The next morning, Fox, Krystal, and Fara joined Falco and Lucy at the temple.
"So, what have you taught them?" the priestess asked Fox and Krystal.
"Basic meditation and basic staff combat." Krystal answered.
"We were hoping they'd show more progress on Cerinia." Fox added.
The priestess thought for a moment.
"This world might be what they need." she told Fox and Krystal, "Take them to the training grounds and hand them their training staffs. Have them practice until lunch and correct any mistakes you find. By then, they should be warmed up enough for the next step."
"Yes, priestess." Krystal said as she and Fox led the others out of the temple. Moments later, they reached the training grounds. Nearby was a barrel holding staffs. They each grabbed a staff and walked to an open area.
"Show us your basic swing." Fox commanded as she and Krystal demonstrated, "Remember, the power originates from the feet, not the arms or shoulders. The whole body must contribute if you want to get the most out of your effort."
The other three began swinging their staffs awkwardly, not having practiced much after their last lesson.
"Imagine each muscle adding to the power if you have to." Fox told the group. "The key is to find the right rhythm."
The others continued to practice their swings, trying to find the right rhythm.
"Keep it up." Krystal commanded as she observed the others for flaws in their technique. Finding nothing in Lucy and Falcos' technique that required any real corrections, Krystal found a flaw in Fara's technique.
"Fara, stop." Krystal ordered, "Falco and Lucy, you guys continue."
"Yes, Krystal?" Fara asked.
"Your technique. Your legs and arms contribute, but everything in between isn't."
"Sorry about that." Fara apologized, slowly remembering the dream she had as Krystal watched her.
"Try it now." Krystal ordered. Fara pushed the memory to the back of her mind and focused on her swing.
"That's better." Krystal told her, "Keep working on it."
After a few hours, Falco, Lucy, and Fara were beginning to feel exhausted.
"Don't stop until we tell you to stop." Fox ordered as they noticeably slowed down, "Being tired is part of the experience. Cerinian warriors welcome the tired feeling after a long day of training or battle."
After another hour, it was time for lunch.
"Return your staffs to the barrel." Fox ordered, "Eat lunch and then return to the temple."
The group walked to the eating area and ate a quick lunch of fruit, vegetables, and meat. When they had finished, they all returned to the temple.
"Now that your bodies are warmed up, your minds are ready." the priestess said as she handed the group robes.
"Put them on and wait." she commanded. When they had donned the robes, the priestess turned to Fox.
"Fox, you have a special role." the priestess told her, "You must continue to upgrade that suit. The Krazoa and the older races left upgrades for future warriors."
"Priestess?" Fox asked.
"The enemy won't likely be weak forever." the priestess warned, "We're working with our limited Krazoa tech to craft upgrades for your suit. In the meantime, I ask that you keep upgrading your suit. Make it as powerful as possible."
The priestess turned to face the whole group.
"Walk to the temple north of here." the priestess commanded, "The well-worn path leads directly to the temple. Meditate inside. The strong Krazoa presence inside should aid you. Also, there is an upgrade deep inside. Obtain it before you return here."
"Yes priestess." Fox told her.
"A few villagers leave food there for those who go there to meditate." the priestess continued, "Eat as much as you like. There are also beds there, so spend at least one night. And Fox?"
"Yes priestess?" Fox asked.
"Your suit may have gained sensitivity from Krazoa upgrades." the priestess explained, "Please wear your suit on the journey there underneath your robe. I wish to find out just how sensitive it is to Krazoa presence."
"Yes priestess." Fox said as she complied. Krystal handed her her bracelet and Fox put it on and activated it. The suit quickly encased her body underneath the robe, the heels pushing the sandals off Fox's feet. Finally, the mask, visor, and hood enveloped her head.
"Now go." the priestess told the group, "Meditate at least today and tomorrow. The forest gets dangerous at night, so don't leave until the following morning."
"Yes priestess." Fox said as the group left the temple and headed north. The trail started out fairly easy, but quickly grew steeper. A few miles later, they reached the temple. Fox felt a strange energy as they entered.
