Bacchanalia

by The Voice in the Wilderness

The Inu Tachi are part of strange, other-worldy ritual.

All "InuYasha" characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and associated copyright holders. No money is being made from this fan fiction. No infringement is intended.

"Hold still, Kagome or you're going to get a hair stick through your skull!"

"I can't help it, I'm really, really nervous! What do you think I'm going to have to do to him? Sango, you've done this…uh, thing… before – you have to tell me what to expect!"

"I'd be more worried about what he's going to do to you." the demon-slayer chuckled evilly. Twisting a hank of long black hair into a loop, she speared it with a silver stick, its small filigree bells tinkling as the miko shivered in her thin silk robe.

"You're so not helping! They can't be serious – do you think maybe it's all going to be symbolic thing, you know like Kabuki, maybe?"

"We'll all know soon enough. I have the feeling you'll know what to do when the time comes." answered the quiet slayer, trying to be a calming as she could.

The thin habatoi silk, shimmering with crimson and magenta rays and waves floated like a lightly waving sunset, blousing around the thin form of the Shikon miko. Tiny silver bells in her hair tinkled. Heavy bells around ancient silver bands worn about her ankles warbled thinly in the small hut. Kagome felt like a sacrifice to black and bloodthirsty gods, which she figured wasn't at all far from the truth. Sango finished her preparations with a thorough brushing of the fall of waving hair she'd left to hang seductively down Kagome's white back, which lay deviously uncovered by the thin robe. Kneeling back she wanted to survey her work.

"Turn around, Kagome. Please." came a soft command.

Blowing out her carefully manicured hair, Kagome couldn't hide her flushed face from her closest friend, so she managed to at least lower her kohl-colored eyes and blurred her self-consciousness by staring into the one wavering flame of the taper lighting the close hut.

The flickering ochre, gold and flaming reds twisted and danced in her blurred vision. The soft rays of candle light, licking like tongues at her eyes were hypnotic and lulled by the calming play of light, Kagome floated through Sango's artful examination. She never noticed the thick resinous smell of smoking incense, which soon added sinuous purple Kirlinesque highlights to the objects in her hazy field of vision. She barely noted the slow crescendo of throbbing drums start in the distance. A sudden cool breeze liberated her from the semi-hypnotic state. Looking at the source of fresh air, Kagome met Sango's knowing eyes as she stood at the threshold and shuddered.

"Miko, bring the Sun out of her cave and bring Light out of Dark", the slayer solemnly stated.

"Sango, I can't do this…!" whispered Kagome fiercely.

Smiling at the fearful woman, she mouthed the silent words, "Yes, you can!" and bowing ceremoniously, withdrew into the cold night, waiting for the oncoming procession.

Kagome's heart thundered in her ears as she sank slowly down onto the silk-clad futon. Her hands kneaded the brightly painted sun emblazoned on the pallet's cover. Damn her curiosity and inability to say no to the village's plea for assistance! If she had known the Sun's Return ritual was going to be far different from throwing rice ceremoniously or burning incense, she'd have run for the metaphorical hills! But she'd agreed and hadn't truly faced up to what might happen to her until after she had been bathed and closeted with Sango to ready herself.

She was told the idea was to face a being of Chaos on the year's last night and subdue it as the bringer of Light. Somehow the balance achieved by the chosen avatars of Light and Darkness would the raise the waxing sun the following morning to begin the New Year.

She kept forgetting this was not the 21st century – and it just didn't occur to her how literal these symbolic ideas might be taken!

Now here she was clad only in the thinnest silk robe she'd ever seen, depicting the sun's warmth and power in its vibrant colors, a power she did not feel at all. Further ornamented by strange and heavy silver drapes and chains, shiny bells and esoteric charms, she wished she'd just stayed on her side of the well three years ago and called it a day. Twisting an errant lock of hair around a thin bejeweled finger, Kagome was plagued by anxiety and not a little anticipation. She knew who was going to come for her, and the way she had been ornamented, the conspicuous lack of clothing short of a robe she wouldn't have worn out of a lingerie shop's fitting room left little doubt in her mind that the object was seduce and thereby tame the opposing force – and its embodiment. The worst part, she mused as her heartbeat continued to ramp up with the steady oncoming drum beat, was that everyone else had taken the whole thing in stride! A few simple questions and answers between the village's clerics and one very strange comment from InuYasha had decided the thing for her.

