Blood of the Goddess Book I: The Locust King
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Locusts at the Gate Chapter 2: A New Name Chapter 3: The Capital Prepares Chapter 4: The Princess is Dead, Long Live the Princess Chapter 5: Outside the Gates Chapter 6: Inside the Black Tent Chapter 7: Surrender at the Temple Chapter 8: The Cult of the Locust Chapter 9: The Locust's Tenets of Faith Chapter 10: Mourners on the Cliff Chapter 11: The Eye of Betrayal Chapter 12: The Dead King's Bedchamber Chapter 13: The Arms of the Goddess Chapter 14: Zayaan of the Narim Chapter 15: The Eyes of the Priestess Chapter 16: A More Permanent Disguise Chapter 17: Tribute Chapter 18: Sacrifice of the New Moon Chapter 19: The Lost Bird Chapter 20: Manah and the Priestess Chapter 21: Desert Creatures Chapter 22: Become the Swarm Chapter 23 The Price of Betrayal Chapter 24: Life Under the Locust Chapter 25: Wild Rose Chapter 26: The Lady Wren Chapter 27: Thought and Desire Chapter 28: The Lady's Captivity Chapter 29: The Wine Maiden Chapter 30: End of Childhood Chapter 31: The Children of Aisha Chapter 32: The Forest Runner Chapter 33: Three Sisters Chapter 34: The Hunt Chapter 35: Bones in the Forest Chapter 36: Lullaby Chapter 37: The Hunter's Horn Chapter 38: Ways Between Ways Chapter 39: Morning Star Chapter 40: A Prophecy for Baraz Chapter 41: Equinox Fires Chapter 42: The Lord Prince Takri Chapter 43: Evening Star Sets Chapter 44: Chaos in the Courtyard Chapter 45: Dasha Chapter 46: Memories Chapter 47: The Body Slave Chapter 48: Caged Beasts Chapter 49: Message from the Capital Chapter 50: Heresiarch Chapter 51: The Color of Blood Chapter 52: Winter Winds Chapter 53: The Bookmaker's Closet Chapter 54: Wrapped in Dignity and Beauty Chapter 55: Vessel of the Goddess Chapter 56: Cracks in the Walls Chapter 57: Two Brothers Chapter 58: The Court of Women Chapter 59: Favored of the King Chapter 60: The Sweetest Fruit Chapter 61: Daughter of the Temple Chapter 62: A Nation of Bastards Chapter 63: The Lute Player Chapter 64: Aisha's Prayer Chapter 65: Promises Chapter 66: Lives Lost Chapter 67: The Tea Maker Chapter 68: Object of Desire Chapter 69: Empty Shelves Chapter 70: Darkness and Light Chapter 71: The Love of Men Chapter 72: The Cursed Ones Chapter 73: Hiding Places Chapter 74: Old Men's Tales Chapter 75: False Prophecies Chapter 76: The Lord Prince Radu Chapter 77: Love Becomes Life Chapter 78: Mistress and Mother Chapter 79: A Test of Strength Chapter 80: The Strigoi-Viu Cometh Chapter 81: Scraps from the Table Chapter 82: A Fool's Errand Chapter 83: The Little Ghost Chapter 84: Stolen Honeycakes Chapter 85: Breathe Chapter 86: Beneath the Palace Chapter 87: Red Pebbles Chapter 88: Common Men Chapter 89: Love and Duty Chapter 90: Nightmares Chapter 91: Earth and SunChapter 91: Earth and Sun
Aisha pulled the doors of the library closed behind her, making sure the latch snapped into place before she began her morning among the shelves holding what remained of Adyll’s writings. The book of architectural drawings lay undisturbed on the table with the other codices Baraz had yet to review. She passed by it as she her rounds of the building ensuring she was alone except for Old Scribe, who she found sleeping in one of the compartments in the false wall inside the bookmaker’s closet. She gave him a few head scratches before going upstairs to the place where she had hidden the scrolls. She selected one and slipped it inside her robes.
