Ana's Story

5 years have passed since Aron defeated the Demon Lord. 5 years outside the temple, but Ana-Maria still isn't used to this new life. She spent 15 years in the temple after arriving there during her fourth birth year and those long entrenched customs and traditions were hard to shake. She still prayed to Liru every morning and every night, but the power she once had was gone, and even when she felt that spark come back during prayer, when her husband took her to bed once a week, she felt it slip away again.

However, she didn't complain. Her life was good. She had the farm she'd always dreamed of, and a loving husband who worked hard to keep her dream alive. So she wasn't ungrateful, and she used what she had learned at the temple to grow herbs and flowers which she turned into medicine and sold at the market in town. Yes, despite losing her power, she was happy with her new life.

Then one day changed all that. It started out as normal as any other day. Ana woke at the same time that Aron did, almost as soon as day broke. He got up early to go work at the forge in town, but she was used to rising early. Every morning at the temple, the head priestess would have all the girls get up at daybreak to say a prayer of thanksgiving to Liru. Now, when Ana got up, her first priority was to make breakfast while Aron chopped wood. They ate together and then he kissed her cheek to say goodbye. She watched from the door as he began his short journey into the nearby town of Coh.

When her husband was gone Ana-Maria went into her room and closed the door. She put a sheet over the window creating her own dimly lit sanctuary, where she knelt in the center of the room, in front of the bed and bowed her head in reverence of Liru. She prayed a hymn of thanksgiving with her tongue, while in her heart she held all the bounties that Liru had blessed her with. A loving husband, a warm home, land to call their own, that her garden grew well and prospered, for the money she made at market, for the money Aron made, for employment, for all of these blessings and more that Liru still gave her despite her body no longer being pure.

In truth this prayer should have been conducted in the nude, whist hand in hand with her sisters, but ever since she had left the temple she no longer felt comfortable to give thanksgiving in that way. When she was done with the first prayer, then then recited a short protection chant, holding in her heart her husband and her home, so that they would be safe and well throughout the day. But just like every other prayer she recited nowadays, it felt empty and she wasn't sure it had worked at all.

Afterwards, she took down the sheet and opened the door and then began to clean her home, just as she had once cleaned the temple following her early morning prayer of thanksgiving. It brought a small smile to her face to think that she was still so stuck in her ways. But her smile soon faded when she heard footsteps approaching and looked out the kitchen window to see Aron almost running back home, with two soldiers marching beside him on both flanks. She could see the Coh insignia on their coats and knew immediately that they belonged to the town militia. It had only been little over an hour since he left.

She ran to the door to meet him and immediately asked what was going on.

"There are reports of a Demon Lord in the valley. He attacked a wagon headed in this direction and sent with them a message for a hero named Aron. 'Come and finish the job you started', it said."

"It could be a trap," she warned him.

"I know, but I still have to go and find out. What kind of hero would I be if I just ignored this call? And that's why I'm not going alone." He nodded over his shoulder to the two pikemen. "It was all the mayor could spare but it's better than nothing."

"I'll come with you," she said immediately.

"No, you should stay here. I couldn't bare to see you hurt, and besides, someone who knows the situation should be here to tell the others." Aron insisted. "If I don't return by night fall, tell the mayor to raise the alarm."

She bit her tongue because she didn't want to argue just as he might be going off to his . But she knew those were just sweet sounding excuses. The real reason he wouldn't take her along, unlike when they went into the cave to face the Demon the first time, was because she was powerless now. She was weak and without the power of Liru she would only get in the way, or be a distraction for Aron.

So she said nothing and just kissed her husband goodbye for what might be the last time. When she broke the kiss she was slightly breathless and flushed in the cheeks, although she went redder when she saw that the pikemen outside had been watching. She could feel their eyes on her body, perhaps wishing that they had a wife to kiss them goodbye too. Aron kissed her cheek as if he hadn't noticed the other men looking at her, and then left.

Even though she couldn't go with him, she couldn't just sit around and wait. Instead she got busy, going to her garden and plucking the finest herbs and plant leaves. She took them into the kitchen and ground them up and boiled some to make ointments and salves. If her husband was successful and did return, she anticipated that she might need all the medicine she had. Soon the kitchen was awash with the aromatic smells of sideritis, dill and sage.

But still Ana felt unsettled. Only a couple of hours had gone since she kissed him goodbye, and she knew he wouldn't be back for some time but the wait was killing her. She felt like she could be doing more. And times called for measures. So, once again, she went to her bedroom and closed the door. She hung a sheet to block the window and then burned oregano and thyme as incense while she slowly removed her woolen dress and under garments. She folded her clothes neatly and laid them on the bed, before going to stand in the center of the room.

Completely naked, she took a deep breath of the incense, her breasts rising and jiggling slightly as her lungs filled with the scent. As she exhaled, she knelt in the same spot where she had been in the morning. Just as had done then, she began to recite a prayer of protection over her husband. In her heart she once again brought her husband, this time in battle and asked Liru to safeguard him. She remembered how tough the first battle had been, how the muscular demon lord had almost been too strong for her warrior husband. Had it not been for the protection prayer, he would have died. She shut her eyes tighter and recited the prayer even louder.

Not only did it feel like it wasn't working, but Ana felt as though she were dishonoring the goddess by knelling before her with her naked, impure body. Dark thoughts of self-doubt and self-criticism began to swarm her mind. Presenting her defiled body was a slight to the goddess and her teachings. She was worse than an unbeliever. Ana had chosen the flesh and worldly feelings and yet she mocked Liru by still demanding protection. She slowly stopped chanting and almost began to cry. She felt stupid, despicable and above all, dirty.

The sounds of the outside door tore her from her thoughts. Despite knowing that it was too early for him to have returned, she hoped against hope that it was Aron. But as she made it back up onto her feet, the bedroom crashed open.

"Hello again, white witch."