The night sky glittered as the blue moon was eclipsed by stars while the other had been hidden by clouds and its older sibling. Sounds within the biped village had become almost non-existent as he breathed in the night air. Of course, he wasn't exactly alone in doing so. The beast of burden next to him did as well, albeit it was something he didn't want to happen at all considering how chatty he was being while they were travelling.

"So, why not leave? For a thing of your size, I'd assume there would be better things to do than stick around." He turned his head towards the origin of the hoarse voice, the large be-shelled. He was, of course, slightly upset that it wasn't still scared of him like when they had first met. Seeing him nearly wet itself in terror brought back some feelings of superiority for awhile, but after a couple minutes alone with it, it was the most questioning thing he'd ever spoke to, besides Friend, of course. It was also slightly worse, considering that he could completely tell the meaning behind the question in this one's regard instead of Friend's. Whenever Friend would talk to him, it was mostly via broken sentences which he had to piece the meaning of. It was getting better as time went on, but the accent that they still held gave their questions a bit of needed charm. That was not the case for the gravelly voice of this addled beast. However, that did not mean he had to be rude to it, so he turned his head in the direction of the travelling nuisance and gave an answer.

"It was a promise. One can not often discount their own words too often. Otherwise, how else can one uphold their honor and their own self image." His reply made the beast chuckle as it turned away from him to stare at the gentle flickering of the lanterns upon the distant fenceposts, their blue glow seeming to calm him. Over the trodden path, there seemed to be light bugs flitting about, landing on some of the wooden supports of buildings.

"A promise like that isn't all too often attainable for ones such as them. Sooner or later, you have to leave that Bide." The beast's voice sounded melancholic as it looked towards the end of the road and gazed at the far-off plains, before turning his attention back towards the thing beside him, to speak words that the shelled one was sure that it needed to hear. "You do not belong here."

"I know that. Believe you and me, I can still feel their stares even when I pretend to asleep." The plant sighed like a creaking tree, as something seemed to tease at the edges of his thoughts. Some forgotten feeling from long ago. He couldn't put a name to it, which was odd considering that becoming who he was now made his mind seem all the more clearer.

"Seems to me like you're trying to keep a hold of yourself. From what you've said before, he was the only thing to stay constant between your before and now." What the be-shelled had said, seemed to ring somewhat true to him. His friend was the only one that could tell whether or not he changed in-between his evolution. He did not know if his mannerisms were gotten rid of, or if he simply developed new ones. For something to stand with him through it all, it would've been fairly easy for his friend to know whether or not he was changing more than he did himself.

"You could pray to Ounder. Since you've done so much, he might've taken notice of you." At this, Plant balked.

"How do you know of him? How do you know his overbearing pressure?" His questions made the beast chuckle a bit before it shook a little, bending some of its scales out of place from the motion of its breath.

"You think that only your kind know of him? Even if you are most similar to his form, others still remember and pass tales of him. He is Father of Beasts, after all. If his children forgot he existed, we'd make for unfilial family." The horns twisted in the light as the beast poked the lantern nearest him, as he glanced behind him at his yoke, sighing gently and continuing on.

"Even if I am no longer a proper beast, I still pray to him. I have done so in the wee hours of the night, and I still do so in the middle of the day. No matter where I am, I hold his image in my mind and pray for continued goodwill." The beast rolled his neck under his shell before turning his head to look back towards his newfound conversation partner.

"Even if you are also no longer a proper beast-" At this, Plant stood up, claws digging into the soil, almost becoming tendrils, while veins appeared across his wooden face pulsating with anger.

"Silence!" He stopped. He glanced around and swiveled his ears. Nothing seemed to stir. He turned his head back towards the beast and stalked towards its spot next to the carriage. It was only when he was right next to its still ear that he spoke, while keeping his voice at a harsh whisper.

"I am still more a beast than you. You have been Tamed, Chained, and Broken. I can leave anytime I want and still uphold the Tenants of the Wild. Even if my form is no longer flesh..." He voice began to trail off leaving nothing as he started staring down at his paw, and looked at it. He could feel the pulsing of life through his veins, as he moved some of the tendrils making up his leg, some of them coming undone from the tearing into the soil he had performed earlier. He shivered, before getting drawn out by the beast's laugh.

"And there it is. The realization. The dawning of the fact that you are no longer made in Father's image. That is why I tell you to pray. I know this will nag at you for a time. Being how I am now has as well. If I can still hear Father though, I don't see why you can't." The be-shelled's black eyes gleamed in the light, as they squinted on the sides of his head. It's words seemed to stem from a place of hope, but it's gaze felt malicious to Plant. Then, he thought of something. Something rather important that he'd forgotten since his transformation.

