Temptation

Chapter 15
Chapter 15

“Temptation” Part 15

 

By Oni and Piper

 

Sitting down again on a church pew Jym lifts Amara into his arms and cradles the two year old.  To keep their conversation private he makes sure they are far away from the others.  Speaking softly he asks, "Are you all calmed down now?"

 

The small Paladin heaves a soft sigh and nods.

 

"We need to talk." he tells his little mistress.  "I'm not being insulting, but you are acting like a baby.  It is too easy to make you cry, and too hard to stop once you have started.  Now you know I still respect you, right?"  Her big blue eyes stare up at him levelly, waiting for him to finish before she nods.

 

Jym smiles and continues.  "Good, I still need your advice, and I value it highly, but I am in charge now.  And face it, you truly are a baby.  You remember those speeches you used to give about being humble?  Well, I think it's time for you to be exactly that, or no one else here is going to respect you at all."  The teen squire can't help gently stroking his little mistress' fluffy hair to calm her.

 

"I need ta medah... medah... medatate on dis," she tells him somberly.

 

"Then where do you wish me to leave you?" he asks respectfully.  "I'm not sure you'd be safe on top of the bed.  Will those blankets on the floor do?"  The tot sighs heavily again and nods.

 

The teen boy leans down and kisses the little blonde's head softly.  "Be strong.  You really are still my mistress, and I care about you."  Jym stands and carries her back to the bedroom easily on his hip, her bare little feet dangling on either side of his body.  The child is still naked save for her loose blankie, her bare privates hidden by Jym’s large waist and resting against his clothing.  "Are you hungry too?  You haven’t had anything to eat all morning"

 

A small but distinctive noise arises from the toddler’s tummy causing Amara to put a hand over her belly.  "Yes." She admits.

 

"I'll go to the store myself then, and find something soft you can eat while you meditate mistress." he says politely, still being respectful.  "I don't think Dinni and Reiko went shopping, especially considering they left in the direction of her Inn.  You do realize you may have to be ... fed you know.  Have your food chewed for you as was done last night."

 

"I got teeth," she assures him in her babyish voice, baring the baby whites for him and looking absolutely adorable in doing so.

 

"I know sweetie, I know." Jym says with a good hearted chuckle.  "But you still don't want anything too tough.  I'll look for something good for you to eat." he says, careful not to promise it will actually taste good.  He places his mistress gently in the blankets piled on the floor, her own small blankie falling loosely around her chubby body revealing her soft shoulders.  "Anything else, kiddo?" he adds warmly, allowing a bit of levity into his voice and hoping Amara will have learned to accept it.

 

"Watah, miwk ... and empty the chambah pot?" she suggests.

 

Jym nods and picks it up, then can't resist ruffling the toddler's hair.  "My goodness I had no idea my strict mistress was ever this adorable." Jym adds sweetly.  He leans down and blows a razberry onto Amara's bare round tummy.

 

The little girl squeals just as the child she now is.  "Jymee!" she protests through her reluctant giggles.  "Meh-dah-tate!"  The toddler rolls onto her back, using her tiny feet to push against his arms uselessly and shamelessly showing off her immature privates in the process.

 

The teen taps the toddler’s forehead gently.  "Humility.  Relax," he responds.  Jym leans in closer and blows some cool air between his mistress' legs.  "You naughty little girl you." he teases.  The little blonde blushes slightly, but only slightly.

 

Jym smiles.  "You look awfully tired mistress.  Maybe you should take a nap before you meditate so you don’t fall asleep while trying." he suggests, figuring her long tantrum burned her out.  "And I should go find some clothing that'll fit you.  Granted, anything I find will be insufferably cute.  I do think it's better than you running around nakey all the time though."

 

Amara surprisingly finds she'd rather be naked than dressed, but instantly feels embarrassed at the idea as well.  She raises a foot to stop Jym from blowing but it comes up short of his mouth.  With a very long yawn she shakes her head.  "Poor town," she says.  "Cwothing will be swaddle.  Too ‘spensive to make cwothes for babies," She explains with a small sad smile as she admits what she has become.  “But sweep … “ she yawns again, “Dat’s good.”

 

"I could ask Alyssa to create something out of a tunic." he suggests.  Amara closes her eyes and slowly nods as her foot drops back down.

 

Staring down at the sweet baby girl who was once his powerful adult mistress Jym can’t help but smile warmly, rubbing her tummy gently to help her along to the land of dreams.  After a few moments a jet of pee arcs up and wets Jym's tunic.

 

Jym stops his tummy rubbing and looks down at his tunic in shock.  "Amara?" he asks softly, sounding mostly disappointed.  The girl however has fallen asleep.  The once again damp squire removes his tunic to clean up but stops himself from diapering Amara.  In part it is because the child has already gone but also he feels it is better for the girl to wake up in a wet blanket and know she needs them.

 

Leaving the  room quietly Jym finds Alyssa and asks the eleven year old if she has made a dress that will fit Amara yet, as he asked her to the night before.

 

The young seamstress looks embarrassed, and even has to pull up a loose shoulder on her own dress.  "I was so tired, I went back to sleep.” She admits.  “It’s a good thing though, because she’s smaller today.  Why even bother?  It’s not like she needs it." Alyssa remarks snidely.

 

“Because she is still a Paladin of the Church and she deserves to not be naked, especially when there are still two skilled seamstresses around.”  Jym replies, sounding annoyed.

