Blades & Mushrooms (Peregrine x La Reina)

[Peregrine]

Persika was perfectly content to remain silent as Talia set about cooking the mushrooms. It had been a long time, long enough for her to lose count, since she'd shared an evening with another person. She was the Chosen of the God of Mushrooms, and spent most of her time alone in the wilderness. When she did find herself in human civilization, like when she'd been working on the mushroom farm, she kept herself at a distance from the other workers. She wasn't there to make friends.

Instead, she watched the mushrooms slowly cooking by the fire, their edges curling in slightly under the heat, occasional drops of moisture vanishing into a small cloud of steam whenever they touched the hot stone. The mushrooms would normally take a lot less time to cook than the fish, but Persika cooked them carefully, almost delicately, distributing the heat from the stone evenly across them. In the process, she incidentally ended up timing their cooking with Talia's efforts on the fish.

When not paying attention to the mushrooms, Persika watched the fire, listening to the crackle of the burning wood that blended with the faint sound of wind through the treetops. It was a very peaceful, familiar sound to the girl, something that had accompanied her for most evenings of her memorable life.

Quietly distracted by these simple tasks, Persika was taken by surprise when she suddenly noticed Talia presenting one of the fish to her. She took the plate, somewhat bewildered. The way Talia had treated her so far, Persika had been convinced that the other woman wouldn't go out of her way to feed her, especially for something she'd gone through effort to catch. It hadn't really bothered Persika, she had survived most of her life on little more than the mushrooms grown by her power. All the same, Persika accepted the fish, carefully pinching off a piece of flesh with her fingers and trying not to burn herself in the process.

She only made it through a couple bites, pausing to cool her fingers in between each piece, before Talia managed to catch her by surprise again. Persika glanced up from her plate, unable to conceal her surprise at Talia's question this time. However, a moment later, she dropped her eyes again.

"Years now," she replied, a small smile appearing on her face as she thought about her time with Madach. "Eight or nine, I think. I haven't exactly kept track. But I'll stay his as long as he'll have me."

Persika's eyes strayed from the mushrooms on her plate, across the fire to the faintly glowing ring that surrounded them. "Mushrooms are the most amazing things in the world. I couldn't imagine wanting to devote my life to anything else."

 

[Reina]

ignore me

Talia perked a brow and snorted slightly under her breath. Persika made serving the god of mushrooms sound like some special task. Why would anyone want to be a chosen of one of the lower gods? It was beyond her understanding. Talia hunched over her food, legs parted wide as she took a bite straight into the hot fish. She wasn't a woman of finery or delicacy. She ate and drank like the men she surrounded herself with and wouldn't be told otherwise.

"It's been ten years, two months and twenty six days since I was chosen by Zaiman. Being a chosen by the god of time...you tend not to forget exactly how long its been," she said as she finished chewing her fish and popped one of Persika's cooked mushrooms into her mouth. Being Zaiman's chosen had its perks but at the same time its drawbacks. For being the god of time, Zaiman wasn't always so patient or maybe it was just how he treated a stubborn warrioress like Talia. Communicating with Zaiman often caused physical pain but the abilities she was given made her quite the adversary on a battlefield. She had lived a military life all her life; she wasn't a stranger to pain. Plus, for her abilities, she'd endure whatever Zaiman threw her way.

Talia finished eating and wiped her forearm across her mouth. She rose from beside the fire and headed straight towards the bed she had made. "You best get some sleep. We have an entire day's journey ahead and if we don't make any stops we can be there before the sun sets. Which we will do." She wasn't going to stop. She wanted to finish this mission as soon as possible and didn't want to be stuck with Persika any longer than she should.

She pulled her blade from her side and tucked it under her makeshift pillow. She was never one to be caught off guard. She didn't expect any trouble but it didn't mean she wouldn't prepare for it. When she was sure she felt secure, she shut her eyes and did her best to fall asleep while still attempting to keep her ear perked for any disturbance in the air. Getting to the temple of the lowers would be the easy part...it was what happened afterwards that she was completely unsure about.

How did one regain the attention of the gods? What were they supposed to do next? Questions that would plague Talia throughout the night and no answer to satisfy them.

