(Vol 2) Chapter 30: The Bitter and the Sweet

Within the fortress of Fobent, up before the dawn with the Good News Come, Linnore poured herself a finger of quality Southlands whiskey to celebrate. The last pigeon had arrived announcing a ceasefire and a preliminary agreement to a treaty taking Fobent out of Zadkiel’s insane war. She could almost hope he’d prevail. Almost.

That sexy hunk of soldier Orswyth had it dead-ass right. I might actually get out of this nightmare alive and without more casualties. A pity I couldn’t keep him around. This place is lacking in competency, especially after the first number those demons did on us. And if he was competent and willing with that bod of his too, all the better. Or even semi-competent…

She was interrupted in her ruminations by a knock at the door and then an immediate entrance by First Colonel Slaen, her second-in-command, and Redius, the semi-competent Captain she had overseeing the docks. She did not get a good feeling looking at their faces, especially Redius.

And just when I got good news. Typical.

Linnore just waited as they stood in front of the desk and saluted, then removed their helms. Slaen was looking straight ahead as he intoned, “General, I’ve come to report a great failing on my part, for which I take full responsibility. The small group with that disturbing wizard fellow that joined up has double-crossed us an- and taken a ship. The smaller vessel, called Lightning Bolt. It’s gone, and too fast to consider chasing with one of the other two.”

Saying nothing, Linnore just took a sip of her whiskey and eyed them.

The nervousness was palpable. Redius stepped up slightly and saluted again. “It was my failing, General, I must admit! Begging the Colonel’s pardon, but the docks were my responsibility! It is with tremendous disappointment that I report my command’s inability to stop them, as well as several deaths. I take full responsibility!”

Linnore nodded slowly as she made the liquid swirl around in her glass. “That is quite a lot of responsibility taking… two fullnesses…” The soldiers only swallowed and kept their eyes forward. “What were the deaths caused by? Arrow, bolt, sword, magic, what?”

“All magic, General!” Redius said, still too excitedly. He was still expecting a serious reprimand. “Stone balls like catapult shot dropping from the sky, but accurately crushing individual men and damaging the docks. A survivor saw the wizard, face like a madman, holding up some sort of talisman of interconnected stones, calling them down.”

“Resorting to that thanks to not having access to earth directly, which is that spellslinger’s preference, from his demonstrations and such.”

The two soldiers exchanged glances but said nothing. Hope was beginning to blossom that they wouldn’t face punishment.

Linnore sipped her whiskey and continued, “The ship is about irrelevant now. Soon normal trade will resume. The Lightning Bolt had just enough boring cargo to be worth the trip here. Independent islanders. Smuggling something. Essentially, their loss isn’t our problem.”

Redius blinked and looked a bit offended by the situation. “A smuggler? They got what they deserved then. A pity we wasted lives in their defense.”

Linnore didn’t bother commenting on that, nor did she comment that she had a little ‘friendly chat’ with the captain of the vessel, which resulted in the ‘gift’ she was at that very moment drinking. Shrewd of the man to know her weakness — altogether quite a deal of a bribe she imagined — but ultimately his luck had proven quite poor.

“Still,” Slaen added, “it is my poor judgment not to have seen this coming. That whole lot was suspicious, with the air of roving murderers, thieves, and bandits. I should’ve kicked them out of the city once their character became clear.”

To this, Linnore couldn’t help but smirk wanly at her Second. A very capable and charismatic commander, but too straight-laced. New to high command. He needed some age and betrayal to jade him a bit, then he would be General material.

Downing her whiskey with a wincing face, she poured a little more for sipping. The buzz was coming on nicely. “Gentlemen, my mood will not be spoiled by this, so rest easy. Colonel, we still have murderers, thieves, and bandits among us. They’re soaking up coin doing not a lot while they can, just like the mercenaries they’re pretending to be.

“I jumped at the chance to have a capable wizard on call. That the scumbag stabbed us in the back was just a typical result of the risk. We have been whoring ourselves for adequate strength at any cost.”

