Godslayer Lysette: Chapter 198

Chapter 198: A Cozy Morning

Lysette sat within her room and Cultivated throughout the rest of the day and through the night.  She had become extremely adept at doing so passively, to the point where it had become habitual and almost instinctual when not absorbed in battle.  But after her fight with Zarielle and the subsequent sparring session with Serrena, Lysette wanted to focus more intensely on her own Cultivation for a change.

No longer could she call herself Zarielle’s Godslayer.  The fact that she could no longer command the darkness was testament to that.  But she refused to see this temporary setback as such.  It was an opportunity, both to create a fighting style purely her own, and to further cement who she was and wanted to be, both as a person and a goddess.

And what she wanted more than anything was to be a protector, to be a guardian.  To ensure that the people of Ciricu did not follow in the footsteps of those of Osstia.  To nurture and support humanity in the way they themselves desired, not in a manner which served her to their detriment.

More and more, the path to that end was becoming clear.  For humanity to know the true peace Lysette so envisioned for them, the gods must fall.  All of them.  Not a single one could be trusted to have humanity’s best interests at heart.  And Zarielle’s actions from the previous night had made one thing clear: When push comes to shove, the gods will set aside their squabbles and join ranks to maintain the systems currently in place.

And with that resolve came temptation.  The temptation to let loose her demonic power, to find justification to kill, to ravage all those who opposed her.  Captain Potani and his subordinate captives were right there.  They were deserving of punishment.

But not to the death, Lysette added, shuttering that momentary temptation.  Still, she did need a way to get stronger, now that her enemies were both more numerous and more motivated than ever to see her fall.  Stronger than she could hope to become merely through passive Cultivation and going about her daily life.  And with the first snowfall of the season happening just outside, Lysette made a decision.

“Mirae?  Can you stop by when you have a moment?”

“Is something the matter?”

“I just wanted you to see me off.”

It took barely ten seconds before the pattering of Mirae’s feet stampeded through their small cottage, followed by their charging into the room and nearly knocking the pair back onto the ground from the force of their tackle.  They struggled to hold back tears as they clutched Lysette even tighter.

“Why, Lyse?”  They sniffled.  “After everything we’ve been through together, the promises we’ve made to each other, our desire to stay together for eternity…  Why are you leaving?  Why now?  And why without me?”

“I’m worried after last night.”

Lysette motioned to the floor.  Mirae sat down, and Lysette sat in their lap, enjoying feeling their presence and absorbing their scent.  The two cuddled for several minutes, neither moving or making a sound.  The room grew chilly, though whether it was Mirae’s power at work or the snow piling up on the ground just outside, Lysette didn’t know.

“Worried about?” Mirae asked.

“Everything, love.  I don’t know to what extent Zarielle was protecting me before, but I have to assume that’s no longer happening.  And if other gods truly understood our plan to scour them from the Celestial realm, they would stop at nothing to see us dead.

“So I need to get stronger.  Much stronger.  Strong enough that I can protect everyone from the wrath of the gods themselves.”

“But why not take me with you?”

“Because I’m the only one with the power of a demon.  The only one who can hope to gain the strength we need to defend Ciricu’s people from the wrath of the warring gods.”

“I thought you weren’t going to kill people for strength.  Wasn’t that the whole reason you rebelled against Zarielle?  The reason you lost your power?  The reason we fought her the other night?”

“I need to understand these powers of mine better.  If I can understand my ability to absorb the power of those I slay, then maybe I can find a way to absorb power from people without needing to kill them. 

“That was something I was working on a bit with Dani while you and Serrena were here before the last blood moon.  I wasn’t able to figure anything out at the time, but now that I have at least some more understanding of my power, maybe I can make a breakthrough.  Besides, we know of at least one other demon that I can ask.”

“But– Karchek is dead.”

“He is.  But we never looted his corpse.  It’s still there in the caves underneath the Spire Mountains.  And artifacts carry the wills of those to whom they are attuned.  As far as I am aware, that should still hold true even if their owner is dead.”

“But why do you want to leave me behind?”

Lysette turned around and kissed Mirae.  “Love, I don’t want to leave you behind.  I never want to leave your side if I can help it.  But we also need to think of what’s best for Ciricu, and for all of Aimarion.  If we don’t, if we think only of ourselves, then we are no better than the gods we are trying to supplant.”

“I–  I understand that, but why can’t I come with you?”

“Because the people of Ciricu need you, love.  They need your strength in my absence.  Serrena and Rayleigh are making great strides as well, but if someone as strong as Zarielle’s incarnation shows itself again, I don’t think the two of them together would be able to fight that being off.  But the two of them, and you, and the others?  I would feel much better knowing the town is in such capable hands.”

“But I–”

“And you’re the only one who carries your Domain ability, love.”

Mirae shook their head.  “No.  That’s my condition, Lysette.”  Mirae stroked Lysette’s cheek.  “I will relent, but only after I graft my long-distance communication ability onto your Spark.  Accept the blessings of your love, the Demigod of Devotion, with an open mind, heart, and Spark, and know that I will be with you in spirit even when not in flesh.”

