Following

Grandmaster MJKeeler
Morgan Keeler

Chapter 1: Locusts at the Gate Chapter 2: A New Name Chapter 3: The Capital Prepares Chapter 4: The Princess is Dead, Long Live the Princess Chapter 5: Outside the Gates Chapter 6: Inside the Black Tent Chapter 7: Surrender at the Temple Chapter 8: The Cult of the Locust Chapter 9: The Locust's Tenets of Faith Chapter 10: Mourners on the Cliff Chapter 11: The Eye of Betrayal Chapter 12: The Dead King's Bedchamber Chapter 13: The Arms of the Goddess Chapter 14: Zayaan of the Narim Chapter 15: The Eyes of the Priestess Chapter 16: A More Permanent Disguise Chapter 17: Tribute Chapter 18: Sacrifice of the New Moon Chapter 19: The Lost Bird Chapter 20: Manah and the Priestess Chapter 21: Desert Creatures Chapter 22: Become the Swarm Chapter 23 The Price of Betrayal Chapter 24: Life Under the Locust Chapter 25: Wild Rose Chapter 26: The Lady Wren Chapter 27: Thought and Desire Chapter 28: The Lady's Captivity Chapter 29: The Wine Maiden Chapter 30: End of Childhood Chapter 31: The Children of Aisha Chapter 32: The Forest Runner Chapter 33: Three Sisters Chapter 34: The Hunt Chapter 35: Bones in the Forest Chapter 36: Lullaby Chapter 37: The Hunter's Horn Chapter 38: Ways Between Ways Chapter 39: Morning Star Chapter 40: A Prophecy for Baraz Chapter 41: Equinox Fires Chapter 42: The Lord Prince Takri Chapter 43: Evening Star Sets Chapter 44: Chaos in the Courtyard Chapter 45: Dasha Chapter 46: Memories Chapter 47: The Body Slave Chapter 48: Caged Beasts Chapter 49: Message from the Capital Chapter 50: Heresiarch Chapter 51: The Color of Blood Chapter 52: Winter Winds Chapter 53: The Bookmaker's Closet Chapter 54: Wrapped in Dignity and Beauty Chapter 55: Vessel of the Goddess Chapter 56: Cracks in the Walls Chapter 57: Two Brothers Chapter 58: The Court of Women Chapter 59: Favored of the King Chapter 60: The Sweetest Fruit Chapter 61: Daughter of the Temple Chapter 62: A Nation of Bastards Chapter 63: The Lute Player Chapter 64: Aisha's Prayer Chapter 65: Promises Chapter 66: Lives Lost Chapter 67: The Tea Maker Chapter 68: Object of Desire Chapter 69: Empty Shelves Chapter 70: Darkness and Light Chapter 71: The Love of Men Chapter 72: The Cursed Ones Chapter 73: Hiding Places Chapter 74: Old Men's Tales Chapter 75: False Prophecies Chapter 76: The Lord Prince Radu Chapter 77: Love Becomes Life Chapter 78: Mistress and Mother Chapter 79: A Test of Strength Chapter 80: The Strigoi-Viu Cometh Chapter 81: Scraps from the Table Chapter 82: A Fool's Errand Chapter 83: The Little Ghost Chapter 84: Stolen Honeycakes Chapter 85: Breathe Chapter 86: Beneath the Palace Chapter 87: Red Pebbles Chapter 88: Common Men Chapter 89: Love and Duty Chapter 90: Nightmares Chapter 91: Earth and Sun Chapter 92: Love and Creation Chapter 93: Until My Last Breath Chapter 94: Fruit and Flower Chapter 95: Two Days Chapter 96: Small Comforts Chapter 97: Heroes Chapter 98: Fire, Water, and Wax Chapter 99: Beneath the Temple Chapter 100: The Way of Eagles Chapter 101: The Gallu Chapter 102: The Cast Off Chapter 103: The Empty Bed Chapter 104: If It Is Her Will Chapter 105: Hunger Chapter 106: The Strigoi-Viu's Gift Chapter 107: Pennyroyal Chapter 108: Forgiveness Chapter 109: Fragile Chapter 110: Another Lord Prince Chapter 111: Divine Intervention Chapter 112: Chance to Live Chapter 113: Accusations Chapter 114: Negotiations Chapter 115: Dark Memories Chapter 116: Forgotten Chapter 117: Questions and Obedience Chapter 118: Twisted Ways Chapter 119: New Eyes Chapter 120: Justice and Mercy Chapter 121: Changing Waters Chapter 122: Council of Grandmothers Chapter 123: Rising Tides Chapter 124: Dawn of Longest Night Chapter 125: One Blood Chapter 126: Winter Flowers Chapter 127: Trust Chapter 128: Bearer of Sorrows Chapter 129: Blood and Water Chapter 130: Failures Chapter 131: Last Light

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Chapter 131: Last Light

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Is she real?

Aisha blinked the salt water from her eyes, but the spider and her strand of silk remained, illuminated by a single rivulet of luminescent water flowing from the cave ceiling. Aisha blinked once more, and the spider began the trek upwards, gathering her glowing silk behind her. Aisha whispered a prayer of thanks to Lina and the Lady and followed the spider's path, pulling herself upwards through the narrow crack in the ceiling and away from the water below.

Here, rugged stone glistened on every side, not with the green phosphorescence of the lake, but the blue shimmer of sunlight filtered through standing water. She climbed upward, wedging herself between the rock walls with care to keep the scroll case safe with every movement. Rocks bit into Aisha's water softened hands, blood mixing with the light-filled water as it continued on its journey into the river below. Above, the orange spider continued her ascent on silken thread.

