Melisa strolled through the streets of Syux, her mind whirling with possibilities.
The king’s promised reward still loomed on the horizon, but she wasn’t about to sit around lazily while waiting for it.
[Life Magic,] she mused, her crimson eyes gleaming with curiosity. [The opposite of Blood Magic... And yet, I managed to unify them with that Blood Magic healing spell, right? I need to find out more about this.]
She’d already picked the brains of the academy’s healers and nurses, but their knowledge felt... limited. Practical, certainly, but lacking the depth she craved.
[A priest would probably know more,] Melisa thought. Someone nearly tripped over their own feet as she walked by. [At least, if RPG games are to be believed.]
It was for that reason that Melisa currently found herself heading towards the grand temple just up ahead.
As she approached, she couldn’t help but marvel at the structure. Gleaming white stone, intricately carved statues of very attractive female characters, and a beige dome that seemed to catch and almost amplify the sunlight.
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[Impressive,] Melisa admitted to herself. [I guess the church isn’t doing too poorly in this world. Even though, through 17 years, I haven’t really met anyone particularly religious. Huh.]
She ascended the steps, her footfalls echoing in the entrance hall.
[Eh?] She stopped.
Almost immediately, she felt a shift in the atmosphere. The air grew thick with tension, and she could feel eyes on her from every direction.
She caught snippets of hushed conversations as she passed.
"...a nim, in our sacred temple..."
"...probably here to cause trouble..."
"...shouldn’t be allowed..."
Melisa frowned, her brow furrowing in confusion.
[Hm. This is weird. I would have guessed nim would show up to these sorts of places often.] Melisa pouted a bit. [I’m no fan of religion, but even back on Earth, poor people, whores, criminals... outcasts were, supposedly, always welcome.]
But even as the thought crossed her mind, she noticed a subtle shift.
The hostility remained, but it was tempered now by something else.
[My pheromones,] Melisa realized, a small smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. [Guess they’re gonna be working overtime today, huh?]
She could see it in the way the priests and acolytes looked at her.
Their eyes still held suspicion, but there was a hint of desire there too, a grudging attraction they couldn’t quite suppress, showing in the way their eyes swept up and down Melisa’s form.
Melisa was wearing a form-fitting dress in a deep, rich purple that complemented her skin tone perfectly. The dress hugged her curves in all the right places, with a plunging neckline that offered a tantalizing glimpse of her cleavage. A slit up the side revealed flashes of her toned leg as she walked.
[Well, at least that’s something,] Melisa thought, straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin. [If they’re not going to respect me, they can at least want me.]
She scanned the temple, looking for someone who might be willing to talk to her. Her eyes landed on a priestess standing near one of the side altars, arranging flowers in an intricate pattern.
The woman was tall and slender, with flowing blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. She wore white robes, cinched at the waist with a golden cord.
Melisa approached, pasting on her most charming smile.
"Excuse me," she said, her voice honey-sweet. "I was hoping I could ask you a few questions about your faith."
The priestess turned, her eyes widening slightly as she took in Melisa’s appearance.
Multiple different reactions flashed through the woman’s face all at once.
First, she scowled as she looked back at Melisa’s crimson eyes. Then, her own eyes widened just slightly as she looked Melisa up and down, and finally, perhaps as Melisa’s pheromones began to kick in, her expression softened slightly.
She ended up saying:
"I... suppose that would be alright," she said, her voice carefully neutral. "What would you like to know?"
Melisa’s smile widened.
[Got her,] she thought triumphantly.
"Well, I’ve always been fascinated by Syux’s sun worship," Melisa began, which wasn’t entirely a lie. She’d certainly been curious about it, even if it wasn’t her primary reason for being here. "Could you tell me a bit more about your goddess?"
The priestess slowly nodded.
"Of course," she said, her voice warming up a bit. "Our Lady of the Sun is the source of all life and light in this world. She watches over us, nurturing and protecting, but also challenging us to grow and evolve."
Melisa nodded.
This was, obviously, just a bit of small talk to get her foot through the door. But, she put up with it.
"Truly? So, what does your day-to-day worship consist of?" She asked.
The priestess launched into an explanation of their rituals and practices, from the daily sunrise prayers to the grand festivals held throughout the year (all of which must have happened while Melisa had her head in her books).
Melisa listened, though, fascinated despite herself.
"So, when you say the goddess challenges you to grow," Melisa interjected, "do you mean spiritually, or...?"
The priestess actually smiled, hearing that question.
"Both spiritually and magically," she explained. "Our Lady of the Sun is the source of our power, after all. As we grow in our faith, we also grow in our ability to channel her power."
Melisa nodded, holding back a grin.
[Now we’re getting somewhere,] she thought excitedly.