"You want to see me fail, don't you?" It shrugged before laying down, grass being mushed against its hide.

"I will not lie. Yes, I do. For my instincts as Prey, remain strong. I still want to see Predators writhe in frustration at not getting what they want. Even if I wish you the best, some small part will still find satisfaction or sadness at what is to come." It tried rolling over, before being stopped by the yoke. Sighing, it resolved itself to lay on its side, idly scratching at the nooks and crannies within its shell like armor. Kojo was silent for a time before responding to him.

"Very well. I guess there's no other option, but to pray." So, Plant began doing what he hadn't since he was a pup. He laid down, raised his head to the sky, and sang.

You have initiated the Song of Prayer...

Two valid Deities detected...

Deity 1: Ounder

Deity 2: Groud

Which Deity would you like to contact?

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

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Ounder suddenly stirred from his nap. There was a nagging sensation within his mind that something seemed to be happening within his glen. He wasn't all too sure what it was, until his eyes opened and recognized the screen that laid in front of him. He sighed as he stretched his back on the moss he sat upon. He bid the birdsong to be silenced within his dominion, as he walked. While on his way to his destination, he straightened out his fur, and flexed his claws. The joints were a bit stiff and sore, but only because he liked the feeling of waking up as a mortal. Gods technically didn't need to sleep either, but Ounder figured that dreaming was a better thing to do than be awake in boredom. He stared down towards the singular stream within his glen. There, he often partook of the common mortal thinking past time, that being pacing, to better facilitate his thoughts. His mind often wandered sometimes whenever it wasn't pertaining to his duties, so he often tried anything to better deal with the issue.

More often than not, that pacing stream was where he did most of his work concerning godly matters, and it was also, where recently, it had been concerning the work he'd been forced to partake in. Recently, he would walk along the shoreline and send false messages of progress towards Marank, or basically anything that had to do with the system that was set up between them in their [Contract]. Except whatever had woken him up, of course. This was a bit more important than simply dealing with godly correspondences. Thus, it was deemed necessary within his mind to go towards his seat of power, his lazing rock.

He walked over the stream and headed upriver, climbing upwards through the somewhat grassy knoll of his creation towards the rock outcropping which overlooked his medium with the mortal world, his prayer circle. Effortlessly, he jumped upwards towards the rock seat before he laid himself down upon it, and checked who was actually contacting him through his prayer network. Somewhat surprised, he relaxed his stance a fair bit. For him, the usual prayer was made of his younger children who could not understand the order of the world around them. Of course, when it was those cases, he'd tell them not to waste their prayers, as they were only allowed 4 others for their entire lives. Sometimes, it was his priestly division who had more access to them, if you could call those children of his priests. Most of them differed from the usual requirements that the class had upon most sapients within the world, as his children were usually devout hunters or followers of his somewhat lax core Tenants. Usually those particular beasts would only call out to him based upon whether or not something was against either him or there own wilds at that moment. Then, there were these kinds of calls. The rare ones in which he'd do something with such a clear head that he could feel his influence upon the world far past the glade he was in.

He answered the call, and the prayer circle activated below him. The runes powered up slowly, before the light from within them formed and became one of his own. One that he particularly had an eye on for awhile since its evolution.

"So, you appear before me. Is there something you need my child, or simply something upon your mind?" At this, the vision looked upwards to meet his eyes.

"I am still your child?" At this, Ounder balked.

"Of course. Even if you have changed, it is no fault of your own. If you've been born as a beast, then you're always going to be my child, no matter what form or what circumstance you find yourself in down the line." The tenseness in the visions haunches loosened, as the form simply fell to the floor.

"Thank you, I just....I just wasn't too sure." Ounder barked in laughter as it gazed downwards from atop his throne.

"I don't see why you should be. Out of all my children, you've upheld the Tenants of Strength and of the Wild the most, even if you aren't exactly in them right now." At this, the vision looked back upwards before tilting its head.

"You know where I am?" Ounder nodded.

"Why wouldn't I know where all my children are? Plus, the company you keep is quite interesting." The vision's face twitched a little bit before steadying its sudden shaky breath.

"You know about him?" Ounder debated on what exactly he could tell him, before opening his mouth to speak.

"Of course. Before he even arrived in your previous home, he was subject to a most...interesting event that some gods are still puzzled about." The vision trembled a little bit.

"Is...is he going to be ok?" Ounder's gaze turned gentle.

"...You really care about him, don't you?" The vision was startled a little bit, at his tone of voice, before nodding vigorously.

