As the sun moved towards the far horizon and their village continued to pour smoke into the sky at their backs, the remaining lud followed Callan into the Badlands.
At first, he had been hopeful they would be able to reach Xeph’s temple before full dark, but it quickly became apparent that wasn’t going to happen. Admittedly, Callan had been assuming his priests represented the slowest in the village, but it seemed Tervak had actually chosen rather well. It wasn’t unusual to see lud that were half Shamain’s age struggling to keep up with the cackling crone.
Adding to the troubles were a small horde of sobbing children, elders being assisted along by family, and their many wounded. Besides his two priests, Callan suspected there wasn’t a single person who had come away from that battle unscathed. Mentally, if not physically.
The only silver lining was that their number of actual casualties—both from the battle and the fire afterwards—was relatively light. Including Tervak and Aldis, only eight lud out of the seventy-some who had called the village home had been lost.
Thinking about either of those two left a painful ache in Callan’s chest, but especially Tervak. The elder lud had literally saved Callan’s life at the cost of his own. That was a debt he wasn’t entirely sure he would ever live up to repaying.
Never mind that he also really wished he had the man’s sage advice right about now. Suddenly finding himself the leader of a veritable troop of followers was extremely daunting.
In fact, every time one of Xeph’s new followers caught his eye and tried to approach, Callan felt his breath catch in his throat, his whole body wanting to flee like a panicked deer. Luckily, Kivi was never far away to help redirect them, offering words of comfort or advice as needed. Once, she looked back at him and gave a reassuring smile, but otherwise seemed to respect Callan’s need for privacy.
Since leaving his thoughts to their own devices would eventually just force him to relive the battle and everything that had gone wrong, Callan focused himself onto other topics instead. Luckily, there was a rather big one at hand.
With a mental swipe, he brought up his stat screen.
Name: Xeph-Zul-Karatl (3rd Sphere)
Avatar: Callan Whitlocke (Trueborn Human)
-STATISTICS-
Brawn: 10
Momentum: 7
Fortitude: 10
Concentration: 7
Influence: 7
Piety: 10
-BOUNTIES-
God Bond: Talc – VIII
Manifestation: Mountainform
Orison slot 1: Shape Stone (Talc - II)
Orison Slot 2: Wurmchain (Talc - I)
-DISPENSATIONS-
Perk 1: *Available*
-DOGMA-
Total Followers: 73
Available Faith: 62
Conviction: 0/5
Conviction Rate: 4/week
Temples: 1/1
Domain: 10 yd
APOTHEOSIS: 0/25%
The first thing he noticed was the boost in his stats. He had gained a total of seven points in each and every one in a single sweep, which seemed significant, but honestly, he wasn’t sure he noticed a real difference. For instance, was his speed any faster thanks to Momentum? Or it might be he simply couldn’t tell because his Concentration was also up.
Curious, he bent down and retrieved a fist-sized rock. Stretching back, he hurled it to one side as hard as he could, the stone sailing into the distance and hitting the ground with a soft whump.
All conversation among the lud stopped and turned in the rock’s direction. When nothing further happened, it gradually resumed.
Hmm. That seemed like it went further than it should have, but honestly Callan still wasn’t certain.
Enjoying yourself, mortal? You’re making that ‘hmm’ noise an excessive amount once again.
“Am I? Huh. Hadn’t even noticed.”
Is there something bothering you?
“No? Maybe?” Callan frowned, then tried again. “All my stats got seriously boosted with all of these new followers, but I haven’t really noticed much difference.”
Ah, of course. It is the same with every mortal newly come into their godhood. You get but a taste of the power I offer, and already you desire more.
“It’s less ‘desire’ and more just trying to understand how all of this works. Like, take Brawn. It’s over three times more than it was when we left the temple, so shouldn’t it be enhancing my strength three times as much? Yet it barely seemed to make a difference when I tossed that stone.”
Perhaps your hand-eye coordination is simply out of practice.
“Shouldn’t Concentration be helping with that as well? Or am I misunderstanding that statistic’s purpose?”
