Author’s Note: Just including a quick thank you to everyone who lent the use of their character’s likenesses for background character cameos, which are as follows: Erin from Algorithm by Carefully Random, Bella from A Lady in the Streets by Alan Smithee, Sophie from Probed by MCaeasar, Avery from Lake Stillmind by PlumCherryPeach and Linda from Essence of Velissara by Tinavamp. Check them out if you haven’t already. I really enjoyed working them into the story as other members of the Abbey. 

Mira

I strode down the stairs to the courtyard with newfound confidence, the metal of my boots ringing against the stone. I took deliberate, steady steps despite the early hour and my total lack of rest. My mind thrummed with Finnick’s influence fortifying it against the guilt that had crushed me only moments before. I no longer spiraled in the currents and eddies of my own doubt. Instead, I forged a smooth path onwards, driven by a single desire, defeat Amara. Also a newfound love for sucking cock, but that could wait. 

The shadows peeled away from me like a lifting veil as Janelle and I left the darkness of the corridor and stepped into the brisk morning air. The sun painted long lines of amber light and ochre shadow across the dusty training ground. As the dawn’s glow kissed my armor, it glinted with all the radiance befitting a Holy Knight. I’d cleaned the forest’s dirt and muck away in my sleepless fit of worrying. Once again, the sheets of curved steel gleamed with only a few lasting scrapes, the emblem of Solaris proudly emblazoned on my chest, complete with two sunbeams denoting the rank of the second order. 

Still that was nothing compared to Amara’s five. The majesty of her regalia already mocked me from across the court. She’d changed into her formal armor, complete with golden inlays and a deep scarlet cape. She knelt on the dewy morning ground, cloak pooling around her like blood. Her sword was laid bare on the dirt before her as she crouched with her eyes closed, not even bothering to open them, typical. Always too engrossed with Solaris to notice a commoner like me. 

She was, however, the only one who ignored my entrance. The entire retinue of Holy Knights had gathered for the spectacle of the duel. Aryn had abandoned her post by the door, just as Belle had left hers at the now empty dungeons. Averi and Sofeigh came down the stairs at the plaza’s opposite side, So-Ku-Chu following as fast as his scaly little legs could carry him. It seemed even the clerics had set down their pens and ancient tomes to watch the early morning violence.

I couldn’t help but notice a peculiar asymmetry to the gathered crowd. The formation somewhat resembled a crescent moon, with its bulk centered around Amara and its open side consisting of only me and Janelle. The isolation bore an almost comforting familiarity, just like when we were youths. It had always been the two of us apart from the others. Serving Solaris was a great honor that brought wealth and power onto the noble families of Elysia. The places in our order were often highly coveted, and only a scant few could be spared for the likes of us in the name of charity. 

Despite her low birth, Janelle’s parents had petitioned for her admission in light of her scholarly gifts, and every so often a child like me would be allowed through from the orphanage. Of course, they’d wanted me as a household servant, but I proved myself. I’d sneak into these very training grounds and flail about with a wooden sword I could barely lift. Slowly but surely my skills had grown. I would watch the knights practice during the day and try to mirror them at night, until one day Matron Sienna took notice and gave me a chance. 

That chance would end today. One way or another. 

As I stepped towards the dueling circle, Janelle pulled me into a quick hug. “Mira,” she whispered.

I returned the embrace. “Yes, Janelle.”

“Don’t forget your promise. We still have to talk. You can’t let her. . .” The words stuck in her throat. “Can’t let her. . .”

Kill me? Disgrace me? Imprison me? 

“I won’t,” I said without a trace of doubt. 

Janelle responded with a weak smile, and I turned to enter the arena. 

As the sunbeams crested the Abbey’s roof, our judge entered the circle, Knight Captain Lynda Johannes. Normally The Dawnblade would oversee challenges of honor, which she obviously could not do today, so the duty fell to the next most senior knight in attendance. She wore her bright red hair in a tight bun and her face in a solemn frown. She had her own blade at her side and her trademarked weighty shield over her back, in case she needed to intercede. 

“My holy sisters,” she bellowed. “We are gathered here for a battle of honor. Mira of The Abbey stands accused of forsaking her oaths and betraying the Abbey of Solaris.”

