Chapter 105: Intermission: Winter Q&A pt1

Zurai

I had to split this into two parts because of the sheer number of questions I received, even after trimming them down some. Part 2 will come on Monday but will not replace the regularly-scheduled chapter.

As with all of these in-character Q&A chapters, this is semi-canon. All of the answers are canon, as is most of what happens. The meta questions (the ones directed at me as the author, and ones about the story itself) aren't, for obvious reasons.

Brighid

The Dreamlands

Firstday, 5th week of the 9th month, Age of the Chosen 1

Timeless

The Brighaid's Realm, Dreams of Passion

"Welcome once again to my/our Realm, honored guests."

Brighid blinked. She'd just been having a dream about Aidan, Sunnild, and ... a Mist Stalker? She shook her head and looked around, memories flooding back to her. "Divinity!" she exclaimed upon seeing her God lounging on Their throne. "Have you brought us here for more questions?"

"Huh? Wha?" Sunnild sat up near Aidan, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Where am I?"

"Be at peace, Sunnild. As Brighid said, I/we brought thee here to answers questions posed by those who watch. No harm will come to thee, although thy mind will forget the events which are about to occur 'til I/we bring thee here once more."

Around the room, others awoke, all of whom were present for the first session. Aidan and Eve embraced, talking softly to each other, while Ailis held out a hand, into which a teacup appeared. She took a sip, closed her eyes, and let out a sigh of pleasure.

"Wait," Sunnild said. "Yer realm... an' the way yer speakin'..." Her eyes widened and she prostrated herself. "Beggin' yer pardon, Divinity! I didn't mean to be so rude!"

Aidan chuckled and pulled her up and into his lap. "It's okay, little dove. They are my Patron, the Brighaid, and I expect They are much more closely aligned to your ideals than you think."

The Brighaid smiled an enigmatic smile but gave no verbal response. Eve, however, was looking back and forth between Aidan cuddling Sunnild and Brighid. "You never struck me as the polyamorous type, bro. They do know about each other, right?"

"We do," Brighid said, moving over to snuggle with her lovers. "In fact, it was my idea, not Aidan's."

"That I can believe. Good on you if you can make it work, Daniel. But leave some of the hotties for me, huh?" Eve punched Aidan's arm mockingly. "I always thought I'd be the one with a harem if we got isekai'd, not you!" A dark expression crossed her face for a moment, but she shook it off.

"There is yet time for thee," the Brighaid said in a gentle tone. "Thy story has many pages yet to be written. Keep hope kindled in thy heart. Now, if ye are all ready, let the questions begin! First, for Aidan: Since thee hast had rulership thrust upon thee, who are some statesmen that thou dost admire, and in what ways will thou attempt to emulate them?"

"Wow, hitting hard right out of the gates," Brighid's love mused. "Let me think. Hmm. One that comes to mind is the Roman emperor Claudius. He suffered prejudice and ridicule for being sickly, and the only reason he lived to ascend to the throne is likely because no one considered him a real threat. He was a scholar and historian—I expect you would get along well with him, Ailis—and surprisingly progressive. He made it law that slaveholders who killed their slaves, even indirectly, would be tried for murder and that any slaves who were abandoned to the temples to die would become freemen if they survived their illnesses. He was thought to be soft during his time, but from a historical perspective, he was scrupulously fair as far as the political situation would allow him to be."

Aidan shrugged. "As for how I'd emulate him? That's a hard one to answer. Our situations are quite different; Claudius was in a weak political position, but he ruled over a massive empire. I'm in almost exactly the opposite spot, with my rulership being pretty unassailable politically, but my 'empire' is a ten-mile-radius circle in the middle of a sparsely-populated hinterland. I don't have to face the same sort of internal pressure he did; my pressures are almost entirely external. Also, Claudius never had to fight a dragon."

"What?!" interrupted Eve. "You fought a dragon?"

"Yeah, for a given definition of the term. Fucking huge, three-hundred-foot wingspan. We managed to chase it off, but it'll be back if we don't hunt it down first." Aidan shook his head, then continued, "Anyway, back to Claudius. I guess the best way I can emulate him is to keep the people in mind with whatever I do. He was one of the most populist-leaning emperors."

