A/N - Thank you, Maramu, Faler, TheFoud3er12, dhh, el trucko, seth cameron, & jackie weaver, for becoming God of Velmoryn's Patreons!
I can't let him die.
Vaelari was the only healer the tribe had and I needed him alive, at least until someone else could take his place.
I glanced at Averon, still sleeping soundly. Unfortunately, divine power had no effect on him, or I'd have shaken the vessel awake already. I tried sensing part of my consciousness that was linked to it, but it was in some strange, slumbering state too.
Fine. I'll do it myself.
I focused on the divinity attached to me and began channeling it.
I didn't want to resort to the same primitive method again - summoning lightning or creating another guardian. I needed something more efficient, something that would be useful in the long run.
My gaze swept the forest, racing through possibilities. I wanted an option with the most benefit and the least waste. That's when my eyes landed on a Tharuun.
It had climbed one of the towering trees, hiding from the spiders. It kept looking around, eyes wide open. Probably happy that it managed to escape from spider mutants. But unlucky for it, there was a bigger predator in this forest - me.
Still, no matter what I did, the Tharuun wouldn't reach the cave in time to save Vaelari. So I decided to stall the fight, while dominating the beast and burning a set of rules into its mind, ones it would never be able to disobey.
I started with the shield lying near Vaelari, using divine power to move it. The shield rushed up and slammed into the ground between Vaelari and the mutant spider. The ground cracked under the sheer force of the impact, scaring everyone in the cave. The spider mutant halted its attack, struggling to understand what was happening.
A heartbeat later, crimson light flared as I surrounded all four Velmoryns in a protective barrier.
"What is this?" Ninali whispered, reaching out to touch the glowing crimson energy that wrapped around her.
Aria, who had already dealt with her target, immediately realized what was happening.
"Praise be to the Velmoryn God!" she declared and placed her fist over her chest. This time, I could tell that she was genuinely grateful.
"But why me? I'm not even His believer!" Vaelari muttered, voice cracking.
The monster tried to attack, more careful this time.
It spat the dark green liquid, aiming to rot the velmoryns, but the crimson protective barrier I had created stood firm.
Then, a familiar blue notification flashed in front of me.
[Warning: Creation consumed 2 Divinity Points!]
I wasted too much power in the process. I'm still too inefficient with controlling divine power on my own.
I was a little disappointed with the wasted divine energy, but practice always makes perfect, and as a god, I was bound to become better at channeling my powers.
Now that these three are taken care of, let's fully focus on the Tharuun.
I'd already started placing my mark on it, even considering something like Saruman's white hand. But midway through, I decided to bless it and make it stronger. Otherwise, the mutant spider would have crushed it the moment they fought.
You shall protect those who bear my mark.
You shall protect my vessel and follow his commands.
That was enough.
I thought about giving it a specific blessing - venom, wings, sharper claws… but I could feel the divine power slipping. The flow wasn't steady anymore. It was pulling too fast and too much.
The Tharuun had already taken in more than I meant to give. So I stopped before it could spiral further, cutting the channel and leaving the rest to fate.
I had no choice but to hope its evolution would be a lucky one.
The Tharuun was already on the ground, its entire body wrapped in crimson energy. Slowly, its ears and eyes shifted color, turning red. The golden runes on its body began to fade, replaced by markings in my hue.
That's it? Seven points down and all I got was a palette swap?
I stared, disappointed. Especially considering the cost - 5 Divinity Points!
Well, at least now I know what happens when I bless beasts.
No claws. No wings. No monstrous growth. But it wasn't the same creature anymore. Something inside it had changed. I could feel it.
Suddenly, its gaze sharpened as it turned its head toward the cave and kicked off the ground, pivoting with force.
Inside, the spider mutant had gone berserk. It slammed against the crimson barrier over and over, targeting Vaelari, clearly enraged that its attacks didn't reach the prey.
Each strike against the barrier sent deep, resonant cracks through the stone walls. Dust rained from the ceiling. Vaelari covered his ears with a shaky hand, flinching with every impact.
The battlefield had fallen into a strange state. The spider mutant, despite its overwhelming strength, couldn't break through the crimson barrier. The Velmoryns, frozen in place, didn't dare move. Probably afraid that any step would make the protection disappear.
"Aria… how long before you can use your powers again?" Vaelari asked in a shaky voice, lying on the ground. His gaze was fixed on the monster.
"A little longer. The beast I killed was strong, perhaps the same rank as I. It took too much strength as I had to deal with it in such a short time," she replied, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth.
"Why does Avenor remain asleep?" Ninali shouted, shaking my vessel in desperation. "Surely the memory stone alone would not keep him so!"
Aria didn't respond. Her gaze darted to Avenor, her expression remaining completely calm.
"We'll be fine. We are under His protection," she said at last, placing a fist on her chest in reverence.
"Easy for you to say!" Vaelari snapped, still trembling under the spider mutant's relentless strikes. The crimson barrier held firm, but the monster's attacks landed close, too close for him to stay calm. Every swing felt like it would break through.
Aria's reaction… it's not normal. She's too calm and composed. Not even a twitch. Either she's mastered her fear... or she doesn't have any.
I'd been watching her for a while, and the more I observed, the more her personality stood out. It's like she was unable to feel anxiety.
Then the Tharuun reached the cave.
It didn't hesitate.
The moment it arrived, it leapt onto the spider mutant's back, its claws sinking deep into the monster's body. The spider shrieked, a high-pitched, metallic rasp, as it flailed violently, smashing into the walls in a blind panic.
But the Tharuun didn't let go. It slowly climbed toward the head, fangs tearing through the spider's thick carcass.
