Chapter Ten Ritual Bathing (Patreon)

Chloe stepped into the bath proper and paused for a second to take in the room. It was larger than she had expected thanks to a series of clever spatial enchantments carved into the walls. The moment she stepped into the room she was able to feel all the magic around her, and how the space was being enlarged. What she saw was suitably impressive, the inn had a bath that would put many bathhouses to shame. The floor was polished smooth and of the same stone as the changing rooms. Etched with the same enchantments as well.

The room was filled with steam, to the left and right were a number of stalls with wooden seats and water stones. A couple of girls could be seen inside being rinsed off, attendants washing them down.

In front of their group were the tubs, yes tubs. Several sunken pools with a large central tub and several small tubs set in alcoves around it. All of them sat flush with the floor. Beyond the tubs were two wooden doors leading out of the bath. A few other girls could be seen using the tubs, along with other attendants present. The smells of sex and lust permeated the room mixing with the smells of bath oils and soaps. Chloe felt her tail wag, places like this could be a lot of fun. She did notice the same purple light filled this room as well.

A hand touched her shoulder, “You can gawk later,” said Aria, “over here.”

She and Sae, who was still holding all the bath supplies, were led to a pair of adjacent stalls. “Okay Sae put the basket there, then sit on the stool for me.”

Sae complied and sat for Aria. Chloe sighed, “I sit on the other stool?”

“Yup, just sit there and I’ll take care of everything.” she said turning back to Sae, “Now close your eyes dear, I’m going to clean your face and hair.”

Chloe sat still and used a Shadowed Eye to peer past the divider. Yet she didn’t see anything to raise flags. Aria was actually doing the job of a bath attendant, cleaning Sae’s hair and then moving down to gently working a selection of soaps into the skin and then rinsing them away.

Aria spoke up, “So Chloe?”

“Yes?”

“Were you born into Furea’s church?”

Chloe didn’t reply right away, surprised at the question. Finally she instead asked, “My mother was in the church, why do you ask?”

“I was kinda curious. What is it like growing up to another faith?”

“Hard to say, when I don’t know what it was like for you,” replied Chloe, not sure where this was going.”

Aria chuckled, “Maybe so, I was born here in Tyna, my mother was a priestess of Zylesh and I was presented to her soon after birth. After that I was pretty much raised in Zylesh’s faith. I don’t know that much about Furea’s”

Chloe blinked, “Zylesh? I’m not familiar with her, is she...”

“A goddess in ascension, we worship her but she hasn’t actually crossed the threshold to full god.”

Oh she’s like me? Thought Chloe to herself, “Ah! That explains it, well I wish her luck.”

“The goddess will appreciate that.”

“So what was it like for you growing up?”

Aria paused then started, “I don’t really remember my early years, but mom was often busy so I spent a lot of time with my friends. Other girls like me. I do remember my menarche; I was an early bloomer. I didn’t really understand what it meant, but waking up one day bleeding from my pussy was quite scary at such a young age.”

Chloe nodded, she knew how young girls reacted. “I imagine so.”

Aria looked over, “Have you had yours?”

Chloe had experience with it herself, so technically yes, but her first period as a girl had been many lifetimes ago. Yet she knew Aria’s question was focused on her current body. Chloe’s current body was 24, now that didn’t mean she’d been through one, it depended on race. Foxkin tended to hit it early however and Dwarves weren’t that different from humans in those terms, maybe a little sooner in the case of girls. She was about to speak when a voice gave her the answer, “The original Chloe was an early bloomer as well, she had her Menarche at the tender age of seven,” said Furea right into her mind.

“You’re watching?” she thought back but no answer was forthcoming. After a second she realized Aria was waiting for an answer. She let out a breath, “I have.”

“Huh, interesting,” then she glanced down at Sae, “What about you?”

Sae replied, “...yes I had mine.”

“Then you two might be ready for the adult rituals sooner than I thought.” said Aria, “Just not today.”

Chloe replied, “What do those involve?”

“It starts the same as this, but don’t worry I’ll teach you what you need to know. You and Sae will be helping me for the next part anyway.”

“Which is?”

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Chloe soon found out the answer to that question. Once they were clean and oiled, they were allowed to relax in one of the side baths, while Ellie and Alicia were led into the main bath. The pair of them were lavished with attention and it didn’t escape Chloe’s notice that the pair looked highly aroused when they left the main bath. Chloe and Sae were taken via the rear door on the right, while Alicia and Ellie went through the one on the left. In the next room she was with a few other kids and only two other attendants.