She was told by Miroku about the ritual's extreme age and importance around this area and was impressed upon with the idea that the village felt its next seven year's prosperity rested on the solemn performance of this ritual. She would be determining either feast or famine for a whole village! How could she refuse something like that?

"It is a very great honor to embody such a force of nature and these villagers will no doubt speak of the Shikon Miko's great and powerful blessing for many years to come. No small benefit, they will also give gifts and lodgings reserved for those of the highest status – you will instead be working for our room and board Kogome…and InuYasha", the monk casually explained, whipping his hand out to catch a skulking InuYasha before he disappeared into the forest for the evening.

"Leave it to you turn a profit from a supposedly selfless act. Some spiritual guide you are, Miroku." retorted Sango, her hand clenched in the thick strap of Hirokotsu, trying very hard not to slap the scheming monk upside the head.

"Spiritual yes, and practical too, Sango: The villagers get their ritual blessing and we get room and board and possibly money with which to give out to all those in need of such alms as they cross our path.", he countered with a easy smile. Plus we get quite a show, the monk added to himself. Nothing could deter the argument once he had determined his course and he argued his case with his usual logical tenacity.

"But what must I do? I've never heard of this kind of thing before; it sounds really bizarre and not a little bit dangerous. They're making it sound like I, well – you know, get, uh, intimate with this person representing the Dark. There's no way I'm doing that! I've never done anything like that and I'm not starting now! This whole place is a hentai's paradise!" gibbered Kagome as confusion escalated into near hysterics. Rutting with some stranger in the guise of placating the gods was not how she envisioned her first time! Wait a minute…why were they requesting this of her and InuYasha…oh god…

As the realization of just who the other participant was going to be hit Kagome, all the blood ran out of her face. She felt it leave and waving on her feet, sudden wind roaring in her ears, she barely heard InuYasha's low voice saying to Miroku, "If the rumors of this crazy rite's power are true, I'll do it. We need all the help we can get. It's not like it's literally going to be…"

Head ringing, Kagome's next moment had her in a dark place, Sango lightly slapping her cheek, asking her to please wake up, it's already dark and almost time. It had been settled and there was no going back now. Kagome noted the slayer had one hell of an arm; she hoped she didn't have a bruise and for a split second had the slightest bit of pity for Miroku, which died quickly when she remembered his role in all of this.

…

Deep indigo and Tyrian purple silk slid across his numb body. Heavy brass fobs hung from an ancient torque of heavy brass strands, their dull ringing punctuating his steps, the cadence of drums dogging his heels. The brass teardrops that hung from the bracelets and anklets he wore occasionally caught the fabric of his robe, tangled it in his long stride and then released in a sibilant rush only silk seems capable of making.

When the age-blackened box had been dropped at his feet earlier in the evening, InuYasha had a feeling he knew what was coming. He hoped Kagome would understand, but duty was duty and power was power and she understood that as much as anyone. (Secretly, his innermost hentai whispered he was going to make sure she enjoyed herself.)

InuYasha had vaguely heard of similar rituals in the very ancient past, but this was the first time he'd heard of humans of this time practicing such an ancient youkai ritual in all his long years. These people must be in desperate straits if they were digging so far back in their races' short memory for the comfort of appealing to the forces of Nature and then to allow such forces to be channeled through a wild hanyou and a bizarre but powerful miko. If he weren't so nervous, InuYasha would have given in to the urge to level a very rude gesture at the ironies of fate. He instead lifted the low drape of silk at his bare back and threw it over his head. The drummers on either side of him ignored him completely, entranced in the hum of unseen power and the beginnings of a ritual trance.

InuYasha tried mentally to approach the subject of how to explain to Kagome what they were expected to do. A thin wisp of incense hit his nose from where its carriers flanked him respectfully and he was surprised its somehow deep, spicy and resinous smell didn't bother him at all. He'd smelled it somewhere else before he was sure but that memory was strangely blurry and that should have bothered him but somehow it didn't, not now. Unconsciously InuYasha adjusted his steps in time with the primordial rhythm, his awareness somehow sharpened but blurry, enjoying the feel and sound of the heavy metals adorning his taunt body. The nervous knot began to unwind in his gut and he felt somehow limber and threw his inhibitions to the wind.

Taking another deep breath, laced with ever-present incense, InuYasha's mind began to flow through why he was here in this place in time. Kaleidoscopic ideas and pictures flitted across his mind just when he tried to grasp their significance. But InuYasha had never been much of a philosopher and so he gave up and just was.

