Perversions of the Flesh

Ann had guessed that the single temple for the Gods would be huge. Everything in this town was huge. It still blew her away that this was a single-floor building. This could easily be four stories with vaulted ceilings, and no one would bat an eye. The stonework was simplistic but beautiful at the same time, with the main Gods’ symbols carved neatly around the massive doorframe.

“They’ve even got crenellations,” Ann gasped, straining her darkvision to peer at the edge of the roof. “Wonder why they don’t have a sloped ceiling.”

“Crenel-what?” Rosalyn asked. Her horniness had been somewhat tempered as Ann geeked out about how giants built their buildings. Structure for something like this was as important as the materials would have been, and they’d gotten it all to work. Still, Rosalyn listened attentively, clutching Ann’s arm as they walked. Every time a Mulsfar tromped by, she huddled closer.

“Crenellations. The block things at the top. They were originally designed to provide cover for archers on castle walls, but became more decorative in my time. I know Graven Keep had some, but it’s cool to see them even this far north! Wonder why, though, since it seems like the main populace couldn’t fit a pinkie behind them.”

“Maybe it’s for the smaller friends? We’re really powerful even if we’re not so big.”

Snow was starting to fall. Ann reached down and brushed a few soft flakes from Rosalyn’s wool. They were big, wet flakes. The kind that you could actually feel the weight of when they landed on your head. Lanterns and crystals were being turned on. The dusk transformed from a field of cool blues, darkening by the minute, into a cosy reminder of a time Ann barely remembered. A time before lights were all LEDs and harsh whites. She’d loved incandescent bulbs even further into her adulthood and made a point to have a few in her apartment. Yeah, they cost more to run, but that was the cost of comfort. It was probably the most hipster thing she’d fight someone about.

“Maybe. It’s neat to see so many normal sized people around here. I thought it’d be mostly Mulsfar.”

A slam echoed through the streets, followed by a crash. “The Hells you call my father?” a deep voice bellowed.

“A shalebacked coward!” a woman’s voice shouted back.

Heavy thumps were heard inside the temple. The door creaked like the shifting of an old forest as a Mulsfar exited the building. He looked down, noticing the pair. “Ah, come in and get warm by the fire. I will have this dealt with shortly.” With that, he stomped off, fists clenched.

“What did he mean by…” Rosalyn asked before they heard another thump and a grunt of pain.

“Think it’s best we do as the man says.” Ann held the smaller door open for Rosalyn.

The temple was very simple. Two sets of seats were set up. The right were for the giants, while the left were for normal people. There were only a dozen or so Mulsfar-sized chairs. Clearly this type of worship wasn’t the norm for their people. A fire crackled in the large fire pit set in the floor near the front of the hall. There was a stone perimeter to keep falling wood and ash inside, but the flames and smoke were left to rise and be whisked out by a cleverly hidden vent set inside an engraving. It was something Ann had seen in lodges before, and it was neat to see something like it here.

“You think he’s fighting the two who were fighting?” Rosalyn asked. Her voice, quiet as it was, still echoed through the hall.

The walls were all bare stone, painted with symbols and iconographies matching the statues in their alcoves. They were mostly how Ann was used to seeing the Gods. Mostly. Orenous was there to the left, her dazzling smile on a Mulsfar man of large proportions. It was weird. She usually identified as a female deity, but she was Love as a concept. That came in all shapes. Ann would have to ask her about that tomorrow.

Interestingly, Voltid took the prominent spot here. He was towering, and looked like his Mulsfar form was growing from the wall itself. No colouring was applied to him. He was the stone. No more. No less. Reverence for the mountain God made sense, considering where they were. He was the God of the hardy people. The workers. The engineers. Nylir and Bryltia flanked him, dark in their forms. Nylir hadn’t claimed a race, so she appeared as a Mulsfar, but Bryltia was her usual Thrundol depiction. Lucia’s description matched the statue well, but they couldn’t quite sculpt how long her hair was and show off the rest of the Goddess.

It only took a few minutes and a few muffled thumps for the priest to return. His dark robes were rumpled, the stole lopsided. His pale hands were bare, and his knuckles split with trickles of blood running off them. He muttered something, and the wounds sealed. The man’s beard and hair were white, his face craggy, and his nose massive. Blue eyes peeked out from under his heavy brow as he spotted them. Like Sigrid, he wasn’t the tallest of the Mulsfar and seemed to be about the middle twenties of feet tall. It was like seeing a giant Santa, minus all of the red.

“Forgive the disruption. A couple of my spirited kin got their tempers up. I talked them out of doing something they’d regret.” He had a dry laugh, reedy and humourless. “I can tell what you want, little Lupine, but not your friend. Not every winter someone so blessed by a Goddess stumbles through my doors.”

“I… wait, you still call Orenous a Goddess? It looks like She’s a man here,” Ann said, pointing over to the statue.

