After 'escaping' from the randy rabbits (at least until she had to return to be the star performing in a fertility festival), Nikky returned to the Temple of Gorphat and her least attractive (to those who don't worship Gorphat) body. It was nice to have familiar wings and limbs back, and proper toe-fingers as Nicora - even if it was ultimately a rather smelly and squishy familiarity. But at least she wasn't the only squishy Eeee in service to the Goddess of Affliction now.

Lair of the Sacred Horribs
This was once the chamber of the Senior Priestess, second to the High Priestess and thus next to her suite. It isn't all that big, but big enough for the current occupant: a 'modified' Horrib Queen, birthed by the current High Priestess herself. The surfaces are all covered in hive resin, with alcoves used for holding 'victims' while the Queen herself is suspended in the center of the chamber in a cross between a cocoon and a throne made of extruded chitin.

Penance is glued into her alcove, save for her belly - which is quite distended already, for an Eeee. There are also some corpses in the lair, near the Queen's throne, which the drones are Hoshim are eating.

"That is disturbing. I hope you did not kill those people," Nicora says grimly as she watches the monsters devour, well, people. "You should stick to just animals from outside of town."

"Yes?" Nicora asks of the bound woman as she goes to check on her. She's surprised she is so large already, but perhaps she shouldn't be. Things are ... always different it seems.

"May I have some water?" the Acolyte asks. There's a pitcher and glass set on a nearby mound of resin, so Sil must still be checking up on Penance.

Nicora fills the glass from the pitcher, then holds it to Penance' lips. She will wait until the Eeee drinks before asking any questions.

The girl drinks down the whole glass. Up close, it's easier to see some stubble on her dark skin, but it's patchy. "Thank you, Mistress," she finally says, her voice sounding less raspy.

"More?" Nicora asks, "How have you been? What has been happening in my absence."

"I'm not sure how many days have passed," Penance admits. "I sleep often.. and have strange dreams. But.. I feel.. happy." She even smiles a bit. "Sometimes euphoric. It is the baby, isn't it? Sometimes I see Otto bring.. bodies.. for the horribs."

Nicora frowns. "He should be bringing animals, not people. Using people is ... disturbing," says Nicora, the queen of disturbing. She places her hand on Penance's stomach too, to try and examine her and make sure she is healthy and not in danger.

There's no need for auras or shadows for Nicora to feel the pulse of the creature within Penance's womb. It even moves a bit, as if reacting to the pressure or warmth from her palm.

"She does not seem unwell, which is good. But, I shall have to keep an eye on her. I cannot risk her life for that of a monster," Nicora thinks. "What sort of dreams are you having?"

"I am myself but.. also not myself," Penance says. "Sometimes I am held captive.. but not like I am now. In a giant glass jar, in the dark. Other times I am a burrowing thing, guiding by scent alone.. and unsure of what I'm burrowing through."

"That sounds familiar," Nicora admits in thought to herself. "What are the sources of those ...bodies?" she asks.

"The hospice," Penance says, turning her head and eyes as much as possible to look towards the pile. "I recognized one of them - an old Eeee, with a deep cough. His mind was dull, and.. he was alone. I think that is why they are here: they have no family to take the remains. I think.. I think some of my dreams are being them.."

Nicora rubs her forehead. "It still seems wrong to use them for this. It is not a proper way to treat the dead," she mutters grimly. That is probably shades of Alptraum seeping through.

"It's needed," Penance claims. "The Hoshim feed me. They feed on the people. It's needed. The baby needs that.."

"No, it's not for them, it's for me," Penance says, raising her voice and even looking a bit wild. "The baby needs it. It needs.. their.. essence.."

Nicora's eyes narrow. "For what?" she asks. She does not like where this is going.

"To.." Penance says, then seems confused. "I see their memories, sometimes, when I dream. That's what's being fed to him. I don't know why. It's important that he receives.. Eeee spirits, even if just pieces. It's important."

Nicora rubs her forehead again. "To make them more like us? It just seems ... wrong. Not respectful," she mutters, frustrated.

"It ... must be," Nicora concedes, though sounding frustrated. She isn't sure what else to say on the matter, so instead just watches the creatures eat and for once feels a bit ill.

"What would be done with them otherwise?" Penance asks. "Would the Yodhsunala take them?"

