Chapter 178: Religious Nervousness

A nervous energy filled Ann as she loped towards the temple. This was her part of the plan. Her way to help them all get out of here and continue on their mission. Well, really it was mostly helping Kat get out, but they didn’t go anywhere without her. Ugh, just the thought of having to find someone else, leave her girlfriend behind, only see her a couple times a year? That wasn’t something she was going to have. Thankfully, Kat agreed.

No one had any idea what had happened last night. Ann had woken back up with her hair grown out far beyond what she kept it at. Not only that, but her fur was extended to ridiculous proportions, her claws were out, and her canines were longer. Her eyes had stayed the same, thank the Gods. She'd gone over everything, including Orenous' suggestion, but when she talked about her soul getting moved, even Bren came up with nothing. Something would have to be insanely powerful to impact her soul, but if the source was hidden, it would likely remain so until it was ready to show itself. For now, the plan would remain as established, and they had a busy few days ahead of them.

The lone wolf is vulnerable. Do not split up the pack. Do not lose our mate, Waheela rumbled in her mind. For once, she agreed with the cantankerous spirit. Their pack, their party, needed to be together. If the Gods were actively getting involved with their mission, then they had plans for not just herself, but all of them. Splitting up now would be a step back. They couldn’t have that happen voluntarily.

As she ran, she heard the guards trying to keep up with her. Ann figured she’d be outpaced by the possibly higher levelled militants, but her natural speed seemed to be outstripping them. Might have to do with all that clunky armour. Even with that racket, she still picked up light footsteps on the roofs as well. Those kept up. She never got a look at who was tracking her. Maybe it was an Inquisitor? Seemed like the type from Kremdol’s description. How she wished the streets were open enough to use Burst of Speed and really test these people, but unfortunately some of the city’s life had returned.

The city still moved slowly. A beast that had gone to burrow, cautiously peeking out for predators. Runners and merchants were back in force. Couldn’t really sell anything if you didn’t open up shop, and bills were still due. Their cries, however, were quieter. Like their heart wasn’t really in it. What few others were out and about moved quickly and with purpose. The constant clanking patrols of guards didn’t help the atmosphere at all. Ann had passed six since she’d left the palace. No more idle watchers at corners, chatting with the passersby. Everyone was on alert, wary of anything that looked strange.

Strange, but apparently not a purple wolf woman darting through the streets. Ann had changed her fur before leaving. She’d debated doing it at the Temple, but it gave them an opportunity to test the portal that would burn her shedding. Turns out it had worked perfectly. The only downside was that the smell was not a one-way street. She’d take having to smell burning hair over leaving piles of the stuff randomly strewn about.

Right now, Bren would be handling the message to Wendyl, delivering their gear. His next step would be reaching out to his “contacts”, whatever that meant. He’d talked like that before, when they’d gotten the tip about the Snail at Graven Keep. Ann still wondered how a man who spent so much time in the library or research halls had such an extensive network. Maybe he wasn’t always there. Spying on the man would have to wait, though, even if it was just for her own curiosity.

Dancing nimbly around another patrol, she made it to the Temples without incident. Slowing her pace, she let the guards catch up, giving them a little respect. They were just following orders. Sure, their orders were shit, but not illegal. With her hands clasped behind her back, she strutted over the grassy fields of Eas’ temple over to Orenous. When she reached the main doors, she spun on a paw and faced her escort.

“Come on, guys. Give a girl some privacy? This is a holy place! I’m not gonna misbehave.”

“Our orders were to stay with you at all times,” the leader announced. “Her Majesty herself gave the command.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ann sighed dramatically. “Well, I sure hope you don’t mind seeing me in my skivvies. I need to go get changed.”

“We will be outside the door.”

“Oh? But I thought you said at all times,” Ann said with a wicked grin. “What if I get into trouble while I’m taking a piss?”

