Back to Chapter 6
Chapter Seven � The Initiate
Bab�ckt Yaga and her followers walked in silence throughout most of the
morning. At the beginning there were only three companions, two young
men and a middle-aged woman. Eventually they were joined by a young
couple armed with longbows and carrying four dead hares and a sack of
roots. Another older man later joined the group, lugging several fish.
All of Bab�ckt Yaga's companions were dressed alike. The women wore
black, long-sleeved dresses with dark red aprons, while the men wore
black robes. The women's aprons and the men's robes were embroidered
with a red skull. Everyone carried a real skull mounted on a long staff.
Even in daylight, the group had a very sinister appearance.
Danka nervously followed the others, very self-conscious about being the
only naked person in the group and not wearing a Church collar to give
legitimacy to her nudity. She continued to be scared, traveling with the
strange group and unsure if Bab�ckt Yaga really was planning to spare
her life. However, she had no choice but to follow. She knew that she
could never hope to escape from a group of people who undoubtedly knew
the woods as well as they knew the insides of their homes. Also, even if
she had been presented with the choice, Danka really did not have much
desire to escape. Mentally and spiritually, she was exhausted from the
traumatic events of the past two weeks. The more she thought over her
situation, the more she realized that she had nowhere to go. Even if she
could return to Sev�rckt nad Gor�dki, what would she do there? The first
thing people would ask her was what had happened to her master
Bagat�rckt. The thought crossed her mind that, if the horses had been
re-captured, she might already be considered a fugitive.
The group traveled along the main trail for a while, heading back in the
direction towards Sev�rckt nad Gor�dki, before turning onto a side path
that led north. As soon as the alchemists were out of sight from the
main trail, they stripped off their clothing, consolidated everything
into a cloth bag, and handed it to Danka to carry. As they ascended into
increasingly steep terrain, the naked alchemists made frequent stops to
collect berries, herbs, and roots, which they carried in sacks that grew
heavier as the morning wore on.
At midday the terrain flattened out and the group emerged into a cleared
area. There were several well-kept gardens surrounding the strangest
house Danka had ever seen. The structure was round instead of square,
but what made it truly bizarre was that it was four fathoms above the
ground, perched on top of three large tree trunks. The roots of the
trees extended above the ground, reminding Danka of enormous birds'
feet. Suddenly Danka remembered...as a child she had heard stories...of
a witch who lived in a house in the forest that stood on huge chicken
feet.
Bab�ckt Yaga did not give the newcomer a chance to rest. She collected
the hares and fish from her followers and ordered the captive to
accompany her to an open shed that contained a kiln and an outdoor
kitchen. Danka was perplexed that she did not see any firewood: instead
she noticed a large pile of black rocks. Bab�ckt Yaga directed her
attention to a stone table.
"Very well, 'bloody one', I wish to see for myself if your Temple
nickname was justified. Clean these animals so we may eat."
Danka expertly skinned and gutted the hares before preparing the fish.
Bab�ckt Yaga carefully observed the newcomer and seemed satisfied that
Danka had told her the truth, at least as far as handling meat was
concerned. The next detail the alchemist wanted to know was how well
Danka could cook. Bab�ckt Yaga called over one of her female followers
and ordered her to start cooking, with the newcomer to assist. She
ordered the captive to assist the woman normally assigned to prepare
meals. The cook questioned her and figured out that Danka knew some
recipes and seasoning techniques that were unique to the Danubian
Church, thus verifying another portion of the newcomer�s claims.
The cook ordered Danka to pick up some of the black rocks and move
them to the stove. The rocks were unlike anything she had ever seen:
heavy, totally black, and powdery. The cook then shocked her assistant
by throwing the rocks into the oven and setting them on fire.
�A secret of the Ancients. We call it cave-charcoal. It�s special
charcoal the Creator placed in the ground for us, and it burns much
better than anything we�d get from trees. When the winter darkness
descends upon us and the cold blows off the mountains, you will give
thanks many times over to the Creator for this present we have taken
from the ground.�
Hearing those words helped calm Danka�s nerves, not because
cave-charcoal was going to keep her warm over the winter, but because
the cook apparently took it for granted she would be with the group (and
thus still alive) at the end of the year.
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While her captive was busy with dinner, Bab�ckt Yaga sadly spread the
mushrooms on a drying rack to make sure they were completely dry. Later
she would take other measures to ensure they would be preserved
indefinitely, until she needed them for medicines and potions. Given the
scarcity of the species, the supply was enormous, but it also
represented the destruction of a large percentage of the world�s
remaining living specimens. Bab�ckt Yaga�s only consolation was that at
least she recovered the mushrooms and had them for her own use; that
they had not been taken to Vienna. However, they were irreplaceable.
There would be no new mushrooms sprouting up the following year to
replace the ones that accursed fortune-seeker had destroyed.
A purse of gold�how absurd�a purse of gold�if only that ignorant
dilettante had known� �the Joy of the Ancients� was worth far more than
any amount of gold.
Even though he was dead, anger against Bagat�rckt and his loathsome
pseudo-scientific friends in Vienna welled up inside the alchemist.
A purse of gold indeed�
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Danka did not have her midday meal with the others. She was not yet an
accepted member of the group and thus did not have permission to share
their table. She ate alone, sitting at the base of one of the trees that
held up that strange suspended house Bab�ckt Yaga called home. She noted
the drying mushrooms and wondered about her bucket. She had seen the
alchemist taking it up into the house with Bagat�rckt�s items, so
presumably it was still there.
After the midday meal, three followers stayed behind to clean up, while
the others departed the compound. (Later Danka would learn that Bab�ckt
Yaga had planted rare herbs and fungi all around the area surrounding
the settlement, and it was up to her followers to check on the plants to
make sure they were healthy until it was time to harvest their
ingredients.) The compound was completely empty, apart from three people
in the kitchen area. Bab�ckt Yaga approached the newcomer and ordered
her to follow her inside the raised house. She pulled a rope and a
ladder came down automatically.
The interior of the building was very carefully laid out, to take
advantage of every bit of space and still provide a comfortable work and
research area. The furnishings were simple, but were made from fine
materials and expertly crafted. One wall was completely covered by
bookshelves filled with books written in various western European
languages. Another wall was completely covered by shelves containing
jars and expensive-looking vases full of alchemy ingredients. There was
a writing desk and a table filled with very strange-looking glassware.
There were assorted storage trunks. Bab�ckt Yaga directed Danka�s
attention to neatly folded stacks of black and dark red linen.
"You will take one red cloth and one black cloth. Your first duty to me
will be to prepare a dress for yourself. In the forest we live
uncovered, as we have been created. Among the non-believers we show
ourselves in the cloth of our forbearers."
Danka took her cloth and looked at Bab�ckt Yaga, waiting for further
instructions.
"You will understand, as long as you do not speak to me as a liar, the
Ancients have called upon me to spare you. They do not want your blood,
because the blood of the ignorant and the blood of the bystander is
unacceptable for the nourishment of the earth. Do you understand me so
far?"
Danka was frightened and bewildered by the alchemist's talk of blood,
but she managed to respond that she understood. Bab�ckt Yaga knew that
her captive was not truthful; that she really had not understood.