The Brighaid inclined Their head, then examined the slate in Their lap. "A follow-up question for Ailis: As someone who knows the legends and histories of the world Aidan finds himself in, who are some statesmen thou admirest, and what lessons ought he take from them?"

Aidan settled back against Brighid's chest as the focus shifted from him. She wrapped her arms around him and Sunnild, who still occupied her love's lap.

Ailis chuckled. "I think my tastes in rulers differ from my Lord's rather substantially. Appealing to the people is well and good—the role of government is to provide stability for those it governs, after all—but stability is the key. From what Lord Aidan told me of the Roman emperors, though the Empire itself lasted centuries, far more of its rulers died to assassins than old age.

"I would suggest taking lessons from Nikanuur of Tamikh. He reigned for fifty-three years, and fewer than a quarter of his descendants died for internal political reasons. There were three reasons for that stability. First, Nikanuur enforced a strong succession law by having his children swear Oaths, not only to follow the succession but to have their children swear the same Oaths. This made it extraordinarily difficult for civil wars to arise between claimants to the throne. Second, Nikanuur raised his political enemies to posts where he could make use of their skills, but where their ability to oppose him was curtailed."

"That sounds familiar..." Aidan drawled.

"Indeed," Ailis agreed, "your handling of myself and Eilwen are exemplars of Nikanuur's methods. Third, he did not let his ambitions exceed his ability to control his circumstances. He took no political actions, internal or external, without having prepared everything in advance. The expansion of Tamikh from a city-state into a kingdom took decades, and it never reached the status of an empire within Nikanuur's lifetime, despite that being his goal."

"Not all of us have the luxury of being able to plan far in advance," Aidan frowned at his Chancellor.

"Admitted," she agreed. "As you said with Claudius, your circumstances are different. Still, the lessons remain. If you want your legacy to last past your own life, you must act with an eye towards stability as much as possible."

Aidan nodded, his head rubbing against Brighid's breasts. She squeezed her arms around him. After a moment of silence, the Goddess spoke again. "This next question is for Sunnild." The harpy girl squeaked in Aidan's lap, bringing a chuckle from him and a smile from the deity. "Canst thou think of anything else strange or unusual about thy mother that never made sense to thee, but might to Aidan?"

"Um. Not really? She was my mum, ya know? I guess, if Aidan's right and she's another Chosen, it seems a little odd that she'd settle down like she did in the Ayrie, but that mighta been cuz of me. She never would tell me exactly where she came from, but the only reason I even knew Mum wasn't from the Ayrie is that she knew a different language." Sunnild ducked her head. "Sorry I can't give a better answer."

"Worry not, dear one," the Goddess smiled. "An answer ye must give, but not knowing is no crime. Next, a few questions for Brighid. First, hast thou ever thought of what sex might be like with Aidan had thee a form more like his?"

Eve covered her ears. "La la la, don't want to hear about my brother's sex life, la la la."

Brighid blinked. "No, not really. Although, now that you mention it, I am a little jealous that he can kiss Sunnild while making love to her. Your Talents make for a close substitute, my love, but it is not quite the same."

Aidan patted her arm. "I know, love. It's something I regret as well." He turned as much as he could without displacing Sunnild and tilted his head up towards Brighid's. She bent down to press her lips to his.

"Well, since neither of you will remember this anyway, I am working on a partial solution to that problem," Ailis spoke up. "Not a way to turn my daughter into a humanoid, but to make Aidan a centaur, at least temporarily. My research indicates that is the surest, safest way to ensure that your union can ... be fruitful," she hedged. "And, as a happy side effect, will allow you most of the same intimacies either of you could expect in a partner of your own race."

"That lies parallel to the second question from the same missive: Brighid, wouldst thou be interested in a temporary change to experience things from a humanoid perspective?"

There was no hesitation. "Only if my love wanted it. I carry within me the certainty of his love; all physical considerations pale beside that. And," Brighid glanced at Eve, who still had her ears covered, and snickered, "now that Sunnild has joined us, I have someone else to occupy my lips while my Lord mounts me." Sunnild blushed scarlet, and Brighid could feel a similar heat on her own cheeks.

"And how wouldst thou feel if thy Lord never succeeded in his goal of siring a child with thee?" the Divinity asked of Brighid.

