*** Alzi ***

"Do you know what it means to be part of the ritual?" I ask. "You're pregnant. Sure, you may be starting your early labor, but that doesn't change that you're still carrying my child."

"I'll give birth before it happens," Elora says. "I know. Whatever part you need me in, I'll do it."

"Would you die for me?" I ask.

"Yes."

"Your Highness," Sadriressa says. "No. You can't do that."

"I told her I would give her the world. If she wants my life, then I have to give it."

"Before you two start a fight," Kou says. "We should see the brothel owners, and we need to know if it is worth having Princess Elora join the sacrifices."

I guess that makes sense. It will be fun to see the brothel owners fearing me for once.

"This way then," the Priestess says.

"Wait. Mommy and Geta, can you let Isda see the kids? I don't think I'll have time to do both."

"Happy to help, baby. Just be careful. Kou, please watch out for me," Mommy says.

"Sedriressa, join them," Elora says.

"Your Highness. Do not kill yourself," Sedriressa says. "But very well."

"I won't be," Elora says.

I guess she can call it sacrificing herself for her people or something. We'll see if Mommy tries to stop it. It may not be a good idea to have Mommy and Sedriressa close if I want to get Elora to sacrifice herself. Hopefully, she gives birth before everything. I would be breaking my promise if I didn't give her a chance to provide me with a Goddess. Or she'll back out. It's a lot easier to say you'll die when you haven't thought about it, not that she has a lot of reasons to live. I always had Mommy and Mai to give me a reason to stay. And the stupid collar.

We have to go just a room over to see all the brothel owners. I won't have much time to taunt them with my new kids to worry about. Then Kou is strict on my need for sleep.

Oh, but it feels so great to watch them all locked up and naked.

"Hello girls!" I say. "Looking a little locked up now. Too bad you can't all serve me today."

"Fuck you," some bitch says.

They never let me learn their names. Did they know I would try to come back for them? But then why didn't they try to run from me? All are here, naked, chained, and I wish I had time to torture them. Play with their stupid fucking bodies. If only I had the time.

Eleven women chained to walls. Why can't I have just a few weeks with them?

The Mistress will be alive. I'll have her for years. Not perfect, but all the more reason to kill Justice for failing to give me justice.

"The Mistress..."

"Ashryn, My Princess," Kou says. "Don't let her have any power in all these chains. Use her name or find a different one for her. You have power. You call Goddesses by their first name without the respect of calling them goddesses. No need to give Ashryn any respect then."

"How do you know about all that?" I ask.

"I'm your head maid. How could I not know about your tendencies? Please continue, you have to finish meeting Ashryn's kids and get some sleep, My Princess."

"Ashryn," I say. "Um, Ashryn, you hid a son from me. I. I forgot about him and so many other kids you stole from me. You made me do that. You let them steal so much from me. I. You. They. Why? Why did you have to do that to me?"

"Money, I don't have the power to become a noble. I need money so I can have kids with a man strong enough to let my kids become nobles," the Mistress, Ashryn, says. "Power."

"Well, your kids may become nobles now. But you won't get to enjoy it. No. Never. You may be the only one to escape this room with their life. But it won't be the one you wished for. It'll be the one you gave me. I promise that. I. I..."

"My Champion," the Priestess says. "I know you have much you wish and deserve to do for these women. Daring to keep our champion as a slave and abusing her. I'm sorry. But we need to go over the preparation for the sacrifices and the main women. You can see the markings on their stomachs. We need you to cut that into their bodies. We have some tools for that, or you can use mana. Tools would be best, as the army still needs you. This is just the first step. There are plenty more to go through. Princess Elora, if you truly wish to join, we can begin to draw yours out as well."

"Yyyes. I am. I'll do it. This is what I want," Elora says. "Sorry, just the baby. I promise."

"Then come this way. My Champion, you may not be able to read the runes on them, but we know you can write them out. Do what you can."

"I would love to," I say. The Mistress. Stop it! Kou told you to stop that, and you promised to listen to her, Alzi. Ashryn. Ashryn the fucker can go first. She has the most to pay for. I hope the knives are dull. But they may need clean cuts for the runes to work. Lucky bitch. I'll fix your body after this. Broodmare? Focus Alzi. Deep breaths. You owner her now. You own her.

"Alzi, are you alright?" Victoria asks. "You don't look too fucking good right now."

"I can do this. I have to. I'll hurt them. I'm scared."

"Shit," Victoria says. "I'll fucking hold you through this. I'm going to be fucking pregnant at the end of this shit. Fuck come on, who has the damn tools?"

The tools are by the. Ashryn. The tools are by Ashryn. You're fine. She can't hurt you. She's the one locked up. She's locked up. Just go and get the tools, Alzi. Victoria has you. She told you she's weak. Fertility has you. You're in her temple.

"My Princess," Kou says, wrapping a bushy tail around mine. "Take it slow. Tomorrow you'll have more support. I've already worked it out, so Mai will be free to join you. She should be going to your second body with her child. Let that body relax and let this do your work. This is to save your children. The Queendom is behind you now."

