Oh SHIT FAM! I have literally fallen asleep at my computer for the past few nights... Work has been really busy for me irl right now. If you're wondering why the late releases that is the reason. Ohohohohoho, it seems that some people have been contemplating Astarte and her child. Honestly, she is probably one of my favorite characters in this story. For the people who commented about my story overhaul, thanks fam! I really appreciate the advice and I'm taking it. Do not worry! I repeat: DO. NOT. WORRY. If I do go over and edit the story (I will at some point) releases will not be delayed. No important story element changes either. A little insight into my writing process as well. I am really, really stupid. Now that the expectations are lowered I can explain. See most author's meticulously plan their story and it's arcs (at least I think they do). I do not. My planning consists of what I want to happen in the story, then I decide if I want to work on a certain character or flesh out the world. I purposely write myself into corners to make the story more creative. When Bran faces a problem, I do as well. Bran is not superhuman, OP, or even very brave. When he sees a giant spider he gets scared and panics. I then have to figure out how I can stop him from getting seriously fucked up. Anyways here's the chapter, more coming soon.
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[Astarte's POV]
I lifted my head as I looked towards the kitchen. It was around noon, Bran should be coming out with his tea any minute now... I flinched. I had forgotten in my reminiscing that he had been taken. It was just me and my daughter. I let out a long winded sigh. What had my life come to? I used to be a god! Power condensed into a corporeal form! How had I, the great Astarte come to worry about mortals? Mortals, with their small nuances, their feelings, their sickness... Mortals were trouble, all long-lived races knew this. It was the truth. Heartache was what followed a mortal friend. A mortal daughter. Though for all the gold in the world I would not trade my memories of my daughter for anything. Just thinking about it brings me back to my reminiscing...
Fire surrounded us. Men shouted and jeered, their weapons and farm tools raised. The little one cowered, hands held over her head as she wept. The man from before stepped towards her reached to grab her arm. In a flash he flew into the trees, my tail moving too fast for him to react. The mob's reaction was immediate. Some pointed towards the little one, others rushed towards her, their weapons at the ready. One stood out from the formless faces. He wore robes of white and gold. Spittle flew from his mouth as he pointed at my little one. He shouted at the others and screamed towards me, a miasma of anger, hate, and desperation pouring from him.
How dare they attack what is mine! They shall burn for this. No shield could withstand my flame! No armor my fangs and claws! No man my wrath! I was power incarnate! I was death.
I reared up and spewed a gout of flame towards the group. Half of them went down instantly, nothing but ash left. The other half weren't so lucky. They screamed as they ran into the burning woods, their fires intermingling with that of the forest as they wailed. I roared in satisfaction. This victory was mine! As I roared I heard two startled squeals, one from my little one, the other from the man in robes. I looked at my little one, fear roiled off of her in waves. The fear wasn't in reaction to me though, it was to the robed man. I looked to him in wrathful anger. There he stood smiling and chanting.
I blew another gust of flame towards him, a gust of wind following it as I flapped my wings. The fire billowed around him, he smiled as his chant continued. My little one was wailing now, despair evident. The robed man finished his chant as he screamed the last words. The look in his eyes chilled my molten blood.
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[Tam's POV]
I was afraid. Ever since I was younger I knew eventually this would be my fate. Eventually the goddess would come for me. Consume my mortal coil, and carry me to her bountiful lands. My sacrifice, like so many others would bring bountiful harvests and fertile women. The village's stores had been getting low lately, with winter coming soon the village needed it's food. The maple forest could be tapped for it's syrup but that would not sustain us throughout the winter. No one in the village mentioned it. As if the very mention of my oncoming sacrifice would bring it to pass sooner. The high priest, Gilgamesh, had been making preparations for the past few days. The Falling Leaves Festival would be coming upon us soon, and it was my job to remind the villagers of their pious ways.
I walked through the arches as I descended from the temple on its long steps. The golden rays of the sun lit the maple leaves as if they were on fire. Every gentle breeze sending them dancing like a bonfire's flame. I descended through the last arch, signifying my return to earth. I walked down the main road of the village, Endikar's general store on my left. I stepped through the door, he smiled at me as I waved to him.
"Good morning Endikar!" I joyfully said. He was to be my husband if the harvest was bountiful, a fact we both enjoyed greatly.
