Filliandari
Filli's return to the small town of Aglavirn after being gone for a couple days, was met with jubilation. Even the Inquisition Paladins who found her safe and sound were hailed as heroes for returning even though they did nothing but escort her.
The horror of not having her there for them to fawn over had the common people nervous about her travels, though none would dare deny her. She couldn't help but notice there always seemed to be a cleric or paladin in full gear nearby, no doubt ready to aid her in any evil banishing she wished to do in the dungeons. But thank the Light, they didn't follow her into stores or anything, at least granting her the illusion of privacy...
Filliandari first secured a meeting with the Aglavirnian officials to inform them of what she learned of the Demon Lord's influence on the denizens within the dungeon, warning that adventurers must be informed to use extra caution within. Whether or not they believed her, she didn't intend to linger around town, and was mostly certain that her warning would be met with some discussion, if nothing else, and went shopping immediately after escaping the meeting.
After asking some questions that left her red in the face, Filli located the shops she needed. She then had to awkwardly listen to storekeepers explain that they didn't sell holy vestments and raiment. By the time she was done, she felt like everyone was staring at her and whispering... Then again, everyone had been staring at her and whispering for 500 years...
She purchased a few corsets, all in either black, red, gold, or some combination of the three, stockings, all in black, a leather pet collar, rope, cuffs... a gag and blindfold... She'd never felt so humiliated, but she was determined, and would not take no for an answer.
The hardest part was still to come, and Filli was gritting her teeth as she went to the final shop, selecting a variety of insertable toys that had the clerk's eyes visibly bugging out of his head. No doubt her purchases would fuel the local gossip for years to come.
With her pack full, but light on actual supplies, Filli headed toward Aglavrin's outskirts, ready to depart, her thoughts already turning toward Eris and how he may be preparing to greet her... So, it sent an unpleasant jolt of surprise through her when she found her path blocked by the same paladins who had escorted her from the dungeon. "My Lady of the Light, it is time already for you to spread hope to Maidelin? We can escort you there," the elder asked, a man in his forties with a stern countenance. He was referring to a city about three days in the opposite direction of where she would need to head to meet Eris at the Yawning Giant dungeon.
"Good sirs, your offer is appreciated, but I have a duty to attend elsewhere, and your offer, while kind, is unnecessary. I will return here, to your noble city once more before I depart entirely, to bid the citizens a true farewell, but until then, I ask that you leave me be to attend to what needs to be done."
A formal, proper, response, that very, very loosely translated to... leave me the hell alone you over-attentive bastards.
"Of course, lady. And while not required, we offer our assistance willingly. We will escort you to your next destination. You, yourself, have proclaimed the stirring of the Vanquished One, we would be remiss if we did not do our utmost to protect your Divine Being ourselves."
Breathe... slow through the nose, out through the mouth... they were just doing their duty, she thought as she struggled to subdue her rising frustration. "I understand your concern, and the reasoning behind it. However, I will not have you throw your lives away in the interest of obligation and futility. Mine is not a path to be taken on a whim, and the Inquisition's strength is better put to use ensuring that those who are less experienced than I, are not led astray by the will of those stronger than themselves."
A beam of golden light streaked down from the heavens, flashing among them. In its wake stood a man of perfection. Perfect near-golden skin. Perfect form. Perfect silver eyes with golden iris. Perfectly silky yellow hair. Just perfect.
"The Lady has dismissed you as diplomatically as she knows how. If the Demons End is in danger, how much aid do you think to render?" The Paladins looked at each other and bowed deeply to the Nephilim, backing away.
The Divine Champion looked at Filli with eyes the brook no lies, fall for no falsehood. "Your voice has been quieter of late. You pray for power to smite evil, but you do not sing so much of doing good. How fare you, Fillindari?"
It had been a while, but she recognized Asher. He was the one who pulled her out of the Demon Lord's domain after his fall. Then she saw him again when she was Sainted. If she called forth a divine being, he would usually be the one to answer.
Filli bowed her head to the Divine Champion. "I fare as well as any who has been called to walk along the path of divine service." There was a distinct note of bitter sorrow in her voice, but she was unwilling to elaborate until the paladins were well out of earshot. There would be enough to gossip about with her shopping, there was no need to provide more ammunition.
"The loneliest and hardest paths offer the greatest of rewards in time. But the journey to those lofty heights means a particularly long fall if you stray from the path. If you have questions about your path, know that you can talk to me about them."
She hesitated for a moment, glancing to make sure that the paladins were still backing away, before she threw caution to the wind, and took a risk. He'd know of her purchases in Aglavrin soon enough, anyway. "I wish for a way to temper the radiance of my aura, Asher. Can you help me with that?"
"An odd request. Your aura, as you describe it, is a gift from the Light. Its sole purpose is to drive away all darkness and protect you from its influence. Necromancy and Negative energy are undone in your very presence. Fiends and the undead are devastated by your touch. It keeps you healthy and hale, eliminating injury and staving back the necrosis of old age. Why would you wish to reduce such a blessing?"
"My reasons are personal, and I do not wish to seem ungrateful for the blessing. Suffice to say, some control in the matter would be a greater blessing still, and I would be eternally grateful if you are able to provide assistance... but I understand if you cannot."
"I respect your privacy. But, please, understand you are asking for a way to allow negative energy to touch you. To allow fiends and undead to be able to touch you. I am hard pressed to understand why anyone would want that as there are no drawbacks to your current condition." The angel did seem genuinely bewildered.
Filli closed her eyes with a heavy sigh, and slowly murmured, "I've been alone for five hundred years, Asher. For a Celestial, it's nothing more than a blink of an eye, I know, and I understand. As I understand that the intimacy of touch and affection is not a craving that you can ever understand. But I am born of mortal flesh, with these yearnings and needs that have left me desolate in my need. The mortal races won't dare to come too close, and none would dream of touching me in an 'improper' manner. I've found someone who will, but the circumstances of his birth, which he has no fault in, complicate things significantly."
Asher's eyes narrowed, and his tone took a distinctly cool edge, "I also have mortal blood, though I have learned to ignore it. You wish to lay with a fiend-touched abomination. You realize, of course, you have other alternatives."
"Then those alternatives should have made themselves known to me earlier," she answered sharply, "It is their loss, for their cowardice and clinging to the whims of propriety. Will you help me, or simply stand there in judgment of that which you have no business judging?"
"I can cast a spell that will help you, with your consent, of course." He said, his voice sharpening to match hers, taken aback by her vitriol.
Not putting it past him to throw some divinely locked chastity belt on her or something equally as horrible, 'for her own good', Filli asked, "What will the spell do?" carefully controlling her tone... just in case he genuinely wished to help her.
