"Thank you, Rose." my love tells me to which I smile. Then, I settle down onto my knees before I frown at the peculiar sight before me. Here was a spec of dirt, just, pathetic dirt... A root.
But, in her hands, she held something I had not seen since Nin shared that desert with me... The magic in that item she held was beautiful and so strange! I had never seen anything like it before! Yet, I was left confused as to its existence...
She was so weak, so fragile and forgettable. But, she had that. A piece of jewellery I could only ever dream about having. It had the clear makings of having been touched by the divine!
"Where did you get that?" I ask this root as her hand attempts to cover it. Yet, like a light shined behind paper, I still saw its power clearly. What intrigued me more is, how it did not seep into the world around it. This talisman defied traditional arcane law and stood out all the more for it.
"God gave it to me... He gave it to me so I would be safe..."
"God?" I question when I hear such a strange way of referring to the divine. There wasn't just one god. Even if there was a clear hierarchy.
"Iderim-Ovi. The god of my people." she clarifies with a slight smile before she moves closer to my love. In response, I tried to snake in as well. Yet, she was a large individual and it did not take much for her to block my attempt. Even with Nin's size, it was quite a damning experience.
However, her lack of magic made it quite easy to tear down this false giant. And I got my space because of it. A triumphant smirk from me then met her glare as my love made sure the food I brought him was safe. Yet, he then began to give it to this root...
One that was arguably worse than actual roots... They at least had magic. She was practically barren were it not for the land around her. As such, I became irritated as she ate the food slowly and cautiously.
I got that for my love, not her!
"You don't have to worry, it's not going to kill you." my love tells this root after he jokingly takes a small portion for himself. And, personally, I would have preferred to see him take it all. But, it was not my place to question his choices. Only make sure he was making the right ones.
Something I was quite proud of doing as I have seen its results. From that human town all the way in the paths our flowers tread. I turned his fear into courage and I did it again so recently. And now my love wore the signs of strength on his body.
He may have not beaten her, but, he held his own, however briefly against a Valkinvar! I may have seen him beat a certain someone, but, I would have returned to his side from just watching that fight. To stand against Waionr's warrior-maidens... His future brides and tenders of the Field of Honour and Glory.
And, I suppose, this root did also take part in this fight...
"So, how was it, using your god's power to serve something greater?" I then asked her as she came to an end with her wrongfully gained meal. And, I made sure to put emphasis on how it was not her power. I also snuggled up to my love more just to make sure she knew who I spoke of at the end of it.
"Frightening... Even with how impervious it is... They can still get past it..." she tells me as her eyes turn towards the edge that rested on the grass. And, upon closer inspection, she was right. It only went to the ground, it went no deeper.
"A limitation of the talisman?" I ask her, curious as to the implication of a god's limits. Even if it was something I would not discuss aloud in fear of blasphemous speech.
"No, mine... I've never used magic until a few weeks ago..." she nervously answers as the talisman suddenly glows brighter. Yet, nothing came of it from what I could see. At least, until I caught a glimpse at her feet. There was a brief flicker.
"Yeah, isn't that why you had the armour, to make it easier?" my love asks as he tries to reassure her with a shake of the shoulder.
"I don't know what good it did, though... All it took was one punch for me to..."
"Don't worry about what happened with... Vapooliar... Just say how the armour worked for you. Is it something you could improve on at all?" my love asks her as he clearly starts to push for her confidence to rise tall.
"It was rough, yes, but I do not know what I could do."
"You had quite the place to work in, why not ask whoever owned it?"
"He's a human who worships Thunder..." she then spits. Something I nearly gasped in shock at as I had never heard such contempt for the Heroic Storm. So much of the world owed its continued existence to the actions of Thurnmourer and his hammer, Mesofunderod.
"My tributary god is Thurnmourer, Liada." my love points out to which she just looks away and sighs.
"I know..." she says nervously before she reaffirms how my love made her feel safe.
"But you don't care." he says on her behalf to which she slightly nods.
"Why is it an issue?" I then whisper into my love's ear.
"One of the stories is her god losing to him. Her people are in opposition to him." he quietly answers.
"Did you see if that was still true?" I ask him, seeking more information about his time as a soul before the greatest of all beings.
"They did get along, yeah..." my love says quietly before his expression lights up.
"So there is no reason for you to not seek the owner of that workshop, no?" I then ask the root. Advice I only offered as it would let me see her more so as a god's chosen. Rather than a root-like creature.
"I can't just..."
"Yes you can, Liada. Remember, even if something does go wrong. You still have this." he tells her as he takes the talisman into his hand. And, when he did that, I seized the moment and gently reached out to touch the powerful artefact. For a very brief moment upon doing so, I felt entranced. As if I could leave Nin again without so much as a qualm about it.
