I'm a Trans Girl Reincarnated in Another World??

[ScottishMongol]

Spoiler: Author's Note

A new quest begins, and we're back to lore-heavy chapters. The Church of the Lady of Light is your generic good-guy fantasy religion, but I wanted to give it some depth and daily reality. People tend to genuinely believe in their religion!

It was a hot day in early summer when Iris was summoned to Lord Harcourt's solar.

Alessa was there at the council table along with her parents, and advising them were Pippin the steward and Father Clovis – even the old drunk Jean-Ambrose had dragged himself down from his wizard tower to give the lord counsel. Iris sat uneasily at the end of the table. Servants had laid out bread and cheese and poured them wine.

"What can I do for you, my lord?"

"Lady Iris. We've just received word of something that calls for service," Lord Harcourt said, flicking his fingers at a half-unfurled scroll sitting on the table in front of him. "It seems a band of pilgrims is attempting to uncover an old site holy to the Lady of Light, located in the Forest of Dern."

"It was abandoned during the Great Plague," Father Clovis said. "Evidently they mean to uncover the ruins, sanctify it, and restore it to its old purpose."

Iris looked between them.

"I see. And is that on the Harcourt lands?"

"No, but it's close enough that it concerns us," Lord Harcourt said. "The King declared the forest a frontier, open for settlement. Given its position, were it to be restored it would bring more traffic to the area, more trade."

"So, you want to make sure it gets done, and that the pilgrims are amenable to you," Iris guessed.

"This could be a chance for the Lady Iris Penny to show her quality," said Lady Harcourt. She even smiled when she said it.

"The pilgrims by their own account have it well in hand, but there's no reason not to make sure they're protected – there are goblins in that forest, and bandits," Lord Harcourt continued. "And of course Alessa will be there to represent the family directly."

"We should take Father Clovis with us to advise us on religious matters," Alessa said, "And Bors and Charles and my squires…and Chiri."

Iris nodded. It took only a moment's thought to accept the challenge - this was her chance to prove herself and cement her place.

"Very well. My Lord Harcourt, I won't dishonor you."

The next few days were busy with preparations. Iris had her armor and weapons checked to make sure they were in good condition, packed her gear, and said goodbye to the friends she'd made at Doncaster.

Iris and Alessa spent the night before they were to depart together. Tired from their lovemaking, Iris sprawled naked on the bed, Alessa curled against her side. Iris confessed that she was worried.

"There's kind of this pressure, you know?"

Alessa rested her head against Iris' shoulder.

"You'll succeed. I know what you're capable of, we just need to show my parents."

"Yeah, I guess. Hey…are things going to be different once we leave?"

"I'm not sure how many chances we'll have to be alone in the field, if that's what you mean."

"Oh. Okay," she said, then immediately chided herself. Alessa raised her head to look into her eyes.

"Iris, you know I love you, right? I'm sorry I can't show you that more."

She kissed Iris, and Iris wrapped her arms around Alessa's waist.

"Oh, Alessa, you know you don't have to show me. I just wish we didn't have to keep up appearances like this."

"It won't last forever. Just enjoy the time we can get, okay?"

They departed the next morning, as the summer sun cast its light over Doncaster's battlements. It was a small party – Alessa and those who had accompanied her on her first quest, plus Father Clovis mounted on a donkey, and a cart full of supplies and goblin-made construction tools to offer the pilgrims. The cart was driven by a bushy-bearded man named Joseph-Pierre, who spent most of his time hunched over the reins, mumbling a response to every question.

"Good morning, Lady Iris," Father Clovis said, "I thought we could greet the Lady and ask her blessings on our quest."

Iris had only been mildly observant during her time at Doncaster; she attended weekly services held by Father Clovis, but that was largely to fit in. It wasn't that she didn't believe in the gods, she just wasn't sure how much the Lady could help her when she had a whole other goddess in her head.

"As you say, Father," Iris said. Alessa and the others truly believed in the Lady, and were convinced that she protected and guided them every day of their lives. It sometimes unnerved Iris, who had never had a strong attraction to faith.

"Lady of Light, thank you for sending your light down on us," the priest intoned. "Illuminate our path as we set forth on our journey. Keep us safe from hurt and want, drive away all harms and comfort us in our labors. We go to sanctify a place sacred to you, that we may do you honor and remember your blessings, so if that be your will, then grant us success."

Iris felt…something. Perhaps it was no more than the summer sun on her face, but she felt her anticipation lift. She mounted Stormcloud.