Famine.

War.

Ice.

Storms full of power, sweeping the ground clean of all in their paths.

Destruction.

InuYasha felt like he'd hit a rock with Tetsusaiga, his whole body was beginning to vibrate. Cold fire began to lick along his veins. Shaking his head, he couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of raw power seeping into his soul.

Deceit.

He drew in a quick breath and snarled.

Cruelty.

InuYasha uttered a short bark which transmuted into a shaky laugh. His youkai was getting restless and it felt so good! The celebrants were almost to their destination, their ritual space and consciousness became an amorphous web among the villagers, who were fast reaching an ecstatic state. The drumming became more urgent and more complex. Ululations and a multitude of shouts went skittering along InuYasha's consciousness but he was far from caring. Still spiraling through flickering facets of the darker world, bowed head covered by the nightmare-colored silk, InuYasha rode the growing wave, growling and laughing at everything and nothing.

Death

Death

His youkai raged to the surface. InuYasha threw his head back and howled and the gathered celebrants answered. At that same moment the kotodama flew apart and was lost in the night. His eyes bled, markings swirled and coalesced, and his mane drew up around him in an unholy nimbus. A thin purple light seeped from the ancient collar and his youkai recognized its power. Now he had become Death, the destroyer of worlds; the despoiler of Light. The demon in InuYasha knew what he wanted, no needed, and she was so close!

…

Kagome heard the slow progress of the oncoming procession and within the throng she could feel InuYasha's rising youkai. Strangely, her miko energies were clamoring in answer, but not in any sort of self-defensive way. Rather, Kagome felt like she wanted to run out to him and try to calm the beast within. InuYasha's youkai had never really scared her before but somehow this time Kagome sensed a vast difference; his aura was now enormous and pitch black. Tendrils of it found her through the thin mat doorway and then quickly escaped back out into the night. She stretched her stiff legs out form under her and rose for the futon. The thick, strangely pleasant smell of the incense Sango had lit for her earlier in the night had begun to make Kagome feel just a little bit… giddy. After a few suddenly plastic moments of time, she wondered languidly at the beautiful sight she would be to InuYasha – let him try to ignore his feelings for her now! Cheeks flamed in sudden embarrassment at that wonton thought but it was quickly transmuted into the first stirrings of desire. The slow loss of her inhibitions began to feel like she was slowly being dipped into warm honey, and she sighed eagerly in response

Languid and relaxed, Kagome unconsciously began to sway her hips with the beat of the drums nearing her confinement. She felt so beautiful and calm as the ethereal warmth continued to suffuse along her nerves. The high, stark tinkling of adorning bells rang in counterpoint as she moved her feet in rhythm, setting power off in waves along her over-sensitized body. Kagome felt as she had whenever she has fallen asleep in the warm summer sun, waking hot and full of life's throbbing energy. She felt as though grass might spring up under her feet as she now strode impatiently around the small hut. Her breasts swayed heavily and her hips rolled seductively for her unseen watcher as the miko slowly dropped farther from her waking self and further into ecstasy.

Shouts and calls form the villagers rang in her ears, the drumming echoed in her ears. Then a rippling howl in a familiar timbre hit her and Kagome was both afraid and further aroused. She longed to join them, to join with them and pour herself over them all in bright cascading waves of fecundity and creation. The Shikon Miko had become an endless well of life and energy. Finally unable to stand the feeling of her flaming soul scraping against the thick walls, she flung the door's curtain aside and emerged to meet the oncoming throng.

Suddenly a fire was ignited by another group of swaying men, temporarily flashing a very strange scene before her. Like a photo flash, Kagome saw InuYasha, his head held high, his hair whipping around his head in the surge of his youkai. His eyes were lit with red fire and they flickered hungrily upon her at once. She noticed he was arrayed as she was, in Dark instead of Light and a strange thick metal collar was licking his neck with violet flames. Kagome let out breath she hadn't known she'd been holding when she was flanked by a cadre of reverent villagers and led around the raging bonfire to the East. InuYasha, a thick rumbling coming from his ensorcelled throat, approached from the West.