 

[Peregrine]

Persika's conversation with Talia ended quite as abruptly as it had begun, the warrior woman finishing her food and walking away with little more than a parting comment. Persika didn't hurry after her, choosing instead to linger by the fire and study the slowly dimming flames.

She couldn't imagine being the Chosen of one of the Powers. From what she'd heard from stories, the nine gods that made up the powers were aloof, dangerous individuals, who rarely if ever bothered with the affairs of day to day life. The very fact that they were going to find a temple of the Lower gods, instead of making their way to a larger city to find a dedicated temple to Zaiman, told Persika more than she necessarily wanted to know about the relationship between Talia and her god.

She couldn't imagine living her life like that. It wasn't only mushrooms that played a large part of her life, it was also Madach who was core to her very existence at this point. Almost as though to prove her point, orange coral fungus began to grow near one of the rocks near the fire, and Persika leaned forward to study it, small smiles occasionally flashing across her face.

She had no way of knowing how similar her thoughts had been to Talia's, when the other woman had witnessed her joy at getting to serve as the Chosen of the God of Mushrooms.

Persika lingered by the fire until she felt her eyelids growing heavy, before slowly lowering herself to the ground, falling asleep right where she lay. Unlike Talia, Persika's sleep was calm and untroubled. Her god had guided her here, and she would follow his will. Things would work out from there.

---

Persika woke in the morning to the sound of Talia's footsteps, sleepily pulling herself upright and working her way through the morning before limping into the back of the wagon and slumping down against one of the walls. This was the first decent nights sleep she'd gotten in several months, and she wasn't fully ready to let go of it. After the heartless march she'd subjected herself to reaching Talia, she'd almost forgotten the pure luxury of waking up slowly.

As the two left the ring of mushrooms she'd set up to guard their sleep, the caps quickly began to wither, disintegrating into dark soil as their power was drawn back into the earth. Persika watched their disappearance somewhat sadly, but without either her or the spore nearby to feed their power, maintaining them would be far too much of a drain on her god's resources. She'd set up another ring the next time they stopped for the night outdoors.

 

[Reina]

ignore me

Talia awoke with the sun the following day. It was her custom, one she had been following for years since she first joined the military all those years ago and one she couldn't shake off even if she wished to. Her eyes automatically opened once the rays of the sun began to cross the skies. Talia also wasn't one to linger once she was awake. The day was new and there was much to get done as soon as possible. If she pushed hard enough, she could make it to the temple of the lowers before night fall. It was her intention to finish Zaiman's mission as soon as possible. She had more villages and towns to conquer and more coin to collect.

She gathered her belongings, tossed them into the wagon and put out the fire quickly. Luckily Persika didn't require any shoving to get her into the wagon. She hobbled her way in and when they had gathered everything by their camp, Talia mounted her steed quickly and headed out. She'd push the steed as hard as it could go without hurting it. She was determined. She would not be stopped by anything. They would make it to the temple before night fall. She didn't care if Persika was tossed around or if the contents of the wagon were displaced. All she cared about was getting to her destination and getting rid of her "baggage" once and for all. "Hold tight," she called behind her. "The ride will not be easy and I have no intentions of stopping."

Talia's horse knew her well. He knew when it was time to take things in stride and when to prepare for war. And with the way Talia rode him, it was as if she was off to war and needed to arrive somewhere in time to help her men. It felt that way to her anyway.

The roads were tough; dust and gravel lifted into the air often. The wagon moved from side to side and there were a few times that Talia thought it would break off but thankfully it did not. Those that walked along the sides of the road had to move quickly out of the way as Talia bellowed down the road towards the temple. All that could be heard was the pounding of horse hooves and the creaking of a wooden wagon being dragged along. It was a difficult ride for all involved.

Just as the sun was beginning to set the temple of the lowers finally came into view. Even Talia had to be admit she was exhausted from the ride. She panted slightly and sighed deeply as she stared at the large temple before her. Talia brought her horse to a slow pace and allowed it to carry them slowly towards the temple, a welcome relief to the animal and herself. Oh...and Persika, she assumed, though she didn't turn around to ask.

She had never been to this temple before. She expected it to be run down and decrepit but was astonished to find that it was not. The temple was encased in a large glass like structure. Inside was every type of greenery you could imagine, flowers, fruits and of course...mushrooms. It left the warrioress a little wide eyed. Perhaps Madach and his level of gods had more importance than she thought.

