"A devil! It's a devil!"
"How are you... looking at Bishan? This shouldn't be possible, meow. Humans shouldn't be able to handle even this much, meow."
"Bishan? This is Bishan? Who the hell is Bishan!?"
"You don't know me, child? How surprising, I'm sure I'm quite well known."
The voice resounded from within his own head, causing it to pound. He slapped his hands over his ears, trying to block the frequency, but it was futile.
"##### ## ##, ######! ## ### #### ## #####, #### ## ## #### ##!" the shadow girl shouted at the leviathan.
To Linnie's surprise, it responded. "##? ########## ## #### ###, ### ###?"
"That thing speaks the same language as her?!"
"#### ### ##### #### #### #### ##### #### ####!" the shadow girl replied.
"##... # #### ##### ##. ###### ######### ####### ##### ###, #### #####?"
"###!"
"Ignore her. You're here for a reason, are you not?" the voice asked.
Linnie looked at the shadow girl, who was profusely shaking her head.
"#### #####," she said.
"Don't reply! Meow!"
"Oh. That's what's happening. Holy shit."
Linnie stared back up at the gargantuan leviathan, floating in the air, and realized that it was the thing speaking inside his mind.
"Monster, what are you!?" Linnie shouted, nearly tipping over the boat.
"##!" the shadow shouted, facepalming.
"Monster? Aha—how... impudent. But I suppose I do look like a monster in this form. I am not a monster, boy. I am the god Bishan. Or, you may know me as the Holy Saint Pischt?"
"Saint Pischt!? I don't believe it—a god? No way!"
Distorted laughter filled the air, and the womanly figure covered its mouth.
"I see why she likes you. So bold—and stupid. But something's there... something more. I'll spare you, then. In fact, I'll even offer you a trade. Isn't that nice? I don't offer trades to just anyone, you know."
"What sort of trade?"
"Don't listen to her, Linnie! Ignore her, ignore her! Meow!"
"Well, anything, really. I'm a god, you know? People seek me all the time in search of all sorts of things, usually through prayers and such. It's rare you meet a god in person, you should take advantage of it! Love, fame, wealth. Power. Whatever you'd like."
"That one! The last one! I want it!"
"Oho... it's power you want? Not a bad choice... may I ask why?"
"Well, isn't it a trick question? I've heard stories about genies before, and there's always a trick. If I've got power, then all those other things are easy to get, right? So power's the best option!"
Again, the leviathan's jaws contorted open, and the distorted laughter shook the sea.
"That's right... that's right. But there's many kinds of power. Which one would you like?"
The shadow girl and the cat were viciously conversing in private, seemingly trying to find a way to put an end to this situation.
"Hmm, I'm an aspiring wizard, so I guess it'd be something to make my magic stronger?"
"Ooh, an aspiring wizard? How exciting! Yes, physical strength wouldn't be too useful for a wizard. A conduit, then?"
"A conduit? What's that?"
"You don't know what a conduit is? It's something all wizards have, I'm sure you've seen it. It's the thing that's at the tip of all your little staves. It's what amplifies your magic when you use a staff. It's very important!"
"Oh... but I don't have a staff. Can't you just make my magic stronger?"
"Make your magic stronger? Now, how would I do that? Magic isn't weak or strong, silly boy."
"But I thought you could do anything," Linnie thought. "Alright, then. I'll take a conduit and figure out how to use it later!"
"That's more like it! Hmm, but the only one I have is very, very, very valuable. What do you have to trade for it?"
"What? You didn't say anything about that!" Linnie looked at Alwyn's hat in his hands, but shook his head. "Forget it, I don't have anything I can give you."
"No, no! Don't worry, boy, you have exactly what I want."
"I do?"
"That's right! It's not even that valuable, either, and you barely even need it. I'm sure you won't mind giving it to me."
"What is it?"
"Your dream."
"I don't even know what that is. How would I give you a dream?"
"You don't have to concern yourself with that part, I'll just take it off your hands. Do we have a deal?"
"Uhm..." he looked to the two, violently shaking their heads no. "Well, it can't be that important. Sure thing!"
They hung their heads in disappointment, not sure of the details, but certain it wasn't good.
The deity's strategy of a direct line of communication seperated from the others had proven fatal, leaving the foolish boy without ample counsel.
"Oh, and it doesn't quite cover the cost, so I'll be taking something from the other two, too. I hope you don't mind."
"Wait, I didn't agree to that...!"
"Huh? Why would you need to agree to me taking something from them? It's not yours to keep from me, is it?"
"...I guess not. Go ahead, then," Linnie said, giving a thumbs up.
"What did you just do, meow? Please tell me you didn't just make a deal with her. Meow."
"Of course I did. It's a god! Isn't that what you're supposed to do when you meet a god?"
"### #####!" the shadow girl shouted.
"Do you neowd me to translate? Meow."
"Yeah."
"You idiot! Meow!"
The leviathan, AKA Saint Pischt, shivered in the air. Roaring, it dove back into the ravine, the sand closing up as it sank. After a brief moment of stillness, the ocean started moving again, this time in a circular motion.
The boat was riding around the edge of a whirlpool.
"Meow, meow meow, me-ow? Meow...? Meow!" the cat jumped up and down, pawing at its mouth.
"What's wrong? Why are you doing that?" Linnie asked.
The boat's speed picked up exponentially as it got closer and closer to the center of the current. At the end? A deep dark hole. Yes, another one.
"###... #### ###### ## ### ######? ##, ### ###### ####."
"I can't... understand you."
The boat fell into the sand, plunging into darkness.
When Linnie woke up, it was morning. He was lying in the middle of a small clearing. He sat up, removing Alwyn's hat from his face. Alwyn and Aliza came through the brush. It seemed they had been looking for him.
"What were you doing out here, you naughty dog? Wait... that's disgusting... why do you have my hat with you?"
"What are you even thinking?!" Linnie grimaced, throwing Alwyn's hat at his face.
"Ew, that's so gross," Aliza snickered. "Why would you even say that?"
He caught it, nimbly placing it atop his skull. "I've already made breakfast. Hurry up and eat so we can get back on the road."
A high-pitched whistling sounded from the sky, and Linnie was promptly hit square in the forehead by a flaming rock from space. It nearly knocked him out cold, and when he looked at it, now in a smoldering patch of grass, he recognized it instantly.
"The... conduit!"
"Am I seeing things, or did a meteor just fly into his face?" Alwyn asked.