(s)he Who Brings the Rain

Author's Note:

And now for something completely different. This is not a short story, and though it is broken into sections I chose to post it as a complete piece. This tale consumed me for many months. I let it fester and grow into something much more than the original idea. It led me to research, and become fascinated with an often overlooked and misunderstood past culture of peoples.

All characters are at least 18 years old or older.

I want to thank Pelgris, and Me2 for the hours of editing, and all of their advice throughout the writing process.

Thank you in advance for reading!

Please leave a comment or send me a private message. Let me know if you loved it, or hated it. I am always looking for ways improve my storytelling.

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Prologue

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The Gods had gathered in the clearing before the mountain shrine on the final day of Teteo Eco. Their voices growing angry as they bickered. Thunder shook the shrine, and the wind blew mercilessly threatening to destroy the small adobe hut set before the entrance to the shrine. The Gods were well fed, but the absence of the rains weighed heavily on them. Tezcatlipoca had told them a season ago that the rains would be fewer and the people of the valley would die.

All of the Gods were very fond of the peoples that had settled in the valley. They had built great monuments and fed the Gods constantly. The Gods visited the valley with its growing islands, and great causeways that led to the greatest temple complex in the history of this world. Most had left the rest of their people to return to the old ways, letting them forget the Gods altogether. The glory of the sacrifices coming from these people were more than any other people in the world.

"If the people die, who will feed us?" Xipe Totec asked as he stepped closer to the two beings standing at the center of the clearing. The skins of those sacrificed in his honor flapped loosely at his wrists and ankles. His bright orange eyes shining through the mask of flesh over his face.

"Yes!" Coatlicue called out, as she stepped next to Xipe Totec. "If the people all die, who will feed your gluttonous appetites, Huitzilopochtli?" The snakes that made up her intricate skirt raised their faces hissing in agreement at the bronze being in the center.

"Don't worry about my appetite, Mother," Huitzilopochtli responded, his voice carrying like a war cry. "I will eat very well before the end comes. My priests will sacrifice many during Panquetzaliztli."

"And what of the rest of us?" Quetzalcoatl hissed, as he slithered forward, his feathers flashing blue and green in the sunlight. "Will we be left to starve?"

"No," Tlaloc's voice boomed as he took a step away from Huitzilopochtli in the center of the clearing. "I will find a way to bring the rains and keep the people from dying of starvation."

"How?" Xipe Totec spat, turning his flaming glare to the pale shimmering being casting halos of rainbows around him. "It's your fault the drought has come. You and your bloodless deaths, and meals of tears. You have less and less control over the rains. When they do come they leave nothing but destruction in their wake. Only the four deadly Tlaloque visit this realm. The single beneficial Tlaloc is forever absent."

Tlaloc snarled, flashing long ivory fangs at the Flayed God. "I will confer with Tezcatlipoca, and we will find a way to save the people and satisfy our need for blood in the process. I am sure we will find the balance. I will not allow many to die of starvation in the process."

Tezcatlipoca stepped from the shadow of the shrine, his ever changing grey flesh causing all of the Gods and Goddesses to look away as if their eyes burned. "I believe I already have. You must take sacrifices. True sacrifices. Not just drowned children. Come Tlaloc, we will discuss what needs to be done. The rains must fall, and fall gently before Nemontemi, or the people will be lost."

The Storm God, and the Smoking Mirror disappeared into the shrine speaking quietly. Slowly, the Gods began to fade away as they returned to their duties, and pleasures, elsewhere in the realm of man or in Mictlan.

Chapter 1. Deliverance

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I stood at the first set of steps at the bottom of the great temple pyramid. I had been pulled from my dinner at the insistence of a messenger. The long runner had announced that I must go immediately to the temple complex at Tenochtitlan. The priests were waiting for me at the great temple. They had urgent need of me, and it could not wait until the morning.

"Did the priest tell you why I was being summoned?" I asked tearing my eyes from the intimidating height of Huey Teocalli to look at the long runner at my side.

"No, they ordered only that you come to the temple immediately. Nothing more," he murmured, his eyes taking in the dual sets of seemingly endless steps leading to the summit. "Though, I do wish they had sent a priest to retrieve you. Instead of making me come back to this temple twice, after dark."

