Over the next week, Lily settled into a routine; training with Mia and Rick in the morning, followed by afternoon sessions with Clara and Mia. The nights belonged to her girlfriend, and she wondered if Mia had supernatural stamina of her own, because even with her divine gifts, Lily often felt exhausted, while the shorter girl showed no signs of slowing down.
To be fair, constantly practicing her skills took a toll,but it was worth it. She was getting much better at controlling Invoke Divinity, able to think and act rationally during it. She still had issues with using the skill outside the temple, but there was improvement there too. There was still work to be done, but she felt a sense of pride at her progress.
The training helped keep her mind off the upcoming ritual. As the week went on and the time to contact Dahlia approached, Lily felt the anxiety growing.
Would her goddess approve of her actions so far? If she didn't, would she remove Lily from Teras? Would she tell Lily more about the threat to the world?
These questions and more occupied her thoughts as the day approached, and Lily was grateful to have Mia with her. She was always supportive, working hard to dispel any self doubts Lily had. On one hand, having someone who believed in her felt good, but on the other, it just reminded her of her position, and the potential weight on her shoulders. Still, it beat the hell out of being alone, and she thanked the gods for meeting Mia every night, before she went to sleep.
On the day of the ritual, Lily and Mia made their way over to the altar chamber. Lily didn't know all the details, but she knew that the ritual involved a priest or priestess serving as a conduit for the Avatar to reach Dahlia's realm. Luckily, Clara was a suitable candidate, and due to her familiarity with Lily, the Head Priestess selected her for the role. Having a familiar face would help, and Lily was glad that she wouldn't have to work with someone who was nervous due to her Avatar status.
My own nerves are bad enough, Lily thought as she and Mia approached the altar chamber. She pushed the old doors open, and slowly stepped through, unsure what to expect. The small chamber was empty, save for the altar where the Head Priestess stood, and a pair of chairs in the corner. Clara sat in one of them, and waved the girls in. As they started to cross the room, Lily noticed that the whole floor below the altar was inscribed in strange symbols and letters she could not read. The purple lettering formed concentric circles on the stone floor, leaving only a small clearing in the middle. She and Mia had to be very careful not to disturb any of the writing as they met up with Clara and Emilia.
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Seeing the puzzlement on their faces, the Head Priestess spoke out:
"These symbols are ancient, and were the reasons for the delay. Their magic is older than civilization itself, and we had to be sure their configuration was correct. Our records here at the temple were incomplete, so we had to consult the capital archives. But at last, we are ready."
"What do I need to do?" Lily asked, wondering if she herself was ready.
"The Avatar's part to play is the simplest one. You and the conduit, Clara, will sit in the centre of the room. She will recite the incantation and channel mana into the symbols, and as she does, all you have to do is let go, and allow your soul to be pulled into Dahlia's realm," she explained, motioning Clara towards the middle of the room. The priestess nodded, but before she moved, she started undressing herself.
Lily gave Emilia a questioning look, and the Head Priestess smiled gently.
"The ritual has to be performed while nude. After all, you can't bring your clothes to a higher realm. Did I not mention that?"
"Of course it does," Lily said with a sigh, and started removing her own clothes. Mia giggled after seeing her expression, and then quickly moved to assist.
"There's no way I am gonna miss this. All those other times I got you naked, it was for my own selfish needs, but now I get to do it in service of a higher cause," Mia whispered as she pulled off Lily's shirt. "It's like a dream come true."
Lily knew better than to argue, and she let Mia's capable hands undress her. The raven haired beauty took her time, slowly removing one piece of clothing at a time. She moved at a leisurely pace, happy to show off her girlfriend's body to the small audience. It was not a new sight for Clara, but Emilia was enjoying the show, which got Lily wondering about the situation. In any other temple, disrobing at a holy altar in front of a Head Priest would be high blasphemy, incurring the wrath of the deity worshipped there. But, this wasn't any other temple, and this wasn't any Head Priestess. This was Dahlia's temple, and they were her disciples.
From what I know about Dahlia, she probably approves of behavior like this, Lily thought absentmindedly. And I suppose you have to be at least a little perverted to become a Head Priestess in her religion.
She did dare to not think about how perverted one needed to be for the universe to select them as the divine champion of that same religion. It was better not to dwell on such matters of theology, after all.
The cold air on her exposed skin brought her back to reality, and she and Clara quickly made their way to the central circle. Lily shivered as she sat down on the frigid stone floor, and Clara wasted no time as she went to work pumping mana into the inscriptions. As the lettering started to glow, the priestess stretched out her hand towards Lily. She grabbed it, and the world began to fade away. Lily could hear Clara chanting, but it was only a background whisper as her soul started to leave her body. She let go, and for an instant there was nothing as she crossed the gap between worlds and entered Dahlia's realm.
"About time. I was starting to worry," Lily heard a familiar voice say as consciousness returned.