Kagome felt as though she wanted to breathe fire, like she wanted to run her hands through the roaring flames that towered over her from their rocky pit and rub it along her tingling body. She wanted to both run away from and towards the feral being standing alone and boring into her with his hungry stare. The villagers retreated to the unseen perimeter of the fire-circle and their frenzied gyrations rose as the tempo continued to increase. Hands clapping in rhythm, swaying, shouting, fearing, hoping, they continued to churn the power channeled by the Miko of the Sun and the Beast of the Moon.

InuYasha could smell the miko's blood in her veins. He could feel the power in her snapping at him like popping embers; could smell the sweat dropping down her back. The bright sound of her silver bells as she moved was hypnotic. Kagome was shuffling her feet with the drum's constant thump and as she came towards him, InuYasha could see her lithe body silhouetted against the blazing fire as though she came to him clothed in nothing but fire and power. His cock throbbed at the thought of her blood on his lips. He stalked towards her slowly as her winsome movements moved her slowly closer to his claws. They were to meet in the center, the pyre lighting a low flat tumulus of rock which would serve as a primeval alter this night.

Kagome reached the boulder first. She ran her hands over its surface, slightly damp and cold, ancient beyond reckoning, vibrating in tandem with her power. The same power which had begun to cast pink curls of flame from the ornate silver necklace about her thin neck, not that she noticed. The entranced priestess kept her eyes on her deadly partner.

Kagome had never seen InuYasha's body drawn so tightly by his youkai! She let her eyes roam over him as she was certain her hands and fingers would be doing once he came into arm's reach. The gossamer volumes of his silken robes clung to his hard and undeniably male form and she couldn't stop the warm bloom of arousal that began in the pit of her belly. Once acknowledged, Kagome found her mouth was dry and her head was swimming as her heart skipped up its rhythm in response to her own hungry call. He seemed unwilling to approach her just yet and instead stalked her, weaving drunkenly this way and that in the thick, smoky darkness, rasping a strange call at her through gnashing teeth.

"Miko… Ready yourself…I am coming… I am coming for you!" he hissed softly at her.

"I have no fear of you, Beast. Come and take what I am offering to you." she replied with a smile. She licked her dry lips at InuYasha and he laughed evilly.

Hands on the alter, Kagome vaulted easily onto its surface and crawling over to him on her hands and knees, smiled at her tormenter. Her breasts swayed beneath her as she moved sinuously, teasingly, her eyes never losing his. Kagome was nearly drunk with desire and kneeling up her swaying body, she arched her back, a plaintive moan escaping her lips as her escalating power suddenly surged through her nerves. Whipping her head back towards InuYasha, she found he was nearly upon her, his desire for her blood and conquest a palpable thing in the aura about him. Kagome pressed her thighs open further, dismayed by a new-found emptiness within her that begged to be filled. Hands travelling up her soft stomach, she palmed a breast in each hand, her silken robes no barrier to sensation as she slowly rubbed her hardened nipples, sending jolts of pleasure through her hot and overly-sensitized body. A sudden spasm of pleasure jolted through her pussy as she tweaked her swollen nipples and moisture began to seep down her thighs. Her power began to swirl in her womb and she rode it as she shamelessly offered herself to the oncoming Darkness.

The world had shrunk down to Kagome's white hands as they wantonly roamed over her body, and as InuYasha watched her take her solitary pleasure, he was assaulted by the heavy sweet smell of her arousal. So strong was the wave of need from the powerful miko, that he was nearly forced back from the stone altar, almost within reach. His body thrummed along with hers and the tightening in his balls as power swirled up his spine spurred him forward.

Claws flashed sparks on the granite edge as InuYasha vaulted effortlessly onto its surface. Yanking open his silken robes with a growl, he wanted his miko to see what she was doing to him and in his haste a claw carelessly tore a shallow gash down his abdomen. The smell of his own thick blood further inflamed InuYasha's desire and kneeling in front of Kagome as she panted her lust, his thick cock bobbed in the chill air, its head slick and eager for her wet depths.

She had never seen something so beautiful and deadly this close before or indeed, ever. The priestess wanted to reach out her fingers and heal the sliced flesh across InuYasha's stomach. But as she reached her hand out to him, uncaring of the consequences, he suddenly grabbed her wrist tightly and jerked her forward into him. She was shocked at the coldness of his body where it brushed against hers and she had just enough time to note he smelled of ozone and smoke before he moved her fingers to his careless wound. Rubbing the sticky blood over the tips of her fingers, he guided her hand to his lips and licked them clean; fangs grazing her skin as he urgently sucked. Kagome pulsed and throbbed, aching to close her legs and rub them together to help ease her grasping need, but just as she tried to pull away, InuYasha, with her wrist still captured in his iron grip, brought her quickly up to heel with a hard kiss. She moaned into his mouth and relished the ichorous taste of his blood that remained on his tongue as it demanded entrance to her mouth.

