NOVEL SIMPLE Observant Doyle – Chapter 175
Moota shrugs, “It isn’t so much sapient cows in general. Rather, your world just gained mana. While there are obviously going to be some things already figured out, the more magical stuff is still up in the air. If, for example, a lot of people took up swords, the newly formed ley lines and other such magical deposits would take on sword-like characteristics. This would create a self-sustaining cycle after a certain point and your world would be a haven for sword users.
“Like, your very presence is going to tilt your world. Those founders in the town? They are as far ahead as they are because of the challenge you provide. While the system does some work to counteract too extreme of a tilt this early on, the magical side of things definitely takes on the flavor of whoever is the strongest willed around.
“The fact that they are being so open about religions while at the same time restricting them? After a few decades, this could turn into the world itself being more open to the presence of deity level beings, while at the same time locking them down harder with natural laws. More specifically for me, by allowing my presence they are opening up the world for both good and bad things they don’t understand.”
Doyle’s core dims, ‘So what exactly are these bad things?’
Moota laughs, “Well, I wouldn’t exactly call them bad? Like, sure, it would make things harder for the humans. On the other hand, the native animal population will be thankful for it. Just one big balancing act.”
Doyle shakes his core, ‘No, I asked what those things were. Not if they were bad.’
Moota nervously laughs, “My fellow monster gods are going to have an easier time getting in as long as there are naturally occurring examples of their species. Like, just the act of setting up that blessing and the humans accepting it would be enough.”
A voice from outside the dungeon rings out, “Let me confirm, it was well and truly enough.”
From the voice Doyle can feel a deep set predatory vibe. Moota can clearly feel it even better as she freezes up and shivers. Doyle turns his attention to outside the dungeon and notices a small cloud of darkness cozying up to the edge.
The voice speaks up again, “Well, are you going to invite me in?”
Ally scrunches her face and yells, “How can we do that when we don’t know who you are? Last time I checked the only deities being followed besides Moota were for sapients. If you came because of the blessing, you aren’t one of those.”
The voice whispers into their ears, “Oh child of Autumn’s Queen, I’m just asking to be polite. I have things to discuss with a certain core and Nothing is going to stop me.”
Doyle’s core dims even further and snarls, ‘Whatever it is you want, a name or title we can refer to you by is just polite. Hard to make a deal if I don’t have any idea who it is with.’
The voice laughs, “You can call me Jess. Now am I allowed in or am I coming in forcefully? You should feel lucky that your little friend there has backing or I wouldn’t be asking. Your presence has already caused me enough trouble. If extra-dimensional beings didn’t cause such a problem for prophecy, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”
Ally bristles at this, “What idiot would depend on prophecy for any true matter. Besides, everyone on the planet ended up in void dungeons as a matter of course. That would have thrown any attempts at prophecy off kilter in the first place!”
The voice has had it at this point. “Oh really? Well ready or not, here I come!”
Inside Ally’s room, Moota rushes to the far side as a puff of darkness incarnate propagates on the other side. Then the darkness pulls back into the shape of a cloak that completely covers a person everyone assumes must be Jess.
Ally sighs, “I’m going to have to get a sitting room soon if people keep visiting. I can’t have people constantly popping into my bedroom.”
Jess speaks up. However, this time since she is in the actual room means their magic isn’t covering her voice in the same way. Instead of a genderless gruff voice, everyone hears a feminine gruff voice with just a touch of embarrassment. “To be fair, I wasn’t expecting to appear in your bedroom. That aside, one of my own fell in these halls! She was well placed and should have survived quite well but you killed her!”
Doyle rolls his core to the side but before he can speak up the shadowy figure interrupts, “Don’t you roll your eyes at me! Err, core. Don’t roll your core at me! I have a legit grievance with you!”
Doyle rolls his core harder, ‘Going by what you just said and your shadowy appearance right now, I’m assuming you’re talking about the lesser shadow wolf? The one that invaded my dungeon of their own will? Cause if it is that one I’m claiming self defense.’
Jess scoffs, “As if my wonderful little pup would be attracted to such a third rate dungeon! You’re clearly at fault!”
Moota, having just recovered, speaks up at this point, “I don’t know who you are, but did you honestly expect a lesser shadow wolf to not attack a dungeon? What kind of prophecy did you use? The only reason there haven’t been more beast attacks is because one of the town’s founders keeps sneaking off and killing the leaders.
“Like, I wouldn’t be surprised if by this time he wouldn’t have already taken care of the whole wolf pack. Their rushing in from outside of his usual range of activity just sped up the process. He might not be leveling fast because of the tricks being used so the kills aren’t attributed to him, but he isn’t even the strongest one.”
Jess whines, “But the prophecy only saw a newborn dungeon here! It should have taken over a year before it had expanded enough to attract the pack from this far away. By then, she would have been strong enough to not bother going herself. Sure, the dungeon might have still won, but she wouldn’t have been lost! And why are you talking back to me? I’m clearly a greater god! Bow down before me!”
