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Both men got dressed and walked out of the room leaving Nox and Elaine alone again. 

“Will you be spending the night tonight?” Elaine asked. 

“Might as well,” Nox replied. 

“Good, follow me we’ll go and get you cleaned up and then we can eat,” Elaine said. 

They left the ritual room and Elaine led her to a bath chamber where a few of the priestesses were already soaking in a large in-ground bath.

“I’ll have someone bring you a dress you can wear while we get your clothes cleaned,” Elaine said. 

“That sounds perfect!” Nox replied. 

“Good, well put your things over there and someone will be by to get them,” Elaine said. 

Elaine left the room and Nox undressed and washed herself off before heading for the bath to soak. The priestesses watched her with wide eyes as she stepped into the steaming water and took a seat near them.

“Who are you?” A young priestess asked.

“I’m master gelder Nox and I’m here to help with the winter ritual,” Nox replied. 

“What happened to Annabelle?” Another asked. 

“Her parents are visiting the city and she wanted to spend time with them,” Nox replied. 

“Oh that’s wonderful!” The second priestess replied. 

“So how’d we end up with a master gelder in her place?” The third priestess asked. 

“Annabelle was my observer a few years ago and she asked if I would fill in that’s all,” Nox replied. 

A teenage girl rushed into the bathroom and scooped up Nox’s things before rushing out as if in some great hurry. Nox noticed that the girl hadn’t brought anything for her to wear leaving her stuck in the bath until someone came with clothing.

*Or I could strut around nude that might be fun.*

The thought of being seen naked by so many people made her feel warm between her legs and she couldn’t blame the bathwater. She leaned back and looked up at the ceiling seeing a mosaic of the goddess with her smiling face looking down on them.

*Am I some kind of pervert after all?*

The priestesses were a quiet bunch after the initial questions they left her alone and left the bath one by one after a few minutes. The teenage girl rushed back in with a simple white dress in her hands and a bright red face.

“I’m so sorry Master Nox!” She said. 

“It’s fine I was enjoying the soak,” Nox replied.

She stood up slowly and the girl’s eyes went wide looking her over, Nox ignored the teen and dried herself off before taking the dress and pulling it on. It was a simple sleeveless thing made from a sheer white cloth that while covering her completely left nothing to the imagination.

*I wonder if they’ll let me keep it.*

“I, uh, let me show you to your room!” The girl said.

“Lead the way kid,” Nox replied.

The girl flushed red again and zipped off, Nox followed after her and was led to the dormitory where she was shown a rather plain room. Her clothing was neatly folded on the bed and her boots were on the floor close by. 

“Sister Elaine said that if you’re hungry I’m supposed to show you to the refectory,” the girl said.

“I’m more tired than hungry so I think I’ll just go to sleep now,” Nox replied.

“Oh, alright, well do you need anything?” The girl asked. 

“Some sandals and a belt to go along with this dress if you can find them,” Nox replied. 

“Right I’ll go do that!” The girl said.

She darted away again and Nox shook her head before going to lay on the bed. The next thing she knew there was a loud knock on her door so she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. 

“Its open!” She said. 

The door opened and Elaine walked in looking rather worried.

“What’s wrong?” Nox asked. 

“You’ve been sleeping for hours and Acolyte Jessica couldn’t wake you,” Elaine replied.

“What time of day is it?” Nox asked.

“Mid-morning,” Elaine replied.

“That explains it, I’m nocturnal and a heavy sleeper,” Nox said.

“Oh I’m sorry I didn’t know!” Elaine replied.

She went to leave the room but Nox slid out of bed and walked over.

“It’s fine I just need Yon root tea and I’ll be fine,” Nox said.

“I think we can scare some up, come on let’s go to the refectory,” Elaine replied. 

Nox noticed a pair of sandals and a belt sitting on her things so put them on and then followed Elaine out of her room and to the refectory. Tables were lined up and a few priestesses were eating at the moment, it was clear that it wasn’t meal time. Elaine walked over to a counter and an old woman hobbled over.