She bit her lip and shook her head. "Sad. I want a child—Aidan's child—very much, but I know it is not something I can expect. But as long as there are children for me to mother, I will be satisfied, even if they are not my own."

One of Sunnild's wings curved around Brighid's back, enclosing her in a feathery embrace. "Ya can be mum number two ta my daughter," she offered. Brighid felt a surge of love welling up inside her and leaned down over Aidan's shoulder to press a kiss to the harpy's lips.

"I would be honored, love. She will be the best-loved child in the Realms with two mothers and a father."

"Only two?" asked the Brighaid with a teasing smile. "Aidan, the next questions are for thee. Dost thou have a plan to defeat the dragon Karsarrym shouldst thou find its lair, or art thou simply hoping events proceed in thy favor?"

"A little of column A, a little of column B," Aidan answered. "It's hard to be too specific about plans without more information. We managed to land a few good hits on Karsarrym—hitting its eye was a miracle!—and I'd prefer to capitalize on that rather than let the dragon recover and come at us better-prepared. But we don't even know if its lair is in the Highlands, let alone within striking range. For all we know, it flew right past Mist Stalker territory and into the forest or the human kingdoms. I doubt it since my elementals tore up its shoulder muscles pretty good, but I just don't know at this point."

"Speaking of thy elementals, the next question is about them. The asker wishes to know how much control thou hast over their forms and whether thou needest to have extensive knowledge of the beings they emulate."

"I haven't experimented with them too much. The fight with Karsarrym is the first time I really pushed them. From what I've done so far, I think the answer is that they're definitely limited by my ability to imagine them. The fairy swarms weren't terribly effective except as distractions because I had no idea what they could attack with; meanwhile, the tanks are a fairly simple concept at their core. I know the gist of how a gun works, and there was no need to fully realize all the gears and belts and pistons and such. At the same time, something tells me that if I tried to make a cruise missile or something, it wouldn't work because I don't know enough about how explosive warheads work."

The Goddess nodded. "On a different note," Their lips twitched in amusement, "What is thy favorite song from Earth?"

Brighid groaned. "Noooo, now you have the Divinity making puns!"

Her deity smiled at her and winked. "What makest thou think that this is Aidan's influence on me/us and not the reverse?"

Eve sniggered. "She's got you there, sis-in-law. Though Daniel was always a punster."

"Ahem," Aidan cleared his throat. "Quiet in the peanut gallery, please. That said, I don't have a favorite song, movie, or book. It changes from day to day. I can tell you some of my favorites, though. Clamavi de Profundis's version of the Song of Durin is breathtaking; Dancing Mad is the single best final boss theme in the history of gaming; Annie Lenox's Into the West has always reduced me to tears; and the Unledded version of Battle of Evermore is my current favorite classic rock song."

"You always were a sucker for the old stuff," Eve teased. "Can't you think of anything more modern? Say, from the 21st century?"

"The Song of Durin was released in 2017!" Aidan protested. "And Into the West was 2003."

"I'll give you Into the West, I guess, but Tolkein first wrote the Song of Durin in the nineteen-forties. Ancient!"

"Before this discussion descends into a sibling squabble," the Divinity's voice chorused, "let us move on. For the time being, one more question for Aidan: Are there any of thy friends or family from Earth who thou wishest were here to help thee? And, in a similar vein, dost thou know anyone who would be happy to be in thy situation?"

Aidan shook his head. "I'm trapped in a death game—no offense, Goddess, but it is true." The Brighaid waved off his comment. "I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. It has its redeeming qualities, and I wouldn't give up Brighid or Sunnild or Ailis—" Brighid's mother stiffened at looked at Aidan with wide eyes, "—but I don't think I know anyone who is really made for this situation."

"Very well." The Goddess ran her finger across her slate. "Oh, this will be interesting. The next several questions are for an ... unusual party." They waved Their free hand through the air, leaving behind a shimmer that resolved into the face of a human male with pale skin, brown hair, and a thick beard streaked with grey.

"Zurai," the Brighaid greeted the man, "I/we have reader questions for thee."

"Oh?" replied the human. "I wondered when someone would get meta about it. Okay, ask away."

"Wait, who are you?" asked Eve. "Who is he?" she repeated to the Brighaid.

