Chapter 66: Intermission: Q&A 1

Brighid

The Dreamlands

Fourthday, 3rd week of the 8th month, Age of the Chosen 1

Timeless

The Brighaid's Realm, Dreams of Passion

"I/we bid ye welcome, honored guests, to my/our Realm."

"What? Where?" Brighid sat up, observing the area around her, taking in the opulent bed, the braziers and throne, and the others in the room with her. Aidan was there, pressed up against her side as he had been when they went to sleep. So, too, was her mother. A human woman sat on the floor. Riama was there also, stretching and looking about with curiosity.

None of them surprised her so much as the figure reclining on the throne, however. Brighid's eyes widened. Aidan had described the Brighaid's appearance to her, but this was her first time seeing Them. She bent at the waist, pressing her face to the bed. "Divinity! Please forgive me!"

The deity laughed. "Be not afraid, Brighid Fireheart. I/we will harm none of ye, though I/we did bring ye here for my/our amusement."

They were interrupted by Aidan's yell. "Eve!" He sprang from Brighid's side and rushed over to the human woman, who looked up at him, confusion evident on her face.

"Daniel?" Aidan's sister stood up, looking him over. "So this is what you look like in the Realms. Where are you? I <static>!"

"I/we regret to inform ye," the Goddess in the room cut in, "that none of ye will recall the events of this night. Share whatever information thee will, but when thou awakest, thou wilst remember none of it. And as for ye, dear viewers," she looked up and addressed the empty air, "I/we will suppress any speech that ruins the fun to come. This eve's entertainment is only for reflections on what ye already know. No secrets shall be revealed this night."

They returned Their attention to Their guests. "Honored guests, make thyselves at home here in my/our Realm. If thou wishest any refreshment, thou hast but to hold out thy hand and think of it. Once all is to thy satisfaction, we will begin."

"Forgive me for my impertinence, Divinity," Ails lowered her head, "but begin what?"

The enigmatic entity smiled Their inscrutable smile. "Why, the answering of questions, of course! Though ye know it not, there are many eyes upon thine travels and struggles, and tonight they shall have their answers." Their kaleidoscopic eyes glinted, and They continued, "Make no mistake: answer ye will. I/we will not harm thee, but I/we will compel compliance, should it be needed."

Then They were all smiles again. "But enough of that! Let us begin!" The deity held out Their hand, and a rectangular piece of metal appeared in it. They pressed at the edges, and the rectangle opened up on hidden hinges. The Brighaid directed Their attention at the unfolded piece of metal in Their lap, then looked up. "The first question is for thee, Aidan. Will thou attempt to seek out thy sister, and if so, where will thee start thy search?"

"Of course!" Brighid's love replied without hesitation. "I can't leave her alone out there. And, to be honest," he said, looking at Eve, "I could use your help, Sis. You were always better at planning and organizing than I was. I wish I knew where to look, though, or even what you look like in the Realms." He shot a glare at his Patron. "I can't help but notice that her avatar isn't here while mine is." The Brighaid shrugged and spread Their hands.

"All I know is that you're somewhere in the Highlands, same as me, but from looking at Fionn's map, that's like saying we're both somewhere in the Midwest."

"I'm a <static>, and I'm currently <static>," Eve said, then grimaced and shot the deity a glare of her own. Turning her attention back to her brother, she hugged him. "I guess I can't tell you anything useful, and you wouldn't remember it anyway."

"Indeed, that is the case," the Brighaid said. "Next question, this one for Riama:" The cat perked up at that. "How old are you? And how big will you grow up to be?"

Riama turned her black-furred head to look at Aidan. "She says she's three years old, and that—I'm not going to tell them that! I do not! Ugh, fine, none of us will remember this anyway. She also says that she won't grow much bigger because I starve her. She's demanding that I feed her a whole steak or large fish every day so that she'll grow up big and strong."

Aidan rolled his eyes. "From everything I know about cats, you're already as big as you're going to get, you rascal." Riama snorted and turned her head away from Aidan. "Next question, please, Patron."

The Brighaid nodded. "Indeed. For Brighid: If Aidan could acquire or create revealing or transparent armor that provided the same protection as that thou already wear, would thou use it instead, knowing he enjoys the view?"