 

The redheaded little girl immediately backs down, not seeming to want to upset him.  “I’m sorry.  I’ll have something for her soon, I promise.”

 

Jym sighs and nods.  "You have some time.  She's taking a nap, but I think she'll need to have a diaper on when awake now, and I'd rather it wasn't the only thing she wears because she is not going to like it.” He explains, noting that Alyssa’s two and a half year old sister Emmy is only wearing the thick blessed diaper cloth and looking very infantile because of it.  Jym also begins to notice that Alyssa seems distracted by his bared chest.  "Um, and I need a new tunic too.  I’ll see what I can find at the general store.  I’ll be back."

 

"We're going too." Janice says standing up and tugging John up with her.  "It will be nice to just shop.  Relaxing.  Maybe I can even find some boots." the merchant woman adds, wiggling her bare toes.

 

"And why am I going?" John mutters.

 

"Because you wish to help your dear sister.  And because I said so," she adds with a smirk.

 

"I think I liked you better as a little girl," John jests, to which Janice playfully sticks her tongue out, eliciting a chuckle from her younger brother.  "See?  Now you're just an overgrown brat who still needs a spanking."

 

"Too late, you had your chance." she laughs.

 

"Never too late," John quips to which Janice merely smirks.

 

“Uh, right then.  Okay, I’ll take care of everything.” Alyssa promises, though she finds herself still upset at how much attention he is giving little Amara.  The young redhead somehow still considers the toddler to be her biggest competition for the boy’s affection.

 

As Jym and the merchant pair leave the church Killi bounces along behind them and tugs on the squire’s pants.  "Oh, stay here please Killi.  Protect Amara, okay?"

 

The boy growls in frustration instead.

 

"Oh?  You want to do something else?" Jym asks.

 

Killi slaps his chest and points at Jym.

 

Jym sighs.  "You can still talk Killi, so talk." he orders, never having had much patience for the barbarian’s non-civilized ways and thankfully having the power now to command the child.  The once giant of a man now has to tilt his little neck to look up into Jym’s face the squire happily thinks.  In all honestly Jym figures the boy just hates hearing his own high voice.

 

"I come with you," Killi growls, his words roughly formed.

 

Jym thinks then nods.  "Fine, but I'm getting you clothing too."  The barbarian boy starts laughing.  “That or a spanking,” Jym threatens in response, which shuts the child up.

 

Once Jym and his little follower are gone for a few minutes Alyssa looks up from her work and gains an evil grin as a plot forms in her young mind.  The little girl pads over to her adult sister.  “Sasha?  Jym thinks Amara needs a diaper while awake now whether she agrees or not.” She says simply.

 

“Oh?” the woman asks, still keeping Emmy occupied as she watches her little mother and Jamie play with his big sister.  “Well, it is about time.  She has been acting like a baby.  It is good Jym finally thinks she should be cared for as one."

 

Alyssa smiles, “Exactly.  We can get it done before he gets back I think, before he changes his mind.”

 

“Very well,” Sasha shrugs.  She asks Janice to watch over the children then gathers some supplies, all while carrying her elder sister in her arms.

 

In the priest’s bedroom Amara, having woken cold and wet, has crawled off the blanket and has climbed her way up onto the dry, warm bed, snuggling under the blankets.  The sisters at first don't see her, since she is curled up and half-covered by a pillow almost as large as she is.

 

Sasha finds the blanket and feels it.  "Soaked." she says.  “But where is the little one?”

 

Alyssa spots the lump on the bed and pulls the covers back to reveal little Amara.  "Oh Amara dear, time to get up and get diapered." she sings. 

 

Amara cutely smacks her lips and wipes the drool from her cheek as she sits up.  "Jym back?" she asks.

 

"He will be a while.  But he wanted us to take care of something." Alyssa says.

 

Sasha walks up to the bed, the wet blanket dangling from her fingers.  “What is this?  Hmmmmm, little girl?" the woman asks sternly. 

 

Blinking up in confusion Amara looks at the damp cloth then gazes around the room.  She finds that the little priest is in the corner of the chamber pouting, Sasha having not wanted him out of sight.  The door is also open allowing the other children, Hannah and Jamie, to now play in and out of the room.  The miniature Paladin has gone from having a private room to no privacy at all she realizes, frowning as she wonders just how she will be able to meditate.  "I don't know," she answers honestly, rubbing her eyes.

 

Sasha holds it closer.  "You peed your blanket, and you weren't diapered."

 

"Jym really should have diapered you before he left." Alyssa comments with a sigh.  "I understand it is hard for him to accept you're a baby now.  But we will correct that."

 

"I notta baybee!" Amara insists, crossing her arms and not liking the tone she is hearing from the pair.  "Baybeez dun tawk."

 

Alyssa tickles the toddler's round tummy then begins to massage it.  "Oh, you are still smart, but your body is that of a baby.  You wet yourself, you cry and get all upset, and there are other limitations you will notice soon enough.  I'm also pretty sure you'd fall in love with breast milk if given a wiff." She adds nastily.

 

Sasha places Emmy on the bed then crosses her arms.  "All of which means that you need to be cared for and we are tired of tiptoeing around the issue.  You are going to be diapered at all times.  No more wet blankets or other accidents."

