The Light touches us even down here
By ComicsFan7314
Chapter 5: Under the Siren's Spell.
Night overtook the hamlet, allowing unholy terrors to roam its deserted streets once again. Within the relative safety of the bunkhouse, Junia was fighting demons of her own. Under the sheets, the vestal was tossing and turning in her sleep.
She didn't know where she was, all she knew was that she was in some dark void and that she was alone and afraid. She looked around to see if there was a way out but there wasn't. Tears started to stream from the vestal's eyes when something suddenly appeared from out of the nothingness. Junia gazed up at the figure only to see Reynauld standing with his back turned toward her.
"Reynauld!" cried Junia as she ran towards the knight. "Oh, Reynauld! I thought I had lost you forever!" she said as happily embraced the crusader, nearly tackling him.
"Hello, my love, it is sogood to see you down here."
The vestal nearly fell to the floor as she looked at her lover's face. Oh Light…His eyes were glowing red!
"Does my appearance shock you, dear?" Reynauld asked, his voice deep and sinister. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it once you join us."
"What you mean join us?" Junia asked timidly.
Suddenly, two voices came from out of the darkness chanting "Join us, Junia" which grew louder with every breath. Stepping out of the shadows, the two voices revealed themselves to be that of Dismas and Audrey. Like Reynauld, their eyes shimmered an intense shade of crimson.
"Join us…in hell!" the corrupted trio cackled evilly as they cornered the poor vestal. "No!" she shrieked as the possessed versions of Dismas and Audrey held her down. The nefarious crusader slowly approached the restrained nun, smirking ominously as he did so. He grabbed Junia by the chin and forcibly kissed her, biting her so hard that blood started to pour from her mouth.
His lips now stained scarlet, Reynauld began cackling manically in Junia's face, spitting some of the blood back at her.
"Why are you doing this to me?!" begged Junia.
"Why?" repeated Reynauld, his voice morphing into one which the vestal did not recognize. "Because you still foolishly believe yourself to be an entity separate from the whole. I know better. And. I. Will. Show. You!"
With this, the flesh of Reynauld, Dismas and Audrey appeared to melt and shift into an amorphous, twisted form. The vestal could only watch in horror as her friends transformed into a horrifying abomination.
"Behold, The heart of the world! Progenitor of life, Father and Mother, Alpha and Omega!"
"It's too horrible! Nooo!" cried the poor nun, helpless as she met her doom.
Junia jolted awake. She was sweaty, confused and hyperventilating franticly as she sat up in her bunk. Eventually her breathing steadied, and she start to calm down. "It was just a just a dream. A very bad dream." she thought to herself. The only thing that the vestal could do now was lie back down, say a small prayer to the Light for protection, close her eyes and hope for a peaceful night's rest.
Morning came, and with it brought new challenges that would shake the vestal and crusader's budding relation to its core. After an awkward Mass where Father Lucian stared at her with suspicion from behind the altar, Junia was approached by the heir who told that she would be joining Reynauld, Audrey and Paracelsus on an expedition to the cove in order to vanquish a foul siren that is disrupting sea trade for the port. Junia had mixed emotions upon hearing this, on one hand, she hated the cove, with its winding, waterlogged tunnels, its horrific fish-men, and deadly tentacle traps, but it would also give her the opportunity to be alone with Reynauld and continue their amorous relationship without arousing more suspicion.
The team met up at the commissary and purchased all the supplies and provisions that they needed for their trek. As they were shopping, the Caretaker cryptically warned them that the siren was tricky, conniving and would try to turn them against each other. They had to be both physically and mentally resilient if they wished to defeat it.
After traveling along the Old Road for a while, the four adventurers made their way across a sandy beach and entered a nearby rocky cave. Within the cavern, the heroes were met with a large door which was carved into the cave wall. Upon their entry into the cove, the group heard what sounded like faint, melodic singing resonating through the stone hallway, its haunting aria almost hypnotizing them towards it. Eventually the sinister singing ceased, allowing the four to break out of their trance and continue through the cove.
"I always wondered what happened to the unfortunate little waif…"
Inside of a hollowed-out grotto, two pelagic groupers were receiving blessings from a pelagic shaman in preparation for a raiding party. A pelagic guardian was keeping watch as the shaman recited incantations in some eldritch language. Sensing approaching danger, the cephalopodic warrior alerted his fellow seaborn soldiers to prepare for battle.
