Cometh the Hour

Early morning wake ups were becoming an unpleasant pattern for John as his alarm beeped through his dark room. The other occupants of his bed shifted as the incessant noise roused them, the pleasant sensation of skin brushing against skin a small consolation for the early rise.

“Please tell me we can stop with this early shit soon,” Beth grumbled as John pulled himself into a seated position.

“Don’t you have to get up early for school?” Aeolia asked in a dull tone.

“Not this early!” Beth complained as John flicked the lights on with his wind spirit. The sudden illumination caused her to groan and twist to press her face against the mattress.

“Come on, Beth. We don’t have time for this,” Vivian yawned. “The sooner we get moving, the sooner we can relax.”

“At least until the Order arrives,” Senka said, rising out of the bed gracefully. She stretched, raising her arms over her head, and let out a low hum. She held both the pose and hum for longer than was necessary. Then, she shimmied, purposefully shaking her body in an enticing way before letting her kimono-like dress manifest over her curves.

“Was that necessary?” Vivian asked, failing to sound annoyed with the spirit as she too got up from the bed.

“What did she do?” Beth asked, her voice muffled by the mattress.

“She did a little dance,” Aeolia answered, her smirk reflected in her tone. “While still naked.”

Beth groaned and flipped herself.

“You only have yourself to blame for missing it, princess,” John teased before he bent down to kiss her before getting out of the bed himself.

“Damn the consequences of my actions,” Beth muttered as she finally sat up. She scratched her head, disturbing her already messy hair. “How long before we have to go?”

“An hour or so,” Vivian stated. “We want to be in the Kingdom long before the Order arrives to make sure things look good.”

“What, are they going to expect us to roll out the red carpet and have a fully catered breakfast?” Beth grumbled.

“They’re going to have to settle for the meeting hall,” John said.

“Well, there’s going to be some breakfast,” Vivian revealed. “Mason and Cammie sent me a text right before we turned in. They’re going to meet us outside with some assorted fares. Sounded like coffee, bagels, that sort of stuff.”

“Hallelujah.” John laughed. “At least the Order won’t be able to complain about a total lack of hospitality.”

“They can’t be expecting us to whip up a whole town in a day, right?” Beth asked as she finally left the bed to dress.

“Who knows?” Aeolia muttered, shrugging her shoulders. “Maybe they expect Verida to be a god of furnishing.”

Beth snorted. “I mean, she could probably grow stuff into buildings. There were literal tree houses in that other Kingdom, right?”

“That’s what I saw and what the flavor text implies,” John answered. “And the meeting hall literally did grow before our eyes. But since the whole place is tied into my powers, I might be the only one who can pull the trigger on instant buildings. I just hope people can independently build their own stuff the old fashioned way. I really don’t want to leave Teri’s people waiting on me to whip up a village.”

“So many things we need to look into,” Senka noted. “Hopefully the answers won’t be hard to find.”

John nodded as he equipped his good clothing. A part of him was glad he was getting mileage from the clothing he bought for the Detreye trip. It was always good to get multiple uses out of things, he felt.

Given the speed at which he could get dressed, second only to Senka as he still needed to touch the menu to equip, John slipped out of the room into the dark hallway. A small sliver of light peeked out from under his mother’s door, indicating she and Kiera were up.

John smiled softly as he recalled how comfortable Kiera had been during dinner, a great improvement over how nervous she had been during their breakfasts in Detreye. He did have to wonder how much of that was because Verida remained linked to her, providing a reassuring presence to bolster her will and ease her discomfort. She had only blushed slightly when the topic of sleeping arrangements was brought up and that only increased slightly when his mother offered up her room.

Brenda’s door opened and Kiera hurried out, still dressed in a borrowed nightgown that went down to her knees, her clothing held bundled under her arms. She froze like a deer in headlights, and even in the dull lighting, John could tell her face was turning red and she squeaked out a hasty greeting and bolted towards the bathroom.

“Oh, good morning, sweetie,” Brenda groggily yawned as she shuffled just past her door frame into the hall, clad in a baggy shirt and a pair of flannel pants.

“Morning,” John responded. “Um, was everything alright with the sleeping arrangements?”

“Oh, it was fine,” Brenda answered, though John thought he caught a slight flush to her cheeks. “Though, I think if Kiera’s going to be a long term guest, we should get her a proper room.”

