It was late, the sun was starting to set. The dimming light of the sun as it passed below the horizon illuminated the clearing she had gone to. She had been here for maybe an hour, and she was currently laying on her back, staring at the clouds as they rolled by gently.

Young Darious was surrounded by flowers and trees but she hardly paid them any attention. The clearing was thankfully peaceful, and it had given her plenty of time to think. Think about how she had messed up, time to regret not turning back when she had been warned. To regret not picking a new patron when she had the chance, but also time to think about her brother. The mess he had made, and how she could not help him.

With a sigh, she opened that quest the goddess had given her. It was a little strange, in that its failure condition was variable.

The return of the question marks made her nervous. The last set ended up with her being turned into a young succubus. Not a fate she would have ever picked for herself. The only positive here was that she had regained her youth. Something the gods granted sparingly. There were rules regarding the ability of the gods to grant youth, and while she had never fully understood them, she knew a few. Successfully completing a divine quest was one, the higher the difficulty, and more important the quest the more one could receive. Honestly, it was easier to get more life by passing a trial of ascension than it was to regain it through the gods.

She sighed, she wasn’t going to get a chance at one of those any time soon. Even if she did, it wasn’t going to solve any of the problems she had with her new body. Chances were that if she passed, the only options she would be offered would be succubi variants. No, the only way she would get a human body back would be through the gods. Even if she did not convince them to give her a male one, if she could at least get a human body she would be happier.

Idly, she fingered her small horns. Just one of the many reminders that she no longer had a human body. The feel of the wind on her bare skin and the flowers and grass on her back were just more reminders about her changed body, and more directly the fact she no longer had any clothes.

Her stomach growled just then, but she ignored it. She was hungry, but she wasn’t looking forward to actually eating. Inwardly she cursed the goddess for taking her teeth and cursing her to years of soft foods. Not that it mattered, not only was she naked and hungry she was also penniless. Meaning she either found something out here to eat, or she went back to the temple. There was no way, she was going back to that temple. Darious did not want to be anywhere near a temple for a while. Now that she had time to think, she realized she wanted to avoid dealing with gods and divine quests for a while.

As for the quest involving her brother, she wasn’t sure she even wanted to complete it. The quest required her to betray her own blood for a measly amount of favor with a goddess she never would have chosen as her patron. Although now she was stuck with her, and that little bit of favor would help. It was not an idea she was comfortable with. After everything she had done over the years to keep him safe and out of trouble, betraying him like that did not sit right with her. The fact she could not help him, already hurt. Not that any of this mattered, chances were he wouldn’t recognize her. She didn’t think he would believe her either, and that was assuming she managed to tell him her story. Suddenly there was a rustle, and she looked up to see a shadowy figure dart across the clearing.

She could not make out their features in the poor light, but they were surrounded by a strange aura. Then she gasped, in surprise when the aura seemed to speak to her. It told her not who this was, but what they had done. They were wanted by the gods.

Darious didn’t know why, but before she knew it she was following the person. She had a strong feeling about who they were. It was just her luck that he would just show up, while she was lazing around in a clearing. Forcing her to make a choice. A choice she would have rather avoided having to make. Did that goddess know this was going to happen?

She sighed while peaking out from behind a tree. Watching the man navigate the forest, and keeping a constant eye on the sky. She wasn’t sure why he was doing that, they were surrounded by trees. Not to mention most threats would be down here on the forest floor. Although some would use the trees, he wasn’t looking at the branches, but the openings in the canopy.

It almost seemed too perfect a chance. Although she was unarmed, naked, and only level five. She wasn’t even sure how she was supposed to send Dewari his soul. There did however seem to be quite a few rocks and large branches on the forest floor. Not to mention he seemed to be distracted. There was a damage bonus for a sneak attack and a bonus for a critical hit. It gave her a chance, but did she want to do that? Could she live with herself, if she did?”

She kept following but never made for either a branch or a rock. The more she thought about it, the less she wanted to try. In the end, it didn’t matter. Just as she was about to turn around, a figure dropped through a gap in the trees. A winged feminine form that promptly unleashed a powerful blade of light. It lit up the clearing, and the man defended with a ward of light. It shattered on impact with the blade, but successfully took the brunt of it.

That flash of light confirmed her sinking feelings about who the man was. Darious positioned herself solidly behind a large tree that was close at hand and stayed there to watch. Unfolding before her was the kind of fight, she was too weak to participate in. Charging in would only get her killed. Not that she had long to think.

The battle was over in moments. In less than five moves the winged figure had won. Her brother was on the ground, pinned by a talon and bleeding. The winged figure had pulled out a strange stone and was chanting in a language she had never heard before.

She didn’t move, frozen in place she watched what happened next. The stone started to glow an ominous hue, moments before her brother started to scream. His flesh seemed to distort and warp moments before his flesh started to glow an evil black. The strange kind of black that dark magic gave, but gave off a sense of wrongness she had never seen before. That light was sucked into the stone, and then her brother’s body went limp. 

Before she could even process that, she was suddenly elsewhere. A place she had been very recently and had not wanted to visit so quickly. Turning around she found that vision of perfection watching her. The goddess was so perfect, it was hard to believe. Before she could say a word, the goddess spoke, “I didn’t think he would get himself caught so quickly, but I think there might be some hope for you.”

Confused, she asked, “What?”

The goddess leaned forward, and her perfect boobs jiggled with the movement drawing Darious’s gaze. “Oh, you were never meant to succeed with this quest. It was more a test of your character.”

She said nothing. She didn’t know what to say. Clearly, the goddess planned this. After a moment’s silence, the goddess said, “Still while you proved there is hope for you, I am afraid you still have much to learn young lady. I am going to leave now, but you need to get your ass back to town. The forest is no place for a young girl like you, especially at night. Staying out this late was stupid of you.”

Darious looked away. The goddess was right about the forest being dangerous, and sure she was a classless level five, but she had been an experienced priest. Before that, she had been a traveling acolyte. She knew the dangers of the forest and felt she could take care of herself. The goddess though didn’t seem to think so. 

She doubted she could convince a goddess though. Not when the goddess was so insistent on treating her like a child. Trying to argue the point would only reinforce that image. If she wanted to convince her she wasn’t, she would have to act the part. She slumped a bit and turned back. Changing the subject she said, “I’ll go back to town when you send me back. May I know what my penalty for failure is?”

The goddess shifted, “nothing much, given I expected you to fail. The penalty matches that. It’s a small curse that will help you in the long run. From now on, you will find yourself compelled to visit a shrine or temple dedicated to me and pray. Well, for the next three months anyway.”

Her legs folded under her. She had wanted to stay away from temples and gods for a while, and here she was being told by a vision of perfection that she had been cursed. Worse it  was a compulsion curse that would make her visit a temple or shrine to pray.

The goddess said nothing more. The space dissolved, and she found herself back in the forest. Other than her being slumped to the ground, her legs feeling like pasta nothing had changed. Her brother’s limp body was in front of her, and the winged woman was still standing on him. Holding the same ominous glowing stone. Well there was also a notification that popped to the side of her vision, but she already knew what it was going to say.