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 Sun Chapter 92: Love and Creation Chapter 93: Until My Last Breath Chapter 94: Fruit and Flower Chapter 95: Two Days Chapter 96: Small Comforts Chapter 97: Heroes Chapter 98: Fire, Water, and Wax Chapter 99: Beneath the TempleChapter 17: Tribute
The dark of the new moon marked the passing of a fortnight since the coronation of Mahleck as ruler of Adyll. Keeping the oath they swore on that bloody night, the nobility brought forth their children over the age of twelve to the Locust King as tribute, as well as half of their wealth.
Children were separated by gender, the sons of Adyll to be sent for military training in the desert, and daughters to be servants in the palace of the Locust. In the throne room, Mahleck held court as the fathers presented their children for service, their wives standing veiled and silent behind them. Behind the throne, the bas-relief of the Goddess remained. Its face and breasts defaced with a stone carver’s chisel. The second throne was removed from the room entirely so that only Mahleck could be seen as a figure of authority. Silence enveloped the room, punctuated by the sound of an occasional sob from the gathered crowd of nobles. All women of Adyll now wore a veil as prescribed by law. Most wore not only a low veil covering the eyes, but a full sheer veil covering their entire body.
“Weep not, people of Adyll!” declared the Locust King as another boy was presented for service. “These children will have the highest honor. They will be the first of their families to serve the One True God. Your sons will be heroes, your daughters the handmaidens of God. Why do you weep? You shall be rewarded for your service and the gift of your children. Future generations will call you blessed for the sacrifice you have made.”
At the temple Baraz was receiving the tributes of the nobility’s wealth as dictated by the Locust. But a gathering of tribute of another kind was taking place as well.
The three nights leading up to the new moon, Swarm soldiers assigned to the temple went into the city and gathered street people into the temple, luring them with promises of food and a warm bed and an invitation to the celebration of the feast of the new moon. The street people had come eagerly, for the temple had always provided for any person who needed sustenance as duty to the Lady.
The soldiers brought them to the women's dormitory to be fed and waited on by the women of the temple. It fell to the High Priestess to oversee the care and comfort of their impoverished guests while they were in the temple, and her Eyes assisted the best she could. Aisha was given charge over delousing their guests, and seeing that all were properly bathed. To do such a thing would teach Aisha humility, explained the old woman, and Aisha fell short in humility.
The street people were truly filthy, smelling of sweat and excrement. Others reeked of wine and vomit. Aisha did not know that this kind of filth existed. Some had vile smelling wounds that were patiently cleaned and dressed by the women she served with. Some of the men tried to slip their hands inside her robe while she picked lice out of their hair, but she managed to keep free of their grasp. She did all of this with patience. She needed to learn humility, as the holy mother had said.
When the task had been completed, the holy mother asked what she had learned.
“That there are those who live a life much harder than my own. Some through choice, others by accident. Any of these people could have been me if my life had been different, Holy Mother,” answered Aisha.
“This is true, according to the teachings of Our Lady,” whispered the old woman. “But there is another lesson to be learned, daughter.”
She stood up from where she sat and put her hand on Aisha’s shoulder. “Lead me to the people. We have work to do. Lead me to our guests. We must give them their feasting garments before dusk.”
Aisha led her to the first bed in the dormitory, along with two other acolytes, one carrying woolen tunics of white, the other carrying brown.
“Tell me what you see. Describe each of them to me as we come to them,” said the old woman.
“The first is a young man. He has black hair and blue eyes. He looks strong.”
“Give him a white tunic.”
They moved on to the next.
“She is an older woman, bent with age. She has no teeth, and her hair is white.”
“Give her a brown tunic.”
They went on like this until all the people were garbed in either a white or brown tunic. The young and strong were garbed in white, and the others – the old, weak, or infirm – were garbed in brown. Acolytes from the kitchen entered the room and served all the street people wine, bringing them plates heaped with the greatest delicacies of the land. A festive air came over the room, and the people feasted while the acolytes waited upon them.
“I raise this glass to the King of Locusts!” yelled a man across the room.
A great cheer went up from the people. Aisha turned to the holy mother, who sat straight in her chair, listening to everything around her, a small frown creasing her face.
“Holy Mother, what is the lesson in this?” asked Aisha. “That the loyalty of people can be bought with food and drink?”
“That is part of the lesson, daughter. You will learn the rest shortly,” answered the old woman.
The revelry went on until sunset, and the people were sleepy from the wine and food when Baraz came for them with the Temple soldiers.
“Gentle people of Adyll,” droned Baraz, “I come to welcome you to the rededication of the Temple of the Locust. I trust you have enjoyed yourselves.”
Another cheer came from the people in the dormitory.
“I invite you all to take part in the ceremony in the temple proper. Come and join us!” exclaimed Baraz.
He led the cheering crowd of people down into the courtyard outside the sanctuary, leaving the women behind to clear away the remains of the feast as well as the dirty clothing and other filth left behind by the street people. The high priestess ordered all of the linens and straw burned and the room aired. The women were in the process of replacing the straw when shouts could be heard coming from the temple courtyard.
“Everyone be calm and tend to your duties,” commanded the old woman. “It is best if tonight you stay in these chambers and not go out. Tonight is holy only to the Locust. There is no moon to shed light on his deeds this night.”
The women returned to their work, trying their best to ignore the commotion from outside. The Holy Mother motioned for Aisha to help her.
“The others need to be shielded from what is happening outside, but you need to see, daughter. You still have a lesson to learn this night,” said the old woman. “We go now to the classroom where you sat the night of the King’s coronation. Lead me there.”
Aisha obeyed.
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