Romancing the Sweet Side

by Tianna Xander, Elle Boon, HA Fortman, Trinity Blacio, Cheryl Dragon, Caitlyn O'Leary, Dawn Montgomery, Megan Slayer, Viola Grace

  Jinma smiled and rolled her wine cup between her palms. “A whole book? Planning on hiding it the moment I am gone?”

  Father Obring blushed again as he always did when she caught him in his prejudice toward a female host. “Of course not, Your Grace. I simply feel that you will make your mark on these lands, and you require you own volume.”

  “Well said.” She saluted him with her cup.

  “They will need to know your early history, Your Grace.”

  Jinma nodded. “Perhaps when I return, it will be time to fill in the blanks.”

  “I dearly hope so. We have only had one mysterious host in our history, and he immolated the moment he passed into our gates.”

  Inside her she heard, He was not my first choice, and he could not stand to hold the fire within him.

  “Ouch.” It was a reply to both males.

  Rekker nodded. “I have read the history. It was an explosion that took several of the brothers into the flames.”

  “Oh, my.” She winced and looked around at the men waiting to be released from the meal. She rose to her feet and the brothers separated and scattered for their evening duties.

  Father Obring smiled. “Well, I wish you a good evening and I will see you before your journey, Your Grace.”

  “I wish you good rest tonight, Father.” Jinma inclined her head.

  When the father was gone, she turned to Rekker. “He really wants me to burst into flames, doesn’t he?”

  Rekker chuckled. “He doesn’t want you to die; he just doesn’t know how to handle speaking to the host.”

  She got to her feet, and they walked out of the dining hall and into the main hall. A pile of provisions was being assembled near the front door. Tomorrow, they would go on their first mission, and Threki-mal hoped that it would cause a ripple that would soon have folks coming to the temple for help. Jinma was interested in anything that would give her predicted lifespan meaning.

  Her party wasn’t precisely merry, but they were in a good mood for the first two days. Camping in the forests was preferable to dealing with the villagers who were shocked to find a host in their midst.

  As the brothers pointed out, the best part of travelling with her was her ability to warm any space. Their campgrounds were toasty and safe from predators.

  When those they passed began to warn them about the blight affecting the crops, they knew they were headed in the right direction.

  Jinma’s butt was in agony by the time they arrived at the edge of fields drooping with illness.

  She turned to two of her escorts. “Find the lord of these lands and have him locate healthy seeds for another crop.”

  Rekker pulled his horse in next to her. “What do you wish me to do?”

  “Find the leader of these people and arrange a meeting. I will wait here.”

  Rekker nodded and nudged his horse into a gallop.

  Jinma sat on her horse and waited. She could feel the god inside her wanting to raze the illness out of the ground.

  Jinma knew the blight. Her parents had been healers in their town, and she had helped her mother with all the plants in their expansive garden. Knowledge of the soil and how things grew had been bred into her bones and that was part and parcel of why Threki-mal had chosen her. She had different knowledge and a different way of looking at things.

  The mayor of the village came out with Rekker, and a crowd followed them both.

  Jinma winced. Everyone looked thin and there were no infants.

  She dismounted and walked toward him. “I am the host of Threki-mal, and I offer you the chance to cleanse your fields of the blight.”

  “I am Remal of Echohar Village. I am the current mayor of a dying town. Burn us all to the ground; it would be a blessing.” He bowed and then dropped to his knees.

  “How long has the blight plagued you?”

  “This is our third year.”

  “Then, it is time that it stopped. I need all contaminated seeds, any material that is marked by the blight.”

  Remal remained on his knees. “What of us?”

  “My priests are locating seed, and I will have supplies to you within three days. In the meantime, bathe and focus on cleansing.” She looked over the group of thirty souls. “Is this all of you?”

  “It is. Our well contains the blight as well.”

  Jinma nodded and Threki-mal took over. “That can be fixed. Show me the well.”

  Fire wrapped around her, and the villagers jumped to their feet. The fields caught on fire as the god walked into the centre of the village to cleanse the well. Boiling that much water took some concentration, but it was the work of an hour. For lack of clean water, they had dwindled and were under the threat of death every day.

  Rekker cleared his throat. “Your Grace, the fields are on fire.”

  “They are being sterilized. The fungus is gone. I am working into the soil to continue the cleanse.”

  “There are reports of the forest on fire, Your Grace.”

  “A controlled burn to grant this village more land for crops. They will need to recover.”

  Rekker nodded. “I will divide our food amongst the locals. We can buy more as we travel.”

  Jinma smiled at him through Threki-mal’s flames. “Excellent idea. The god has already called for more supplies from the temple.”

  The brothers with them drew water and started a laundry station where the water was boiled and the clothing was cleansed. As the villagers were bathed, they were dressed in clean and dry clothing.

  The two brothers set up tables that Jinma cleansed with fire. The fields and forests ceased to burn, and the villagers were fed with grain and meat in a soup.

  The mayor looked around and ran a hand over his wet hair. “Thank you for cleansing the well, but I do not think that we will make it to winter.”

