CW:

Rahdian POV and meeting people and worry about detransitioning and AHH!!! We DID it! They get to meet up and say Hi Hallo!

“Fuck.” I hiss as I step back. Eyes darting between the disparate little footprints, the manor’s big door, and the street behind.

Can still hear the shouting. They haven’t checked here… yet. Which… hopefully that means they didn’t see where my little friend went and–

Then a duenna steps around a building, eyes dance around and… and lock on me.

“Hey!” She calls out, sword already drawn.

Fuck.

I begin to consider… what? Spin up a spell and disable her? But… that’ll leave me empty again and… and how do I explain the unconscious duenna when others inevitably arrive? I need to get into this manor and find my little friend and–

Then the door opens, and somehow everything gets worse as the biggest woman I ever met, and one of the few to tower over me, locks eyes with mine.

ZIGDARA!!?! Wh– what is she…

Such a long pause passes. Only broken when the crunch of boots behind alerts me to the first danger.

“I…”

Why is she here!?! Is… is she still… did they send her out to find me?

Turning, I spot the duenna slowing at the steps. Expression suddenly uncertain and wary as her eyes dance between us.

“What’s going on here?” Zigdara demands as a couple more duenna come into view.

“We…” The duenna starts to say, hesitates and twists to wait for what looks to be the leader of the group approach.

Can’t go back. NEVER will go back. Especially not now. They… they’d use Alchemy to… to try and twist me back and… and…

“Apologies,” The leader says. “This area is off-limits, this woman is trespassing.”

“I… I was just…” I start to say, reaching down to draw up my Amwella.

This might be my only option now. Need to wait for them to get just a little closer and my spell can encompass them all.

“Off limits?” Zigdara replies past me. “This is the estate of Lady Ophrit.”

“Yes but…” She huffs, and… seems suddenly hesitate to approach. “My superiors gave orders to monitor and restrict access to this section of the city.”

“Your superior is the High Duenna.” Zigdara growls. “And we both know full well she did not give any such demand.”

I pull to the side, but Zigdara turns to regard me, face careful and almost… well, kind. Neutrally polite even. “And what brings you to this estate?”

No recognition in her eyes. She… she really doesn’t know who I am!?!

“Um…”

I really am not the person from before the Storm? Nearly two years has… has changed me enough that even this duenna doesn’t know me!

“Help!” Comes such a cry from inside the manor, and suddenly my little friend is darting around the big woman’s legs to slam into my shins, cooing the entire time and endlessly... “Helphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelphelp!!!”

Immediately I’m leaning down to scoop them up. Hushing them as I look back and forth between the duenna from my past and the ones of Arudia.

“I’m sorry.” I say as I take another step to the side. Trying to back away. “I… I was just looking for this one and… um…”

“Who are you?” Zigdara asks, eyes wide in surprise.

“One of ours!?!” Comes such a voice from just inside the manor. One that… that seems to thrum with some unheard song.

Zigdara steps to the side, and a woman like I’ve never seen steps out of the manor.

I’ve seen some wonderful Cultivation changes. Met women who are so gorgeous it hurts to look at them. Filled me with such a sense of wrongness that I can think of nothing but the sea I would plunge into and disappear forever.

But her… she’s… it’s… she’s like seeing something from… from…

Turquoise skin like the waters behind and before the storm, hair like the pitched depths, and eyes that blaze like violet lightning.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

The Storm and the Sea striding through the Waking World.

“HALP!” Calls out the little one wiggling in my arms.

And a smile like the sun that cracks and breaks through it all. Not… it radiates confidence but… also such a playful giddy joy.

“She’s…” Zigdara asks, eyes going wider with every passing second.

“Another Sun Spoken.” Her eyes and tone dance with mirth. “Hi!”

“H– hi.” I’m just barely able to murmur out. “You… you’re Sun Spoken too?”

“Mhm! Our name’s Inamatorii.” She nods. “But… Please just call us Ina.”

Our? We? And… and SHE’S Inamatorii!?!

“I… Okay.”

A beat.

“Lady Sun Spoken.” The duenna behind me calls out. “This… A woman accompanied by a creature like that attacked a group of duenna at the base of the mountain.”

