UNINVITED INFORMATION WHICH TEARS AT THE SOUL
Xena looked at the paper work on her desk she used to treasure this room it used to be her personal space where she could get away from everyone and bury herself in her paper work and alcohol undisturbed. Yet now it just felt lonely and empty and the desk wasn't the same anymore it just made her think back to a more recent time when she had been naked and Gabrielle had slammed her to her this table back first and she had been loving every moment of it. She felt a smile form as she picked up the small carved wooden bird which was a painted Dead Sea Sparrow turning it between her fingers she loved this gift. She pressed its chest watching as its wings snapped open revealing a message of love. She was one of the few people to reserve one of these little carved birds as her lover didn't give them out to just anyone. The only other person to ever have one made was Damokles but he had never received it as he had been murdered before she could give it to him. She felt her smile fade as she looked at the door which led to their bed chambers she knew Gabrielle was in her workshop right now but she saw it only right to leave her to her thoughts.
These past few days had been stressful for her and it was clear that she now needed time alone with her thoughts just so she could process everything. She turned as a knock sounded on her study door. "Come in." She watched as the door opened and Chara walked in closing it behind her she had a number of scrolls in her hand there was a look of deep concerned in her eyes as she spoke. "Good morning Empress." Xena put down the wooden bird looking at her scribe. "Is it?" Chara carefully laid down the scrolls in front of her. "I heard about what happened this morning and yesterday I'm so sorry for both of the dead werewolves." She paused before speaking. "How is Gabrielle taking it?" Xena looked down sadly. "Not well it's been a hard couple of days for her." Chara eyed the scrolls. "Then I hate to be the bringer of bad news but it's about to get harder, these are all letters from the Corinthian diplomats they want answers regarding the incident with the werewolves in the market place and one in particular wants answers regarding your Consort." Xena put her hand on her face. "I'm guessing that's Raissa."
Chara nodded. "Yes Empress and I believe that a rumour may have drifted beyond the walls Empress because she spoke about your overgrown dog, clearly she has not connected the two yet." Xena leaned back in her chair taking in a deep breath she knew this woman was going to be difficult firstly because she ruled over her family and held all the power in it and husband was down trodden. There was also the fact that her cousin had died during the androphonomania massacre which Gabrielle had been part off, which only added to the difficulty of the situation." She put her hand on her face. "Then I think it's time she met Gabrielle along with rest of the Corinthian diplomats." Chara breathed in deeply. "Empress?" Xena took hold of the little carved bird then leaned back putting her feet on the desk ignoring her scribes surprise as she raised hand keeping her other on the bird. "Send them all a letter inviting them to dinner two days from now, though Abraxas and Ilithyia can come the day before if they wish and stay the night." She paused. "Send a message to Ceto and have her and Thaleia pick up Gabrielle the most expensive chiton robes they can find."
Chara blinked this was a first she had never seen the Empress put her feet on the table let alone be this forward. "For Gabrielle…to wear?" Xena raised an eyebrow. "Yes and look completely stunning in, I'm going to show them all the woman I love and they are all going to be in awe and then I'm going to tell them the truth about her and they will all see what I see. While I'm at it I'll put this werewolf matter to rest once and for all and they will give me their allegiance during this civil war." Chara felt her eyes dart. "I mean no offence Empress but how are you going to get Gabrielle in to a dress? I mean it's not her style per say." Xena looked up at the other woman. "Don't worry I'll get her to wear one." Chara took in a deep breath. "I see that being very difficult Empress." Xena moved the bird between her fingers. "So do I and I don't want to push her in to wearing clothes she doesn't like dressing in but I need her to wear this to fool the council. I want them to think that she is human then show most of them that they are wrong about werewolves." Chara eyed the scrolls on the table. "I hope you are able to sway them I mean they can all be very difficult to deal with at times plus your last meeting didn't go that well."
Xena looked up slightly. "No it didn't go that well it was more of a shouting match." Chara felt her body tense as she tried to forget the memory as it flooded back. "Then I hope that the wine and food dulls their memory, making it easy for you to win them over." She paused before speaking. "Gabrielle is very noble they may warm to that." She paused as a sharp knock sounded on the door it was probably Demetrius giving the palace report. "I will get those scrolls written out and sent out today Empress." Xena nodded as she turned to the door. "Come in." Faolan pushed the door open carrying a plate of grapes and fruit as he limped through it a smile on his face. "I brought you a late snack Empress." Chara smiled at him as she walked through the open door. "I'll leave you two alone." Xena smiled watching as she closed the door behind she looked up meeting the Celtic cooks gaze as he laid the food bowl down in front of her. "This is very nice but I believe you have already brought up mine and Gabrielle's breakfast." Faolan felt his smile fade as he put a hand on her desk. "Forgive my deception Empress but I felt it the only way to see you." Xena eyed the food before looking up. "You are always welcome in my study you need not use food as a ploy to come here."