 

The chubby tot frowns in reaction.  "No!" she protests firmly, though her comment is ignored as Sasha begins to fold a changing rag.

 

Little Emmy, actually larger than Amara is now, crawls over to the head of the bed and plops her bottom down in front of the blonde.  The former seamstress' wet thumb pops out of her mouth.  "Hewwo." she squeaks.  The pair of toddlers have much in common now, at least on the surface, though it is obvious Emmy's mind has diminished further down the path of youth.  "Me Emmy.  Wan' pway?" the other toddler asks.  Amara looks upon Emelia with measured pity, the larger child's words barely coherent, and wonders in horror if this is her future.  After a moment Emmy returns to sucking her thumb and blinks listlessly, causing a pit to form in Amara's tummy.

 

Alyssa leans onto the bed on her elbows, hands on her chin.  "Isn't she sweet?  Who knows, you two could grow up together and be best friends." she smirks.  The redheaded girl reaches out and begins to tickle her older sister mercilessly all over her small body.  Emmy explodes into giggles and rolls on her back kicking happily at the air as drool rolls down the side of her cheek.  While it is not her being assaulted, Amara easily understands the implication that she too would be powerless to stop such a thing.

 

"Who was da big bad adult, huh?  Huh?  Who was?" Alyssa teases her sister.  “You were.  Yes you were!”

 

Amara swallows hard and slides back a few inches, only to be halted as Sasha's large hand wraps completely around her lower leg, dragging her forward again.  "I'm sorry if this is embarrassing but the sooner you accept your new form the easier it will be for all of us." the woman comments kindly.  Opening her hand she grasps Amara's second ankle within her fingers and secures her legs together, lifting the blonde toddler's bottom off the bed and sliding the prepared diaper cloth underneath her. 

 

The small Paladin looks up at the giantess with wide eyes, hardly able to believe she could be handled so easily by anyone and beginning to instinctively tug, trying to remove her ankles from the strong grip.  "Nooooo," she whines weakly.  The pathetic tone of the utterance is a far cry from the defiant if petulant voice that had stated the same word a moment before.

 

"Don't struggle." Sasha advises, lowering the toddler and skillfully diapering her, having gotten much practice recently on her elder sister.  The knots of the garment she firmly secures.  "Lift her into the air please so I can check it." Sasha tells Alyssa.  The girl does so, securing her hands under the toddler's armpits and holding Amara in the air as Sasha fixes the diaper and makes sure it is secure. 

 

The little blonde presses her knees together tightly and looks uncomfortable, beginning to squirm.  After a few seconds Amara locks her legs at the ankles and starts to whine.  "Potty!" she cries.

 

The two caretakers pause, and look around for the chamber pot.  Unfortunately it is gone, Jym having taken it out to be emptied and forgetting to bring it back.  Sasha shrugs then pats the front of Amara’s diaper.  "Sorry, you’re wearing the only potty here.  But if you're a big girl you can hold it in until we get you out to the other room can't you?"  Amara clenches her buttocks tightly and whimpers.

 

The toddler is shifted into Sasha's strong arms and carried from the room.  The very motion of the woman's walk works against Amara, as does the mild tickling the women absently does to her tummy.  Within seconds the blonde starts twitching and whining incoherently in desperation.

 

"Just a moment," Sasha says, placing the toddler on the floor in front of the pot in the middle of the church hall.  She begins to undo the diaper even as the playing children nearby stop to watch, causing Amara to feel utterly exposed. 

 

To get past the demeaning feelings of her complete loss of privacy Amara finds herself pretending she is a prisoner in a war camp, setting herself to face all humiliations in the name of righteousness.  Still, she feels hopeful, confident she can hold on and make it, the pit of worry in her tummy fading a bit.  And then the knot on her diaper catches.  "Just a second longer dear, let me work this out." Sasha says in a kind voice that nevertheless makes Amara feel furious at her.

 

Amara grits her teeth as she begins to cramp, then something hot dribbles out of her bottom.

 

"There, almost got it." Sasha says finally.  The cloth is loose but still bound to the toddler's round bottom as the woman works out the second knot.  Her fingers brush across Amara's tender skin however, tickling the child and causing her to giggle.  The action results in a momentary loss of focus which quickly deteriorates the toddler’s tenuous position.  A moment later her bowels let go, dumping load of wet feces into the diaper.

 

Sasha pauses as the back of the changing cloth expands and a smell wafts its way to her nose.  Sighing she scolds, "See?  You couldn't even hold it two minutes.”  Feeling horribly shamed Amara bursts into loud tears as Sasha ties the diaper tight again to hold in the mess.

 

"Alyssa, please get Emmy's diaper.  It is magic and will help us clean her up." She reminds.

 

Amara cries louder with righteous anger, trying to pull the offending garment from her body.  The Paladin’s small hands are swatted sharply away however and she is lifted into the air, Sasha's hand squishing the mess to her bottom.  “Oh no you don’t, you’ll get the mess all over the place that way.” Sasha explains.  The little blonde wails helplessly, dangling in the arms of her torturer.

 

"She’s gotta poopy butt." Five year old Hannah giggles.

 

When Alyssa returns the messy diaper is finally removed from Amara’s bottom with the entire thing dropped into the pot.  The Paladin then finds herself laid on the floor to be wiped clean by the blessed diaper cloth.  Despite having no control over her situation, and held firmly in place by Sasha's strong huge hands, the wiping is gentle, and does make her feel much better, cleaning the slimy feeling from between her legs and cheeks and dealing with the smell quite nicely.  Sasha even speaks to her gently as Alyssa strokes her hair and shushes her.