When the heroes entered the grotto, they were immediately besieged by unblinking eyes, sharp teeth, and upward swords ready for battle. Reynauld swung his longsword at one of the groupers, landing a solid hit. Paracelsus received a small, stitched ball from her waist pack and tossed it at the grouper and shaman in the rear. When the ball hit the ground, it burst open and thousands of disease-ridden fleas swarmed the fishmen and started to bite them, leaving welting buboes on their scaley skin.
The pelagic guardian held his shield high and quickly moved to protect the wounded shaman, however, his shield was of little use against Audrey's pickaxe, as she managed to pierce his armor. The shaman muttered something into its staff and cast it towards Junia. The vestal yelped in pain as horrific images flashed before her eyes. The vestal's psychological stress was mounting, but she managed to cast a blinding light at the pelagic guardian, stunning it. With its cephalopod guardian no longer protecting it, the shaman was once again vulnerable to attack. Audrey took a dagger and tossed it at the mystical fishman, killing it.
"Decimated!"
Coming out of its daze, the enraged guardian slashed at Reynauld with his saber but failed to do any major damage. Paracelsus palmed some mysterious green powder and threw it at the guardian. Almost immediately, the oversized octopus's skin started to blister and boil, causing the foul creature to hiss in pain. The rear grouper tossed its harpoon at the vestal, but missed, only managing to dent her breastplate. The graverobber felled the poisoned fishman with another dagger, now only two fishmen remained.
The surviving grouper tried to slash at Audrey, only to be met with a face full of Reynauld's longsword, bringing an end to its miserable existence. The pelagic guardian now stood alone. This was not meant to last however, and the guardian met its fate at the end of Audrey's pickaxe.
"These nightmarish creatures can be felled! They can be beaten!"
After defeating the fishmen, the four adventurers continued on their journey. In one of the hallways, they came across a locked chest covered in razor-sharp barnacles. Using a shovel to pry open the box, the team claimed the booty that lie within.
Even before they entered the next room, the heroes were besieged by the overwhelming stench of rotting flesh. Steeling themselves, they quickly shuffled through the doorway. Inside, was the bloated corpse of a large sperm whale, it was speared to death by dozens of harpoons. Sections of meat were cut from the body, suggesting that the beast was killed by the fishmen for food. Just then, the four found themselves cornered by four groupers coming back to complete their meal. The heroes quickly dispatched the fiends and hurriedly exited the pungent room, leaving the whale carcass and its smell behind.
As they cleared room by room of pelagic monstrosities, the group grew tired and decided to call it a night and rest before continuing in the morning. The next room they entered appeared to be yet another grotto within the expansive cave complex. The walls of the grotto were covered in intricate seashell mosaics that depicted some sort of tentacle god and the origin of the fishmen. More importantly to the heroes, it was free of enemies, allowing them to rest peacefully there for the night.
After gathering some driftwood for the campfire, the adventurers settled in for the night. As they ate dinner, Junia said a blessing to protect the heroes from any nighttime attacks as they sleep. Audrey decided to scout the area ahead for enemies, while Paracelsus gave a long-winded lecture about the medical benefits of bloodsucking leeches and their ability to cleanse one's body of illness.
With Audrey away from the group and Paracelsus distracted, Junia decided to scooch closer to her knightly boyfriend. Reynauld was starting to doze off listening to the doctor's extremely boring monologue. He awoke to the sensation of Junia cuddling up next to him for warmth. The crusader quickly threw his blanket over the nun as she rested her head on his shoulder with a content smile. Reynauld gave a smile of his own back. Paracelsus seemed to take notice of this possibly romantic gesture and paused her ramblings. When the couple noticed this and looked at her, the beaked scientist averted her gaze to the stone floor.
"Um, I think I am going to go to bed now…" the plague doctor mumbled as she scrambled towards her sleeping mat.
The crusader gave his lover an inquisitive look, but she was only able to respond with a shrug. The couple ultimately decided to not think much of the doctor's odd behavior, she was already fairly strange after all.
Audrey returned from her survey and immediately flopped onto her bedding; the day's excursions having taken their toll on the graverobber's stamina.