"When the baby is born, it will probably stop," the girl says, sounding like she's trying to reassure herself.

"Probably. She can be secretive sometimes as well. Such is Their way," Nicora also admits.

"The Kindly Ones may seem capricious at times," Penance mutters. "But I know.. this baby is important to Gorphat and to the horribs."

"We shall see why. It is ... we shall see," Nicora thinks as she goes right back to rubbing her forehead. "I will not stop what is going on then, though it bothers me."

"They don't eat all of them," Penance says quietly. "Otto takes away the ones they are finished with. I don't know where they go."

Nicora moves closer to see what they are eating of them. "That doesn't make it any easier to tolerate," she admits.

There are holes in bodies. But it does look like each one has 'donated' a specific organ.. but not the same one. Given that they all perished of disease, it isn't clear if the parts taken are the ones that ultimately failed or the ones that were the most healthy.

Nicora's brow arches a bit at this. It reminds her all too much of the mess she found out in the desert that the demon was making use of, and that leaves her feeling all the more unsettled.

The Queen puts a clawed 'hand' on Nicora's shoulder. "Dud-A-Chum-Chum-Be-Be-Become."

Nicora's attention shoots up. "What?" she asks of the creature. It sounds like the queen just spoke.

"Chicka," the Queen clacks. "Mother." At least that one Nicora has heard before. "Mother-Mother-Chum-Mother-Return.. Returns.. Us.."

"I wish I understood what you meant. I can guess, but I cannot know for certain," Nicora admits ... and returns to looking frustrated.

The claw-hand squeezes, and the Queen repeats, "Us." This time though the Hoshim all stop their grisly but 'important' business and echo "Us" in unison.

"Yes, you. And the uniform speaking. It is all like the creatures in the dead city in the wastes," Nicora says.

"Dead? Not-Dead," the Queen insists. "Return. Return-From-Dead-We. Become-Return. Us. Us. Return Us." She then points to the nearest corpse. "Us."

"What? You're being reborn from them into you?" Nicora asks, ears cocked a bit to the side. "I do not see how that works, but ..."

The Queen hisses. Is she frustrated? "Return.." she gestures to the Hoshim, then to Penance. "Tak. Tak. Tak-en. Taken. Taken from us. Return."

"Did-A-Chick!" the Queen says, in what might be an affirmative. "We! We-eeee. We. Eeee. Return."

"You were Eeee? How was it taken?" Nicora now asks. If things weren't disturbing enough before, they are moreso now.

"Took-Tak-Took," the Queen tries to explain. "Us. Became We. Took.. ouuur.. Us". Using another limb, she taps at her odd head. "Our Us," she hisses.

"Or are you saying you were once more like Eeee and that was taken away. And this is how you return to what you were?" Nicora asks next.

Nicora throws up her hands. "Sorry, I am not completely understanding," she admits.

"The jar," Penance says. "The jar in the dark. That's where it happened. That's why it felt so horrible."

"The jar? Like the monsters in the dead city? The ones kept in the jars and feed off of?" Nicora asks. "Or ... do you mean the sacrifices that happened here? The ones where they stuffed organs into the jars and the cultists drank from it?"

"I.. don't know those jars.." Penance says, shaking her head. "In the dreams.. nightmares.. it's clear, but only darkness outside. And I'm being watched. Judged. And.. I can't think. It's hard to think."

Penance blinks. "Souls taken.." she repeats, and stares a bit. "By us. Eeee. Watching from outside, it was Eeee. We made them.. from us.." she whispers.

"Like the chambers beneath the tower where ... creatures were grown in tubes?" Nicora asks. "Modified Eeee."

"I don't know the tower," Penance says. "Tube. Yes, that.. that is better. Tube, trapped in a tube."

"And you're trying to become what you once were, when you were made in the tower in the tubes?" Nicora asks of the Hoshim and the queen.

"Us became we," the Queen says. "Hosheb.. We to become Hosheb. But.. became horrib.."

"And you're trying to become Hosheb?" Nicora suggests. "By eating the parts of Eeee you're missing?"

"We. We. We-ah.. Weapon.." the Queen stutters out. "Become.. Eeee. Return.. to.. Eeee.."

"You do not want to be a weapon anymore. You want to just be Eeee?" Nicora suggests.

