Chapter Text
I gasped, my eyes shooting open as I felt something sharp poke at my back.
“Move it, heretic! We don’t have all night.”
A figure in dark robes growled from beneath their hood, a glint of red eyes was all that could be seen from the shadows under the fabric. My hands were bound in rough, scratchy ropes that were tied far too tight.
I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, I wanted to kick and bite and claw. This sucks! I don’t want to die! What did I even do to deserve this!?
I looked up at the four large, terrifying figures standing around an altar just a short walk ahead of me, their gazes searing into my very bones. I looked at the executioner standing to the side, a large, wicked axe in their hands.
My admittedly short life up to this point flashed before my eyes.
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“...Hello?”
I called out into the woods again, receiving no answer. Great. Peachy, even. I’m all alone in some godforsaken forest! And to top it all off, I’m naked to boot!
I sighed and looked down at myself. White wool covered my body from head to toe, save for the few areas where an obsidian black fur showed through, like my hands and feet and presumably my snout as well. So I suppose I wasn’t totally naked, but the wool in and of itself was a problem. I don’t remember having wool or hooves or a snout before I woke up here, in fact I don’t remember much at all… the last memory that comes to mind before waking up here on the forest floor was a sharp pain in my head, loud noises and the smell of something metallic.
I shook my head, figuring out my strange amnesia came second to figuring out basic survival. I’d need to find water first, and hopefully figure out food on the way… hopefully this forest was full of convenient berry bushes for me to snack on. Then again, I wouldn’t know a poisonous berry from an edible one, save for holly berries because of watching a video on them a while ago.
I looked around me, my fists clenching as I tried to ready myself for what was looking like an increasingly dire situation. Naked and afraid in the middle of some unknown forest, surrounded by god-knows-what. That sounds like the premise for some weird TV show, but unfortunately it looks like I’ll be the one starring.
I sighed, resting my hands on my hips. No point in sitting here doing nothing, I was already wasting daylight so I started to move. Picking a random direction and forging ahead, the forest around me was dense and thick. Trees with gnarled branches, bushes with wicked thorns, and large rocks all stood in my way. But one by one I made my way around them. The uncomfortable breeze on my body continuously reminding me that I was moving only with what I’d been born with.
Thankfully, I’d managed to find a sturdy enough stick to bat away the brush ahead of me and move thorny plants out of my way. I’d tested it by trying to bend it in my hands, and giving a few experimental whacks to the vegetation around me, and concluded that while I would prefer to avoid any altercation with forest creatures, it’d serve to beat off something smaller than me.
Now if I were to encounter anything like a bear, well… I’d be totally screwed.
While I was zoning out and thinking of how I’d get away if something like a bear did end up coming after me, I failed to notice the way the ground suddenly dipped up ahead, and ended up tripping down a small hill.
“Waaaagh!”
I screamed as I tumbled downhill, feeling as the pebbles, rocks and brambles in the brush poked and cut at my exposed flesh. Eventually I reached the bottom of the hill, my back thudding against a boulder and knocking the wind from my lungs.
I groaned, my body sore from the fall, twigs and blades of grass alongside snapped brambles now lodged in my wool. I was once again thankful for the thick white fluff that adorned my body, no doubt I would’ve ended up with many more cuts and bruises without it.
With a hiss of effort, I brought myself back onto my feet, picking out whatever brambles I could find still sticking to my wooly coat, as well as any other twigs and dirt that ended up there.
“This day just keeps getting better and better…”
I griped as I touched my back, it was definitely going to be bruised later. And I could see small stains of red on my hands and legs, where my wool thinned out. Reaching up to touch my face, I felt the sting and wetness that told me I’d gotten another cut across my cheek.
I growled, for a moment surprised that I could make such a noise. Sheep weren’t typically known for being able to…
My thoughts escaped me as I looked upon the most relieving thing I’d seen since I ended up in this stupid forest.
A bush, full to bursting with round red berries that looked perfectly ripe.
My stomach growled, I’d been ignoring it by shifting my mind to other thoughts, but I was undeniably hungry after trekking through the forest for several hours. I quickly made my way over to the large bush, and after a quick look to make sure these red berries weren’t those of the poisonous holly variety, I shrugged my shoulders and decided it was good enough.