"Mornin Tam!" He smirked as he called to me casually.
"It's a good thing Gilgamesh isn't here to hear you say that otherwise it would be the two hundred steps for you!" I giggled as I said it. The nickname was one of the few intimate things we were allowed.
"Aww don't say that Tam! You know I mean it in good humor." He smiled and the dimples on his cheeks made him that much more charming.
He really was quite the catch. Most of the young women in the village had wanted to get their hands on him. Within the first month of him being a bachelor he had hardly eaten at his own home. Invited to the various houses of many families, the wily young women trying to charm him into courting. I hadn't even tried though. A woman of my station was hardly allowed any courting or anything. Or at least that's what Gilgamesh had said. He was a father to me. My parents long gone from a bandit raid on the village. He had taken me in, set me on the noble path of the cloth. Throughout the years him and the others had praised me. They called me blessed. They had told me that the good gods smiled at me from above. This idea was only reinforced when the offerings showed.
Deer, boar, even mountain lions. They would appear along the forest path towards the church. Gilgamesh would praise me every time. "You have been devout little one! The gods are showing their appreciation of our efforts!" At these times Gilgamesh would get a strange look in his eye, his face happy, but his eyes were almost calculating. Eventually the village started to petition me for more godly gifts. "We are hungry!" They said. It was after a few days of being petitioned Gilgamesh made an announcement.
"Do not worry my flock! The gods will deliver us more food but we must prepare for them some form of payment."
"What payment can we give? I cannot pray anymore, not without neglecting my field." One of the villagers had asked.
"One of us my friends! Who here would go on to their gods? Continue on from this earthly coil and meet their deities? It will give us a bountiful harvest, and more fertile women!" Gilgamesh had shouted. A frenzy evident in his eyes.
The whole village had gone silent at that moment. Not a soul moved, all of them realizing the gravity of Gilgamesh's words. A pall fell over the crowd as murmurs abounded. Or at least the murmurs were there, until one of the more devout widows had stepped forward.
"I am old, Gilgamesh. I have no more husband, nor do I have children. I will give my life to the gods, for the prosperity of this village." The crowd cheered at the announcement. Not so much a happy cheer, as a relieved one.
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"Thank you Dorn, your sacrifice will make us stronger." Gilgamesh had that curious look upon his face again. His body seemed happy, but it didn't reach his eyes.
Three days later Dorn had been tied to the newly constructed post. No one had thought of the screams that had rung out in the deep night. Screams filled with terror. No one but me. Soon the sacrifices came more often. The village losing all of it's elderly led to a problem, no able-bodied villager could go to the gods without hurting the villages production. That night a traveling bard had come into town. Gilgamesh had told the villagers to put Sleepwort into his ale, the others tied him to the post later on. Again I heard the screams.
It was winter now. The village prospered, sacrifices all but forgotten. Almost every woman was with child, every harvest and hunt bountiful. The gifts showered upon the church aplenty. Gilgamesh looked upon them greedily. Gilgamesh had started looking at me more and more. Almost as if he was checking to see if my clothes were too small. When he stared at me I felt so uncomfortable, it felt like the stares of passing adventurers. It was full of lust and greed.
It happened three days later. Gilgamesh had went to the inn and drank, asking me to clean the altar. I was still cleaning when he returned. He burst through the door, loudly belching and giving me that stare again. He stumbled forward kicking the door closed.
"Ahh, my sweet young Tammuz. How you hic glow in the candlelight." His words slurred as he stumbled towards me.
"Are you okay Gilgamesh? You seem to have drank much more than a man of the cloth should." I tentatively backed up, my heels and back hitting the altar. I was feeling a bit scared by his actions.
"How dare you question me!" He reached back and smacked me hard. My world swirled as I tumbled onto the altar. My arms and stomach knocking the candleholders and cloth to the floor as incense spilled onto the floor.
"Mmmmm. Your silence is much better my darling. Now don't move. Let me reward you for being so devout." He chuckled darkly as I felt his hands lightly brush my lower back.
I awoke the next morning with tears still in my eyes. I felt dirty, and like I was hollow. If this is what my devotion had given me then why did I feel disgusted. I feel broken, like something had been taken from me. When I went into town the next day I was treated coldly. Endikar and the others would not meet my eye. They seemed afraid. Something was wrong.