“Ma’am, we know our duties,” the guard sighed. “Don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”

“Interesting choice of words,” Ann tittered. “Cause I can get plenty hard. You gonna watch for that, too? Naughty.” She watched, tickled pink as some of the guards groaned or shifted uncomfortably. Her dual sex, by now, was no secret. Not after the Brawler’s Guild. If only she could hear their heartbeats, to see who’d been excited by that little comment. That’d let her tease them more. Sadly, she’d have to go by guesswork.

Turning, she pushed open the main door. “I’m here!” she declared. Sauntering up to the reception table, she leant over, giving the guards behind her a ridiculously good view. Should have them pay for that. “Hey, is Rowena in?”

“Oh, my,” the priest stammered at the sudden proximity to one of the holiest people in the kingdom. “The Mother Superior is in, yes. She has been waiting for you since the message was delivered. Locked in prayer, I believe.”

“Prayer, right,” Ann mumbled. “Cool. She in her office?”

“That is correct, my Lady.”

“Ugh, not you too. Call me Ann. Annita if you’re feeling formal.”

“Shall I show you the way, Annita?”

“Nah. I know the way by now. Thanks!”

“Yes, Holiness,” the man said, sounding a little lost. Ann wasn’t really normally one to enjoy attention, but she was starting to find she enjoyed teasing more than just Bren and Lucia. Having the body to back up the act was a nice bonus. Her secret was out. She might as well have fun with it. Orenous had asked her to do so, after all. Out on her own, she could act a little dumb.

She strolled languidly through the halls, stopping to say hi to any of the clergy who approached her. She had thought she’d be mobbed after the announcement, but they now seemed more intimidated than if Kat was walking through. It was kinda frustrating.

“Hey, you!” Ann called to a random priestess. She was a Bultrong woman with beautiful red hair and a stocky but gorgeously proportioned body. “What’s your name?”

“Gelda, Grace,” the woman said in a bassy voice. It was husky and distinctly attractive, complementing her incredible looks. “Gelda Greensdottr.”

“Gelda, hey, I’m Annita, or Ann, nice to meet you,” Ann said, patting the woman on her shoulder. Poor thing almost jumped out of her skin. “Ok, so we’ve gotta talk about that. What’s going on? I thought everyone would be stoked to see me. Everyone seems like they’re trying to run away.”

“Your grace, it wouldn’t be proper to address someone as holy as yourself so casually. It would not be proper.”

Ann gave her a flat look, and the woman shrank before her. “Did Rowena do this?”

“The Mother Superior had words for us all, but I believe this is a natural response to your radiance.”

“Son of a… alright. I’m gonna go talk to Rowena for a minute. You, Gelda, go grab whoever isn’t busy and bring them to that little garden out back. The one that’s closed to the public? I want to talk to y’all. This scared shit’s gotta stop.”

“As your holiness-”

“And quit it with the honorifics. I might be young enough to be your daughter. I’m Annita. Annita Kronforst. I can deal with the honorifics from the normal people, but I don’t want you all doing that.”

The woman’s brain seemed to break slightly, then she nodded. “Very well, Annita. I’ll do as commanded. With… recent events, the Temples are both busy and not. We may have a large gathering.”

“That’s fine. See you there! You’re gorgeous, by the way.” With that, she left the blushing woman in her wake. Swishing her tail happily, she continued on her way to Rowena’s office.

Hey, Waheela, does it affect you being in this place? Haven’t really asked.

Her… perception of me is stronger here, Waheela growled. I do not appreciate the attention. I am the shadow in the forest, the stalker in the night. So many eyes on us. I should tear them all from their skulls. Feast on their flesh.

Well, suck it up, pup. You’re gonna be stuck in here for a bit. Can you at least keep quiet?

Ann got the feeling Waheela was actually pouting! Silly old wolf.

Suck it up for this and I’ll imagine a giant pillow for you later. Something you can actually fit.

Bah, I do not need such comforts.

Need, no, but want?

Waheela grumbled but didn’t answer.

Want. Gotcha. Talk later, time to give the priestess a welcome.