I popped one into my mouth and was delighted to find that the soft, juicy flesh of the berries was full of sweetness. I immediately began picking handfuls out to eat and sate my growling stomach, only passing over those that looked a little too ripe for my tastes, or those that’d been visibly pecked at by birds and insects.
Once I’d had enough that my stomach no longer protested, I looked around for anything that might let me hold onto some of these for later. I wasn’t any kind of expert, so I couldn’t just sit down and weave a basket out of grass or something, I’d need something a bit easier for-
“Aha!”
I spotted a plant nearby that had large leaves that looked perfect for carrying stuff. I bounded over and plucked one of the leaves after a small struggle with the stem. Returning to the berry bush, I folded up the leaf and used it to hold as many berries as I could fit onto it. Then after a small hassle with figuriong out how to hold the thing so it wouldn’t spill open, I made my way back to the plant for another leaf. Wrapping the two leaves together, I then pulled out one of the stems of the plant, biting off the chunk at the bottom and pulling the stem into more stringy lengths which I used to tie off my makeshift bundle. I had to use multiple ties to make sure it wouldn’t split open and spill out all my goods, but once I was finished I was thoroughly proud of my work.
“They ought to call me a proper bushwoman now”
I stowed the bundle of berries under the crook of my arm and picked up my stick once more. Looking up to see- yeesh, looks like I might’ve spent a bit too long on my berry bundle… What little light I could see filtering through the thick canopy overhead was tinted with yellows and oranges. That could only mean that sunset was drawing near, and I still hadn’t found a water source!
I began to hurry along through the woods, batting away any plants that got in the way with my trusty stick, and making sure not to jostle the fragile bundle I was carrying too much. The day had already been a bit cool for my liking, especially since I felt quite exposed still. I did not want to be out here at night without a proper shelter, but with every passing minute it looked like that outcome was starting to become an inevitability.
Eventually I had to stop and take a moment to breathe. My legs were starting to get sore, and the light from above was only getting dimmer. I was starting to think that maybe I wouldn’t be able to find a water source at all…
I shook my head, now was not the time to get discouraged! I just have to keep moving!
After catching my breath, I stood up and just kept moving, keeping an eye on my feet to make sure I didn’t tumble down another hill. Eventually, I heard something. It sounded like… crackling?
My heart leaped in my chest, and I began running towards the sound. Soon it became more apparent, alongside voices, voices! People! Finally!
Perhaps, looking back… I should’ve taken note of the symbols hanging from the trees, or the skeletons held up high on wooden stakes… but I was too elated by the sounds of people, and ran straight towards them without a second thought.
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Now I stood before the four massive creatures, surrounded by a circle of hooded cultists wielding wicked, jagged daggers. The one poking at my bare back leading me towards the pentagram in front of the four monsters before me.
“Another one? How could this be!? Which one of you idiots could have possibly missed ANOTHER lamb wandering about!?”
The tall, plant-like creature with a bloodied bandage over its eyes howled. The cultists around me seemed to shrink away at their harsh voice.
“Surely they know that such a failure will bring about dire punishment.”
Growled the second figure in line, their large frog-like appearance twisting with anger. I flinched back from the guttural sound of their voice.
“Well, it is no matter. The last of the free lambs has been captured, or rather… the second to last.”
The squid-like creature to the right of the red once hissed, their eyes narrowing as they glared at me. I felt the shivers in my body worsen as the visible animosity towards me grew.
“One becomes two, becomes one, becomes none. The prophesy must not be fulfilled.”
Hissed the last figure in line, their spider-like appearance making my skin crawl as they seemed to speak in some sort of trance.
“You can rest easy, (brother?) Shamura. This Heretic will soon be dealt with.”
The plant-like creature sneered, and the cold dread of my inevitable demise washed over me once again, as I looked to the bloody axe of the large, hooded figure of the executioner beside me. Their dark leather mask looking to me like the face of death, as they gripped the handle of their cruel axe tighter, as if in anticipation of my coming demise.