“Can you brew some Yon root tea and scare something up for Master Nox to eat?” She asked. 

The old woman eyes Nox for a moment and then nodded.

“Sure can dear, the poor thing looks half starved it’d be wrong of me to turn her away,” she said before walking off.

Nox shook her head used to being called skinny by humans.

“So when does the ritual start?” Nox asked.

“Tonight, when the moon first rises,” Elaine replied.

“Anything else I should know about?” Nox asked.

“Not really, the high priestess will be there when you castrate the men but she’s nice, so you don’t have to be nervous around her,” Elaine replied.

“I don’t get nervous that often anymore, despite looking like an eighteen-year-old I’m actually forty,” Nox said.

Elaine looked shocked.

“Seriously?” She asked.

“Yeah elves stop aging when we’re young adults, I thought everyone knew that?” Nox replied. 

“Well yes I suppose I did but still it’s different in person,” Elaine said.

“It’s only strange because I’m still as old as a human can be, if I were to tell you I was fourteen thousand you’d just nod and go with it,” Nox replied.

“I guess you’re right,” Elaine said.

The old woman returned with a plate of scrambled eggs and a steaming mug of Yon root tea. 

“Here you are dear,” She said. 

“Thank you ma’am,” Nox replied.

She took them and walked to one of the tables with Elaine, the two of the sat down and Nox ate like a starving wolf gobbling down her food and chugging her drink in moments.

“Goodness no one’s going to take it!” Elaine said.

“Just a habit don’t mind me,” Nox replied. 

The teen girl from the day before rushed into the refectory, she looked around for a moment before spotting Nox and then rushed over.

“Are you alright, did the sandals fit, is the belt ok, do you need anything? She asked.

Nox laughed and Elaine scowled. 

“Is that how your supposed to greet your elders acolyte?” Elaine asked. 

The teen turned bright red.

“No sister, I mean ma’am!” The girl replied. 

“Go and sweep the steps,” Elaine said. 

“Yes ma’am!” The girl replied before zipping away.

“That was Acolyte Jessica by the way,” Elaine said when the girl was gone.

“Stars above how old is she?” Nox asked. 

“Thirteen,” Elaine replied. 

“Please tell me she’s not part of the ritual,” Nox said.

“Goddess above no, she’s just a baby! The Acolytes are set to bed before the moon rises, they never see the men,” Elaine replied.

“Good I wouldn’t do it if there were children around,” Nox said.

“Neither would I,” Elaine replied. 

They sat in an awkward quiet for a moment before Elaine stood up.

“Come one let prepare the ritual room,” she said.

“Yeah,” Nox replied. 

She put her plate and mug back on the counter for the old woman and then they went to the ritual room. The room was spotless now having been cleaned up since she castrated the two men the day before. 

“Didn’t you say the Acolytes cleaned up in here?” Nox asked.

“They do but only the older ones,” Elaine replied.

“Sorry I just wanted to make sure,” Nox said. 

“I get it and I’m glad you’re worried about them honestly,” Elaine replied.

Elaine went to check the straps and beams on the wooden structure and Nox helped. After a few minutes Elaine left the room and returned with a tray that had the consecrated tools on it. 

“You’ll be using these,” Elaine said.

Nox looked over the tools and was surprised by their quality. The razor was polished to mirror finish and the handle was decorated with engraved breasts. The pliers were even more elaborate they were polished as well and had depictions of Eratona in various poses engraved into them.

“May I?” Nox asked. 

“Please do, but be careful that razor is even sharper than it looks,” Elaine replied. 

Nox nodded and picked up the razor first carefully examining it and feeling its weight. She noticed as she handled it that she didn’t leave any fingerprints or smugeds on the handle or blade. She set the razor back down and picked up the pliers. A warm sensation flowed through her hand, startling her so much she nearly dropped them.

“What the fuck!” Nox said.

Elaine laughed.

“Sorry, I should have told you those have the highest blessing an object can possess and were touched by the goddess’s hand,” she replied. 

“Yeah, a warning would have been nice,” Nox added. 

