Chapter 31: The Worthy Will Rise, or Something

Her Followers other than Estara and Azure were asleep, Azure probably close to it, but she didn’t seem to need as much sleep as others, while she had also been napping during the day.

Sammy touched base with her briefly. She’d spent pretty much the entire day in the crate room and would spend more just the same, her existence on the ship apparently a closely-guarded secret even among the crew. Only brief nighttime visits occurred with the captain and his first mate, dealing with all the most basic necessities.

When Sammy asked about the relative speed of the ships, as Andemen was surely coming for her, Azure grinned and assured her an enchantment had been secured on top of the ship being among the fastest. Her former lover would not be able to overtake them by any means she knew, and he was well behind thanks to his underestimation of her and ensuing delays in pursuit. Only weather could spoil things.

The operation was designed to stick her in Geirkos without anyone knowing a person even arrived. She’d have to go in a smaller crate to be craned onto the docks and onto a wagon, like routine supplies. The ship would not stay long, immediately headed for another harbor she was not privy to.

It was a fairly amazing setup from start to finish, one Azure readily admitted was greatly leveraging Terrance’s connections and influence as well as hers, while also utilizing wealth — what was ‘hers’ as well as stolen from Andemen — to pay for it.

The rest of the night was filled with runebook study for the most part — her version of sleep for as long as she still needed to grind them. This was interspersed with giving some carrots to Floofa, as well as playing with her when she was feisty and pets when she wanted those. At some point, she took a huge leap clear off the property to go roaming the forest.

Dax was right about Merril being stoked for the quest, even despite being woken up in the middle of the night and having to book it hardcore with travel. He let Sammy know he was all for it with something like a Cheshire Cat grin sent as a mental image. She was pretty sure he was rubbing his hands together greedily too.

The mirrors in possession of the frogmen angled east and south, gradually going more south. They did not stop much for rest that she could tell. The mirrors all remained inaccessible other than the small awareness that allowed her to track them.

As morning arrived, Sammy had crammed rune after rune after rune into her head, a bewildering mix of meanings she didn’t retain much of consciously — fortunately the nature of the books helped greatly with the subconscious aspects. It all blew by in a blur.

The quest “Wizard Apprentice: Runebook 2” is complete. 1 exp [Wizard] granted.

Sammy was on her throne when she finished, closing it with a flourish. “Halfway there, baby!” She stood and stretched, though her body didn’t actually need it. Didn’t matter. It felt good psychologically.

The initial morning wasn’t eventful, and Sammy spent time monitoring, checking in, and adjusting REX buffs as needed.

A nice morning surprise germinated sometime after Orswyth had conducted his morning prayers and preparations, still in his tent.

1 FE gained due to user belief/acknowledgment. Note: not yet a Follower.

When she flashed over to the staff mirrors, Canmore was reciting the new words of dedication, his hand on the mirror. Sammy didn’t interrupt him by appearing. She let him speak, then approved his query right after, making him a Follower.

Follower conversion successful. 1 FE gained. 1 Daily FE gained (total: 13).

Canmore pulled his hand away with widened eyes that soon squeezed shut, with his hand made into a fist he held at his heart. “I always wondered what divinity would feel like,” he whispered, “to touch it, get a taste of that power. Tashome says the Dominion chased away the color of our dreams. The little seeds of chaos out and about that stir us to more inside, if all is kept balanced.”

“Our goddess indeed seeks to see that balance in you,” Orswyth replied. “Find it and the outer realms will fall in line. You cannot look into a mirror but to see yourself — and to see a mere man in the world. You cannot… unless the goddess so blesses you to see her. Pray and be diligent so she will answer you.”

Hmm. Play hard to get, then? I dunno…

Canmore nodded a bit self-consciously as he kept glancing at the mirror. Then he cracked a grin. “Glad I have me a new shaving mirror. Now I want a vanity one like a lady.”

