“You are my husband,” Uluula said, her tone giving an air of finality to her words. “You are a good man. Your soul is filled with light, despite the darkness you carry within you. I chose to spend the rest of my life with you. Why your ancestors were created does not matter to me, and it shouldn’t matter to you.”
Jason wasn’t so sure about that, but he stood with Uluula for a long time, staring into the sky as night fell, wondering what other wonders and horrors existed among the stars.
One thing was for sure, though. Jason had no reason to doubt the information he’d been given. He’d seen Dolos. Hell, he had magic power of his own now. If The Enemy, whatever their real name, was had almost conquered the universe before, Jason’s mission was clear. He needed to get back home, and return with the maximum amount of power he possibly could.
He had things to protect now, people dear to him. He gave Uluula’s hand a squeeze. He definitely still needed to have that talk with his beautiful, white-haired wife, though. The fact he’d been on Ludus for so long but was just now hearing all of this was not cool, a fact he meant to explain at length with Uluula. The conversation may be clothing optional.
That decided, Jason headed to his tent. He was ready to talk, and wanted to work through some of the things he’d heard with her. She was older than he was, and he had to admit she was more sophisticated. He knew she’d know what to say to set his mind at least, a process she’d already started.
Jason looked down at Uluula and met her eyes. She smiled up at him. In that moment, he knew again that he was the luckiest man in the universe.
He also didn’t envy anyone who had to explain this stuff to Henry. His friend was probably not going to take it well. Jason smiled briefly as he led his wife into their tent.
The stakes were raised, and he felt like he’d lost a lot of his ignorance, but his short-term goals hadn’t changed. He needed to get to the city of Mensk, and hopefully meet up with Henry on the way.
Worrying about The Enemy wouldn’t do much good if his lanky ass got eaten by a monster before even getting to Berber.
Girls with Shine
Mareen looked up from her bronze hammer, scanning for any monster threats. She’d been glancing at the weapon fairly often where it rested in her turret. The weapon was a connection to Henry, and she wondered how he was doing. She worried about him. The dusky-skinned woman sighed as the Battlewagon soundlessly hovered forward over shallow water near the bank of the Stem River.
Out the corner of her eye, she noticed some movement in the tree line on the opposite shore. She readied her bow, but then slowly relaxed her draw. The familiar outline of a long legged jagged toothed alligator demon was too far away, and too slow to pose any real threat. There was no point in wasting any energy to kill it.
Her mood grew more melancholy as the vehicle left behind the hungry, struggling monster. The situation reminded her of how the rest of the group was leaving her behind.
She shook her head, trying to dispel her negative thoughts. What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she be happy? The rest of the group seemed to be in relatively high spirits. Jason was getting over the shock of Keeja’s reveal. Keeja’s information had all been news to Mareen, but it hadn’t bothered her. When she’d asked Uluula why her husband was so upset, the Areva woman had said that Jason spent his whole life struggling between evolution and creationism, only to find out that he was an experiment, a born killer.
Mareen still hadn’t understood the issue. They were still alive, they had free will, and if they could avoid getting killed, their life was still theirs. Why question that?
The aching hollow in her stomach mocked her, throwing her hypocrisy into her teeth. As a Life school mage, she had felt her child. Every limb, every feature. But then she’d been too distraught, too tired to save her, to save her baby. She had all of her power and everyone was still leaving her behind. All her strength, and she couldn’t even save that which was most precious to her; Henry or the child.
As usual, Mareen schooled her features, presenting a blank face to the world. The only time she could let her grief show at all was when someone mentioned Rark-han and the group became solemn. Then she could let some of it show on her face without risking discussions she did not want to have yet. She wasn’t ready.
The group had gotten a few MMBs from Henry and Aodh the day before. Henry had written Mareen and Jason. Unlike his last message, this one had more or less been a quick scrawl to tell her know he loved her, he was checking in on his new land, and he would make sure that she had a nice home to come back to eventually. It was just like Henry, and just thinking about the note made her briefly smile. She’d immediately sent her own message back.