A murmur rippled through the crowd. 

“Who brings these accusations?”

“I do,” Amara said, finally stirring from her meditation. She rose to her feet, unclipping the rich cloak and letting it fall to the ground as she stood. “Amara of house Calero, Dawnblade and Solaris’s chosen warrior.”

My sisters all raised the holy symbols around their necks in a traditional salute. I had to clamp down on my muscle memory to keep from doing the same. 

“I saw Mira converse with the dark mage. She even referred to him as her ‘Master.’” 

“Mira, how do you plead?” Lynda asked. 

“I swear my loyalty,” I said through gritted teeth. “The Dawnblade fails to mention that I also drew on the mage and attempted to defeat him.” 

Lynda looked between us, waiting for someone to blink. No one did. “You both remain resolute in your positions?”

Two heads nodded. 

“Then we appeal to the highest arbiter of judgement, Solaris herself,” she said, drawing her sword and pointing it skyward. “We shall test her favor through single combat. The first to land three blows on her opponent shall carry the favor of the Goddess.”

My hand flew to Oathbreaker.

“You may not mortally wound your opponent.”

Not that it mattered. If Amara won, I was as good as dead.

“You may not step outside of the circle.”

Nowhere to run anyway.

“And begin.” She brought her blade down and stepped back. 

The second Lynda dropped her steel, I charged. 

Amara remained stoic as ever, but I caught the briefest flicker of surprise at my ferocity. Good. Hopefully, that wouldn’t be the last surprise in store for her today. 

I kept Oathbreaker low until the last moment, when I crossed into her reach. Just as she began to swing, I whipped up my own blade in a vicious flash. Our swords met with a shower of sparks. Amara tilted in an elegant side step so the momentum of my charge carried me past her. 

I turned, readying for another pass as our eyes locked. 

***

Errol

It was too damn bright in this place, cursed magical lanterns every few feet, shedding an obnoxious amount of light, even before dawn. How was anyone supposed to endure that? And sober no less? Despite my most thorough searching, this Abbey had proven dryer than that bitch, Astoria. Yes, I’d have to make a number of changes once I ran this place. Hopefully that wouldn’t be long.

Footsteps echoed down the marble corridor and I froze, casting a quick invisibility spell and chuckling. Finnegan thought his concealment magic was so special. Ah, to be young and naive. 

Speaking of young and naive, a couple of gorgeous little things came tromping down the hall. Although they both wore such garish white robes. Those dreadful bedsheets hid practically their entire figure. No magic about that concealment at all, quite the opposite really. 

They at least seemed important. I had a feeling I’d find my prey in the direction they’d come from. Just as I was about to drop the spell, I heard more footsteps. They belonged to a lizard, following after its owner no doubt. No matter, it would just scurry past. 

Except it didn’t. 

The creature stopped as it passed me, its head swiveling from side to side. That miserable thing could smell me. Its forked tongue darted out, tasting the air, and it began edging closer. This wasn’t good. I couldn’t be discovered. What sort of cleric keeps a pet lizard anyway? 

My palm pulsed as aura coursed subconsciously beneath my skin. Of course, I could vaporize the beast in an instant, but that wouldn’t exactly be stealthy. 

It inched nearer still. 

I could captivate it with The Aurora, which would also be decidedly unstealthy, not to mention an egregious waste of Aura. 

Its scaly legs had practically reached me. 

I didn’t have any food. Perhaps, I could conjure an illusion of a female lizard that would . . . Now I was getting desperate. There had to be some way to distract the little So-Ku-Chu. Wait, why did I know its name? I had heard about this creature . . . from Liana. That was right. I tried to think through our conversations since she’d released me. She had played with it during her time here. She must have shared some useful knowledge about it, some kind of trick. 

A trick!

That was it! The little pest knew tricks, if I could just recall the right word. What had Liana said was the trigger? Gods, it was hard to recall. She had just talked so much, prattling on and on about her day, and her feelings, and her opinions. Slaves weren’t meant to have opinions, and yet she did, and in abundance. I’d have to figure out where I went wrong in her training. Just the thought that I’d made such an amateurish mistake made me see red. Red! That was it. 

