As the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting the village in soft twilight, Auriel, Carol, and Lady Sophia found a quiet spot to set up their temporary base. The houses in the village were too run-down and cramped to host visitors comfortably, so Sophia took it upon herself to solve the problem.
With a dramatic flourish, she raised her staff and grinned at Auriel and Carol.
"Stand back, ladies. Prepare to be amazed!"
Sophia declared, her voice brimming with confidence.
Before anyone could protest, a surge of magical energy pulsed from her staff, and within moments, a cozy yet grand house materialized before them. The structure had sturdy walls, large windows, and a warm, inviting glow emanating from within.
"My dead Goddess, how is this place? Does it fit someone as grand as you to spend a night in? If not, then I can always make something fancier for you and I to share-"
Carol's skeptical gaze swept over the house before her glare turned toward Sophia, quitening her. She took a tentative step forward, inspecting every corner as if searching for flaws. Finally, she nodded with grudging approval.
"This will do. It's sturdy and properly shielded from outside magic. I'm impressed, Lady Sophia. For once, you've done something useful."
Sophia placed a hand over her chest, pretending to be offended.
"Why, thank you, Priestess. Your glowing praise warms my heart,"
Sophia quipped, before turning her attention to Auriel.
"Now then, what's next on the agenda, My Lady?"
Auriel gestured toward the village well in the distance.
"I want you to set up traps around the well. If the culprit responsible for this dark magic comes back to tamper with the water, we need to catch them red-handed."
Auriel had a plan but it depended on how much help she would be able to get from people around her.
Sophia's grin widened, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Oh, this is going to be fun. Leave it to me, My Lady."
She strode toward the well, her staff in hand, and began weaving intricate spells. Glimmering runes appeared around the well, forming a shimmering net of magical energy. Each rune was designed to detect movement, capture intruders, or alert the group of any activity near the well.
Auriel watched silently, her divine senses reassuring her that the traps were well-crafted and effective. When Sophia returned, she looked unusually proud of herself.
"All done. Now, the only thing left is to prepare for the long night ahead. And since I've been so generous with my magic already. However, I think it's only fair that someone else takes over the kitchen duties"
Sophia said with exaggerated weariness.
She turned to Carol with a dramatic sigh, handing over a small enchanted bag filled with cooking supplies.
"Here you go, dear Priestess. You can handle this. I wouldn't want to risk ruining the goddess's meal with my 'chaotic' cooking skills."
Carol took the bag, her expression unreadable. Then, to Auriel's surprise, she let out a soft sigh of relief.
"Finally, something sensible. At least now we'll eat something decent."
Carol muttered, clutching the bag tightly.
Sophia winked at Auriel, clearly pleased with herself. Auriel could only shake her head, hiding a small smile.
With the traps set and their temporary home secured, the group settled in, ready to face whatever the night might bring.
______
It was not bad to camp out like this once in a while. It was quiet, and the peace helped Auriel fall asleep… though there was someone else in her bed as well, and Auriel could feel hands groping her body.
At first, it was manageable, so she wasn't going to say anything. But it didn't take long for those hands to start getting out of control and a little… funky with her. That finally made Auriel snap, and she pulled the covers off to take a look.
"Lady Sophia, what are you doing in my bed? Don't you have your own room in this house?" Auriel asked in a questioning voice.
The thing she felt conflicted about wasn't the fact that Lady Sophia was in her bed, or even touching her. It was the fact that this touch was less sexual and more exploratory.
Lady Sophia had some small… and questionable… objects in her hand that she ran over Auriel's stomach. The magic in those stones pulsed strongly, making Auriel almost flinch.
"Tsk, I wasn't supposed to get caught."
The master of the magic tower showed her displeasure before quickly masking her emotions and replying to Auriel in a pleasant voice.
"Please don't be concerned about it, Goddess Auriel. I wasn't doing anything questionable. I just wanted to know how different a goddess's body was compared to ours, and I was just trying to see if you had all the necessary parts down there…"
If Auriel wasn't flushed before, she was now. She also felt speechless at the boldness Lady Sophia showed toward her.
