Godslayer Lysette: Chapter 168

Chapter 168: A Child's Joy

“Alright, you three,” Sabrina’s mother said.  “Don’t be gone too long, okay?”

“Okay, Mommy,” Sabrina said.  “We’ll be back soon!”

Lysette nodded and took Sabrina’s hand, picking her up into a princess carry.  “I’ll take care of her and see her brought back safe and sound within the half hour.”

“And I will keep an eye on her,” Mirae said, pointing to Lysette.  “And make extra sure nothing happens.”

“Mirae, love, I don’t think that’s exactly reassuring.”

“Well, someone needs to keep an eye on you.  You can get a bit… single-minded at times.  The last thing I want is for you to sense some demon or see an encroaching army and decide you need to fly into battle at a moment’s notice.”

“I wouldn’t–”  Lysette stopped herself.  “On second thought, thank you, Mirae.  But I still don’t think Sabrina’s mother is going to be super enthused at hearing that.”

“I’ll apologize and ameliorate the situation if I did cause her any distress.”

“Thank you, love.”

Lysette took off, slowly at first, with Mirae following about a dozen feet below, probably in case Sabrina decided to jump out of Lysette’s arms at some point mid-flight.  By all accounts, it would be a colossally poor decision to make.  But at the same time, eight-year-olds were known for being rambunctious, willful, and not always prone to making rational decisions.  Although Lysette’s memories as a human were fuzzy, distant, and sometimes fleeting, she remembered a few such occurrences in her own past.

On one occasion some fifteen years prior, Lysette vaguely remembered burning herself on some smoldering coals.  Just to test out ‘if they were still warm’.  It turned out that, indeed, the smoldering coals under the Barenete family hearth were quite hot, and left burns that didn’t fully heal for the better part of a fortnight.  Lysette recalled getting quite the reaming from her parents over that braindead decision.

Lysette pondered that memory for a bit longer as Sabrina waved to her mother from about fifty feet in the air.  But something seemed off.  The memory was still there, as were the associated feelings that accompanied it.  The pain of burning her fingers, the fear and fright of being yelled at by her parents.  But it didn’t feel like it was her in those memories.

More like watching those memories secondhand, as though the Lysette who experienced them wasn’t the same Lysette who was there in the present.  As though, despite having the same soul and feeling like the same person, Lyse Barret and Lysette Barenete were also somehow distinct.

The memories of that fateful night still felt as vivid and real as everything else.  As did that burning, all-encompassing thirst for vengeance which permeated Lysette’s entire being at the moment of her rebirth.  And that moment of cradling Celica’s lifeless body within her arms was still as painful and harrowing as any experience Lysette had ever before experienced.  But everything else was shrouded and distant.

“Are you okay, love?” Mirae asked.  “You seem out of it.”

“I’m okay.  I was just thinking about my own family a bit.  After everything we’ve been through today, it’s been a bit closer to the forefront of my mind than usual.”

“I’m willing to listen whenever you need.”

“I know, and I appreciate it, love.  Right now, I’d rather focus on giving Sabrina the best flight experience I can.”

Just as Lysette messaged that to Mirae, Sabrina’s squeals pulled Lysette’s attention back to the immediate.  “Wow, I can see the entire town from up here!”

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Lysette asked.

“Can we go higher?”

“A little bit, yes.  But not too much higher.  It’s starting to get late, and I don’t want your mother to get upset with us.”

Lysette did as requested, and Sabrina stared out at the horizon with even wider eyes than before.  And Lysette enjoyed the serene beauty of the idyllic landscape.  To her south, the Spire Mountains stood imposing above the surrounding landscape, a foreboding reminder of the tasks still before her.  To her north lay a vast forested landscape of rolling hills.  Though, unlike in Domaria, a number of the trees were coniferous, with vast spruces and redwoods that towered above the surrounding forest canopy.  And to both her east and west lay a temperate grove, one suitable for wide-scale agriculture, assuming the soil and rainfall in the area were similarly conducive.

Sabrina was all but begging to jump out of Lysette’s arms and start flying around on her own, a request which Lysette vigorously and repeatedly refused.  A moment later, Sabrina turned back toward Lysette with a pouty expression on her face.

“I wanna go flying by myself!  See the ocean!”

“The ocean?” Lysette asked.  “Did your mommy and daddy tell you about the ocean?”

“Yeah, but I’ve never seen it before.  All I know is it’s supposed to be big and blue and full of more water than anything, like an entire sky full of water!”

“It is, Sabrina.  And it’s beautiful.”

“Have you been to the ocean?”

“I have.  Once, a few weeks ago, actually.  It’s even bigger than I thought it would be.  Water in every direction, all the way to the horizon on every side.  It’s absolutely beautiful.”

“Wow, really?  Can I go?  Can I go?”

“Well, we’ll have to see about that, Sabrina.  Right now, I think it’s time we go back to the surface.  It’s getting close to dinnertime and I think your mother is going to want you to wash up first.”

“Oh.”  Sabrina’s head dropped.  “Okay.  Maybe next time.”

Lysette nodded as she and Mirae drifted down to the surface.  Once the two had landed, Sabrina jumped out of Lysette’s arms and ran to her mother, who was beckoning her inside.  Sabrina started bursting forth about all the things she saw from her aerial perch.  She continued talking at a blitzing pace with her mother as the two headed indoors.

Mirae took Lysette and rested her head on their shoulder.  “Did you have fun too, love?”

“It was nice.  It seems she liked it a lot too.”

