Oscar was a gods blessed gift and I will never let anyone say otherwise. He never treated me like anything but that weirdo he’s had to treat twice. In a friendly way that is. The closest the man came to any sort of groveling was to thank me and Carmil for bullying his sister into asking Gina out. Something he said loudly, while the captain herself was within earshot. She gave him a gre but he just grinned and told her she wasn’t going to be so scary when they were in-ws.
He helped break the tension of the rest of the rescue unit over treating a Saint and her entourage, cracking jokes and making fun of the fact that I was so pale despite spending so much time bare ass naked and outside. It made the ride back bearable. Though so did convincing Carmil to wrap up in the robe provided by Oscar. As much as I didn’t mind, she was very distracting to some of the rescue squad. I did have to tell her she would need to get used to clothes if she wanted to go out into the city on that date to make her stop arguing over it. But I think that was mostly just because the flustered reactions of the others was amusing Azuriel, which visibly helped her rex.
It was a great deal easier to read her, including being able to tell that she had a lot more emotions roiling underneath than she had prior to this change. But it felt like an awakening rather than any sort of ‘corruption’. I had the distinct feeling that while this was very much a good thing overall, it was going to be… complicated. But, that was thoughts for tomorrow. Tonight we would celebrate the success of our friend in gaining her corruption resistance, details of how be damned.
Arriving back to the city, we were once more taken directly to the Encve District’s outer wall where Dekarru waited to ask the elementals to open up and let us all in. We all got out, Luv carrying me as my prosthetic had been rather badly mangled and thus unusable.
“Stareyes, you have to stop almost dying.” The oracle grumbled at me before pulling me into a kiss. “If you leave me a single mother I’ll curse your ass.”
I smiled and rubbed my head against her own. “Hey, we all got way more experience than we thought we would today. Pretty sure we all got advancements. Way less likely to die now.”
Gina strode over with a grin. “Also, pulling that many demons at once tore open a hole in the ground. We’re pretty sure we found the pathway through the Teeth, or one entrance to it at least. That’s going to help a hell of a lot, we’ve sent a messenger to give Mary the location and we know she’ll be eager to send in her Wild Hunt.”
Azuriel walked up to us and bowed her head. “I… I didn’t-”
“You’re not being punished.” I cut her off. “You were not in control of yourself and only regained control because of how much you care for Carmil, how much you hated the idea of bringing her harm. You are not our enemy and as I understand it, between your wings and my spell, you are effectively immune to further corruption.” I reached out a hand and squeezed her shoulder, Carmil walked to her side and took one of the angel’s hands in her own.
“I don’t understand why you are like this, I tried to kill you and you forgave me. I kept the truth of corruption from you, putting you all in danger and you forgave me. I fell and shed out to try and kill you again, and you forgave me. This is not how mortals act, is it because you are a Saint?”
“No. This IS how mortals act. Maybe not all of us, but far more than you think. We need each other, holding on to grudges and drawing lines between us is harmful. Plus, mortal empathy is strong, sometimes too strong. We will bond with anyone and anything, even inanimate objects. Once that bond is formed its harder to break than you would imagine.” I chuckled, remembering pet rocks and beds covered in plushies from Earth. “But you have shown your true self to me and Carmil, far more than you meant to I think. We know you, we trust you.”
Carmil leaned over to rest her head against Azuriel’s. “Zuri, you are my greatest friend. I do remind you that I have a host of abilities that allow me to see more of people than they present, and you have always felt like a good person to me. Why do you think I didn’t kill you back when we first met?” She gave a small chuckle at the dark joke.
The angel smiled and leaned in turn against her friend. “I don’t know that I deserve you, Millie.”
I returned my attention to Dekarru. “So, how crazy has Wen gone with things?”
The sage ughed. “I don’t think it’s any smaller than the pregnancy party.”
“Then to the feast!” I cried out, my growling stomach adding its agreement with the sentiment. “Oh, Gina, if your folks or the Cliff-Watch folks want to come join the festivities, they are invited as they saved our asses.”
