Welcome to Gaia! ::

Miseria raised a tear streaked face as her mate was ripped from her grasp. Her body bleeding from the attack as she reached out toward Taper.

"Please my Goddess do not take your anger out on her, it is I who deserve your wrath, not my mate. I am here to ask your forgiveness for my absence. Please Goddess, spare my love, and take me instead."

Her voice shaking as she spoke, she continued.

"We come bearing an offering. A necklace. A ruby for every year of my absence and a fang for every month. Every vampire was killed by Taper and I together. She is as devoted to their destruction as we."

She gestured a bloody hand toward the necklace on the altar, draped across the dagger she gave the goddess so long ago.

The tears flowed freely from her eyes as she watched Taper, waiting to see her mate breathe. Taper took a slow shuddering breath but remained unconscious. She turned her gaze to her Goddess, still weeping.

"I came to ask your forgiveness and to earn your blessing once again. I was restless, I was hearing so many tales of vampires running rampant, left unchecked. I thought it was the reason for my restless heart. So I left to hunt them. I devastated their ranks, wiped them out of villages and towns, chasing them back to their hiding places in the forest. Everyone who died, the last thing they heard was your name, "In the name of Goddess Vesira you will kill no more." For years I killed them, but I still felt empty. I wondered what I did wrong to not find fulfillment in serving my Goddess.... Then I met Taper."

Miseria glanced at her unconscious mate, watching each shallow breath rise and fall.

"I fell in love, she too was on a mission to kill the vampires. Together we waged war on them. I found a new wholeness that I have never felt before. I knew I had to come back to you, to serve you and to ask for both your forgiveness for my absence and for your blessing to my mate and I so that we..." She paused, her voice growing softer with pain. "So that we may have permission to have children.."

She looked into her Goddess' beautiful mismatched eyes, pain and pleading shimmering in her own grey eyes as the tears fell freely.

"I know my offering is not enough, but it is a symbol of my devotion. I never stopped upholding the purpose of being your follower."

Miseria choked through her sobs, "I will always be loyal to you Goddess."
Watching the Goddess stalk towards her mate Miseria felt fear the likes she'd never known before. She wished she'd never led Taper here, not until after she had made amends with her Goddess. She clutched her family's dagger and the necklace for the Goddess as she struggled to catch her breath through her tears.

Miseria tensed as the chains shackled her to her place, tears steadily and silently running down her cheeks. Her fears eased slightly she knew her mate would not fail. She had hunted with Taper long enough to know that for certain. Instead she merely bowed her head and watched as the Goddess directed her to do.

Veronica tediously cleaned the temple, as she did each and every day. Her demeanor calm, her movements lithe and graceful as she nearly danced about her work. The floor shined as if alive, the altar flawless, each offering lovingly cared for. The sweet smoke curling from the incense on the altar. Once she finished her work the young misfit sat on the stone floor before the altar, crossing her legs, her tail winding gracefully around her. She inhaled the sweet smoke and as she exhaled it began to move.
The smoke grew thicker, filling the air with new scents, the smell of blood and the forest. The thick smoke began to swirl and change, depicting images. Soon the altar room was filled with images of the Goddess her self, some in battle, some here in the temple. Some images of Vesira simply seated in her thrown, a baby Veronica and baby Miss Murder by her side playing on the floor. All images of Veronica's memories. Every tale the goddess had ever told her, committed to memory as if Veronica been there. The young misfit watched the images intently, praying silently to her goddess for guidance.
"Mother Goddess thank you for this day. What would you have of me this hour."

Nica stayed still, listening to her sister and the zamphir near by. As Artemis approached Nica simply allowed a small smile to play upon her lips. Her voice was soft, as even as she spoke.
"Artemis, it does not matter what I think. It only matters what the goddess thinks. Her daily blessings are more than enough to tell me. She shows favor to those who earn it."
She continued to watch the tales in the smoke, barely paying Artemis any thought.

This time the misfit fully smiled, eyes twinkling wickedly, just like her mother Miseria's would. She stood gracefully, her body strong and smooth. Her voice deepened as she spoke with absolute confidence.
"If she did not think of me then how am I here? It was her blessing that allowed me and my sister to live within these hallowed walls. Every image you see around you was told to ua by the goddess' own lips. I cannot create a memory she did not give me, and there are many more than the scenes you are surrounded by. I would think carefully if I were you before questioning our goddess."
She stood firm and still, watching as Artemis disrupted the smoke only to have the smoke solidify behind her and give her a little push.