�You just lied to me, Danka S�luckt. You are trying my patience. Answer
honestly. Did you understand what I just said?�
�I�I guess�I mean�not really� Bab�ckt Yaga��
�That�s better�somewhat, Danka S�luckt. An important rule for seeking
knowledge is to never falsely claim you understand something when
actually you don�t. You didn�t understand what I just said because there
is no way you could understand, given your ignorance. You don�t
comprehend the ways of the Ancients, so how could you comprehend my
words?�
�Yes, Bab�ckt Yaga.�
�Very well, I will give you your first lesson about the ways of the
Ancients. I said that you were ignorant and a bystander. I did not say
you were innocent. You participated in the destruction of something
precious, something that cannot be replaced. Your actions were under
duress and characterized by ignorance, but those facts do not change the
outcome of what happened. In your case, punishment is not appropriate,
but the Ancients will call on you to atone for what you did. You will
understand that punishment and atonement are different?�
�Yes, Bab�ckt Yaga. That�s one of the things the Priests taught me at
the Temple.�
�Good. Now, to enlighten you about �the Joy of the Ancients�. The name
humans gave to those mushrooms is unfortunate and erroneous. Those
mushrooms don�t bring joy; they provide something much more important.
When properly prepared with other ingredients, they provide restoration.
Those mushrooms actually have regenerative powers. I will give you an
example: myself. Would you like to guess how old I am? Try, Danka
S�luckt. Guess how old I am.�
�I�d guess�maybe�you�d look around 60�maybe 65� Bab�ckt Yaga.�
�That is the age people guess, for the most part�except that my vision
is still clear and my hearing is that of a lass. The truth is that I was
born in the year 1642. I am 109 years old. I am growing older as the
years pass, but the regenerative powers of the mushrooms have slowed the
aging process in my body. I�ve calculated that I age one year for every
four years a normal person ages. To understand the mushrooms, you must
understand that what is a blessing for me, and a few other select
Followers, is a curse for the mushrooms. The mushrooms live many decades
and mature very slowly. That also means they reproduce very slowly. When
we harvest a mushroom, we have to prepare for its replacement. We know
how to replace the mushrooms, but the process is difficult and not
always successful, so we are very sparing in our harvesting. It would be
tempting for all Followers to receive the longevity potion, but we
understand such a thing is not possible. I was granted that privilege
because of my research, my ability to perform medical operations, my
knowledge of foreign languages, my work as a translator, and my
potion-making skills. My Path in Life is to pass as much of that
knowledge as I can to my apprentices. People come into my life, they
learn skills to fight the Profane One�s curses, most of them eventually
depart, and living among the Christians they apply those skills.�
�You�d�maybe�you�d teach me some things� Bab�ckt Yaga?�
�It�s possible. First, you will be called upon to atone for your offense
against the Ancients. Once you have demonstrated your willingness to
protect the remnants of the Old World and have proven your ability to
learn, there is knowledge you can take away from here that would help
you combat the Profane One. Now. To return to the topic of the
mushrooms. Every passing year there are fewer and fewer of them, because
fortune hunters plague these forests. They seek the mushrooms for
pleasure, which is a great tragedy. We were hoping to speed up the
reproduction of the mushrooms to prevent their extinction. I am
convinced such a thing is possible, and then the restorative powers
would be available to more people. Bagat�rckt's actions set back that
goal, possibly forever. That streambed was the only place that I know of
where the mushrooms were reproducing on their own.�
Danka felt sick. She took a breath, struggling with the feeling that she
needed to add a grim detail about her outing with Bagat�rckt.
�You are troubled, girl. Speak your mind.�
�I hate to say this, but I was the one who spotted the first mushroom.
Bagat�rckt had just entered me, and I wanted to wash his filth out of my
body�so I went into the stream�and saw�I don�t know, Bab�ckt Yaga�maybe
he would�ve found them anyway�but it was I�I who spotted the mushrooms�I
wasn�t sure if it was what he was looking for�but I pointed them out�and
his whole face changed�like he was possessed.�
There was an uncomfortable pause in the conversation. Bab�ckt Yaga broke
the silence.
�Had you known what I just told you�and what Bagat�rckt did to the
streambed, what would you have done?�
�I would have thrown some leaves over them, Bab�ckt Yaga, and kept
quiet. But I didn�t. Something you should know, I guess.�
�What you said confirms what I thought about you. You were a bystander.
You were ignorant. You�re not guilty, but you�re not exactly innocent,
either. You do not deserve punishment, but you do need to atone for your
part in what happened.�
�Yes, Bab�ckt Yaga.�
�As of today, you will begin preparation for atonement. I will tell you
what you need to do when the moment comes. I will call upon you to
perform some duties that will seem strange, and appear to contradict
some of what you learned at the Temple. I am not saying that anything
taught at the Temple is wrong, but you will need additional knowledge
for your life in the forest. The ways of the Ancients, the knowledge of
pre-Christian times, are things that cannot be taught by those who do
not follow the Ancients: not by the True Believers, nor by the Old
Believers.�
Danka thought about the numerous pieces of knowledge she had learned
during her year living as a penitent. She wondered�not only about what
she had learned so far, but about the people who had taught her. She had
questions. However, at that moment she was unable to articulate them.
Bab�ckt Yaga noted her captive�s pensive expression.
�Perhaps you�d like to know what I think of the Senior Priest at the
Temple in Star�vktaki M�skt. Perhaps that is as good a starting point as
any.�
�Yes, Bab�ckt Yaga.�
�His character is flawed, which partly explains Bagat�rckt, both how he
was raised and his father�s blindness to his greed and depravity. And
yet, as flawed as the Senior Priest is as person, he does wish to
understand the Ultimate Truth. Unlike many Christians, he respects the
Ancients and has never deliberately acted against them. He wants the
Danubian Church to represent our people and our traditions, so he has
formally renounced the teachings of the Roman Church. Those are my
observations. He is a flawed man who seeks direction from the Creator.
That�s the best answer I can give you.�
�Yes, Bab�ckt Yaga.�
There was another uncomfortable pause, with the alchemist seemingly lost
in thought.
"As for his son, it is a pity...that the Profane One decided to separate
his soul from his body and deny me that privilege. Bagat�rckt's blood
would have made a fine gift, a fine gift indeed, for the Ancients."
Danka looked at Bab�ckt Yaga with a totally bewildered expression,
unsure if she understood correctly. Would she have offered Bagat�rckt's
blood to the Ancients?
�The time will come when you understand what I meant by my last comment,
when you are closer to atoning for your actions.�
Bab�ckt Yaga changed the subject.
�Your Path in Life has led you here, because it is the wish of the
Ancients. Your first duty will be to prepare your dress. Your second
duty will be to learn how to sing as the Ancients sang, in what the
Christians call �archaic Danubian�. You will leave my alchemy lab and
seek out Jasn�ckta, our best seamstress. She will guide you through the
steps needed to prepare your dress.�
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Danka spent the following two weeks putting together her outfit. She
already knew how to sew and repair poor-quality clothing, but her
previous experience was useless for preparing a dress suitable for the
Followers of the Ancients. The uniform had to be made with care and
respect. So� for two weeks Jasn�ckta patiently guided the newcomer,
cut-by-cut, measurement-by-measurement, and stitch-by-stitch as she
prepared the clothing that would become her identity anytime she left
the forest and appeared in public. Later there would be other duties,
such as gardening, food gathering, cleaning, and repairs, but all of
that would wait until her dress was ready.
