Arran, high priest of Lustia, opened his eyes from a state of deep meditation. "I've found her."
His assistants hurried to unroll a map and a spark of divine power left his fingertips to mark a rural area days away by horseback.
They ran off to deliver the map to the paladins and he collapsed, exhausted.
Kara tried to focus on the herbal medicine in front of her rather than the strange heat that had settled in her body for the last two weeks. She was thankful that the mixture she was making was one she was familiar with, one she was unlikely to mess up even in her distracted state.
Her skin felt oversensitive, even the brush of cloth against it becoming unpleasant in the last few days. Worse, her own touch seemed to make everything worse, the heat becoming a painful burn.
The store door opened and she looked up, pasting a professional smile on her face to greet a potential customer.
She faltered and gasped when she saw who had entered. Rather than the familiar face of one of her fellow villagers, the stranger was clearly a wealthy knight in splendid brigandine, his build tall and powerful, a sword strapped to his side. None of that explained why the sight of him made the heat inside her flare until she was not sure she could keep standing.
"Saintess," he said with a bewildering reverence in his deep, resonant voice, dropping to one knee in front of her and kissing her hand. She gasped again as the contact sent the heat racing through her blood.
"What- what's happening? Why are you calling me that?" she asked, the proper way of addressing a powerful lord flying out the window in her state of agitation.
He was now close enough that she could make out his strong, handsome features, the clear gray eyes that seemed almost silver that contrasted arrestingly with his dark hair. "Saintess, the goddess Lustia has chosen you as her vessel. I am your grand paladin, Vanor."
What should have been preposterous claims resonated with truth in the same place that the heat seemed to be originating from. "Do you know what is happening to my body?" she asked hopefully. "I have been feeling worse and worse over the last few weeks."
His eyes truly remorseful, he said, "Forgive me for taking so long to find you. Our previous saintess died unexpectedly and without locating her successor. Our high priest had to spend days in seclusion to receive the oracle regarding your location."
He stood, now close enough that it was clear how much he towered over her, her head only coming up to mid chest. It was not just height, every part of his body seemed twice as big, packed with lean muscle. "Will you allow me to ease your need?"
He hugged her close, hands caressing her skin in a way that felt so incredibly right she swayed, knees weakening. "I, I..." she said incoherently, unable to voice the raging sensations inside her.
He sat her on the counter, seeming to know what she needed better than she did herself. Pressing her face to his chest, he slid his hand up her skirt and began rubbing her clit.
"Aaaah!" she cried out, devastating pleasure sending shockwaves through her body.
"Cum for me, your holiness," he urged, setting a rhythmic pace that had her driving higher and higher. She clung to his chest, wishing she could feel his flesh rather than the hard armour that separated them.
When she reached a near peak, she trembled and ached, feeling empty and unfulfilled, unable to get to the ultimate pleasure she could sense just out of reach. Her cries of pleasure became distressed, her hips moving restlessly to beg for more.
The knight hesitated, then growled and plunged two thick fingers deep into her pussy.
She cried out and came immediately, a gush of wetness soaking his fingers as her inner walls squeezed and clung.
He reluctantly slid out of her when she finished, licking his fingers clean and holding her close as she leaned against his shoulder, exhausted by the sudden relief from the tension that had kept her from resting properly for weeks.
She roused when he slid an arm under her knees and scooped her up to carry her out of the store. "Where are you taking me?"
"To the main temple," he said, striding towards the most splendid carriage she had ever seen.
"Wait," she protested, "I can't just leave. My family..."
"The temple will ensure that your family is kept in wealth and comfort for generations to come," he assured her.
It sounded far too good to be true but she felt like she could trust this knight who touched her with reverence and made her feel safe in his arms. "Will I be able to visit them?"
"They can come see you on holy days, but I'm afraid you will need to stay under the protection of the temple from now on," he told her honestly.
When he placed her in the carriage seat, she found her arms tightening around his neck, unwilling to let him go.
He paused, surprised, then broke into a smile for the first time, the expression making him even more irresistibly handsome. "Would you like to ride with me on my horse, saintess?"
She nodded shyly.
