The First Penitatas - Sin and Salvation
Eve Doland sat on a lounger on the street outside her house, one eye on a data pad and one on her charges. The City was tightly packed and only the wealthiest could afford a garden, so it was necessary to allow the Penitatas to play in the street. It was safe enough for them as little vehicular traffic came this way, and most of the people in the street at this time of day were parents themselves. Still, not everyone was keen on seeing Rejuves and Kindern playing together.
A sharp squeal made Eve look up sharply. Skal had yanked Sam's tail to throw her off balance. As the girl stumbled he leaped upon her, pinning her to the ground. Eve's instinct was to step in and break them apart, but she resisted and mere moments later Skal was running away with Sam in pursuit, giving playful yelps of excitement. As much as she hated to admit it, Eve couldn't recall when she'd seen her daughter this happy. The Human mother asked herself whether not letting Sam scrap with others as a child had led to her delinquency later in life, and cursed inwardly for the very thought of it.
Further up the street, two groups of adolescents were becoming overly aggressive, and Eve clapped for the Penny's attention before ushering them back indoors. "Look at you two! Skimmed knees and elbows!" She kept her tone upbeat, but Sam still flinched at the comment.
The two were steered into Sam's bedroom, which was a spacious room with a double bed, desk, wardrobe and a toy chest. There used to be electronics, but they were removed when Sam became a Penitatas. Not that Skal ever complained; Sam had toys and board games he'd never seen before and he was always eager to play. At least, he was normally eager; getting rough with Sam had left him wanting something else entirely. 
With a playful growl, Skal ambushed Sam as she searched her toy chest and knocked the girl onto her back. He straddled the girl, expecting her to fight back as she had in the street just minutes before, but instead he was met with a look of surprise and panic. "What are you doing? Get off me!" Sam snapped at him. 
Skal let her up, his tail falling flat against his legs in shame, "sorry, I just-" 
"If mom caught us rough housing in here we'd get our hides tanned!" Sam scolded, which prompted Skal to retreat further from her. With a sigh of frustration she added, "I'm sorry, I just had a really bad day yesterday. Kind of on broken glass right now." 
"I get it," Skal replied. "I feel like Kadan has finally started to cut me some slack, but I worry he'll turn nasty again."
Thoughts of toys abandoned, the two wordlessly settled onto the carpet, resting their backs on the wooden bed frame. It was real wood, or so Sam claimed; the house was full of wooden furniture, marking the Doland family as a well-off household. Trees didn't grow naturally on Taviksaad.
"So... What happened yesterday?" Skal asked as his feet drummed a tune into the carpet. 
Sam hung her head and shuffled in her seat, trying to take up less space in the spacious room. "Mom took me to the park, the one at the edge of the district. I was screwing around with some of the local kids and we got a bit carried away, daring each other to jump off the top of the climbing frame. Well, mom saw me do it and spanked me right then and there, pants down and everything. The kids got a good look at what I was and afterwards... "
Sam paused to wipe her eyes, "she doesn't get it. She says stupid shit like 'it doesn't matter what you look like' or 'you shouldn't care what people think'. She doesn't understand what's wrong because she's some weird alien species whose men and women look the same!"
Skal took her hand and gave an encouraging smile, "hey, if that happens when I'm around, we'll fuck them up together." the silly promise made Sam laugh despite her tears.
She shook off his hand and stood up, turning to face him with a worried look on her muzzle. "It really means a lot that you accept me as a girl. Just... Don't get the wrong idea about this..." Skal's face turned from confused to eagerly surprised as Sam unbuttoned her pants and let them fall to her ankles, her shirt followed soon after 
"This way I'm not pretending," she said, opening her arms to display herself, "I just want to be me, the real me around someone else."
"I get it," Skal answered with a smile. 
Sam paused, her gaze turning from her friend to the ceiling as she bit her lip to stifle a giggle. "You're swelling." 
"Yeah," the boy replied, adjusting his clothes to further giggles from Sam, who bent over and pulled him to his feet.
"I'm going to go talk to my mom so we can play nude without getting paddled."
"You mean both of us?" Skal's voice trembled a little at the idea. 
Sam gave a salacious wink, "I want to see if your rear's still smooth."
She was gone for only a minute before bounding back into the room. "all good! Now take your clothes off! Do it slow, I want to enjoy it." she grinned. 
Blushing and swollen, Skal gave his friend a brief, but entertaining show. Sam playfully spanked his backside as his pants slid down, enjoying the sight of pink skin beneath a fine stubble of new fur. The sight of him at half mast made her grin all the more, which Skal took as an invitation. He stepped up to her, hands firmly on her shoulders, and with a sudden jolt threw her onto the bed. As Sam tried to right herself, Skal jumped on top of her, pinning her to the sheets. 
