The Gift of Life to the Goddess Zena

She went willingly, a sacrifice to the goddess!

(f, mf)

By: Edward Merry

 

Island of Salvation, 12th century

Niela had always known that she was special. She had been told this by her parents at an early age. On  her 18th birthday, she was aware of being looked at by the women and men folk of the village, but she did not know what awaited her or what her fate would be.

Then it all happened.

She was ordered before the elders of the tribe. She went to see her parents and to ask them what was going to happen to her. They told her that all would be revealed but she must obey the elders and do what they commanded. It was very important to the people of the island. This she willingly agreed to. So she was led the sacred temple. She had visited this place many times. Its dark and foreboding altar made her tremble, seeing it again still filled her with fear.

She was led into a small room by one of the women elders and was told to remove her clothes. The woman gazed at this young virgin girl as she removed her flimsy dress, for the young girls of the tribe only wore very loose coverings. She let her long flowing dress fall to the floor. She stood naked, the women took in the beauty of her firm round breasts, her slender hips, and her long, slender legs. Her long flowing black hair flowing down her back, the woman thought to herself.

Yes, she is worthy to serve the goddess. She would make a worthy offering.

The woman gave her a fragile gold costume that was very revealing. It had gold strands that just covered her sex and the peaks of her breasts. The roundness of her blood-red nipples showed through the chains that covered her virgin breasts and went over her shoulders to fasten at her back. The costume left nothing to the imagination; all her beauty was laid bare for all to see. The woman was aware of Niela's fear of being near naked; she took her by the arm and reassured her that this was how the elders received all the virgin girls brought before them. She again told her that she was special to her people. This seemed to give Niela confidence for the task she was sent to perform for the waiting men and women. She was asked if she was ready to go and stand before the elders.

"I am," she replied.

She was led into a very large room, the walls were covered with engravings that looked many years old. She gazed at the outline of young girls being sacrificed. Was this to be her fate? She looked at the elders seated in a sort of semi-circle. They were all wearing scarlet robes and gold chains of office around their necks. One man was wearing a long golden belt from it hung a long dagger. Was this the instrument for her own sacrifice? She was filled with fear as she was ordered to stand before him. He began to speak to her. "My child do you know why you have been brought here?"

To this, Niela replied, "Sir to serve my people, but I do not know what is required of me." At this he held up his hand. "Kneel before me, and all will be told unto you." They brought a gold cushion for her to kneel on, and then the man who she supposed to be the high priest began to unfold to her the mystery of her fate....

"You see, my child, you have known for some time that you are very special to us, for you were conceived by your parents upon the sacred altar. To this you must return."

At this, Niela was about to speak but again he held up his hand. "You wish to ask what is required of you. My child, it is the law of your people that we must honour the goddess. You know of whom I speak?"

Niela replied, "You speak of the goddess Zena."

"That is correct my child. You have been well informed. Your parents are to be thanked."

"We honour the goddess by giving to her one whom we see as worthy to serve her. My child, you are the one who was chosen as an offering. Even before you were born, you were to serve the goddess in this way. Your parents made this promise to the goddess, a promise that must be kept." He looked at this young maiden and spoke softly to her. "Do you understand what I am asking of you?"

Niela looked round at the faces waiting for her reply. She spoke in a confident voice. "My lord and elders, is it I who you ask to be the one chosen to serve the goddess with my life."

She already knew the answer as the high priest replied, "It is so."

"Then when will this be, my lord?"

"He told her, "Today mark's the passing of your eighteenth year, my child. Stand, for your sacrifice will be at this day's end."

Niela was grateful that she was sitting, for she would have fainted if she had been standing up. But the woman seemed to anticipate her movement, for she came to her aid and lifted her to her feet. Niela seemed to gain strength as though the goddess was helping her. She heard him continue. "You have come before us, and we are pleased with you. Are you willing to go to the sacred altar and shed your blood for your people? It is the highest honour we can bestow on such a young virgin."

Niela now knew why she was so special. It was to be her blood that would stain the sacred altar. She replied for all to hear in a voice showing no fear. "I am willing to be sacrificed to the goddess Zena. I will be her willing servant."

The girl was taken to a room to rest, for the day was only half done. She took off her gold chain garment and went naked into the sacred fountain. She felt the warm water on her body as though she were already giving herself to the high priest, and her impending death upon that dark foreboding altar. She rested, and the time seemed to stand still.

Then it was time.

The woman came again and told her to dress in the gold chains. This she willingly obeyed. The day was now dark for the hour was late. The altar was lit by a hundred glowing candles. Niela was led up to the high altar. The high priest gazed upon this young virgin. Her beauty was not for this world; it was right that no man would taste the fruits of her body and no man's seed would enter between her naked thighs into the treasure of her sex. So it was that she was given to the man who was to send her to her death. She would have given her body to him if he had wanted it, for he stood looking at her with desire in his eyes

"Come, my child, stand before your people." She turned to face the on-looking crowd. All waiting to see her virgin blood flow down the sacred altar. The high priest came behind her. and pressed on her shoulder to make her kneel down. Then he placed his hands under her arms on felt her virgin breasts, caressing the blood red nipples that soon would have real blood flowing down them. He uplifted them in his hands and offered them to the goddess.

He then turned her sideways on to the people and made her lie down, this time pinning her shoulders to the floor. He then gently caressed her sex. She moaned with delight as his fingers went deep into her, for she knew that this was the only time she would feel the delights of a man's touch. She abandoned herself to his touch and caresses and felt the world spin around her as the honour of the night and the pleasure of his touch drove her to the heights of blinding, gasping ecstasy, making her shudder and shake and cry out to the goddess.

When she had climaxed, the high priest lifted her onto the sacred altar. The altar was very narrow, and her hands overhung at the side, her head overhanging very slightly over one end, while her feet overhung at the other. He removed the fragile gold chain garment from her body. Now she was completely naked as was the law's requirement. She heard the high priest offer her up to the goddess and felt the coldness of the sacred dagger as it was placed in the valley of her breasts. The on-looking crowd saw Niela stretch herself out on the altar as though she was abandoning herself completely to her sacrifice. They looked as she drew one of her feet to her other knee, and outstretched her arms by her side. The high priest lifted the dagger again as he made his final intonement. His sacrifice lifted herself slightly on her elbows to receive the dagger.

"In the name of Zena, I sacrifice this young virgin, a true and pure specimen of woman flesh."

With this, he raised the dagger high above his head. Niela looked up into his face, but all she saw was him looking up to the sky. Then, the hands of the high priest came down, carrying the death thrust of that sacrificial tool. He brought it down with such force that it shattered Niela's breast bone, striking into her heart. The emotion of the moment overcame her, and Niela screamed in terror and threw her arm up to cover her face. She felt a burning like a red hot flame, then blackness as the spirit of death came and claimed her.

She did not feel the two young lovers as they took each other's naked bodies over her bloodstained body, making their pact with the goddess to give their young daughter to her on the evening of her eighteenth year.