Faolan took in a deep breath this was going to be hard and he hated to have to do it but it was necessary. "I witnessed something disturbing today Empress and I feel you need to be told as does Gabrielle." He looked up. "Is she here?" Xena put down the little bird then she eased her feet off the table. "No she's not here right now, she has a lot on her plate and needs time to think things through but please tell me." Faolan shook his head sadly the life of a ruler had to be hard and it was better to give Gabrielle time plus so long as this message got to her, he didn't care. "I witnessed her sister threatening one of the staff today it was Thaleia, she had a sword to her throat. She was trying to pry out information about Gabrielle. Normally I wouldn't say anything but you have very strict rules on how guests treat staff." Xena felt her smile fade as her hand formed a fist gods she couldn't believe she was hearing this she knew that Lila had issues but this was just vile. She had shown that woman nothing but kindness and this was how she repaid it by threaten Thaleia with her weapon! She had not been here a night and she had done this, what in Tartarus was the woman problem? She put her hands together she could act this way outside the palace all she wanted but not in it, she looked up at the short white haired man. "Tell me everything that happened." Faolan nodded respectful. "As you wish Empress."
8
They call me sadistic and vile but really I don't care I am a goddess and I cause fear and it is such a turn on. I love watching young men and women scream as I pull out their insides, I love cutting them up then drinking their blood and bathing it. I love tearing their flesh from their bodies and leaving only muscle and skin then hanging them out to dry. That is why they call me the Red Goddess because I bath in the blood of my fallen and the Empress can not stop me, no one can. As I sit here eating human flesh I am reminded that I am all powerful and they are not and that is how I always want it to remain. I am a werewolf but I am a werewolf unlike any other myself and my men and women practise the noble art of eating the living we are the true werewolves. We are not given our power to waste and squander it by being moral and human why waste such an amazing gift on power and kindness? We kill and eat humans alive in human and werewolf form as true werewolves should we are the master race there fore we should be above humans and humans should be a food.
Modern werewolf sociality hates us if we are caught eating humans we are thrown out, yet in werewolf sociality tearing them apart is okay as is ripping out their hearts but eating their bone and flesh is considered sacrilege, it's very much a double standard in my opinion. They teach us as warriors to bend and shatter bone to taste blood and flesh with our teeth and tongue yet we can't eat their meat and flesh, it disgusts me. Why must we hold back? We are part wolf we should act as nature intended and eat our prey as true wolves do. Glaphyra eyed her bloody plate full of red meat before picking up a piece and chewing on it savouring the taste, human's always tasted so good she sat back in her bone throne seeing a woman appear as two of her guards pushed her in to hers and her husbands throne room. She looked up hearing her own cold tone as she spoke. "What do you want?" Narella felt her hand form a fist she hated that she had to talk to this demented bitch but frankly she didn't trust in Admes's plans and she wanted a second card to play, since Adrienne had failed.
Sadly the card she had to choose was Glaphyra and her husband Agathon the outcasts of werewolf sociality who were part of a religious order called the Lurathian order who believed in eating human flesh and bone because they believed it gave them power. Gabrielle's bitch of a lover had a high price on Glaphyra's head but she didn't realize that she was a werewolf and never had. There was a price though for eating flesh in this manner it caused issues with transformations in that they became more difficult and painful. Their form also became more primal but it also became stronger and the person could survive more brutal wounds which would normally kill other werewolves. The healers in the Grand City believed this was due to eating raw guts and getting disease from it, which affected the healing process along with the transformations because the healing process was constantly focused on healing the internal disease and couldn't focus on everything else. Even when hunting animals out in wilds werewolves left the insides alone and focused on the meat it wasn't considered un-clean to eat guts and if Glaphyra was anything to go by she swore that it killed brain cells as well because every time she met this woman she swore that she was becoming less intelligent and more animalist.
