Rain Harlow
patreon
Chapter 12: Can Fortune Be Reversed?
🕑 Added 2023-07-19 04:56:16 +0000 UTCThe sound of some blade, likely an axe — or maybe two of them — splintering wood continued, as Sammy stared through the portal at the man preparing for his last fight, his face that of grim, resigned calm.
“I could help in some small ways, at least,” Sammy told him. “Principally, if you would become my follower, swearing to pray to me, I can give you a combat-useful buff, I think. The only price is the obvious of such devotion. I have no power over your soul. That’s up to the System.”
He nodded slowly, blew a heavy breath out, and seemed to consider. Nodded again once. “Very well, Samantha. Your… Majesty Samantha?” At a quick acknowledgment from her, he continued, “I am Baron Orswyth Maglion. I’ll be your follower, goddess, however briefly it may be. I’ll do my all to extend it, but the numbers will overpower me.”
1 FE gained due to user belief/acknowledgment. Note: not yet a Follower.
New Quest unlocked: “Reversal of Doom” — Help Orswyth survive impossible odds.
● Rewards: +100 FE. Free Minor Divine Enchantment (Weapon).
Sammy quickly drew up the conversion form and changed the religious experience once again, this time to, ‘Maximum increase of combat effectiveness. Smiting foes with weapons.’
Ritual of Conversion Form successfully revised.
In her continuing fast-track of the process, Sammy reached out immediately to his soul with the connection and said, “We’re ready. The knowledge should be instilled in you.” She then placed her hand up flat to the portal.
Please let it be enough… but even if it is, a bunch of men will die because of my aid…
Orswyth approached the mirror, removing a gauntlet, then his helm, before finally placing his hand up to the mirror in match to her. With stoic sincerity, he said, “I swear my allegiance and pledge my faithful service to the Goddess Samantha, may she reign forever.”
Follower conversion successful. 1 FE gained. 1 Daily FE gained (total: 4).
He immediately seemed to have a kind of ‘backlit’ effect to him, a golden glow from the blessing bestowed on him. His head slowly angled upward, as though he felt light from heaven shine down on him and was awed.
“A blessing to see me off,” he said in reverence. “I am… unworthy.”
Sammy had to peek at his status at that point…
____________________________________________________________
Blessing of Holy Wrath
The Follower feels the caress of the divine, aiding focus and fighting prowess. +1 Effective Combat Level (adds to any total levels contributing to weapon use). In addition, divine power protects the Follower, negating the first injury suffered.
____________________________________________________________
Well, that looks pretty good.
Meanwhile, the sounds of shouting and jeers denoted some form of significant opening in the door from the efforts of the mercenaries.
“Is that enough, Lord Orswyth?” Sammy asked anxiously. “Can you fend them off?”
His eyes finally turned to hers, and he bowed. “Forgive me, but I fear there is not just rabble among them, and their numbers are great. Your blessing is as much and more than any man should ask for so little to offer in return. I thank you, Your Majesty.”
He donned his gauntlet and helmet and took up his halberd as he regarded the door grimly. “The time is near. Do I have your leave to engage, Your Majesty?”
“I-...”
He turned to her, and seeing her face, his own softened. “My goddess has a kind heart, I see it in your countenance. It seems I chose well whom to serve. But do not lament a fighting man his devil’s due, Your Majesty. There is nothing more to be done but to make a show of the blood that bore me to here. It won’t be spilled easily! Ha!”
He slammed down his visor, and from inside he resounded. “Your leave, I beg you, Your Majesty.”
The way he talks is so awesome… It was perhaps a hysterical thought considering the circumstances. I don’t want to cry watching him die!
She poured over her ‘sheet’, seeking something, anything.
“Sys, tell me what I can do! How do I help him?!”
The system cannot provide this information.
“Fuck you! Goddamn you! Your fault, it's your fault this is happening!” Tears welled in her eyes.
“Your Majesty?”
