Acolyte of the Pleasure Goddess Ch. 02

"Delyssa," he groaned, and they both came.

In one heartbeat, she felt a wave crashing over her, a sudden tide of ecstasy that spread from her pussy and through the rest of her body, each muscle flexing in their own climax -- up her stomach, her shoulders, her legs, each calf, each arm, each finger. Delyssa clenched her teeth, her lips pulled back wide as she cried out, filling the chamber with her triumphant moans. Inside her, she could feel Kruit's cock pulse as he emptied into her, his hot cum filling her up. Kruit threw his head back and cried out, gripping her hips tight as he pinned himself into her. Her legs curled back and up, wrapping against Kruit's back as she held him close, his taut muscles easily able to hold her weight.

"Delyssa," Kruit said again, and even in her blissful stupor she could detect the awe in his voice. "Delyssa, look."

She opened her eyes.

All of the torches in the chamber had gone out, but it was brighter than ever. The two candles held by the statue of Shevlana glowed with a golden brilliance, a light as blinding as it was captivating. The effigy of the goddess seared into a dazzling white, its form losing its detail as the light emanating from it burned into Delyssa's eyes. There was no pain as she stared into Shevlana's form; instead, the acolyte felt the warmth and familiarity of gazing into the face of a loved one, a mother, a lover.

Neither her nor Kruit had ceased their orgasm. The pleasure had filled her to the brim, and while her limbs were no longer tensed from release, the blissful rush continued to swirl throughout her. She could feel Kruit still hard inside her, and though he had stopped thrusting, she could feel his cock continue to flex and empty into her. How his seed was not pouring out of her in a flood, she did not know.

Delyssa glanced back at Kruit and gasped. His eyes were wide open, the gray of his irises replaced with a rich, glowing gold that matched the two candles held by the statuette on the altar. His pupils were gone, but Kruit met her gaze, and she saw his expression break from shock to wonderment to awe. Another heartbeat, and his gaze shifted, and she followed the coins of his eyes back over her shoulder to the altar.

The entire alcove was now indistinct within the blinding illumination. The figure of the goddess was little more than a pearlescent outline. From within the statue, Delyssa thought she could make out some faint motion. A hand, beckoning. A face, turning towards her; a matronly figure just outside the edge of comprehension.

In the next heartbeat the light from the altar vanished. As the torches reignited and flickered back to life, Delyssa suddenly felt all the strength drain out of her. Her eyelids heavy, she began to slip to the ground. Dimly, she felt Kruit slip out of her, heard him call her name and cradle her as she collapsed into his arms. The glow of the room faded, and Delyssa drifted off looking into the still-golden eyes of Brother Kruit has he peered anxiously down at her. In that sunken, liminal place between consciousness and sleep, Delyssa thought she heard a full, warm voice call out to her, but she could not decipher what was said, though she knew it was comforting.

#

Delyssa woke with a start. There was a brief moment of disorientation until the last events came back to her in a flood. She was lying on a cot in a strange room that she did not immediately recognize, though after a moment she saw that the brick was the same as the rest of the tomb. On the far end of the room there was a heavy door, currently closed. In another corner there was a wide wooden bowl filled with water, and at the base of the cot sat a thick wooden chest, similar to the one in her own room in the Temple's dormitory, though this one was locked. A dusty lantern sat on the top of the chest, illuminating the room.

Her initiate's robe was draped over her like a blanket, and she was still nude underneath. Delyssa remembered those last moments before she fell unconscious and sat up with a groan. Her whole body was sore. She had vigorous sex in the past for longer with partners more numerous, but almost never as... intense. Usually, when she had sex, it was out of lust, for pleasure or ritual. She never had sex out of resolve before. It was as satisfying as it was draining.

After finding a bedpan beneath the cot and relieving herself into it, Delyssa squatted over the washbowl in the corner. She was splashing water up onto her vagina when the chamber door creaked open and Kruit entered. His irises were still golden, pupil-less discs; they peered at her with worry as Kruit stepped inside. He was otherwise as she first saw him, barechested with loose trousers tied low about his waist.

"How are you feeling?" he said cautiously.

"Sore," Delyssa said with a tight smile. "But otherwise fine. I was just cleaning up, but it appears that all that seed you emptied into me has vanished." She gestured down towards the bowl beneath her, in which there was conspicuously absent any trace of the volume of cum that Delyssa was sure had been pumped into her. She looked back up to Kruit. "Though I suppose thats the least of the miracles that just happened. How are you feeling? Can... can you see?"