Captain Riverwalker smirked. “I’ll spread the word, then see if Tulip wants to come join me.” She gave a wink before turning and striding back to her people.
Only three people from both groups combined accepted the invitation, including Gina who did in fact manage to bring a grinning and flustered Tulip. Oscar declined as he had, and I quote, ‘no desire to see my sister’s baps out’. But was open to hanging out another time. Something I would certainly take him up on as he was very high on my list of favorite people.
As it was we had Gina, one of her people being only slightly awkward surrounded by naked revelers (his own commanding officer being one of them), and an attractive human woman from the Cliff-Watch squadron who looked far more awkward. Or at least, she did to my skills. She was doing a fantastic job of hiding her discomfort but both I and Carmil caught on pretty quickly that she wasn’t just here for the wine and dancing. We didn’t feel any ill intent however, so we just let it go.
The party was in fact as big as the one celebrating Briggavel’s pregnancy, but far less carnally inclined. When the guests. Including the guest of honor, were already straddling the line of comfort, even the most rowdy of the Path folk present took the hint to keep things restrained.
That being said, a hearty meal and few drinks in and both of the guests were far more rexed. Karden, from Gina’s rescue squad, even ended up disappearing with a small tribe back to their own yurt after a couple of hours and wasn’t seen again that night.
Hrefna, the Cliff-Watch woman, actually loosened up enough that she was dancing in just her underwear with Weren. The gryphon rider had a thick and heavy body, powerful muscles with plenty of squishy padding atop them. I imagined that most if not all in her career would require a simir build, between the strength needed to stay in saddle and extra yers for fighting off the cutting chill of the higher altitudes and I couldn’t imagine the riders varied horribly much. Her thick, wavy, blonde hair was cut short, likely to make dealing with a helmet all the time easier. Her features were rugged and stunning, like she was carved from stone by an artist’s practiced hand to look like a mighty warrior queen. She was tall with little in the way of curves, but she suffered no ck of femininity for it all. She was what Dani would have called a ‘muscle mommy’, and while I was very much aware of my personal preference for curves and big breasts, I would not deny that Hrefna was quite sexy in her own way.
With drinks and Weren both drawing her out of her shell, we had little trouble getting her to admit that her captain asked her to attend. Or rather, asked for a volunteer and she was the only one willing, or at least the only woman willing that liked other women. There was an unspoken implication that she was meant to try and seduce me if possible but she begged me not to judge the man.
It seemed there was precious little information on me outside of Beaver Valley and a lot of important people had an understandable and healthy amount of suspicion. The only reports they had gotten were the fairly vague announcement of a Saint to a new goddess allied with The Green Mother, along with a few unconfirmed reports of me being involved in multiple Elder Council meetings and diplomatic proceedings. Then suddenly two more Saints pop out of the woodwork from both of the envoys in Beaver Valley. Yeah, I would be worried to.
Hrefna told me she didn’t think I was anything but honest about who and what I was and that would be her report. When I mentioned that she hadn’t really tried very hard to seduce me, she simply gnced at Wen and then told me that I was too skinny for her. Unfortunately for me, Weren overheard and I would never ever stop hearing about it from that day forward.
A few hours ter I got some alone time with Azuriel and Carmil, the two being joined at the hip since getting back. We all sat near the water a good ways off from the main celebration, watching the reflection of the moons and stars on the water.
The angel was the first to break the silence. “I feel so strange. My chanting stopped, but I don’t feel like I’m stretching anymore.”
I gave her a confused look. “I think I need you to expin that one.”
She ughed and ran a hand over her face. “It’s… gods how do I expin this? We, celestials, are a lie.”
Carmil and I both turned to face Azuriel completely. “Okay, I take it this means you’re ready to talk about the forbidden stuff?”
Her shoulders rose and fell in a shrug that made her wings fp awkwardly, nearly swatting Carmil. “Sorry. No, I know Millie, it’s not my fault. I’m still learning to control them.” She took a deep breath. “I suppose I’ll just say it. I don’t know how much of this is true and how much is simply propaganda that we are taught, so keep that in mind. But Angels used to be a mortal race.”
