The Belly of the Beast.

A while later Neku returned. She looked nervous, and she had a small bag in her hand.

“Darx, come with me, quickly.” Neku said softly yet forcefully. Darx set his book down, looked around. He noticed the old lady talking to some of the other people in the room; leading them away from Neku and him.

“Come on, Darx.” Neku took his hand and led him to the back of the main room. She took him down a flight of stairs into the basement of the library. It looked older, less ornate, and the passages were dimly lit.

“What’s down here?” Darx asked.

“Texts from different ages that are considered apocryphal." Neku explained. "They aren’t endorsed by the church, but they contain useful information none-the-less.”

“Huh.” Darx thought about the implications of her words, thought about the old man talking about the Fairy Goddess, remembered the little he was able to talk with Sunshine. “What about books the church considers to be false teachings? Are any of those in the library?”

“Not here, but there are other places." Neku looked at him, her eyes flashing a warning. "It’s best not to talk about them Darx. If you were to ask the wrong person. . .” Darx understood.

Neku stopped, looked around. Darx followed her lead. He didn’t see anyone, just old stone passages. Neku held up a finger to be quiet, then quickly pushed something on a lamp, ran her finger over some stone, pushed on one stone, then with two hands shoved the wall in a different spot. Darx was surprised to see the wall move. It was a stone wall, and if you had asked him, Darx would have said it was solid. And yet, it moved. Silently and smoothly the rock shifted and slid out of the way, revealing a passage.

Neku led him into the passage and took off her boots. She gestured to Darx to do the same. They walked barefoot over cold stones, carrying their boots, not saying anything. They were careful to be as quiet as possible. The passages were dim, lit by glowing stones near the floor that gave just enough light to see where you were going. Neku led him through the secret passage for a while, making several turns. The passages were narrow, Darx guessed they were walking inside the walls. He wondered if the secret passages in the castle were like this.

Suddenly Neku turned to him, signaled again for Darx to be quiet. When he nodded she reached up, stretching to touch stones along the top of the wall. She ran her fingers along the outside of a stone block. Darx couldn’t help himself, he looked down at her legs. She was on her toes and the way it stretched her legs, tightened her glutes. . .

“And what of it, Deacon?” Darx could suddenly hear someone speaking.

“I’m just saying, my Priest, it seems unnecessary, if he is who you say he is, we should move now.”

“You think that bitch Queen will just step aside?" It was Priest Gabriel's voice, he sounded irritated. "We need the people behind him, much more than they are now. Currently he’s an enigma, we need him to be a hero, a savior, someone they will fight for. Someone they will die for.”

“But you risk giving him power, Gabriel. What if he decides he doesn’t need us? If the people see him as their hero, he could take power without us.”

“We will deal with that when it comes. But I don’t think it will, he will be under my control.”

“Are you sure? It didn’t work on the Queen.”

“But he is damaged, I have ways in. You know how well I work with people’s pain. The heir of Zrephia is broken. Oblivion and their new S-Rank have handed him straight into my hands.”

“Yes, about Oblivion. Surely Kase knows the truth about that night.”

“Of course he does, but he won’t be a problem. Kase is a noble, and they know better than to mess with us. And if that isn’t enough, I hear he truly cares about his young sister. She is sick and he dotes on her, there’s no way he will sacrifice her to oppose us. Besides, there is much we can offer to him to keep him quiet if needs be.”

“I don’t like it, Gabriel. It’s too messy, there’s too many players, and an S-rank?”

“You lack vision, Luke. It’s why you are still working for me, and not on your own. Trust me, no matter what happens, we come out on top. It has been foreseen.”

“You mean The Oracle has seen it?”

“Yes, there are so many paths that lead to our victory, and so few that don’t.

“How many of them leave us chained to this Darx of yours?”

The Priest's voice chuckled. It wasn't a nice sounding chuckle. “He is expendable in all of them, Luke. Once the war ends, he will either be our puppet or a martyr.”

“Okay, Gabriel. I think we can both. . .”

The voices cut out, Neku finished resealing the opening and turned to face him. She held up a finger to let him know to remain quiet, and they started heading back.

Darx didn’t dare speak, but his head was burning. He felt his mind pulling in different directions. The words he heard were clear, and yet parts of him refused to accept it. He could trust the Priest, the Priest wouldn’t lie to him, wouldn’t betray him. But he clearly would, the Priest was using him. No, that couldn’t be. . .

The door slid open and Neku pulled him out of the passage, back into the basement of the library.

“Neku, what. . .” She cut him off, putting her finger over his lips, shaking her head at him. She led him further into the basement, through a heavy wooden door, into a small room.

“Okay, Darx, we can talk here.” Neku said, turning to face him.

“Neku, help me, my head.” Darx's head was swirling, he was confused, his thoughts were running in circles, it was making him dizzy.

She pulled a small wineskin out of the bag, handed it to him. “Drink this Darx, it will help.”

He took the wineskin and took a drink. It was a sweet but strong wine, and it helped settle him. She pulled out some bread from the bag, along with some cured meat.

“Here, eat something.” Neku looked worried. He took a bite, but he couldn’t wait, he wanted answers.

“The Priest. . .” He started.

“The Priest is a B-class Darx." Neku answered before he could finish. "What you are feeling now is the effect of his rare ability.”

“Ability?” He sat down on the edge of a large, heavy dark wood table. Neku stood close to him.

“Yes, well, what he’s made of his ability. Gabriel wasn’t always a priest Darx. He came from a Noble family, but they were wiped out when he was 14 years old. A family friend in the clergy took him into the church. When he was old enough, he underwent the ritual. He’s a B-rank fighter with a unique skill, [Voice of Command]. It inspires his allies, they trust his orders, believe in him, fight better because of it. He was a very successful adventurer; his parties were stronger because of his ability.”

