The Cleric

IV

The Cleric

* * * *

Dear Keiter,

We thank you for your interest in joining the Isiran clergy and taking the time to fill out the requisite forms in triplicate. Regretfully, we are unable to extend an offer to join the clergy in an official or wandering capacity. The idea of a kobold serving our goddess is, frankly, weird.

We've looked through our archives and found no mention of this miss Kettar you mentioned in your letter, though it did seem that some of the senior clergy knew her. Unfortunately, their recommendations were not sufficient to have your application approved, but rest assured that you-- like all seekers of pleasure-- are welcome to worship our Lady of Joy and you will be welcomed into Her embrace when the inevitable does come.

To answer the question you posed in your introductory letter, the temple of Isira does not offer a 'mail correspondence course' in clerical training or interspecies oral pleasure for your particular species. If you wanted to write such a manual, however, the temple would be willing to compensate you for it.

As a priest of our Lady of Joy, I applaud your efforts to become more than your race might normally allow but as a human being, I have to admit, I don't think

any

temple would allow you access to their priesthood. A kobold? Really?

I wish you all the best.

Sincerely,

High Priest Colin Marshal

Temple of Isira, City of Starscale

* * * *

T

essarie had gone quiet over the last fifteen minutes as they slunk through the tight alleys of the merchant quarter. Barely ten words had slipped past her lips and every time Sarah turned to her, she shied away from her touch. Despite Sarah's best attempts, the girl-- young by elven standards, anyway-- didn't show her any of the warmth that had been in her eyes hours before.

Dragging her into this fiasco had probably put a damper on her feelings, but it was beginning to irritate Sarah. Finally she stopped the girl and placed her hands on her shoulders. They locked eyes and her brow furrowed warily. Sarah smiled.

"I hate asking my patron for anything, but especially for His magic to help

me

when I can do it myself. . . I needed to buy us time."

"Time for what? Where are we going,

Sarah

?"

"I have a friend in this quarter. A priest. . . I think we could use some divine inspiration, don't you?"

The girl's shoulders slumped.

"What have you gotten me into?"

"Humorous story, really, I'll tell you about it when we get to the temple."

"We should go to the. . .

er. . .

city defenders."

"Guards?"

"Guards."

"To do what, explain to them how I came across a dragon's gold? Certainly, not."

The girl huffed and pouted.

"With that silver tongue of yours, you could probably deceive them. That is what you enjoy doing, is it not?"

"A matter of necessity, my dear."

Sarah cupped her cheek gently. This time she didn't recoil, instead looking up to Sarah as though she had all the answers. She wanted to believe it too.

"Much like your beauty, I believe the owner should be the arbiter of who hears-- or sees-- what they want said and seen. Seems only right, don't you think?"

The girl frowned and looked down at herself, pulled her cloak tighter around her slender frame and sighed.

"To you, I would never lie."

Sarah lied smoothly and kissed her forehead.

"Come, we shouldn't tarry outdoors, lest your beauty catch the eye of more than just the alley cats."

With another quiet huff of resignation, she fell in step beside Sarah, glancing around warily as though the shadows would jump out at them. In a few moments they were at the 'temple' Sarah had mentioned; a run two story house on the end of a dead end street with an overhanging balcony that sported an array of drying herbs and flowers which crinkled in the wind like chimes.

On the large door was a bass relief depicting an open Lilly blossom along with temple hours on a plaque beside the door, barely clinging on to the moldy plaster. Tessarie eyed the structure warily and then glanced up to Sarah.

Sarah smiled and pulled the door open, stepping aside to usher her in. She paused, caught between moving and staying still. Another glance at Sarah and then the street and she stepped in with Sarah right behind her.

The main foyer was awash with muted light from spark lamps, proudly displaying dozens of pieces of art that ringed the crumbling walls. Tiny makeshift pedestals fashioned from bound twigs held up hand made amphorae that looked positively childish even before one considered the schemes that looked as though they'd been finger painted on and never properly cured.

The art, by contrast, varied every bit as much as their location on the wall. Stick figures, watercolored landscapes and poorly drawn portraits fought for attention at every level of the wall, including a particularly mediocre portrait of Sarah herself placed about chest level. The little plaque beside it read: "The Maiden of Redemption".

Sarah had to smile at that.

