The Goddess of Death and Her Empress

I've been able to write up to chapter 93, getting to the next stage of the story. There will be two chapter releases today to celebrate.

"They are in pain, aren't they?" Lena looked at Valjhana. She nodded.

"A lot. They were in pain yesterday, and were already told to return by Lydia." Valjhana said.

"Still so stubborn." Lena said and shook her head.

"I know, and I don't understand why they refuse to give in and submit." Kyrie shook her head. "They submitted for centuries, but they won't submit to you."

"They would rather be in pain then come back." Lena closed her eyes. "Nikki, check on the Vhaac." Nikki appeared and bowed.

"They are already halfway across the Great Desert, Empress. They should be here in two weeks." Nikki said in a small voice.

"Are they really not going to submit, Nikki?" Lena asked.

"I can't read her, Empress. I Offered my jellies to only her, and waited for her in Haven. Now, there doesn't seem to be a trace of my old friend in her any longer." Lena heard the sadness in her voice.

"Kneel, Nikki." She knelt down in front of Lena, and had her forehead kissed. "Empress?"

"I'm releasing them. Since they don't want to return, they won't be allowed anymore." Lena looked at the ceiling, and held out her two fingers. She clipped the air like it was a pair of shears, and sighed.

"Get Sol, Nikki." Kyrie said quietly. "I need to return to the palace."

* * *

Kyrie frowned as she entered the palace. She heard sobbing from the back room, and watched as Lydia came out of the room with a odd look in her eyes.

"Goddess."

"Why are they crying?" Kyrie asked.

"I have no idea!" She said in disgust. "At first, they flinched away from the Empress fearfully, but they were sent to try and recover at the grove. Instead, they continued to be fearful of their sisters, and so were hooked by the Empress once again, in order to keep them close."

"But they rebelled!  Even after all the attention she showed them, they still refuse to submit!" Lydia growled a bit. She was stuck in the throne room, and couldn't visit the Empress, though she greatly desired to meet her at least once. "They wouldn't return to her side, even when she increased the pain. Why are they crying now?" Kyrie walked into the room, and shook her head.

"Why are you even crying?" Kyrie asked, and a bit more gently then she intended.

"She rejected us!" Nuri said miserably. Nadya wasn't crying. She looked blank, and dead inside.

"You. Rejected. Her." Kyrie said angrily. "You wouldn't return even after she forgave you both. She gave you multiple chances to continue to serve, but you refuse each and every time. You flinch away. You fear your sisters who have done you no harm." Kyrie said and gestured to Lydia. A chair was pulled up for her.

"No harm! They ate us!" Nuri said angrily.

"So?" Kyrie said.

"So? They treated us like cows and pigs!" Nuri said as she lost her temper.

"Isn't that how you wanted to be treated?" Kyrie asked quietly. "Not once did you ask anyone to stop. The shadows were on the roof at all times. If you said anything, it would have stopped. Instead, a sixteen year old girl, someone who is still mortal, was forced to execute several Others who are thousands of years old. All for you." Kyrie looked at the anger in Nuri's eyes and couldn't help herself. She slapped her.

"You acted like you were afraid of her, but that isn't true, is it? You hate her. You hate how this girl has my attention, and the attention of so many Others. You think she's worthless, don't you?" Kyrie asked. She waited for any word against the Empress so she could free herself of the chains these two held on her heart.

In the end, even if Kyrie was the goddess of death, these were two of her precious worshipers. She loved each and every single one of them. Kyrie never expected Nadya to look at her with hatred when her eyes looked dead just a second ago.

"You dare call my Empress worthless?!" Nadya dived at her in rage. "SHE'S MY EMPRESS!" Nuri flew in behind her, trying to rip the goddess apart. Nuri was equally enraged.

"HATE HER? WORTHLESS? I AM THE ONE WHO'S WORTHLESS! NEVER HER!" Nuri raged and pounded at the goddess but it was like cotton trying to smash steel. Kyrie grinned.

"Finally. Some real emotions from those who hid themselves so deeply, I thought I would have to kill you both. I didn't want to put your deaths on her heart." Kyrie stood up, and snapped a finger. Both large women floated off the ground, surrounded by red mists.

"You will appear in front of her. You will kneel and beg her. You will confess your feelings. If you dare to make my little Lena feel that sad again, I will rip out your cores and leave you without physical form. You'll watch and listen to her every word, unable to react, unable to speak, and unable to ask for mercy." Kyrie put a red chain around their bodies, and tied them to red poles.

"Take them to the Empress, and release them. If they are not honest, they will get no more chances."

Everyone shivered.  The goddess had never pronounced such a judgement before, nor one so harsh.  They had such love for the Empress that being only a core on a shelf would be a supreme amount of torture.

Unable to react, to touch, or feel her touch, would be sheer agony for the Others.

* * *

"The goddess was angry." Lena said as the Shadows brought the two large women into the room and released their arms, but not the chains on their bodies. The Shadows snarled at them.

"If you want to know what true pain is, be disobedient again." Valina said through grit teeth. "You'll be without a body for eons, long after the Empress comes to Haven, and have to listen to her voice. You won't have a voice yourselves. No body. Just a core. I can't imagine a greater punishment for ones who are desperate to be near her."

"All that?" Lena asked. Valina nodded.

"The goddess is quite upset." she said in a low voice. "It was either this, or destroy their cores. The goddess loves her worshipers. She allowed you to kill the ones who brought these ones harm. That is how much she loves her people. She was already eager to destroy those ones, but held back until you said it was okay." Nadya lifted her face.

"But why did she hold back?" Nadya asked finally, now cognitive of the weight of her most recent decisions.

"Foolish child. They broke no laws. You stayed willingly. She put Shadows within range of either of you, all with our ears trained on you. She even put in a trace of mist to alert her if you ever called out." Valina rolled her eyes. "They treated you that way because you let them. One attempt would have been enough."

Nadya began to rock back and forth on her knees and heels. Her eyes returned to Lena's lap again and again. When Lena lightly patted her right thigh, Nadya dashed forward.

"I'm sorry, Empress. Please, forgive me for not coming back to your side." Nadya felt the Empress's fingers slide through her hair, and lightly pat her head. Lena smiled gently.

"I've missed my pillow. You have failed to do the job you were assigned by the goddess. Don't fail again. I won't be able to stop her from punishing you like she's already said she would." Lena looked at Nuri, but instead of a woman on the edge of begging, she was growing fatter.

"Do you really want someone like me near you, Empress? Even though I look like this?" Nuri wasn't getting better. Lena rolled her eyes.

"This is going to be a long night."