Cultish Life

Reborn anew

The forests are cold, the wind howls with frost in these lands. The wild is cruel, it always has been, but after the prophecy, the exterminations, everything has fallen into chaos. Leshy's domain was overran with horrible creatures long ago, unfortunately you had to escape your home to survive by a hair. The woods are no safer than anywhere else, though.
The most food you've had are berry pickings your village used to grow, the flavor is sweet and identifiable. The rustle of the bushes attracts bats, so you cannot eat for long before fleeing.
Your clothes are worn down, scarred and scratched from the multiple encounters you have had to run from, they hardly serve to keep you warm anymore. Berries are not enough to keep you sustained for days, and soon you grew horribly weak, exhausted, and sickly.
All you could do was find a comfortable spot to lay down, and pray to Leshy that he would save you.

There was noise in the distance. Hissing creatures, slashing swords and guts thrown. Your ears twitched to the noise, as silence soon washed over the area again, you heard approaching footsteps. Hooves on grass, white fluff, and a crown atop the head. A sole surviving lamb, now a crown bearer. He said nothing as he stepped in, his eyes looking down at you with pity, a sword in his hand. Desperate for survival, the scrounge to your knees and clasp your hands, mustering in a starched voice,
"Please, lamb," you begged, "spare me." Your eyes  squinted shut.
The lamb, in silence, slipped a book out of his cape. The cover flew open and the pages fluttered in a swarm, the Devine's eyes filled with power and he raised his hand. You knees and feet were lifted off of the ground, and you were dropped into a portal in the floor beneath your feet.

"Am I... dead?"
The place was quiet, you could almost hear your thoughts aloud. There was no feeling of temperature, no sense of time, no sense of air nor land for your feet to rest. It was so empty, such an unearthly place.. yet it seemed safe. A place to rest, a break from the horrible survival you have had for a few days. You could finally close your eyes without fearing you may be ripped apart or sacrificed.
It could have been minutes, hours, days, you couldn't know, your perception was not able to comprehend the plane you are in. Not until a portal opened up above your head, the sky shone bright and a force tossed you up from out of the realm. You flailed in the sky for a moment before landing on stone, your fatigue took you over once more. You were at the lamb's feet, but, in a new place.

You look around, there are people like you, smiling and working, not seeming to mind your presence. There are several buildings about, none of them are destroyed or on fire, and there are meals set out for the hungry.
You look back to the lamb. In this state of chaos and plague, this crown bearer's cult was the only one not overrun with conspiracy and danger. It was not only an honor to be in a bearer's presence, but a blessing to be allowed into the space of his cult. You clasp your hands together again,
"Please! Convert me to your cult!" You pleaded, "I will follow you faithfully!"
His eyes were glazed over in red, the pages of his book fluttering, levitating above his hand. You almost doubted he heard you, until he did speak,
"Your name is Oakley."
You bowed your head, shaking. It was customary to receive a name by the cult.
"Gullible.... Zealous........" he murmured, "You are a germaphobe?"
You said nothing. What excuse could you say to such a godly being?
"I welcome you, Oakley. You may get yourself something to eat, and make a home here of the cult." He raised you off of the ground, his magic replacing your clothes with red garments to match the others here.
"Thank you, thank you.." you stumbled to you feet as he dropped you. He said nothing in return, hardly acknowledging your words to turn for the farmland in the distance.

The place was so new, so bright and colorful. After such an awful few days, you ahead trouble believing it could be true. Nervously, you followed the smell of food, picking up a bowl off of the floor and indulging yourself in the meal. A salad of berries, vegetables and lean meats, the most filling dinner you have had yet. Now you sit, awkwardly with an empty bowl in your lap, next to the kitchen. You could think clearly now, truly taking your time to see the situation you were in.
A large state of the new crown bearer towered in the center of the village. Several people crowded around it, crouched in prayer. Others, in more open areas, were chopping trees and digging up stone. There was a large, red church, the lights were out at the moment. Behind it sat a confession booth, in privacy. Elsewhere were the homes, teepees set up with beds inside for the followers to sleep. An elder rested, sitting in the doorway of his tent, smiling as he watched other followers. Everyone here seemed.. happy. It really was a paradise.

You saw the lamb approach the statue, and you took to your feet with newfound strength. The lamb raised his hands and spoke to those in front of him,
"Our cult grows larger, my friends!" He swayed from side to side, his followers began to mimic the same dance and hum amongst themselves.
"Welcome new ones with open arms, You all are doing wonderful!" The lamb finished, his followers cheering and hailing his name. The Lamb then darted off, and the followers resumed their work.

"Hi, puppy." Someone called to you. Your tail started instinctively wagging, so you pressed your palm to it to stop it. A grey raccoon greeted you. They held a red garment in their hand, and a bundle of sewing supplies next to them. They had come to sit down by you, so they took a seat at a stump nearby.
"Um, hello." you waved to them.
"I saw you just got here. Welcome to the community." They smiled, then looked down to the fabric they held, sliding their needle through and beginning a tedious pattern, "Our leader seems scary, but he's nice, really."

"He slayed a horde of monsters to get to me!" You explained, finally being able to go over the event, "his mercy then took me in, I had nothing to give and he saved me." You spoke in awe.
The raccoon laughed, "Mhm." They nodded, "our leader is gracious. They saved me from sacrifice. A crazed group of leshy's cult was trying to offer me for their survival." They explained, "then he came in, wiped them out, and delivered me here."
"Incredible." Your tail wagged, "I prayed to Leshy for days and I never saw him... but the lamb, he just rescued me."
The raccoon nodded, "He keeps us safe here. He goes out for weeks at a time, but will return with gold, food, and materials."
"How honorable.." you put your hands on your head, further feeling so unreal from the blessings the lamb has given you.
The raccoon giggled, "I get it. I used to follow Leshy too. Night will be dawning soon, so you should go find a tent to call yours."
"I don't have to build it?" You asked.
"No, no" the raccoon responded, "we all pitch in to build things together. Now go, find a bed." She shooed.

So, you left to the teepees. Several of them had pillows and personal belongings, but a few of them were empty with the door flaps rolled up. You released the leather holding them down, and stepped inside. It was just big enough to let you stand up in the middle without bumping your head. The floor was a gentle hide, with a sleeping bag rolled out in the middle. Feeling so safe, you couldn't help but yawn the tent was so warm inside, and the floor was so cozy. You got down, laying on the floor, and cuddled up to your sleeping bag. It was a big change, but you will be able to accept your new life.