The horse finally came to a halt and Talia dismounted it, tying it to the post and immediately giving it enough food and water so it wouldn't collapse on her. She untied the wagon to relieve the load on the horse and then returned her attention to the greenhouse. "Your god has quite the temple," Talia commented to Persika. She patted the side of the horse and began walking towards it. "Come on then," she called to her and gestured for her to lead the way. "This is your god. You're going to have to take the reins here and get us some answers. I'd like this mission to be over with as soon as possible." Though Talia enjoyed leading and taking command, she had to secede to Persika. She knew nothing about this temple or its gods. It was best that Persika take the lead.

 

[Peregrine]

It might not have been obvious to Talia, considering the regular interaction she got with one of the higher gods, but for the average people across the world, the more important a god is, the less likely it was for them to have any form of interaction with them. Wealthy merchants might be able to trade for the rights to enter a temple of the Lower Powers, but only people with true influence would be able to pray at the temple of the Powers. As for the temple of the Original gods, who but kings and heroes would dare to say they were worthy of the honor?

Of course, the more powerful the god, the more time and effort the various kingdoms would put into constructing their temples, but who would dare to let a temple to any god fall into disrepair as long as there were still people around to take care of it? Especially when even one of the Lower gods could wipe an entire community off the face of the map with little more than a thought. A large majority of the people of the world spent all their time of worship in the temples of the Physical and Lower gods, praying to the gods who could bless them in their everyday life, and appeasing the gods whose gazes they wish to avoid.

This temple was built in the center of a large farming community, so the fact that it was dedicated to the various Lower gods responsible for growing things was far from surprising. Somewhere in the community, there was doubtless a much grander temple dedicated to the Lower Power Goddess of Plants, but Persika doubted it would be anywhere near as busy as the temple in front of them now.

Even this late in the evening, there was still a steady stream of people moving in and out of the temple. Persika had never been here before, but she knew how temples like these worked. It wasn't the first time she'd visited a Lower temple in which Madach could claim residence, and she doubted that this one would be any different than those others.

The young woman stood carefully when the wagon finally came to a halt, wincing in pain. She'd spent most of the ride crouched on her good leg, hands clinging desperately to the wall in some attempt to absorb the motions of the bouncing shaking carriage. She'd tried to sit her way through the early parts of the ride, but had quickly learned she was far too likely to knock herself unconscious being thrown against the wagon's wall at some bump in the road if she didn't take some precaution to counteract the tossing. Now, her leg all but screamed in pain as she forced it to carry her weight, but Persika did her best to stifle the groan of pain that she couldn't keep from slipping from between her lips.

The two were already starting to draw attention. It was obvious at a glance to everyone around that Talia didn't belong here. If the warhorse pulling the wagon hadn't already been enough of a clue, her armor and weapons would have been a dead giveaway. Under the weight of so many eyes, Persika unconsciously straightened her shoulders. She might have to be subservient to Talia, but around normal people, she was still a Chosen of one of the gods. These peasants were nothing compared to her.

It only took a minute from the time Persika and Talia stopped the wagon for a slightly wide-eyed priest dressed in the green and yellow robe of the Goddess of the Harvest to emerge from the temple's main doors, shooing away the curious onlookers with a wave of his hand.

"Greetings, Chosen," the priest said respectfully, eyes lowered politely, even as Persika could all but see him struggling not to stare at her twisted foot. He bobbed his head towards Persika, and then quickly bobbed it three times more in Talia's direction. "I was informed of your arrival. Please, follow me."

At the sound of the word "chosen", the watching observers had quickly backed further away, their gazes likewise dropping to the ground. The arrogance and tempers of the Chosen was famed across the continent, and there were many who would find themselves cursed or even dead from a passing, accidental offense to these divine people. Even from a distance, Persika could hear their rough breathing, and imagine the way they were running over their actions from the last several minutes, wondering if anything they had done would be worthy of offense.

But Persika, at least, had bigger concerns at the moment than dealing with these insignificant observers, and she could not deny the excitement she felt at the thought that she was soon going to get to commune with Madach again. Her god's presence was felt in every piece of her life, but there was something far more special about getting to bear her soul before her god, and truly stand before his presence.