Yet, that sensation is also what made me pull away from it. Because I loved Nin, I really did. He was the one I was meant to be with... The one who would give me a son.
It was not the Gilded-Bark who I had chased for so long. Who's lover and son live upon this very mountain right now. It was not the human I turned to upon seeing that Nin was not in fact the best I could have. The one I loved was him, the one who first showed me divine food, who took me to the sight of Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra!
"But, what if they take it from me...? I can't trust humans..."
"Then why is it still in your grasp?" I decided to ask her as her worries had one flaw. I had seen the curiosity held by these wind-people. It was as ravenous as the lust I felt for Nin on occasion. They would do anything for the fruit of knowledge.
"Because..." she starts to say before she comes to the realisation quickly.
"The talisman protected you. No harm has befallen you."
"Yeah, and look, problem solved." my love then teases as he grabs her large bust with a jokester's confidence.
"That's not a good thing..." she mutters before a pout forms. Which, made me curious. Had my love been regularly asserting himself over this root, perhaps? I suppose it was his right, yet, I was a jealous petal.
"Surely your tits no longer needing my help is good?" my love asks her as he gently slaps one of her impressive glands. And, it made me gulp in anticipation as, by the gods, did they jiggle.
"S-Stop it..." she moans quietly while also leaving herself open for more.
"Anyway, to get back on track. Your talisman has kept you safe, Liada. You don't need to..." my love begins to say before he gestures towards the shield around us.
"Then why don't I feel safe?" the creature asks him back as her faith in the power of that talisman detaches itself from it.
"Because it is a perfectly normal reaction. But, remember, I won't hurt you. Rose here won't either. No one at our dorm will hurt you or try anything bad with you. We are here to help you. To keep you safe. Because even if you do have your issues, you are their friend. And you are most certainly mine."
"And you are mine." I then tease as I crawl up to my love's cheek and kiss it.
"Stop ruining the moment." he growls through a closed mouth as the creature slowly stands.
"Can you promise me that?"
My love then goes quiet before he stands up without me, "I don't know if I can, but, let's at least give it a try no? You had faith in me back in that place. Give me a little more and I can promise something good will come of it."
"F-Fine..." she says as the shield disappears and we are approached by an old friend and possibly a new one. And, even now, I was still in awe at how beautiful their strength was. Something only enhanced by their foreign nature. It looked so bizarre, and in the good way!
"Is everything alright?" Einervaene asks as she reluctantly steps forward into the formerly barricaded land.
"I believe it is." I proudly declare as my intervention had once again shown its potency.
"Give Liada her space, and, good things will happen. Don't you worry." Nin assures them before smiles start to form.
"Now, now, now what, Ninno? We still need to wait until we can leave..." the one with blue magic asks as she energetically swung her body about. And, I could detect a certain hint about the way she moved. So, I moved closer, much to her amusement.
"You are familiar with men?" I ask her very quietly, only for her to stop with a cold sweat suddenly drawn out.
"Larishazza?"
"Oh, nothing, just a very dark joke." she laughs off awkwardly before she seems to plead with me using only her gaze. And, reluctantly, I stepped away. I only want to know if she had any information to offer as my love was formerly similar. I knew much of how to please an aelenvari man, even if I had never done so before...
But, my experience with the wind-people came from assumptions alone. That and stories and the second-hand ramblings of my former desire. Attrition through lustful intent was unique to our people. It did not take much for our attention to be called elsewhere.
Much to my personal shame...
"Well, anyway, I need a bed..." my love then says as he slowly yawns and cracks his jaw.
"You've barely been up, lazy." the oxfuine scoffs as she walks around him before she swishes her tail at him.
"His wounds are also opening again slightly..." Einervaene points out. And, upon hearing such words. I clung onto him and made sure my love was receiving all I could support him with.
"Pretty sure it is just me being in need of new bandages. Speaking of, can I have yours? My style of clothes doesn't fit you at all." my love jokes to which the golden-woman laughs quietly.
"I think it does, it reminds me of you, after all." she compliments. Yet, to me, it stung as it reminded me of the fears I had regarding her. She had her eyes on my love and it had driven a wedge into my confidence before... In a way as well, my departure might've been little more than me giving up on my love...
If someone like her could have his attention, what good was I? My magic was nothing compared to hers! A fear I often thought about before and will do so more now. Yet, I could also reinforce myself.
The Wind-People had given us quite the place to learn magic after all. I would take what I had learned from all the Ivy-Mother's I inherited the knowledge from and refine it here. In the land of the most magically-gifted people!
For now, however, I just had to keep Nin's eyes on me through other means. And, thankfully, ever so thankfully, Einervaene did not know how to assert herself. She was a restrained woman. Yet, she clearly had the teachings to be more than that.
Yet, then was not now. And I intended to make the most of that.