  “I can buy you one year. It will not be luxurious, but it will get you through. You will learn a thousand recipes for soup and will have to eat as a community to get through, but you will come out the other side.” Jinma nodded though it was Threki-mal’s information in her mind.

  Remal bowed his head and led his folk in a prayer of thanks to Threki-mal.

  Rekker touched her arm and inclined his head toward the outskirts of the village. Once they were out of earshot, he asked, “How many villages do you plan to save this way, Your Grace?”

  “There is only one more on my list, Rekker.” She looked around at the black, scorched earth. “This was to create a reputation for mercy for the priests of Threki-mal. They have holed up in their temple for too long.”

  They walked slowly toward the edge of the forest. Wildflowers bloomed right at the edge of the flame-touched ground. Rekker plucked a flower and handed it to her.

  Jinma cupped the petals in her hand. “We had flowers like this at home.”

  “You don’t speak of it. Your home, I mean.”

  “It is a lifetime of pain away. I will speak of my history to the priests when we get back, but this flower reminds me of my mother. She used to make me eat them when I was low on vitamins.”

  “What is a vitamin?”

  Jinma blinked. “It is a building block, like fruit, bread, meat. They all have different components that make a complete diet and help you grow to your full capacity. With enough balance, you don’t get ill as often and the children are stronger.”

  He plucked one of the flowers. “I just eat it?”

  “Only the petals. See that plant there? You can roast the roots and it makes a good bread substitute.”

  “What else can be eaten?”

  Jinma felt Threki-mal sit back in amusement, but she went through the forest for a mile, pointing out items that Rekker picked up, dug out or plucked.

  When the light was dimming, they walked back to the village by the glow of her skin.

  The villagers were still eating, and they were an avid audience when Rekker stepped forward. “The host has offered
some advice on how to supplement the food that will be provided to you.”

  Jinma suddenly realized that she was teaching a class. She went through everything from how many petals were needed to assist in good health, to how many would cause blisters in the mouth. Plant by plant, she took them through preparation and how to eat the variety of items.

  By the time the priests had prepared their camp on one side of the village square, she had answered dozens of questions and there was light in the eyes of the villagers. Even the children could forage.

  “The importance of not clearing the close forest out cannot be stressed enough. You can and will over-harvest the close areas. Make sure to go as far as you can each day before harvesting, because in winter, you will not be able to walk as far.”

  The villagers looked as if they might be paying attention, but she couldn’t be sure. She hoped that they acted in their own best interest.

  Rekker touched her arm. “Your bed is ready, Your Grace.”

  She nodded and that was it for the night. She walked to her bedroll and smiled at the flower on her pillow. She glanced over to Rekker, but he was busy setting up his position between her and the villagers. She held the flower in her palm as she let sleep overtake her.

  Jinma was up and preparing breakfast for thirty-three when she heard the horses.

  Her priests pulled up and unloaded sacks of grain.

  “There is a wagon train following us filled with supplies of cured meats and grains.”

  “The seed?”

  “Will be here within three days. All were volunteered by the temples in the region.”

  Jinma felt an internal smugness that was not her own. It seemed that other gods wanted to be more active as well.

  She smiled and nodded to the gruel she was making. “Would you care for some? With the supplies you have brought, I can make extra.”

  At their enthusiastic nods, she portioned out bowls, and they sat down a moment before the villagers began to emerge. It soon became a noisy meal with the energy level markedly improved from the night before.

  Rekker was at her side, ladling out food and making sure that the villagers had clean hands and faces.

  When the meal was over and Mayor Remal had been briefed on the incoming supplies, the priests and host of Threki-mal left Echohar Village.

  Two weeks after they had first left the temple, their little party returned, exhausted but triumphant.

  The priests in the forecourt took the horses, and their party entered the gathering hall with heads held high.

  Father Obring bowed low as she approached. “Threki-mal, welcome back to your home. We have heard of your adventures and are eager to record them.”

  “Thank you for your welcome, Father Obring. We have travelled far today, and I would like a small meal served to my party before we discuss our adventures.” Threki-mal was wearing fire as he walked through the halls, and Father Obring had to run to keep up but keep his distance. It was almost funny to watch.

  Jinma was exhausted. She was used to travelling on horseback now, but she had seen plagues, blights, droughts and death. There was so much death.

  Her group gathered in the dining hall, and cold meat, cheese, fruit and bread were served. They ate eagerly and in silence. It had been a necessary trip, but it had taken a toll on all of them.

  Rekker kept his thigh against hers under the table while they ate. It had become a habit after a child had died in her arms. It was a move to comfort, and she appreciated it.

  While the god within her was inured to death, Jinma felt it keenly, and there was no reason for the child to have died of an illness that could have been treated with plants that grew half a mile away.

  Education was difficult to enact in such a short time.

  “Your Grace, what was your favourite part of the journey?” Brother Welling asked.

  “The wildfire. Threki-mal let me share his joy in the fire, and I finally understood how it felt to be wrapped in an element that you controlled.” She smiled at the memory.

