Though she lacked so much as a faint understanding of why her goddess inflicted this punishment on her, Kayla understood that there was no point in trying to deceive Lilith. She knew what lay in the hearts of mortals, and thus, she would already know what awful things lurked within the paladin's. Perhaps that very kind of monstrous desire was the true reason behind her transformation into this accursed beast, a penalty for something she had tried to hide before.
"I have... at times... felt the urge to seek the company of... another woman." She admitted it with a sob and no small degree of shame in her tone. Such desires, she had been told, were a wicked thing, a sign of devilry within one's heart that could only be purged through pain and begging of forgiveness. Every time such thoughts had entered her head, she had pushed them down, throwing herself before an altar and inflicting agony upon herself. More than a minor component in her renowned piety was her intense effort to purge herself of what she perceived as vile thoughts.
Lilith's brow furrowed as she placed a hand under Kayla's chin, forcing her to make eye contact with the goddess. "I would say that wasn't so hard, but..." She shook her head sadly. "What? You think I'm going to smite you for craving another woman's touch? That it's disgusting to want to bury your face in an ample bosom? That the kind of love you might have for another woman is vile? My poor, sweet girl... what's vile is how much they've taught you to hate."
With a snap of the deity's fingers, the warmth of the palace was suddenly replaced by the chill of the countryside. In worry Kayla looked around, finding the decor had become that of a humble home in a rural region of the kingdom, far from the metropolitan glamor of the city they'd just been in. Simple wooden furniture played host to a modest meal, the air filled with the calming chip of crickets just outside. The only illumination was a soft glow from a nearby fireplace, tended to by a plain-dressed woman with her back turned to the newly-arrived pair.
"Serana of Candleton," Lilith suddenly announced, her voice oddly soothing, "Your prayers have not gone unheard. I have come to provide what it is that you need."
The woman turned around, barely suppressing a yelp as her eyes fell on the being that had appeared within her home. Strangely, she seemed not to even see Kayla, though the champion couldn't exactly blame her. She had a moment to examine the young lady as she fell to her knees; pretty, in a homely sort of wait, but frail, deep bags under her large green eyes, light brown hair in a mess, clothes somewhat tattered. "Y-your holiness!" she exclaimed, bowing in reverence with hands clasped together. There was an anxiety in her voice that seemed to extend beyond the mere shock of this encounter.
"I have watched your struggles, my child," Lilith spoke further, reaching down to lift the woman's head up. "You have suffered great loss, and in your time of need, received naught but scorn from your neighbors. Through hardship you have persevered, keeping your faith - and tonight, that faith shall be rewarded." She smiled warmly. "I have brought with me a champion, a holy avenger who shall bring you the comfort denied by those around you."
Serana finally seemed able to see Kayla, her eyes going wide with fear as she looked at what she believed to be a demonic beast. Quickly however, a reassuring hand upon her shoulder was accompanied by comforting words. "Do not fear her, my child. The teachings of the Church have included... falsehoods, inserted by men seeking to exploit the faithful." She gestured for Kayla to step forward, and she did so, still finding it awkward to walk with her pointed heels. "Kayla is herself still learning the truth. Don't worry - she may be stubborn, but she's every bit as pious as you are."
Though she was clearly uncertain, the frail villager slowly nodded, rising to her feet and hesitantly taking a step towards Kayla. The height difference between them was nearly that of a full head, but in spite of having to crane their necks, their gazes quickly locked. In Serana's eyes, the paladin could see a familiar sort of shame; it was the same feeling that had welled up inside her every time she'd felt a pang of desire towards a feminine companion. Immediately she felt some understanding of exactly why Lilith might have brought them together.
Speaking of, the goddess quickly had a hand on both of their backs, her contact proving to be comforting in a sea of anxiety. "I can see it in both of you - you feel unfulfilled. You've spent so many years denying yourselves, because some twisted, long-dead man convinced you that you were abombinations, hated by your goddess simply for who you were." She nudged them a bit closer, and without thinking, Kayla found herself reaching up to place a hand Serana's forearm. "I am here tonight to affirm that I love both of you, and I want you to be whole. So please, if only for me... complete each other."