Danka started with another duty the day after arriving: singing. Every
night after dark she joined the other women among the Followers
practicing hymns that were thousands of years old. The hymns were
different from the songs she had learned at the Temple in Star�vktaki
M�skt: very mysterious and with a pagan sound that was almost sinister.
Among the songs she learned was an ancient calling of seduction used in
pre-Christian temples:
Man�s first woman had fruit in her garden�
Sweet fruit no man would resist�
She knelt and offered her very best�
He came to her to indulge�
Sweetness beyond what he had known�
Man and woman joined�
I have fruit in my garden�
Sweet fruit no man will resist�
I kneel to you and offer my very best�
Come to me and indulge�
Sweetness beyond what you have known�
Man and woman joined�
During the time she worked on her dress, Danka continued to live
completely naked. After having spent a year wearing a penance collar,
she was used to not wearing anything made from cloth. However, in the
camp of the Followers of the Ancients she did not even have her collar
or her boots. Both items were locked up with her bucket. As she walked
around in the woods or performing her duties, completely devoid of any
human-made object on her body and her bare feet in constant contact with
the ground, she learned what it was to live in a true state of nature.
The black dress and dark red apron felt very strange when Danka tried
them on for the first time. In the warm summer weather the items were
hot, uncomfortable, and felt unnatural. However, the outfit would become
an important part of Danka�s life, giving her identity and marking her
as a member of a group most people would not dare to offend or cross.
As she held the finished outfit and ran her fingers over its tight
stitching, Danka saw irony in her Path in Life. Twelve months earlier,
her journey had started because she wanted a fine dress that would
attract young men to her. Now, for her trips to Sev�rckt nad Gor�dki and
the surrounding villages she did have a fine dress, but its purpose was
totally the opposite of what she had sought. No eligible young man would
dare approach her or flirt with her while she was wearing a uniform that
identified her as a Follower of the Ancients. She would be marked as a
member of a cult that maintained itself aloof from average Danubians.
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Two days before the summer solstice, Bab�ckt Yaga and most of her
followers traveled to a secret location to conduct celebrations and
sacrifices. The only members of the group who did not travel to the holy
site were the uninitiated apprentices. There were five young people in
circumstances similar to Danka: they had their outfits but had not yet
earned the embroidered skull logo or staff. For the uninitiated, the
days around the solstice were a time for relaxing, to go berry picking
and fishing, to wander about, or just to sleep.
Among the uninitiated was a reserved young man called K�loyankt. He was
from the town of Sev�rckt nad Gor�dki and spoke with an educated accent.
Danka had caught his attention from the moment she entered the
settlement. Now, with the others gone and little to distract the
newcomer, he decided to invite her fishing.
Danka accompanied him, out of boredom more than anything else. Her
feelings about going with K�loyankt were mixed. It wasn�t hard to figure
out what he wanted, but still, the idea of having a friendship with
another follower greatly appealed to her. With several weeks now
separating her from the year she had spent at the Temple, she wondered
how she tolerated living that entire time with just one person to talk
to. Also, she was curious to see what being with an upper-class young
man would be like, compared with the wretched impoverished men of her
youth and the self-centered dilettante Bagat�rckt. K�loyankt seemed
relatively trustworthy and if things with him went badly, she could talk
to Bab�ckt Yaga.
Danka followed K�loyankt along several trails to a pond that she already
had visited a couple of times. Both Danka and K�loyankt were completely
naked: even their feet were uncovered. They strolled in absolute
silence, listening for any changes or possible dangers in their
environment. When they arrived at the pond, they went swimming before
sunning themselves on some rocks and preparing their fishing lines.
It turned out that K�loyankt had invited Danka on the outing because he
needed to talk. He started by asking her about the house she had visited
in Sev�rckt nad Gor�dki. Danka was evasive with her answer, but she gave
away enough information for K�loyankt to understand that she had indeed
been there. Then he surprised her:
�You know�that fortune hunter you were with�that �master� Bagat�rckt�he
was a friend of my father. When I was a teenager, I saw him�several
times�at my father�s house.�
�Your father...it�s your father who owns that house?�
�Yes.�
��and set up that room? �and hired the servants?�
�Yes.�
�So�then�you know�you know what happened to me with Bagat�rckt?�
�Yes. I don�t need to ask you about the details, because I already know.
I saw what went on in that room many times when I was a boy. I
watched�never spoke up about it�never tried to warn any of the women. I
watched my father and his friends�never did anything, but I always felt
guilty about it. Then, last fall during the equinox�the Creator spoke to
me�told me I needed to get out of the house�.renounce my father and his
fortune�.go to the woods, and confront my Path in Life.�
�Which brought you here?�
�Yes. Just like you�well, in some ways the same and in some ways
different. I came here on my own, but I didn�t know what I was looking
for. I got lost, and Bab�ckt Yaga found me�just like she found you.
And�serving the Ancients became my Path in Life.�
�But you don�t have your skull.�
�No. I haven�t atoned for my father�s actions, so I don�t have my
skull.�
�But really, what do you have to atone for? You didn�t do anything��
��and did you? What did you do? You were a bystander who watched a
dishonorable act and did nothing. You are neither guilty nor innocent. I
am the same as you. A bystander. A witness. Neither guilty nor
innocent.�
The conversation was interrupted by a catch, a fine large perch that
would feed them both. They landed the fish and returned to the
settlement to cook and share a meal.
The next day was the day of the solstice. Danka had agreed to go with
K�loyankt for a second outing. She wasn�t interested in talking about
K�loyankt�s father, but she wanted to share some of her experiences at
the Temple and get another person�s perspective. Also, noting his
interest in her, she figured she�d make love to him if he asked. She
administered herself a dose of birth-control paste�just in case.
She followed him to the pond, admiring his naked backside as he walked.
She resisted the urge to touch him as she realized that she was aroused
and wanted him to take her. He seemed different from Bagat�rckt:
hopefully sex with him would be different as well. They picked enough
berries for a snack before going to the pond. They swam, frolicking with
each other before returning to the rocks to dry off in the sun.
K�loyankt couldn�t keep his eyes off Danka. She truly was a lovely
sight: a woman at the very beginning of her youth, her body fit from her
constant movement and evenly tanned from long hours outside, and fine
delicate features that were so different from the usual drab appearance
of a peasant-girl. K�loyankt found everything about Danka desirable,
even her rough unrefined rural accent. She was a girl of nature, totally
different from the sheltered indoor women inhabiting the fine houses of
Sev�rckt nad Gor�dki.
Danka was not sure what to expect, but she was looking forward to having
sex with K�loyankt. He was precisely the type of man she had been hoping
to attract the year before. She sat quietly, waiting for him to begin.
She had not yet discovered that women can initiate love-making just as
easily as men.
K�loyankt began by running his hands over Danka�s body. He kissed her,
starting with her neck, then moved to her lips. He was hard by the time
he kissed her breasts and sucked her nipples. She responded by running
her hands over his back. From the beginning his bottom had excited her,
so her hands moved to that part of her lover. She actively explored him,
which was something she had never tried with her first lover. K�loyankt
ran his fingers between the girl�s thighs and over her vulva. She was
wet and gasped with pleasure as he touched her.
Danka lay on her back as K�loyankt entered her. He thrust hard, over and
over. His love-making was rough and vigorous, but that was what Danka
expected. So far she had not experienced tender sex. She gasped with
delight as pleasure overwhelmed her. For the first time in her life, she
experienced an orgasm.
