Denise asked "So what is this fertility ritual? Do we have to stand around and sing like last time?"

While examining the altar Nicholas shook his head "No, no singing, this deals with more primitive actions. It revolves around the cycle of birth." Nicholas walked around the altar looking at the carvings and said "It looks like there are four stages to the ritual. Before that however, we will all have to undress, we have to be nude for the ritual."

"What?" Debra asked "Why do we have to be nude?"

"It represents the closeness to the mother, like we just came from her womb."

"You got all that from some carvings? Do you need me? I'm not exactly comfortable standing nude in front of people" Debra said.

Thinking for a moment, Denise shrugged and said "Don't worry sis, no one here is going to judge you. What's more I'm going to do it, so they will know how you look as well." 

"Debra, I know it's asking a lot from you, but I really need your help. The ritual requires at least four people." Nicholas said looking plaintively at Debra.

Debra looked nervous for a moment and sighed, "Fine I will get naked, but I'm not laying on the altar for you all to ogle."

"I will lay down on the altar," Frankie said. Unstrapping her armor, she laid it down onto the ground, then continued on with her clothes. Denise caught Nicholas checking out Frankie as she undressed. When Frankie was nude in front of her pile of clothes, she said "I think it's your turn to get undressed."

Nodding, Denise pulled up the equipment screen and tossed her entire clothes into her inventory. She had expected to be a little chilly nude standing in this chamber, but she felt as though there was a comforting warmth emanating from the walls. Debra soon hesitantly followed suit and was in the buff.

Nicholas followed suit and Denise got a good look at the rogues body. While he wasn't the best looking man she'd ever seen, he was decent enough if a bit scrawny for her taste. Looking over she saw Frankie staring almost drooling at Nicholas. Denise patted Frankie shoulder and said "Careful, you keep staring like that, he will think your about to pounce on him."

Frankie blushed and said "Yeah " She coughed and asked "What do I need to do Nicholas?"

"Just wait a second. I've got to prepare the altar." He pulled out a blanket from his inventory and laid it across the Altar. Then he placed several candles around on the floor forming a pattern. Nicholas then pulled out lighter and proceeded to light them all.

As the candles took flame, there appeared to be a low level sound coming from the walls. Denise listened to it closer and could swear it sounded like a heartbeat. "Do you guys hear that?"

"Yeah." Debra said looking around nervously.

"Where did you get those candles?" Frankie asked.

"I packed several lighting options, I wasn't sure what we would face in these temples. Just incase I decided to pack a whole lot of supplies. Continuing with the ritual, it will progress through four stages of the cycle of birth for a mother, Birth, Growth, Mating, and finally Matron."

"Wait, Mating? What, are you supposed to have sex in this ritual?" Denise asked.

"No. These are all symbolic acts of course just to get the goddess attention. As you will be on the altar Frankie you will be acting out each main phase. First you will take the role of a baby."

Frankie said "I have to act like a baby?"

"In a sense. Don't worry I will guide you through each part before we begin." Nicholas said. "Okay lay down on the Altar."

When Frankie laid down on the Altar, Nicholas pulled out some more things, and took out a tube of lipstick. "I don't have paint but this should work for the symbols I have to draw on us."

While Frankie was lying down, Denise watched as Nicholas began to use the red lipstick to draw symbols upon her skin. Every symbol seemed to glow in the light provided by the Aquamarine statue and candles. Frankie let out a giggle and said "Sorry it's tickling me." 

"It's okay." Nicholas continued until he had finished. He had drawn a circle around each one of her nipples and then drawn what looked like a tube with an orb attached to each side. Nodding he turned to Denise and Debra. "Which one of you two want to take the place of the High mother." 

Denise said "I guess I can do that. What do I have to do?"

"First I'm going to have to draw some symbols on your body. If your not comfortable with me doing it I can guide your sister to do it."

"Nah, go ahead."

He walked over and kneeled on the floor in front of Denise. He looked focused and guided the lipstick across Denise skin. She found it did tickle and as he drew the lipstick down towards her pubic mons, she said "I'm glad I shaved."

Debra said "I haven't, is that going to be a problem?"

"No, it's not an issue. It just makes a messier picture." Nicholas said as he continued. Then he circled her nipples with the lipstick and this time she let out a laugh. He stood and made some marks on her face. "Good. Now stand at the top of the altar right at Frankies head."

Denise walked over and stood where he said. She looked down at Frankie and saw her looking up at her. Denise smirked and said "I'm usually drunk when I have a woman's mouth this close to my crotch."

"For what you need to do in the first part Denise, is to place your hands on your stomach and pray to the goddess for healthy births of all pregnant women."

"What do I need to say?" Denise asked.

"That is the hardest part of this ritual, it needs to come from the heart."