With their friends fast asleep, the couple decided that they too should rest too. "Goodnight my love." Reynauld said sweetly as he kissed Junia on the lips. "I hope that you sleep well."
"Likewise, my knight!" replied the vestal. "I'll be dreaming of you!" Reynauld then got up and extinguished the campfire, plunging the room into darkness.
Despite Reynauld's best wishes and her best efforts, Junia did not have a good night's rest. Her mind kept returning to the nightmare she had the other night. She couldn't shake the image of her friends transforming into an unholy and otherworldly monstrosity out of her head. Getting up from her sleeping bag, she looked around at her companions who were all sound asleep. After taking a swing of water from her canteen, Junia noticed a set of stairs that seemed to lead to an unknown location. The vestal's curiosity got the best of her, so without waking the others, she lit a torch and started on a journey to see where the steps led.
It did not take long to find out where the stairs went, within the grotto was a large hot spring full of crystal-clear water. It would be nice to take a soak in the water and just let the stress of the day melt away, but Junia had to be careful, Paracelsus had warned her that these types of springs can be dangerous, hot enough to melt one's flesh off and could harbor many nasty diseases. Using a stick and some dried meat from her pack, she tested the water by piercing the meat with the stick and submerging it in the pool.
After a few minutes underwater, the meat seemed to remain intact. The vestal took this as a sign that the water was safe to enter. After taking a bottle of antivenom from her pack and pouring it in the pool to kill any diseases that may be lurking in the spring, she began to take off her clothes. First, she removed her breastplate, then her habit and finally her undergarments and that accursed torture device known as her chastity belt.
Junia sighed with contentment as she sat in the hot spring. The water was warm and relaxing, perfect for unwinding after a long day plus she had not had a bath in a while, so it was also good to wash off all the sweat and dirt she had accumulated during the group's journey. The vestal let out another sigh of pleasure as she sunk her head below the water line.
Reynauld was lying awake on his sleeping pad, he had hardly slept a wink. His mind raced with worry. Behind the knight's stoic façade, he was secretly scared for the future of his and Junia's relationship. This new bishop could prove to be a bigger threat than the crusader first thought, he did not take mortal sins, especially sexual ones lightly, so if he ever found out about their affair, they risked excommunication or even death, which is all the more reason why they had to keep it a secret. Dismas and Audrey already knew. While he knew Dismas would never tell, he wasn't sure of Audrey. He thought back to the way Paracelsus looked at Junia and him during dinner, did she suspect something was going on? If so, then he needs to do everything in his power to make her think otherwise. There were already enough prying eyes as it was.
The knight was startled by the sound of splashing. Fearing that it could have an enemy, he quickly got on his feet and retrieved his sword. As he stood peering into the shadowy blackness, ready for whatever may come, he heard it again, yet nothing seemed to approach. After realizing that it wasn't an adversary, the crusader decided to find the source of the noise.
After only a few seconds of searching, he found it: the love of his life, the woman of his dreams, Junia, nude and bathing herself in a hot spring.
He stood there motionless, silently watching the vestal, taking in every inch of her body. Though most would likely consider the meek nun to be quite plain and unremarkable in terms of physical beauty, to Reynauld, she was a goddess, her brunette curls cascaded down the back of her head. Her freckled skin complemented her very well. Her breasts, while not the largest he had seen, were supple and attractive in their own right.
As he watched, the knight started to become "excited" at the sight of the woman. He knew that what he was doing is a sin and a gross violation of both their vows, but he didn't care, all that matter right now was Junia.
Reynauld slowly approached the pool, still entranced by the sight of the vestal. Sensing someone or something coming towards her, Junia gasped in surprise and instinctively covered herself with her hands. However, after realizing that it was the crusader, her shock turned to flirtation.
"Enjoying the show?" Junia asked seductively.
Completely dumbfounded, Reynauld's only response was a weak nod.
"Hmm, naughty boy~" the vestal said with a sexy giggle. "Care to join me?"
"Well, seeing as you warmed it up for me…" the crusader flirted back. "Sure."
The knight then proceeded to remove his clothes. First was his helmet, then his steel gauntlets after that, the rest of his armor. As he continued to undress, the vestal couldn't help but suppress a gasp, Reynauld was "big". Visually, she reckoned he was seven inches soft, but he was already semi-erect, so he was probably even bigger than that!
