Chapter Text
Leshy had been running for hours. After the heretics broke into their house, Heket picked up the nearest axe and began to fight back, Kallamar went to get flowers in the morning, and Shamura shouted at them to run away. Of course, he ran: the worm was still too young, too weak, and fighting a dozen heretics of the Old Faith was like going to the slaughterhouse.
So, like the last coward, he fled, feeling the moisture from his one eye wetting the leafy fur on his cheeks.
It rolled down, blurring his vision, but Leshy ran on. Not seeing, not knowing, and trying not to hear the screams of his family. Already at the edge of the forest, near the old lighthouse, he decided to catch his breath and bury himself deeper under one of the bushes with berries that grew in the garden of the locals.
Usually, deep underground, in a mixture of roots and dirt, he felt calm. His body merged with the loose soil, he felt like an extension of his body. But now this warm, humid place only made him feel sad with its cosiness, reminding him of the home he had left behind.
The worm is not even sure where he is, or whether his family is alive. He only knows that he lost one brother that morning. Everyone heard Narinder's scream, and he felt his boots on the blood-stained dirt.
The whole situation seemed so surreal to Leshy. This year, they had just celebrated his 18th birthday, and Shamura said a few words about how “he has his whole life ahead of him, and so many interesting adventures, travels, and events await him.”
However, they did not specify that these adventures would take place without the participation of his family.
It would seem that during these several hours of non-stop running, he should have cried all his tears, but they treacherously seeped through his eyelid and wet the already damp soil. Leshy does not know what to do. He just doesn't know how to go on living, and breathing without the people he loves. He wanted to believe that this was all a bad dream, that he would wake up screaming, frightening poor Kallamar, who hadn't gone to sleep during his “scientific impulse,” and laughingly go to the kitchen to help Hecate with breakfast. Or to the field to Nari.
However, the crimson streaks on his tail and the burning pain in his legs told him that this was definitely not a dream, but a harsh reality he had fallen into.
He wanted to ask the world: why did we have to do this? What did they all do so badly to suffer like this?
Maybe in a past life? Narinder spoke about the beliefs of the Death Cult, rebirth, and the sins we carry from our old lives.
Perhaps somewhere out there, once upon a time, he had done something so terrible, so taboo, that it made Fate's fur stand up, a crime that didn't even warrant the thought of pardon.
But now he is just a small worm crouched in his hole, shedding tears over his broken life. Who knew that it only takes one cold morning to destroy a decade-long idyll?
With these thoughts, Leshy closed his eyes and hugged his long tail, looking for a drop of comfort. Later, his nerves and hours of tireless running would help him fall into a restless but sound sleep.
Leshy woke up in a cage. His hands shackled and his head covered with a sack were not what he wanted to be in. It seems that he dug himself in too dirty, or in a place where he was in the way, which is why he was dumped asleep by the slave traders.
Or to the cultists, if he was less fortunate.
The cart he was riding in moved slowly and clumsily, constantly bumping into various stones or holes in the road, and instead of the sound of animal paws, he heard unpleasant slippery, gurgling sounds. It was awkward, uncomfortable, and scary. Ordinary people did not use monsters to transport prey. Moreover, their prey was never other intelligent animals.
“Hey, what the hell!” Leshy shouted from his place in the cage and tried to stand up, which instantly gave him a lump on the top of his head.
“Ugh, Rob, I told you we should have found the damn thing's mouth and wrapped it up tight.”
“Holy Chaos, I think you can survive a couple of hours of him screaming, nothing bad will happen. This guy is too weak and frail, you saw how skinny his body is, I'm sure he'll cry a little and calm down.”
Still, they are cultists.
Leshy was outraged. How could they lock him up in a cage like a wild animal, and even show such contempt? Who do they think they are to behave like that? Narinder had always told him to keep his back straight and nose high because even though they are simple villagers, they still have the pride of a living being.