I offered a polite smile to the long runner. "Tell my family I went willingly."

I was the daughter of a small maize farmer. Common as dirt. I was willing to give myself to any of the Gods if it would benefit my family. I knew that the families of most non-warrior sacrifices were paid handsomely. My family would mourn my absence, but they would also be grateful for one less mouth to feed. Our crop had failed in the drought, and my family had been struggling to survive all season.

"I will," he said meeting my eyes for the first time since we entered the plaza. "Go with the Gods." He turned on his heel and fled from the plaza.

"That's the only way I can go," I whispered watching him go. I wished that I could run after him, and return to the safety of my home.

I drew a deep breath as the long runner vanished into the night. I whispered a prayer to any God close enough to hear for mercy and turned back to the Great Temple. I looked back up the dual steps of Huey Teocalli. I focused on the two figures at the top, looking down on me from the center of the platform at the top of the temple. I sighed loudly and began the treacherous climb to the summit.

We had celebrated the final festival of Panquetzaliztli, the Raising of Banners, today, in honor our greatest of Gods, Huitzilopochtli. The festival had run late into the evening. The warrior sacrifices made to the War God had been so numerous that the priests had sent sacrifice after sacrifice to Tlaloc's alter, as well. By late afternoon, blood had flown down both sets of steps like twin sanguine rivers. The bodies of those sacrificed had taken hours to cart away to be cremated or butchered. As a result, the priests had not had the time before full dark to scrub and whitewash the Great Temple.

The steps were alternatively sticky and slick with pooled blood in different states of coagulation. My assent was slow. Winded and shaking, I finally reached the apex. After taking a few steps further onto the stable limestone, I bent double, shaking and panting. I'd nearly tumbled backward down the steep steps more times than I cared to count. I had been so focused on during my long climb, that I had forgotten I had been summoned to the great heights of the temple by priests that were waiting for me.

I heard one of the priests clear his throat impatiently, and jerked upright. I stared wide eyed at the figures cloaked in xicolli so blood stained they looked black in the gentle light of the moon. They stared at me coldly, their black eyes flashing in the torchlight.

I looked at their bloody hands, and whispered another prayer that my family would receive payment for my sacrifice. Though seeing the priests, I didn't think any amount would be enough. They were a terrifying pair. Panic flooded my veins, and the urge to run back down the temple's steps was nearly overpowering.

Our Priests rarely bathed, they wear the blood and gore of each sacrifice with great pride. They are horrid filthy creatures, glorying in the blessings of their God, as they participated in sacrifice after sacrifice. They often preached that the Gods must be fed, and they are often hungry. The priests of each of our numerous Gods seemed to believe that it would bring that God's displeasure were they to bathe away the blood shared, only bathing if Tlaloc blessed a ceremony with rain.

The priests of Tlaloc bathed more frequently and often the sacrifices were less bloody. Most sacrifices to our rain God were done by drowning. If Tlaloc required the heart it was often taken after death. The sacrifices earlier were an exception, and as a result I could not tell if the priests awaiting me were Huitzilopotchli's or Tlaloc's.

Yoalli Ehecatl blew at my back, pushing me to take a step toward the priests. "You look scared half to death, child," one of them cackled, his black eyes glittering.

The Night Wind pushed at my back again, forcing me to take yet another step toward the priests. I couldn't tear my eyes from their bloodied hands. "Being summoned to the Great Temple is rarely a promise to see old age, my lords." I glanced up at their faces. "Especially, a summon after dark, without ceremony."

"Luck is with you, child, perhaps not to see old age. But our God Tlaloc has a special need of you. Please follow." They both laughed as they turned, walking toward the altar room occupying left half of the temple. Within seconds they had disappeared within.

I looked across the landing of the temple, to the second altar room dedicated Huitzilopotchli. In the moonlight the sacrificial altar before the entrance gleamed black with the blood of sacrifice from Panquetzaliztli. I swallowed again grateful that our bloodiest God had not chosen me.

Tlaloc is the God of Rain. Tears and blood of our young and innocent generally satisfy him well enough. What need would he have of a twenty year old, unmarried daughter of a maize farmer I wondered silently.