 

“That’s a good baby.” Sasha soothes, rubbing Amara’s round tummy.  “Silly girl, you are much too young to not be protected.  There you go, that feels nice, doesn’t it?  Yes it does.”

 

The blonde toddler calms down, not even noticing as she sucks on her thumb and her mind falls into a daze.   She barely even notes the return of Emmy, the other toddler having crawled down from the bed and wandered over to watch.

 

Once she is clean a new diaper is wrapped around her small bottom.  "You will be diapered at all times from now on." Sasha states simply.  "If you feel the urge to go, come to us to remove it and take you to the potty.”

 

Amara ignores the woman completely, not wanting to acknowledge her words, but not protesting them anymore either.

 

Sasha slants her eyes at the responsive tot.  “I wish an answer.  Will you try to pull your didee off when I am not looking?" she asks.

 

"No," Amara mumbles quietly around her thumb, blushing slightly.

 

"Thank you." Sasha nods.  "That is very mature of you and humble." she points out.  Amara looks a bit surprised and Sasha adds, "I overheard Jym.  You know ..." she adds gently, "this may get worse.  You already cry like an infant and are easily upset.  Know that I am not your enemy, but I will do what is best for you, whether you like it or not.  Do you understand?"

 

The blonde nods slowly, accepting the new rules, for now anyway. 

 

Sasha lifts Amara up, cradling her now padded bottom with a forearm and bouncing the toddler gently as she whispers to the girl.  "I'm truly sorry little Amara.  Be hopeful though, you are much more mature still than my elder sister, and I think the curse is the same on each of you."

 

Amara shudders as she notes the use of the word 'still', and realizes that Emmy became a toddler only about a day and a half ago.  If their rates of mental decline are similar then Amara figures she will be drooling and happily sucking on her toes by morning.  It is a testament to her character that she does not burst into tears yet again, instead resting her head against Sasha’s soft chest for a moment.  The woman then sits the toddler back on the floor as she moves to cleaning things up.

 

Emmy wanders over, squats, and pokes Amara’s flat chest with a wet finger.  “Baybee.” She squeaks.

 

"Ahhhh, I think she still wants to play." Alyssa says sweetly.  “Is ‘Mawa enough of a baby to wanna pway with Emmy yet?”

 

Amara looks disgusted and moves away from the other tot.  "Yu pway wit’ her."

 

Alyssa grins evilly and replies softly, "Play with her, or play with me."

 

Despite her condition, and her predicament, some of the Paladin remains within the little blonde girl however.  Amara’s head turns slowly and she stares unnervingly at Alyssa.  Not only does she not look afraid, her cold ice blue eyes actually seem menacing.  "Weave.  Me.  Be." She states.

 

Blinking in surprise Alyssa then laughs.  She too knows that the toddler is regressing, her mind falling to infantile levels.  Still, the redhead’s inevitable victory over the blonde is not enough to satisfy her desire to utterly defeat and humiliate her still defiant one time rival so that Jym would never again consider his former mistress worthy of him.  She has no idea just how misguided she has become, her jealously so affecting her.  “Oh, so scary, a nearly naked baby thinks she’s gonna intimidate me.  Fine, I’ll pway wit’ yu widdo baby.” She teases, shrugging off a feeling that things have again gotten too cold on the floor.  The redhead reaches her hand out and massages Amara's extended tummy.

 

"No," Amara says petulantly, trying to push Alyssa's huge hand away and not noticing the slight shock that came with the appendage.  She finds herself tickled instead and the resulting giggling causes her to fall onto her back, where Alyssa massages her tummy some more. 

 

"Awwww, does the baby wike her tummy tickle wickled?" Alyssa baby talks.  She adjusts the loose shoulder on her dress once, then twice.

 

The prone little Paladin struggles futilely but angrily, her rage turning to resentment and thoughts of revenge.  She can no longer understand how any of this could possibly be fair or just, how this redheaded monster could be allowed to torture her so, after all her years of dedicated service to others. She sincerely wishes that the odds were more even, that the wicked girl would suffer from the curse as well.  Instead, the once mighty warrior whimpers and whines under the grip of the domineering eleven year old, not noticing that the larger girl no longer looks quite so old anymore.

 

"Awwww, she's pouting." Alyssa comments.  "I guess I would too, if I went from Miss Pal-lee-din to Miss poopy butt." she whispers softly to the toddler, emphasizing each syllable equally.  Still jealous of the blonde girl, she promises to make the toddler’s future outfit extra babyish when she finishes it.

 

"What was that?" Sasha asks over her shoulder, picking the chamber pot up to take outside. 

 

"Nothing, just playing with her,” Alyssa lies.  The redhead has stopped paying attention to her dress, both shoulders of the garment sagging cleanly from her skinny arms, making the girl look almost eight now.

 

"Just don't hurt her." Sasha calls from behind, leaving the temple.

 

"Oh don’t worry, she's tough," Alyssa assures her sister, as she manhandles the tiny girl despite Amara’s struggles.  "Just a tough little Miss Pallydin.  Not so tough now though.  Little Miss poopy butt now." she says softly, tickling the entire time.

