Hello everyone, writing this week's post was a respite for me while I battled with systemic racism in the process of accessing healthcare which is still ongoing.
I have decided to use a dialogue heavy style going forward to make the story easier to write for later conversion into a comic. My current goal for the Terracotta stories is to attract more eyes to the blogposts. I hope my readers get to enjoy the story so much that they form a community around Terracotta and collaborate with me on taking the story as far as it can go.
In line with this vision all blogposts will be accessible for free. You can support my work by buying me a $3 slice of pizza (link is at the bottom of this post) and by liking and sharing each blog post you read. New posts will be released every alternate week. I would love to hear your thoughts on the story so far in the comments.
CW: sexual content
Narrator
At sunset in the city of Nemain, a lizard is perched on the ceiling of the Earl’s study watching the Ptolemies discuss. Once the lords disperse, the lizard scurries out into the hallway where it meets and greets another lizard. The creature closes its eyes and Diedre opens theirs. The Lord rises off the floor in a room full of Gael witches. Diedre sighs with frustration as they tiptoe their way out of the room and into a courtyard where Anton, Finn and Ivanna are waiting.
Anton
Anything ?
Diedre
Nothing
Finn
Nothing?
Diedre
Nothing! It’s as if they are going out of their way to not address it. I’m going crazy, this is the seventh day of watching those weirdos debauch themselves with the wealth of the province.
Diedre grabs their head
I regret my decisions
Finn
Come here mother. This work is taking a toll on you.
Diedre
I hate them, those thieves, they stole so much. They stole everything
Finn takes hold of Diedre, encasing them in a hug and taking slow, deep breaths. Much tears are shed, grief and remembrance of the family lost.
Diedre
War is coming, Ulster is about to fall, again.
Anton
We barely survived the last uprising
Diedre
They killed my wife, my Medb.
You know I hoped that if I didn’t encourage you to participate in the struggle, you would simply ignore it. But that's not who you are is it? I’m scared for you Finn.
I’m scared for you and I wish you never came into the Tavern that night. I can’t lose you.
Finn
I know that what we’re doing is dangerous, that’s why we’re doing it together. Besides, it’s better to die on your feet than to live on your knees, no?
Diedre bursts into a sob that transforms into laughter, shaking Finn in excitement.
Diedre
Medb is alive and well in you my son.
Finn
And so are you
Diedre
Yes, you carry all your people within you; your mother, me, old man Cormac, Alero…
Finn
Alright! You need to rest. No more magic today!
Ivanna
Perhaps Alero was mistaken
Anton
No, something is afoot. Diedre, you’re sure you didn’t see anything
Diedre
I’m sure Anton. The only thing of note is Richter’s drawn out daily meditation circles.
Ivanna makes a quaking noise.
Diedre
They just sit there for hours, doing nothing, making me itchy.
Anton
Well, until they make a move we can’t do anything. Let’s hope Alero is having better luck.
Alero is having worse luck with their part of the mission.
The Earl’s Court reconvenes in six nights. The GuildMasters Coalition has learned nothing of value at the cost of their sanity. Morale is low and the watchers are overcome with utter disgust for humanity. Tonight, It is Alero’s turn to watch Richter once more.
While their physical body weaves a tapestry on the loom, they watch Richter of the Ptolemies through the eyes of the lizards they had lured into the manor. Over the course of the nights spent spying on the Ptolemies, Alero discovered many secrets including Richter’s peculiarities. Their skillful use of magic and their charisma. So irresistible is the viscount’s charm that all women and men break their oaths of espousal and celibacy in pursuit of their favor. Even the viscount-monk, Falkes of the Ptolemies and Lord Flora, who were formerly wedded.
A cloaked girl wanders sheepishly into Richter’s chamber. They stand still as they are uncloaked and undressed, revealing their scarred face and the residuum of their left arm. Afraid and eager to please, the girl shivers as Richter possesses them in a sexual ritual.
Alero watches with guilt and horror as Richter’s body renews itself with youth, seemingly deepening the girl’s scars and draining the fat of their body. Alero disconnects from the lizard's eyes. Trembling and hyperventilating, they tumble and grope, fleeing from their tapestry. Memories of the past flood their mind as Alero bursts out of the cabin’s back door, collapsing onto the grass of the knoll. They curl into a fetal position and conjure a protective cocoon around themself; fixed in place. For each day they spend in the cocoon, Finn, Sybille and Bellamy visit them. The friends offer libations, tell stories and shower Alero with affection softening the cocoon shell time passes.
Two days before the Earl’s Court reconvenes; Faiza and Fausta embrace with intense passionate kisses in a lonely alleyway.
Fausta
They’re coming
Faiza tuts
Saved by the stomping butcher
Fausta
Disappointing I know
Faiza groans
Fausta
Later, I promise
The young lovers make their way to the entrance of the Gael amphitheater. Ivanna is pacing and muttering to themself.
Fausta
Vanya!
Ivanna
There you are! I came as soon as I got your message.
Faiza
Oh honey, you could have washed first
Fausta
Play nice my love
Ivanna
Right! There’s an incense shop not far away, you can tell me what the issue is while we walk.
Fausta
It’s about your friend, Nadia.
Ivanna
Very funny, what have they done?