Junia bit her lip and started to hyperventilate. She needed him. Sod the Light and all it stood for! It didn't nothing for her but cause misery and suffering in her life anyway. She had a new devotion, and his name was Reynauld.
Once the knight entered the spring, he was immediately engulfed by Junia, who peppered his face with an onslaught of kisses. Reynauld responded to this by wrapping his arms around the vestal and gave her a smooch of his own. Their tongues swirled in each other's mouth, Junia's lips tasted like the sweetest honey. The couple's passionate show of love intensified; their kisses became sloppier, more frantic. Eventually Reynauld's rough, firm hands found themselves on Junia's soft breasts.
The vestal squealed with delight as the knight kissed each of her tender nipples. "You have no idea what you do to me…" Reynauld gravelly growled in her ear.
"Oh yes Reynauld! Please! More!" Junia moaned in pure bliss.
Reynauld gave her another messy lips before placing his hands on her shoulders. "Are you ready, dear?"
Junia grew nervous, not knowing what he meant. "R-ready for what?" she asked.
"To consummate our love, of course!" replied the knight.
Suddenly the gravity of the couple's actions struck Junia. She had taken things too far, and now, there was no going back. Reynauld shot Junia a disarming smile and went for another kiss.
"Oh Light!" Junia panicked in her mind as the crusader pressed his lips against hers.
Unbeknownst to the two lovers there was someone secretly watching their amorous activities: Paracelsus. She had secretly stayed awake, watching to see if Junia and Reynauld would participate in amorous activity during the night. Her mind ran wild with speculations after she saw what looked like the vestal cuddling up to the crusader earlier. Were they really a couple?
She had witnessed Reynauld get up and wander toward some unknown location, so she decided to follow him, careful not to arouse the knight's suspicion.
The doctor hid behind a large stalagmite as she viewed the couple kiss and grope each other, proving her suspicions correct. Her cheeks burned with excitement behind her plague mask; it was like watching the events of a romantic novel right in front of her! Paracelsus sat with bated breath as she anticipated Junia's response to the crusader's question.
"Well, my sweet, what do you say?" asked Reynauld, in reference to his previous question.
Junia began to cry as she processed the knight's question, her salty tears intermixing with the brackish spring water.
"I-I can't Reynauld. Junia sobbed. "I love you b-but I can't just give up vows!"
"Shh…" the Crusader said in a calming low tone. "It's okay Junia."
"I understand, it is a big decision. You need time to think about it. I shouldn't have rush you into it. For that, I am truly sorry."
"Thank you Reynauld. I appreciate your willingness to respect my decision." said the vestal.
"Oh, come on!" a nasally voice shouted from the corner of the room.
The two lovers exited the spring and hurriedly put their clothes back on before going to find the source of the voice. They found nothing out of the ordinary at first but upon further inspection, they saw a birdlike mask poking out from behind a boulder.
"Paracelsus! What is the meaning of this!" Reynauld roared at the now cowering plague doctor.
"Um…" the doctor stammered.
"Were you spying on us?!" Junia suggested, growing angry.
"Okay!" Paracelsus shouted. "I admit it! I was watching you two! I saw how you both were cuddling by the fire earlier so when I saw that you and Reynauld were missing from camp, I decided to investigate!"
"What exactly did you see?" Reynauld asked through gritted teeth.
"Everything I'm afraid." Paracelsus shamefully confessed. "But I won't judge you two or tell anybody else, you have my word!"
"Look Reynauld, honey…" Junia cooed sweetly. "I think we can trust her; we at least owe her an explanation."
"Hmph, alright, but if you rat us out, I'll make regret that you ever set foot in the hamlet, you got that?!" Reynauld barked, angrily pointing at the doctor. Paracelsus nodded fervently in response.
"Reynauld and I are…in a romantic relationship." said Junia, blushing at the knight as she did.
Paracelsus responded with an obnoxious snort. "As if it weren't obvious to everyone! Even a blind man could see you two were into each other."
"Does anyone else know?" inquired Reynauld, suddenly intrigued by what the doctor said.
"Not to my knowledge, no. The others and I joke about you two getting together but even if I told them, I don't think they would believe me."