Kruit beamed. "I can, and I think I'll be spending the rest of my life in thanks that the Goddess gave me my vision back, and that the first woman I saw with these eyes are you. To be that young and beautiful again..." He shook his head and wiped at the corners of his eyes, and Delyssa thought she saw the glint of a tear.

"Believe me, Kruit, you are still beautiful," she said as she straightened up. "I hope I wasn't too 'assertive'."

Kruit laughed. "Delyssa, I think you called Shevlana herself down with that display, now is not the time to be humble about it." He gestured towards the bed, and they both sat on its edge, turned towards one another.

"Do you really think that's what happened?" said Delyssa, her eyes wide.

"I'm not sure, but it's a pleasant thought. Mother Corporeal is down the passageway now, examining the altar. She'll want to speak to you before you leave, of course."

"Of course." Delyssa held her hands between her naked knees. "How long was I asleep for?"

"Oh, a few hours. It's well into the evening now," Kruit said. "You'll probably be wanting to head to the great hall for dinner soon. I just came back to check that you are alright. You'll probably be the center of conversation among the other disciples."

"So," Delyssa hesitated. "Have you changed your mind about my being ready to quest with the Campaigner's Guild?"

Kruit ran his hand through his graying hair. "Well... I think you still have a lot of growing to do. You need to become comfortable with trusting yourself and taking control of your actions, even though earlier was a good demonstration of that. But ultimately..." he met Delyssa's gaze. "Yes, I think you're ready to adventure. Just be careful, Delyssa," he said, giving her hand a squeeze.

Delyssa stared back into the gold coins of Kruit's eyes. She could see herself reflected clearly within them, as if she was looking into a mirror of polished bronze.

Her dark hair, normally straight but now tousled from sleep and sex, full lips parted and eyes wide. She looked younger than she knew, more innocent than she felt. Was that only how Kruit saw her, or was she less capable than she thought? She laid her head on his muscular shoulder, and he wrapped and arm around her.

"Is every acolyte sent to the Campaigner's challenged like this?" she asked.

"They're typically a little older than you. And usually this is something pondered for quite some time, not just sprung on an initiate. Mother Corporeal must see some incredible promise in you. I think you'll prove her right."

"How old were you when you went on your first adventure?"

Kruit laughed and thought for a moment. "Probably a little younger than you are now, actually," he admitted. "But those were different times, and more Servants of Shevlana went questing."

"That reminds me," said Delyssa, "Priestess Allarane told me to ask you about your time as a campaigner. She said you were chosen for a 'sacred task,' and that you were a hero."

Delyssa could feel Kruit's body tense. "I'm not a hero," he said. "I don't think I ever was. My quests helped people, yes, but I'll admit that it wasn't charity that drove us. I've had a long time to think about those days, and my conclusion is that adventurers are lured by coins, trinkets, and baubles despite whatever they say.

"The sacred task I was sent on was little more than a treasure hunt, Delyssa. Our religion is among the most ancient, and in past ages our Priestesses crafted many powerful items, artifacts now lost to both time and sands."

"I'm not sure I was ever taught about that part of our history," said Delyssa. Kruit's voice was melancholy, and she tried not to sound too enthralled.

"That was partly at my behest to Mother Corporeal," said Kruit. "There would be far more of us elders around if we had abandoned those things to whatever dungeons they reside in. Who knows, maybe some other adventurers will stumble across them in time and do us all a favor and return them to us. Save us all the trouble."

"May I ask..." Delyssa hesitated. "Did you lose your vision on this sacred task?"

"No," Kruit grimaced. "That happened later, when I was older. I lost faith in that holy quest, but I was still in love with the life of an adventurer. My party and I were campaigning through a thick forest, as wild an untamed as you'd ever see. We stumbled right into the boudoir of a dryad-- a powerful spirit from before humans, when such ephemeral things like pleasure and beauty were still hidden away in the rock of the world. I knew little about dryads, which is why I did the damnably foolish thing of looking right at it. There was a flash, a blinding light, and then the next thing I knew all I could see was gray, being carried back to town by my wiser companions. The next thing I saw was you."