Tessarie wrinkled her nose as she looked around. "What's that smell?" She slipped her arms around Sarah's and instinctively stood behind her for protection.

Sarah smiled and lead them to the door near the back of the chamber. "That, my dear, is the smell of an Isiran temple."

"It smells like sex. . . and wine."

"Mmhm." Sarah pushed the door open on a smaller, longer chamber that looked as though it was a re purposed dining room. The floor length windows had been covered over except for a portion of the top so that they cast slats of sunlight across the bare carpeted room and pillow beds that were bunched up at random angles. Atop of one of those beds a man was playing a mandolin horribly off key, wearing little more than a pair of shorts that barely contained his raging hard on.

Across from him, in the shadow of a poorly made pot with a dying plant reaching for the sunlight, a young woman had her legs wrapped around a man's back. Her back arched as she climaxed, running her fingers through her lover's hair as she moaned the name 'Isira' low and throaty-- turned out that she was actually a he.

Sarah inclined her head to the mandolin player as she passed. In the deeper recesses of the room she found what she was looking for. A solid wooden altar draped in fine cloth-- the most expensive Sarah had seen in the entire building-- stood atop three steps that raised the altar to about her chest level. Behind the altar was a step ladder meant for something really tiny to climb up and stand behind its out of place glory.

In the middle of the drapery was a beautiful Lilly flower suspended in a chipped bowl. Sarah slicked her hair back behind her ears and sipped the water, murmuring an entreaty to Isira. When Tessarie didn't follow suit, Sarah gave her an encouraging look and leaned towards her. "You're in a temple, dear, let us not make enemies of the gods too, lest we have no hope at all, hm?"

"B- But--. . . This isn't a temple!" She whispered sharply. "This is a hovel!"

A reptilian hiss caught both their attention from behind. At first they didn't see anything but then they looked down to see a kobold looking up at them with bright yellow reptilian eyes. Judging. Appraising. When he spoke it was in a high pitched, sharp tongue. "Hovel! Sss-not a hovel! Iss temple, to one goddesss of joy! Pleasse, ssshow respect!"

Tessarie screamed, jumping behind Sarah. "Eek!" She pointed at the kobold standing in front of them. "M- Monster!"

The little kobold barely stood to Sarah's thigh but something in his presence had changed in the last year since she had seen him. His dusty scales seemed softer and the long muzzle of his jaw was stronger set, more purposeful. The flowing robes were a new touch too. She couldn't help but smile as she knelt down and hugged him. "My friend!" The kobold said softly.

His voice still tickled her ear, even after all this time. A familiar warmth brushed through her core as the memories came flooding back. She nuzzled into him and chuckled. "It has been too long."

"Y- You know him?!"

"I do!" Sarah stood slowly. "I'm the reason he's here with a temple to worship in."

After the initial flash of revulsion passed, the young elf stepped back, seemed to catch her bearings and then frowned. "B- B-" Tessarie motioned to the altar. "This?" then the rest of the decrepit room. "This!? This is not a t--"

"Dear." Sarah cut her off. "Where gods dwell, where there is belief and

faith

, there is a temple. Don't let the humble nature of it fool you." The elf looked at her defiantly and Sarah stared right back at her.

"B--"

The kobold stepped around the women and climbed up the step ladder to preside over the altar. "All are welcome in I-s-ira'ss housse. Please, pay respect if you come in peacce."

Sarah eyed the little kobold for a moment and tutted. "Since when do you have a lisp, Keiter?"

He glanced around her towards the other 'congregation' members and chuckled playfully. "I've been practicing. I've brought other, kin-others, here and they don't think I'm one of them! As you would say, very distressing, but we do as we can!"

"I see the temple's been well funded."

"Only thanks to you, my friend. But

our

seed money is dwindling. . ." With those words went any hope Sarah had of getting some of her money back to buy new equipment. By now, chances were good that the thieves' guild had ransacked her office and hideaway. She wouldn't have anywhere to go after this.

"All of it?" Sarah blanched. "What in heavens' name could you spend that much coin on?"

"Helping the poor! You told m--"

Sarah held up a hand. "Be that as it may, all of it? How could you possibly burn through a thousand gold in a year and not have anything to show for it?"

"We do! The art gallery!"

Tessarie and Sarah exchanged a glance. "In the hall?"

