“Before we leave,” Azure said, “I’d like to ask more about… her. How much more do you remember? Do you recall any details? What about where she’s from, or how you met in the first place?”

  The god-king pondered this thoughtfully. “Things by rote, like a curse of hatred I accepted, have not faded and remain clear. The broken body and that false face so much hers. The final hours I’d seen her alive. Her smile. Things to treasure and despise at once, because the betrayal holds clearer than all else. But details of history elude, I fear. I may never have known her origin, for she kept many mysteries. Not from my own homeland, certainly. And she was fae-kin. Unique. From the north. What else I knew or suspected otherwise is lost and irrelevant to me.”

  “I see.” Azure had a sour look on her face. She sighed and shrugged it off. “Thank you.” With that, she turned to leave.

  “Farewell, God of Magic!” Sammy said. “We will speak again in the future — hopefully a brighter one.”

  The party as a whole departed. They left the realm through the same sort of transition point they entered it by, fog swallowing them up and spitting them elsewhere. With the king’s blessing and aid, they bypassed the catacombs, however, popping into the upper, outer ruins with the spirit world entirely open around them. It certainly was a kind of relief to be out of the more claustrophobic catacombs below.

  It was interesting to see the changes in the Sentinels outside. The monstrousness was banished and they simply looked like… ancient temple warriors in their elaborate getups. They were far fewer, yet even at a glance they conducted themselves in a more orderly fashion. Some were stationary, overseeing from above, while others were doing patrols. Her presence was noted, and each that looked her way bowed their heads briefly and touched their heart in respect.

  Her three initial allies saw them out. They bowed in unison and touched their hearts. Linguist said, “Speaking for all of us, we thank you, Samantha, Orswyth Maglion, Azure, and all of your likewise supporters, for aiding us and restoring our king. Not only this, but we retain the honor of our lives. We are pleased to serve you, Heiress, one who was like a sister, now grafted in and raised up. We are pleased to serve you now and until the end comes. May this service come to relieve some of the endless debt we owe you.”

  Sammy smiled and shook her head. “No debt necessary. This was a mutual goal. But I’m glad we get to continue working together. You all still have much to give, and our Bright Tower will be as it was before: a place of progress, reason, learning, and research. You will have as large roles within this as you’re willing to commit.”

  The three exchanged pleased glances, and Linguist nodded. “To see life in truth again? This would be another wonder the Goddess of Fate conjures in the heavens. Our dreams stand aligned.”

  “Good! Continue to stand ready then! And let it be known among what of your fellows are left that any who desires a new name will be granted it.”

  “So we shall. Names did become unnecessary here, and difficult to keep, even dangerous in their way. There is but one Linguist and Waytaker left, but there remains more than one Stargazer. With the end so near, caution lies irrelevant now. I will encourage your message, Heiress. Also… if we may extend our aid for any circles of magic within our province and influence? Conductor, the last of her ilk, can bridge even to the material world to lend power, and thereby link with others among us who still recall how to facilitate.”

  “Conductor. She doesn’t operate a train, does she?”

  “A what?”

  “Nevermind. Get with her immediately and have that ready. Hopefully, you can assist whatever we come up with for the wave-blocking crew, if necessary.”

  “So we shall.” All three bowed again, then turned to head back down to the ruins entrance.

  Gabriel let out a sigh. “Really thought we were going to have to fight in there.”

  Sammy smirked at her. “I can’t tell whether you’re disappointed or relieved.”

  Gabriel blinked, a finger coming up to her lips in self-contemplation. “You know, I think it’s a bit of both!”

  “Sorry to disappoint,” Orswyth said sarcastically. “All part of the plan. It worked out well thanks to the god-king’s inner nature. After so long buried by what ailed him, an inner light longed to escape, to recapture the sagacity he once held more dear than even his queen.”

  Azure was gazing off to the side lost in her own thoughts. Sammy eyed her as she floated over. “Penny for your thoughts?”

  Azure looked up. “Hmm?”

  Smiling, Sammy held out her hand, where a little shiny penny was now in the center of her palm. “I will give you this shiny penny if you give me your thoughts.”

  Azure glanced at it, then met Sammy’s eyes. Finally, she grinned impishly. “How about a kiss instead?”

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  Like lightning, Sammy glomped her Blueberry, arms going around her waist firmly and planting a kiss on her lips. A surprised Azure made a very pleased sound in her throat as she leaned — and veritably melted — into the kiss. Through their mental link, her lover’s responsive excitement flared.

