#kallamar is a wreck and I love him

[moonwaterart]

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Damn it's been a while since I posted something I'm proud of writing, so here's a ficlet for Kallamar/Follower cause I wanted to write something that anyone with a Cult of the Lamb OC could insert them into if they wanted, so enjoy this short ficlet.

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The One Who Understands Him

Being immortal had its perks, Shamura had assured Kallamar, but the squid-like bishop still had his worries. What if no one followed his teachings now? What if those that did saw his cowardice and decided to leave? Would he be able to keep them from turning their backs to the old gods?

Worry plagued him on a daily basis. He was scared of the responsibilities he was given. Anchordeep was a large place, how was he supposed to do anything significant there without worrying about the worst case scenario?

Kallamar had decided to take a walk to clear his thoughts as much as he could when he came across an injured resident of his domain. Knocked out, beaten and left for dead. Fish swimming about would nibble at them, but scattered once Kallamar got close enough to inspect the damage. They would be able to heal up nicely if they got back to the temple, so he decided to do just that; melting into the ground and emerging back in his inner sanctuary.

He had gotten to patching up the injuries he could see, but given he didn’t know the full extent of what happened all he could do was watch over them and hope for the best.

When they did finally open their eyes three days later, Kallamar burst into tears thanking the old gods that they were okay. The resident seemed dazed, yet when their eyes landed on the weeping bishop they reached out to put a hand against him.

“Are… are you okay?”

“You-You’re not dead! I-I actually didn’t kill you!”

“That’s… quite an odd thing to say to someone… but if you’re the one who saved me, thank you.” They sat up, wincing slightly. “Those rammers did a number on me.”

Kallamar looked at them as they inspected the bandages wrapped around them. They didn’t seem to know who he was, or at least they didn’t acknowledge his ranking.

“How… how did you end up in your predicament?” Kallamar asked.

“Huh? Oh! I um…” They fiddled with the blanket that covered their lower half. “I wanted to get some crystals to make some charms to sell. The orange ones look like tiny little sunsets when the light hits them just right…” They admitted. “Usually I don’t have much to deal with… but when the crystals don’t grow back… you gotta venture further out… you know?”

Kallamar did understand to an extent, crystal harvesting was something he liked to do so his temples could be decorated with all manner of sparkly bits and bobbles, but-

“Straying too far from the villages is a death sentence to those inexperienced with handling what’s out in the vast deep. You could have been killed.” His tone became serious as he took to grabbing a few things around the room with a few of his extra tentacles before coming back to their side to examine them. If there was anything that made him change his tune in a situation quickly it was someone inexperienced in combat being unable to defend themselves.

“Well… not many of us know how to fight since our beloved bishop protects us.” They admitted, allowing the bishop in question to look them over and rewrap their bandages who paused at their words. “I’ve heard he’s quite a swordsman, so strong and protective of Anchordeep. He’s made living here a lot safer for us here, and I’m thankful to him and his high priests for making this place as safe as it is. I must have just wandered into a wild area by accident.”

Hold on.. They didn’t know who Kallamar was? 

That was…new.

Strange.

“Surely you know you’re in one of his temple’s, correct?” He asked as he finished up and disposed of the old bandages. “A-and that you know what the bishop of this land looks like?”

“I do.. See that, yes. As for the bishop? No, I haven’t. I live in a smaller village that he doesn’t ever come to, we just hear the stories from the bigger towns when merchants come to trade and buy from the farmers and craftspeople.” They looked at him. “You must be important to the old faith given your size. Right?”

Kallamar flushed a deeper blue color. “I-I guess you could say that, yes.”

“Then maybe… I should stick around and pay you back for saving my life. It’s the least I could do. Even if it’s for a little while.”

--

“Kallamar? Can I ask you a question?” Kallamar looked to his follower, the one who’d been around since his godhood started. It had been a few years now and they spent time around the temple keeping things nice and tidy, yet from time to time they’d join the bishop on outings and asked him to teach them a few things. Kallamar was a worrier, yes, but some form of contentment would wash over him anytime they spoke to him. They willingly wanted to listen to him and talk with him. There was no sense of fear in their tone, more curiosity and innocence that came from where they once lived. The squid was thankful for that. For them.

“You can ask me anything you wish to.”

“The others tell me how… different I am. You… let me talk to you like I’m on.. The same level as you.” His follower rung their hands, looking out into the vast deep as the two rested from their sparring practice. “It took me… months to figure out you were the bishop in all the stories I’d heard about. Stupid of me, I’ll admit, but are you… okay with me calling you by your name?”

Kallamar looked to them with a look of shock, but also a bit of realization. It was different, yes, but since they met, they’ve been a close friend and confidant of the bishop. Kallamar was surprisingly okay with hearing his name come from their mouth even after they joined his sect.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” He asked.

“W-well the others call you ‘Great Leader’ or ‘Master’, I just feel… I don’t know…”

“You’re worried that I hate that you call me by my name?”

A small nod and look of shame came over the follower’s face. “You’ve done so much for me that I could never fully pay back, but sometimes I worry that you regret saving me a-and that me calling you by your real name doesn’t help with that.”

Were they really that worried about him hating them for that? “My most loyal follower and my most beloved friend, I could never hate you.” He moved closer to their side. “As long as water flows, as long as the days turn to nights, as long as crystals form here in Anchordeep, know I could never hate you, no matter what you call me.”

Kallamar may worry about a lot of things in his life, but his follower’s friendship and their deep understanding of one another would never be one of those things.

#cotl kallamar #cult of the lamb #cotl x reader #cult of the lamb x reader #baps writes sometimes #cotl follower #just something fluffy #writing fluff #fluff #kallamar is a wreck and I love him