Queen's note: Okay I think this is a good intro and plot chapter! [[Its totally the spiders by the way]]
Garnets
Chapter Thirty Four:
E.S.H.
Lily looked up from the garden bed and was surprised at seeing John fully armored. Then saw the glass jars he was carefully holding against his front.
She sat back, smiling a bit up at him. "From the retreat?"
The Slayer nodded, coming over to crouch on his heels, carefully setting each jar on the flat edge of the large garden box. Where Lily could easily reach as she was finishing burying the last of the ashes from before. She was going to leave them in the containers but before Valen left, he told her to make sure they would be mixed with the earth.
"Hm?" John huffed for attention and motioned up at the exposed wall that had been so recently painted that it was still wet.
Lily looked up and flushed, looking back down, "Valen said before that the golden colors were for funerals right? It's not too much? Do I have to try and cover it up…?"
John shook his head, reaching out as he stood. Spreading a hand on Lily's back as he stared at the rough design she had been doing all this evening when alone in the garden. It was loose, using spray paint and some cans she had found when on earth. It was either a sunset, or sunrise on water. It made a path of gold shimmering leading to the edge of the sun on the horizon line. It was not perfect, as some lines overlapped and some edges dripped, but a lot of effort was clearly put into it.
It's good. The Slayer signed, pulling his helmet off for a few minutes before the others would show up. They will like.
"Are you leaving again so soon?" Lily asked as she finished the last of burying the ashes. Rubbing her hands in the dirt to get the ash off. She motioned to John's armor clad form at his head tilt.
That seemed to click for him. Maybe. This is for funeral.
John turned to show he only had the built-in blade and the crucible. It had a much fainter glow, signaling that it was still 'asleep.' Need to get supplies for those sleeping…hard?
"…those sleeping hard… stasis?" Lily guessed and got a sharp nod back, shifting a little as John came right over, kneeling down before settling on his knees much like she was. Watching as he took out the soul gems of the different wolves he had been finding. Setting them neatly in the garden bed, the emerald one still held, and had a neat wrapping on its edges.
"Does it go somewhere else?" Lily asked, blinking as John nodded and offered it too her. "Wait, what?"
Pup wants to stay with you. John signed after putting the stone in Lily's hands. It was really the Sentinel phantom that willed it, after John had found him. That was slightly more complicated to sign. He tapped the green stone, then pointed to the third to last spot ashes had been buried. Poppies here.
"Yeah, I got the seeds here." Lilly smoothed her hands over the stone, looking at it in awe for a moment. Remembering the ghostly wolf that had helped her. "Is he going to be okay with me?"
John nodded, making the motion to put the soul gem away as if under his chest plate. Then motioned to Lily. She understood and tucked it under her shirt and he made a happy grumble sound. Sitting back for a moment and then getting up to step over and look at the assorted packets of seeds. Some already opened and planted, others were ready to do the same.
"Should I get out of the way when Valen and the others come?" Lily asked looking around, and back to the main entrance.
For a little while. John decided. Let Nights greave.
"I can do that." Lily nodded, glancing around and pointed to where she had the chickens set up. "Is that far enough away? Or should I go into the craft room I set up?"
Where will little flower be happy? The demigod asked before reaching for his helmet, to put it back on.
Lily had to consider that, "I'll be in the craft area then, with the door open if that's okay."
John gave a thumbs up, paused as if hearing something. That might be with Vega, but motioned to the doors. They're coming. Once done it's safe to come over.
"Alright, I'll see you in a bit." Lily nodded, starting to turn away before a large hand reached out. Catching and then lifting her with a squeak and in that unfairly easy way John could. The demigod did not try to sign anything as he closed his arms around the smaller human, carefully pressing his helmet against her head.
Funerals were never an easy thing, Lily supposed, no matter the culture. After a surprised moment she instinctively hugged the bigger demigod. Add on ceremonies and it could be stressful for someone that did not seem big on that stuff at first. Or maybe John was.