“So-Ku-Chu, red,” I whispered. 

Sure enough, the little bastard spun about in a dramatic fashion and collapsed on his back, playing dead. I didn’t waste a moment and hustled down the corridor in the direction the pair had come. A few moments later, I heard the one girl come back in search of the beast and scoop him up. 

Unbelievable. As if a whole Abbey full of trained killers and a scheming apprentice weren’t enough, I had to deal with reptiles as well. And I only got out of it thanks to Liana. She’d saved me twice now, and demonstrated basic intrinsic magic in the act. Yes, I’d sorely underestimated her, though now she clung to me like a shadow. I’d practically had to enchant her all over again just to get her to remain in the woods. Still with her Aura depleted, she’d only be a hindrance, and I couldn’t afford to waste my own power protecting her. No, my plan would use every drop of magical energy these old bones could muster. 

I looked up at the majestic, oaken doors, carved with tableaus of sunrises and knew I had arrived, The Matron’s chamber. I took the pin from my pocket and turned it over in my hands. 

What would you think if you could see me now? You’d probably call me a lazy fool for wallowing as long as I did. 

Ah well, I’d rather be the kind of man to come too late than the sort to arrive too early. There was just something about Mira that brought the old me out again. The girl thought she was rebelling, but really she was dancing to my tune in perfect time. It just took a little pull on her strings, and she did just what I’d hoped, given me a moment alone with her Matron. 

Now to see if the old boy still has it. I slipped the pin back in my pocket and reached for the door, but it swung open just as I did. 

Beautiful. She was just beautiful. In truth I hadn’t known what to expect of the much feared Matron Sierra. She appeared to be in her late forties or early fifties, with faint lines tracing the curves of her eyes and mouth. Threads of gray wove themselves through the auburn hair that fell in gentle waves down the back of her white robes. Yes, the weight of time and responsibility had worn on her, but a collector such as myself could still see the gem underneath. Even those ghastly robes couldn’t hide the full swell of her breasts and hips. She would do nicely. 

I dropped my illusion, and revealed my presence.  “Ah, good, the help. Could you direct me to the wine cellar? I’ve been all over this blasted place and can’t find a trace of it.” 

Her lips parted in a shocked gasp. Oh the things I could do with that mouth. 

“Speechless, I see. Yes, I can have that effect on people.”

“It really is you. You survived the revolution. I had my suspicions, but seeing you in the flesh, it’s undeniable.” She took a shallow, shaking breath. “You’re Eroden, The Dark Star.” 

Ah, so she could talk. Well, no one’s perfect I suppose. But if she recognized me, I’d better put on a show. I’d hate to disappoint a fan. I raised my hand, unleashing a blast of aura that should have knocked her unconscious if she hadn’t raised her own shield in response. Shame, I was hoping to make this quick. “I haven’t heard that name in a long time.” 

“How? How did you survive? You’re supposed to have died.”

“Yes, I’m supposed to do a great many things. Somehow, I never seem to get around to doing them, unless they interest me. Besides, I can’t just go dying when there’s still flowers like you to be plucked.”

Her face twisted in anger, most unbecoming, and she raised a hand. “Solaris, grant me the power to deliver your justice unto this knave.” A golden halo radiated from her body, and her auburn locks began to sway. Then a beam of light erupted from her palm and shot towards me. 

I raised my own shield spell, a wall of sparkling purple, rising to block the assault. I couldn’t play my ace yet. She’d need a little more goading. “That’s quite rude, I just paid you a compliment.”

“About how you wish to deflower me?” she hissed. 

“Exactly. You could do with a good deflowering. I can tell it’s been a while, if you don’t think me impolite for saying so. It’s important to till the soil every so often, or it goes dry. You don’t want to be dry do you?” 

“I never thought the legendary dark mage would be so . . .”

“Handsome? Charming?” I offered. 

“Flippant,” she finished flatly. “You really think me some defenseless maiden that you can simply have your way with? I am the chosen daughter of Solaris, endowed with the gift of her power. You’ve sealed your fate by coming to me.” That golden light began to whip around her once more. 

