Espara part.07

    Garigland, an equatorial nation of ten islands; her princess Mary was raised since childhood in the old ways, the worship of the wind, the waves, the forests, and the drinking stones of faith. Raised to be a priestess to the shadow queen, the goddess that symbolizes fate, death, birth, fertility, and the deep mysterious sea. Among her many duties was to be a guardian of the secret treasure of the royal family and head of the matriarchal priesthood. Deep in the castle is a treasure room, in the center is a golden treasure chest, with numerous seals magically painted on it that glow and fade in a pattern said to be both hiding and preventing the escape of its contents.

   That is until Mary’s father, the king, died, and with him the old ways. Her uncle is a convert of the Garudan faith, taking the throne immediately following the king’s death from a tragic illness he rejected the old ways and proclaimed them illegal; all would follow the new faith from the north. He had gone to Merigland a few years prior as an ambassador seeking trade and good relations. A stipulation of trade was the founding of a Garudan church in Garigland and appointment of a priest. Who could have known the prince had converted so fully, and the serendipity of a fatal disease that only afflicted the king putting him in charge; he called it tragic fate and the unknowable will of Garudan.

  Mary’s attire changed from her priestly robes of revealing silk to stuffy dresses that killed in this climate. Her status from respected member of the castle and held on high to a lowly position of a lady in waiting; to be wed to a count in but a few short months to better relations with a like minded nation. She prays, prays for guidance from the goddess, prays for release from her
torments.

  “I hear you,” a woman’s whisper, grabs Mary’s attention as she prays by the bedside. She looks around but no one is there.

  “Forced faith,” the whisper comes from the shadows on the wall flickering in the candle light,
“you will be sent away as a payment, you who were to be a priestess, you who were to someday be queen as your mother before you. This king has no right to be king, your mother should be queen; soldiers from Merigland back your uncle’s words and actions, forcing his worldview upon you all.”

  “Please,” whispers Mary through teary eyes, “do not tease me spirits,”

  “I do not tease,” comes the voice plain as day in the room.
 Mary looks around standing.

  “I am your liberator,” says the voice

 “A…a demon?” asks Mary

 Rhulan appears in the middle of the room, “I have killed demons and angels alike. The god of this new faith is flesh and blood, just like you, and I.”

  Rhulan steps forward, “A living god, as I am a living goddess. However,” she twists her wrist and with a flick of the hand Mary’s attire changes to that of the priestess she was trained to be, “I am the liberator of your culture, I am not a deity of worshipped forced faith, I am an Empress, a ruler, I govern, your faith is your own.”

  “The Queen of Shadows,” whispers Mary.

  “Excuse me?” asks Rhulan.

 “I…mean,” says Mary, “if you are telling the truth then…why are you…here?”

  “An astute young lady,” says Rhulan, “another would have simply thought I was answering their prayers. Very good, and very well, I am here for my cape.”

  Mary’s eyes shoot open, “I…wha…what do you mean?”

 Rhulan conjures up a magic window showing a battle long ago, in the battle as she was being sealed her cape was taken from her and sealed separately for fear she could use its powers to free herself from the Eldritch Seal. Placed in a trunk and put here in this land. Over time the protectors of the trunk becoming its guardians and worshipping the effect the trunk has on the landscape, creating abundant riches of life on the island.

  “My power,” says Rhulan vanishing the window, “Show me where specifically my cape is and I will replace the spell with another, to continue its good fortune.”

  “We really don’t have a choice do we,” says Mary sitting down on her bed.

  “Do not think me threatening you child,” says Rhulan.

  “No,” says Mary, “I know my goddess, I know that the men from Merigland plan to take the trunk. I was told by my…” she looks away as she says, “ex virginal maidens of the temple,”

  She looks at her hands, “the men from Merigland plan to take the trunk away, as a heathen demonic artifact, to be taken to the church of Garudan in Merigland and destroyed.”

  “Not that they could,” says Rhulan almost dismissing the concern, “but that would bring calamity to what would naturally be desert island; what with the very low rain fall around here; surely your ancestors picked up on that not exactly coinciding with the abundant forests and crop yields on these islands.”