  I’m being aggressive for once! Ha! Mmn… er, hmm… maybe I shouldn’t quite be doing this right now…

  In obvious embarrassment, Gabriel cried, “Oh, come on, get a room!”

  With significant effort, Sammy broke the kiss despite her lover’s growl of protest. Still holding on firmly, Azure tried to plant another but Sammy forestalled her with a blocking finger. “Nuh uh uh! This was a trade, remember? Out with it.”

  The Naugite glared at her. “Damn you.” Despite her words, her lips curled into a smirk. “Fine. I was thinking it's pointless to delve any further back into the past of my prior incarnation’s origins, as they don’t matter. She learned magic, she grew powerful in this time, and she did something very unwise transformatively before going to that tower of horrors. I’m not sure the lead-up there holds any relevance, despite my curiosity. What I can’t decide is if I should go to the tower next or seek out the events after, first.”

  Sammy was close to telling her she forbade her to go but narrowly stopped herself. That might entice my lovely piece of work even more. “Well… I think you might want to get a better sense of if you can actually handle it. I know you’ve gained confidence, but that is trauma you’ve already indicated is soul-crushing.”

  “I have to go eventually, Samantha. I believe I now have what I require within me to endure it.”

  “You believe, but you don’t know.”

  Azure cocked her head as she gazed at Sammy, a faint smile on her lips. She reached a hand to cup her goddess’s cheek. “I’ll be fine. When the time comes. Is it the capstone of understanding or is it Stage One? I don’t know yet. I’m not doing it right this minute, Divine Cupcake. I wouldn’t steal your thunder, after all.”

  Sammy pursed her lips, then finally sighed. “I’m going with you, then.”

  “That’s pointless, love. You can’t come with me for a vision. Not this kind. This is something I have to do myself. There’s no danger externally.”

  Sammy looked away, feeling annoyed by her lack of control in the matter.

  Azure took her hand and pulled away, tugging. “Come on, Samantha. Let’s just forget about it for now. Raise your tower! It’s high time you did.”

  Sammy let herself be tugged, sniffing in amusement. “High time. Nice. Well, when you’re right, you’re right! Let’s get this fucking control stone in and let’s usher in a new era!”

  The party flew up through the fog, back to Heaven and the realm waiting for them. On the way, Sammy unraveled and dispelled her one-time hiding spot that blocked perception, where she’d once conversed with Stargazer. Hiding would no longer be needed for her in that place.

  I basically own it now. Ha! Heiress. Authentic royalty, I guess? It shouldn’t feel any greater than all else I’ve achieved. I guess it doesn’t. But it does feel pretty special. The Queen of Itha Ranon. I love it so much!

  ??············???···········??

  Serkars’srek waited until they were gone this time around, staying completely still lodged in a dimensional space like a part of the stonework. Literally everyone in that realm was highly perceptive despite their distractions, and peeking into a god’s mind-space was the height of danger, even as deteriorated and warped as the old king’s was. On the plus side, crammed into the pneumanic structure, a stealthed magical being was just a piece of black grit lost in the sand of a beach. Unless he shook himself loose, he’d remain unnoticed.

  Can’t believe those zombies detected my entrance. Who would think them so observant after all this time? Ridiculous.

  Once the party was long gone and it was just the king in there, Serkars’srek slipped away. The Queen wanted to know about this particular meeting. If he was being honest, it was rather juicy with drama. He knew it was about that smelly Naugite again. He did not understand the subtleties of their interactions fully, but it seemed like she was leaving hale. It should please the Queen.

  Not sure why she can’t just use that other vector. Eh. I don’t understand it, but no point wondering over her peculiarities. Moving on.

  He left very carefully this time, pausing and analyzing patrols. In fact, it was easier to dodge the sentries. They’d suddenly gotten more orderly, revealing a pattern, if complex and efficient. Chaos was the harder thing for him to predict, and they’d apparently lost it.

  The greater danger was the goddess. I didn’t so much as twitch, and thankfully she was plenty distracted.

  He hoped the Queen never asked him to try spying on the goddess’s realm. He’d refuse. He knew his limits. The dying god had a strange setup that anchored him to the world, allowing a structure of faith fused to magic that Serkars’srek could hide in. Or did. The god had severed it, dooming himself to drift away in the acceleration of time catching up. As Serkars’srek saw things, that was his prerogative.

  Humans. Even ascended, their instinct inevitably leads them to the grave. One way or another.

  The spirit snake slithered stealthily through hidden places, back once more to his queen with news of human nonsense she always ate up like a dessert. He could use some warmth again, too. That tomb of reality had been as cold as ice.

  Back to his cuddles with Mommy ????????

  Next Chapter...

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