I walked past the brightly painted vessel of the man holding the bowl on his stomach before the entrance to Tlaloc's alter room, glancing just long enough to see that it was full of blood and hearts. I entered the altar room and immediately suppressed the urge to gag as the stench of rot enveloped me. A stone table was set directly in front of the hollow serpent statue of Tlaloc. The serpent's mouth was open revealing a bloody meal of crushed hearts. The single torch flickering above the statue offered little relief to the darkness that hung heavily in the small room.

"Our God Tlaloc has spoken to us. He tells us that this drought will kill us all unless we appease him. He has demanded we find a woman unknown by man, and present her as sacrifice."

"I - I don't understand," I whispered looking from one priest to the other. Unable to make sense of the cryptic language spoken by all priests.

"Remove your clothing. We will examine you. After, if we are convinced that you are indeed untouched, then we will take you to our great Lord and he will explain it himself," the second priest said, speaking plainly.

I stared down at my feet, confused, failing to make sense of his plain words. Meet a God? That can't be possible. Gods no longer walk the Earth. They sacrificed their bodies to create our world; to give us life. I didn't understand. They did not speak as though they planned to sacrifice me in any traditional method. What could they mean?

I didn't realize that both of the priests were staring at me, expecting me to obey their command, until one of them loudly cleared his throat. I startled and stared at them with eyes that felt too wide.

"Child," the plan speaking priest barked, his voice reverberated throughout the room. "Undress, so that we may examine you and be satisfied that you are a virgin. Everything will be made clear then."

"Obey, child," the other snapped. "Or you will die on that table this very night." He pointed to the same table they wanted me to lay on to be examined on. "You will die with no honor from the Gods and will spend eternity wandering lost in Mictlan. The Gods will turn blind eyes upon you."

I pulled my huipil over my head, watching the priests as they looked on with approval as my firm breasts were revealed. One of the priests gave a low groan then lowered his gaze expectantly to my cueitl. "Tlaloc is impatient."

I nodded, trying to swallow down the lump of fear that had formed in my throat, as my hands untied the sash. I glanced at the priests, and begin to unwind the long strip of crude cotton that made my cueitl.

The priests were rumored to be lecherous, and cruel when doing the quieter work of the Gods. I unraveled the skirt slowly, trying to clear the chaos from my thoughts. I had never heard of a living sacrifice being given directly to a God. I knew that female attendants regularly instructed the sacrifices, but they had spent their lives in training to serve their chosen God. Before my summons, I had never stepped foot into the house of a God. As the last of the skirt fell away from my body, I looked up at the priests, stunned by the looks of raw lust that reshaped their blood-stained faces.

One of the priests motioned that I should lie on the table. "If we are satisfied that you are, in fact, a virgin, you will place yourself in the service of great Tlaloc," he explained as I moved across the small room, his eyes followed the slight bounce of my breasts.

I laid down on the table, feeling the flame of embarrassment travel from my face down to my chest. One priest pushed my legs apart giving them a clear view of my sex. They took turns staring intently, their foul breath warming my tender, untouched folds.

"I don't believe she is as pure as we were led to believe. She looks to be damaged," one of the priests said as he stepped back to give the other room to look as well.

"Truly?" The second asked hopefully. He stepped closer, bending over me until he nearly was touching the nearly hairless mound of my pubis. His touch was almost gentle as he parted and slightly stretched the tiny lips of my pussy. "No, the maiden's skin is still in place," he whispered withdrawing his hand, and breathing a moan of disappointment.

The first priest shoved the other out of the way. "You fool, hold you tongue!" He hissed. "I say she is damaged, and of no use to our God." He jerked my legs, dragging my body down the table until my legs hung over the edge of the table.

"No... no," I whimpered quietly, fearing the wrath of these priests.

The priests spent most of their days sacrificing others to the Gods. If I were to anger them, they would give no thought to bending me backward over the sacrificial altar, and letting the obsidian take my heart. If they only took my virginity, I thought, I would be lucky.

The second priest came up beside me. Grinning lewdly as he reached his hand slowly to pinch my nipple, clamping it between his vise-like fingers. "You are right. I was mistaken. She is as damaged as the others." He released my nipple, only to brutally squeeze and reshape my breast. "If we take her quickly, she'll be dead and gone when he arrives. He'll never know."