  Rhulan smiles, “So then my dear priestess,” She holds out her hand, “we have a deal?”

  Mary stands, holds the hand and bows placing her forehead to Rhulan’s hand, “Yes, Queen of Shadows, protector of the fertility of this island, I swear as your priestess.”

  Rhulan *shrugs* and smiles.

  A simple matter to retrieve the cape, as the human mind can be tricked so easily to not see, to not hear, to not smell, or care as two women pass the guards, such simple enchantments on such weak minded fools. Mary had thought perhaps opening the trunk would be trickier but what she saw removed any doubt of this woman’s divinity; for there were tales of demon and witches who had tried similar tricks to get to the trunk only be burned by its divine power upon touching it. This woman laid her hand on the trunk and the chains holding it snapped, the light flowed into her hand, and up into her mouth, drunk away. Rhulan stands and *snaps* her fingers and the last lock breaks; the cape flies free and connects to her shoulders, held on by magic and a simple clasp.

  “Now I don’t feel so naked,” says Rhulan.

  Mary bows again before Rhulan, “You truly are the Queen of Shadows.”

  “Please,” says Rhulan, “just call me Empress Rhulan.”

   As Rhulan approaches Mary, Mary does not see the spell Rhulan weaves, but she does see that they are both in the old temple, beyond the boarded up doors and window, the walls stripped bare of their ancient gold ornaments, all melted down to make Garudan charms and coins, the only thing really left the red cushion of the alter. Rhulan hops onto the couch like alter and sits there looking about the room.

  Mary looks around both saddened and amazed, saddened by the state of the temple and that her goddess should see it as such, and amazed by the divine power, Garudan charms are even on the doors yet Rhulan’s magic shows no concern for them.

  Rhulan claps her hand and the candles are lit by floating lights brighter than any candle flame, gold ornaments adorn the walls, not like those that were there before, new ones, in strange symbols and imagery, including a winded reptilian beast she has never seen before and clawed serpents with whiskers like whips, among a plethora of tentacle faced things and stained glass depicting Rhulan, a woman with blue flames for hair, a woman like Rhulan but so pale with long black dresses and hair, and so many others.

  “Sit up here,” says Rhulan.

 “I..I couldn’t” says Mary.

 Rhulan hops down and in a blink Mary finds herself sitting on the alter. Rhulan is standing there with her hand on Mary’s abdomen, a sickening warmth as a strange symbol appears there.

 “What…” says Mary, “this feels…”

  “Not my doing,” says Rhulan, “that symbol is a lock, placed on all of womankind on this world by Garudan. He hears the magic within humanity, strongest on Espara in women, this is why he calls it evil, why he declares any who would practice it condemned to death, and yet this false god has played a nasty trick.”

  She takes her hand away, “have you heard of how women become witches?”

  “Y…yes,” says Mary, “I…” she about tears up, “My mother couldn’t claim the throne out of fear, my uncle accused her of bedding a demon to gain its powers so she could be a heathen priestess. She had to publically renounce…renounce you…to save her life…and mine.”

  “Yes,” continues Rhulan in a lecture like tone, “a woman has sex with a demon, through the act the demon is in fact taking the magic from the woman, channeling it through its self, and proclaiming it is giving the woman power from the demon, when in reality…” she stops and gestures to Mary.

  Mary *sniffs*, “the…the demon is giving us back our own…magic?”

  “Indeed,” says Rhulan, “Garudan sealed the magic, a seal passed down through generations from the ancient sorceresses who would fight as equals alongside men in the ancient days of adventuring on this…particular world. It has slowly worked its way into this reality, weakening the people until now when so few exist with the power to threaten it and its kind.”

  “I can break the seal,” says Rhulan, “permanently, so that it is gone from you, and any children you may have in the future, erased from your bloodline from here forth.”

  Mary puts her hand on her abdomen, “I…”, “she remembers the power Rhulan wielded, the holy light absorbed, manifestations,  “yes my goddess.”

