Chapter 63: Bloodletters, Heartbreakers

Sammy had Galynth put the sword up whilst she informed Orswyth about the artifact, who was impressed but not exactly surprised — the prior wielder Danomeir was perhaps the most feared mercenary captain and champion on the continent. The sword had likely helped him reach that status, then increasingly gave him more and more of an advantage on the battlefield.

When she touched base with Canmore about the sword and explained the abilities almost word for word, he was intrigued.

“Well, that is too tempting to pass up,” he sent to her. “I’ve dallied with the greatsword some in my early years of merc work, because being a crazy idiot on the front lines trying to make a breach in the pike lines was better pay. After I nearly took a dirt nap into the next life from a pike wound, I wizened up about the nature of risk and reward.”

“So it’s an offensive weapon… and needs support to work right.”

“It’s more so that than a spear-and-shield for sure. Probably a bit of a toss-up with halberds. A greatsword might have a little more fluidity in small-scale battles. Crazy control area where you’re swinging it around like a madman.”

“Danomeir chopped through other weapons like twigs…”

“Oh yes, Your Majesty Goddess. He specialized in breaking frontlines, chopping multiple pike heads off with each swing, moving in like an unstoppable juggernaut, usually layered with protection spells. Anyway, the ease of breaking weapons was from his skills. Seems like this sword just helped him dominate once he got going.”

“And he would go berserk on top of that if wounded.”

“Right. He was someone no one wanted to duel. Palthennius or Hestrae Beth of the Heaven Knights… Dreixia Hillcrusher, Deikmorn Brakka, or the Demon King himself of the Land of Naug… maybe Glaelychus of Traesh in the Southlands — only those could best him that I know of. Oh, probably numerous minotaurs, but I dunno their names. Their mountain god… ah… Nu’Rammata — that’s probably the most powerful fighter of all. They say it's like tossing pebbles at a mountain for mortals.”

“If they actually were proactive against the Dominion, I really wonder about the chances of wizards against them. Guess it depends on how much they’ve actually declined.”

“The mountain god just doesn’t care, from what I’ve heard. He’s like Redberry — just sleeps and ignores everything. Has to be awakened if there are issues. Otherwise, his dreams are all that ever interact with his extensive worshippers. Not that I’m an expert. Mostly just heard about this stuff from Tashome.”

“Redberry doesn’t sleep, really… just isolates.”

“Oh. I bet she’d be a hell of a fighter too. Like a queen of bears… or wolves.”

Sammy’s mind flashed to the time Redberry had talked about her wound’s source and hinted at her unleashed fury. “I suspect that is quite accurate, yes. So… I guess all of that is assuming equal magical support, right?”

“Oh, you bet. A mismatch there is a catapult to the top. And a spell breaking through defenses can smoke anybody. An army that hired Danomeir would probably be trying to focus on protection, to win the day by routing the soldiers. Others might focus on raw firepower, like the Dominion. Though they have enough to do it all. Firepower, protection, buffs, tricks we don’t even know about. On an even plain of battle, there’s just no beating them.”

“And the Southlands have anti-magic, right?”

“Right. That’s Traesh, the city-state in the borderland mountain territories and foothills. At least, where the practice is concentrated. It would be very nasty for the Dominion to assail in terms of casualties, though they’d still win eventually due to sheer numbers. That’s assuming they don’t have some trump card ready.”

“I appreciate the rundown, Sergeant Canmore. Do take up the sword. Whatever you need to support the new style, don’t hesitate to ask Orswyth to accommodate. I’ll instruct him to do so.”

“Aye aye, Your Majesty! Actually, I think I can take Sundering Strike when I level again. Might as well become the next King of Murder, eh?” The last was in irony.

“Oh please do not!”

Sammy had some downtime as her Followers were merely traveling without incident through the day. She double-checked the locations she’d spied on the prior day, but there was nothing new. Finally, she went ahead and pinged Zadkiel as Greenleaf/Puck to report on Twin Wells, feeding some miscellanea she overheard or saw there over the course of time. Descriptions, names, things spoken, so on.

“Very good,” Zadkiel sent. “It seems you are indeed capable of what you promise. I imagine you’re working on the other zones? Yes. At this point, I’m beginning to hope I can keep you happy enough to continue our arrangement after the deal’s duration. Assuming I’m still in one piece by then and so on.”

“Keeping me happy is probably a tall order.”

“I do like a challenge.”

