[b][u][center]A Study of Connections Part 7 For a-lycotonum By Draconicon[/center][/u][/b] “What? What do you mean Sister Oakhoof ordered their removal?” Sparrow shrugged helplessly as Hazel stared, fighting the urge to strangle the air. She’d been expecting the information on Primal Points to be a bit difficult to find, yes, but to have them actually removed from the library completely? That was out of the realm of normal behavior, and she wondered what in the hell Aster Oakhoof was thinking. [i]This can’t be coincidence,[/i] she thought, running her fingers along the pendant that the older elf woman had given her. [i]She doesn’t act on nothing, so why is she doing this now?[/i] There was no clear answer. Some instinct buried deep down in her suggested that she should let the matter drop, that she should allow it to go the way that it had, and it was…surprisingly strong. After all, Sister Oakhoof was an elder of the church. She knew how the world worked, and if she did something, then there was a good reason for it. Maybe it would be best to leave that knowledge, to let it lie where it had fallen. Then the moment passed, and she shook her head again. She needed to know what the truth was, and if that meant finding where the books had been taken – “Hazel?” Sparrow’s voice cut her out of her own thoughts. The half-elf groaned, not liking how easily she had been dropping into her own head of late, and forced herself to look up. “Sorry. It’s been a long day already.” “It must be. You almost looked like you were talking to yourself there.” “Heh…I guess I was, in a way.” The librarian, a rare half-elf in the church, reached out and patted her shoulder. Hazel reached up and patted her friend’s hand in turn, sighing. “I’m sorry. I just…I really need to know what was in those books.” “Well…they’re not completely out of reach, you know.” “You said that Sister Oakhoof ordered their removal, though?” “Yeah, but just to the vaults.” “[i]Just?[/i] There’s no ‘just’ about that.” “Oh, come on. You know it won’t be that serious. And besides, we could bring company, if we really thought it was dangerous.” “…Company?” Hazel asked after a moment’s hesitation. “Well…um…the hobgoblins seem…keen.” Sparrow’s cheeks burned softly, and Hazel couldn’t help but do the same. If she had read the situation right that night, then Sparrow had already gone off with one of the hobgoblin warriors, and quite possibly already carried that warrior’s child. That was part of the festival, and there was no shame there, but the fact that she was looking to get more time alone with them, time away from her job here at the library… [i]Are they that good?[/i] The vision returned to her, reminding her of how she had been screaming on Vakrozad’s cock – and in her ass, of all places – and she immediately shut that down. She didn’t need to start getting wet in front of Sparrow, of all people. “Are you sure that’s where the books are?” she asked. “Sister Oakhoof had me carry them there myself.” “…” “As long as we’re careful, nobody will know.” That was…true enough, though not completely the same. She knew for a fact that there were plenty of ways that they could be found out, that they could end up losing a great deal of status in the church proper for this. Yet, at the same time, it was necessary. “Alright. Fine.” “Wonderful! You get the hobgoblins, and I’ll meet you at the entrance.” “Wait, I didn’t say –” But it was too late. Sparrow was already off, running from the desk after putting a little placard down to say that she was off for lunch. The half-elf shook her head, rubbing her face as she watched her friend dart out of the library, running down the branches and paths of the church. [i]Well, this is going to be awkward…[/i] She just hoped that Vakrozad was already coming to the church, or this was going to be all kinds of delayed. # Thankfully, Vakrozad and a number of his warriors were already on approach when she walked out the front doors. The hobgoblins were not quite welcome in the village just yet, but after the last night or two and their general behavior, they were starting to be, if not accepted, then no longer actively feared. It wasn’t the same as being welcomed, but it was a hell of a lot better than nothing. She walked up to meet them, and the porcine Vakrozad grinned at her, snorting softly. “Heh, hey there, guard dog.” “Not so loud,” she muttered as she waved him forward. “I need to ask you a favor.” “Heh, is it the one that we both saw in the vision?” “No!” Her cheeks had already been red, but now they were burning. She shook her head, rubbing them in hopes that the heat would go away. The other hobgoblins were chuckling, but thankfully not maliciously. They were like older brothers getting a grin at the sight of a younger sister getting a tease. Shaking her head, she forced the thought out of her mind. “I need you to come with me to the vaults.” Almost immediately, Vakrozad’s smile turned upside-down. He looked at her with a sterner expression, his head cocked to the side. “The vaults.” “Yes.” “Why?” “Because…there’s something that I need to learn. Something that will make it much easier for us when the time comes for…you know…” The villagers were starting to pay more attention to the conversation they were having. She shouldn’t have started this out in the open, but she needed to do this away from the temple. Gritting her teeth, she looked the hobgoblin