Nigkala Tales Pt. 36: Somebody's Watching

I knew it was too powerful for me to exorcise, but an exorcism should weaken its defenses, especially as I had its name. I used that as my attack spell, and augmented it with another spell designed to slow it, but for that one, I used the Celtic Ogham alphabet so that it would aid the exorcism. Suddenly, my blade went deeper, and its regeneration was slowed.

"My name! How could you know? I shall not only destroy you, but I shall rip your mind apart into tiny fragments - you won't even know up from down."

When I answered, my voice sounded like an ancient recording, with scratches and crackles in it. I realized the electricity in the air was augmenting my voice, as though it was also speaking. "You are not my doom, but rather I am yours." Then, I triggered the dimensional enchantment on my blade.

The cuts went deeper, and almost immediately, it made a mistake I could exploit for a headshot. I couldn't help a small snicker, as I swung through its neck, and sent its head flying.

I thought it would die then, but it didn't. Somehow, the head was still controlling the body, but with difficulty. So I hit it with another exorcism. That almost did the trick. The demon still lived, but the body fell still. I scanned it with Inanna's power to find its heart, and plunged my blade deep through its heart. As I did that, I used Everest's power to create a large, flawless diamond. Then I began a talisman ritual, to steal its power. However, I used separate spells to push the evil into the diamond and bind it there. Lastly, I tried with pure will to strengthen the good nature of the blade and make it cleanse any evil that remained. At some point, I stopped spinning, but the whirlwind continued, and the lightning within it got even more intense.

While I felt its remaining evil diminishing, I remained as I was - focused, and willful. Finally, I felt something snap, and there was no more evil outside the diamond, save for the bound soul. I backed off my efforts, and the whirlwind died down. I saw what remained of the demon's physical form was a shriveled and desiccated husk, even the head. Looking at the diamond on the sand, it was a softly glowing transparent-white surrounding a center so black, I could not register it.

Suddenly, from behind me, I heard, "Flawless victory."

I spun, and saw Inanna and Isis, both bowing slightly to me. Seeing them, I realized it was Inanna who spoke. I bowed deeply to them, and said, "Hello, Queen Inanna, Queen Isis. Is all well?"

Isis responded, "Yes. He who watched, was watching the valley, not knowing of the connection to you. You defeated him unaided. And it was the detection spells I taught you that allowed you to learn the nature of your enemy before you faced him."

Inanna added, "Your victory was indeed flawless, your enemy is powerless, and you have made a new talisman."

"I succeeded?"

"Yes. Look at your sword. It is now a sacred sword. Within, it now holds the demon's power, cleansed of its evil. When you wish, its sacred aspect can surround you for a distance, to aid in fighting evil. With it, you have additional magic at your call. But there remains its evil, over in that diamond. Bring it to me."

I picked it up, and delivered it to her.

She concentrated, and the glow of the diamond increased, and pushed inward. The black void in the center shrank, and soon disappeared. She returned it, saying, "Study the knowledge in here to learn the demon's power. But be careful, meditate to fully understand the consequences of using the powers, for the demon viewpoint is that of a callous user, not a benign saint."

"Thank you, my queen." I bowed again.

By the time I rose from my bow, they were gone. Not even footprints marked their presence.

There was silence for almost a minute, as I contemplated the new talisman and knowledge stone. Then I heard some noise behind me, yet again.

This time, it was Bret. "Is it over? Who were those women? They were beautiful. What did they say?"

"Slow down. It is mostly over, but not quite. Those were two of my goddesses, Queen Inanna was the sensual one, and Queen Isis was the, well, not exactly, virginal one."

Bret's eyes got big. "Oh my god. No, goddesses."

"Not yours, unless you want to worship them, but ones I follow. I have served as a priestess to both in their temples. But there is still the matter of Kate Demon Hand over there." I pointed, and his eyes got big again.

"That's her? I thought you said you killed her."

"No, I defeated her. And the demon came to collect her soul. Now it is here. Her body is long gone, but souls are a bit longer lasting. We need to do something, as we cannot leave her free to wreak havoc. I shall help you make a talisman with her power. It will drain her to powerlessness, and then I shall deal with the remnant afterwards. I have already taught you the steps; now, show me what you have learned."

