Faith, Lust, and Hypnosis

Chapter 21-2 (Lust and Love)

'What... am I doing?' Loraley pondered, inching her face closer to the massive penis hovering above her head, sniffing its musky scent that invaded her nostrils.

'It reeks! How can such a thing belong to a woman?' she grimaced, pulling away in disgust. 'Does she even clean herself down there?!'

"Do not hesitate. Suck." The false goddess commanded with annoyance evident in her voice. "Or do I need to motivate you to hurry?" she asked, pointing her thumb to Sia's direction, gesturing vaguely towards her nether regions.

"I— I will! Just wait! Give me a moment!!" Loraley argued back, although she obeyed the command. 'I've got to do it! For them! For my maidens!' With newfound motivation, she leaned forward once more, her face within inches of touching its throbbing shaft.

'Am I really going to do this?'

The musk grew stronger with proximity. Its odor tickled Loraley's nose, making her face scrunch. 'Ugh!' She nearly gagged. It was revolting! the worst thing she ever smelled! How does someone smell so filthy?! Yet the longer she breathed it in, the more familiar it became.

Loraley felt humiliated, kneeling nude on the stone floor, her dignity stripped away before the enemy. But more than that, she hated the fact that she complied with her demands so easily like this. What happened to the high priestess Loraley that stood proud and mighty?

"Forgive me, Aria... Forgive your humble servant for her sin..." Loraley whispered silently and closed her eyes shut as she leaned closer, brushing her lips against the tip of the veiny member. It trembled under her touch, its warmth radiating onto her lips and sending shivers down her spine.

Too many things happened to her in such a short period of time. Just not too long ago in her recent memories, Loraley arrived in Karda with her men and maidens in tow,

"Haah... haah..."

"There, all done." Alter released her hands and quickly stood up, brushing the smell of

his musk to her face. "I'm not going to waste my time and energy trying to take advantage of someone who has lost her sanity." Cold and blunt were his words. His tone made clear that he held no interest in her whatsoever, yet his actions contradicted that statement.

Loraley didn't respond, staring at Alter with wide eyes while her chest rose up and down, panting heavily after having her hands washed with his saliva.

"What... why... did you..." Loraley stammered between heavy breaths, unable to form coherent sentences due to shock and confusion filling her mind.

"Because I don't want to hear you whining anymore." Alter answered flatly, his expression remained unchanged despite Loraley's bewilderment. He returned back to his usual spot in the corner of the cell and closed his eyes once again, acting as if nothing happened between them.

"I... don't understand... What's wrong with you..." Loraley mumbled in a low voice, her throat felt parched and sore from crying earlier, making it difficult for her to speak.

"Look at your wounds."

"Huh...?"

Loraley looked down at her palms and saw her injuries had vanished without trace left behind. The cuts had been completely healed, leaving behind smooth, soft skin instead.

"It's gone...? It's gone! My wounds...!"

"Now, go get some rest." Alter ordered. "You won't be able to escape, so I suggest you to stop doing self harm."

"B-but how did you...!?" Loraley raised her head towards Alter's direction, her eyes wide open and filled with wonderment. "How did you heal my wounds so easily!? How did you do that?!"

"Nothing special. Just one the perks of being the descendant of the goddess." He let out a sigh, somewhat annoyed by her incessant questions and queries since a while ago.

"My bodily fluids contain miraculous effects such as healing wounds and diseases. In addition, my body produces large amounts of pheromones which can influence others emotions and thoughts." He revealed another crucial piece of information about himself to her.

"Just like the goddess who can induce pleasure through her scent and touch alone, I too possess similar abilities. Just seeing my figure and inhaling my body odor will make you feel aroused."

Loraley stared at Alter with disbelief written across her face, unsure how to react to this revelation regarding his background and heritage. "That's..."

"Do you understand now? Being in the same cell with me is a danger in and of itself. That's how the others before you fell. They drowned in their lust towards me." Alter explained, his voice monotone and expressionless throughout.

"Why... why would you tell me all these things...?" Loraley couldn't help but to question his motives after hearing his words spoken earlier.

"I'm trying to warn you here. Don't touch me unless you want to fall into the same fate as the others." Alter warned once more, his tone made clear he wasn't joking around at all. "Well, not like you could avoid it anyways since the goddess will screw you herself." He added under his breath.

Loraley frowned at his words, finding it hard to believe he'd willingly share such sensitive information with someone he had just met earlier today without expecting anything in return.

"What's the point of telling me such a thing? What do you gain from this?"

Alter scratched his dark hair, obvious annoyance plastered his face at her endless queries. "Didn't I tell you that I don't agree with the goddess' methods of ruling? We are in the same boat. She's using me to toy with you, but that doesn't make me an accomplice. I'm also one of her victims." He explained briefly.

"Why would she—?" Loraley raised her eyebrow at his words. If he were telling her the truth, then her methods were quite bizarre to say the least.