Finding his miko both willing and pliant, InuYasha ground his hard length into her stomach. Kagome gasped and granted his tongue entrance, sucking his tongue in wanton abandon. As InuYasha let her wrist loose, he ran his claws down her soft skin and cupped a cheek in each hand, kneading and flexing his fingers in her willing flesh. Kagome found her hand disappearing into his twisting silver mane and pulled him hard into her kiss. They soon came up for air and emboldened by her desire, the miko slipped her other hand into his robes and rubbing the cool silk of his hard stomach, his back, his taunt ass and thighs and then fingers curling further in, grazed the fine silver hair around his fiercely hard cock. InuYasha, feeling her exploration, began one of his own. Relishing the taste and sting of power on his tongue as it travelled down the side of her neck, stopping at the licking flames which somehow discouraged his scrutiny and then bowing her body back, he held her to his hungry mouth as he suckled at Kagome's heaving breasts, his rough tongue making her muscles jump and writhe, her flooded pussy clasping at empty air.

When his miko's exploring fingers had reached the hard silk of his straining cock InuYasha thought his mind was going to catch fire and burn. He rumbled his desire into her soft skin as he licked and sucked and Kagome couldn't stop herself as she closed her hand around the thick shaft. Finding him slick and wet in his own right, Kagome slowly pumped her hand up and down, eliciting a thick strangled growl from her demon lover's throat. Trailing from a pert breast to the hot, dark curls between her wide-spread legs, InuYasha felt his partner's urgent desire for him to fill the emptiness of her body, and slipping a finger between her open folds he pumped first one, then two long fingers in and out, slowly torturing the ecstatic miko. Her plaintive moans were captured in a rough kiss and she bucked into his hand as InuYasha's deep penetration set off rising waves of liquid pleasure. Kagome whined when he suddenly removed his fingers from her clenching pussy and she found she couldn't look away as InuYasha then devoured her with his red eyes as he carefully licked his fingers clean.

Celebrants writhed around the fire-circle. Drums continued their primordial rhythm as the whole scene breathed in and out with barely contained power. The beings on the rocky altar had begun their battle. As their dance became more urgent and InuYasha and Kagome began to lose themselves, the vibrant magenta and darkest violet of their auras began to blossom out and anyone with eyes could see the build-up of warring powers vying for dominance.

InuYasha needed Kagome and he needed her now! Kissing her hard, his hands fisted in the priestess's thick hair, she knew InuYasha was going to ride her hard and make her beg. She found she wanted to beg – she wanted to give him anything he wanted, so long as he filled the emptiness he had shown to her tonight.

"Wrap your legs around my waist, my miko." InuYasha growled.

She quickly did as she was told when he impatiently hissed at her hesitation, "Do it now!"

Freeing one hand and whipping out the silver sticks holding up most of her long hair, InuYasha twisted the thick black silken mass, leaning his body forward. Kagome found herself bent back savagely against the rock; drawn tight like a strung bow. Groaning, she felt the scrape of the hard rock across her shoulder blades but ignored it utterly when she felt the hand removed from her hair and the sudden chill upon her naked body as her robe was ripped all the way open. She felt InuYasha's cock grinding into her core as he teased himself with her soaking pussy and Kagome pushed herself against him, begging him wordlessly to take her, fill her, and consume her!

"Your power is mine, Priestess! I will take everything you give me and leave nothing in my wake, because I am the bringer of Death." InuYasha rasped out as he took hold of his rock-hard cock and lined himself up with her wet core.

"Take me then and I will bring light out of Darkness, for I am the bringer of Life", she moaned, as she arched her body and pulled hard on his writhing mane.

Head yanked back in delicious pain, InuYasha roared as he thrust hard into his miko's pliant body and her answering cry as she was invaded was echoed by a hundred voices raised to the empty sky. Kneeling over her pale body, InuYasha thrust deeply into her tight, wet pussy, rolling his hips to break her further, hungrily taking the power she freely gave him.