“Oh Rowena!” Ann called, opening the doors without waiting.

Rowena just about jumped out of her chair. The shapely Thrundol looked like she’d been better, but still gorgeous as ever. “Holiness! I… you’re early! I must look a mess. Give me a few?”

“No, please do whatever you need. Not like we’re strangers at this point. Plus, it seems like my escort isn’t following me, so I’ll take any escape I can get. You hear about all this?”

“Oh, the basics,” Rowena sighed as she stood and walked over to a closet complete with washbasin. “Princess and the Queen got into another fight, and she’s been restricted to the city. It isn’t the first time, and it will not be the last. Is she going to be good this time, or are we going to be in the middle of another scandal?”

“Second one,” Ann said, hopping up to sit on the desk and watching Rowena bend in an unsubtle way, giving her a great view. “Part of why I needed to come down here, besides duties and all that.”

“Holiness, while our relationship is beyond what I ever would have dreamed of, I do have my Temple to look after. I cannot put them in danger with the crown. There are regrettable limitations I need to consider. Would it be that I could attend your every whim, need, desire.” That last word was heavy with lust. Ann grumbled to herself. Being honest, she wasn’t really mad at Rowena anymore. She’d been a crazy help the last few days. If Kat wasn’t having her current hangups, she would have extended an invite to their bed. Alas.

“Nothing like that. Simple things that won’t really cause attention. Just need some help getting supplies for us to pick up once we’re out. Food, water, the rest we’ll scavenge or hunt. Food and water are the most obvious things for us to stockpile if we’re leaving, but a large organisation like the Temple? Should be pretty normal, no?”

Rowena undressed, revealing her beautiful green ass, before starting to rinse herself off. “That will be manageable. It’s not an infrequent thing to bring food and other niceties to the poorer areas of the outer city. Where would you need the cache?”

“We’re gonna try to bypass as many checkpoints as we can. Bren’s working on the details of that, but our plan is to go out a side gate. One that goes directly from the inner city to outside the walls. Haven’t seen it myself, but Bren says it’s our best shot at getting out without notice.”

“I think I know the one he speaks of. We can have some priests deliver a package out that way the night of. Let me know when you plan your escape, so it isn’t as noticeable.” She pulled on a new robe and tied up her hair in a high ponytail. Simple and stunning. “I will miss you while you are away.”

“Miss me, or miss the opportunity to try to sleep with me?”

Rowena gave her a look. It was complicated, half like she wanted to say what they both knew, but restraining herself due to Ann’s direct wishes. It bothered Ann. She had, even if it was on request from their Goddess, made her like this. Standing up, she walked over and gave Rowena a hug. She was warm and smelled of berries. The older woman melted into the hug with a desperation Ann wasn’t quite ready for. After a moment, she pulled herself away.

“I’m sorry I can’t reciprocate those desires right now. Maybe in the future, when Kat’s figured out who and what she wants to be. In the future, where she’s more comfortable, I think we might work. For now, I just want to say a sincere thank you. I couldn’t have done what I have in the past few days without you. Owe you a ton.”

Rowena gave her a sad smile. “I’ve lived longer than you have.” Ann fought back the joke. “I can wait a bit longer. Do not lose Katlyn. She is a wonderful woman, and you are lucky to have her. The opposite goes for her, as well. Stay in contact, if you would?”

“Yeah. I’ll make sure to write,” Ann nodded. The silence hung between them for a tense moment before Ann heaved a sigh. “Alright, feelings. Ugh. We’ve gotta go. Told Gelda to get as many of the priesthood as she could and get to the courtyard. I’m not having any of this too scared of the Chosen to talk to her crap.”

Rowena laughed warmly. “I tried to reason with them, but some fears are a bit too, what’s the word, ingrained. I have no worries you will be able to connect with them, as you have myself.”

“Maybe we don’t mention I fucked my girlfriends in front of you for punishment?”

“That might be for the best,” Rowena nodded.