Bezzi-ibbi got a note from Aodh. Vitaliya had seemed to be waiting for an MMB of her own, and when none came, she’d been in a terrible mood ever since. The red-haired girl stalked around like a near-cat that had been denied a songbird meal. If she’d been Mo’hali, she would have been twitching a tail.
Mareen shook her head. Gonzo’s motivations for his mission seemed fairly obvious, but Vitaliya was always quiet and standoffish. She didn’t understand the young spy at all. Thank the creator for Uluula. Mareen deeply valued her relatively new friendship with the white-haired Areva woman. The more she grew to know her friend, the more she admired her. Uluula might be Areva, from another world, but if Mareen had had an older sister, she would have wished that she’d been like Uluula.
Actually, maybe Uluula could help get her thoughts in order. Mareen had not exactly been avoiding her friend, but Uluula had been busy taking care of Jason, and Mareen didn’t want to intrude. Maybe it was time to change that.
Mareen paused her pondering to smoothly draw the massive draw weight of her bow. She released on an exhale, sending a bronze tipped arrow buzzing into a giant fish monster lurking beneath the surface of the river ahead. The arrow struck true, and the water erupted in violent splashes that showed flashes of fins, teeth, and spikes. A few of the other Delvers glanced up at the commotion and went back to what they’d been doing before. Jason nodded back at her from the driver’s seat.
The creature probably wouldn’t have been a threat, but it was better safe than sorry.
The Battlewagon passed through the wet air above the river where the monster had died and Mareen thought she heard a whisper. She shuddered. The Deepwater Rose was still calling her, and she had still not rejected its offer.
She knew Uluula was busy and she didn’t want to bother her, but she really needed to talk to someone. Mareen nodded and vowed to chat to Uluula that night. Her friend was wise beyond her years and was already twice as old as Mareen. She would give great counsel for sure.
That decided, Mareen’s heart felt a little lighter. She nocked another arrow on the string of her metal bow and scanned the trees again. Now that she could actually hit what she was aiming for, killing monsters could relieve stress. It was just too bad she had to ration her arrows so carefully. Better yet, having a power like Henry’s or Jason’s, or even either of the spies would be amazing. Mareen stewed and watched for more monsters. She still had a job to do.
***
“You wanted to talk?” asked Uluula, sitting next to Mareen. They had second watch together—Mareen had requested it. She hadn’t been able to sleep and had just stayed awake, staring at the stars. The young woman traced the line she knew was on her neck and wondered which star was Henry’s, the one where her father had come from, too.
“Was I that obvious?” Mareen couldn’t help a small smile.
“None of us exactly love doing night watch, and these days Jason and Bezzi-ibbi are best suited for it. So to make a point of requesting a watch I already had? Yes, it was obvious.”
“That makes sense. Heh.” Mareen snorted a quick chuckle. She was thankful for her friend’s power of observation. It actually made getting to the heart of what she wanted to discuss easier. She skipped small talk entirely and said, “I need some advice.”
“Oh? I could tell something
has been different with you recently. I’m sorry I haven’t really been available to talk much. Jason has needed an ear, lately.”
“Of course!” Mareen waved her hand, dismissing Uluula’s words. “I completely understand. I feel bad as it is asking for your help, but at least you have to be awake and not really doing much right now anyway.”
“That’s right. So what is bothering you?”
Mareen wasn’t quite sure where to start. She wasn’t even entirely sure what sort of advice she was looking for, either. Finally she said, “You have chosen not to claim an orb after all this time. You’ve also managed to be a powerful member of the group and watch Jason’s back. I want to know why and how.”
“You are one of the most important members of this grou—” Uluula began, but Mareen just shook her head. “You’re not going to listen if I go down that route, are you?”
“No,” answered Mareen. “I love you like a sister, but I don’t always agree with you on everything. More than anything else, I’m interested in how you have made your own place in the group. I need...I just need to understand why you have made your choices. I want to know how you do what you do.”