"That’s fascinating," she said, leaning in closer. "So, does that mean your priests and priestesses are all skilled in magic?"
The priestess nodded, a hint of pride in her voice.
"Many of us are, yes. Particularly in the realm of Life Magic, which is closely tied to our Lady’s domain."
[Bingo.]
"Life Magic," she repeated, as if testing the words. "That must be incredibly powerful. I’ve always been curious about it myself."
The priestess’s expression grew guarded once more, a flicker of suspicion returning to her eyes.
"It is indeed powerful," she said carefully. "But also sacred. Not something to be trifled with or used lightly."
Melisa tried to nod as solemnly as she could.
"Of course, of course," she said quickly. "I completely understand. I was just wondering... hypothetically, of course... what kind of things can Life Magic do? Is healing all?
Or...?"
The priestess hesitated.
"Well," she began slowly, "in its purest form, Life Magic can manipulate the very essence of living things. It can accelerate growth, slow aging, even transfer some small amounts of life force from one being to another."
Melisa’s heart raced, her excitement barely contained.
[Holy shit,] she thought. [That’s incredible. If I could learn to do that...]
"But," the priestess continued, her voice growing stern, "such capabilities are rare and those who have them practice Life Magic in very regulated ways. Many of the more... extreme applications are outright forbidden. The consequences of misusing Life Magic can be catastrophic... As can be seen with Blood Magic."
Melisa nodded, trying to look appropriately chastened.
[Ah, so, they understand the connection there too.]
"Of course," she said. "I can only imagine. Thank you so much for explaining all this to me. It’s truly fascinating."
Slowly, the priestess smiled, though there was still a hint of wariness in her eyes.
"You’re welcome," she said. "I’m glad I could satisfy your curiosity. Is there anything else you’d like to know?"
Melisa paused, considering.
She had what she came for, but something made her hesitate.
[Well... I’m probably not gonna get a better chance for this.]
"What’s your goddess like?"
And, again, the priestess seemed to have had her defenses lowered.
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"I’ll tell you."
---
Later, Melisa wiped her lips as she strolled through the streets of Syux, a satisfied smirk on her face.
[Well, that was certainly... educational, hehe.]
She could still taste the woman on her tongue, could still feel the rush of Essence she’d absorbed during their little tryst.
Yeah, their moment together ended with Melisa eating the priestess out in a hallway.
Now, Melisa couldn’t get it out of her head. Additionally, though, she was playing the conversation they had over and over again in her mind too.
[Manipulating the essence of living things... accelerating growth, slowing aging... I mean, all in all, the Life Magic school sounds just as overpowered as the Blood Magic one.]
She frowned slightly, remembering the priestess’s warnings about the dangers of misusing such power.
[... Life Magic is that strong, and yet people don’t really want to master it?] She shook her head. [I wonder why.]
She pushed open the door to her dorm room, her eyes immediately landing on Raven.
To her surprise, her roommate was dressed up, wearing a crisp black shirt and some sleek pants.
"Wow, Rae," Melisa whistled appreciatively. "Lookin’ good! What’s the occasion?"
Raven glanced up emotionlessly.
"Javir wants to see me," she said simply, adjusting her collar.
Melisa’s eyebrows shot up.
"Javir? At this hour? What for?"
Raven shrugged.
"She didn’t say. Just that it was important."
[Hm, interesting,] Melisa thought, her curiosity piqued. [Wonder what that’s about.]
She sauntered over to Raven, a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Well, you’ve still got some time before you need to go, right?" Melisa purred, running a finger down Raven’s arm. "Maybe I could help you... relax a little first?"
Raven’s breath hitched, her grey eyes darkening with desire. For a moment, Melisa thought she might give in.
But then Raven shook her head, stepping back reluctantly.
"I can’t," she said, her voice tinged with regret. "Javir probably wouldn’t like it if I was late."
Melisa pouted, but didn’t push it.
"Fine, fine," she sighed dramatically. "But you owe me one, Rae."
"That’s not my-"
She leaned in, capturing Raven’s lips in a deep, hungry kiss.
Her tongue slipped into Raven’s mouth, tasting her. Claiming her. Raven responded with equal fervor, her hands coming up to tangle in Melisa’s hair.
One long tongue fight later, they stopped. When they finally broke apart, both were breathing heavily.
"There," Melisa grinned, her tail curling around Raven’s leg. "A little something to remember me by while you’re out."
Raven’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes slightly glazed.
"I... I should go," she said, her voice husky.
Melisa stepped back, giving Raven room to move.
"Have fun with Javir," she called as Raven headed for the door. "Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!"
As the door closed behind Raven, Melisa flopped onto her bed, a satisfied smile on her face.