  It wasn’t the truth. Her favourite part of the journey had been the flowers that Rekker had found for her. She had collected each of them in a small book that had been given to her by one village. Every four pages there was another pressed flower. The memories of that journey were written in the petals.

  They finished their meal, and all went their separate ways. Rekker was at her side as they returned to her quarters after weeks away.

  Inside, she turned to him and wrapped her arms around him. “I don’t think that I could have done this without you.”

  Rekker stroked her back. “I am sure you could have, Jinma.”

  “Nope. I am pretty sure that I would have fought him at several points in the process.”

  “Well, we have made it home, you will record your history and we will all dictate our adventures. I am eager to hear the proper description of when Welling got caught without his robes in the thorn thicket.”

  Rekker kept stroking her back until she calmed.

  “So, are you going to treat the next host this kindly?” She looked up at him with a smile.

  “Jinma, when you go, I will go.” He leaned in and brushed his lips across hers.

  She checked inside for the god, but he was staying tucked back in a corner. There was an unmistakable feeling of smugness emanating from him but no objection.

  “That isn’t right. You should live a long life and have children, or at least live a long life.” She wrinkled her nose. She didn’t want to think about him with someone else.

  “I am your acolyte, yours, not Threki-mal’s. When Jinma leaves this world, I will go with her. It is the way things have always been.”

  She bit her lip and looked into his dark eyes with a searching gaze. “I don’t know how long I will last.”

  “If there is one thing we have just learned, it is that no one knows how long they will live. The key is to live your life with everything in you.”

  “So, wander the world and make my mark?”

  He smiled, “When it calls for it. The rumours of what fire can do are spreading. They will call upon you, and I have no doubt that you will answer, with or without the god within.”

  She hugged him again and went up for another kiss. “It does sound like me.”

  He grinned and laughed before pressing another kiss to her lips. There was no reason to hurry; she wasn’t going to burst into flames just yet.

  * * * *

  Ten years later...

  Jinma slapped the dust of the road and ash off her skirts. Rekker was wearing the dark smudges of soot on his cheeks and a bright grin.

  “Your Grace, I think that convincing my horse to run through that fire is going to be marked as one of your greatest accomplishments.”

  “Acolyte, you are just lucky that I didn’t spur your horse to heroic action. I think you had more of a problem with the fire than it did.” Jinma stretched and wiggled her hands above her head.

  As the oldest host of Threki-mal, she enjoyed a certain cachet with or without her ability to call a blaze into herself. Her history wasn’t just held by her own temple, there were copies of it circulated to temples all over the continent. Other gods were selecting for personality rather than piety. There was even a tale of the goddess of midwives taking on a woman in her thirties who had lost four children while birthing.

  Changes were being made in the properties held by the temples and more charity was being extended to the villages nearby. If the village populated the temple, the temple would pay for the personnel.

  Rekker came up and hugged Jinma. “Well, you have brought another fire to heel. What happens next?”

  She gave him a quick kiss and walked away from him to the edge of the clearing. She raised her hands and fired a column of heat into the sky that caused the still air to begin churning. Once the air began to spin, she eyed what was happening and ran back to her horse.

  “We need to go now.�
�

  Rekker didn’t hesitate; he ran to his horse and threw himself into the saddle, following her without hesitation.

  Jinma heard the roar beginning behind her and kept her horse running. It didn’t need to be prodded. The tornado wasn’t going to stop for a while.

  She looked around for shelter and headed for the hills nearby. Rekker’s horse pulled up next to hers, and they kept going as the wind whipped at them.

  When they reached the crest of the hill, Jinma turned and watched as the tornado tore merrily through trees and meadows. It was a small funnel and gradually spun itself into its own demise.

  Rekker cleared his throat as his horse caught its breath. “Did you mean to do that?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I meant to get the air moving. I believe I succeeded.”

  He started to laugh, deep peals of laughter that carried over the fields. “Oh, you did that.”

  “You have no respect for the actions of your god.” She gave him a narrow-eyed look.

  He got off his horse and helped her dismount. “I do, but I also know one of Jinma’s ideas when I see it.”

  Irritated, she scowled and was about to lecture him when he reached into his robes and pulled out a scarlet flower with delicate soft petals. “Oh, my.”

  “It is just like you, outside, it is dark and lovely, but inside, there is an entire universe to discover.” He paused and winked. “Then, there are the thorns.”

  She punched him lightly and walked to watch as storm clouds roiled and a drought was about to come to an end in the valley below.

  She held the flower and backed into Rekker, watching the fruits of her efforts to bring water out of the clouds. With her long-time companion with her, she enjoyed the fruits of her latest journey. Rain and a rose. It was an excellent reward for a day’s work.

  The healers said that she wasn’t showing signs of god-fatigue, and she had at least another five years ahead of her. She didn’t care how long she had as long as she had Rekker with her.

  But you should really make him pay for that thorn comment.

  She grinned as the voice inside her gave her amused advice. I shall. When he least expects it, the thorns are going to make an appearance.