“Their domain eclipses much. I know you southerners prefer Them to be female, so it’s easier to use and not get caught up in the semantics we’re currently discussing. I also did not suggest it was Orenous. There are many Goddesses, and you just gave the game away.” The priest sighed and moved to the fire. He took a massive iron poker and stabbed the logs, stirring them to get better heat distribution. “I was looking forward to some banter over it. Shame. Well, Chosen of Orenous, what is it you want to talk about?”

Ann shrugged. She grabbed a pair of chairs and got Rosalyn settled near the fire before taking her own seat. “I’ve got a new… skill, and I wanted to talk to someone about it. It’s from Her, and you’re the closest person I’d feel like had real input on the thing. For once, I don’t want to talk to Orenous about it, because I know her thoughts for the most part.”

The Mulsfar chuckled, a smirk on his lips. “I will do my best. Where are my manners? Lost in the conversation earlier, likely. I am Prestur Gouti. I know of you, Chosen, but not of your friend?”

“Ah… um, I’m Rosalyn… uh, Rosalyn Losenska,” Rosalyn stammered.

Ann squeezed her hand.

Gouti’s eyes flicked downward at the gesture, then between them. “I’d heard the Chosen had two women of great beauty with her. You put those rumours to shame, Miss Losenska. Could the Princess not make it?”

“No sh…”

Gouti raised a hand, silencing her, then gestured to Rosalyn. Ann understood in an instant. He was getting the Druid to talk about comfortable things to get her out of her shell. It was a kind gesture, and one that he’d clearly practised frequently.

“A-Ann’s right. S-she couldn’t, uh, she’s off with one of our group, Minnie, who’s leading us to this mining place to get some ore, and I think she just wanted a little time and still isn’t too comfortable with all of the religious ties that Ann’s got and how seriously you all take Ann cause Kat hates it when people do that to her. I-it’s a thing for her.” Rosalyn looked down into her lap, fidgeting with her hands. Ann needed to ask Minnie for something small and metal to fiddle with in times like these. She instantly had to chase away a dozen dirty thoughts.

“Ah. The Princess’s reputation is well known, even this far, but it’s interesting to see that it causes her to peel away from her lovers, too. No matter, she is her own woman, and you two seem to accept this.”

A log popped, sending a flurry of sparks skyward, followed by another burst as Gouti stirred the pit again.

“It is my pleasure to meet the both of you. If you have any questions for me, Miss Losenska, please ask. Now, Chosen, what is your skill that warrants consultation from this gamall prestur?”

Ann took a breath, preparing for the incredulity she was used to from Bren. “It’s a worship spell, Prestur. Orenous specifically gave it to me as part of my Title. I had a choice between two skills called Paragon of Love or Paragon of Lust. I chose Love.”

Prestor Gouti didn’t say anything and motioned for her to continue. He even kept his face a mask of calm as he waited for Ann to continue.

“So, it basically says that the more people I get to love me, I get more powerful. My Faith goes up. I’ve got some extra bonuses for people who’ve basically sworn to me, but the rest seems to be a popularity contest skill. I gotta be in the public eye and make people super happy about me being here. Guess I’m not really sure how to do that right. I don’t want to step on toes or cause problems. I also travel with a couple people who prefer not to be so… public.”

Gouti hummed to himself. His fingers ran through his beard as he thought. “Yes. That’s a difficult situation for someone so young to be in. Pardon me for a moment, but Paragon is an interesting word to use there, especially for a Title. Skills you can grow into, but Titles are usually proffered when someone has achieved a feat. You do not think you have done so?”

Ann felt the pressure of expectation starting to push down on her shoulders again. She reached out for Rosalyn’s hand, holding onto it tightly. “I mean, I made a speech and showed off a bit. I’ve been helping some people lately, but I dunno if that really warrants something that sounds this important.”

“If I might argue your point a little,” Gouti said, reaching into the fire with his bare hand and retrieving a log. He put it to the side. “Ah, a little warm.” He laughed at Ann and Rosalyn’s aghast expressions. “I am primarily a Prestor of Voltid. It has its perks. You, Chosen, are like this log here,” he pointed at a log that was on the outskirts of the fire. “You are beginning to smoulder, but have not yet burst into flames. Your light and heat are yet fragile. It wouldn’t take much to quench their life.” The priest closed his hand around the wood, snuffing out the small bits of flame. “This will not be a quick process. By deeds you will make your light grow.” Gouti leaned in and blew on the extinguished log. Slowly, the spark came back to life. “Given the right fuel. Know, also, that you can also gain light through others.” He then touched the flaming log he’d used just before to further grow the fire on Ann’s log. “Seek to build up others, and they will spread your word like wildfire. Beware of others who seek to misconstrue your intentions as well, as they might damage your reputation and strength.”

“If pissing off the Queen doesn’t do it, don’t know what will,” Ann grumbled.

Gouti gave her a soft chuckle. “She is a parent and a leader. She has suffered a grave loss, but I believe she will recover. Katlyn seems strong, and I have heard that her sister is stepping up well in her father’s role. Do not be discouraged.”

“You seemed to really have that whole thing locked and loaded for me.”