The nervous priest led them through the flourishing greenhouse, to a small waiting room. It was not luxuriously decorated, but was neat and comfortable. A steaming pot of tea and plate of snacks waited for them on a small table.

"P-please wait here for a few minutes," the priest stuttered. "We're just clearing the last of the worshipers out of Madach's section. If you n-need anything, let any of the temple priests know, and they will do their best to assist you."

This wasn't an unfamiliar process to Persika, and she nodded, entering the room and sitting down as her eyes immediately turned towards the plate of snacks. She still hadn't fully recovered from her forced march, and Talia hadn't stopped long enough for them to eat a proper lunch on the way over.

 

[Reina]

ignore me

Talia followed closely behind the priest and Persika as they were led deeper into the temple. She held her head high, one hand on the sword at her hip as she walked inside. Her peripherals picked up the many glances her way, the stares at the marking on her face given only to the chosen of Zaiman. Being one of the Powers, Zaiman always made sure his chosen were clearly distinguishable. His mark was the same on the face of all of his chosen. It was so no one, not even the chosen, could forget who ruled over them. It was given the same way, a burned on tattoo that was very painful to receive.

The priest led them further into the greenhouse and Talia couldn't help but be in slight awe. The temple was lively, the smell of fresh flowers and greenery was pleasant and the soft mist that covered the plant life was soothing. It was such a beautiful temple and silently Talia kicked herself for not having come to one sooner. She had always looked down at the chosen of the Lowers but seeing this temple, in all its glory, made her think differently, if only for a brief moment.

Talia took a seat on the table and immediately poured herself a cup of the tea and popped one of the grapes in her mouth as they waited for the clearing of Madach's section. "This temple is impressive," she began to say, once they weer alone. It was probably one of the first compliments to leave Talia's mouth since meeting Persika. She grabbed a small piece of bread and split it, handing the other half to Persika to eat. She might not have tolerated Persika very much but she wasn't a savage either.

"What should we expect from your god once we're inside? Does he require an offering? A sacrifice? Worship?"

Talia liked to be prepared for anything that might come her way. It had been a while since she went to the Temple of the Powers but she knew she could not go empty handed to come before Zaiman or request his presence. For being the god of time, he often had little patience or perhaps he didn't want to feel as though his time was being wasted. "Zaiman requires all of the above. Does Madach require the same?"

 

[Peregrine]

As soon as Talia served herself from the provided food, Persika followed suit, loading her plate with an assortment of nuts, seeds, and berries. All of the provided food, including the herbs for the tea, had been grown from within the temple greenhouse itself, nurtured with tender care and sweetened with the presence of the divine.

Persika was more than content to subsist on a diet of mushrooms provided by Madach, but the sweet selection before her was an undeniable treat, and she enjoyed each bite. However, Talia's words quickly drew her out of her attention to the food.

"Worship and my presence will suffice, Lady Talia," Persika replied demurely. "Madach knows we are here, and guided us here. He will not make things difficult on us."

There was a trace of pride in her voice, the smug smirk to her lips mostly hidden by her bent head as she ate another nut. Persika was close to her god, and she could feel his presence everywhere. If it wasn't for the restrictions that kept the gods somewhat separated from the world, Persika had no doubt that Madach would have come to tell her about what was happening, and why she'd needed to go on this forced march to Talia's side, as soon as they exited the city.

It was clear to Persika at a glance that Talia had no such connection with Zaiman, and she did not envy the woman her separation, for all the power it might have granted her.

The priests were true to their word, and Madach's portion of the temple was cleared less than 5 minutes after Talia and Persika had been guided into the waiting room. The priest returned, head bowed respectfully, and guided them towards the Mushroom God's wing of the temple. Like the rest of the garden, it was covered in the glass dome that allowed in sunlight. The air was damp with humidity, the air full of the earthy scent of old leaves and half rotten wood. Mushrooms bloomed upon fallen logs and in the piles of leaves, their vivid colors and delicate shapes only enhanced by the kiss of sunlight from the sky.

Only a few paths lay clear of the fungal blooms, and the priest led the two women along one to the center of the clearing, where a massive, glowing blue mushroom reached up towards the ceiling, casting shade under its stem from the giant cap. Persika knelt to the ground as the priest retreated respectfully.

