Godslayer Lysette: Chapter 219

Chapter 219: Lysette's Advice

Two weeks passed with far too much quiet along the northern front for Lysette’s comfort.  Day after day passed without the slightest hint of movement along the northern front.  But despite the complete lack of any sort of aggression from Thosse’s high priestess, Saffron continued to request that she and the others remain on standby in and around Ciricu.

None of the group used the downtime afforded them to become complacent.  Following Lysette and Serrena’s revelations about the true nature of Aimarion, nearly every resident of Ciricu over the age of sixteen had requested and subsequently had their Cultivation potential unlocked.

Many of the people had expressed their own individual reasons for seeking the power of the gods.  Some desired to use it for more mundane tasks like a bit of extra speed in the kitchen or strength in the fields.  Others had grander goals— loftier Ambitions— of harnessing the potential of Creation toward ends as diverse as synthesizing new cold-resistant clothing and building a small-scale production facility to generate heating crystals not unlike the ones already used for lighting.

But nearly everyone shared a single common desire: The people of Ciricu understood that the gods were going to war, and that they and every other person on Aimarion would be caught in the crossfire.  And they sought the means to defend themselves and their loved ones, means which Lysette was all too eager to grant them.

Much of the previous fortnight had been spent teaching the people of Ciricu how to meditate, to reflect, to look within themselves, and eventually, to access their individual Cultivation realms.  Although not everyone advanced at nearly the same pace, there was a general pattern of the elders having a bit easier of a time than most with grokking the basic concepts.  A fact which Lysette attributed to their having far more experience coming to terms with their internal selves and acknowledging the less comfortable aspects thereof.

As Lysette finished an impromptu lesson for several of the younger nascent Cultivators of Ciricu, she was all-but-hunted down by Lyon, who was beaming with a smile and font of energy utterly unbecoming the cold afternoon in the deadest part of winter.

“Is there something you need?” she asked.  “Did you have a breakthrough that you wanted to share?”

“I–  I did, yes.  But not with my Cultivation specifically.”  He pulled out a familiar crystal.  “Do you remember when you discovered this?”

“Yeah, Serrena and Gerald compressed some plant matter under extreme heat and that appeared after they finished.”

“Well, apparently the three of you stumbled upon a way to make an artificial diamond.”

“Really?”  Lysette cocked an eyebrow.

“I’m certain.  It’s virtually indestructible to both smashing and scratching.  Unfortunately, while you might want one for Mirae at some point or another, I’m far less certain if these have any practical use for the town right now.  Maybe as a sort of currency or export in the longer term?”

Lysette shook her head.  “I know that most gemstones aren’t super valuable because most Cultivators prefer to instead acquire Essence crystals.  And if diamonds were useful as materials for either weapons or armor, I’m sure I would have seen said equipment back in Domark.”

“Well, I’ll try asking Kiarra if she can think of anything.  Sorry to take up your time.”

“Please, don’t apologize for that.  I’m only too happy to spend my time helping everyone out as best I’m able.  Speaking of which, how is your Cultivation coming along?”

“Not as well as I’d hoped, although I’ve got myself to blame for that.  There’s just so many ideas that keep coming to mind that I’m constantly thinking about those and jotting stuff down and reading more and then getting more ideas and sooner or later I end up passing out.  And I just never can get in the right mental state for Cultivation.”

“Again, no worries about that.  We all have our roles to play, and not everyone’s role is going to be on the battlefield.  Reciprocity doesn’t always mean that what is given must be repaid in the same form.  All I ask is that each of us contributes what we can and that we all pitch in to help out those who can’t.”

“Thank you.  I’ll excuse myself now.”

Lyon offered a half bow before heading toward Kiarra’s cottage.  But before Lysette could start on another task, she was stopped by Lilia, who had an expectant, almost pleading look about her.

“Um, Lyse,” she said.  She was fidgety and stammering through her words.

“Is there something I can help with?” Lysette asked.  “I promise, I won’t get upset just because you or anyone else has a question for me.”

“It’s just–  Mirae and I were…  We weren’t close exactly.  But we were friends last year, and now I–  I feel like I’m losing them.”

“Have you talked with them about your concerns?”

“I–  I haven’t had a chance.  The two of you are almost always together, and now that they’re a demigod and constantly working on one or five things at a time, I don’t want to disturb them.”

Lysette smiled.  “Did they ever tell you what their Domain was?”

“I–  I never asked them.  I never got the chance to.”

“They are the Demigod of Devotion.  Consideration for those you care about.  Dedicating yourself to a cause beyond and above yourself.  Committing to and rising above daunting challenges.  All of these fall under their purview.

“And I can tell just by how much you care about them, are trying to support and care for them, that you really embody their ideals.  I think, if you wanted to go down that path yourself, they would accept you as a disciple.”

“Like Serrena and Rayleigh?”

“It would take a different form from their pact because the two of you are different.  But yes, if you wanted it.”

“Would it change me?”