Another reedy laugh. “Your plight is not unheard of. Leaders are leaders by the hearts of the people. What has you worried?”

“I dunno. You’ve seen me. This isn’t even close to the end of what I’m probably going to become by the time this ends; however it does. I just got a skill that can change my facial bone structure. What’s next, my arms? My legs? Digestive system? Growing extra parts? I’m…”

“You’re scared of the monster you might become. Ignoring the person that you are.”

“And that everyone else is going to see that monster.”

“Ann, that’s not how it’s going to work,” Rosalyn said.

This is silly. Who cares what the weak pissants think?

“I do,” Ann cried. It sounded like a fucking whine in her own ears. “And clearly Orenous wants me too, too! How do I get people with generations of fear over what I am becoming to not turn on me when I start sprouting extra eyes?”

Gouti sighed. His old face sagged, looking positively ancient. “I do not know. I might have lived a long time, but I don’t have all of the answers. Your situation is something I’ve never considered, giving credence to your concerns. I, for one, am reassured that you are this worried about the people, big and small.”

Ann’s mind snapped to Abigail. The little Inlon girl half made of metal. She was so damn worried about her and that town. Their job here wasn’t done, and her being there only drew the Pursuer to endanger them all. Her hand gripped Rosalyn’s tighter. If it hurt, her girlfriend didn’t show it.

“I just hope the worry is enough,” she muttered.

“Hmm, what was that passage? One moment.” Gouti stood and walked off through a door at the back of the front hall.

Ann just sat there with Rosalyn and Waheela. No one spoke.

The fire crackled.

This is how the lone wolf feels.

Ann’s heart clenched. There was so much sadness in Waheela’s words. She knew what Ann was going through better than most, it seemed. That, and the lupine instincts that were worming their way into her nature.

Gouti wasn’t long. He returned with a tome bearing the heart of Orenous. “Apologies, I don’t have this memorised. There’s such a thing as too much scripture for a mind to hold. Easier to remember what book had what.” He made the old man grunt as he sat down. Ann heard it all the time when she visited her grandpa. Hell, her dad had started doing it before she’d… gone. Pages rustled as he found the passage he was looking for. “Ah, here it is. A bit of a contradictory passage, but I believe there’s truth to it. Ahem. ‘Worry not what others think of you, but know that your worry for others shows your love for all.’”

“So… uh… wait, what?” Rosalyn asked. “Don’t worry about other people, but because you do, you’re loving them? I don’t get it. Shouldn’t you just take care of you, and make sure the people you care about are happy? That’s nice and simple. Contradictory was right.”

Ann shook her head. “Nah, I get it. It sounds like it’s contradicting, but the wording’s weird. Don’t care about what others think. You can’t control that. Some people are going to hate you for being the literal sunshine on the earth. Still, you shouldn’t stop caring about other people. Caring is a bit more of a guarded form of love. It’s not as intense. People will give a shit that you give a shit, too. Honestly, Gouti, I kinda knew all of this. Helps to hear it, though. Get that reinforcement that I’m not being stupidly naive.”

“I am sure you’ll face your own hardships, little Chosen. There are also plenty that are here to hold you up as well. Now, I’ve got a duty to report this to the Queen.”

Ann stiffened, her eyes darting towards the exit.

A booming laugh that broke into a cough interrupted her. “A joke! Your presence will only be known to those you tell. I’m sure Sigrid is obligated to, though, so you’d best make your trip quick. It’s my bet you’ve got better things to do than be stuck in Korvas for a decade.”

Ann felt her heart fall apart as all of the sudden tension drained from her. Gods, she was tired. It was dark outside. Kat would be waiting for them. Orenous was expected in the morning. So tired.

“Go on, little ones. Apologies we didn’t include you more in the conversation, Miss Losenska. Maybe on your return, we can discuss your… elusive God at greater length.”

“Ye-yeah. I’d like that,” Rosalyn nodded. She still didn’t seem too steady around Gouti, but she was getting better. “I’ll make sure I pop by.”

“I’ll leave a kettle on for you,” Gouti said with a warm smile. “Now, shoo. Busy things, tomorrows. About time we prepare ourselves for them.”

The door creaked behind them as the pair struck back out into the cold that neither really noticed.

“Feeling a little better?” Rosalyn asked. “You’ve been kinda all over the place. Happy, sad, so anxious all of the time that you’re making me feel like the confident one here. That’s not fair. I’m the anxious one. Kat’s the brave one. You’re the loving one. That’s how this goes.”

Ann couldn’t help but giggle at Rosalyn’s pout. She leaned down, grabbed one of her girlfriend’s horns, and gave her a quick kiss. “I’m a bit better. Can’t promise I won’t get mopey again, but I think this helped me figure out how to spread the love. I really just said that. This is your fault, you stupid Goddess!” Ann cried to the heavens, shaking an angry fist.

Rosalyn giggled, then snorted, then redoubled her laughter.

Ann scooped her up and carried the laughing druid all the way back to the inn.