So he would scream. He banged his head against the bars, swayed in different directions, which almost made him topple over with the cage, whimpered and roared so loudly that he nearly tore his throat out. At first, the two priest-hunters ignored him, but after the tenth “suck it, you cowardly bastards,” the girl's patience broke.
Through gritted teeth, she ordered the worms to stop the cart and standing on it, she opened the iron door with a slight wave of her hand. The cage itself was small, and she didn't have to reach far to grab the guy inside by the leg and squeeze him tightly.
“Listen up, loser, you're a future sacrifice for our precious goddess, and she doesn't tolerate screaming, snotty fools like you. Within the hour, we'll bring you to the main temple and if you don't learn to be quiet and sit with your head down like a good sacrifice, I will personally rip your windpipe out of that thin neck and stuff your mouth with hot iron wherever your filthy mouth is, do you understand?”
Of course not, so Leshy simply crushed the girl's hand with his foot. The girl squeaked loudly, and the cage door creaked as she stepped inside and grabbed the worm by the collar. Throwing Leshy to the ground, she sat on his chest and ripped the bag off his head.
A bright light hit his split pupil, the claws around his eye fluttered, and he raised his hand above his head, but the furious fox grabbed his wrist and pinned him to the ground. The dagger in her other hand, freshly sharpened and dull with blood, swooped over the worm's forehead and came to rest an inch from his forehead.
“Dan, give me a rag soaked in paralytic poison, I'm going to calm this violent bird down with the best method of the Silk Cradle troops. And you, dear, open your mouth, or I'll tear out your eyes and feed them to your less intelligent relatives,” the fox growled, waiting for her victim to obey the order in fear.
And Leshy did not mind obeying. That was exactly what he wanted from her.
When the brown hamster brought the girl what she asked for and she dropped her dagger, Leshy opened his "mouth".
His eye, huge, no smaller than an apple, suddenly flew out of its orbit and hit the cultist, only to disappear in a second deep in the worm's throat. Now, a large, round mouth full of sharp teeth opened and snapped in front of the two priests, causing them to jump away from the worm in fright.
The small eyes hidden under the leaves on either side of its “mouth” came out and now Leshy, with his newfound weapon - a fox dagger a minute ago - slowly walked toward the sectarians.
His teeth were chattering in his throat, his fangs twitching playfully as his long tongue licked them.
“Now who's the ‘violent bird’ that needs to be calmed down?” the worm asked, pointing his blade at the others.”
“W-what are you! A monster like you shouldn't exist!
“Call me whatever you want, but I'm not staying here any longer, so give me your supplies, clothes, and information on how to get to neutral lands! Believe me, my teeth haven't torn through fresh raw meat in a long time, and they itch to sink into something else alive and warm!”
The two cultists shouted at these threats, and Leshy felt thirsty. Thirsty for the power he had just gained. Who knew that mere mortals were so afraid of his body, of the peculiarities that nature had given the worm?
He was so mesmerized by this that he did not notice the shadow that quietly loomed over the three animals.
The air grew hot. The tension strained every square centimetre of oxygen, and the cultists who were nervously looking up at Leshy began to sweat and yelp nervously as the huge yellow cat cast a fascinated “look” at the worm.
A green crown hovering over a yellow head, black robes covered with gilded threads and bandages covered with black god's blood, which tightly wrapped around the thin face of the goddess of Chaos. The cultists probably saw their goddess so close for the first time, so they didn't know how to bow, how low, because for them falling into the very paws of this creature was not enough.
Leshy was surprised: why should these cruel priests bow to him, when he had done nothing?
And the moment he hid his mouth behind the huge eye again, he noticed a huge shadow hiding his own. Slowly, awkwardly, Leshy turned around.
"Uh. Hello?
"Hello” the goddess answered, tilting her head, “why are you here, child of Chaos?"
But Leshy did not serve her. Why does she call him her child? How annoying.
"I am not some pathetic follower of your false faith! They brought me here, but I won't submit to this 'sacrifice for Chaos' bullshit."
"That's right. You can't kill something as interesting as this for a few drops of loyalty."
