The lady crawled out of bed and went over to the mirror. She practiced a few of her expressions: a wrinkled nose like a cat, a face of marble, eyes wide open and lips hidden behind a fan, and a hazy smile of content, null of desire and temptation. Then, Anise opened the door and went into the hallway.

She walked to the main halls, greeting the Tan'ae servants. Few replied with real warmth, though all smiled. The Tan'ae never were on good basis with one another. However, the servants living at the mansion were certainly nicer and more genuine as the servants could stay in the main mansion's many rooms without cost and eat the meat and fruits kept in storage. It was as close to royalty without being one; though, some would grow more bitter in this situation than glad.

Anise strolled up the spiral wooden stairs at the center of the willow to the third floor where her mother resided. The stairs were another feat of fae architecture. The railing wounded up to the top like a vine with only wooden boards stuck to the single frame. She made good pace on her walking because it was only at early morning that she would be able to meet with her mother.

"Good morning, Mari!" She slammed open the doors with open arms and greeted her mother loudly with cheer like a spring storm after winter's end. For a moment, Anise felt like she was back in her younger days.

Mari's childlike body was sprawled lazily on her large bed. The sheets were down to her legs, and her night-gown has rolled up to her chest, revealing her stomach. A deep snore bellowed out from the madam's wide open mouth. One arm was overhead like a monkey's. The other was scratching her naked stomach. Her hair was long and scattered about like a bouquet of sun-crisped auburn branches.

Despite the loud greeting, Mari did not wake up. She was a heavy sleeper. Instead of waking up, Mari rolled onto her sides and plopped her head deeper into the pillows with an annoyed groan.

Anise felt an urge to blow on her mother's bare stomach as her mother had done to her when Anise was little. So she did. It seem that was the only method under the skies to wake children up.

"Kyah!" Mari laughed, rolling about with flailing arms. "Mari does not like! Mari's ticklish~. Stop it!"

Mari shoved Anise's face away from her navel and then tackled Anise onto the soft mattress.

"Mari does not like being tickled." She pouted in a manner much like Anise's. Then she turned her head away from Anise. "Ane no listen! Ane bad! Ane told me not to talk to bad people. Ane bad. Mari's not going to talk."

Anise smiled at Mari and ruffled Mari's hair. "If you do not speak to Ane, then Ane will not brush your hair."

Mari spun her head to face Anise with tears in her large, round eyes. Her lips whimpered like those of a hungry hound.

"No! Mari like Ane! Mari like Ane doing her hair. Ane do hair good. Mari like Ane!"

Anise fixed her position on the bed, resting her weight on her calves. She patted her lap. The girl-madam scrambled onto Anise's lap with glee. Mari kept bobbing about, giggling to herself with eyes full of light.

"Ane! Ane! Is Mari being good?" Mari laughed brightly. Anise petted Mari's head, gently stroking her hair. "Hehe. Mari know Mari is a good girl."

Anise hugged Mari, absolutely smothering her face into Mari's cute and petite body. She smelled of warmth and memories of summers old and new spring. Mari turned to face Ane.

"Hey, Ane," she asked. "Why do you look so sad?"

"Mari, I'm smiling. How can I be sad?"

Mari gave a light knock on Ane's head. "Mari is a smart girl. Mari know when Ane sad! Ane is sad. Ane, don't lie. Lying bad! Why is Ane sad?"

Anise pinched Mari's cheeks. "I'm not sad. Didn't I tell you that being sad causes wrinkles and that lying would cause you to bald? Why would I want to have wrinkles and be bald!"

Mari shook her head. "No! Mari know Ane is sad! Mm, Ane! Storytime! Now!"

Anise pinched Mari's cheeks even harder and she smiled an angry smile. One of those smile which seemed as calm as the surface of the open sea, but underneath a hundred thousand suns laid dormant. "Why you spoiled brat." She said with a half-laugh.

The girl-madam shook Anise's claws off her cheeks and she beamed up at Anise. "Mari knows when Ane tells stories, she is really happy. So story, Ane! Story! Mari good girl."

Anise rolled her eyes and said, "Okay, okay. I will tell you a story—only because you are such! a good girl." Her fingers moved deftly across Mari's hair to the gentle beat which often inherently accompanied these stories.

"The World was adrift in nothingness:

So sad, so cold, so dark

Cradled by the Void.

Came forth a girl, came forth a goddess.

She saw the World laid barren

And cried and cried.

Her tears became the rivers,

And her sorrow, the oceans.

She saw the rivers and oceans

And danced and danced.

Her footsteps became the imprint of the land,

And her passion, the mountains and earth.