"Eeee," the Queen says, and taps her skull again. "Us, not We. Us. Us." She then taps Nicora's scarred head. "Us. Inside."

"You want to be like us in body and mind? But mostly mind?" Nicora asks hesitantly. "And be more than just monsters, or weapons."

"Okay, I can understand that. Though I have become ... less like an Eeee over time," Nicora admits and gestures at herself. "But I have retained my mind."

"Choice made to help others," Nicora says and shrugs a little. "Someone had to."

"To overcome a challenge, you must first embrace it," the Queen says, but it's obviously Gorphat speaking through her. "Even being a monster can be a challenge."

"I think it is obvious by now I have," Nicora points out. "I am even your pet after all, as Scourge."

"The horrib were my pets, but that will soon change," Gorphat claims. "You are a monster of change. And through you, others may be changed."

"You will be the Sabaoth, for a time," Gorphat says. "You will be glorious and terrible and loved."

"That terrible part worries me, but it must be done," Nicora concedes, "Just promise me they will not be eating people once their change is done." She gestures at the Hoshim.

"No more so than other Eeee," the goddess claims. "I am the only one who grants them reprieve from their curse. They have survived their challenge."

"So as long as they don't become cultists..." Nicora thinks, then shrugs. "What do you need of me now that I have returned to the temple? Are there things that require attention?"

"You have pledged a boon to Inala," the Queen says, and actually manages a sort of 'raised eyebrow' expression with the mobile, overlapping plates of her brow. "You always seem to forget me when in Her favored form. You should tour the faithful, and remind them why they come to my Temple."

"I was forced into that," Nicora points out, "And yes, I probably should see to those outside."

The Queen 'grins' and says, "Inala resorting to force? She must be desperate. Take the Grok with you on your rounds."

"To show them it is not to be feared," the Queen relays. "To show them your dominion over it."

Nicora chuckles and backs away. It seems she needs to go out to the main encampment and make some rounds.

Scar is only too happy to come along, instead of Brutus. He's almost stupidly happy about it. Until they get to the hospice tents, where the beast turns serious.

Nicora 'pats' the side of Scar's head. "Don't scare people,/" she tells it before heading into the tents. She is at least dressed today; well as dressed as she ever is, which is skimpy bandages.

The Yodhrinala Acolyte is a new one, and looks little older than a Yodhbarada. "Yodhgorphat Scourge," she squeaks in surprise. "Have you come to replenish our.. uh.. supplies?" the girl asks, sounding a bit embarrassed at the end.

"Are you low on certain supplies? And if so, which?" Nicora actually asks, sounding completely unconcerned about such a question.

"The.. ungents.. and other fluids you provide are nearly exhausted," the girl admits. "The Nursy-Tree used up a lot of it."

Nicora's brow arches. "What? All of them?" she asks. She doesn't sound worried, but she is worried. That was a lot of ooze from a lot of locations.

"It always seemed to make the best use of them," the Acolyte notes. "But it may need more. It is much larger now."

"I ... will have to see how it will be possible to generate more," Nicora states. "It can be quite ... trying to produce anything in large amounts."

"Should I take you to the Nursy?" the girl asks, and looks to one side, towards the largest of the tents. It's bigger than even the 'circus' tent the Gypsies sometimes set up.

The girl leads Nicora and Scar to the tent, and holds back the flap. The inner edge of the tent is lined with bunk-beds to accommodate all of the patients. And in the center is a tree. Blarf is no longer confined to a pot, with his tendril-root-feet dug into the ground. Tentacle limbs branch out from their trunks to touch and sometimes entwine patients. Transparent patches show fluids being moved about between them and the main trunk body.

This causes Nicora to pause and blink, repeatedly. " ... and THAT think came out of my hoohoo?" she thinks in utter shock. Sure, it has grown; but she still remembers birthing that thing! She draws in a deep breath and steps into the tent. How in the world could she possibly feed this thing now?

"It filters their blood mostly," the Acolyte says. "And.. maybe transfuses it too.. we can't be sure. We bring everyone with a blood disease here, and those with failing organs."

"Impressive," Nicora has to admit. "And helpful. I did not expect it to grow so large."