Slaen, blinking profusely, nodded slowly in absorbing this fact.

Just one more little lesson on the road to cynicism and acrimony. Welcome to command, son. In truth, the wizard situation did annoy her slightly, because she also instinctively felt repulsion for the sweaty weirdo. That she’d paid the group coin to be on their retainer was an especially icky feeling. ‘Whoring out’ was quite the accurate analogy.

All the more reason to drink up. Hmm… perhaps just a little more, then.

Linnore rose, re-tied her robe, and padded over on bare feet to a cabinet, to fish out a couple of ceramic cups. “I’ll dismiss you both in a bit, but first…”

She set the two cups down on her desk and poured a little whiskey into each, grinning at them in between. “Pull up a chair and have a little whiskey with me to celebrate the coming treaty. Savor it real, real slow, now. Like a real man! Ha. Little sips, roll it over the tongue. You have to absorb this level of rich, glorious bitterness…”

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The Brackenhome adventurers under Dymonei pushed fairly hard down the road, which ended up not much faster than their travel up it to get to the sawmill — mostly because the draft horses were slower even with their burdens distributed.

Samantha had Constance track the group of four criminals to keep an eye on them, but they ultimately cut across the wilderness to hit the northeastern road. After a couple of hours walk was a small community with an inn. By appearances they paid for a hayloft to sleep in for the rest of the night, otherwise behaving themselves.

Dart reported around the same time that the villagers had taken the four men at the abandoned farmhouse, after setting up the ruse that they’d pay the ransom. Samantha was happy to hear that they weren’t just executed on the spot…

Interestingly, Dart paid careful attention to the whole matter as it proceeded, as a parrot on Alecto’s shoulder.

The community was under ancient Geirkos laws which defined there be a mayor as the head of a seven-person council. A vote by five was needed for an execution, though there was not exactly a trial. But councilmen were woken up until they could get their five and official documentation was made by the mayor about it.

The hangings were three because the fourth was given leniency as a ‘man’ of only fifteen. Brief public humiliation, seizure of equipment, then exile unless there was someone that vouched for him as worth being put to work (for pay). In the summer, this was distinctly possible on farms. He’d have to be known or believed not to be the type to steal or run off from an agreement. But the boy seemed tentatively interested.

Eventually, Samantha switched back to her less-armored Outfit, tiring of armor, and ultimately it worked better with the disguise she’d kept up in the village.

It was early morning and daylight when the exhausted party finally arrived back at Brackenhome, some of the group half falling asleep atop their horses. But as they neared the inn, Alecto came bursting out of it, and Ianthe was off her horse and running into her father’s arms with new tears in the eyes of both.

The quest “Risking and Preserving Love” is complete. 44 FE gained. 3 exp gained in [Goddess], 3 exp gained in either [Wizard] or [Bard] due to successful supernatural ability use, problem-solving, and effective deception/persuasion.

Bonus Reward: 1 exp granted in [Wizard] for exceptional planning, orchestration, and ideal results.

Wizard it is! 2 exp from leveling in that and Goddess!

She was torn between smiling for the heartwarming scene and smiling for the sweet taste of gains right on the horizon. Her meditation quest would give her level 2 wizard once complete. From her readings, she really needed different environments to gain the points, so that would be somewhere in the real world.

Alecto hugged his son-in-law too, as the tired party walked up. Eventually, he turned to them, and his eyes locked on Dymonei. He shook his head in wonder. “I can’t ever repay you, Madam Dymonei… for bringing them back safe and sound. But your room is always free here. Please at least accept that token of my appreciation.”

Samantha smiled and nodded. “As you wish, Alecto. We can always tip your staff.”

He laughed. “You’ve got me there… really, anything you need, just ask. For as long as I still have any say here, Brackenhome itself is at your service.”

“And likewise, Inkeep. Likewise.”

Men began filling up the area after Alecto and his family went inside. They took over dealing with the prisoners, equipment, and so on. Stabling the horses of the weary travelers who wanted little more than to go pass out in their homes. Janius came up to Samantha and assured her that the ‘loot’ would be kept separated and the value assessed for distribution, and possibly some liquidation to coin.