What?
She picks it up with her big claws and brings it to her face to inhale the smell of damp earth, herbs, and camellias. Leshy squeaked in surprise when Chaos herself began to rub him against her cheek and purr in interest. One of her vibrations even hit his eye.
"Goddess, what are you doing with this monster!"
"Monster? How dare you not see the beauty of this creature. I am blind, but I don't need eyes to see how beautiful it is! I need to know more about you, little worm, we will go to my temple immediately!"
Leshy became numb. He relaxed his jaw and his eye fell right into the palm of the goddess's hand in shock. She just giggled happily and pressed the worm closer to her face.
“But, your Divinity, he is a heretic, and must be sacrificed!"
"Silence!” The snarl pierced every letter of her order, and both sectarians instantly fell to the ground, hitting their foreheads on the paved road. They were trembling, but Leshi didn't know if it was from fear. “For disobedience, you will both be whipped 10 times in the main square of the cult and within 20 days sacrificed during the harvest festival. Right now, you come back to the temple and tell the head deacon what I said, is that clear?"
The two men tried to lower their heads, but there was nowhere to go.
The goddess spoke no more. She just snorted and hugged the worm and muttered a spell, and Leshy felt the ground suddenly get closer and the cat seemingly shorter. He had to get away from here as soon as possible, maybe he could still get out of the cat's clutches if he just twisted his body harder. Wriggling, he managed to slip his head between her middle and index fingers, but no more: when he blinked, they were already in the unknown room.
Luxuriously cluttered with a large pile of blankets and pillows in the centre, it scared Leshy more than anything he had seen so far.
“This is my room, little one,” the goddess purred and put the worm on one of the pillows, “Sit still, I'll find some nice clothes for you, you'll like them."
"No! Why did you steal me? Why do you need me!” the worm asked her. “I mean, really, why would a goddess want a heretic like him?"
“I don't know, I'd really like to talk to you, but I just felt like it, so I took it. Why, is something wrong? "
The cat turned around, and through her bandage, her eyebrow raised. She had already taken out a couple of armfuls of cloth from the closet, and now she stopped and muttered something about the clothes being too big, while her guest's anger grew in his heart.
“I'm not going to serve you, you stupid cat!” roared Leshi, getting up from the pillow, “I'm going to run away from here and go where I want, and I don't care what some goddess thinks! I'm an atheist to the core, so goodbye id-"
But they grabbed him again and carried him away in an unknown direction.
Leshy struggled, desperately pulling away and scratching at his captor's yellow fur, but she held him firmly between her two paws. The soft pads of her palms pressed pleasantly on him, creating a phantom feeling of comfort. If only it weren't for the anger and desire to get out of here that was boiling inside the worm like a pot of fish soup...
Perhaps he would have fallen asleep here.
They walked along the majestic corridors of the Palace of Chaos, which was hidden far in the depths of the Dark Wood. Leshy had never seen this temple-they, the apostates and the non-believers, had no business wandering into the territory of the gods. But he had to admit that it was stunningly beautiful. Long stone columns entwined with vines, colourful tapestries, fancy paintings and statues. Everything looked so chaotic but majestic at the same time.
And most importantly, there were trees instead of ceilings. Their branches covered the entire temple with a strong roof, creating a beautiful installation where nature and the hand of an intelligent being collided.
It was incredible.
After a while, when Leshy gave up trying to escape and just “enjoyed” the trip, they reached the rooms where the faithful lived. There, at the end of the corridor, on one of the doors hung a sign with a picture of tailor's gear. The goddess took one hand away from Lesha and began to feel the walls near each door. The worm didn't know what she was looking for, but when the goddess's fingers caught on a series of dots protruding from the stone, she smiled.
She knocked on the tailor's shop and an old marten came out.
“Good day, my lady, what can this worthless believer do for you?"
"Hello, Charlie, I don't need any help, but my little guest could use a change of clothes to something more decent. I can't see, but I don't want my lovely visitors to be adorned in rags instead of gilded fabrics."