The monster shrieked once again, its voice more of despair than anger. Then, it charged out of the cave, leaving the four Velmoryns alone in the well-desired silence.
"What was that…?" Ninali whispered, finally letting go of Avenor.
"The Tharuun must be following His will," Aria replied, and stepped toward Vaelari, who was still shaking. "Allow me to help you."
She offered her hand. He hesitated at first, but then nodded.
Aria placed both hands on his head. A set of runes appeared above him, forming a small diagram. Her palms began to glow. Crimson light seeped into Vaelari's skin as her magic entered his head.
Vaelari flinched at first, wincing. But then his pupils narrowed. His breathing steadied, the trembling stopped, and his body finally relaxed.
"Thank you, Aria," said Vaelari, his voice regaining its usual calm. "I lost myself… again." He gave a bitter smile and stood, right as the Tharuun re-entered the cave.
Its steps were measured and firm, but its mouth was soaked in dark green fluid, parts of its face already starting to rot. It scanned the room, then locked its gaze on my vessel.
After confirming everyone was safe, it lay down and tried licking the green liquid away. But every time its tongue touched the wounds, it whimpered softly.
Out of all the Velmoryns in the cave, it was Vaelari who reacted the most. His gaze was fixed on the Tharuun, looking at it with pity and gratitude.
"May I come closer?" Vaelari asked in a low voice, almost a whisper, stepping toward the Tharuun. He waited for the beast to acknowledge his request, making me wonder if animals could understand Velmoryn language in this world.
After confirming that the beast was completely ignoring him, Vaelari took a step forward. The moment his foot landed closer, the beast growled and stilled ominously.
"It might be because I do not bear His mark," Vaelari muttered, catching on fast. "Aria, I need your help. If those wounds are not cleansed soon, it shall not survive. We can't let our savor die."
I thought that Vaelari was trying to show me gratitude rather than the Tharuun, but even without his involvement, there was no way I'd let the beast die.
I'm not letting some basic rot kill my five Divinity Points.
Aria approached slowly, like testing the depth of the water. She was unsure whether the beast would let her close. But the moment Tharuun saw the crimson markings on her body, the hostility vanished.
"Let him touch you," she said gently, crouching beside it and resting a hand on its head.
Vaelari moved again. This time, the Tharuun didn't resist. With Aria holding its head, it allowed him to get close.
"I will help you," Vaelari whispered to the beast, placing his hand on its head, "But in return, you must help me find our Vael."
It didn't take long to cleanse the rot. Vaelari worked quickly, the beast growling and snapping a few times as pain flared. It nearly took his hand off once, and it probably would have, if not for Aria holding its head tightly. It didn't want to hurt her.
Finally, the healing was done, and the Tharuun looked fresh and healthy.
"Come. Let's go look for him," Vaelari said, trying to reason with the beast. Perhaps it was a request aimed at me rather than the Tharuun. Either way, neither of us responded.
Vaelari's eyes lingered on the beast, then lowered to the floor. The beast ignored him, curling up near the entrance, guarding the Velmoryns.
"Aria, we must go. We cannot leave him out there," said Vaelari, now turning toward her.
She was still crouched beside the Tharuun, slowly brushing its fur.
"Aria?" he called again, softer now, noticing her lack of response.
She didn't move. Her gaze stayed fixed on Avenor. No blinking. No flinching.
"Uh…" She blinked suddenly, snapping out of it. Her eyes met his, unfocused at first.
Then she exhaled, as if gathering herself.
"We cannot leave," Aria said at last. "My strength has not yet returned. Ninali can barely stand. And Avenor still does not wake. We have no one who can fight."
She rose from her spot and walked toward the entrance, looking outside to confirm what had happened with the spider mutant.
"But if we remain here, Vael will die," Vaelari insisted, his eyes narrowing. "Besides, the beasts must've fled in fear. Our only concern now is that last spider," he reasoned, glancing toward Ninali, hoping for her support.
She didn't meet his eyes.
"There may be no danger out there," Aria replied, still facing away from him, "but if there is, we will not survive it. And even if we go… what exactly can we do? If Vael was caught by the spider… we can barely make a difference. And if he's still running from it, we'll only slow him down."
"Aria…" Vaelari's voice softened, the edge replaced with something quieter. "If you come with me, the Tharuun will follow. You're His believer. It'll protect you."
That was all he had left, his last sliver of hope.
"I don't think it will," Ninali said suddenly.
Her voice was low, uncertain.
"I'm not certain, but I believe the Tharuun will not leave Avenor's side. Did you notice how the Velmoryn God used his shield?"
She nodded toward it - still embedded in the ground, my mark still glowing faintly.
"Avenor may be like Roy… blessed by Him." she whispered.
Well done! You almost got it.
To be fair, she wouldn't have ever guessed the truth unless vessels were common in this world.
Everyone fell quiet at her words, their reactions different.
Ninali grew more reverent. Aria felt it again, that subtle sting she couldn't hide when I blessed Roy. And Vaelari… I couldn't sense anything from him directly, but the faint smile on his lips felt genuine.
"Aria, can't you wake him?" he asked.
"Normally, I could. But… he has some kind of resistance," she said. Then paused. "He's waking up."
She was right.
My consciousness tied to the vessel was stirring, starting to snap out of that strange state.
But then, something else caught my attention.
Teryo had just entered the cave, barely.
He stumbled in, leaning against the wall, chest heaving. He was drenched in sweat, clothes torn, arms scraped.
"I…" he gasped, trying to catch his breath. "I know where the spiders come from."
**
A/N -
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