 

[Reina]

Talia marched militantly behind Persika, her head on a constant swivel to ensure they were safe. It was part of her training. She had to always be aware of her surroundings. She kept her hand tight on the held of her sword. She didn't know what to expect in this temple and wasn't one to be caught off guard if she could help it. Once again, however, Talia was left was her mouth agape as they were escorted into Madach's temple. Her eyes widened as she took in the scene before her. "Stunning," she said as she turned in the center of the room taking in the view of the life surrounding her.

Everything was stunning, from the rotted trees to the small insects moving about nearby. But nothing was more stunning than the enormous blue mushroom in the center that shaded them. 'It must be the center of Madach's power on the earth' Talia thought to herself or at least the center for this region.

It took a second for Talia to realize that Persika had dropped to her knees at the base of the mushroom and she quickly followed suit. She was a chosen of one of the powers but Madach was still very much a god and Talia didn't want to be suffocated by a mushroom because she arrogantly disrespected him. Plus she needed to know why Madach and Zaiman had placed Persika and Talia together. They needed answers and it would probably be easier to get from Madach than from Zaiman.

Talia quickly dropped to her knees beside Persika and bowed her head in respect. She waited for Persika to take the lead. It was her god after all and she knew the best way to draw his presence to her. She was unsure how best to worship Madach but thought perhaps some gratitude would help the process. "Thank you, Madach," she whispered softly. She kept her eyes opened however...Again, she didn't want to be caught off guard.

 

[Peregrine]

Hearing the quiet murmur from Talia, Persika couldn't help the self-satisfied smile that spread further across her face. Even a chosen of one of the Powers was respectful before her god. Persika knew, with Madach's generosity, he probably would have forgiven Talia any offense to his pride at this moment. The situation appeared to be too desperate for him to waste any time. However, knowing that Talia didn't dare disrespect him made the girl feel as proud as though Talia was bowing before her.

True to Persika's expectations, Madach didn't waste any time as soon as the two were kneeled before his bloom. The ground began to stir, dark soil heaping upwards before revealing long mushroom stems that were pushing their way out of the soil. The inverted cup on the cap spread rapidly as the stem continued to grow, moving unerringly towards Persika and Talia's foreheads. In truth, Persika had never seen anything like this before. Other than the day she was Chosen, her communication with the God of Mushrooms had always been more indirect than immediate. She'd learned to read his message and will in the mushrooms that grew around her, from the subtle nuances of their shape, or the smell of their spores. However, she instinctively knew this would be different from anything she had ever experienced before. No fear or worry bubbled inside her at the sight. This was her god, she trusted him absolutely.

Persika leaned forward from her kneeling position, giving the mushroom easier access to her face. Within ten seconds, the cup-like cap had grown right next to her forehead, and a second later it sealed to her skin, smooth and silky to the touch. The next thing Persika knew, her vision went black, and every other sense failed her.

Surrounded by absolute nothingness, Persika wondered for a second if she was falling or flying. Only the knowledge that this was Madach's will kept her calm. However, gradually, a damp coolness surrounded her body, and Persika realized she was curled into fetal position. The touch of dampness against her skin, however, urged her to stand up, and as she stood her head burst through a layer of soil into a brilliantly colored world.

Her body pushed its way up through the earth almost instinctively, and Persika soon found herself standing in the middle of a vibrantly colored forest. It was like being high, every color vivid with psychedelic brilliance, the air rich and sweet with an infinite variety of smells. Giant mushrooms bloomed around her on every side, azure blue and magenta pink and vermilion red. Persika knew in an instant that she'd found paradise. This had to be Madach's own garden, the true home of the Mushroom God. Unconsciously, Persika found herself falling to her knees, before she spread herself on the ground, prostrating before the forest in pure reverence.

A few moments later, and Persika found herself surrounded by the deep rumbles of a bass voice. "Rise, children. We do not have much time to speak."

It was only at that moment that Persika realized Talia had joined her in the Forest of the Mushroom God.