Father Clovis gave Chiri a mild look. She had been silent during the prayer, but that wasn't unusual. If he had any reservations about a catfolk coming to a holy site of the Lady, he had said nothing. Personally, Iris was a little worried for her girlfriend. The first night out, when they stayed in a roadside inn, Iris voiced her concerns to Chiri and Alessa as they settled down in their shared room. Iris and Chiri sat on the single bed while Alessa sat across from them in an armchair.

"Father Clovis instructed me in the faith, he's a good man," Alessa said. "Actually, Iris, this may be your chance to learn more about the Lady."

Chiri seemed reserved, even sulky.

"He's been polite to me whenever we met in the library," she admitted. "But Iris, I came on this quest for your sake, because I love you. Not because of the Lady of Light."

Alessa leaned forward.

"Chiri, the…the Church says your people are to be protected."

"You don't know what my people have dealt with, do you?" Chiri spat.

"You-" Alessa cut herself off, and Iris saw her think for a moment. "You're right. I don't know." She knelt in front of Chiri and took her hand. "But I promise, if it's between you and those who wish to do you harm, I'll choose you, whatever their loyalties."

Chiri let out a surprised mewl, her eyes wide as she looked down at Alessa.

"Alright Alessa, let's not get carried away," she said, quickly glancing at Iris. Iris felt herself grinning.

It wasn't long before they left the Harcourt lands and passed into the dense Forest of Dern. This was true, old-growth forest, with trees that grew hundreds of feet above the dense undergrowth, a tangle of fallen, decaying old trunks and eager new growth. The road was straight and clear through the trees, one of the highways maintained by the King's Men.

"So, this ruin is important to the Lady, or something?" Iris asked as they rode.

"Oh! I've read about it," Chiri said, "Back when the Lady of Light's worship was suppressed, this was a great refuge for her worshipers. They created an underground temple and hideout. In later years as her worship was more accepted, it was expanded into a major holy site, only to be supplanted by more important centers of the faith."

"Like Lantilla, where the High Priesthood is located," Father Clovis said.

Alessa gave Iris a meaningful look, and Iris cleared her throat.

"Father Clovis, forgive me my ignorance, but I confess I am a stranger to this land, and to the Lady," she said.

Father Clovis brushed his lank grey hair out of his eyes, and was silent for a moment as he gathered his thoughts.

"The Lady…hers is the light of the sun itself, and the stars are her one million siblings. She sustains all life and gives us light and warmth to help us through the darkness. While we do not deny the existence of other gods, we know that she is the most good and most powerful."

"Yeah? What makes her so good?"

"Her teachings are the foundation of justice. She teaches us love, compassion, charity, and grace."

"With respect Father, mortals do not always hold to what they're taught," Iris said, trying to keep her voice even.

Father Clovis was silent again.

"Indeed, mortals often fail to live up to her laws. The mortal world is not perfect, but the Lady's light represents a beacon that we strive towards. For those who try to do good, the Lady of Light forgives, and for those who do not, the judgment is hers."

Father Clovis was, as Alessa had said, a patient teacher, willing to listen to Iris' questions no matter how impertinent or skeptical, and his responses were usually reasonable and measured.

Iris had to admit, as far as religions went, the Church of the Lady of Light wasn't that bad. It established the equality of the sexes, for one thing; for another, its tenets extended to prohibitions against slavery, murder, and rape, but also concepts similar to medical consent and even a theory of just war.

The Church also had cleanliness laws such as Iris had heard about, and strict definitions of marriage that forbade arranged and forced marriage and stressed the need for consent.

If the Lady of Light was trying to build a just society, it wasn't a bad way to go about it. Of course, Iris wondered just how much humans followed the laws set down by the Lady.

 

[ScottishMongol]

That first part of the journey was easy – the road was broad and level, with a grassy verge cut on either side by the King's Men. The cart trundled along on the verge, the flagstones of the road being too bumpy for cart wheels. The land fell away slowly, descending from the highlands of the Harcourt domains to the wide river valleys and forests of the lowlands. It was a well-traveled road, especially in this season, with merchants, craftsmen, pilgrims, King's Men, and knights traveling between the Harcourt lands and the rest of the Kingdom on all sorts of business. They often stopped to exchange words with the party – a catfolk wool merchant would speak with Chiri about affairs in some distant city, a knight on errantry would give Alessa the latest noble gossip. Many pilgrims seemed interested in news of the sanctuary, though none followed them.