Neku's voice, and her face changed. She was serious, and there was hurt behind her voice.

“Over time he figured out how to use it for more than just leading his allies. He could convince people to do things for him, manipulate them. He could make them loyal to him above anyone else. His adventuring days ended when several of his allies found out he was using his ability to sleep with their wives. They almost killed him.”

Darx couldn’t believe his ears. But he kept listening.

“So he disappeared," Neku continued, "he reinvented himself, went back to the church, called himself Gabriel and started using his ability to preach. He uses his [Voice of Command] to build trust in others. With wide spread support he moved up the ranks quickly. Now almost everything runs through him. He uses his ability when he meets with the students, the orphans the church raises. He uses their suffering, their longing for family and someone to trust to make them unshakingly loyal to him. Many end up willing to do anything for him.”

Her voice fell, Darx could feel the shame in it, he thought about the time they rescued Sunshine, what Neku and the Priest did, what he said to her.

“That’s who he is Darx. He used his power on you. He pushed really hard too. Normally he takes time, plants seeds slowly in the mind, It makes it harder to root them out later. He doesn’t have time with you though, probably because you meet with the Queen tomorrow.”

Darx's head was clearing. “Why didn’t you tell me this in the first place?”

“You wouldn’t have believed me. I had to sow doubt in your head before I could trust you to even listen quietly. And Darx, tell me the truth, even after hearing what he said, it's hard, isn't it?”

“Yeah," Darx answered. "I heard what he said, but I don’t want to believe it.”

“And now?” Neku asked.

“My head doesn’t hurt as much now." Darx answered, "I can think about it more clearly. I still want to trust him though; it feels wrong to think poorly of him.”

“Believe me, I know, Darx.”

He looked at her, she was raised in the church, how did she break his control?

She looked at him, as if she could read his thoughts. “I can’t tell you how I got out Darx, not now. It’s still too much.” He saw tears start to form in her eyes, then she blinked, rubbed them and her face was stoic, the face he remembered from the first time he met her.

Darx stood to meet her. “I understand, Neku." He said softly, but resolute. "What's our next step, what do we do now?”

“Tomorrow, when you meet. . .” Neku suddenly stopped talking and turned to face the door. She looked back at him, panicked. Darx heard voices, faint but agitated.

“Shit, quick Darx.” Neku whispered, and she pulled down his pants, his underwear. “Here, on the table.” She practically jumped into his arms, wrapped her legs around him, pushed against him.

“W-What?” Darx stammered.

“Now Darx, quickly.” She said, then pushed her lips against his.

He realized what was happening at the last second. Darx set Neku on the table, held her close to him, looked in her eyes. She smiled at him and started moaning.

“I told you they are not to be disturbed.” The old lady's voice was loud now.

“I don’t care what you say, woman. The reference section is off-limits, especially to guests.” The door flung open.

“Oh Yes! Fuck me!” Neku yelled, kissing his neck. Darx ground his now erect dick against her underwear, hoping the intruders couldn’t tell that they weren’t actually having sex.

“I. . .” The guard froze.

“Get out!” Neku yelled at the guard. Then, turning back to Darx, kissed him hard on the lips.

The guard backed out of the room, closed the door.

“I tried to tell you.” He heard the old woman say as the door closed.

Darx stopped moving, but Neku didn’t. She moaned all the louder, gestured to the door, signaling that she expected they were still outside.

“Oh yes, oh you’re so tight.” Darx said loudly, he wanted to pull his pants up, but Neku wasn’t letting go.

“Yes, fuck my tight pussy with your fat dick, stretch me, ruin me!” Neku yelled. She wasn’t moving much, she was just sitting on the table. But her arms were wrapped around him, her body pressed against him. Only a thin wall of fabric between his erection and her sex.

“Fuck.” He said, softly, not loud enough for anyone else to hear. She pinched him on his shoulder.

“Oh fuck, I-I’m so close.” He yelled, wanting desperately to get out of this situation.

“Here, in my mouth, I want it all.” She said, just loud enough. She climbed off the table too, took his dick into her mouth, started moving.

“Shit!” he said, for real this time. It felt incredible, and it was so sudden, so unexpected. Her hands reached up and stroked his balls. She felt so good, he quickly reached his limit. Her eyes told him to let it go, so he did.

“UNNGHH” he groaned as he came in her mouth. As he did the door opened. A different man entered, this one in robes.

“If you are finished here, Darx. Your presence is required.” The man said as he looked at Neku sternly. Neku stood up, made a show of licking some of his cum off her lips as she did.

Darx pulled up his pants, and followed the man in robes.

“You should not be down here; these books are separated to protect the flock from wrong information.” The man said as he led them toward the stairs.

“Oh relax, Anselm, we weren’t reading.” Neku said.

“It matters not, you know better.” The man scolded.

Darx spoke up. “It was my fault; she was showing me stuff upstairs and I asked if we could be alone.”

“Are your quarters not suitable?” He asked Darx.

“Oh no, they are great, I just like doing things in different. . .”

The man cut him off “Your preferences are not a problem, this church is yours now, you can make use of any non-restricted area. Neku should be able to point those out. If not, we will assign another mentor for you.”

“I apologize for my indiscretion, Friar Anselm, it will not happen again.” Neku said, her voice penitent.

"I expect it won't." Anselm replied haughtily.

They walked in silence for a few more minutes. When no one was looking Neku slipped Darx a smile. It appeared they had gotten away with it.

“Here you are, Darx. The Priest awaits you. As for you Neku. . .” Friar Anselm started, his voice arrogant and harsh.

Darx didn’t wait, he grabbed Neku and walked into the room with her, closing the door behind him.