6.41 – Holy Energy I


    After exploring Mantle for a bit and rxing from the high tensions of the unexpected—or unexpectedly quick—meeting with Enzo, Zoey and her team returned to the estate at the top of the mountain.


    Of the necessary meetings she had to attend to, there was one she shouldn''t put off more than the others. After tracking down the portion of the d''Celestin guest rooms where Aria, Adrienne, and Sabina had been luxuriously stashed away, Zoey visited the most immediately important of her three peripheral allies. Aria. She''d promised her a thorough talk on what their future would look like, and seeing how the young priestess had uprooted her life at a moment''s notice upon a deity''s calling, she definitely deserved that talk as soon as possible.


    Aria opened the door only seconds after Zoey knocked. The priestess had one thing to loudly proim, the second she saw Zoey.


    "You didn''t tell me you were bringing me to the <em>d''Celestins."</em>


    Zoey paused, then asked, "Would you believe me if I said I didn''t know either?" Sheughed, stepping into the priestess''s room. Aria closed the door behind her. "Recent development. Rosalie was keeping it on the down-low."


    "For good reason! A d''Celestin, rxing inside one of the capital cities of the Striders. Insanity. That had to be so dangerous for her." She shook her head. "Anyway, <em>that </em>was a shock. I knew a literal call to action by a goddess was going toe with some surprising turns, but wow. A girl could''ve used a warning."


    "It was a surprise to all of us."


    Aria shook her head again. She walked over to one of the plush chairs in the corner of the room. She was wearing a nightgown, having settled down for the night. Zoey couldn''t help but steal a nce at her ass, which was rather generously hugged in by the silk outfit.


    "At least the amodations are nice. To put it <em>very </em>lightly. I don''t think I''ve ever seen a room this … ornate." Aria gestured at the other chair. "Join me? We''ve got some stuff to talk about, right?"


    "We do." Zoey walked over and sat. The two of them were quiet for a second, Aria considering her with a curious look.


    "So, answers?" she eventually prompted, lips quirking. "I''ve got some news of my own, you know."


    "You do?"


    "I moved up in advancement, rather randomly,st night. Advancement two. And the skill I got from my Rune of Worship is … interesting."


    Oh? Rune of Worship? And it had advanced? Zoey''s assumptions might turn out to be correct, from how this conversation was starting.


    A Rune of Worship was interesting by its own merit, too. She wondered what Aria''s first ability had been. She''d just been a simple temple priestess, so Zoey assumed nothing crazy.


    "Can I take a guess what is?" Zoey asked.


    "Sure?"


    "Does it have something to do with ''Holy Energy''?"


    Aria jolted. "Hey! How could you know that?"


    "I also got something rted to it."


    "You did?" She paused. "I guess that makes sense, considering what mine is. And that I''m supposed to be your high priestess." She pouted, crossing her arms. "You still could''ve let me surprise you, though. I was excited."


    "Right, sorry," Zoeyughed. "I should''ve." She tilted her head. "But my skill is just a way to use that energy, though. Yours?"


    "A way to gather it."


    Suspicious confirmed, then.


    "I figured I was gonna have to discover its usage, or something," Aria continued. "That there were hidden extra abilities, something I would be able to do with that energy." Her pout deepened. "But I guess I''m just toiling away for my Goddess''s benefit." She let out a dramatic sigh. "It''s hard being High Priestess to a nascent deity."


    Aria''s … Goddess?


    As in, her?


    Zoey shifted ufortably at that. Sheesh. That really was what was going on, wasn''t it? At least, those lofty heights were Ephy''s end goal.


    Aria noticed her reaction. "Ah," she said. "I guess you still haven''t adjusted to all of that, have you? That''s fair. I haven''t been able to stop thinking about it either. Honestly, even being <em>High Priestess</em>, or involved at all, is blowing my mind."


    "It''s not where I expected my life to go," Zoey agreed. She shrugged. "But I''m adapting. You''re just the first person to … call me <em>Goddess</em>." A weird feeling went through her at that. And a shiver. Not bad, necessarily? A very strange mix of emotions, which would take a while to unpack. "Anyway," she said. "You''ve been treated well, right? While we were gone? Sorry to run off. We had … business to take care of."


