"Mother? Did I hear you correctly, Mage?” She watched him nod. “The sacrifice the god requires is the victim's mother?" Her breath was caught in her throat, and her chest felt tight. She already endured nightmares she couldn’t remember, narrow escapes from assassins, hunger as her food was usually poisoned, and neglect not seen in most commoner families.

Although these were horrific to endure, she also felt something else. The assassins had their heads twisted right around, but only after all their limbs were extended in the reverse of the way they were designed. The ones who tried to poison her were fed the food with the poison, along with an additional element. Glass parasites that would tear through the stomach and shred the internal structure of the body while the poison did its job.

Even soldiers who showed her disrespect were found the next day either turned inside out, or their limbs were chopped off. Lena wasn’t aware that Kata had edited the news as she didn’t want to frighten the Empress. They didn’t just have their limbs chopped off. They were chopped off an inch at a time.

No one could find out who killed the guards in such a manner, but it proved one vital thing. It was someone so powerful, no one within the Empire could stop them.

It also left Lena with a lingering fear of this Empire. Though she was protected, the attempts on her life continued, and the Emperor did not investigate.

"The god of brutal and savage lust requires a female who is directly related by blood. A daughter, a sister, or a mother." Lena cleared her mind of the distractions, and the questions. She could deal with that later.

The mage's response was not what she wanted to hear. She bore this one son, had no daughters, and her son was still a toddler. She was also an only child, so she had no sisters or brothers that could also provide a blood relation.

"I have no one else." She said it so softly, if he had not strained to hear the words, he would have missed them.

“The sacrifice is not the entire life, or body.” Randall said quickly. She looked confused.

“I don't understand. Human sacrifices usually require the entire body, which means their life.” Her sharp eyes glared at him.

“But this god is one of brutal, savage lust. She's also been called the goddess of death, and life from death. The more the sacrifice satisfies its lust, the more powerful the blessing. It requires a part of you, or your daughter, and not just any part.” The mage waited while the Empress considered his words.

Randall didn't care what happened, but he was instructed to lead the Empress to the goddess of death, and life from death. Unfortunately, he chose the wrong book. Every time he thought about this god, he could only remember those cold red eyes, and those teeth. Those wickedly sharp teeth.

'Brutal savage lust? Lust is what governs the sacrifice?' Her eyes grew thoughtful. 'Not the entire body? Lust?' Her thoughts became more clouded, and her hands began to tremble.

“Speak!" She said in a surprisingly firm voice.

“It requires your pride as a woman."

 

*****

 

Chaos. The entire world was nothing but chaos! How could it be otherwise? How could her child be cursed with such a condition where his vitality would slowly drain away, through a magical hole that no one could fill, close, or heal?

'I want them dead! The ones who did this, I want them to suffer horribly for what they've done!' She raged inside her mind, then felt cool fingers pass through her consciousness, and a somehow familiar sensation flooded her mind. It sent waves of cool delight along her senses along with a promise unspoken.

"My pride as a woman." Lena regained her calm demeanor, although just seconds before, her eyes had reflected an insane rage, and a mental pressure that Randall wasn't sure he would survive. He had only felt that pressure in the presence of the goddess of death, and now this woman radiated a similar energy that was beyond magic.

But, as soon as he felt it, it also disappeared, and made him wonder if he had lost his mind.

"Yes. Not necessary for life, but necessary by one's own husband." He took a deep breath, as he didn’t want to poke that monster again. "Make no mistake, Empress. The dark god could choose any method available for this sacrifice, but it chose this one in particular." He watched her eyes as a bit of confusion settled there.

"It chose? Are you saying that the god you serve has personally chosen this method?"

"Yes, Empress. That is exactly what I am saying."

 

*****

 

"You lying bastard!" Kyrie raged inside her throne room while she watched the mage smear her name. "You chose the method! I'll make sure that book is coated in diamond dust when I shove it up your ass, mage! No, I'll glue cactus spines to each sheet of paper! No no no, how about I tie you onto a saddle for a Flaming Nightmare horse without the saddle!"

Lydia shivered as the mage continued to dig his own grave deeper and deeper.

 

*****

 

“How long does my son have?”

“Two weeks at the most.” The death sentence was pronounced. She had little choice now. She lowered her eyes.

“What do you need to start?” The mage felt only the slightest bit of guilt, but only the barest sliver. He also knew that the dark god would reward him if he encouraged this sacrifice, and that's what ignited the guilt. The mage lowered his eyes. “What's wrong?”

Her eyes became sharp, and she watched his movements carefully. She was a ruler, and she knew when someone felt guilty.

“You also benefit, correct?” He lifted his eyes quickly. “Dark mages benefit from the very rituals that harm others. Even if their rituals bring a benefit to one, it must harm another, and so the mage gains benefits.” He let out a slow sigh.

“Very well. You are aware then." He felt the pressure gather when he saw her eyes sharpen, but when she misread it, that weight lifted. He did feel a bit of guilt, but the benefits of this sacrifice far outweighed what he felt. A happy dark god was one that would gift him with a much longer lifespan.

"The sacrifice will need somewhere clean, quiet, and isolated. A place no one will investigate when you scream in agony. It must also be the place you recover in, so choose wisely. If it is a place considered holy to other gods, the altar and the sacrifice will desecrate that place in the eyes of believers, and the gods.” The place he described sounded like a small abandoned church. There were a few abandoned villages, so there should be something like that around.

