Dink’s words were met with deafening silence. The mature woman leading the sisters of Mercy hesitated for only a moment before stepping forward into a ray of moonlight. Shadows blocked her figure clearly but she appeared to be Human. She had dark hair with a single white streak. Dink’s eyes travelled over her lustrous hair cascading down in the moonlight, coming to a rest on an age-defying chest.

Catching his gaze, she playfully lifted a finger to her lips. Her upper arm inadvertently emphasised her breasts which threatened to break free from their linen prison. With a seductive smile, the woman glided over the distance between them. She circled around him to stop while placing her arm around Dink’s shoulders. He swallowed back saliva as she leaned in close to whisper into his ear, putting her enticing cleavage on display.

“No need to be so insistent, mighty warrior. I am Jiltia, the mother superior of the Sisterhood of Mercy. You have my word that we shall satisfy your desire. Sniff, I can smell how desperate you are,” Jiltia introduced herself into his ear, Dink involuntarily trembling under her touch.

Curse this Goblin body. Quivering like a kissless virgin after merely feeling a pair of tits pushed up against me. I won’t submit to your touch that easily, harlot.

Dink shook her arm from his shoulders and stepped out of reach. Her expression changed into shock, causing Dink to smirk in return. He ignored the mother superior to make eye contact with Axion, ushering him toward the gathered sisters with a gesture. He shifted his focus back to Jiltia after Axion nodded in acknowledgment and started moving forward.

“Well, mother superior. My companion has suffered mana backlash and the Sisterhood was the closest location with healers capable of treating her. Tell me, since when has the sisters of Mercy ever turned away those in need with fortified gates?” Dink asked, glaring angrily into Jiltia’s eyes, leaving her perplexed.

“We have been closed to outsiders for more than fifty years. After the Expanding Wood’s last explosive growth into Ceprad, people became frantic and began petitioning the gods to intervene. Some of those groups are less than civil to the followers of the god when it’s refused or ignored,” Jiltia answered, she was searching Dink’s face with her eyes in confusion. He was unsure if it was related to his earlier rejection or his question.

“Be that as it may, how does your god hope to expand his influence if he no longer heals the masses?” Dink curtly asked.

“We heal the sickly once every week on Sundia. This should be common knowledge. After all, it’s been this way for more than a generation. Despite this, it would be remiss of me to turn away your friend. Bring her inside to be attended to by our healing sisters,” Jiltia patiently replied, she gave him a flirtatious smile which he pointedly looked away from. Her smile faltered to be replaced with bewilderment.

“If you succeed in saving her, I’ll be in your debt. A favour from me was once something people were willing to kill for,” Dink cryptically replied before turning away and sauntering after the cart. Axion was unloading Estra from the flatbed and carrying her inside. The women and Murkuk were cloistered by the sisters of Mercy and escorted inside after him.

Shadows shifted around Jiltia as she silently watched Dink leave. She waited only a moment before deciding to follow, her thoughts unknown. She exaggeratedly swayed her hips as she walked after Dink, indigo smoke rising from her footsteps. The fumes spread out to encase the monastery as Dink disappeared inside. The idyllic scene of immaculate white marble walls and jade roof tiles transformed into a dilapidated old building covered in withered vines.

Jiltia walked through the crumbling front door, waving her hand through the air. The door slammed shut behind her, plunging the hall into darkness. She paused inside, looking down at her cleavage, she blew on it. Indigo smoke emerged from between her seductively pouted lips. Her already revealing clothing shrank away to expose more of her chest. Strangely, her breasts also grew in size while the contours of her face subtly altered and her skin became more supple, making her appear younger.

She adjusted her expression into a pleasant smile. Satisfied, she started strolling into the darkness of the building, torches flaring into life ahead of her. Shadows shifted in the alcoves, extinguishing the torches behind her. Wisps of smoke billowed upward, framing one of the shadows and revealing a demonic face. It silently roared at the departing figure of Jiltea before retreating into the darkness.

***

Dink stuck close to the group of sisters of Mercy. They confidently navigated through the various open passages of the building. They travelled through many sprawling gardens filled with exotic flowers and fruit trees. Each garden contained numerous water features and pools. Without the sister's guidance, he would be immediately lost with little hope of finding where they were taking Estra for healing.

“Dink…” a voice whispered seductively, his ear twitched as he froze.

He stopped and looked around him to investigate. He stood alone in the middle of a walkway lined with marble pillars amid a moonlit garden. Confused, he turned after the departing sisters.

“Dink…” the voice moaned a second time.

“Reveal yourself!” Dink commanded the empty surroundings. He spun around, reaching for his sword. Jiltia stood immediately behind him.

“Did you get lost, Dink? Perhaps I could personally guide you to your companions?” Jiltia innocently asked with a pleasant smile.

“I don’t remember ever giving you my name, mother superior. There’s also something different about you, I can’t place my finger on it,” Dink suspiciously said, taking a half-step back to create space to swing his great sword.

“You’re mistaken. It’s merely a trick of the moonlight. Your wives informed me a few things about you in the brief moments we spoke. Riva and Tahlea yearn to meet you again. It’s not wise to wander off without a guide at night. A wrong turn could end with you plummeting from a cliff,” Jiltia persuasively said. She rotated half a turn away from him while gesturing behind her.

Standing in three uniform rows was a group of sisters dressed in the traditional modest robes of Mercy. They were very similar in style to the more revealing robe Jiltia wore but were crafted from thicker fabric. The pristine white habit clad their flesh to their chins with cascading sleeves to hide their hands within. They even wore a white veil to cover their hair from casual observation. Oddly though, the dress had slits on either side all the way to their hips.

I never understood the outfit for Sisters of Mercy. All that effort to hide their skin, yet the robes leave their legs tantalisingly exposed.

The women were of many different races and heights. Unexpectedly, he even saw Halfling and Dwarven women among them. They all shared only one thing in common, a blank expression staring woodenly ahead as if Dink didn’t exist. A faint purple mist rose from between the cobblestones completely unnoticed.