 

Amara kicks and squeals despite herself, feeling totally helpless but struggling anyway.  "No-hohohoho." she whines weakly.

 

"Oh yes," Alyssa retorts in a higher voice.  The little girl’s own dress has slid further down, showing off the upper part of her flat chest.

 

"Notta baby." Amara complains, before bursting into more giggles at yet another belly frap.

 

"Such a willful baby you are.  Yes you are, yes you are!" Alyssa says playfully, her face suddenly looking thinner.

 

Amara feels tiny amounts of wetness seep into her diaper as she loses all control, even though her bladder isn't full.

 

"You wike to pretend yure a big girl, huh?  Don't you?  Don't you?" Alyssa excitedly says again, frapping Amara's tummy once more and spinning the baby around on her back.  Amara's damp diaper sags a little downward with the force of the spin before the redhead pats the toddler’s round tummy.  "Uh oh!  Someone had another accident.  Oh well, we'll change that later..." she announces.

 

Amara feels terrible and filled with resentment.  All fight leaves her and she sniffles as she hugs herself blinking up through her tears.  She pauses however, noticing something is amiss.  Her torturer’s dress has fallen all the way to her waist, leaving Alyssa naked from the bellybutton up.  The reason for the garment’s fall is that the girl no longer looks eleven, but closer to six, the redhead’s own tummy nearly as round as Amara’s.

 

Alyssa giggles again then scowls.  “Watcha lookin’ at – baby?” she mocks, her voice rather babyish itself.

 

Feeling amazingly happy Amara slants her eyes and wishes for the redhead to become … younger.  “Who ya callin’ baby, baby?” she replies, before giggling herself when she sees Alyssa visibly shrink down to five, now the same size as her youthened mother.

 

The other girl looks confused, especially when she sees Hannah standing over her, looking much larger than before.  “Huh?  Wha … ?” she asks.

 

“Yu got little ‘Lyssa.” Hannah exclaims.

 

“I kin make yu widdo?” Amara whispers in realization.  After a moment it is her turn to grin nastily.  “I kin make yu widdo.” she states.

 

The little redhead gasps and scrambles off the pinned toddler, her ankles tangling in the top of her dress.  She falls backwards onto her bottom, naked as the day she was born.  Amara, feeling alive again hops up and pounces, wrapping her arms around the other girl’s waist and holding on with all her might, even as she happily feels Alyssa’s girth diminish.

 

“No, no!  Git off!” Alyssa kicks and struggles, dropping to four, then three.  “Git off, pwease!” the toddler whines.

 

Revenge is too sweet for Amara to listen however, and despite not knowing what is going on the furious little Paladin refuses to release her prey, even when the struggles become weak and useless and the squeaky voice she hears can no longer form coherent words, only baby babble.  Sitting up Amara gazes upon what she has wrought, having to tilt her head downward.

 

The now tiny redhead Alyssa, her once long hair only mere soft curls and short wisps at the moment, blinks up at the suddenly larger blonde with wide green eyes.  The baby appears to be only eleven or ten months old, small even by Amara’s standards.  In fact the newly 'born' baby is less than half the size of the toddler, much diminished from her previous intimidating form.  After a moment of silent shock ‘Lyssa’s chubby round face scrunches up and her babyish voice makes a high creaking noise, before she breaks out into full scale bawling.

 

The miniature Paladin simply giggles and points, happier than she can ever remember being.  That is until she hears Jym’s voice call out, followed by the clang of an empty chamber pot on the floor.  “Amara!  What, what happened?” Jym asks incredulously.

 

The giddy little blonde immediately becomes apprehensive and scared.  She finds herself worried about what her huge squire will think, concerned that she'll get punished.  The idea that he is her inferior no longer even enters her mind, her image of the boy now that of a grown-up, an authority figure.  She turns around slowly by sliding on her padded bottom, one of her dimpled hands nervously tugging on her chubby toes.  "Jymee, it waz an ax-cee'dent." she pipes over the baby's cries, still looking utterly adorable.  "I din' mean ta." she adds, completely willing to lie to protect herself.

 

Before her Amara sees Sasha as well, the woman holding her hands over her mouth in shock while the chamber pot she emptied and cleaned lays on its side on the floor where it fell.  "My gods, it's happening again." Sasha wails softly. 

 

Jym places his arm around the woman to calm her down.  Little Hannah, having watched the entire thing, patters over to her adult daughter and tugs on Sasha's dress skirt.  "Notta axcident." she says.

 

"Huh?  What sweetie?" Sasha asks.

 

"Notta axcident." Hannah repeats.  "'Mawa knew she was doin' it."

 

"Nuh uh!" the blonde calls out.

 

"Uh huh." the former matron childishly contradicts.

 

"Wait, wait." Jym says, looking confused.  "What do you mean she knew?"

 

"She said 'I kin make you wittle', an' then she hugged 'Lyssa an' she got awl smawl." Hannah explains, the former gossip easily sliding into the role of little tattletale.

 

Jym blinks and approaches his little mistress.  "Amara, is this true?" he asks.

 

The little blonde looks away.  "No." she says softly.  For the second time in less than a day, the Holy symbol Jym now wears around his neck grows warm.  Once again he gets the strange feeling, the belief that he just ... knows.  In this case, he simply knows the innocent looking little girl is lying to him.  He frowns and becomes more confused, not understanding how such a thing could have occurred, and yet again ... he knows.