chief in the eye. “Yes or no?” “Well, yes, but –” “Good. Anyone here know Sparrow?” One of the hobgoblins raised his hand, and she gestured for him to step forward. “You and Vakrozad, with me. The rest of you can do whatever you came here to do…as long as that’s not collaring more girls. That…that’s something you’re going to need to take a break from, for now.” The other warriors started elbowing each other, already grinning and yapping about how one of their number had gotten ‘lucky’, and how they were all going to get that eventually. She ignored them, pulling the chieftain and the other warrior forward. It wasn’t until they were back in the temple that she realized that she had taken complete charge there, and she actually paused in shock as she realized just how assertive that she had been. Embarrassment and focus really did have their place, it seemed, and not just in keeping her…well, there was no thinking of that now. She led them up the steps and into the temple proper, taking some of the side hallways to keep them mostly out of sight. “So, why’s it matter that I know Sparrow?” the other hobgoblin asked. “She’s helping me get in,” Hazel muttered. “Yeah, but what’s that got to do with me?” “She likes you and wants you around. And trusts you. I hope.” “Heh, I hope she does, after we –” “Please, I beg you, do not finish that sentence.” She was having a hard enough time keeping her mind from going to sexual places right at that moment, and she didn’t need the extra challenge. Just having Vakrozad behind her was reminding her of all the time that they had already spent together, and that soft musk that was coming off him didn’t make things easier. She could all-too-easily imagine the pair of them naked, and her getting a better, more intimate feeling of him against her…his scent…his fur…his touch… [i]Stop it![/i] And when she had to pause, when she had to push the hobgoblins to the walls of the temple corridors so that they were out of sight of the other brothers and sisters that were moving through the temple, she could feel the chief looking down on her with that sense of lust that hadn’t quite been there before. It was…strange. On the one hand, she preferred the old way, of how Vakrozad had behaved when they were still getting to know each other. When he’d been just the chief and she’d been the cleric assigned to keep him out of trouble, things had been simple. She didn’t have to worry about whether he would start groping her or causing trouble. More than that, she didn’t have to deal with any temptations other than her own from down below. But now? Now, when she looked back at him, she knew that he was thinking of the same things that she was. That vision had done more than just tell them what they needed to do to unravel a mystery. It had shown them…possibilities. Possibilities that she wasn’t sure that she could turn down, if they were offered to her again. [i]Just hold out. It’s one thing, and then you can…[/i] He grabbed her from behind, pulling her back against the wall with them, and she felt the bulge through his armor rubbing against her ass. She was about to snap at him, only for Vakrozad to silence her with a finger. Another person was passing at a hallway crossing up ahead, and it was, of all people, High Priest Tristan. The one person that might have understood, but at the same time… She remembered the vision. She remembered that Tristan had been able to watch after catching her and Vakrozad together, and she remembered how the high priest had been…aroused…of all things at the sight of a sister of the temple being defiled. If he had been aroused in the vision, what did that mean for real life? What would he do if he caught her like that in person? And what would he want in return? The answers did not come, and Tristan didn’t turn their way. As the high priest left, she took a deep breath. “Thank you.” “Heh, no problem. Don’t want to get caught.” “…No, no we don’t.” Even if there was a part of her that wanted to resolve that curiosity… Shaking her head, she reoriented herself. The vault was…this way. # Sparrow was waiting for them at the door, but rather than being dressed for a quick in and out, the other half-elf had brought along a pair of wine bottles – no, brandy, she realized as she got a better look at the color – and had changed for her fairly stark green librarian gown to something a little less…conservative. It was like a summer dress, short-skirted with a cut down the chest to show off the bosom, and while it was still green and white, appropriate for the temple, the way that it clung to her hips and exposed so much leg was nearly scandalous. The other hobgoblin that she’d picked up immediately grinned and ran for her, while Hazel was grumbling under her breath and rubbing her face. “This isn’t a picnic or a date…” “She thinks it is,” Vakrozad said. “Heh. She’s really getting into it.” “Does this just happen with people that hobgoblins…you know…” “When did you get shy, guard dog?” “When I’m around other people that don’t know about that.” “Ain’t nothing to be ashamed of. You know what I got down there.” “Moving on!” Blushing worse than ever, she almost ran up to the embracing couple, pushing them apart and walking up to the vault door. Sparrow followed her, though reluctantly, and the librarian rested her hand on the great wooden knot between them and the vault interior. “You sure that we can get away