Surprisingly, Cire was able to get a good night’s rest despite Elsie’s best efforts. She woke up sore, but her mind was clear. Jasmiightened her grip around her as she tried to stir. She smiled at her sleeping lover as she pted getting up. She stared for far too long as Jasmine’s eyes fluttered open. Her hazy grey eyes focused on her as she woke up. She smiled up at Cire as Cire’s face reddened.

  “Good m.” She whispered to Cire. Her m voice caused Cire to fluster. Cire gulped as her face matched her hair. Jasmine giggled softly before leaning in for a kiss. She left Cire stunned momentarily as she stretched. “Feeling okay?”

  Cire watched on as her lover stretched, still stunned before Jasmine’s words registered. “Yeah. Lot better thaerday… actually got a full night of sleep.” She said, her eyes trag Jasmine’s curves.

  “Good, I was worried by how tired you were st night… and how badly the st time messed you up.” She said, studying the flustered girl.

  “The little ones were too goofy to take seriously… maybe if the adults showed up first, but I couldn’t help but ugh.” Cire said, giggling slightly. Just remembering their goofy faces and how they walked made her almost burst out ughing. “It was kind of hard to take them seriously, especially sihey were far easier than our st fight.”

  “I was ed at first when you started ughing, but I see why.” Jasmine said, shaking off the rest of the bs. “For a split sed, I thought you lost it…”

  “I bet… I didn’t expect them to look so goofy. By the time the adults showed up, I had shaken off any shock or hesitation.” Cire said, sing her enviro. Elsie and Ana y led up to a disheveled Lily, her skin littered with love bites. “Wish I wasn’t so tired, it looks like they had fun…”

  Jasmine looked over to the sleeping trio, biting her lip and remembering her agreement with Elsie. “I bet… they were going at it te into the night, woke me up a few times.” Her mouth watered slightly remembering the ses from st night. She shook her head and refocused. “We should inform May, give her the whole spiel about yoddess.”

  “oddess.” Cire said sharply, correg her without skipping a beat. “She’s oddess.”

  “I, uh, guess. Tell her about our holy mission and tell her to spread the word.” Jasmine tinued. “This time you won’t miss all the food…”

  Cire perked up as she thought about celebrating her Goddess and all the food. Her stomach grumbled softly as she thought about the food. “True… but that might give me diviigue again…”

  Jasmine shrugged, “Maybe, but it will be worth it… hopefully your body gets used to it more so it stops affeg you so much.”

  “Starting from the roots of the try is best.” Elsie said in a sleepy voice. She rose from Lily’s chest, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Build up a following, then move on to denser vilgers and cities…”

  “Smart… let the vilgers unicate and stew when we head back, hope our message spreads, then we have to make due on our promise somehow…” Jasmine said, lightly rubbing her .

  “Bandits… we go after those human traffickers...” Cire said, her tone sharp. Her eyes focused on Jasmiwo birds with oohe cheerfulness had disappeared from Cire’s face as she talked about them. The disdain was evident in her voice. Lily and Ana began to stir, interrupting them. Jasmiched the joy return to her face as Cire crawled over to her lovers.

  Elsie moved to sit beside Jasmine. For a moment, she thought Elsie would ask for her “favor,” but her face was more serious. “Would that be a good idea? Remember how she reacted to the thought of ending another person…” She whispered sharply to Jasmine.

  Jasmine shook her head, “No. It’s not. But she’s right. It’d be the easiest way. I just pray I’m fast enough to keep her from having to kill…”

  Elsie pursed her lips, flict evident in her eyes. “I doubt you’re fast enough for both of us… just thinking about it makes me queasy.” Elsie’s eyes zoned out as she spoke, Jasmine was so caught up with her serioushat she nearly fot to fort her. She ed her arm around the tulled her close.

  “I pray I’m fast enough to protect both of you from that burden…” She whispered softly to Elsie. Elsie’s eyes lit up before her face reddened.

  “Smooth… but thanks. I hope it doesn’t have to e to that…” Elsie said, before leaning into Jasmine’s embrace. “Though, I doubt it will be that simple.”

  After everyone woke up, Jasmine rounded up the vilgers to help with the up. May had people on stand by, so the vilgers were ready. About fifteen vilgers came to help with the up, using wheelbarrows to cart the smaller bodies and dragging the adults with horses. It didn’t take long with all their help and the Scarlet Seraphs weren’t even allowed to lift a fio help.

  “Don’t you dare!” May reprimanded Cire as she tried to help with the adult bodies. “You killed the beasts, leave the ing up to us.” Cire was left slightly dejected, but also thankful to rest her body.

  With the bodies taken care of and the materials sold, the vilge had gathered to thank the adventurers. Many had lost their pets or cattle to the monsters’ night raids. There were plenty of pints about the guards and knights to be heard. Cire nearly teared up when a little girl told her about her cat.

