Rain Harlow

(Vol 2) Chapter 18: What Truly Ties

Added 2023-09-03 22:00:05 +0000 UTC

Azure was basically waiting at the door when Sammy and Dart materialized — the Naugite nodded and proceeded through a moment after, likely intent on touching base with the others.

Sammy peeked out of an unshuttered window to see numerous workers already starting in the fields or other various tasks. She saw chickens being fed, picking furiously at feed tossed on the ground. Dart hopped down to watch curiously. Which suited Sammy — she didn’t really want him hanging around her while she was with the farmers.

She put her boots on and exited, taking a last look at it all before closing the door.

I didn’t really make use of it, but it was certainly a wonderful gesture. I regret that I didn't get to sleep in the bed, especially…

In the dining/living/kitchen hall area, Azure wasn’t present. Sammy greeted numerous people still coming to get a quick breakfast — a hunk of bread and some sort of porridge-like ale drink out of big wooden cups. She was going to decline but Essie thrust a cup into her hands with no choice in the matter.

She took a sip. Beery, sweet-and-sour, bits of grit swirling around. It was… interesting.

“Sip on it as ya go — an’ ya can keep the cup,” Essie said with a wink. “Your lady love is buying some supplies anyway, so it’s a customer bonus.”

“Ah- understood, thank you.” Sammy smiled and took another sip. “The bed was wonderful, by the way. I slept great. Thank you again for your hospitality.”

“I’m sure you did.” The old lady made quite a grin. “Again, you two are welcome anytime.”

Did Azure fucking add to our ‘lore’ again?! Damn it… and this old lady doesn’t even care if we- what the hell?!

Sammy tried to keep embarrassment from her smile. “I… will certainly keep that in mind! But, ah, let me get our other stuff ready on the horse while she’s getting the supplies. Can you let me see you and your husband once before we go?”

“We sure can, Kallio. We’ll see ya in a few, then.”

Acquiring all of Azure’s gear, Sammy returned it and stowed it on the horse, which was already saddled and being brought out to graze a bit on grass while waiting on its rider. Azure soon showed up with several sacks to show for her purchasing session… as well as a certain satisfied expression that screamed ‘I just shopped successfully!’ Sammy left her to handle the rest of the preparation and otherwise told her to wait while she spoke to the farm’s two figureheads.

Axe and Essie were waiting on the porch, the former’s arm around the latter. Axe took his pipe out of his mouth to ask, “You was wantin’ to see us ‘afore ya left? No coin, now, I insist. Gave ya a good deal on the foodstuffs, but it ain’t like it was no profit. S’more than enough in my book.”

Samantha paused after walking all the way up to them. She was taller than both. Grinning, she shook her head at the question. “I remember what you said, Farmer Axe. No.” She placed a hand on their far shoulders and looked between them. “Something more intangible. I speak a blessing over you, your family, and your land. It shall endure against any fate and persist against any storm; it shall reap bountiful harvests and luck will be over all its dealings. So I portend.”

She nodded to them both, one and then the other. “I will ever hold it dearly in my thoughts and my heart, and I shall never forget this simple kindness you showed to strangers. Thank you again, Axellus and Essielle Mestok. Farewell.”

If it had truly just been some random person, perhaps they would have thought her pretentious or mad. But there was a note of authority and power in her words… as such, they were slightly dumbstruck.

As Samantha’s hands slid off, Axellus closed a slack jaw and swallowed. He offered his hand and said softly, awkwardly, “Thank you, ma’am… safe travels to you and yours.”

Samantha shook his hand firmly, then ended up hugging a beaming Essie too, before the goddess-in-disguise finally turned to go, leaving two very awed and somewhat confused mortals behind.

It will be blessed. So says the Seeress of Tomorrow and the Friskiest of the Bushes. I’ll have more tangible means to ensure it eventually.

She rejoined Azure and they began walking with the horse on a path that would take them to the road, though they’d inevitably not actually take it. Parrot-Dart soon flew over and landed on Sammy’s shoulder.

After they were down the path a ways, Sammy said, “Alright, Azure, tell me about these dreams you have of me.”

Azure’s head swiveling over to her was something like ‘Oh shit, consequences’ and she almost tripped on a rock. “Gah! Sorry… ah. Yes.” She cleared her throat and looked away. Flicked a strand of hair from her eyes that was peeking from under the wrap. “I won’t mince the words. I dreamed of you as a lover. I felt the draw from the very first moments… and then… Do you remember in the mirror? When I swore to you, and our hands touched, as is your way of conversion?”

“Of course, though it is not actually touching…”

“You could’ve fooled me.” Azure took a deep breath and regarded Samantha. “My mind immediately went to our fingers interlacing. I wasn’t sure why, as it could’ve been a desire for an expression of appreciation for a savior… love for a goddess… sheer exhilaration from events… horniness…”

“Well, you do have horns.” Yes, my lame-ass dorky jokes will surely save me here!

Azure grinned, but continued, “So… loneliness and all the rest, as opposed to something as deep as past lives. I often have vivid dreams, and not about… those. They are very rare for me. I think my soul avoids them as depressing. When I had dreams of you — flashes of us in a bed — I didn’t immediately think of past lives but assumed I was fantasizing. Which segued into more, but… now I can see the separation.”

Being an idol at the center of attention sure is fucking complicated.

“Azure, I-”

“It’s fine, Your Majesty!” Azure interrupted with a note of nervousness. She had a small, wan grin. “Really. I’ve used that exact tone of voice myself. I’m telling you this not to win you, but to answer you correctly. I understand that you aren’t attracted to me and that whatever connection you did feel is now clearly from the past and beyond.”