"No! Those are for temple members! We have a larger one in the old quarter, the Single God followers have been helping-- we've made great strides to spreading Her love and joy."

Sarah rocked back on her heels, trying not to show the knot of disbelief in her stomach. Her first reaction was to ask what need poor people had for art, but it was her fault. She'd pushed Keiter into serving the goddess of pleasure and encouraged him to spend the money for the cause but. . . art? In a poor neighborhood? "Not the issue, I suppose."

"And what of you, how've you been, my friend?" He motioned to Tessarie "You found one you wish to marry?"

Sarah laughed, hooked an arm around the small elf and leaned towards her. "Do you think we'd make a good couple?"

"I do."

Tessarie shoved Sarah away with a frown. "This is ridiculous. We should go to the guard, they can sort this out."

"We're in a spot of trouble." Sarah started.

"They tried to kidnap us!"

"It wasn't

that

bad. I had come hoping to employ the guidance of your Lady, actually, Keiter." Sarah licked her lips. "I'm prepared to offer a donation for your temple, but I'll need to get access to my coin in order to do so!"

The kobold's beady little eyes flit from Sarah to Tessarie and back. "It must be truly bad if you're looking to gods other than your own!"

"I have a feeling I know what He'd tell me."

Tessarie itched at the back of her neck and murmured. "Is this the same god that tells you to use your mouth to get out of a situation?"

Sarah shot her a look. . . and spit into a grin. Keiter had the same grin and Tessarie pulled a face. "Hah! You're blushing dear." She patted the girl's lower back with a reassuring smile, turning to Keiter. The kobold's draconic heritage shone through when he blinked up at her, focusing on Sarah like a piece of treasure to be collected. Whatever was going on in that reptilian brain of his, he wasn't let show through. After a moment of consideration, she said. "I was hoping you would help us commune with Her. We need to know what move to make next and I'm more or less out of ideas."

"You, out of ideas?" Tessarie murmured. Sarah grabbed her ass and she yelped. "Ah!"

"Ideas fitting for the predicament, dear."

The little elf blushed and turned away while Keiter considered the request. Finally he laid his clawed hands down on either side of the bowl and sighed. "We could attempt to commune." he blinked slowly. "Yes, yes, She loves Her followers, but with so many unknowns, I don't know She would want to help! Not a too-good-for-temple elf, either!"

"It's not a—"

Sarah cut her off yet again. "I'm sure this young lady will find her manners in due course, but for the moment, we really do need some help here. . . How might we make our desires known to your Lady, my dear?"

"Yip!"

"Gods, it yips--" Tessarie shrunk behind Sarah. "Please tell me you're not seriously going to listen to anything it has to say."

"We have to display our devotion!" he announced triumphantly. "Announce and ask, yes! She may grant our prayers if we

all

show devotion to question!"

"Well, there you go, simple enough!" Sarah looked around thoughtfully. "Do forgive, dear, I'm not familiar with the customs, how would we do so?"

He blinked a couple times, looked down at his hands and then to Sarah. "We

devote

. As you Inventors do! Offer sacrifices of joy-- things that bring pleasure!" Somehow, Sarah got the impression that whoever had taken his training from acolyte to actual priest had probably skipped out on a few things.

Sarah looked at Tessarie. "What brings you pleasure, dear?"

"Uh--. .. M- Dancing."

"I love dancing." She looked to Keiter. "What do you say we start with some dancing?"

"Ahm. . . Yip! Good!"

To anyone looking on, it must have seemed the most absurd thing in the world, but Sarah didn't care. She reveled in their movements. Keiter reached up to Sarah and Tessarie kept her distance from them both, but despite their best efforts over the course of an hour, none of them could find a solid thread to enjoy and in the end wound up bumping into one another rather than actually getting anything done.

"Yip! Maybe not. . . What paint!"

"I'm not much of an artist."

"Nor I."

"That's okay! Is intent that matter--"

"Dear, I think we'd wind up getting more frustrated than anything. I hate it when something doesn't come together." Sarah blinked at her own wordplay. Of course! "But I can think of something that would." Yes, today was going to be an interesting day.

"What do you mean?" Tessarie looked between them dubiously as Sarah motioned for Keiter to take the bowl off the altar. When she tested the structure of it by pushing against it, the elf's eyes clouded over a little. "You're not serious."

"I am!"

