“And here are your attendants—they will guide you through the Cleansing process,” the Director was saying.
He rapped on both of the frosted glass doors at the same time and stepped back, waiting expectantly. After a moment, both doors opened at the exact same time and two Rigellen men stepped out. Their blue skin seemed to be sparkling with tiny droplets of dew and they were both completely naked.
“Now then, you, Chief Commander Rarev, can go with Michellus here—he will direct you through the male’s Cleansing and Purification,” the Director of Mining said. And you, my dear Minister Oxley, may go with Jorad—he will direct you.” He nodded at Emilia and pointed to the naked male attendant standing in front of the female’s entrance.
Rarev felt the growl rising in his throat trying to turn into a roar of Rage and restrained himself with some effort.
“If you think for a moment that I’m leaving my mate alone with a naked male, you’re sadly mistaken!” he snarled, glaring at the Director of Mining.
The Director’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh, excuse me, Chief Commander, but I believe you are mistaken,” he said quickly. “Please allow me to explain. Jorad is not male—or he won’t be for the purpose of your, er, mate’s Cleansing and Purification.”
“Not male, you say?” Rarev looked pointedly at the long, blue shaft dangling between Jorad’s legs. “How can you say that when it’s obvious he’s clearly…”
He trailed off, however, because as he watched, something strange was happening to the bathing attendant—Jorad’s body was reforming itself.
First, his face changed. His eyes grew long lashes and his lips became plumper and fuller. Then, breasts began to form on his chest, complete with dark blue nipples. His broad shoulders became narrow and his waist thinned down as his hips became broader. Last, his long shaft tucked itself neatly between his thighs and a dark blue vagina formed in its place.
After only half a minute of this startling transformation, the person standing in front of them was no longer male—in fact, he was very obviously female, Rarev thought. No wait—he supposed he ought to say, she was very obviously female. It was important to get the pronouns right.
“What…how…?” Emilia was frowning.
“I know—it is quite a startling transformation, is it not?” The Mining Director smiled proudly at the now-transformed Jorad. “It’s made possible by the fact that Jorad and his slime-wife, Elfa, are even more closely connected than most Rigellen couples. They have spent so much time in the Purifying Mists together that Elfa is actually able to reshape Jorad’s body and completely take him over.” He looked pointedly at Rarev. “So what you see before you actually is a female bathing attendant, suitable to see your mate through the Cleansing and Purification process which is necessary before you can both enter the trials.”
“And…he doesn’t mind, er, being ‘taken over’ that way?” Emilia asked, her lovely blue eyes wide.
The attendant smiled gently at them.
“Not at all, I assure you, Minister Oxley,” she said in a soft, feminine voice. “My flesh-husband enjoys giving up control of our shared body to me from time to time. In fact, he enjoys it so much that we were chosen to be one of the few female bathing attendants. So you see…” She spread her hands and tilted her head, looking at Emilia appealingly. “It is perfectly safe for you to come with me, as my flesh-husband is completely subsumed in me.”
“How do I know you won’t give him back control of your body once the two of you are alone?” Rarev growled suspiciously. He still didn’t like the idea of leaving Emilia alone with someone he didn’t know on a strange planet.
The attendant opened her purple eyes wide.
“Why…I am bound by the Precepts of Cleanliness and Purity and I may not break them! Besides, I have no desire for anyone but my own flesh-husband.”
“And I assure you that Jorad has no desire for any but his own slime-wife,” the Director of Mining said, nodding at the transformed bathing attendant. “To touch another person sexually for either of them would be repugnant—such is the bond between a slime-wife and a flesh-husband, you see. We believe in strict monogamy between couples.”
“That is the belief of the Kindred too,” Rarev said. “Once we call a mate and Claim her, we have no interest in any other female ever again.” He glanced at Em and saw that her cheeks were pink again, though she said nothing.
The Director nodded thoughtfully.
“Most admirable—and very in line with Rigellen ideas. That will serve you well during the Trials,” he said. “But first, you really must be Cleansed and Purified.”
“Well…” Rarev still didn’t like it. “Are you certain this process is necessary?” he demanded.
“If you wish to participate in the Trials, yes it is,” the Mining Director said firmly.
Rarev opened his mouth to protest again, but to his surprise, Emilia cut him off.