"And you better not tell them! Because if you do, it's both our lives on the line!" Reynauld said, raising his voice. "You may doubt the Light, but surely you know that intimate relationships are forbidden to vestals like Junia."
"Of course." replied Paracelsus rolling her eyes, as if the crusader had just told her water is wet.
"Then you should also know that there is a new bishop in town, Cuthbert, and he has a history with Junia."
"Go on." stated the plague doctor.
"He is the reason I am here in the in hamlet and if he finds out, he will not be merciful in his punishment. I will not go into further into detail but please, Paracelsus, if you value our friendship, do not tell a living soul about this encounter." pleaded Junia.
"As if I would snitch on you to some fundamentalist blowhard! Don't worry Junia, I won't say a word about this!" Paracelsus said proudly.
"Thank you, Paracelsus. I'm glad I can trust you." replied the vestal.
There was an awkward silence between the trio before it was broken by Paracelsus clearing her throat. "Uh, I suppose we should head back to camp now." She stated nervously.
The vestal and crusader nodded in agreement and began to follow the doctor back to camp, Junia made sure to stay close to Reynauld as they did. Suddenly, the group stopped dead in their tracks, the same entrancing melody they heard before started again, ensnaring them in its sinister sound, it's unnerving harmony ringing off the cavern walls, drawing them closer to its source. The singing abruptly stopped again, freeing the heroes from their stupor. When they came to, they had no recollection of what happen and continued on their way back to camp.
Once the trio arrived back at camp, Paracelsus quickly fell asleep, now that she knew that Reynauld and Junia were an item, there was nothing keeping her awake.
Junia decided to forego her own sleeping bag, preferring to share with Reynauld, not that the knight seemed to mind, in fact, he liked it very much. Snuggling close to each other, the vestal laid her head on the crusader's chest as he delicately stroked her silky, auburn hair and before long, they were both fast asleep.
"The way is lit. the path is clear. We require only the strength to follow it."
Pale sunlight leaked through openings of the grotto's ceiling, rousing the heroes from their slumber. Reynauld awoke to Junia's arms wrapped tightly around his neck, napping happily. After making sure the other two were will still asleep, he gave the vestal a light peck on top of her forehead. "It's time to get up, my sweet." The Crusader gently whispered in her ear.
"Mmm, already?" Junia moaned in disappointment. "I was just getting comfortable!"
"I know dear, I wish we could stay together like this a bit longer, but we have a job to complete." Reynauld stated.
After a quick breakfast, the four adventurers set out to finish their quest and vanquish the mysterious foul creature known as the siren. Room by room, the heroes went to work, clearing the cove of pelagic horrors and bloodthirsty brigands, yet there was no sign of the siren! But after they entered an unassuming stone door, one they assume would just lead to an empty room, there she was: she stood about eight or nine feet tall, her hair was gray, stringy and barnacle encrusted. What was once a shy, comely waif was now a hideous, beastly sea hag with razor-sharp teeth and unblinking fish eyes.
"The aquatic devils have remade the poor girl in their image! She is their queen, and their slave!"
In her hands turned fins, the siren tightly gripped a pink conch shell. Upon seeing the heroes enter her lair, she had the conch a hard blow, the bellowing sound nearly deafened the explorers. As if by magic, a pelagic guardian rushed to protect its queen, shielding it with its life.
Audrey immediately tossed poison darts at both the guardian and the siren. While most of the darts were blocked by the guardian's shield, some of them managed to pierce the siren's scaly skin, causing her to shriek in agony.
Paracelsus threw a plague grenade at the sea hag, but the makeshift sack missed and fell to ground.
Just as Reynauld charged at the siren, sword in hand, ready to strike, he stopped dead in his tracks when he was confronted by the sight of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life! Oh Light, she was gorgeous! She had long, flowing golden locks that hung down to her shoulders, her lips were pink and plump, and she was fully nude save for some ornate jewelry around her wrists, waist, and neck.
She beckoned him towards her, motioning with her finger. "Come to me, my brave knight!" the woman said to Reynauld without moving her lips as if she were communicating with him telepathically. "Join me and stop the foul witches attacking your queen and I will show you pleasures beyond your wildest dreams!"