They found a good group gathered in the garden. It was open, with benches scattered around for the clergy to take a break during their days and nights of servitude. A bubbling fountain sat in the middle with a very generous statue of Orenous holding an overflowing pot. The fifty or so sets of eyes turned to Ann and Rowena at once.

Ann felt the anxiety hit her like a truck, but muscled through it, stepping forward and plopping her fluffy butt down on the edge of the fountain. She should have remembered she had a tail, because it got dunked. Grumbling to herself, she pulled it into her lap, wringing it out. A couple giggles and chuckles met her ears. Fuck it, worse ways to start.

“So, as you can see, I’m not perfect,” Ann began. “Hell, I’m kinda ignorant about a lot of how this kingdom works. Kat’s been working hard to get me up to snuff, but I’m still behind.” Ann’s eyes scanned the crowd and found Gelda. She gave an appreciative nod. “I really just wanted to talk. I came here a few times before, and no one avoided me then. Now that you all know who I am, everyone’s avoiding me. That sucks. I don’t like it, so I want to break the ice. Hi, I’m Ann. You all can call me Ann. Please call me Ann.”

The crowd murmured to each other, no one taking the first step forward.

“Alright, you, what’s your name?” Ann asked a rather elderly priest.

“Nicholas, your… Ann.”

“Nicholas? Heh, my people have a tale about an old Saint Nick that’d come around this time to give presents. Good to meet you. Tell me a little about yourself.”

Nicholas looked concerned, his eyes darting to Rowena, who gave him a gentle nod. He took a breath and began his story. Turned out he’d been a brigand some time back, and after a rough run in with the law, had decided to turn to the faith. He’d spent forty years in the service, and would likely pass doing what he found to be his life’s passion.

Ann thanked him, and moved on to the next, and the next. This repeated for some time. She let herself relax. Laugh and listen to the people and their stories. Share a sombre moment for some who had lost loved ones. She lost track of time in the stories being told, but by the time Rowena tapped her shoulder, the group was far more relaxed. People filtered in and out, lounging on the grass, sitting next to Ann or on the benches.

“It is time to meet the public, Holiness,” Rowena said.

“She still calls you Holiness?” A priestess, Adelaide, asked Ann.

“Yeah, I’ve tried to get her to stop, but she’s stubborn,” Ann giggled, giving Adelaide a wink. “One of these days I’ll get her to stop. Oh, by the way, I’m probably going to be away for a while starting in a couple days. I’m kinda in the dark on the scriptures and teachings of this faith despite my title. If anyone could get me something that could get me up to speed while I travel, I’d really appreciate it.”

Excited chatter spread through the group as debates on how best to compile the information started. Ann held up a hand, and they quieted.

“Don’t need it today, but tomorrow or the next day would be awesome. I know the palace is locked down, but if any of the healers are up to treat the King, just swing by Kat’s room or ask a guard to deliver it. Alright, that’s all I’ve got. Anything from you, Rowena?”

“Nothing,” Rowena shook her head, tusks glinting in the light. “Return to your duties, everyone. I believe we will be seeing increased attendance this afternoon with her Holiness’ presence.”

The group dispersed in an orderly fashion. Ann noticed most paired off as they left, talking happily with each other.

“You’ve got a damn good set of people here,” she said.

“I am blessed by our Goddess,” Rowena beamed. “Come, more time passed than I expected. Let us get a light meal into you before you begin your duties. Can’t have the Holy One passing out from hunger in front of people.”

“Nope! Blood sugar is important. Ooh, I wonder what food’s like here. Maybe it’s all scones and deliciousness like Redwall.”

“I am not familiar with a Red Wall, Holiness.”

“Just a story. A fantasy where mice and rabbits fought against evil rats and birds. It was great, and the Lupine who told it was really into describing the food.”

“Well, we do not have such legendary fare, but I’m sure you will be satisfied,” Rowen said with a smile as she offered her hand to help Ann up.

Ann took it and followed the Mother Superior off into the building. Soon, the real work for Orenous, at least the religious part, would begin.