“Ah, I see,” muttered Uluula. “This is one of those types of conversations, then. Okay, I can only speak my own mind, and it’s obviously up to you what you do with this. I just want to be clear that my path is not necessary correct for any other woman. I also may be making things harder for myself, by making these choices in the first place”
“I will remember that.” Mareen appreciated what her friend had tried to do, and she also valued Uluula’s usual candor. The disclaimer the Areva woman had just voiced had not been necessary, at least not for Mareen. She understood Uluula and knew how methodical her friend could be. Uluula’s entire personality was built on logic mixed with caveats.
“Then I will say this,” began the Areva woman. “It is helpful that you now know what Keeja is, and a bit of what the rest of the universe is like. You don’t have any way to understand what my life was like before I came to this...place. Keeja is very powerful, but people with power like hers, less than hers, even greater than hers exist among the stars. In my military career, I wanted to work towards that. Mind you, I am not saying the names of these weapons based on Keeja’s warning earlier.”
“I understand and I’m following along just fine.”
“Good. I’m not implying you’re an idiot, this is just hard to talk about. I’m starting to understand a bit of what Keeja feels every time she talks about anything with us.” Uluula shared a wry smile with Mareen. “None of the high priestesses have orbs that I can tell. I have a feeling that orbs and...the weapons I am striving for do not mix. I may be wrong, and it would be ironic if I died while refusing an orb, but I am not willing to give up on my dream.”
Mareen frowned. “Why don’t you just ask Keeja?”
“I really should, but it’s kind of become a core part of my identity now on Ludus. Trust me, Jason has asked me this same question. We’ve talked about it a few times and it is my decision. I mean, you of all people should understand. Didn’t you say that your father refused to ever take an orb?”
“Yes,” Mareen’s tone grew thoughtful. “He said that such things were not for him. My father specialized in enchanted equipment because he felt that it gave him more flexibility. Grandfather George always said my father thought orb-Bonded people could grow to see problems through the lens of their specific powers. They missed things.”
A shadow passed over Mareen’s face as she mentioned her grandfather, and Uluula gave her a moment of silence to collect herself again. Mareen was deeply grateful for the gesture, and touched that her friend was always so considerate that way. The last year had brought both the greatest joys, and also the greatest sorrows of her life. She had to admit that Uluula’s friendship and her consistent, calm personality had helped immensely.
Henry’s love had been important too. The man was ridiculous, but he was also unfailingly loyal. Mareen knew that Henry would give his life for her without a second thought, and knowing that was part of why she could not, would not take that sort of fidelity for granted. She felt ashamed sometimes that they’d argued, but...even though nobody knew but her, she’d been pregnant. She gave herself a pass.
Uluula suddenly grinned and reached behind her belt, withdrawing an aluminum flask out of a hidden pouch. She unscrewed the cap, poured a small shot, threw it back, and refilled it, offering some to Mareen.
“Uluula!” Mareen gasped. “I didn’t know you carried things like that!”
“Neither does Jason, and we’re going to keep it that way.” The Areva woman uncharacteristically stuck out her tongue. “He doesn’t approve of any drinking while traveling. Says we have to stay completely alert while in monster-infested Ludus. He’s right, of course, but even I need a little crutch from time to time.”
Mareen studied the cap full of alcohol for a moment before downing the liquid. She made a face and coughed a bit, hitting her chest with a closed fist. Uluula laughed and asked, “Didn’t drink much back in your village, eh?”
“No, not really. What we had was kept for celebrations and we usually didn’t even use it then. Alcohol was useful for washing and disinfecting things. And as Henry would say, our still sucked.”
Uluula shook her head and took the makeshift cup back from Mareen. The petite, blue-eyed woman began to pour herself another cap of spirit and asked, “Is this about Jason offering you more spirit stones? You know he has plenty left. He has plenty even after he finally used a couple to rank up. He swallowed four of them in case he ever has to limitbreak again, or in case he can ‘level’ again. The whole thing is bizarre to me. He is carrying four fortunes around in his body right now.”
