count; he was merely ‘staring’ at the steaks in front of him and yet he continuously glanced away at the slightest sound. I do not think the Lamb had considered his lack of sight when giving the worm this job. An otter strolled over to the cooking fire, sniffing the air with a grin. They stood there watching Leshy cook the steaks, drool dripping down their chin and stars practically dancing around their head. Apparently, they had nothing better to do but wait for the food to be completed.

“Do you starve your followers? A simple steak should not elect that extreme of a response”

“You’ve known me long enough to know I don’t. And you’d understand their reaction if you didn’t refuse to eat anything except meals containing fish”

Leshy’s audience grew, a yellow cat walking over and apparently just as excited. They joined the otter at hovering at the grill and watching the steak. Leshy’s feelers twitched at the newcomer as he flipped the steak and then used his spatula to press it down on the coals. The cat looked up at the worm, pointing at the steak with a grin before pointing to their open mouth. Leshy merely glanced away, staring at a butterfly that had wandered close and was flying past him. The cat had the same reaction as I: staring at Leshy in confusion. The stench of burnt meat soon attacked my senses, and the otter began angrily yelling, only managing to catch the attention of the uncomfortable cat while Leshy continued to ignore them both. The steak had turned black.

“I um…I feel like I should have asked this before but……does Leshy have any experience with cooking?”

Smoke filled the air around them as the steak caught on fire, finally catching Leshy’s attention as he began beating it with his spatula. While it did eventually put the fire out, it was far more effective at spraying burnt steak chunks onto the otter’s face.

“No”

The otter angrily glared at Leshy while the cat looked at what used to be a steak and Leshy glanced downwards in shame. The otter waved Leshy off before stomping away, having clearly lost his appetite. The cat just watched them leave before glancing back at Leshy.

“I ask once more Lamb. Are you positive this was a good idea?”

“Mmm…”

The cat then followed the pattern of the followers here being strange. They pulled out a camellia and offered it to Leshy with a smile. The practise of using his feelers had apparently gone well as he was able to look up in surprise before hesitantly taking the flower and then follow the cat leave with his head, turning to look at the flower once the cat was out of his range. The Lamb happily gasped and clasped their hands together at the sight. Leshy then opened his maw wide and ate the flower, shaking his head side to side as he ate it. I turned to the Lamb, expecting a confused and possibly even disgusted expression only for them to still be smiling.

“Lamb!”

Leshy had ran over frighteningly quick. He pointed in the direction the cat had left.

“Them. Where do they work?”

“Albreon? Last I checked he prefers to work on the refineries, same direction they just headed in. Why-”

Leshy walked off, not allowing the Lamb to finish, making his way after the cat. We both watched him walk away, I with confusion and the Lamb with a smile for reasons I could not place.

“Yes”

“Excuse me?”

“I think this was indeed a wonderful idea”

I had my doubts on the ‘wonderful’-ness of this idea would last but I suppose it did go better than I expected.

“You are aware there is still a fire at the cooking fire, correct?”

A horrified ‘baa’ left the Leader before they ran off towards the now burning building, yelling for nearby followers to grab water. I ignored the flames in favour of turning towards where Leshy had ran off. I could see him conversing with the cat now, leaning against the refinery and clearly distracting the feline. Surprisingly, while I could not be sure, it appeared as though the cat was actively enjoying his company, for reasons I doubt I’d understand.

A ‘wonderful idea’ hm? We shall have to see, won’t we Lamb?