She saw the World birthed anew

And laughed and laughed.

Her laughter became the clouds and wind,

And her joy, the seasons: of colors, of ice, of fires and stars, and of life anew.

However, the Void, from whom the World was stolen,

Grew angry and terrible.

He saw the World which he loved -- and loved deeply --

Now separated from him, and changed.

The Void saw the Goddess

And yelled and screamed.

His wrath broke mountains and heaven alike,

And his envy seeped into the very earth.

The Void felt a terrible pain

And grew sad.

His grief consumed him

And the light.

The Void felt an inescapable throb

And grew numb.

His numbness dulled the waters

And damped the air.

The Goddess saw this horror

And tore out her Heart;

She bore the World's burden:

The misery, the hate, and all suffering.

From her Heart she suffered, so she carved a Chalice.

From this Chalice poured forth

The light, the rain, hope and all beautiful things.

With quick hands, she doused the dark sky

With hues of gold, ember, and autumn,

And the first morning was held.

Soon the Void and darkness was pushed back

To the Ends of the World.

However, the Void lives and fosters.

He consumes the light painted

With the darkness of night

And then it is of His own domain.

Yet! child of mine, never have fear.

The Lady shall swallow darkness whole

And repaint the sky with lights and colors

Till eternity's end.

The Goddess then looked with warmth upon her World

As she took the name Arushi, "the Calm Sun",

And took claim over the Heavens, the Harvest, and the Circle.

The Rest was left to her Children formed of her Heart-blood spilt,

Of Which there were Seven:

Nasrudin of Mirrors who birthed the knowledge of artful deception,

and blessed His Fae the same;

Lord Cynbel who made war and first danced in Dragon-Fire,

Of whom He is Father, and Great-father to all the others;

The Lovely Denana who makes all fertile and healthy,

and loved Her porcelain Revenants, eternal in beauty, adrift in life;

Audny the Plenty made rain of gold, wine, and merriment,

and rejoiced His stout Dwarves did with drinking and song;

Sister Arilde guards our Hearth and loves even sinners,

for she and ancient Djinns keeps the fire warm even for the wicked;

Aalok the Glamorous -- and most young -- Arushi took as husband and made Keeper of Light,

and made us in His image after His likeness;

The last is Lone T'han who lords over the Passage we all must take,

and few escapes.

"And finished," Anise said as she looped the last strand of hair in place. Mari shrieked with happiness and leapt from Anise's lap and off the bed. The girl-madam bolted to her stool, scrambled onto the wooden thing and proceeded to examine her reflection on her dresser mirror.

"Ane! Ane! Is Mari cute?" The girl-madam asked eagerly as she tried to reflect the back of her head and see the mirror at the same time. "Mari can't see. Is Mari cute?"

"Yes. Yes, Mari is cute. Very cute," Anise replied with another roll of her eyes and a wry smile. "Mari is so cute that I just want to eat you up."

Mari giggled, "Wah! Mari's hair's like a waterfall!" The girl-madam looked at her mirror and then at Anise. Mari darted from her stool and tackled Anise into the bed with a hug.

"Ane! Ane!" She cried with flared nostrils like a beast in heat. "Let Mari do Ane's hair!"

"Are you saying that I can't braid my own hair, you cheeky brat," Anise grumbled and pinched Mari's nose.

Mari stared into Anise's eyes and said with an overly serious expression, "Mari want to do Ane's hair for the wedding! Mari will make you cute, so Mari want to practice."

Anise hugged Mari's small frame. She rolled onto her sides and looked at Mari's puerile face. Anise brushed the loose strands of hair from the contours of Mari's cheeks.

"Do you really want me to be married so ardently?"

Mari nodded eagerly. "Mari think Ane would look really, really, really pretty in a headdress."

"Ane don't want to get married though." Anise poked Mari's nose.

"Eh? Why!" Mari asked with tears in her eyes.

"Ane want to be an adventurer and see the world." The girl whispered. "Doesn't Mari want Ane to be one of those great Heroes from the stories?"

"No!" Mari screamed loudly. She dug her nails into Anise's arms and dragged her close.

"No." She repeated. "Ane can't go."

Anise paled. She said softly, "Mari, you are hurting me. Please let go."

Mari slammed her head against Anise's chest. "Don't go. Don't go!"

Anise winced as tiny canines tore through skin and clung to her arms. "Mari, your nails."

Mari shook like a boat during a storm. Her eyes bounced recklessly; her arms shuddered and her chest was a mass of rolling waves. Beads of sweat, an unease, covered her—drenched. Mari's head bobbed unsteady, detached. Strange. Her breaths were caught, stolen, hidden, and erratic.

