The Light touches us even down here
By ComicsFan7314
Chapter 2: The Morning After
Junia dreamed peacefully as she slept, fantasizing about her new love. One dream in particular had her as a princess, locked in a tower by a malevolent queen with Reynauld as the brave knight who comes to the princess's rescue.
After vanquishing the evil queen, Sir Reynauld ascended the tower and was greeted by the princess Junia who thanked him with a romantic kiss. The dream became sexual however, as their kiss became more passionate, the two swirled their tongues each other's mouth. Next, the pair started to take off their clothes, sustaining their kiss as they did so. Reynauld played with Junia's supple breasts, sucking and licking her tender nipples. Reynauld flicked the princess's clit around before moving his throbbing member to her entrance and…
Junia awoke in a cold sweat, confused, and felt a dampness underneath her tunic. Yet, in a twist of cruel irony, the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes, was the face of the man who was the subject of her wet dream: Reynauld.
"Good morning, my love!" Reynauld chirped cheerfully. "Did you sleep well?"
Junia couldn't find it in her to respond. Was it just a dream? It had to have been, there is no tower, no evil queen and Junia was most definitely not a damsel in distress. But, the sex…it felt so real, too real to have been a dream.
"Um, uh…" Junia stammered.
"Is everything alright, dear?" asked Reynauld before attempting to give Junia a kiss on the lips.
Junia quickly stood up from Reynauld's lap with a very nervous, almost guilty look about her.
"Reynauld!" Junia squeaked in a hushed tone. "Did we…" Junia trailed off anxiously.
"Did we what, love?" cooed Reynauld. "Why don't you lie your head back down on my lap?" Reynauld suggested before wrapping his brawny arms around the nun's waist.
That was too much.
Junia forcefully pulled herself out of the hug, her face crimson red with embarrassment.
"IMSORRYIHAVETOGO!" Junia blurted out before running off to some unknown location.
Reynauld was taken aback by Junia's behavior. "Why is she acting like this?" Reynauld thought to himself.
"She was all over me last night and now she's ignoring me again?" He muttered as he sat back down by the now extinguished fire.
"Unless…she was just using me?" Reynauld thought, growing angry.
"That's what was it is isn't it? This is all a game to her." Reynauld sighed as he gazed at the ashes of the fire.
He didn't want it to be true. Even if Junia was using him, he still loved her. Junia had a tragic existence and she needed someone in her life to be there for her and Reynauld figured that he should be the one to be to do that.
Junia found herself in a dark hallway, not far from the campsite. She knew the risks of running off by herself, away from the rest of the group. If she was ambushed by the enemy, there was little she could do to fight back. Junia let out a low, deep sigh. She was so ashamed of herself, Reynauld was being romantic with her, and she ran away like a coward. Junia leaned up against one of the ancient stone pillars holding up the equally ancient roof and cupped her hands over her face and sobbed.
"Why did I run from him? I love Reynauld and he loves me back, so why did I panic?" Junia choked in between sobs.
"I can't control my feelings! I'm no vestal, just some lovesick little girl posing as one!"
Bitter tears dripped from Junia's face on to the floor. Did Reynauld have any idea of what he did to her, how he make her feel? She wanted him so bad. Every time Reynauld, felled a vicious enemy or worked up a sweat chopping firewood or even merely glanced in Junia's direction, it sent a shiver of desire down Junia's spine and added more fuel to her lustful dreams. Speaking of dreams…
Junia had to make sure nothing else happened between her and Reynauld during the night.
She hiked up her robe just enough to examine herself and looked down towards her crotch, she was still wearing her chastity belt. Junia had mixed emotions upon seeing the belt, on one hand it was a promising sign that nothing untoward happened between her and Reynauld, while on the other hand it served as a painful reminder of her unchasteness.
She was made to wear the belt as a punishment for her lustful actions at the convent, the damned device was designed to prevent her from experiencing any carnal pleasure, whether with another person or with herself, the way it would occasionally chafe and poke her private parts was intentional, to remind Junia that her own body did not belong to her, it was the property of the Light.
She let out a quiet moan of pleasure as she removed her soaked undergarments. Junia then took off the chastity belt to examine herself further. Her cunt was slick with discharge that glistened slightly in the darkness of the hall. Junia explore her genitals a bit, though she attempted to resist the desire to commit "self-abuse". Pulling back her labial hood, Junia found that her hymen remained unbroken. Relief washed over Junia, she was still a virgin.
However, the temptation for Junia to play with herself grew to the point to where she couldn't help herself, she had to do it.
Junia plunged her index and middle finger into the opening of her vagina. She carefully maneuvered her digits further inside herself. It wasn't her first time masturbating, in fact she had done it enough at the abbey that she was skilled to the point that she could do it without breaking her hymen.
