(Vol 2) Chapter 62: Hope Made Flesh

The simple enjoyment of the flight went on for a few minutes, Azure gasping and exclaiming this way and that at sights and ‘how tiny everything looked.’ Any time she pointed, though, her hands inevitably, perhaps anxiously found their way back around Sammy’s waist. She was glued to the back of her goddess, who couldn’t stop smiling at her Phoenix’s reactions, such a mirror to her own on her first flight with Dart.

This is so much better than flying alone. Feels nice. Warm. But that shouldn’t matter, should it? Eh.

She was also powerless to deny how much she liked Azure’s arms around her. It felt correct, it felt like harmony, it felt… perfect. Which was somewhat scary for something so seemingly small. Like the hug had been. But she wasn’t getting slam-dunked by visions, so maybe it was okay. Totally. Maybe they could even hold each other in bed, nap like that in warmth-

No-no-no-no, hahaha, nice try! Nice try. Nope. Forget it.

At her ear, Azure called out loudly against the wind. “Okay! I think maybe I can handle not having my arms squeezing the life out of you every second! I’m really sorry! I can probably just grip this strap thing!”

At the shifting, Sammy found her hand dropping down quickly to stop Azure from detaching. “Uh… Well! Azure? Um! It’s really okay! You can keep holding on!”

“Oh. Okay! Thank you! Are you sure? Because, really, I cou-”

“Yes!”

It helped that she could tell Azure preferred to. After a while, she hugged against Sammy with her cheek pressed against her back, eyes closed, so utterly blissful she couldn’t hide the feeling through their psychic connection, even when she wasn’t trying to communicate it. It was as if she cherished it more than flying on the back of a pegasus. The closeness. The channel for her affection.

Azure… these feelings… we…

“Your Majesty.” The mental voice made Sammy jump, but it was Orswyth. “I wanted to update you about our preparations and precautions. Lord Zephyr is indeed helping us. He loaned me a protective ring, an anti-assassination item that will negate the first wound suffered on a 24-hour cooldown, but operating continuously. These are very rare since everyone wants one, but he has multiples.”

“Great news! And you’re utilizing a disguise and changing inns?”

“Indeed. We’re having the armor moved into the Club halls, officially logged as under their protection, and sealed in a warded chamber, under guard. We were even allowed to swear more of my men in to be allowed as guards as well, for personal assurances.”

“Well, well, well, look at you, old man! That’s what I call getting shit done.”

Amusement. “Stick a fork in this shit, because it is fried-and-battered done, Your Majesty.”

Sammy tittered at that. “I’m riding a pegasus by the way. Who is also an angel!”

“So excessive! Are you bringing an army of heaven to conquer Geirkos, then?”

“Well if I was, I wouldn’t want you spoiling the surprise, now would I?”

“My lips are sealed, as ever, Goddess. An angel — that would be Michael, right? He introduced himself.”

“Ah ha! Of course he did. You two could talk football.”

“What?”

“Nevermind. I mean, er, he’s into athletics, gladiator stuff, fighting, so on.”

“Ah. Well, good. He was saying he wanted to discuss battlefield tactics, strategy, go over logical… gameplans based on different… players available in different scenarios…”

“Right, the receivers, the running backs, blockers, so on…”

“What?”

“Nothing. So, what did you think? About his thoughts, I mean. Logical?”

“Oh, just a hypothetical discussion at the moment. We’re rather busy. But it would be nice over some ale sometime. Also, he asked if he could call me ‘Coach,’ which, strangely… I kind of like.”

Ooh, this is awesome! They can be Bro Besties!

Orswyth continued. “Also, one of the new sworn with me, a marine archer from the ship, knows the city quite well. Apparently, he’s a ‘former’ thief and has a secure safe house he just checked on. It is rundown just like the area it is in, and not technically owned by anyone. Formerly the Dye Quarter, but now it is just barren with the gradual encroachment of slums. The safe house is in a former facility.

“Most of it collapsed into ruin, but the overseer offices remain standing. For unknown reasons, the doorways and windows were blocked off and sealed with cement, but it’s three stories. On the roof is an access, which is what makes it a safe house for rogues. He said it is even more rundown than usual… hasn’t been used in years. Forgotten.

“It sounds like a good building for a pack of men to clean up and make into a discreet base. It’s in the general slums region, but the city proper isn’t very far. Will take time, but it sounds promising.”

Samantha liked the sound of it too. “Let’s do it, then. Close but not right in the middle of.”

“Excellent. We’ll start tomorrow. Until we have it ready, we’ll move around inns. See you soon, Your Majesty. Will you arrive in the night?”

“Hell no! My Hierophant, this pegasus can fly up to 100 kilometers an hour. We’re weighing him down some and he isn’t pushing, but we’ll be there in half an hour! I can literally see Geirkos from here! And the ocean.”

“Amazing! I can’t wait for my own personal pegasus mount, Glorious Goddess Samantha.”

“Keep dreaming! But you’ll definitely get a ride sometime. Anyway, keep me informed about where you’ll be. Later.”

It was certainly getting into the evening, but there would be time before reset. Neither she nor Azure had met everyone in the flesh, so she was looking forward to that despite the situation. It was odd to think she’d literally only met Azure as an Avatar. It didn’t feel true, but it was.

