The Lost Thunderstorm

Chapter 18 - Blood of the Blessing

"Ok Haddasah, you will be staying here," explained the princess to her beloved horse. The mare looked up at her as if she were crazy. "I know that this place is a little scary, but I firmly believe this place is the opposite of that. This place is a burial ground for...memories and loved ones. Loved ones that have been forgotten," she said looking down as she was putting her pillow and bedding in a neat pile. "The only reason people say and believe this is a maze is because they've never been here. But, do you honestly believe would never want ANYONE to visit his beloved mount? I would share your greatness with anyone." Isadora smiled at her mare.

The mare looked at the waterfall and snorted. She finally looked back at her owner as if giving her permission to go through. "I will come back for you, of course. We do need each other. Though I do not know how long I will be in there, you will be comfortable for sure."

She finished putting her things near the saddle and made sure her mare was good. Isadora walked up the side leading toward the waterfall and grabbed a torch off the wall. She kept going up the pathway and got closer to the waterfall until the path was no more. Looking back at her mare, she was certain the animal would be fine but she couldn't shake this feeling that she would come out with more information than she had intended to reach for.

Isadora looks up at the waterfall takes a deep breath and walks onto the grass. The water splashes her on top of the head and wet her dress. "Gods! That water is freezing!"

She comes up a long corridor that is still lit from when the Prince must have been there days before her. Marble pillars shot through the roof of the cave and in between them was the dirt, as if all of this was filled up. As she kept walking, she noticed specks of bright blue contents. They were mixing into the dirt and pillars.

"This is not your usual cave writings."

While she slowly walked, she noticed that the specks turned into almost bright blue lightning rays that now seemed to be veining the walls, pillars, and roof. Isadora kept walking and now she didn't need the lantern because the bright blue rays were illuminating the corridor. She finally came up to a massive area where it looked like it had been covered. Everything was marble and the steps leading up to the massive circular area were a bit intimidating as if you would be judged by the gods.

The princess walked up the marble steps and onto the altar. Three gods stood in place: the one to her left held what looked to be chainmail, the other male god was to her right and he had a shaffron, and the last god was a female goddess and she had a silver saddle in her arms.

She stepped closer to the goddess inspecting the saddle for Detranium, upon closer inspection she noticed that the goddess was crying: blood. The tears ran down the goddess' dress and feet and like a little river down into the middle of the altar. "Strange. Why would the Lady of Blessings be weeping?" Isadora moved closer and knelt on the marble floor. Suddenly the floor began to move.

Isadora quickly shuffled back on her bottom and started to get up when the floor opened up. Like two slides, the doors opened and a small smoke came out.

She stood up and approached with caution. There, in ice and frozen in time, the horse Detranium. He looked to be resting, "Still your coat is shiny. I cannot believe I did not pay my respects earlier." She sighed and looked back up at the goddess and then back down at the horse, "Do you by chance know where your descendant was headed? Or why our Lady of Blessings is crying blood?" Isadora reached to touch the ice that held the animal. "That's ok. Some questions are better left unanswered."

She laid down on the ice and her tears made their way off her insides and onto ducts. "Why am I here? Why do I care so much? I should be at the castle. At home. At home with my sister laughing at the next joke we say. Why do I care so much about getting married to someone who doesn't give to shits about me?!" Now she was weeping. Her tears made it to the ice.

"I feel so stupid. So naive." Isadora kept weeping.

Whispers started to echo in the chamber. She lifted her head. Looked at both male gods, but they were quiet. So she looked at the goddess and the whispers got louder.

"Two hearts make one...two are one...a heart is treacherous...and yet a blessing...return...seek the one who refused...cursed...cast away my blessing...his blood...bring me his blood...his blood must repent...my weeping...it hurts...the blood...of my blood...the blessings were plenty..."

Isadora dried her tears from her cheeks. "The last person to be here before me was the Prince. Good heavens. What has he done?"