"—Because she likes to play games." Alter cut her off, his expression remained stoic throughout despite speaking about such horrifying topics.

"Why would she play these unconventional games, you ask? Because she holds absolute control over us." He paused for a moment to word out his reasoning.

"Your mind seemed strong enough to resist her influence, though I do not know why. But such meager resistance still won't save you from your doom. You might be able to resist, but not the other millions of people living in this kingdom. Imagine you were able to escape from this place with your precious 'maidens'. Where would you go? Will you go into hiding for the rest of your life?"

"..."

"No. Finding protection from the Aria church might be your best bet. Ginova's influence hasn't fully matured yet, so there's a good chance it's safe there. Going back to the empire is your best choice, but how would you accomplish such a monumental task? Are you a master of stealth? Can you fight your way out? Is your magic capable of such feats?"

Loraley stayed silent, her gaze fixed upon the floor below her feet while pondering on his questions.

"Even if you do manage to reach the empire, how would you explain the situation to them? I have been locked in here for a long, long time, but I'm not so clueless how the church treats failures. According to my sources," Alter made an air quotation with his fingers, emphasizing the words 'sources', "The Aria church tends to punish those who fail to accomplish the mission they're assigned to. In the best case scenario, you'd end up as an exile. In the worst case scenario, you'd be tortured for days before they decide to put you through public humiliation and execution."

Loraley gulped hard after hearing his words spoken in a matter-of-fact manner, causing goosebumps to crawl across her skin upon imagining herself being subjected to such cruel fate.

His words rang true in her ears. Being a high priestess herself she wasn't ignorant of how the church operates. Unlike the old time, the church of Aria has evolved into a powerhouse that rules over a large part of the continent. With such influence comes responsibilities and expectations, one must meet these expectations or else risk punishment worse than death.

With power comes responsibilities.

And with power comes influence.

The Aria church possessed such might, having the capability to control their vassal kingdoms across the continent. Military might, influential figures within political circles, wealth and influence over trade routes and transportation routes... Everything was within the church's grasp.

Unfortunately, the greater one's power, the greater the chance for one to abuse it. And now that the church has gained unchecked influence across the continent, corruption has become rampant within the organization itself.

It wasn't uncommon for nobles and commoners alike to bribe high ranking officials within the Aria church to gain favor. Corruption has become the norm among the clergymen who used their position for their own personal gains.

To combat this, the church has implemented a punishment system for those who failed to live up to the expectations placed upon them. They called it 'retribution'.

The idea behind retribution is simple. It serves as both deterrence and a warning to others who may attempt to defy the church's authority and will. Whether it was for their own people, their allies, or their enemies.

If one were to fail to complete the mission given to them by the church, they would face punishment according to the severity of the crime committed. This punishment varies from losing one's status and position within the church to execution by hanging or crucifixion.

Loraley remained silent throughout, listening to Alter's words spoken without any hint of emotion whatsoever. She knew the fate that awaited her back at her homeland. Unlike the reality, the retribution system was supposed to punish evil doers and corrupted individuals, yet it seemed to have backfired.

Instead, the system was exploited by the corrupts themselves to harm the innocents. The church of Aria has become a den of hypocrisy and injustice, tainted by its own members' corruption and greed.

She had seen it herself before. The women who worked for the church, they who wanted to climb the rank, had to do 'favors' for the high ranking officials to achieve it. They who refused to do these 'favors' received nothing but punishment for disobeying orders and defiance.

That was the sad truth behind the Aria church.

Unlike those women, Loraley had a 'special' background that differentiate her position from them. She was born in the Rainfield family, one of the main noble houses within the kingdom of Deltorra.

Though they weren't royalty nor dukes, they wielded significant influence within the empire itself, possessing powerful connections with prominent figures within the government such as the king and his ministers.

This made Loraley one of the most important assets for the church. It was how she secured her position as the high priestess, earning her a great responsibility to overwatch the kingdom of Deltorra, something that only the best of the best within the church was tasked to do. Through nepotism, the majority of the high ranking officials within the church tried to curry favor with her, fawning and pampering her whenever she visited the church.

But she knew deep down that those people were nothing more than sycophants and bootlickers. Their loyalty belonged to themselves, not to her nor the church. If she failed her mission, those same people would turn on her without hesitation and abandon her.

No, they would be happy to trample over her, kicking and stomping her to death for the sake of saving themselves from any potential repercussions from the higher-ups.

'Is this... my retribution? For turning a blind eye to the corruption within the church itself? for ignoring those who were exploited and abused under the pretense of justice?' Loraley sighed inwardly, closing her eyes shut tight while trying her hardest to hold back tears threatening to escape from her lids.

'If I fail this mission, will I be punished just like those women...? Will I... will I suffer the same fate as them...? Will I be killed by the church I've sworn to serve and protect since the day I was born? Will my family and friends be forced to watch me being tortured and executed in public?'

