For the past few days, Penance has been feeling relatively good. Her freshly 'shaved' fur was no longer itching, the Creepers weren't biting much and didn't feel completely anemic. She's been able to walk around, and even keep down the food she's eaten - mostly. But when she does have to vomit, nothing in the result is wiggling. She had still been keeping to the interior of the temple and mountain, but that was about to change.
The bulk of the big Skreek, Otto filled the entry to the Horrib Lair, bucket in hand, while Penance was being chewed free from her alcove in the wall. She hadn't had much to do with the large rat, and wasn't entirely sure what his position in the Temple was, other than Keeper of the Bucket. He was always just the attendant of the High Priestess, she assumed, like how Crabs was her own.
"Blugh," goes Penance when she's released from her 'bed' so to speak. She spends a minute or two stretching to loosen up stiff limbs and soothe aches. "Can I help you?" she finally asks Otto. She saw him earlier, but she had to attend to herself first, after all. Temple servants like him usually wait politely anyway.
"Gotta do de vigils," the big Skreek says, and makes a vague gesture with the bucket.
"Vigils? Vigils of what?" Penance inquires as she heads doorsward, and then through.
The hall outside is a bit crowded. All of the Yodhgorphat and Yodhmaab inductees are waiting quietly.. and nervously. "He wouldn't explain to us either," the closest girl says.
"Of course," Penance mutters to herself and looks back at the rat. "Hopefully someone will explain soon, then."
"Vigils is vigils," Otto claims, and raises his bucket as he leads the way back through the throng of women towards the junction leading to the main shrine.
Penance looks at the others and shrugs a bit. It's not like the job came with a manual! She does follow the rat, at least.
The parade wends through the central temple 'hospital' area, which more the realm of the Yodhrinala than the Yodhgorphat. But beyond that are the main steps of the temple, and the sprawling 'camp' of Gorphat City, and the gray light that filters down from above. It's nearly blinding for Penance though.
Which leads to a lot of squinting. She doesn't like not knowing where she is going. While she does trust he's not leading them someplace too bad, it's still vexing to not know! "Have any of you been this way?" she asks the others.
"Only when we arrived," is the general consensus. Otto is leading towards a close cluster of recent looking tents and hovels. There he stops and turns to face the gaggle. "Mmm, start at.. uh.. that end," he says, pointing to the leftmost tent.
"And ... do what?" Penance asks, again.
"Be a priestess," the rat says, not lowering his pointing arm.
Penance arches her bare brow at that. Again, what that means varies wildly! She's still unsure what is expected of her, but she heads towards the indicated tent anyway. It's probable even the rat has no idea, he just read something somewhere.
Inside the tent is an old Eeee. She looks towards Penance without focusing, since her eyes look cloudy. "Hello?" she rasps.
"Hello there. I am Yodhgorphat Penance," the bald Eeee claims. "How are you faring this day?"
"Been better," the woman says, and cracks a bit of a toothless smile. "Been blessed by Gorphat, after all. But I'm too frail to overcome it. Even when the chance came to overcome it in one of the dream challenges, I failed. So I come now to beg for mercy."
Penance kneels down near the old woman. She reaches out and brushes the backs of her fingers along the older woman's jaw. "Why do you feel you have failed?" she asks. "Overcoming comes in many forms."
"Just don't have it in me," the woman claims. "When I was strong, I drew Her attention, but did nothing, y'see. Was always something more important to deal with.. or something more fun. Now though.. I don't know if bearing it with me into the Sea is gonna be worse."
"What sort of attention did you draw?" Penance inquires, curious to the nature of her challenge.
The woman grins. "I had pretty green eyes, was supposed to mean Gorphat favored me," the woman says. "But I didn't give Her a thought, and enjoyed my youth.. maybe too much. And went up to the Temple of Inala.. several times. Inala calls for a price to be paid too, and I paid it. I think that was the last straw for Gorphat."
"And what did you pay to Inala?" Penance inquires next, "That would elicit such ire?"
"Well, a child of course," the woman says. "Fathered by a barinala. My only child, as Gorphat blessed me not long afterwards."
"With blindness, I take it?" Penance clarifies, just to be sure. "What sort of mercy do you wish from Gorphat? What is it you want? It is unlikely your child survived the attack on Mount Inala, I am sorry to say."
"I've no idea as to his fate," the woman says, and reaches up to her eyes. "Ah, blindness is a side effect. The real blessing has been rotting me from the inside out. All I ask is that it dies with me, and I do not take it with me beyond. I do not wish to rot for eternity, or carry it through to a new life."