Although I was feeling kind of wiped out by the fight, I found both the sword and the desert were restoring me. I checked each step of Bret's work, and I invoked the sacred aura of my blade as I stood next to him. I told him it was to keep the evil from entering his talisman, but it would make it harder for him to pull in her power. He worked quite hard with his mind to accomplish it, but with my subtle aid, and assistance, he was able to do it. He now had his first talisman, with much of the power of a great mage, and perhaps half of her knowledge.

I cautioned him about the latter, saying, "You gained part of her knowledge. Being incomplete, it may be missing crucial things, so don't trust it. Rather, use it as inspiration for your research. Knowing part of a spell can help learning other parts."

"Again, thank you, master."

"Why the 'master', suddenly?"

He paused to gather his thoughts. "In much, you treat me as an equal, even when teaching me as a student. But today, it was clear, I was far less than you, and you were helping me. So I call you 'master', for that is what you are. I do it as much to remind myself of how much there is to learn, as to let you know how I feel about you."

"A good answer. One with deep thought and reason behind it. I am your master, but my temperament is not one of rule. That is why I treat you as an equal. Yet, you are right. There are times I am far more than you. I do not seek to belittle you, rather, I just have more experience and skill."

"Also power."

"True, but much of that power is loaned by the gods, and not truly mine."

"Also true. What of the rest of her?"

I thought for a bit, then said, "She is dead. Let her be sent to the realm of the dead." I then cast the spell on her soul, and sent what was left of it to the Duat, and if she survived long enough, Osiris would judge her. I doubt she would be around, even as a soul, for much longer. Then I dispelled and removed all evidence of the battle.

"Now, it is over. This haunting is no more, and a greater and lesser evil have been defeated. We each have a talisman to explore, as well."

"You have a talisman to explore?"

"Yes. My sword has become a talisman. I took the power of the demon and bound it to the sword, but kept the evil out. That evil was imprisoned in this diamond. Queen Inanna purified it, and what remains is pure knowledge. But far more dangerous than what you have."

"I don't know if I would even want to risk seeing that knowledge."

"I'm not too keen on looking myself, but I know I will, someday. Well, tonight's task is done."

"What a night. I'm bushed, but also hungry. Not much is open now, and it'll take a while to get there."

"True, but there are other ways to achieve things. What do you want to eat?"

"A big juicy steak, with mashed potatoes, and a cold beer."

I summoned a glass table and chairs, then added plates and silverware. Lastly, I created the meal he desired. For the beer, I just summoned some from the Portable Industry's fridge. I even made and lit some candles to eat by. We both sat and enjoyed our meal. Setting the empty beer cans to the side for recycling, I placed the trash with the demon husk. Dismissing the rest, I summoned lava to burn the demon husk and trash. It was nearly three in the morning, when we parted.

I didn't get to bed until after four, but slept soundly well into the morning.

For the next week, I studied the sword, but was interrupted by getting a part as a voice actor. While that consumed a lot of time, I did manage to do some studying. I wanted to understand how it was changed, and what it had gained. In my study, the sword seemed subtly incomplete. I took some time to meditate, and finally discovered what was off. It had no name, and it needed one. With further meditation, I decided on a name. I chose to bestow it with a ritual. I brought it back to the desert, and invited Bret to share in the ritual.

I named it, "Midnight, the demon bane," to signify when and what I killed. I was surprised when the blade suddenly glowed, and runes appeared in the fuller that spelled the name out.

In my head, I heard, "Special blades need a name, and yours is special, indeed. Few weapons become talismans, but you have already used another."

Silently, I responded to Inanna, "I have?"

"Yes. Mjolnir is a major talisman of Odin. Monkey's staff is another you have encountered."

"How would you rate Midnight as a talisman?"

"One of the more powerful lesser talismans. About as powerful as the dragon tattoo, yet in some ways more useful. Now hold it aimed high a bit, and I shall bless it, as well."

I did as she asked, and I felt some of her power flow through me and into it. That felt odd, but afterwards, I could feel a faint awareness of the weapon, even when far away.

