FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

He walked up the steps to the temple's doors, glancing around. The use of dyed cement to create geometric patterns with precision was as striking as the last time he saw it. The multitude of angles came together to form a strangely soft feeling space, with occasional colored skylights. Hallways split off from open doorways on either side of the entry hall, and a broader archway held doors leading deeper into the temple.

A doe with a noticeably pregnant belly walked to the shorter squirrel. "Hello and welcome. The Goddess' blessing be upon you." She wore a loose robe that draped around her taut midsection, and an embroidered black vest underneath, open across her flat chest.

Broom perked up, his eyes taking in these details in a few moments, before he held up the print-out. "I heard there were positions?"

The deer smiled and nodded. "We'll talk in my office so that we aren't just standing around the entrance hall..." She turned to start walking, her hooves clacking against the polished cement floor. Despite her gravid midsection she moved gracefully, not seeming to mind the extra weight. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure that the rodent followed.

Said squirrel started walking behind her, following the tall cervine into a side hall and around a few turns. He was wondering just how far her office was when she opened a door and slipped through. Broom paused to read the plaque beside the door. 'B. Mother Fern, Priestess and Head of Regeneration'

She carefully sat onto a cushioned chair that allowed her thighs to spread around her belly behind her desk, before gesturing to a similarly shaped seat across from her. "Now, you saw our call for help. The way things are, we're quite swamped. We could use some RBMs who are ready to serve..." She trailed off and laughed a bit, her stern demeanor shattered with the tinkle of her tittering giggle. "Sorry... I haven't even asked your name and I'm getting to business."

The rodent chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the side of his face nervously. "Oh... I'm Broom. I... well, I 'hatched' here a couple weeks ago. Everyone was so wonderful to me and since I found myself without a job and you put out a call, I thought I might be able to give back... help other people too."

Fern smiled as she listened, nodding until he'd finished. "Most of the people you dealt with weren't our Mothers. You do know that the call was put out for that position, correct?"

Broom fidgeted a little. "I... yes, I know. Those eggs have to come from somewhere, right?"

The priestess nodded, trailing her fingers across her belly. "Yes. Do you think that it's something you could handle? Are you prepared to try?"

A blush rushed across the squirrel's cheeks as his eyes focused on her stomach. It had taken him this long to realize just what the deer must be pregnant with. "W-well... my friends like to joke I have real birthing hips." Broom smiled awkwardly.

The doe raised her brow in surprise, and then smirked a bit. "We'll see about that." She stood from her seat and walked back to the door, looking back at him as she placed her hand on the doorframe. "Rather, She'll see about that."

Broom stood up, rubbing his elbows with his paws. "What do you mean?"

Fern turned to guide the squirrel along once more, down the hall the opposite direction from where the rodent had entered. "One of the reasons we're so short-staffed is that not everyone is able to perform the duties. Many of them become acolytes in order to help in other ways; others simply leave when they fail the test." She pressed open the double doors at the end of the hall into a darkened space.

The squirrel followed her, his eyes slowly adjusting. There were gaps in the ceiling for skylights letting light pour down into the middle of the chamber. At the center of the chamber, directly within the light, was a grand statue of a dragon, muzzle pointed towards a small platform with a kneeling cushion placed upon it.

The priestess approached the statue reverently, turning to face the male as she came to a halt. "This is the temple's innermost sanctum, the most direct connection to Palwasha."

Broom was staring at the statue in awe, not looking at his footing as he came down the last step to the center of the sanctum.

"Now, you-" The doe began to explain, only to be cut off.

"I remember her..." The words were out of the rodent's mouth before he thought of speaking.

Fern canted her head slightly, looking over the squirrel's face curiously. "How do you mean?"

"In the space between passing and reawakening within an egg..." Broom said dreamily. "She was there." He blinked, and blushed deeply. "S-sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

The priestess' look was inscrutable as she nodded in acknowledgement. "If She accepts your supplication, it shall be immediately obvious. This is the test."

Fidgeting, the squirrel nodded as well. "What do I do?"

Fern gestured her hoof-capped fingers to the kneeling cushion. "Kneel, and keep your intentions in your mind."

A bit quicker than he expected of himself, Broom came to the spot and dropped to his knees. Once he was sure he was balanced in place, he looked up at the statue.

The Goddess' eyes were set upon him from the way the effigy was designed. The light from above framed Her head and Her crown of horns. Despite it being late morning outside, the light coming through the gaps between Her horns was clearly the silver light of the moon. And as the squirrel stared, the moonlight came from Her eyes as well, beams of cool illumination dancing over his body.