"Do you feel as if it will come with you to the next world? Or were you told such?" Penance asks of the woman. "I can ask on your behalf that it does not go with you. I could ask for more as well, if you wish. Removal of this challenge."
"Please let it end with this life," the woman says. "I do not think it can be undone, as I have already begun to cough blood, and my guts already feel dead."
"I shall ask, then. What is ... was, your name?" Penance inquires.
"Hildr Greeneyes," the woman says, sitting up a little straighter. "That's the name I chose, back then. Can't remember what it was before that."
Penance lifts her right hand and places it upon the forehead of the woman. "Mother Gorphat," she intones, "This woman, Hildr, has learned through her challenges the mistakes she made in her life and in her choices. She asks now that she be relieved of this challenge when her life comes to an end and she returns to the Sea. Is it not evidence that when twilight will soon fall that she had learned and grew and accepted the cost of her choices with dignity. Is that not rising to meet your challenge after all?"
"Her real name was Shikla," Gorphat whispers to Penance. "She would have been a good Yodhgorphat, but she chose her desires over destiny. So I saved her from becoming a Yodhinala, and all of the regret that would come with it. She acknowledges her sins, but does she regret them? Or only regret the challenge I gave her, to rise above her betrayal?"
"What would you have done differently, Shikla?" Penance asks of the woman, "If you had known in your youth what time has taught you?"
The woman's ears twitch upon hearing her real name. "Differently?" she asks, as if never having thought on it before. "I did not want to be given over to the Yodhgorphat when I was a child. I was terrified by the thought, and I ran. Ran from my family. I would not have given my son to the Yodhinala though. But if I hadn't run, I'd never have had a child at all. That was the only thing I felt I'd ever accomplished. Gorphat.. was harsh. Not like now. I didn't want to break people.. so I accepted being broken instead. I can't know what path then was the right one. Does Gorphat still want me to serve Her?"
"Haven't you already, though? To protect others you instead sought to be broken," Penance points out. "Does that not make you one of Hers, even if it has taken this long to reach the path? She accepts all that come to Her. I was not innocent, either, and She took in me. I know not what I did, though; in joining her my past was lost."
"I have lived with her blessing for two-thirds of my life now," Shikla says. "I would serve her now, if I could, to help people. I have nothing to offer though.. all that I have are my clothes and my Blessing."
"Some don't even have clothes," Penance points out. "So, do you accept this one, Mother Gorphat, to be Yours, even now?" she asks the room itself, as if it could answer.
"Would you ease her burden then, so that she might fulfill her destiny?" Gorphat asks Penance. "I leave the choice to you."
"Given my own history, it would be hypocritical of me to turn you away when I was given a second chance. So, yes, I would accept you into Gorphat's temple on Her behalf," Penance says and touches the other Eeee in the center of her forehead. "It is never too late to embrace what you are supposed to be."
"I will try not to die before being useful," the woman promises, and tears run down her cheeks.. white tears. It's as if the cloudiness is draining out of her eyes, leaving them bright and green again. Penance sees this clearly before her own vision becomes a bit.. murky.
"I am sure you will do fine," Penance says while trying to avoid panicking herself. It's not like she doesn't have eye problems already, but more of them is a biiiit concerning.
"Who.. who should I.. report to?" Shikla asks, blinking.
"There is a large rat outside with a bucket. I think he can at least guide you a little," Penance claims while she starts blinking to figure out what is going on with her own eyes.
Perhaps 'ease her burden' was meant to be literal, by actually taking on some of Shikla's blessing.
Penance rises up and bows. Of course she's now having to use her ears a bit more to 'see', but such isn't unusual for a bat, at least. Out the tent she goes ... and assumes she must go to another.
The brighter light outside helps. At least she can see the faces of the acolytes, which range from awed to worried. "Did you really perform a miracle?" one of the braver Yodhmaab asks.
"Gorphat acted, I was merely a vessel," Penance claims and bows her head. "All praise should be Hers."
"What happened to your eyes though?" a Yodhgorphat candidate asks a bit nervously.
"It is our duty to take challenges from others, from time to time, is all," Penance claims. She now wonders what her eyes actually look like now. "What do you see when you look at my eyes?"
"They look sorta.." the girl starts, and struggles for the words. "Milky?" she settles on.