I couldn’t take it anymore, and began to sob uncontrollably. I fell to my knees, but was quickly grabbed by the binds that held my arms and dragged towards the bloody pentagram on the floor.
“NO! PLEASE! I BEG YOU! PLEASE NO!”
I screamed, but was quickly silenced when the cultist dragging me shoved a dirty cloth in my mouth. At the same time, the frog-like creature let out a gurgling growl, and the plant-like one hissed.
“Silence, heretic. Your filth will be cleansed.”
I continued to sob into the rag as I was forced down against the ground and left there. The cultist that’d been holding me walked away as the executioner approached.
This is it. I’m going to die. I’m going to die and there’s nothing I can do about it.
The executioner’s axe raised high in the air, soon to fall upon my neck. It was then that I heard something, a sound, slither out faintly from under their leather hood.
“I-I’m sorry…”
The voice was… soft, softer than I’d thought possible from a frame so large. It was… it was comforting, the only kind words I’d heard since I got here, and it was from the one who was about to-
CLANG!
My eyes shot open at the sound, I quickly looked around, only to see the hooded form of the executioner flying off into the woods, their bloodied axe still clutched in their thick hands. I looked down, only to see a red cape fluttering in the cold breeze, and black hooves landing right in front of me.
“IT’S THE HERETIC!!”
“THE LAMB! KILL IT!!”
The large figures hissed and screeched, and my savior looked up at them with glowing red eyes, their dark-hilted sword held at the ready.
“CULTISTS! KILL THE LAMB!”
The plant-like one hissed, before they all seemingly sank into the floor without a trace. Then the horde of cultists all around us charged. I closed my eyes tight, hearing only the clanging of metal and the sound of screams. I smelled blood being spilled, and when I finally opened my eyes, it was…
The red-caped lamb, they moved with a grace and fury that I hadn’t thought possible. Slashing, rolling and blasting what looked like magic as the cultists fell one by one. I couldn’t take my eyes away as the lamb’s blade sang across the necks of those who’d tried to sacrifice me.
And when the last of them fell, the lamb standing victorious among the piles of corpses, they turned to me. Their sword dissipating and seemingly reforming as a dark crown atop their head.
But when they finally stopped to get a good look at me, they seemed to be… stunned?
Their eyes widened, shimmering as they ran over and put their hands on my face. Cupping my cheeks as their mouth hung open in amazement. They didn’t say a word though, just seeming to be in silent disbelief. Shaken out of my own stunned silence, I spat out the rag that had been stuffed in my mouth, spitting at the bad taste.
“Y-you… you saved me..! Thank you! Thank you so much!”
Tears of joy spilled from my eyes as I began to laugh from the adrenaline still coursing through me. My entire body jittering as my frayed nerves continued to fire. The lamb walked behind me and cut through the ropes that bound my wrists. I stood up shortly after, rubbing at the sore and scratched lines the rope had left behind. My hands were still numb and tingling from the lack of blood flow.
“...Seriously? Ugh. Fine”
A voice I didn’t recognize sounded out from behind me, making me jump. The lamb held out their hand apologetically, glaring for a moment at the crown in their hands. The crown which I now realized had a blinking, crimson eye at its center.
“W-wha..?”
“Alright listen, our glorious hero here can’t speak, so I’ll be doing it for them. Here’s the gist; We save you, you join our cult to destroy the bishops. The bishops are those four that just tried to have you executed by the way.”
“U-um-”
“Also we didn’t know there was another lamb, thought our glorious leader here was the last one to survive. And by the looks of it you’re female. So rejoice! There may be a way to repopulate and save your race”
I once again became acutely aware of my nudity, and quickly moved to cover my nethers. Feeling my face heat up at the gaze of both the red-eyed crown and the wide-eyed lamb before me.
“A-alright, well… I don’t have anywhere else to go, so…”
“Great! I suggest you brace, then”
“Brace? Brace for wha-”
A startled bleat escaped from my mouth as I was suddenly lifted into the air, a glowing red pentagram beneath me. I looked up into my savior’s glowing crimson eyes, which were the last thing I saw before being sucked through the pentagram.