Carmil tilted her head. “How is that possible? You are far more like elementals than any mortal being.”
“The way it is taught, we were once winged mortals simir to humans. We lived in a realm of plenty and peace and thus spent our time devoted to our gods. So close did we grow that we and our gods became one and we were raised above mortality. But some had darkness within their hearts and the process was corrupted. To save all of our people, we severed the frailties of our hearts and cast them into the shadows of our minds. This did not destroy the corruption, but it made it a foe to be faced. Those weak of heart and will fall to it easily, but the strong pass over it and attain glory.
“Worse still, we were weakened from our glorious forms and lost our wings. But through growth and proving our purity, we could regain them. But we were not equal. The curse of corruption is stronger in some than others. Archons are nearly immune, their will stronger than admantite and their wings practically assured. Purifiers are the most common of us and though many fall, many more prove their purity. Shadow Seraphs, my kind… we are weak. Our will is frail and our hearts are close to corruption from birth.”
“Your will is anything but frail, Zuri.” Carmil gave her friend’s hand a squeeze.
“I would have argued with you just a day ago. But now… you have been honest all along. Carmil, Saint Dreamsinger, I owe you both a great apology. No, do not say otherwise. I do. I have not been entirely honest. I have been waiting all this time for the moment you would betray me. I knew it had to happen, the lessons I learned from the Archons told me so.” When she looked into my eyes, the smile she gave me was one of sorrow and gratitude combined. “But they also told me that the corruption cannot be stopped once it begins. I believed that if I fell, you would strike me down immediately. But instead you both put yourselves in great danger to save me.”
Camil wrapped her arms around Azuriel’s neck and hugged her close. “You are my dearest friend, I would sooner cut off my own arm than let you perish without a fight.”
Tears ran down the angel’s face as she returned the hug. “I am so sorry I was not a better friend to you, in my heart at the very least. I swear I will not make that mistake again, Millie.”
I couldn’t help the wide smile on my face. “I am so gd you two have each other.” Then I sighed. “And I am sorry I had so little time for you both that I missed it happening. I know I was meant to be there for you Azuriel, but I have had so much more going on that I had thought I would.”
“You are a Saint.” She replied, her tone brooking no argument. “More pointedly, you are the Saint of a new goddess trying to establish her pantheon before she and her loved ones die. While also helping negotiate peace with two nations at war, and while also facing the painful reality of your soul’s nature. At first I admit I thought that sending Carmil to manage me was some manner of manipution, I was rather terrified of her at first after all. But now I see that you are simply overwhelmed with duties.”
Carmil id her head on Azuriel’s shoulder. “This is true, after your little ‘conversation’ with Henna and Tendri was the first time I’ve seen you rexed in days. You really should learn to set aside time to enjoy yourself.”
The angel’s face shimmered with blue lights that rapidly turned purple. An interesting new development. “Um, yes. I agree with Millie. You should…” she seemed to trip over her own words, going silent for a few moments before recovering and clearing her throat. “You should enjoy yourself more.”
I raised a brow, this was new. No, not new, not exactly. But I could read her properly now and the arousal clear in her body nguage was notable. Though while I desired to explore that, I had at least one more important thing to focus on. “So what exactly did you mean by your chanting and stretching?”
She blushed harder, taking several moments to compose herself. “The um, the main way we learn to hold off corruption is chanting. We have a chant, a song of sorts, that we learn to repeat in the back of our minds without having to focus on it. It is more difficult for my kind, but possible with dedication. It helps stop the feeling of…” she tilted her head, digging in her mind for a way to expin it. “Corruption is caused when our primitive emotions grow to strong and pull our souls towards a more primal state. It is why demons are mad I think, they are still fighting it on some level but it’s far, far too te for them. But it feels like we’re being stretched inside.”
“What makes an emotion primitive?” I had a feeling I already knew, but assumptions are for fools.
She swallowed and avoided looking into my eyes. “W-well, base emotions that would be found in animals are commonly what we would call primitive. But mostly, I think it just means we are supposed to keep our emotions as light and distant as possible.”
“So, being too happy, too sad, too angry could all count?”
