Sailing Ether Tides

Sailing Ether Tides

Ch: 49 We’re Gonna Have A Good Time, Then…

Lindsey woke alone in a snug, cozy bedroom, with a linen covered basket sitting on the bedside table, a clay jug and cup sitting nearby.

A tempting, soothing scent rose from the jug, the unmistakable scent of hot cocoa…

“It’s freshly whipped, sit up and drink some if you can.” A man’s voice whispered from the dim shadows in the corner.

“I’d strongly recommend the marshmallows… and the churros, don’t sleep on the churros.”

She found herself sitting up and reaching for the jug even as he spoke. The basket did, in fact, hold a paper sleeve filled with hot, sugary logs of fried dough; just as there was a small mound of white, fluffy, irregular cubes, already placed in the cup.

With a gasp of dread, she snatched the covers back over her body… horrified by the hidden man’s gaze. Belatedly she realized she was clothed; in pajamas of the smoothest, softest, most delicate silk she’d ever dared dream of touching…

Which, she realized with a sinking feeling, felt even more violating than if she’d been bare before his eyes.

“My daughter, Amy bathed and dressed you. She’s really taken a liking to you…” He spoke softly, as though that would make up for having apparently read her mind.

“I can’t read your mind, honey, but I’ve been where you are… and where I am, many times before.” He sighed sadly.

“I’m Gary, Barry’s dad… and probably the world’s foremost expert on what you’re going through. Trust me, cocoa helps more than anything else.” The hidden figure sighed and slowly moved out into the light, or perhaps the light discovered where he’d been hiding and rushed over to greet him…

“Sorry, I’m naturally spooky.” The big, goofy, care worn image of an older Barry said; with a hapless, half mad smile on his face, one that was also… weirdly comforting. She found him terrifying… and tranquil.

Somehow he loomed large in the room, dominating it and merging with the shadows to press in on her. Yet it felt comforting, like the press of bodies in the chow line at mess in the orphanage… the bodies of her brothers and sisters all around her.

It felt exactly like that, as though a vast legion of familiar, comforting souls were gathered close around.

“You’re Barry’s father? Master Ward, please forgive my lapse in professional…” The shady giant raised his hand and silenced her, somehow.

“I owe you a debt, for caring for my son, and for the way you were misused under my roof… As. My Guest… Again.”

A sudden wash of almost physical heat and fury radiated out from the strange, awful man… and then receded, replaced by that welcoming crowd of bodies that were certainly not there.

“Sorry, I’m cool… All right, you know your Contract was severed by your former patron, right?” His shift into a businesslike and warmly brisk attitude jarred her for a moment; before she felt herself swept away by the odd cadence of his speech.

“I may need to lay down a little blasphemy; so please don’t freak out and get mad at me…”

#

She slipped into a relaxed state as he went on and on, she followed his loose, almost chanted style of narration. He spun a strange tale of men and women who fell to the world from elsewhen and everywhere… Lost souls, doomed to be pawns in a game of another’s design.

He hinted at unclean acts against what should not and could not be sullied and endings for what should have been eternal. He whispered in her ear of blasphemies made sacred by divine will and deities driven to acts of folly by unguessable forces with equally unknowable results.

“...in the end, the real reward of our Adventure was found in good friends, fond memories and the sublime pleasure of kicking someone you hate, square in their godsdamned gooch.”

She slipped into slumber, soothed by the cocoa and the mad, silly, tragically hilarious fable he’d told her.

“What a silly, terrible man…” She murmured to the plush owlbear in her bed. The fluffy toy smelt wonderful… like a warm, cuddly boy.

#

“Cocoa and duskmoon marshmallows are the best thing for what ails her. Let her sleep and in the morning maybe she’ll be up and around.” Gary yawned at Barry, Amy, Becky and Shai.

“Why’d you put her in my room?” Barry asked his father nervously.

“Hospitality is a duty, son.” He answered, just as he always had when he’d sent the boys to bunk elsewhere to accommodate guests.

In this case they had tons of empty rooms, since the vibe had shifted and most folks wanted to sleep someplace less… ominous.

“Besides, I didn’t put her in there, I thought you did.” His dad grinned at him, the stupid, goofy grin he always wore when he was feeling untethered and nervous. “Pretty bold move, big if true.”

