NOVEL NEXT (Vol 5) Chapter 7: Settling In
After the shake between Sammy and Glae, the latter walked away with a final nod, journeying back to the mead to have another swallow, and pouring more into the chalice from the pitcher.
I suppose that’s that. Oh well.
She turned to go but paused with a sudden impulse. “Glae. Was it you that routinely left apples by the Great Oak outside of Brackenhome?”
He froze at this mid-raise of the chalice. His eyes turned to hers hard and expressionless. He didn’t answer.
“Why there, why the apples? I hear the tree is a god. Is that why? But I’m curious about the details.”
The stony gaze didn’t falter but passed through her momentarily. Then he raised the chalice to his lips and downed the whole thing, letting not so much as a drop spill.
Wow, this is a sore point for sure.
Glae smacked the chalice down onto the table and began stalking away with his back to her. Sammy cleared her throat and said, “I may be able to wake it up. What do you think?”
The demigod stopped and it looked as if he’d spin around angrily, but he stopped short halfway to it. Slowly he relaxed, turned back, and straightened. “I yield to my foe,” he said heavily and under his breath.
Like an announcer, the System declared, “The combatant designated Glaelychus has conceded, thereby making the combatant designated Sibyl the contest winner. Restrictions shall persist for 10 minutes once out of range.”
Before this had even finished, Glae continued walking away, and some triggering effect took hold where he evaporated like smoke.
Thoughtful, smirking to herself a bit, Sammy strolled out from the hall back to her waiting mount. She planned to get quite far before she’d consider dematerializing, and take every precaution to make sure she wasn’t tracked in some way. She trusted her rival not one lick.
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Sammy found a sequestered place deep in the forest to dematerialize her Avatar in order to get back to her throne room — which she decided to nickname Heavenpeak for its new location. Azure was there just at the foot of the seat, lying atop the dais with her legs crossed and her arms behind propping her up.
Looking like a sexy snack as always.
The blue quasi-deity smiled at her. “I was observing every moment ready to appear at a moment’s notice, if necessary.”
Sammy returned the smile and nodded as she ascended the steps. “A good tactic. I didn’t want you there otherwise… that was meant to be a solo thing, and you… well, I think you’d be further antagonization. I’d rather he’d know as little about you as possible. Hyginos can’t tell him enough to fully understand, thankfully.”
“I’d suggest you grill Vitarion as he has — and will further — that boy.” She nodded insistently to the throne to bid Sammy to sit.
Sammy dropped into the seat, legs out over Azure’s as she sighed. “Yeah. Later. I’m sure Glae expects as much at this point. Kind of him not to murder the man.”
Azure rose to kneeling and laid her head on Sammy’s knees, one arm wrapping around a leg and another reaching to take Sammy’s hand. Her expression was sympathetic and supportive as well as beautiful. “You’re doing great, Chestnut. Mitigating damage, putting out fires. Every season is not a perfect season.”
Sammy could not keep the pleasure off her face. She lifted her free hand over Azure’s ever-present headpiece to pet her hair. “You’re being extra adorable. Intentional?”
“Oh I can’t help that, I’m afraid.” Her eyes closed under the power of the head pats.
Chuckling, Sammy nodded. “So true.” After a pause, a random thing she recalled she wanted to ask her came to mind. “Why is your name Azure?”
The Naugite opened her eyes as she grew a big, dumb grin. “Well, I’m blue, obviously.”
Sammy affected a deadpan glare. “Hardy har har. Originally, you were red. Were you born red?”
“Yes. My mother swore I would be one of the spellblooded while I was still in the womb. That she dreamed it. In our land, it was tolerated and somewhat cultivated, and to those like my mother, very well-regarded. It was… a bit of a disappointment how I came out, obviously. But she stubbornly maintained I was what she dreamed. She told me the same: that I was spellblooded in disguise and that I should pursue spellcraft.”
“Whoa. Did you?”
Azure sighed. “Our land was poor. To not have the telltale blue is to be given the cold shoulder to such designs, as they require some education. One would need great intellectual excellence on top of funding…”
“Oh. It wasn’t in the cards. I’m sorry, babe.”
“She was just too stubborn. Managed to pay for education even, working and starving herself near to death in the process. It wasn’t enough, though. And when I told her, she wouldn’t listen.” Azure grimaced as the memory took her. She shook her head slightly. “It pained and shamed me enough that I ran away to spare her my burden as soon as I was old enough to work. I was certain it would save her life.
“My idea was to earn money on ships to help her. I was healthy, physically fit, and agile. I had a few friends who were hands. I got a spot to replace a missing drunkard and I guess the rest is history. I had my dreams of becoming a captain and swooping back home to dump gold in my momma’s lap with a roguish grin. But it never happened.”
“Is she still with us? She should know she was right all along. Sort of.”
Azure’s eyes flickered and blinked. “I don’t know. I came home less than two years later with a little money and lies in my head to convince her to take it… and she was gone. Friends said she went south for adventure and coin. Which means… probably not. She didn’t return. I almost went after her, but…” She trailed off.