Penance shrugs. "You cannot be afraid of small challenges like this," she opines. "Look at the great challenges faced by the High Priestess."
The gaggle goes quiet at that suggestion. The next tent has an odor emanating from it that does put one in mind of the High Priestess, actually.
Penance doesn't even hesitate, she moves and goes to enter that foul-smelling tent.
"Oi, hallo," a cheerful Skreekish voice greets Penance. "Yer the Yodhgorphat then?" The smell seems to be coming from a bowl on the ground at the rat's feet.. and one of those feet is extremely swollen, along with the shin nearly to the knee. Penance can't tell what color the skin might be though at the moment.
"I am, indeed," Penance says as she approaches and kneels down so she can inspect that foot. "Yoghgorphat Penance," she introduces herself. "What brings you to us? Or rather, what is it you wish from us that is?"
"Well, I got this foot t'ing goin' on," the rat explains. "I gotta drain it a lot, and it smell awful what come out. Is it a Gorphat t'ing or is it like jus' gout?"
Well, Penance starts poking and prodding at it to try and figure out what might be going on with that foot.
It feels squishy, like there's a lot of fluid under the skin. But above the ankle there doesn't look to be any fur loss. It could be an infection, but something producing that much pus surely would have been fatal, even to a Skreek. "I checked fer splinters," the man goes on. "Didn't find none, but this is worst than the blisters ever were."
"Blisters? What blisters?" Penance asks as she starts checking further, including the sole of the foot.
That part is also swollen, with the toe joints looking like a strings of plums. "When I got splinters 'fore. They'd leave blisters."
"It's ... probably some sort of parasite. I don't know if this is a Gorphat blessing, though," Penance admits as she places her hands back onto that leg. "Mother Gorphat, is this your gift?" she wonders.
"It looks challenging," Gorphat whispers. "So perhaps it is. Is he in pain?"
"Does it hurt?" Penance asks the man.
"Oh aye, especially when I walk," the man says. "And also when I don't walk. Alright fer a bit after I bleed it though."
"There is your answer. Shall we aid this man?" Penance thinks as she continues to examine that foot, looking for the cause.
"Does he seek aid?" Gorphat replies. "How is he bearing with it?"
"What do you wish us to do?" Penance asks the man. "Were you hoping we would be able to remove it?"
"Oh.. that depends, dun it?" the man asks. "If it's from Gorphat, I just gotta walk it off, yeah? If it ain't.. uh.. I need it taken care of then."
"He wishes help if it not yours, but if it is he will endure until it is gone," Penance thinks. "I think if you are not sure, then it is not and we should help treat it."
"Then offer to treat him," Gorphat agrees. "In exchange for a service to us."
"We can help you. All we ask is help in return. We have much to maintain and others to help," Penance says, "So if you can offer service and aid to us, we can in turn offer it to you."
"Oh, that's worryin' if it's actually diseased," the Skreek says. "So.. what sorta help do you need here?"
"We can work something out. It will depend on what you are good at. As for the leg, we should have this looked at by a few of the Yodhrinala that work as doctors in the camp to see if they recognize it. We can also check the archives for descriptions of the condition and how to treat it," Penance observes and rises.
"Ah, alright," the man says. "I can stitch. Good w' a needle and thread."
"There is an endless need for repairs in cloth here, that will do just fine," Penance says and smiles. "I will let the others know you will be offering service in exchange for help."
"Should I not drain it till someone comes an gets me then?" the rat asks.
"I ... hmm. It probably would not hurt, but ... they may need to see it as it is to get a better idea what is going on," Penance admits. "Leave it for now. It shouldn't be that long before someone comes. But, if it gets too painful, then do what you need to."
"Eh, it's only pain," the Skreek says. "I kin wait. Thanks, Yodhgorphat. I coulda been in real trouble with this!"
Penance thinks he still might be. Out she goes and looks to the other acolytes. "Can one of you fetch one of the Yodhrinala to come look at a man's condition? He may have some sort of parasite or infection that needs treatment. Also, one of you fetch Crabs so he can take a look, then check the library for anything that may describe his condition. In exchange for our help, the man in there will do some work for the Temple; mending and clothing work."
"Cloth seems to rot quickly here," one of the Yodhmaab candidates notes, while an Eeee girl flies back to the temple entrance to pass on the requests. Others seem to be looking at Penance's feet, but there hasn't been any swelling after the visit.