Delyssa got up from the bed and stood before Kruit. She took his hands in her own, noticing for the first time the faint scars that laced the knuckles. She rubbed her thumbs over them and looked Kruit over. He seemed far more tired now than a few minutes ago when he came into the chamber. It was hard to tell what exactly he was feeling, and she found that looking into his golden eyes now was as impenetrable as when she first saw him stride into the altar chamber.

"I've known you for what, a few hours now, Kruit? Most of that sleeping, just two conversations and some fucking," said Delyssa. She chewed that last word and decided she liked its flavor. "But in that time every word you've spoken to me has cut straight to the truth. I want to be like that someday. You're the wisest man I think I've ever met."

Kruit barked out a terse laugh. "If I'm the wisest man you've ever met, then we need to get you out of the Temple and into the world as fast as we can."

Delyssa smiled. "You should take your own advice and have more confidence in yourself. I think you should let your scars hold your past for you, and try not to linger there yourself. Now stand up."

Kruit stood, uncertain. Delyssa could see more tears at the corner of his eyes.

"You were sitting on my robe."

"Oh."

"I think I'd better see Mother Corporeal," Delyssa said. "If I am to leave the Temple soon, would you help me prepare? I'm not sure I know exactly what I need to bring with me."

Kruit nodded. "Of course. I still have some of my gear from long ago. It's old, but should have stayed in working order. I'll gather whatever I think you'll need and assemble a pack for you. Saint Artelia, I haven't done that in a long time."

Delyssa gathered her robe up in a bundle in her hands, holding it close to her chest, just below her breasts. The two stood facing one another for a moment before Delyssa stepped back towards the door. One hand on the doorknob, she half-turned back towards Kruit. "Now that you have your eyes again, is there anything in particular you want to see?"

Kruit beamed. "Oh, yes. The sunset. The sunrise. I plan on taking a long walk around the city to see what's different, what's stayed the same. The temple gardens, the dances. Right now, though, I think I'd just like to watch you leave."

Delyssa threw her head back and laughed as she pulled the door open, making sure she exaggerated the sway of her hips as she left. Behind her, Kruit settled back onto the cot and smiled until the door closed. Then he turned his attention to the chest at the foot of the bed.

#

Mother Corporeal cast a sharp eye towards Delyssa as she walked nude into the altar chamber from deeper within the crypt. Kruit's bedchamber was only one corner down the hallway from there, and the young acolyte was still unfolding her robe when she entered.

"Delyssa, I hope you don't get too used to wearing as little as you do here, the road can be a challenging place for a naked girl such as yourself," Mother Corporeal said. The High Priestess' white linen robe was immaculate, her hands folded within the sleeves.

"I'm just enjoying the freedoms of the Temple before I leave," said Delyssa. While the afternoon sun had kept the inside of the crypt hot, now that it had set, there was a chill growing in the stuffy air. Delyssa pulled her robe over her head. Mother Corporeal had turned her attention back to the statue on the altar-- the candles were still golden, though the melted wax that trickled out of the effigy's breasts and vagina were still milky white. Eventually, the High Priestess turned back to Delyssa.

"Was this your first Miracle, child?"

"Of this kind, yes, Mother Corporeal. Though I do think of finding my way to the Temple all those years ago to be its own kind of miracle," Delyssa admitted.

Mother Corporeal smiled. "I think that's a worthy faith. But something more, well, spectacular like this is rare indeed. Kruit told me you two were coupling at the time, and the miracle happened during both of your releases?"

Delyssa blushed. Such topics were in no form taboo at the Temple of Shevlana, but there was something a little embarrassing about the brisk inquisition of the High Priestess. "Yes, we were," she said. "I was leaned over on the altar, he was behind me."

Mother Corporeal raised an eyebrow. "Leaning on a sacred altar is a little sacrilegious, but I'll let it slide for now. Well, this appears to be a mystery."

"Is it?" Delyssa asked. "I thought Shevlana cured Kruit's blindness."

"Yes," said Mother Corporeal. "But why now? Was it because of him, or because of you? What does it mean that the candles have turned to gold? I think it portends much for the future, but I only know one thing for certain."

"What's that?" said Delyssa.

"That I'm going to have many a late night studying the old scrolls ahead of me, trying to decipher what everything else means," said Mother Corporeal, grimacing.