Serana, perhaps having had less time to wallow in self-pity, was the first to make a move. With boldness she sprung up, throwing her arms around Kayla's neck and pulling her down into a kiss that was every bit as sloppy and messy as would be expected of someone's first blind attempt. And yet the instant their lips met, something clicked inside of Kayla's heart. Some deeper part of her, long buried beneath mountains of prayer and self-beatings, sprung forward and fit neatly into place amid the puzzle of her soul. With eyes shut tight she returned the kiss, her own efforts proving as messy as Serana's, yet not without excitement and passion.
They pulled away after a moment, blushing in shock at each other, yet still embraced. Lilith sounded over the moon as she brought the two women into a hug. "Ohhhhh, I'm so proud of you two!" She squealed, quickly pecking each of them on the forehead. "I'll let you two have some privacy - but remember, you have nothing to be ashamed of." With that, she vanished, leaving Kayla and Serana to stare into each other's eyes as both still remained too nervous to make another move for some time. The paladin didn't exactly mind, though - something about holding the villager in her arms was rather nice.
Finally she worked up the courage to pose a question, her tail starting to swish back and forth as she did so. "Would you... like to lay down?" She glanced over to a humble bed in the corner of the room. "I... I image standing will get old after a while."
Serana quietly nodded, pulling out of her embrace with some reluctance as she led Kayla over to the bed. It was only large enough to fit them both if they squeezed together - and the paladin found she had little protest to this fact. With a growing ease she slid down, putting her arms around Serana from behind, her tail quickly coming around to do the same with the other woman's legs. A small sigh of contentment passed the lips of her new acquaintance, as she turned to be able to look Kayla in her crimson eyes once more.
There were questions she wanted to ask, about who this woman was, what she did, why she seemed to be in such a miserable state. She couldn't find the words for any of those questions as she continued to lay there, silently staring into those tired eyes. Really, she didn't need the answers now. There was a sense within her that she only needed to be here, to provide some sort of comfort to this set-upon woman. She didn't need to know her whole life to provide to her needs.
Needs... there was a need for affection, certainly... but another need was growing in importance at the back of her mind. Something unfamiliar yet entirely natural seemed to slip into her gaze, recognized Serana as she turned fully to face Kayla. Without any need to be prompted, she rolled them both over, sitting atop the champion and straddling her hips. In her mind some part of her regarded the sultry look in the villager's eye with disgust, but overall, she found herself unwilling to stop her hands as they drifted up, gently undoing the buttons on the front of Serana's dress, until it could be fully opened.
The bounty that fell out was small, miniscule compared to Kayla's own considerable bust, yet it caused a fire to spark within her all the same. With no hesitation her hands wrapped around the two small mounds and squeezed, as if kneading dough, until she earned a soft moan from Serana. The sensation of hardening nips against her palm caused her own points to stiffen; Serana took note of this, and soon a pair of small and frail hands were working at her widespread bosom with equal parts amateruism and enthusiasm.
Serana's remaining garments fell away with an almost comical ease, their two nude bodies now free to entwine and rub against each other without restriction. She fell down to lay against Kayla, both of their hands soon moving to explore other parts of each other's bodies. It was erotic, yet more of an exploration than some calamitous march towards orgasmic release, driven by curiousity as much as desire. The occasional kiss would occur, each one growing more bold than the last, until they finally found themselves laying for what seemed like hours merely making out, tongues languishing inside each other's mouths.
The flames in the fireplace had nearly died out by the time they pulled from this kiss, yet the warmth inside both of them couldn't have been stronger. Staring up at Serana, Kayla could already see that some of the tiredness had left her eyes, her almost sickly appearance now somewhat relieved. Coursing through her own hands, she could sense something comforting - a hint of Lilith's own power, granted to her to provide grace directly to those such as this impoverished woman. It had already done fine work, but in her heart, she knew the only way to truly heal Serana as she was meant to would to take this embrace to the next logical step.
For just a moment, she faltered in her conviction. Was she really ready to do this? It felt so wonderful, to be embraced with Serana like this... but all those years of listening to the Church's dogma still had her uncertain, questioning if this might be a test of some sort, if she might well be condemning both their souls if she went through with this. Did she have the right to take that kind of risk?