“We've lost too many already. If it saves just one-”
“You'll be killing her yourself, dragging her all the way out here.”
“She's as good as dead without help.”
The voices rouse me from whatever dreamless sleep I fall into when nothing is happening. The voices are not very familiar, yet I'm sure I've heard them before. Two farmers are walking towards me, one half-leading, half-dragging a bedraggled and very lame sheep. Sheep? Konboo? Whatever.
Are these the two who helped fight off the guys in dark armour? I think they must be.
The one with the sheep takes a… a something from the woven satchel-type bag over his shoulder. It's a smallish, squat yellow-white cylinder, a thick disk. Is it cheese? He sets it on my flat top, a bit less carefully than I think he intended because of the sheep he's trying to hang on to. “You saved the child. Thank you. Please. The bandits drove away most of our animals. Can you save what we have left?”
Worship Points received: 1
He glares at the other farmer, who takes the hint and adds something to the offerings on top of me. It's quite small, white-ish, carved and then polished to a soft shine. It's shaped like some animal I don't recognise, with its mouth kind of… funnelled. I think maybe it's a whistle.
You have been offered Tribute! Do you accept Y/N
I only get one more Worship Point from accepting, but that gives me enough to work with. Should it be a Miracle or a Bless, though? In theory I can put more Worship Points into a Bless, but I only have two spare points anyway which is the same as a Minor Miracle.
It'll take a Miracle, I guess. Fix this sheep and help the rest of the animals find their way back home. A quick glance shows me that my Worship Points are once more at one. The sheep makes a sound like an angry toddler and bolts, trailing a rope from around its neck.
“Well, she's not limping,” Farmer Two remarks.
“Best go catch her before she strangles herself with the rope or runs off a cliff,” the other one says, and I panic. That's the only explanation I can give for why I throw away my last Point on an Inconsequential Miracle to avoid having the sheep I just helped wind up dead anyway.
Not again, I think in resignation as I slide into familiar darkness.
I am woken by a quiet chiming sound.
Worship Points received: 5
2 Worshippers gained.
Power gained.
Domain granted.
You have been offered Tribute! Do you accept Y/N
[MINOR ROCK NUMEN LEVEL 4
POWERS
Inconsequential Miracle (WP 1)
Minor Miracle (WP 2)
Bless (Max WP L)
Heal (Max WP L)
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Curse (Max WP L) ERROR: VERBAL COMMUNICATION REQUIRED
Sacrifice (*)
Vituperation (*) ERROR: VERBAL COMMUNICATION NORMALLY REQUIRED
WORSHIPPERS: 5
WORSHIP POINTS: 4
INFLUENCES
Life
Oblivion
Invective
DOMAINS
Invective ERROR: VERBAL COMMUNICATION REQUIRED. DOMAIN SUSPENDED
Livestock]
Two new Worshippers is good, but livestock? The what now? What is that? Why, why, why did I have to somehow kill the Voice? The Voice was irritating, but it was so much better than no information at all.
I read the message boxes again, and the part about Tribute reminds me to take a proper look around. Ganzor and DeeDee are there, and the other two farmers. No Namuna, but I am topped with a pile of intricate little baked pie cake things, the same as she brought when she did come to visit. There's a second, smaller, pile of cheeses. There's a whole armful of flowers, a bowl of probably-sausages, and a heavy pottery jug of liquid.
I accept the Tribute, and get a rush I've only ever experienced once before, the time I completed a half marathon. Ten more Worship Points. Ten!
Rewarding Followers is very rewarding. Maybe I’ve been lucky, but just to keep them on side, I use a one-Point Bless on all my Followers.
Please select the Influence you wish to exert with your Bless: Life/Oblivion/Invective
It takes a wrenching moment of mental focus to avoid sarcastically responding with Invective. What would that do anyway? Give them the gift of the gab when insulting people? Cure them of bad language? Life, of course life, and unless I say otherwise just assume it’s Life for all future use of Bless.
Follower elevated: Favoured of ERROR: CONDITION OUT OF BOUNDS
Seriously? I broke it again? And what about those five Worship Points, the ones that just vanished? Did my Followers just. get done out of a Bless because of a glitch?
Resolution found.
DeeDee gives a little gasp. “Papa! It spoke! It wants a name! It wants me to give it a name!”
The adults all take a step back from me. Ganzor places a hand on DeeDee's shoulder and pulls her towards himself. “Rock, please… don’t take my daughter away from me.”
No! No, no, not taking anyone from anyone! Dammit, it wasn’t me talking. Why are they all suddenly afraid? What sort of weirdo religions are they used to here, that they think they’d get their daughter taken away?
“It’s okay, Papa,” DeeDee says calmly, with the authority only a child can muster. “The rock finds things, it doesn’t take them. I’m going to name it Sandy.”
The adults freeze, clearly waiting for something.
Follower elevated: Favoured of Sandy
[SANDY
MINOR ROCK NUMEN LEVEL 4
POWERS
Inconsequential Miracle (WP 1)
Minor Miracle (WP 2)
Bless (Max WP L)
Heal (Max WP L)
Curse (Max WP L) ERROR: VERBAL COMMUNICATION REQUIRED
Sacrifice (*)
Vituperation (*) ERROR: VERBAL COMMUNICATION NORMALLY REQUIRED
WORSHIPPERS: 4
FAVOURED WORSHIPPERS: 1
WORSHIP POINTS: 9
INFLUENCES
Life
Oblivion
Invective
DOMAINS
Invective ERROR: VERBAL COMMUNICATION REQUIRED. DOMAIN SUSPENDED
Livestock]
DeeDee gives the men an arch look. “See? I TOLD you it would be okay. Can we go now? I'm hungry.”
I’m not really paying attention, because now I’m annoyed. Sandy is NOT my name. Not my REAL name. The Voice told me that numen don’t get a name until level ten, but then things got fiddled about with and now I’ve not even had a chance to choose what I’m called. I’m probably stuck with it for now, but as soon as I hit level ten, I’m getting my own name back. You hear me? I only got the name Sandy because of your stupid glitches. That’s on you. Not my fault if you couldn’t cope with someone being nice to the people keeping them alive.
I’m getting my name back, and I’m going home. And if I can break something else before I get home… well, listen. You help me get home, and I’ll try not to break anything else. You make things hard, and I’ll break everything I can. You know I’m not joking. You hear me?
Do. You. Hear. Me?
Okay. Guess I’ll just… wait and see.