"Di-"
"The"
"Di-The dac"
"Duck"
"The duck crossed the buck, wuh-who stole the Golden hay"
"Very good! Your common is getting better! Can you read this part?"
"D-The cat jah-jumped ovar-"
"Over"
"Over the sleeping dog."
"Good! what about this?"
Rook was sitting with Mampai, his head resting between her breasts, reading a book of the thief and the golden hay. Her accent was coming off but still present in her voice.
The pair were still naked and had yet to wash from last night's erotic session. Mampai's arms were wrapped around Rook as he flipped through the pages and pointed out the words for her to read.
Annabella was washing her body clean with a small tub. She combed her fur out of the sweat and loose hair. Shaking the comb into the water to wash it so often.
She could have used her magic to clean herself, but she liked a relaxing bath.
The mouse maid was assisting her in combing her hair.
"your body is clean. Would you like me to massage you while in the pool"
"Thank you, but that will not be necessary." With that, The maid bowed and skipped off to serve the others. Her huge perky breasts jiggled as she did.
{To have such bosoms on such a small woman must be taxing for the body} Annabella thought as she cupped her own. She had thought about modifying herself before but knew it would be an upheaval to cast such a ritual. Besides, everyone likes the way she is.
Annabella stepped into the water and fully submerged herself. The water tingled her skin and relaxed her muscles. The feeling of rejuvenation flooded her body. {Definitely mana in it} She laid back by the edge and relaxed, feeling the tingling sensation over her whole body.
Opposite her were the marble carving of a male and female holding and pouring a jug which the water came from, There were also other carvings she could see.
The pools glow tinted the sculptures around it. The marble art depicted the angels, Their wings spread out around smaller beings. People lined up and reached out toward the angel. The angel was holding the hands of those closest to her.
Another sculpture showed what looked like a field of crops with farmers working hard. An angel was with them holding a hand scythe and a bundle of wheat. Next to it were smiths making tools, and an angel was hammering at an anvil. Last was an angel showing a symbol, which she recognised as an evocation, and scribes writing at a desk. {were they teaching them?}
One sculpture on the opposite side seemed odd. A naked female looked like the hairless monkeys called humans. However, her eyes were of a deer, and her long pointed ears were like elves. She was flanked by a group of other females.
A hooded reptile, her athletic form was covered in a ragged clock that only came down to her mid-torso.
Deer whose horns are covered in moss, wearing a dress of leaves. She held a staff made of twisted wood.
Sender wolf with a bow, her fur was wild and shaggy looking, and she wore bone trinkets around her neck and limbs.
Bovine covered in flowers and vines holding a staff, quite a large-breasted figure.
A strange feminine mushroom being, its head looked like a mushroom cap with a webbed veil around it.
Two aquatic-like humanoid creatures she has never seen before. Their faces were strange. They looked fish-like but more like humans, with no nose and large lips.
An insectoid was stranger as it had a wasp head, with many arms and bore many breasts down its torso.
A muscular female bear with a large smithing hammer, the tuft of fur on her shoulders looked like mountains. She has an earnest look on her face.
And lastly, a shapely avian in an elegant dress that bearly held her chest. she had a fine sword that looked oriental.
More miniature depictions of the angels surround them in poises of flight.
Annebella pondered who they might be {Divas?} she thought. She didn't know their names.
"penny for your thoughts?" Rickard said as he dipped into the pool and sat next to her.
"Those carvings", She pointed "are they divas?"
Rickard looked over to the carving "Hmm... How much do you know of the Celvic religion and diva lore?"
"Little, I never visited the temples after my induction into the school of the gifted, and after coming to the college of magi, The only religious teaching taught was Sylina Diva of dunes and the coming of the mana spring."
"Well, she is a diva but not the same as the ten you see there."
"Eleven?"
"oh no, that is the goddess Celvar."
Annabella was puzzled at the middle figure. "But she's human"
"It might be why Celvar gave them sanctuary here on this world, but I digress." Rickard pointed to each one. "The hooded one is Tek'lana, the savage diva. The deer is Salixa, the evergreen. The wolfess is Raustwen, Diva of the hunt. The bovine is ilima'ren, the fertility diva. The mushroom one is Boletta of, can you guess?"
"Mushrooms?" Annabella said. Rickard shook his head. "Decay, but also mushrooms too"
Rickard pointed to the next one."Nenia is the water diva, and Vayleen is the ocean diva. The bee one is Neiraa, the insect diva. The big one is Pyritân, the mountain diva. Lastly, Were'vea, the sky diva."
"how do you know so much about them?"
"Well, I was raised in a Celvic temple. Learned a little"
He pointed out, "That isn't all the Divas, however, and like here in Balzarsa, there as places that focus on one particular diva."
"Sylina, the Desert diva."
"yes, and why she isn't here on the carvings is because she disagreed with Celvar, allowing the refugees sanctuary here. There are two factions in the diva faith, one that upholds Celvar's mercy and reveres the ten divas, The Celvic temple. The other Revere all Divas but disagree with that mercy, The Divain Temple. There is a long history of the ruling religious temple, the religious war that split the religion in two and the dissolution of temple rule in the realms, but that's a story for another time I think"
She thought about the artefact she had identified and the angel in her visions
"is the artefact linked to them somehow?"
Rickard ponders a little, "maybe. I didn't ask about the details of the artefact. Maybe we have stumbled on something"
He was hiding something for sure Annabella thought.
"Anyway, let us enjoy this moment. Tomorrow I'll hand over the artefact, we get paid and I will find us another job."
"what about the men from last night?"
Rickard paused for a moment in thought before replying, "I'll do some investigation on that. Stay close to our comrades until I figure out who sent them."
"Will I have to leave Balzarsa?"
"I think it might be best you travelled with us for a while. I'll have the others accompany you to the college to pick up anything you need, but do not go anywhere alone, even if it's just your dorm."
"My teacher will be quite upset with me for leaving before I've graduated."
Rickard hugged her, "Do not worry. I'll speak to him about this matter and what happened last night."
"Rickard wh-"
She was cut off as mampai jumped into the pool, causing a sizeable splash and soaking them both.
"Ah! Mampai! you have to wash off first!" Rook said alarmingly
"Why? is dis not for washing di body?" Mampai said as she sat down and laid back.
"you will dirty the water. You have to use these tubs to wash off... erm, last night's activity before you can use the po-"
Ordin jumped in and immediately sat in the pool "Waste of time, why have a pool if not to clean our bodies."
"Please! wash off first!" panicked the mouse maid, who franticly hovered around the pool edge gesturing for them to get out.
The crystal clear pool started to dull before them.
Rickard was quite annoyed. "Oh, for the love of- everyone! Get out of the pool, Now!"