(Vol 2) Chapter 44: A Summer Cherry

“I don’t suppose you have another match in mind, Goddess?” the young man of Traesh asked with a mild grin.

“I do not,” Samantha stated flatly. “I am an oracle of Fate, I do not know the details. You should think of it as a message from the future itself, Son of Traesh. It is a service, with no manipulative intent in your politics as I am not invested in it. Not yet, anyway.”

“Interesting. You have some motive, though. To helping.”

“Curiosity and a desire to fill my role. Perhaps also to become invested here? You could be that investment. I could make you a Follower if you’re interested.”

He made an amused noise. “A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? Take it or leave it?”

“Not at all. You can take your time if you want. The mental connection will fade in a day, but I am available via these pillars if necessary.”

“Just why is that, by the way?”

He reminds me a little of Devero. Perhaps being suspicious is a Traeshan trait…

She allowed her smile to filter into her voice. “You don’t get to know much as a non-Follower.”

“Ah. So that’s how it is! This includes not knowing your name?”

“Naturally.”

The young man frowned and crossed his muscular arms. “Kind of torturous for the curious. I bet you know I’m curious, too.”

“Well, you’re here instead of running away screaming, so I suppose I determined that much. In any case, I don’t do it to torture the curious, I do it to preserve the necessity of discretion and secrecy, which I do hope you’ll agree to on some level regardless.”

“What exactly are the benefits and tradeoffs? Of a Follower.”

“Availability of buffs and prayers. My potential aid and the aid of my Servitors. Likewise from you to me, but again, I don’t have specific needs in Traesh. I’d like to know more about it… and the Nega Ith. The biggest issue for most is the danger of being my Follower, to the ire of the Dominion.”

He laughed. “Something that causes them ire is a plus here, Goddess. We have inquisitors of our own just to scour their agents from our lands. Nothing of the sages or the Shiners is tolerated here. They interfere at their peril!”

“It’s nice to meet others to whom they are already the mutual enemy. However, I still cannot be public, as they’d find out and become interested in destroying me. Or wiping out my Follower base at the very least.”

“Bring them here; set up here. In Traesh, Dominion magic is nothing! Not when the Heart is raised. At Glittering Gate in the north, and at every pass east, the Hearts are always raised. Wizardry and witchery cannot function there, not from a level 1 charlatan and not from a level 20 sage, either. They’re all made into zeroes!”

Sammy paused as she considered what he was saying. Boasts from a young man, mostly, she figured. And it further felt like the place had a huge target painted on it to the Dominion. By whatever means they could and however inhibited they were by the Anti-Magic, they were watching Traesh. They had to be.

Samantha allowed a little chuckle to escape. But she was channeling Goddess hard, regardless. “I appreciate your ardor, warrior. But if you want me here for the glory of Traesh in whatever form it takes for the future, your best bet is to be the foothold, the forerunner. The tip of an iceberg. I can grow a core here — a secret core — and see where it leads.”

He frowned in deliberation, then finally sighed. “Fine! If I’m hamstrung in knowledge by waiting, then fuck waiting. I cannot think of how to verify you further anyway. Technically, spirits are accepted here… it’s just that they typically make use of mana in some sort of way.”

“You can verify by reading this.” She sent the mental ping to him. “But do not speak my name freely. Call me the Seeress or Madam in public.”

He nodded vaguely as he was reviewing. Another frown. “Your precepts are perfectly in alignment with Traeshan discipline and chivalry… and obedience to a liege is all well and good, but know that I am loyal to Traesh first, as are all sound Traeshans. I am recently upraised to Premier of Dalkos, which is why my selection for a wife is crucial… It’s an important and rich land to the Exemplars.”

Score! Sure seems like an important piece to me… A cherry has a seed, after all?

“Understood, Premier Dalkos. As my Follower, I am for you and your people. Swear, then — so that two allies with mutual enemies are fully in accord. Accept the guidance of an oracle so that we can secure your future.”

With a bit of a wry expression, the Premier touched his hand to the pillar and recited, “To the goddess whose name I shall hold like a precious secret in my heart, I swear my allegiance and pledge my faithful prayer, praise, and service. I shall obey her absolutely and heed my superiors as well as the relevant hierarchical structure for collective order and illumination. I shall obey the Precepts to the best of my ability and in wholeness of spirit.

“I hereby vow to never reveal her name nor any of her ways to any but those so sanctified and set apart as me, or may I be cursed forever.

For truth and a mastery of self, I accept my place as an Initiate into the Mysteries of the Goddess of Mirrors and Illusion. To the Goddess,” and he mouthed the name ‘Samantha’ a bit smugly, “do I hereby dedicate myself.”

1 FE gained due to user belief/acknowledgment. Note: not yet a Follower.

Follower conversion successful. 1 FE gained. 1 Daily FE gained (total: 58).

I have bit the summer cherry! Hmm, that definitely doesn't sound right...

Feeling her own satisfaction at steering him to the completion, Samantha finally showed herself in the reflection of the pillar, though she did contour the image so only his angle could see it. Just in case. And she smiled winningly. “Smart boy. Or foolish. Or both. Ambitious, at least, hmm? Which makes two of us.”