A few minutes later the couple was rinsing off in the water. They still
had to catch their next meal, so the romantic moment of love-making
transitioned to the practical task of sitting quietly and waiting for a
fish. During the wait, they talked.
Danka talked about her year at the Temple and her lessons with the
seminary student. K�loyankt was very impressed when she told him that in
less than a year she had learned to read, write, do simple arithmetic,
use the abacus, obtain a fundamental understanding of music, and
memorize numerous hymns.
�If you could do all that in just a year, I think you�ll learn alchemy
very quickly. I know that as soon as she returns, Bab�ckt Yaga will
start teaching you some of the recipes. You�ll have to start learning
the plants and formulas. She�ll test you to see how well you can
remember things. If your memory is good, you�ll become responsible for
tasks that are much more complicated.�
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Danka S�luckt was beginning to understand that she was blessed with an
exceptional memory and the capacity to grasp new ideas and concepts very
quickly. During her year at the Temple she had been held back by having
to direct all of her efforts into learning how to read. Having mastered
that basic skill, during her service under Bab�ckt Yaga there was
nothing to interfere with her ability to learn a wider variety of
subjects. She could remember simple recipes after having seen them just
once, so within a few days Bab�ckt Yaga had her studying recipes that
were more complicated. She received instructions on how to measure
temperatures, weigh ingredients, calculate time, and work with
fractions. Bab�ckt Yaga watched as Danka prepared medicines, with no
guidance apart from following a recipe book. She understood the
importance of identifying plants: when tasked to go out into the forest
and find ingredients, she always returned with exactly what was needed.
Working the gardens was not a challenge for Danka at all. Her previous
experience as both a peasant and seeing the experimental Church gardens
in Star�vktaki M�skt prepared her for working the gardens in Bab�ckt
Yaga�s settlement. She already had a basic understanding of plant
selection, so new ideas such as cross pollination and breeding plants
for specific traits were easy for her to grasp.
Danka took pride in her work and her learning. She fully understood the
importance of mastering potion-making and taking great care with the
details of every recipe. She remembered the servant�s words about her
instructor: ��her alchemy is something to behold, because her potions
can heal many of the curses Beelzebub the Destroyer has inflicted on
us�many evil things can be healed...or simply prevented�� She was
excited to think that the mystery behind those potions had vanished;
that she now knew how they worked and even how to prepare some of them.
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In the middle of July, Danka and K�loyankt left the forest with Bab�ckt
Yaga and four fully initiated Followers. It was the first time since her
arrival that Danka would leave the woods or see anyone other than a
Follower. The group walked directly south, taking several steep and
perilous shortcuts to hasten their trip. Before exiting the forest they
put on their uniforms. As soon as they emerged into the open, they
mounted a wagon driven by two guards who were waiting for them. The
Followers rode the rest of the distance to a small town called
Nagor�nkti-Ser�fkti and their destination, the settlement�s church.
The Priest explained that an apprentice and three hired workmen had been
on the roof making repairs, unaware that the beams were not strong
enough to support the weight of four men. They fell through and
sustained injuries ranging from broken bones to severe lacerations. The
men were lying on cots in the main chapel because the Clergy had been
afraid to move them.
Danka would later learn that the Priest had to make a difficult decision
to request assistance from the Followers. Nagor�nkti-Ser�fkti was
settled by True Believers, the faction of the Danubian Church that least
got along with the Followers of the Ancients. However, the Priest needed
to help his men if at all possible and only the Followers had the
medical knowledge to do anything for them.
Between the four men there were two broken legs, three broken arms,
several broken fingers, and some serious lacerations. Bab�ckt Yaga was
relieved, because all of the injuries could be fixed. She directed her
followers� attention to the man who was bleeding the most, knowing that
he needed attention first.
Danka watched as Bab�ckt Yaga set up some glassware and mixed several
ingredients. Her assistants poured alcohol into a bowl and demanded
boiling water and clean linen be brought to the operating site. The
alchemist directed Danka to hold a mask to the injured man�s face. He
became sleepy, which would help keep him calm while his injuries could
be sewn up. For the first time in her life, Danka watched an operation
that actually closed an open wound.
The Followers, including K�loyankt, moved to setting the broken bones.
Bab�ckt Yaga administered a drug she called opium to ease the pain and
then applied her chemical mask. It was a difficult and grim task to
stretch out the limbs and set them in wooden frames, but Bab�ckt Yaga
seemed satisfied that the limbs would all heal, which was not always the
case, depending on the nature of the fracture.
Danka was present just to observe, but she marveled at what she was
witnessing, the actual repair of injuries. She had seen neighbors die
from similar mishaps in her parents� settlement. It was a shock to find
out those deaths could have been prevented had anyone among the
day-laborers possessed the equipment and knowledge the Followers of the
Ancients were using.
After making sure the patients had woken up, Bab�ckt Yaga issued some
more opium and instructions for caring for the injuries. When the Priest
asked her about payment, the alchemist responded:
�You know my payment, Priest. It�s the same as always. The Ancients
demand the blood of the desecrater. When desecraters pass through this
town, you will send them in my direction and you will advise me.�
�As you wish, Alchemist.�
�I have another demand, Priest. It has been two years since I cut the
children here. I trust you have not had any cases of the pox?�
�No, Alchemist, we have not.�
�I brought my pox potion. At sunset I want you to ring your bell and
gather all the people of Nagor�nkti-Ser�fkti. I will cut any children or
youth that were not cut two years ago.�
----------
The townsfolk gathered in the church square as the daylight faded. Danka
noted that many of the older people were marked with smallpox scars, but
none of the younger people had suffered the affliction. The last
smallpox epidemic in Nagor�nkti-Ser�fkti had passed two decades before.
As the townsfolk pushed their terrified children towards the church,
K�loyankt explained to Danka that Bab�ckt Yaga had spent many years
studying diseases and had learned some interesting details about
smallpox. It turned out that cattle had a similar version of the
sickness and that Bab�ckt Yaga had figured out it was possible to create
an antidote for the human smallpox from the cow version. She did not
dare tell anyone the antidote came from sick cows, because no one would
have accepted vaccination. The public would be vaccinated, but in a way
that was acceptable to the thinking at the time.
The Priest conducted a brief service and issued a series of prayers
while the Followers prepared the vaccination knives and the solution.
The residents needed reassurance that the Lord-Creator had approved what
was about to happen to their children, so the event had to be preceded
with religious fanfare. The unvaccinated children were marched in single
file towards the alchemist and her assistants, accompanied by
hymn-singing and holy fires.
Danka had expected to be a mere observer, or perhaps assist in a minor
way. However, Bab�ckt Yaga ordered both her and K�loyankt to step
forward, strip off their clothing, and kneel in front of the long line
of children. She uncovered a small metal rod with a saw-tooth end,
dipped it in a jar of ointment and placed it against Danka�s left
shoulder. Then she looked towards the sky and screamed:
�Beelzebub! The Lord-Creator and the Son of Man cast out your vile
presence! Never shall you touch this lass with your evil pox!�
Danka winced as the knife tore into her skin, leaving a small bleeding
cut. Bab�ckt Yaga whispered:
�Now you wear the mark that will protect you from the pox. Do not touch
your shoulder. Stand behind me, with your left side facing the people so
they can see your injury. Do not move until I give you permission.�
Bab�ckt Yaga cut K�loyankt�s shoulder in the same manner, and screamed
the same chant to the Roman Christian God and his son. The naked
initiates quietly stood behind their mistress, as proof she was not
about to do anything to the local youth that she would not do to her own
followers.