 

Jym sees the curse in Amara, glowing white around her form.  He then sees a vision of the curse reaching out, growing, touching Alyssa as Amara skin does and engulfing the redhead.  He sees the blonde eagerly, even joyfully grappling with the larger redhead.  Then quickly enough, the redhead is no longer larger, the curse is fully removed from her and the blonde is celebrating, knowingly so.

 

The squire sighs and asks again, "Amara, are you sure?  Did you do this on purpose?"

 

The toddler scowls.  "I said no!  No, no, no,  no , no!" she closes her eyes and shouts, appearing for all the world as nothing more than a defiant child.  The cries of the baby behind her have diminished to a soft whimpering.

 

Jym slowly shakes his head, then turns to Sasha.  "She's lying.  I can see it." he says sadly.  "Oh, Amara ..." he adds, sounding very disappointed

 

The tot blinks, suddenly looking very worried, but a moment later she scowls again.  “But she dee-sarved it!” Amara protests hotly.  “She waz mean, an’ an’ bad!  She kept teasing me.  An’ … an’ I wanted it ta happen!”

 

"She lied?" Sasha asks in a shocked voice.  "But a Paladin doesn't lie.  What does that mean?"

 

Jym feels the holy pendant grow warm again on his chest and he hears a voice echo though his head, feeling compassion and regret along with it.  *She can no longer meet her duties.  It is you who must be my warrior, if you are willing.*  The young squire gasps, ignoring the strange look from Sasha and focusing on the voice.

 

*I 'm not ready.* he thinks, looking at his sniffling mistress.  *I just want her back.*

 

*She will return, but not for some time, and not without being cleansed of that unnatural blight.  And a cleansing cannot happen without a true Paladin to administer it.  After your experience with the mad goddess, you are ready young one.* the voice explains.  Again it asks, *Are you willing?*

 

With the infantile and still teary eyed forms of the pair before him Jym takes in a deep breath.  *Yes, if it will help.*

 

*So it shall be.*  The knowledge and learning that suddenly flows into Jym's mind takes him by surprise but comforts him as well, bringing with it a warm tingling on his skin and in his body.  As he sorts things out he finds it has filed him with most of what all Paladins learn before being given their knighthood, as well as some very special information about Rawnleigh's curse, all gifts from his god.  His new understanding confirms some of what he already suspected.  His dear mistress has regressed too far, her will and morality no longer up to the standards of a Paladin. 

 

"It means ..." Jym finally answers Sasha, his tone sounding different; more assured, more mature, "That she is no longer my mistress but just a child.  And there is something I must do."  He moves over to the still scowling little blonde and plucks her up and into his arms.  "It is time for you to be cleansed ... little one." he says, showing the child none of the former respect she'd garnered from her position.

 

Amara looks up wide eyed, enough of a Paladin still in her to know something has changed in her former apprentice.  Jym carries the tot over to a pew and sits her on his lap.  Removing the pendant from his neck he again wraps the chain around his palm.

 

"Jymee?  Whaterya doin'?" the little blonde asks, squirming but too afraid to move.

 

"I must cleanse you.  Use Ternha's holy might to eliminate a curse.  I know it requires a Paladin and I know you have been too weak in your link to our god to do so.  It is not your fault, but I am no longer unable to perform the act." he states.  "As we both know, it requires the victim to be physically struck with a holy symbol of Ternha."

 

Amara gasps, and immediately tries to get down, only to be held in place by the strong hands of her former squire.

 

“I am sorry Amara, but Ternha has shown me the way to destroy this curse once and for all.” Jym intones. 

 

The chubby tot glares up at the teen with as stern a look as she can muster.  "No 'pankin'!  Jymee, yu beehave!  Ime yo mistwess, an'... an' yu gotta do wha' I say!"

 

However this just causes Jym to frown, then smirk. "In case you haven't noticed little Amara, things have changed.  And this is for your own good."  He flips the tot, laying her tummy down and pulling her damp diaper to her ankles, drawing a squawk from the little blonde.  With a swing of his hand, he delivers a moderate but still stinging strike to her cushy bottom.

 

Amara squirms and fights in response, though her actions are useless and only serve to make her look silly.  “No!  Jymee, no!  I ordah yu ta stahp!  Stah-ha-hap.” she complains, deteriorating into weeping as the blows repeatedly smite down upon her backside. 

 

From Jym's perspective the action succeeds in its intent.  He senses the curse at first flare up, robbing the child on his lap of age and weight as she struggles, then fade away to nothing.  When he is finally confident that the little girl has been cleansed he immediately stops and pulls her into a hug, soothing the child as if she were his own, which is some ways is true.  The blonde baby cries her eyes out, the once regal Paladin shamelessly naked and only about sixteen months old.  Jym doubts if his once active mistress can even walk anymore on her chubby little legs.  “Sowwee, sowwee.” She sputters through her tears.

 

“Shhhhh, you will be able to atone, when you are old enough.” He whispers to the girl.  Amara sniffles and sobs, but also seems to relax in his arms, at last accepting things.

 

“Viz-it me?” the baby asks.  Her former squire nods and kisses her forehead.