"You can call me Zurai, and it is my duty to record the events surrounding the Chosen. Some would call me the author of your story, but we all know that you're real, not writing a page, of course." His smile was a bit sinister.

"Leave the poor mortals alone," the Brighaid scolded, "and answer the questions. First, what references to other stories are contained within thy annals?"

"Oh, too many to list. The chapter names are all from game soundtracks, and there have been references to a variety of games, movies, books, and shows. You could have asked Aidan about some of these—I'm only transcribing his words, after all."

"I may have slipped some Babylon 5 into my early meetings with the Starchaser Council," Brighid's love admitted. She had no idea what either of them was talking about but assumed it meant something to those of Aidan's world.

"You did not!" exclaimed Eve.

"'Summoned, I come,' I believe was the exact reference, mimicking Delenn's response to the Grey Council. I've wanted to quote, 'The avalanche has already started; it is too late for the pebbles to vote,' for a long time, but haven't had the chance yet."

"You are such a nerd."

You are reading story Paths of the Chosen at novel35.com

"Takes one to know one."

"Guilty as charged. But you're still a nerd!"

"Ahem. Settle down, children. Another question for our guest: How long will this tale last, and dost thou have an end in mind?"

The human named Zurai shrugged. "That depends on your Chosen more than me. I know some of the most likely endings to this story, but I do not control events, only transfer them to the page. If I had to make a guess, the tale would reach its conclusion after five volumes."

"So there is an ending to the story?" the Brighaid prodded.

"As much as any person's story ends, yes. Eventually, Aidan and his companions will either overcome enough obstacles to secure their future or succumb to the forces arrayed against them. In either case, though their lives might continue, the fulcrum of fate will have shifted, raising others to prominence. Besides, should all turn out well for them, they deserve a happy retirement, don't you think?"

"Thou already know my/our opinion on that matter," the Brighaid replied with a raised eyebrow. "Thank you for answering these questions; I will take no more of thy time."

"A pleasure," Zurai responded as his visage dispersed.

"Oh! More questions for me/us!" the Goddess exclaimed, reading from her lap. "Hmm. Do I/we have or want children, do I/we wish to join Aidan's harem, and a question regarding my/our gender. The order of those questions is curious but very well. First: I/we are three deities in one, and one of my/our aspects is male. Those gathered here know Him as Braihan; the aspects called Birgitte and Brigantia are female. I/we can take a male form, but as my/our Chosen is not romantically interested in males, I/we decided to present my/our femininity to ease interactions."

Aidan cocked his head. "I think that was wise. Given what you have done to me in my dreams, I'm a little relieved that I won't remember this when I wake up. I have no objection to men liking men, but the thought of a guy going down on me is ... weird."

The deity gestured at Aidan as if providing proof of her decision, then continued, "Thy other two questions are more complicated. I/we have no physical substance. I/we am/are Power. Other Powers share similarities with me/us in ways that mortals might define as familial, but such explanations lie orthogonal to the truth. As for joining Aidan's circle of lovers, as things stand now, such is neither possible nor wise." They turned Their focus to Aidan and asked him, "What dost thou recall of the way thy second visit to my/our realm ended?"

"Very little other than ecstasy. I don't even know what, exactly, happened, just that it melted my mind a bit."

The Brighaid nodded. "I/we banished thee from the Dreamlands before thy mind could be damaged. Left a little longer, thou wouldst become addicted, and not long after that, thy mind would be able to think of naught but the pleasure. Such it is with direct contact with Powers. There are ways to mitigate the effects, but they would require me/us to act upon the mortal world again. In addition, although in many ways I/we am/are the personification of love in all its forms, we Powers are not bound to the same cycle of needs that mortals are. My/our Champion is well-loved, and that is as satisfying for me/us as it needs to be."

Aidan nodded, sandwiched as he was between Brighid and Sunnild. "I'm fine with what I have anyway. I'm nowhere near arrogant enough to believe myself the equal of a goddess, and that kind of power gap doesn't make for a healthy relationship."

"Even so," the Goddess agreed. "Two more questions for me/us, then back to the rest of ye. One questioner wishes to know what a day in the life of a Power is like. Unfortunately, thou hast not the frame of reference to appreciate it. The closest approximation would be meditating in a chamber where you are constantly affected by countless stimuli, some pleasant, some deeply unpleasant, and promoting some over others only through the ripples caused by your meditation. That is an imperfect analogy, but the best I can offer.

