NOVEL SIMPLE Ch. 18 Nighttime Revelations (Devin/Cecilia)
The number of refugees was a bittersweet thing for Devin to experience. On one hand, it meant that a majority of the citizens of Brynville survived the goblin incursion, but that meant that the interior of the fortress was quite crowded. The bright side was it gave Devin a chance to interview a few survivors and get a clearer picture of what had happened that day. He heard frightening tales of a swarm of green that pried their way through the city gates and slaughtered the unprepared guard force. Through the tales of death, pain, and fear, Devin was also able to piece together a fair amount of information about the goblins themselves.
Like the fact that they had come with pre-lit torches in the middle of the day, did all of their fighting out in the streets while avoiding entering homes that weren’t illuminated from within, or how they seemed more intent on fortifying structures they invaded rather than killing the fleeing townsfolk. All in all, the testimonies of the people he spoke to solidified Devin’s suspicions that something was amiss with the whole situation. It sounded like the goblins were afraid of something and in desperation to find somewhere to hide, but what could do that to a group of heartless monsters? A part of Devin had to acknowledge that it might be better to never find out.
Such thoughts plagued Devin’s mind as he rolled out his party’s sleeping bags over a hastily assembled pile of dirty hay in the corner of a large assembly hall in the heart of the fort. He busied himself straightening the thick fabric while Cecilia sat down heavily across from him with a large frown.
“Something wrong?” Devin glanced up at her. “Where’s your bodyguard?”
“Getting our dinner for us. Apparently she doesn’t want me wandering around like a little child and sent me over to stay here until she returns.” Cecilia threw up her hands. “Where does she get the nerve to boss me around like that? Last I checked, between the two of us, I’m the one who should be giving orders.”
“You didn’t listen to me before so I’ll say it again.” Devin said patiently as he continued to assemble their sleeping arrangements. “All of Kaitlyn’s feelings for and about you are multiplied tenfold compared to what you expect. You were jealous when Kaitlyn brought up the fortress commander.”
“No I wasn’t.” Cecilia’s face grew red and she stubbornly crossed her arms defensively over her chest.
Devin shook his head and smiled. “Yeah you were. You tried to get back at her but drastically underestimated how she would react.”
Cecilia grumbled something under her breath, but didn’t argue.
“It was cute, but you’ll need to figure out how much teasing Kaitlyn can take before she’ll wake up in the middle of the night and suffocate someone because she feels her place next to you being threatened.” Devin finished making their beds and dusted off his hands.
“And furthermore-”
Devin was no longer standing inside of Fort Steel. Instead he found himself within a familiar bed chamber. Devin turned to find the grinning goddess of lust lounging on her bedspread. Her dark hair was tied up above her head in an elaborate bun. Her nightgown had been replaced by a crimson dress that was low cut and short, showing off a criminal amount of skin.
“You couldn’t wait till I was done with my conversation?” Devin grumbled.
Eros laughed and sat up. “My mistake, but to be fair I should have full priority for your attention.”
Devin sighed and leaned up against one of the solid wood wardrobes along the wall right behind him.
“So what do you want?”
“I can’t just call up my favorite champion and see his beautiful face?” Eros pouted.
Devin shook his head. “I highly doubt that’s why you summoned me here.”
Eros giggled again and sat up a little straighter as the discussion turned to business.
“As you know the powers I give to you will slowly become unlocked in time as the bond between us grows.”
Devin nodded. Eros had informed him of all of this when they first spoke. The goddess took a breath and continued.
“What I didn’t tell you is one of the ways our bond can grow is if you create energy that sustains me in my role as goddess. For example, that high priest fellow that belongs to Hausta helped plant many of the fields around the Fevelian Kingdom’s capital. That act brought a lot of power and longevity to his patron since Hausta is the goddess of harvest. The act or worship performed by mortals is what allows the gods and goddesses to maintain their divinity throughout all time.”
“Right.” Devin narrowed his eyes. “But I’m not about to create feelings of lust into people for you.”
