Rise of the Weakest Summoner

Before anyone could say anything about the scene playing out before them, the assumed leader of the community spoke again, pressing his forehead harder into the dark ground with each articulated word.

“Oh, Divine Patron, we beg you, do not find this preposterous, but we humbly request your generous assistance once more!” the male announced. “Find it in your benevolent heart to save us like in the ancient past! We modestly beseech you!”

“We beseech you! We beseech you!” The choir of rat people continued their chants.

Selene was slowly coming off her daze and directed a confused glance at Asterios, which conveyed her complete lack of understanding of the situation and denied any previous involvement with these creatures. He, naturally, understood that and would never doubt his incredible mate. 

But, there was one thing they both were aware of that could be the reason behind the weird behavior of these Darklings. Selene’s eyes widened in realization as she turned back to the awaiting crowd.

“First of all, raise your heads. You are mistaken. I am not your Goddess. This is my first time appearing in this realm,” the fox lady explained softly. “You have confused me with another.”

The gathered did glance up from the ground with some puzzlement twisting their snouts, but it didn’t seem like they were inclined to believe her words over what their eyes could see. They exchanged looks between themselves until the man in charge gesticulated at his subjects to return to their respectful formation.

“But, how could that be, Goddess?” The leader hesitantly straightened up and looked her all over. “Your blessed whiteness is unmistakable amongst the cursed darkness surrounding this world. There is only one indisputable beacon of light in this eternal night. And these magnificent tails are unforgettable, even for those who have only heard tales of their glory. Although, I can see their number has grown even more during your absence, which we offer our most sincere congratulations!”

“Congratulations! Congratulations!” The others repeated his last word.

“Okay. Stop with the chanting, if you would.” Selene rubbed her eyes. “And I can’t accept these congratulatory wishes because the person you are referencing wasn’t me. We might share the same lineage, but I’m much younger.”

The Darklings finally looked up from the ground properly and their beady eyes blinked silently for a few seconds, processing the given information.

“Ohhhhhhhhh…” Everyone hummed in understanding, their heads bobbing up and down at each other.

“Yes, so you shouldn’t—”

“The Goddess’ daughter has graced our helpless village with her divine presence!” The man spread his arms and roared into the sky. “Praise be the Sacred Scion!”

“Praise be! Praise be!” His followers copied the motions.

“I’m not—” The object of their worship groaned heavily while swiping both palms down her face. “You know what, I give up. Sure, praise be the Sacred Scion, Divine Daughter, or whatever you want to call it. I politely asked you to stop this mass yelling. Will you heed my request?”

Noticing her light glare, the chief froze for a moment and started waving at the others immediately after. All the Darklings shut their mouths and remained perfectly still. Only the faint chuckles coming from the girls behind Selene could be heard in the area.

“Great. Thank you.” The fox lady clasped her hands together. “Now, since I haven’t talked with my mother in ages, I would like you to explain why you are calling her your Goddess of Conquest and Retribution. And what do you mean by asking me to assist you again.”

“But of course, Your Holiness!” The male bowed once more. “The original Goddess appeared during our darkest hour, challenging the behemoths ruling these lands with nothing but cruelty and live sacrifices. Without expecting even a word of gratitude, she got rid of all our enemies, bringing peace to these lands, and departed to lend her strength to other oppressed communities.”

Asterios snorted and met the eyes of his mates.

Yeah, that for sure was what had happened and how it had played out.

“Afterwards, we have enjoyed the tranquility for many good years, at least until the Horror chose one of our holy grounds as its lair, preventing us from making our pilgrimage to the only nearby site of the Goddess’ ancient influence,” the representative continued. “Our brave warriors attempted to take what is ours back, but it only angered the indescribable spirit, causing it to pester us actively since then. Many of our people lose their lives to its whims, regardless if they approach the lair or simply hang out around the village. That is why, we are in need of your benevolence once more.”

The group almost chanted again, but they visibly held themselves back at the very last moment. It was such a comedic sight watching Darklings’ cheeks puff out as they shut their lips to prevent any noise from coming out.

“I see.” Selene nodded to herself. “Before making any decisions, we would need to hear more about this Horror. We are here for our own reasons and we can’t be thrown too far off our goal.”

