(Vol 2) Chapter 33: Drumroll Please...

Inevitably, everyone ordered a ton of food to stuff their faces with, because it didn’t actually cost anything and, as she pointed out, it couldn’t be too much of a good thing because it was not actually going through their digestive system. It was all taste buds and palate for the mindscape eating session. Which meant they could eat until their taste buds got tired!

Sammy made sure everyone tried the cream-filled almond croissants — aside from Galynth, who had no taste or tolerance for anything sweet. Instead, he was quite happy eating such things as turkey stromboli and quiche. He really loved the quiche.

Nerd.

Azure was in love with the cinnamon walnut churro, Estara with chocolate chip banana bread and red velvet cake, Canmore the apple pecan turnover, and Carlisle… the plain donuts. Well, at least he was excited about something. He ate literally a dozen of them by himself. What did he think of the almond croissant? ‘Not bad’. Psh! But Dax agreed they were the best. Dax had real taste.

Mostly everyone had a variety as they chatted, including Samantha. Merril was generally silent, but he ate in apparent enjoyment. When Estara asked him his favorite, he noted the key lime pie.

A feline of exquisite taste!

As their collective palates were wearing down, Sammy stood and dinged her glass with a spoon. “Announcement time! Some of you may know Oswyth set a precedent for the priesthood snagging four followers in a certain time. Well, Estara has recently challenged it by snagging four herself!”

She paused for dramatic effect. “So, now is the question: who ultimately did it the fastest? Has a new record been set, or has the first challenger failed? What do you think, crew?”

Various contrary calls were made, between Orswyth and Estara, though the majority was probably rooting for the latter.

Orswyth crossed his arms in mock haughtiness. “There’s no way a young upstart beat me! You might as well just call it!”

Estara read the energy correctly and attempted a squinty-eyed glare at the Hierophant that turned out entirely comical. She pointed her finger at him. “You’re going down, old man!”

After a few hoots, jeers, and laughter, Sammy called, “Alright, alright! Time to announce the winner. Drumroll please…” She made an actual drumroll sound generate in the area. “The winner is… by a slim margin of hours… Estara!”

Estara looked surprised for a moment, then thrust her hands up. “Yay!”

Orswyth pretended to be dismayed, holding his hands up to his head. “I’ll never live it down!” But he soon gave up this acting job, grinned, and began to clap. “Congratulations, Priestess!”

Clapping came from the whole group, and Samantha added some kazoo noises and so forth to boot. Estara maintained a slightly embarrassed grin through it all.

Carlisle, still munching on donuts, added, “I think you’ll both get beat by someone converting a bunch of people all at once at some future date. Then it will be who converts the most in one moment as the record.”

Orswyth nodded. “Very true, I think, and it’ll be a great day for the Order.”

“It was just something to seize on for fun,” Samantha said with a shrug. “Like this whole gathering. I think everyone enjoyed it, in any case. Thank you all for coming. If you need to leave, feel free whenever.”

No one was in any big hurry, though. Those who had not gotten to talk much between groups were well-inclined to get to know each other. Orswyth and Tashome to Carlisle. Azure, Estara, and Bast. Merril and Galynth actually talked a bit. Dax and Canmore got along immediately, thick as thieves.

Eventually, Estara came over to sit next to Sammy, smiling as she took her goddess's hand in both of hers. “Thank you so much for this, Your Majesty. Every day with you has been more amazing than the next, and this was another one to top it. I know things will get tougher… but I feel like I can face anything to preserve and protect everything you’ve given me. Us. And we will give it out, too. We’ll reflect the will and love of the Goddess of Mirrors!”

Sammy returned her smile and went in to give her priestess a fond, firm hug. “I know you will. And you didn’t drink too much at the party, did you?”

“No ma’am!”

Still need her to meet Floofa. Dart, too. But this needed to be about all of us, this time around. We can probably only handle one Floofa-level cuteness in a normal building without it bursting or something, anyway.

Estara made extensive rounds saying her goodbyes to everyone dutifully, then vanished like smoke. Merril and Galynth were soon to follow, introverts having their fill of conversing. Dax and Canmore were still laughing it up, looking like they could blather on all day. Tashome went over to join in.

She watched Bast and Azure get along as well, talking about art and such things. Bast was clearly flirting, and Azure was not one to blush or balk. She was smooth as silk and unperturbed.  In fact, Azure’s responses might’ve befuddled the younger man, though if so, he covered it well. All in all, it gave Sammy a bit of an annoyed twang in her gut.

Shit. Am I jealous? Not good. That’s not, not good. Not good at all. No, no, no… Deny it that she wanted and felt she needed to, there the feeling was, smugly taunting her.

Azure of course turned her head right then, but Sammy quickly looked away — and quickly bit into a croissant. Perfectly executed nonchalance, no doubt about it.

No way she got a vibe or anything. What vibe? Exactly. There wasn’t even a vibe to get! Not jealousy or anything. Mmm, croissant. So good, as I sit here just enjoying the tasty treat without a care.

Carlisle and Dax departed next, thanking their goddess before they did. “This was amazing, Your Majesty, I must admit,” Dax exclaimed. “And these clothes are nice! I really want the boots and this hat.”

Sammy laughed. If Dax had a wardrobe, it would inevitably be filled with hats she rotated through, not one without a feather. “Perhaps you will one day!”

Canmore was soon to follow in departing. She rose to give him a hug and smirked as she parted. “Really hitting it off with Dax, huh?”

The penultimate country boy had a sheepish smile. “Can’t deny it, Your Majesty. It’s a shame we aren’t in the same group.”