A few days later, Isis came over and asked me to stay with them for a week. I asked why, and she said it was a family matter, and would explain after I came. I told Filipe, and he said to go ahead.

I arrived in the morning, and Isis said that she would like me to spend the day with her. Not simply to be by her side, but to look through her eyes as she once looked through mine. I agreed, and we went to her backyard shrine, where she had me lay down on her altar. She then placed her hand on my forehead, and suddenly, I was looking through her eyes at my body. I could feel her thoughts of love for me, as she looked at me. I could even feel some of her lust for my body.

What surprised me, was when she turned and returned to the house. I felt her body move, and perhaps most unusual to me, I felt her breasts bounce. Her single pair were so different than my two pairs. I reached up to hold them. When the arms did as I desired, I was immediately sorry. I heard her thoughts say that she wanted to share with me, and even to indulge my desires a bit. There was no need to be sorry, as she felt that same oddness when she was in my body.

While her day might seem like an ordinary day for a housewife, with shopping, getting her hair and nails done, and so on - it was far from that, for her mind was quite active. I soon realized she must have on-the-order-of-a-thousand worshipers, as whenever any of them said a prayer to her, I heard it. I also felt her answer, be it a simple word, or a lesson in magic or religion. I felt power flow into her with the prayers, and out with her answers.

When Osiris returned, they had dinner, and Isis told him about her day, and about sharing it with me. Then, to my surprise, they went to bed. They both removed their clothes, and I felt her lust and need for Osiris. Then they had sex. It was slow, yet very passionate. I let her know I was still there, and she said to enjoy their love.

I felt it when Osiris pierced Isis, and began thrusting in a slow, deep rhythm, and I felt her body respond. In only a few minutes, she came, and when that happened, I felt it every bit as much, but with the added potency of divinity. Had I still been in my body, I think my eyes might have rolled back at the intensity. As it was, my thoughts were rather scrambled for a bit. When I could think straight, I felt him thrusting into her still. This time, both came, and again my thoughts went haywire. It seemed, as though, it didn't take quite as long for my thoughts to recover, but I wasn't sure. However, as divine beings, they both had staying power. She must have orgasmed fifty times over the course of the next four hours, and he came about half as often. At that point, they drifted off to sleep. I could still feel Osiris inside Isis, but it was slowly deflating. Soon, it popped out.

I did not feel sleepy, yet I could sense her thoughts even then. Prayers still came in, and she dealt with them, and I realized that even though she slept, that part of her was still awake. Then came her dreams. I was an observer, but I could see it all as she saw it. While there was much about today, perhaps more was from her past memories. In them, I met the other gods of Egypt, and recognized Inanna as Astarte hanging out with Seth. I learned her passions, likes, and dislikes within these dreams. I saw the pyramids built, and I saw their relationship with the people, acting through the Pharaoh. I also felt the loss of the old Egypt, and the joys of the newfound family here.

Morning came as a surprise, as the dreams were slow to leave. When Isis took her bath, and pleasured herself, I felt the ecstasy she felt, and the luxury she enjoyed with running hot water. As she dressed, I felt her take pleasure in the silky-smooth fabric of her underwear caressing her intimate parts. The outer layers were more businesslike. I knew there would be a meeting of her cult today, and I was curious. I felt her thoughts searching the city, looking for potential candidates, and as she traveled to numerous grocery stores, laundry shops, salons, and other places, I felt her sending out her influence to get women to consider checking her cult out.

Finally, it neared the time for the meeting. She went to the cult hall, which doubled as a local teaching facility, and she surprised me by setting up the web streaming of the meeting. She checked that all four cameras were working, and that the stream was live, a few minutes before the first women arrived. They greeted each other, and chatted about little things as others arrived. Finally, she called the meeting to order.

Throughout the meeting, I felt power flow to and from her. Not just to those in the room, but also to those watching remotely. I could tell she was spending more energy on the watchers, as they were less committed. When the meeting was over, the people left, and she opened up the stream for questions. She spent nearly an hour there, answering questions. I felt her joy when she sensed a new convert. She must have made over two dozen today. Finally, she shut it all down, and left. She headed home, and again, had dinner, then headed for bed.