This gave her an edge though she could play to this heretic's stomach and head much easier than most. Narella turned eyeing her in disgust. "You know what they call werewolves like you in the Grand City?" Glaphyra felt a smile form as she looked at her. "Yes they call us ustro agoton it means that we have degenerate desires." She licked the blood of her fingers enjoying the taste. "I sort of like the name myself it's catchy." Narella folded her arms. "You know I'm really not here to chat personally with you?" Glaphyra felt a cold smile form. "Oh but I do love our little chats I mean normally you bring me a dinner order of some kind." Narella looked up sharply. "I'm not here to bring you a dinner order, not this time." Glaphyra snorted in disgust. "Well how do you expect to do good business if you don't bring me a kicking and screaming human meal?" Narella walked up to the scroll on the platform opposite ignoring the smell of rotting bodies which was coming from the pit close by. It was a dirty scroll written in blood which was bound with bone and human skin. "Is it not one of your beliefs that eating a high order werewolf alive will make you a god as you will consume the werewolf's power?"
Glaphyra looked up slightly. "If you are referring to a Horn Hind then yes, that is one of our beliefs but no one in this order has ever been able to do so in centuries as we have never been able to take a Horn Hind they are always to important." She leaned forward. "Unless that is you have, had a change of heart at late, I mean I have heard that the Golden Hind has been a mayor issue. One of my loyal spies in Corinth told me that she's screwing the Empress of Greece, which must make you look rather stupid. I mean a werewolf screwing a human that break your golden rule does it not? I have also heard that the Golden Hind gives it good and swings both ways which is even more embarrassing for you as the Imperial council has no sex drive." She paused feeling her smile widen. "Gods I would love to watch my husband skin her alive then join in before eating her alive and gutting her." Narella eyed her. "That wish can be for filled, that's why I'm here." Glaphyra sat up in her throne. "Wait so let me get this straight you are allowing my order to hunt her down and capture her?" Narella breathed in deeply. "No I want you to capture kill and eat her alive nether the Imperial Council nor the army will interfere with either you or Agathon." She tensed slightly. "You will be free to do as you please and I've heard that you love killing blondes…so she's your favourite type of meal."
Glaphyra stood up from her throne stepping closer to the other woman. "My, my the Imperial Council must be very concerned to call up on the Lurathian Order to do their dirty work, what's wrong lost to many of your pathetic assassins trying to kill her?" Narella stepped away from her. "Yes we have and I feel that now it is time to bring in you, killing her is for the good of our race." She turned as a cocky voice hit the air. "So the Imperial Council's cock is to limp to do the job so you need me and Glaphyra?" Narella turned eyeing Agathon gods she hated this creep he leered at her like she was a piece of meat and he always stood over her using his large presence to dominate. She also knew all to well what he did to those he caught he liked to skin them alive for fun and that turned her stomach. Normally he wasn't here and she tried to avoid him because he terrified her. She breathed in stepping further away from him. "I assume you've been listening?" Agathon smirked leaning on his halberd spear. "To every single word and I wanted to kill you up to the point that you said we could kill Horn Hind. Then I realized how sad and desperate you were that you would call up on us. I know about the plan the other Imperial Council leaders are plotting but clearly you don't have faith in it, or you would not be here." Narella moved towards the door that led out of this deep cave complex. "No I don't believe the bleeding pillars of sorrow is enough, killing humans like that is fun but I don't think it will stop the rebellion, I believe the rebellion is like a snake and we need to cut off its head."
Agathon grinned showing off his extended canines. "Cutting off the snakes head does not always stop the body." Narella opened the door. "But we can crush and subdue that body until it dies the head carries so much venom that it could poison us." Agathon eyed her for a long moment. "I see and what in it for us, other than the eternal glory of doing the job you couldn't do?" Narella narrowed her gaze. "A royal pardon from the Imperial Council and more human flesh than you could ever eat." Agathon turned to his wife. "I like her she believes that the Imperial Council will give us what we want." He felt his grip on his weapon tighten as he eyed her. "But we both know they would never do that don't we? Because you hate us almost as much as you hate Horn Hind!" Narella turned slightly. "Then you are mistaken because I will see to it personally." Agathon breathed in raising his weapon so she could see it. "Really…well let me tell you this before you run back to them with your tail between your legs. If you betray us or my wife gets hurt I will personally take you and I beat you to with in an inch of your life and then skin you alive. It will be very slow and painful and you will beg to die before I'm done with you, so keep that in mind." He watched as she left shutting the door behind her finally something interesting was about to happen in their lives and it could change their fate giving the Lurathian Order a chance to rise up from it place in the dark and take over werewolf sociality.