“I didn’t expect you to.” Eros looked directly at Devin and he could tell she wasn’t lying to him. “I know your loyalty to your wife is unshakable. That’s the reason I didn’t bother telling you about this method of strengthening our bond.”
“So where are you going with this?” Devin asked curiously.
“I received a surge of energy earlier today that came directly through someone’s feelings for you.” Eros let out a single laugh, like she couldn’t believe her own words. “I know this means little to you but the fact that I can tell who exactly this energy was directed towards is incredibly unique. The world is constantly buzzing with mortals, creatures, and monsters all worshiping some deity in one way or another. So much noise makes it nearly impossible to differentiate one energy signature from another. Yet a short time ago I received an incredible blast, clear as day, directed right at you.”
Devin tried to think back on the events over the past day. It didn’t make any sense. His day had been nothing but travel, fighting, and fleeing. Neither Cecilia or Kaitlyn showed any indication of sudden infatuation with him. So where…
“The familiar?” Devin looked up at Eros. “Was it whoever sent that bird to spy on us?”
The goddess shook her head.
“Unfortunately I don’t know.” She rushed to continue before Devin could protest. “It’s not that simple. Like I said the world is a torrent of constant flux. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where a specific source of energy is.”
Devin sighed but Eros held up a finger. “I said it would be hard. Not impossible. Give me some time and I’ll track down where this mysterious energy surge came from. In the meantime I wanted to explain the lucky side of this unforeseen development.”
“Lucky?” Devin raised an eyebrow.
“Of course. Like I said, our bond will grow over time, but this sudden surge directed at you has acted as a shortcut to unlocking your potential... Part of it at least.” She added with a smile.
“An improvement on ‘Center of Attention’?”
Devin had already recognized the strength of the skill. While Cecilia’s offensive spell casting had been key to holding off the goblin hoard the only reason they were able to keep the goblins off of her was the skill Eros had blessed him with.
“A brand new skill.” Eros beamed. “I’m dubbing it, ‘Eros’ Retribution’. In the event someone close to you is attacked you can activate retribution to strike at the foe with an enhanced attack. The stronger your connection with the person you’re defending, the more powerful the retaliation.”
“I’m not very good with the sword.” Devin admitted.
The skill sounded incredibly useful, but Devin was concerned that he wouldn’t be able to use this new power effectively.
“Just like the princess’ mana consumption, that sort of skill comes with time.” Eros said cheerfully. “I’m already impressed with how well you can avoid swords swung in your direction.”
“I’ve had… practice with that.” Devin grimaced as memories flashed through his mind.
Eros nodded. “I know your journey has only just begun but I want you to know that you’re doing well. I’ll call on you again when I find out more about your secret admirer.”
The goddess gave Devin a friendly wave of her hand, pulled her legs up bashfully to her chest where she held them as she sat on the bed, and snapped her fingers. In an instant, Devin was returned to Fort Steel.
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Cecilia
In the dead of night Cecilia heard the noise she had been waiting for. Next to her, Kailtyn slowly lifted herself out of her sleeping bag and onto her feet in the dark. Before her bodyguard could slink away Cecilia called out to her.
“Kaitlyn?”
The young woman froze at the sound of her friend’s voice.
“Y-yeah?” She asked with a dry throat.
“You’re not sneaking off to strangle the commander in his sleep… right?” Cecilia knew full well that’s what her bodyguard intended thanks to Devin’s warning.
Kaitlyn’s reply was delayed and very quiet.
“.......... No.”
Cecilia sighed and lifted her blanket up above her. “Come here.”
Kaitlyn froze, but lowered herself into Cecilia’s bed without arguing.
“There.” The princess said as she held Kaitlyn in place with her arm draped over her. “Just sleep here until morning. There’s no need to go anywhere else.”
Even in the darkness Cecilia could tell Kaitlyn was blushing incredibly hard.
“Okay…” She said with a shaky voice.
After a few minutes the tension in Kaitlyn’s body slipped away and the bodyguard pulled herself into Cecilia’s embrace. The pair dozed off to sleep happily side by side.