She let out a moan of pleasure as she moved her fingers in and out of her vaginal canal. Her hips bucked a little as she increased the pace of her movements. While the masturbation was thoroughly enjoyable on its own, Junia couldn't help but feel that something was missing: Reynauld.
The vestal's mind ran wild with passionate, lust filled thoughts about Reynauld. She imagined him throwing her on the ground and having his way with her, ravaging her like a wild animal. Her finger movements had become frenzied at this point. "R-Reynauld!" she moaned quietly as she reached her climax. After only a few minutes of pleasuring herself, Junia's orgasm crashed over her in a wave of ecstasy.
The unchaste vestal collapsed on the dusty floor, panting heavily, her chest moving almost mechanically.
After a few seconds, her breathing steadied and the warm sensation she felt began to subside. After her mental fog lessened, the gravity of her actions hit Junia like a ton of bricks.
"Oh Light, what have I done?" Junia cried in shame. She then put her chastity belt and undergarments back on before falling to her knees and started to pray. "Divine Light, please forgive my sins…"
Dismas's head was pounding. The whole world seemed to be spinning, making him want to vomit. He hadn't drunk that much in quite some time. Last time he drank that heavily was to forget that last botched job…
The highwayman attempted to get up from his resting spot, but he found him entangled on something. It was Audrey, who had her arm wrapped around Dismas's waist.
Dismas took Audrey's arm and gingerly removed it from him. Upon standing up, Dismas glanced at the grave robber and smirked. "Heh, cute." Dismas thought to himself as he watched Audrey gently snooze, a loose strand of blond hair casually hanging from her hat, it was downright adorable. Not that he thought Audrey was cute or anything. They were simply coworkers, nothing more. Dismas tried to reassure himself.
The roguish highwayman then moved to the far corner of the room to relieve his full bladder. After he finished doing his business, Dismas turned only to find a certain crusader sitting in front of the now extinguished campfire.
"You're up early!" Dismas said sarcastically to his friend.
"Hmph, you do know I stayed up all night guarding you ungrateful lot." retorted Reynauld.
"That's not what I heard!" Dismas said with a smug grin and a growing sense of self-satisfaction in his voice.
Reynauld turned to face his roguish companion and narrowed his eyes at him. "What exactly are trying to get at, Dismas?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing…" Dismas played dumb. "Just that you might have spent the night with a certain sister of St. Martha's we both know?"
"That is not true, Dismas." Reynauld said sternly. "And I suggest that you drop the subject."
"Oh really?" said the Highwayman. "Maybe this will jog your memory."
Dismas then placed the back of his hand on his forehead and made an exaggerated swooning gesture.
"Oh Reynauld, you're my true knight! I love you so much!" Dismas said in a high-pitched falsetto imitation of Junia's voice.
Dismas's voice then switched to a gruff, masculine one. "As do I, love. How I wish we could spend all of eternity together."
"That ring any bells, crusader boy?" mocked Dismas, returning to his normal voice, as he flashed the largest shit-eating grin Reynauld had ever seen.
"H-how would you know? You were asleep!" cried Reynauld.
"Well when you spend most of your life running from the law, you learn to become a light sleeper." replied Dismas.
"Stop denying it Rey, after all lying is a sin!"
"Look, nobody, nobody can know about this, if word gets out well…perish the thought." said Reynauld. "But yes…we were together last night." he shamefully admitted.
"No worries mate." Dismas said with a smile. "Your secret is safe with me, you have my word." Dismas finished as he placed a reassuring hand on Reynauld's shoulder.
"Thank you Dismas, I trust you and I am glad you are my friend." replied the Crusader.
"You're welcome. By the way, where is Junia anyway?" inquired Dismas.
"I do not know, she ran off somewhere after waking up." sighed Reynauld.
"Speaking of Junia, how did you know she was interested in me?" asked Reynauld.
"Jingles and I bet on the chance of you two getting together. Guess I owe him a drink now." chuckled Dismas before starting for his pack.
"Oh, and Dismas…" the knight interjected. "I've seen the way you look at Audrey." he said with a smirk.
The highwayman's cheeks turned crimson with embarrassment. "Touché." Dismas said sardonically in response.
Junia made the sign of the light as she completed her prayer for forgiveness though tears still filled her eyes, no amount of prayer could absolve the fact she broke her vows by being with Reynauld. But at the same, she wanted to be with him so badly, it was beyond mere lust, she truly loved him. And if they both somehow survived the nightmare that is the former estate, she wished to marry the crusader.
"But how?" the vestal silently asked herself.
As much as she loved Reynauld, she made a commitment to the Light and she couldn't just give it up. Consecrated life was pretty much the only life she knew, so how could she possibly be a good wife for Reynauld? Junia gave a deep sigh as she stood up from her kneeling position and proceeded to back to camp. This was not the place nor the time to think about the situation.