"You got me all exited, only fair you help me calm down," he growled, pinning Sam's arms above her head. 
Sam bit her lip, "mom was really clear on that. No sex."
Skal licked his teeth and growled, "perfect. Then you can't scream for help while I rape you." 
Sam shut her eyes and replied, "I want to tell you to fuck off, but I'm pretty sure that I just dripped thanks to you." 
Reluctantly, Skal backed off and let Sam sit up. She brushed a hand across her slit and held her fingers to his nose. The sharp inhale of her scent caused Skal's knot to pop free of the sheath, eliciting a groan of both pain and pleasure from the boy. 
"Well, now I've done it!" Sam grinned. She learned in close to lick at Skal's muzzle and whispered, "I have a plan. We'll put on a show for mom, then I'll take care of your needs."
She hopped off the bed and hastily set up one of her games on the floor. Skal sat with his back to the door and tried to show interest, while Sam became loudly enthusiastic about every dice roll and movement of figurines. It didn't take long for her mother to appear at the door and peer in on their play. Sam pretended not to notice until Eve stepped into the room. "Having fun, sweetheart?" 
Sam nodded eagerly, while Skal shifted to keep his painfully hard length out of sight. Eve gave the game board a quick glance and said, "You two were being a little loud. I know you like your game, but try not to get too excited, alright?"
"Yes mom!" the girl answered, but she was parting her legs at Skal before her mother had even left the room.
Eve's footsteps had barely died away when Sam pounced. She thrust her muzzle onto Skal's member, murring with hungry lust at the taste of his flesh. Skal gave a startled yelp and whispered, "shouldn't we close the door first?" but Sam showed no interest in stopping. Her tongue provided wet, warm friction for the throbbing member to rub against, her sharp teeth brushed dangerously against the sensitive meat, and her hands worked Skal's balls and knot, toying and squeezing, judging by ear what was pleasurable. She felt the boy hunch over her, and he hit his climax with a trilling yip.
"You good?" Sam asked when she came up for air. 
Skal nodded, though he had to wipe his eyes. "That was a bit too intense. I think my dick thinks we're not ready for this." 
Sam gave a playful giggle, "he seemed eager before... But but I get it. I could have been more delicate too," she added, noting the red scratch lines along his length from her teeth as it shrank back into the sheath. 
"For once I'm glad to finish quick," Skal said with a nod toward the open door. "Do you want me to take care of you now?" 
Before Sam could answer, the door bell sounded. The two Penitatas dressed quickly, barely getting themselves decent before being called, "Sam? There's a gentleman to see you! He says that he's a priest!"
Puzzled, Sam emerged from her bedroom with Skal in tow. In the living room was a Kyyreni Dawnsider in ashen robes clutching an old fashioned plate-book. He smiled warmly at the Penny as she approached, his burned tail twitching with excitement." Greetings, Sam. My name is Pilgrim, and I am here to discuss your immortal soul." 

The last thing Kadan wanted was to be summoned to the Palace. In truth, he didn't much want to be on the street either, but at least there he could make a difference. He still wasn't sure what headway was ever going to be made in Rejuve law.
Lord Vaskal met him in at the gate, but not to honour him. "I don't want you going into this meeting blind," the Lord explained, "Black Iron have support in Silverhome. Lord Jansal has been making speeches about how he intends to outlaw rejuvenation. We're at war now. Not publicly, you understand, but for all intents and purposes we are. I've been calling for mercenaries, and soldiers need to be paid so that means taxes. You need to be ready for more unhappy citizens."
Kadan longed for a drink. "Sire, we're stretched to breaking as it is!"
"Then stretch a little more," the Lord chided. "I'll try my best to get you more men and funds. I'll push for lock-down edicts, kill-orders... Hell, I'll authorise the red wall if it comes to that. Keep the peace at all costs, understand?" He did not bother to wait for the answer. "As for your proposals for the reforms, it's a waste of time, to be frank. You've given me nothing that hasn't been argued to death already. I need a new approach, Captain. Asking for the same thing over and over won't succeed."
"Then why am I even here?" Kadan snapped back, "Whatever contribution I have could have been made with my damn pad!"
Vaskal sighed, "best get it out of your system now. I have one last warning; the Lord of Tavik has apparently found an advisor who believes they can resolve our crisis. I have my suspicions as to who that might be..."
Lady Sin. Kadan knew it would be Lady Sin.