Denise frowned. The thought of having children had never crossed her mind, for the first time she began to consider it. As she listened to the thumping sound coming from the walls she found her self-sinking deeper and found that she did want to have children. She was startled out of the thought and looked around and guessed the temple was getting to her.

"What do I need to do?" Debra asked.

"Debra I need you to act as the High teacher, who will guide Frankie during the growth stage, there are three parts to this stage. The Feeding, The Guide, The Springtime. For the Feeding, you will hold your breasts to Frankie as if you were nourishing her. During this you need to praise the goddess for the milk of the mother."

Nicholas walked over to Debra and quickly made some marks with the Lipstick, and Debra blushed furiously as Nicholas drew on her. When he was done, he began to make similar marks across his skin as well. 

"Do I need to actually suck on her tits?" Frankie said.

"No. For the Guide you will clasp Frankie's hand and pray for the goddess to help guide children. For Springtime it refers to the puberty. You will place your hands right below her belly button and pray for her to be fertile, this all needs to come from the heart, do you understand?" 

Debra nodded then asked "What will you be doing?"

"After your role finishes I will take on the role of the High Lover."

"What? Lover?" Frankie said blushing.

"No we will not have sex. What we will doing is I will place my hand on your heart, and you will do the same to me and we will pray for children in the union between man and woman. Again we will speak from the heart. The final part of the ritual will be you acting as the High Mother. We will all move in front of the altar and kneel before you as you act as the symbol of the goddess herself."

"What do I need to be doing during the other parts?" Frankie asked.

"The carvings arent exactly clear, just listen to your feelings and follow through. Don't worry, we can always try again if we mess up."

"How do we start?" Denise asked.

"I will count down from ten, as I do so relax and sink into your roles. Remember to let it flow out naturally. Ten, Nine..."

As Nicholas counted down, Denise began to sink into thought of what to say. As she did so, she stared at Frankie and imagined her as her daughter being born, and when Nicholas hit zero, Denise swore Frankie turned into a baby. A deep feeling of wanting a child bore within her and she felt a heavy weight settle within her.

Denise could feel as if a baby was emerging from her vagina. In the apparent shock she let out a prayer to the goddess above that children would be born safe and sound all over the world. She could feel her heartbeat sync up with the sound emerging from the walls. 

Soon she could her wails of a baby coming from beneath her and looking down she saw a baby lying on the altar. At which point Debra leaned over the baby. However, to Denise, it felt as if it was her leaning over the baby. She reached up to her breasts, and they felt heavy with the milk of a mother.

She squeezed them and found milk dribbling down into the babes mouth. The baby cooed for more and she obliged sending down a torrent into its mouth. Denise could feel a prayer coming from deep within praising the mother for the liquid to sustain her child.

Looking down again, she found the baby had grown into a young girl. Wanting to guide the child, she or Debra, it was hard to separate themselves reached forward and took the girls hand. Denise could feel the great desire to help teach the girl the wonders of the world, but lacked the direction of how to do so. She let out another prayer to the goddess on how to teach the girl the right way.

The girl nodded as if she understood what Denise had been teaching her, and soon she grew into a young woman. She looked as if she was in pain, and blood could be seen flowing from her onto the altar. Denise knew the adolescent woman had reached the springtime of ones youth and would soon be on her way to adulthood.

Reaching down she placed her hand above her child's womb and prayed for her child to one day be able to bear children of her own. Her daughter placed her hand upon Denise's hand and smiled up at her, and she turned into an adult woman that looked like Frankie.

Even so, it was no longer Frankie laying on the Altar. Was it now laying down Denise or was it Debra? Denise could no longer tell, for a man stepped forward from the shadows, it looked like Nicholas, but wasn't. He reached forward and placed his hand upon her chest, and she could feel her heartbeat against his hand. 

Her hand lifted and touched his chest and she could detect his heartbeat. In a moment both heartbeats of the lovers synced up. Denise felt a pleasant feeling within her womb as if it had been seeded and then she found she was once again had the feeling of fullness. 

She sat up on the altar and looked down upon three kneeling people before the altar. Denise got a uncanny feeling as she realized that one of them kneeling before her was herself. Then she felt a kick within her belly, and blinked and found herself back within her body kneeling before the Altar. 

Looking back at the Altar she was startled to realize Frankie was no longer on the Altar but beside her kneeling as well. On the Altar was a heavily pregnant woman who was smiling at them. "Bless you children for calling back from the void. I have answered your call, and once more walk this world. Allow it to be known that Elysia once again guides the cycle of birth."

"Oh Goddess Elysia we welcome you back to the world." Nicholas said.

"I feel the power of my friend Skydia upon you. Has she also returned as well?"

"She has. As has the uncorrupted part of the Goddess Everlai as well."

"I am delighted to hear that. While I can bless the health of the child, life is more complicated then the cycle of birth. Though I sense a disturbing power over this world, one I do not recognize."

"For summoning me back from the void I will grant you my blessings for your service."