(Vol 2) Chapter 14: What Comes With the Dawn

Marjorie seemed to just know what the tone of voice change was about, and she smirked. “Is he trying to fall in love with you, then? I’m not surprised. The bulk of his ambition has always resided in his heart.”

Sammy couldn’t help but blurt out, “Are you sure it isn’t his pants?” Then she immediately winced and said, “Sorry.”

But Marjorie only laughed with a knowing smile. “That is more his weakness than ambition. In this, he takes after his father. Wild and difficult to tame.”

“Something tells me you did eventually, though.”

They shared an amused look that confirmed quite plainly to Sammy that she was correct. Then Marjorie said, “The affairs of your heart are your own, but regardless, my worries are soothed that he has a good woman to guide him. He needs it.”

The Goddess of Fate decided to drop to the floor across from Marjorie, though keeping ahold of her hands to maintain the rather nice feeling of motherly contact, almost alien to Sammy’s life for as long as she could remember. And it helped remind her that the other was more than just a ghost.

“Marjorie,” Sammy began, looking down at the older woman’s bejeweled hands, “what am I going to do about him? He’ll be… heartbroken. Incensed. Possibly murderous for an impossible revenge.”

“I don’t suppose I could suggest lying…” At Sammy’s look, Marjorie’s expression grew wan. “I see. The Goddess of Illusion has a heart for truth.”

“He deserves to know. And if I withhold under the cloak of a lie, and he later finds out I did, he’ll lose his mother and be betrayed by his goddess in the same breath. I’d save him such cruelty of fate.”

Marjorie’s smile was one of appreciation. “You see the future with eyes of empathy. If this is your intuition, so be it. Can you bring him here?”

Sammy blinked. “I… well. Probably. I think.”

“Then do that. I can put out one last fire of his, shine a light within his affair with darkness once more. I’ve only been doing it his whole life.”

‘One last’? No. She’s preserved here for many years. If this meeting is possible… he can still see her when he wants to. She won’t wither away and want to pass on if she is still useful, right?

“Perhaps you can shine a light for me on occasion as well,” Sammy ventured, squeezing a hand with an intent gaze. “You still have valuable insight and intelligence that could be put to use by a newbie like me.”

One eyebrow quirked as Marjorie appeared amused. “Oh? Want to keep a retiree’s mind fresh, then? The goddess seeks a political and mystical advisor?”

“Yes. Please.”

Marjorie smiled grandly and dipped her head. “Of course, Your Majesty Samantha. In death, I shall be as a sorceress was always meant to be, though life denied me both it and you. Let purpose be salvaged from the wicked destructions and rude injustices of so-called humanity.”

Samantha, feeling grief bubble up anew, said nothing, just threw herself into a hug with the woman she loved for the untouchable shadows they cast together, perhaps in the past. And the other chuckled and returned the hug just as a mother would, whispering consolations and being a pillar even though she was the one who died.

You’re a liar, Zadkiel. You trampled such a precious flower, heedless of the damage and relevancy… I’ll never forgive you.

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After ensuring appropriate details were added for Marjorie’s reasonable comfort for a while, Sammy switched back to view mirrors in the castle halls of Kenstrom, seeing much of what she expected to see. Demon creatures, the flyers in significant numbers, as well as soldiers and clerics stomping around rounding people up, often still in their bedclothes. A complete surprise attack, obviously from multiple angles.

Some were dead. Certain types of officials it seemed, and perhaps scholars. Potential spellcasters.

Information sources. Obviously ill-informed and casting a wide net, to murder Marjorie. Then again, maybe she did have the means to communicate threats. Even if she dislikes the Dominion, she’d probably construe it the lesser evil to this.

Sammy found various limited angles to see out on the walled city near the castle. Fighting was occurring in pockets. A separate barracks built into the walls, probably some sort of city militia. It was eerily quiet overall. Many city residents would literally sleep through the entire thing. Some were out… marveling like medieval rubberneckers at flying demonic forms that ignored them.

Pathetic resistance, here. Must have their forces further south. I guess that’s the point. But how long before news spreads? Just simply as it appears here right now, one might think it a sophisticated raid for the riches in the castle. Inevitably it’ll look coordinated with numerous other attacks happening… but this is not a huge horde.

It occurred to her there was probably little chance Zadkiel wanted to advance onto Rivermount anytime soon. Better to force them into land he was already occupying or influencing and could conspire more of his traps and such within.

‘Raiding’ Kenstrom was sure to get the Dominion’s back stiff once they heard. They’d been worried enough about the region to broker an alliance to help them, after all. She really wondered how that was going to go. She’d only heard a little about them, but Burnstire was supposed to have a very strong fighting force and navy.

Despite knowing that Zadkiel was busy, she flipped over to her Greenleaf/Stillwater realm so that she could bug him mentally. “Zadkiel,” she sent with something like piqued curiosity mixed with annoyance, “I see you attacking Kenstrom. Rather bold of you, isn’t it?”

He was heavily distracted as he sent, “Guilty as charged.” He was obviously fighting, but also obviously enjoying it. “Somewhat busy here, but the main threat — and I use the term loosely — is finished! I have forces doing so, yes. Is there some issue?”

“Yes, an agent of mine is dead now. You might’ve warned me.”

Plenty of dead already, so it could be anyone. Even if he suspected Marjorie, it would hardly matter now.

Zadkiel’s immediate, seemingly authentic reaction was dismay. “Ah. Damn it! Apologies, then. Someone important?”

“Not anymore, obviously.”

“Again… I’m sorry. Please tell me now if you have elsewhere that needs warning.”

“Why don’t you just warn me of your moves? What about Burnstire?”

