Deviation Actions
Literature Text
“Tell me one more time why we’re sitting in a vineyard naked?” Athena looked up from where she sat next to her love on a blanket spread between the neat lattices that ran off in both directions from where they were seated. The sun was bright, the sky was clear and blue, and the temperature was just cool enough to where there was a crispness in the air in the morning, but it grew warm enough that they were not actually cold at mid-morning, seated unclothed amidst the vines.
It hadn’t started so oddly.
Well, in many ways, it had, but that was beside the point. She and Nesha, the catfolk girl from Osirion, had met in Korvosa, just before heading out to investigate reports of banditry in the little town of Ouslet. Along with a tiefling and a half-drow, they had investigated the little town’s reports. The catfolk was irritable, angry, and prone to bursts of violent pranks that hurt, but left no permanent damage. She had directed a lot of her rage Athena, who had unknowingly acted like the nobles who had hurt Nesha long before they had ever met. The others were equal opportunity targets, and an unfriendly miasma began to settle among the adventurers, threatening to dissolve their friendship before it had a chance to fully form.
Once Athena realized this, she offered a home, safety, and while not a life of comfort, at least one of stability. This had calmed the catfolk woman, and they had agreed to work together to help the region. It was a good thing, since it turned out the “bandits” in the area weren’t just disorganized brigands out to take advantage of the helpless. They were Chelish Hellknights, intent on setting up a forward base for when the Imperial nation of Cheliax might choose to expand once more. After a brutal fight in which they came face to face with a man of such charismatic evil that they all found themselves questioning themselves, they returned to Korvosa.
Athena, called home to report on her efforts in the metropolis of Korvosa, asked her newfound friends if they would come with, including the feisty catfolk, who while still keeping the others at arm’s length, had at least agreed not to assault the others with her violent ‘pranks’ while they traveled. It was in her parent’s castle of Terrenhault that Athena had finally come to understand what was wrong with Nesha and why she was so sharp-edged and ready to fight at the smallest insult.
The catfolk girl was far from home, alone, and terribly, terribly afraid of what the world would do with her should she drop her vicious façade. Athena did the only thing she could think of, and welcomed her into her own home, hugging her close after another potentially violent encounter, and shocking the rest of the troupe (including Nesha).
But it was the right thing to do. Both for the betterment of their troupe and for the catfolk herself, who melted in Athena’s arms, her defenses destroyed in a single hug. Ready to fight, used to being taken advantage of, Nesha had never been ready to accept that someone might just try to be there for her, with her, against the depredations of the world around her. From a vicious-tongued, angry and combatant “ally,” the catfolk became Athena’s best friend, closest companion, and eventually, lover.
A celebration for their efforts at reducing Cheliax influence was held in a neighboring kingdom, the adventurers recognized for what they had done. Athena and Nesha shared a room, their friendship blossoming into a more carnal desire, their emotional closeness having closed the gap in record time. The others, surprised at their sudden rapprochement, were turned away, one leaving the troupe as an emergency came up, the other growing more and more distant.
The two did not care, having eyes only for one another. Never mind the looks from the other celebrants or their travelling companions. Never mind the expectations of society, or of Athena’s own past. They fell in love.
After the celebration, they were forced into an effort to rescue some of their newfound friends, the site of the celebration raided within hours of their departure by slavers and pirates. Instead of returning to Korvosa and Terrenhault to announce their love for one another, the two were forced into the dark politics of Cheliax itself, where they had to maneuver carefully if they were to rescue those who were counting on them. Despite their surroundings, their love continued to flourish. Into the slaver’s stronghold they dove, returning with their allies and many others, rescued from the depths of slavery and brought home to Korvosa, despite the best efforts of Chelish military members set to sink their ship and end their lives.
In a whirlwind of activity, Athena managed to free the slaves permanently from their Chelish masters, but repercussion had finally caught up with them. Athena was challenged to a duel with a Hellknight champion, one which there was little hope she could win outright. She went into it knowing her chances were slim, and that the Hellknights needed a victory in order to maintain order in Korvosa. Nesha expected her to die.