Janius also thrust out the wand-staff that the wizard had. “I grabbed this, but… I’ve already talked to the others and you should have this. Wizard junk anyway. If you can identify the other stuff, that would be handy. We still need to check Bagatta. Probably has hidden items.”

She took the staff with the orb on the end of it and nodded her appreciation. “I’ll do what I can.”

Come to think, I have Identify as a level 2 divine spell. No need to blow all of my MP on castings.

Before heading up to the room, Samantha made sure to remind Alecto about her deal with the criminals, but Dart had already mentioned it to him and he entirely understood and agreed. Surprisingly, even Janius had mentioned it in passing.

Honestly, I’ll take the asshole that is upfront and forthright about his problems with me over one that secretly does shit behind my back, thinking they know better.

When they went up to the room, Azure mostly just dropped her things and went for a little basket she kept that had her various beauty supplies within. “I’m gonna go downstairs for a bath, if Dart can hang around to latch and unlatch. Forest ick. I even have cobwebs in my hair — cobwebs! Let’s hope spiders haven’t roosted inside, too. I assume you’ll be going back to your headspace?”

“Momentarily. And I’ll be back soon to assist with item identification, I think. Good luck with the spiders.”

“Please, no — Euck, spiders! Bath — bath now!” Azure shivered and made a creeped-out face before she exited, re-covering her face right before.

Sammy latched the door behind her, smirking. She’s so cute. Beautiful. Kind. Always listens. Taking a bath, getting clean, smelling nice- okay, that’s enough of that.

It was getting harder to redirect her thoughts from her, though, she noticed. Her face, her eyes, her ram horns, her smile. They were… sticky on the brain.

Damn supermodel demon girls… I’m supposed to be the idol!

Dart was not bothering her — in black cat form, he was curled up on the bed. It had been so busy, perhaps, that even he needed some decompression. Sammy headed with the staff out to the balcony, gazing in the direction of the rising sun just over the hills and trees on the horizon.

She sat down on an ancient wicker chair to take a moment. It was nice.

Things seemed very up in the air about what she would do with her order, from that point. Brackenhome, Geirkos, the Southlands, they seemed logical places to start. She already felt like many of the people were hers, whether sworn or not. Some would be contacts and friends, others uncertain allies. Not all would be Followers. She’d pick them out carefully and begin sowing seeds to grow.

Brackenhome, she wanted to see continue to thrive and be what it was meant to be. To keep doing what it was doing. Someone else wanted to profit off of a booming thing? Well, she had a better idea.

She would profit.

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« (Vol 2) Chapter 29 | Table of Contents | (Vol 2) Chapter 31: How Very Generous »

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Samantha, Virgin Goddess of Mirrors & Illusion
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Goddess Level 2 [18/20]; Minor Deity

Domains (3/4): Mirrors, Illusion, Fate
Faith Energy: 337/2500
FE (Mirrors): 5 ; FE (Illusion): 14 ; FE (Fate): 7 ; FE (Light): 36
Followers: 38 (Daily FE Gain: 48 [52])

Devout: 7
Priests: 3

Brute: 0
Rogue: 0
Wizard: 1 [18/20]
Bard: 0 [7/10]

MP: 24/28

Special Skills: First Aid, Tarot Reading, Priestly Ordination, Holy Relic Investiture, Create Servitor, Read Runes, Spell Construction, Detect Magic

Special Traits: Token User, Immortal, Demiplane Domain, Conceptual Body, Fueled By Faith, Avatar (Samantha; Core, PFE: 6/50)

Spells: Identify (5 MP), Icebolt (3 MP)

Powers: Faith Energy Utilization, Grant Prayer (Illusion), Grant Prayer (Fate), Mirror Sense, Mirror Communication, Intuition, Alter Fate, Create Illusion, Grant Invisibility, Dazzling Spectrum, False Auras, Mirroring Duplicates, Reflect Force, Mirror Maze

Status: Token User Promotional Bonus (9/30)