NOVEL NEXT 1.68 – Secrets
Gods were real and if they liked one thing, it was sticking their fingers into anything and everything they wanted. Like Maple, in this instance. Not literally (yet), but into her affairs (but not that kind of affair, yet).
Or had it been that kind? This God had clearly done something to muck up Maple's classes from the start. She'd apologized for that, kind of, and promised whatever the thing was would make up for it. But could she have also been responsible for bringing her to this world in the first place? Apologize for that.
But let her keep Emma.
And, she didn't necessarily want to return. She hadn't been very passionate about her prospects back on Earth—nor was she in this world, but the degree she'd been going for had only been to pay the bills. An oppressive amount of bills, that seemed would only get worse year after year.
Magic existed here. The other species were...interesting. She should probably miss her family more, or the handful of friends she'd had, and she did miss them, but she likely would have moved elsewhere once she'd graduated and got a job. Her friends would have fallen out of touch eventually. This was like that.
As for her parents, they'd been fine all her life. She loved them as much as anyone loved their parents. She'd already been apart for college, and just, she wouldn't up and leave for their sake. Maybe if she could come back after, or just bring them here—
Not that, actually. They'd be horrified to hear what she'd been up to. She'd be horrified if they heard.
Maple idly thought about that, about whether or not she'd want to leave, and her answer was: eh, probably not. Maybe in a few years she'd look into it, or if things became too bad here, she might want to.
What else was she supposed to think about? A being beyond comprehension had likely brought her here, and also had some kind of stake in her life and what she did.
It was so far outside her control and understanding that she barely understood what it even meant. Thera went silent after her coughing fit from choking on her frappe, and Sasha let her theory soak in. Maple watched the ocean below them.
"How, uh, bad is that?"
"It'd depend on which one it is, but it's not usually a bad thing, necessarily. There's benefits, and some don't ask for much."
"Mine was bad, but that was you-know-who."
Thera's face turned serious, and she summoned a bottle of amber liquid to mix into her frappe. Drinking in a dream wouldn't do anything unless she wanted it to.
"Hey this is pretty good. You don't have any alcoholic beverages I don't know about, do you?"
Maple hadn't been, wasn't, a big drinker. She couldn't really think of anything this world didn't already have.
"Hmm, I don't think so. What would this god want from me, though? Who is it?"
"If it's who I'm thinking, then probably...exactly what you've been doing. It'd explain your classes."
What had she been doing? No, Maple could already guess. It'd just be dumb if she were right.
"Who, though?"
"The one who embodies freedom and sex."
Yep, there it was. Each day she spent here was more surreal than the last. Thera nodded in recognition.
"Lilibra."
Sasha winced and glanced up once, as if expecting divine retribution then and there. Or perhaps just a second visit. Maple now had a name to blame for her class troubles (both kinds, since if she'd been given a normal class from the start then earning money would have been easier).
"That's not so bad. She's said to be the sister of my former parasite, actually. They're kind of opposites. But still..."
Thera seemed to be considering whether she wanted to get involved in this at all. Anything that could be described as a parasite sounded bad to Maple. Emma chose that moment to chime in.
She was nice to me, though.
"She talked to you too?"
Sasha asked, and Emma nodded.
She gave me my—
She cut off and turned to Maple with an oops expression. Telling that full story might give too much away, but then so had pausing and looking at her like that. Thera raised her brow, and Maple sighed.
"Um, would you not want to help me if there's a God involved?"
"Hmm. If it is that goddess in particular, then I wouldn't be too put off. Hells, I'd take a blessing from her myself. Maybe not if it were a different one, though. Why?"
"Then, can you promise to keep a secret?"
Sasha and Emma both turned to Maple with mild concern, but didn't say anything. Honestly, Maple didn't feel there was a strong reason she should keep it a sacred secret. She'd want her friends to know, at least. Thera might not be quite there yet, but in either case, what was the worst that could happen? She'd already pushed it quite a bit with all the food.
"I suppose I could. I keep my word. I'd use all my willpower to do so, but making a promise before knowing what you're promising is kinda iffy, isn't it? What if I'd already made a promise to tell someone if I ever found out whatever you told me? Or what if it's something that endangers people?"
Maple hadn't been expecting that answer. Was she taking it seriously, or just being difficult?
"Uh. Have you promised something like that?"
"Well, no. But what if I'd already promised to lie if ever asked about such a promise? And really, there's much more to it than that. How long am I committing to this promise for, for example? What if I forget? It's not a secret if you tell people about it, Maple."
Maple rubbed her head and looked to Emma and Sasha for advice. They shrugged and gave her a don't look at us, it's your decision look. Thera had a point, but what kind of person turned down a secret when offered? Thera smiled.
"You seem a little too trusting, is all. Someone has to tell you that, or you'll find out the hard way eventually. We met on the road once, and then again yesterday. Today, you tell me a God gave you the location of a powerful artifact. She told you the value of it, you told me the value of it, and what, were you just planning to hope we were honest enough to not take it for ourselves if we wanted it? Some adventurers are like that. And now you offer up another secret. It's irresponsible, and I'm calling you out on that."
"Yeah, but...I don't know. Sorry?"
Oof. She had a point, but—yeah, she had a point. Ironically, Maple felt she could trust her more because of it. Thera shrugged and sipped on her frappe.
"I'm just letting you know. I'm blunt when I need to be. But sure, I'll promise. For whatever that's worth from someone you just met."
Maple sighed and shook her head. The artifact probably had been the larger secret, if it was as valuable as was claimed. Maple summoned a can of a popular hard seltzer she'd had a couple of times and tossed it to Thera.
"Here. It's alcoholic."
"Ooh, what's this? Fancy container. How do I open it—oh, I see."
Emma and Sasha each got one as well. They were all reasonably more impressed by the can itself than the contents. Maple couldn't really blame them.
"It's from my home. The world I'm from."