Anise attempted to peel the girl-madam off her, but Mari's nails were lodged deep in her flesh—already, blood began to gather like a fresh spring gouged from frozen earth. Mari was tilting her entire being to and fro while muttering, "No, no, no!"

A sharp pain assaulted Anise. Mari yanked her lodged nails across Anise's skin. Out of reflex, Anise pushed Mari away. Mari fell back and off the bed, banging her head on the hard wooden floor.

"Mari," Anise screamed. She scrambled to the girl-madam.

The girl-madam was shaking. She held her head with both hands covering her ears. Mari buried her head into her nightdress. Anise approached her and hugged her.The girl-madam whimpered, whined, sniffled, and cried. The girl-madam took short breaths. She has forgotten how to breathe.

Anise hugged Mari with more strength, more warmth. It was not enough. The girl-madam bursted from her hold. She kicked Anise away, screaming. She ran and slammed into the dresser. The mirror fell. Shattered. Soon, the girl-madam was covered in cuts.

Anise approached Mari once more. Mari held a shard of glass tightly that it dug into her own flesh. She kept screaming "No", and her frame shook and rocked madly about.Anise felt faint. "Someone, go get Aunt Elspeth," she called at last. "Quickly!"

The noise sent Mari into a frenzy. She slashed at the air around her. Mari caught eye of Anise again. Her eyes grew sharp and strange.

"Don't come," Mari shouted. She waved the glass shard around recklessly. She cried and screamed. "Don't come! Don't come!"

Anise moved slightly, and Mari fell into a frenzy. The little girl-madam rushed at Anise. And Anise could only dodge the little girl for fear of harming her.

At long last, the familiar burst of the door arrived. Aunt Elspeth stumbled into the room in a drunken stupor—a bottle of wine still in her hand. She bumped into a wall and slid down against it. Her priestess robe slipped from her shoulders and her long legs sprawled across the wooden floor. Though it seemed strange how that would even occur, for the robe was made of paper—paper which stuck to skin closely like dew upon leaves. It was a curious attire: various scrolls of parchment were layered on top of the beautiful priestess's body, draped like some exotic vase-shaped raincoat with a pleated bottom. Even stranger was the ink upon the parchment which slithered like snakes across the white paper: devouring letters, spewing new runes, and moving from paper to flesh and flesh back onto paper.

And what casted the most contrast was not the ink on white paper, but the intense white of the priestess's hands—not even hands with flesh and skin, but the very bones underneath laid bare, held together by the very magic which held the priestess's attire together. Though the runes on the surface of the bones were not of ink: each curve and edge was carved into the marrow of the bone, leaving the now oranged red of blood peeking out like miniature suns. Yet, despite the oddness of these bone hands, they attached to the wrist beautifully and seamlessly like delicate branches of a cherry tree in bloom.

"For the love of the gods," She moaned as she looked upon the scene with groggy dark eyes. Pitch black inhumane eyes—no irises, just deep blackness. Deep blackness which dribbled to the underside of her eyes, leaving intricate markings like those of a jester. Aunt Elspeth took a swig of her bottle. She scowled; the bottle was empty. She smashed the bottle onto the ground. She cracked her neck and grunted. "Bloody T'han. I'm out of liquor. It's not even noon—I'm hungover and tired as all hell. And Mari has got a dagger in her hands. So who the fuck do I kill to get a piece of mind? Pray tell me."

"Aunt-"

"Anise, I didn't suffer through the many long excruciating years of training to be called aunt like some old hag," the young woman muttered. She immediately punched the wall. "Damn this headache. Makes me want to kill a bitch! Fuck!"

Anise scowled and said, "Antistita Industria, as your employer, I command you to restrain Meredith Tan'ae and apply an Alleure of Rationale immediately."

"As my employer?" Aunt Elspeth snorted as she ruffled her blonde locks. "How quick the rich forget and grow haughty: ten years ago, I was the one who kept the both of you from starving and being whored out to filth—and that was out of goodwill for you mother; if she was not my oldest and bestest friend, I would have personally sold you to the dogs. I came here of my own will. I can leave as I wish."

Anise slid past Mari once more, grabbing Mari's arm and nudging her elsewhere. Anise spoke sharply. "Aunt Elspeth, it's been 10 years. I know you are just trying to get a rise out of me, so please do your job and help me out. Really! I almost got cut just now."Aunt Elspeth rubbed her face vigorously. She groaned, " Stop yelling; the room's turning and turning and turning. And how many times do I have to repeat myself, call me Sister Elsie -- I don't even have wrinkles yet. Furthermore, it is your own fault that Mari went on a rampage."