Mareen was curious. “How many are left?”
“Three, I believe. If I remember correctly, you would need two of them to reach your next ‘Bonded rank, yes?”
“Yes, that’s right.” Mareen stared at her hands for moment, thinking again about the whispers in the river. Compared to the offer of the Deepwater Rose, even the enormous wealth she was causally being offered by her husband’s friend paled in comparison.
Finally, Mareen asked, “Even after your decision not to take an orb, you have remained one of the most valuable members of this group. I want to know how you did it.”
Uluula eyed her sideways and Mareen silently willed her friend not to waste her breath telling Mareen what a valuable member of the team she was. Mareen already knew that. She wasn’t useless. Just doing the company books was helpful, but she needed to be strong. Just strong for a normal person was not enough. She had to be strong for a member of Delvers LLC, and that became more difficult every day.
Bezzi-ibbi was a little boy and he was already well on his way to being a famous hero written about in plays and poems. Mareen on the other hand had almost lost while fighting a mortal swordswoman with no enchanted gear.
Uluula blinked a few times, looking left and right as she did so. Mareen recognized the tic as one of her friend’s habits when she was deep in thought. After a moment, the Areva woman offered another cap full of liquor to Mareen and said, “It’s about using what you have. I have basically been learning from Jason’s example. I take the tools that I’ve been given and polish them until they gleam.”
Mareen shook her head. “What do you mean?”
“Our husbands aren’t only powerful because of their orbs. They’re powerful because they use their brains and innovate. When I realized that I had the opportunity to use enchanted gear and weapons, I researched it. In fact, I studied accounts of your father too. It’s notable that he is still considered one of the greatest adventurers who ever lived and he was not orb-Bonded.
“When we went shopping in Mirana, I was not only looking at what each individual item could do, I was also thinking of what Jason calls, ‘power synergy.’ If I can use items in tandem, I can be a better warrior. As an example, my bracers were probably meant to scale walls, or assi
st in climbing. Using them for mobility due to my smaller size was definitely not what they were intended for.
“Instead of finding one really expensive, powerful piece of weapon or armor, I got several that would work together, and I used my skill of haggling to my advantage, too. Basically, being powerful is not—it doesn’t exist. What matters is refining the power you have, owning it. Using your wisdom and knowledge to examine who you are and how you fight from other angles.”
Uluula slashed a pale hand through the air, saying, “But enduring Ludus has made survivors out of all of us. Sometimes it is necessary to take a step back and look at ourselves with new eyes to stay objective too.”
“I see.” Mareen sipped her booze and thought. She reflected on her whole journey from a proud, but mousey girl in a farming village, tormented by an out-of-control boy, to killing that rotted bastard with the very dagger she still wore at her back. Her memories traced the path of becoming orb-Bonded, to watching Henry get stolen away from her. Now she was a decent archer in her own right, and as a second rank ‘Bonded, even with a common orb, she would never fear being ravaged by an average person ever again.
But would all of that be enough? Would it be enough to protect her husband, much less be his first wife? Would she truly earn her position, or would she be a charity case, just a silly farm girl with delusions of grandeur?
Could she do it all on her own power, grit her teeth and reach deep inside herself to find even greater conviction?
Eventually, Mareen nodded and stood up. “Thank you. You’ve given me a lot to think about. Now excuse me, I need to check the river for monsters.”
“Do I need to come with you?”
“No, you’ll be able to see me from here. I can jump straight back a long way, too, so if anything comes out of the water at me I’ll be okay.” Mareen began walking to the water, preparing herself for the voice she knew would come.
Sure enough, the Deepwater Rose spoke to her again, just like every other time she’d touched the river. However, this time Mareen finally knew her own heart and had made a choice. This time, when the Deepwater Rose whispered in her mind and asked its question, she sent back a reply.
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