No one expected her to fight back through unexplained magic, blessings that made the harsh blows of her opponent turn non-lethal. Nesha and Athena’s friends whisked her away, unconscious after the artificial duel, to help her recover in the temple Athena had been serving when it all began.
Awakening, Athena was told the people of Korvosa were speaking of a “saint” and a holy encounter with the goddess Iomedae Herself protecting her paladin, who had just rescued many and secured their freedom at the cost of what might have been her life.
“Best you get out of Korvosa for a time,” said her bishop, smiling in amazement at the miracles she had performed. “It will not be safe for you. Go home and tell your family what has happened her.”
But home was not what she had expected. Her parents, glad to see her, spoke of the arranged marriage she had been a part of for a full decade, and began to set plans to make that event come to fruition.
“I will not marry him,” she told them when she finally came up with the nerve to face down her beloved family. “I will marry Nesha,” she told them, squeezing the catfolk’s hand as she squeezed back.
“A woman,” said her mother, a paladin of the faith. “A catfolk woman.”
“A foreigner and not Iomedaen,” said her father, bishop of Terrenhault.
“You realize what this will do to the political situation,” her mother asked after an intense interrogation wherein she came to realize the depth of Athena and Nesha’s devotion to one another.
“I will do whatever it takes,” Athena had replied.
“Then you will explain this to those affected,” her mother had said. “And you will find a way to make this work.”
“Well, you did say you were going to do whatever it takes,” Nesha said, squeezing her hand and smiling reassuringly. A cold wind blew through the vines and Athena looked up at the cool blue sky above, wishing for the hundredth time that they had thought to bring a blanket to lay under as well as on.
“But why are we naked?!”
Nesha smirked. “Well… It IS a beautiful day…”
“That’s not what I meant,” said Athena, batting her lover’s hand away from her bare hip.
Nesha smirked. “Whatever it is that is tormenting the people of this vineyard tried to make us naked the first time we ran into it, so perhaps, if we show that we are not concerned with being clothed, it will find another way to make itself known and perhaps even introduce itself?”
Athena raised a blonde eyebrow. “So, it wants us naked, so let’s make it happy by being that way when it arrives?”
“One less thing to bother with,” said the catfolk, her hazel eyes glittering with humor.
“You just want me naked,” announced Athena, grinning back.
“Well, there’s always that,” admitted the catfolk, always willing to play if nothing else presented itself.
“Well, well, well,” a small voice said suddenly. Emerging from a section of grapevines, it immediately drew the ladies’ attention. Athena instantly covered herself, willing to be nude in the presence of her lover, but not so willing when it came to anyone else. “Oh, don’t,” said the voice happily. “You can’t hide what I’ve already seen.”
“You’re the same one who did this to us before?” Athena asked uncertainly.
“Yep!” The vines parted and a tiny pink dragon head pushed through, followed by a similarly colored body. Iridescent, rainbow-colored wings flapped lazily on its back, nowhere near large enough to actually lift the portly little creature. “But I think it’s fascinating that you did it to yourselves! So, I’m going to reveal myself, too!
“Ah… But… why would you do that?”
Recovering quickly, Athena let her arms drop. The little creature was cute! And more importantly, it was not a human, elf, or otherwise humanoid. And, of supreme importance, not a man! “To find you, of course,” she admitted.
“Me?!” asked the little drake, snorting humorously. “Why would you want to find me?!?”
“Well, there is the problem of the mess you’ve been making,” Athena said, standing and pointing toward the ruins of the eastern corner of the vineyard. Trails of destruction led through the light wooden latticework holding up the vines as they climbed toward the sun.
“That’s not my fault,” said the tiny dragon. “I can’t help where that stupid stone rolls…”
“Stone?” asked Nesha, standing beside her beloved and eyeing the pink dragon curiously.
“Ahuh. A big one. Carved with nonsense. The goblins up the hill really seem to like it, so they chase it every time I make it move!”
“We talked to the goblins last night,” Athena said seriously. “They are very much upset with the fact that the stone keeps moving.”
“They’re great!” said the dragon, rolling over and giggling. “They go screaming and chasing after it as soon as it moves! They’ve tried tying it down, even! They’re hysterical!”