“Naturally!” The male snapped his bony fingers and all the other Darklings sprinted back into the settlement in one wave. “Let us not continue this conversation in the middle of nowhere, though! We are obliged to display our utmost hospitality to you and your traveling companions, Goddess!”

“I thought we established that I’m not your Goddess.” She frowned lightly.

“What is the daughter of the Goddess if not a Goddess herself?” He tilted his head, pulling on his long whiskers.

“You can’t argue with that logic.” Asterios shrugged.

“Alright. Lead the way… What’s your name?” the fox lady inquired.

“You may call me Darek, Your Eminence. It’s a name passed onto every chief leading this community,” the guy in charge finally introduced himself. “The names of common members might be fairly hard to pronounce to the beings from other planes of existence so you don’t need to bother yourself with remembering any other individual addressing forms.”

“And I’m Selene so you don’t need to bring out your entire dictionary when talking to me,” she added. “That male over there is my mate so show him equal respect you show me, and the females standing around him are my sister-mates.”

“Everyone shall be informed immediately.” Darek bowed deeply. “Now, please give me the honor of escorting you inside.”

Receiving a nod of approval, he spun around and began the march towards the blocky village. Asterios and the others joined up with Selene and they moved as one group. Out of respect, their guide kept his distance from them no matter what. If they sped up, he sped up too. If they slowed down, he matched their pace. All without turning even once.

“Looks like we found ourselves in the middle of another unexpected development.” Tina let out a faint giggle. “Do you think this will be to any extent related to what we are looking for?”

“It’s hard to guess at this moment,” Althea replied. “This might just be a simple territorial dispute, completely separate from our pursuit.”

“Or it can give us a hint after we check these sacred grounds which Kaguya’s presence has influenced,” Silvia added. “Even if we don’t find anything that could aid us with the curse, there’s a chance we could learn more about her.”

“And that might help with Master’s memories!” Miria beamed at them. “I mean, we can at least hope, no? Just maybe we will get lucky.”

“This journey will take a long time if we chase after every trace of her,” Asterios pointed out. “I’m eager to discover more about either of my parents and their past, but we need to remember not to lose sight of our original objective. It should be possible to still travel around this realm after we unlock it.”

“I won’t mind it if you decide to take a detour now and then,” Abyss chimed in. “Besides, as your mates have said, it might be worth checking those places of power and worship. The intrusion caused by your parents could have caused some anomalies in the spell with how powerful they are pictured. This definitely wasn’t a variable he had planned for.”

“So, we should let Selene duke it out with the most powerful entities in here and see if she can shake the foundation of this world!” Miria’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Or, we could let Master join in just like her mate had a few times and have them both wreck this place so hard it bursts open!”

Asterios snickered and caressed her round ears. “Let’s try a few other things before we choose violence for the answer. If nothing else works, we will consider your idea. Kaguya was sent here to get stronger. I bet Selene could beat her progress plenty of times over. We just might not have as many years to spend here doing nothing but fighting.”

Any further discussion died down as they finally entered deeper into the unique settlement. Everything in sight was flat and smooth, including roads, buildings, and even some decorations and adornments. The square houses felt fairly eerie compared to what Ast’s group was usually used to. They seemed made of a single piece of massive block, missing any lines suggesting connected parts.

But, the most surprising detail was the presence of the completely out-of-place statues. They didn’t match the rectangular theme. And well, they couldn’t if they were meant to depict what they did, which was without a shadow of a doubt Kaguya in different poses, ranging from more static to fully mobile. They varied in size and placement, with some standing atop the flat surfaces of a bunch of roofs.

These creatures truly worshiped Kaguya as their Goddess to the tiniest detail.

As for the residents, the news must have spread like wildfire because almost all the Darklings they passed showed them lots of respect, some even falling to their knees in adoration. The short entities dropped whatever they had been doing to bask in the glory of the Goddess returned.

In the form of their original patron’s descendant, of course.

Darek led them toward a tower. That was the most accurate description of the building ahead of them. It consisted of about seven square blocks stacked atop each other, every further one smaller than its predecessor. After a moment of thought, Selene suggested that those might be meant to symbolize the number of Kaguya’s tails these creatures could have witnessed in the past and everyone agreed with her assessment.