For the rest of the night, Bab�ckt Yaga cut the shoulders of children
and shouted: �Beelzebub! The Lord-Creator and the Son of Man cast out
your vile presence! Never shall you touch this child with your evil
pox!�
The accompanying pain from the procedure and screaming of each patient
were interpreted as confirmation of the casting out of a curse, not as a
simple medical procedure.
As she watched the proceedings and resisted the urge to touch her
throbbing shoulder, Danka was able to look upon religious ceremonies and
spiritual fanfare from a totally new perspective. Bab�ckt Yaga spent the
entire night lying. Her Pagan beliefs did not accept in the divinity of
the Roman Son of Man, and for her using the Roman name Beelzebub to
refer to the Destroyer was an insult to the Danubian cosmos. She didn�t
believe in her own theatrics, but she had to perform for the people so
they could accept what she was doing to their offspring. Bab�ckt Yaga
had her own faith and her own world-view, but that view was not accepted
by the True Believers. Faced with a practical task that she needed to
accomplish, she hid her beliefs and put on a performance that met the
spiritual needs of a town of Christians.
----------
By the end of the summer Danka had embraced her Path in Life as an
initiate of the Follower of the Ancients. She remained intimidated by
Bab�ckt Yaga but at the same time deeply admired her. The old woman�s
knowledge of the world seemed limitless. She was anxious to share with
others, and Danka had become her favorite student. The girl learned fast
and her ability to remember new ideas and information was exceptional.
So, Danka�s daily life became one of constant learning, mostly of things
that were practical and could help people in the real world. She started
reading Bab�ckt Yaga�s translations of foreign scientific works and
frequently used a dictionary to look up and learn complicated words she
did not understand. Whenever she came across any strange word or
concept, she wrote it down and memorized it.
Danka spent some of her time alone reflecting on what had happened
between her and Bagat�rckt. The trauma from her ordeal with him was
fading, but she came out of the experience changed. The best comparison
she could think of was her hometown Rika H�ckt-nem�t and the flood that
took place decades before. The town, the people, and the Rika Chorna
river were there before the flood and remained after the flood, but when
the river changed course, the area was not the same after the waters
receded. Eventually life went back to �normal�, but �normal� preceding
the flood differed from �normal� following the flood.
So�how was Danka different after her own flood, the one that swept away
her virginity and much of her naivety? Her ideas about love, trust, and
finding happiness through another person certainly changed. Before
Bagat�rckt she had believed that her happiness depended on finding it
through another person. She also had been convinced love and sex went
together. By the end of her first summer in the forest her emotions were
hardening, making her less vulnerable to the whims of the men in her
life. She also understood that love and sex could be separated: in fact
often the two had nothing to do with each other. She took that lesson to
her relationship with K�loyankt, that she could have sex with him
without necessarily being in love with him.
She spent the summer making love to K�loyankt whenever they had a few
minutes to spare. She enjoyed her time with him, but as the summer
progressed she realized her feelings towards him were ambiguous. She
couldn�t figure out why that would be, because she admired him and knew
that had she met him just a year earlier, she would have been desperate
to marry him. However, in the settlement of Bab�ckt Yaga, marriage was
not a priority for any of the Followers or the initiates. They had a
multitude of other worries and just didn�t think about such things, so
neither did Danka. It was clear that K�loyankt was deeply in love with
her, but he too adhered to the unspoken custom of the Followers; that as
long as he was working in the forest, marriage was not a priority or
something to be discussed.
Still, Danka did enjoy the sex. Bab�ckt Yaga showed her a book from a
place called India that had pictures of different sexual positions. She
was eager to try them during her escapades with her lover. He obliged,
happy to be with a woman that constantly had new ideas and wanted to try
new things. However, the constant experimenting with new positions
planted a subversive idea in Danka�s thoughts. K�loyankt was not the
only man in the world. What would having sex with other men be like? Did
different men have different styles of making love? Was there any
difference between making love to a young man and an older one? Between
a noble and a farmhand?
By the end of the summer Danka realized something about herself that
would have shocked her just a few months before: that if the opportunity
presented itself, she�d be willing to have sex with someone other than
her current lover. Not just willing, but it was something she actually
wanted. She looked around at the other men in the settlement, noting the
differences in their physiques and wondering how they might differ from
K�loyankt if she had the opportunity to offer herself to them.
----------
During the last week of August, Bab�ckt Yaga ordered K�loyankt, Danka,
and three other initiates; a young man and two young women, to her
study. Two older men also were present; the two Followers who had been
with Bab�ckt Yaga the longest and enjoyed their leader�s full trust. The
initiates knelt as the alchemist made an important announcement:
�The Priest from Nagor�nkti-Ser�fkti contacted me with some interesting
news. A group of fortune-seekers is coming up into the forest today.
They are travelling to the ancient Alter of the Equinox, because they
are planning to raid relics stored in the cave. The Priest gave them a
map to the site, which is the same map I gave him the day we cut the
children. With your assistance, we will intercept the fortune-seekers
and capture them. If we are successful and their blood is pleasing to
the Ancients, you will have the opportunity to atone for your offenses.
That includes you, Danka S�luckt, especially you. Perhaps you will be
pleased to know the men we are planning to capture are from Vienna. They
are friends of your former Master. Therefore, you will assume the most
important role in bringing them under our control. Have you memorized
the Temple Song of Seduction?�
�Yes, Bab�ckt Yaga.�
�Let�s hear you.�
In archaic Danubian Danka sang:
Man�s first woman had fruit in her garden�
Sweet fruit no man would resist�
She knelt and offered her very best�
He came to her to indulge�
Sweetness beyond what he had known�
Man and woman joined�
�Excellent. You�ve learned well, Danka S�luckt.� Bab�ckt Yaga address
the other two women. �I want to hear you sing with her. Follow her.
Merge your voices as much as you can. Sing, as though you were one.�
Danka led as her companions sang along, carefully following her voice.
They adapted their voices to the pitch of Danka�s voice in a technique
Bab�ckt Yaga called �spiritual merging�. The effect was music that
sounded supernatural, which was exactly what would be needed for the
Followers� plans.
�All three of you have pleased me with your efforts and your learning.
If the Ancients bless us, tonight you will atone for your actions and
tomorrow you will earn your skulls.�
Bab�ckt Yaga ordered K�loyankt to leave the house. She unbraided Danka�s
hair, handed her a scarf to hide it under, and a comb that she would use
later that night.
The members of Bab�ckt Yaga�s settlement dressed in their dark clothing.
The Cult members carried their skull-staffs and other items needed for
the night�s outing, while the two other female initiates walked out
carrying small lamps and a supply of special lamp-oil. The only item
Danka carried was her comb.
K�loyankt, his fellow initiate, and two other men assigned to serve as
lookouts already had departed. They went out disguised as brigands,
wearing light brown clothing and soft shoes that had been chemically
treated to confuse sniffing dogs. They quietly observed their prey:
three heavily-armed Austrians on horseback guarded by two Danubian
mercenaries and accompanied by a servant leading two heavily-loaded
mules. The group had four large hounds with them. Word of Bagat�rckt�s
fate had reached Vienna by the middle of July, so this group was not
about to take any chances. K�loyankt later commented that a better way
for those men not to take any chances would have been to stay in Vienna.