She nodded. “There is a threshold. But some emotions are more, well, corrupting, than others.”
Carmil grinned. “I would imagine lust is on that list.”
The angel shot a gre at the elemental. “You will simply tease me until I say it, won’t you?” The grin on Carmil’s face spread wider, all the answer that was needed. “Fine! Yes I find Saint Dreamsinger to be very sexually appealing! Are you happy?”
I stifled a ugh, Carmil did not. She hugged her friend tight and let herself ugh deeply, the soft trembling of her body growing weaker until she was simply chuckling with her head on Azuriel’s shoulder. “It’s good to get that out, now that you can.”
Violet eyes blinked in shock before a smile spread on her face. “Oh, I can! I don’t feel it affecting me the way it did before! I can lust? Gods, I have no idea how to do that.”
I smirked. “We can talk about all that soon enough. But I do want you to know that I don’t think those feelings were what caused your fall. I think it was because of Carmil and how much you have grown to care for her. I can tell the deep friendship you two have developed and I know those feelings are stronger than your desire for me. Even when you were fighting it you were focused on your friendship, on Carmil, not on me. So I think you should spend time following that feeling, that kinship you have with her, before you worry about other emotions. Okay?”
The angel nodded. “Thank you Saint-… no, Esme. Thank you Esme. For everything.”
“I do have one more question though.” I gave her the most serious look I could manage, waiting a few long moments before asking. “Why weren’t you wearing underwear when we first met if lust is such a big problem?”
She damned near glowed purple with embarrassment. “I was poor! All I owned before I was recruited was burned on my arrival at the Citadel! I was given armor and a robe and either they forgot I didn’t have coin for more or they didn’t care!” She covered her face with her hands and groaned. “Gods, they probably just didn’t care.”
“Or did it on purpose to be cruel. But don’t worry, if you want more clothes you have more than earned them and we can take you shopping soon enough.”
She paused, her hands slowly lowering as a new wave of violet lights streaked over her skin. “Um… what if, maybe, I wanted to try… not more clothes?”
I gave her a knowing look that made her blush harder. “Was that a very awkward way of asking to try out the Path’s official dress code?”
Carmil gave me a look of light reprimand. “Do not make light of Zuri’s concerns, beloved. She has only now come to the realization she no longer has to fight her urges for her own survival.”
“You are right, I am sorry Azuriel. This has to be both terrifying and exciting for you, a chance to do things you have spent your entire life being taught would lead to your own destruction. But I will say, you require neither permission or approval from anyone to make that choice. Whatever you want to wear, or not wear, is entirely within your control.”
She gulped and flexed her fingers, nerves wracking her body. “But what if we’re wrong? What if I fall again?”
Carmil pulled the angel against her, squeezing firmly. She hesitated before speaking, her tone one of caution. “Zuri. I believe that it is quite possible that you cannot fall ever again.”
“Carmil?” I found myself confused with my elemental love’s words.
“I think, or at st believe it to be a possibility, that Azuriel is no longer the same being she was before. I belive she may have changed in a manner simir to my own unusual advancement and alteration.” She looked into Azuriel’s eyes. “You have not examined the system since the battle, have you?”
The angel shook her head. “I’ve been afraid. What if it says I’m a demon?”
“If you are a demon, you are one in control of your mind and body. But I think that what has happened is something new. As I said, the parallels between your change and my own are simir enough that I see it as a possibility at least. I was going to wait until you looked on your own, but if you require a push, I shall provide it.”
Azuriel bit her lip and leaned against Carmil, closing her eyes as she let herself simply breathe for a time. After several long moments, she opened her eyes. Her eyes flicked around, reading the screen that only she could see. Then she froze, eyes widening and a look of confusion crossing her features. “Nephilim of the Violet Fme. What does that mean?”
The various versions of nephilim from Earth’s mythology and nerd-culture ran through my head, giving me a general idea. “I believe it means you’re not an angel anymore. But you’re not a demon either. Azuriel, you may be the very first of a new race.”