 

"It's over." Jym says to Sasha, relief audible in his voice.  Sasha simply stares at him then turns to look upon her tiny sister, prompting the newly anointed Paladin to continue, "Alyssa is clean.  The curse was never IN her, it was Amara's will that changed your sister’s form, projecting the effects of the curse.  Ternha showed me, and that is not all he revealed.  It is the same way Jamie was affected.  Your sister Emelia became extremely jealous when you met James and connected the curse to you, along with her desires.  You in turn caused him to youthen, influenced by your sister's own yearnings.  Once the curse was finished it faded from you, just as it faded from the priest in your village once his threat to the curse had been thwarted.  Even Alyssa managed to make Emelia younger by wanting her to be so and unintentionally tapping into the curse within her.  She wished the same for Amara, but the resistance of a Paladin, even a lessened one, is something greater than what most people possess and in the end it backfired on your sister.  My former mistress simply took advantage once she noticed she had control.  Such is the way of creations of the mad goddess of temptation.  Want and desire dictate form, but only in the direction the curse was designed to travel, that being to the past.  The stronger the emotions the more powerful the curse becomes, able to affect even those who are not themselves cursed.  And children have very strong emotions.  You saw how Amara became younger whenever she rebelled against her form."

 

For a moment Sasha looks horrified, then horribly sad.  "James?" she manages to say, her voice weak with regret.  "I am so sorry."  The boy simply looks at her confused for a moment.  "For making you little," Sasha explains.

 

"Oh." the boy nods in understanding, then adds, "It's okay, you didn' mean to.  An' I like bein' little."

 

Jym shrugs.  "What is done is done and you were not at fault in Ternha's eyes.  As to what you and your sister did to your mother ... " He amends, causing Sasha to hold her breath.  "Your penance is displayed before you," he nods towards Hannah, Emmy and Alyssa.  "You are to raise them with love and care into good and kind women."

 

Sasha nods slowly and then walks over to her baby sister, gently taking Alyssa into her arms to cuddle the babe.  "I understand.  We can make do." she decides softly.  "Who knows, perhaps mother will get her wish of attending a daughter's wedding after all.  I may need a husband now."

 

“You will do fine on your own if need be.  Naita would not have allowed Ternha to choose you as their ‘mother’ if she did not think you could handle it.” Jym assures, the full implications of Sasha’s new place in her family fully sinking in.

 

“Mother?” she asks, looking down into her baby sister’s eyes.  “I … I suppose I deserve it for letting Emelia bully me into doing something I was unsure of.  At least that won’t be happening again.  Oh well, I will certainly have to take on fewer customers, at least for some years.”

 

“Fewer customers perhaps at first but your new ‘daughters’ have not lost everything.” He explains waiting for the new mother’s confused look before continuing.  “There is still much adult knowledge in their immature heads, hidden but ready to come out.  As they grow you will likely end up with the best weavers and seamstresses in the entire area.” He grins.

 

Sasha approaches the pew and sits down next to Jym, bouncing the tiny Alyssa on her lap.  "I see.  Well, I suppose we will be charging more.”  The redheaded baby gurgles up at her big sister, baby talking a stream of sounds, a pleading look on her face.  “Settle down ‘Lyssa.  Serves you right anyway," Sasha tells her sister.  “Had you not felt the need to tease poor Amara you would still be eleven.  You deserve to be the youngest.” 

 

The naked baby whimpers in response but calms as she sucks on a few fingers.  The similarly attired Amara sits peacefully on Jym’s lap a pair of feet away, slurping loudly and rhythmically on her own thumb.

 

The all sit a few moments in the near silence before Sasha speaks again.  “Wait, you said it was over.  But what of Killi, isn’t he still infected?  You will have to … spank him too correct?”

 

Somewhere in the shadows a scampering of bare feet on wood sounds followed by a chair falling to the floor.  Jym groans and rubs his temples.

 

“What was that?” Sasha asks.

 

“That was Killi hearing you.  I was hoping he’d forget about that.  Now I’ll have to catch him.” The Paladin sighs.

 

“Oh!  Sorry.” Sasha adds.  After a moment of thinking about it, she laughs, that problem seeming so minor compared to everything else they have had to deal with.  Jym smiles at her then joins in.

 

***

 

The road to becoming a Paladin is indeed long.  It is also difficult, and fraught with peril.  Still, to a certain little girl scampering through the forest it can also be lots and lots of fun.

 

“Jym! Jym!” the high voice calls out.  “Killi found it!  C’mon.”

 

“Hold up.” The Paladin calls.  “I’m coming.  And a squire refers to her Paladin as Master or Sir, remember?  You keep forgetting that.” He scolds.

 

“Yeah, yeah, ‘Surjem.’ Still dunno why you wanna be called that, sounds dumb.” The girl sarcastically replies.  “Anyway, were ya watching me?  I got so high over that last log I was almost airborne.” She adds excitedly.

 

Jym sighs, reminded yet again just how challenging his apprentice will be to train in the coming years.  Granted, it was not at all what he’d expected the last time he prayed to Ternha, but when a god makes a request, a Paladin considers it a holy order.  *She is innocent and good again and deserves a chance to stay that way.* he recalls the voice saying, its timbre still echoing in his mind.  Still, Jym wonders how many times he will wish that the little witch had just said no. 

 

“Yes Reiko, I saw you.  Be careful though, you don’t want to mess up the nice outfit Sasha made for you.  Boots are hard to get in your size.  Now, where is Killi?”

