This Ascent to Divinity is Lewder Than Expected

5.30 – Priestess I

Most people didn't realize how busy daily life at the Temple could be. Aria had a whole laundry list of tasks. Beyond caring for the grounds and maintaining the temple premises, she also needed to help with the temple library, welcome and provide guidance to visitors, organize the financial and legal paperwork that came with the Temple's daily operations, her daily worship duties, and so much more—the list went on and on. Admittedly, most priestesses wouldn't have such a busy schedule, but Aria was the daughter of the Head Priest, and while that didn't come with any special title herself, it sure came with a whole lot more expectations and duties.

Not that Aria was complaining. She loved her work. Life as a priestess was, with no doubt in her mind, her calling in life.

Today was a slow day, though, and she would admit those were her favorite. She had room to breathe. And more to the point, she had time to mingle with visitors while she went about cleaning the Temple's various altars—though while pretending to look busy, since a priestess could hardly seem like she was loitering around. She kept an eye out for people who might need help, or otherwise just someone to talk to. Her favorite part of the day was getting to enlighten those coming to the Temple seeking spiritual guidance, to aid them with making offerings to a patron god or otherwise enlighten them on what little she knew of the pantheon's enigmatic nature.

Right now, she worked studiously away at dusting down the statue of Ephythithys. Since she had been caring for the Temple since she could walk, this was hardly her first time doing so. But despite that familiarity, she had always—and still did—found the task of cleaning Ephythithys's statue a bit … well, flustering.

Because whichever artisan had painstakingly chiseled the effigy had taken great effort to highlight the goddess's, erm, holy assets. Which was fair. Most people knew Ephythithys as the goddess of fertility and sex, but primarily in the biological sense—the planting of seed to grow new life. Aria, however, having spent her life studying religious texts and immersed in topics of the divine, knew she represented more than that. Sex in all of its aspects. Ephythithys's domain included lustful indulgences, carnal desires, the sensuality of touch, and the heat of ecstasy. Not just the process of creating life from a sacred standpoint, but all the sweaty, sticky details in between.

And the statue-maker knew this too, apparently. Blushing, she dusted down Ephythithys's bust, struggling not to let her eyes shy away from her very, very generous proportions—and more importantly, the lifelike realism of the stone. The clearly visible nipples through thin clothing, which Aria politely dusted.

Unfortunately, Aria was hardly the only person in the Temple to have noticed the impressive accuracy of the statue. Many visitors had as well. And because of that—and the perverted, irreverent nature of some—Ephythithys's stone breasts were starting to discolor from being touched so often. Most people brought proper reverence into the Temple, but not all of them. People would be people, even in a holy place. Aria herself had caught a handful of visitors rubbing the stone.

One such violator had told her that he had done so because, apparently, rubbing Ephythithys's breasts brought good luck—and he was trying for child. Aria was torn on whether she believed him. He had seemed earnest. It made some sort of sense, but she was pretty sure the constant touching stemmed from immaturity, not the desire to 'receive luck with fertility'. Regardless, it was becoming clear that the statue might need to be renewed. The discoloration became more noticeable by the year.

Aria wondered whether it counted as blasphemy to fondle a Goddess's breasts, even just an effigy. Or the Goddess's rear, which was likewise changing shades from so many touches—and was also likewise perfectly, and nearly lewdly, sculpted, with the long, thin folds of her dress very neatly tucked into her curves so that she might as well have been naked.

Certainly, the mistreatment of any other holy statue would have produced an outrage in the Temple, but Ephythithys was obviously a special case. She was also the only one with clearly visible nipples poking through her clothing, to name the obvious, so really, they were as at fault for displaying her as the visitors who couldn't help but touch.

And wasn't that Ephythithys's aspect to begin with? Even if the lewd touches weren't for 'good luck', Ephythithys would celebrate anything related to carnal desires. Though, maybe not so much the groping of her own holy image. Aria was undecided. Funny enough, it was a topic of quiet debate in the Temple—though obviously not in any official capacity. Except, as years ticked by, it might need to be discussed at the next council, officially speaking. They could hardly allow the discoloring to become too obvious.

Deliberately keeping her eyes from wandering across the goddess's figure, Aria studiously dusted away, keeping her altar and image as pristine as a goddess deserved. Eight candles flickered across the altar and in various places on the alcove, providing a dim light in the recess which the tall overhead dome windows couldn't reach.

Then, as her thoughts wandered as she dusted away, something odd happened: the candles flickered pink.