Barry turned a slightly furious gaze on Amy, who grinned as well and nodded. “Yup, guilty. But don’t worry, I left a note telling her to definitely not just randomly start snooping around… so everything’s fine.” Amy smiled winsomely and blinked her eyes at him.

“Did I mess up?”

“You suck, Ames.” He sighed, relief flooding him as he realized Amy was just messing around, he slumped down into his chair. “You had me going there.”

#

Lindsey Woke after a brief time, as the strange man’s soothing presence faded away and her body demanded she move about, after lying still so long. Her right pocket crinkled when she moved; it held something that hadn’t been there before…

She reached in and found a parchment scroll wrapped around a bottle. Setting the bottle aside for later, because it had a paper bag over it that said ‘for later’... and so she unrolled the scroll on Barry’s wide workbench.

#

Lindsey had seen the Aranea’s Secret catalogs before, of course; but she’d never thought of actually wearing such things herself, even though some of the things were within the reach of even a humble acolyte of…

She halted that line of thought and went back to paging through the stash of colorful and titillating things.

Some pages were folded down for easy reference; she giggled to herself, while stealing a naughty little peek into what boys like.

There were no real surprises, save that Barry seemed to delight in smooth, seamless, minimally embellished things, when draped over a tall, slim model… not unlike what she found herself dressed in…

She shuddered her way through a guilty little frisson of pleasure, as she found evidence that not all boys care only for how big a girl’s boobs might be… Or at least he was flexible on the issue, judging by the dispersal of the folded pages.

She stuffed the catalogs back away, careful to place them in the exact order specified in Amy’s note. With a superior smile, she closed the hidden buttons to conceal the chubby toy’s very natural and not even slightly embarrassing secret.

With a smug, eager little grin on her face, she followed the Admiral’s map to the next location, a cunningly hidden false drawer bottom in his workbench.

There, she found pages and pages of poetry, not the kind of drivel every girl dreams a boy would pen for her; instead she found the private musings of a sensitive soul, contemplating nature and the world around him.

In that secret drawer, she found a few brief stanzas of unrhymed verse, describing the waterfall in the private baths. Another waxed on about the way dew gathered on the roses in early spring, during those breathless, still moments before dawn.

With gentle reverence she replaced them and secured the cover, just as described. She felt a tender and soft little smile replace her grin of naughty glee, but was too engrossed in her quest to consider that.

Admiral Amy’s Super Secret, Girls Only Treasure Map Of Fun™ led her slowly around the room, revealing the small treasures of a childhood lived well and remembered fondly. Shiny or unusual pebbles, stray feathers found in the woods and fossils, such as wanderers in stony, forgotten places sometimes found were tucked in among odder mementos.

There were thunder eggs, carefully sawed open and polished, semi precious gems and samples of unusual metals or woods in trays and cubbies all around her. A stash of monster parts shocked her, when she slid open that shallow, covered tray.

There were teeth, tusks, bones and accreted objects of all kinds; from shining, iridescent pearls to, her trained healer’s eye suspected… a kidney stone from some monstrous and no doubt uncomfortable beast.

Samples of hair, fur, wool, chitin and shell of every sort were all neatly labeled in tiny boxes. There was even a very tidy, mad wizard’s lab in miniature. She found a selection of alembics, grinders, vessels, a tiny furnace and other tools of the apothecary's and alchemist’s art, all neatly stowed and well used.

She began to feel guilty, pawing through the boy’s secrets with a treasure map in hand, guiding her to all the best things.

At last she crawled back into the sweet boy’s bed and opened the small bottle she’d found in her pajama pocket with the map, when she woke. The label read in clear script:

The marshmallows were dosed with a drug. I switched them out so you could stay up a little and play our game…

Now you should take your medicine and go to bed, sister.

A.

Duskmoon pollen was nothing new or frightening to her, she’d taken it regularly since her moons began, to ease the cramping and discomfort, while providing restful sleep.

The clot of big white flakes melted on her tongue, bringing that familiar sweet, faintly herbal and floral taste of honeysuckle, then blissful sleep without dreams.

#

Eponna flaunted her equine form at the injured goddess, prancing up to the golden pavilion Healer had erected, just for this meeting. The equine goddess let her mane and tail fly, streaming out in cosmic, eldritch radiance across the eternal meadow.