Tonight started the same, but after a while, Osiris sensed her desire for more violent sex, and began to give her what she desired. She, too, was in tune with him, as I felt her change her own actions for him. They both came about as often as last night, before slipping off to sleep. This night's dreams were centered more on her worshipers and her priestesses. I met some of her favorites in those dreams. I also learned a lot of what she taught them. While I already knew most of it, but there were some things I didn't know. And because I was in the dream, looking at it from her side, I learned a lot more than she taught because I experienced glimpses of her thoughts about what she taught.

In the morning, she again bathed, pleasured herself, and enjoyed getting dressed. After breakfast, she headed to her shrine, and placed her hand upon my forehead, and suddenly I was back in my body.

"Wow."

"I wanted you to see the world as I saw it."

"I knew gods were busy, but I never thought about how you lived each day."

"Oh, we're not busy. I only have about two thousand worshiping me. Back in the day, it was closer to four million. Osiris has about a thousand, but we are both gaining every day."

"I saw your dreams. I didn't mean to intrude, but I got curious."

"Good."

"Good?"

"Yes. I wanted to show you my own past, and so I chose to dream."

"I felt no decision or intention about your dreams."

"The decision was made before I invited you. Likewise the decision to make love to Osiris with you watching."

"Thank you. I will treasure the memory, even if it was a bit overwhelming."

"I thought you might, given your wanton ways. He he."

She invited me to bathe, then join her about town. Though we spoke little with each other, we spoke a lot to others all over town. Most were women, but some were younger teenage girls. She told them about her values, and how they were the same as those espoused by her cult. She handed out cards with the cult's contact info and website info to all who showed interest.

"How is it that you are now streaming your meetings and services?"

"Blame our kids. They convinced me to try it, and when I saw the results, I really dug into it. I clued in Osiris, and he also has started. However, he went for the late-night infomercial with web support, rather than my meeting-centered streaming."

Eventually we returned to her house, where the three of us had dinner. I tried to excuse myself when they went to bed, but they insisted I join them. It was similar to their first night, but often with Osiris in me, and Isis enjoying my body. Other times he was in her, and I was aiding their intercourse. When they fell asleep, I, too, was quite drowsy, and felt myself drawn into their dreams. Sometimes hers, sometimes his. In his dreams, I experienced his time as ruler of the underworld, as well as his own memories of family.

When I awoke, I saw them just rousing. They got up, and Isis invited me to her bath. We washed each other, and when she reached for my sex to pleasure me, I reached for hers. She mentioned plans for visiting several gyms today, so I dressed in a miniskirt and loose double-crop-top, but she put on lacy underwear before she put on her gym outfit. I summoned my gym bag, and she got hers, and we headed out. She told me to have fun with the guys, and that while they were busy, she'd talk with the gals.

As soon as I walked in, the guys all noticed me. Not just from my seven-foot-three height, but from the fact that my crop-top was cut to show the bottom half of my breasts. Some guys were short enough, that they needed to look up to see my breasts. The edge barely covered the areola, and as soon as I got on the treadmill, and my breasts started bouncing, the nipples started to flash. When I went and lifted weights, every time my arms went up, so did the top, and they showed my nipples and the full areola. On the leg machine, it was quickly apparent I didn't wear panties, as they could see everything.

When Isis went to the shower, so did I, but I went into the men's locker room and let the guys have their fun. Back in her car, I was surprised she didn't say anything about the sex. Instead, she told me what she was doing, and how she felt she had succeeded. Then we went to another gym, and we repeated our divide-and-conquer strategy.

Going into the last gym for the day, Isis said, "Change of plans. You go ahead and have fun. Have sex out in the open, and get them really going. I want to watch." This gym was attached to a mall.

So I did. After fifteen minutes, as the sweat was starting to show, I saw the guy next to me take his partially sweaty shirt off, so I said, "I sure wish I could take my top off."

As I expected, he replied, "What's stopping you?"

So I looked around, with a guilty face, then stripped off my top, revealing my breasts. "Oh, that feels better."

"Yeah, looks better, too."

I blushed, as though I was embarrassed. But in truth, I was playing him, and getting him and others worked up.