They entered the towering structure and witnessed even more square and rectangular elements within its confines. Pretty much everything followed the trend, from furniture to the glowing purple crystals serving as light sources. At this point, it felt like an obsession, but cults usually weren’t the sanest communities. And this village certainly qualified as one.

Brought deeper and higher into the mansion, they were seated around a long table in a chamber with walls covered in sculptures of scenes describing Kaguya’s conquests in this world. She easily felled titans and behemoths straight up from nightmares according to those records. Umbra chuckled in everyone’s minds, laughing at how exaggerated the art was.

“I would serve you complimentary dishes, but I unfortunately am not aware of your dietary customs, so apologies for showing you to an empty table,” Darek said with an apologetic bow. “Our chefs didn’t want to offend Goddess Selene and her entourage.”

“What do your people even eat in this realm? Are you able to cultivate anything atop this completely flat rock?” Tina pondered out loud.

“For the most part, we hunt,” he answered. “There are a few known habitats of weaker beasts around us so meat is our main nourishment. We are aware of some edible plants capable of making this bedrock their garden field, but those are hard to come by, their seeds being available in extremely hostile lands. We mostly scavenge for what we can find, sometimes picking up kills from stronger predators skulking around. In the past, we fed on the victims of the titans existing in this region.”

“That Horror must be scaring away plenty of game, right?” Selene asked.

“It is as you say, My Lady.” The man sighed wistfully. “These lands were a bit richer in living entities before its arrival. Many fall victim to its dark enticement.”

“Is there a reason why everything here is so blocky? Or why only this building has anything resembling a roof?” Miria tilted her head cutely.

“There is.” He gave her a contented smile. “Every single horizontal surface has to be ready for the second descent of the Goddess, making it easier for her to step down to the very ground during the prophesied day. Until then, they also serve as pedestals for her flattering depictions, which naturally include the roofs of our houses. It’s the highest honor to host a figure above one’s home, be it made with own efforts or the efforts of our talented craftsmen.”

~Crazy. The entire village is just a stepping stone for her,~ Tia commented in their minds.

“But now, we have found another purpose for them,” Darek added while glancing at Selene.

~Oh, ancestors…~ The fox lady in question shuddered in realization.

The others chuckled at her misfortune. Especially Asterios. He knew what it meant to have statues raised in one’s name. It was finally someone else’s turn to experience that awkwardness.

“Anyway, worry not, we have brought our own provisions!” Miria changed the topic to save her sister-mate.

With a few quick flicks of her furry fingers, she brought forth a few simple dishes and drinks she had prepared ahead of time. The table was covered with plates containing some tasty sandwiches, cold meat varieties, and even a number of desserts. As she had said, the girls had made sure to stock up on a lot of things in case Umbra’s realm proved to be completely devoid of things they could eat or drink. With how much was stuffed in their spatial storages, they had long months before they had to start worrying.

She offered the meatier options to their host and invited the entire party to snack on while they talked. Asterios was the first one to resume the conversation.

“Tell us more about this Horror. Oh, and does it ring any bells, Umbra?” He glanced at the humanoid form of their shadowy butler-duke.

“I’m afraid that’s too vague of a detail to go by. Many entities I know could earn themselves such a title. I’m also not that well-versed in the creatures from this region to guess which one could have potentially evolved and moved its lair,” the Lord of Shadows answered.

“Allow me to share what we know, then.” Darek tore himself away from the gifted dish with a lot of effort, still eyeing the filet with visible hunger in his black eyes. “Unfortunately, we aren’t in possession of many visual testimonies. Anyone who gets close to the Horror’s territory, willingly or not, is usually a lost cause and never returns. Those who do, come back mentally broken, spewing mindless combinations of words without meaning. We haven’t found a way to heal them.”

“That sounds terrifying,” Silvia noted.

“The only testaments we have secured aren’t consistent.” The man’s forehead furrowed in vexation. “Some say it’s an ethereal avian giant. Others swear they saw a massive reptile with a world-spanning tongue. There are also people who pledge their life over belief that it’s one of the titans destroyed by our Goddess.”