"Another reader wishes to know what made me/us choose Aidan as my/our Champion. I/we did not so much choose him as he chose himself. When we Powers pierced the Void Between to bring forth the Chosen, we acted blindly; even we are limited in our ability to see through that non-place. Instead, we invested energy into the pathways that brought them to the Realms, such that the Chosen who best fit a Power's interests would gravitate towards that Power. In my/our case, I/we asked for one with an exceptional capacity for love, who is patient and caring even to those who would scorn him, and whose life would be improved with the love and adventure I/we would provide, but with no strong ties to the world he would leave behind."

"Objection!" exclaimed Aidan. "How do I qualify for that last one?"

The Brighaid shook Their finger at him. "Eve, thy sister and closest friend, was brought along with thee, and while thou miss thy parents, thou already left them behind once. Be not offended; 'tis always the way of the chick to leave the nest. If thy sister had not also been Chosen, likely that would have held thee back, but with her now here beside thee, no one on Earth holds such a strong claim on thy heart as to make thy life away from them unbearable."

Aidan settled back against Brighid's chest with a grunt. "I guess I can see that," he allowed. Brighid knew that being cut off from his parents hurt him, but not nearly as much as not knowing his sister's fate.

"What she's saying," Eve cut in, "is that if you'd just gotten yourself a good woman who you loved and who loved you back, you wouldn't be here."

"It's not like I didn't try!" he growled back. "I'm not like you; I can't just go into a bar and pick up anyone there—of either gender—I want!" Eve rocked back on her heels, a shocked expression on her face. Immediately, Brighid felt Aidan stiffen in her arms. "Shit. Shit, I'm sorry, Eve, you didn't deserve that."

"No, I did," she replied, "at least a little. I know that's a sore spot for you, and ... well, to be honest, after seeing you struggle with love, I mostly settled for lust. Believe it or not, I'm pretty sure I'm more gunshy than you are at this point."

"Eve..." Aidan's voice trailed off. "C'mere, sis," he said, gesturing her over to the cuddle pile. She hesitated, then slid over under her brother's offered arm. "I'm sorry I contributed to that, even inadvertently. You deserve love at least as much as I do."

"Not your fault," Eve sniffled, "but thanks. Things aren't looking great for me right now, though."

"I'll find you," Aidan promised. "We'll find you, then we'll find you someone who completes you. Knowing that you're out there... I'm the big brother; I'm supposed to protect you."

Brighid looked up from her Soulmate and his sister sharing their moment to see the Brighaid frowning at the slate in Their lap and tapping Their finger to Their lips. "The next three questions may be difficult for thee, Aidan, Eve."

"In what way?" Aidan asked, voice wary.

"They are addressed to thy parents. Before ye ask, I/we cannot bring them here; they were not Chosen. However, I/we can, hmm, borrow their semblances and mirror their thoughts for a short time. It would be similar to having them present, but not. I/we will leave it up to the two of ye whether to do so."

Eve and Aidan shared a look. "Even if it's not really them... I miss them," she whispered. Aidan nodded, then turned to the Goddess.

"Very well." The Brighaid rose from Their throne, moving to one of the walls. A door appeared there, and They placed Their hand on its surface. A moment later, it swung open to reveal a pair of humans. One was a huge man, taller and broader than Aidan, with a square jaw covered by a short, well-kept black beard and mustache. His build rivaled, even exceeded, Fionn's, his arms and legs bulging with muscles.

In front of him was a smaller woman with copper-colored hair. Her head only came up to her husband's pectorals, and her hips were barely broader than one of his thighs. She looked almost like a doll next to him, but Brighid could see in their body language that they were both completely at ease in the other's presence.

Both of them looked around the room as if in a daze. "Where...?" the woman murmured.

"Momma! Daddy!" Eve flung herself forward, stumbling to her feet and almost falling down again in her haste. She hurtled across the room and threw herself into the arms of her parents. Aidan was only a moment behind her, disentangling himself from Sunnild and Brighid before striding across the room.