“Hysterical,” repeated Athena, not understanding.
“You’re doing this on purpose?” asked Nesha, blinking.
“Yup!”
“Why?”
“Because it’s funny!” cried the dragon, giggling again.
Athena frowned. While she did find the pink dragon’s humor infectious, and she could see the humor involved in the clan of goblins chasing their suddenly mobile worship stone as it mysteriously rolled out of their cave and down the hill (and into the vineyard), the damage it was causing was the very reason she and Nesha were standing there. “But you’re ruining their lives.”
“No, I’m not!” cried the drake, sitting up and staring back at her. “Why do you have no fur when your friend has fur?”
“Huh?” Athena looked down at herself and then at Nesha, confused. “I’m human… She’s not…”
“I… what?” Caught at the dragon’s swiftly changing topic, she was temporarily wrong-footed.
“You should have a tail!”
“A tail? Why would I?”
“Tails are awesome!” said the dragon, fluttering up from his spot in the vines and moving around behind Athena.
“But I don’t want…” A tail suddenly appeared at Athena’s backside, its pink length suddenly falling between her legs to lie on the ground. It was almost as long as Nesha’s, but had no fur. Athena staggered at the sudden weight.
“That’s better,” said the drake, smiling angelically.
“How…?” asked Nesha, startled into staring at the odd appendage protruding from just above Athena’s bare buttocks.
“Magic, of course!” said the drake, giggling. “Now we all have tails!”
Athena’s tail flopped once and then lifted itself, to begin lashing back and forth. “Now, listen you…”
“It’s moving!” said Nesha, eyes going wide.
Athena froze, the tail doing the same. She turned and stared at the pink thing attached to her back, a hand going to her mouth when it began waving lazily behind her.
“Tails are great!” said the dragon. “They can tell if someone is lying!”
“They can?” asked Athena, turning back to the little creature.
“I’ve heard that,” said Nesha, reaching around to grab her own tail and playing a finger through its fur. “Hard to lie when your tail gives things away…”
“I think you’re forgetting the fact that I’m not supposed to have a tail!” said Athena, staring at the thing. It wrapped itself around one of her legs, feeling for all intents as if she was holding her own hand. Except that hand was a tail and it was wrapping entirely around one of her calves!
“No, I’m not,” said the drake, grinning.
“You think this is fun,” said Nesha, grinning suddenly.
“It is!”
“It isn’t,” said Athena. “If I was expecting it, maybe, but…”
“But that’s the fun of it!” cried the dragon, doing a little loop the loop in the air as he stared at them. “If you were expecting it, you wouldn’t act the same, and that’s the fun part!”
“But the people you are doing it to don’t want you to do what you are doing,” Nesha said evenly.
“Nope!”
“But you do it anyway?”
“Yep!”
“Why?”
“Because it’s fun! Everyone reacts differently! Some run around, some throw their hands in the air, other’s scream! It’s great fun! I like to laugh!”
Athena pulled her tail away from her leg and watched it go back to waving gently behind her before leveling her eyes on the dragon once more. “While I can understand the humor you might be getting from such things, it’s really unfair, you know? These people are terrified, and you’re affecting the vineyard.”
“That’s not my fault,” said the dragon, crossing its forearms and frowning comically.
Athena could not help but smile. “The rock you are sending down the hill to make the goblins chase is breaking through the walls of the vineyard and destroying things. That IS your fault.”
“That’s because of the goblins,” the dragon said adamantly. A cool breeze went by, blowing the floating drake sideways a bit. Athena’s skin was suddenly covered in goose bumps and she was reminded of their lack of attire. With a glance at the main buildings in the distance, she put the thought aside.
“They’re chasing their stone,” Nesha was saying.
“And their stone is breaking the walls!” said the dragon, nodding as if it all made sense.
“But the stone wouldn’t be rolling if it weren’t for you!” said Athena.
The dragon stopped, put a paw to its mouth and then nodded. “That is true.”
“Then, can you stop moving the stone?”
“I’m afraid not,” said the dragon.
“But why not!? You’re upsetting the goblins and the people who run this vineyard!”
“Because it’s fun!”