Aria froze, her eyes snapping in the direction of the nearest, to find that, yes—it burned a bright, lustrous pink. A half-second later, long enough she knew she hadn't imagined it, the lights returned to their soft yellow glow.

A shiver went down her spine. Not from fear, but incredulity. Anticipation, perhaps.

She stared at the calm candle light for a moment longer. She'd gotten a good look, so she knew she hadn't imagined it—unless she was going crazy and seeing things.

She swallowed. What would make Ephythithys's candles burn pink? Was it a sign? If so, of what?

She turned from Ephythithys's alcove and scanned the Temple proper. The usual light crowd bustled about. Nobody was looking her way—she'd been the only one to see the pink candles. Still wide-eyed, she looked back at the lights, then to the goddess's figure, as if she could glean some meaning from her serene, motherly expression. But she found nothing useful there.

Finally, she looked back out into the Temple, still disoriented. She considered scurrying over to one of her colleagues and telling them what had happened, but wouldn't she just sound crazy? Attention-seeking, even, trying to imply a goddess had given her a sign?

And a sign of what? If, indeed, that was the interpretation she should be making at all.

Before she could worry too much over the idea, her wandering eyes snagged onto something other than a colleague. To a figure near the entrance of the temple, accompanied by another woman—both of whom had clearly just walked in.

Even with how perplexing the flickering of Ephythithys's candles had been, Aria's thoughts were completely diverted by the two women, her attention instantly captured. Especially by the taller one.

She was a goddess. Even from the distance Aria was standing, she froze in astonishment. Every part of the woman was perfection. And not in the way of a piece of art, but in a more carnal way. Aria wouldn't consider herself a lusty woman, but she drank in the hard edges of the newcomer's jaw, her green eyes, then down to her curves, the way her clothing hugged her breasts, her hips, her thighs, and her legs. Heat thrilled across Aria just looking at her, her stomach clenching with need. It was a reaction she didn't think she'd ever had before, not for a stranger—but this exception came with an easy explanation. Because she'd never seen a woman who was such a walking figure of sensuality.

The other woman, her obvious partner, who was leaning into her side with intimate familiarity, was only slightly less stunning—which Aria needed to emphasize only made her the second most beautiful woman she'd seen. The orange-haired foxgirl was shorter, with violet eyes and a softer face, with curves no less eye-catching than her partner. Who was she? Her girlfriend? Wife? The way they chatted and smiled told Aria they weren't just friends.

Then violet eyes flicked to Aria, catching her staring even all the way across the Temple. Aria should have expected that—both carried themselves like wayfarers, and wayfarers had excellent awareness. Preternaturally so, in many cases. Aria jolted and, in a panic, looked away. She blushed furiously, chiding herself. With great effort, she chased away the scandalous thoughts that had invaded her mind.

The Temple hardly confined their clergy to chastity, but that didn't mean it was acceptable to go around lusting after visitors. And while chastity wasn't required, members of the Temple were expected to behave in moral and upstanding ways—which, again, lusting after two complete strangers obviously wasn't. Not that Aria was lusting. She'd just noted how beautiful they were. And stunning their figures. In a strictly abstract sense?

Well, no, Aria couldn't delude herself like that. The tall woman with black hair had especially dripped sensuality, despite being dressed in a way that didn't particularly show her body off. The moment she'd laid eyes on the woman, her stomach had clenched with need. Sex—nobody could look at that woman and not think about it.

Aria redoubled her efforts to clear her mind. What had gotten into her? The lewd detour in her thought process must have come from cleaning Ephythithys's shrine. Influence from the goddess's own lewd imagery.

Or maybe, Aria admitted, that woman was just that attractive. And it had been a while since Aria had found any sort of relief. Temple life was busy.

Then, in a jolt, she remembered the candles.

They'd flickered pink. Shortly after, Aria had looked around and caught sight of a literal goddess entering the Temple.

With a body like that, Aria wouldn't be surprised if that woman was some sort of disciple to the goddess of sensuality. Though, Aria shook her head. She was really letting her thoughts run wild. She obviously didn't believe that.

Then again, the pink candles meant something.

Before Aria could finish organizing her thoughts, or come to a decision on what in the world was going on—if anything—she was interrupted from her cleaning a second time.

"Hey," a feminine voice said behind her, making Aria jump. "We're a bit new here. Think you could help us out?"

Aria turned. She knew who it would be before she laid eyes on them. The two stunning women had come to speak with her, and—oh, heavens—they were even more intimidating up close.

"Of course," Aria said faintly. "I would—I would love to. What is it you need?"