“It amuses me to answer your summons, human goddess of Healers. The herd will hear your words… once your lackey answers my questions. Hers is the penance to pay, since she… demanded I attend her mistress so… boldly.”

She snuffled in dissatisfaction at Ermet, mistress of Herbs, Remedies, Traditional and Folkway Healing.

“As to you, I have business with you, before the herd hears your mistress’ plea…” Her nostrils flared and her hooves stamped the turf as she gazed on the divine.

“Some few of my human cultists are dabbling in your arts… and have been for some time, yet you do not bless their works nor aid their researches…” She shook her mane out in frustration.

“I know nothing of these things, but some of my favored children have been pleased by their crafts and wonder that you do not aid them.”

She fixed a huge, starry eye on the smaller deity and snuffled. “Answer this as the price of my attendance, but swiftly, for I am Motion and Swiftness In Action...”

“What? Herbal remedies for horses?” She demanded in absolute puzzlement.

“This is no craft of mine. Should lord Iwakamutsukari No Mikoto take interest in the preparation of animal feed? Or shall lord Caduceus don the veterinarians’ apron?”

Eponna shook herself all over and immediately lost interest in the lesser goddess, turning to Dana instead.

“The penance is paid. My attention is yours… for a moment, goddess of humans.”

She stood still as a statue, while exuding the energy of a mighty bow, drawn to its limit and an arrow, an instant before taking flight.

“We have aligned interests, you and I.” Dana gasped, her eyes rolling wildly under her fevered brow.

“You were the first to lay a curse on it, on that thing that Marduk dotes on so disgustingly… Aid me in destroying it and working our shared vengeance… don’t deny it, I saw your curse on that creature before any other. I’ve been watching, watching for so long from mortal eyes…”

Panting and desperate, Dana even lowered herself to meet eyes with the beast goddess, which should have impressed her suitably…

“You mean GaryWard, my blessed, cursed, beloved, Shadowmounted fool?” She asked, blinking her wide, starry eyes in confusion.

“Yes, I cursed him, that wherever my children cross his path, his path shall lead onto a fresh and welcoming pile of my children’s leavings… It’s a prank of delicious wit and whimsy…” She whinnied merrily, casting equine laughter into the endless void above.

“I’d planned to release him, when the jest ran its course… But your clan demanded a curse from mine, for your vile stew of petty vengeance, so I left it in place, harmless to all save his footwear, to confound your Will.”

She flicked her tail and snuffled at the injured goddess with unconcealed amusement, when she seemed incapable of understanding the depth and richness of her little joke…

“Then take up one of my followers, whose Contract I snipped, unintentionally in my current distress…” She barked angrily.

“Lindsey of Foresthome, former acolyte of Dana. She will serve you ably and you can work my will through her… I grant you the remnants of her Contract freely, do what you will with her to make that thing suffer.”

Dana carelessly tossed out a small, golden chain, six links long; its first ring twisted out of shape and barely clinging to the others.

It landed on the meadow, among the perfect wildflowers, glinting and sparkling in starlight that never waned, begging to be picked up by the golden goddess who’d tossed it out, tossed her out.

“She is perhaps of some use to you… take vengeance through her.”

Behind Dana, Baba Yaga’s taloned hands opened and closed spasmodically at the sight of those shining links, unnoticed by all save the equine deity, snuffling in distaste and sour amusement at the gathered human divines.

Eponna assumed her human form; gloriously nude, of course… Her hair flying out in a long banner of the night sky, in all its glory, flickering with auroras and alien moons.

She bent reverently, in mocking allusion to a bow for the human goddess and took up the broken chain with a delicate touch.

“You cast aside precious gifts, given from an earnest heart… I see now why you could not ride the Shadowmounted… He is too wild and honorable a steed for your arse to bestride.”

She collected her trinket and slipped it into her hair. There, it winked and sparkled even more brightly, where it should have vanished, among those glorious, celestial bodies.

“Those who have no skill with curses should leave them alone, for a curse always exacts a price.” She smiled, showing wide, square, white teeth in a beautiful and honest equine smile of pleasure.

“Always, save when it is retribution for a deed foully done or an attack on one who bears no malice… Then the price is to be paid by the foolish aggressor.”