She slowly sat up straight and stared at her screen, deep in thought. “I need some time to consider this.” She stood and started to walk away, feelings so twisted and confusing even I couldn’t really read them. She paused to look back. “Thank you both, I… I would like to be alone.”
“Of course, Zuri. I will be there when you need me. Please do not hesitate to seek me out.” Azuriel nodded silently to Carmil’s words before turning and leaving.
“Do you think she will be okay by herself?” I asked.
“Yes. I believe she simply desires to examine her thoughts and feelings without distraction.” She turned to me with a grin. “I would be willing to bet that she will return to the group in the nude.”
“Oh no, I am not nearly stupid enough to bet against you on anything.”
Before either of us could say more, Liru’s extremely animated voice cried out. “Esme! ESMEEEEEEEE!” I turned to see her and Tulip both dashing towards me, eyes filled with a near manic glee. Also, they were running at me while naked and that was fun to watch if I’m being completely honest. As they reached me, the young inscriber punched my shoulder almost hard enough to hurt. “Why the hells didn’t you introduce me to Tuilp!?”
“Ow, brat.” I rubbed the not really hurt spot she had struck. “I was going to do that as soon as I had a chance tonight. Why are you both so wound up?”
Tulip plopped down next to me and grabbed my left arm, raising it to look at my runes. “This is why! See, look! This part right here is grammatically malleable, for ck of a better term.” She prodded one of the runes.
“Yes!” Liru sat next to the faun and looked closer at my arm. “You could change het-ru to het-tah and… ooooooooh~! This is so perfect!”
I cleared my throat. “Would someone please tell me what you’re going on about?”
Tulip never lost her grin as she talked. “Sorry, sorry Esme. We talked about her ideas for inscribed medical tattoos and my own findings on how your runes work and we think we figured something out.”
Liru continued the train of thought “We can replicate your runes! But for more wide and general use! Improved even to function without a contract!”
Carmil quickly shot over to the other two, her eyes wide. “Do you mean you can make something that doesn’t require the destruction of one of my kind?”
Tulip was practically vibrating in excitement. “No, I mean yes! But no, this is bigger. If we’re right, and I want to impress that we will have to go do a great deal of testing and calcutions that might take months to get through, but if we ARE right, this could unlock an entirely new field of medical assistance.”
Liru chipped in. “You see, arcanicraft requires mana to function. Triage bands use the ambient mana of the elemental fragments for power, but your runes do not draw power from Carmil, but instead from you. But so little that it has no measurable effect on your mana pool, something that is by itself a huge deal to be honest. My own ideas of using inscription to tattoo treatments to chronic conditions hit a wall of where to draw mana from. But your own runes look like they may have the solution already.”
Tulip nodded eagerly. “Also! In the more short term, we think we can create custom versions of your own runes to allow Carmil to function in someone else. If, of course, that is something you might be interested in.” She paused and looked a bit embarrassed. “I have just now realized how intimate that must be for you two.”
Carmil took Tulip’s hand. “I would not be opposed to being able to more easily aid my tribe.”
Liru ughed, a wide grin on her face. “I told you! Oh this is going to change the world.”
I held up a hand. “Wait. You two, keep this quiet for now. I mean that.” My tone turned deadly serious and they froze at the shift in my mood. “I am saying this as a Saint, not as your friend. Tell no one about any of this, keep it a secret. I will speak to the elders on the matter soon to see about getting you funding and assistance for it but until then I want this to be less than a rumor.”
Tulip and Liru looked uncertain for a moment, but both agreed. After a few more moments of quietly discussing details with Carmil and I, they both headed off to rejoin the party, or possibly sleep, it was getting te after all.
“Was that necessary?” My sanguine lover asked as she y against my side.
“Dani’s world learned a very important lesson. Any new technology will inevitably be weaponized if it is possible to do so. I don’t understand the field enough to know how this could be done but-”
“I do. You are correct, this could be weaponized in at least a few quite nightmarish ways.” She grunted out in annoyance. “So keep it quiet while medical uses are discovered and then what?”
“Also research possible military applications, if only to serve as a counter to them or a treatment to victims of such uses. Not a perfect solution but far, far from the worst one. Believe me, Earth fucked this up enough times to figure that out.”