Brighid felt herself blushing scarlet. What kind of question...? She looked at her love; he was blushing as well. Eve looked between them, surprise on her face. "Wait, wait. My brother, the bachelor, has a girlfriend here already? And she's a centaur? Whaaaaat? I don't know whether to be proud or weirded out."

"Answer the question, love," Aidan urged her.

Brighid shrugged and answered, "If it protected me exactly as well as my current armor, I would not switch without my Lord's request. I made my Sunsteel armor with my own hands, working under my old master's guidance. It has sentimental value to me. If it provided more protection? Yes, I would switch. I do not care if anyone else sees my body; it is Aidan's alone to touch. Let others wish and dream as they will." The smile Aidan gave her was all the reward she needed.

"Interesting," the Brighaid said. "Oh, and the next question is for me/us! How unexpected. 'Could you give Aidan the ability to do the aforementioned, or give it to him as a reward?'" They tilted Their head up to look at the ceiling again. "Well, of course, I/we could! I/we am/are a Power; there is little outside of mine/our grasp. However, I/we think perhaps thy question was worded poorly, and that thou wished to know whether I/we would do such a thing. In answer to that: read on." They smirked. "No spoilers!"

"An inquest for Aidan, although I/we think Ailis may be better prepared to answer: How is Aidan's Psyche holding up?"

Ailis looked to Aidan. "May I, my Lord?" He nodded. Ailis cast her diagnostic spell and put her hands on Aidan's forehead. A moment later, she said, "Well, you are doing better than the last time I did this. You are no longer clinging to sanity by a thread. There are still significant cracks and stresses all across your Psyche, though. Everything feels like it is held together by hope and prayer."

She looked at Aidan with concern. "Please, my Lord, you have done well in getting help for the rest of your team. Do not throw that away by trying to tough it out yourself." She reached up to rest her palm against his cheek. "Because you will not remember this, I can do and say this here."

Ailis leaned forward, pressing her torso to Aidan's, and captured his lips with a kiss. Aidan's eyes widened in shock, but they closed after a moment, and he leaned into the kiss. Brighid smiled as she watched the two most important people in her life entwine in an intimate embrace.

Eve sidled over to her and asked, "Sooo... you're not upset by that?" She gestured at Aidan and Ailis.

Brighid shook her head. "No, why should I be? I know beyond any possibility of doubt that he loves me and always will. Why would I deny others the opportunity to love him as I do? I lose nothing by it, and the man I love gains so much. You heard how badly he is hurting inside; if another's love helps him heal in ways that I cannot do alone, how would it be right for me to deny that to him out of selfishness?"

Eve cocked her head. "So you want him to have, what, a harem? Be surrounded by nubile women who serve him hand and foot to wash all his cares away?"

"Would that be so bad? Besides, if Aidan is surrounded by beautiful women, then so am I."

Eve barked a laugh. "Okay, you got me there, sister-in-law. I can see the appeal now that you put it that way."

Aidan and Ailis's kiss grew steamier. Their hands explored beneath each others' clothes now, and when Aidan's hand slid up to cup his partner's breast, she broke off the kiss and arched her head backward. "I curse myself every day," Ailis panted, "for swearing the Oath I did. It has placed a wall between us that I very much wish did not exist."

"I would have accepted a lesser oath," Aidan agreed as he kissed Ailis's exposed throat. "This is really the way you feel? No tricks, no ploys?"

"What good would they do when none of us will remember this?" Ailis's long fingers combed through Aidan's hair, guiding him to spots that caused her to sigh and moan.

Eve cleared her throat and turned to the Goddess. "Well, while that's happening, do you have any questions for the rest of us?"

The Brighaid smiled and nodded. "Indeed. This next is for myself/ourselves once more. The writer asks: What is the metaphysical connection between the two worlds? People can transit back and forth, at least for a time, so it isn't a case of a one-way portal."

The Goddess smiled a cat-caught-the-canary grin. "What makes thee think there are but two worlds involved? We Powers worked through the Void Between, and that non-place lies betwixt all places and all times. I/we cannot answer thy question in full, as thy understanding of the concepts involved is like unto an ant digging a nest at the root of a mountain.