“I never put too much stock in you divine casters. Your power is not your own. You’re simply holding it, like a little girl waving about her mother’s sword. You had best put it down before you hurt someone.”

“Oh I very much intend to hurt someone,” she said with cold fury. I hadn’t made a woman that angry with me in some time. There was an odd comfort in it. 

Sierra clutched her holy symbol and began muttering under her breath, some long prayer . . .something something justice . . . blah, blah righteousness, who cared what she was saying. I could have interrupted her with another spell of my own, but I wouldn’t dream of it. I had been winding her up so that she’d throw something big at me, and she seemed to be doing just that. 

Soliloquy apparently finished, she raised a hand aloft and golden light began streaming between her fingers. The light twisted and braided itself around until it had formed the shape of a spear. “Be gone!” Then she brought her arm down and loosed the blinding shaft. It rocketed towards me, heat searing the very stones of the chamber. 

While she’d been monologuing, I’d withdrawn the pearl from my coat, and I held it up before the oncoming spear of certain death. For all my posturing, Sierra was a capable spellcaster. I couldn’t say for certain that I’d defeat her in a fair fight, which was why I had no intention of fighting fair. The little gem began bending the light around it. The spear dissolved into a vortex of yellow and orange, a radiant typhoon of aura swirling about the pearl. But gradually, the light was sucked into the treasure. 

The little thing took on an opalescent glow in my palm, as the remnants of her spell dissipated completely. A pearl of power could absorb magics, and I’d made a few enhancements to this one, with just this situation in mind. As the blinding brilliance faded, Sierra’s face came back into focus, this time showing a new emotion; fear. 

“Now, I believe you were saying something about not being a helpless maiden. Care to reconsider that?” 

***

Mira

Amara deflected my charge with deft ease. A quick flick of her elbow sent me careening past her and scrambling to regain my balance. I let the momentum carry me out of her reach and whirled, ready to defend. She however did not pursue me. She simply stood stoically, waiting for my next attempt. 

“Why are you smiling?” she asked with a sneer. 

“Because you’re underestimating me.” My grip tightened around Oathbreaker, which I’d been allowed to use for this challenge. Apparently, no one had thought to confiscate it, which gave me a massive advantage. The official rules may have demanded three points for a win, but I would only need one. A single slice would sever Amara’s resistance, leaving her helpless to my commands. I had shown restraint with Finnick, and Amara would receive no such mercy. 

“You always did believe in yourself. Shame you could never muster the same belief for our Goddess.” 

“Quiet!” I rushed forward again, blade dancing in a flurry of blows, each one flashing in the morning sun. Yet Amara slid between them as gracefully as flowing water, always managing to be just where my strike wasn’t and deflecting blows only when necessary. As my frustration grew, I gathered myself and brought Oathbreaker down in a single overhead chop. 

Amara’s hand shot forth with preternatural speed and caught my wrist, tugging me to one side. I braced for the impact of her weapon, but it never came. She simply let me regain my footing a few paces away. 

“Too good to attack me?”

“You seem perfectly capable of defeating yourself.”

A low growl rang in my throat, and I charged again, this time fainting to the left, before pivoting and slashing down from the right. Amara blocked again, still not moving from the spot, and still not counterattacking. 

“You’re mocking me.”

“No, I’m making a point.”

“You haven’t scored a point so far,” I shot back. 

“I will when I so choose. It’s more important that no matter how much you struggle, you don’t land a blow on me. So I’m going to give you every opportunity first.”

“You’ll regret that.” I would defeat her. It didn’t matter what it took. That mantra played in my head like a relentless drumbeat as I took swing after swing. Every time, Amara parried with the same effortless ease. 

“That’s the difference between us. I uphold my values, so I have nothing to regret.”

I brandished Oathbreaker, it’s tip glinting. “Don’t speak as though you know me.”

“I know enough. I know you have no honor.”

“I fought harder to be here than anyone. I earned my place in this order, when the rest of you just had it handed to you. Is there no honor in that?”

“And despite all that effort, you couldn’t complete one mission without betraying your ideals.”

A murmur rippled through the crowd of my sisters. I could see Aryn and Belle whispering to each other, shooting sidelong glances my way.