Penance didn't do anything, so why would her feet swell? She stretches a bit and looks for the next tend to attend to. "Each of you should pick a tent to visit, too," she tells them.
"But we don't know anything," one girl points out. "Will our horribs let us?" asks another.
"You can at least find out what they wish from us and bring it to myself or one of the others," Penance points out.
The girls do fan out then, knowing they can report back to Penance for anything serious. This gives Penance a brief respite at least. "Good vigil so far," Otto says from right behind her, a bit loudly.
Penance turns and looks at Otto, then arches her brow. "Having some instructions ahead of time would have helped," she says, pointedly.
"Instructions?" the big Skreek asks. "Dunno those."
"Yes, instructions. As in what is expected of us here," Penance adds, starting to sound annoyed.
"Huh," Otto says, looking thoughtful. "Faith?" he offers. "I didn't get instructions for you, just for me."
"And what instructions did you get?" Penance asks.
"Take you all out here to vigil," the rat says.
"That's it? Who told you?" Penance asks.
Otto says, "Nobody? I just knew I had to do that. That's how it works."
"Right," Penance says with the sort of tone that means she doesn't believe it. "I suppose faith is the main factor, and how the Temple can grow while helping others."
Otto scratches his cheek. "I'm going to bring the old lady into the Temple, until I know what to have her do," he says. "Do you need me to bring you back anything?"
"Can you make sure Crabs comes to look at the man in this tent, so he can check the library for any references?" Penance requests. "Other than that, I cannot think of anything I need you to bring."
With a nod, the Skreek and his bucket take their leave to escort the Shikla to the Temple. They pass a Yodhrinala on her way out, carrying a medical bag. She comes straight to Penance, and asks, "Where is the patient?"
Penance gestures to the tent she is near. "Right in there," she says, "You can just follow the smell. It's not the High Priestess."
The Yodhrinala nods, and enters the tent. Not long after, Crabs comes running (and wheezing). He's also got a leather bag, and it looks like it has some glass bottles and rubber hoses in it, and what might be the plunger of a very large syringe. He stops in front of Penance and bends over slightly to catch his breath.
Penance points at the tent. "He's in there," she tells crabs. "I wanted to see if you could identify what he has, since you've been the one organizing the library..."
"Fluids.. I was.. told," the Skreek pants. "Will.. get a.. sample.. and.. ugh.. check."
"Not sure what it is, though it's more than just fluids I am fairly sure. You can tell just from the smell," Penance claims.
"Parasites?" Crabs asks, getting his second wind. "Maybe something new!" Reinvigorated he enters the tent, which is probably a bit crowded now. Even just after a dozen feet, the Skreek looks blurry to Penance.
Penance rubs her face and sighs. Now she wonders how long her vision will be like this. Still, she can work by hearing so she's fine, but still! So many issues! Her poor nipples still hurt, as does her crotch, and about everywhere else.
The various Yohd trainees filtered through the tents and shacks, returning to Penance with their findings. Most of the pilgrims wanted to know how to stay in Gorphat's favor to avoid being blessed, with only a handful having actual health issues. A few of them were minor things that were made worse by worry: mild infections for the most part. The sorts of things that nobody would have given much thought to before Gorphat's presence began to be felt again. Some things the acolytes weren't prepared for though, like tumors, ulcers and less obvious things like sleeping sickness. One particularly flustered Yodhgorphat initiate was having trouble just describing the issue in one of the tents.
"Calm down, take a few deep breaths, then try to explain the issue again?" Penance requests, gently. "I'll go check myself in a moment, but anything you can tell me would be appreciated."
"Well," the girl says after gathering herself, "It's a pair of Eeee, but they've got.. ehhhh.." She flounders a moment, then whispers, "Sex conditions."
"Sex conditions? I am not sure we can help with those," Penance admits, "I suppose I should go look, then." And thus, she does actually go towards, then into, that tent.
The pair inside look like they haven't slept in awhile. A male and female Eeee, young adults and looking like twins. Both are kneeling on the ground and slightly bent over, and the air feels thick inside. The girl looks up, and asks, "Can I have some water, please?"
"Of course," Penance says. She has to duck her head back outside and request one of the acolytes to fetch water, though. When she looks back, she says, "It will be here soon. Why don't you tell me what your problem is...?"
"I'm always.. aroused," the girl says. "It's making me dehydrated, and it aches. There's no relief, either, no matter what I do. My brother is having the same issue, but it might be more painful and serious."
"I want to take an axe to it!" the boy blurts out.