  “Lie back,” says Rhulan.

  As Mary lies back Rhulan parts the silken vestments from Mary’s lower body and places her left hand on her abdomen, the seal appears, that sickening warmth.

  “and now I shall remove it, lie still.” Rhulan blows towards the candles, they dim, most fading away completely. She licks her index finger on her right hand and reaches down, parting Mary’s vaginal lips. Mary bites her lip, she has never felt anything go into that opening before. Rhulan swirls her finger about, Mary’s breath becomes heavier as a sensation like needing to pee rises.

  “It’s a natural sensation,” says Rhulan, “unique to women, now to release the seal!”

 In that moment Rhulan crooks her finger pushing against Mary’s G-spot while also shooting magic deep into her body erasing the seal. Mary *screams* as the first orgasm in her life overcomes her. Mary sits up huffing, and watches as Rhulan licks her finger clean.

  “I…peed,” says Mary looking at the wet cushion.

  “Female ejaculate,” corrects Rhulan, “natural juices of womanhood, a bit salty but tasty none the less.”

  A *banging* comes at the temple doors. Rhulan scowls and waves her hand in the air, a blue light covers the walls.

  “A barrier,” says Rhulan, “should they remove the boards they will find entrance impossible for three days at least, but let’s take this to someplace we won’t be disturbed.”

   She gestures in the air and they both vanish in a blue light, appearing again in Mary’s room.

  “Your magic is unsealed,” says Rhulan, “it will take you time to learn how to channel and control it, become my student and…”

  Mary has become fascinated by her pussy, as she sits on her bed shivering as she fingers the slick edges.

  “Virginal priestesses,” says Rhulan rolling her eyes, “here,”

  Mary can barely let out a “wait” as Rhulan dives down, head between Mary’s legs her mouth engulfing Mary’s clit, a feeling nearly as great as before in the temple. Rhulan’s talented tongue and ageless experience stimulating the clit, the labia, and every nook and cranny of Mary’s nether folds in ways that must be divine. Mary despite her view of this being goddess between her legs can’t help but hold onto Rhulan’s head as her pussy is lapped and cleaned of its spilling juices, by an unnaturally long tongue. Rhulan releases the dripping pussy from her oral manipulations and climbs on top of Mary.

  Mary is breathing heavy, her eyes glazing over in untold pleasures of the flesh. She reaches up to wrap her arms around Rhulan as Rhulan shares the flavor of Mary’s own pussy on her tongue, teaching the nubile young woman the techniques of the mouth and strengths of the tongue.

  Rhulan lets go, as Mary whispers, “My goddess, please, I…should…be…pleasuring you.”

  Rhulan smiles as she says, “After I have taught you my dear the secrets of making love to a woman, you may have all of my nectar you can handle.”

  Rhulan returns to their embrace as she exposes Mary’s erect nipple and pinches it, teaching the novice of the carnal pleasures a new trick, one she was granted mildly aware of thanks to her rubbing garments but not to such an extent.

  That night they lied together, Rhulan’s cape like a blanket over the two women as they made love through the night.

    ******

   The bells ring, awakening all in the castle, the bells that call all to the throne room at once. So early, and one of those awakened is the king himself.

  “Who dares!?” screams the king as he enters the throne room, the Lady Queen following, the guards by the king’s side, along with two guests a high priest and a witch hunter from Merigland.

  Inside is a strange scene, a woman in flesh revealing tight black clothing, her midsection, cleavage, and arms exposed, her frame leaving nothing to the imagination, with a black cape with red inner lining over her back sitting in the king’s throne. A throne that sits above several steps raising it above the floor. Sitting on one of the higher steps is Mary, dressed in her priestess robes, her arm around Rhulan’s boot.

  “What…what is this madness!?” demands the king.

  “I am Empress Rhulan!” she announces as she pets Mary’s hair, “You may know me as the Queen of Shadows!”

  The Lady Queen, Mary’s mother *gasps*.

  “Lies,” says the high priest, “clearly this is a witch who seeks to usurp your kingdom.”