The first challenge to resolve was neutralizing the hounds. The scouts laid out pieces of drugged meat in places the dogs would find
them, but where their masters would be unlikely to see. The meat was in
small amounts and hidden inside the skins of squirrels. The purpose of
the ruse was not to poison the canines, but to drug them so they would
continue walking with the group, but not be alert enough to respond to
noise or sniff out any danger.
The next part of the capture would depend on calculating exactly where
the group would be when dusk fell and they would stop for the night.
There were three clearings the mercenaries could choose from as likely
locations to set up a camp. By late afternoon it appeared they would be
approaching the second one just as it was starting to get dark. Bab�ckt
Yaga scouted a location where Danka and the other two women could set up
after sunset, a small cleared area on a hill overlooking the camp that
would be visible, but difficult to access quickly in the dark.
Followed by their now-listless dogs, the group set up camp while the
mercenaries looked around the woods to search for possible danger. They
found nothing�certainly the dogs did not sense anything out of the
ordinary, so the group tied their horses and lit a fire.
Meanwhile, Danka and her companions snuck to the hillside and placed
their oil lamps in a circle. The oil had been chemically treated to cast
pale green light on Danka�s body. Following Bab�ckt Yaga�s previous
instructions, Danka took off her dress and knelt in the middle of the
circle of lamps. She uncovered her hair and started combing it in the
dark. After her accomplices lit the lamps and retreated into the
darkness, she began to sing:
Man�s first woman had fruit in her garden�
Sweet fruit no man would resist�
She knelt and offered her very best�
He came to her to indulge�
Sweetness beyond what he had known�
Man and woman joined�
After the first stanza, the other women accompanied her to add mystery
to the ancient song of seduction. Danka continued to comb her hair and
proceeded with the next verse.
I have fruit in my garden�
Sweet fruit no man will resist�
I kneel to you and offer my very best�
Come to me and indulge�
Sweetness beyond what you have known�
Man and woman joined�
The Danubian guides had been prepared for just about anything, but they
had not been prepared to see a naked forest nymph singing a Pagan tune
on a hillside. It was an illusion, it just had to be: there was no way
that weird green light illuminating the girl could be natural. And the
singing�was it one voice or several? Danka continued, in an ancient
language none of the trespassers could understand:
I keep my garden under water�
With sweet fruit you will not resist�
I reach my arms to the surface�
I will pull you to the depths�
Deeper and deeper into my garden of pleasure�
From which no man ever returns�
In the dim light Danka could faintly make out the bewildered faces of
the five men as they approached through the thick brush, each with a
sword or crossbow in his hand. One of the Austrians pointed a large
musket at her. A black cloth slipped over the face of the man farthest
to the rear and he disappeared from view. The next face to vanish
belonged to the man carrying the firearm. As he passed out, a Follower
quickly grabbed the weapon to prevent it from being fired. In quick
succession each of the remaining faces vanished behind black cloths.
The captives remained unconscious while the Followers immobilized their
hands and feet. Another group of Bab�ckt Yaga�s assistants captured the
mule-handler and took control of the horses. The operation went
perfectly. With no struggle whatsoever, five heavily armed fighting men,
an assistant, numerous weapons, fine horses, four hunting hounds, and
expedition supplies had been seized by the Followers. Danka and her
companions continued to sing, until Bab�ckt Yaga realized that she
needed to tell them to stop. The other initiates extinguished and
collected the lamps while Danka got dressed.
Within minutes the Followers had the campsite cleaned up and were moving
north with their unconscious prisoners. The captives had to be carefully
monitored during the journey, to make sure they stayed alive but without
regaining consciousness. The group spent a night of non-stop walking and
climbing, passing through groves of thick trees and finally emerging
into a large open meadow. Standing alone on a small hill was their goal,
the Altar of Blood-nourishment. They arrived at the holy site shortly
after sunrise.
Above ground the holy site was little more than the altar itself, built under a small stone
roof supported by pillars. However, the ground underneath was filled with an
ancient labyrinth of tunnels, chambers, and passages. The underground
complex was enormous, comparable in size to the catacombs of Rome. And
yet, it was a secret that only a few dozen living souls knew about. The
captives were taken into separate cells where Bab�ckt Yaga would
interview them. She spoke fluent German, so she would be able to talk to
the Austrians with no problem. Although she was convinced all the
treasure hunters were worthy of being sacrificed, she needed to be
absolutely sure.
While she waited for the captives to wake up, Bab�ckt Yaga called
together the five initiates who had participated in the capture. She
told K�loyankt and the three others they had earned their skulls and
would become full members of the Cult, an event that would be celebrated
on the day of the fall equinox. She answered Danka�s question before she
had a chance to ask.
�As for you�not yet. I have another tasking for you.� She dismissed
Danka�s companions and continued: �Today, you must determine the fate of
a man. Will he go on the altar and bleed with the others, or will he
leave the forest? You will make that determination.�
Danka wasn�t sure how to react. Having such a huge responsibility thrust
upon her was not something she could have anticipated. It certainly was
not something she wanted. The alchemist continued:
�I am convinced five men in that group have offended the Ancients many
times over. Unless one of them has a huge surprise for me, at midnight I
will drive my knife into five bodies. The sixth man, the mule driver, is
the one I don�t know about. He might be a willing party to the
fortune-hunters, or he may be like you, an ignorant bystander. You will
talk to him, determine what is in his heart, and then you will decide
what to do with him. I will honor any decision you make, even if I think
it is incorrect. However, I will expect you to explain, in a clear
detail, why you made the decision you made, what specific facet of his
Path in Life he shared with you that made you decide whether he is worth
sparing or not sparing. Before you run-off and spare him with no
consideration, you will need to remember that he must be kept silent
concerning what happened here. So think about it. If you spare that man,
how will you ensure he will not talk about us or seek to avenge his
companions? If you condemn him, how will you justify your decision when
you hold your mirror before the Creator? So, that is your dilemma, Danka
S�luckt, the riddle I place at your feet. Answer it correctly, and you
will atone for your offense against the Ancients and earn your skull.�
�Yes, Bab�ckt Yaga.�
Danka accompanied a Cult elder to the underground passageway, full of
resentment that while the others were going to receive their skulls with
no further effort, she was going to have to pass an extra and extremely
difficult test of character. Later she would realize Bab�ckt Yaga had a
very good reason to put her through the ordeal of deciding the
mule-handler�s fate. It was true the others were going to be initiated
with no further tests, but they had been serving Bab�ckt Yaga for nearly
a year and already had proven themselves. Danka had been with Bab�ckt
Yaga a mere three months, so the alchemist was convinced an additional
tasking was necessary to determine if the newcomer was ready to join
with her companions. Bab�ckt Yaga was very impressed with Danka�s
ability to learn quickly, comprehend new concepts, and memorize
everything from hymns to plant species to alchemy formulas. She was a
gifted girl, so the Cult leader wanted to bring her into her closest
circle of confidants as quickly as possible. However, she couldn�t
justify doing so unless the newcomer could prove she was capable of
gathering enough information to make a difficult decision.