with this?” Hazel asked. “It’s just looking.” “Yes, but…looking in a secured room.” “Oh, I don’t think that the security measures are up yet. The golems are hardly charged, most of the time, and the wards do require some effort to get set up.” She smiled. “Even Sister Oakhoof takes a day or so to get this done after pushing something inside.” “…Then the hobgoblins…” “I thought we could go somewhere…private…and maybe have some fun…” “…” Hazel stared at her long-time friend, slowly shaking her head in disbelief. The whole thing was not what she had been planning for, and she felt…Well, honestly, she felt a bit betrayed. All she wanted was to get this information and go, but Sparrow seemed like she was in the grip of something else. Before she could argue, the librarian pressed her hand more firmly to the knot. Her fingers found some gap in the cords of wood, twisted, and suddenly, the knot twisted with her gesture. The movement spread through the wooden barrier, then rolled the knot to the side, making a circle-shaped hole that they could walk through. “Alright, there we go,” Sparrow said with a smile. “Let’s go in.” “Handy,” Vakrozad muttered. “No, that’s you,” Hazel grunted as he stood beside her. “And please…not right now. Don’t do that.” “Oh-ho, you two already did something?” Sparrow grinned. “Come on, gossip. Tell me.” “Not right now.” And they hadn’t actually done anything besides cuddle, and she’d only seen him naked a bit. Not entirely, either. She blushed worse, rubbing her cheeks as she stepped into the vault, trying to leave that behind. The vault was situated beneath the rest of the temple, tangled into the roots of the trees that formed the temple proper. It was dark, lit only by the occasional light spell that had been cast months, if not years, in the past. The wooden, earthy tones reminded everyone that they were in a place that hated fire, and while there were runes all over the place that would push flames back, it would be better to keep the fire away entirely. The roots themselves served as containers, some of them hollowed out and marked with what they contained, others grown down as a cage around the more dangerous items. Some of the roots clasped and moved on their own, and still others were curled up towards the ceiling, holding the golems that would be deployed in the instance of an intrusion. Hazel waited for the defenses to kick in, ready to jump back out of the vault at a moment’s notice, but nothing happened. It seemed that Sparrow was right about the defenses not being activated just yet. She barely had the chance to heave a sigh of relief before the hobgoblins and Sparrow joined her. Her friend and Sparrow’s hobgoblin lover made their way over to the corner with one bottle of brandy, leaving her and Vakrozad with the other. The giggles of the pair echoed in the vault, and she grumbled, rubbing her forehead. “This isn’t what you planned, huh?” the chief asked. “Not in the slightest.” “You know, it’s not a bad place.” “For…that, it is.” “Yeah, but it’s dark, private. Good place for a den.” “Says the boar.” “To the hound.” “Please…don’t remind me.” “Hey. Hazel.” His big hand rested on her shoulder, and while she put up some resistance, there was no way that she could completely hold out against the pressure that he exerted. He turned her around with ease, leaving the pair of them facing each other. “What the hell’s going on?” he whispered. “I’m just trying to get this done.” “Don’t bullshit me.” “I’m not.” “Yes, you are. Ever since that vision, you’ve been…tense. Messed up. What the hell’s going on?” “…I don’t know if I liked what I saw.” “So?” “So?! I don’t want to be some little…pet!” Hazel ducked under his grip, shaking her head. “I barely got away from Melchiresa last time. I don’t want to become that again. Not when it means…losing…” A little shiver ran down her spine, and it took her a second to realize that she was right on the verge of an actual breakdown. Not just a rage, but a breakdown. She had been hiding just how scared she was ever since that happened, and she didn’t know how to deal with it now. Vakrozad, for all that he was trying to help by staying close, was only reminding her of what her fate would be if she didn’t do something to fix it. [i]If I can just figure this out…if I can learn what it all means before the vision comes true, then maybe…maybe I can stay…[/i] He squeezed her shoulder, and she pulled away. “If you want to help, look for something that’s recent. Books on Primal Points.” “Mol already told you what they were, though.” “Yes, and the sisters here told me something else. I need to find out what the truth is, not just what everyone believes.” Vakrozad didn’t say anything at first, but eventually he trundled away. