In Vino Veritas

As Del finished her meal she fell back in her chair and let out a contented sigh, not a morsel of food was left on her plate so I assumed that she enjoyed it just as much as I had enjoyed my own meal.

"Looks like you thoroughly enjoyed that."

"Yes, I haven't had skyfish since I was a teenager, it's not too popular outside of the Elven cities."

"Ahhh, so you are willing to talk about your past then?"

"You..I..uhhh", Del takes a playful swipe at my arm, "Maybe I'm just too full with the delicious food to care."

"Yep, that must be it, not that we're becoming...gasp...friends?"

"Zeren, of course we're friends. It's just my past, it's not something I talk about."

"Ok, ok, I won't push it, but just know that you can trust me."

Del's voice goes a little softer, "I know I can, you've been a good friend."

I didn't know that Del thought of me as a friend or anything other than a travel companion, I guess we had spent more time together over the last few months and being the two members of the company that wielded magic formed a natural bond too.

"What say we complete this meal with some wine?"

"Yes, the only way to wash down a skyfish meal is with some elven wine. It's a must!"

I call out, "Oh Kat, bring me your finest elven wine for my eating companion and myself, spare no expense." After a quick thought to myself, "Actually please spare some expense, I don't want to go broke here."

Delrissa looked a little embarrassed at the grandness of my tone which rapidly turned to a giggle at a absurdity of it as well.

Kat came over to the table, taking our plates, "You really know how to wow your date don't you Zeren?"

"We're not here on a date", Delarissa was quick to correct her.

"Oh yes, I forgot, 'not' a date, gotcha."

"We're just friends Kat, nothing more."

"Ok then, I will return with your wine."

I sat back watching Delarissa relax a little, it really did seem like she was enjoying herself just taking in the stillness of the room. As I drank in her beauty I pulled out my new holy book, I noticed that one of the pages was glowing ever so faintly but enough to be noticed. Opening the book to that page it was the one describing Delarissa but it had changed.

Delarissa Amalyn
Elf
112
Affection: 32 "I don't know what it is but I feel like I am growing closer to Zeren and trust him."
Love: 15 "Zeren know how to have fun, even if this isn't a 'date' it sure feels like one."
Lust: 20 "Getting a taste of home and spending time with Zeren in this intimate environment makes him look more than just cute."
Traits: Heterosexual, Sexually Submissive

Hmmmm, it seems like this thing was actually doing something. I am surprised at how fast her affection score had risen in just a short amount of time, the lust score had doubled as well, maybe she wasn't so innocent. I don't know why Deslyna had chosen me to receive this wonderful gift but it had made me realise just how much I cared for Delarissa. It seemed that she already cared for me too and this book was merely speeding along the process of getting to know each other. I couldn't see any other changes for now...as I was checking Delarissa spoke up.

"What are you looking at? Is that the book, your book? Your holy book?"

I quickly looked up as if caught doing something that I shouldn't.

"Hmm, uhh, yes, yes it is. It's called 'The Voiceless Verses', I've been reading this since becoming a church acolyte."

Del took a closer look at the book I was holding, noticing the pulsing heart on the front of it and running her hands over it. Her eyes moved up and over to the page that I had the book open at and she looked confused.

"What does it say there? Is that some sort of secret church language it's written in?"

It didn't even occur to me that I still had the book open to the page about Del herself, what would she think when she saw that...Wait did she ask what language it was? It's as clear as day and while my mind is racing with what to do now that she could see her information it suddenly caught up that something wasn't quite as it seemed. I turned the book right around to show her and she seemed just as puzzled looking at me as if seeking an explanation.

"Can you not read this? I just assumed that you could read the magical languages."

"Not this one, what does it say?"

"Ahhh, actually..." I had to think quickly, I knew this text back to front but apparently right now my mind had decided to just go blank. Del looked at me quizzicaly while I just sat there looking I assumed dumbfounded. The staring contest was broken by Kat arriving with our wine. A fine bottle from the nearby elven kingdom of Rhyfel, I placed the book down on the table before grabbing the glasses, waiting for Kat to make the first pour. Hopefully this distraction will give my mind time to catch up or Del time to forget what we were talking about.

"I think it's a fine time for a toast, don't you Del?"

"Like I said, a fine elven wine is the only way to finish off a meal of skyfish...then you can tell me what you were reading in that book of yours."

She seemed to be opening up a bit more to me, usually she was quite reserved but I nodded in assent to her proposal of after dinner conversation. We held up the know full glasses as I began my toast.

"To another successful mission with the Scarlet Company, returning in good health and with a belly full of fine food and soon to be just as full with fine wine as well."

We tapped our glasses together, Del swirls it and and takes a sniff of it before putting the glass to her lips, just sipping. Meanwhile, not being that familiar with Elven wine I just dove straight into taking my first mouthful, it was extremely sweet, taking me by surprise and could almost pass for a dessert. As much as I enjoyed my first mouthful of the wine Delarissa seemed to relish in it, her eyes closing and leaning back in her chair as she swallowed it down. The next minute was spent with each of us just enjoying the silence and the taste of the wine. Then as if breaking from a spell Del leans forward placing her noe empty glass on the table and looks to my book.

"Sp, you were about to tell me about that book of yours. I know we've spoken about the divine magic that you channel but you've never spoken about the god that you worship. Who exactly is giving you these powers?"

"Oh, yes, ahh, of course." I try to delay by slowing down sipping at my wine but I can tell that Del is genuinely interested and opening up, something that I don't want to stop, I think anyway. "Well, Deslyna is the god that I worship. God of love, lust and passion, my mother was a priestess in the church and thus she expected me to follow in her footsteps. I am passionate about a lot of things but have never really felt love and feel like I am missing out on one of the important pillars of life."

