9. Temple

A long flowing skirt is pulled over your body and you keep your arms crossed over your still bare top half. When they're done fastening the skirt in place you're brought to a seat and look over to see a woman begin mixing different pastes and powders together. When you sit down the other women pull your still crossed arms away from your chest. While they're not gentle you don't get the sense they're trying to hurt you and relax slightly. The woman mixing the items in bowls finishes and brings them over to the table beside you. You watch somewhat curiously as different, dark, paint like substances are applied to your bare skin. The woman works skillfully as she traces intricate designs across your chest and abdomen. Glancing down you see that while the majority of the area has been covered it's still very obvious you're naked under the paint. Some designs are then added to to your shoulders and the outside of your arms. When the paint has dried an open faced sheer robe like garment is draped over your shoulders. The women delicately help you pull your arms through the arm holes and make sure none of the paint is disturbed.

The shift hangs down just above your feet but the see through material and lack of sleeves hardly provides any real coverage. The only other item of clothing they offer you is a pair of leather boots that you quickly slip into. It's growing colder even with the fire burning and you know at some point you'll be brought outside and taken away again. Before they do this you're handed a mug of the same ale like drink you had the night before. You take a small sip and wince at it's strong taste. You start to lower the glass but the women protest and you're **** to drink the entire contents. Your head spins slightly when you're brought out into the cold night's air. The sky is completely dark as you're lead down a path that's illuminated by a line of torches. The path leads around the back of the large hall and when you reach the end of it you see a smaller stone building ahead. You can make out dim fire light flickering through the windows that are slightly too tall for you to see into. Strange music and chanting is coming from inside and you hesitate when you reach the entrance. The door is opened and you're pushed inside before it slams shut behind you.

It's just as cold inside the dark, stone, room as it had been outside. The sparse amount of candles that have been light and placed around the room hardly provides enough light to see. As your eyes adjust you can make out the forms of people seated on either side of the room. You jump slightly when you feel a hand on your shoulder and look back to see the older woman from before. She gives you a solemn nod before pushing you forward towards the cleared path between the seated people. As you make your way down the narrow room the chanting continues and you can see the dark silhouettes two people in front of you. As you approach you see that Sten is one of the people standing before you and walk in his direction. Your heart beat increases as you see the larger figure standing slightly behind him comes into focus. He's the same height as Sten but far broader and at least twice his age. Long shadows dance across the floor as you stop before Sten and he looks down approvingly at your semi naked form. You can feel the older mans gaze on your body as well but try to ignore it for now. Now that you're up closer you can see that he looks quite a bit like Sten and is rather handsome in a rugged, somewhat grizzled way.

The large man takes a step forward and begins speaking in their strange Nordic language. The chanting has subsided slightly and you inhale deeply as you can feel a host of unseen eyes on you. After a while you hear a phrase the older man says and recognize it to be the prompt you had been told about earlier. The man pauses as he and Sten watch you carefully while you hesitantly repeat your lines. When you finish speaking they seem satisfied and Sten says something before the other man nods deeply. A large goblet is brought out and Sten takes a deep drink before handing it over to you. It's full a golden liquid that has a light floral scent to it. Bringing it to your lips you find that it's far sweeter and much more palatable than the drink you had earlier. Unfortunately, it seems to be somehow stronger, and you feel your head swimming when you hand the chalice back. The tempo of the chanting changes and you frown when Sten moves back into the shadows. The older man before you takes a step forward and you look around in confusion before taking a step back. Before you can move away any further you feel two people come up behind you and grab either one of your arms.

They pull you back and bring you over to a small, rectangular, table. Painted on the middle of it's surface is a depiction of a large hammer and a similar design to the one on your body circles around it. You struggle as you're pulled down on the table and your back presses against it's cold surface. The people continue holding your arms down and you fight against them harder when you see the large man move forward. The sound of drums pounding in the distance matches the thumping of your heart as he approaches you. He casts a long shadow on you when he arrives and you feel his hands on the side of your thighs. He runs them down the length of skirt before pulling it up and revealing your bare lower half. He quietly removes his trousers and you whimper when you see he's just as well endowed as Sten. His large hands are now on your thighs and it's not hard for him to pull your shaking legs open. You feel the man position himself between you and the people holding you down let go and take a step back. The large man above you places his forearms down over your arms, pinning you in place, and you feel his large shaft begin to slip in. There's a bit of resistance but after a moment you exhale sharply as the rest of him of slides inside.

Keeping himself propped up above you the man begins rhythmically moving in and out of you. He completely ignore you as he continues thrusting, seemingly, solely focused on his own needs. Though he's quiet large you find yourself only gasping at the discomfort of your back slamming into the hard surface of the table beneath you. After a few minutes you feel the mans body grow slightly rigid and he pulls out of you quickly. The chanting reaches it's crescendo as you feel a warm liquid splatters against your chest and trickles down your sides mixing in the with paint on your skin. Sitting up on the table you rub your sore wrists as a group of people rush forward. You're helped off the table and the now wet paint is wiped off your abdomen before you're finally given a proper shirt. As you finish putting the shirt on the crowd begins to part and you see Sten standing off to the side. When he notices you looking at him he finishes the drink in his hand and sets the empty cup down before walking over. "You are glad I went first now?" He asks somewhat playfully and while you have to admit you are you instead ask him when you'll have to do that with the man again. Sten chuckles lightly before replying, "Only on wedding night. But can be necessary to share sometimes."