“But they’re going to get mad at you,” said Nesha.
“That always happens,” said the drake.
“What do you do, then?” asked Athena.
“Leave,” the dragon said sadly.
“You don’t seem happy about that,” said Nesha.
“The fun always ends,” said the drake. “Sometimes they try chasing me. But they can’t catch me!”
“Hmmm…” Athena began pacing, her thin tail following her back and forth. “So, you don’t want to leave, but you know you will have to eventually.”
The dragon nodded.
“Why don’t you want to leave before the people come after you?” asked Nesha.
“Because it’s perfect here!”
“Perfect how?” asked Athena, stopping in her pacing.
“I have all the grapes I can eat,” said the drake, picking one off the vine and swallowing it whole. “I have goblins who are great fun every night! I get to laugh all the time. And now YOU are here! What more could I ask for?”
“A place where no one wants to hurt you?” asked Nesha.
“Who wants to hurt me!” asked the dragon, forgetting the second grape he’d already picked and staring at them warily. He had settled onto a trellis again but at these words, began fluttering again.
“Well, no one right now,” said Athena, “But that’s going to change. They asked for us to come and find you.”
“We don’t want to hurt you, either,” Nesha added.
“I’m glad,” said the drake. “You seem the nice sort.”
“I am,” said Athena, grinning. Beside her Nesha, too, was smiling. “Tell you what?”
“Hmm?”
“Let’s play a game.”
“What kind of game?”
“Stare into my eyes,” said Athena, smiling playfully.
“Why?” asked the drake.
“Just do it. It’s part of the game!”
“What about her?” asked the drake, watching Nesha warily.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Nesha said reassuringly.
“Hrrr…” Still, the little dragon began watching Athena, only occasionally turning to look at Nesha.
“Now, crouch a little…”
“Crouch?”
“You’ll have to land,” Athena said, grinning.
“This is part of the game?”
“It is. I assure you.” She waved at Nesha, who fell into a crouch and grinned as Athena did the same, her tail rising to offset her balance. “That’s an odd sensation,” Athena admitted while the drake landed on a trellis.
“Okay, what now?” asked the dragon.
“Stare into my eyes and crouch.”
“But, why?”
“It’s part of the game!” said Athena. As the dragon stared at her, she waved ever so slightly for Nesha to move to the other side. Silent so as to avoid drawing his attention, the catfolk woman began moving ever so slowly.
She froze when he looked up and saw her. “You moved!”
“She’s not playing the game!” said Athena.
“But we aren’t doing anything!” replied the drake, “and she moved!”
“Let her,” said Athena, shaking her head. “Are you ready for the real part of the game now?”
“What real part?”
“We have to try not to blink,” said Athena, grinning manically.
“Oh, that’s easy!” said the little dragon, floating a bit closer to her. “Don’t cheat!”
“I can’t cheat,” said Athena. “I am not allowed. Everything I say is true, and I never cheat.”
“If you blink, what do I win?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” said Athena. “Maybe I’ll feed you grapes for a while if you win.”
“And if you win?”
“You’ll have to take away her tail for one,” said Nesha, grinning.
“Oh, that’s easy. Okay.” The dragon began staring into Athena’s eyes.
Nesha began moving again.
“You blinked!” said the drake, bobbing up off the trellis. “I won!”
“Aww!” cried Athena, laughing. “Let’s play again! Best two out of three!”
“Okay, but if I win again, you both have to feed me grapes!”
“Fine,” Athena replied, mock-annoyed. Ignoring Nesha, who was now nearly beside the dragon, she began staring into the little creatures brilliant blue and green eyes. The drake landed and began the contest once more.
It ended suddenly. Nesha crashed through the trellis where the drake had alighted, wrapping her body around him and pulling him close. While the dragon and Athena stared into each other’s eyes, willing the other to blink, Nesha had managed to get behind the little creature. Unaware, he was easy pickings for the nimble catfolk and they went down in a tumble.
The little creature was quick and had the advantage of his tiny size, but Nesha was quicker and had caught cats and rats for her dinner at one point in her life, so knew how to minimize his tricks. In a matter of moments, the little creature went invisible, muttered a number of petty spells that had no effect on either woman and then began screaming for the catfolk to let him go.
