HELLFIRE HELLFIRE HELLFIRE.
Feb. 10th, 2015 06:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thezThe priest kneeling before her throne looked like a caged animal, frenzied eyes darting from the soldiers surrounding him, to the spears at his neck, to the base of her throne. They never quite landed on her face.
"Explain this," said Akhet, as she tossed a silver moon amulet to the stone floor before her. The priest jolted as it clattered on the ground, but said nothing.
"Does this land not have enough gods to choose from?" Her voice was gentle, curious. "Not one that you would devote yourself to on behalf of your people?"
Still no response.
She lurched forward in her throne and struck the floor with her staff, filling the room with thunder. “YOU WOULD WORSHIP THEM INSTEAD?”
The priest was visibly shaking now, but finally spoke. “They are more powerful than you.”
For a moment, Akhet did not respond. She took a deep breath, stood, and slowly made her way down to the foot of the throne. She smiled too widely at the soldiers, and they departed.
"Did you consider," she murmured, looking as far down her nose as she could, "whether they might be more merciful than me?"
It was hard to say if he shook his head, or merely twitched, but his eyes stayed fixed upon her.
She nudged the amulet with her toe and sneered in disgust. “Take it.”
He didn’t move. “TAKE IT.”
He snatched it up in trembling hands.
She smiled.
"I hope the Moonwitches don’t press the scales when they weigh your heart."
The amulet began to disintegrate, igniting a green flame that raced up the priest’s arms and engulfed him in a second. His eyes had melted before he had a chance to start screaming. (That was always Akhet’s favorite part, the eyes.)
It was over in an instant. Akhet took a moment to admire the pile of ash before walking around it—out of the throne room—leaving it for the servants to sweep.
"Explain this," said Akhet, as she tossed a silver moon amulet to the stone floor before her. The priest jolted as it clattered on the ground, but said nothing.
"Does this land not have enough gods to choose from?" Her voice was gentle, curious. "Not one that you would devote yourself to on behalf of your people?"
Still no response.
She lurched forward in her throne and struck the floor with her staff, filling the room with thunder. “YOU WOULD WORSHIP THEM INSTEAD?”
The priest was visibly shaking now, but finally spoke. “They are more powerful than you.”
For a moment, Akhet did not respond. She took a deep breath, stood, and slowly made her way down to the foot of the throne. She smiled too widely at the soldiers, and they departed.
"Did you consider," she murmured, looking as far down her nose as she could, "whether they might be more merciful than me?"
It was hard to say if he shook his head, or merely twitched, but his eyes stayed fixed upon her.
She nudged the amulet with her toe and sneered in disgust. “Take it.”
He didn’t move. “TAKE IT.”
He snatched it up in trembling hands.
She smiled.
"I hope the Moonwitches don’t press the scales when they weigh your heart."
The amulet began to disintegrate, igniting a green flame that raced up the priest’s arms and engulfed him in a second. His eyes had melted before he had a chance to start screaming. (That was always Akhet’s favorite part, the eyes.)
It was over in an instant. Akhet took a moment to admire the pile of ash before walking around it—out of the throne room—leaving it for the servants to sweep.