I’m about to protest. To… to try and explain but…

“Last we checked our title was still High Duenna Inamatorii.” And her eyes dart to them, suddenly dangerously focused. “And why were we not notified of that before?”

“I’m not… That’s not something I have the answers to.” The duenna stammers.

Ina sighs and rolls her eyes. “Call up whomever is your superior in this. Have them come to this estate and explain this to us themselves.”

The duenna pauses, then purses her lips and nods. “I’ll pass along the message.”

Another pause.

“Well… Go on then.” She makes a shooing motion to the group of duenna.

And the group leaves. Leaves us standing quietly on the front steps of this big manor. And… and that’s when I notice her strange right leg and the odd twisting dark wood replacing her foot and shin.

Then those eyes are back on me, “We didn’t get your name?”

“R– Rahdian.” I reply.

Her eyes sparkle. “Like the pirate? From that old storybook? The Thief and Her Prize?”

If my eyes weren’t wide before they are now. “Wh– You’ve read it?”

She grins wider then, reaching out to gently take up my arm. “Only a few dozen times. We’re going to get along so wonderfully, Rahdian. Why don’t you come in and warm yourself.”

“I… I’m sorry to stumble in unannounced.” I stammer, letting her pull me forward. “I didn’t even know you were here. Was just chasing my little friend after they wandered off.”

“Oh?” She glances down at them.

“Help help… help!” They chime with such confidence.

Ina giggles, and it’s like the ripple of the tide dances to. “Fuck. That’s perfect. Good work.”

“Ina…” Zigdara murmurs after we’ve entered and she’s shut the door behind us. “Are you certain she’s Sun Spoken? That she’s safe?”

I sort of… flinch at that. Picturing the Fury of the Storm as this woman from the temple looms.

“Perfectly, and of course.” Ina replies with nothing but a smirk and brimming confidence.

I glance between them. “Have you met others that aren’t?”

Ina sighs as she continues to lead me forward and deeper into the manor. “Yes. Turns out being Sun Spoken kinda sucks sometimes.”

“I… What?”

She looks back, seems to… consider my eyes for a while as we walk. “How’re your Dreams?”

“Wonderful.” I reply immediately. “The… the Storm they… They take care of me. Saved me even.”

And then I get to see surprise in those eyes. A lightning’s flash revealing the silhouette of worry but… then it’s gone. And she lets out such a huff of relief.

“You’ve no idea how nice that is to hear.” And the smile returns to her lips. “We’ll have to…”

A thrum of motion, and a couple women are entering the room. Eyes darting between us and the little friend I hold in my arms.

“Who’s this?” The tallest, second to Zigdara asks. Only a touch shorter than me.

“Another Sun Spoken!” Ina replies and turns to gesture between us as she shares names. “Tasii, Yrelia, this is Rahdian. Rahdian, this is Tasii and Yrelia.”

“Hi.” Yrelia says without hesitation, an easy smile touching her lips to match Ina’s. “Nice to meet you.”

Tasii’s eyes focus on the friend in my arms. “Is that little one with you?”

I nod. “Ye– yeah.”

“This little cutie led her here.” Ina grins and reaches out to pet them. Causing them to thrum and purr with little very quiet ‘helphelphelphelphelps’.

“Do you know why they did that?” I finally think to ask. “I… I mean I was already here to find you and they just kinda refused to leave me for long and… and that’s all they say. I have no idea why.”

Ina quirks an eyebrow. “You wanted to find us? Why’s that?”

I huff and look down to watch the little sparkles thrum across my friend’s shell. “Because… I have no idea like… what’s going on. What to do. And… and in my Dream they… they’re hurting and need help and… and I was already so much of a mess when they saved me. Have no idea where to even start.”

Ina winces and nods. “Yeah. We… That's the state of most, if not all, of the shards. They’ll probably hide it from most Sun Spoken but… yeah. It’s bad.”

“Why?” I ask. “What like… happened?”

She sighs and goes a bit quiet for a few moments, eventually huffing. “Fuck it. We fell in love with a monster and it… it betrayed us. Slowly carved what we were into countless shards a really REALLY long time ago.”

“I… um… we?” I ask. “You keep referring to yourself as multiple people and… I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to assume anything.”

“Helphelphelp.” My little friend agrees, eliciting another dizzying smile from her.

