Surely Farrah won't take more than an hour

Directing the carriage towards the church you tried to think of what Farrah wanted to see you about ... ok well you knew what, the Matron had made a decision about your connection to the Mother of All. Something that is honestly a lot more literal since she was the one who brought your mind into this world not Clare.

You felt a rising frustration at the fact that the religion is technically entirely correctly whilst also completely misinterpreting everything. Yes there are Goddesses, yes one of them brought you to the church and did assist you in the ritual to summon her, however the attribution to you of religious significant for rituals success was entirely a matter of circumstance. If you'd know your aura was a result of Goddess given power originally and not something to be embarrassed about you wouldn't have constantly kept it compressed and the ritual to heal everyone by sharing auras would have had a much more limited success since you wouldn't be injecting them with raw magic just cast off magic. As Oriana anyone could do it but you did do it. You looked out the window feeling a certain admiration for her. She wasn't even here and her simple, logical, entirely accurate argument still bugged you.

Waiting for the carriage to arrive was boring. You could move faster than it with, honestly, less effort than it was taking to sit there alone and in silence. In future maybe it would be easier to go places on your own on foot. When the carriage arrived you told the driver to head back, you wouldn't need them to get back to the academy. They left without counter argument and you looked at Farrah's house/church.

It looked different, the walls were cleaner, the little garden outside neater and, as you approached the door, you saw it had been freshly oiled. Knocking on it you heard a bit of a commotion from inside. From the sounds of it Farrah and Oriana hadn't decided on who opens the door.

After a moment of waiting Oriana swung it open. She wasn't wearing her usual, faintly golden coloured see through robe and golden make up. The robe was still see through but it looked, more offical and a lot closer to Farrah's more grand gold scripted dress. "Greetings Christopher." She bowed deeply completely unsurprised by you unexpected appearance.

"Hey Oriana. New robe?" You asked, she made the effort of tugging at the edges of it to draw attention to it so she wanted you to ask.

"Yes I've been appointed as Farrah's acolyte." She sounded proud. "I'll be assisting you in any, rituals, from now on."

You didn't like how she said rituals. "Oh ok, Farrah wanted to see me, I don't have long so I can't stay for any, rituals." She looked disappointed and took your hand pulling you inside. Following her into the little church you are shocked. The last time you were here it was busy with a few people having to stand.

It was standing room only now, even the aisle in the middle had women standing in it. You even saw a few men at the back of the room while Oriana moved forwards. Each woman Oriana moved past gave you a look of surprise followed by excitement.

Farrah noticed your approached and announced that service would being shortly. Oriana whispered into her ear and she beckoned a familiar older woman though the door to her kitchen. The four of you went inside Farrah stopping Oriana from entering you first so, presumably, the Matron could lead. Oriana looked almost insulted that you weren't first through the door but didn't say anything to Farrah. To you she apologized for having to wait.

Inside the room the Matron sat down and stared at you. "Christopher, allow me to introduce Matron Klesh."

If she produced a box and told you put your hand in it you're making a break for it. "It is nice to meet you Matron."

"Why did you not summon the Mother the last time you were here?"

You stopped yourself from saying she wouldn't turn up because you turned down being her champion. "The, fertility, ritual seemed more fitting." Fertility seemed the right phrase than the horny making ritual.

"Hmmm."

"Lord Christopher doesn't need to explain his choice, he is the Son of the Mother, it is not our place to question either of them." Oriana defending you made you shift on your feet, once more the image of people burning the heretics popped into your mind.

"I'm not," you kinda are actually, she did bring you into this world, "ahhh," you sighed. "Look anyone can do any f the rituals in the book you just need to understand what they are asking."

"I have been a devote of the Mother for sixth years." Matron Klesh said standing from her seat. "In sixty years I haven't seen a ritual have succeed quite so well. Even I had to, breed." A faint smile grew on her lips at remembering what you had inspire.

Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it. "I'd be happy to explain how to make it work."

"Mmm." Matron Klesh mused. "Acolyte Oriana said you were brought to the church by the Mother."

"I, well," you sighed and just accepted it, it was true after all, "yes."