“From my experience with my initial pact, I went through a lot of changes.  But I was immediately elevated to being a demigoddess by my pact with Zarielle.  But the subsequent pacts I’ve made with others haven’t necessarily resulted in their becoming deities themselves.”

“Haven’t necessarily?”

“Mirae and Serrena.  I’m sure both of them would be better equipped to explain more about such pacts than I am.”

“I–”

“It’s okay if you aren’t yet ready to form a pact with Mirae yet.  It’s a big decision and I fully support taking the time to make sure you know exactly what you’re getting into first.  But I still think you should talk with them.  I know they’ll be really happy to see you and spend some time with you again.”

Lilia smiled.  “Thank you, Lyse.”

She departed a moment later, this time far happier and more confident than when she first approached, and Lysette took a quick breath before Kiarra approached her.

“Lyse,” she said.  “If I may borrow you for a moment.”

“Sure.  Did Lyon get hold of you?  I know he was wanting to ask you about diamonds.”

“I’m not interested in him that way.”

Lysette laughed.  “I meant that we stumbled upon a way to create diamonds a couple of months ago.  But I don’t know if they have any special use for Cultivators.”

“Diamonds?  They might have some industrial uses, and obviously, jewelry.  But I can’t think of anything that makes them particularly valuable.  In fact, as far as precious gemstones are concerned, they’re pretty worthless.  Ruby and sapphire effectors each enhance the efficacy of fire and ice techniques, respectively, and common quartz does the same for lightning.

I guess diamond is resistant defensively, but it’s not like anyone has tried fashioning armor out of it.  Though, I guess it would be considerably lighter than using iron if anyone actually did manage to pull it off.”

Lysette nodded.  “What exactly is Essence crystal, anyway?  I’ve purchased and used them a few times before, but I’ve never taken the time to research what they are.”

Kiarra laughed.  “Goes to show that the gods really don’t know everything.”  At Lysette’s blank stare, she continued.  “They are quite literally Essence crystallized, hence their name.  In locations where Essence is sufficiently dense or has been gathered by some artifact or another, it coagulates out of the air and takes physical form.”

“I don’t suppose you know anything about how to produce the artifacts?”

Kiarra scoffed.  “Obviously not!  That is a highly classified state secret!  I don’t even think my great-great-grandfather knows all the intricacies of the machines, and even if he does, he’s not just going to tell you.  Or me.  Maybe if you knew someone in the palace who’d trust you enough with that information, but–”

“Yeah, let me ask real quick.”

Kiarra stood bemused while Lysette opened a mental link to Saffron.

“Lyse?  I hope this isn’t going to take too long.  I’ve got two war councils going on and trying to contact the chief minister of Solise about what their intentions are with regard to the war.”

“The fighting’s started?”

“Yes.  Three days ago, our final offer to forestall war was rejected, and yesterday, open hostilities broke out just inside the border.  So far, there have only been a handful of nonfatal casualties in the opening skirmishes as they test our defenses, but that’s likely to change in the coming days.”

“Everything’s been quiet here.  Too quiet.  And that, coupled with hearing that the war has already begun, makes me antsy.  I feel like I need to be on the front lines myself.  I’ve already lost everything short of my life before.  I–  I need to make these Elithrian bastards pay!”

“I will insist on your remaining along the northern front as we agreed upon, Lyse.  I understand your frustration, as well as your internal need to exercise your Reciprocity upon those who have wronged you, but Domaria’s Stability hinges upon your mission.  You and your squad are our first, last, and only line of defense.  I’ve already diverted every other unit to the other borders.  If Terea does attack, they will sweep all the way through the northern plains to the capital.  We might be able to defend Domark for a time, but rest assured, the nation will fall if that happens.”

“I can do both.  It’s not like either of us are limited to being in only one place at a time.”

Saffron made an exasperated noise.  “Fine.  But your main body stays behind.  And if you get captured, you will dismiss your avatar immediately.  I will not countenance you revealing any information to Elithria.  Including that which you might inadvertently leak out to whatever interrogators might be able to read your mind.”

“I understand.  And thank you.  I will not let you, my friends, or any of my allies down.”

Lysette ended her conversation there, knowing that she’d not been able to ask about her original question, but focusing her attention on the more immediate task at hand.  Her avatar’s body stood behind the pair, all three of them looking toward the southeast.  Toward the battlefield.

“Oh…  Your… other self?” Kiarra said.  “Did you find out some information about Essence crystals?”

“No.”  Lysette’s avatar took to the sky and flew off at top speed while her main body and Kiarra watched on.  “Unfortunately, my contact in the castle was too busy to give me any information about Essence crystals.  But there is a much bigger challenge awaiting us.  It’s time for everyone in Ciricu to make our final preparations.  The lull we’ve been experiencing in recent weeks has finally ended; the war for Aimarion’s future has begun.”

Chapter 218: https://www.patreon.com/posts/112940074

Table of Contents: https://www.patreon.com/posts/101896170

Chapter 220: https://www.patreon.com/posts/112940079