“Well, Vivian and Beth have room at their places,” John said, though that would imply one or both of them wouldn’t be spending the night with him anymore, an unpleasant line of thought given how much he’d come to appreciate having them close.

‘Not sure I like thinking like that,’ John grimaced. It left him feeling like a creep. Like he wanted to control his loved ones’ every move.

“I suppose if they have the room, it would be easier,” Brenda muttered, cutting through John’s sudden possessive thoughts. “But it feels like we’re just bouncing Kiera around. I think it’d be good for her to have a permanent place to call home. And I can’t help but feel like since this is the first place she’s been safe, it makes sense for her to stay here.”

John could see where she was coming from, but he felt there was more to his mother’s line of thought. It wasn’t hard to see how she had bonded with Kiera when she had been in her fugue state and likely wanted to make sure she was well and truly on the mend.

“Well, we can talk to her about it later,” John said, not wanting to get bogged down before the summit. “No need to put extra stress on her. She’s going to be at the meeting and will likely need to talk about her past.”

A frown marred Brenda’s face. “Is that going to be necessary?”

“Verida thinks so,” John replied. “And as much as it su- I mean, stinks that Kiera’s got to talk about it, if we want to bring these guys down, we can’t hold anything back. And she has the most insight into what they were doing, even with her memory gaps.”

“I know,” Brenda sighed, a melancholic expression crossing her face. “I just… It’s so soon after she started to recover. I don’t want to hear that she broke down because of this.”

“None of us want that, Mom,” John softly said. “And we aren’t going to let her push herself to that point. If she starts to spiral, we’re going to stop it.”

Brenda didn’t look too happy about it but she nodded. “I know you’re not going to just let her **** herself but I can’t help but worry.”

John found himself smiling fondly. In the past, her worry over him had felt smothering. But now, after several dangerous situations, some bordering on ****, John found comfort in it. It was a sort of anchor for him, a tether back to the normal life he used to have. Before he could ruminate more on that and the struggles they were about to face later, Kiera shuffled out of the bathroom, fully dressed, her borrowed sleeping clothes folded under her arm.

“Um, Verida wants to know if we could get there a bit earlier than we planned,” the bluenette reported. “She says there’s something important we forgot to address.”

“Is she being coy on purpose?” Senka asked as she slid into the hallway, the rest of the girls following after her. “Or is this some sort of surprise she’s setting up?”

Kiera tilted her head as she communed with Verida. “She says it’s not of paramount importance, but we failed to even think of a name for the Kingdom.”

“Guess we were more concerned with preparing for the Order meeting and dealing with Teri’s elder problem,” Aeolia said.

“Is thinking up a name really that important?” Beth grumbled.

“It is a bit awkward to try to establish ourselves without one,” Vivian replied. “The Order has around a millennium of history, and proper titles are likely to be something they hold in high regard because of that history.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Beth said. “So, any ideas?”

“Well, the dull option is to call it New Amarlis,” Aeolia stated as everyone moved downstairs.

“Verida says she’ll veto anything like that,” Kiera reported softly. “She doesn’t want to just bring the past back. She wants the Kingdom to stand on its own.”

John hummed as they entered the kitchen to prepare a quick breakfast. He found his mind drifting back to how he named Senka, using another language’s word for something related to what he wanted to name.

‘Could that work?’ he wondered as he summoned his phone. He thought back on what the Kingdom represented: a renewal of both a dying Kingdom and its guardian deity, born from a World Tree seed. A place populated by elves who shaped trees into their homes and fashioned weapons and armor.

With that in mind, John began to look up something. He recalled that a lot of flowers and other plants were ascribed meanings like they were hallmark cards and he wondered if any could be used as inspiration. After only a few minutes of looking, he smiled, finding something that could work.

He kept it to himself for the moment, mulling over how to present his idea as he took a bite of a piece of toast offered to him.

“Got something in mind?” Vivian asked as she sat down beside him.

“It’s a starting point at least,” John said. “You know, cherry blossoms represent things like life, rebirth and new beginnings.”

“That does sound appropriate,” Vivian muttered. “And kind of matches Verida’s color scheme. Cherry blossoms come in white and pink.”