We y there staring at the night sky, the mood not dead, but a bit more down at least. Thankfully the distractions decided to continue.
Humming pulled my attention away, the sound was divine. I turned to see Olivia walking towards us, a smile on her lips and a bounce in her step. “Saint Dreamsinger.” She said with a lilt to her voice.
“Saint Shieldheart. You sound downright giddy.”
She sat next to me and grinned. “Earlier today I quit.” She took a deep breath and ughed, ying back on the soft moss and staring up at the sky. “I am no longer the High Marshal of Uvtrayl. GODS that feels so good to say!” She threw her hands in the air. “I AM FREE!”
I smirked, ying back next to her. “I take it you didn’t realize how good that would feel?”
“Honestly, I thought I’d be sad. But when I realized I never had to be who I was in that job again? I felt like I was young again. I mean, I wouldn’t be her again either way, but now I don’t even have the possibility, the excuse. I’m a Saint, not an officer, and I never could have imagined how much weight has been pulled from my shoulders from that.”
“Well, you will have a lot of new responsibilities. Including a some militant ones if things keep going as they are.”
“But I won’t be doing the same things for the same reasons. I will be a shield, standing between my people and harm. No more needing to look within for any reason other than to make sure they are safe.” She turned to look at me. “You had no reason to forgive me, we both know my mistakes were profound and cost lives.”
“Any officer in wartime will make mistakes that cost lives. Hell, in war you can even make the right call and it will still cost lives. You thought you were doing the right thing, but you lost your way and had a broken compass. All I did was give you a tool to fix it with. But this? Being a Saint? I had nothing to do with it. If the Warcry chose you it’s because you’re the right choice, never forget that.”
She snorted and gnced down at my crotch. “You certainly are fond of giving women your tool, aren’t you?”
I rolled my eyes. “Ha ha. You are hirious. But if you’re actually intent on seducing me remember that Henna is among my lovers.”
She let out a short, heavy ugh. “You say that like she and I haven’t fucked. Please, we were grinding on each other when you were still in diapers. Brat.”
“Huh. Somehow I didn’t pick up on that.”
She sighed and turned to look at the sky again. “Me, Henna, and Phae. A couple years after… after Ray. The three of us were all each other had, the only ones we could trust. It wasn’t romance, not really. Just three friends who needed someone to be bare with, to feel exposed without it hurting. I used to tell myself that made me angrier at her betrayal. But honestly, it just made it hurt more. I wasn’t angry, even when I tried to be.” Her voice was somber, but hopeful. She wasn’t wallowing in her pain, but reflecting on her choices. She really was a good choice for a Saint.
“So, you came to what, enjoy your new freedom and get id?” I teased her, gncing down at her own naked body.
“Nah, no sex tonight. Tonight is dancing, rexing, enjoying this new freedom I have. Sellian is with your cook, Weren was it? The st I saw, the two of them were making a sport of causing this really strong looking blonde woman to blush and stammer as they hit on her. It was adorable. I’m happy she wasn’t how she seemed at first. All quiet and reserved I mean. I don’t think she wants to have any sex tonight either though, just tease someone into a coma.”
“Weren is a terrible influence. She should not be left alone with a Saint.” I said this, but none of us bothered getting up.
Carmil y her head on my chest and looked at the other Saint. “What are your pns going forward?”
“Oh that’s easy. In a few days you, me, Sellian, and whoever you want to bring with you are all headed to the capital city of Uvtrayl to speak to the priesthood there and begin the process of making our pantheon’s church. This will likely take a month or so, and after that we’ll all likely be splitting up to deal with the details of our more specific Saintly duties.”
“Oh? Will we be taking your airship then?”
She ughed and looked me in the eye. “Nope. We’ll be taking Esme’s.”
I nearly shot up at the statement, barely catching myself from flinging Carmil off of me. “What?”
“My st act as High Marshal was transferring legal ownership of the Thunderbane, she’s yours now.”
I stared at her, the weight of what she was saying sinking in to my brain. “… can I change the name?”