"Ah, both of those are usually blessings from Gorphat," Penance opines and nods sagely. "What were you doing before these problems started?"
"N-nothing.." the girl claims. "Not really. We just.. kicked a Skreek.."
"Why did you kick the skreek?" Penance inquires next and steeples her fingers.
"It was making this horrible noise in its sleep," the girl explains. "And it was all.. sweaty.. or something."
"And that was a reason to kick it? Skreeks are just as deserving of respect as anyone else," Penance points out. "Have you done anything to atone for it?"
"We tried having sex with Skreeks," the girl says. "That weren't.. obviously sick."
"What did you do for the skreek you kicked?" Penance asks.
"He was gone when this started," the girl cries. "We don't know where he is, if he's alive." The flap opens a bit then, and a water-skin is handed through to Penance.
Penance takes the water and offers it to the woman. "Are you sure it was a male?" she asks. "You know there is also a rat goddess, it's possible you kicked them."
After gulping down some of the water, the girl says, "Uh.. I just assumed it was a man. We thought he was having drug withdrawals or something."
"Can you describe what they were doing...?" Penance requests.
"Just twitching and sweating and making a weird moaning sound," the girl explains. "Like having a really bad nightmare."
"I assume this is a divine punishment of yours, Goddess Gorphat?" Penance sort of pray-thinks as considers this. "And you made no effort to find them?" she clarifies. "I am not sure how you would atone for this act."
"Sounds like something I'd do, if they were disrespecting one of my Blessed," Gorphat responds. "We.. weren't in very good shape to," the girl claims. "It was a brown Skreek.. or black.. the headache makes it hard to remember."
"And what would you ask of them to alleviate this condition?" Penance inquires. "What are you willing to do to be relieved of this?" she asks the pair. "You need to make amends to the skreek you harmed, if possible, or his family. In my opinion anyway."
"Are they here?" the girl asks. "A sick Skreek would come here, wouldn't they? Are we going to die if they aren't here?"
"It is up to them to save themselves, same as the rest," Gorphat tells Penance. "Their challenge may not be to survive their torment, but to change in other ways."
Penance has to stick her head back out of the tent. She asks the acolyte nearby to check if any skreek is in camp that matches that description; dark black, moaning, may be very sick. She pulls her head back in and tells the girl, "I doubt you would die. But you must do something to, well, change. To make amends."
"We'll let any number of Skreeks kick us!" the boy moans. "Or anything else!"
"I think you need to do something more active than that," Penance opines. "Can you donate money or other things to skreeks in an orphanage or a hostel? Can you start one or help in one?"
"We don't have much money, now that we can't work," the girl whines. "How.. how do you start those things? Isn't this place a hostel?"
"Whining isn't going to get you any help. What can you do or offer?" Penance asks, "And what have you learned from this?"
"We're servers at a restaurant, so we know how to clean and take orders," the girl claims. "Learned.. I don't know. I don't know if this is because of the Skreek.. I don't know if we should have done nothing or something else!"
Penance considers this. "What does your restaurant do with expired or extra food?" she asks the pair.
"We get to eat it, usually," the girl says, and then has to guzzle more water. "We did get to."
"Could you talk the owners into donating some of it the hostels?" Penance asks. "An act of helping others and kindness might help in a reprieve of your condition." She also finally moves closer to try and inspect the woman first to see if she can tell anything from her problem.
"We can try," the girl promises. Up close, it looks like all of her muscles are clenching, and she smells bad, though the smell is coming from her pants.
"Clothing off, both of you, so I can check you each out," Penance instructs.
There's groaning as the pair strip. The girl has less of a hard time of than the boy, who struggles with his trousers.
Penance gestures to the girl. "Spread," she requests as she kneels down to have closer views and, well, easier access.
The girl obliges, and her inner thighs are a sticky mess. She's not producing goo, but just lots of natural lubrication, and everything looks swollen and inflamed. It doesn't look like anything could even get in past the swelling if it wanted to.
Penance leans in and actually licks the woman there, tasting for infection.
She twitches, but nothing tastes off, but the blood pooling in the tissues make it feel weirdly tight.
Penance kisses there next. Mostly to see if she can push her tongue in, or not. Safer than fingers, no bones.
Despite the lubrication, it's still tight.. but due to the swelling. What's trickling through is probably just a fraction of what's building up. But if the blood doesn't drain out eventually, things will likely get toxic.