"And the ritual book opened for you."

"Yeah." It did feel a little hypocritical to keep proclaiming your presence at the church had not and continues to have nothing to do with their religion when a Goddess is both in a round about way, and very directly, responsible for its continuing.

"You cured the Acolyte's eyes."

"And grew my sisters breasts."

"Well they did it themselves I just gave their magic a little push." That one you were going to push back. Not because you wanted to distance yourself from Oriana just that you didn't want to take credit for something her magic did.

"So you could give anyone magic a little push."

"Yes." You hesitated. "W-well," damn it why couldn't you just stick with a half truth, "they need to be open to it which is where faith in the Mother comes into effect. Without faith their auras aren't open to being absorbed and returned." You waited for the Matron to speak again but she didn't, she just stared at you.

The silence stretched and was only ended by Matron Klesh waving a hand at you. "I've never heard of nor read of a man receiving the Mother's attention, much less a boy." Farrah and Oriana opened their mouths to respond by Matron Klesh glared them into silence. "You say you were brought to us by the Mother but the Mother was not involved in any ritual success." You felt like she was building to a you burning. "A claim, Farrah, Oriana, Auria, Cynthia all state you told them, and you explained how the ritual can be performed without your presence. Farrah have you succeed without his presence?" It was almost a snap more than a question and you swear you smelt smoke all of a sudden.

"I have, but never to his level before." Farrah said plainly.

"Oriana have you eyes dimmed or your sisters chest shrunk?"

"Never." Oriana said.

Matron Klesh stood and approached you. She stood little more than a hands width from you. She barely came up to your shoulders and even though her skin looked young you could see her age in her eyes. "I have felt the Mother's touch through you, and I see a wisdom beyond your years in your eyes." The build up was done, now was it pyre of piety you were getting. "Proclaim however you wish but you are not her Son." She looked at Farrah. "I will return to the Grandmother and have funds allocated, along with additional Acolytes and Mothers sent to assist you." She looked at Oriana. "You will be the Son's Barer." Oriana nearly jumped with joy and Matron Klesh looked back at you. "No matter your belief, the Mother works through you to help others. I acknowledge you as a Stud of the Mother."

Oriana's jumping was cut short. "That can't be all. You've felt it he isn't just a St-"

"Oriana!" Farrah hissed. "Thank you for your acknowledgement Matron Klesh, will you be stay for services?"

"No I will be returning to my ship now." She walked past you towards the door. "You are not devout, nor are you reliable in your attendance." She opened the door and left with that as her final words.

"What just happened?" You asked. Maybe you should have read up on the Church of Nurtures hierarchy.

"She won't acknowledge your connection to the Mother, just that you are the man who will breed any devotees without partners." Oriana said.

"It's not that bad." Farrah said gently. "We'll be getting support from the church, we've already been able to make some repairs and improvements."

"Not that bad?! It's an outrage, Christopher is the chosen of the Mother you've seen it, you know it, she came to us because of him. Christopher you need to summon the Mother before the Matron leaves. If you do she'll have to accept who you are." Oriana was shaking with anger at you're not being acknowledged to her standards, actually shaking. The shear top and view of her chest wiggling with said shakes was making the anger hard to take however.

"It's fine, besides it's not like she ... wait what did Stud mean?" You need to pay more attention when people say things.

"You'll be providing children to those who petition the Church without having a partner and without them seeing you." Farrah said. "It's a high honour, every individual Church has one and if you want I can provide some of the petition funds to you."

Oh your various Goddesses, you were just appointed religious prostitute. "Well I certainly would have liked a say in that and how can they not see me?" Farrah walks over to the wall next to the door and slides a part of it at hip height open. "Oh." Would that be a glory hole, or a holey hole?

"Hurry she won't have left yet." Oriana said pushing you towards the door.

Are you really going to try and summon Clare's sister to not be this places designated impregnator. Ok when you think of it like that it doesn't sound like as bad an idea. It might work if you got a message to Clare and asked for her help, it's kinda sorta not lying to have a, now mortal, goddess step in for a unrelated religion's Goddess who herself was exactly that religions Goddess. Religion is complicated