Chapter 293 – Preparing A Ritual

*** Fertility ***

It takes me a few minutes to calm down. I don't get what happened; the last time I had sex, it was normal. Enjoyable, but nothing special. Why is it that this time, our bodies demanded to breed each other? They hated me for limiting Alzi to just a single kid, her ovaries demanding every egg of hers get released and fertilized.

I even let her control me. A Goddess begging her Champion and letting her make demands. And then, I followed her demands without complaint.

What kind of Goddess am I to let all of that happen? Alzi is sweet, but I'm the one with all the power. She is basically just borrowing mine.

"Was something strange going on?" I ask.

"No," she says. "You just let a dragonkin dominate you."

So, yes. "You're going to give birth soon," I say, letting her laugh at me. I move my hand over my womb. I let her fill me with twenty. I'm going to have twenty-one kids joining this house, and I get to figure out what the dryads will give birth to.

"As you wish, my Goddess," the dryad says. "I talked directly to the Champion."

"Did she understand?"

"I think so. She wanted to tease you for longer but released when I said time was short."

Well, fuck. She may end up getting more revenge than I thought.

*** Alzi ***

"Would you like us to stay?" Elora asks. Did they not notice that I left? My thighs aren't coated in the Goddess's cum, but I can feel the child in my womb.

"I guess two more royals wouldn't hurt in a ritual," I say. It would be best to start using my pets now. It'll show the Queen that I'll uphold my end and that this will work. "All those that will be part of the real marriage can stay. Along with Yuki, Elora, and Shimmer."

"As you wish," the Queen says. "See you soon, Alzi. Thank you for working with us."

"Go help her, Yuki," Nanoka says. "See you soon. I'll keep Nakuma from messing up the ritual."

All of the kitsunes disappear except for Yuki, who is planted at my feet behind Shimmer and Elora. The rest of the women stand up to shuffle out of the room. I'm sure my babies will need to eat soon, but I've got more than enough breasts at my feet to handle them while I work with the priestesses.

Just a quick Skill usage makes sure that Shimmer and Yuki are ready to handle my kids. "Sarania," I say. "Let the Princesses feed my kids. The rest of you can relax for a bit, or at least your breasts can. I don't know what the rituals require." My maids will have to get used to having milk in their breasts. My whole family, really. The kids will likely take up every free room we have.

"The Goddess of the Dragons must've done a lot to you," Sarania says. "I'm happy to put these women to work."

I guess she did. I don't know how or if I should care about it. I guess it is her mark that is doing something like what the collar did, and it even likes to hide in my horns. But I really need to get a list of all these tattoos and figure them out. The only one that makes any sense is the one from Power, and maybe the womb tattoo—stupid thing.

A priestess strolls in, missing the normal belly.

"We have a few choices, our Champion," the Priestess says, though I guess she would be the High Priestess. "You'll likely want to gain some power from the Goddess. We can do that one first. After that, we have a choice to hear the Goddess's will, empower her will into the realm, or simply offer our thanks in deep worship."

Hmm, I don't really feel the need to just worship Fertility. "I don't really know the difference between empowering her will and hearing her will," I say. "They seem like the same thing."

"Hearing her will gives a voice to her desires and lets all her temples better understand what she wants and how to follow her. Empowering her will makes it easier for her to react to other rituals and make changes to her domain. They are a similar concept. It's more of a difference in who is carrying out her will better."

"Then the first is fine," I say.

"Thank you, our Champion. We have not heard her will in a long time. The records of the last occurrence is part of ancient history. It will be good to grant it to the world again. If you'll follow me."

The High Priestess brings me to the main chamber. Most of the pews are gone, and five priestesses are standing by an altar, all missing their bellies. A few families are huddled up by the door, watching us walk in.

"Do the families have to be here?" I ask. "If any of my lovers are to join, they can't be here." I won't have my Mommy putting on a show for strangers. Mai would probably be ok with it, but the rest won't be, and I don't want to make Mai feel like she's working at the brothel.

"I understand. It would be good to include your lovers," the High Priestess says, waving to a Priestess. One at the end hurries to the back as we continue to the altar. "Alzi, if you could hop up on the altar. For the Goddess to bestow power upon you, you must either get women pregnant or get pregnant. Which shall it be?"