“One day, I’ll have to give you one of our own.”  Mirae switched to telepathy.  “We are demigods, love.  And we’ve both had some experience molding our physical forms to suit our perceptions.  I’m sure I could make some… temporary adjustments to ensure that I could provide.”

“After the war, Mirae.”

“Of course.  Changing the subject, what would you like to eat for dinner?”

“Well, I guess we still have to figure that out.  Where we’ll be staying, how we’re going to fit into the community and eventually grow it.”

“At least we don’t have to worry about eating or sleeping.  Although we’ll need a place for more… private activities.  Maybe a temple at some point?  Still need to figure out some iconography for you, not to mention what relation you’re going to have to the people here.  And then there’s the questions of…  I don’t even know where to start.”

“Still, we’ll take things slow and gradually.  At least, as slow and gradual as outside circumstances will allow.  Saffron’s reminder about the now having value is resonating strongly after seeing some of the discontent among the villagers who aren’t happy with how things have changed.”

“You’ve certainly changed, love,” Mirae kissed Lysette.  “For the better, I assure you.  It’s just… It’s nice to see you really thinking about how everyone will be affected by your decisions, not just those you mean to help or harm.”

“I… I know, Mirae.  I’m sure you and Kristil and Nicholas aren’t ever going to forgive me for using Aura of Intimidation on the three of you.  Not completely, and not anytime soon.”

“I do, love.”

“Thanks.”

Lysette couldn’t sense any reservation in her love’s inflection, but she still worried deep down.  And it wasn’t just the three of them.  She had, in her pursuit of power, in her unfailing determination to seek Reciprocity upon Asterion, neglected more than a few people who had been nothing but kind and supportive.  Danitha was near the top of that list.  And Amalia, her own priestess, had been made to suffer not once, but twice on her account.

For this, Lysette wanted to make the cause of these Whispers— Karchek, some Godslayer, or something else entirely— pay for their misdeeds against the good people of Ciricu.  But she tempered her aggressive impulses.  The task needed to be done, still.  But it needed to be done right.  Done with regard for not just the people’s safety, but in accordance with their laws, customs, and traditions.

Lysette thought back to the night after she’d dispensed with the Terean soldiers sent to hunt her out and make an example of her.  Despite the soldiers’ offense against the people of Ciricu, they had shown magnanimity, offering comfort and solace to the fallen, paying last rites to the deceased where, by all rights, the people could have desecrated the corpses.  

But they were better than that, and Lysette had much to learn.  To learn about their culture, their hopes, their fears, their lives and livelihoods.  All in service to be the best goddess she could be.  If she could not echo the same principles as they, it would not be because they had done wrong.  It would mean that she would be unworthy to be their goddess, their guardian deity.

The last hour of daylight progressed mostly uneventfully, though Lysette continued to ponder these and other facets of her new life as the afternoon waned.  Lysette and Mirae had been allowed to use the same unused shack where the two had stayed their first night in Ciricu some two weeks ago.  It was small— cozy, perhaps— though a little dusty after being unused for most of the past two weeks.  But it felt nice, having a place that she and Mirae could, in time, call their home.

A knock came from the door about half an hour before dusk.  Lysette opened it to reveal Sabrina, along with her mother and father.  The two adults had rather exasperated looks on their faces, while Sabrina was bouncing around, full of more energy than Lysette thought possible in a child.

“Ah, Miss Lyse, was it?” the man— Sabrina’s father, it seemed— said.  “Please forgive the intrusion.  Our daughter simply would not listen to reason.  She insisted on coming here to see you right away, no matter how many times we told her that she needed to wait until morning.  Even after we told her no, she ran right out the door and came here.”

“It’s okay, both of you,” Lysette said.  She took a knee and stood at eye level with Sabrina.  “Did you need to tell me something?”

Sabrina held out a small pink ribbon.

“What’s this?” Lysette asked.

“It’s a ribbon, silly!  My mommy and daddy got it for me for my seventh birthday!  But now I want to give it to you to thank you for taking me flying!”

Lysette shed a tear and smiled before closing Sabrina’s hand around her ribbon.  “That’s very sweet of you, Sabrina.  But Mirae and I are going to be traveling a lot, and I don’t want to accidentally lose such a cute pink ribbon.  So I want you to hold on to it.  Keep it safe for me, alright?”

“Are you sure?”

Lysette nodded.  A moment later, Mirae interjected.

“You look after the ribbon for Lyse, and I’ll look after Lyse for you and everyone else, okay?”

“Okay… um?”

“Mirae.”

“Okay, Mirae.  I’ll be good, so make sure Lyse is good too!”

“I will.  Now, I think it’s time for you to go back home with your parents.  Lyse and I need to get ready for bedtime as well.”

“Okay you two!  See you later!”

Sabrina skipped back toward her house with her parents not far behind.  Lysette closed the door behind them, after which her mouth was lovingly assaulted by Mirae’s tongue.  Their arms followed suit, wrapping around Lysette’s waist and pulling the two together.  They continued kissing, deeply and passionately, with a mental message accompanying.

“Please, love.  Continue to form these memories in your heart and sear them into your memory.  Let the Reciprocal Devotion between you and your followers become your strength.  And together, let us ensure that those who threaten those we care about, all those who threaten the good and innocent of Aimarion, shall be made to repent or stripped of their ability to do so forevermore.”

“As you command, Mirae.  Your goddess wills it so.”

Chapter 167: https://www.patreon.com/posts/108998840

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

Chapter 169: https://www.patreon.com/posts/109460502