She placed the pliers back on the tray and Elaine placed it on a small bench next to the wooden structure. Elaine turned and looked her over and then shook her head.

“Come on let’s get you a fresh dress and try and get a brush through that rat next you call hair. We can’t have you looking like you just woke up during the ritual,” she said. 

Nox touched her hair for a moment and realized she’d gone to bed without letting it dry.

“Right,” Nox replied. 

Elaine barked orders at the first acolyte they came across and then went to her room where she let Nox use her hairbrush. She put on the clean dress when it arrived and then they went back to the ritual chamber to find both eunuchs, several priestesses, and an old woman who was clearly the high priestess waiting for them.

“Mother Ruth, may I present Master Nox of the Gelder’s guild,” Elaine said. 

“It’s good to meet you Master Nox, we can begin when the moon rises,” Mother Ruth said. 

She watched as the room darkened and then started to fill with a silvery light.

“Bring in the first offering!” Mother Ruth said. 

The eunuchs walked into a side room and dragged a young naked man into the ritual chamber.

“LET ME GO! I’ll PAY I SWEAR I’LL PAY!!!” He shouted. 

“Your debt had been paid my son and in five days you’ll walk out of here a free person,” Mother Ruth replied. 

“No, I’ll pay it back, please I’ll pay it back just let me go now?” He asked. 

Mother Ruth just gestured towards the wooden structure and the eunuchs dragged the man over and started to strap him down. He started to scream and thrash around but the eunuch were far stronger than he was and were able to get him secured to the structure in a few moments. Nox crouched down near the man took the pliers from the tray then pulled his soft member through the circular cutout. 

“STOP, STOP, OH GODS STOP!!!” The man screamed hysterically.

She didn’t listen to him instead kept working pulling his manhood through the jaws and then pushing the pilers right up against his body before hooking the clasp and then tightening it down until she heard and crunch. The man let out a bloodcurdling scream and then started to weep. She tightened the screw down until it stopped and then took the razor from the tray with one hand and the man’s balls in her other sliced through the tender flesh severing them from his body. The man kept screaming and crying though he hadn’t reacted to actually being castrated, she assumed it was because of the damage the pilers had done before she’d cut him. She turned and dumped his balls into a bowl one of the priestesses was holding out for her and then dropped his now empty scrotum onto the ground. Elaine held out her hand and healed the man and she removed the pliers and stepped back. The eunuchs unstrapped the weeping man and pulled him out of the room. Moments later the next man was roughly dragged into the room. He had a look of pure hate on his face and glared at each of them before spitting on the ground when his eyes came to rest on the high priestess. She ignored the insult and nodded towards the structure, he struggled as he was pulled over and strapped down but it seemed as if whoever had bought these men had made sure to get ones that couldn’t fight the eunuchs off. 

“Let me go or I’ll kill you all!” He said. 

She crouched down ignoring the man, she’d been threatened plenty of times when she worked with the torturers, she took the pliers and then grabbed his member and shoving it though the pilers before putting them over his manhood and tightening them until she crushed the cords connecting his testicles to his body. He screamed as the first man, but she didn’t stop She picked up the razor and castrated him dumping his balls into the bowl and tossing his sack on the ground while Elaine healed his wounds. She removed the pilers and placed them back on the tray before stepping away from the man letting the eunuchs take him. He struggled as he was pulled out of the room swearing he’d kill each one of them for what they’d done to him. The rest of the men were some combination of the two, they begged, threatened, or tried to bribe their way out of their fate but their testicles ended up in the bowl regardless of what they said. Once the last man was dragged from the room Mother Ruth started to walk to the exit. Elaine gestured for her to follow, they walked back to the main chamber and Mother Ruth took the bowl of testicles from the priestess next to her and walked over to the statue where a large silver bowl sat in place of the collection plate. Mother Ruth held the bowl up to the goddess’s statue.

“Oh great goddess accept our humble offering and bless us for another year!” She said.

She dumped the contents of the bowl into the silver one and a warm breeze filled the chamber lasting for several seconds before dissipating.