Chapter 24: For the Love of Goddess
It was late morning when Annita's eyes fluttered open. The room was lit brightly with the sun pouring in through the window. Her chest felt heavier than normal, and looking down, she found Kat sprawled on top of her. The woman's arms were wrapped around her torso, and she was drooling slightly.
Slowly, Annita remembered the night they'd spent together. The heat they'd started with had devolved into a carnal hunger for each other they'd done their best to satiate. She was pretty sure she had passed out still in Kat, but had softened as they slept.
Shifting slightly, she felt the stickiness of her lower half, and the completely ruined bed sheets beneath them.
"Kat, sweetheart, time to get up," Ann whispered to her sleeping girlfriend. The thought still sent a thrill through her. Kat had reciprocated her feelings! So quickly too! She was terrified that it was a purely physical thing for Kat, despite some offhanded comments, but no. She liked her!
"Mmmm, time is it?" Kat groaned as she came out of her catatonic state.
"Not sure. Late. Bren's probably been waiting for us," Ann replied, running a hand through Kat's messy hair.
"Fine. Ugh," Kat squeezed, her strong arms constricting like a vise. "Wanna lay here longer, but 's fine."
"Can snuggle more tonight," Ann giggled, kissing her girlfriend's head before rolling her off. "Besides, we're a sticky mess. Housekeeping is going to hate us, too."
"Wooorth it," Kat mumbled as she sat up, wiping her bleary eyes.
"Yeah it was. Love you," Ann said, feeling heat in her cheeks at the words.
"Love ye too. All right, get the bath started. I'll join ye."
Ann and Kat shared a quick bath, waking them both up quickly as they washed the remains of last night's activities. For a few minutes, they relaxed with each other in the warm water, just enjoying the closeness, but time was something they couldn't ignore.
Getting dressed, they headed back downstairs. Both were a little wobbly, but tried their best to play it off.
Bren, waiting for them as expected, wasn't to be fooled.
"Have a fun night?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Damn right we did," Kat beamed at him as she took her seat. "Gonna have a lot more."
"Oh? That entails a deepening of your relationship past the physical. Did you steal dear Katlyn's heart, Annita?"
Annita blushed furiously at the dead on accusation. "I guess I did. Seemed more like a mutual thing, though."
"Well, I for one approve," he said smugly as he sipped his tea.
"As do I."
All three of them turned to the woman's voice that had interjected in their conversation. A gorgeous woman stood just off to the side. None of them had noticed her in the room before, but there she was and clearly knew what was happening.
"Who?" Annita asked.
"Child, did you already forget about me? I'm hurt."
"Oh, for fuck's sake." Annita cursed, as the woman grinned.
"First, can anyone else hear us?" Ann quickly asked the woman.
"Nope. Just you, me, your girlfriend, and your lovely companion," the woman answered. "The rest of the tavern will hear a perfectly normal conversation."
"Well, in that case. Guys, didn't think this'd happen so blatantly, or this quickly for that matter, but meet Orenous," Annita introduced.
Kat fell out of her chair.
Bren stood bolt upright.
"A pleasure, my darlings," Orenous said, with a low bow to the table. "May I sit?"
"Yeah, go ahead," Annita pulled up an extra chair for her. "Gotta say you look different."
Kat pulled herself back into her chair but her mouth still hung open. Bren was seemingly petrified, not even daring to look at Orenous.
"Oh, this thing? Hardly any fun to be stuck in one appearance when so many others offer a beauty all their own." Orenous brushed her pristine shoulders. She was a feline Vulhardrin this time. The picture of a catgirl that Annita had drawn hundreds of times, with blue hair and fur, a tail, and yellow cat's eyes. Her form was no less voluptuous than her appearance in Annita's mind, and she was dressed to accentuate it with sheer cloth and pants that did not match the weather.
"Sculpture don' do ye justice," Kat murmured as she drank in the sight.
"There is a limit to human skill, dear Katlyn. Enjoying my gifts, are you?" she teased.
"Aye. I sure feckin am," Kat grinned, with a sidelong glance at Annita, who blushed deep red.
"Good. I told her to have fun, and I'm glad she is. And you, dear Bren, how are you handling this new development in your life?" Orenous asked as she leaned on the back of her hands, folded primly before her.
Bren startled from his state, looking around hurriedly before sitting down. "I, uh, yes ma'am. I am quite all right with things. Would you, uh, would you mind me asking the reason for this visit? Our records rarely speak of the gods being among us. All of the records for the last two thousand years have merely been theories. I really must ask what prompted your appearance in the flesh?"