There was that comforting squish Lily had learned he did for her, but it seemed more like he needed it as it lasted just a few more moments. At a faint, muffled sound had him moving again, carefully setting Lily down as he awkwardly patted her head as if in apology.
Lily smiled and grasped his hand before heading over to the craft room. Glancing back just inside as the main garden entrance opened. She stayed out of the way, but could not help but watch in fascination at seeing the fully armored Sentinels that were alive and moving. Staying in a near perfect formation behind Valen, who was also in full armor, and looking up at the mural.
Easing back, so not to distract and not to be in direct line of sight in case Valen or the others were somehow disappointed in the mural. She did not close to the door, and grabbed up the current knitting project and settled on the improvised bed-couch.
"Riggs?" Lily asked in a low voice after a few minutes of half watching through the door, half mindedly knitting.
"Yes, miss Lily?" Riggs answered in as low if not softer level from the nearest speaker to Lily's left.
"I think I'm, does it seem like I'm an Emotional Support Human now?" Lily asked in a near whisper, looking bemused as one of her cats hopped up. Momo the gray, short hair tabby prompted started to nest between Lily's legs and settle for a cuddle and lazily batted at the yarn to 'help.'
"It…certainly seems like that sometimes. Are you upset by this?" Riggs agreed and then promptly checked in on his charge.
Lily had to think about that, as in really think about it. Nothing was happening that made her uncomfortable, just occasionally surprising her by being picked up. "I don't think so. Nothing bad seems to be happening. And it's easier to breathe when around the big guy."
"If you are ever uncomfortable please let Vega or I know," Riggs said, still low enough just for only Lily to hear.
"I will," Lily promised, as she was pretty good about talking with Riggs before bed. Vega was easy to talk to as well, if sometimes seeming far smarter than her or Riggs… or everyone. Yet not in an annoying or smug way. The nightly talks had been helping unless there was a bigger night terror.
Lily sank back into the remade nest of comfy, alternating between knitting and quietly playing with Momo. Only partly watching and listening to the ceremony in the garden. Valen was leading the spoken parts, and it must have been another dialect of Argenta. Semi familiar but not fully. Like listening to someone from a rural area of France compared to Quebec.
A distinctly animal-like huff had Lily looking up, surprised as the silver furred Rula padded slowly into the room. The old Sentinel wolf yawned as she walked right over to Lily. Sniffing at the startled human and confused feline, and then just climbed up onto the converted bed. The big head wedging between Lily and the back, her muzzle was wet suggesting she had been drinking in the garden. The old wolf gave a deep sigh before going limp in her sleep, the big paws hanging off the bed.
Momo looked as confused as Lily, if not a little more offended at this intrusion of her time with her human mother. Even her sisters would be polite in their coming over to cuddle, or take turns. The cat flattened her ears and took a swipe, and then rapidly smacked the new creature first in offense. Then once realizing she had no idea what it was, she wanted to defend her human.
Only the wolf barely flicked an ear, not at all bothered by the feline adult. Well used to the more aggressive attentions of her former litters of puppies, this was nothing. Her tail did start to wag lightly when the cat calmed down to sniff and Lily rubbed her face. Rula was quite happy to dose here, it felt better and she did not have to stand the whole time. Knowing the faint scent of her old person was mixed in the earth, and his phantom was no longer around… she wanted to rest and relax next to the new small person she had met.
"Rula, I think you're supposed to be with Ria." Lily said as she rubbed her fingers over the big head and between the eyes. Like what she did for her cats but it was a much bigger face. Momo reached up and grabbed the hand to pull and snuff where her fingers had touched Rula.
Momo was clearly confused, as this intruder was now asleep? Did not quiet smell like the dogs she had known back as a kitten. Yet that memory was faint for Momo, as the feline started another sniff inspection.
Lily looked up, flushing as she found one of the impossibly tall Night Sentinels looking back at her. He had a slightly broad, solid look to his armor with a splash of red color on his left side. Where he had a broad shield strapped to the left arm, a sword on his back and an arm blade on his right side.