Faiza
They are gathering signatures for a petition to the Earl demanding that all girls must serve those who were disabled in the line of duty or trade in order to earn the right to work.
Ivanna
That’s stupid! No one would support that, right?
Fausta
Oh Cherie! I have bad news for you
Ivanna
Fuck me!
Fausta
No thank you
I’m happily married
A brief silence followed by an eruption of laughter. Ivanna takes a smoke bath and the trio returns to Gael amphitheater where they initiate a debate with Nadia and their posse.
Nadia
Ivanka Reznikova, I thought I smelled cheap incense
Ivanna
Let it be noted that I just got here and that is not my name
Antoinette
Tough luck, you’re not welcome here
Ivanna
Well met Antoinette! Where’s Edith?
Antoinette
Not here
Ivanna
That makes sense, Edith would never approve of this nonsense
Antoinette
I don’t take orders from Edith
Ivanna
Of course not, you take orders from Nadia the grifter
Antoinette
I take orders from no one
Ivanna
Am I to believe that you are supporting slave labour of your own freewill?
Nadia
It’s not slavery, our petition is designed to offer girls the chance to acquire skills through service in an environment safe from men
Faiza
How many times have you had to tell people that rubbish?
Antoinette
Is it rubbish to ask our city to serve us like we’ve served it?
Ivanna
So you admit that you want servitude?
Antoinette! You are a leader in your community, would your sisters approve of this alliance?
Antoinette
Nadia is my sister. We share the same journey. You don’t know what it’s like to be suddenly rendered useless with disability because of a man’s insecurity. This petition will help us protect girls, educate them and meet our needs
Faiza
Wow! I suppose all those benefits justify the use of SLAVE LABOR
Ivanna
Are you really going to let one person hijack your cause for their own twisted benefit?
Nadia
Typical able woman! Intruding on the matters of their disabled sisters, dictating to us where we belong and what we can or cannot do
Ivanna
Nadia please, the sane people are speaking
Nadia
Oh?
Antoinette
You people don’t get to come here and interfere in our business, no! Not after turning your back on us. We relied on the Daughters of Nemain for survival. And you took it away. You and Ser Al-Quais daughter. But Nadia stayed, they kept the oaths you forsook. Nadia is our sister, you are not.
Faiza
If only you knew what it cost…
Ivanna
It doesn’t matter what the circumstances were; the truth remains, we have not kept our oaths. But that changes today.
Please, give us a chance to earn your trust. Let us give you a better demand for your petition
Nadia
We don’t want to rejoin your coven
Antoinette
Hold on. We can give them a chance
Fausta
Thank you
Antoinette
If you can bring us an alternative by the next twilight
Ivanna
What?
Faiza and Fausta
We’ll take it
Fausta and Faiza grab hold of Ivanna, pulling them and they quickly walking away.
Ivanna
What in the saints’ names are you doing? I don’t know how to solve their problems, certainly not by sundown
Fausta
You need to relax
Ivanna
I quite literally cannot do that right now. I am absolutely sure they will invite the entire coven so they can make a spectacle of us. This is a disaster
Faiza
We have been waiting for this day for years. We are well prepared for the next 20 meetings.
Ivanna
So you tricked me. You knew I’d never say yes if you suggested it. You put me on the spot.
Faiza
And what if we did?
Ivanna
I don’t appreciate being manipulated
Fausta
Stop it! You are our friend, we know you. You could never leave the coven behind. We knew if we showed you the need for our work, you would take the helm again. Is it manipulation? Perhaps
Ivanna
Well congratulations! You succeeded and now the whole of Nemain gets another chance to hate me. I don’t know anything about disability.
Ivanna sighs
But I know someone who does.
Faiza
Don’t keep us anticipating girl, tell us
Ivanna hails a taxi carriage
We’re going to the Earl’s manor
Faiza
Not dressed like this. My father would kill me
Ivanna sighs
Faiza
We’re going to the knight’s guild
As the trio boards the cab, Fausta’s gaze is fixed on Nadia who is also boarding a carriage. it’s black out curtains are drawn.
Nadia
My Lord
Richter
My love, how is the mission fairing?
Nadia
Very well, 15 more signatures and we will hit our goal. Also, an opportunity has presented itself in the form of opposition
Richter
Go on
Nadia
As I predicted, Ivanna brought their followers to harass us. They have asked daughters of Nemain to gather at the next twilight. They want to give us a superior petition.
Richter
No
Nadia
You don't understand, they are not part of my coven, they will ultimately be rejected. And when they are, I want to be there to capitalize on their inadequacies. There are 60 girls in the Daughters of Nemain coven, think of all the talent we could attract.
Richter
No
Nadia
Why do you keep saying that? Are you afraid that I will fail?
Richter
Nadia, beautiful Nadia
Richter removes Nadia’s mask and begins to caress the scars on their face
Richter
I would never underestimate you, I know better. I’m only being protective. The daughters of Nemain practice a type of witchcraft that is unique to the Ulster region. They draw their power from the twilight and the inbetween.
Nadia
I know, I used to be one of them
Richter
That coven outnumbers me, and in the twilight they can overwhelm me easily. I cannot protect you if you are go to that meeting. So, no! I forbid it. It’s for your own safety.
Nadia sighs
It’s too bad I don’t take orders from you
Nadia halts the carriage and alights, leaving their mask behind