The vein on Leshy's face swelled. This garment was made by Shamura, and what if it is now dirty and covered in burdock, it is still beautiful!
"This believer will not disgrace you in the face of a guest, my lady” the marten replied, bowing low. Leshy could hear the vertebrae in her old back crunching, but the old woman did not show any signs of it.
“Ha-ha-ha, very well, then I will wait for the best result. Dress and feed my worm, and after the evening sermon, take him to my bedroom. We'll have a lot to talk about, ha-ha."
The goddess dropped the worm from her hands directly onto the stony floor and disappeared into the black portal with a laugh.
Hesitantly, Leshy looked at the old lady and took her outstretched hand. He rose, and she turned around and let him into a small room, dotted with colorful pieces of fabric.
There were many notes on the walls, and more than a dozen scissors, needles, and other things on the floor, but the dressmaker skillfully stepped over each of them, as if she knew what was where. She didn't even look at her feet.
Order in chaos, she said.
“What's your favourite colour?” Grandma asked when the boy closed the door and sat down on the pink couch.
"I don't know, green and red, I guess. I haven't thought about it. At home, I got most of my clothes from my elders, and the oldest ones made new ones according to their taste. "
"Oh, I see, what about black? I think it would look gorgeous on you."
The worm nodded, and with that, the marten began to write something on the paper next to her. After a couple of minutes, she gave him a sheet in her claws with a sketch of simple short pants, just below the knees, and a shirt with a midriff cut.
"It looks comfortable."
"That's good. Let's take your measurements, then we'll go eat, and while you finish eating, I'll sew it up. How's that?"
Of course, it's great! Because of all these events, Leshy was very hungry. He wasn't going to tell this, he was in the enemy's lair, and Shamur had taught him to be careful in enemy territory. But he could eat. Just not much and smell it first.
He jumped off the couch and within 10 minutes of measuring, he was walking along the corridors of the palace with the marten, whistling in anticipation. She was old, a little frail, so he took his time, looking around and searching for the germs of harmony in what was called the rule of Chaos.
There was something so magical about it if only he knew what it was.
After three huge corridors and a public library that looked more like a book dump that would have given his elders a heart attack, they reached a hall full of cultists and adherents of the Old Faith. Animals, birds, and insects in black robes decorated with a green gradient and light green inserts. The same were fluttering on the backs of his brother's killers.
Gritting his teeth but readying his claws, Leshy followed the marten into the most empty corner of the room to a small, lonely table opposite a tapestry of red flowers. After placing the worm at the table, the old woman bowed to him and asked him to wait.
He felt uncomfortable in this place. Previously, all the corridors and places in the temple seemed so empty, as if there were only the marten, him, and the crazy blind goddess. But the reality was harsher. One of the people who broke into his room and almost pierced his throat was a hunter in a black and green robe. Heket had managed to kill the abomination before he plunged his blade into the worm's skull, but now he was curious.
I wonder if there are any comrades of that bastard among all these faces. Are there those who aspired to be in his place and to make a campaign against the last decent black cat in these lands? Are there mourners who will sing tearful heroic songs about those who fell in the struggle against his family? Are there people like them here: relatives of this fool who are now angry with them all for the death of their loved one, despite the fact that they attacked first?
These thoughts made his stomach churn, and he was no longer hungry. He had to get away from this place, and as far away as possible.
Leshy got up from his chair and quickly, as quietly as possible, disappeared behind the open door.
They were looking for him all over the church. He heard a marten running around and almost tearfully begging the boy to come back. He heard unfamiliar voices that probably did not know what kind of worm they were looking for. They shouted “honoured guest!” or “visitor of the goddess,” but never “Leshy.”
And that's what Kallamar always called him.
Of the five, he was the best at hide and seek. His body only required him to close his eyes to hide as best he could. Only occasional laughter could give him away. Right now, a lump stuck in his throat prevented him from giggling with joy at winning the game.