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, and was relieved when she saw that he was taking her request to heart. He was looking at the different bits and bobs around the room, checking to see what was new and what had been there for a while. She felt bad for almost yelling at him, but…well, it felt like she was allowed. She was the one that would lose out in this… Wasn’t she? [i]Stop thinking about wearing his collar and start thinking about what you need out of this…[/i] Ignoring the soft moans that were coming from the dark corners, Hazel set herself to work finding the books that she needed. # It took almost an hour, and she was relieved when she was the one to stumble across the books instead of having to apologize to Vakrozad for finding them first. She didn’t dare call out, just in case that activated some sort of defense that had hitherto gone unused, so she pulled the book from the root shelf and sat down, flipping through the pages. There was no point in taking them from the vault. She’d have to read it and then put it back, lest Oakhoof realize that she had done this in the first place. It took some searching, but eventually she found reference to the Primal Points in the book. At first, it seemed to bolster what Sister Oakhoof had said; Primal Points [i]were[/i] the birthplace of the younger gods, where they emerged and took their place in the world, and where they eventually would go back to rest. That, however, was only the start of it. Hazel stared at the pages as the information contained within almost seemed to pour itself into her, her eyes widening further and further as she took in information that was not just new, but almost heretical in its nature and suppositions. [i]While it is said that Primal Points are where the gods were born, and there is evidence that bears that out, there is also evidence that there is more to it for us to learn. For example, while there are but handfuls of gods, there are dozens of Primal Points. How could all of them be the birthplace of a deity when the points outnumber the deities we know? Are there more gods to be found? Or are there places where the Points coincide with something beyond the mere birth of a god? Are there dead gods, then, that rest in these places? Or are there other things that we have yet to discover? Certainly, the marks that coincide with symbols of the demonic are of interest. After all, why would the birthplace of a god be marked with their opposite in the lower planes?[/i] “Why, indeed?” Hazel muttered. She remembered the vision, and how the altar of the Primal Point had looked almost too large, almost big enough for two people to be in together. She and Vakrozad had used it almost more like a bed than anything else, and she shivered as she remembered the twin symbols of her god and Melchiresa at the head of the altar. It was almost like a coat of arms, in a way. The antlers of Erastil had served almost like a prop, a pedestal for the symbol between…and then she remembered the prongs of the antlers, and how they had all pointed inwards. Not a pedestal, but a cage. [i]But why together?[/i] That was the part that she still didn’t understand, and this book didn’t give her that information. All she could do was stare at the pages, wishing and hoping for it to gain more writing that it never would. “Find anything?” Vakrozad asked. She looked up at the hobgoblin looming over her. He didn’t have that cocky grin anymore, but he did look…concerned. Concerned for her, for that matter. Hazel hesitated, then nodded. “A little. Not enough to tell me what we’re supposed to do, but enough to make me curious.” “Heh. About what?” “Why we saw that symbol. Erastil, Melchiresa, together. Why? Why are they so…tied together? Why are they so similar? Why do they share an altar?” Hazel looked down at the book, turning the page – And there, she stared. There was an artist’s rendition of a hound and a stag, moving together through the forest. They both fled the hunters, but they were hunters that were not of mortal kind. They were, instead, demonic and angelic, chasing after the two animals, pushing them further and further forward. They ran through the forest, and as she followed the drawing, she saw them changing, becoming humanoid, but never quite losing those animalistic features. “What…in the world…” Vakrozad leaned down, looking at the book with her. They both stared at the drawings, unable to look away as she turned the page. The humanoid stag and hound reached a cave, and they both stepped inside. Further, further, further. In the dark, they were drawn as one. One half hound, one half stag. They were a melded being, a thing together. Was this something that they had become, or something that they truly were? The artist didn’t say, and there was no text to suggest it. Neither the hobgoblin or the half-elf had breath to speak. They started to turn the page – “OOOOH!” And were startled out of their reverie by Sparrow’s orgasmic scream not far off. As the book went flying up out of Hazel’s lap, an animated root caught it, holding it and keeping it from falling. And then… Then things went bad. Click, crack, snick, snap. The roots around them dropped, some of them taking on a more spiked shape, while others released balls of wood and steel. They popped, becoming like spiders, while others began growing like mites, except far, far larger. “We’re in trouble,” Hazel muttered. “Yeah? Well…” Vakrozad cracked his knuckles. “You brought trouble with you. Lemme show you why I’m the chief.” “…Let me make sure you live through this.” Closing her eyes, Hazel pressed her hands against the chief’s arm as he stood between her and the dangers. She called upon Erastil to bless him, channeling strength and health through her hands into his body. The vitality of the gods blessed her for a moment, giving her an uplifting, strengthened feeling, greater awareness, and more. Then it passed through her, filling the hobgoblin instead. It was a simple spell, one that had been used by clerics since time immemorial to ensure that their friends and followers could live through what life had to throw at them. Of course, being cast in one of the centers of Erastil’s power, it was stronger than usual. Vakrozad roared, his arms bulging out, his shoulders broadening under the sudden blessing of her god. His muscles surged, growing thicker and tenser, and even where she touched, they almost felt like armor. She gritted her teeth, pulling at more of the blessings that she knew. [i]Iron Skin. Warded Body. Dragon Strength.