  The witch hunter steps forward and produces a silver Garudan amulet, “Begone witch, By Garudan, and the angels of heaven I…a…*ahk*”

   The amulet has freed its self from his grasp, its chain wrapped around his throat. Rhulan makes another gesture and the amulet flies across the room into her hand.

  “Impossible!” yells out the high priest while the witch hunter *coughs* on the floor, “you…you can’t touch that!”

   “Wood burns,” says Rhulan, “water floods, lightning strikes, the wind blows down the temple walls. I am the elements.”

  She grasps the amulet in her hand, which glows violet, as she sings, “Power if the Heavens, Strength of the Earth, Flow as the water, Passion of the flame, this is the magic, of my Astral Frame.”

  She throws back the amulet which seeks out and hits the witch hunter in the face. He picks up while *growling*, the amulet has changed, no longer the charm of Garudan it has become a squid with wings.

  Rhulan pats Mary’s head, she smiles and stands herself one step below her goddess.

 “I say again,” announces Rhulan in a thunderous voice, “I am Empress Rhulan, and I am your new ruler! By my proclamation you may worship whatever you see fit; but know this I am the enemy of the false hell and false heaven perpetuated by the monster you call Garudan and his brother Eckraick!”

  “Vile evil,” says the king even as the high priest has been struck dumb holding the changed amulet.

  “Silver tongue that speaks lies,” says Rhulan, “living tongue obey the truth.”

  “I am king!” yells out the king, “By Garudan’s will I murdered that heathen who was on the throne!”

  He stops, wide eyed, both surprised he said that out loud, and by the odd echo of his voice coming from outside.

  Rhulan smiles, “Projection, a simple technique for speaking to the masses.”

 Mary points at the king, “guards take him away! Take away Calvert, traitor to the crown!”

 The guards don’t budge.

 “I don’t think so,” says Calvert, “guards take the witch behind me into custody.”

  They grab the Lady Queen.

  “Release me,” she says, “You men served my husband did you not?”

 “I am king!” growls Calvert, “So what if I killed my brother, that heathen Brutus, he would have had all of his sent to hell with his heathen ways.”

  “Oh right,” says Rhulan, “totally forgot, but here before a witch hunter, a high priest, I think a scribe just stepped in through the door with the growing crowd coming down the hall, and all the people outside hearing us, now is as good as time as any to officially declare war on hell and heaven and release all those held wrongly by their heinous spell placed on this planet.”

  Mary steps back, looking at Rhulan as a blue wind surrounds Rhulan, levitating her off the floor.

  “By the strength of Chaykonakashi I breach the walls of hell, beyond the veil of eternal flame to that which is a mockery I open forth the false gate upon this world!”

  A red beam shoots at the floor, just above it a swirling red vortex form. Horrible screams and demonic howls can be heard. Mary steps back, nearly behind the throne, the guards try to push back.

  “Now for the good part,” says Rhulan looking back at Mary, “you’ll want to see this.”

  She raises her hand, “By the holy light of Maekonakarae, judge of heaven, mother of peace,”

 A blue sigil appears above the vortex, as she continues, “By your true judgment, RELEASE ALL SOULS HELD UNJUSTLY RELEASE THEM FROM PERDITION!”

  Her voice echoes through the wind, the stone, the very souls as a blue light blasts from the sigil into the vortex. Throughout the Hell of Eckraick, the blue and white light surges filling every crevice of the inferno subterranean labyrinth. Souls, thousands, tens of thousands of souls, all who had died in the last three hundred years whose only sin was not worshipping Garudan in the lands ruled by his faith are lifted from the abyss, intangible to the demons that try to grab them. Eckraick himself unable to grab onto the scribe released from the dark room of the library. The scribe laughs as he is lifted up, “Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! I told you devil! It is her! Her power dwarfs hell! We are free! Free! Freeee!” he laughs as he holds his arms up and moves into the light.

  In the castle back in Garigland, Rhulan reaches into the light with her bare hand and pulls from it the ghost of king Brutus, Mary’s father.