Sammy stared at Azure as if she’d grown a second pair of horns. “Azure, are you kidding me? Rocks probably do a double-take when you walk by. You are problematically hot. Even a speck of gay in a woman would be a firestorm when it comes to you. Like, even a straight per- anyway. Please. It’s not that.”

Azure’s reaction was clearly one of being flattered. Enjoying such words from her idol.

Sammy sighed and continued, “I’m just someone that ties down with one other person, however things were in some other hazy reality… or how gods and goddesses usually are with mortals. You should really ask yourself if that’s who you are, especially with what you just came out of.”

“I perfectly understand, Your Majesty. I will do just as you say and consider it carefully. As I planned to.”

“Good. I take it the immediate jump to me being your lover was entirely subconscious?”

Azure winced guiltily. “Mostly. But I was also… curious. To see if anything… bubbled up in you. I’m sorry. I planned — and I use the term loosely — to simply look for signs and drop it entirely when cleared to spare you any further discomfort. I failed on every level.”

Parrot-Dart suddenly piped up with, “Bwok! Take me now! Bwok!”

Sammy tsked loudly. “For fuck’s sake, Dart, you don’t even have to talk like a parrot now!”

“I know. It’s just fun.”

Rolling her eyes, Sammy turned back to Azure and said, “It’s fine. I get it. I don’t think you were being super manipulative. Crushes happen, it’s emotional. Whatever form it takes, we know there is a deeper connection between us than bodily… and it isn’t tied to the body to say that we love each other, either.”

Azure met her eyes and smiled softly, nodding. “Yes. I’ll continue to take comfort there. I’d… love to.”

They exchanged a last smile, then walked quietly for a while. Sammy felt a bit dumb for even taking the conversation to a ‘no’... at least on the primal level. Was she putting her foot down firmly with good principle or was she being stubborn to some fated thing?

Past life lovers… possibly soulmates. The sort of shit people dreamed about. But she wasn’t sure she wanted to buy in or believe it, and especially not to bow to it. The past was instructive, the light of the future her goal. In that… however she wielded fate was deterministic. She had ends she intended to see and she wouldn’t just accept anything.

In essence, some dreams had to stay in the head as fantasies where they belonged. Especially the ones that scared her.

I’m a virgin yet I have girlfriend baggage now. Fuck. Is that for real? If so, no wonder I couldn’t find the right person if this is who they were competing with. This shit cannot be real. Hmm, so maybe my BF was actually a good kisser? Just not-

Deliberately forcing it out of her mind, she focused on the travel in front of them. They erred away from the main path to keep off of the road, and Dart turned back into a horse so they could keep their pace up. Rather than stopping along the way to deal with the Bast situation, Sammy expressed her desire to hurry it up and get there as fast as possible. There was also being available for whatever would happen in Mot Mekess in the afternoon…

Azure stated that her horse was primed for a trot when the terrain was favorable, which would cover ground much quicker. The first time this was done, Sammy was jolted wildly on Dart… when Azure noticed, she suggested trying to invoke a class… that worked smashingly through [Goddess]. She was soon riding with confidence, posting in the saddle and moving in tandem with the horse. Slowly, that invoking taught her body to perform it more naturally, too.

I guess it's important for deities not to look like an idiot doing relatively basic adventuring things in a fantasy world. Who knew?

Along the way, she decided to tinker with her items. For the staff, she had a sudden inspiration to make it collapsible from a tall size to a shorter one. This was arrangeable simply through a free Special Feature. By giving it a pronounced headpiece — a crystalline orb with a dragon curled around it — it could function as a scepter when collapsed.

Hell yeah! So fucking cool!

It felt pointless to summon it right then, so she just left it ready to create in an instant when the time was right.

“Hey Dart, guess what!”

A horse head tossed, an eye rolling backward to catch her in its peripheral vision. “What, what?! Tell me!”

“My badass weapon is gonna have a dragon on it!”

“Oh, fuck yeah! That’s just good taste, baby! Lemmie see, lemmie see!”

Sammy did a little finger wag. “Uh-uh-uh! Not until the time is right! But do keep an eye out. It’ll be like…” She made her voice sing-song. “Nothing — You’ve Ever — Seen Before! Watch Closely — As I Open This Door! Your Jaw — Will Be — On The Floor! After This — You’ll Be Begging — For More!”

Horse-Dart somehow looked excited and annoyed at once. “Hmmph. Blueballer.”

“I did learn from the best…”

“Who’s that?”

“Nunya.”

“Huh — who?!”

“Nun’ya business!”

“Wha-... Hmmph!” The horse snorted and pointedly began ignoring her. Somehow he seemed to march in a rather miffed way.

For the Accessory, she browsed until she found an enchantment she wanted:

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Shield Projection

This accessory can, upon command, generate a floating large shield of hard magical energy under your telekinetic control. It has a glowing aura by default. Despite its (variable) appearance, the material has the strength of high-grade steel (as to armor) and can be damaged as such. When damage becomes Severe, it disappears. When damage is first taken, a 24-hour cooldown begins, upon which the shield is fully restored.

You must use a free hand to direct the shield actively — otherwise, it floats in place. General effectiveness of use and strength is determined by your highest class level. Projection control is up to 1 meter from you in any direction. If you are forcibly separated from this distance, the shield will remain stationary or controlled by whatever momentum it was under last.