Orswyth laughed. “All in due time. We must get going though, Canmore. Admit nothing concrete to Tashome, hmm? Let him stew. We’ll invite him to dinner in my tent tonight. That should be interesting.”

“Oh, but will it! Maybe she’ll show up? Actually, I kinda feel like she’s here.”

“It’s good that you have that sensitivity. Her eyes are often upon us, I think, even as her mind is on heavenly matters.”

“Right. Yes. Of course.”

Sammy grinned at Orswyth’s cloaked speech and allusions as she withdrew from the scene. Well, far be it for her to spoil his fun. It was inevitable she wouldn’t have individual time for everyone as a deity. She’d have to prioritize, and the worthy would rise to draw her greatest attention and favor…

A hand went to her forehead, as she realized she just legitimately had those thoughts. Fuck! Worthy?! How does that make so much sense, and yet freaks me out at the same time? But what can I do? What do I do when I have a thousand Followers? I won’t be dealing intimately with them at every step. I wouldn’t even get through the day!

Banishing it from her mind with a shake, she decided to go back to the runebooks…

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Just before midday, Estara exclaimed through the connection about Lord Carlisle arriving back at the manor, in urgent conversation with the majordomo who was running him down on all the events. As Sammy flashed around the various mirrors, she saw a quite haggard crew that had worked largely all night repairing, cleaning, and clearing bodies out of the house.

She caught sight of the lord surveying the damage with a grim, serious cast to his expression. He was a clean-shaven, middle-aged man of full gray hair, with deep-set eyes capable of a stare that could make stones jump. He barked out orders regarding what to do about the damage to the trailing, chattering majordomo.

After confirming details with some of the injured soldiers of the marchioness, the lord went to his own room, alone. After inspecting it — which had been entirely cleaned after being ransacked — he sat down on the bed and took a deep breath, staring at the floor, lost in his own thoughts. As Sammy watched in a wall mirror, the man’s eyes slid over to it and that steely gaze found her hidden eyes.

Sammy had some trouble not flinching. He was definitely like some badass in a Western with a thousand-yard stare. But she didn’t flinch.

He stood and walked over to the mirror to stand before it, eyes squinting at his own reflection, clearly sensing something more to it.

Welp. Here goes nothing.

Sammy spoke through the mirror, giving her voice some echo and reverb for extra coolness. “Lord Carlisle, I hear your need and would help you.”

The lord reacted in immediate alarm, backing up and drawing his saber in a smooth motion, pointing it at the mirror. “Who are you? Did you have something to do with this madness?”

Pulling the portal close, Sammy revealed herself fully in the mirror, seated on her throne. “I am Samantha, Goddess of Mirrors and Illusion. I observed the events that transpired here and tried to inhibit the invaders through the limited means available through mirrors, which are my connections to the world. Note that the invaders took a few from the manor. I can track them.”

Lord Carlisle approached slightly closer, enough to almost touch the sword to the mirror, staring at her. “It sounds like a fine trap to lead me on to my death.”

“I can’t force you to believe me, only ask you to trust your own heart. There is something in you I choose to trust, while taking grave chances to reveal myself. You can ask the one with the injured leg whether a distraction in a mirror helped him. Others will have heard a banshee wail, which was me trying to help Marchioness Agatha, though she was overwhelmed and taken. I desire to help in whatever way I can.”

The sword had lowered slowly as the lord listened, but his expression was still suspicious. “Why would you want to help? Why are you here?”

The Goddess Samantha held out a hand, palm out. “Gods are supposed to help mortals, are they not? I am no ancient entity. My intentions are simple: to inspire and grow as I aid potential followers, believers, and priests. And making allies where I can. That doesn’t include raiders and murderers like the frogmen that attacked your manor. You have my condolences for your losses, my lord…”

She began listing off their names one by one, as she’d heard each in her eavesdropping. “And finally, the old gentleman Mr. Taemon, who died heroically saving another for the memory of his dear Margaret. May he find her again in the next life.”