Reynauld completely and utterly entranced by the woman. "Yes, my love, my goddess, my queen!" he muttered, crossing over to the siren's side as he did.
"What's wrong with him?!" Junia frantically asked Paracelsus.
"I don't know!" the doctor exclaimed in panic.
Audrey attempted to toss a dagger at the siren, but it was immediately blocked by Reynauld, pinging harmlessly off his armor. "DO NOT HARM MY QUEEN!" the crusader shouted at the top of his lungs before rushing full force at Audrey and Paracelsus, slashing his longsword wildly as he did.
The two women were quickly overpowered by the larger man running towards them and were immediately tackled to the ground where they lay unconscious.
Junia gasped in pure horror, this was so unlike Reynauld, the kind, caring man she had grown to love.
Panting heavily, and still enraged, the crusader turned his attention to the vestal. "GET AWAY FROM MY GODDESS!" the knight screeched before pressing the vestal to the cave wall and wrapping his large hands around her fragile neck.
"Reynauld…please…you're hurting me…" Junia managed to choke out in between gasps.
"Die witch! You will not hurt my queen!"
Using her remaining strength, Junia managed to reach down and grabbed her mace and struck Reynauld across the face with it, knocking him out.
The crusader fell to the cave floor as Junia fought for oxygen. Once her breathing steadied, she ran to check Audrey's and Paracelsus's condition. They were breathing but they both had superficial swords wounds on their bodies. She cast a minor healing spell on them before shifting her attention back to Reynauld.
Junia frowned as she gazed at her lover. She didn't want to hit Reynauld, but it was the only thing she could do to keep him from possibly killing her. She bent down and caressed the crusader's face with her finger. Reynauld would never harm a hair on her head, what would make him lash out at her and the others like this? Junia's sadness quickly turned to anger as she realized what had happened.
It was so obvious. All that weird stuff he was shouting about witches and his queen. Clearly the siren had somehow enthralled the crusader and brainwashed him into doing her bidding! Junia thought back to what the caretaker had said to them earlier. The group never paid much attention to the Caretaker's insane ramblings but this time he was right.
Junia was absolutely livid. How dare this bitch manipulate Reynauld, the love her life, into harming her? Taking up her mace and holy book, the vestal set to vanquish the wicked she-beast.
The siren was back in her lair, nursing her wounds after the battle with the adventurers. Those pathetic weaklings were never stood a chance, Every time these so-called heroes would try to kill her, they would be the ones meeting an untimely end! The men were especially easy to manipulate, she would just have to work her feminine charms, and they would be like putty in her hands. Speaking of which, where was the most recent thrall? Usually, the spell would wear off after a while and she would finish them off, but he had not returned to her.
The siren heard the sound of footsteps and turned around, expecting the return of her slave, only to be greeted by a very pissed off vestal.
The siren snarled at Junia. How was she still alive?! Her thrall should have snapped that bitch's neck like a twig, why was she still breathing?!
The vestal had a look of determination on her face. "I have come to vanish you foul villain, if it is the last thing I do!"
The siren immediately leapt off the rock and began to strike the vestal with a barrage of attacks both physical and psychological. Though bloody and bruised, Junia valiantly kept fighting against the waif turned monster. However, the sea hag was able to land a hit on the vestal with a powerful stress attack. The spell caused Junia to relive every traumatic moment in her life from her uncaring, unloving parents, the abuse she suffered at the hands of the nuns of St. Martha's, the stigmatization she experienced after her nightly activities that led to her exile in the hamlet and finally the crazed attempt on her life by Reynauld.
Junia was passed the breaking point, there were only two paths to take now, either madness or heroism. The siren smirked devilishly as the vestal clutched her head in pain, soon her adversary would be reduced to a babbling drooling mess and could be felled in one quick swoop if she didn't rip her own throat out from the madness.
Junia's resolve is tested… Powerful!
"Anger is Power – Unleash it!"
The vestal glared at the siren, who stood shocked that she didn't descend into insanity like she expected. Instead Junia held her mace high up in the air, opened her holy book a specific page and spoke clearly and forcefully:
"For crime of hypnotizing Reynauld and hurting my friends, in the name of the Holy Light, I banish thee to the deep, darkest pit of hell, where the salvation of the Light shall never reach you!"