Carrying an oil lantern, the elder led Danka through several dark
passageways to a small cell. He opened the door and ordered a very
frightened young man to come out. Danka knew that before she talked to
him, she needed to establish her superiority. With her rough lower-class
accent, that might be a problem if the mule-handler was a guild-member.
On a flash of inspiration she ordered him to strip. That should take
care of it, thought Danka. Guild-member or not, if he�s naked and I�m
wearing my dress, I�m the one in control here.
Danka�s idea worked. The man cowered in terror as soon as he finished
undressing. Danka announced that she wanted to take him outside for a
while to talk. The elder tied his hands behind his back and blindfolded
him so that he would not know how to navigate the passageways. Upon
exiting, Danka requested the elder to take off the blindfold and untie
his hands. The initiate ordered her captive to kneel.
�You are not free. You need to understand that. You will do whatever I
tell you. If you take a look at those woods, you will see they go on for
a long way in every direction. We know the trails and you don�t. So, you
are no closer to escaping than when you were locked in that cell. Do you
understand?�
�Yes Mistress.�
�My title is �Initiate�. I am an initiate of the Followers of the
Ancients.� Danka was thrilled at the thought of referring to herself
with a title. She realized she actually had a title. She was an initiate
of the Cult of the Ancients, and if she completed her current
assignment, after the equinox her title would be �Follower of the
Ancients�. She�d no longer be a peasant or a laborer; she�d be a woman
with a title and an assigned place in society.
�Yes, Initiate.�
�That�s better. Now, who are you?�
�My name is Tihomirikt�I�m from the borderlands south of H�rkustk Ris�but�I
don�t live there anymore. I had to leave��
�Why?�
�Foreigners came up from the south�from the other side of the
border�they drove everyone out of our town�killed my father�my uncle�and
so we went north�my mother�my aunt�cousins�my younger brother�and we're
staying outside Dan�bikt M�skt.�
�So, what brought you here? Why are you working for Austrian
fortune-seekers?�
�When we camped outside the capitol, the Grand Duke�s men gave us some
food, but they told us we�d have to leave if we couldn�t find work. They
asked if any of us were guild members. My father was, and I was an
apprentice�we belonged to the Horse-Trainers� Guild�but my father was
dead�and I hadn�t completed my final tasking to become a member�and all
of the men who could vouch for me were killed, so the only proof I had
was my word.�
�Very well, you claim you have training as an apprentice with the
Horse-Trainers� Guild, but you have no way to prove it. You did not
answer my question. Why are you working for foreign fortune-hunters?�
�The guards told me that traders� caravans in Seb�rnekt Ris were looking
for horse handlers. So, I left my family and went north to see if that
was true. It wasn�t, but there were some people who wanted a worker to
handle their pack-mules. I decided to take the position. I hated it. I
dishonored the memory of my father and the Horse-Trainer�s Guild by
accepting a mule-handler�s job, but I wanted to make sure my family
didn�t have to move again. So, the two guides from the Duchy, the ones
who are working for the foreign fortune-hunters, hired me to lead their
pack-mules and care for their horses.�
Interesting story, thought Danka, assuming it�s true. In just a few
sentences Tihomirikt provided her with a lot of information that she
would have to verify. She didn�t know much about the situation along the
Duchy�s southern border, but she had heard rumors that many Danubians
had fled their homes over the past year because of an invasion from a
foreign monarch who called himself the Lord of the Red Moon.
She ordered Tihomirikt to stand up and follow her to the edge of the
meadow. She glanced at a gully with a small stream that flowed into a
rocky pool. She noted that her captive smelled as bad as his mules and
his stench irritated her. She ordered him to bathe, while she watched.
When he finished, she ordered him to kneel in front of her while he
shivered and the water dripped off his body. She was totally fascinated
by what she was doing. For the first time in her life she was giving
orders to a man who was obeying her. There was no hint of resistance or
resentment coming from Tihomirikt, because he understood that he was
very likely to die unless he pleased his captors.
Danka�s thoughts were in turmoil. She knew that she had to verify
Tihomirikt�s story, without knowing much about the Horse-Trainers� Guild
and without having seen any of the places he had mentioned as part of
his travels. She had no way of knowing whether he really had a family,
or whether or not they were refugees living outside Dan�bikt M�skt. She
pondered how to question him, but realized that the best way to proceed
would be to use his experiences to satisfy her own curiosity about the
cities of western Danubia. She�d simply encourage him to talk about his
life and give descriptions of all those new places. Then she�d make him
talk about the Horse-Trainer�s Guild and how they educated their
apprentices. Finally, after she had gained his trust, she�d find out
about the fortune-hunters and figure out how much he knew about their
plans.
It turned out Tihomirikt badly needed someone to talk to. His life was
ruined and his employers had insulted and mistreated him. He moved back
and forth in his narrative, talking about his father and his lost town,
talking about the fine horses he had trained with, talking about the
fearful flight northward and refugee life in the capitol, and his fear
of the unfamiliar mountains of northern Danubia. It turned out he was
nothing more than a hired-hand of the fortune-hunters. He didn�t know
what they were seeking, nor did he really care. He just wanted the
experience to be finished, to receive his pay, and return to his family.
So�in Danka�s mind, one question was answered. Tihomirikt would not make
a suitable sacrifice on the Altar of Blood-nourishment. He would have to
be released. Her dilemma now was to figure out how to ensure he did not
pose a threat to the Followers after he was freed.
As she pondered how Tihomirikt should be released, she admired his body.
She was curious to touch him. Since he was her prisoner and forced to do
whatever she wanted, she knew she could satisfy her curiosity without
fear of him forcing himself on her or rejecting her. She was in charge.
She ordered him to lie on his back on a flat rock, close his eyes, and
extend his hands over his head. She traced his chest and thighs with her
fingertips. He became erect immediately. Curious, she touched his penis
and ran her fingers over his testicles.
�Have you ever been with a woman, Tihomirikt?�
�No, Initiate. I haven�t.�
�I�d imagine it�s something you dream about, isn�t it?�
�Yes, initiate.�
�Life is full of strange dreams, Tihomirikt. If you knew me�you�d know
that is true, in my life especially.�
�Yes, Initiate.�
Danka took off her apron and laid it over her captive�s face. Then she
took off her dress and tossed it aside. Finally, she returned to
massaging his already-hard penis.
�You are dreaming now, Tihomirikt. You will not dare wake up until I
give you permission. Do not move your hands and do not uncover your
face. Remember, dreams can become reality and reality can become
dreams.�
Danka was about to satisfy something that she had been curious about for
several weeks. She wanted to know what it would be like to make love to
a man by straddling him, by being on top instead of having to assume a
submissive posture. Making sure he was hard enough to push completely
inside, she lowered herself over his erect member. She rocked back and
forth, completely enjoying a new sensation, not just how his penis felt
inside her, but also the feeling of being in control during sex. For the
first time, Danka was in completely in charge of her love-making. The
tremendous psychological rush pushed her to have the best orgasm she had
enjoyed since losing her virginity.
He moaned and she felt his semen pumping into her. When he finished, she
ordered him not to move while she rinsed off in the pool. She then put
on her dress and retrieved her apron. When she finally allowed him to
open his eyes and sit up, he looked totally bewildered, as though he was
unsure if he really had entered her or if he had been dreaming.