  “Right, I think it’s time.” Jasmine said to Cire as she wiped her tears. The little girl held her hand tightly as she retold the story. Cire nodded and parted from the girl. She cleared her throat aally prepared herself.

  “Hello! As you may have heard, my name is Cire and I’m the leader of this party. We e from a vilge a bit smaller than this one, but with simir issues. The guard ing their duties, our Lady’s corruption, and the abdu of our boys…” She paused, her memories flooding into her as she lost her posure slightly. Her voice cracked as she tinued. “M-my brother was taken when I was younger… I felt so hopeless back then.”

  She wiped her tears and did her best to clear her throat. She took a deep breath to pose herself again. “But then I turned 18 and received a vision from a Goddess. Ohout a name. One who granted me the power to get him back… We, the Scarlet Seraphs, have accepted Her holy mission to liberate our meuro their families and rid this nd of nobles’ corruption.”

  She paused to let the vilgers digest what she said. “All we ask from you is support. Either verbal or physical support, it does not matter. Spread our message and our name, or aid us wheime es.”

  It was silent for a moment, Cire shakily sed the vilgers. Their faces filled with shock as she chided herself for her delivery. May was the first to speak up, “Cire… I’m sorry to hear about your brother. I lost mine so long ago that I don’t even remember his voice…”

  Almost all of the older vilgers bowed their heads in unison. Their thoughts on May’s brother as the younger women nodded. “How do you expect to aplish this?” A voice cried out.

  Cire hesitated for a moment too long, Jasmiepped in to help her. She grabbed her hand and spoke for her. “oddess has empowered our csses. We also have a web of vilgers ready to aid us already. We only need you to spread our message and our name right now.”

  “ you promise to return them?” May asked. Her sadness was evident in her eyes. “I-I ’t get my hopes up again…”

  Cire walked up to her and grasped her hand in hers. Her party shifted, knowing what was ing. Red light poured out of Cire’s body as she k before the vilge mayor. “I swear to you on my honor as a padin, I will return the men back. I pray to my Goddess that we find your brother. If we do, I promise t him back, t them all back.”

  The following silence deafehe crowd. It was evident that the light radiating from Cire was no normal magic. They could all feel Her presence as Cire stood up to meet May’s eyes. She wiped a tear from the elder’s cheek and then looked around to the vilgers. “I make this oath to all of you. I will bring them home.”

  May embraced Cire in a hug as the vilge erupted into a mix of cheers and wails. They had long since given up hope and it was evident. They surrouhe Scarlet Seraphs as they reached out to them. Grasping at the hope that they’d get to see their brothers, sons or uncles again.

  “Please… please keep your promise… and Vicky, prepare a meal. We o celebrate our saviors.” May said, choking back her tears as she wiped her face. A younger woman nodded and headed away from the crowd. The rest of the vilgers got to work setting up, they brought tables, chairs and silverware for the party. All five waited as the vilge prepared their thanks.

  Elsie soaked ientioelling their previous tales to any who would listen. Ana hid behind Cire as Cire talked with the older woman about May’s brother. He was very simir to Ryley, taken at a young age and never heard from again. It broke her heart to hear. Jasmine was taking care of the administrative tasks while May recovered and Lily was versing with the local doctor.

  By the time the meal repared, the sun was setting and the vilgers' fervor was slowing down. Cire sat at the head of the makeshift table as Vicky and a few other vilgers brought out roasted ham aables. Cire’s mouth watered as they set the food down, ag to dig in. All eyes were on her as she snapped out of the haze.

  “Thank you… All of you for this meal. I ask that you bow your heads as I say a few prayers…” Cire said. A certain refi in her voice that she wasn’t used to yet. The vilgers bowed their heads as Cire dedicated this meal toddess and Bennos. After a long, silent pause, Cire took another deep breath.

  “Thank you… I love sweet potatoes.” She said before reag for the ptter. The vilgers erupted in ughter before joining her in digging in. Cire was too busy stuffing her face to answer any questions, so Elsie and Jasmiepped in. Jasmine made sure details were kept vague, but gave an outline of Elizabeth’s pn. What cities and vilges were on board already and Elsie retold the tale of fighting the troll, adding in the lies Jasmiold.

  The atmosphere was light and joyful as the vilge celebrated being rid of the cockatrices and of a possible better future. Cire got to bask in the praise until dinner ehen she was hit with that familiar fatigue. Her eyes blurred slightly as her body grew heavier. Ana and Lily caught on quickly, supp her back to the carriage. It brought a natural end to the celebration as the up started.

  “Give this to your mayor… It's a letter giving our full support.” May said, her eyes determined as she handed a letter to Jasmine. “We’ve sat around hoping for ge for too long, I just hope you have the strength necessary.”

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