“So I’ve heard…” Though Sammy was rather dubious about such things, Greenleaf/Puck/Stillwater the nymph from Sex Lake was probably utterly polyamorous and casual. So she added teasingly, “I wonder just how many notches on your belt are nature entities.”

“I’d be happy to show it to you and you could see for yourself.”

Rolling her eyes, Sammy sent an ‘amused’, “I bet you’d be.”

“In truth, I am a king that seeks a deific queen, one day. Whoever that might develop and grow to be. That is worth half my world — whatever I obtain —  in itself. Otherwise, I’d hold to any preferences she might have for exclusivity, were it important to her.”

“Why is it worth half your world?”

“I don’t know how else to answer that than to say because it is simply what I want. Call it a carryover from mortality.”

“The potential for progeny?”

“That’s only a potential aspect of it. A hypothetical. There are plenty of lovely horizons to see before such considerations. Before anything else there is love. The rest is fog before that.”

This guy really knows how to hedge his bets.

“I’ve heard you’ve been knocking on Redberry’s door for a long time.”

“It’s more like trying to climb a sheer cliff and sliding back down constantly.”

“Have you given up, then?”

Genuine annoyance bled through. “I don’t know. I have things to attend to, though. Let me know when you have the info about the other lands.” With that, he vanished.

“Hedger!” Sammy said out loud.

He’s probably entirely still in love, but beginning to wonder if he has ‘options’... ugh. I’m starting to feel bad, now, damn him. Maybe I should… I dunno… match-make…

It was certainly not something she could conclude on a dime, though. What would be the ramifications? At the very least, it seemed heinously long-term. Likely impossible.

1 FE (Mirrors, Illusion) obtained from [Devout] worship.

1 FE (Mirrors, Illusion) obtained from [Devout] worship.

Azure seemed to mostly be biding her time, while learning information and, to Sammy’s perceptions, pretty much enchanting the whole household — or nearly so — with her great charm. She was fast friends with the woman of the house, chatting and laughing through their conversations. Her husband, the portly fellow called Nestor, seemed quite happy about that. From the bits and pieces Sammy picked up, she didn’t have many friends.

The young Naugite, Yadmin, was… quickly in love, Sammy was sure. It was just obvious. He was completely wrapped around her finger.

After Azure’s prayers, Sammy queried her about it.

Into the mirror, her High Priestess shrugged helplessly with a slightly apologetic grin. She had obtained a lovely silk headband to hide her mark, gold with flower imprints, with what looked like jewelry pins decorating it. Her hair had been done up above it.

“I am not sure what I should do about it,” Azure mused. “I suppose nothing. I don’t believe I’ll be staying here permanently. I certainly have no desire for romantic entanglements. Perhaps nothing serious ever again. Not for an exceptionally long time, and definitely not with someone as… innocent as him.”

“Totally understandable.” After a moment, Sammy smirked. “Yeah, you’re into older, established guys.”

“Hey! Don’t make assumptions just because of one incident, however long.”

“Well if you’re weak to a younger man’s charms, you’ll be put to the test soon. A certain bardic, wizardly wonder on his way as we speak.”

“A young bard...” She seemed to suddenly remember something. “You mean the one that was looking at me like a prime rib! In the dream where everyone appeared! I was in strange underwear, and so were you and-”

“Oh, no, something has come up, Azure! I gotta go — see you!”

But this Follower didn’t just let it go. When Sammy disappeared, Azure immediately sent mentally, “Your Majesty, please! I am not a fool. You gave that as an excuse because you’re embarrassed. Can we please talk about this?”

Sammy slid down on her throne with a whine. “Please, no…”

Azure sent, “If you don’t, I’ll start talking and imagining instead about how good everyone looked in their-”

“Fine, fine, fine!” Sammy sent in quick assurance. She sat up and composed herself, then reached back through the mirror. Sighing, she said, “Alright, go ahead then, my priestess.”

Azure nodded her appreciation. “I’d like to know what was on my goddess’s mind and how it happened, if you please.”

“I remember having the thought that I wanted us to have a pool party. That’s my relaxation area, where I read. Swim. People were all in swimwear, not underwear — that’s all fairly normal in my culture around a pool. Unfortunately, it’s not for you lot… especially mixed male and female, I’d assume.”

Azure snorted. “Maybe for them. I had no problem with it, really.”

“Well, that’s because you’re a-a… bodacious babe.” Sammy winced slightly. I can’t believe I just said that. “Beautiful, I mean. Every reason to be confident.”

