Godslayer Lysette: Chapter 174

Chapter 174: The Return Home

Saffron and Lysette emerged from the catacombs just as the first glints of the upcoming dawn appeared against the evening horizon.  The air was refreshingly crisp, and as Lysette took a deep breath of the thin mountainous air, it hit her just how thick and oppressive the air throughout the catacombs had been.  Her wounds were nearly fully healed and, with a bit of effort, she was able to materialize her icy wings and carry her still-unconscious love in Saffron’s stead.

“I wanted to thank both of you for assisting me tonight,” Saffron said.  “I don’t think I could have done it without you.”

“I know what you said earlier, but I’m still a little surprised that you’re just… letting me go.  Karchek might have just been manipulating me, twisting objective truth to suit the narrative that he wanted to instill.  But I genuinely did believe at least one part of his words.  That I will be looked upon as a monster by many once the truth gets out about my being a demon.  That I will draw the ire and hatred of many and become the target of widespread campaigns to slay me as a result.”

“Honestly, that’d be true even if you weren’t a demon.  Your actions up to this point have certainly made my job a lot more difficult as of late.  But, your actions have also been nothing short of heroic, buttressing Domark’s defenses and helping to minimize my people’s casualties on not one, but two occasions.  For that, I must once again offer my thanks.

“The nobles will certainly raise ire with me for my stance.”  Saffron chuckled.  “But right now, with a war with Elithria looking imminent, I think I can convince them to forestall any attempts at uprising.  Especially given that I now have an allied buffer state to the north.”

“Buffer state?” Lysette asked.

“Perhaps I should get in contact with Serrena the next time our paths cross.  I have a feeling she’s more suited to the study of international relations than you are.”

“She’s been preparing herself to stand atop the global stage probably since she was old enough to conceptualize such things, and carried with her the seed of divinity from birth.  And I barely knew anything about gods or politics when I got roped into this whole mess ten weeks ago.”  Lysette looked away.  “No offense meant.”

“None taken, Lyse.  In any case, having you two setting up a base of operations here in southern Terea will help me and the Domarian army from avoiding a worst-case scenario: A war on multiple fronts.  Having seen your— and Mirette’s— capabilities in battle first-hand gives me hope that we’ll have at least one strong military partner to ally alongside if Valdora decides to remain neutral as they have over all but two conflicts over the past two millennia.”

“Serrena had mentioned something along those lines.  Something about their national traditions of spirituality, isolation, and asceticism.”

“More or less.  If the gods themselves are goading this conflict directly, that could change though.”

“Then it’s just a question of what Solise is going to do.”

“Thankfully for us, Solise is neither a rich nor a particularly populated nation.  The soil is poor and the nation isn’t known for being a nexus of Cultivator activity.  Although they don’t have much military might of their own, their relations with Elithria have always been friendly.  As a result, we cannot rule out the possibility that Elithria might ferry soldiers into Solise under the guise of a peacekeeping mission and seek to invade on two fronts that way.”

“Although, if they are poor, they could see an alliance with Elithria as an opportunity to secure territorial gains at Domaria’s expense.”

“It’s a possibility, but it would come at the cost of losing a great deal of their independence.  Any territorial gains that would happen in such a scenario would be won under and Elithrian flag and belong to Elithria.  Should Solise take control of the territory, it would be seen as an admission that Solise has become a vassal state of an ascendant Elithrian Empire.”

“I guess I still have a lot to learn about all this, Saffron.  Though, I’d rather save the discussion of international politics and diplomacy for when Mirae’s awake and in a better state to study all this alongside me.”

“Understood.  In that case, I’ll take my leave.”

Saffron gave a small bow which Lysette quickly Reciprocated. With one last shared smile between the two, they departed just as the first sliver of the sun’s disc crested over the eastern horizon.  Saffron flew off to the southeast at a blistering speed, and Lysette made her way over the northernmost ridge of the Spire Mountains before gliding back toward Ciricu.

Sunlight glistened onto Mirae’s face, and the gentle warmth roused them from their unconsciousness.  They turned to Lysette and smiled, and as they opened their eyes, Lysette knew that there was no more glorious, more beautiful sight in all of creation.

“You okay, love?” Lysette asked.

“Missing you,” they said.

“I felt the same way the whole trek back up here.  Feels a bit empty in my head without your thoughts mixed in with mine.”

“We really did…”

“We did, my other half.”

Mirae caressed Lysette’s cheek.  “We actually did it.  Truly became one being.  Mirette.”

“We did, love.”  The two giggled.  “I suspect we’ll not be able to become Mirette again for a while, and will have to learn how to trigger that fusion on command.”

“Assuming we can.  I do remember what Leonn said about linking together, specifically that it wasn’t possible to reach beyond the first level of joint Cultivation simply through willpower alone.”

“For humans, yes.  Until proven otherwise, I don’t want to assume it’s similarly impossible for us.  Although, I think we’re going to have a lot of work to do which will demand our more immediate attention.”

“I heard some of what you and Saffron were talking about while I was out, love.  Ciricu and Domaria are going to formally ally?”

“I see no reason why not.  I might not fully trust Saffron, and she probably doesn’t fully trust me either.  But we both have shared interests and common enemies, and as long as that’s the case, we can count on her allyship.”