Anise spun behind Mari and pushed her back. She kept dodging. Anise replied, "Yes. Yes, I know. However, we made an ius, an oath. You are bound to help me."

Aunt Elspeth traced the grooves in the walls. She said in a daze, "Honey, we made that oath when you were a child. I'm not going to take that seriously. Also, it is your mother that I love and care for, and it is also your mother that pays me. As of this moment, Mari is quite content on stabbing you full of little bitty holes till you are dead, and as her faithful friend and servant, I am not quite willing to betray that want of hers." The high priestess yawned as she pulled her body inwards and closed her eyes.

Anise muttered with irritation in her voice, "Sister Elsie, I will have one of the servants go buy you the freshest barrel of peppermint mead from Ysgor, if you do what I say."

Aunt Anise held up 5 fingers.

"Fine, 5 barrels." The young lady relented as she narrowly avoided her own death.

The priestess shook her head and said, "For five months."

Anise was about to utter a retort, but failed to do so as her mother almost jabbed the glass shard into Anise's ribs.

"Fine! Fine!" Anise screamed urgently. "So please help, Sister Elspeth!"

Finally, the priestess dragged herself up and stretched her tired joints. "Elsie, call me Sister Elsie, you damn brat."

"O, per meam potestātem: do vitam atramento," the high priestess yawned as she lethargically pitched one of her hand forward; likewise, numerous serpents of interconnected runes sluggishly flowed from her bare shoulders to the very tip of her bone fingers and coagulated into heavy black drops, almost as if deformed blackberries skewered upon the piercing edge of her fingers.

Aunt Elspeth took a deep breath. Her eyes sharpened. She flicked her wrist and the ink shot forward like arrows. The arrows converged into two great twin serpents with rippling scales which flayed off and quickly became ink once more.

Mari saw those serpents and grew more crazed. She screamed terribly. The little girl-madam ran towards the serpents with her glass dagger.

The serpents collided with Mari. Intangible when faced with harm; indestructible when striking at full force. The collision knocked Mari back and onto the ground. The ink coiled around the girl-madam's small body. The serpents devoured Mari whole; they drowned her in ink until her body twitched once and laid still—held and confined in a great sphere of ink.

"Don't worry, Mari's not dead. I may be a drunk bitch, but I was once revered." The high priestess said as she walked briskly towards the bubble.

"'Was revered' doesn't make me any more calm," Anise muttered under her breath.

"Honey, please. I am the great Antistita Industria," Elspeth said. "I do not make mistakes—else I don't get paid."

The priestess snapped her fingers: simultaneously, the bubble collapsed and Mari fell to the ground and a flame ignited between Aunt Elspeth's pale bone fingers. Mari laid face-down on the wooden floor. Aunt Elspeth kicked the girl-madam so that she would flip over. The priestess cracked her knuckles. The priestess pulled the girl-madam's nightgown over her stomach. Mari's stomach had numerous pale markings—scars—engraved.

With her flame, Aunt Elspeth pressed her finger upon the markings and traced the path of many twists and swirls with practiced movements. As Aunt Elspeth traced the markings, Mari writhed in agony for the fire tore at the skin to engrave deep into the flesh the markings.

"Hold her down. Make sure she doesn't bite her tongue," Aunt Elspeth said tersely.Anise did as she was told. She grabbed a cloth-doll from the bed and shoved it inside Mari's mouth, and she restrained both of Mari's arms.

"Can't you hold her legs down as well? She's got a damn good kick even unconscious," Aunt Elspeth complained as she dodged a stray flailing of the girl-madam's legs.

"I only have two arms, Sister Elspeth," Anise muttered.

"Sister Elsie—repeat after me, Elsie. El-see," the priestess replied in her usual aloof manner. She continued to trace over the faint scars of previous markings; the rivers of fire had converged now, a picture became clear: a great geometric flower centered on the girl-madam's navel. "Be careful that she does not slam her head; I will apply the final touch soon."

Anise grimaced and managed to position Mari's head onto her calf whilst still restraining both of Mari's arms.

Aunt Elspeth traced the last line of the flower. She snapped her finger and the fire upon her fingers vanished, and immediately she jabbed her index finger into Mari's navel.The girl-madam jolted and arched her back. She chomped down hard on the cloth-doll with such force that the stuffing bursted out from the doll.

Blood bubbled up from the girl-madam's navel and spilled out like waves. The blood ran to meet the rivers of fire. Once mixed, the fire flared once and went out. The markings were now soot-black. Mari laid still, frothing at the mouth with damp cotton hanging from the corner.