Kiera tilted her head, before she said, “Verida says she’d like to hear more about that. But we should do it in person.”

“Got no problem with that,” John remarked. “Be better to hash this out in person. I’ll just make sure to have all the info pulled up before we walk in.”

Kiera nodded before taking a bite of the apple she took as her breakfast.

“Isn’t it a bit on the nose to use plant names?” Beth asked.

“Maybe, but Verida didn’t veto it right away,” John replied. “So it seems like she doesn’t mind that.”

Kiera shook her head a few seconds later, then said, “Um, Verida says we should probably stop trying to work this out now. She’s feeling a little awkward having this conversation like this.”

“Yeah, we can put a pin in it,” John remarked, adopting an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that, Verida.”

Kiera flushed and looked away from John, stuttering out, “V-verida says apology accepted.”

“We should be a bit better at this sort of communication,” Senka noted as she gently placed her hand on Kiera’s shoulder.

“I blame the early hour,” John suggested. “Brain’s still booting up.”

“That’s what they made coffee for,” Beth noted before taking a mug from Brenda and downing a hearty gulp.

“That’s not too hot, is it?” Brenda asked in a worried tone.

“It’s perfect,” Beth answered into her cup. “I like my drinks hot.”

“Well, don’t go chugging it too fast,” Brenda cautioned. “Don’t want to stain your clothing before your meeting.”

Beth hummed as Brenda busied herself with making her own breakfast. Since conversation on the Kingdom’s name was put on pause, everyone settled into idle chit chat. With the looming task ahead of them, the small moment of peace was something they all appreciated.

---

Early mornings were no stranger to William Brighton. Indeed, the number of times he rose after the sun in the last thirty years could likely be counted on his hands alone. Before becoming the Lord-Protector, before earning the hand of his late wife, he had been a distinguished knight, leading men into battle, holding back the worst of the Abyss from those who could not fight back.

And now something was coming. An approaching storm born of bloody sacrifices. That alone was worrying enough, but that it had snuck up on them, slid under the sight of even their seers, left him feeling cold.

‘We were not blinded to the emergence of this new Kingdom at least,’ he mused as he looked over the reports Moira and her retinue provided of their encounter. ‘And from Seer Varnik’s vision, they at least have some measure of the Lady’s favor. We may be able to use that as the cornerstone of any agreement.’

His eyes drifted to the letter that started them on this path, the one apparently left by the leader of this new goddess’ mortal chosen. The one seen the clearest by Varnik in her dream. The rogue late bloomer that had been just as hidden as the blood letting.

‘We’re missing too many pieces of this puzzle,’ he noted. ‘But I doubt they don’t have a few key ones.’

It made sense to him they would use that information as bargaining chips. What gave him some pause was the man in black that had initially begun negotiations. The reports painted the impression he was someone well versed in the ways of the Abyss, far more than Moira’s peers at the very least.

‘I wonder if he’s connected more to the blood case than whatever led to the creation of the Kingdom?’ Brighton wondered. ‘But how did they meet?

There were too many questions to be had, and pointlessly asking them now was just a waste of time and energy. Energy that would be better spent getting the answers from those who likely held them. And ensuring they were not left in a worse position than they were now. The storm upon them was too great for them to keep stumbling.

Muffled footsteps drew Brighton’s gaze to his door before he straightened the papers back into an orderly stack. It was drawing near the time to depart.

---

The early morning air was pleasant as they hiked towards the Kingdom’s entrance. Even in the dim pre-dawn light, between a flashlight and Vivian’s magic, they easily navigated the woods.

“I hope the Order doesn’t think about showing up early,” Vivian said to break the silence. “I’d hate to only be half set up when they arrive.”

“We’ll make them wait if they do that,” Aeolia remarked, a bitter note in her voice. “It’s the least they deserve for screwing up yesterday.”

“I think they’ll show up right when they said they would,” John gave his opinion. “From what we know about them, they probably like to adhere to that sort of rigidity.”

They slowed as they reached the entrance, and a moment later, they passed into the hopefully soon to be named Kingdom. Unlike the day prior, they weren’t met with silence, but now the gentle hum of insects and chirping of birds filled the air, making everything seem more alive.

Verida stood just beyond the entry point, her eyes closed, a serene smile on her lips.