Azure grinned. “And you aren’t? Don’t have?”

“This is new to me, still. I was… not like this, before. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I accidentally pulled other people uncomfortable with the scenario into my dumb dream, and it’s embarrassing. As you detected.”

“It was not a dumb dream. I’d certainly like to come. I’m sure others would agree.”

“I’d love to have you over some time. As for a group thing… not sure about that. Certainly not with everyone half-naked.”

“All the way naked, then? I suppose it’s the cultic way, Your Majesty...”

Sammy's eyes bugged out. “Wha- No! What-” She saw the sudden grin on Azure’s face and gave her a firm deadpan. How am I so easy to get with my Followers?! I’m too trusting, that’s what it is, isn’t it?

“Forgive me, Your Majesty. Perhaps I’ve felt a bit too repressed in recent years. Nudity was normal for me and my other, once upon a time.”

“It’s fine. I’ll get you back.” She gave a deliberate mischievous grin. “We’re a cult of pretenders, after all.”

“Of course. Best to keep each other sharp, hmm?” After a pause regarding Sammy, Azure said, “When I first came to know you were who saved me, I didn’t think I’d found a friend. I’m glad that you are both. The mask of the goddess is a higher calling and our idol of worship… an aspect with its own truth, but you are delightfully you behind it.”

Sammy beamed at her words, then suddenly squinted and wagged her finger. “Don’t think your sweet talk will keep me from getting you back, missy.”

Laughter. “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it!”

The day passed with Bast still asleep, so Sammy focused on meditation despite her desire to finish off Icebolt. It just wasn’t possible without some sort of attack magic example. She wasn’t about to go seeking that out randomly in mirrors.

Whether she was really succeeding with meditation was difficult to tell right off, but she thought she was feeling something. It killed time, that was for sure.

1 FE (Mirrors, Illusion) obtained from [Devout] worship.

27 Daily FE gained.

17 FE (Mirrors, Illusion) obtained from worship.

Bast finally woke up, and Sammy was quick to make him get up with some mental ‘encouragement’ and show her the Forcebolt again.

Yawning, he stretched as he made his way up to the deck in the fading twilight. He scoffed. “You won’t even get anything that way! You’ve already seen it. But I was saving another spell for this occasion, hehe…”

“Well okay then, show it off already!”

“This one is my mother’s design. It’s level 2… but I’m muting it, weakening it… pay attention…” He said this out loud as he was preparing himself facing out at the sea, wriggling his fingers and rolling his neck. A couple of sailors looked at him strangely.

He went through the forms very slowly for her, so she could see the runes. He was able to hold the glowing tracings in the air. Her brain was tumbling the ideas into her own construction continuously, as she grew in excitement.

“Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh?!”

Over the water ten meters out, a sphere of ‘distortion’ for lack of a better word burst, causing a splash and the whole thing making a chiming sound. It was heavily muted, she could tell.

“Chiming Sphere!” Sammy sent to Bast triumphantly.

“That’s right!”

“It really ‘twernt that great,” a dubious sailor said, spitting some black stuff over the railing.

Sammy did not hear Bast’s reply, as she ignored everything to focus on the runes still tangled in her head. But it was less than a minute before she connected them, and the spell was done.

Spell [Icebolt] learned.

When she turned her attention back to the boat though, everyone seemed shaken and there was scattered shouting. Bast was staring off toward the back of the boat in alarm. There was something of a collective held breath, as the captain had his seeing glasses on and was looking out judiciously.

Then he turned around with a grim face and yelled, “Sails ho! Two vessels! Prepare for battle!”

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« Chapter 62 | Table of Contents | *No similarity to Sales Hoe* »

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Samantha, Virgin Goddess of Mirrors & Illusion
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Goddess Level 2; Minor Deity

Domains (2/3): Mirrors, Illusion
Faith Energy: 1097/2000
FE (Illusion): 9
Followers: 19 (Daily FE Gain: 25 [27])

Devout: 3
Priests: 3

Brute: 0
Rogue: 0
Wizard: 1 [8/20]
Bard: 0 [2/10]

MP: 22/25

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

Special Traits: Token User, Immortal, Demiplane Domain, Conceptual Body, Fueled By Faith

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

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

Status: Token User Promotional Bonus (7/30), New Deity Grace Period (7/7), Free Minor Divine Enchantment (Accessory; 1-use)