Sammy squeezed her hand in support. “It’s alright. She was more grown than you. She made her choice and you had a life to live. Still, maybe we should look for her sometime.”
Her Blueberry’s eyes flashed to hers in interest, but then her eyes flickered again and she frowned. Shook her head. “No. No, I’d rather not hear she died. I’d rather keep believing she became a famous warlady with three young, studly husbands. And a magic battleaxe. And a few sons and daughters, one of which at least was spellblooded.”
Sammy exhaled in humor a bit at that. “Well, think about it, at least. If you change your mind, let me know.”
“I will, Chestnut.”
Inwardly, Sammy determined she’d look for the mother secretly, once she was more familiar with the region. If she found her alive, that would be incredible for Azure. If she wasn’t, well, then Azure could go on believing otherwise as she desired.
Sammy checked in with her realm and various news. Follower growth was up and booming thanks to Geirkos and Redberry-associated areas. The location of Stuckmire became a legit community under the sent priestess Deretesh who converted nine at once, while at Yura, the newly risen-to-the-clergy Neferwyn was slowly adding more elves to the worship of Stillwater, aided by the enthusiasm of the young nerd-elf Ananaeth.
We’re certainly not done with her, yet. She’ll be a priestess soon as well. But she won’t be in Yura forever, will she?
The Goddess of Fate could already sense it. The wonder she’d instilled, and the tremendous propensity of the ‘young’ elf to visions. She’d already seen The City of Tomorrow in her dreams. Things were bubbling up to a crescendo in her, her desires and destiny beckoning her deeper.
I’ll keep my precious flower close. Progress is made not by one but by the amalgamation of many brilliant minds. Not all are made for the muck of the cave or the sweat of the battlefield. Her hands shall remain soft, her cheer pure and untainted by the horrors outside my shining towers.
Sammy blinked a few times at the weird thoughts, somewhat from beyond, yet all too synthesized with hers. Spooky in and of itself and spooky how she accepted it. But she wondered if such a desire were truly possible in Calrenazzod.
I have to build it to see it. Or try. Affect something as close as I can.
The battlefield of two Sagely deaths that had been left to the buzzards was nonetheless well spied on by Servitors in the guise of buzzards. Without Zadkiel’s leadership and expendable demon support, the Naugites withdrew and fled hard to Heimus, giving up the siege of Wortboro to the remaining, if diminished, Dominion forces.
The orb-like spell effect of Glaelychus and the Big Bad Sage was left and given a wide, wide berth. The Dominion wizards stayed away from it.
Hmm. Could we study this? I can’t do it with the Dominion here, though. If they aren’t messing with it, it is likely dangerous or impossible to move. It might even be bait. Fuck. I wonder if I could ask Glae about it… eh.
She got a sudden odd ping from someone making a ‘miracle’ prayer request — effectively code for the named abilities. And it was… from the spirit world! Orswyth, apparently using his new spell that let him travel out-of-body. Tashome was there with him, and Dart and Uriel were acting as guards.
I thought Tashome couldn’t- oh, my vision gave him the level needed!
Orswyth was asking for something through Grant Prayer (Pneuma). He continued his prayer in articulated thought with, “Goddess Samantha, I pray for your boon — a creative act to aid our journey to Heaven! Or to protect us. Well. Actually… I just wanted to try this out for both of us.”
Samantha blinked in confusion, then realized she had never read the ability. Quickly, she drew it up:
Grant Prayer (Pneuma)
3 times per day, or for 1 FE (to a total maximum of 10+level times per day), you may grant aid to any mortal conducting in matters connected to your [Pneuma] domain. This adds 2 Effective Class Levels for the purposes of the request and aids with the visualization of solutions, potentially stirring up new, creative ideas in the subject.
Alternately, if the subject is within a spirit realm you may perform one spell-like effect at their location, at up to half of your normal levels of effect if you were present. You may view the area as if clairvoyant regardless of distance. If ambient pneuma is required to conduct the effect, you must invest half the assessed amount as FE in addition to other costs. This effect has a 24-hour cooldown per subject and a 10-minute cooldown on your usage.
The mortal will sense a divine presence granting the boon, and a nascent two-way communication will persist for 24 hours (at the same level as an initial Follower).
Only one such Prayer Boon buff may persist on a target and this is not compatible with a Religious Experience buff. Either will cancel the other.
Nice! Er… hmm. Journey to Heaven?
Then she remembered what she wanted to show the old man in Heaven and grinned. “I have just the thing, Orsy!”
Closing her eyes and viewing their location, she forged a temporary structure around them — a small train station like something out of the Old West. Gradually, sandy desert land appeared under them and they anchored to it. Train tracks appeared leading off two directions through the vague shadows of landscapes and the general fog of Limbo.
As they were still marveling, in the distance a train horn sounded. A vague ‘chugga chugga’ could just be heard, too.
Orswyth turned his head in that direction and grinned, his eyes maybe holding a little sparkle within.
How much do I even know about trains, anyway? Well, I’ll wing it! Who else would know? Certainly not this blue creampuff of mine, haha.