Redux: Lineage

I had to admit, I was rather excited. I had no idea why I was this giddy about meeting Jenevive, as it wasn't like I'd never seen a woman before. I'd seen plenty of them, many of them beautiful, and not many of them had gotten me bouncing back and forth on my feet with anticipation to meet her. Cindria guided me to the cathedral, a large, towering building with expertly-carved architecture, statues of many Goddesses, and large steel doors at the entrance. We walked inside, hearing what appeared to be quiet humming from the altar of the cathedral.

My eyes moved down the lane between the polished wooden pews, seeing three women kneeling at the large altar, each cupping a candle in a gilded holder, humming along to a hymn, I presumed. The three women were of different ranks, with two of them wearing basic all-white nun's frocks and, quiet strangely, a lack of any kind of footwear. The third woman, who I presumed to be Jenevive, was wearing an extremely different outfit. If I had to to use any specific term to describe what she was garbed in, it would have to be 'war nun'.

She had the same frock as the other two, only hers was a motif of black and silver, the frock falling low to her ankles behind her... while leaving the front of her legs open to allow her steel-clad boots to walk freely, the chainmail she wore underneath the frock to hang just below her waist, and having long and open sleeves as to not have any difficulty sliding her gauntlet-covered hands through them. On her chest, her very large chest, was the symbol of the Blades in a cold, steel silver pattern that looked... worn. Like the crest on a soldier's uniform after numerous battles and many years had gone by.

I looked up to her face, what little of it I could see from this distance, and noticed that not only was she wearing a hood that was brimmed so low that it covered half of her eyes, she was also wearing what appeared to be a silver... blindfold of some kind. It was certainly more than a scrap of cloth, that much was for sure, but I couldn't make out exactly what she was wearing. The only parts of her face I could see were her nose and plump, painted red lips... which, for some reason, aroused me something vicious.

The humming came to a stop after a long moment, the black-clad war-nun raising her head towards us, making me almost fear for my life as she got to her feet, standing at quite a size, only for a wave of relief to wash over me as a warm, welcoming smile spread onto her gorgeous lips.

"Knight-Commander Cindria," she said with a polite bow of her head. "I see you've come with a gift from the heavens above."

I'd been called many things by many beautiful women over my years, but that one nearly made my penis jump for joy.

"His Holiness insisted on making your acquaintance, High Priestess," Cindria chuckled as we walked over to the altar.

Deciding that I wasn't an eight year old boy walking behind his mother, I accelerated past Cindria and held my hand out for Jenevive to shake. She took it, shook it in a rather soft, affectionate manner, before dropping down onto one knee and bowing her head.

"Miss Jenevive, why we've only just met," I said in a joking manner. "I hardly think now is the best time for us to be wed, do you?"

"I should be so lucky," she whispered in a tone that shook just enough to let me know she was serious.

Man alive, I was going to shag the spine out of this woman.

She got back to her feet, standing a good bit taller than I was, and joined her gauntlet-clad hands at her waist. She turned to the other girls, smiling widely at them before speaking once more.

"Altear, Veruna, I'm confident in saying you've trained enough to officially begin your duties at the Fort," Jenevive said. "I am willing and proud to call you my sisters."

Their faces lit up, bowing their heads and smiling widely, bowing to me especially before turning to the Knight-Commander and giving the Blades' salute to her, a gesture she returned, before they headed out of the door. There was silence for a moment after the doors had closed, and I decided to broach the subject while it was fresh.

"Why the need for two different gestures?" I asked Cindria.

"There isn't really a need for the different ones," Cindria chuckled, putting her hands on her hips. "The official salute of the Blades is really the only one that needs be done as a greeting and a mark of respect. The churchmen spend a lot of time bowing and kneeling before our statues, and that's the gesture they use when greeting each other, other chapters of the Blades, and you and your family. They bow as a sign of respect and then salute as is custom. It's extra effort on their part, but they seem to not mind doing so, even after I remind them."

"So you're all best friends with one another?" I asked.

"We are a family, Your Holiness," Jenevive nodded. "And there is no place for dislike or animosity in our house."

It was only after listening to Jenevive immediately after Cindria that I realised just how much softer her voice with. It was almost a sing-song kind of speech pattern, where she floated from one word to the next in a rather calming and almost lulling manner that made me feel a little tired.

"That's a very admirable way to live," I said, noting the fact that I didn't really see my own family seriously argue with one another.

"Tis the way we were taught, Your Holiness," she said, bowing her head once more. "And tis the way we live."

I think I liked it here. Everyone seemed to get along, there was a nice, clear order to things, and it seemed that everyone had their jobs and tasks to keep busy and to help out around the fortress. I looked around the cathedral, admiring the bright candles, the hanging chandeliers, and the beautiful architecture, before my attention was gotten by a request from Cindria.

"Your Holiness, would you mind letting me see your sword?" she asked, her eyes focused on the blade on my belt.

"Of course not," I said, unsheathing it with my grip near the crossguard and handing the rest of the hilt to Cindria.