"Lady Sophia, I'm saying this politely, but please get out and do not try this again. I promise you that the end result won't be good."
Auriel warned, speaking firmly, but Lady Sophia didn't move. If anything, she became even bolder, pressing her hand against the goddess's chest and pushing her back.
Her eyes looked serious, and the older-looking female licked her lips in anticipation before speaking.
"Goddess, how about you give me a chance to please you? I promise I will show you a better time than anyone else has until now, and I—"
Beepppppp
The sound of the alarm went off just as Lady Sophia made her bold offer. Not even a second later, the door to Auriel's room slammed open, revealing Carol, who looked ready to act.
"Goddess Auriel, we have the alarm… Lady Sophia, please get away from the Divine One before you get hurt."
Carol's aura was… something, and it forced Lady Sophia to quickly jump back, her expression returning to its usual cheerful and carefree state. The romantic and borderline inappropriate atmosphere was gone instantly.
"Sheesh, I get it. We should hurry up and catch our culprit before he runs away. Let's go."
Lady Sophia changed the subject naturally, but Carol didn't seem to believe her words. If anything, she looked ready to confront the older female outright.
It was only Auriel's sigh and calm look that made Carol back down.
The trio quickly made their way to the well under the shroud of night, their steps hushed to avoid alerting the person tampering with it.
As they approached, Auriel's divine senses tingled. The air was thick with a faint, malevolent aura, and her heart sank as she saw the cloaked figure leaning over the well.
The figure held a small vial, carefully tilting it to release dark liquid drops into the water below. The liquid hissed faintly as it hit the surface, a clear indication of its unnatural origin.
Auriel's voice was calm but commanding when she spoke, cutting through the silence like a blade.
"Stop right there! Step away from the well."
The figure froze momentarily before quickly turning to flee. Auriel narrowed her eyes and gave her companions a directive.
"Carol, Lady Sophia—chase after them. Don't let them escape! I'll handle the well."
Without hesitation, Carol drew her weapon, her posture sharp and focused, while Lady Sophia nodded, a mischievous grin on her lips.
"Got it, Goddess. We'll bring them back, no matter what."
The pair sprinted after the cloaked figure, who darted away into the darkness with surprising agility. Their pursuit echoed faintly as their footsteps faded into the distance, leaving Auriel alone by the well.
Auriel turned her attention to the water, leaning over cautiously.
Her divine powers rippled outward as she extended her hand, allowing her light to illuminate the well's depths. A surge of relief mixed with unease washed over her as she assessed the situation.
The dark liquid swirled near the surface but failed to penetrate deeper.
Auriel's holy blessing, infused into the well earlier, acted as an invisible barrier, rejecting the malevolent substance. The dark magic recoiled, unable to gain a foothold.
"So, they tried to contaminate it with dark magic. But it didn't work. My holy powers were too strong."
Auriel murmured, her voice laced with both determination and anger.
With a deep breath, Auriel summoned more of her divine energy, allowing her light to flow into the water. The golden aura wrapped around the surface, purifying any lingering traces of the dark magic. The malevolent hiss grew louder for a brief moment before dissipating entirely, leaving the water clear and shimmering with a divine glow.
Auriel stood upright, her hand clutching her staff tightly.
"Whoever is behind this won't give up easily."
Moments later, the faint sound of running footsteps reached her ears. Turning, she saw Carol and Lady Sophia returning, their expressions a mix of frustration and determination.
"They got away. But not before we managed to get this"
Carol admitted, clenching her fists.
She held up a torn piece of fabric—a scrap of the cloaked figure's robe. It was black, lined with intricate patterns that radiated faint traces of dark magic.
"Good work. This might give us the clue we need to figure out who's behind this. For now, let's secure the area and regroup. We'll get to the bottom of this."
Auriel said, inspecting the scrap.
The trio exchanged determined glances, knowing their mission had only just begun.