The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'-Chapter 338 - Shining More Colorfully & Fiercely In Each Other

Chapter 338: Chapter 338 - Shining More Colorfully & Fiercely In Each Other

As the creatures collapsed into the dissipating miasma of aerosolized Void, the senior member under command of the Steelbound forces approached. He wasn’t the type to praise much - and felt all the more uncomfortable about it with so many witnesses. But he knew he had to say something.

"That was... educational, Yecine. I’ve never seen a Physique used quite so effectively as an advantage for an entire unit."

Qat only nodded while allowing the physical energy sustaining Cynosure to fade as the remaining lessers were put to blade, axe, and spear. The fever receded, slowly, leaving her tired once again - but satisfied. Another proof of concept, this time with many more allies at her side to be exposed to it.

"Being bait at the center works only when everyone understands how to fight around it. Your warriors adapted well. This is their victory."

"Yes. They’ll remember this. We all will."

⟠ ⟠ ⟠

What remained of the research camp was being dismantled, packed, and loaded onto wagons bound for the nearest fort. Cultivators moved with the efficiency of those who were accustomed to breaking camp under pressure of warfronts. Their earlier awe at Qatrand’s display was being channeled into purposeful activity.

Inside the last standing tent - reserved for the ’hero’ of the hour at one senior cultivator’s insistence - Qatrand sat on a small stool, cleaning her blade properly. The repetitive buffing motion of cloth against metal provided a meditative rhythm she needed as she processed the day’s events.

Elua also sat inside on the ground, legs crossed and back rigid. Mint eyes dull and waiting - trying their best not to stare with any pressuring feeling. The fox had returned from where it had hidden during the battle and curled up near the tent flap as if standing guard.

It hadn’t even tried to run inside and disrupt the mood. Perhaps because it was just an animal, it could sense the bad future in that choice without rationalizing past it and making a mistake.

"They’re calling it the ’Cynosure Formation’ already. Ryder has sent messengers to three different forts with diagrams." freewebnσvel.cøm

Monotone spoke out after dismissing her last illusion as it ’came to check on Qat’. One that had been talking with a pair of researchers nearby about their unfortunate failure. Pigeon blue eyes remained fixed on the blade, making sure not a speck of potentially damaging substance remained on the surface she valued.

"They’ll find flaws in it soon enough."

"And improve upon it, because you gave them something valuable to work with. Something that will save lives. I’m proud that you thought of the potential of others having the same Aspect."

Qat finally set her sword aside before looking at her wife for the first time since the cute girl had followed inside. The privacy of the tent allowed her shoulders to lower - her confident posture allowed to release tension she hadn’t until now. A complicated look appeared on the blonde’s face again, as her spiritual presence ’reappeared’ from its deep meditation.

"I almost lost control of it out there."

"...The Gravity?"

"Everything."

The Yecine flexed her hand, studying the hardened parts of skin. A result of her training and path. Something that part of her knew didn’t need to remain.

After all, her wife was so strong even with soft hands. If she tried, Qat was sure she could learn techniques - or even use medical substances - to make her own skin more ’pleasant’.

’But she’s never once complained... and I think I had been proud of them. Because it showed my life. My hard work that I wanted others to notice. Maybe even more than I wanted her to like holding them.’

The teenager shook her head. Her mind was drifting, like it had been since she sat down.

"When that leader came at you... it wasn’t just a small worry. I felt something break in me, El."

Nodding, the reincarnator felt she understood immediately. Uncrossing her legs, she shifted on the floor... wanting to crawl closer but holding back. Because while her husband-wife was talking and her tendrils weren’t staying as far away, they’d still yet to wrap tight.

"The part of you that stays calm and rational. Your Yecine training."

"Yes. But also... no."

Fists clenched as the ’older’ girl searched for the right words to explain it. In some ways, the bump to Primalist had provided some clarity. But in others, the subtle differences it provided when it came to analyzing everything about herself... made everything *fresh*.

New and hard to describe because the words felt ’insufficient’. And she was just a little hesitant to let her El be the first one to understand them. Even if she was sure the spiritualist *would*, there was something about the experience that made the swordswoman want to grasp it first.

"I’ve understood why they trained us to control our emotions, especially in battle. Targeting our aggression instead of being completely berserk. But today I realized much more deeply that there’s a difference between our control and... suppression."