"I locked them up myself," Fluvis says.

"Thank you. They. So much."

"Do what you can. We just need you to start, then the Priestesses can help you," Fluvis says.

Fluvis takes my hand and guides me to a chair in front of Ashryn. Victoria sits down first as she said she would. Her strong arms wrap around my belly and hold me tight. Kou hands me a scalpel, if I remember what Grace told me correctly. Ashryn has a chain wrapped tight around her limbs and neck. Another under her breasts to keep her from moving. So many black lines over her belly and a few even on the insides of her thighs. So much to cut up. So much blood to spill. So many screams to come.

"I want to do it," I say.

"Then go. We're here to support you," Fluvis whispers. "Win us this war. Get your revenge."

"One last thing," I say. "Ashryn, we have a deal to make. I know the plan everyone has been talking about has you as the center. But I was instructed slightly differently. Do you want to live?"

"Of course," Ashryn says.

"Good, then do you agree to be the center of the ritual? Otherwise, you can join the others and die. I've heard it will be less painful for you."

"For my life," Ashryn spits out.

"Then let's start," I say.

The blade cuts easily. A bit sad, but needed. I want to cut them all up. I want to write on their bodies words I don't understand. I can even close my eyes and write the runes into Ashryn's body. I can see her pale skin splitting. Her blood runs down her body as she screams. Oh, those screams. How many of mine did she hear? How often did she let them do this to me?

Scream. Scream. And Scream.

The first of many gets cut into her. So beautiful. Perfect lines bolded by her blood, and yet more drips out as I move to the next rune. The scalpel glides through her skin and fat, and muscle. Whatever is below it. I don't care what. I just care that she screams. That everyone hears it. Everyone knows what they will endure. I need to make bets. Mai will bet with me. Will Yuki? She would. She has to. She'll bet with her womb. She'll do it for me. I know it. She'll sing for me. A happy song to fill in when the bitch loses her voice.

Since my right hand just knows what to do, my left is free to explore Ashryn's body. Playing with her tits, twisting her nipples, and even exploring her back hole. I doubt it adds much to the pain of getting cut open over and over again, but it's a nice touch, stretching that part out. I'll make her into a great brothel bitch, and a great brothel bitch has to be ready with all three holes.

"You'll learn to love it," I say. "You'll have to. I promise. I found ways to endure. You'll find them. But for now, I'll enjoy your screams. Your classes will be mine. Your life, mine. I'll own you, and your womb will be mine. I can't wait. I can't wait to see stretch marks alongside these scars. You'll have nothing and I'll have the world."

I wish there were more runes to carve. Some into her tits and arms, maybe? Her entire belly is red, the dried blood hiding behind the fresh blood from my cuts. But why can't there be more? I want more.

"My Princess," Kou says. "Time for bed. We must get going. It's already closer to midnight than I had hoped. Tomorrow we'll have more time to finish this."

"Come on," Victoria says. "You don't get a damn choice in this one. You need a fucking break."

Victoria shifts her hold into a carry and once again takes me out of the temple. But I get to keep the bloody scalpel. Mommy and the kids are already in the carriage when I get there, Victoria still holding me.

"Hi, baby," Mommy says. "Let's go get some rest."

"Yes, Mommy."

*** Space ***

"Mother!" I shout out. Why hasn't she changed how her damn altar looks? Does it have to be so scary still?

"What do you want?" Fertility asks, sitting on her altar. "Don't yell in my temple."

"You weren't coming to see me," I say. "I'm risking a lot being in here. My sister was raped the last time she came."

"I know. I'm the one who got her pregnant. It's funny how you gave birth before she did. Alzi and her abilities. I should've gift Power them as well. What do you want?"

"You have to tell Alzi to let Elora go. She's going to kill her own child. I don't think she'll listen to me, but you. Come on. Tell her this is insane. Elora isn't even really in labor yet."

"The ritual can't kill a goddess."

"You don't know that. You don't even know if that is a Goddess in Elora's womb!"

"I do. It's a Goddess or it is an abomination that shouldn't be alive anyway."

"Then what about Alzi's promise? You're going to let her break that? She made it in your temple after one of your rituals. I know you don't like Elora. I don't have much care for her either, but that. We're trying to be better than the Goddesses have been. We can't just let our Champion break that promise. Not when she's so broken. This isn't easy on Alzi." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ N0v3l.Fiɾe.net

"It'll be fine. Alzi is happy to kill Elora."

"We didn't plan on having eleven sacrifices. We only need the ten."

"One more isn't going to hurt a thing."

"Just watch out. If the kid isn't going to be born in time, you have to support me in calling it off. I'm not letting Alzi kill her own child."

"It won't kill the child. Everything will be fine."

"I don't think it will."

"Then it's a good thing you aren't the Goddess of Fertility."

"You aren't the Goddess of Rituals, Death, Life, or anything that lets you know that child will be fine. You said it yourself, it may not be a Goddess."

"I'll think about it," Fertility says.

"Fine, Mother." I guess hoping for that much change from her is a bit too optimistic.