"Suffice to say that the workings were many and complex, taking millennia of collected faith and manna pooled from all the Realms' Powers. The connections we forged were not instantaneous, inasmuch as that word has any meaning in the Between, but they require uninterrupted contact betwixt the realms they joined. A death," Their eyes slid to Eve, "or another significant disruption on either side of the juncture severs the link."

"Now then, the next question is for Aidan, so I/we require thine attention once more, Champion." Aidan looked up and blushed. He stepped back from Ailis with evident reluctance, leaving Brighid's mother disheveled and flushed, but smiling.

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"Ah, yes, of course, Patron. I am ready."

"Are thou happy that thy sister is here in the Realms with thee? What would thou tell her if thou saw her and she yet clung to her first life?"

Aidan's face fell, and Brighid's heart with it. She knew that he still struggled with being trapped here, so far from his homeland. "I..." Aidan started, then stopped and sighed. "I don't know the answer to that, in all honesty. A part of me is happy that I'm not entirely cut off from my family, but another part of me is terrified for her. Earth is a much safer place than here as the pawn on a board we can't even see. I love you, Sis; you've been my best friend for almost all of my life. But knowing that you're here but not here, with me, makes my stomach churn."

"As for what I would tell you if you haven't died yet?" Tears fell from his eyes, spilling down his cheeks, as Aidan looked at his sister. "Log out and don't come back. Leave me here. If you die here, you're stuck. Maybe not forever, but for a long, long time."

Eve shook her head wordlessly and hugged Aidan again. The two shared a quiet moment, and even the deity left them to it.

"A question for Ailis: If Aidan got the ability to impregnate centaurs, would thou be willing to bear his child?" The Brighaid blinked and ran her finger across the surface of the metal object in her lap. "Yes, that question is for Ailis. How curious. Well?"

Brighid's mother shook her head slowly. "Even if my liege Lord were to take me to bed, I would prefer he directed his reproductive efforts elsewhere. I have been a poor enough mother to one child. I do not wish to inflict myself upon another. I would not mind being a grandmother, though. Say, daughter, is your heat not coming upon you soon?"

"Too soon," Brighid agreed, sadness filling her voice. "My Lord is skilled at many things, but I fear that even he will be unable to find a solution in so short a time. It will be another two years after before my time comes again."

The Brighaid wore an enigmatic smile as she asked the next question. "To Aidan once more, in much the same vein as previously: How dost thou feel now that thy sister is with thee? Art thou happy that she can see how awesome some of this world is? Scared of how dangerous it can be? Nervous because thou hast no idea whether thou shouldst protect thy sister from the world or the world from thy sister?"

Aidan snorted. "The latter, for sure. Weren't you voted 'most likely to become an evil overlord' in high school, Eve?"

"Yup!" She beamed. "Damn straight! Galadriel was a pussy for turning down the One Ring. All shall love me and despair!"

"See what I mean?" Aidan asked the room at large. "As for the rest of it, asked and answered. It's all a big jumble of emotions. If we could leave as we like and weren't caught in the middle of some giant conspiracy of beings beyond our ability to comprehend, I'd be ecstatic. As it is? Worried sick."

"Another question for thee, Champion: How far wouldst thou go to get a child upon Brighid? Where wouldst thou draw the line?"

Aidan cocked his head and looked at Brighid. "I wouldn't ritually sacrifice someone or anything if that's what's being asked. I wouldn't attack a dragon its lair or challenge a deity—nothing absurdly reckless and nothing evil. Other than that? I made a promise, even if it wasn't taken as an oath. If my children are something you want, flame of my heart, then my children you'll have."

"Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?" Eve cut in. "No offense, but this is an about-face for you, Daniel."

Aidan shrugged. "I guess I never met the right woman before. It's always been in my mind, but I never progressed far enough to take the risk with any of my previous girlfriends."

"And yet, how long have you known her?"

"About a month?" Aidan shrugged

"I repeat: who are you, and what have you done with my brother?" She smirked up at him.

"Your brother died, Eve. Twice. My priorities have shifted a bit." Eve recoiled as if slapped.

"I'm—Oh, God, I'm so sorry. I didn't know, didn't think—"

"No, it's OK, Eve, I know you're just teasing. Sorry for snapping at you." The siblings shared another hug.

