Blessings of Faith Pt. 01

He carried her to the bed where she wrapped her arms around his head tightly and threw herself back, pulling him down on top of her on the bed, giggling all the way. She tore at his clothes, getting his shirt off him with only one button flying off in the scuffle. He pulled her shirt over her lithe form, exposing her pert breasts and stiff nipples to the air.

Celeste grabbed his head again, bringing him down for another smoldering kiss, her legs hooking around him, keeping him tight to her. She bit his lip playfully as her hands darted downward, unbuckling his belt.

Miles kissed her neck, nipping on occasion as she groaned, her hands fumbling at her shorts as he made his way down her chest before capturing an erect nipple and making her gasp. She kicked off her shorts, somehow having folded nearly in half to slip them off. She bit his neck and then rolled him over so that she could straddle him.

Miles gasped as he felt her against him, her heat burning him. She kissed him deeply, her tongue exploring his mouth as she lowered herself onto him. The intense feeling made them both groan as he sank deeper into her. She arched her back, exposing her nipples to him, which he caught in his mouth, licking and nipping.

Celeste began to pump her hips, harder and faster as Miles just marveled at this gorgeous beauty riding him, becoming lost in her emerald eyes as she leaned down and kissed him. Her gentle tongue belied her need as he hips continued their assault. Her pace increased, nearly frantic until a final slam down caused her to bite his shoulder and scream into it in climax. Miles groaned, the pain and pleasure too much to bear as he released deep inside her.

Celeste lay on him, breathing hard. She gave a throaty moan as she could feel him inside her, the heat spreading throughout her body. "Oh god, you are such a good fuck Miles" she murmured into his chest. "I can't believe we never did this before."

That odd phrase rang in Miles' ear for some reason, and the sense of déjà vu he had been having this entire trip abruptly stopped. He didn't have much time to consider this though as Celeste had now put her elbows on his chest, pushing herself up and gazing down at him. "You'll be a good dad, Miles."

The look on his face must have been priceless as she proceeded to snort and laugh, falling back onto his chest, still keeping him deep inside of her. "I'm fucking with you Miles" she got out between bursts of laughter. "You should have seen the look of sheer panic in your eyes."

"You are such a bitch."

She grinned at him, "Yeah, but now I'm your bitch."

***

Miles awoke the next morning with Celeste's naked figure wrapped around him, her flaming red hair splayed across his shoulder as she quietly breathed into his chest. He could still faintly smell the lilac soap she had used last night.

The sun had just risen above the town walls, casting sunlight through the window on the opposite wall of the room. She stirred, but then cuddled back into him, a smile on her lips. It was the most comfortable either of them had been in a long time, lying in a soft bed on a lazy morning wrapped around someone else. They both enjoyed the moment, breathing each other in, letting their touch linger.

Someone's stomach rumbled, causing Celeste to chuckle and pull herself up, letting the sheets fall from her breasts. Miles sat up and kissed the nape of her neck, making her giggle. She turned and kissed him softly, enjoying the feel of his lips on hers.

"We should probably get some breakfast." She kissed him again. "That way you'll have the energy you'll need to keep up with me." She grinned as she hopped out of bed, shimmying into her usual tight pants and blouse. Miles watched her, enjoying the show she put on.

"Up with you lazy, can't spend all day in bed. That's what tonight is for." She laughed as she smoothed her hair back into a ponytail.

Miles got up and pulled on his clothes as well, feeling her lingering eyes on him. They headed down to the bar to grab a seat at one of the tables, the waitress coming out of the kitchen shortly thereafter with a large serving of eggs, various sausages, fruits, fresh bread, pastries, and coffee.

Miles was thoroughly enjoying his stay here, "I can't believe the merchant called this a low-class place. This is the most amazing inn I've ever stayed at."

Celeste was pulling some grapes off the stem and nodded, "The places we usually stay are way dumpier. This is the lap of luxury for me. We oughta take more jobs around here." She popped a grape into her mouth, "Best enjoy while we can though. Likely won't be getting this treatment again anytime soon."

Miles savored the salty and spicy tang of the sausage as he used the fresh bread to soak up the egg yolk. "Have you been to Crownhaven before? What's there to do around here?"