"This is a between-space, isn't it, spider?" Aisha's voice croaked from disuse as she spoke. "That is why you are here, just like Lina - weaving your way between the surface and the river below."

The spider continued onward, stopping only for a moment to hang suspended at the top of the crevasse. Aisha followed a moment later, bruised and bleeding. Once free of the edge, she secured the case behind her and lay down on the floor, gulping in lungfuls of air as she listened to the sound of water trickling onto the rocks below. Above her, a sparkling ceiling of quartz where her guide worked, weaving an intricate web among the crystals like the primordial goddess once had in the night sky.

"Thank you," said Aisha. "Even if you can't understand my words, thank you."

Aisha sat up and took in her surroundings, a small chamber with a flat stone floor and walls of quartz arching upward to form a domed ceiling. To her right she found the source of both light and water, a small still pool lit from a crack in the cave wall a few feet below the surface, barely wide enough for a small person to fit through. Aisha looked back at the scroll case, and again at the crack.

I came all this way. I can't leave this behind.

The light on the walls began to fade to pink as she stared at the case. It's all I have left. If I can't protect these, I have failed my people.

The memory of Nasreen's face, the shadow of death laying heavy under her eyes swam into her vision. You promised...

"To live." Aisha stood up and gazed at the glowing exit from her subterranean world. "I have to live. For my mother. For my father. For Nasreen. For my people. For me."

The light faded to orange as she took her first step into the ice cold water of the pool. "Little spider, look after my stories for me until I return."

Two steps more, and the water was up to her chest, numbing the pain of her split fingers as it took the breath from her lungs. She forced herself to calm, took a deep breath, and swam towards the dying red light from the crack below her. She pushed herself through and into the fading light of a setting winter sun. Gasping in the cold air, she pulled herself out of the water and onto a carved stone floor. Behind her lay the pool, glowing red as blood in the dying light from a stone arch on the opposite end of the burial chamber. On either side of her, stone sarcophagi carved with figures of women and men lined the walls, those joined in life also now joined in death.

Vasi stared at the western horizon as the final traces of purple faded into the ocean, replaced by stars.

Sun has set on Longest Night. The Queen isn't coming. In the Between all ways are seen, but not all ways are taken. The Zora spoke truly with her last words. She pulled the hood of her cloak about her face and started toward the campfire where Miri and Oksana sat. The smell of roasted meat wafted towards her on the smoke, making her stomach growl. She took two steps before she felt the scurry of spider feet on her neck.

Vasi, you did not come here to gaze at the Sun, but to see the way he illuminates. I have seen her in the between of Earth and Ocean where she followed me in the darkness. She rises as the sun sets. You are too impatient.

"The night has come, Lina. Where is she?" Vasi turned back to face the burial mound, the stone entrance now hidden in shadow.

Movement. A shadow within the darkness, moving, pulling itself forward into the snow. An emaciated young woman, covered in rags emerged from the burial mound, the scratches and bruises covering her body evident even in the firelight. Where her hands touched the stone doorway dripped with blood. Her wet hair clung to her face and neck in shades of milk and ash. She turned her face upwards to the stars and let out a scream, then dropped to her knees in the snow weeping.

Vasi rushed forward, wrapping her arms around the girl and enfolding her cold body within the warmth of her cloak. A moment later, Miri and Oksana were at her side, helping to move the girl close to the fire.

"She is the blood." Miri looked from Oksana to Vasi. "Risen from the dead, just as the other."

"Who are you, Blood Maiden?" asked Oksana.

"I.. I... am Aisha. I escaped from the capital."

"She speaks truth, but not her truth," scolded Miri. "Who are you, Daughter of Blood?"

"I am an acolyte of the temple. Look at my back and see the brand if you do not believe me," said Aisha through chattering teeth. The world around her seemed brittle, as if it could break into pieces around her at any moment. She could not feel her hands, and her body trembled with both fear and cold. If I am found, they will kill all who helped me. Just as the Holy Mother said.

Aisha looked about at the women who had pulled her from the mouth of the grave. An elderly woman wrapped in a grey fur, white hair braided about her head. The second, a woman with a sweet smile a decade older than herself in a dark cloak, and another who's face she could not see.

"Again, you give us a truth, but not your truth" said the oldest. "Do you know whose blood flows within you and from your hands?"

Aisha shook her head no, trying to clear her thoughts. Who am I? A parasite, a leach. A bookmaker, a librarian. And if they know the truth, then all is lost.

"Perhaps you have forgotten in your journeys among the dead," said the woman with the sweet smile. "It matters not, we shall stay with you until you remember yourself."

"It is strange we should know, yet and she should not." The older woman handed her a hunk of bread and a piece of meat from the fire, which Aisha quickly devoured.

"We waited for you, Blood." The third woman sat down beside her, pulling back her hood from her face, revealing dark features and a cloud of golden hair. A spider sat in the hollow of her throat like an orange jewel. "Were you there the day the Zora died? Did you see the dead dancing in the flames, and hear the prophecy as she burned?"

Tears brimmed in Aisha's eyes as she nodded.

"Then you know what we are," said Vasi.

The second woman knelt before Aisha and removed her head covering, revealing a circle of golden braids over darker roots. She peered into the younger girl's face like a mother would for a small child. "Do you know who you are?"

Aisha's voice shook with emotion. "I am daughter of Mila, eleventh of her name, Queen Mother of Adyll. In my veins flows the blood of the Goddess for which I named myself in caves beneath the temple. To you, the holy Oracles, I am Irinya, Princess of Adyll. As the Zora spoke, Her blood shall destroy the destroyer."