The human gave an award wave, then lifted a limp paw off her leg to show where Rula was.
The Sentinel gave a reflexive affirmative motion before turning back to what was happening. Not upset, it seemed from the body language, but Lily could see the Slayer's mark on his back now as well as his chest plate. Was that Rai? He seemed like the only one with a larger shield.
Thankfully Rula walking away did not interrupt things, and after a while Momo settled to stare and occasionally bat at the now sound asleep wolf's face. It was not hard to lose herself into the concentration of the project she was working on. Her own slipper-like socks had been finished and now working on a bigger pair without really thinking.
It was nice not to think too much now and then, just to lose herself in the present project. Listening to Valen's voice was nice.
There was a soft knock on the doorframe and Lily jumped as she was jarred out of her trance. Looking up to find Valen filling the door. Lily glanced at the snoring wolf and back, hesitating a moment before softly speaking up. "I didn't interrupt, did I?"
She was pretty sure the kitting was not disrespectful.
Valen shook his head and he came over, pulling his helmet off. Kneeling beside human, Valen gave Rula's side a stroke before gently pulling Lily to him before wrapping his left arm around her. "Thank you. For what you did, my little lake lily. That is a beautiful thing for the fallen to look up to."
Lily blinked at the emotion filled words, but rested her head against her guardian's. That lingering worry about overstepping bled away. "Is it really okay?"
"Yes." Valen nodded, giving a lopsided smile at the worry he could hear. "Yes, it was a good thing girl. Come, let me introduce you to our Sentinels. They have been barely holding their discipline with the burning curiosity to meet another human."
"That's not a Demigod?" Lily giggled, carefully setting her project aside and then extracted herself from Rula's legs with some help.
Thankful the Argenta were not hovering, but had dispersed to look at the now, not so bare garden. There were many spots that now had little green shoots and sprouts that did not have anything before. Lily and her drones had been working hard here between everything else happening.
There was a familiar guinea pig whistle, Lily looking over and smiled at seeing John sitting down beside the fuzzy army with Maple in hand. Gently giving her attention as he settled in a way that suggested he was not moving for sometime.
One of the Sentinels, a good seven foot tall, was coming over. She had her helmet and upper armor off. Most of them were taking some armor off now that the funeral ceremony was over. Set aside neatly on one of the paths, but still had a simple wrap on, not that she was extremely big breasted for her height.
Actually, she looked like she could suplex Lily's late father, and bench someone else even in her 'weakened' post sarcophagus stay.
Lily felt herself starting to flush up at the taller Argenta woman, and had to look at her cat to give Momo some attention. She remembered this woman from earlier but had not seen her standing up. It was bad enough she had the same reaction to Ria earlier that afternoon.
Why did the Argenta all have to be… so tall?
"Lily, this is Asa, she is a healer, and will likely be staying up here in the Fortress once recovered." Valen started to introduce. Glancing down as Lily was recovering her senses, and not for the first time noticed how small the human seemed.
"Hello little Lady," Asa spoke as she knelt on a reflex, inadvertently thinking the small one was about the age of an apprentice. Her voice was a bit rough but it was not hard to tell it used to be quite rich and smooth, and her brown hair was a bit longer then Lily's own.
"Hello, Healer Asa." Lily said as she let Momo hop down and escape the sudden attention and presence of strangers. She smiled back at Asa, "It's night to meet you properly. You don't look as pale anymore."
Asa paused, gold-brown eyes widening at the well formed Argenta words, if spoken with an odd ascendant. Not expecting that with such a small form that just seemed so young to her.
Lily smiled as if catching the thought, "Sorry, I know this is as strange for you as me. I'm comparatively tiny, but I'm fully grown."
"No, that's impossible…?" Asa started before lifting a hand to her mouth as if not meaning to blurt that out. The Slayer gave a snort from where he was, and that chuffing sound when chuckling, clearly listening in.
"I'm afraid so," Lily said, and grinned back at the Argenta woman, "I'm going to be this gremlin height for the rest of my life."