My grip tightened on my blade. “I faced a difficult choice, and did the best I could. I still captured the mage and imprisoned him here. I’ve been nothing but honorable since returning to the Abbey.”

“This from someone using an enchanted weapon in a contest for the Goddess’s grace.” 

My pulse jumped and in that instant Amara closed the distance. Her speed was nearly supernatural, as if her gilded armor weighed practically nothing. “Did you think I’d forgotten?” she whispered with barely concealed malice. I tried to bring Oathbreaker around to parry, but she was already within my guard. 

I heard the metal clang before I felt her sword crash against my armor. I leaned into the momentum, jumping back to regain my distance and avoid a second hit.

“One point for the Dawnblade,” Lynda called out. 

***

Errol

Sierra’s shocked expression quickly settled back into one of calm composure. “You can’t fool me so easily. Pearls of Power have limited capacity. You may have countered one spell, but your trinkets are nothing before the wrath of Solaris.”

“That’s generally true,” I said with a shrug. “But I’ve found those rules rarely apply to me.”

“Solaris’s judgement applies to all men and women, including and especially you.”

“Well then, please feel free to test that theory. I’ll stand still and make it easy.” I paused for dramatic effect, holding my arms out wide. “Unless of course, you believe your Goddess is weaker than something I picked up from the shop.”

She fumed, hands clenching into fists. “Those will be your last words, Eroden” she hissed. Once again she reached for her holy symbol and began summoning a symphony of entirely-too-bright light. This time seven radiant orbs formed in a broad arc over her shoulders, before swirling down into her body. She began to glow, and not in the usual post-coital way. She raised a hand and scorching fire poured forth, enough to leave me nothing but a crisp outline on the wall. 

If it made contact, which it, of course, would not. 

I held up the pearl and it began sucking in the flames. Brilliant hues refracted across the room as the artifact broke her spell into pure Aura and absorbed it. Rich reds, and yellows and whites flashed across the marble chamber as the light grew dimmer and dimmer. But I kept going, anchoring to her power and draining it all.

Her glowing halo flickered once, twice and then went out. The room returned to its regular level of brightness, which was still quite garish in my opinion. The poor Matron stumbled, barely able to hold her feet. “How?” she gasped.

“As you said, an ordinary artifact could never contain your gifts. However, I’ve been working on this one, feeding it my own Aura, night after night, expanding its capacity and making other . . . improvements.”

Sierra didn’t speak. She simply stared down at her trembling hand. I didn’t need words to know what she was thinking. She was reaching for any remaining Aura and not finding it. 

“It appears that the blessings of your Goddess were less substantial than my own natural endowment. Don’t feel bad though, I was always a man of enhanced stamina.”

“You curr. It matters not, the others will come and crush you.”

“A legion of beautiful women coming just for me? I do like the sound of that,” I mused, stepping closer. “But unfortunately, it’ll have to wait. My apprentice has them all distracted with her silly little duel. By the time they realize what’s going on, you’ll be my obedient servant.”

“I’ll never serve you,” she said, trying to hide the tremble in her voice.

“That’s very good. Don’t give in too quickly or it’ll be boring.” I lifted my own hand skyward and began amassing Aura. “Now, you treated me to quite the light show. It’s only fair that I return the favor.”

“No, don’t. . .”

But before she could finish the Aurora burst into existence, vivid violets and blues cascading across the ceiling. The austere, white marble reflected the spell, bathing the entire chamber in deep purple. The same purple flared from my eyes as I channeled the power. The aurora straddled the line between intrinsic and extrinsic magic, requiring both nuanced control and a sense of harmony with the broader cosmos. Remaining at total peace with the universe while simultaneously crafting magics in such detail was the secret art of my family, and it could be quite draining. I never felt my age more than in these moments, but the results were oh so worth it. 

Sierra stood slackjawed, not a thought in her pretty little head. She had slumped forward and to one side, head tilted up so she could keep staring into the Aurora. Her face had relaxed so completely, the lines of age had practically vanished. I always found it remarkable how much more beautiful a woman looked if she would just stop thinking and do as she was told. With any luck, Sierra here would wear that serene expression from now on. That or she’d hold out too long and I’d be discovered and executed, but best not to dwell on that possibility. 