No, no, you’re not wrong, not entirely. I suspect this all comes from a fundamental misunderstanding of how my enhancements work. Even though an increase of six points seems significant, compared to how far your stats may rise as you step further into the role of my avatar, it is a bare drop in the bucket. You will not even be pushing past the realm of what an ordinary human is capable of until you start to reach beyond one hundred.
Callan blinked at that. “A hundred? That seems high. Exactly what is the upper limit, anyway?”
I do not know. I have never possessed sufficient followers to reach an upper limit, nor has any other god I have encountered.
“Well, I guess that gives me a goal to shoot for.” Still, if Xeph was right, then he had a long ways to go. Especially if one hundred was barely cracking what body builders and extreme athletes were capable of.
Moving on, he noticed his god bond had increased to Talc — VIII. Intuition and prior video game experience made Callan suspect that this maxed out at X, but what the tier after might be, or how many there were in total was anyone’s guess.
Wait. Xeph would know, of course, assuming the facts weren’t still compressed or whatever. He’d have to ask the god later. For now, he simply focused and brought up the bond’s details.
God Bond: Talc — VIII
Reduces Apotheosis cost of all bounties by 40%
Followers to next level: 80
His follower requirements were still relatively low, though he doubted it would stay that way for long. Still, at least through this tier, he seemed to go up every ten followers.
Next on the list was Dispensations, whatever that meant. Callan focused on the part that said *available*, and immediately a large box filled his vision.
You may choose one of the following Dispensations:
Wax — For every point of Conviction spent, increase the level of a single Orison by 1 level for the next hour. May not exceed current tier using this ability.
Wane — For every point of Conviction spent, a target of your choice loses access to a single one of its bounties for the next minute. Other avatars are unaffected by this.
“Okay, new question.”
You are wondering your Dispensations, yes? Xeph let out a gravelly chuckle. They are gifts freely offered when you reach the fifth level of any given tier, though most have an associated cost to activate. Unlike your Orisons, they do not increase in power, nor can they be shared with followers, so you need not choose them as carefully.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
“I dunno, seems like something I should choose with all the more care. If they’re just for me, they’re bound to be useful, right?” Callan studied over the list. Two choices, both quite different from each other.
Wax seemed more general use, a way to add a bit of an edge to any of his abilities. So far, the only one of his orisons that he had leveled up was Shape Stone, and all it had done was add an incremental difference to the range. Would that change with higher tiers? An ability like that might prove a useful investment for the future, if that were the case.
The other Dispensation, Wane, was the complete opposite. Callan couldn’t help but feel a little cheated that he hadn’t possessed the ability before the battle with Ligo. It certainly would have left him at less of a disadvantage. Then again, he’d been short on Conviction by the time that fight started, so maybe it wouldn’t have mattered too much.
The ability wasn’t useful against another avatar, but against any more priests it could prove a lifesaver. Ultimately, it came down to which he thought would be more to his advantage—buffing himself up or nerfing his opponents.
“How much should I expect my Orisons to change in future tiers?” he asked.
Hmm. Interesting question. Generally, an Orison will increase with utility for every level, and gain more power with the advancement to the next tier. They will also change in capacity at varying intervals—we call it ‘evolving’, but you may be unfamiliar with the term yet on Earth. It refers to when a plant or animal—
“Yeah, no worries there. The theory of evolution has been around for at least a century or so back home.”
Theory? Xeph huffed in indignation. It is more than a mere theory! Why, the advanced minds of my fellow deities more than proved the application of such principles when we crafted the first of the elevated races!
“So as far as my orisons go, you’re saying that until they jump to the next tier, I should only expect to see changes in range and such?” Callan asked, pointedly trying to bring the conversation back on topic.
That is correct.
“Okay. I think I know what to choose.” Looking over the options again, Callan selected Wane. While he might be shooting himself in the foot with lost utility, something told him that the next time he encountered the followers of another god, he’d be glad for the ability.
And there would be a next time, of that he was certain.
Decision made, he turned to the last section of his sheet, the one he’d been looking forward to the most. Sixty-two faith. Sixty-two points of potential possibility, and so many options for how to spend them. He was almost giddy at the thought.
Part of him wanted to drop them all immediately into his Fortitude, all the better to help fight off any lingering effects of his cancer, but after Xeph’s explanation about the range of his stats, he was a little more hesitant to do so right off the bat.