He backed out of the carriage and placed her on his destrier before climbing into the saddle behind her. Around him, several other knights scrambled into their saddles as they headed out of the village, her neighbours gawking at the splendid procession.
"Um, Sir Knight?" she said timidly.
"Vanor," he corrected.
She had forgotten his name in the heat of the moment. Blushing at the thought that she had been intimate with a stranger, she asked, "Vanor, what's going to happen now?"
"When we arrive at the main temple, we will undergo the dedication ceremony to Lustia."
She had never paid much attention to the temple, preferring to focus on more practical knowledge. "Will I need to do anything? I don't know how the rituals usually go."
He paused. "As the grand paladin, I will be the one initiating you... by taking your virginity on behalf of Lustia. Does that frighten you?"
Her eyes widened but the heat inside her leapt eagerly at his words. Hiding her face against his chest, she asked, "Will people be watching?"
"No one will be present except us and Lustia," he assured her.
"Okay," she whispered, a shiver running through her now that she had consented to having this man have his way with her body.
"Saintess," he murmured, "you are too generous with me."
"It's Kara," she offered, wanting to be more than just a nameless figure to this man.
"Kara," he murmured, almost inaudibly. "I cannot address you so familiarly in public."
"In private, then?" she asked hopefully.
"If that is your wish," he said, the tenderness in his tone softening the formality of his words.
Vanor's presence seemed to both satisfy and provoke the heat inside her. Over the next days of travel, it would unpredictably flare, leaving her whimpering in need until he eased her with his long, thick fingers inside her, pumping in and out of her hot, wet insides until she climaxed, clinging to him as he held her close and made her feel safe despite the bewildering change to her body and everything about her life.
More often than not, Vanor was tense with unfulfilled arousal as he took care of her pleasure without seeking his own. She wanted to please him with at least a fraction of how he pleased her, but her shy offers were always met with the same reply.
"Not yet."
Kara's feelings towards the upcoming initiation ceremony shifted from trepidation to impatience as Vanor pleasured her over and over. She trusted him with her body and wanted him to claim it in the most primal way.
The very day they arrived at the temple, she insisted they prepare for the ceremony that very night.
"Would you not like to rest and recover from travel, your holiness?" Vanor asked in concern.
She shook her head. "I want to be with you."
His eyes darkened in arousal. "I will see you tonight."
Robed priests took her to an expansive bathhouse where they washed her. She was not allowed to attend to herself and instead, the three men touched her everywhere, not even pretending that the process was not sexual as they focused on her breasts and between her legs, taking turns fingering her with lustful expressions that made her wet with shame and excitement. They were careful not to make her cum so by the time they led her to the altar, she was trembling and panting in need.
The main cathedral of Lustia was a huge hall with ceilings that were four storeys high, built in black marble veined in gold. The long rows of seating were all empty, and her steps echoed through the air.
Lustia's statue was a larger than life depiction of a naked woman suspended by her arms. Her face was obscured by long hair while her full breasts and generous hips were carved in great detail. Crawling tentacles wrapped around her legs and one appeared to be penetrating her from below while her back arched in either pain or pleasure. Looking at it made Kara feel uneasy but aroused, strangely drawn towards it while simultaneously wanting to run away.
The altar was also of black marble, but cushioned on top with a thick mattress wrapped in black silk. The priest motioned for her to place her hands on its surface.
As soon as Kara made contact, she felt a cold presence of unfathomable power connect with her mind.
So you're my new fucktoy, are you? Welcome, little whore.
Kara gasped and pulled her hands back, but the presence did not leave.
Don't be afraid, little whore, I mean you no harm. I just like to watch.
Watch what? You being fucked by my lovely chosen ones, of course. I hope you like them. So strong and handsome, you're in for a treat. Which of my boys made grand paladin this time around? Vanor, of course he won. Very dedicated, that boy, you let him fuck you good, he really deserves it. Did you know he sends all of his wages to the orphanage where he grew up and still volunteers there? If I hadn't snapped his handsome face up, one of the holy churches would have taken him and waste that lovely body in a lifetime of chastity. Now that's what I call a sin.
Sorry, I like to chatter. What I meant to explain is that you're my vessel, and I have invested part of my power in you. You'll be able to talk to me from now on, and you can bless my followers with your pussy.