I strode over to her, grabbed the hem of her robe and yanked it above her head. She didn’t resist as I raised her limp arms and let them flop back down to her side. She couldn’t resist. Her mind was totally overwhelmed by the onslaught of sensation. My magics were binding themselves to every nerve in her body, wiring them to perceive my suggestions as reality. She’d be essentially comatose until that process was complete.

“Apologies for undressing you so rudely,” I said, peeling away her bra and letting her ample breasts sway freely. “I’d prefer to make you strip with some cute suggestion. However, I’m tight on time today, so I’ll have to rush a bit. If you forgive me, don’t say anything.”

Sierra, of course, just continued gaping at the ceiling with the lights dancing in her eyes. She didn’t even react as I removed her panties and tossed them across the room. 

“Excellent. You religious types are always so understanding. Right this way.” I took her hand, her fingers lazily wrapping themselves around mine, and began to lead her back towards her desk. Her steps were languid and wobbling, but she followed. I took a moment to admire her ass as we walked, the way the flesh gently swayed as each leg moved, jiggling just the slightest bit. While I loved lithe little ladies like Liana, it was nice to have a real mature woman from time to time.   

Once we arrived at her desk, I dumped the papers onto the ground and then bent her forward over it. I guided each hand to grip the far edge, spread just far enough to be uncomfortable. Then I repeated the process with her legs. Her thighs felt soft and warm as I guided them apart. With a little more refinement my doll looked perfect, bent over the desk with her pussy and asshole on full display, complete with a dainty patch of auburn hair over her sex.

The glow of my enchantment began to fade, and Serena started stirring. I could feel her senses like an extension of my own, her sight of the world almost a spectral shadow over reality. I reached out to that shadow and began bending it. “There are heavy chains, binding you in place. You can’t move from that position.” 

Sure enough, she saw them, stretching all the way to the cavernous ceiling of this chamber, and felt the iron digging into her skin. Then suddenly she flinched as awareness returned. She squirmed against the imaginary bindings, muscles flexing, but wrists and ankles never moving. “What in the Goddess’s light? I was just standing a moment ago.”

“You were, but I thought you looked better like this. Believe me, if you could see the view I have, you’d agree.”

“You bastard.” More pointless squirming. 

“You have no Idea.” I brought my hand down on a firm blow to her backside. 

“Gaahhh,” she howled, as the Aurora enhanced her pain to excruciating agony.

“I’m terribly sorry about that, but you have to learn who’s in charge around here.”

“I am,” she snarled. “This is my Abbey, my office, my desk.” 

“Your thigh,” I said, brushing a hand over her exposed skin. I altered her perception to wildly boost her sensitivity. At that moment, the faintest brush of my hand should have felt better than the best fucking she’d ever had. “Your ass, your pretty little pussy,” I finished as I dragged the tip of my finger over her folds.

She shivered despite herself as just that glimpse of contact made her wet, protests dying in favor of a sharp inhale. 

“Soon all those things will belong to me. Won’t they?”

It took her a moment to find her breath, but she eventually managed. “No, no you can’t.”

“Suit yourself.” I roughly stuck a finger inside and her whole body convulsed as though she’d been electrocuted. Her arousal came on hard and fast, clouding the air with the scent of her need. “You see, Serena, this is how it feels to serve me. It feels good to serve.”

“Serve . . . serve,” she mumbled.

“You serve me.”

“Serve, I serve,” she began to repeat, voice stuttering through uneven breath. “I serve Solaris. Solaris. Not you.”

I grimaced. In truth, I’d expected no less. This woman had honed her resolve and her faith for decades. She would not break as easily as a simple barmaid, yet break she must. If I simply wished to dispatch her I could do so easily at this point. However, that would accomplish little. In order to bring this Abbey to heel, I would need Serena. If I struck her down, the others would see her as a martyr and harden their hearts. If however, they saw their precious Matron scraping and groveling at my feet, their spirits would break completely and they would be mine for the taking. That meant I had to shatter Sierra’s spirit before Mira concluded her little circus. The real fight started now.