“You know, love.  You sound a little like Serrena right now.”

Lysette laughed.  “I hope that’s a good thing.”

Mirae leaned in and pecked Lysette’s cheek.  “I meant it in the best possible way.  She’s always looking at situations from different angles and how different people might want to take advantage.  She’ll be a brilliant tactician and general for the country we’re going to build.  And I love seeing some of her best qualities glean onto you.”

“Thanks love.”  Lysette leaned in and kissed Mirae back.  “Anyway, we’re almost back to Ciricu.  Do you want to fly the rest of the way?”

“And lose out on an opportunity to be carried in your arms, Lysette?  I wouldn’t give that up for a hundred thousand gold.”

“Oh…  Uh, that reminds me.  We owe Amalia a visit as soon as possible.  She’s probably up and about by now and I owe her her monthly stipend as my priestess.  And some apologies as well.”

“Later today?”

“Probably leave tomorrow around dawn?  I’d like an opportunity to get some custard while we’re there.”

Mirae laughed.  “For a demigoddess, you sure do have a one-track mind sometimes!”

Lysette blushed.  “I guess I do, love.”

“I like it, Lysette.  Just like I like you.”

“Just ‘like’?”

“You know I love you, Lysette, my goddess.”

Lysette smiled as she landed just outside the northern outskirts of Ciricu.  The sun still lay low upon the eastern horizon as she and Mirae walked into town.  For what seemed like the first time in weeks, the sky above was covered in the telltale gray of an oncoming rain shower moving in from the west, and the darkened sky at their back suggested that the shower could easily metastasize into a raging storm.

A few villagers were outside as the two reached the town square, and a handful of children reached up to greet the pair.  Lysette’s heart Reciprocated the joyous smiles from each of the kids, although she had to decline the numerous requests to take them flying.  Even repeated insistence that a thunderstorm was brewing proved insufficient to deter the kids from their relentless demands.

Ultimately, Lysette gave in.  She and Mirae each gave the kids short flights just over the trees to look around the village for a minute or two, but only after they agreed to go back home and be ‘extra special nice’ to their parents for the rest of the day.  By the time they were halfway through their flight sequence, mist had begun to descend from the skies.  And barely a minute after the last of the twenty-two gathered kids had her flight and went back home, the heavens opened up and the deluge set in.

The two arrived at their small cabin with damp skin and soaked hair and clothing.  For a moment, they bemoaned Serrena’s absence as they stared at an unlit hearth near the back of the darkened living area.  But Mirae’s idea for Lysette to form a fire by rubbing sticks together at nearly supersonic speeds proved effective.  And within five minutes, they had a fully functional fire to provide both light and warmth.

Mirae returned from the bedroom with a large quilt, and after laying their clothes on one of the chairs to dry, they and Lysette lay side by side underneath the blanket, cuddling close beside the warmth of the flickering flame.

“Thanks for helping me with flying the kids around today, love,” Lysette said.

“I’m glad to help as always, Lysette, my love, my goddess.”  Mirae nuzzled against Lysette’s shoulder.  “We did some real good out there today.”

“I wonder, Mirae.  We eliminated a threat to Ciricu and Domaria, one who seemed unrepentant, one who would keep on threatening the lives of others for his sustenance were he not stopped.  And yet, I feel no better for having helped Saffron take his life.  Maybe it’s because I can’t help but feel.  Feel that, if I were in the same position as he was way back then, I would have done the same as he did.

Lysette pulled Mirae closer.  “Even if I try to deny it, I am still a demon.  I know, deep down, that Karchek’s words were true on that front.  I feel those same impulses, that same call to Hedonism that he projected onto us during our final struggle.  Or rather, those impulses he projected onto Mirette.”

“I felt them too.  But I also felt how you’re different from him.  One thing that I’ve come to realize is that for those of us born mortal, our Domains are tied to our basest, most fundamental desires made manifest in our Sparks, allowing us to draw strength from those concepts.  Your desire to see Reciprocity inflicted onto Asterion.  Serrena’s desire to be the best.  Mine to support you and be by your side.  Saffron’s to support and maintain the kingdom Domar built.

“Karchek was the same, I think.  Even before his ascension, he probably still lived a life largely in accordance with the same Hedonism he embodied as a deity.  I think it would have been quite the roller coaster of a relationship that he and Saffron once had, back when they were mortal.  A lot of fun for her, but…  A relationship that couldn’t go on forever.

“I guess I’m speculating out of my element, but I’m sure it was harder on Saffron than either of us could have known.”

“I suppose you’re right, Mirae.  By all accounts, I think we should be Cultivating right now, preparing for what lies ahead for us.  But before that, I would like to spend a little time just lying by your side.  Holding you, being held by you, and enjoying your presence and company to the fullest extent I am able.”

“I would like that too, Lysette.  I think the storm outside is telling us that this is a good time to do so.”

“I love you, Mirae.”

“And I you, Lysette.”

Chapter 173: https://www.patreon.com/posts/109475703

Table of Contents: https://www.patreon.com/posts/table-of-101896170

Chapter 175: https://www.patreon.com/posts/109914084