"Another question then, this time for thee, Eve." The Goddess read the question, frowned, then reread it. "Well, the answer will be interesting anyway. The question is: what are thy thoughts on incest?"

Eve blinked and shook her head. "I'm sorry, what? What does that have to do with anything? I refuse to answer."

"But thou must," replied the Brighaid.

"Ughhh. Fine. Incest in general? As long as it's between two consenting adults—strongest possible emphasis on consenting and adults!—I have no problem with other people loving whoever they love. For me, personally? No thanks. I love my dad, and I love my brother, but they don't turn me on. Although," she eyed Aidan, "you did do a pretty good job with the old nip-and-tuck in the character creator, Brother. If you looked that good back on Earth, you'd have to fight the ladies off. I didn't even recognize you at first; that beard changes your jawline. But still no."

"Another question for Aidan, then. With access to thy Place of Power, dost thou see thyself prioritizing a different school of magic over thy current Fire specialization?"

Aidan nodded. "I made a commitment to the gargoyles to master Animamancy, so that's high on my list. And since Beast Magic involves altering the physical properties of creatures and creating new species, one of the routes I'm considering for a different promise will require me to work on that as well." Brighid felt the blush rush to her cheeks, but it was a happy embarrassment. She smiled at her lover and mouthed her thanks.

"Very well," the Brighaid said, "there is but one final question. I/we think this will be best answered by Aidan and Eve, though it is addressed to all. On the classical Dungeons and Dragons alignment chart, where do ye place each of us?"

Aidan pointed at his sister and spoke without hesitation, "Chaotic Neutral. Sorry sis, but you're mischief personified. Most of your pranks are just for amusement, but I've seen enough to know you've got a mean streak in you too."

Eve shrugged. "Guilty as charged, Your Honor. You're definitely Neutral Good; you're willing to break some eggs for the omelet if you have to, but you still care about rules. And you're definitely more of a goody-two-shoes than you should be. As for the rest of this lot, I don't know any of them well enough to judge, so I'll leave that to you, Daniel."

He nodded and turned to Brighid. "I'd put you somewhere between Neutral Good and Chaotic Good. You're reckless at times and willing to do what you believe is right, even if it means flying in the face of society's rules. Actually, yeah, let's goo all the way Chaotic for you. I think that you'd break every law there is to right a wrong, and your sense of justice is pretty well-calibrated."

He turned to Ailis. "You're a little harder to place because I'm never sure I've seen the real you. At first, I would have put you at Lawful or Neutral Evil; you have demonstrated willingness to sacrifice others for your ambitions, but no outright defiance of the law. Since then, I've seen some things that make me want to shift that a little closer to True Neutral. You're trying to do what is best for the most people, but you're still ruthless about it, enough that I'm still not completely comfortable with your motivations despite the Oath you swore."

Ailis hung her head. "I understand, my Lord. All I can say is that I want to be better, and I hope that you will continue to help me toward that goal as you have so far."

"As long as you show an earnest desire to improve, I will be happy to help," Aidan told her. The two hadn't moved far apart since their earlier embrace, so Aidan reached out and pulled Ailis into a kiss.

"And what of thy familiar?" the Brighaid asked before Aidan could get too distracted.

"She's a cat, which makes her automatically Chaotic Evil. Yes, I hear your objections. I'm sure every cat believes themself to be an angel, but the rest of us know the truth. You're a very lovable Chaotic Evil, but that's as far as I'm willing to go. Yes, I'm sure I'll be glad that you won't remember this; the promised retaliation is only proving my point."

Riama let out a huffing breath and turned her back on her master.

"And with that," the Goddess broke in, "I/we must bring these proceedings to a close. As I/we stated, none of thee will remember this, but I/we have some leeway as a Power over love and passion." They smiled at Aidan and Ailis. "The two of ye will wake up with the tatters of a passionate dream involving the other teasing at the edges of thy thoughts. No details, alas, but a lingering sense that maybe there is something there. 'Tis a gift from me to thee. Now, return to thy usual sleep." The Goddess gestured; Brighid felt her thoughts grow fuzzy and her eyelids droop. Within moments, her thoughts dissolved into the oblivion of dreamless sleep.

Zurai

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Paths of the Chosen will continue with the start of Book 2, titled Champion, on 9/28/20.

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