She poured over her sheet and desperately she pulled up something she’d never bothered to: Tarot Reading.
____________________________________________________________
Tarot Reading
Access a System Deck to reveal the past, present, and future of a willing target, based on card selection. An upright draw is positive; upside down is negative. Cannot be used on Transplants. Can only be used once every other level on a target. 24-hour cooldown between uses. Must speak the words, “Would you submit to fate and change your fortune for better or worse, User?”
Past: Reveals a scene of a past life. Can add Special Skills or mental complexes (can be temporary or permanent). Can also have no statistical effects.
Present: Alters immediate circumstances with an instant effect or powerful 1-hour buff/curse. Does not directly include permanent buffs or curses.
Future: Adds a permanent transmutational effect, buff, or curse, triggered on a hidden timer.
____________________________________________________________
Sammy absolutely stared, that text like a red-hot brand in her head. Such a reading was clearly life-altering. She felt an instantaneous hesitation, a fear of what it could do. There is a Death card.
But he’s already doomed!
The chopping through and tearing of wood by an axe. “Time to kill us a noble, boys! We’ll be swimming in gold!” Cheers resounded.
“Your Majesty, I must defend myself, but please-”
I have to!
She targeted Orswyth with the ability, and as she spoke, her words echoed with a power beyond her, “Would you submit to fate and change your fortune for better or worse, User?”
Orsywth pushed his helm back upward to look at her in renewed wonder. “You can change a man’s fate in the System, Goddess? From this doom to glory?” He swallowed visibly. “It seems you have power over the soul, after all. I do so submit.”
Just as crashing wood and the elated noises of men of ill repute resounded, everything seemed to freeze. And then they were Somewhere Else.
Like a miniature mountain, they were atop a sloping-in cone with a flat, black top, a symbol etched beneath their feet in white, of a simple card with a question mark in the middle. The cone/mountain below the top point seemed to have ridges or ‘sides’ to it, all of different colored, slightly glowing crystalline panels, and it was slowly revolving like they were beneath the floor of a spinning top in slow motion.
Orswyth was right next to her, clad in blood-free gleaming plate armor with the helm removed, and looked prime and uninjured, though bewildered. As their eyes met, Sammy’s craning upward at the tall man, she was pretty sure the bewilderment he saw was matched at the least.
What the-
An androgynous, warm, synthetic voice seemed to speak from everywhere at once, “Welcome to the System Deck function, Users. Here, the current life of Orsywth Maglion will be altered based on card selection by Samantha, Virgin Goddess of Mirrors and Fortuneteller.
“Time and space are irrelevant within this psychic instance, so please feel free to take your time with your selection — within reason. You will select Past, Present, then Future, which will execute the sub-functions in order afterward. Thank you for using the System Deck.”
What appeared to be a gigantic deck appeared in front of them, then it unfurled itself to fan out in a great circle around them, the card back facing them and each of them spinning rapidly, individually. They all slowed in this rotation before stopping entirely, though as a whole they slowly rotated around the platform, hovering in the air.
The backs were black with white, slightly glowing etching — two rings entwined in the middle, that middle forming an eye, a spiral inside the iris that looked like a fractal. Otherwise, various geometric designs made etchings at the edges, some of which made pentagrams.
“What do you mean, ‘Fortuneteller’?” Sammy asked aloud, voice echoing to infinity. There was no answer. “System?”
There was no answer.
“Eerie,” Orsywth commented. He walked up to the edge of the small platform and reached out his hand. There was resistance with a slight white glow, like a forcefield. “And inescapable, no doubt.”
“Yeah… guess we’re here for one thing and one thing only. I’m sorry it came to this.”
Orsywth turned to her and shook his head firmly. “Take no responsibility on your shoulders for any of this, Your Majesty. You have just given me the means to try my luck, hmm? Put the dice in my hands.”
Sammy sighed. “I have to roll them, though.” She gestured up at the cards. Indeed, she could feel the pull, that she could ‘touch’ them. Select what would determine his fate.