The first priest knelt and forced my legs apart with his shoulders. He used his filthy hands to spread the lips of my sex, and then his tongue dove into my folds. He tongued me sloppily, his teeth scraping against tender flesh.

I screamed and struggled against the priests. I fought against them to try and get off the table and escape this horrible fate.

I was struck hard across the face by the priest who had been fondling my breasts. "You will stay silent, or I shall cut your throat now," he hissed. He slapped me across the face again, then began slapping my breasts repeatedly.

Soon my breasts were painfully hot and blazed angry scarlet under the priest's hands. A silent monologue of no and please stop consumed my thoughts, muting any coherent thought. Even in my worst night terrors, I had never imagined my short meaningless life would end so brutally. Spending my last days in the service of a God no longer sounded so bad. I knew these priests would make me wish for death long before they were done with me.

The priest between my legs looked up, reluctantly breaking contact with my sensitive skin."We'll deflower her quickly, and then we'll take her again more slowly. Break her body and then her spirit." He grinned, his gaze traveling up my stomach to my bruised breasts.

"She will be fun to break then bleed," the second priest agreed. He leaned down to suck viciously at my engorged nipple.

I cried out, feeling tears beginning to build up in the corners of my eyes. "Please, no," I whispered, the words little more than a breath coming from my lips.

The priest suckling my teat released me slowly. The lust in his eyes turning quickly to rage. "Bitch. Silence," he barked, striking me hard across the face again. "What use does a God have of a virgin anyway?" His eyes burning, afire with rage and pent up lust.

I let my eyes fall closed, hot tears flowing to tangle in my hair. My face ached where I had been struck, my breasts burned. I let myself go limp, surrendering to the priests. I prayed silently to Tlaloc, begging him to intervene in someway to stop this rape.

The priest between my legs closed his teeth brutally on the tender bundle of nerves at the top of my sex. I cried against my tightly closed lips. He varied between using his teeth, and licking me almost gently. After a few moments he leaned back and then stood erect over me. "Not that I believe Lord Tlaloc will come tonight anyway." His hand moved down between my legs, fingering my entrance but not pressing past the barrier of my virginity. "I don't see why we should rush to break her. By the time he comes she will be gone, and we will have moved onto the next girl."

I whimpered again at the words. The pain of the sharp pinch the priest gave my breast reminding me to keep silent. "I just don't want to wait all night again," he replied, the rolling pinch of his fingers growing less intense.

"I will be faster, this time," the priest between my legs said, bringing his thumb up to grind into my clit, his thumb working hard circles around the tender bundle.

The pain of his stimulation brought my eyes wide open, along with a scream building in my throat that I had to fight to suppress. I whimpered, wordlessly begging mercy from these soulless priests.

"Stop toying with her." Cupping both of my tits, the priest bit one and then the other. The savagery of his teeth bringing more tears to my eyes. "Just take her."

The other priest grunted his agreement, as he positioned his hips between my legs. I raised my head to watch him in mute horror, as he hiked his filthy robe up and held it bunched against his chest. Blood from hundreds, perhaps thousands, had colored his once cocoa flesh to muddy clay. He peered down at me, taking his swollen cock in his hand.

I felt the tip pushing at my tight entrance. As the priest pressed forward, I set my jaw, lying to myself that I would not scream.

Just before the tiny fold of flesh tore, the room erupted in electric blue light as a dozen lightning bolts struck within the tiny room. The light left me blinded, and I felt both of the priests torn away from my body. Their screams filled the altar room and echoed into the night. Lightning flashed silently within the room for several minutes. I lay frozen in terror, my eyes shut tight. The amazing power making the scant hair all over my body stand on end.

When the room fell into darkness once more, I opened my eyes slowly. I didn't dare to move. I did not want to draw the attention of the ghostly being standing over the crisp remains of the priest that was about to rape me.

I turned my head just enough to see the other priest kneeling a few steps from the being. The priest was burned, his skin blistering and most of his hair burned away. "Please, Lord," the priest begged. "I did nothing to her!"