    Aria''s nose wrinkled. "I mean, Lucinda was <em>really </em>mad. Kinda scary so. But she didn''t take it out on us. I was mostly worried for you four the whole time. Then she dropped us off in the d''Celestin Estate, and we''ve been rxing in luxury since. Unable to leave, yeah, <em>prisoners, </em>which was a little bit concerning, but prisoners in luxury."


    Zoey rxed. She didn''t think any of them would have been <em>abused</em> while in Lucinda and then the d''Celestin''s care, but still, Aria was Zoey''s responsibility. And they <em>had </em>just abandoned her to go hunt down another shard.


    Aria pped her hands. "But you can''t tease me like that! Back to the skill stuff. What''d you get?" She blushed. "If you don''t mind telling."


    "You''re my High Priestess. I''ll share everything."


    That flustered Aria more than Zoey expected it to. "R-Really?"


    "Of course. I trust you. And we''re on the same team now."


    "Oh. Um. W-Well, thank you." The girl''s face had changed colors at an impressive speed, and now she couldn''t meet Zoey''s eyes. "I''ll do my best to ensure that trust is deserved." A short pause. "My … Goddess?"


    Zoey winced. "Yeah, none of that, please. Just Zoey."


    Aria nodded, then pursed her lips as she considered the request more deeply. "Maybe in private, we can be casual," she said. "But we <em>do </em>need to start fostering a certain image of you, among your followers. We''ll need honorifics."


    Zoey rubbed her forehead. Yeah, she supposed they would. As weird as all of this felt, she had to ept the path given to her. Especially since her skills were developing in a way where they utilized Holy Energy, now, not just Lust.


    "I suppose we do." She wondered what all of that would look like. Zoey had never been in any <em>remote </em>role of authority, leadership, or significance—even for the standards of regr, modern life, much less the kinds of people she was dealing with now. Rulers of factions and literal goddesses. "So, my skill is called Patron," she said, moving on from the disorienting other topic. "It lets me use Holy Energy to move people up in advancements."


    Aria stared at her. Her mouth fell slightly open. Several seconds passed with her wearing that dumbfounded look, before she shook her head to clear it. Her teeth clicked gently back closed.


    "I guess I shouldn''t be surprised," she said. "What else would the abilities of a growing goddess be? But still. Wow."


    "I''m assuming it''s so I can grow my following. Pick people that I want to be my allies and ensure they''re a simr advancement."


    Aria nodded, agreeing with her assessment.


    "Oh. And it says, ''with a High Priestess, ritualistically select.'' So it isn''t a targeted ability. You''re involved somehow."


    That didn''t surprise Aria either. "Rituals. Of course." Her head tilted. "What shape would those take for <em>you</em>, though?"


    "Sorry?"


    "Ephy''s are rather clear." Her cheeks colored, as did Zoey''s, remembering the thorough <em>''ritual'' </em>she had engaged in with Aria, that had kicked off all of this. "But you''re not Ephythithys. Your aspect is …" she didn''t finish, waiting for Zoey to answer with a curious expression.


    "Bonding." Zoey paused, then blushed. "Though not <em>just </em>that, I don''t think. I''m pretty sure Ephy had an influence on me."


    "So sexual intimacy is implied, somewhere. Just a softer, less hungry kind than Ephythithys''s."


    "I guess."


    "Hm," Aria said. "Since it includes bonding, I wouldn''t be surprised if the ritual should involve someone you have a deep connection to."


    "Oh?" She didn''t immediately understand what Aria meant by that.


    "You know," Aria coughed. "Like how you had help with me."


    The confusion cleared up. "Ah." She would need to enlist Delta''s help again, for future rituals. Zoey knew Rosalie wasn''t nearly as eager to sleep around with others, and she doubted Maddy would be either. The foxgirl would definitely not mind, though.


    And, huh.


    If she wanted to move Sabina or Aria up in advancement, she and Delta would have to … show them a good time. Together.


    Definitely not the worst requirement in the world.


    "I suppose I should tell you how <em>my </em>skill works, too," Aria said. "How we''re supposed to <em>get</em> the Holy Energy you need. There''s a few ways, actually."


    Oh. Yeah. They''d skipped that part.


    "Let''s hear it," Zoey said, bracing herself.