Moota leans up against the wall behind her, “Of course I can tell you’re heads and tails above me. Like, you just radiate faith in a way I couldn’t afford to. But more importantly, you’re seven floors down in a dungeon that already has its first boss. How much longer can you keep that display up? Plus, this is a dungeon on a new world. The System might not normally care about a couple of gods fighting but the rules are a lot stricter for us right now.”
The shadows that shroud Jess pull back revealing a savage form halfway between a wolfkin and wolf folk. Her body is closer to a wolf while her head and hands while still clearly wolf inspired are nearly human. She is about to say something when Moota scoffs, “And who are you trying to fool? You’re a goddess, so why bother with the halfway form? Either go full human or full feral. Think for a second! You’re dealing with a dungeon core and fae royalty.”
Jess rolls her eyes, and suddenly she has a nearly human form. As a matter of style, she kept her wolf ears, tail, and pupils. “Someone doesn’t have a flair for the dramatic I see.”
Moota sticks her tongue out, “I’m not the one that managed to lose a nearly sapient follower on a planet new to the system.”
Jess snorts, “You’re not much better. At least I’m not some dog for a bunch of alchemy geezers. Yes, I do know who you are.”
Moota laughs, “So you’re admitting I’m better known than you? Despite your power, you showed up here alone. For a wolf you seem to be lacking a pack.”
Off to the side Ally is enjoying the back and forth but Doyle is fed up with it. He has better things to be doing right now and so, despite puppy dog eyes from Ally, he interrupts the two. ‘Ladies. Shut Up! For a wolf and a cow you both sure know how to catfight. Now let’s get something straight. You are in MY Domain. Sure, either one of you could smack me around but the both of you need me for something.
‘Yes, Moota, I know you want something as well. You certainly didn’t need to chat me up or clue us into the whole blessing thing. Maybe some chatter with Ally but I’ve been the odd one out this entire time. I’m not sure about your angle, but Jess. Jess, I know what you want. At least to some degree. You know the lesser shadow wolf died in my dungeon and you want more of them. You might have even been able to sense that I have a small pack of them hanging around on this floor.
‘I’m not exactly in position to re-release them into the wild or anything, but they are what you want. Going by your little glamor I’m guessing you’re some kind of darkness based goddess and thus why you seem to be so into the shadow wolves. On the other hand, you’re powerful. Between you and Moota, it is like the sun to the moon, her being just a pale reflection.
‘But that power is hollow. Like Moota pointed out, you don’t have a pack with you. I don’t know much about gods. However, I feel safe in assuming that someone as powerful as you shouldn’t be worrying about one small planet that just got inducted into the system.
‘Either you’re going behind the back of your pack, your pack betrayed you, or your pack doesn’t exist anymore. My guess? You’re down a pack. With your theme I’m going to guess a wolf pantheon. For full cliche points your father was the leader and some kind of sun wolf, your mother was a moon wolf, maybe a sibling or siblings for the stars, and you the darkness in between.’
Jess’ wolf ears lie back flat on her head, “You’re just guessing! Besides, I’m not the darkness between the stars. I represent the primal shadows!”
Doyle nods his core, ‘So that was mostly correct? I guess it would make some sense. That and the fact that you’re the odd one out. You were supposed to be the interstellar darkness and might have been at some point. Maybe losing your family caused the change, only you know.
‘Anyway, you were in a pantheon and that pantheon still has a lot of followers. Would be pretty hard to change that when you likely just passively have a large number of worlds where the wolves just follow you by default. But that isn’t yours, not really. You’re losing it. This display of faith? It isn’t a display, you just can’t stop shedding the power since it isn’t rightfully yours.’
Jess shakes for a second before snarling, “Are you some kind of prophet yourself? There is no way you could pry so many things out of what I’ve said!”
Doyle laughs, ‘I’m not always the most observant, I admit. That, however, isn’t because I’m bad at it, I just don’t care. Story of my life, that. Anyway, let me lay it out for you. Moota got here through some unrelated nonsense and made a deal with us. By that point, the wolves had already been long dead and yet you hadn’t shown up. Then miraculously you show up the instant Moota does something to make such things easier?
‘Fat chance of that being a coincidence. So that means despite your appearance of power you are being limited. Then you don’t just pop in but wait until I had decided to let you in. From those clues and your outpouring of faith, I figured you didn’t have control of all that power.
‘Of course, I have to tip my hat to Moota. Well, I would if I had one. Whatever, she pointed out a lack of a pack and you reacted quite aggressively to that which is part of why I interrupted at then. So family problems and by how raw your emotions looked it was recent. Combined with the last it meant you gained the power meant to be spread over your pack. Sure, there could be other reasons but I kept an eye on you while talking.
‘It is simply amazing what my absolute perception can reveal about those within my territory. After that, it was mostly lucky guesses and deductions. You weren’t the pack mother or else you would likely have more experience channeling all that power. While not necessarily true, I assumed your family was similarly themed and it couldn’t be a terrestrial theme.
‘For an entire wolf pack to become gods together would need interstellar travel capacity. So I took a stab. The sun and the moon, the stars and the void. A collection of entities that would easily translate over to a wolf pack. Now how about we get down to talking about what you and Moota want from me. Because if I had to guess, something I seem to be on a bit of a roll with, you both want a similar thing.’
