The empty mountain

Lerophaneth, Darkflame, channeling the tyrant queen, ego consumed by shadow

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life, and you will call it fate.”

Carl Jung

Lerophaneth stood before her host, what she thought was her host anyway, the shadowy and broken backs, the lifeless eyes and twisted forms of those lost to the shadow. Yes, this was her destiny, her fate! To rule, as her kind had always done.

She noted the arrival of her lawyer on tiny bat-like wings. Lerophaneth grinned and her fearful heart swelled with pride. Ego swollen and bloated on the suffering. Pride and desire for her throne, what she thought was her throne anyway.

She led her lawyer, the tiny succubus through the mounds of rock, being arranged in arcane forms and patterns by the undead unicorn, her magic now twisted for use by the shadow.

“So glad you can join me in person, Lilish. I never could stand those tedious meetings done over mirrors and orbs.”

“Yes indeed great one.”

Lilish shuddered with delight and looked up at the eyes and heart of her dragon client.

“It is important to be in the presence of a queen, no! A dark goddess! To gaze on her magnificence and beauty in person. A mirror could never do such a creature justice.”

She purred the words. Then let her tongue fall out from her mouth and ran a hand gently down her mistress’s scales as she spoke. The Red Fury felt that same tingle run down her spine again, she had forgotten what it was to be admired, to be worshiped, nay even to be lusted after. Her ego continued to swell.

“Flattery will get you everywhere little demonette.”

“My mistress is so very radiant and wise. Then I shall continue to do so as I serve you.”

A pegasus without wings, a medusa without eyes, a centaur with no tongue and the rotten and shadowy corpse of a unicorn, its heart removed, all shuffled past. Empty eyes, broken minds and bodies rotting, the shadow twisting through them and binding them together.

Each one and also countless more were hard work, the shadow has much to do, fear and insecurity are not passive, fear builds walls. They each hauled rock and earth, the heart of the mountain, the hag and dragons’ new lair.

The hollow mountain.

They laboured to break the earth magic, to cut its root and shatter its stone heart. To create the great and shadowed hall of a new kingdom of darkness.

It was here the old one dwelt. Her body is growing and cracking, splitting off new appendages and twisting into new forms. Bloating her foul shadowy body with suffering and death. Black Annis grew strong.

Her webs of darkness branching and twisting out to fill the great hall, descending like deathly tapestries, the souls of those taken by the shadow etched upon them, glistening with black and purple radiance in the gloom, a web of darkness and loss.

The tiny succubus strode into the vast chamber and her eyes opened wide, almost as wide as her last orgasm, almost. She exhaled breathlessly knowing her, knowing her signs, knowing her mark.

“Blood of the great Khan! You brought her back!”

The cracking and twisting of limbs, limbs with too many joints could be heard echoing around the chamber. A voice came from everywhere, whispering and calling from every shadow in the hall at once.

“She did, one of the only wise and competent things the first housedrake of the kingdom has managed.”

The whisper grew stronger, a wailing whisper. Lilish froze, she was being called, being named, being bound.

“I name thee Lilishmani Megaeryn-Budnibatis Tibathi, Lilish the Leftover, Lilish the Lamentable, Lilish of low rank, Lilish Jagutu-iin Darga, a lowly callback from a darker age, weak willed and base creature, and slave to the shadow! I NAME THEE HENCE.”

Lilish felt the great force of the night hag’s will press against her own. For a second there was resistance, there was push back, there was a battle. Then she submitted, as she knew she would, as her shadowy heart wanted, to be chained and to serve a will greater than her own, it was effortless for the will of the witch to rule her masochistic heart.

A collar of pure shadow, studded with purple gemstones appeared around Lilish’s neck. Then tightened.

She fell to the floor quivering. Face down, arms spread and palms flattened, tongue out, licking the polished obsidian ground. Collar pulling her forehead to the floor. She gasped breathlessly.

“Oh great one, wise mistress and servant of the shadow, mistress of the night and great spider of darkness. I am yours, your loyal servant, your devoted slave, speak and I shall so listen. Use me, use me mistress, use me to serve the shadow.”

Lerophaneth laughed a cruel laugh.

Pathetic creature, now she remembered why her kind consorted with the demons. Dragons were born to rule, these miserable creatures of pure magic were born to serve, to submit. She had forgotten her place, she was a dragon! Body of flesh and heart of fire, the union of hell and earth, she was the ruler, she was A QUEEN! Her daughter, no, no, no! She would be the next great dragon tyrant, by shadow and flame she would rule this earth and they would all bow before her. Or, so she thought.

The dragon spitefully and gently rubbed the succubus’s face on the stone, then returned the earlier caress. It was not lust but power that aroused the red dragon.

Lilish was having the time of her undying life.

“Now you see and more importantly feel who you serve little demonette. We are shadow and flame, and you are a pretty little moth.”

“Yes! Yes! I do, I see and oh yes I feel, great ones.”

Two gleaming white orbs and a snakelike maw, too large for the hag’s swollen body, appeared from the gloom, most of her form still hidden in shadow, she cackled viciously.

“Rise servant of the shadow, rise Lilishmani the chained, rise and obey, as is your will and your way.”

“Yes mistress.”

She rose slowly, chin tucked, hands held behind her body and eyes down, grinning ear to ear.

“Now you are suitably prepared, adorned for your rank and status, give us an update on the Crimson Half Queen’s divorce case...”

Dark words and evil laughter echoed in the great hall of the hollow mountain.

Lilishmani Megaeryn-Budnibatis Tibathi, Jagutu-iin Darga of the Demonic Horde, addicted and masochistic lover, heart willingly chained and loyal servant of the shadow.