One of the 'eye' stalks near the crown turns to look down at Nicora, and the vestigial wing-vanes flutter. "Do you.. get inside of it?" the Acolyte whispers to Nicora. The orifice at the top of Blarf must certainly be big enough.

"I never did before," Nicora admits to the Acolyte. "But it also used to be a lot smaller."

"It's just that all of its limbs are in use and.. well, is it a plant?" the girl asks, sounding embarrassed. "I mean, do you just.. fertilize it?"

The trunk thrums when Nicora gets closer, but none of the tentacles stop what they're doing to grab her like they used to.

Nicora reaches out to stroke it lightly and looks upward. She now wonders if she has to climb it somehow.

Another eyestalk joins the first, and stretches down.. not enough to reach Nicora, but at least enough to give the impression that it wants to hold her. The tent was big enough at least that she could fly the short distance without hitting anything.

Nicora's brow furrows. She doesn't feel comfortable about this; the creature is big enough to eat her now. But, it has never tried to hurt her, either. So, she flicks her wings out, steps back a bit, then goes airborne with a few hard flaps to try and quickly reach the top of the monstrosity.

The eyestalks are a lot thicker close up, and all five turn to look at Nicora. The upper 'opening' puckers open, revealing a four-foot deep cavity coated in translucent, prehensile looking tubes. They almost look like miniature versions of Blarf's newborn trunk body, without the wings.

Nicora's brow arches again, it is getting a lot of movement this day! Her wings fold in tight. And she cannot believe she is considering doing this, especially since she isn't even oozy anymore. She sighs to herself, closes her eyes, mutters, "Those of us about to die...", then steps forward and into the cavity.

Her head and shoulders still stick out, but the walls close in around her until the tubules come in contact.. and then they go to work pulling off her bandages and moving them up to the top and out.

"I feel like a sausage being de-cased," Nicora whimpers, ears splaying out to the side.

Once the stripping is complete, the cavity fills up with a warm, oily fluid.. and then the tubules go to work stimulating every bit of Nicora that they can reach.

"Oh Gods," Nicora mutters again, her ears splayed and twitching! It's about, well, almost like the worm pool, really. Only less stinky. So it isn't that which worries her; it's what curses Gorphat may decide to reactivate on her. She used to leave a slime trail when she walked, after all! So she bites her lower lip.

Her body certainly remembers all of that, and the worm-like appendages help it along. Each nipple is latched onto, and every orifice penetrated by wiggly flesh. The liquid itself is tingly, even, and dense enough to counter her own weight. Soon enough milk and general 'goo production' goes into full swing.

Nicora groans; her eyes practically rolling back into her head. She can feel her chest(s) swelling and the pressure that follows. And worse, she feels her abdomen swelling too as her womb starts producing viscous fluids in massive a; making her gut feel even more bloated (beneath the belly teats).

It's all far more intense than Blarf's 'usual' feeding, since the hybrid never had to stimulate Nicora before to get what it needed. And now it must seem ravenous, easily keeping up with Nicora's production.. which made for some interesting and unusual 'deflation and inflation' incidents.

It disturbingly feels good at times, which makes Nicora's ears quiver all the more. Or maybe it's just Gorphat has trained her to enjoy things that should not be enjoyable. It also reminds her of earlier times, and even moments when she didn't seem to mind being bloated and oozing all the time.

It doesn't hurt that Blarf's tiny appendages can go from finger-sized to baby's-arm sized, especially when inside of her. And then they would undulate with the suction. It's also rather blissful, since Nicora doesn't have to do anything. Blarf is even sucking on her toes and fingers.

Nicora relents and finally just enjoys it. Even her normally aching delicate bits are feeling quite nice right now; so full and comfortable. Heck, even the ones that went up her other end feel kind of nice! So, she sighs softly, eyes half-lidded as she relaxes into the 'bliss'.

The only possible thing to detract from the experience might be the sounds. Squelchy, sucking sounds. Who knows what the Acolyte or any of the patients that might be listening in are thinking. And so it goes for.. some time. An hour or more, at least, before the great 'tree' seems satiated.

Nicora doesn't really care what the others may be hearing while she's in the throes of the situation. But, as it winds down, her focus slowly returns to the room. She discovers she's been drooling too and has to shake her head to get it off her chin. "Well, that wasn't so bad," she murmurs, ears flushing hot. She can't tell if she's still swollen or not from the experience, though. She sort of blends into the warm goo right now.