The lord had lowered the blade entirely by then. “May the stars provide it,” he muttered at her last words, then his eyes shifted away. “You know their names better than I do…”

“It’s my charge to know. It’s the least I can do, here, while others struggle there. I would have done more if I could have. I have sent two of mine, mercenaries, down this way, as they happened to be close enough. They can vouch for me. One, Daxerris Stoneboro, or Dax, knows Agatha, used to work for her. I hope their reputation is sound.”

Eyes shifting back to the mirror, the lord sheathed his sword and said, “I know Dax and the little rascal. We’ve fought together.” There was a pause of grudging deliberation. “This is difficult to absorb or believe, but the world changes. The Dominion’s borders weaken for their lack of support daily. By the same capacity that T’shaki can be so effective and bold this far beyond the wildlands, it shouldn’t surprise me that gods of men can stir here again.”

Sammy nodded sagely to this. “I understand the difficulty. I would not appear before you if I didn’t think the need was great for the land.”

“You would be a god of the borderlands?”

“Such a public concept is no doubt far away, hmm? I have no aspirations of specific dominions to rule over. My way is a mystery cult, Lord Carlisle. Secretive meetings behind closed doors and whispers in the shadows of this empire of sages. The chosen will be those capable of holding such secrets in their heart, and country is irrelevant except that I avoid the Dominion’s core.”

He gave a curt nod. “Good. Because you could bring war and destruction here if you were power-thirsty and quick to ambitions. A brief, snuffed-out fire raging over the lands.”

“I don’t want that, to say the least.”

“We’ll see, I suppose. As to the current matter, I will investigate these mirror incidents you claim and consider your offer of help. As a man of the Marches, I already have an inkling of what spirits and gods can potentially provide, though you are admittedly unusual.”

“Do as you must, Lord Carlisle. Speak my name before this mirror and I will come.”

“You can access any mirror in the world?”

“Hypothetically, yes.”

He nodded slowly, considering it with his jaw working and eyes cast aside. Then he regarded her again, nodded once in farewell, and turned to leave.

A formidable man, clearly. Cautious and dubious.

Sammy largely waited around for him, practically chewing her nails. She could tell he was already making preparations to go after his liege lady. She avoided eavesdropping directly on him out of respect. She meditated a bit on runes. They were excellent for diverting focus. In fact, she was going to have to find something else that did the same thing, once she had read through them.

She realized rather late that her ambitious little believer Estara had cornered the lord to speak to him. That gave her butterflies and she strongly wanted to react or flash over. But she opted to trust her. She was a bit proud of her for having the initiative, in truth. Lord Carlisle was quite intimidating.

An hour later, with Dax and Merril drawing close and running to make it, Lord Carlisle appeared again before the mirror and spoke her name.

When she appeared, he said, “I’ve verified what you’ve said, Goddess. It seems you’ve started a gaggle of rumors about this place being haunted.”

“An unfortunate side-effect, but hopefully manageable.”

“I believe so. And you have a believer in my household already. I probably should’ve guessed that. She had a lot to say in a short period of time, on a range of subjects. Including heavily vouching for you.”

Sammy just nodded to this, eyeing the lord and waiting.

She caught a flash of seemingly quite rare humor in his expression, briefly. Then he said, “I will swear to you, Goddess, for aid I’ll surely need in this quest. And for the cautious hope to influence you in the future, should I live to see it. To ensure the safety of the people of Oldaster. I cannot in good conscience report you to the Dominion after deducing your character. Despite the danger, I’m holding out hope this change you bring is for the better. For all this, I’ll make your vows.”

1 FE gained due to user belief/acknowledgment. Note: not yet a Follower.

With a measure of relief, Samantha smiled and placed her palm out. “So be it, Lord Carlisle. Place your hand upon the mirror, and may the new hope dawn.”

« Chapter 30 | Table of Contents | Chapter 32: A Great Quest Begins »