The girl stammered. "But this is a temple!"

"Yip! Yes it is! Good you finally see!"

"A temple to a pleasure goddess, dear girl." Sarah turned on her, wrapping her arms around her and kissing her deeply. The girl tried to back up but she was helpless against Sarah's strength and in mere seconds she was relaxing into the demanding kiss, arching her back to meet Sarah's lips.

A coy murmur passed her lips as she brought her own arms around Sarah's waist, pressing to her chest. Sarah eased her pressure, breaking the kiss smoothly and leaning to the side so she could kiss her ear. "Bet you didn't think you'd be doing this when you woke up this morning, did you?" Before the girl could reply, Sarah slid her hand into the folds of her robe and reached for her hardening member. It was already hot and pulsing within her hand and it hadn't even reached its full length yet. When she pulled it forward the girl followed instinctively, not wanting to let Sarah-- or her touch-- escape.

Sarah guided her by the penis, teasing her up the stairs until they were at the end of the altar. When she bumped up against it, she swallowed. A twinge of uncertainty sparked in the back of her mind as the began unbuttoning her vest, the question of whether or not she could handle what Tessarie had and whether or not they would be able to handle the road ahead of them.

Tessarie looked Sarah over for a moment and nibbled on her lower lip. Seemed she wasn't the only one with some uncertainty issues. Sarah stroked her cheek softly and kissed her cheek, wrapping one thick thigh around the girl's waist and looking up at her over her glasses in a semi-submissive gesture meant to tease the girl. It had the intended effect and, even as she blushed deep crimson, the olive skinned elf kissed her and started undoing the buttons on Sarah's blouse.

For his part in it, Keiter had pulled his step ladder around to the opposite side of the altar and opened his robes to reveal a pink-red knob poking from between his legs. It was roughly the size of Sarah's thumb and growing larger with every moment as he watched the two. Sarah licked her lips, watching out of the corner of her eye while Tessarie finished undoing her blouse-- she celebrated by kissing Sarah's fair skin, sliding down as Sarah had once done for her and kissing her breast.

Sarah's bust was larger than the elf's hand, though and her cleavage flowed from around the girl's thumbs. Her hardening nipples strained against Tessarie's palm, making Sarah sigh out loud. She undid her own belt and tried to worm her way out of her pants even as the elf pressed her hardening cock against her crotch. They fought for a moment until Sarah won out and slid her pants down over her boots, kicking them off as best she could.

The half-elven woman laid herself down across the altar with a willing smile, her coppery locks flowing down over the sides of the cloth, bearing her naked curves out for both of them unashamedly. Her chest heaved as she drank in the air and adjusted her position so Keiter was standing over her. His cock had grown to its full size, a bit bigger than Sarah remembered, and now it was resting just out of her reach.

She smiled as she stretched out her arms and wrapped her hands around the little kobold's lower back, tilting her head back so that her hair flowed over the side of the altar and her lips pressed to the tip of the rock hard quasi-reptilian cock- tapered at the top into a thick shaft at the base with two hard knoblets on either side. She opened her mouth to him as she had done years ago and welcomed the flavor like an old friend. Her full lips wrapped around him, sucked him in, welcomed him as her tongue made him at home, lavishing over every inch of his rigid manhood.

Meanwhile, the olive skinned elf trembled against Sarah's thighs as though unsure of what she should do in this situation. She pushed the tip of her girlcock against Sarah's drenched lips, stumbling against her pelvic bone and sliding free without actually getting inside. The girl moaned as the hot rod stabbed Sarah's lips and glanced off again. She whimpered in frustration, leaning over the curvy woman for a better angle and this time she stabbed forward, crashed into Sarah's lips and almost got what she was after but just couldn't get it in.

Sarah reached down and wrapped her hand around the elf's disproportionate appendage, guiding it to her opening. When the bulbous tip pressed into her dripping sex she flinched and tightened, accidentally shoving the girl out but in another second Tessarie was pushing against Sarah's resistance unperturbed.

This is what she liked-- a person that knew what they wanted and was willing to

take

it. Tessarie would give her what she wanted through extension, but for now it was all about her partners, the elf and the kobold. What a perfect combination, Sarah mused as she closed her eyes and lapped eagerly at Keiter's cock, using her tongue to stroke the sides of her oral intruder like a pet.