He was sitting on one of the branches of a tree that grew in the middle of the temple. His body matched the colour and texture of the tree perfectly, and now Leshy quietly contemplated the cultists bustling around below.
He was very hungry, tired, and angry, but there was no way he was getting down from that damn tree. Let them all be torn to pieces by that crazy girl, he doesn't care.
He does not pity the murderers who so coldly dare to genocide an entire species, for those involved who carry out insidious orders, and for the silent ones who hide their discontent or give tacit approval.
"Sir, please come out, we beg you! I don't know what frightened you so much, but have mercy on our heads! The lady will be here soon, and if she sees you're not here..."
"Who's not here?"
The yellow cat suddenly appeared in the middle of the room, covered in blood and with a very irritated eyebrow.
“M-My goddess, forgive us, I-I did everything as you ordered, I took your guest to the d-dining room, and before I knew it, he had escaped.” The marten fell to the stone floor. "But we will find him, we beg you to give us some time!"
"Hmm, why look for it if it's in a tree?"
The cat was still staring at her tailor when her hand swung sharply into the air and pointed to the spot where the worm was hiding right now. Leshy's heart fluttered, and he instantly got up from his hiding place and began to fight his way through the thick branches of the ceiling to freedom. Sweat rolled down his forehead, and below him, noisy cultists were already climbing a tree to get him. A little more, he can see the light. The third time he will not make a mistake and will definitely escape!
“My boy, why do you always run away?” the goddess asked when he was in her arms again in an instant.
The sharpened claws gently held the worm by the collar of his pyjamas, and the disgusting smell of blood and dirt hit the boy's nose as the goddess brought him closer to her face.
"What if, no, please..."
"You're so cute, your whimpering makes me happy,” the goddess purred as she hugged Leshy like a doll, tickling him under the chin and stroking his damp cheeks, ”I already sent that loser to finish your clothes and bring your dinner to me. I don't want to risk it again, so for now, you'll stay in the bedroom. Don't worry, it's isolated, you won't get out now."
For the second time that day, Leshy felt his heart run away from its place right to the tip of his dull tail. It was too much for today. He was incredibly tired, the adrenaline that had been rushing through his body after waking up in the cage had long since worn off, leaving only a buzzing, burning pain in his calves.
Leshy honestly didn't want to give up. He wouldn't, but now, huddled against the black robes, he only wanted to sleep and cry. The second one more.
They came back to the same room where they had started, and the cat put him on his makeshift bed, the pillows soft, stuffed with probably the softest goose feathers, and the blanket loose and light. He would have fallen asleep if not for his heart pounding in his chest.
The cat runs her finger over the top of his head one last time to get up and go to the table. It was getting dark outside, so she lit the candles and began to write something. Her crown glowed brightly and floated around the table as if scanning everything around her.
The sound of the feathers circling quietly on the paper soothed him, reminding him of the cat that on quiet nights painted the forest scenery outside the window in an old album found among the ashes.
At some point, a bear and a goose came into the room: one was carrying oatmeal with a pile of meat, and the other was holding the promised robe. The cat didn't pay much attention to this, allowing the worm to eat and change his clothes in silence. The porridge warmed his exhausted body as the new clothes softly covered his physique like a second skin. The green crown's eye twitched toward Leshy.
After dinner and a short fitting of the outfit, during which the goose flapped its wings and whispered with delight about the “perfect look,” Leshi wrapped himself in warm blankets again took in a full lungful of air and asked the goddess
One word, quietly, almost in a whisper, escaped through his eye. It seemed like a single word, but it was so heavy on his tongue and heart.
“Why?"
"Am I lighting a candle? “I don't know, just inertia,” the cat said.
“No, I mean, why do you need me? I don't want to be here, you don't want to listen to the noise in the church because of my attempts to escape. So why do you need me?"
"Oh, so while I was gone you managed to escape not once but twice?
"I'm talking about future attempts, you silly fool."
He expected the goddess to tear him apart for the insult, but she just laughed out loud.