Kagome watched her demon lover through tearing eyes as the initial pain of penetration subsided and was sublimated into climbing, tingling pleasure. The sight of InuYasha lording over her body as he fucked her, head thrown back in utter ecstasy, purple flames of power licking his skin, with his floating mane a spectral halo made her breath catch at its beauty. The feeling of him within her, hitting at something deep within her made Kagome spiral higher as her body wound towards an unseen pinnacle. The feeling of power surging along the lines of her body into his made her keen as her breathing sped up and sweat began to drip down her tightening body. When she sought out her clit with a finger, the fevered pitch of ecstasy ratcheted up within them both and she began to see the muscles of InuYasha's flat stomach ripple and clench.

But there was no way this beast was going to suck her dry; take what he wanted from her body and then leave a shattered husk. She would fill the void of Death with the liquid fire of Life. Crossing her legs behind his pistoning hips, Kagome surged up and flipped InuYasha over on his back. Snarling at the loss of dominion and her body's hot embrace, InuYasha snarled and grabbed at her hips as she then straddled him. Arching his back tortuously, the beast then thrust hard back within her slick depths. Settling herself over her powerful lover, Kagome held down his shoulders and drove a hard rhythm while InuYasha snapped her hips, grinding his cock cruelly deep within. Power began to flow through her, catching her hair, her body, on pink fire, and moving one of his clawed hands to her soft mound Kagome guided him to stroke her clit in time with their rhythm. The deep penetration was moving her inexorably towards orgasm and Kagome began to call to her lover, urging him on to completion.

"Harder, Demon! I need you to fuck me harder! … Yes! Deeper! Gods, yes! she moaned loudly for anyone to hear.

Bending his knees, InuYasha growled and savagely moved his miko up and down on his aching cock. As power flowed along the circuit that was their writhing bodies, he could feel something building along with the nearly sprung orgasm that threatened at any moment. As soon as the realization of climax hit his supercharged mind InuYasha slammed himself up into Kagome's silken depths and howling, began to shoot his seed into her welcoming body. The feel of InuYasha's semen-swollen cock pumping his load within her sent Kagome over the edge. All the power raised and then channeled through them both bent her back, and as her nails dug fast into his knees it exploded out of her body in a white blast that knocked the amassed villagers down and blew the remaining dry leaves from the trees for at least a kilometer in all directions.

Chest heaving, youkai receding into the dark depths of his soul, InuYasha came back to himself and the reality of what he had just done. The flames that licked at his neck went out and he felt suddenly very tired and very sore. Looking up at Kagome, he noted her wavering over his body, her eyes closed in the aftershock of her ecstasy. He also noticed she was very nearly naked and that his cock was slowly deflating within her moist core. Things were about to get a whole lot more complicated, he thought to himself and passed out. Seconds later, Kagome pitched forward onto his bare chest, joining him in blissful unconsciousness.

…

Waking hours or days later, Kagome and InuYasha found themselves on a futon surrounded by a delegation of village elders. They were abasing themselves, heads to the floor in great respect and agreed to any and all requests put forth by the monk, who was more than happy to be of assistance. The demon slayer and the nekomata were quiet but the slayer's eyes wrinkled in good humored curiosity whenever she met Kagome's. Their next stop at a hot spring was going to one hell of a question and answer session, the slayer mused. Another day for the miko recuperate and the InuTachi were on their way again, bound for parts unknown.

Afterglow

The next summer found the village in the midst of a baby-boom of sorts, only each child born that month was born with silver hair and a star-shaped birthmark on their left sides. The hair eventually faded to black, but the marks remained and these children were coveted by their parents as a sign of divine blessing. Elders mused and all agreed that they had never seen a harvest like the one that threatened, with so much bounty both in the fields and in their lives, they were humbled and all present that Last Night prayed often for the wellbeing of their Miko of the Sun and her Demon of the Moon.

Author's notes: Halloween is coming fast this year and it always seems to me like a time of very thin boundaries between the esoteric and the everyday worlds. This started life as a quick lemony one-shot that got far away from me and morphed into something else entirely. No specific religious rite is depicted in this story, but anyone interested in that sort of thing is encouraged to seek out the work of Joseph Campbell. Tyrian purple is an ancient purple dye made from murex snails once reserved for royalty and the like. The incense suggested above is a simulacrum of opium, which has a very distinctive aroma and effect. I in no way condone the use of such a substance as it is very illegal, my interest is in fantasy only.