"If these two promise to help and bring supplies, will you help alleviate their conditions?" Penance prays while she's still, well, kissing. "I would be willing to take on some of their condition, or all, if it would be required."
"A reprieve, so that they can fulfill their promise," Gorphat offers. "But they must not delay."
"Of course. Will I also be expected to bear some of this, like my eyes for the other?" Penance think-asks as she ends the kiss and draws back. Streamers of the lubrication stretch before popping and she has to lick her lips clean.
"You may, but it may manifest differently," Gorphat says. "The pact is between you and them. I will abide by it."
"If you promise to seek your employer and ask them to help donate what they can to the hostel; old but still serviceable food is fine, and then donate some time each month to helping here, the pain your bear will be eased," Penance offers them. "You will have reprieve for a time to try and arrange this, but should you dally, it will return with intensity..."
The girl moans as the promise takes affect. It's probably not a pleasant orgasm at that point, just a relief from congestion. "What if he won't agree just for our sakes?" she quickly asks. "Should we just come and work here or try other places in Graytown?"
"Try other places. Make the effort. Someone will likely donate," Penance requests. "If you truly cannot find one to do so, but have acted in good faith, that is fine. The Goddess will Know. And you must spend at least three days a month helping here."
"Three days doesn't seem like much," the girl admits. "But we won't be eating those days, I suppose.."
"More is welcome, of course. But I am being realistic you also need income to survive yourself. The purpose is not to break you, but for you to give back to those that help you," Penance points out.
The boy moans in pain.. he hasn't been much of a participant in the conversation to this point.
Penance leans over to him and kisses him as well. Well, not so much kiss as sucks on.
He looks.. bad. Purple and blue aren't natural colors. The sucking does help though, in an odd way. Mainly that the more she sucks, the limper the boy gets.
So, Penance just keeps on suckling on him, to see if he pops or the inflammation goes down.
The inflammation goes down. The priapism was particularly nasty, in that it actually prevented popping at all (likely by causing inflammation in the prostate and testes as well). The boy begins to breath normally again once the last of the old blood has returned to circulation. "Ohhh, thank you shaved lady.." he gasps out.
"Nothing to thank me for yet. This is temporary. It will only remain thus if you honor your agreement," Penance points out.
"I will do the same to anyone I need to if it gets them to donate food," the boy promises, and it sounds heartfelt.
That makes Penance laugh a little. "You might get quite a few skreek friends if you offer to do that to them," she jokes. "And the output is a small meal, but a meal."
"Chef says you only need a bone and some salt to make soup for a hundred," the boy claims. "And sometimes a rock. I don't know why the rock is important though."
"Well, you need a slight bit more than that usually, but not by much," Penance agrees and stands. "You may dress. And remember, you have an agreement to honor."
"Of course.. uh.. who are you?" the girl asks as she gets her pants on. "And can we say who you are when we ask for donations?"
"I am Yodhgorphat Penance," Penance says with a bow. "Though this is not about me, but about Mother Gorphat. It is to her that the donations go. You may use my name if you wish, but all honor and acclaim should go to the Goddess."
"Yes.. but you're the one that will be actually accepting the supplies, right?" the girl asks.
"Myself or others here, yes," Penance confirms.
"Alright, we'll just have to come with the stuff ourselves at first," the girl says. The boy hasn't gotten his pants on yet, but is apparently getting used to being able to walk normally again. Another head pokes through the flap then, and a Skreek acolyte whispers, "Haven't found anyone like you described yet, but still checking the special care tents."
Penance nods to the skreek. "Thank you, please keep looking until all locations here have been checked," she says.
Things start to feel odd (well odder) down there for Penance. Wetter, for one. Tingly for another - which is coming from the male creeper, apparently.
Penance blinks a view times. She actually reaches down to feel herself down there.
Since there's nothing to really block it, there's definitely some wetness leaking out.
Penance collects some of the wetness, sniffs it, then licks it, just to make sure she's not infected (much, she likely has a few issues/yeast issues, etc).
It doesn't taste.. off. Or any different from what the girl's own juices were like.
Penance keeps a hand down there for about a minute to see if the feeling changes, or swelling happens.
It's hard to tell if there's internal swelling or not at this point, and the Eeee twins are giving her odd looks.
Penance shakes her head. "I will leave you to your dressing and tasks," she tells them. She bows, and slips out of the tent.