Instead, he looked at his Orisons. He’d already increased Shape Stone way back at the beginning of this adventure, but never put any into Wurmchain. He was curious exactly what sort of effect doing so might have.
He dropped a single point into the orison.
You have improved the orison: Wurmchain to Talc — II
Length increased to 7 feet.
Total cost = 1 Faith
Callan blinked. That was... huh. The same increase in terms of measurement, but as far as actual utility, it was a significantly better improvement than what he’d gotten out of Shape Stone. Curious, he started adding more points.
You have improved the orison: Wurmchain to Talc — X
Length increased to 15 feet.
Total cost = 8 Faith
Yep. It kept increasing at one foot per level. Callan went to add another point of faith, but was stopped as an angry message appeared in his vision.
Error: You cannot increase this Orison further at this tier.
Cost to advance to next tier = 10 Conviction
“Oh Xeppppppppppphhhhhhhh...”
There was a drawn-out sigh. Yes, mortal?
“I can’t raise my Orison past level ten without paying Conviction.” He quickly glanced at his sheet. “Twice my max Conviction, in fact. Is it possible to pay this off in installments?”
Unfortunately, no. You will not be able to raise your Orisons to the next tier until your bond has reached it as well. It is another check on the system between us to ensure you do not burn yourself out with power you cannot handle.
“Huh. I’m going to have plenty of points to spend on stats then,” Callan said, glancing over his screen. Even if he maxed out Shape Stone as well, he’d still be awash in faith.
Yes, that is intentional by design. Early in our development, you should spend your focus increasing your body’s ability to handle the strain that later tiers will place upon it. While there may come a time when you will wish to husband your faith, to save a reserve for emergencies, for now I counsel you to spend what you have and improve yourself to the fullest.
“Alright, I can get behind that.” Callan added points to his Shape Stone orison, maxing its level as well.
You have improved the orison: Shape Stone to Talc — X
Range increased to 19 feet
Total cost = 8 Faith
With both his orisons maxed out for the moment, he still had 45 points left to play with. His attention returned to his stats. “All in on Fortitude, then?”
If that is your wish.
“It was a joke, actually, but now I’m tempted.” Callan frowned, looking over his sheet.
Perhaps a slight concentration to Fortitude, with the remaining points distributed evenly elsewhere? It would not do to ignore your other faculties merely for the sake of healing.
“Bah. You just have to suck all the fun and joy out of this process, don’t you?”
I’m merely suggesting what benefits our long-term survival most. However, they are your points, and there is no reason not to spend them frivolously if you wish. We are certain to earn more soon enough.
“No, now I’m not feeling frivolous anymore. I guess I’ll just take the cautious dad approach.” Even so, he dropped almost half the points, a full twenty faith, into Fortitude. The remaining 25 he spread evenly between the rest of his stats.
That finished, he was back to where he began, with only an hour or so of his time to show for it.
Callan’s eyes drifted back to Kivi. The girl was still doing a remarkable job of guiding and coaxing the villagers onward toward their destination. As he watched, a trio of younger lud women began approaching him, but Kivi intercepted before they got more than a dozen steps. She said something that Callan couldn’t make out, but all four women laughed together in a friendly way, and then the trio resumed marching with the rest of the village.
A smile lit Callan’s face. He recalled the conversation that he and Xeph had had several nights ago, and the decision they’d made. Now that the battle was over, it seemed like the time to talk with Kivi about it had come.
The only question was: how to broach the subject?
“You stare at that girl much longer, don’t be surprised if your eyes fall out of their sockets.”
Callan jumped, then turned a glare toward Shamain, who walked casually at his side, hands resting on the back of her head. She didn’t bother to look at him, so his disapproval was wasted. Not that it wouldn’t have been even if she were looking.
“How long have you been there?” he asked.
“Oh, I dunno, sometime since you started jabbering a bunch of nonsense to yourself.”
“It wasn’t nonsense. I was talking to Xeph.”
“That might be, but it still sounds like nonsense to anyone without a god in their head.” She let out a mad cackle.
“Is there something you need, Shamain?”
