Taking over the Abyss

[Valentine's Special] A Tale of Light Novels and Yumes

"A rogue shaman from the Masters of the Night-Wind has been discovered colliding with members from the Treasure Hoarders. Normally, it wouldn't be much of a problem, but they've stolen supplies that were meant to be used in rebuilding homes. Citlali, can I entrust this matter to you?"

To Citlali, the answer was an obvious and immediate yes. Mavuika's smile and words of encouragement were always impossible to say no to. From what Mavuika had told her, the matter held a pretty high degree of importance, and was the exact sort of thing Citlali specialized in doing. Shaman from the Masters of the Night-Wind were all a force to be reckoned with, and a rogue shaman was a problem well suited for the terrifying Granny Itztli to handle.

Thankfully Kinich had been able to track the location of the troublemakers and provided her with useful, albeit confusing intel. The thieves referred to their hideout as the 'yumejoshi dungeon' and had amassed a collection of what Ajaw had recounted annoyingly as 'trashy human garbage books'. Kinich had helpfully added that these books were actually light novels.

Without meaning to, Citlali's face had lit up with recognition. Which led Kinich and Ajaw to realize that Citlali knew exactly what they were talking about, without the need to explain (though Ajaw never gave explanations so much as trash-talks nobody wanted to hear). For the first time, Ajaw had actually managed to hurt her feelings. Not with words, but with a highly judgmental stare.

Citlali had firmly resolved in her heart to make these sons of bitches pay. This was a matter of pride just as it was her duty. She only needed to slam the door open and glower at the room before the scoundrels had tripped over themselves in an attempt to flee, only to be caught in her icy wrath. With the thieves subdued in floes of frost, Citlali moved to investigate everything in their warehouse. The rogue shaman stiffened when Citlali approached a certain box, straining against the ice encasing her.

"Don't! Not that one! I won't let you take the goddess of my dreams away from me!" She cried out, voice laced with desperation.

Citlali scowled and turned her attention to snap at the other woman, "you could've daydreamed about whatever goddess you wanted, without stealing supplies from other people!"

"You don't understand! I had to see her beautiful smile again, at any cost!" The rogue almost looked ready to cry. Citlali paused for a moment, then opened the box. Inside held a peculiar novel she hadn't seen before. Ignoring the fanatical ravings about whoever's 'gentle touch to my shoulder' and 'soft eyes filled with a distant sorrow'- yeesh, she was down bad. It was enough to make Citlali cringe internally, glad she'd never fangirled out loud to another person before.

Irritated by the constant babbling, Citlali took the light novel from its box with a little more force than necessary, snapping at the shaman in hopes of getting her to shut up, "Look, you're clearly mentally unstable! I'll investigate everything you and your lackeys stole, and if it's harmless, then the Pyro Archon might go easy on you. Got it?!"

Citlali crossed her arms over her chest as the room filled with a chorus of deeply unenthusiastic 'yes ma'am's.

-

After waiting around for other members of her tribe to come and get the apprehended idiots, Citlali found herself faced by the rogue shaman's father. He seemed remorseful, bowing his head deeply to her in a show of respect.

"I'm so sorry for the trouble she caused. Ever since she became a fully fledged shaman, she's been claiming to have strange dreams. I never thought it would've manifested like this. I'll make sure nothing like this happens again," he promised her.

Citlali felt some of her irritation subside. She knew that burgeoning spiritual sensitivity could have negative side effects on the human psyche. Tragedies like this were uncomfortably common, people haunted by spirits lurking in the Night Kingdom, or by stray bits of information that prattled through their minds as they slept and hurt their psyche. "... it's fine. Just be glad she didn't get very far in her plans. I've heard those Treasure Hoarders are more bark than they are bite."