 

“This way, c’mon slowpoke!” Reiko, nine, and a half, year old Paladin squire calls over her shoulder to her sire.  “Oh, sorry, Sir Slowpoke!” she giggles.  Master Slowpoke?”

 

“Oh yes, this will be fun.” Jym mutters, thankful that sarcasm at least is permitted to Paladins.  Grunting at the weight on his back Jym can’t wait till the little girl is old enough to help carry equipment.  “See how fast she runs then.” He chuckles.

 

Soon enough they come across a small clearing where five year old Killi awaits.  It is thankfully much less time than the half day it took to track the boy down for his cleansing.  Jym suspects they’d still be looking for Killi if he did not require food.

 

Sasha had of course made the boy a nice traveling outfit as well, not that he ever wears it Jym smirks as the boy barbarian stands before him in only his loincloth.  The child nods and points at a dirty, moss covered bundle.

 

“See?  Tole ya he found it.  Still the best tracker in the colony,” Reiko says proudly, before ruffling the boy’s hair.

 

“Stop,” Killi replies in an annoyed voice, pushing the giggling girl away.

 

Jym removes his pack from his back, carefully setting it and its valuable cargo on the ground, as he sighs yet again.  He gets the feeling it will be something he gets used to.  “Children, children, enough.” Jym states.  “Killi, please dig the moss away.  Reiko, over here, I think Amara needs to be changed.”

 

The golden skinned girl hops away from her little friend and skips over to the backpack and the little blonde baby girl strapped to the rear of it.  She is secure, her bare feet dangling over the ground as she travels.  The infant is dozing softly but the smell emanating from her is sharp.

 

Reiko pinches her nose and says in a weird voice, “Oh yeah, she needs a change.”  The little girl then goes through the process of laying out a blanket, releasing the baby, then laying her down to be changed.  She wishes, not for the first time, that Jym had allowed them to keep the diaper blessed by Rawnleigh.  “It might be tainted with the mad goddesses’ sins.” She says softly to herself, mocking Jym’s very words.

 

The baby girl wakes up in the middle of her change splayed out and exposed, but simply grins up at her large friend.  “Tanks,” She squeaks.

 

“Yure welcome.  You wanna eat?  There’s still some cornmeal left from breakfast.” Reiko asks.

 

“’Kay,” The baby pipes sitting up once her new diaper is in place.

 

Jym has pulled the bundle out of the dirt and opened it up, pulling from within a shiny silver piece of metal.  Armor Reiko recognizes as Amara’s former armor, now belonging to the blonde’s former squire.  Holy armor crafted for a Paladin, and not to be left to rust in the middle of the woods.  The Kirasani girl looks over and smiles.  “So, how long till I get to wear it?” she asks happily.

 

Amara whines and frowns.  “Sorry baby, I was teasing Master Jym, not you.  Now open up.” She adds, spoon feeding the baby and wiping the excess off the blonde’s chin.

 

“If you are worthy, you will get your own armor, in time.” Jym calls back to his apprentice.

 

“Gods, he sounds like you used to.” Reiko mutters.  “Guess that means he’s the real deal, huh?”  Amara blinks and then nods.

 

It doesn’t take long for the group to finish up, Jym strapping the armor onto his body not only for protection but to distribute the weight evenly so that he can carry it, Reiko finishing her feeding of the baby and strapping little Amara into place on the pack.  The Paladin in training can’t resist tickling the soft soles of the blonde’s feet, causing the baby to giggle and kick.

 

“Weeko!” Amara, states.  After a moment she wiggles her feet.  “Doo it ‘gain.”

 

“You are so much more fun like this.” Reiko says, obliging the babe who laughs gaily.

 

“Are you two done?” Jym asks dryly.  “We need to get moving or we will never make it back to the Church in Falkrie so we can have your apprenticeship approved and we can give Amara and Killi a safe home.”

 

“And you are so NOT fun like this.” Reiko adds.  “C’mon, we beat a goddess and you got to become a Paladin before your time.  Why are you always so serious?”

 

Jym looks around somberly.  “Because of the price we paid for those gains.  Also, the mad goddess still has ties to this world.  You recall what the villagers said, about that boy blessed by Naita who visited before the priest changed.  Naita has vouched for him, but Ternha suspects the mad goddess has used similar devotion to the Mother goddess to twist desires and spread her curses.  We must stop her.”

 

“Yeah, I know.  You don’t have to remind me.” Reiko huffs.

 

“Apparently you need to be reminded of some things from time to time, my apprentice.” Jym adds with a smirk.

 

Little Reiko sighs and nods.  “Fair enough, Sir Jym.” She finally states with respect.  “Just don’t expect me to completely change who I am.”

 

Jym folds his armored arms over his shining chest and looks down at the girl sternly.  After a short pause he smiles widely and messes up the little girl’s hair.  “I would never dream of it kiddo.  Now run along, I think Killi has moved on without us … again.”

 

Reiko looks up at her master with a crooked yet adorable expression, then smiles back.  “Okay!” she says, scampering off.

 

Jym chuckles and shakes his head.  It will be strange and difficult, but if the girl manages to actually fulfill her training she will certainly make a unique Paladin of Ternha.  He is just thankful the little witch didn’t cause more damage with the curse than she did.  As the newly minted Paladin leaves the clearing he doesn’t notice the small eyes that watch from the brush.

 

 

The End.

 

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