Delyssa chuckled. "Still, I don't think this miracle is the bad sort of ominous, do you? After all, Kruit can see again."

Mother Corporeal brought her hands out of the folds of her robe and rubbed her temples. "Omens, even when beneficial, often contain hidden depths, Delyssa," she said. "What if Shevlana gave Kruit his eyesight back so that he might see something in particular? What if he is meant to be a witness to something yet to come? That's what troubles me. You are beautiful, Delyssa, but I doubt that Mother Shevlana herself came broke through to the mortal world so that Kruit could catch a glimpse of your cunt spread before him."

Delyssa gasped at the High Priestess' profanity. Mother Corporeal shut her eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry to slip into such language in front of you, Delyssa, but this was... unexpected and I find myself as disturbed as I am joyful. Regardless, you will likely grow accustomed to hearing such things and worse in the adventurous wild, though that does not excuse me."

Delyssa couldn't hold back a laugh. "I think you're right, Mother Corporeal. Kruit said the same thing. You should have heard some of what I said to him before."

Mother Corporeal cast her a sharp eye. "Oh? What language was that?"

"Er, nothing you would disapprove of," Delyssa said.

"Indeed? Very well," said Mother Corporeal. She walked over the chair across from the altar and eased herself down into it. "I admit that at times I worry about what a campaign might make of you. Still, I stand by what I said earlier, I think that this will be good for you. That reminds me, since our last meeting, another message came to me from the Campaigner's Guild. Apparently, their reserve of clerics and healers to send on quest has reached a desperate low."

"I hadn't realized that there was a shortage of healers," Delyssa said.

"Most of the other temples have sent their healers afield, to tend to soldiers in the feuds with Dertath," said Mother Corporeal, with a venomous note of distaste in her voice. "Shevlana's healers do not participate in such things."

"Oh," said Delyssa. "I didn't know that there was a war brewing, either."

"This Temple gives shelter to a great many things, child, innocence among them, despite our reputation. Although I'm sure the adventurer's road will swiftly rid you of such things. Tell me, Delyssa, are you certain that this is your wish? Are you prepared to depart our sanctuary?"

"Yes," Delyssa replied. Her voice was even and full.

"Good. Because there's an adventuring party due to leave Gra'tan tomorrow morning, and you'll be going with them."

"Tomorrow?" Delyssa said, stunned by the imminence. She assumed that she would have some days or weeks to prepare. "But it's already evening! I haven't--I'm not even sure what I need to pack!"

Mother Corporeal smiled as she raised herself out of the chair. "Don't worry, Delyssa. Anything the Temple cannot furnish you, the Campaigner's Guild will provide. Another offer of gratitude for our continued services. Now," she said, offering her arm to the acolyte. "Help me out of this tomb and I will bestow some wards upon you for your travels."

Delyssa took Mother Corporeal's arm and helped her up the stairs, into the antechamber, and heaved open the bronze doors that led back into the Temple's gardens.

Outside, in the cool and starlit evening of Gra'tan. Mother Corporeal walked Delyssa over to a stone bench and sat them both down, turning to face the young acolyte. She looked the initiate over, appraisingly.

"What prayers of power have you been taught, Delyssa?"

"Almost entirely healing," she immediately answered. "And mostly cures for wounds at that, though I know some prayers for other ailments. Infections, aches, small blights and the like."

"Good. I'm going to teach you a new prayer, one to ward your body from harm. It's simple and effective, but limited. Stand with me."

The initiate stood beside the High Priestess. Mother Corporeal's silvering hair, longer than Delyssa's, flowed in the night-time breeze as if in water. The two stood side by side in the grass. When the High Priestess shrugged out of her white robe, Delyssa followed suit, mindful of the easy grace with which the older woman moved.

Mother Corporeal faced the young acolyte. "These are the old words of power you must recite," and she spoke them, that ancient language of gods and elder creatures from before the First Child.

Delyssa repeated them back to the High Priestess.

"Again."

Delyssa said the words again, getting used to the shape of them in her mouth.

"Do you comprehend their meaning?"

"I do, Mother Corporeal. My body; a door, a home, a fortress, a shield. Open but to my enemies."

"Good. Now follow me," said Mother Corporeal. She bent at the waist with a flexibility that belied her age and grasped the arches of her feet with both hands. Delyssa mimicked her movements, ignoring the tickle of breeze along her naked body.