While I was speaking I watched as Del filled up both her glass and mine pushing it towards me while taking her own and drinking.

"Oh, please go on."

"You see, Deslyna wants the world to be free of their hatred, their fears and their insecurities. My faith helps me guard against these and part of why I am out her adventuring is to spread this message while finding my own life's passion."

"It seems you already know what you are passionate about Zeren, bringing love and passion to the world and all."

"Well yes, that is a noble goal but I want to find my own love."

The next few hours was spent recalling my childhood in the church, growing up in the temple with the faithful prostitutes. My mother the priestess and going through my acolyte training, I read some of my favourite passages from The Voiceless Verses. All the while Delarissa sat their fixated on what I was saying, slowly draining the bottle of elven wine as I did so. Through the evening Del appears to become more comfortable, occasionally asking questions or adding in some comments of her own, nothing revealing of her own history but interesting tidbits nonetheless. At some point she removed her cloak, leaving it sitting on the back of her chair I assumed the flush in her cheeks was a mixture between the large amount of wine and the unusually warm evening. It hits me that this is the first time I had seen her without her cloak on and it reveals a number of intricate tattoo patterns. A dragon's head takes up most of her left shoulder with it's body winding it's way down her arm. I never would have guessed that sweet Delarissa would have such a tattoo and I filed it away for later if she felt she could open up to me.

Late in the evening I read from my book a verse that I knew well as did any member of the church.

"This is the most important passage in the verses...The Ascension of Deslyna."

"Ooooh, please, please tell me more."

"She went in and closed the shining doors. Then her acolytes bathed her and anointed her with oil, the kind that gives immortality, glistening on the complexion of the gods, who last for all time. Immortal it was, giver of pleasures, and it had the fragrance of incense. Then she wrapped all her beautiful clothes around her skin. She was decked out in gold, Deslyna, lover of smiles. She rushed toward the sky making her way with the greatest of ease, high up among the clouds."

"Wow, that's quite the image. She must be quite the looker to have that effect on people and then woooosh up into the air."

The clumsy hand motions led me to see that Del was quite taken with the sweet wine, however it had not had the same effect on myself. Perhaps her elven blood made her more susceptible to it.

"Ok Del...Del. I think you've had enough wine and it's time for you to turn in."

She picks up the bottle, upending it to no avail. I go over to where Kat seems to be cleaning up behind the bar to pay for our meal.

"Did you enjoy the food and drink?"

"Oh yes, that drake was fantastic and the elven wine exquisite. It seems to have done a number on my friend over here though so I think that I should take her to lie down. I don't want her to get in any trouble now."

"I'm glad you liked it, I have been experimenting with some of the local 'fauna', the skyfish however is something that I've had to bring... Oh never mind, you don't want to hear about that, just get your friend up to bed and let her sleep off the wine."

"Kat, ahh, yeah sorry. I'd love to hear about your cooking passion but like I said, I should really be helping out Del."

"Maybe next time."

"Sure thing!"

After handing over the gold for the meal, a little more than I wanted to spend but worth it anyway I get back over to Del, helping her put her cloak back on. We walk up the stairs with my arm around her shoulders to help steady her, open up the door for her room almost tripping over. Del shuffles over to her bed roughly kicking off her shoes in the process before turning around leaning in to my cheek before I turn suddenly and she plants a kiss on my lips. This took me by surprise and I am now the one to stumble back, apologising and quickly leaving the room. I look up as I exit and see Angelika returning to her own room with a bottle of wine herself, a smirk on her face. I look back at Del's door, then back at Angelika shaking my head and my hands to indicate 'no', she shrugs and slips through back into her own room. I am left no really knowing how I feel, Delarissa seemed very interested all evening in what I was saying yet somehow managed to say nothing about herself despite being involved in conversation. The only thing I know about her now that I didn't before was that she had a great big tattoo of a dragon on her left shoulder.

Before I slumped back onto my own bed for the evening I opened up the Affection Multiplier Holy Book and saw 3 pages glowing.

Delarissa Amalyn
Elf
112
Affection: 39 "Zeren really opened up to me, I think we are getting closer."
Love: 17 "Zeren know how to have fun, even if this isn't a 'date' it sure feels like one."
Lust: 31 "Did I, just...I did just kiss him. It wasn't bad though and now I feel all tingly."
Traits: Heterosexual, Sexually Submissive

Angelika Beaumont
Human
24
Affection: 9 "Seeing Zeren get friendly with Delarissa means he's getting closer with the company"
Love: -8 "Zeren may be good for the company and all but seriously, I could never love him"
Lust: -4 "Hmmm, maybe he does have game. He got that 'innocent' elf into bed by the looks of it."
Traits: Bisexual, Sexually Dominant, Polyamorous

Katalyst "Kat"
Tiefling
22
Affection: 11 "What a sweet guy, looking after his friend like that even though they weren't even on a date. Not to mention he seemed genuinely sorry to have to leave our conversation."
Love: 3 "Sweet guys make the best partners and since he wasn't on a date..."
Lust: 7 "Seeing a guy being that charming does something to a girl."
Traits: Bisexual

Oh, I hadn't even thought that the book would update with other women I meet or knew, Kat was cute when she was talking about her cooking and that's a passion that I can get behind. After shutting the book I laid back thinking on the book that I had received, what it meant, seeing Delarissa in a new light and trying to make time to chat with Kat. After all passion was important to me and she seemed to have it in spades. I drifted off while these thoughts swirled in my head ready for a brand new day.