"I guess we should start meditating." Fox told the group. They all sat down and closed their eyes.
"Don't forget your hoods." Krystal reminded the group. They all pulled their hoods over their heads and began meditating.
For the first few hours, they felt nothing happen. A few moments after the forest grew dark, the group began to feel an energy. The warriors that guard the temple closed and locked the doors just as a few strange animal sounds grew audible.
Falco grew more relaxed until he fell asleep. He dreamt he was waiting naked in a bedroom, dressed in a wedding gown and heels. The door opened and in walked a naked Panther and Katt.
"Is my princess ready?" Panther asked.
"I think she's more than ready." Katt told the cat, smiling, "I think it's best I let you have her all to yourself tonight. I'll join in tomorrow night."
Falco wanted to resist, but the dream took control and got him onto his knees. Falco opened his mouth as Panther walked closer. Suddenly, everything grew dark as the dream ended. Falco emptied his mind again, but the dream was now burned onto his memory.
Fara remembered her dream the previous night. She remembered every detail as her mind reminded her about her question. Fara tried desperately to push it out of her mind, but quickly entered a dream that continued off where the previous one ended. Everything was dark, but she could swear she could smell and taste it. Moments later, it was over.
Unbeknownst to Fara, Krystal had sensed her dream. Krystal had sensed her previous dream too, but this temple seemed to amplify her ability. Krystal smiled as she waited for Fara to build up the nerve to ask.
Fox, meanwhile, sensed the presence of an upgrade. It felt so close, she could almost pinpoint the location. Fox tried to see if she could sense what this upgrade would do, but couldn't. She sighed and tried to ignore it until it was time to find it. Eventually, though she could still sense it, she found it easy to ignore. Moments later, she was having a dream.
In it, she found a nude Fara sitting on a bed. A naked Krystal stood behind Fox, gently pushing her toward the fennec.
"Go for it." the dream Krystal encouraged, "We'll be locked up for a while. She's waiting for us."
Fox slowly approached Fara, who smiled as she opened her legs. Seconds later, Fox woke from the dream.
Finally, Lucy began dreaming. She was in a hallway and saw a pink cat leave a room. Peaking inside the room, she saw Falco wearing a wedding dress and on his knees, beak wide open and eyeing Panther's exposed manhood. Lucy blushed and walked away. She quickly walked down the hall until the wood and plaster walls changed to the blue stone walls of the various temples they'd explored.
She walked until she found a doorway. Inside, she saw Krystal watching Fox and Fara making out. All three vixens were naked. Lucy reached down and immediately discovered a chastity belt. She looked down and couldn't find any key hole or any other means of removing it. She tugged on the belt, trying in vain to remove it, but this only teased her sensitive womanhood. Frustrated, she walked away from the doorway and tried to forget what she saw. Eventually, she woke up.
The group continued to meditate for another hour until Krystal ended the session.
"Anyone else have a weird dream?" Falco asked. Everyone else, except for Krystal, nodded. Fox looked down at her bracelet, which told her the estimated local time was around 1900 hours, though the hour length was slightly different thanks to Cerinia's slightly longer day.
"While we're here, we might as well find that upgrade." Krystal told the group. Looking around, they found three open doorways. One led to a room with beds, the next led to a storage room, and the last led deeper into the temple. They all walked through the last doorway and down a hall that led to a pair of stairways leading up and down.
"The upgrade is on a lower level." Fox told the group, "I've sensed it since we'd arrived."
The group walked down the stairs, which led to a small hall and a large chamber. The chamber was empty, but looked like it may have once served a purpose. There were round and square holes of various sizes that may have held pegs, beams, and other things. The group continued to the doorway at the other side of the chamber. They continued down a few more halls and stairwells until they reached a large chamber containing statues and a large glowing crystal. As they approached, they discovered a robed blue hawk inside the crystal. When they got close, the hawk awoke.