“I won’t be hitting Burnstire. I believe they’ll be coming to me. This whole region is a target. I’ll be pinchering from Heimus to Kenstrom, crushing the armies before they- excuse me a moment, need to kill this…”

A sense of bloodthirsty satisfaction. “Ooh, that’ll leave a mark! Ha. Anyway… before they coalesce too large into one, taking the largest cities, then eventually filling in on the smaller counties and baronies before the northern engine finally oils its old, crusty, rusty gears into motion.”

“I see. And… what about your contingency plan in the Borderlands? You might warn me about the details.”

Amusement. “If you’re asking about that instead of pouting, it’s already happened beyond your interests and influence.”

“Will you tell me what and where? You owe me this much.”

He sighed. “Fine… you’re so demanding, dear Puck. And a little tense, hmm? Are you sure all your needs are being looked after?”

“Zadkiel, I am not in the mood with you right now.”

“And not even the nickname… At least you didn’t say you have a headache. The Pine Coast, alluring one. North and north again and east. Just a little annoying revolution in a backwater with a history of it. I was saving it for if results or response was meager to the Borderlands issues. As it turns out, this less subtle incident is probably better with things going so quick and smooth in raider country.”

“How did you manage this exactly?”

“Oh, going for gold with secrets, hmm? A very special agent, love. One half of a glorious pair I wish I had more of. In any case, is that all?”

“For now.” She departed, feeling rather icky at having to deal with him after what he’d done, however unwittingly. The thing of it was, he considered nobility such as Marjorie entirely fair game for slitting their throat in the night. She wasn’t sure anyone was immune, whatever his airs of relative mercy.

Nothing I can do about it right now, in any case. He’s the Dominion’s dog to put down if anybody. I’m just weathering the story. Experience here, experience there. Tickity tickity tok.

Sammy remained in the great throne of greenery and flowers, enjoying the sweet scents they gave off, while one hand propped her chin from the plant-fiber arm of the structure. Bast. It was such a sick feeling in her gut. She had to deliver the news soon… he had to mourn soon. Better while still at sea.

After the morning. After the dawn of light.

Absolutely needing it right then, Sammy opted for a period of meditation in the night. She went by the new, hidden lake, a mirror to Lake Yura of Redberry’s reclusive naiads. Utilizing the reference made it particularly beautiful. Ancient trees were all around its banks and the water was eerily still, as if heavy with old power.

She plopped her half-naked hippy butt on rune-etched stones making platforms out from the bank. Then she closed her eyes and focused on nothing more than breathing and stillness. Peace. The cosmos and the raw balance of fate. Time passed.

Mana increased permanently by 1 through meditation.

Mana increased permanently by 1 through meditation.

Feeling much better afterward, Sammy returned to her main throne realm. Suit-fairy Dart floated over to her with a face cast in sympathy. Obviously, he understood what happened. “I’m sorry, Sam Sam. I wasn’t even looking there. If only I had been, maybe she would’ve lived…”

Sammy smiled softly at him. “It’s alright, Dart. Even if we did see in time, my powers are extremely limited with just a mirror, and I might’ve ended up revealing that connection I’ve been desperately trying to hide. I would’ve done it… perhaps bought enough time to have Zadkiel call off the hounds… but the cost would’ve been great if I ended up trying to Maze his entities or somesuch.”

Dart nodded thoughtfully. “Perhaps worse for the fate of things.”

“Yes. If I had already had her as a Follower, though, the warning system would’ve been significantly quicker and the potential protections more innate. That is where the real failure is.”

“You were just honoring Bast’s wishes, though.”

“I can’t afford honor anymore. My best shot at changing the world for the better is to allow myself to be guided by fate. First and foremost. And I will pay heavy prices, Dartagnan. Do you see that I’ve already been shown this, again and again? That I achieve nothing without loss?”

“I guess so… but aren’t you getting better at preventing it?”

“One can hope.” She took a deep breath, then invoked her class. Got herself into the role. “But on that note, and the notes before, and by the portents of my own mouth and others… from the signs etched into reality and emblazing themselves like brands into my mind…”

Into the dreams of the Followers of Samantha she slipped to speak and declare, along with an image of her on her throne, but dark, a silhouette on the plane of a distant, meagerly lit horizon, stars still visible above.

A staff was in one hand. “Fellows. Compatriots of steel and resolve. In the darkness, I come again to promise a new tomorrow. As the dawn comes, what does it bring? What casts shadows, what reflects in the mirror? What is timeless to the past and future, what shines and reveals the unknown?”

She lifted the staff high, and at the end a glaring light flashed like an intense beacon in the darkness, slowly revealing more definition. “I come with the dawn, I make the shadows dance and reflections shimmer as I will… I banish the fog of darkness with brilliant revelation. I am Samantha, Goddess of Light!”

Behind her, the sun rose, and all was brightly lit. Samantha smiled grandly, glowing right along with it.

Dreaming or not, her Followers took to it easily, accepted it like something already obvious, like a known piece of the puzzle just waiting for placement.

Majority belief obtained. [Light] tag unlocked.

New Quest unlocked: “What Comes With the Dawn” — Obtain the [Light] domain.

● Rewards: +25 FE (Light) rebate; Powers (Light Manipulation, others determined by synergy).

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Samantha, Virgin Goddess of Mirrors & Illusion
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Goddess Level 2 [15/20]; Minor Deity

Domains (3/4): Mirrors, Illusion, Fate
Faith Energy: 384/2500
FE (Mirrors): 6 ; FE (Illusion): 14 ; FE (Fate): 10
Followers: 36 (Daily FE Gain: 45 [49])

Devout: 6
Priests: 3

Brute: 0
Rogue: 0
Wizard: 1 [14/20]
Bard: 0 [5/10]

MP: 15/28

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)

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 (8/30), Free Minor Divine Enchantment (Accessory; 1-use)