“Not until you agree to leave this place,” said Athena, straightening and wincing as Nesha rolled through another trellis, scattering leaves, grapes and bits of wood here and there. Tufts of the catfolk’s fur were flying out from her center, where she had wrapped her body tightly around the little drake.
“Let me go!” cried the dragon, turning purple and then green and then blue in quick succession. Nothing he did, from scratching and flapping his little wings in her face, made her loosen her grip! “Let me go!”
“Promise us!” cried Athena, following Nesha as she rolled in counterpoint to the little dragon’s efforts to break free. More grapes were crushed and a trellis line collapsed behind the rolling catfolk girl as her weight knocked it off balance.
“I promise!” cried the dragon. “I promise!”
“You promise to leave this place!?” Athena repeated.
“I promise to leave!” cried the little dragon, his voice reaching a fevered pitch. “Let me go!”
“You’ll leave the goblins alone?” asked Athena, hating herself for the terrified sound of the little drake and wincing again as more of Nesha’s stomach fur went flying.
“I promise! You lied! You lied!”
“I did not lie!” Athena replied.
“You said it was a game!” cried the little dragon, lessening his efforts as he became exhausted.
“Let him go, Nesha,” Athena ordered.
Nesha uncurled around him, lifting him up so that he could be free once more. The drake flew up and began flying quick circles above them.
“You lied!” he cried repeatedly. “It was a game!”
“You will keep your promise!” Athena said, sad that the little creature was angry at them.
“I will keep my promise!” the little creature said. “But you lied! You said you didn’t lie!”
He popped out of view. The whisper of the wind through the trellises filled their ears.
Athena offered a hand to help Nesha up and winced again when she saw the scratch marks in the catfolk’s belly and chest. “Sorry…”
“It worked,” said Nesha, hugging her warmly and smiling. The smile faded when they both heard the distant cry, floating on the breeze.
“You lied…!”
It sounded like the little fellow was crying.
“And now, I feel like a villain,” said Athena, staring up the hillside the dragon had flown in his escape.
“Better than having the vineyard workers hunt him down and try to kill him,” said Nesha, taking her hand. The catfolk pulled her back toward the blanket on the ground and the piles of clothing they’d left. “Let’s get back to the overseer and let him know we’ve taken care of his problem…”
“What about the goblins?” asked Athena, staring up the hill toward where their hidden cave entrance. Inside, the carved stone wouldn’t be moving tonight, and the little clan wouldn’t be chasing their beloved ‘ancestor stone’ into the vineyard any more.
“They won’t be a problem without the dragon causing them issues,” said the young paladin.
Nesha offered Athena her pants, kneeling and beginning to gather her own gear. “Can’t say that went as expected…”
“I have no idea what I expected, to be honest,” admitted Athena, dressing herself, but still throwing glances up the hillside on occasion. “Who expected a little faerie dragon?! They said a ‘terrible evil’ was loose in the vineyard!”
“So long as the town council approves,” Nesha replied, pulling her short leather skirt over her legs and hips. “We did what we came to do, right?”
“Well, we got rid of the problem… I just hope that secretary was able to swing at least a vote our way…”
“He said if we did this for them, he could,” Nesha replied. Shrugging into her half-top and its long laced sleeves, she checked to see if her hidden blades were still in place before tugging it over her ample chest and settling it in place.
“If not, then all of this was for naught,” said Athena. She pulled her chain shirt over her head and shrugged it into position once more before pulling her light cloak over her form and rejoicing in the sudden warmth it gave. “We aren’t exactly wandering the towns of the region for no reason. Our wedding rides on our success, Love.”
“My beloved,” said Nesha, straightening and wrapping her arms around Athena’s waist, kissing her gently on the lips before continuing, “It is only a matter of time. The world cannot stop our love. This council will be nothing before us.”
“Well, he IS gone,” said Athena. Wistfully, she looked up at the hillside above. “I just wish there had been another way…”
“In the end,” said Nesha, taking her hand and starting the walk back to where the overseer watched his men working the vines, “we did what we came to do. And that is all that matters.”