Aunt Elspeth dug her bone-finger deeper into the girl-madam's navel. The girl-madam arched her back in response. Still, the priestess tore away at skin and flesh till the last knuckle of her index finger was buried in the navel. Blood was unable to pour forth.The girl-madam came to conscious now; she thrashed about madly. Anise held her down with all her strength. The young lady whispered consolations.

The priestess bit the index finger of her other hand so blood would flow. She painted a mark on the girl-madam's forehead.

"To stop the bleeding," she said heavily.

Then she withdrew her other bone-finger from the navel. True to her words, blood did not pour from the navel; nor was there a gaping hole. The priestess then traced the black markings with Mari's blood, the sharp edge of the finger digging and tearing into the skin. The girl-madam kept squirming throughout the entire process.

Once done, the priestess placed her hands over the stomach of the girl-madam and pressed down. She whispered some phrases quickly.

Mari was calm now. She did not move or squirm. She looked at the other two people with clear eyes, cold eyes but clear.

"She's fine now. If you don't let go of her arms, Meredith will punish you even more," the priestess said with a yawn. She shuffled her feet to Meredith's bed and flopped onto it and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Anise let go of the girl-madam's arms with hesitation.

Meredith sat up and faced Anise. She collected herself in a quiet manner.

"Why do you wish to become a hero, Anise?" Meredith spoke in her stoic manner. She tilted her head, though no expression showed. "I am of clear-mind now. Speak. I have not much time. Already I am behind schedule. I must hurry to a meeting with the Merchants Guild."

Anise quickly adopted a kneeling position and lowered her head. She spoke slowly and quietly, but also with respect.

"Dearest mother," she said, "I have no other desire but to become a Hero. Would you not grant me your blessings?"

"I have calculated such a decision," Meredith replied. "You will suffer a life much inferior than the life of a baron's wife. There is little reward for the incredible risk that shall befall you."

"Mother-"

"Quiet, child. As you acknowledge, I am your mother. As your mother, I must think of your well-being and future. I have decided this to be the best future for you in all circumstances," the girl-madam said. She made a motion to get up.

"What of love," Anise asked. "Would I be loved and will I love if I am coerced into this arrangement?"

The girl-madam put on a face of confusion. "Coerced? Preposterous. I and the baron have negotiated this marriage for quite some time. This is a marriage with the consent of both parents and is of a legal, noble arrangement."

"But I do not love him! I have never even spoke to him privately," Anise cried with her hands on her heart.

"Ladies do not say 'but'. And it is best that you have not spoken to him privately prior to marriage. It would be disastrous if rumors were spread of your looseness. And of love, you will come to love him—you will come to be happy with what has become of your life. In life, you must come to love what is given."

"What of father then? Did you not truly love him?" Anise asked bitterly. "I will not listen to the words of a hypocrite. You loved father and he loved you; sure, life was hard, but you guys were happy. So why can't I-"

"Enough!" She said sharply. "This foolish subject shall be mentioned no more. Becoming the baron's wife will surely keep you safe from men, from beasts— and from any danger that exists."

She got up and called for her servants, "Claude! Francesca! Escort the Antistita Industria and my daughter out of my room. I must change; I will not need breakfast; prepare my carriage; relay to the Antistita that I leave my daughter's punishment to her. Oh! and please send for a healer the Aalok clergy. My daughter has gotten deep gashes in her arms. It would be disastrous if the baron's family catch sight of her injury."

"What of the slices on your feet?" Anise asked.

Meredith responded with a wave of her hands, "I shall be fine. I must hurry to my meeting. Now, please leave—I must change."

Anise gave one last look toward Meredith and followed the servants out. Aunt Elspeth had to be dragged off the bed and to the halls. Anise lingered in the halls while Aunt Elspeth slept against the walls and mumbled to herself. When Meredith came out, she gave no parting to the two and rushed to the stairs. Finally, Anise woke Aunt Elspeth up with a nudge to her ribs after the servants announced that food has been prepared.

Author's Note: So far, I am keeping my promise to update on Sundays. This was a long chapter, mostly because I felt inspired by Tolkien and included that entire creation myth section. Those who are still reading are either, A.) into slow-paced stories, or B.) see potential in this becoming fast pace once shit hits the fan. To both, I thank you. Enjoy your Sunday.

So the new update screwed up the formatting for the chapters. So I fixed it. I wouldn't have known if it wasn't for me wanting to edit the chapters regardless. I see them stats on the fiction page, like interact with me. Please! ;-;

I am lonely`