Not fully sure what a gremlin was, as it seemed a human word, Asa's expression was turning from shock to confusion and then to fascination. "You won't get anymore height or mass?"
"Mass is a possibility but that's not overly helpful. Or healthy." Lily admitted, glancing up to see that Ria was sitting near them, and then movement of what of the last Argenta to wake up. That man was just as big as Haco, and both held a good head of height over…everyone.
Valan was just that slight bit taller than John, and Ria the same. Definitely a thing that the Argenta were…big. Also had a wider range of eye colors, from Valen's black and gray, to Ria with silver-blue, Asa golden hued and the two bigger men having bright green.
"This is Asin, he's a warrior like Haco," Valen was motioning to each of the two biggest Sentinels that were diffing closer. Asin had black hair that was cropped short again, and Haco's brown. Both were built like tanks, like John, just scaled differently. "Zanin as well. Galin is the scout."
Zanin came closer, just a little shorter than the two heavies, but still taller than Valen and John. He dipped his head, right arm lifting in a formal salute like Mila had done in the mess hall, hinting he too was quite stiff still. He had sea blue-green eyes, almost hazel as well, with his own dark hair pulled back. "Greetings young Lady."
Galin was just sitting beside Ria, both the youngest member of the current group of warriors. He gave an awkward wave but seemed very withdrawn, his own copper eyes were hazy and soon had the other wolf climbing into his lap for a demanded cuddle. The way Galin latched onto the wolf hinted that he was the handler.
"You remember Mila and Ria," Valen asked, drawing Lily's attention back, satisfied with the nod. "Good, as they recover, they will start taking over more duties for running and guarding the Fortress."
"Going to be interesting bringing the others out of the stasis pods." Lily paused, and then turned fully back to Asa, "May I pester you with some questions? How do they work, and maybe we can come up with something to bring them up safely? I had a pretty extreme reaction to Argenta medications before. A lot of the people John saved are really weaker, if not on the verge of starvation."
"I only briefly saw them," Asa noted, coming alive but holding her kneeling position. "It would be wise for us to talk so I can learn some more about humans. Our Lord is not…exactly a standard I see now."
"No," Lily glanced over a snort, and razzed right back shamelessly. Then stood up a bit more to look between John and Valen as that reminded her, "Also. We will need some more supplies, food stores so to say. What was in that store won't last long. We, over all, have a lot of people now. The gardens here won't be producing enough food for everyone even once it's going."
The demigod paused, and seemed to sigh as he gently petted the fat Maple before setting her back in her pen. Standing up to stretch. Where look?
"Definitely need to look for an animal feed store, and just…any grocery store in an abandoned area. Dry, canned and frozen goods will definitely still be good. It's only been… seven, maybe eight months since the first invasion of hell." Lily took a deep breath, pretending not to see the wince and sympathetic look from Asa at that last part.
"Sooner the better," Valen agreed, "We only have… two more days before the other humans can be safely woken up. Then we can start to properly plan to fight hell."
The Slayer gave a happy grumble about that.
"I still think there's something up about Australia, not being as invaded." Lily noted, and then winced herself. "We definitely need to get Vega's communication systems all up and going."
Spiders? John signed before he pulled his helmet off, flashing a wide grin.
"Or snakes." Lily noted, and then wondered what would happen to Demons if they had spider or snake venom injected into them. Probably nothing good.
Lily paused as she remembered the reactions to salt water, and then thought of several aquatic creatures. She lit up as Valen gave her an odd look, "Oooh, hey Vega! Do you know what stonefish are? Or you think we can harvest man of war jellyfish safely?"
As the group would soon find out, there very much was several things going on in Australia.
Reviews!
Red Viy: -evil writer cackle- Yeah, but also... the way I'm planning on doing that is that...he does not really get all those memories back. That doesn't mean he doesn't have feelings attached to memories, and they are easy to imprint on others once cropping up again
XFireStoneX: Shhhhh...don't tell my silly ideas like that! Weaponized salt water is still under classified notes.
