The temple was quiet, only the occasional soft footsteps and whispers could be heard.
Priestesses in simple, long dresses moved noiselessly,
either tending to the herbs in pots placed in niches or whispering to the faithful who came seeking help.
As the rumors said, the Temple of Melitele was a sanctuary for women.
As far as the eye could see, almost all the people were women. There were women with gaunt faces praying for an heir,
pregnant women anxiously awaiting childbirth, and mothers who came with their children to pray.
People like Karl, Raymond, and Dalton stood out here, attracting many curious and restrained glances.
The goddess Melitele was primarily considered the patroness of fertility, conception, and childbirth, and was the most devout object of prayer for women during labor.
Of course, she was also responsible for love, arable land, hearths, and other things closely related to life.
But without a doubt, fertility was the foundation and the noble power at her core.
Therefore, there was little else in this temple, but women were the most numerous.
From the wives of duchy lords to common women, they could all seek spiritual comfort and the goddess's protection here.
Nenneke led them through the spacious main hall and deeper into the temple.
The further they went, the quieter the surroundings became, and the air seemed to grow more solemn.
When they reached the entrance to a semi-hidden area behind the temple, presumably the entrance to the central area behind the temple,
Nenneke stopped, turned around, and her kind but unquestionable gaze swept over Geralt and Dalton.
She said softly but firmly: "The goddess's healing ritual requires silence and focus. Too many people making noise would disturb the sacred atmosphere. Please stop here and wait."
Geralt seemed to have anticipated this; the Witcher knew the rules of various religious sites.
He nodded, his amber eyes looked at Karl, signaled that he was fine, and leaned against a stone pillar in the corridor, crossing his arms.
Dalton looked at Karl with some hesitation, and receiving Karl's affirmative glance,
he bowed slightly and stayed with Geralt, watching as Karl supported Raymond and followed Nenneke's figure behind the gently swaying curtain.
Behind the sanctuary, the light became softer—from some kind of glowing moss or soft crystals embedded in the walls.
The space here wasn't too large, and in the center was a carefully carved stone altar.
The most noticeable, without a doubt, was the tall, connected stone statue behind the altar.
The statue vividly depicted a female trinity figure. On the left was a young girl holding a garland, full of youthful energy.
Her face was pure and flawless, her eyes full of longing for the future. In the middle was a pregnant woman with a high, prominent belly and a calm, gentle demeanor.
She caressed her bulging abdomen with both hands, her entire being radiating a maternal glow.
On the right was an old woman, her face covered with wisdom's wrinkles, holding a spindle, her eyes deep and serene, as if seeing through the cycle of life.
These trinities together symbolized the girl, the mother, and the old woman represented by the goddess Melitele, that is, the entire process of birth, growth, and decline of life.
Nenneke gestured for Karl to help Raymond to the altar so that he could sit at its edge.
Raymond gasped weakly, his cloudy eyes vacantly staring at the trinity statue, lacking even the strength to focus.
Karl settled Raymond and straightened up, his gaze falling on the statue of Melitele.
In his heart were expectations, as well as a hint of vigilance towards the gods.
Nenneke stood before the altar, facing the statue, and her voice was particularly clear in the quiet space.
"Karl, to cure your father's Pale Sickness, this is not something ordinary people can do. It requires the goddess's gift."
"All I can do is act as a medium and sincerely pray to the Mother of Mercy for you and your father."
Before Karl could ask how to do it or what it would cost him,
Nenneke slowly closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and reverently placed them on her chest.
Then, bowing her head deeply, she turned and completely faced the trinity statue.
She began to whisper ancient and mysterious prayers, the syllables beautiful and rhythmic.
It was not the lingua franca, nor any local dialect Karl knew.
Her voice was not loud, but it seemed to strangely resonate with the entire temple and the statue.
The surrounding air trembled slightly, and Karl could only swallow the words that came to his lips when he saw this.
He took a deep breath and tried to calm his somewhat chaotic mood.
He imitated Nenneke, looking up at the three faces of the statue, symbolizing different stages of life.
At first, everything seemed normal, only the distant and devout prayer of Nenneke echoing.
However, the next moment, Karl's eyes gradually widened, his pupils slightly contracted, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.
Under his extraordinary visual perception, the wooden statue that had originally stood motionless was actually... alive!
Not movement in the physical sense, but some deeper, essential change.
The faces of the trinity statue seemed to be filled with the breath of life.
The girl's eyes seemed to blink, filled with a clear, curious, sparkling luster.
The pregnant woman's lips slightly lifted, outlining a softer and more loving smile.
In the old woman's deep eyes, it seemed that infinite wisdom flickered.
Immediately after, three pairs of "living" eyes simultaneously turned and precisely stopped on him.
It was a look difficult to describe in words: tolerant, loving, and compassionate... It seemed to gather the deepest emotions of all mothers in the world towards their children.
They looked at him silently but very clearly, with a gentle smile that melted all ice.
Karl only felt a warm current instantly pouring from the top of his head to the soles of his feet, and his whole body tingled slightly, as if from an electric shock.
Before he could react, he was suddenly overcome by a slight feeling of weightlessness, and the scene before him suddenly blurred and distorted.
In an instant, he found himself... no longer behind the quiet temple.
He stood on a beautiful piece of land, with soft green grass underfoot.
It was dotted with countless unknown flowers, emitting a soft shimmer.
The branches and leaves of the tall ancient trees were lush, and sunlight streamed through the gaps, forming golden pillars of light.
The air was filled with a powerful breath of life, so fresh that every pore stretched.
There were docile animals everywhere, and an elk walked past him with light steps, looking at him curiously.
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