Chapter Text
The Saint woke up in a field.
He stood, feeling the whistling winds chill through his fur. He was in a large series of fields, presumably once used for farming when their makers were still around. Now turned desolate and dry, by both neglect and the eternal cold of the recent icy climate.
He looked deep into the depths of his mind to find that eternal pulse of meaning. The reason for his existence, for all the thousands of cycles past and future. A moments concentration and his goal found him.
Only two for this excursion. A small ask concerning his last life, just cycles ago.
He started into the cold, towards the first mechanical god.
His travels through the fields were relatively easy. The cold began to bite through him rather quickly, and threats were not uncommon from both land and sky. But he was alive. And his progress had not been halted.
That seemed about to change. Ahead of him was a large pack of scavengers around a massive stick, the skull of a rain deer mounted on its peak with pearls strung from its ornate antlers. A scavenger toll.
Thankfully he had already snatched a pearl from the ground, bleached white by the endless cold. He walked calmly around the large divots in the fields and reached the shrine.
“Toll payment. One pearl or assorted items.” Said a masked scavenger near the tolls front. “We determine if said items are enough. No haggling.”
The Saint nodded politely. He held out the pearl in his hand and the scavenger took it. He waved the Saint through.
“Thank you.” The Saint said. The scavenger nodded as well. Saint moved through the intermingling scavengers and entered the tolls other side, continuing his trek through the fields covered in divots and potholes.
He walked for a bit before something caught his eye. A red spot in the snow-dusted expanse. He hopped lightly towards it to find a being.
A dark red slugcat, their body covered in burn scars leaving rough, dry skin patches as well as regular scars. Their right ear was a touch short, as if the end of it was severed. Another burn covered their left eye, leaving it permanently shut, useless.
They were laying on their back with their head propped on the slope, examining two small red rocks in their hands. They moved them up and down as if physically weighing them.
“Hello.” Saint greeted, looking down to them. “May I ask what you are doing?”
“Fuck off, fuzzball, I’m busy.” They spat. Their voice implied they were female, though it was gruff and ragged as if she shouted too often.
“Weighing rocks?” The Saint asked, only mildly disturbed by their rudeness.
She looked up at him. “Bombs, actually.” She said dully. “Y’know, explosives? Ones that’l turn you to ash if I give em’ an underhand toss.”
The Saint nodded. “I only wish you some small kindness. So if I may ask, why are you weighing them?”
She gave him an annoyed look for a moment. “I’m thinking about the consequences of blowing up that toll up there, though now it’s more enticing to blow up you.” She said.
“Are you perhaps trying to go somewhere?” He asked.
She sighed angrily, looking up at the sky. “Yes. Somewhere that isn’t inhabited by nosy idiots like you.”
He nodded. “Then you might wish to turn around. The closest exit to these arrays is not through this toll.”
“The closest exit to these arrays can shove it.” She said. “I’ve been wandering these goddamn fields for dozens of cycles, everything looks the fucken same. Fuck off already.”
“I could guide you.” Saint suggested politely.
She looked up and stared at him, extremely unimpressed and annoyed.
”Fuck. Off.” She snarled.
The Saint raised his hands in surrender. “If you wish.” He said. “But if you ever change your mind, my offer shall be available.”
She glared at him as he stepped away from the divot. Saint started into the snowy fields once more, the wind howling quietly in his ears.
It had been a cycle since the Saint had met the angry slugcat. As with most alone creatures he met, he wished she would have accepted his help. He knew from experience external anger often gave way to internal turmoil. But this particular slugcat seemed too stubborn to accept him. He sighed to himself as he hopped through the fields, sensing the way forward to the outskirts of his goals.
He was nearing the lower levels of the arrays. He was thankful, as the twisting, red plants and endless desolate expanses became rather boring scenery after a while. The place was so empty, the blizzard ravaging it cleansing any unprepared life. It made Saint a bit sad, even if he knew it was purposed. Nothing new would come without a new environment.
Something shook him from his thoughts.
A rustling in the short foliage nearby, the light snowfall left in the ground being tossed aside. Then the noise stopped. He turned and dropped to all fours, bracing himself to run. Nothing appeared in his vision.
He began moving slowly away. He glanced to his sides and behind, the noise sounding again as he turned. He switched back, seeing only disturbed snow leading in between half-covered divots.
He knew something was hunting him, just out of his vision. He wasn’t feeling optimistic on simply outrunning it. He weighed his options as he examined the snow.
“Show yourself, predator.” He said firmly into the cold air. “I am no fighter. If you wish my life, then take it for yourself.”
Stillness. Saint continued backing away.
Still silence as he stared at the snow. He continued slowly retreating.
Saint leaped in the opposite direction and began sprinting away. He ran for just a moment before he glanced behind him to see nothing chasing.
He stopped, turning slowly and examining his surroundings. He was far from convinced that he was safe. He thought for a moment before an idea crossed his mind.
Saint imitated calmness, shrugging and turning away before he began walking as he once was. He braced his ears for any disturbance.
Saint jumped in a turn as his ears sensed something. At the corner of his vision, he could see a red… something dive into a pothole dusted with snow.
Some pieces fell together in his head.
“…Ma’m?” He asked into the wind. “Is that you?”
He received no answer.
“My offer is still available. I will guide you from these plains with little resistance.” He stated plainly.
Another moment of silence.
The red slugcat he had met just yesterday surfaced from the hole, shaking snow from herself as she stepped towards him looking annoyed.
“Fine. Whatever.” She said, rolling her eyes as she walked up to him. “Don’t call me that.”
He tilted his head. “It is a term of respect, is it not?”
“I don’t care. Don’t call me that.” She growled.
He nodded. “Then what am I to call you?”
She stared at him for a moment, seemingly wondering if she wanted to be called anything at all.
“…Artificer.” She said. “You?”
“I am the Saint.” He stated. “Not in deed, more in standard.” He clarified.
She nodded looking unimpressed. “Mmhm. Got it.” She said, sounding annoyed with him. “Start guiding already.”
The Saint nodded, turning away. “Follow me.”
The two slugcats started into the fields together, Saint with satisfaction and Artificer with mistrust.