‘Rachel.’

“Goddess?” Rachel was surprised when her goddess called to her.

‘I didn’t pay attention to my Seers over the centuries. It’s time to find out what they did, and punish them for it.’ (Kyrie)

“I understand, goddess.” Rachel closed her eyes and bowed a bit. It was a reflex among the Others.

‘My Empress is angry. Investigate, and destroy. Make her satisfied.’ (Kyrie)

 

*****

“The Empress is pissed at this place due to what they did to Celeste. The goddess wants us to figure out what they did to her Seers and punish them in order to satisfy our Empress.” The group nodded eagerly, but Rachel frowned as Lydia and Ayn appeared. They had returned to Haven to recharge after the Empress had went at them with her hidden desire. She assumed they would stay to serve the goddess. Lydia smiled, while Ayn shrugged.

“Empress Lena is angry. Do you think we could stay in the throne room while she grows more agitated?” Lydia said with a grin.

“No, I guess not.” Rachel sighed softly.

“Do not worry. The Empress assigned this task to you. The goddess has not put us in charge.” Ayn said while she looked at the Capital from the top of the ridge. “Hmph. They dare to hurt the goddess’s Seer. Such small creatures.”

“We need information first. Where are the nobles who would pay coin, as though it’s a privilege they can buy? Who accepted the money, and who granted the rights?” Rachel said as she pursed her lips. “Once we know, we will act.”

Nicci thought for several moments.

“I’ll take the temple archives. Celeste was supposed to be under their protection, so maybe they have records.” Nicci said and disappeared.

“I’ll take the temple priest quarters, and their secretaries.” Hanna disappeared from Rachel’s side.

“Rachel. Ayn and I will go to the palace. We’ll see if there are any records there. We’ll also do a proper investigation of their plans.” Lydia said at her side. Rachel had been assigned as the responsible Deacon by the Empress, so they would follow her lead. All the Deacons were the goddess’ personal attendants, while Lydia and Ayn were the goddess’ closest advisors.

“Good idea. I’ll leave it to you.” Rachel said with a small smile.

 

*****

 

“The Empress was quite angry when we left. Is she alright?” Nadya asked, as she and Nuri stepped up to her side.

“She’s okay, so far as I know.” She pursed her lips.

“How is Celeste? Did the Empress injure her badly?” Nuri asked next. She had to ask as she hadn’t been able to wake up as quickly as Solange, or Rachel.

“No. A simple love bite.” Rachel sighed. “And she claimed her as her lover. It was a memorable and good moment for Celeste.” Nadya sighed softly.

“We Asmarian soldiers didn’t have such moments when we were alive.” She frowned slightly as a detail emerged within her mind. “Asmaria behaved like the Digalla did.”

“I know. Took me a while to reconcile that as well.” Rachel said softly.

“It will be a good thing to see this Empire destroyed. Maybe we can sweep the remnants away as well.” Nadya frowned slightly. “But what about the other kingdoms that have been suppressed? Will they be just as cruel, or will they rule properly?”

“It’s not our concern, Nadya. We obey the orders of our goddess, and our Empress. We are of Haven.” Rachel said with a small grin. Nadya nodded with an absent look in her eyes.

“Yes, we are of Haven.” In spite of their lives in Haven, and being on the menu quite often, Nadya still missed her sisters. It wasn’t like they didn’t enjoy being eaten, as it was the nature of those in Haven.

Pain and pleasure in Haven was forever interchangeable.

 

*****

 

“The Emperor is still alive.” Ayn appeared at Rachel’s side. “I had to search back through the records several centuries before I found a few obscure references.”

“What did you find?”

“The Emperor, maybe seven hundred years ago, I think it was at the time that Nadya and Nuri came to Haven, decided to test the goddess. When he received no response, he decided that our goddess didn’t exist. He awarded the right to lay with the Seer to the temple. They sold the rights to a rich nobleman for a huge fee. She became pregnant, and nothing happened. So it became tradition.” Ayn’s nails were bloody.

“Where is Lydia?”

“Killing the guards for fun. She’s almost insanely angry at the soldiers, and rips them apart with a grin. I didn’t know she was that twisted.” Ayn shrugged. “But why does the Emperor, and his old Prime Minister, look so sickly white while Solange, Nuri, and Nadya all look full of life and color?” She frowned while she thought about it.

“The Asmarian people were invaded by the Digallan Empire from the West just over seven centuries ago.” Ayn nodded as Lydia fed her some information she learned from the older records in the archives.

“I see. The Digalla did not know our goddess. Just a moment. I must ask the goddess.” Rachel closed her eyes. This wasn’t a requirement, but a preference. They liked to be focused on the goddess, and her words.

 

*****

 

“The Digalla? Ah, those fools. So they invaded when I was sated by my Offerings, and blended with my people.” Her eyes blazed brightly.

*****

“I understand, goddess.” She looked at Lydia as she returned. “The condition of the Empire?” Rachel asked quietly.

