Guilt and Trust

                            By:

                         Fox Cutter

04/13/97:

I sighed a bit, glancing down at the padd in my hand. It was
the results from the registration of my ship. Everything had
gone through perfectly ok, and I already had the appropriate
transponders set to broadcast it.

Everything was ready for launch.

Well, almost everything, I still had no word for Oria and I
was starting to worry. Page had no luck finding her, and she
hadn't contacted me. It was starting to get to me as well.

Setting the padd back down the on coffee table, I reached
over and petted Sierra. The grey fox had started coming
around again a couple weeks ago and was currently curled up
on the couch next to me.

He and Sora (who was currently at one of the basic classes
so she could be certified to use the portal controller) had
hit it off well, so there wasn't a problem there.

With a start, Sierra jumped, flipping his head around to
look at the front door. I turned my head, looking myself.

Standing maybe five feet away was Oriana! She was looking a
little downhearted, her paws stuff into the pockets of her
trench coat (which now had some kind of patch on it over her
right breast).

I stood up like a shot. "Oria! I didn't hear you come in!"

She nodded a bit. "I know..." she said, her voice sounding
to low for comfort. "I've had practice."

"Did you come back for the launch... or something else?"

She frowned. "Something else... Fox, I need you to come with
me."

Now this was starting to get me worried, where ever she
wanted me to go to, she wasn't to happy about it. "What's
wrong?"

She shook her head a bit. "I need your help with something I
must do. It may take a few days, so you may want to leave a
note for that girl that was with you."

I nodded a bit. "Yes... I should." I said, wondering when I
accepted actually going with her. Grabbing a notepad off the
table I jotted down a quick note. Then grabbing my jacket of
a chair, I pulled it on.

"Shall we go then?"

She shook her head. "Do you still have that Matrix chip Page
gave you."

I nodded. Page had given me one of the final versions of the
chip maybe a month after are dealings with the HammerHeads.

"Get it please?"

I shrugged, and quickly went up to my room (though it really
was more Sora's room now). Digging through the dresser, I
found the chip. As I headed back down the stairs I put it in
my watch.

"Leonine?" The question sound a bit rhetorical.

Speaking into my watch (which was still set to Earth time) I
programmed it for a lion-morph, and turned it on. The
glaring white light once again filled my vision, when it
cleared I found I had, simulated, fur.

Oriana had taken a step back, shaking her head a bit, her
ears perked back up. "That is... original, to say the
least."

I grinned. "Yes, it is."

She grabbed my wrist. "Then lets go!" She said, sounding a
bit more like her old self. She tugged me along through the
door and t-curtain, and down the hallway.

"Would you care to tell me what's going on?" I asked.

She looked back at me, her ears slumping back down against
her hair. "I... it's hard to explain really."

"I assume it has something to do with how I last saw you."

She nodded again, stopping along the hallway, and pulling
out a portal controller. "I'll tell you everything, but
you'll have to wait."

I sighed. "Very well, I can wait." I said, as she pulled me
through the now open fold. Stepping through I found myself
in the back alley of what looked to be a lager city.

"Come on." Oria said, starting down the alley to the street
at the end. I followed.

When she reached the street she waved her paw a bit. Out of
no where came what looked like a taxi, and pulled up to the
curb. She climbed into the back, giving an address I didn't
quite catch. As I sat down in the back, the cab took off.

Oriana sank back into the seat, looking a bit worse then
before. I wasn't sure what to do, so I just sat back myself,
and watched the scenery go by.

Eventually she broke the silence. "Thank you for doing
this." She said, her voice shaking a bit.

I looked over at her. "I don't even know what I'm doing."

She nodded slightly, looking down at her paws.

As the silence started to decent again, I decided to say
something that I had been thinking over for months now.

"I really was blind, I should have seen it, I just didn't
it."

She looked over at me, and gave a slight smile. I guess she
knew that I was talking about her falling in love with me.

"I understand, I guess. I really wanted to tell you, but you
never said anything, and I just though..." She paused for a
few seconds. "I just though that you just didn't like saying
that kind of thing. You seamed to show it."

I nodded. "Yes, I did. Even _I_ can see that now. I just
didn't then."