Most of the acolytes are waiting for Penance outside. "Did we do alright?" one asks, while another just keeps looking at Penance's cloudy eyes. Crabs exits one of the other tents, clutching a glass tube full of.. pus. He holds it up proudly for Penance and waves.
Penance nods to Crabs. "You all did quite fine," she tells those gathered. "I have heard of no complaints thus far, and no one screamed. So ... I consider that a job well done."
"So do we do this every day?" another one asks.
"When necessary. If there are those needing tending, we should tend to them," Penance says and nods. "It would be good to check daily to see if anyone is waiting to petition."
"We can send the guys out to check," another one offers. "Because Otto is scary when he comes around.."
"A good idea," Penance agrees and nods. "And I do not expect any of you to go nude, of course. Unless you prefer it, of course."
"I didn't know we needed clothes," another says, reaching up to pet the horrib on her back. "Maybe smocks, with pockets," someone suggests.
"Well, eventually all your fur will be removed, just like me," Penance claims.
"Removed.. how?" a particularly fluffy Skreek girl asks. She's got lots of white spots all over.
"You will find out when the time comes," Penance answers vaguely, and smiles.
Crabs seems about to explain things, but then thinks better of it.
Penance gives him the look just in case he changes his mind again. "Anyway, I believe we are done for the day and can return to the Temple," she claims.
Everyone begins to head back into the Temple then, and Otto is waiting just inside for Penance, bucket in hand.
Penance enters after all the others. She pauses and looks to Otto now. "Yes?" she inquires of him.
"How many fingers," he says, and holds up one blurry hand.
Penance of course trues to use sonar to help count. She is a bat, after all!
"Noooo cheating!" the Skreek squeaks at a near-Eeee level.
"I have no idea," Penance admits once her sonar attempt was stopped. She even shrugs.
"How many others you took on?" the Skreek asks.
Penance points at her crotch too. The insides of her thighs are slimy at this point. She hasn't checked for swelling since the tent. Or well anything else.
"Mmmm," the Skreek says, "Better come wit' me." Then he starts walking deeper into the Temple, the rhythmic thump of the bucket against his thigh signaling exactly where he is.
Penance follows along. She can at least use sonar and other sounds to make walking safe. Yes, she doesn't like being effectively blind, but she's coping as would be expected of a Yodhgorphat.
They reach the main corridor, and she can hear the men asking the girls what happened outside as the dormitories are passed. Now they're into the section where the rooms are also cells. Otto stops and turns into an open one.
Penance tilts her head, but follows anyway. She wonders if anyone is actually in this cell or not.
It's not like they keep prisoners (that Penance knows of, but she's heard that Otto might be keeping one). The rooms are used be the Temple retainers, like Otto, Crabs and the family that does custodial work. The 'guest' Yodh are all out in the cathedral part, where the partitions have been put up and the people who need treatment by the Yodhrinala or Yodhsunala are kept. So far it's just Otto and her in the room, and then the big rat picks her up and sets her on the stone-slab table in the center. She can feel the troughs carved into it for drainage. "Lie down," Otto requests.
"Why are we in here?" Penance asks warily. She even sort of glares at him since she knows where he's standing. She ighs out, though and eventually does lie down anyway. He is tasked with Temple duties after all.
The old Yodhgorphat were not particularly nice, as Penance realizes when her wrists and ankles get shackled to the corners of the slab. There's also some sort of hook that Otto attaches his bucket to that must be below the drain - making that bucket a lot more ominous now. It's not that the Yodhgorphat tortured or sacrificed people officially.. but they did so technically, using them as incubators for diseases and parasites, which then got harvested.
"You should not be chaining me to this slab, I am a Yodhgorphat, not a prisoner or patient," Penance points out with a forced-calm sort of tone in her. "If you intend to use me as an incubator...."
"No, you a patient right now," the rat says. Then after a pause, he's climbing on top of her, and soon pushing into her. And.. it doesn't feel awful? She's not dry as she usually is, and the male creeper is actually sending pleasant tingles instead of.. nothing.
This surprises Penance. She forgot what nice sex even felt like! Even when it still feels weird when half the outer bits are, well, gone. She soon finds herself moaning, which surprises her even more! It feels nice!
The female creepers get into it as well, making things feel nice in her womb, even as the male starts acting like the part it replaced. Maybe it's because of taking on the partial blessing, or doing her duty as a Yodhgorphat - or because the little monsters just really like Otto. But it's certainly rewarding, and the big rat is still just getting into it.