Her high tailed, prancing departure was abrupt, rude and perfectly timed, as another being had come calling on the wounded goddess…

From high above, or terribly close by, the Devourer of Souls loomed over her… and her alone. Only Dana saw a red, blazing and churning nebula of winking stars that flared into life, dimmed and flickered out, only to reignite again and again, floating above her realm, overshadowing it and casting a dim, red radiance over her golden meadows.

#

Lady Dana stared up at the empty void above, gazing into the never for a timeless few moments; no doubt contemplating the sublime and ineffable glory and grace she rained down on the race of men… Caduceus was beginning to grow concerned, when she turned back to her loyal physician and smiled wanly.

“Bring me Ward… He will serve.”

#

Lindsey flailed and drifted in an endless, empty void, lightless, featureless, neither hot nor cold… and silent. So silent her own heartbeat was stilled… which was terrifying all by itself…

Never before had she dreamt at all, under the influence of duskmoon… usually she would have dreamless sleep for several nights after a single dose. That this was a simple nightmare seemed unlikely, yet there was nothing she could do… no act to take, no cue to find an exit from this endless, hopeless, black… until with a vague and feeble flicker at the edge of her perceptions she was…

Riding bareback under a glorious starry night sky, astride a horse that ran tirelessly across a wide meadow that would never end! The wind rushed over her skin; her shoulder length brown hair streaming out behind her, in a pale reflection of the splendid, celestial mane that waved and rippled all around her body.

Radiant energies, rather than horsehair, caressed her with an intimacy born of love and acceptance, the joy of horse and rider as one, caring for each other, sharing their hearts and souls…

“Yes, you will do well in my herd…” A sweet, whinnying voice of joyous laughter sang in her mind. “I shall introduce you to a few friends, before I return you to mortal dreams, new human child of Eponna. Perhaps something old, made new, once more will run across this old world…”

Human words and mortal memories were insufficient to recall the events that followed in a whirling blur… She vaguely sensed that she had been presented to… Someone in an ivory mask that smiled so serenely, so Joyfully, she wanted to giggle and roll on the floor like a little girl in a pillow fight.

A small golden haired boy flashed through her memory, beautiful, tiny and clever beyond mortal ken. Then there was a white furred spider woman, who should have been terrifying, rather than alluring and intriguing… and more besides.

Lindsey sat up in bed, gasping not with agony, terror or surprise, but in delight. She felt… Good, really, really good… despite the hefty form weighing her down, sprawled across her legs.

With a long whinnying yawn and an ungainly stretch, a golden yearling colt stood up above her, with white socks on his hooves and a white star blaze on his wide, friendly face.

“I’m hungry…” He whispered with a snort and a ripple of his muscular, if gangly body that came to her as clear human speech.

“Give me a name, then feed me… Also, I need to poop, where are Gary’s sandals?” He gigged in equine delight at his naughtiness.

“Oh, gods above and below…” She gasped, staring up, lost in delight and wonder at her familiar.

#

When the sound of horse hooves clattered on the floorboards, Lindsey was sure someone was going to come yell at her… but he was way too big to carry out and how would that even work…?

She giggled at the thought of her goofy, gangly, silly new friend riding her. That brought up exciting thoughts of Barry’s warm body, looming over her, holding her… “Perhaps someday…” Someone might have whispered.

She shook that thought away, and resumed her stealthy horsey extraction mission, just like in Adventure training… The Journeymen instructors were forever coming up with impossible prank ‘missions’... like this one she found herself on…

Smuggling a horse out of a crowded inn, while first bell was calling the residents to wake… This was not her first time.

She sighed with happiness, remembering her carefree Adventure training, out in the wilds, sleeping under the wide open sky…

Of course she’d been forced to give up all that, when Dana had touched her soul… What use in learning arms, if she was to be a cleric of the Healer?

Soon her days had been filled with books and lessons, etiquette and nobleways, since an acolyte of Healer was certain to marry well. Even an orphan might rise in society, in the robes of the beloved Dana…

Her wandering mind led to disaster, as she stepped out of the corridor, right into the lady of the house, tall and red haired, Shai was a gentle kind soul, but a terrible force of nature when roused.

Lindsey’s heart halted in terror, when the giantess stopped, looked from her, to her horsie companion and smiled.

“Mistress Shai… It’s not what it looks like…” She stammered weakly.

