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 DesireChapter 5: Outside the Gates
Outside the city gates, Mahleck the King of Locusts sat atop his horse surveying the battle scene as the moon rose over the plateau. The city's weak defenses had been relatively easy to overcome once they made their way past the natural barriers. Adyll relied too long upon the protection provided by the cliffs surrounding it, never developing advanced weaponry or a strong army. Adyll had also never counted on one of their own citizen betraying them. His spies had found an Adyllian merchant travelling with the Narim, the desert nomads who often camped at the base of the Adyllian cliffs. The merchant was easily bought with the promise of coin. He had quickly gave up the hidden way through the cliffs and canyons to the heart of Adyll. Getting the army through the narrow passage proved the most difficult part of Mahleck's invasion. The king of Adyll rained down fire upon them from the tops of the cliffs, but the sheer number of the Swarm prevailed. King Pytr paid for those lost with his own life. Mahleck personally supervised his torture and death by fire. For being such a weak man, King Pytr had a strong will. He stayed alive longer than most of the other kings Mahleck had destroyed. He made sure the torturers were careful not to destroy Pytr's face, so that when his emissary brought the head to the gate with the Locust's demand for surrender, the citizens of the capital were sure to know that it was indeed their king that was dead.
Still, Adyll did not surrender. Mahleck had then pitched his tent hung with white cloth on a hill where it could be easily seen from the city, especially the palace. The city's defenses attempted a counterattack from the walls with volleys of arrows. The next day the Locust King's tent was hung with red. His emissary brought another message from Mahleck to the Queen Mila XI, ruler of Adyll: If she surrendered now, he would only kill the males over the age of 14. There had been silence from her Majesty since that message. And every night since then for seven days, the Swarm's trebuchets and archers launched fire into the city as soon as the sun set. They had carefully avoided aiming anywhere near the palace or the temple. Their aim was to sow division between the populace and their Queen.
Now Mahleck's tent hung with black. He intended to kill anything in the city that could not be used to serve him.
These citizens were soft and weak, like fatted calves ready for slaughter. The inner keep where the palace and the temple stood was in the center of the city, elevated above the rest, carved from the actual mountain. Mahleck estimated it would take less than a day to break through the city's gates. Once the Swarm was inside, he would do as he had done to all the other kingdoms he had conquered. The weak would be punished and only the young and strong would be allowed to live in service to the King of Locusts, the God-Among-Men.
At the top of the battlements he saw a glimmer of white reflecting the moonlight. He raised his hand and the Swarm's battering ram and battle drums came to a grinding halt. On the wall stood a beautiful woman in a white gown brocaded in silver. Her unbound hair fell in chestnut waves below her waist. A golden circlet adorned her head. On either side stood men almost as beautiful as she, wearing white robes with the silver hawk medallion indicating a life of service to their Goddess. Mahleck had not seen beauty such as hers since his youth, and it stirred something within him. Lust? No, a need to possess, to control, to subjugate. She would cower before him soon, and then he would destroy her.
“I would speak terms with you, my Lord,” she called down to him from atop the wall. She was regal, showing no fear, even in the face of surrendering her city.
He dismounted from his horse and approached the wall. “Terms? You saw my white tent turn red and then black. If you had surrendered when I first came to the city, you could have spoken of terms. The red tent was a warning, and you know the meaning of the black tent. Death. For all. Why should I speak terms with you when I can do as I wish here?”
“I can offer you the obedience of my people. No rebellion. No struggle. You need these people to work the land. What good is an empty city to you?” she asked.
She understood his position completely. An empty shell of a city did him no good. The land must be tilled to provide supplies for his army. The defenses must be restored, which would require raw materials and labor. Then there was the matter of sacrifices. If they were all dead, he would not have his sacrifices. She had to know what he would demand of her. It was known everywhere what he did to the rulers of the lands he conquered.
She was magnificent. Magnificent and brave. As brave as her husband. He wondered what her famed golden-haired daughter was like. If she had spirit such as this, she could be a match for him, once she was broken. And he would enjoy breaking her. “You may come down and speak terms, my lady.”
She disappeared from his sight, and a moment later the gates began to open. His army stood ready to rush the city. He held up his gloved hand and their motion stopped. The entirety immediately stood at attention as the Queen swept elegantly through the gate, accompanied by her twin escorts. Mahleck suspected these beautiful men were two of the warrior priests of this nation, possibly even the sons of the high priestess he had negotiated with in secret. Queen Mila XI stood within the gates, her gown glowing gold and orange in the torchlight, giving no indication she realized the city was laid waste around her. The stench of blood mixed with the smell of smoke. Surely a foreign smell to one who lived such a sheltered life as queen of a sheltered nation. She looked at him from eyes dark as ebony, and swept him a deep curtsy, her head bowed low, skirts in the mud. Her bodyguards also knelt.
“My lord.” An acknowledgement of her subjugation, stated in an unwavering voice.
He approached and held out his hand to her. She took it and kissed his glove but remained kneeling in the mud at his feet.
“Rise, lady. Come to my tent where I can receive you properly.” Taking his hand, she stood, still regal in her muddied gown. He led her from the gates to his tent, outside of bowshot from the city walls. Her bodyguards followed her, while members of the Locust King’s Swarm hurried out of their king’s way as soon as they saw him. Nothing impeded his path.
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