Celeste was munching on some fresh coffeecake, "A couple of times, but they were usually short stays. A lot of stuff comes here for trade, but not much goes out. Mostly supply raw materials, so our contracts were just long enough to pick up the new stuff and head out again." She looked out the window, "The market is out that way, but its mostly cheap shit that they try to pawn off on tourists. Might find something useful though."

Celeste sat back, trying to recall anything else she had done on her prior visits, "There's always the temple. I guess I haven't been particularly penitent recently, I should probably stop by and make a donation. I'd love to speak to the priestess, but I doubt she'd have the time for me."

"Is that the Lady of Devotion? I noticed you wear the collar sometimes, though not recently."

Celeste's hand reached for her neck subconsciously, "Yeah, I used to wear it more often, but after that thing with the little cave fuckers, I don't know, I haven't really been feeling as connected as I used to be."

The cave incident was right around when Miles joined, and no one really liked to talk about it. All he knew was that they were on a search and rescue mission, but there weren't any survivors for them to find. At least not in one piece.

"Ah, sorry, didn't mean to bring down the mood." Celeste shook it off and continued eating her eggs. "They have a decent selection of books down the road if you want to check. Used to be a curio shop there that would carry the odd enchanted item as well, though I'd imagine they'd fleece you on the price."

Miles waved off that last comment, "As if I had the gold coins to buy anything magical." He sat back and sipped his coffee, fully stuffed. "Book shop sounds good, might even be able to earn a few coins while I'm there."

Celeste snorted, "You know, you're allowed to just fuck around for a day or two, right? You don't need to be scrimping and scraping for every coin."

Miles shrugged, "It's easy money and I get to read all kinds of interesting things." He leaned forward conspiratorially, "Did I ever tell you about the note I wrote for the mayor of Lustra to his mistress?" Her eyes piqued with curiosity.

***

Miles was wandering the market with a few extra coins in his purse thanks to his transcription and copying services. There were many more literate people here, so demand was higher, but at the same time, so was the competition. The owner was affable enough and impressed with his script, so had him copy several fancy poems and a sonnet that he could resell. It was trite stuff, but it sold well. He'd also given him a book on the history of the town. Miles imagined the man hadn't been able to sell it anyway, but still thanked him for it.

There wasn't much of real interest amongst the stalls, and the items that were interesting were far too pricey for him. He bought a few items that caught his eye, but they were mostly trinkets, and the occasional oddly shaped throwing weapon from the south. Samir would likely tell him he overpaid for it, but they were only a few coppers each.

Miles spotted a café and stopped in. He enjoyed the bitter drink more than he did tea and was impressed with the options available. Lustra had one café that only served one kind of coffee, from somewhat moldy beans if Miles had to guess.

Miles ordered a pot for the second floor so that he could read while looking out onto the square. The woman that came by served him the hot coffee and provided a side of crumbly biscuits and jam. He sipped at the hot beverage and observed the busy market.

Compared to Lustra, this was an impressive town. Hundreds of travelers moved through, and thousands of citizens lived here and on the outskirts he would wager. He could see the local enforcers patrolling the streets, kids running around, and more than a few pickpockets moving through the crowd.

He sat back and opened the book he was given. It was not particularly well written, with several mistakes, which was likely why it didn't sell well, but the information was helpful in an overall sense. It highlighted a few places for travelers, though he imagined the praises it heaped on two places in particular were the author's attempt to curry favor. The Dice Pit, a local gambling spot, and the neighboring Elaine's Kiss, a brothel if he had to guess, were the "must go" places the book highlighted. He considered letting Allen know, though he imagined the man had already figured that out last night.

Miles spent a pleasant time sipping his coffee and reading about the town. He occasionally saw a flurry of activity in the market, usually a thief or some aggressive negotiations, but nothing that spoiled this relaxation. He dropped an extra two coppers on the table for the lady as he headed back out into the town.

***

Miles wandered around for some more and eventually stopped at the central fountain and looked around, trying to decide where to go now. He spied the spires of the temple and curiously went to see it. He had never been religious, but he certainly understood the appeal. Many of his friends and family had told him of feeling touched by the gods, but he had never experienced it himself. Perhaps the Lady of Devotion would speak to him, though he didn't hold much hope for that.

