The Blood Goddess Read Count : 136

Category : Stories

Sub Category : Horror
Once again, a child's scream echoed through the palace. A sound unfortunately Ramis had grown accustomed to. He was the old Pharaoh's most skilled general, back when the city of Kha-Ra was thought to be paved in gold. The people were considered honorable and respected the world around. Then the goddess took the throne.

 It was not bad…at first. The goddess showed compassion for her people. She was both loving and beautiful beyond measure. Then years went by and the goddess began shutting herself away. She made no more public appearances and the royal advisor had became known as The Voice. He would be charged to relay the goddess's wishes to her people. Ramis could not forget the night that The Voice asked for the first child.

 The Voice stood before the people and told them that the goddess was in need of one of their young. The people gave up the first one with no argument. They thought this was to be a great honor for the child. That this child would be blessed and walk a wondrous path. None of them were the wiser. 

 This happen every month. Then every other week. Soon it became almost everyday. The city was running out of children and its people were heart broken. No more playful laughter in the sun lit streets. No beautiful dreaming tykes sleeping their beds. The nests were empty and as silent as a tomb.

 No, Ramis should not had to become accustomed to this. The screams told him that these children were not on a wondrous path. The only trip they took was a long agonizing walk towards death. 
 
 Ramis sat on the end of his bed. His face in his hands and hummed  loudly to block out the screams. It was no use. There was no sound Ramis could make that would drown out a child's scream. He could not take another night of this. Ramis raised his head and looked towards his sword. The sword will drink of a deity's blood tonight. Even if every god and goddess damned him.

 He strapped the sword's sheath to his back, inserted the sword, and left the room. Ramis shuddered at the screams getting louder as he drew closer to the goddess's private quaters. The guard at the door looked just as unnerved as Ramis felt. Ramis nodded and greeted the guard.

"Another rough night, is it not, Jordo?" Ramis asked

"Sir, I do not wish to abandon my post but I can't take much more of this." Jordo replied.

"It's ok, I will take over from here." And Ramis patted the guard's shoulder and the guard took off down the hall. 

 Once the guard was out of sight, Ramis open the door slowly and entered the entrance room of the private quaters. Thankfully, it was empty and Ramis had not been noticed yet. The room, like most of the palace, was the color of gold. The furniture was red with gold frames and the floor was grey. To the left and right of Ramis were doors to other rooms. The screams came from the left and so he headed for that direction.
 
 The next room he entered was massive and had very low lighting. Candles hung from the ceiling making the horrific scene, that Ramis layed his eye upon, seem even more ghastly. Not that the sight of naked children strung upside down and having blood pouring from them was not gut wrenching enough. Under the rain of blood, with her face raised up and arms spread out, stood the goddess. She looked as if she was in a moment of ecstacy. In one hand was a jagged shaped dagger that Ramis assumed the goddess used to wound the children.

 Ramis unsheathed his sword and began to walk towards the gruesome scene. The goddess seemed to sense his presence as she opened her eyes and looked upon her intruder. She stepped out of the rain and walked to meet Ramis. Bloody foot prints was left upon the ground were she stepped. The goddess smile would of seemed sweet and innocent, if not covered in blood.

"What brings my royal guard to my private chambers?" The goddess asked as if she had no idea of Ramis's ill intentions.

"This horror needs to stop. You are no benevolent goddess. You are a demon!" Ramis sneered.

 "Ha! Gods, Demons, They are truly one and the same. Why should I, with all my greatness, be benevolent to those who are beneath me." The goddess laughed.

 "We will see who is beneath who after you lay dead at my feet." With this Ramis lunges at the goddess, sword before him.

 The goddess easily sidestepped him and gracefully danced around every swing. The dagger flashed out quickly, cutting and poking at different points of Ramis's body. It was not long before he was leaking blood like the children hanging before them. He then took a defensive stance and watched the goddess spin around him. In a split second, Ramis shoved out a arm to the side in which the goddess plowed into. She dropped to the floor and the dagger clattered  away from her. No time for a quip, not like Ramis wanted to make one, he thrusted hes sword, peircing through the goddess abdomen. The goddess's eyes grew wide as she let out a gasp.

"You be damned!" The goddess uttered and grew still.

 Ramis looked up at the children to find they had already died. He had to be content with the fact that no others would suffer the same fate. Weary from his wounds, he fell to his knees and then entered behind him was The Voice.

 The Voice walked over to the body of the goddess and then looked over to Ramis. 

"The horror has ended." The voice said, "Still, you know what this means." 

 Ramis nodded, "I am damned and the people shall judge me."

"Yes, and even though you have avenged their children, their fear of the gods will surely have them ask for your punishment." The Voice said.

"Even the death sea of Mortem is tolerable compared to having to serve this atrocity." Ramis responded and weakly stands, "Let's have at it." Ramis then walked towards the door with The Voice close behind.

 Everbody of the city of Kha-Ra gathered at the edge of the sea of death. The Voice stood before the crowd with Ramis by his side and spoke.

"This man has slayed our goddess. He stands before you to be judge. Let me ask you all however, to remember he did it to avenge you children and to make sure no future kids will be taken from you. So what say you?"

The crowd stood in silence for a brief moment.Then a man shouted out.

"If we don't punish him, the gods were surely punish us."

Then another from the crowd shouted, "We must cast him out. Give him to Mortem to judge. Otherwise, we all suffer."

The whole crowd mumbled in agreement. Then they chant, "Cast him out! Cast him out!"

Ramis stepped forward and raised his arms. The crowd fell into a hush.

"I am ready to go willingly. For I no longer belong here. I no longer have faith in the compassion of the gods. No benevolent rulers that claim to love, would keep their servants under fear. We are all enslaved and if I do not die out in that sea, I will use my remaining years opposing the gods." 

Ramis lowered his arms and turned toward the sea. Waiting for him was a raft made for those who would be sent out to be punished by Mortem. The crowd mumbled some more as he stepped on to the raft. The Voice reached out a hand to shake.
 
"Good luck to you, General, and thank you for avenging the children." The Voice said.

 Ramis shook The Voice's hand then kicked the raft off to shore. With his sword on his back, he was ready to face off with the next deity.

Comments

  • It's a great story, but how does a voice shake his hand?

    Feb 15, 2018

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