Immediately after Junia finished, a large bolt of lightning rocketed across the grotto with a thunderous boom that knocked the vestal to the ground. The lighting struck the siren, vaporizing her immediately, as it hit her, the only noise the siren was able to muster was a pitiful sob.
Junia wobbled a bit as she stood up, her ears still ringing from the blast. Once her vision cleared, there was no sign of the dreadful siren, not even burnt cinders like with the cultist witch, she was just…gone. The vestal's confusion turned to elation, and she again fell to her knees and cried tears of joy. She had won.
Reynauld clenched his head in pain. "Ow, my head! What the hell happened?" he groaned to himself. Looking up, he saw Junia tending to Paracelsus and Audrey who were similarly lying on the ground.
"Reynauld, you're awake!" Junia exclaimed, running over towards him.
"Yeah, and I feel terrible." Reynauld replied, standing up and rubbing his aching noggin. "What happened? All I remember is that I dreamt of the most beautiful woman."
"It was that bloody sea witch." Junia snarled, jealousy evident in her voice. "She hypnotized you into attacking us."
"Oh Light!" whispered Reynauld, shocked. "Is that why Audrey and Paracelsus are unconscious?"
Yes, but that is not all, Reynauld." Junia said sadly, her eyes starting to water. "After you knocked them to the ground, you began…choking me. I had to knock you out to make you stop. You nearly killed me."
Reynauld grabbed Junia by the shoulders and hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry, my love." the crusader said, hot tears of anguish running down his cheeks. Junia was in shock. Reynauld was usually so stoic and unflappable, to see him break down like this was hard to imagine. "You know I could never do that of my own volition, right dear?
"I know." Junia replied softly. "Don't worry Reynauld. I won't hold it against you. You had no control over your actions."
"Thank you for understanding, dear." the crusader said, giving the vestal a quick peck on the cheek.
The pair were interrupted when Paracelsus and Audrey both stood up, neither of whom looked very pleased.
"You!" Audrey shouted, pointing an accusatory finger towards the knight. "You fucking asshole! Why did you attack us?!"
"Audrey, I can explain!" Junia exclaimed.
"Oh? How can you explain this traitor's actions?" Audrey inquired.
"Reynauld was not in his right mind, the siren had brainwashed him into thinking we were the enemy."
"What could you possibly mean?" the grave robber questioned.
"Do you remember what the caretaker said before we left the commissary?" asked Junia.
"The caretaker? That deranged lunatic?" snorted Paracelsus.
"Don't interrupt." Junia rebuked the plague doctor. "He mentioned that the siren would try to manipulate us and turn us against each other, and he was completely right, at least this time."
"What became of the siren?" inquired Paracelsus.
"She is no longer a problem." Junia grimly remarked, sparing her friends the details of her victory over the hideous she-beast.
"Well then, seeing as our main task is complete, lets head back to the hamlet." Paracelsus said, placing her belongings in her sack.
"But what about my face!" cried Audrey, pointing to the frenzied slashes on her face. "This will take forever to heal, and I can't cover it with makeup!"
"Stop complaining." said Junia, holding the bridge of her nose tightly with fingers in an annoyed manner. "I already cast a healing spell on you both and your wounds are superficial at best. They will fully heal in a few hours."
"Oh." Audrey managed to squeak out as her face turned red with embarrassment.
As the adventurers made their trek back to the hamlet, Reynauld took Junia aside, making sure the others couldn't see or hear them.
"Junia, there is something I want to talk you about." the crusader said solemnly.
"What is it, Reynauld?" she replied with curiosity.
"I just wanted to thank you again for forgiving me after what happened, again I am so sorry for what I did.
"It's alright, Reynauld, I forgive you, but you shouldn't beat yourself about it."
Reynauld sighed heavily. "There is something else I need to tell you dear, there are little snippets that I can recall, I saw what I thought was the most beautiful woman and that I was defending her from a group of evil witches trying to kill her. I didn't realize at the time that it was just the siren using me to fight in her stead. I also remember the things I was saying, though I had no control over them. I just want you to know that you are my queen, not that siren, you, Junia.
Junia wanted to cry. That had to have been the kindest thing anyone has ever said to her! The fact that she meant that much to Reynauld made her heart soar.