Anticipating the meeting, Sammy finally configured her Outfit 3 slot… going with something similar to her casual ‘godly’ form — a cute, full evening dress, white and blue, but in many colorful patterns of various birds. All of the birds of her order, of course, from the sparrow to the final legendary and magnificent ones. She added some bits of jewelry and a crystal tiara. Her face was her face, her hair long and thick.

She also named her slots: [Shining Knight] for the armored form, [Redhead Traveler] for the eyepatchy one, and [Birdy Dress] for the latest.

There we go. Now I’m ready for business.

She had Michael drop down much lower as they got closer to the city. While Invisibility had no level comparisons — you could either see it or you couldn’t — it was still possible someone might notice them, especially if she were hanging over literally every eye in the vicinity. Better to mitigate it coming from one narrow angle.

The city proper did have walls and gates, and she opted to bypass those as well. No need for extra identifications after all. They picked a roof to finally stop on, as it had very prominent stone steps down from it, and an overhang. Michael shifted from his Pegasus form to Human, and then they ‘decloaked’ entirely unseen amidst numerous potted plants.

“The pottery is very nice, isn’t it?” Michael asked, scoping out the plants curiously. He was… just a random guy, now, in a typical gray and blue tunic and breeches. No hulking giant or anything. He looked like their servant, basically. Or a guide.

“This is a potter’s home and shop, by the looks,” Azure commented as she straightened out her clothes and fiddled with her hair. She turned to Samantha with a wince. “It was so windy. Is my hair a complete mess, or…?”

Sammy smirked as she looked on, flipping between the human illusion and non. “Illusion side is pristine. The blueberry filling inside is a mess. But covered. That’s the important part.”

Azure sighed grandly and ceased fiddling with an aura of helplessness. “Kindly see me on the illusion side then, hmm? But I guess it won’t matter if this meeting is private. Ugh! And your own illusion is perfect, by the way. I always love you with long hair. Er- your pardon, Your Majesty.”

Somehow, Sammy knew her smile was just as dopey as Crow’s had been with Estara. She wiped it off her face and shrugged nonchalantly. She also deliberately ‘struck out’ the subconscious mental note that had immediately scrawled ‘always have long hair.’ “Well, you know, I have to keep changing it up and all. Hehe. Yeah.”

“Let’s head out, shall we?” Michael flashed a grin at Sammy and started down the steps, bidding them to follow.

Thank the heavens: Michael! A true bro.

Very nearby was the inn the party was staying at, a large building with a brick bottom half and wooden construction for the top floors, panels painted white. ‘The Tin Chicken’ was its name.

Welp, I’ll never forget that name, so I guess it’s a good one.

It was bustling inside, but they asked for ‘the Backston party’ as expected guests, and were escorted to a private dining hall. Everyone was there waiting, food and drink on the table. Orswyth, Tashome, Bast, and all the rest, standing up to receive them. After they were ushered in, doors were shut, and one of their own barred the door. Private meant private, here, and behind brick walls no less.

Illusions stripped away as they met, everyone forming a mass around the two in joyful greetings and exclamations and a literal train of hugs. Sammy of course had switched to the [Birdy Dress] outfit, which got a round of gasps, including from Azure (who was likely a bit jealous of the on-a-dime pristine appearance).

It was incredible experiencing everyone in the flesh finally. There was no real comparison between what she could simulate and what System Reality was like. It was surreal… like movie characters come to life. Like suddenly being in one, really, because she was truly the star feature in that room — a queen, a goddess every set of eyes and every heart worshiped. They’d been enchanted all over again. Every face beamed at her.

She was hope made flesh, and she lit up their world.

After she’d hugged literally everyone there she didn’t come with (even Constance), it was clearly time to tell them they could eat, and clearly they wouldn’t until she did — except for Canmore, who snuck in finger foods.

Samantha found a chalice to raise up, and everyone quieted for her. “Friends, compatriots, fellows of the Order… It is an honor and pleasure to be among you! I will treasure this moment forever. It is another new beginning, the next step on our rise to the heights. Now, let us feast in further celebration, while the light remains. The work never ends, and tomorrow approaches, so let us enjoy the rest of today with each other. Cheers!”

Cries of ‘Cheers!’ resounded through the room, and everyone took a seat to dig in. Sammy was no exception, nor was Azure who sat close next to her. She saw a lot of variety at the table. It had obviously been filled out with fairly basic things to turn it into a feast table, including fruit, spreadable jam-like substances, pickled vegetables, and so on.

Many things she hardly recognized, and those were what she went for the most. As was her habit, a little bit of everything. She didn’t eat too much of the — while not minimal, but limited — meat, wanting the men to get their protein and energy. It was wasted on her, after all. She was pretty sure her stomach acids dissolved things into literal oblivion.

If there’s ever a Sauron ring, no need for Mount Doom with me around. I’ll just eat that bitch.

Tashome came over and leaned down to her ear… and also grabbed an item on her person she’d largely edited out of her perception and forgotten about: the stupid cursed staff. “If I may, Goddess… It kind of doesn’t go with your outfit, does it?”

She tittered behind a hand while chewing on some sort of thick dish that reminded her of egg salad. “Thanks! Have at it. If there is trouble, we’ll get the curse broken, too.”

He shook his head as if he knew it wouldn’t be. Then, as he withdrew, he smirked at her and winked. “You two make a great couple. Seem happy. Wishing you the best!”

Sammy stared after him, her mouth wide open.

Huh?

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