The finger-tubes don't retract, but push in more and move Nicora out of the cavity to rest atop Blarf's crown, still covered in oily fluid. At least it's transparent fluid.

Nicora lays there, panting and taking the time to inspect her own body lazily to see if it is any worse for wear. Well, aside from being very oily.

If anything, she seems a bit wrinkly and shrunken, as if drained of more than just fluids. But she doesn't feel particularly drained - she feels very comfortable in fact.

"Whew. I'm not bloated and oozing," Nicora mutters to herself. She lays there for a bit to recover. But eventually she does rise, shake herself off a bit, grab her wrappings, then spread her wings and glide down to the floor. "That should sustain the tree for a while," she declares.

Scar bounces around Nicora's legs, and then starts licking the oily slime off of her. For whatever reason, he starts at her rear.

"Thank you.. Yodhgorphat," the Acolyte says, and bows. "I.. assume only you can do that? It won't work with other Yodh?"

Nicora drops down to her hands and knees so that Scar can clean her off. She does it without hesitation, making it seem like it should be perfectly normal. Of course inside she's thinking the others in the tent must be horrified. "It is possible other Yodhgorphat could do it. Or perhaps even you with the proper blessings..."

"Oh?" the girl asks, sounding worried. Her eyes go wide when the Grok looks like he's about to mount Nicora while licking her wings clean. "Would that.. I mean, would it be appropriate for non-Yodhgorphat to do undergo such.. things?"

"I doubt it would be appropriate, but it is possible," Nicora concedes, still looking unconcerned. She isn't worried that Scar would do anything beyond cleaning off her wings.

"I.. will inform the Yodhrinala," the girl promises, a bit nervously. For someone that deals with the bodily issues of sick and dying people, she actually seems to balk at being sucked on by a mushroom-monster.

"You might enjoy it," Nicora notes to the nervous-looking Acolyte. For some reason, she still enjoys making others twitch.

"Did.. did you enjoy it?" the Acolyte asks, with a bit more curiosity. "Are Yodhgorphat allowed to enjoy things?"

"I enjoyed it. And yes, we are allowed to enjoy things," Nicora claims. "They may just be unusual things."

The girl looks at the tree busily pumping fluids around, and asks, "Do they all involve strange creatures?"

"Generally, yes," Nicora admits as she rises once Scar climbs off her back. "They make the best physical partners."

This causes the girl's brows to rise. "Better than Eeee?" she asks, lowering her voice. It isn't clear how experienced she may or may not be.

"In some ways, yes," Nicora claims as she starts to wrap herself again. "They are usually more honest."

"But.. what about romance?" the girl asks. "You can't have that without some lying.. right?"

"Well, no. Romance requires an Eeee. Pure physical fun can be something else," Nicora notes and shrugs a bit. "Now, is there more I need to see to?"

"Well, most of the tough cases are held here, and you've got the Nursy fed.. so I think some of them will improve now," the girl notes. "We've run out of hopeless cases. So.. things are actually a bit calm now. We're starting to get people to come in just for check-ups and minor things, which helps stave off infection."

"Are you going to visit the other hospital being set up on Mount Blakat?" the girl then asks.

Nicora nods a bit at that. "This is good. We need some respite from the influx of people," she admits. The question about Mount Blakat makes her arch her brow. "At some point soon I should, yes, though I am not particularly welcome there. The Yodhblakkat do not care for me," she notes.

"Well.. the refugees care for you," the Acolyte notes. "A lot of the people that set up the camp here have gone to set up the other one in your name. Camp Scourge."

"Oh, most tolerate me for the help I can bring, but find me repulsive," Nicora claims and waves her hand. "I am far from 'attractive' in a normal sense."

"Better a homely benefactor than a beautiful oppressor," the Acolyte chirps. "You are.. distinctive, certainly, and leave an impression."

Nicora chuckles at this. "You should have been a politician, you choose words well," the Yodhgorphat remarks. "Now, if there is nothing more for me to do here, I shall withdraw for other duties."

And in spite of her disturbing appearance, Nicora flows out of the tent with grace and deport. Complete with Scar on her heels. All in all, not a bad day; nothing horrible happened ... just disturbing. Maybe some things are improving after all.