The temple was an impressive structure, with vaulted ceilings and stained-glass windows depicting the Lady of Devotion and her acolytes. The central area before the pulpit was open to all, with services carried out every few hours.

Miles sat down in the pews, seeing the priestess step onto the pulpit. She was as lovely as he had heard, long blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and a sharp nose. She stood in her gown, a pale blue, short-sleeved dress cinched at the waist with a white belt. She wore the collar of the priestess, the black leather band stood in stark contrast to her smooth white skin. It was taut against her neck with the winged symbol of the lady brightly inlaid at the throat with silver that shone as the light struck her.

The priestess spoke in a soft, melodic voice and spoke of devotion. She spoke of the different kinds of devotion, to loved ones, to a cause, to oneself and to the Lady. She read from a passage from the scriptures, its words flowery, yet poignant. Miles found himself closing his eyes to take in her words, letting the soothing flow of her voice wash over him.

The priestess finished her sermon, thanking everyone in attendance, and left the pulpit. As people dispersed, he approached one of the many statues that lined the hall. This one was carved in a white stone, with veins of gold that ran through it, almost making it appear alive as the light played across it. The soft features of the lady's face were directed upward toward her outstretched hand.

"Lovely, isn't it?" A familiar soft voice intoned, bringing him out of his revelry. "It's always been a favorite of mine."

Miles hadn't turned as the priestess stepped next to him, still looking at the statue. "I've never seen it before," he mused. "It almost feels like, longing."

A smile slowly spread on the priestess's face as she gazed at the statue appreciatively. "Yes, longing, and acceptance."

Miles glanced at her, "Acceptance?"

The priestess reached out a hand and touched the delicately carved fingers of the statue. "Longing without acceptance is just desire for something you may never have. Longing with acceptance, is being alright with not having it, simply being happy that it is."

Miles chuckled, "I guess I hadn't thought about it like that. But I can see it, in her eyes."

"You aren't a believer, are you?"

"No, I hope that doesn't offend you. I've just never felt what everyone else seems to feel."

She smiled at him, "There is nothing to be offended of; everyone experiences it differently, and some not at all." She cocked her head in thought, "I hope I'm not being too forward, but might I hold your hand for a moment?"

Miles eyes widened in surprise, "Oh, um, sure." He rubbed his hand on his shirt, "Sorry, I was just writing, I don't want you to get ink on you." He offered his right hand to her, palm up.

The priestess enveloped it gently between her two soft hands, one below and one above, gazing into his eyes. Her cerulean eyes glimmered as she observed him. "How odd," She stroked his palm with her fingers. "You say you've never felt her presence?"

"No, at least, I don't think I have. I've always heard that it's a warm feeling of lightness."

She stepped closer and slowly lifted his hand to her cheek so that he was cupping it. She looked at him curiously, "And you don't feel anything now?"

Miles was getting nervous, "Only the touch of your skin." He swallowed, "Am, am I supposed to be feeling something?"

She let his palm linger on her cheek, before letting it go. "I suppose not." She sounded somewhat disappointed. "May I have your name?"

"Miles. Uh, I'm part of the Silver Wolves mercenary group. We're based out of Lustra, well, near Lustra. We're here for another few days on an escort mission." Her soft, melodic voice and her languid movements were making Miles stumble over his own words.

"Miles, please call me Helena." She still stood close to him, the scent of honey in his nose. "I would like to see you again Miles. Would you perhaps come and meet me again tomorrow?"

"Yes, yes of course, um, Helena. I would like that."

"Then I will look forward to seeing you again, Miles." She smiled warmly and retreated into the temple. He watched her leave, still feeling her lingering heat on his hand.

***

Miles returned to the Tipsy Flagon in the later afternoon to find Allen and Dylan at one of the tables. They flagged him down and ordered another ale for him.

"There you are, we were wondering what you were up to. I had a couple copper on you visiting the brothel. Dylan here bet on the bookstore." Allen was jovial as always, but there were some dark circles under his eyes. He suspected Samir had brought him back early this morning.

"Best hand over the coppers then" Miles took a swig of his beer.