Iris was back to eating hardtack and salt biscuits, but she warmed herself with the memory of the feasts at Doncaster. It was hot during the day, and Iris sweated in her armor, but the nights were perfect, and they slept beneath the eaves of the forest. Fireflies danced in the night air, as numerous as the stars above them.

One night around the fire, as Father Clovis was instructing Iris on matters of the faith, Iris asked about the afterlife.

"Death is one of the great questions," Father Clovis said. "The debate over it actually caused a fistfight at the Second Council of Lantilla."

Bors tossed another log onto the fire.

"Some believe that when we die, we're reborn on other worlds, on and on forever," he said.

"Many believe that, but the Church rejected the idea at the Second Council of Lantilla – perhaps because its chief proponent was knocked unconscious by Saint Simon the Pugilist," Father Clovis said. "It persists as a folk belief in some quarters, though. The Church's belief is that the Lady of Light gathers the souls of the faithful to her to preserve them. If you believe the Prophecies of the Oracle of Angelo – and those are very old prophecies indeed, and doubted by some – then one day the Lady of Light will remake this world, without pain, without fear, and the dead will be brought back to enjoy eternal life along with the living."

"So…you're telling me you don't know," Iris said. She had been staring into the fire, thinking about death. She had died, of course, even if she couldn't remember it, and that troubled her. She didn't know what happened after death, but she didn't expect a second chance. Deep down she knew that if she died in this world, she would never return to it.

"The Lady of Light is more concerned with this world," Alessa said. "All we need to know is that for those who follow her, our souls are safeguarded after death, and shall be gathered together."

"Well, that's nice. I want to keep living in this world."

Chiri, who had been sitting in silence with her hat pulled down low over her face, stood up suddenly.

"Forgive me, friends, but I grow tired. Good night!"

"Good night, Chiri," Alessa murmured. Iris raised her hand to brush it against Chiri's as she passed. Chiri gave her hand a quick squeeze.

Father Clovis rose as well, brushing off his cassock.

"I believe I should retire as well. May the Lady bless your sleep."

After a moment of quiet, Iris dared to ask a question.

"So, have any of you felt the Lady's power? Cause I get the impression she doesn't show herself or speak to mortals much."

"It's not something that most people experience," Bors admitted, "But personally, I take all the help I can get. And I'm still here, so I guess she hasn't forsaken me yet."

He pulled out his string of magic charms and kissed the silver icon of the Lady.

"I think Bors has the right of it," Alessa said, "I've always felt like the Lady was at my side, watching over me. It comforts me. In a way she's…she's like my oldest friend. When I was a little girl, I used to play at being a holy warrior, who spoke to her directly...maybe that was my juvenile pride."

Alessa smiled, and Iris thought she noted a faint blush on Alessa's cheeks.

Charles sighed and tossed a handful of sticks onto the fire.

"I was born just at the end of the Great Plague. Had my parents not baptized me in the light of the Lady, I may very well have died. Many who were born in that time feel that they owe the Lady their lives."

"What about you?" Iris asked their carter. He had been silent, as he usually was, his hood pulled low as he warmed himself by the fire. The man peered at them from under his hood.

"My family have been carters on the Harcourt lands since the Goblin Wars," he said, "The Harcourts were converted under Lady Alessa's grandfather, Joseph the Pious. My father was baptized in the light of the Lady alongside him. He remembered the time before – when they worshiped the Mountain King. Used to be every hunt they dedicated the heart and liver to him, and there were nights when the peasants did strange rites out on the moors."

Iris shuddered with an unexpected chill; the forest around them seemed dark and wild, and every rustle seemed to hide a footstep or a heavy breath. She looked around; the others seemed no less disquieted.

"The priests put a stop to some of those, changed others, brought them out into the daylight…but you can still find the stone circles out on the downs."

"Lady of Light," Alessa whispered.

Iris met the carter's eyes. There was a twinkle in them.

"You're fucking with us," she said suddenly.

"Am I?" he asked. He slapped his knee and stood up suddenly. "Well, believe it or not, I must be off to bed now. Goodnight, my lady – friends."

He strode away from the campfire, whistling a jaunty tune.

Iris laughed nervously.

"Scary stories around the campfire," she said, "Right?"

Alessa and Bors shared a look.

"The days when the heathen gods were worshiped isn't that far off," Bors said darkly, "The priests of the Lady of Light put an end to many strange things."

"The priests. Like Father Clovis?" Iris asked.

"No, he came later to Lord Harcourt's service," Bors said, frowning. "I'm actually not sure he's spoken of his past."

Charles stood up and stretched.