"Daughter," the man said, his voice a basso rumble. He scooped Eve up in his arms and pulled her into a bear hug, enveloping her and her mother alike.

"Eve, oh my God, it's really you!" the woman exclaimed. "Oh, my baby, oh, thank God!" She looked up from the young woman in her arms. "Who are you?" she asked Aidan.

Brighid winced, but her love seemed to take it in stride. "It's me, Mom. Daniel. I know I look different, but it's me."

Aidan's father reached out a hand, tilting his son's chin up. He leaned down, looking into Aidan's red eyes, then swept him into the hug as well. "Son," he rumbled. "You're both safe now."

"Daniel?" his mother whispered. "How? What is happening? Oh, my babies, you're back!"

"I—we—I miss you," Aidan said, voice breaking. "I miss you both so much."

"We're right here; you don't have to miss us anymore."

"Yes, we do," Eve sniffled. "You're not really here. Heck, I'm not sure we're really here."

"Indeed," the Goddess cut in, "none of thee are here in body, and the two of ye, Seamus, Caitlin, even less so. I/we regret to inform that thy children must remain apart from thee for the time."

"Who are you to say such things?" Caitlin's tone was aggressive as she glared at the Brighaid.

"You would call me/us a Goddess, though the term means different things for ye than for me/us. Regardless, it is not possible for ye to reunite with thy children at this time, and thy time here is limited. Pray, give thy children what comfort ye may while ye answer these few questions. First, are ye actively searching for thy children?"

"Yes," Seamus answered.

"Of course we are! We've hardly done anything else since finding out they went missing!" Caitlin bristled at the question.

"Peace; I/we am/are merely the messenger, the questions originate not with me/us."

"The police called," explained Seamus. "We went to them, Cait got evidence, we are following it."

"They found some weird dried-up leaves in your pod-thing, Daniel. We're trying to figure out where they came from."

Aidan shuddered. "I... hope you never find out if they're what I think they are." Brighid shivered, remembering her own encounter with the Taig.

"Another question, then: If ye could join thy children in this world, knowing that you were leaving everything behind to do so, would ye?"

"Of—" Caitlin started to respond, but a rumble from her husband brought her up short. She craned her head up to look into his eyes, then turned her attention to her children. "Are you well? Do you need us?"

"No. Yes. I don't know," whimpered Eve. "Oh, Momma, I—" her voice faded into static.

"Please," Aidan said, "stay on Earth. I'll find Eve and protect her, I promise. I don't want you to be caught here with us; it's too dangerous."

"For us, but not you?" Seamus asked.

"Yes," Aidan confirmed. "I don't think I have time to explain, and you won't remember anyway, but until I can fulfill my goals here, I'd rather you were safe on Earth."

Caitlin was silent for a long moment, then asked, "You'll look after your sister?"

"I promise."

"Then, I'll trust you. You've always been so close, helped each other so much. If you're both here together, nothing can stop you."

"There is one final question, although I/we think it may be better to pose it to Aidan rather than ye. Aidan, would you like to introduce your parents to those you hold dear here?"

Aidan nodded and looked over his shoulder, gesturing to Brighid and Sunnild. "Dad, Mom, this is Brighid, my Soulmate, and Sunnild, our lover. I know they're not human, but—"

"Do you love them?" Caitlin interrupted him.

"Yes, I do, both of them."

"Do they make you happy? Do they love you back?" Aidan nodded. "Then they're family," Caitlin concluded, and a split-second later, Brighid felt a thick, warm arm wrap around her back and haul her into the group hug alongside Sunnild.

"And this is Ailis," Aidan continued. "We're still working out exactly what our relationship is, but I have feelings for her as well." A moment later, Brighid felt her mother pressed against her flank.

Eve let out a giggle. "You'd better stop before Dad Katamaris us into a star." Seamus's arms squeezed all of them tight for a breathless moment, then released them.

"You're not weirded out by them?" Aidan asked his parents.

Seamus shook his head silently, letting his wife answer, "Of course not. They're not what I ever expected from you, and I have no idea how you plan to keep three women happy, but they clearly know about each other. So long as everyone is happy, so am I. That's all we ever wanted for you. Just, um, let us know if we need to make any special accommodations when they visit."

Brighid had to giggle at that, and soon her mother and Sunnild joined her.

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