I looked towards the town board. A place for announcements and local jobs. Oddly enough, the church was looking for another priestess. Where would she sleep? There was only three rooms in the church. Mine, the altar room, and Gilgamesh's. Even thinking of him made me shiver. Something was very wrong, I had to get back to find out what was going on. Just then one of the women in town walked passed me and spit.
"Whore." She whispered, with venom in her voice.
Oh no. They knew. That was why the villagers were so cold to me. I had been soiled. I was broken. I fled to the woods, sobbing with my hands covering my face. I stayed there till twilight my tears flowing without end. They found me there. Kneeling, with a tear blotched face.
"How could you Tammuz? We were to be wed, and you betrayed me. Not for man even, but for an animal? Gilgamesh says that your sacrifice will please the gods. That they will enjoy tormenting you for your sins." Endikar said calmly. There was no hint of pity in his voice, no love, just a strange hardness.
I looked at the villagers. They had been my friends, my family, my everything. There was no pity in their eyes as they surrounded me. Only a strange manic quality, as if they were frenzied. It frightened me.
They had dragged me to the post, as I cried. They tied me up and left me there to die. When a giant golden beast, fangs the size of my forearm descended down I laughed as I cried. The gods had sent down a beast for me. An unjust way to end my life. I had given them everything. I had been blessed by them. Gilgamesh had taken that the night he had taken everything from me. How could this happen? How was this fair? How was this a just payment for my devout life?
As the beast had released me I fell to my knees in my soiled clothes. This was how it ended. The beast had cut me free. Tormenting me with the chance to flee, but where could I possibly go? Endikar had shown up at that moment, as if to say goodbye to me. When he came upon the sight of me in that clearing he dropped his torch and ran. The torch had rolled across the cold and hardened earth. Coming upon one of the bare berry bushes the flames had hungrily devoured the dry wood. Flames leaped to trees and soon the forest was alight around us.
When I heard the villagers shouts I knew. The gods had refused me. They would kill me to save them, I almost welcomed it.
When the beast defended me I was shocked. Was this my death? Did the gods intend to slaughter the others for giving them an impure sacrifice? I felt twin waves of both rage and fear rise up within me. They would die, and I would watch. Revenge would be satisfying. I watched the beast launch Endikar into the trees, flames billowing around him. He had reached for me yelling that I should give myself to them, I still had a chance to find salvation.
I saw him then, as the villagers rushed forward. It was Gilgamesh, he was leading them. Spittle flew as he yelled. The villagers charged at me and the beast, their farm tools and weapons raised in anger. Their brave charge was met with a breath of flame from the beast, half of them instantly falling, the other half running screaming into the trees. I looked towards where Gilgamesh was hope welling in my chest. Maybe my tormentor was dead. Maybe his lies would fall with his corpse.
I let out a squeal of fright as I saw him. He let one out as the beasts breath had raced over the villagers. He started to chant. The very sound of it made my very soul shiver. It felt like something unnatural was happening, as if the god's eyes were turned from this clearing. The beast launched another gout of flame and tried to buffet him with it's wings. He smiled as the flames parted around him. The hair on the back of my neck rose as he shouted the last two words.
"SERVANTS RISE!"
A chill permeated the air and the world went silent. It was as if a thick blanket had fallen on the clearing. Gradually as we stood there beast, man, and I we looked towards a crackling. The smell of burnt flesh tickling my nose as corpses started to twitch. It couldn't be, I had seen them die. I had heard their screams. When the first one rose to it's feet I felt myself slip away...
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[Astarte's POV]
As my little one fell into unconsciousness I looked towards the robed man. He was one of the most vile creatures I had ever seen. A necromancer. They were one of the few things that could harm a dragon. I could feel now how he had tainted my little one. As corpses twitched towards me, the necromancer smiled coldly at me. He was going to try to kill me. He may be a necromancer but he wasn't anywhere near as powerful as me. I stared at him as the burnt and dessicated corpses shambled towards me.
It took one spell. As my little one would later tell me, the area where her village was had been renamed. After my spell had destroyed it, leaving a crater it had been given a new name. Wrath's Crater.
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Heya there guys! This was supposed to originally supposed to be like 2-3 chapters but I decided to just put it all in one big one. Whew. anyways I hope you enjoyed! another one comes tomorrow!