Dylan smugly pocketed the coins that Allen tossed onto the table, "Told you. The kid is nothing if not predictable."

"You aren't even a little interested?" Allen couldn't seem to comprehend not meeting new ladies the first night out. "It's not your first time, is it? Cause I have some ladies to introduce you to that are just your speed then."

"Fuck off."

Dylan was laughing as Miles flicked a nut from the table at Allen. Miles turned to the older man, "How are your friends doing?"

"Good. They gave up the merc life and have a little farm nearby. Good on them, it can be rough doing this for too long. Got a little one that's nearly up to my knees now."

Allen had palmed a bunch of shelled nuts and was tossing them up individually to catch in his mouth. "You ever think of retiring? You've gotta have some stashed away, right?"

Dylan scoffed, "And do what? This is all I've ever known."

"You could do some scribe work, maybe work for the governor here. They always need people to review contracts." Miles offered.

"Bah, I'm twice as old as you and you're already better at contracts than me, what can I offer anyone? Nah, I'll do this until I can't anymore. Then maybe just find a pub to work at as a bouncer or something."

"You could always buy a place, run a small bar out of it. Make it a place for old mercs to shoot the shit." Allen's idea seemed to pique his interest.

"That's not a terrible idea." Dylan ran his fingers through his short scruff, "Could just get a place here or back in Lustra. Could stock some of the wines from the Delta Duchy, give it a bit of class."

They workshopped the idea and just generally chatted for another hour until Helen and Austin showed up, at which point they broke out some cards. They played for chores now that Miles had officially become a member and they couldn't saddle him with everything anymore. Players could buy in with five copper and could buy back in twice. All coins had to be spent on chore cards that could be assigned to a person of their choosing. Players could reassign again, but that would increase the price for future reassignments. Typically armor and weapon maintenance fell into this category, as it took forever.

The game had progressed fairly evenly until Harun joined, at which point the general consensus was that they needed to work together against him, or he would win every hand and end up assigning them all the jobs. They watched him like a hawk, but never saw the man cheat.

The Lady of Devotion

Miles spooned a pleasantly sore Celeste in bed later that evening, still enjoying the afterglow of their coupling. He kissed her shoulder gently and ran his fingers along a long-healed scar on her arm, the white skin standing out from its more tanned surroundings. The merc boasted a number of scars, some smaller and some larger, but none detracted from her beauty. They marked her as an accomplished warrior, and she wore each with pride.

Miles pulled her close, enjoying the feeling of her bare skin against his, smelling the faint scent of lilac in her hair. He could feel her take each restful breath and hear her heart beat rhythmically. She ran her fingers along his forearm, pulling it closer and using his open palm to rest her cheek on. She snuggled in, enjoying lying there with him.

She was the first to finally break the silence, "What did you think of the temple?"

Miles arched a brow, "How did you know I visited?"

"I could feel it on you. There is a faint glow from you, like from the priestess. Its peaceful."

Miles considered a bit, rubbing his cheek on her soft hair. "You're the second person today to insinuate something like that."

Celeste rolled over to look at him questioningly.

"The priestess, Helena, she seemed confused that I didn't feel a connection even after holding her hand." Celeste's eyes grew wide at the mention of the priestess.

"You met the priestess? You spoke with her? And she told you her name? And you touched her?" Each question became a little more frantic. She grabbed his face with both hands. "Tell. Me. Everything."

After extricating his face, Miles explained everything that had occurred, from listening to the sermon, to meeting the priestess, even the touch on the cheek. Celeste's face was slack as she heard him explain. She sat up and buried her face in her hands, shaking her head in disbelief. To say that Miles was perturbed by this action would have been an understatement. He gently rubbed her back.

"Do you know, what I would give, to just speak with the priestess?" Her fingers were steepled over her nose as she tried to gather her thoughts. "To be able to hold her hand, and feel my bonds through her?" Her eyes snapping to him suddenly, "But you touched her?!" There was something wild in her eyes, so Miles tried to scoot back on the bed.

"Well, to be clear, she touched me to her."

Celeste pounced on him, driving his shoulders into the bed hard. She was straddled on top of him, pinning him down, her red hair falling all around him, forming a tunnel, with her wide and wild-eyed face at the end.