Reynauld was busy helping Audrey and Dismas gather up their camping supplies when he saw a shadowy figure at the end of the hall…and it seemed to be moving closer!
"Something is coming!" Reynauld shouted to his companions.
They all rushed into position, Reynauld held his longsword high, Dismas had his pistol cocked and ready to fire while Audrey aimed one of her daggers towards the doorway.
The figure grew closer and closer and the trio prepared for a fight. Reynauld readied himself to swing the sword with all his might, Dismas's finger was on the trigger and was growing itchier by the second and Audrey felt her grip loosen around her dagger as she prepared to toss it towards the enemy. Soon the figure entered the room and revealed itself to be…a certain nun clade in a brown robe and carrying a weighty mace.
The other heroes lowered their weapons. "It's just you?" Dismas asked Junia incredulously.
"Where have you been?! We thought you got jumped by the enemy!" Dismas shouted at the vestal.
Junia said nothing and just hung her head low. As she helped her friends continue packing up their supplies, she made eye contact with Reynauld. The knight, however, seem to be deliberately ignoring her, quickly turning his head away from her sight. Junia was surprised at this. "Could it be because I ran away?" the nun thought to herself. However, her thoughts were interrupted, when her comrades had finished packing and were again ready for battle.
"The light. The promise of safety."
Junia quickly joined in formation with her friends, taking her place in the rear, behind Audrey. The team proceeded down the ancient corridor, in search of more horrors or villains to vanquish.
The group of heroes entered the next room. While the room was devoid of any enemies or treasure, it was still interesting in its own right: it appeared to be the former chambers of the Heir's ancestor.
Among the splintered, decaying furniture and soot-ridden fireplace, were many occult objects and texts pertaining to arcane knowledge as well as frantic scribbles of diagrams and charts from former master's underground excavations. The four adventurers decided to explore the room a bit to gain an insight into the Ancestor's mind.
Audrey picked up an expensive looking idol and placed it in her pack, planning on selling to the nomad merchants back in town.
In the middle of the chamber sat a knightly-looking suit of armor. Reynauld touched the armor and felt a strange aura surround him, though in a good way. Reynauld felt braver after the encounter and felt a sense of protection surround him.
Meanwhile, Dismas pulled a random text from the dusty bookshelf and glanced at its pages. Though the highwayman said nothing, it was clear from the look on his face that its contents were far too disturbing for an unprepared reader.
Junia was looking for nothing in particular, when she spotted a scrying ball sitting on a nearby stack of books. The vestal knew that these sorts of objects were considered witchcraft by the Church, her curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to take a closer look. Junia took the ball off the stand and held it in her hands.
The sphere appeared to be made of amethyst quartz that shifted and changed under the torchlight. Junia gazed deeply into the ball, achieving an almost trance-like state after a few seconds. Suddenly, she started to see a vague image appear inside the ball: it was her and Reynauld, standing together in front of a house, looking like an idyllic couple. The image shocked Junia a bit, was this a prediction of a happy ending for her and Reynauld?
Eager to get more information, Junia held the magic object closer to her face, desperate for an answer. However, just as the picture started to become clearer, a large rat scurried across the vestal's feet, causing her to drop the crystal ball. The purple sphere smashed loudly on the stone floor, causing all of Junia's companions to stop what they were doing and just stare at her in awkward silence.
"Is everything alright, love?" asked Audrey.
"Yes, yes I'm fine!" Junia blurted out nervously. "U-um, shall we proceed then?" the vestal sheepishly suggested. All of the other adventurers nodded in agreement.
The heroes exited the bedchamber and continued on their way. The group was abruptly ambushed by a group of club-wielding skeletons but they were quickly vanquished by a combination of Audrey's daggers and Reynauld's sword.
The next room was yet another dungeon but this time with a stream of blood flowing into a sewage drain with piles of skulls nearby. The squad was about to leave when they heard what sounded like gruff voices, heading towards the room.
The heroes readied their weapons, expecting a fight. And it was a fight they got, as the group ran into three brigands, who were searching the ruins in search of valuables to loot.
The brigands wore green hoods that obscured their scarred faces. Their mouths, full of yellow, rotten teeth, were twisted into stern frowns. The one in the rear was the smallest of the group, though he was still as dangerous as the others, carried a blunderbuss as his weapon, ready to pelt anybody stood in his way with buckshot.
The middle thug dual-welded rusty shortswords, which he used to dispatch foes with deadly efficiency. The sinister fiend attempted to intimidate the heroes by bringing one of the shanks up to his mouth and licking up the blood of his previous victim.
Lastly was the leader of the posse. He stood about six or even seven feet tall, towering over Reynauld, in his hand was a bloody cat o' nine tails with bit of sharpened metal tied to its tails. In the brute's waistband was a flintlock pistol almost identical to Dismas's. The bloodletter let out a sinister laugh before turning back to his companions.