“Ravaged. Many cities are under siege already. The army has started to recover by calling out the reserves, and conscripts, but they don’t have the experience, or training. All the good military leaders died with the Legions. The generals that remain are nobles.” Lydia reported as she returned to the group, a smile on her lips.

“Information on the nobles?”

“Some have escaped to ports towns. Ships are being built and launched in the hopes that they can gain some room to breathe, and regroup. The Empire has several colonies on islands far off shore. The peasants are not able to flee.” The information from Lydia was as she expected.

“Go to Haven. Get a squad. Sink the ships and destroy the shipyards. Hunt down the ones that the goddess and the Empress hate.” Rachel said as she considered the options. Ayn nodded, and disappeared.

“The goddess hates whomever the Empress hates. It is good we rid Imera of them.” Lydia said at her side.

“Agreed. Lydia, return to Haven and get another squad. Go to the other coast and do the same. We don’t need to interfere in this war. Just prevent them from escaping. Also, let the suppressed kingdoms know that the Empire will be vulnerable and ready to be picked apart.”

Lydia grinned and disappeared.

 

******

 

“Report.” Rachel said as Nicci appeared.

“A tradition that goes back hundreds of years. The priests were also in on it. The temple acolytes were conditioned to serve the priests, while the priestesses were replaced by males, and abused by them. The Seer was transferred to the temple, and treated like a toy.” Nicci growled. Hanna appeared at her side a few seconds later.

“Report, Hanna.”

“They would allow the nobles to abuse the Seer right on the altar. They had no respect for the goddess.” Hanna said, then turned towards the desert behind them. Her eyes went wide. “The Empress is pissed, Rachel. I can feel her thoughts.” Hanna said with a bit of awe.

“From here? Is she reading our thoughts too?” Rachel said in shock.

“They have already crossed over the Great Desert and come like the Kyarhi. They slither and move as fast as we can, if not faster.” Rachel shivered.

“The supple branches of the godseeds. The Yglathria.”

“Yes. Half of the Yglathria are already rooted firmly, and the Kyarhi move with her will. The roots, the Hycis, drill into her relentlessly.” Nicci said softly.

“The Empress’s will to resist and control them is stronger than any god or goddess weaker than ours. They could handle only one, or maybe two. Instead, our Empress not only survives many times more, but already has control over nine of them.” Hanna shivered, but her smile was one of awe and worship.

Though they worshiped their goddess, Kyrie, they were also permitted to worship her mate, the Empress.

“Is she aiming at the Empire, or the ones who had their eyes on Celeste?” Rachel asked quietly.

“Does it matter?” Nuri said, and smiled. “We have a job to do. I want to go back home and snuggle with the Empress, so let’s go slaughter the bastards who dirtied the Empress’s special one!”

Nuri and Nadya may have submissive traits when around the Empress, or their sisters, but when it came to the Empire, all they could see were people who made the Empress angry.

Nadya extended her claws from her fingertips, and lifted them up so she could see them clearly.

“Oh damn, I forgot to properly sharpen them. Oh well. It’s not like their armor has a chance of blocking my nails anyway.” She pouted, then grinned. “Come on! If I am late for my nightly session with the Empress, I am going to be so pissed off that I might stay behind and destroy this entire city!”

Nicci chuckled as Nuri and Nadya raced towards the Capital with their claws out.

“I agree, Rachel. I won’t be happy if I miss tonight’s session. Let’s get going.” Hanna said as she extended her own claws. Nicci raced ahead of her with a growl, while Rachel looked over her shoulder.

“Oh shit! She’s already here!”

 

*****

 

A sand dune blew apart as the Empress’s Kyarhi went through it. The tendrils looked insubstantial, so it must have been the Empress’s thoughts that generated them.

Rachel followed them at a distance so she wouldn’t distract or divert them from their path. Not that she should have worried. These were not the physical versions that came out through the new openings in Lena’s back, where her shoulder blades were supposed to be.

These were the manifestations of Lena’s anger.

 

*****

 

“Goddess. The Empress is pissed.” Rachel watched as those insubstantial tendrils blew through the stone wall of the Capital city. Each tendril wrapped around a large stone block and headed right for the temple near the palace.

 

*****

 

“YES!” Kyrie yelled out in absolute glee. “She read your minds and acted! All on instinct!”

She bounced up and watched two windows at once. On one hand, Solange tended to Lena’s body while Lena’s eyes looked vacant. In the other window, she watched as the manifestation of her tendrils destroyed the massive outer wall of the most heavily defended city on the continent.

As long as humans didn't interfere in the things she did, she would not interfere in their lives, or their crimes.  She had Haven, and her people, but this civilization had angered her lover.  It had also interfered heavily in the system she set up centuries ago.  Now that her temples were perverted and did not fulfill their duties, they had no reason to exist.  Now that her Empress was taking out her rage upon this civilization, she really wanted to help her to destroy the ones who angered her.

“DESTROY THAT FUCKING ABOMINATION!”