  Brutus looks around, at his own clear blue hands, and down at the red vortex as it closes, the beam of light gone, the blue sigil moves up, yet remains by the ceiling.

  He looks back at his daughter standing by the throne, at the strange woman who pulled him from the choir light, and over at his wife being held by his own guards and yells, “Release the queen at once!”

  The guards on reflex release her and she runs beside the ghost of her late husband.

 “Brutus…I mean,” she curtsies, “King,”

  “What stifling northern nonsense are you wearing?” he asks.

 The queen can’t help but laugh, the same abrupt man she married so long ago.

 The ghost of the king glares at his brother, “traitor,” he growls and glares also at the high priest and witch hunter. He turns and sees Rhulan.

  “Father,” says Mary speaking for the first time, her eyes teary.

 “My daughter,” says the deceased king of this land, “what has happened?”

 She smiles, “May I present, her majesty, Empress Rhulan, the Queen of Shadows, Goddess of Fertility, the Deep Mysteries of the Sea, Life, Death, and True Magic!”

  “It was you,” says the ghost of the king, “I can see it, the light inside you…”

 His spirit bows before her, “Great Goddess, thank you.”

 The guards bow, as does the scribe, and a number of others who have begun to filter into the throne room. The heavenly sigil opens again, a choir of music beckoning the king’s soul to nirvana.

  Rhulan gestures and the throne room shudders that reveal the throne room to the court below just over a balcony open revealing the courtyard is full of towns people. Rhulan announces, “I have freed all the souls from perdition that were wrongfully imprisoned there by Garudan and Eckraik! I have officially declared war on them both!” She walks out to the balcony so the people can see her, “I am Empress Rhulan!”

 The witch hunter takes out his holy runes imbued blade and lunges at her while screaming, “Garudan shall not suffer a witch to live!”

  Rhulan spins around, grabs the sword in her bare hand, the blade melting in her grasp. She makes a simple gesture and says, “Atmosphere Throw.” The witch hunter is levitated off the ground and at break neck speeds flies into the sky. If he survived the ascent, let alone the descent, he most certainly did not survive the landing, a body was never found, if one even made it back to the sea or ground.

   Rhulan gestures for the queen and Mary to approach the balcony, “these are your people, your kingdom.”

  “I…I…I…” stammers Calvert, “I…I am still king!”

  He doesn’t make it far before a guard, one of the very ones who had held the queen by his order has stabbed him on a pike, “A true miracle,” whispers the guard.

  The high priest is looking around in a bit of a panic given what has just happened.

  “Should he be executed too,” asks a guard, “…empress.”

  “No,” says Rhulan as Mary and the queen are out on the balcony waving to the applauding people, “this is the kingdom of Queen Tatania and Princess Mary, they make the laws here, no doubt they would have ordered the execution of the traitor,”

  Queen Tatania announces, “We the kingdom of Garigland owe our very freedoms to Empress Rhulan, and announce our allegiance to her and her Empire.”

  “Huh,” says Rhulan, while thinking, “this kingdom joined faster than I expected, better get an official charter written up.”

  “In that case,” says Rhulan, “I pass judgment on this priest.”

  The guards block his way.

  “Exile,”

   It is a most unexpected judgment given she just threw the other guy into the sky, and opened a portal to hell releasing all the innocent souls held there.

  “Return to your land,” says Rhulan, “tell them what you have seen, and so they will believe you, tell them I am the same Rhulan that the witch hunter…” she pauses a moment remembering something, “oh yes…Ronald was his name, the same one he saw summon a tsunami against Eckraick, the same one who killed an angel before his very eyes.”

   Her eyes glow, “I am Empress Rhulan, The Celestial Sorceress, Goddess of True Magic, tell your god, be afraid for the blood of angels and demons will spill before my might. This world belongs to these people not to idle monsters like them.”

   All who hear her choke back their tears of awe and joy at her words and escort the priest away. The people of Merigland will write of this day, the day the goddess who blessed their island in ancient times returned at their most desperate hour and freed them from the tyrannical rule of an oppressive religious empire who would kill any who turned against them, even murdering their king to put a puppet in his place.