"T-Thank you, Reynauld, you have no idea what that means to me." Junia said with her cheeks flushed red and eyes beginning to water.
The vestal then took the crusader into her arms and tightly hugged him. They stood there, holding each other close in their embrace before quickly breaking it, not wanting to lose their companions behind.
Cuthbert huffed as he climbed up the rock crag, sweat dripping down his bald head. He used to have servants to do this sort of thing for him, why did he have to do this? After a bit more hiking, the bishop arrived at his destination: a brigand camp deep inside the weald.
The tents were pitched haphazardly. Deer carcasses gutted and ready for cooking, shared space among the trees with the bodies of those who upset the bandits in some way. Vicious attack dogs snarled and barked from cramped cages, causing the bishop to jump a bit. In the center of the encampment, a circle of grizzled thugs sat around a roaring fire, some guzzling beer while others devoured large hunks of meat.
When the brigands noticed Cuthbert approach the campfire, they quickly sprung to their feet and pointed their pistols and raised their blades at the priest.
"Wot da hell do you want, old man?" one brigand crudely asked.
"I wish to speak with your commander." Cuthbert replied flatly, unfazed by the weapons aimed at him.
"Whys you want to talk to da boss?" another outlaw inquired, putting his dagger to the fat bishop's throat.
"I got an idea, lads." a third sinisterly said, placing the barrel of his flintlock to the priest's temple. "Gives us everything you got, and we won't kill ya."
Cuthbert chose to stay silent and did not give in to the brigand's demands.
"No?" said the thug, his finger growing itchy on the trigger. "Your choice."
Before the brigands could murder the bishop, they were interrupted by a towering, bearded figure.
"Boys!" the giant man shouted. "What are you doing to our most esteemed guest?" The bandits immediately put down their weapons and timidly faced their commander.
"Boss, we was just…" one of the brigands tried to explain.
"SILENCE!" the Vvulf barked. "I have important business with this man, and he is to go unmolested during his time here at camp, is that clear?!"
"Yes boss." the brigands replied simultaneously.
Cuthbert and the Vvulf entered the brigand commander's tent. In contrasted to the grubby surroundings of the camp, the Vvulf's quarters was neat and well-decorated. A banner with the Vvulf's logo hung from one side of the tent while a table with a detailed map of the surrounding area sat in the center. The bed was tidy and made. The two men sat down on nearby pillows.
"My apologies for my men's behavior, they tend to be "suspicious" of others to say the least." the Vvulf explained.
"It's alright. Now, to the business at hand." Cuthbert said, changing the subject.
"Ah right, you said you had a problem that would require my…less than gentle touch." the Vvulf chuckled evilly.
"Yes, my problem happens to be these two." Cuthbert grumbled as he pulled out drawings of Junia and Reynauld from his rucksack.
"I have it on good authority that these two are having an illicit affair that goes against my faith's principles."
"And you want them killed just for that?" questioned the Vvulf.
"No. This one used to live a convent under my jurisdiction and has been a thorn in my side for a while now. I sent her to the hamlet as punishment for her transgressions only to find out she has continued her sinful lifestyle." Cuthbert said, pointing to the sketch of the vestal. "As for the other, I don't know much about him, but she has chosen him as her lover and for that, he has to go."
"Wait I know these two…" the Vvulf interrupted. "I sent an exploration team out to the ruins a while back, only to hear back from my men that the whole group was slaughtered and that these pieces of shit did it!" he snarled ferociously, spittle landing on the unamused bishop's face.
"Your reward will be all the gold in the abbey's coffers, indulgences for any sins against the church you or your men may have committed as well as any valuable you find in the hamlet. I do not care what you to that filthy little town, it is full of sinners anyway. Just don't touch the abbey as I will be there making sure the job is done.
"Don't worry, bishop. I'll get rid of these nuisances for you." the Vvulf said, a devious smirk growing on his face. "It'll be my pleasure."
Author's note: Hello everyone. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I am so sorry it took forever. I have been very busy with school as well as experiencing some writer's block. This chapter was a little more saucy than the others, but I intend for Junia and Reynauld to take the final step in their relationship in the next chapter, though there will likely be another gap in updates as I want to focus on creating some other works. ;) As always comments, suggestions, constructive criticism and pointing out typos is welcome.