"I can do both," I say. "Will it be the priestesses getting me pregnant or my lovers?" I lay down on the cold stone, and the Priestesses start to move about, lighting candles and drawing on the walls with oil as they sing in an old language. The High Priestess pulls out another bottle, one that seems to contain blood.

"I do have to be a member of the rituals. You will need to pick one for each ritual. It would be best to just get me pregnant twice rather than carry any yourself."

I hope Fertility isn't still in her trance. She seemed more out of it than I was when I was finishing.

"Mommy," I say. "Are you ok with having sex in front of the Priestesses?"

"I can do that, my baby," Mommy says. "Who all are you willing to carry for? Does more women make it stronger?"

"Yes, more the merrier. But, most of this will go to helping you carry the large number of kids. It would be best for us to do the work of carrying the children and let the Champion have power."

"I'm fine with carrying the children."

"Then may I suggest the empowering ritual be the one you get pregnant for? I would rather not make our Champion carry two of my children in such trying times. If you could strip for me?"

"That sounds good," I say, pulling my clothing into my tattoo.

"Then, if you can, give me the full number. It changes the symbol I need to put over your womb."

"Mommy, you, Mai, Kelly, Ilka, Akhae, Sarania, and Shyla," I say. My maid has been nice enough to me that I could let her join in. "Is there a way to include Yuki, Shimmer, and Elora without them getting me pregnant or receiving another child from me?"

"Are they willing? Two are pregnant, so they can, but they need to be naked. Yuki won't be able to participate."

"That's fine," I say. "Just tell them what to do. Yuki can handle all the kids, then."

"I'll prepare them first, Champion, then come back to you. We should be ready to start soon. Sorry to have you strip so soon in the preparations."

"That's fine," I say. "I'm used to it."

"That doesn't make it any better," the High Priestess says, walking over to the pregnant princesses. "Please take the kids to the back wall or another room, Yuki."

Mommy comes up and takes my hand, rubbing my tattoo. A dot inside shows I already have a kid on the way. Nine won't be so bad with all my extra Skills. However, the problem will be Fertility's child, since it was so hard giving birth last time. Will it sap all my strength so I can't push out the others?

But I'll have Kelly for this one, and I can trust her to help me. She got me through the others, after all.

Still, will I give birth before I've dealt with Nature and Justice? Three months isn't a lot of time, and they won't end the war after I give birth this time.

"Everything will be fine, my baby," Mommy says. "We'll fight this together. You've been so brave for me. Don't let that stop now. I'm not letting you go again."

"Yes, Mommy," I say. "I love you."

"I love you too, my little rainbow. Are you pregnant again already?"

"Yes," I say. "The Goddess of Fertility gave me a child. We gave each other a kid."

"I'm going to be a Grandmother to a Goddess?"

"You are already. Three, in fact. Contract is with Fertility, Luck, and Destruction are with me."

"That is what they meant? They meant it literally when they said she's your kid? I- Are you ok? When?"

"When I was at the brothel, I got Fertility Pregnant—some vision thing. Then, at the start of the war, I met with the Goddess of Space, and she got me pregnant. She is also carrying a child of mine, and now again, Fertility is pregnant, and I am." Why am I still lying down? It would be nice to see what the High Priestess is doing to the Princesses. It's a little annoying that they have to be pregnant to join in.

Maybe they will build an actual friendship? Yuki is pretty close already. She seemed to have good reasons not to help me out in the brothel, and it was nice petting her head. Those furry ears are so soft, and the tails, too.

I sit up and look around to see where the High Priestess put the Princesses. Both are naked. Elora is to my left, kneeling naked with a mark across her belly. Shimmer is to my right, with the same mark on her belly.

"Ready?" the High Priestess says, finished with Shimmer.

"Yes," I say, having to lie back down so soon. The liquid is cold as the High Priestess spreads it across my belly, surrounding my first tattoo. She moves slowly, and the mark feels more complicated than the ones the Princesses got. The Priestesses start singing louder as the details are added. One of them helps Mommy get naked, but I'm sure the rest are stripping just out of view as well.

I wonder if Mommy will be going first or second.