"I can also see that you meant all of it as a friend." She
continued, looking back down at her paws. "I just don't know
if I could move back in with you knowing that."

I reached over, placing my hand on her shoulder. "I hope you
can. I really miss you, a lot."

This caused her to give me a smile. "Thank you."

That was the end of the conversation as the taxi had stopped
just outside of a large church like building. Though it
looked more like an entrance then anything else.

Oria and I got out of the taxi, and she paid him.

"Where are we?" I asked, as the taxi pulled away. "I assume
it's your world, but where is this."

She started for the entrance. "This," she said, pushing open
on of the large wooden doors, "is one of the ten Grand
Temples of Thryn."

"Oh..." I said, following her in. I found myself standing at
the end of a grand hallway. Maybe a hundred feet long, and
thirty feet high, with a arched ceiling. Stained glass
windows where along the ceiling, casting colour light over
the floor, which looked to marble.

"Remember when I told you about what happened to me?" She
asked. I nodded, he telling me about that accident was not
something I would forget

She continued as she started walking down the hall. "The
priest of Thryn that was in the car with me, she serves this
Temple. I've come here often, and have become friends with
the High Priest here, which whom we are going to see
currently."

I shook my head. "Is it that easy to just go see them?"

She chuckled a bit. "No... not as such. But when I joined, I
found that my running and working in a whore house was not
exactly a sin. The High Priest found out and," she smiled,
"asked for a private session."

I shook my head again, this time smiling. "You have a very
interesting religion."

She looked over at me. "We have a very interesting God."

I nodded.

As we reached the end of the grand hall, she turned down a
smaller side hall. It then followed into a maze of winding
passages that reminded me a few mazes in games I've played.
Eventually, well after I was completely lost, Oriana stopped
in front of a small unmarked door.

She gave it a slight knock, and waited.

After a few seconds, the door opened. Standing there was a
very pretty lioness. She was maybe six feet tall, with hair
that ran over her shoulders, some down her back, a little
over her front. Her face was soft, and her eyes a light
brown. She was dressed in a simple white dress that looked
more like a Toga. It hid her body well, with the exception
of her over sized bust line.

She smiled when she saw us. "Oriana!" She said, her voice a
bit deeper then I had expected, as it gave me a slight
start. "What are you doing here?"

She frowned. "I need to talk to you High Priest."

The High Priest stood back. "Oh... I see. Then do please
come inside." She said, holding the door open for us.

Oria walked in, towing me along. The room inside was just
that, a room. There was a bed in one corner, a bookshelf in
another, a computer buried under a pile of papers on a desk
to one side. A few pictures of what looked like family, and
a large portrait of Thryn herself, in the same position that
was on the pendant Oria had show me.

The High Priest sat down on the bed, motion to some chairs
for us. Oriana and I both took one. "First," Oriana said
pointing at me, "This is Fox."

This caused a raised eyebrow. "Really? You lead me to
believe he was a far different species."

Oriana looked at me. "Turn it off."

I shrugged, I was already out of my element here anyway, so
why not make it worse. With a quick command I shut the
Matrix off and went back to looking normal.

The High Priest nodded again, a smile crossing over her
muzzle. "I see. His he part of what you wish to talk to me
about, or to share it?"

"To share it." Oriana responded.

I looked over at her, and raised an eyebrow. I had no idea
what she meant.

"Then speak what you wish to say." The High Priest said.

Oriana did. She started with how she left her House in her
sisters care (I didn't even know she had a sister), how she
decided to try and find out about Marn. All the work she
did, then how she get pulled along with him on one of his
assignment, then how it all went to hell, taking her with
it.

As she finally spoke of how she found herself forced into
the Guild, with Marn training her, she was almost in tears.
I found that some time during all of this, I had taken her
paw in my hand, and was holding it tightly.

Finally she finished, slumping down in her chair, then
leaning against my shoulder. I wrapped my free arm around
her shoulders and held her there.

The High Priest slowly nodded. "I understand what has
happened, this is a great sin for one such as you to carry.
Are you will to except the cleansing that will be needed?"

Oriana nodded.

She then cast her gaze to me. "Are you willing to except it
as well?"

I had no idea why she was asking me, but I nodded anyway. If
this would help Oriana, I was will to except it.

"Stand then, both of you."

