CH 174: The Troubles of the Blacksmith
Claire did her best not to think about what her mothers were doing now that they were alone. She really tried. It kept creeping back into her mind. She almost stopped along the shortcut to relieve some of that tension, but held off.
She desperately needed her lovers.
By the time she reached the Bree Tavern, she was on the edge of losing control. Her mind was focused on finding the twins or Ursa to help with her issue. She grabbed the door when her name was called.
“Oh, Claire,” Daphne’s voice called out to her. “I’ve been meaning to speak to you.”
Claire glanced down at her skirt, checking to see if her bulge was showing. She turned and greeted Jasmine’s younger sister.
“Hey Daphne. I kind of need to talk with my party first.”
“Mmm, I think this won’t take long,” Daphne said, rubbing her chin. “Wanted to ask you about Jessie and Lyn.”
Claire’s hand slipped from the door’s handle. Hearing those names threw her off. Daphne wanted to know what her Goddess did to the Carpenters.
Daphne exhaled through her nose.
“So you are connected to their behavior,” Daphne muttered. She stepped forward, scanning the street as if expecting an ambush. “Jaz wouldn’t answer my questions.”
Before Claire could react, Daphne pushed the door shut again and pinned Claire against the wall by her collar. Claire froze as she stared into Daphne’s grey eyes. She was afraid that one wrong movement would alert Daphne to her erection.
Claire gulped, ready to resist the temptation. She needed to get out of here fast. “L-look, I need to get to my par-”
“Not yet,” Daphne said in a cold tone. She took a moment to study Claire’s face before she continued. “Lyn came to me the day after you left. Ordered an absurd amount of nails and decorative metalwork. Made me drop everything to work on it. She said it was urgent.”
Claire glanced downwards, making sure she wasn’t showing yet. Daphne and Jasmine looked far too similar. Their height and body types were the main differences. Claire could feel her heart racing in her chest as the blacksmith pressed closer.
“She seemed delirious. Like nothing I had ever seen,” She continued. Her words caught Claire’s attention. “Like she was high on some drug. They all seemed that way when they constructed that building. What the fuck did you do to them?”
Claire gulped one last time. She found the words stuck in her throat. “Look, I didn’t do anything.”
“Bullshit.”
“Seriously, I didn’t know She would do something like this,” Claire said. She held up a hand before Daphne could interrupt again. “She is a Goddess. One I am sworn to. It’s a long story, one with many complications. I’m only telling you this because you are Jaz’s sister.”
Daphne blinked. She studied Claire’s face for any signs of lying. “So your Goddess did this?”
Claire nodded. “The statue at the church and the featureless woman above the door. That’s her.”
Daphne glanced behind her, a small smile forming on her face. “That unfinished thing? You’re saying that’s a Goddess?”
Claire nodded. She looked out into the darkness, to where Daphne was looking, but found nothing. “Yes! I didn’t know She would do this! She’s… new.”
“So you weren’t lying,” Daphne called out into the night, confusing Claire.
“Told you I wasn’t,” Jasmine’s voice replied. “But you insisted on not believing me.”
“Well, when you said Claire was connected to the first Goddess born in generations,” she yelled back before glancing at Claire. She looked Claire in the eye for a moment before releasing her collar. “Kind of hard to believe it.”
“I get it,” Claire muttered. “I had a hard time coming to terms with it, too.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Daphne said as she moved away from Claire. “Still doesn’t explain why they were acting so weird.”
“Divine intervention?” Jasmine asked as she appeared within the light.
“Don’t think so,” Daphne said, turning to her sister. “Maybe Divine Inspiration? Lyn would not stop raving about her ideas for the church. It didn’t seem like they were forced to do so.”
Claire felt her shoulders untense. She thought her Goddess forced them into building that church. It was nice to know that might not be the case.
“And that’s why I told you not to worry about it,” Jasmine sighed.