"You should sleep, my lady. I believe I shall take the first watch," he said. Iris sighed and got to her feet.

"Iris, will…will you walk with me?" Alessa whispered. She took Iris' hand as they walked into the dark.

"You're not really scared, are you, Alessa? You've fought actual monsters," Iris said as they walked to their sleeping spot. They had chosen a hollow between two trees, out of view of the campfire.

"There you are!" Chiri hissed. Alessa practically jumped out of her skin, cutting off a shriek. Iris would have laughed, but Chiri grabbed her and pulled her down, pushing her against the trunk of a tree. "I've been waiting for you."

"Really, Chiri, now?" Iris asked. Her hands instinctively found Chiri's hips as the catgirl climbed into her lap and straddled her. She tried to ask another question, but the words were muffled as Chiri kissed her. "Mph. Alessa's right there!"

"Don't worry about me," Alessa yawned, "I'll just-"

"Watch?" Chiri asked. Iris could hear the playfulness in her voice.

"I'll be trying to rest," Alessa said curtly. "So, try not to make too much noise."

Chiri smirked and started to grind her hips against Iris' lap.

"No promises~"

***

"What about goblins?" Iris asked the next day as they rode. "Do any of them worship the Lady of Light?"

"The Lady teaches us that goblins have no need for worship as humans do," Father Clovis answered, "Though goblins do acknowledge the existence of the gods, they give them different names and faces. To them, the gods are heroes of living, breathing stories, not beings to venerate or worship."

"Oh! I know some of these stories," Alessa said. She cleared her throat and drew herself up in the manner she used when reciting a story. "Goblins are creatures of the night and the underground, and have no great love of the sun. But even goblins need light to see by in the blackest caves, and they use fire for many things. So, they tell stories of Sister Firestealer, who plucked fire from the heavens and gave it to mortals..."

The conversation made Iris think of Lillywick. She wondered, not for the last time, where the goblin girl was, and if they would ever meet again.

That night, as Iris sat by the campfire and thought over all she learned, she looked to Chiri.

"Don't the catfolk have a different god?"

The catgirl's ears twitched.

"Yes, but we don't permit their name to be spelt or spoken."

She seemed almost apologetic, but Iris squeezed her hand.

"Oh. Well, hey, don't worry about it, then."

"Sorry, Iris, it's just…important, and personal."

Iris kissed her cheek.

"I understand."

Chiri thought for a minute, then stood up.

"Come with me."

They walked a short way down the road, out of earshot of the others, then Chiri bid Iris to sit down.

"What's going on?" Iris asked as Chiri sat across from her, legs folded.

"I want to teach you how to sense magic. I suspect you have an aptitude for it."

Iris raised an eyebrow, but she mirrored Chiri's position and allowed the catgirl to take her hands.

"Tell me what to do," she whispered.

"Magic is all around us. Most of us can sense it passively, especially in environments that have been saturated with it. Consciously sensing magic, though, is difficult, it requires both a natural aptitude and training. You need to open all your senses to the world. Tell me everything you feel."

"Um…I see you, and the road and the trees, and the sky…it's twilight, the sky is dark blue except for in the east, and the brightest stars are out." She closed her eyes. "I hear…insects and the wind in the branches, and…birdsong. And the camp, horses and someone cutting wood. I think it's Alessa. I smell damp earth and rotting wood and green leaves and rainwater. I feel a breeze on my face."

"What else? Tell me everything."

"I feel myself. My clothes, my own scent, my voice and my breathing. And yours. I feel your hands…"

She gasped. Everything clicked into place, all the things around her resolving into the whole. The forest was one giant entity, a living, breathing superorganism of wood and growth and decay, animals and plants and water and sunlight, feeding into each other in an endless cycle. As evening fell a shift was coming over the forest, as some animals went to sleep and others awoke, as plants reacted to the disappearance of the sun, changing their growing patterns. The combined energy of the sky and the forest swirled around her in a deep and powerful vortex.

"Open your eyes," Chiri whispered. Iris did. She couldn't see anything differently, but the magic underlying everything was still there, albeit faded.

Then she looked into Chiri's eyes.

"Woah."

She could see into her girlfriend's soul. Chiri had described Iris' aura in terms of colors, and Chiri's was a deep navy blue. It roiled and leapt, high-strung and always curious, seeking new information about the world around it.

"What do you see?" Chiri asked.

"Chiri…You are so beautiful," Iris whispered.

Chiri leaned in and kissed her, and for a minute, it felt like Iris was touching her soul.