 

[Reina]

Talia's eyes opened wide as she took in the magnificence of the mushroom god's forest. The psychedelic colors and richness of the air were unlike anything Talia had ever experienced. It reminded her of the hallucinogenic properties of certain mushrooms throughout the land, the ones she always avoided. 'This is what it must feel like to consume one of those mushrooms. If this was the realm of the mushroom god, what could the realm of the god of time look like?, Talia thought to herself.

Madach wasted no time in informing the two of why they had been brought together. "Your world is in grave danger," Madach continued, his deep voice shaking Talia to her core. "The Originals intend to end earth and mankind. They seek to destroy it all and begin anew."

Talia was immediately taken aback. She didn't understand. She needed more answers. Emboldened by her need for answers, she took a step forward, shocked at what she had heard. "Destroy mankind? But why? What have we done to offend the gods? To offend the Three?"

"The Originals have spoken their decree. The gods have grown tired of earth and mankind. There is little time left," Madach continued.

Talia looked to Persika and around the forest. She was becoming enraged but knew better than to challenge a god that was trying to warn her. "What can we do? Is there anything that can be done?!"

"Talia. Persika. You have been chosen to take on the task of saving mankind." Madach answered her.

Talia's eyes opened wider than ever. "WHAT?! Save mankind? With her?!" Talia said, in shock, as she pointed to Persika. "How?!"

"There are gods in the pantheon that oppose the wishes of the Three. Zaiman is one. You must work together or mankind will not survive." Madach said, his voice echoing throughout the mushroom forest.

 

[Peregrine]

At Madach's urging, Persika rose to her feet, her eyes hesitantly lifting back to the figure of her god. He was an incomparably familiar presence to her. His power had accompanied her since the moment she'd been selected as his Chosen in her childhood, but there was still something so different about being here in person. In front of her, the mushroom forest shifted, a face gradually appearing in the play of light and shadow between the stems. For one moment, her eyes misted over in tears, causing the entire scene in front of her to dissolve into a riot of blurred colors.

Unfortunately, Persika didn't have much time to bask in the radiance of Madach's presence. There was no way he would have exerted the effort to bring both of them to his realm unless it was an incomparably serious matter.

Indeed, Madach's words about the doom of mankind and its world crashed into Persika's mind like a tidal wave, erasing even the faintest trace of thought and leaving nothing but an empty, ringing silence in its wake.

The Originals wished to destroy Earth. They were the greatest powers among the gods, incomparable even to the might of a god like Zaiman. If they truly wished to see the world end, who could stop them? What could possibly stop them?

Talia's thoughts, however, seemed to be in a different place than Persika's. Rather than asking what they should do, what they could possibly do, her mind was focused on why. A flash of indignation coursed through the young woman at the sound of Talia's voice. Not only was she asking such a useless question, who among mortals could possibly understand the reasoning of gods, but why was she the one speaking when they were standing before Persika's god? Couldn't she, for once, have shut her mouth and stepped back? This wasn't her place to lead.

A hint of presence rushed out from within the forest, gently stroking Persika's dirty hair like invisible fingers. Her simmering frustration cooled. Madach was right. Now certainly wasn't the time to be worrying about something like this.

After all, the gods had grown tired of earth. In some ways, it made sense. The number of Chosen across the world had fallen, many of the gods not picking new champions as the previous ones fell. And how long had it been since a Chosen of one of the Three had walked this earth? It was long enough that legends of the King of Chaos, the last person chosen by one of the Three, had faded to nothing more than myth and legend, the truth of the events uncertain.

Under Madach's soothing influence, the fact that Talia's first objection to the idea of saving the world was that Persika would be accompanying her didn't manage to cause the girl to prickle. Instead, all she could think about was how they could possibly accomplish this. There was no denying that being Chosen gave them powers greater than any other mortal, but that was nothing in the face of the gods.

As Talia finally seemed to run out of words, Persika finally opened her mouth. Her words were simple and straightforward. "Tell us what we need to do."

"Some of the Lower gods are already preparing the first of the many apocalypses to come," Madach said, his voice weighted with the gravity of the task in front of them. "For now, you two must buy time. Travel to the core of the oncoming disaster, at the core of each gods' lands, and rally the forces of their worshipers to thwart the disaster. Show the potential of humanity. Other pairs of Chosen in other sections of the world are being brought together for a similar purpose. As our allies among the gods grow, we will be able to postpone disaster, maybe indefinitely."