Sure enough, as Vaskal followed the Lord Governor into the library, there she was; dressed in her finest garments, face twisted into a scarred smirk, Lady Sin stood calmly beside the elderly Lord of Tavik. The venerable Lord's muzzle was grey, his limbs plagued with trembles, but his eyes remained as sharp as a man's half his age. Sharper than the Lord Governor, certainly.
"Let's not waste time," the Lord Governor barked as he strode in, "you have some solution? Introduce yourself, for I was not given your name."
"Lady Sin, sire," she answered with a respectful bow.
"I asked for your name, not the title you sport in the brothel."
"They are one and the same," Lady Sin answered calmly, "I have no other name, and will give no other."
Vaskal briefly bared his teeth, but seemingly decided the argument was not worth having. With a vague wave of his hand he said, "speak your piece or leave."
Another gracious bow preceded her explanation, "As you are no-doubt aware, this unrest is in part a matter of faith. 'Black Iron' is not a name chosen by accident. Indeed, it echoes an old doctrine; a view of the Gods that has all but fallen out of favour. Most now respect Vorhol for the gift of a soul, but few feel an obligation to him for it."
"The Temple has already given us their blessing," Vaskal answered in a dismissive tone.
"I have no doubt," she continued, "but faith is a personal thing, is it not? One turns to a priest for a service, or when ones own understanding of scripture is lacking; but what if one is facing a true crisis of faith? What do you do when your heart tells you the course you have chosen leads to ruin? In those times men do not wish to debate the meaning of a text; they want to speak to their God directly."
"You speak of avatars and spirit walks. Such things are profane; the soul may not stand in the realm of the Gods and Mortals alike."
Lady Sin's smile became a little more crooked, "as I said, certain beliefs have fallen out of favour. At least, for most. Not everyone objects to direct communication with their patron."
Something clicked behind Vaskal's dismissive mask. His whole body flinched as if struck, and he met Lady Sin's gaze with a mixture of anger and revulsion. "Answer true: who name you 'Lady Sin'?"
"A woman stood before the Blighted Man and bid he look into her soul. He took from her all that was unworthy and took her failings, that they might burn with him. 'I name you now as Lady Sin. You shall be a test to the souls of men.' That is how I came to be, Lord Governor."
"I see," Vaskal answered, his voice barely a whisper. "I thank you for your advice. No doubt you have other matters that require your attention."
Lady Sin nodded slightly to the Lord Governor, and then to the Lord of Tavik, whose normally grey face was fast becoming fiery red, "it would seem that I do. I thank you both for this rare and special privilege. Good day, my Lords."
"Gods damn it!" the elderly Lord barked when he felt she was safely out of earshot. "I had no idea! No damn idea!"
Kadan looked from one man to the other as he struggled to understand what he'd witnessed. Vaskal apparently noted his confusion for he said, "The Cult of the Blighted Man is a dark faith from the Homeworld. They believe that we are irrevocably tainted by the sin of turning from our creator; not Vorhol, as but their nameless deity. The False God does not embrace them unless they find some way to earn redemption in his eyes, and to escape damnation they create a Blighted Man - an avatar though which the false deity speaks. The Blighted Man takes the sins of the cultists unto himself, and so burdened is purified in flame. Sometimes that is enough, other times he will place a greater price upon the cultist; demand they become a priest, for example, or fill some other duty. They must want a foothold here; to create a moral crisis that only their mad cult can absolve the sinful of."
"They've done a fucking grand job," Kadan answered, "Vices took on a whole new level of degeneracy ever since she appeared."
"We need to keep this quiet!" Vaskal growled, but the Lord of Tavik urgently shook his head.
"No, no. She wouldn't have come out and said who she was unless they had something in play. We can't act rashly now. We have to assume they have powerful allies, perhaps even nobles in our midst! We've got to build a power-base now."
"All the more reason to crush this rebellion swiftly," the Lord Governor spat as he strode to the window, seeking solace in its artistry.
Kadan cleared his throat, "I don't think she's with the rebels, sire. I think she genuinely wants Rejuvenation to work."
"That's their power! 'That's how I came to be' is what she said! Lord Governor, they want their Cult to control the rejuvenators so they can decide who gets to be reborn!"
Lord Vaskal nodded, "Yes, and no doubt they will deny rejuvenation to any who oppose their cult. And I did them a favour by alienating the Royal Slaver Company. They might just hand control of the devices to these cultists out of spite..." 
A sob escaped Vaskal's maw, a sound that made the Lord of Tavik decidedly uncomfortable. "Kadan, I order you to secure the loyalty of the Slavers. Do whatever it takes. If they... If they cannot abide my rule, so be it. Assure them that you have the favour of a patron who is ready to move against me. If I have to fall so my dream might survive, it is a price I'm willing to pay."