"Greetings, priestesses." the hawk greeted, "It had been years since the last visitor."
"Why are you in there?" Falco asked.
"I am a living sacrifice." the hawk explained, "It is one of the mysterious ways of the Krazoa. I entomb myself here and they reward the village and me."
"Reward?" Falco asked in disbelief.
"I sense you are after the upgrades left by the Krazoa?" the hawk asked, ignoring Falco, "Your suit has the aura of Krazoa technology. The upgrade is held by a statue in this room."
Fox looked around and found the upgrade held by a large bird statue. Her visor gave her a lot of seemingly meaningless data before translating it into pictures and a few paragraphs. Fox walked over to the upgrade and touched it, causing her suit to absorb it.
"What does the new upgrade do?" Falco asked.
"High jump." Fox replied as she readied herself and then jumped fifteen feet into the air. Despite the great height, Fox landed surprisingly softly, barely feeling the impact. Fox then noticed she could sense another upgrade deeper in the temple.
"How many more upgrades are in this temple?" Fox asked the hawk.
"I don't know." she answered, "This temple is incredibly old. There are sections nobody has visited in centuries. This room itself hasn't seen a visitor in the years since I've been encased."
Fox cleared her mind and began searching for the next upgrade. The crystal seemed to increase her sensitivity. After a few minutes, she found it.
"The upgrade appears to be a level or two below us." Fox told the group. The hawk watched as the group walked through a doorway.
The hall seemed to go on forever until they passed a few doorways that led to empty rooms. Lucy couldn't help but wonder what those rooms were for. They were so small and so far from everything.
Eventually, they climbed down another stairway and down another hall. Eventually, they reached a large chamber containing a massive sitting bird statue holding another upgrade. Fox estimated the statue to be about a hundred yards high with the powerup held about half that height. Fox examined the statue and mentally planned out the best path to the powerup.
Fox got a running start and then jumped as high as she could, landing on a ledge that was about twenty feet high. Upon landing, she immediately jumped onto the bird statue's leg, ran onto the knee, and jumped. She grabbed a ledge by the statue and pulled herself up. She jumped to the next few ledges and then leaped onto the statue's shoulder. After that, she ran down its arm and grabbed the powerup. Unfortunately, she couldn't read the text that appeared on her visor, but the accompanying pictures seemed to tell her enough.
Upon landing next to the group, Fox opened her hand and her paralyzer pistol materialized. Fox then gave a mental command and the pistol morphed into a staff.
"So, it turns your gun into a stick?" Falco asked.
"I couldn't read the text, but it appears so." Fox told him, "It appears the hood connects my mind to the suit."
Fox tried to sense for another upgrade, but found nothing.
"Let's go back." Fox told the group. A while later, they reached the room with the crystal.
"So, do you have to be in there?" Falco asked the hawk as they stopped.
"Only if there's no replacement." she explained, "Tell whoever is in charge to send a prisoner here to take my place."
"Will do." Falco told her.
"Maybe you can find a way to make the priestess happy beforehand?" the hawk suggested, "You know what she wants."
"I'll... see what I can do." Falco told her as they left. He hoped she wasn't suggesting what he thought she was suggesting, but knew there was only one thing the priestess wanted from him.
"And fennec?" the priestess asked, grabbing Fara's attention.
"Yes?" Fara asked.
"You know what you want from the other vixens and you know they want the same thing." the priestess explained, "There is a long tradition of villagers, primarily warriors and priestesses, who want and get the same thing. There is no shame in fulfilling what you have recently dreamt of."
"Okkaayyy..." Fara said, blushing as they left. She wasn't sure why the hawk was telling her this, but Fara knew what she was talking about and that this was definitely not the time or place to discuss it with Fox or Krystal.
Some time later, they reached the chamber they meditated in. They each grabbed some food from the storage room and began eating. When they finished, Fox and Krystal decided to meditate.
"I'm going to bed." Falco said as he headed toward the beds.
"Me too." Lucy said with a yawn as she followed him.