“Of course I’m going to worry about it,” Daphne replied. “Lyn’s my fucking girlfriend.”
That was news to Claire. They must have been keeping it a secret. “Wait, really? Since when?”
Daphne let out a sigh and leaned against the railing. “Sixish months. We… wanted to keep it a secret in case it fizzled out.”
Jasmine stood beside her sister. She exchanged a look with Claire that she’d known.
Claire took a deep breath. She had thoughts about recruiting Jasmine’s younger sister despite the assassin’s protests, but this complicated things. With Toni, his crush was one-sided. But with Daphne, it was an actual relationship.
“Oh, good for you two,” Claire whispered.
Daphne smirked. “I’d say the same for you two… but it’s obvious you two aren’t exclusive.”
“I mean, technically we are,” Jasmine clarified.
Daphne turned to her sister. “Exclusive? With Claire? The woman who has like 4 other lovers?”
“Um, it’s…,” Claire scratched her cheek. “They aren’t just mine.”
Daphne gave Claire a bewildered look. Then she looked at her sister. “Wait. So you share lovers? Are you all like-”
Jasmine rolled her eyes. “Yes. We’re all lovers. Even that northerner.”
Daphne’s mouth hung open for a solid minute, then she shook her head. “Whatever. Not like it matters to me.”
Jasmine closed her eyes, trying hard to resist the urge. She really did try her best. “Wait, Daph. There’s more.”
Claire blinked. She studied the assassin closely and mouthed a word to her. Now?
Jasmine nodded. “W-we need her skills.”
Claire took a deep breath. Daphne’s eyes darted between Claire and Jasmine, wondering what they meant.
“Jaz, you literally get stuff at a discount,” Daphne said in confusion. “Claire, too, but at a lower discount.”
“That’s not what I mean,” Jasmine said. She took a deep breath and glanced inside the window. No one was close, and she couldn’t hear anyone approaching. “I mean joining us…”
“Your party?” Daphne asked, shaking her head. “I-I doubt Lyn would like for me to join, given wha-”
“Lyn would absolutely hate what I’m suggesting.” Jasmine cut her off. She looked at Claire, begging her to help.
Claire rubbed the back of her neck. She was trying to rationalize what she was about to suggest. “My Goddess… She wants me to spread her influence, right?”
“Sure, but what does tha-”
“Just let her finish,” Jasmine cut in again. Daphne glared at her sister before rolling her eyes.
“And to do so, I need to recruit others. Like Jasmine and the twins…” Claire continued. She could see the recognition begin to form on Daphne’s face. “As my lovers. But that’s not all. You-”
“Hell no,” Daphne growled. She stared in disbelief at the two of them. “I ain’t cheating on Lyn.”
“That is fair,” Claire said with a sigh. She looked to Jasmine for help, finding none. “It can be done without you becoming my actual lover.”
“I don’t want to be your metaphorical lover either.” Daphne spat back.
Claire nodded. She rubbed her neck harder, trying to think of a way to get out of this. Seeing no way out, she just decided to start explaining. “My Goddess is the Goddess of Virility.”
That caught the blacksmith off guard. The venom in her expression turned to confusion. Claire could tell she was trying to think through the meaning of that word, much like her mothers.
“She’s an entirely nameless Goddess,” Jasmine added. To which Claire nodded.
“Like you said before. The first one in a very long time,” Claire continued. She closed her eyes as she explained the worst part. “She gave me a gift to spread, one that pairs with her main virtue. I-If you joined me. You’d not only receive the blessing and power of a Goddess’s champion, but…”
She couldn’t finish the sentence. The words were caught in her throat. Jasmine cursed under her breath.
“You’d grow a cock,” Jasmine said bluntly. “Like a man’s cock.”
Daphne’s knees buckled as she nearly fell to the ground. Jasmine was quick to catch her sister and cover her mouth. It was a good thing she did as Daphne screamed into Jasmine’s hand.