“Talk about inconsistent.” Althea stroked her chin. “Not knowing what you are dealing with raises the risk exponentially. Perhaps it’s some kind of a shapeshifter that aims to keep its enemies unaware for easier preying.”

“We have no idea.” The Darkling leader shook his head. “These are all the hints we can provide you. I know that it’s not much to go on with. And it might be shameless to beg for help first thing after witnessing the grand arrival of the Sacred Scion, but if this continues, it won’t take long before we are picked out one by one. Our females are too frightened to have children, unwilling to raise their offspring just so it becomes food to some vile beast. We are simply powerless against it.”

Selene glanced Ast’s way and he nodded kindly. “Very well. We will investigate this monstrosity. If you promise to aid us with our own survey.”

At her declaration, Darek slammed his forehead into the table with a mighty thud, causing the plates to jump slightly.

“We will do anything you command us to do, Goddess, regardless if you shall involve yourself with our problems or not. Many of our elders owe a life debt to you, and so do all of their descendants, and their descendants, and their descendants. Our ears exist to listen to your orders,” he announced.

Asterios doubted that last statement, but he had enough tact not to comment on it. These creatures were extremely religious. Disrespecting their faith and devotion was the last thing anyone should do.

Save maybe for the Goddess herself.

“You already know I’m not the same person that aided you initially,” the fox lady reminded him. “You don’t owe me anything yet.”

“A debt to a mother is a debt to the daughter,” the chief insisted. “We will be indebted for generations to your generations too.”

She sighed delicately, deciding that it just wasn’t worth it to argue with fanatics. Selene didn’t wish to abuse their obligations as Asterios definitely wouldn’t do so in her place, but she had no choice. His knowing and understanding smile brought one of gentle resignation to her lips, and she ducked her head at him lovingly.

This was a complex situation and they would unravel it together, supporting each other whenever necessary.

“Where can we find it?” She turned to the rodent man.

“I’ll call for a guide imme—”

“No,” Selene cut him off. “We won’t risk innocent lives knowing how the surviving victims turn out. Just point us the correct way.”

“Praise be your compassion, Great Goddess Selene.” The man smacked his forehead into the table again. “In relation to this tower, our desecrated holy grounds are located to the left after you exit through the main entrance. It takes us about six hours on foot to reach the destination, making it a twelve-hour pilgrimage both ways.”

~Twelve tails?~ Tina raised a brow at the vulpine lady.

~Coincidence.~ Selene smirked. ~Even Kaguya wasn’t aware of anything above eleven according to the legends and doctrines she left behind.~

~It just shows who is the true Moon Goddess.~ Asterios chuckled at her, causing her noble cheeks to color.

“We’ll depart immediately,” she announced firmly. “In the meantime, gather any artifacts, relics, memorabilia, or anything you consider connected to the Goddess. I wish to study them.”

“It shall be done.” Darek stood up and bowed to his waist, sprinting away on his short legs the very next second.

With their group finally left alone in the room, Selene allowed herself a deep, tired sigh. “This is much harder than being a High Priestess, possibly even the Matriarch…”

“At least you do have some experience managing people below you.” Asterios cheered her up with some cordial tail brushes, bringing a blissful hum onto her supple lips.

“Come on, Master, before she turns into a puddle from your magnificent fingers and we won’t get anything done.” Miria giggled while looking at her beastfolk friend with a wide grin.

“Just a few seconds longer…” the recipient of those fingers whispered dreamily and rested her head on Ast’s shoulder.

“See? You need to be more aware of the power your pets wield against our animal features.” The panthergirl pouted, evoking some chuckles from the others. “Now get up, Selene. You can ask Master to spoil you after successfully getting rid of that monster and bringing him valuable information from its dwelling.”

Exhaling deeply, the fox lady snuck a fluffy peck on his cheek and stood up, staring longingly at his fingers for a moment longer. Making up her mind, she turned around and sauntered towards the doorway, visibly powering up with spiritual energy. Asterios quickly cleaned up the table and he followed after her with his other companions.

They were in for a great show presented to them by an exquisite Moon Goddess of Eleven Tails.