CH 225: Grateful Celebration
“Your magic is incredible,” Hannah said while inspecting her back in a mirror. What once was a mess of burnt flesh and blood returned to her normal self. It didn’t heal her old wounds, just returned her skin to its condition before the fight. “Can’t even tell I got hit.”
“U-um, thank you,” Ana said after a brief pause. She, too, was inspecting Hannah’s back. She didn’t even notice her own hand on Hannah’s back. “You had me w-worried…”
“Same,” Hannah laughed. She could feel Ana’s touch as her fingers glided across her back. “I didn’t think the thing could breathe fire.”
“Breathe fire?” Toni asked, interrupting the conversation he was having with Claire. “I thought you got hit by its tail?”
“Uhh, fuck,” Hannah muttered. “I did.”
“How bad was it?” Toni directed his question towards Claire. He knew she’d be honest with him.
“Bad,” Claire looked to the ground. She shuttered remembering Hannah’s state. “She could hardly move and her skin… She made us promise us not to tell you.”
Toni rolled his eyes and turned to his knight. “Hannah! Why wouldn’t you tell me?” He ran to Ana’s side and started to inspect Hannah’s back more closely. He ran his fingers along her collar and back.
“Cause I didn’t want to worry you,” Hannah sighed. “And, because I underestimated the monster. You don’t find many, if any, Chimera who breathe fire.”
Toni moved to Hannah’s other side to face her. He inspected her face and the rest of her bare chest for any more damage. He finally looked her in the eye. “Hannah, please. I can handle worrying about you, but not stressing for how much trouble you’ve been…”
“I haven’t been that much trouble,” Hannah muttered. “Not more than the others, at least.”
“Giving me a run for my money,” Elsie chuckled from the side.
“Hey!” Hannah snapped lightly at her. “Still have to punish you.”
“Hannah,” Toni turned her attention back onto him. “Eyes on me. Do not lie to me again.”
“Yes, master,” Hannah said without really thinking. She felt her body and mouth move on her own. It must be her skill kicking in. “I truly didn’t want to worry you.”
Toni sighed. He gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. “I’m a grown man now. You don’t have to hide anything from me anymore.”
“I was going to discuss what happened,” Jasmine said from the side. “But I think you realize why you got injured.”
“I do,” Hannah nodded. She grabbed for her shirt and put it back on, much to Ana’s dismay. “Got too close and didn’t expect the fire.”
“Good, makes correcting it easier,” Jasmine nodded.
“Wait, what?” Claire blinked. “That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say? Nothing else? I had to run for hours after my fuck up.”
“She’s not my former student,” Jasmine chuckled. She glanced at Hannah, “Though, if it happens again, I’ll make sure she never forgets her lesson.”
“I won’t,” Hannah stood up and stretched. “Despite what you may think, I’m not that arrogant.”
Claire and Elsie couldn’t help but laugh in response. Ursa, too, was holding back her smile. But Toni spoke up for her. “She’s far more talkative since we joined, too. I think she’s finally getting to be herself more. I always thought she was more stoic…”
“Cause I had to suppress my feelings,” Hannah patted his head. “Someone was far too cute.”
Claire’s stomach rumbled loud enough to stop the conversation. Everyone turned to her as her face turned red. “I’m hungry, I’m sorry!”
“Perfect timing,” Ursa said from the side. She paused to watch Elsie wipe the drool off Ana’s face, then continued. “Sounds and smells like the feast is done.”
Claire leaned back into her chair after indulging herself in the food. It wasn’t her mother’s cooking, but it was close. Especially compared to the rations she’d had for the past few weeks. She was the last to finish eating, since she went for multiple helpings to savor the cooked food.
Rebecca was watching her, barely eating herself. She couldn’t believe that the redhead and the blond twins were only eighteen. From what she could gather, they were past level ten. It was almost unheard of to get so far this quickly. It’d taken her multiple years to reach the level they’re at.
If Claire’s words didn’t move her to believe in Claire’s Goddess, Claire’s current level did.
It could only be achieved through divine acceleration. Only the Revered tended to level up so fast, a combination of their own innate skill and the divine influence they channel. So the Captain was bewildered to see multiple women level up so fast.
“Becca,” Gina gripped her hand under the table. She pulled Rebecca out of her trance. “You’ve been watching her this whole time. Got something you wanna tell me?”
Rebecca exhaled and gave her wife a small smile. “No. Nothing like that. It’s just… She told us about her Goddess before the fight, and I thought she was lying, or it was some sort of delusion of grandeur, but after? I can’t help but believe her words. Did you know that mage is still only eighteen?”
Elsie’s ears perked up upon hearing the word mage. She was closer and less distracted by praise, so she could listen to their conversation. She tapped her sister’s arm to get her attention.
‘Hear that?’ Elsie smiled. ‘She’s blown away by my skill.’
“Here I thought she only knew how to use lightning and fire magic, then she showed an ice spell.” Rebecca was explaining to her wife. “I don’t even know the last mage to accomplish that…”
Elsie beamed at her sister from all the praise.
“And her sister,” Rebecca continued, shaking her head. She glanced at Catherine, who was talking with some of the formerly wounded guards. “Cathy said she’d never seen healing magic so potent. Nor did she think she could produce a barrier that could even resist that monster’s strength.”
‘You too!’ Elsie squeezed Ana’s hand. ‘You hear that?’
‘I did,’ Ana tried to hold back her own smile.
“Becca, I get it,” Gina shook her hand. She glanced at the twins, who were obviously listening to them. She gave them a quick smile. “I was there too, you know.”
“Still…” She, too, looked over at the twins. “I’ll be eternally grateful for your help. So would my predecessor.”
“Don’t forget the rest of the town,” Gina chimed in. She looked around the table at the rest of the guards and her parents before continuing. “That monster threatened to ruin half the town; it already torched the Jenson’s property. We’re grateful to you and to our guards for fighting it.”
“We didn’t do mu-” Rebecca tried to say, but her wife stomped her foot.
“Becca,” Gina nearly growled at her. “Remember what Captain Tabitha told you.”
“Stop being so fucking negative,” Rebecca replied after recoiling from the stomp. “Take some fucking credit.”
“Listen to her, please.” Gina smiled.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Right, well, we thank you, brave women, for protecting us from that monster,” Gina continued. She raised her glass to the women around the table. “Our mayor will be pleased to hear that it’s been resolved and she can finally stop sucking up to that incompe-”
It was Rebecca’s turn to stomp her foot down on Gina’s foot for overstepping.
“Ow, fuck.” Gina grumbled and glared at her wife. “Sorry, our esteemed Lady. And, especially to you, Scarlet Seraphs. For not only slaying the creature, but also allowing us to keep its remains. That will let us hire more guards, maybe a few mages, and rebuild.”
Rebecca let out a deep exhale. “Especially you gals. You put your lives on the line for us all, kept the chimera’s attention while we could ready our ballista. It and Miss Elsie’s magic were crucial in slaying the monster. So give some thanks to yourself, love, for building the ballista.”
Gina smiled. She raised her glass higher and spoke. “I’ll drink to myself.”
Claire and her companions joined the rest of the table in lifting their glasses in celebration. There was a mixture of cheers and praise thrown their way, with even the locals joining in. They slowly repopulated the area the Chimera was terrorizing while the feast was being held. For a brief moment after the toast, the group was flooded with thankful civilians.
Claire could feel her face heat up at all the praise being thrown her way. It was nothing like when her lovers did it, this was a lot warmer. It was a simmer compared to the burning heat she felt when one of them praised her. She didn’t know if she truly deserved all this praise, but she could get used to this feeling.