He was naturally quite awed by her majestic appearance. Meanwhile, the buff didn’t have any strong effect on him, mellow as it was. “You would have convinced me slightly sooner showing yourself. We have a love of beauty here in Traesh. As the elves instilled long ago — according to legend, anyway. And Traesh lives on because they came after the destruction, too, to teach us once more. By that, the innovations in alchemy could bloom.”

“Something tells me they aren’t fans of the Nega Ith, though.”

The Premier shook his head with a note of sadness. “No, Seeress. We still respect their deep forest domains where they hide. Rarely, they crop up out of nowhere to trade with traveling merchants, soon vanishing again. They’re good luck to merchants, as they often trade rare goods.”

“What is your name, by the way?”

“I’m surprised you didn’t divine it.”

“Perhaps I could, but I’m asking.” She grinned.

He returned the grin. “Hyginos.”

It suddenly reminded her of Devero and the alias he had in Traesh. “Do you know a man named… Helkaeus?”

Hyginos nodded immediately. But Sammy detected something else, too. A guardedness. “An accomplished rogue and negator. I’m not sure where he got his training, but it does happen independently here these days. We have not tried to keep it secret, despite what you might have heard. At least, anyone is free to begin learning if they secure the training. We’d like it to spread everywhere. But why do you ask about this character?”

Devero, Devero, Devero. Am I subconsciously seeking out your secrets, then? Something here, too, but best not to push too hard. Yet. “I’ve heard tales about him. He gets around, it seems. Something about breaking into some great vault?”

A peel of laughter resounded as Hyginos brushed it off. That tiny bit of tension relaxed. “Of Keskiri? There are half a dozen thieves claimed to have done that for decades! Don’t pay any mind to it. Helkaeus is a quester and a mercenary, that’s for sure. Heard of him going on slaying campaigns. Trolls have been a plague in our territories since I was swinging play swords around, and we’re spread a bit thin for such distractions.”

“I see. Well, the stories sound interesting at least, hmm?”

He yawned behind a hand, then stretched. Perhaps the buff had done a little work, after all. “The Southlands as a whole have plenty enough to sate your fill, and Traesh is no exception.”

“It seems you need to catch up on the rest you lost, Premier. There is not much darkness left. But when will you decide who you’ll marry?”

His expression became sober. “Your news is exceptionally dire. I cannot choose quickly, now, for this offer that was more or less expected to be accepted tomorrow, at least in principle. We are… quite compatible. Now I’ll have to seem indecisive and make them think I need more softening up and convincing, without tipping my hand.

“Meanwhile, I can make a concerted effort to dig into what was being planned. It sounds like my death, at some point. I had not realized things had come to this. I’ll have to devise a swift pivot to another agreement as a final counterstroke, while they still think I’m being won over.”

Gee. What fun, the noble’s game of houses. Heh, ‘compatible.’ He seems a bit sullen about it. They were probably mooning about and such. “Good luck in the morning, then. We’ll speak more at a later time, Hyginos. I do want to know more about the Nega Ith. You are a practitioner?”

“Yes. Level 2. My second-highest class. But any level has access to special items and tools with great utility and power. Not a poor man’s class, of course. One day, hopefully.”

“Would it be accurate to say not everyone in Traesh has such desire to spread it to the common man?”

“You are shrewd to make such a deduction, Seeress. No, not everyone.”

“Mmn. Well, farewell, Premier. You can communicate mentally now whenever you like.”

He made a little bow. “Farewell, Seeress. May this alliance be fruitful, may freedom reign, and may the Dominion fall!”

“Indeed.”

Hyginos headed over to collect his things from the amphitheater’s seating where he’d left them, then headed down a path descending from the rocky rise.

More inroads. Hopefully I can secure another deeper specialist in this art. It could make the difference if allied to divine power. I do not need mana to operate, after all. Somehow I doubt the Dominion has absolutely no recourse against this stuff, but their greatest power would be hobbled. He’s right… it does need to spread.

I know I’m right about the Dominion’s interest here, though. If they cannot operate here overtly, they’re doing so subtly. They have way more experience in matters of inquisition, and thus counter-inquisition, than this young nation. If nothing else, they’ll slow the spread. I can already see how other lands see the Nega Ith. It’s not seen as a good thing. This could well be Dominion propaganda efforts against Traesh.

No one expects the counter-inquisition! Hehe.

“Anyway,” she called aloud to no one in particular, from her throne, “I’m all talky-talk conversion-of-people’d out. I’m glad I have priests now to tick-tock my Follower count up. Roots are growing — huzzah!”

“Huzzah!” Dart said, thrusting his dragon claw fist up.

Sammy blinked at him. “When did you get here?! Eh, whatever. Hang out, I guess. Help out Jeeves. I think I’m going to put a little time into spell research while it’s still burning in my head.”

Dart’s floating form had its shoulders sag. “Uuuuugh… why didn’t I just hide and look busy…”

Into the dawn, Sammy studied runic constructions and formulated her own version of the warding spell, jotting down the runes as script in a spellbook. She achieved something shy of halfway, which was a bit surprising, as it was comparable to the speed when she had the helper rune. Perhaps it would slow down, though.

I wonder what I can make as a custom spell… another ward? I think I could even pull off a level 2 thanks to my cheat. Slower I bet, but likely worth it. But how to balance it…

After the dawn and the first of her people waking up, Dax suddenly popped into her mind, sending frantically, “Samantha! Merril is missing!”

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Note: A cliff? Who, me?! Noooooo... ;-)