Without saying anything more, she ordered the captive to return with her
to the tunnel entrance. He was terrified when he realized that he was
about to be blindfolded and taken back to his cell. As soon as her
prisoner was locked up, Danka devised a plan for disposing of him in a
way that ensured he would never pose a threat. The Followers of the
Ancients would have to give up some of the booty they had captured from
the fortune-hunters, but Danka knew that would be of little concern to
Bab�ckt Yaga. Sure enough, when she shared her plan with the alchemist,
she could tell Bab�ckt Yaga was very pleased with her judgment.
�Your plan is as good as anything I could have concocted. Your scheme
balances wisdom, mercy, and caution. As soon as we can tranquilize him
and collect what we need, I�ll have him taken out of here.�
�Am I going with him, Bab�ckt Yaga?�
�No. If it were any other night, I�d hold you responsible for escorting
your prisoner. However, tonight you will have to bear witness to the
appeasement of the Ancients, so the Great Spirits demand that you stay
with us at the Altar.�
Tihomirikt�s masters would not be so lucky. Their conversations with
Bab�ckt Yaga confirmed they were nothing more than grave-robbers. They
had education and titles and were pursuing their loot in the name of
�knowledge�, but they remained grave-robbers. Their Paths in Life were
offensive to the Followers of the Ancients. Only the
flow of their blood
could atone for what they were planning to do.
----------
Danka took her place among the other women shortly before midnight. The
female followers stood in a circle around the Altar, dressed in their
black outfits and wearing hoods to obscure their faces. Each woman held
her skull-staff, which cast off a sinister orange light. The altar area
was illuminated by oil lamps with oil treated to burn red. The lighting
was designed to highlight the terror of the sacrificial victim: the dim
red altar surrounded by a circle of orange skulls, accompanied by a
chant that had not changed in 5000 years.
The women�s role was to recite the ancient Blood Hymn while the male
Followers brought out and restrained the subjects. Like the women, the
men were dressed in black and their faces obscured by hoods. The group�s
leader was completely naked, but her body was covered with white chalk
highlighted with charcoal dust. The make-up was similar to the
body-paint used by penitents during the Day of the Dead, but more
elaborate and thus more scary-looking.
Danka sang with the others, holding a staff she had borrowed from one of
the male Followers. In spite of the grim event she was about to witness,
the main thought running her mind was the satisfaction that she was
about to have her own staff, with its unique skull, crafted in her
honor. The staff would show the world and the Ancients that she was a
fully-accepted �Follower�. She was excited and proud, and also without
much pity for the sacrificial captives. If she felt any sympathy at all,
she whispered �Bagat�rckt�. Her former master�s name became her personal
chant. Whenever she was called upon to neutralize pity, the memory of
the tormentor who had taken away her innocence was all she needed.
The victims were brought out and sacrificed one-by-one. The men brought
out the first fortune-hunter. He screamed and viciously struggled when
he realized where he was being taken and what was about to happen to
him. The screaming and the struggle were part of the sacrificial ritual.
With difficulty the men managed to position their subject on the altar
and chain his wrists and ankles. They cut open the victim�s shirt and
marked a spot near the heart where Bab�ckt Yaga would plunge her knife.
The leader showed up, carrying a large and very crudely-made bronze
dagger. Danka vaguely wondered how many victims that dagger had entered
over the centuries.
Bab�ckt Yaga�s most trusted elders helped her get on the altar and
straddle the fortune-hunter. He was screaming maniacally. Perfect. In
archaic Danubian, the old woman shouted:
�The dirty blood of the vile offender will cleanse the earth! Ancient
ones, we implore you to accept this red river of life, a gift for the
nourishment of the world!�
The leader expertly plunged the knife into the exact spot marked by her
assistants. The screaming suddenly stopped. She plunged the knife a
second time into the victim�s neck, severing the artery and producing
the flow of red river needed to sustain the cosmos of the Cult of the
Ancients.
The stench of fresh blood hit Danka�s nose. It didn�t bother her in the
least. It was the same smell she experienced every time she had to
butcher an animal for dinner. Like her companions, she continued to
chant as the body was taken away and the next screaming victim brought
to the altar.
Bagat�rckt... Bagat�rckt... Bagat�rckt
----------
The next morning Tihomirikt woke up in an unfamiliar village, sleeping
under a tree next to the local Priest�s house. His head ached in a very
strange manner and it took him a long time to completely come to his
senses. He realized he was lying on a comfortable bedroll and dressed in
elegant clothing. A sword and an expensive Austrian musket lay at his
side. He looked around for his employers, but didn�t see anything except
a fine horse�like the ones his father used to train.
Where was he? Was he dreaming? Or had he been dreaming and just woken
up? Did he have employers to whom that horse belonged, or was the horse
his? Was the musket his? How could he be wearing expensive clothing, if
the clothing wasn�t his? What about the mules? Had there been mules? He
looked around. No mules�just the horse�
There had been a girl�a completely naked green nymph singing on a
hillside �or was she the cult member wearing a black dress? The nymph
and the girl looked alike�but no�there were no such thing as
nymphs�or�were there? Had he made love to a nymph? �or the girl in the
black dress? Both? Neither?
His thoughts returned to his outfit, his musket, and his horse. What a
strange dream. I need to get my bearings�figure out where I am�
He looked in his saddlebag. It contained a stock of dried food and three
pieces of gold. Gold...my family�I must go back and make sure they
are well�
Before Tihomirikt left the village, he stopped at the city square to
purchase sheets of parchment and an ink-well. The girl in the forest�the
one of his dreams�he�d have to write about her so he wouldn�t forget.
----------
Note: At this point in my narrative, as a researcher I must insert a
comment about the Cult of the Ancients and the popular distortion of
history. Nineteenth-century romanticists and historians tried to obscure
the reality that human sacrifice was an integral part of the Followers� beliefs, a practice that dated back
five thousand years.
When the Cult of the Ancients formed, human sacrifice was common
throughout Europe. The ancient Danubians conducted human sacrifices as
well. The children�s storybooks, poems, and songs that romanticize the
Followers, as well as commercial tour-guides who lead excursions into
the North Mountain National Park, fail to mention that reality. However,
one cannot understand the Followers of the Ancients without accepting
the fact they obtained the skulls they carried on their staffs from
sacrificial victims. It is also important to remember that the Followers
were much more sparing with their sacrifices than most pre-Christian
cults. An average peasant or villager had nothing to fear from the
Followers, which partly explains why human sacrifice in the forests of
northern Danubia was tolerated and continued centuries after the
practice had died out everywhere else.
Finding and capturing suitable sacrificial subjects was challenging,
because only the blood of those who directly offended the Great Spirits
was acceptable. The blood had to be from an able-bodied adult who,
through his own decisions and deliberate actions, had physically harmed
a Follower or who had desecrated or intended to desecrate a Holy Site.
During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, fortune hunters,
especially foreigners who did not respect ancient Danubian lore, were
the main source of victims for the Altar of Blood-nourishment. The
challenge for the Followers was that usually fortune hunters were
aggressive, well-armed, and traveled in groups. Identifying, luring, and
subduing such victims was difficult and dangerous, but was also an
important part of the sacrificial ritual. It had to be that way, because
the blood of a person who was helpless, weak, or innocent would bring a
curse to the Ancients instead of nourishing the Earth�s life-cycle.
- Maritza Ortskt-Dukovna -