Maybe drooling between her legs will be worth it. Right now it sure feels like it! She's starting to squirm, along with her moaning and whimpering. Not having had good sex for a very long time is right now making this feel amazing.
The creepers can put out some powerful chemicals when they want to, and on any other day anyone as big as Otto would be very uncomfortable. The Skreek barely makes any sound though, other than his breathing. The other noises are from the act itself, including the sound of wet leather being slapped.
Penance is aware she's being massively stretched by the rat, and that it should really hurt, or might be damaging her more down there. But it sure doesn't feel like it. It all feels amazing, whatever the chemicals are, they're probably altering pain signals into pleasure ones with how this is feeling. Her body is undulating under the rat ... and she's moaning ... well, she sounds like a whore with the pleased sounds she's making.
The bindings help keep her from squirming too hard, and the sensations keep building - hopefully towards release, unless she got that part of the blessing as well. Otto is making sounds now, little grunts and squeaks that indicate he may be finishing soon himself.
Penance is really hip-rolling and grinding; she's trying to find release as things build. Instinct and need kicking in after so long of being unable to get, well, anything.
It's all in the control of the creepers.. and one Otto finally feeds them, they respond! The sensation shoots up Penance's spine when it fires off.
Penance arches and makes one heck of a high-pitched squeak! She's seeing stars in her blurry eyes as the sensations boil through her. The squeak draws to a moan, then a groan, as she trembles all over. Okay, so ... this 'blessing' isn't so bad!
There's a 'pop' sound when Otto pulls out, followed by him saying, "Wait here." Which is easy since he hasn't released her from the shackles.
Penance grunts when he pulls out then goes limp on the table, wheezing. She can soon feel a bit of, well, draining going on as she's left on the table. Both her over-active glands and Otto's goo.
That may be why he didn't take the bucket with him. After a bit of this, she hears something a bit more clamorous approaching. It sounds like squeaky wheels and things jostling on a tray.
Penance lifts her head and tries to see who is coming into the room. And why.
Things are still cloudy, but the shape she makes it is smaller than Otto. "Oh.." Crabs says when he gets a good look at things. "Uh.. alright.." Then he's pushing his cart full of rattling things alongside the table.
"Why are you here, Crabs?" Penance asks.
"Otto sent me," Crabs says, and sets something on the table beside Penance. "Don't jostle your wings, please, this glass sphere thing is the only one we have."
"What are you supposed to do?" Penance asks now, a bit worried. She is at least lying still!
"I'm supposed to figure this thing out," the Skreek says as he works. "Lots of rubber tubes.. and these bits.. ah." Penance feels two rubber sleeves fitted over her distended nipples. "And this must connect here.. Glad your Garters aren't all over you right now, gettin' in the way.."
Penance's nipples are super sensitive from the stretching harness, so the sleeves that go over them make them ache. So, Penance grunts a bit and bares her teeth some. "What is that thing?" she hisses out. Her poor nipples after weeks of stretching now feel huge and long inside those rubber tubes. IT's making it quite apparently they're well over an inch long now each, maybe two. Definitely into farm animal teat length.
"I think it's a pump?" the Skreek says, and starts squeezing something. And sure enough, there's suction. It's not as good as the sex was, because this isn't technically any kind of blessing. She's got parasites in there! But something is being drawn out.
Whatever is coming out is thick, and thus the suction is kind of painful and odd! Penance grits her teeth and mutter-hisses to herself.
It doesn't last for long, but it still feels like it goes on forever. The pump starts making an odd sound, and Crabs stops. "I think that's all that's coming out this time," he says, and starts to unhook things. "Not sure if I'm s'posed to do this regularly or not yet."
"What came out?" Penance grunts, and squints, trying to see.
"Well, it's green," Crabs says. "It.. it might be moving on its own.. hard to tell until I can get a better look at it. But I think it's for treatin' that guy's leg from the tent."
"Ew," is Penance's observation. The pressure may be less, but the sucking made them hurt, so ... her chest feels about the same, uncomfortable.
After Crabs packs things away, he undoes the shackles. "Otto didn't say anything about leaving you locked up," he reasons.
And at that, Penance can sit up again. She rubs her ankles, then her wrists. "He really needs to speak more on what he is doing. I am a Priestess, and he tends to manhandle me," she grumbles. Soon, she slides off the table and puts her arm around Crabs. "And you're going to feed the creepers in a bit," she tells him, then licks his ear. Yeah, great, now she's just horny.