She made her way back down the staircase, keeping her eyes fixed on the library's entrance. Once she was on the main floor, she went back to the remaining full shelves at the back of the building where she could hear anyone entering the building and still remain hidden. She sat down on the floor and spread the scroll before her, opened only enough to read a few lines at a time. This scroll was written on the same fibrous material as the story of the Lady and her Beloved, but time had not been as kind to this scroll. The original material began to fray long before the young bookmaker laid her own hands upon it. She whispered a word of thanks to the forgotten bookmaker who had painstakingly restored the material by affixing it to parchment piece by piece.
I, Ynanna, faithful amanuenses of Queen Mila III the Beautiful and blood of the Goddess (long may she reign) do take ink in hand to transcribe the mystery of the Lady's descent from heaven to become Life and Hope.
In the days before people walked upon the Earth, Lady Aaysha and Her seven sisters danced between the stars and sang songs to their mother the Moon. They knew nothing but the joy of those who have yet to know cruelty or death, and their eyes never slumbered.
One day, the maiden Aaysha turned Her face away from the heavens to her mother's sister Earth, who slept in darkness while Aaysha and Her sisters danced above.
"Why does your sister sleep, Mother? Why does she not sing and dance with you as I do with my sisters?" asked Aaysha.
"She sleeps for her lover the Sun sleeps," answered the Moon. "So that she may awake and see Him when he shines his face upon her."
"I shall stay awake and watch for him," said the Moon's Daughter. "For I wish to know why she keeps herself from the dance."
"Do not look upon his face, Daughter," said Her mother. "For to look directly upon him is to lose your sight. Do not do as my sister did, for she has no thought of anyone but him."
Aaysha covered Her eyes with a silken veil and turned her face to the East.
When the Sun rose above the Earth, his rays warmed his lover's heart and she brought forth life from within her. Plants grew lush and thick upon her. Flowers opened their petals in the warm light of his love. Waters flowed from within her, rushing to become streams and rivers and seas under his touch.
Aaysha saw the love Earth had for the Sun, how he helped her grow and bloom yet asked for nothing in return. She watched as the Earth passed the day in his embrace growing more beautiful with each moment spent in his presence.
When the Sun's final light dimmed on the horizon, Night fell. As the Earth slept, she dreamed her love came to her, and her body brought forth more life into the darkened world. Twins, one born before the Sun showed his face, and one after. Aaysha watched from the heavens as these children ate of the fruit of the Earth and played upon their mother's breast under the love that shone from their father the Sun.
Aaysha said to Her mother the Moon, "Your sister sleeps that she may love and create. For in the Night, she bore children like unto ourselves, with minds that think and hearts that desire. Is this what it means to be a mother?"
"To be a mother is to love," said the Moon to her Daughter. "And to be a mother is to feel pain. For to create another within you is to give of yourself. This is why my shape waxes and wanes while yours does not, my daughter."
"I wish to feel love," said Aaysha. "To create, to give of Myself."
"Then you shall feel pain," said her mother. "And you shall suffer. Stay with your sisters in the heavens. Dance and sing our songs among the stars. Be merry and live."
So, Aaysha danced with Her sisters and her mother among the stars. But She cast Her eyes again to the East and watched for the Sun to warm the Earth. Each Day the Sun blessed the Earth who became more beautiful with his every touch. The children of the Earth sang songs for them, and when Night fell, they slept in their mother’s bosom.
"How does she grow in beauty each day if love is suffering?" Aaysha asked Herself. "While in the heavens there is no shadow of change for us?"
Aaysha watched each day as the Earth grew and flowered and grew, and Earth’s children grew in strength and might under her love. Each night, Earth slumbered and Aaysha danced with her sisters. Each morning, Earth woke changed by warmth of her lover.
One night, as the Sun left the Earth in darkness, Aaysha heard her weeping below. She called down to her mother's sister. "Why do you weep, beautiful Earth?"
"I weep for my children," said the Earth. "For one wants what he cannot have, and the other has given him everything he has. I weep because of my love for them."
"Then what my mother says is true," said Aaysha. "Love is pain and to create is suffering."
"My sister speaks truth," said the Earth. "But love is more than pain and creation more than suffering. Look upon my children. See their wisdom and their passion. Without love, they would not exist. And without love, I would be nothing more than barren rock."
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