[/i] Everything that she could think of, she poured on the chieftain. The wards of the vault were meant to keep people out. They were already inside, and that meant that the greater wards had been activated, meant for those that were strong enough to get inside in the first place. They were not meant for people like her and Sparrow, who were not strong enough to break the initial defenses in the first place. These were meant to deal with deadly threats, and they were empowered for that, accordingly. Two of the spider-golems skittered across the ceiling, one of them leaning back to spit poison. Before it could, Vakrozad leaped, a miniature shockwave of force bursting beneath his feet. Even as she fell over in surprise, Hazel watched as the chief flung himself from the roots, hanging from them and swinging about with surprising ease. He could have grabbed the spider-golems, thrown them, but he didn’t. Instead, he punched them. Or rather, punched right through them. One of them fell to the ground, a fist-sized hole through the middle. The other tried to flee, but the hobgoblin chief grabbed it, pulling it down and ripping its metal legs out, tossing them to the ground and stepping on them. “AH!” Sparrow. Hazel forced herself to her feet, grimacing as she ran around the roots. She had to dodge this way and that to avoid getting caught on deadly spikes, to avoid tripping further traps. She rounded the clusters of cages, looking for her friend and her chosen lover. She found them fumbling with the roots coming down from above, fighting to keep from being taken prisoner. Without even thinking, Hazel threw her hand out and called out words that had long been memorized. A prayer, a plea… And this time, two different forces answered. As she held out her hand, holy light streaked from her fingers. It was no different than any other time that she had cast searing light in the past, at first, but as she stared at the stabbing beams of brilliant illumination, she saw something else. She saw the blackness that sheathed them. She saw the tiny little fangs that were in that darkness. They cut the roots, though, and Sparrow and her hobgoblin partner ran through the gap that she’d created. Hazel gestured for them to keep going, to follow Vakrozad, all while she looked back at the book. It was sealed again. No way to take it back now, but if she memorized where it was… [i]Remember…remember…[/i] A root grabbed her by her bare ankle, almost yanking her off her feet before Vakrozad was there, again. He stomped down, cutting it in two, and then yanked her out of reach. “It’s time to go!” “Yes…yes, it is. Thank you.” Running alongside the hobgoblin chief, they ducked and dodged the golems that were still active. Half of them were on the ground, holes punched or kicked through them, and more than once Hazel nearly stabbed her foot on one of their broken legs. Vakrozad kept reaching back, pulling her along every time that she stumbled, and not once did she get that lustful look from him. [i]Looks like he can focus, after all,[/i] she thought, grunting as she pushed herself around another caged artifact. The spells were getting stronger, though, and she could feel the wards getting ready to close tight around them. The old power of Erastil was still strong in this place, and it was getting ready to close down everything. Sparrow and her partner had already leaped through the open door of the vault, and they were waving for her and Vakrozad to hurry, to pick it up. Hazel reached out, pressing her hand against the chief’s shoulder. [i]Cat’s Grace.[/i] Another simple spell, but it was enough to make him that little bit faster. He grabbed her by the arm, tugged her so hard that her feet left the floor, and they jumped. SLAM! The knot of the wood came down behind them, sealing the vault again and leaving them on the other side. Hazel panted, shivering from how close that had been. She’d turned Vakrozad into a super-soldier, and they had still barely gotten out in time. If they had been any slower, any slower at all… Sparrow helped her up, dusting her off while the hobgoblin did the same for the chief. Shaking her head, the librarian blushed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think…oh god, I’m sorry.” “It’s alright. We’re safe.” “I just…I didn’t think you were that serious. I thought that you really just wanted…” “…” “…” “We’re safe,” Hazel repeated. “And it’s done, for now.” “Not quite.” All four of them turned, looking down the corridor to see the High Priest looking up at them. He stood with his arms crossed, one eyebrow arched. “Would someone care to explain what’s going on?” [b][u][center]The End[/center][/u][/b] Summary: With the help of a friend and a couple of hobgoblins, Hazel goes to find out what the truth is behind the Primal Points. Tags: M/F, off-screen sex, hobgoblin, human, half-elf, resistance, corruption, magic, D&D, fantasy, series, revelation, worldbuilding, busted,