“Come on, I love chaos! Literally, it's what I've been ruling over for over two thousand years. I am pleased when my followers run in a panic, fuss when water carts arrive during a “mysterious” arson, the animals are shocked, their eyes bug out, you know? This is what fills me with their faith. They think that chaos is something without which their life is impossible, and so they accept all the hardships. The perfect follower of chaos is scared but determined to move forward! And you are the perfect embodiment of it. Although I've said it before, haha."
"I have no idea where I am the embodiment of chaos. A simple worm" stars, let him fall underground, this cat wants to overwhelm him with compliments.
"A mere worm with five eyes!” the cat shouted from her desk as her crown flew right up to Leshy's nose, ”One of which could be hiding in your throat!"
She jumped off the chair with a light leap and began to slowly creep up on the worm, who had pulled the blanket tighter around him. For some reason, only now, when she was hovering over his body, did he realize how big the goddess was. It was as tall as his house, including the chimney, and they had a tall chimney.
"I wonder what other secrets this body hides. There are many creatures of your kind roaming the DarkWood, but none of them are capable of the amazing things you kindly showed those lowlifes. I have never seen a more interesting creature than you. Not before I lost my sight, not since. So don't be shy, little one, show the goddess more."
A soft paw poked him in the cheek.
"You are blind, aren't you?"
"I can only see for a short time because of the crown."
That is, all this time when the crown flew up to him and began to circle, she was “looking” at him.
“You're so curious, child, so what else can you do?” she asked, her whole body twitching in anticipation.
“Don't wag your tail, I'll show you if I want to!"
"And you don't want to?
"No, damn it!” Leshy growled.
In response, the cat stopped. The corners of her mouth dropped down, and her body shrank and fell on the bed next to the worm. Her big paws hugged the blankets in which the boy was hiding, and a purr came from her chest. It was a familiar sound, but I wish it was not so familiar.
"I must have tired you out today. You've had a very hard day, and I'm here with my questions,” she whispered, gently tapping the mound of blankets. ”The War always blames me for being too curious, but I can't help it: the world is so amazing, and when you can see less than an hour a day, the desire to learn more and more just keeps coming."
His heart pounded as the goddess began to speak to him in a gentle voice, her demeanour suddenly turned upside down. Can gods really do that?
"I rarely tell anyone about my past. Although there is nothing to tell. I had no family, and I got the crown at a very early age when I tried to crawl into a bird's nest to get its eggs. In no time, I was not hungry, but I had more and more questions, and no food to feed my curious brain. Then the Pestilence found me. It became my father, and Death, Famine and War became my brothers and sisters. I don't like the Goat and the Lamb, but I like the other two. They are my everything. Even after the Lamb incident, though, we started to grow apart.”
Slowly, the bandage over her eyes began to become covered with wet spots. Not red or black. She pressed her paw to the bandages, trying to brush away the tears, but the soft fabric had already absorbed them.
“Well, when I found something as interesting as you, I thought, ‘This is it,’ a creature that will satisfy this thirst for knowledge in me. Neither War nor the Pestilence have answered any of my questions over the last century. So if you allow me to ask you, I will be very happy."
Leshy tensed up.
"What's in it for me?"
“Honor and glory within the walls of my temple and in the lands of Chaos,” the cat answered.
“But what if I don't care about that? What if I just want to go home to the people I care about? You have relatives, you know what it's like. So why torture me with it?"
The yellow eyebrows furrowed, and the small mouth opened. The cat seemed to realize, but at the same moment, she snapped her fingers in the air.
"Then I'll let you go!"
Leshy got up from his hiding place and looked at the inverted triangles. "Really?"
"Yes, if someone takes you away."
The goddess's words were full of mockery. The high, slightly squeaky tone, devoid of the previous gloom, full of squeals and giggles, hinted at her true thoughts. But Leshy knew that he would not be abandoned, that his family was already waiting on the doorstep of this madwoman and her own relatives. In the meantime, he would do whatever it took to survive.
"The deal."