"Such a strange wording, mage. Almost like those gods have no choice in the matter, though they would consider it a grave insult." He smiled a bit.

"This god is older then the mountains, and no other god, or elder god, can overwhelm it. No other god can help you, Empress, and this is the choice given to you." He said it more plainly this time.

This method was not the only option. In fact, many gods could remove the curse, but none of them would interfere in the goddess's business. It was her personal choice to not interfere in their business, but none of them would dare to interfere in hers. They were arrogant, but not stupid.

“And what else? Do you need medical supplies?” She asked in a flat tone.

“Healing potions will not work. The dark god considers them to be an insult. Magic can not be used either. The sacrifice must heal naturally. Sharp needles, cotton thread, all boiled for ten minutes, and placed on unused and untouched oiled paper. The needle must also be oiled with freshly rendered fats to prevent rusting after being boiled. The Empress will require servants after the ritual, to look after her health, but you also have to understand that you may not be able to return to your husband to have more children after this ritual. The dark god is very jealous. Once you begin the ritual, you are dedicated to it, and it alone.” Randall said with a deadpan look in his eyes.

In other words, if it should fail, she's still screwed.

“And my authority?” She closed her eyes. This was the one thing that she needed right now. The power to protect herself from anyone was only an illusion, as the deaths of her family showed just how flimsy that authority was, but she still clung to it.

“It must remain yours in order for you to be of service to your son in the future.”

“How long will you need to prepare?” She asked, now more then ready to have this sacrifice completed. Her life would not come to a close, but with this hanging over her head, Lena knew she would not be able to relax, or breathe easily.

“One week. After the location is found, all items must be taken there before the week is up. You should discuss this with the Emperor before you decide.” The mage stepped away and closed the book. He slid it onto a shelf, and turned away from the Empress.

No more needed to be said, and she had much to consider.

 

*****

 

“Sire. The Empress has been to the mage’s laboratory.” One of his guards reported to him in the library where he spent a lot of his time on paperwork.

“And?” The eunuch asked.

“We attempted to ask the mage what the plans for the future are, but the door was barred. From the inside.” The guard looked uncomfortable for some reason.

“Did you break it in to ask the questions?”

“We tried. The door could not be damaged.” This was the reason why the guard was upset.

“Couldn’t be damaged? It was enchanted? Did you try to go through the wall?” the eunuch asked.

“The wall, the ceiling, and the floor. There were no weak points. The stones could not be damaged, the mortar could not be removed, and the wood is indestructible. We asked a Light Mage for assistance, and there is nothing they can do. A letter was pushed under the door after we made these attempts.” He handed the eunuch the letter. He watched the face of the eunuch as the seal was broken and he scanned it before handing it to the Emperor. When the Emperor nodded, he turned to the guard.

“Cease trying to access the mage’s quarters. The information is passed on to the Empress. All that she needs has been put in this letter, so it will be gathered in the meantime. Dismissed.” After the guard left, the eunuch looked at the Emperor, and his hands. The paper shook.

“I don’t know if I should kill my own son to save the Empire, or kill the harem.” The eunuch sighed.

“Your Highness, it’s a god. If you remove the prize, that won’t make it go away. It will enrage them. Kill your son, and you kill the Empire. Every last man, woman, and child.” Bardulf nodded, and took a deep breath.

“Just like the last two empires. Just what kind of god has that bitch angered now?”

 

*****

 

Randall watched as the woman threw his tongue to a dog, but he had little time to figure out if he could regenerate his body when his eyes went wide.

“You angered the goddess when you told the Empress of that method. She thought of many different ways to thank you for it.” Hoods were pulled back.

“Da Odderth?” (The Others)

“Yes, servants of the goddess of death. To thank you for giving the Empress one of the most brutal sexual tortures possible as a solution for her problem, the goddess gives you this.” A woman guided an enormous horse-like creature near to him.

“This Flaming Nightmare horse is over two thousand pounds, with a solar flare core, so the heat would burn you to a crisp within a short period of time. To prevent you from dying so quickly, the goddess had this new saddle made especially for you.” The woman gestured to a metal contraption that was strapped to the bony back. The spine of the Flaming Nightmare horse was armored, so the saddle was designed to fit on top of it perfectly.

“She made sure you would enjoy sitting on it too.” Two of the women threw him up in the air, and pushed him down onto the foot long, three inch thick spiked rod. As he screeched in agony, his arms and legs were strapped to the saddle.

“This metal will heat up, but so that you do not die, it’s also been enchanted.” The woman whispered in the horse’s ear, and they watched the horse dash off towards the Great Desert.

“How long do you think he’ll live?”

“A few days. That enchantment will heal him so he won’t die from the heat, but the saddle can’t replace the water, or the blood.” The woman frowned and turned to the Other beside her. “Nicci, what did you whisper in the horse’s ear?”

“Head to the Great Desert, and don’t worry about making it a smooth ride. It won’t do any good if that rod just sits inside him, slowly cooking his insides. I want it to rip his intestines up with every bump!” Nicci grinned sadistically.

“Well, the goddess wanted to embed diamond dust in the metal, so I can’t say you’re going overboard.” Hanna shrugged. “That fool should have burned that book back when he learned that the ceremony was something only one of the Others could endure.”

“And the Empress has to suffer for it. Since it was the solution presented, and she accepted it, it’s the only one the goddess can use.”  Nicci then growled.  "I wonder how she'll want us to deal with that fool of an emperor?"

"All she said is that it won't be for a while.  As long as he doesn't screw up, he might just live for a while longer."