It seemed she was a woman with an eye for weaponry, as her gaze lit up like a diamond in the sunlight as she took hold of the weapon. She examined the cold blade, the expert craftsmanship, and the perfect balance the weapon had, dragging a finger along the inside of the crossguard, examining the sculpted pommel, and briefly twirling it around in her hands.

"Goddesses, I've never seen such a perfect weapon before," she said, nodding in approval. "Might I ask where you got it from?"

"I got it as a present from my Aunt Celestia," I answered, crossing my arms and watching Cindria go through a few basic sword stances with it. "She ordered it from a legendary smith... but I didn't really ask for many of the details."

"I take it that this is your personal weapon?" she asked. "Similar to the ones your other family members carry?"

"Indeed it is," I said. "Freshly washed clean of the dragon blood it had on it not a few days ago."

"A dragon?" Cindria asked. "For one so young?"

"I can't take all the credit," I shrugged. "It was mostly down to the team I got together to help me."

"Still, a dragon is no easy feat for any army to take care of," she said, handing me back the sword in the same manner I gave it to her.

I was ready to put it away when Jenevive made a request to see it. I handed it over to her as she sat down on a small chair behind the altar, resting the blade on her knees and looking down at it. I felt like now was the perfect time to ask what the deal was with the... silver mask? she was wearing before the conversation took off again.

"Oh, this?" she asked with a smile as she tapped a finger against the silver eye mask. "It's an old tradition of the High Priestesses. To prevent our view of the Goddesses' holy world being tainted and corrupted by the darkness that swarms it, we each wear this mask."

"But... how can you see?" I asked her, leaning over to look at her face once more.

"My sight is granted by the Goddesses," she said with a warm smile, looking up at me as she spoke. "I can see just as well as you or Cindria can, but without the stain of darkness."

"I see," I lied, not really sure what she meant by 'the stain of darkness'.

"My sight also allows me to see that this weapon knows not the touch of magic," she said, gently tapping the centre of it with her finger.

"I think you're right?" I said in an unsure tone. "I've never really had a gift for magic. I can't sense it or anything..."

"Would you like me to bless your weapon?" she asked in a kind voice.

"If, uh, if it's not too much trouble," I nodded.

"It'll take naught more than a few seconds," she assured me.

With that, she unclasped her gauntlets, removed the metal items, and laid her soft hands on the flat of my sword. She then slid two fingers inside the fuller of the blade, right to the tip of the weapon, and leaving a small trail of glowing light behind her. If I were a normal, faithless man, and not one born from a race of magical creatures created to safeguard the world on the orders of an ancient pantheon of heavenly women, I'd have dropped to my knees and started praying for forgiveness against Jenevive's legs at the show of power.

The light soon exploded outwards, swallowing and encompassing the whole of the sword, bathing it in a powerful golden glow that was almost painful to look at. Jenevive, seemingly protected by the mask she wore, as able to continue staring at the weapon as she stroked, rubbed, and moulded the light around the weapon until it seemed to sink into the metal itself, giving off a soft hum and a gentle shine, showing that Jenevive not only possessed the power of Goddessess...

But also that she could probably give a really good handjob.

"There we go," she said in a chipper tone. "Your sword has been blessed by the power of the heavens themselves. Now no man, beast, or monster that is born of dark shall ever stand a chance against you."

That was perfect. I love you Jenevive. Please marry me.

"Thank you," I said, taking the blade back and noticing that it was warm to the touch, giving off a comforting heat like a campfire in a snow storm. "It feels... powerful."

"As it should," she chuckled, getting to her feet and joining her hands at her hips.

"If you two are to start discussing power and potential, I shall return to the briefing with General Armour," she said, bowing low to me and then giving Jenevive the Blades salute. "It's been an honour meeting you, Your Holiness."

"You too, Cindria," I said with a smile, watching her walk away and leave the cathedral entirely.

There was a moment of brief silence before Jenevive turned to me with a loving smile and spoke.

"May I address you by your name, Your Holiness?" she asked.

"Of course," I nodded. "You can call me Richter if you want to."

"Thank you," she said. "Well... if you permit me to be so forward, may I ask a something of you?"

"Go right ahead," I agreed.

"Would you like to have sex with me?" she giggled, cocking her wide, wide hips slightly and placing a playful finger to her plump lips.

"Pardon?" I asked in confusion, wanting to make sure she was positive before I fucked the soul out of her.

"I have a talent for being able to sense the emotions of those around me, and your lust is flaring like a blazing fire," she said, going back to her usual mature nature. "It may be presumptuous for me to assume that I am the object of that desire... but even if I am not, I'd be more than willing to satiate your hunger for a woman's body, if it pleases you?"

"Jenevive..." I said in a heavy tone. "There isn't a single thing about you that doesn't please me."

"Then wait until you see how pleasing I can be when I get out of my frock..." she giggled, taking me by the hand and leading me to what I presumed would be her chambers.