Oriana and I stood, I was still holding onto her paw.

The High Priest stood as well. "The expelling will take two
full days, with Milk every hour. You will be kept separate
from each other. This is unusual, but for how your souls are
laid, it shall expedite the process. Understood?"

Oriana nodded.

She looked at me once again. "Do you understand?"

"Ah... actually, no, I have no idea what's going on."

She raises her eyebrows at this. "Oriana..." She asked, her
voice lighter then before. "Did you ask him or did you
assume?"

"I assume." Oriana replied, her eyes staying downcast.

The High Priest shook her head a bit. "Fox, what she has
assumed you will do is share her sin. Take a measure of it,
and do an expelling as well. It makes it easier for the sin
to be removed. It is normal for both participants to be
together for it, but that can be decided against, as I have
done. Now that you understand why you were brought hear, do
you accept your roll in it, and the judgment I have made?"

I was a bit taken aback by this bit of information. I looked
over at Orian, who was looking back at me with a worried
look on her muzzle. "She is my friend, so I suppose I
shall."

"Very good." The High Priest said. "Though you will have an
extra hour for this Oriana. Now I will prepare The Milk for
you both." Then she turned, and walked through a small side
door that I hadn't noticed before.

"Thank you." Orian said, her voice nearly a whisper. "I was
afraid that you wouldn't do it if I told you before hand."

I nodded. "Your right, as soon as you got 'religion' past
your muzzle I would have steadfastly refused. I really
almost did anyway. But you are a friend, for that I will
help."

Her response was to smile at me.

The High Priest returned then, a glass of the milk I assume
she refereed to in one paw, the other was waving over it
slightly, as she spoke under her breath.

As she stopped in front of us, snapped her fingers over the
glass. She then passes it to Oriana. "Drink half." She
instructed.

Oriana nodded, taking the glass and drinking about half of
it. She stood a bit taller as she handed the glass back.

The High Priest then turned to me, holding the glass out.
"Finish it."

I took the glass, then with a slight tilted to the heavens,
I drink it. It was most definitely milk, but more richer
then any I had ever drank. It was thick too, not creamy, but
I would say close to it. Finishing the glass off, I handed
it back to the High Priest. As I did, I felt a sudden weight
in the pit of my stomach. I felt overwhelmed suddenly, a
thick depression settling over my mind.

I sank back into the chair, gasping a bit. "Are you sure
that stuff is healthy?" I asked.

The High Priest nodded. "Yes, it is. It's just a little of
my magic. Half of Oriana's sin has been transferred to you,
along with the guilt and depression that goes with it."

I nodded a bit, forcing it back. "Nice..." I muttered.

The High Priest turned back to Oriana. "A priest will be
coming soon to escort you to your room. I suggest you
prepare yourself."

Oria nodded, then undid the metal bands around her wrists,
taking them off, something she never did. She stuffed them
into the pockets of her trench coat. She then pulled that
off, folded it up, and placed it on her chair. Her shirt
followed, as she pulled it over her head. I looked away when
I saw that she was bra-less.

She giggled a bit. "Fox, you are a prude. You can watch if
you want."

I actually found it rather hard not to want to watch.

After a minute, the High Priest addressed me. "Fox, look at
her. You need to see the lady you are helping unadorned by
anything."

I nodded, and slowly looked back over at Oriana. She was
standing there, the inside of her ears fire red as she
blushed. Her paws resting just over her crotch, hiding that
from view.

I looked over her, shaking my head a bit. She really was a
beautiful lady. She was well built, decently muscular,
really just the right amount of breasts, each one was maybe
a bit over what could easily be held in one hand, but
actually was what I liked.

I smiled, this was the first time I had seen her nude.
"You're lovely." I whispered.

She blushed even more, though her tail started to swish
though the air behind her.

It was right at the second when the door to the outside
opened and a young lion, dressed in the same toga-like
affair the High Priest was, steeped into the room. He didn't
seem to be to phased by the nude lioness standing in front
of him, though I did seem to shock him.

The High Priest walked over to him. "Take her to be
expelled, two days plus an hour, Milk every hour."

He nodded, grabbing Oriana's elbow, and slowly leading her
out of the room.

As the door closed, the High Priest looked at me. "Are you
ready for this?"

