The Goddess of Death and Her Empress

Up to chapter 26 for first tier patrons, and chapter 28 for second tier.

"The Others have cleansed the temple of the stench of those bandits." Hannah said as she helped Empress Lena down from the carriage. Sol had already gotten off, opened the gates, and allowed Valina to drive the carriage inside.

"Did they do much damage?" Kata asked. Lena pursed her lips.

"I'm worried about whether or not they desecrated my goddess's temple." She said, and her teeth elongated as she became agitated. Hannah swallowed a lump in her throat as her eyes turned black, and a palpable pressure settled on the area.

"They did not treat her temple with respect." Hannah said reluctantly. The pressure immediately dissipated.

"Thank you for telling the truth, Hannah." Lena said, and grasped her forearm firmly. "Guide me through the temple, into the most sacred area, and make it so that I see the least sacred at the end." Hannah nodded, and realized that the grip on her forearm was not meant to harm, but so that Hanna could guide her properly.

"Hannah, don't be confused. This is the etiquette of the kingdom. A lady is guided by her closest aides, whether those are maids, ladies in waiting, or attendants. Empress Lena is entrusting this first crucial visit to your guidance." Kata said. Kata turned to Sol.

"Sol, you have the bearing of a soldier. I didn't ask during the trip, but were you once a soldier of one of the old kingdoms?" Kata asked.

"Asmarian." Sol said and watched the woman's gaze turn tense. "The old empire south of the Great Desert was the place I was born, and where I worshiped the goddess. When I grew tired of the death of those closest to me, I became a pilgrim, and went on my journey north, to the Great Temple of the goddess of death. I served among the elite, and walked the Great Desert, hoping to hear my goddess's voice. I came here, to serve out my remaining years as an acolyte, and eventually became a guardian of the acolytes." Her eyes grew unfocused as she sifted through her fondest memories. "I am familiar with this temple."

"Then walk ahead of our Empress, and clear the way for her." Kata said. "Shadows, close the gates, and protect the Empress according to her orders." Lena lifted her eyes.

"Kata is my trusted person, hand picked by me to lead my troops, or my guards. Only myself, or the goddess, outranks her." Lena said softly. Sol bowed, elongated her claws, and walked ahead to protect Lena's path. Kata walked behind her, while the shadows did what they did best.

Hannah followed Sol in through the main doors of the temple and into the main chamber where fellowship was the most common form of worship.

"There were no speeches, or sermons conducted here. The High Priestess would give instructions, bring the waiting initiates, or acolytes, into the altar room." Hannah said in a soft tone. They continued to follow Sol's steps, up a short set of stairs that went into another room behind the main hall.

"This is the room where I was sent to the goddess." Hannah said gently. "I had my cleansings here, helped the Temple Priestess and High Priestess to send the acolytes to the goddess, and was sent myself." Her hand gently ran over the cold stone.

"This stone was where I took my last breath as a human." She said, and lowered herself to her knees. "I was an unworthy acolyte, and had to be reprimanded by the guardians many times. I was lazy, impetuous, and a trouble maker. I sent many to the goddess, but no one wanted to send me." Sol smiled gently.

"You were also stubbornly loyal, revered the priestesses, and respected the guardians more than anyone else at the time. You loved the goddess to distraction, and couldn't cope." Sol said with a smile. "I wished to be sent by someone who didn't parade false affection for others to see, but I was already in Haven for a thousand years." Rachel appeared near the altar.

"She also helped to send many to the goddess." Hannah was shocked to see Rachel, and lowered her eyes shyly. "Sol and I agreed on the same points. She was sad that so many left her, but happy they were going to our goddess. She made their greatest day, the Offering, extremely special." Lena nodded.

"I hear the stones speak to me." Lena said and ran her fingers over the stone. "There is much sadness buried here. Not worshipers of the goddess, but those tortured by the bandits." Her teeth sharpened.

"Get a bucket, a brush, and some pure water from Haven." Lena said. "The temple must be purified."

* * *

"Empress, do you hear the past?" Hannah asked as she stood beside Lena while the Others washed the altar with water from Haven, and a drop of Lena's blood.

"I do not know, Hannah." She said quietly. "Whispers. Echoes." She pointed to the altar. "Some people were butchered here. Others smiled as they had their eyes sucked out." Hannah's mouth fell open.

"Jellies." She said.

"I don't understand." Lena looked at Hannah with a slight frown.

"The Offering Day is special. The Offering has their eyes sucked out by the lips of the ones who offer her. They also bite off her tongue. It's part of the Offering. It only happens there, and is a sacred tradition." Hannah took a deep breath. "Our eyes see sin, and our tongue speaks lies in our lifetime. They remove our eyes, a symbol of removing sins against our goddess. They do the same to our tongue. That's why our eyes are replaced with pure divine energy when we go to Haven, the same as our tongues." Hannah sniffed a little.

"Why do you cry now?" Lena asked.

"No one liked me enough to do this at my Offering. The High Priestess had to do it." Hannah said sadly. Rachel shook her head.

"Wrong, Hannah." Hannah slowly turned to the deacon. "It wasn't that no one wanted to. The High Priestess instructed that only she herself was qualified to do so. You were naughty, but your reverence for the goddess put you in a class all on your own." Kyrie appeared in the altar room beside Lena.

"Did you think that I would let some impure acolytes have my little Hannah's eyes and tongue?" Kyrie said and put an arm about Lena's waist.  Lena knew that the excuse was to soothe Hannah's heart, not to purposely lie to her.

"What do you think, my Empress?" Lena's eyes never left Hannah's, but within her mind, she was screaming.

"Go ahead, Empress." Kyrie grinned. "The altar is cleansed. Hannah will love it if you do." Hannah looked at the goddess for only a split second before her eyes returned to Lena, and to the mouth that opened impossibly wide.

"I think the Empress is hungry."