8
What did he mean by bringing the bleeding pillars of sorrow to humans? I have never heard of that saying before I have read so much werewolf literature yet I can not place those words. Bleeding pillars of sorrow is it a riddle, poem or a passage from a book? It's clearly important yet I know nothing about it and have never heard of it. I feel a sense of sad limbo as I sit in my workshop I should have asked him what he meant before I ended his life how could I be so stupid, as to not to ask? I guess I just wasn't thinking and I felt so sorry for him that I just wanted his pain to end but now I feel so incompetent for not asking. The guards still don't know how he got in here but then it's clear to me that Adrienne got in the same way. I know when I first came here I scaled the wall but I swear I'm going to find out where this hidden passage is, I have a theory but it could be wrong, I think that it's linked to the catacombs. Xena said that they are under the palace she said that her mother Cyrene is buried there. It has to be there, my race has one thing going for it and that is that we can make vast underground tunnels. When I leave to visit my people I will check those catacombs because I'm guessing that where ever these werewolves are getting in its there, they must have created a separate tunnel out in to the royal gardens. It could have been dug out by the rebels and Adrienne just knew where it was or maybe I'm wrong and she scaled the wall just like I did.
My room has now been cleaned and the body has been removed yet it does not take away from what just happened that a man died in my room and I had to put him out of his misery. I hate using my sword in that way even if I have no choice. I really hate that right now that I have a problem with my right hand it's starting to shake and I don't know why nor do I know the cause of it. I just hope Xena didn't see it, I don't want to tell her about the dream I had where I tour out her throat. I don't want her to think that I could ever do that to her during love making the idea that I ever would terrifies me beyond belief. She has to work in her study now and I know I could just walk in but I don't really have the heart to I need time to think this through and make sense of it all. I have no choice now but to take control of the rebels in Corinth before something else happens and other innocent people get hurt.
My sister can wait that is if she is still here, though I don't expect her to be. Why would she be I'm not human oh why do I beat myself up like this? Maybe Xena's right maybe I need to have more faith but it's so hard I feel like with every step I take forward I'm always taking two steps back. I do know one thing though I have to tell Xena about my son and I have to do it soon. She needs to know the truth and why I hid it from her and why I lied to her. I love her and I can no longer want to deceive her a part of me badly wants to see my son again not a day goes by when he doesn't cross my mind, I wondered what he is doing and if he is happy, if he had friends and if Iris is taking good care of him. I know it is wrong to doubt the woman who she had given my son a better life but I can't help it. He will be five now and I have not seen him since the day after his birth he is Damokles's son and he doesn't even know about his father or that he had been murdered before I realized that I was pregnant. My son was born human which would have meant his death, the Imperial Council rules demand that only werewolf children live and I had to give him up for his own safety it just hurts to know that he's not in arms right now where he should be.
Gabrielle turned looking at the leather bag opposite her she had opened it only to find that it had been empty apart from one item which she had been staring at for some time. It was a small painting in a tiny wooden frame which had a woman on it and a child. It had to be a family portrait of sorts but it saddened her on many levels as it was clearly a personal object showing Ucalegon's family it was an object she fully intended to return to them if she could. The bag was nothing special it was flat with a leather binding and a single strap maybe it had been given to her so she could have the picture of his family but over all she was confused she thought that it would have some kind of clue in it or on it. She put picture down opposite on her desk the truth was she didn't know why he had given it to her if there was some form of hidden message in it she couldn't find it which was deeply frustrating. She looked at her hands before leaning over and picking up Icos who was sitting next to her, she gently stroked his feathers truth was this had been a very frustrating few days. She needed to go out tonight and take a long walk in the dark in werewolf form and clear her head.
She didn't do that much anymore she preferred Xena's company but right now her head was just swimming with unanswered questions. She looked at Icos for a long moment watching as his red eyes blinked. Why was it in life that she felt like she knew so much and yet knew so little? Maybe if she had been born a werewolf she would know the answer to this riddle and even what this man had meant before he died. Yet she knew if that had been so then she would have been a different person and maybe on the Imperial Council's side because she would have been donated up on and told that her blood was pure and everyone under her didn't count. Truth was she preferred to be half blood at least she still had her humanity and cared about the lives of others. She wasn't human but then she always felt that the line between being moral and immoral could be so thin at times. It was like a thin layer of ice on a lake in winter that didn't need too much to crack it and like a wave the cracks formed more cracks until the glass shattered and the shards sunk under the surface along with all traces of humanity. She leaned over picking up some seed feeding it to Icos as she kept a gentle hold of him, she would never loose her humanity and if she ever lost it she would want no less than to die a good death by the sword.
End of part 9
Silvermoonlight
The inspiration for Agathon and Glaphyra's twisted characters is heavily inspired by two real life mass murderers Elizabeth Báthory and her husbandFerenc Nádasdy. Though most blame Elizabeth Báthory for mass murdering and killing hundreds of young women and bathing in their blood, I have heard that her husband also had a deep evolvement and that they both got a kick out of killing innocents.