“We’ll hae some slippers sewn fer the wee lad, ‘ere lunchtime. I know ye would nae be parted so soon after bonding, an ye kinnae sleep in the stables, as Eponna’s new ones are wont to do. ‘Twould nae be proper.”

Though the woman’s upland brogue was nearly impenetrable, Lindsey gathered that this was no new thing in this gentle madhouse she’d found herself lost in.

“Thank you, Mistress Shai…?” She answered, completely lost and willing to try anything at this point.

“Come along, Barry.” She murmured to her new pet, as she slipped out the side door, headed for the stables and a haycrib.

#

“Is that my name?” He asked eagerly, once they were alone among the other horses. “I like the way you said it…” He sighed, nudging her in the shoulder gently with his big, wide forehead.

Mostly it was from affection, not because she was pouring molasses over a ration of rolled, toasted grain and was being stingy… not just because of the sweet’ sticky flood of rich, tasty goodness that flowed over his grain, and her hand.

He had to lick that off in apology, of course. As a punishment, he was forced to suffer through an extended ear rub and jaw scratching session. His new mistress was tough, but fair...

“No, that was just to wind mistress Shai up a little…” She admitted in the privacy of the stable. “Your name is Flash, but I’ll call you Barry Allen when that boy annoys me… Which he will, I’m sure.” She announced firmly, with a wicked, joyous smile on her perfect, pink lips.

“I have no idea why, but that’s your name! For some reason it just felt right.”

Flash was more interested in breakfast, he still had a mission of his own, given by the mistress of the herd, herself… That boy’s sandals were done, as soon as he had something in him to unload on the Shadowmounted’s shoes.

#

Amy smiled, as Shiro crept over the rafters in the barn, listening in despicably… but she was talking in front of Annie and Sandi, the two biggest gossips in the whole family, there were no secrets in the stables... despite what so many young lovers believed.

“Perfect…” She whispered gleefully, as Shiro leapt down into her arms and shadows embraced the pair. Together, girl and cat faded from mortal sight with the faint sound of a brazen bell ringing across a vast distance…

#

“I can’t thank you enough for looking after my brother’s kids, Shiro…” Ward murmured in the hotspring pool, deep within the dryads’ forest on the Madman’s moon.

The huge, chubby white cat waved his paw in dismissal, his great bell faintly tolling across the endless void, calling to the lost, dead and damaged.

He inclined his head and waved his paw twice, bringing a frown to the human god’s face.

“Really? She just threw her away? Eponna is the right one to pick up the pieces of that mess and make her whole again… You or I would just fuck it up.” He sighed. “Girls and ponies.”

Shiro raised his hackles and chattered softly, one ear pinned back quizzically.

“Not a regular horsie? Interesting, I’ll swing by and take a look.” He murmured confidently.

The huge cat purred disbelief into the pool, shaking the surface of the water with his outrageous assumption.

“How do you know? Maybe I’m a great horseman, with equestrian skills and knowledge coming out my ears…” He tried entirely too hard, while smiling in embarrassment.

“Ok, really, I’ll ask my brother’s buddy Rolf and his friend, Ester… She’s a legit unicorn!” He crowed at the ghost cat in victory.

“See? I know horses! I know lots of them!”

Ward grinned and sighed…

“Yeah, I know that’s not how you meant it… Lighten up buddy, take some time off from riding on Truck-Kun’s dashboard and see the sights of a mortal realm… It’ll do you good, my Amy will help with that too.”

He mewed, a ghostly and hollow sound, barely audible in this place, where there were so many spirits; yet only one soul linked to this place remained lost, somewhere down on the other world, far below.

Ward sighed at the thought of his brother, fighting against unknowable, immortal, pitiless, irresistible forces once more. “Poor idiots are so fucked…” He mumbled aloud, drawing a satisfied purr from the lucky cat.

Ward smiled, when Shiro faded away in a faint, gray mist and the sound of a distant bell.

A moment later, Fig slipped into the bath, her dummy thicc hips smooshing into his lap as her slender arms wrapped around his neck pressing her small firm breasts against him. He smiled down at his petite, wide hipped lover and kissed her pink lips, savoring their eternal sweetness.

“Your kitty friend called me over… Or at least he kept waving at me…” She whispered in his ear, as she smooshed herself against him more aggressively.

“Huh, Lucky for me… Welcome to my magic lap ride, darling!” He laughed and held her close to him, as the ride began.

#