“I’m sure you’ll meet her in the real world someday, Canny.”

He grinned at the nickname. “I’ll look forward to it.”

Bast exited as well, saying his goodbyes and thanking Samantha for a wonderfully distracting time that really cheered him up. It seemed true, too. He was much brighter, particularly after conversing with Estara, who was always Little Miss Sunshine, after all.

My understudy is truly blossoming, collecting fans left and right!

After the rest chatted a bit, Orswyth motioned Samantha over. She took a seat next to Tashome, patting him on the shoulder amiably.

Orswyth nodded to the rest with an aura of ‘let’s get to business.’ “I figured we should take advantage of the occasion to discuss plans together before we hit Geirkos. I understand you and Azure are staying at the inn in Brackenhome and have made connections there. We need to anchor in Geirkos for various reasons. The captain and cargo, finding a buyer for the armor, getting good horses, and so on. What’s our angle, after?”

“An important question,” Samantha replied, steepling her fingers with her elbows propped on red wooden chair arms patterned with pink hearts. “If I’m not mistaken, Geirkos is the farthest large city from the influence of the Dominion that exists. It also is safe from Zadkiel’s raiders and warmongering. It continues to boom and grow from the ashes of its former glory, perhaps even to greater heights. What better place to begin?”

Steepled fingers briefly shrugged. “If one were to simply pick an unoccupied spot on a map, I suppose we’d aim north and off from the road to Traesh. There is nothing but wilderness, smaller communities, and fiefs. Having our own holdings is more of a long-term thing, though. For now, we want people. There’s nowhere without danger… in Geirkos there will be a fight to rise — eventually and inevitably. But this is a place we can influence, a place we can carve our imprint upon, a place we can change.”

She shrugged again and dropped her hands into her lap as she looked between them. “So what do you think, friends and leaders of my order?”

Tashome cleared his throat. “Sensible. There aren’t a lot of other options in the Southlands. Traesh is a puzzle piece to non-Traeshans, militant and isolated. Better as allies at your shoulder and trade partners for the riches in the hills, just as Geirkos carefully cultivates. The other ports along the eastern curve like Segan of Weirtoss haven’t recovered as quickly. Some remain ruins.”

Azure nodded along to this. “Segan is more of a pass-through on a route than a destination, and poorly governed. The island port of Zek Sephel, being technically neutral and receptive to the Dominion, largely controls trade through the Strait of Osephus… but there is no greater hive of scum and villainy. Many multiples more dangerous than Geirkos. Change would be very bloody.”

Orswyth gave a thumbs-up sign and smiled. “We’re with you, Your Majesty. I’d add that my developing skillset can probably be most easily leveraged in this powerful, central port of call. We already have an in with the Traveler’s Club in Captain Aedis. The story of the defeated pirates we’ve come up with is favorable, and Aedis assures us we’ll be commended and several of us given membership with honors.”

Tashome smirked at him. “From one royal brand to the next, eh Commander?”

Saluting with his rootbeer, Orswyth took a sip and grinned. “That’s Fate for you. Also, I wish this root of the beer existed in reality. Truly the nectar of divinity.”

“Is the Traveler’s Club fairly exclusive, then?” Sammy asked. “What do they do and what is the benefit?”

“It’s oriented around principal members of ship’s crews like the captains and first mates, and also trade in general. Merchantry. They’ve grown large and powerful enough to sponsor other things in the pursuit of wealth or curiosity. Parties in search of old ruins and tombs, relic-seeking, that sort of thing. Actual members are men of some significance and clout, or those favored by them.”

Sammy exchanged a glance with Azure. “Would they assist with taking on and alleviating a bad debt with the Bank of Geirkos for a profitable enterprise?”

Orswyth’s eyes shifted over them both. “Possibly. As in, rich members might. I’m not sure if they regard the Bank as a rival or not. We could ask Aedis about it.”

“Alecto may have tried them,” Azure added, “but without an ‘in’ he could’ve easily been ignored. It’s definitely all about who you know in Geirkos.”

Sammy clapped her hands together, feeling the excitement come on. “This is great! It’s going to work out! Ideally, I want us going in with a large portion, too, or even take the loan and the responsibility to buy the inn to share in profits!”

Orswyth got quite a glint in his eye too as he leaned forward on the table. “Buy the inn at Brackenhome?! But it’s exploding! They should be raking it in, there!”

“I know! They are! Now we can too! But we’ll double it! Ha ha ha!”

“We’ll be swimming in coin! Ha ha ha!”

Laughing devilishly, they chinked glasses to drink to the idea. Meanwhile, Azure and Tashome watched them rather blankly and perhaps slightly worried.

Orswyth downed his rootbeer and thunked it on the table, then knocked his knuckles on the wood. “It sounds like the owner could use our help, in any case. I’m not surprised someone is trying to arrange to steal it out from under him. But it’ll be better for everyone if we keep him inspired and profiting. So we’ll be his partner. Correct, Your Majesty?”

Sammy cleared her throat. “Exactly, Hierophant. Of course. I definitely want the best for the man going forward. Ah. Another thing comes to mind suddenly. Mr. Smile. Anyone heard of him?”

Azure grunted disfavorably. “Underworld figure. Involved in theft, murder, extortion, and smuggling, perhaps more. Some claim he is a Sephelian agent. The Council of Lords has been trying to weed him and his ilk out for many years. The leading and most vocal figure against him died under mysterious circumstances last year, but this didn’t seem to cow the Council.”

“Well. I’m glad you know so much. I’m afraid he’s one of our enemies in all this. Unfortunately for him, we may be more informationally capable than he can hide from, hmm?”

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