Desecration Chapter97: Pitter Patter

We watched.

Watching was what we did.

We were a thing that pattered and squeaked and followed. That was our pattern. Our pattern was good. Comfortable. Happy. The giant with sharp ears scratched behind our ear. We squeaked rrily to show our appreciation. They said things with words we should not understand yet whose aning seared itself into our mind.

It wanted us to stop staring at the container.

But how could we? Red was the colour of the liquid it contained and it slled so delightful.

Sotis we took a few of the dried crusts left behind, but only when the giant wasn't looking. Sothing told us that they would not be happy if they saw. Our purpose was to make them happy!

So we waited, for now, as they made the red float.

srizing. We had not lived long, so maybe it was not strange. She was just the only one we had seen capable of sothing like this. Controlling sothing of such power with such ease.

It was strange, because they were not strong.

The thing in our head let his thoughts slip sotis. Sotis he thought about them. Worry. Sothing dangerous was focused on the giant. Sothing strong. We wondered what it was, but it was not our business so it was a simple curiosity. We made the giant happy.

That was all we did.

Well, we also ate cheese.

And corpses.

Corpses filled with the red.

So delectable.

They had a handful of it floating above their palm, sweat streaming down their face with the effort needed to keep it under their will. More than when they started this practice. Much more. Delight.

We were delighted.

"No"

The voice wasn't a voice, but communication in the purest form I could think of. Mortals used sothing so banal as lungs, air, and vocal cords to share their thoughts. Sothing that did the job fine, but had to be filtered through proper language, which made it primitive when compared to what the thing of mysteries used.

So might consider it beautiful, that biology found a way to supersede the need for that specific branch of magic. Through evolution or divine guidance, a thing capable of sharing complex thought was born to the world, and made it the dominant species precisely for that reason.

But when I heard my demon speak, I couldn't help but bow to the perfection of shared thought, even if it symbolized the eventual erosion of my sanity.

That didn't an that they weren't being an absolute shit stain in that mont.

"Co on you piece of shit," I grumbled. "Help out here, surely you know how to unlock the next spell? You're a demon! Your kind are supposed to be masters of magic, help and you'll be helping yourself too."

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"Don't. Care."

I grumbled in frustration as I laid there on my bed, the thing barely even communicated these days, and when it did it only did so to infuriate . Demons were bitches, that was an obvious fact of life, but it officially got the Yir seal of approval, which ant they were the bitchiest of bitches.

I sighed. "Can you at least point in the right direction?"

The demon tilted its head and rubbed its chin, but shook its head to indicate that it would continue its cunt streak.

The sheer indignity! I was giving the pompous imp free room and board in my soul and it didn't even bother to give advice. Goes to show my foolishness for expecting such a thing to have a modicum of decency.

"No luck?" Aira said as she looked over from the book she was reading.

I plopped my head on my pillow in proper rage and crossed my arms. "The absolute eedjit doesn't want to share their bountiful well of knowledge, all in favour of acting like a petulant child."

"Funny, coming from an actual child," Aira snickered.

"Don't side against ! The enemy is a literal demon, do you really want to side with a demon?"

"I'm not taking a side," Aira said, returning to her book. "Life's more complicated than that, a lot of people like to fra it in black and white because that's easier than properly thinking, don't be like them."

"Since when were you a philosopher?" I narrowed my eyes. "Is that what you're reading? Proper poison to the mind?"

"I'm reading smut."

I blinked, then tilted my head. "You know, I heard once from soone that sharing is caring."

"Go to sleep, Yir."

"Not here to train I assu?" Adaman said as he greeted in the temple halls with a smile.

I snickered. "You're kinda creepy, you know that? No, I've got a horrendous case of my sparring partner being a cunt. Making play this stupid ga so that I'll be more intentional when fighting. Banned from sparring with anyone else until she's satisfied."

"Ah, has so wisdom graced your skull?" he said. "A sha, the insane often make for the best warriors. Or corpses, mostly corpses, but I digress. So have you co to offer a prayer to Yorokrom?"

"And to see you," I chirped.

He blinked and raised a brow. "I assud you thought poorly of , considering how often I've beaten you into the sand."

"It's good training." I shrugged. "I got a lot better because of your teachings. besides, practicing against sothing other than a sword is valuable experience."

"It seems even children have eyes to see the mountain." He chuckled.

"Not all of them." I smiled back.

He nodded and then walked over to the alter at the center of the temple hall, where other priests addressed their supplicants. The alter was a man and woman, back to back, each in the armor of legionaries and preparing to face so unseen foe. They both carried spears and pointed them forward.

Adaman stopped by the the foot of the alter and turned to with a placid smile. "Present your offering, supplicant of Yorokrom."

I nodded and took out a golden coin presenting it to the priest, and he accepted. Turning, he presented the coin to the alter, tossing it, and halfway to the alter it simply vanished.

I looked wide eyed and slack jawed at where the coin was. "The fuck?"

An amused Adaman turned to look at as the surrounding priests began to clap. "It is a sign of an honest offering," Adaman said. "Rare, but every god takes their share from the followers they approve of."

"I know that," I said. "But I'm not exactly a devout follower, I'd barely call myself a follower at all."

Adaman nodded. "Many who walk beside the god of valor and martial might can say the sa. Yorokrom holds no love for sycophants, and often discourages such foolishness. They wish for those who pray to them to embody their values, in whichever shape the individual decides. Whether it is your valor or might that has earned you their grace today, I cannot say, but put your trust in what you have witnessed. It seems you're closer to earning a patron than I initially believed."

"Does that an I'll be getting my blessing soon?"

"The two are unrelated," Adaman chuckled. "But it's certainly a positive sign."

I contemplated that with a hum. "What use does a god have for gold anyway?"

"No idea." He shrugged. "But they take just about anything those they approve of offer. Perhaps they're all secretly hoarders?"

"Isn't what you just said blasphemy?"

"Wouldn't be the first ti." He grinned.

"How scandalous. Should I inform the head priest so that he's aware one of his faithful is flirting with heresy?"

Adaman let out a snort.