Her chest tightened at the thought of her family members witnessing such a horrible scene unfolding before their very eyes.

Loraley bit her lips in frustration, unable to refute Alter's claims nor counter his arguments regarding her predicament.

"What you did earlier... you did it out of pity, didn't you?" Loraley spoke up after taking a deep breath to calm herself down. Her tone held no accusation nor anger towards him, only curiosity and understanding.

Alter stayed silent for a few seconds before meeting her gaze.

"...You're different." He commented after noticing how composed she seemed despite her situation. "Maybe this time, I won't get raped after all." He mused under his breath, letting out a small chuckle afterwards.

"This time..." Loraley echoed his words, "You mean..." She asked with widened eyes.

Alter nodded his head.

"As I said, my body's constitution makes people feel aroused upon prolonged exposure with me." his voice trailed off when he spoke those words.

Loraley stared at him with mixed emotions swirling her heart. It was a morbid, yet casual remark, and she couldn't help but notice the hint of sorrow hidden within his voice when he uttered those words.

"You won't believe me since the blood of the goddess flows within my veins, but I really am being held captive here against my will. Every time someone new comes here, no matter how stubborn or strong willed they are, they would fall for the temptation of the flesh. It's been the same thing over and over again..."

Alter shifted his posture, adjusting himself on the floor. His phallic shaft rose above his stomach, its tip pointing straight at the ceiling while it continued to throb, demanding attention from those around him. Loraley's gaze was drawn towards the pulsing organ, eyes unable to look away from its size and girth.

"W-well, that's not going to happen to me." Loraley quickly averted her gaze away from his manhood and turned her head towards the opposite direction, feeling her cheeks heating up in embarrassment despite seeing his privates multiple times already.

"That's good. You might be the first person I met who managed to resist my charm." Alter let out a sigh of relief before continuing his words.

"Just... don't try to kill yourself or anything else silly. I won't repeat this twice." His warning was short and blunt, yet Loraley found it strangely reassuring. She crawled to the opposite corner of the boy, the chains jingled along her actions.

Silence befell the dungeon. The candles on the walls flickered within the darkness, casting shadows upon the metal bars locking them inside this underground prison cell. Her fear and anxiety had subsided for now after conversing with the son of her captor. The air no longer felt so suffocating.

Loraley didn't understand why, but she felt oddly comfortable being in this boy's presence even though she knew him no longer than a day. Perhaps it was because they were truly in the same boat, or perhaps it was because he healed her wounds despite having nothing to gain from doing so. Perhaps it was both. Perhaps it was because of other things.

She felt her tension melting away, replaced by something else she couldn't quite describe yet. An emotion she never experienced before... something akin to warmth spreading through her body. A strange sense of peace washed over her as if she'd known him forever, knowing that she wasn't alone in all this.

'Even though he's the son of that witch...'

Loraley sat on the cold floor, her body shivered due to the freezing temperature. She wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them close to her chest for warmth. As time continued to pass by, Loraley became aware of how exhausted she really was after everything that happened. Now that the peaceful and quiet time has arrived, she could finally process all her thoughts and emotions.

'I feel so tired and sleepy...'

She glanced at Alter sitting across from her. His soft breathings echoed throughout the dungeon cell, indicating he'd fallen asleep already. His face appeared calm and serene, void of any worries whatsoever. Lowering her gaze, she saw his shaft continued to twitch and throb between his legs, standing at full attention even in his slumber.

Loraley swallowed hard at the sight of his arousal, her cheeks blushing red at the thought of its size and girth. It looked so... big and thick... even compared to her soft and delicate hands. Just thinking about touching his cock made her face flush hot with embarrassment and shame, feeling guilty for entertaining such lewd ideas despite everything she'd been through today.

She closed her eyes, trying to block out those obscene images flashing inside her mind.

'No, something's wrong! Why would I be lusting after a kid like him! I'm already in my thirties! There's no way... I can't possibly...!' Loraley berated herself for having such perverted thoughts towards Alter's privates.

'That's right! These must be the effects that Alter spoke about! This is not me! I'm not like those women who fell under his charm!' She convinced herself with her own reasoning, hoping to justify her actions somehow.

'I can resist his charms... I can resist... I can resist...!' She repeated those words over and over again, trying to convince herself that she wasn't affected by his scent nor his appearance at all.

'I... I'm not like them...'

Loraley rested her chin atop her knees and hugged herself tighter, shivering from the cold air seeping through the cracks on the walls surrounding them.

'I'm not like them...'

She repeated those words in her mind, saying them over and over until they became an incoherent murmur echoing within her head.

'...Not like them.'

Her eyelids grew heavy, slowly drifting away into slumber, not realizing the growing warmth spreading through her lower stomach.

'I'm not...'

The last thing she remembered before falling off into the abyss was her body leaning towards Alter's direction, wanting to snuggle against his warmth...