The other kids were being oiled, and she noted a couple of girls being painted. Etched out in gold were two crescent moons orbiting a purple sun in the middle and floating above the purple sun was a rather strange symbol. It featured tendrils reaching out towards the moons and the sun below, two of them actually touched the stone and they came from an etching of a very pretty and naked woman with purple eyes. Chloe frowned, hadn’t she seen such a symbol before? Only she could not place when. It wasn’t exactly the same, but she recalled seeing a symbol featuring tendrils reaching out and a naked woman.

Chloe frowned as she was led to a stool. Aria produced some oils and started rubbing them into her skin, doing the same for Sae. Out of curiosity, she appraised the oils finding them to be rich with a lot of beneficial effects and particularly good for children in the underdark who didn’t get much sun. That wasn’t the only thing good about them, they were magical and would boost her physical abilities and endurance. “Could you share the recipe for this after-bath oil?”

Aria paused, then blinked, “Uh sure, what do you want it for?”

Chloe wasn’t sure she wanted to tell her she wanted it since it would be very useful in making undead. Particularly due to the oil having a preservative-like effect on the skin. One that was revealed to her thanks to her high skill level in appraisal. “It’s good for the skin, I’m sure it will be useful.”

“There is a better version that makes you feel good for days,” said Aria as she took a tray of paints and a brush from a nearby attendant. Chloe briefly took in the attendant, a young woman with light green skin and small proportions. The girl was clearly part goblin, the little horns and the surprisingly large breasts suggested she wasn’t of pure goblin blood and she was obviously several months pregnant as well. Many of the attendants seemed to be pregnant and she wondered if it had something to do with the little cult present in the inn?

Taking out the paints, Aria started applying the same symbol she saw on other girls to Sae. Chloe allowed it to be added to herself moments later, and then they went into the next room.

It was wide and circular with stone brick walls. A series of alcoves were set along the sides of the room, with only thin curtains to provide a bit of privacy, some drawn others open to reveal a padded chamber with warm wooden paneling. Tables lined with food and drink sat against the walls. At the rear of the room was a fancy stage where several women were dancing a rather lewd dance. A large statue sat behind them upon a raised dais. It featured a lovely woman with shapely, regal features with red hair, bright purple eyes and grey skin with gold tribal markings. The woman wore nothing, and everything was on display in painstaking detail, the shape of her large breasts and her naked pussy included. Three long sinuous tails curled behind her, each one ending in a nasty looking stinger.

 Younger girls all painted with the symbol she had on her chest had trays and were moving around the room acting like waitresses. Meanwhile the older girls had different symbols painted on their bellies, she saw two different patterns, but they used similar language to the ones she’d already seen. Featuring tendrils, strangely colored suns and crescent moons along with a few other symbols.

The sounds of sex filled the room as female-female couples in heat engaged in acts of passion. Not only were there sounds of sex, but also music. Several braziers had also been set out burning some kind of incense, while vents filled the room with steam, making it feel quite hot in here. Chloe recognized it immediately as some kind of sex party and soon found herself swept along, serving food and drink to the participants.

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As it would turn out that was all she really saw and her eye on Derrick wasn’t much different. He ended up being pleasured by a couple of assistants and joining a somewhat different sex party but she saw pretty much the same going on with him. The only difference was she had the feeling all the females in the party he was attending were actually affiliated with the ‘Church of Zylesh.” She also noted far fewer clearly pregnant attendants at that party. Chloe could guess why. 

The party eventually wound down and she found herself leaving with Sae. They were washed off one last time by Aria who told Sae to forget about the party and then asked her not to speak of it. Chloe wasn’t really planning on it, so far it seemed she was dealing with one of the usual mortal pleasure cults.

Beside her Sae blinked a couple of times, as light came back to her eyes, she stretched a little, then grabbed her hand, “Come on! We need to make up for lost time!”

Chloe chuckled as she was led back to their room. Sae closed the door behind them, then rushed to her chest to pull out the game they’d played just the night before. A grin on her adorable face, “Ready to break our draw?!”

“Sure!” she agreed as she took a seat. Sae set up the game board and activated the stones, bringing to life a new random map for them to build kingdoms on and conquer.