"Tell me what you’ve come to understand, my love."

Moving closer but not touching, with her monotone voice somehow soft and tender. Allowing her Qat the space to process. But wanting her to know that she was truly beside her, no matter what.

"When I was younger, I always thought the point was to feel nothing. To be the perfect wielder of my family’s weapon by stripping away the desire to be given approval - or the hurt of seeming to disappoint people."

She glanced at her sword. The replica blade designed after their family heirloom. Gifted to her by the girl who had been more supportive than anyone. The person, the love, who meant more than anyone.

"But feeling that... rage when I thought you were threatened. It focused me for that moment, but risked so much. I didn’t think about anything else."

"Your emotions have always been your strength. Most people fight harder when they have something to protect. And you... have always wanted to protect everything."

As Elua finished speaking, the other girl leaned down more and reached for her hand. Picking it up while examining the small fingers laying in her palm. Her mint-drop. Everyone’s ’medical fairy’.

’And the little Ogre creating nightmares... or defending against them.’

"I keep thinking about that day. How terrified you were. Of losing me. When I drew those Voidlings away."

"I was. I always will be."

"At the time, I didn’t fully understand. I thought I did. I’d tried to accept and sympathize. But today..."

Qatrand’s low voice trailed off. Remembering the heart-stopping moment when she’d seen the leader lunge toward Elua’s direction. The feelings that went beyond logic, that stuck on worst cases that might have been impossible. All wrapped together in an instant that stretched its anchor of ’fear’ deep into her heart.

"Today... I did. Actually understand."

The tent fell silent except for the distant sounds of the camp’s dismantling. While the heiress was paralyzed over what was best to say versus what she wanted to do, her spirit contracted around herself tightly. Trying to control herself.

’This isn’t the time for you to do anything. Just be here.’

After a moment, Qat continued speaking while lightly squeezing the hand on her palm..

"All those years of training to be the perfect heir. To hide what I was born as. To never show weakness. In the end, what made me strong wasn’t any of that."

Elua squeezed back. A small concession to her desires.

"What do you believe it was, then?"

"You."

Said simply, while tugging on her arm to bring their foreheads touching. Softly, without the harsh bump of frustration from earlier. So close that the Yecine’s nose brushed the cheek that would always puff up to express little irritations in the cutest way.

"No one else has shown me that I can be both the sword wielder and the person underneath that. That feeling deeply doesn’t make me weak. Only the person who feels more deeply than anyone and is stronger than us all bothered to do so."

"Qat..."

The warbling call of her husband-wife’s name was accompanied by the tendrils of spirit closing around her. Dragging against her form, infusing emotions that were as complex and variegated as ever before. New fears, new worries, old frustrations and old hurts.

All more colorful and expressive. All of it was more Qatrand, Elua er Goltbred’s precious gem. The blonde smiled while kissing the girl’s cheek, after feeling the spiritualist latch onto a highly specific new worry.

"I’m fine. It’s a silly scenario anyway."

"None of your feelings are silly to me, my love."

"Exactly the reason it is hard for me to imagine ever loving anyone, if you didn’t exist."

Putting her spouse on a pedestal so very idealized that it might be making it harder for the reincarnator to simply live comfortably as herself... was almost a natural worry to develop after how everything had gone recently.

"I’m not upset with you for destroying their research. Or the ritual zone itself. I know why you did it and that you never wanted to really help them in the first place "

"As soon as we were alone, I would have told you everything anyway. Even if you hadn’t reacted like this."

"I know."

Qatrand’s faint voice against the side of her face, so near her lips, sent pangs of urges deep into the reborn cultivator. Her spouse was being so loving and genuine, but also so tempting. The heiress could feel in the other girl’s emotions what would happen if she tempted back.

’My heart is not designed to handle this. But she is asking me to be responsible this time, it looks like...’

"You’re very terrible at keeping things from me. It’s one of the many things I love about you. I trust your judgment about the dangers more than anyone else’s. I trust you, mint-drop."

Soft fingers reached up to trace Qat’s jaw. With a touch feather-light and the electricity of so many unstable hormones running through her Ogre Physique’s veins. An illusion of sorts all its own.

’Suppression is not the same thing as control, indeed. It’s so very hard to do either...’

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