"Look what we have 'ere lads…" the bandit leader said to the other brigands. "Couple of dead men walking wanting to play hero!"
Reynauld gulped hard as he looked up at the huge figure looming over him. He was well aware of the reputation the Vwulf's men had in the community. It wasn't uncommon for a villager to come home from work, only to find their cottage burned to the ground, their livestock butchered, and their wife or daughter missing.
The crusader feared what the brigands might to do them. They would most likely kill him and Dismas quickly before moving on to Audrey and Junia and do horrible, unspeakable things to the women, before killing them as well. While Reynauld was unsure if Junia truly loved him, he certainly didn't want any harm to come to her at the hands of these monsters.
Just then, the brigand bloodletter, lashed his cat o' nine tails at Reynauld, cracking the air as he brought it down on the knight. Reynauld narrowly dodged the attack, earning a grunt of frustration from the thug.
"Stand still and let me kill you!" barked the large bandit.
Reynauld attempted to retaliate with his own attack, but he was abruptly stopped after getting shot by the rear gunman, along with Reynauld's teammates.
Blood started to come out of Reynauld's mouth, the shot pierced his armor and entered his flesh. It hurt like hell but he had to stay strong, for Junia.
Dismas managed to slash the brute in the front, causing bleeding, however it didn't seem to faze the bloodletter much.
"Is that all you got, little man?" the outlaw chuckled evilly.
Audrey tossed some of her poison-filled darts at the bandit that just shot at the group, landing the hit. The only response she received was a muffled "Fuck!" from the brigand as the poison began seeping into his veins.
Reynauld was still struggling with his mounting wounds when suddenly, they seem to miraculously heal, filling the hero with vigor. From the back of line, he could hear Junia say "Divine mercy be upon, friends!" while making the sign of the Light.
"Compassion is a rarity in the fevered pitch of battle."
Refreshed and full of new found energy, Reynauld managed to land a solid hit on the bloodletter, causing the brute to moan in pain.
The knife-wielding bandit tried to slash at Reynauld and Dismas but was vanquished when Audrey lunged out of nowhere and stabbed the thug through his armor, piercing his heart.
"Decimated!"
Dismas felt a sense of awe and slight fear after witnessing Audrey's powerful attack. It was remarkable how a woman who always carried herself very prim and proper (despite technically being a criminal as he was) was somehow also extremely deadly in combat. Even while splattered with some fiend's blood, her face had a radiant beauty to it. Dismas blushed slightly under his bandana as he watched Audrey pant heavily as she stood above the bandit's lifeless corpse.
"Grr! You bled on my best coat!" Audrey shouted at the now deceased thug before slinking back into the shadows.
"You'll pay for that!" the bloodletter barked, enraged at his companion's death.
The gunman fired again at the group but was unable to hit them due to the effects of the toxic concoction taking a toll on his ability to fight. The fiend began to vomit a black, ichorous fluid before collapsing on the floor, seizing and then finally dying.
"Great is the weapon that cuts on its own!"
"You killed my boys." the bloodletter huffed. "Oh well, I guess that means I have the pleasure of killing you all myself!"
The hulking thug then retrieved the pistol from his waistband and shot Reynauld square in chest. The knight immediately fell backwards, nearly colliding with Dismas before falling to the ground in a pool of his own blood.
"As life ebbs, terrible vistas of emptiness reveal themselves…"
The remaining crew members all collectively gasped. Their noble leader and close friend (and in Junia's case, forbidden lover) had been unceremoniously gunned down before them and now they were next in line to be slaughtered.
Dismas and Audrey attempted to fight back but were overwhelmed by the behemoth of a man. Nothing they threw at him seemed to work and the brute was getting closer and closer with every step.
Eventually, the huge man was right in Dismas's face. The highwayman attempted to shoot the thug in the face but before he could pull the trigger, the muscle-bound villain tossed him and Audrey aside, picking the pair up as if they were nothing and threw them both at the wall, the duo's crumpled bodies landing in a nearby stack of skulls.
Junia was now all alone with the bloodletter.
Author's note: Hello again everyone. Sorry for not releasing any new works or chapters in a while. If the ending here seem a little abrupt, I will explain the reason for why that is on Chapter 3. Big shoutout to Silvermyr on AO3, for their suggestions on how I could improve Chapter 1 of this fic, their advice was very useful.
Hopefully you all don't mine me pushing the limit as far as the maturity of the subject matter goes, Darkest Dungeon is not a "sunshine and rainbows" kind of game, it is very bleak and depressing and I feel that you sometimes have push the envelope a little in order to create a interesting story in that kind of setting.
The next chapter will have Junia fight for her life and for that of her friends against the bloodletter. Thank you all for your support. As always, comments, corrections and constructive criticisms are always welcome.