“It’s a lovely symphony, isn’t it?” the dragon goddess asked as she opened her eyes. “So much better than the quiet.”

“Yeah,” John found himself agreeing, an idea coming into his mind. The final piece to his naming suggestion.

“But I suppose we don’t have the time to linger and enjoy,” Verida lamented. “Perhaps later we can just sit back and bask in the song of nature. Shall we adjourn to the hall?”

“We can stay out here if you want,” Vivian said. “We’re going to be stuck inside for a while once things get going.”

Verida smiled when everyone nodded in agreement with the redhead. “Thank you. Now, I think I would be a poor host to leave you standing, so…”

She waved her hand and the predawn darkness was banished by a faint purple light that emanated from the grass around her. In a flash, the grass grew and twisted into the shape of chairs. Besides them, vines shot up, the flowers at their tips glowing with a pale white light.

Giving them an appraising look and nodding, Verida gestured at her creations.

“Please, sit,” she said, waiting for everyone to do so before sitting herself.

“Never thought I’d sit on a grass chair.” Beth chuckled as she bounced in her seat, testing its firmness.

“Everything’s fine with them?” Verida asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

“They’re quite comfortable,” Vivian answered. “Now, we should see if our ideas for the name are to your liking. John?”

“Am I the only one that really did this?” John inquired as he took his phone out.

“You’re the one that whipped out your phone right after Kiera mentioned it,” Beth pointed out. “Plus, you’ve got the most experience with naming stuff.”

“She has a point with that last one,” Senka remarked with a smile. “I’ve had no complaints.”

“Let’s see if I can go two-for-two,” John said, turning his gaze toward Verida. “So, you said you’d like to hear more about cherry blossoms, right?”

“Indeed I did,” Verida nodded. “I do like the idea of using something related to plants to name this domain, though I suppose it does make me sound like I have a one track mind.”

“Well, I might have something to beat those allegations too,” John revealed. “But let’s start with the cherry blossoms. Almost universally, they’re associated with life. Either in the sense of rebirth or in life’s ability to endure. I felt like that’s a good representation of what we have here.”

“It does sound rather poetic,” Verida murmured, her expression thoughtful. “But something tells me you aren’t just going to suggest we call this place the Cherry Kingdom.”

Beth snorted before saying, “Sorry. Anime thing. Ignore me.”

John did, and said, “Well, I was thinking more about using pieces of the scientific names, so it’d be more of something only we know, unless someone’s really into botany.”

John turned his attention to his phone. “Initially, I was thinking of just mashing two of the alternative names together, but I think working in a third element would make it better. Something that ties back to the natural music of the forest. So, without further ado, I present my idea for the Kingdom’s name: Pruzonia. Derived from prunus and kanzan, the scientific names of some cherry tree species, and sinfonia, the Italian word for symphony.”

John looked up and into Verida’s eyes, her gaze piercing into him. Then, she smiled and the light from the flowers around them grew brighter.

“That sounds lovely,” the goddess said in a warm tone. “And from the looks of it, there are no objections?”

“Not like we have any other names worked out,” Aeolia pointed out. “Thankfully it is a good name. I’m ok with it.”

The other girls nodded in agreement and John found his vision overtaken by a pair of popups.

New Achievement: A Christening
Decided upon a name for the Kingdom. Now, things can get official. Hope you stock up on stationary.

Reward: +1 Charisma

New Quest: The Summit
Reach a deal with the Order.
Criteria hidden.
Reward: 1500 EXP, $1000, specific rewards per met criteria.

“Fuck, a hidden quest,” John spat. “I hate those.”

“At least we have a good idea of what’s probably expected of us,” Vivian pointed out. “We don’t want to become subservient to the Order, so things pertaining to our ability to freely enact plans are likely some of the goals we have to meet.”

“Still, would have been nice to get a cheat sheet into what the Order’s planning to do,” John lamented as he closed the popups.

“I suppose we should get up and start on the final preparations,” Verida said sadly. “I suppose the others will be here shortly.”

“Yeah, Lynn shot me a text right before we got here that she was on her way,” Beth revealed.

“Can’t imagine Mason and Teri will be far behind,” Aeolia added.

“Well, there’s no point in waiting for them before beginning,” Verida said as she took to her feet, her seat withering away. She eyed the entryway before grinning. “And I think I know just where to start.”