I shook my head. "I don't even know what this is."

She nodded. "The idea of cleansing sin is that it can be
sweated out of the body. Which, with a little magic, it can.
You will be put in a room for two full days. It will be
constantly hot, and lit. Every hour a priest will come in
with a glass of Milk for you to drink, and you will drink
all of it. You are just to stay in there, sleep if you can,
do what you like, until you're time is up."

I ran my hand though my hair. "That's a new way to do it.
Though I hope you don't fry me to much with the heat."

She shook head. "No... it is only one hundred degrees in the
room, hot enough to cause discomfort, but not to harm you to
much, and there will be some shade."

"Ok... also, you keep referring to Milk. I assume it's the
same as what you gave us just before?"

She nodded. "Yes, it will be the same Milk, though without
any direct magic on it, what you need you have already been
given. The Milk is to help purify you."

I nodded. "So it's just blessed then."

She chuckled a bit. "You really know nothing about are
religion. No, it is not blessed, but it is special."

"Oh how?" I asked, and instantly wished I didn't. I could
tell from the way she said it she had baited me into asking
that question.

She bent down a bit, until she was just inches from my face.
"Simple. It's mine."

I looked from her eyes, then flicked down to her breasts,
then back up to her eyes. "Oh..." was my response.

She laughed, stepping back. "Part of being a High Priest, we
try to be as close to Thryn as we physically can. We can not
have the wings of course, but the rest is as close as we can
come."

I rubbed my forehead. "I see."

"Good. Now strip."

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

She crossed her arms. "As I said, strip, remove all your
clothing and jewelry, anything and everything."

I stood, getting a bit nervous. Pulling off my jacket, I
folded it up, then pulled off my earring and attached it to
the inside of the jacket. Dropping it on the chair, I slowly
took off the rest of my clothing, blushing deeper as I went.
Finally I was totally nude, and rather blind, as my glasses
were with my clothing, I was also doing my best to stay
modest.

She walked over to me, and touched my right wrist, tugging a
bit on the piece of black fabric that was tied there, and
the only thing I had left on. "Why did you not remove this?"

"It's a remembrance of a dead friend." I explained, leaving
it at that. I really wasn't in the position to start talking
about Becky right now.

She nodded a bit. "Then it can stay, now come with me." She
said, and opened the door out.

I let out some sort of squeak.

She chuckled a bit. "This low in the temple clothing is
optional at all times. Half the high ranking priests don't
ever ware any, I don't either some of the time." She then
grabbed my arm. "Now follow me."

I gulped, telling myself that I did volunteer for this. So I
followed her out, still trying to keep modest. I followed
her for about five minutes, and luckily we didn't pass
anyone. Eventually we ended up outside of another door. This
one looked to be labeled, but my vision was to blurry to
tell, not that I could read the language anyways.

The High Priest talked to the priest that was waiting by the
door. I didn't pay attention to the conversation, as I was
thinking what I could do to pass two days. Normally, if it
was hot, I would end up sleeping a lot, but as at that time
I hadn't really sleep in four and a half months, that was
out of the question.

I didn't get farther then that before the High Priest spoke
to me again. "I've explained it all, you may go inside. If
you are feeling ill, please tell the priest, so he can help
you."

I nodded. "Alright."

She steeped over to the door, and opened it up. I felt a
wave of heat roll over me. It felt like some summers back
home. Taking a deep breath, I walked inside.

I was actually a bit surprised at what I saw. It was more of
a meadow inside. It was about twenty feet by twenty feet,
and covered in a thick layer of grass. There even was a tree
in one corner, though it didn't offer much shade from the
light and heat above. There was also what looked like a
small stream the other corner, next to a bush that was
cunningly, almost, hiding a toilet.

The walls were all painted a kind of sky blue, and the only
break in it I saw was the door out. It didn't look like
anyone was going to be watching me. Stretching my arms out,
I walked over and sat in the shall amount of shade, already
I was sweating.

Leaning back against the tree, I relaxed, and started to
wait until this was over.

-----

This story is (c) 1997 by Fox Cutter, hardcopy reprints
limited to one a person, all other rights reserved. This
story may not be distributed for a fee except by permission
of the author, and this copyright notice may not be removed.