"And there is that beautiful curiosity of yours. You two," she pointed to Kat and Bren, "have my sincere thanks for helping our Annita here get on her feet in this new lease on life. To your point about records, they are mistaken. We were only physically here during the cataclysmic time of our return. What you all are seeing is in your minds. A nice bit of trickery so I can more comfortably talk to everyone."
"So I look like I just pulled up a seat for no one?" Ann asked.
Orenous let out a tinkling laugh. "Yes, and you were so dashing, doing so," the Goddess teased. "I must say, though, you three have been doing a fantastic job of integrating with each other. One can practically see the bonds between you growing. I mean, I literally can, but you get what I mean."
"Thanks?" Kat said, still with a supremely confused look on her face.
"You're welcome. Now, dear Katlyn, how did you enjoy my champion last night?" Orenous said with a smirk, leaning over to Kat. "I've seen her body. Hells, I had a hand in shaping it. Did she take good care of you? Filled to the brim? I made sure she had stamina to spare for her lovers." As she spoke, she took Katlyn's hand in her own, gently stroking it.
Kat turned beet red at the blunt question. She tried to start a sentence multiple times before a quiet squeak escaped her throat. It was all she could manage before burying her face in her hands.
Orenous seemed delighted by the response. Laughing again, she leaned back and winked at Annita, who could feel her body heating up even further, somehow. Orenous then turned to Bren.
"Bren. While I would prefer more intimate relationships with my champion, I will respect your choice. Consent is everything, and the choice to say no will always be valid. I have plans for your group, and whoever else joins, but do not worry. I will make sure you share in the blessings bestowed without the need for carnal involvement."
Bren looked like a weight was taken off his shoulders. He relaxed, slumping heavily in his seat. "Thank you, Your Holiness."
"Your Holiness," Orenous laughed again. "So formal. Just call me my name, darling. Now, as much fun as it is to tease all of you, I do have some actual matters to discuss. First of all, Annita, your new trait after interacting with the Core."
"Oh, yeah. I'd been kinda ignoring that until I had more information," Annita admitted.
"Certainly the wise choice. I would encourage delving into it cautiously." Orenous said, her face becoming serious. "The fact it takes your life force to use its skills is concerning. It is very rare for gifts from even the most violent Gods, like Nylir, to have a cost to one's own life. Getting a closer look at you, body and mind, it does not appear that your id or ego have been altered. I sense a minuscule increase in corruption in your physical form, but far less than is to be expected from someone interacting with a fully corrupted Core. Certainly minor compared to the amount you sustained while sleeping in my Seed."
"Well, that's good then, isn't it?" Annita asked. "It means I can keep helping with the Cores. Siphoning off the corruption, right?"
"For now, yes. That is what I would advise. Katlyn," Orenous turned to the Protector, who had finally risen from her hands, "I trust your connections will be useful in this pursuit. Truly, I understand the burden I am putting upon your shoulders, but it is somewhat necessary. I hope you will forgive me."
Kat tilted her head, looking like she was trying to make sure she heard that right. "Yer apologizin'. Tae me? A Goddess apologizin'?"
"Yes. I do not enjoy causing tension and stress in my children. I would much rather you spend your days happily in Annita's lap, however, that is not the reality we live in."
"I, er. Aye. I accept the apology? Feckin' bizarre, all o' this," Kat grumbled. "So, just more o' the same? Do we have a time we need tae be doin' this in?"
"No, at least not for now. The Seeds seem to be behaving themselves from what we can see outside of them. No surges in Warped or anything too dangerous have fallen to the Corruption."
"That is good news," Bren sighed. "It has been some time since the last swarm. I was beginning to worry that one would begin soon with Annita's appearance."
"Sorry, swarm?" Annita interjected.
"Yes, child," Orenous answered. "Now and then an increase in Warped activity occurs. Large numbers of the things will pour out from the Seeds to cause havoc to the surrounding environment and people. I would still advise vigilance, Bren. Even we cannot predict these things."
"Understood. I appreciate the perspective of the Gods," Bren said reverently.
"You're very welcome, darling. Now, if you all would be so kind, could you please tell me what happened in Estvall's Seed?"
The three mortals told the story of their expedition into the seed. They told her of the landscape, the tree, the Guardian, and the interaction with the Core. Orenous seemed to notice when Kat skipped the part where she and Annita had fingered each other in the Core's cavern, but she didn't press.
"Interesting. It appears that Core was only lightly corrupted. Enough that Estvall was not able to influence his domain, but left its overall structure intact. Interesting that he was able to enter briefly when you siphoned a portion of the taint. I will have to inform Qu'sella about this. They will undoubtedly love this information. That is all for now. I will check in again some time later."