"Yes. We are blood brothers, it is only natural." Ounder made no visible movement before his eyes seemed to gain a bit of a glint.

"Ahh. You plan on following him until he or you dies, aren't you?" The vision nodded once. Almost resolutely.

"...I cannot lie. Yes." Ounder sighed as he pulled up his screen. On it, the basic information of the individual before him. An unspoken question rang though the god's mind. One best kept for later. There was a better one that actually helped his future prospects, even if it would put his charge in an uncomfortable state.

"If you plan on following him, no matter where it takes you, you might end up in places I cannot reach, and places where you are at a significant disadvantage, in terms of your capability at least. You know that, don't you?" The vision began to nod absentmindedly, before halting in its motions. Its gaze wandered away, downwards, as it thought on something. Before bringing its head up, and speaking.

"Yes. I know. I...I do not ask for much, simply for you to watch over me, and if anything were to occur..."

"I understand. I will make sure that you story will be told." The vision nodded before beginning to fade out of existence. However, it quickly was bought back to visibility, and it looked fairly confused.

"You know, I could let you leave now. But there is something I need to give you first." At this, the vision balked. There was usually only one reason that someone would be kept past their original prayer's goals, and that would be a blessing. A god's blessing was often hard to attain, even harder to keep, as more often than not, those blessings would fade if the god found anything poor with their filial ability, so it was reasonable for the vision to bow low before it. For the child though, it was simply a burden he didn't want to impose upon his godly father.

"No. I do not deserve such things."

"If I think you deserve them, then you do, so do not doubt my intentions. What other authority would you say could better judge you?" At this, the god stood up for the fist time in the entire conversation, and began walking downwards off his sitting rock, through the air. As he got closer to the vision, it began to shake violently, under the throes of emotion and also duress. This was something that did not happen often within Ounder's prayer circle, and it showed as the circle glowed and writhed in a sickly green light before it stilled within the air. It was only when a paw touched upon his child's back, that the shaking and screeching of magic had stopped.

"I name thee Champion of the Wilds and of Beast. May you walk unhindered by peer and those of lowly station. May my power flow through you along with my will as you walk the lands. May your claws find victory, and your hide go untarnished." As the ceremony played out, the vision began to get clearer and clearer within the glade, seemingly emanating from its father's touch. It's form twitched slightly, before gaining definition, and dimension, beyond what the light gave it.

"Now that you have been appointed this station, I hope you can bring honor unto it." Plant nodded at his gods' words.

"By the way, there's been something bothering me about your name." Plant cocked his head.

"The skill makes everything a tad too literal for my tastes. Your name wasn't supposed to literally be Plant. It may be what it's translated as, but the meaning behind the name is unimportant. It is exactly what it should sound like, Kojo." Kojo nodded.

"Before I bid you leave, there's something that I would have you do." A screen appeared in front of Kojo.

"This, is the result of your new vocation. You can now understand the common tongue of bipeds, as well as, read their language. This makes the Voice much easier to understand, as well as, more integrated within you. Your abilities will be far better understood now that I've given the meaning behind their actions. There's also something else. I've left you some...new abilities for you to figure out, ones I haven't yet thoroughly explained. I hope you use them well." He gestured towards the bottom of the list.

"However, I think that perhaps you'll find this one particularly helpful when trying to join your friend inside places which you cannot go." Kojo stared at the last line a bit before grinning.

"Thank you. For all you've done, my god." Ounder tilted his head.

"It was of no real consequence. Let it not be known I do not help my children if I am able." He nodded his head downwards towards the runic circle.

"You should probably go soon. Since you were not within my temple, I had to bring you to me. This, unfortunately, was done more in body than mind however, and some might question where you are if you spend anymore time here." Kojo nodded before he touching something only he could see, and then vanishing without a trace. Ounder looked around the silent glade before sighing. It wasn't often he held 'good' company, and it saddened him that he had to send them away so soon.

Of course, in his mind he knew it had to be done. After all, as all things are with the gods, this was calculated. Albeit, with the child's best interests in mind. If he wanted to pick a champion, there was no better to pick. This was a fusion that hadn't been seen in awhile after all, only appearing once or twice before near dreadful swamps. It would be rather unfortunate if he hadn't been able to capitalize on it before Groud could. Plus, this let him get a fair bit closer to smelling where exactly the Newcomer was. So far, he had gotten scents of grasses and flowers, and the slight scent of wood and sand. There were a couple of places like that that he knew of, fewer still that had cities nearby. Ounder could only hope he could find it faster than any other god here. His and Naron's grand plan was at stake, after all.