"I'll catch up with you two." Fara said as she nervously sat down next to Fox and Krystal.
"Guys?" Fara asked the other vixens as soon as Falco and Lucy were out of ear shot. A few moments later, she had finally built up the courage to ask them.
"What is the Cerinian view on... adding... a third?" Fara asked, trying to find the best way to word her question without losing her nerve and panicking.
"It's not unheard of or frowned upon." Krystal answered, "Especially when one or two involved took a vow of chastity or if they desire 'practice' before they make their union permanent."
Fara didn't know what to say.
"There are more private areas in this temple, if that's what you desire." Krystal continued, "Be aware that the permanency of this arrangement varies."
Fara and Fox blushed, embarrassed to have even considered the idea. Krystal, meanwhile, felt relieved. Whether or not they actually took it that far, the question got asked without Krystal committing a faux pas.
"Take the time you need." Krystal told Fara, "You can go to bed and we'll understand you weren't ready. Walk to the doorway leading to the hall and we'll find a private area where we won't have to worry about waking up the others."
Fara considered the offer for a moment. Could she go through with it? Was this really what she wanted? Was this really what they wanted? Why did that hawk in the crystal encourage her to do this? How did she know? Fara wished she had asked questions back there, but she probably didn't want an explanation with Falco within earshot.
Still, it's not like she had any potential suitors trying to gain her attention. This might be her only chance in years for any real intimacy.
"This is weird." she told herself, "It's just this place messing with you. That hawk probably has something to do with this."
Fara pondered for a few more minutes, weighing the pros and the cons until she made her decision. She walked to the doorway leading to the hall and waited for the other two. Krystal and Fox walked over to her and led her down the hall. Having some familiarity with temple layouts, just not this one, Krystal led them up the stairs at the end of the first hall and down another pair of halls until they had reached a room secluded enough that she was confident they didn't have to worry about Falco interrupting them.
In this room, like the others on this floor, was a bed. Perhaps this was where priests and priestesses slept when this temple was more active.
"Why don't you strip and lie down?" Krystal asked Fara, who complied. Fara still contemplated calling the whole thing off, but decided against it. This was exciting, even if she felt like she was on the verge of a panic attack.
"Spread them." Krystal commanded Fara as Fox sat on the bed next to the fennec. As soon as Fara spread her legs, Fox got into position, removed her mask, and gave the sensitive organ a lick. Fara moaned and placed her hand over Fox's head as Fox worked to orally please her.
Krystal watched, her arousal slowly turning to frustration as her fingers rediscovered her chastity belt. She bit her lip as she watched, reminding herself she was a warrior. Warriors were supposed to endure.
Krystal wondered why Fox was enduring this better than she was. Maybe Fox was getting some satisfaction from Fara's pleasure. It did look like Fox was enjoying herself. Whatever the case, Krystal was happy Fox got some satisfaction even if all Krystal got was more frustration.
Krystal turned her attention to Fara. The fennec was really enjoying herself. Krystal sensed Fara would be content if this arrangement was made more permanent. Many Cerinians were, especially if the others in the arrangement were great warriors or a respected priest and priestess. There was still the issue of life after the wedding and whether Fara would be happy leaving the Lylat System behind if Fox agreed to move to Cerinia on a more permanent basis.
Soon, Fara was ready to return to the others. Krystal smiled as she handed Fara back her robe.
"That was great." Fara said as she put on her robe, "It's a shame I couldn't return the favor."
"The wedding's not very far away." Krystal told the fennec as the trio left the room, "Our chastity belts won't be an issue then."
"Don't tell the others about tonight." Fara told Fox and Krystal, "Katt has ways of finding out and if she knows, her friends know."
"I'm not telling anyone." Fox assured the fennec.
"This will be our secret." Krystal told her. Before long, they were in the bed chamber next to the first room. They all undressed, Fox even removing her suit, before Fara climbed into one bed and Fox and Krystal climbed into another. Before long, they were all asleep.