“Heh.” The woman twisted enough to gift him with a mad grin. “I see the way you’re looking at young Kivi over there, lad. Don’t think I haven’t got an idea of what’s going on. Had plenty of boys stare at myself the same way when I was her age.”
A chagrined smile flitted onto Callan’s lips. “It’s not what you think, I promise.”
“Oh, you don’t have to feign anything with me. I’m too old to care what young people get up to anymore. Besides, you’re an avatar, not much I could do to stop you even if I wanted to.” When Callan opened his mouth to protest further, Shamain bulled on. “I just wanted to give you a fair warning, lad. Kivi’s heart already belongs to another. Not saying it isn’t worth the effort, just know that you’ll be fighting an uphill battle from the start.”
“Because of Mirdelre?” he asked, hedging a guess. Shamain looked at him in surprise.
“The girl told you, did she?”
Callan shook his head. “Tervak mentioned the name in passing once. That was her master’s son, right? The one who was taken up north by Zavastu?”
“Him and his father Parias, both.”
Another memory returned to Callan, and he frowned as he asked, “You once suggested she’d prefer the return of one of them over the other. Why is that?”
Shamain was silent a moment before answering. “How much do you know about lud society, lad?”
“Assume I know absolutely nothing,” Callan said with a grin. “Like I’m from another planet entirely.”
“Another planet. Of all the foolish nonsense.” Shamain shook her head. “Kivi was Daisa. That means she was part of the lowest caste in our village. She was bound to an Etruscian family that saw to her well-being. Not an easy life, but there’s certainly harder ones out there.
“Now, a lud can move up or down in caste through marriage, but only the women. Don’t hear of too many men ever marrying above their caste, but the opposite... well, it’s not exactly uncommon for a girl to try and improve her standing through marriage, by whatever means necessary.”
It only took a moment for Callan to put the pieces together. “You think this Parias was worried Kivi was only after his son for his caste standing.”
“I’m not entirely certain. All I know is there was some sort of tension between him and Kivi for the last year or so. At first when she left her old master and moved into Parias’s house she seemed so happy, but then... perhaps I’m misunderstanding the situation. I’m an old woman, after all, and as like to view everything though my own lens of experience. But if I had to guess... I don’t think Kivi would have been utterly heartbroken if Mirdelre returned from up north and his father stayed behind.”
Shamain glanced away a moment, then shook her head and laughed. “Of course, Mirdelre might be surprised if he comes home thinking Kivi will be waiting for him. Not like she’ll marry the boy now.”
“Why not?” Callan asked. “Are... are priests not allowed to marry?”
Was that why Tervak had chosen from elders for the priesthood? Had he condemned Kivi to a life of loneliness by accepting her into the clergy?
Don’t be ridiculous, Xeph muttered. What sort of maniacal god would demand that of their followers, even their innermost circle? After all, we only require your faith. Why would we deny you the pleasures of existence as well, by which your faith gains its form and strength?
Shamain too was looking curiously at Callan. “It is because she is no longer Daisa caste. By taking her as a priest, you elevated her to the highest of levels, Leadership caste like myself. I can’t imagine she would give up that standing just for the sake of some meaningless ceremony. After all, she doesn’t have to marry the boy to enjoy what’s between his legs!”
“Uh, right.” Callan felt a blush tinge his cheeks. Shamain laughed at the sight of it and slapped his shoulder—or tried to. Her upper arm could barely reach his rib cage.
“Cheer up, lad. I’m rooting for you, not Mirdelre. You just have to convince her you have more to offer than that god hiding in your skull. Then maybe she’ll be enjoying what’s between your legs instead of Mirdelre’s!”
“I already told you, that isn’t what I—” His words were wasted, as Shamain was already wandering off elsewhere. Callan watched her go, then shook his head. What a ridiculous notion. There was nothing between him and Kivi beyond their connection through Xeph.
Right?
Glancing up, he noticed Kivi watching him. A wide grin crossed her face, and she waved. He waved back halfheartedly.
“Hey, Xeph, there aren’t any rules or taboos about an avatar dating someone in the priesthood, are there?”
No more than there is for any other position of power. Why?
Callan looked at Kivi again, but she had already turned away to speak with a nearby elder. “No reason. No reason.”