He frowned and looked around, then he seemed to pique up. Grin. “Not so, Your Majesty! Allow me to point out your selections. Then you have not even made that choice.”
The statement created mixed feelings in her. Would he make it worse if he did? Sammy shook her head at him for a different reason, though.
He may be a veteran warrior, and thus a killer. But he’s also a saint. I’d be lucky to have him as a believer. Then again, I don’t know him well.
“It is your life, Lord Orsywth, so… it’s up to you. I will make the selection for you or you can point them out, as you decide. I’m… not sure if it matters. If it’s truly random.”
“Mm, I’m sure it is so random. The System doesn’t lie, does it?”
Sammy blinked. She didn’t have perfect memory, but she didn’t remember the word ‘random’ being used. At best it was implied. Did she mishear? “I suppose not.”
The baron began looking at the card backs. He closed his eyes briefly, then turned, finally pointing at one, keeping with its movement as it slowly rotated, so she could be certain. “That one.”
Feeling a sinking feeling in her gut, Sammy nodded and ‘touched’ the indicated card, which caused it to light up briefly, then move out of position from the rest, floating to a stationary state in front of them.
I don’t know the good from the bad! It’s just self-doubt!
“A-alright, Baron, that’s Past. Pick the Present.”
He nodded and picked one out immediately, pointing.
“Oh. So quick?”
“Should I not, Your Majesty? Perhaps another?”
“No, no, no, it’s fine — it’s fine! Positive thoughts! They’re both good, they’re fu-, they’re great!”
He turned to give her a polite smile. To her, it was kind of fatherly. “Indeed, Your Majesty.”
Pursing her lips, she ‘selected’ the indicated card, which joined the other to float in front of them side by side.
“Last selection,” Sammy declared. She wanted to say ‘take your time’ but resisted it. She felt like messing with someone else’s process was the worst thing. But what if it’s the best? If she were in her old body, she’d be sweating, she was sure.
But he did take his time, rubbing his chin as he stared at the multitude of identical card backs to figure the choice for his future.
A permanent effect on a hidden timer…
“That one. That is my destiny.” His finger was pointed at a card, his eyes full of proud certainty.
“So it is,” Sammy said in a strained voice, and trying not to think about how big it all was — what they’d just done — she forced herself to select it.
The card lit up and floated over to join the rest, while simultaneously all the other rotating cards vanished as if they’d never been.
“Past, Present, and Future have been selected and locked in.
“You may flip the card in the Past position when ready. Note that the Fortuneteller will see the past life flash through their mind, though they are kept removed directly and cannot acquire skills or mental complexes. Note also that rotation is irreversible once begun.”
Sammy froze. Rotation. Flip the card, she could flip the card. Horizontal… or vertical, reversing the fate from negative to positive, or vice versa.
No! Dark side of the force shit! The cards should be turned horizontally, as they were selected, as drawn.
But it was not lost on her: she could still change his fate. It didn’t matter that he’d selected them. She still made the choice. She could ask him if he wanted to flip them… and yet she’d still be the one executing it.
“Your Majesty?”
She looked at him and swallowed. “I’m fine. Are you ready?”
He nodded stoically.
“Here goes nothing.” She reached for the card of the Past position and turned it over horizontally, trusting the process she knew.
The card was a quite classical one, showing a well-dressed man in a cloak and hat, a staff of living wood in one hand, and a globe of a planet in the other. He was looking out from a wall or tower on a shore with a ship visible. His was the face of a man with purpose. On a nearby wall, a symbol of entwined roses and lilies was painted in precise, orderly lines.
It was upright.
“Two of Wands, upright. In a past life, you engaged in a prosperous, grand enterprise with acumen and shrewd dealings of true merit. Please stand by for memory synthesis.”
« Chapter 11 | Table of Contents | Chapter 13: Flipping (Off?) the System Deck »
