Selima was in the middle of a hugging session, her daily hugging session.
It was certainly an odd and unlikely set of circumstances that led her to this point.
It had all started, as most things do nowadays, with Hirrud. She was fresh out of seminary and ready to take on evil. Unfortunately, evil came with a big sword and big muscles. She knew she had to save her fellow catfolk, only for the clumsy brute to take one swing at her and force her to join the harem.
Eventually, she, Callil, and Yset were saved by the Champion of Hawkthorne, one of many titles the Champion would soon earn. Yet, even though they were rescued, they had nowhere left to go. The Champion, bless them, took them as her "harem."
It took only a week after rescue and lounging around the Frost Hound for the doubt to start eating at her. It was so small, but when Yset was injured, she offered to heal her, only for her magic to fizzle weakly, her connection to the Goddess Lumia severed. Yset thanked her and told her that she helped close it a little, but Selima knew Yset was just humoring her.
She knew that Brother Sanders, the local priest, a former Lumian Paladin, offered her some words. It was not comforting. It was not Lumia who abandoned her; it was she who abandoned Lumia. She tried and tried, prayed and prayed, yet each time her faith crumbled once again.
It was then that the same Champion who saved her burst into her room during her daily crises of faith. Apparently, the Champion, on the way to save the world, became a Valkyrie, one of the warriors of legend bound to Lumia.
Selima cried and wept at her feet, pouring out all her doubts. The Champion gave a goofy, happy smile and said, "Looks like you need to fill up on Sun Mommy energy," before hugging her for a solid hour. It felt like the most perfect beam of sunlight.
Since then, somehow while still saving the world from utter peril, the Champion made it a point to spend an hour each day hugging her. Despite how embarrassing it was, Selima was forced to admit that it was working.
She smiled and nuzzled deeper into the Champion's chest, reaching once again for that beam.
It was certainly an odd and unlikely set of circumstances that led her to this point.
It had all started, as most things do nowadays, with Hirrud. She was fresh out of seminary and ready to take on evil. Unfortunately, evil came with a big sword and big muscles. She knew she had to save her fellow catfolk, only for the clumsy brute to take one swing at her and force her to join the harem.
Eventually, she, Callil, and Yset were saved by the Champion of Hawkthorne, one of many titles the Champion would soon earn. Yet, even though they were rescued, they had nowhere left to go. The Champion, bless them, took them as her "harem."
It took only a week after rescue and lounging around the Frost Hound for the doubt to start eating at her. It was so small, but when Yset was injured, she offered to heal her, only for her magic to fizzle weakly, her connection to the Goddess Lumia severed. Yset thanked her and told her that she helped close it a little, but Selima knew Yset was just humoring her.
She knew that Brother Sanders, the local priest, a former Lumian Paladin, offered her some words. It was not comforting. It was not Lumia who abandoned her; it was she who abandoned Lumia. She tried and tried, prayed and prayed, yet each time her faith crumbled once again.
It was then that the same Champion who saved her burst into her room during her daily crises of faith. Apparently, the Champion, on the way to save the world, became a Valkyrie, one of the warriors of legend bound to Lumia.
Selima cried and wept at her feet, pouring out all her doubts. The Champion gave a goofy, happy smile and said, "Looks like you need to fill up on Sun Mommy energy," before hugging her for a solid hour. It felt like the most perfect beam of sunlight.
Since then, somehow while still saving the world from utter peril, the Champion made it a point to spend an hour each day hugging her. Despite how embarrassing it was, Selima was forced to admit that it was working.
She smiled and nuzzled deeper into the Champion's chest, reaching once again for that beam.