"Why are you here?" Sam asked. 
"Because you have gone astray," Pilgrim replied in a calm, soothing tone. "Your time as a Penitatas is meant to reform you, but reform is difficult without guidance. You are most fortunate; you have your foster parents to offer you physical guidance. I am here for when your doubts concern the world to come."
"You don't look much like a Smith," Sam responded, which drew an amused grin from Pilgrim.
"That's because I am not. The man who wore this flesh before me was. Like you, he also strayed; he was a thief, a rapist and a murderer, and he languished in a cage for many years as penance for his sins, but it did not redeem him. For you see, he had convinced himself that he was beyond redemption, and so saw no need to change. It was then he found the Faith, and through their patience, trust and love I was born anew. Now, I seek to give guidance to those who are lost as I was."
Pilgrim knelt down to meet Sam's gaze on a more equal footing, "I see doubts in your eyes, child. Vorhol's Temple claims we are born unfinished, imperfect; the rigors of life temper, shape and sharpen us into worthy people. Yet we do not know our worthiness until we stand before him, until there is no hope to undo our mistakes... and I think you fear, as I did, that your mistakes might be irredeemable."
"Alright, that's enough," Eve tried to cut in, but Pilgrim dismissed her with a calm wave of the hand.
"If you wish to leave, child, you need only ask," he said, his voice still soft, still utterly in control, "but I think this fear gnaws at you. What if I were to tell you that doubt could be relieved, that you could know if your Creator had forgiven your sins? What if I told you that you could ask him for that forgiveness directly? Would that be something you desire?"
Sam nodded mutely, as if under some hypnotic spell. Eve moved to place herself between Pilgrim and her daughter, "Thank you for visiting us, but I really think it is time for you to leave."
Pilgrim rose, nodding politely, "of course, I did not mean to intrude. Here, take this card in case your daughter, or indeed anyone requires spiritual guidance."
With one last fatherly smile to Sam, the holy man took his leave. Eve shut the door behind him and turned at once to Sam, whose expression was anxious, her gaze lost in middle distance. "Sweetie, are you okay? I am so sorry..."
"It's fine," Sam replied, and after a too-long pause embraced her mother. "I'm okay, really. He just reminded me of things I'd rather not think about..."
When the two broke apart, Eve insisted the Pennys go back to their play. Sam flashed a warm smile and flicked her tail as she walked, but in the privacy of the bedroom she chose to stay dressed and showed little enthusiasm for her games. To Skal's disappointment and concern, she remained distant for the remainder of his visit. He chose not to mention anything about the visit to Kadan - the man was seething, and Skal had no wish for a hiding.

In the back room of the Doll House, Lady Sin was tending to a very special client.
The girl he'd come to see was twelve, making her old for a Doll House girl; come the Revelry she would almost certainly enter season, and thus transition from girl to woman. However, the service she performed was not sexual, but spiritual. She wore only a loincloth for modesty, displaying a body that had been ritually scarred, tattooed and acid burned. Her dilated eyes gazed through the man knelt before her, seeing things no living soul but her and the other chosen avatars would ever see. She was, despite her sex, the Blighted Man.
The man before her had been speaking for some time, and then weeping for some time after that. He had lived an interesting life of misadventure, some of which had taken place in this very building. Now, faced with a price he was unwilling to pay, he had turned to the Faith for salvation. Lady Sin listened from the avatar's right shoulder, taking a perverse pride in the deeds he recounted that she herself had played some part in. That was her purpose, after all; to tempt the souls of men.
At last, the man's confession ended. The Blighted Man swayed gently in her chair, maw agape and panting slowly. "I..." she began, but faltered. A vague hand probed for a goblet of sacred nectar, which Lady Sin assisted her in finding. The Blighted Man drank, and found her voice once more. "Your sins are a heavy... burden. I accept... I forgive."
"Thank you!" he wept aloud, crawling forward to kiss her feet. Lady Sin smiled at that; he'd always liked the feet of the girls he hired.
"How... however... there is a price. There must be a... price." The Blighted Man continued, sweat pouring down her face and chest. "You must... defend the Faith."
"How do I do that?" the sinner asked.
Lady Sin stepped forward, "Your God offers forgiveness in exchange for your servitude. Do you accept, and vow to defend us, or do you go un-redeemed?"
"I... I will defend the Faith," he stammered.
The Blighted Man's head lolled back and forth as she sighed, "Then I name you... Defender."
Lady Sin grinned as only she could. "Welcome to the fold, Defender. Come, let us talk of the needs of the Faith."