“We’re the spirit of the girl you see, and her shard.” Ina states. “Sun Spoken and Weaver roused, mingled to walk in this Waking World for a time.”

Wait… they… the spirits of the Storm can… they could wake up with me!?!

Tasii and Yrelia stiffen at her… I mean Their sudden shifting to that strange tone again but… then Ina lets out a giggle which ends with such a silly snorting sound.

“Sorry.” Sh– I mean they stifle the giggle, and are once again alight with mirth. “Part of us insisted on the dramatic. That sounded SO much more impressive in our head.”

“That… they can do that!?!” I finally whisper.

They wince. “Oh… um… probably? But… you shouldn’t. It’s not normal and anyone else will probably die if they tried.”

“But… why?” I insist. “And… like… could you teach me the spinning that lets you do it and survive?”

“Spinning?” They smirk wonderfully. “We’ve only met one other Sun Spoken, but soon discovered all our magics are different. What form does yours take?”

“Um…” Pausing I kind of… stammer out. Never even considered the possibility. “It’s like the ocean. Or… or like the Storm? I’ve only done like… restorative magic… and um… water seems to be the key thing I need to have with me.”

Her eyes glimmer in… Oh.

“Dreamer’s Tits! That is SO wonderful to hear.” They smile in such wonder at my words. “The other Sun Spoken, the cunt we keep referring to, is all pain and spite. Uses the simple horrid magic of fire.”

Dr– Dreamer's… what!?!

“Oh… That… her shard must be like the Fury.” I murmur.

Their eyes glimmer in curiosity. “The Fury? Is that the name you chose for your Weaver shard?”

“Sort of?” I reply “The other half is… well in the Dream it's hard to consider her other than anything but Melty.”

Ina tries, but she can’t help but let out such a wonderful burst of a giggle. Immediately reaching out to touch my arm in preemptive apology. “We’re sorry. Really it’s… We just spent forever picking out a name and… and wanted it to be this grand and unique thing and… and couldn’t see ourselves as happy with anything else and… and here your’s are. The Fury and the Melty One. So different from the shard we bear.”

Can’t help but smile with them. “I… yeah. But they’re kinda also nicknames. I tend to call them the Storm when they merge.”

They tilt their head at that. “Really?”

Tasii clears her throat at that, pulling us from this shared gushing. “Sorry to interrupt. But… We could discuss all this over lunch. And… there is still the matter of… That.” She gestures to the friend in my arms. “Them? I don’t want to be rude.”

“Help help!”

“Is that a yes…?” Tasii trails off.

“Either works.” Ina tip-taps her chin in such a cute way. “We… Yes. We’ll work out a song to communicate with them more completely while we eat. Otherwise entwining our melody with Rahdian’s is the top priority. This little cutie sought them out and brought them to us. We need to make sure whatever we compose is something we can share and draw her into.”

Song? Compose!?!

“You’re magic…” I whisper in wonder. “It’s… it’s music?”

They nod. “It is. We weave and pluck at the World Song’s strings.”

My eyes must go so wide then. “Like… some big magic around everything? I’m not crazy? You can feel it too?!?”

They freeze, and eyebrows raise. “Always. Especially now. But… How does it seem to you?”

“A big ocean.” I reply. “Enveloping everyone and everything.”

Ina’s almost bouncing a little at that. The delight radiating out into the room. Impossible to resist the push and pull of it.

Yrelia giggles and moves to take up Ina’s arm. “Alright, come on. You didn’t really have any breakfast. You can flirt at the table.”

I’m sputtering and clinging to my little friend so tight at that. “Wh– but–”

Ina sticks their tongue out at Yrelia but… otherwise lets her tug them along while giggling. “We’re ALLOWED to flirt with the first nice Sun Spoken to stumble into our Path.”

“And I wonder who they learned to do that from.” Tasii says while moving up to my side, then turns a soft smile to me. “Are they being too much?”

“No it’s… They’re just…” I shake my head and trail off.

“A lot?”

I nod. “But… This is perfect. I think.”

Tasii smirks, gently guiding me forward. “Feel free to speak up if you get overwhelmed. We… Already need to keep an eye on them. Being mingled with a Goddess can be intense.”