“I assent.  And I accept your love and blessings without reservation.”

The two proceeded to jointly Cultivate and perform the grafting procedure.  And as they did, Lysette’s Tree metamorphosed.  No longer was it a Tree of ebon wood with leaves of iridescent onyx.  With the last remnants of Zarielle’s blessing gone, the wood lightened into a warm, reddish shade of ochre.

The leaves upon the branches likewise brightened into a rich and vibrant shade of green with the subtlest hint of gold.  The two exceptions were her Rekindle branch, with leaves a vibrant red, and the two-now-three branches borne of Mirae’s Spark, whose leaves were a frosty blue-white hue.

“I know I said I would accept your blessing without reservation, but I want to grant you my ability to regenerate the wounds of my friends, so that you can do so in my stead.  Please, Mirae, accept the blessings of your love, the Demigoddess of Reciprocity, who is sworn to repay you in kind as is my nature.”

Mirae nodded.  Lysette took a small cutlet of her Tree and used it as a substrate to pull two strands of Mirae’s Ivy together.  One strand, representing the Divine Aura.  And the other, her regeneration, previously borne of Lysette.  With precision and quiet concentration, Lysette took the two strands and bonded a sub-strand of each together using her cutlet as a base.  And after another half-hour of precisely eyeing the various connections, she was confident the bond was a success.

Having completed that task, Lysette took the opportunity to examine the Fern of Amalia’s Spark.  And it too was growing stronger.  Thankfully, it appeared that the best-case scenario was happening— Amalia’s Fern was growing over and around Mirae’s Ivy cutlet, growing stronger and retaining its own individuality while also incorporating the cold resistance that Mirae had given.  Mirae concurred with the assessment, and offered a blessing of her own to ensure Amalia’s continued recovery and growth.

Overhead, the twin divinities the two shared were glowing brighter than ever, orbiting their shared barycenter in an elegant celestial dance.  Lysette was pleased, taking a moment to bask in both the beauty of Mirae’s divinity and the knowledge that they were growing in their understanding of their Devotion.

Serrena’s Ambition glowed, though unlike the yellowish glow of Mirae’s Devotion and Lysette’s Reciprocity, it was a burning, all-consuming crimson.  But not at all the muted red-brown that it was when Serrena first awakened to her divinity.  This was a roaring flame, one which shone its passionate glow in spite of its radiance and heat, not because of the lack thereof.  And it seemed almost to have a tiny satellite Star of its own, one representing whatever dormant divinity Rayleigh might one day awaken.

Would one day awaken, should an outside force not stop her.  Danitha had made the choice not to pursue divinity— at least not presently.  But such a mindset was surely anthemic to the Demigoddess of Ambition, and so it would be for one wholly discipled to her.  One wholly Devoted to their shared cause, Mirae added through the mental connection the two shared.  And who seemed to relish pushing Serrena almost as much as Serrena seemed to enjoy doing the same back to her.

For a while, the two sat and meditated in their joint Cultivation realm, Lysette seated in Mirae’s lap with their arms around her both in their shared soulspace as well as in physical reality.  A little Cultivation, a little shoring up of their foundations and strengthening themselves for the challenges they would each face over the upcoming days and weeks.  And a lot of just enjoying each other’s touch.

Mirae’s smooth fingers slid through Lysette’s hair.  Their icy lips pecked at the back of Lysette’s neck, sending shivers of pleasure throughout her entire body.  Lysette could all but taste the sweetness of mint in their breath as they nibbled upon her ears and pulled her closer into their embrace.  And they were equal parts handsome and beautiful.

Lysette felt lucky.  Lucky that she had such a caring, loving, and wholly Devoted partner.  One with whom she felt safe and secure in sharing her innermost secrets, fears, and worries without judgement.  And one to whom she could entrust her duties in her upcoming absence while she prepared for the challenges which lay yet further ahead.

As morning made its way into midday and the sun began to burn through the clouds, leaving a sea of white outside their cottage, Lysette and Mirae separated.  Then quickly hugged, kissed, and hugged again.  And when they did separate, their fingers remained stubbornly interlaced for far longer than completely necessary.

“Love, remember, I’m just a thought away,” Lysette messaged.

Mirae smiled.  “Promise me no unnecessary risks.  If you need to teleport out of there or request back-up, I want you to do so.”

“I will.”

Lysette turned around and, though she so desperately wanted to steal one last furtive glance at Mirae, walked outside before she could second-guess herself.  She sent a quick message to Serrena, informing her of her temporary absence, before taking wing and flying off to the southwest.

It took just under an hour of high-altitude flight before Lysette arrived at her destination, the same cave where she’d been with Mirae and Saffron a week and change earlier.  For a moment, she hesitated, uncertain of whether she’d find what she needed here.  But she thought of Mirae’s smiling face, and remembered the people of Ciricu and how they had before helped her overcome her trials against Asterion and Zarielle alike.  With resolve and Devotion in her heart, she stepped into the descent and steeled herself for the challenges which no doubt awaited.

Chapter 197: https://www.patreon.com/posts/111625030

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

Chapter 199: https://www.patreon.com/posts/111625036