Queen of Cups

Knight of Cups

KNIGHT OF CUPS

Upright: Messenger, Romance, Adventure

Reversed: Moodiness, Disappointment

"Well, if I don't find your corpse in this forest, you're free to go. " Said a forest ranger, as he went back to his car, as  (Name) was in the dress, her naked feet covered by the length of the dress, awaiting for the man to go.

"Well. Please feed the yokai's and tell them not to allow any more deaths in here." The man rode into the night, and (Name) walked into the forest.

As it was in the middle of the night, the scenery wasn't that dreamy, as all the colors that were seen were black, silver from the moon or even white, dark green and blue. The trees looked nothing like what they would look on the midday. They looked either like humans or like awful creatures, but even with this scenery, she was not afraid. The smell of pine and many more trees was mixed with the distinct aroma of fetid earth.

Rustling sounds of small animals scurrying under the thick ferns and over the thousands of brittle branches and twigs… the constant sound of a breeze, gently swaying in its caress…birds twittering and flying from tree to tree were all around her and she still was determined to perform this ritual.
A gentle gurgling of a small creek could be heard from not too far.

"I see... the forest hides all the animals that drink from that creek." She thought.

The moonlight was making polka-dots on the ground, lighting up dead tree trunks where shelf fungus grows like dinner plates for the creatures inhabiting its sanctuary.

(Name) could feel on her bare feet the wet ground from the late spring rainfall. It was dark and damp. The curled brown leaves were half-embedded in it, trampled by the occasional wildlife or those who wouldn't return from this place, and the small prints of rodents and birds were crisply remembered by its form.

The forest was thick and humid and for the girl right now it was eerie and terrifying at nighttime. A forest that has been the witness of so many deaths was feeling full of lif as ironic as this might sound. 

As she walked to the creak, a branch ripped a part of her skirt. (Name) decided to make it shorter, and now the dress was reaching her knees.

The ground felt more and more wet as the sound of running water was more and more audible. The creek was closer and closer with each step. From a bush she noticed the silver light of the Moon, perfectly reflected upon the water.

"World stay thy moments are too pretty. Time I beg you stop."

The words she said were from the depths of her heart, but one blink afterwards, she noticed the time was stopped, out of the bush, her dress, or at least what was left out of it that was covering her body, started to rip once more.

"And that's why Earth is my least dominant trait in my chart."

Approaching the water, she looked at her reflection. The crown was intact, yet her clothes were tattered.

She took the grapes out of the basket and prepared them to be washed by the moon touched water.

Nothing moved around her, and the water acted like ice. She couldn't touch it. Suddenly, the stream noises returned and she was now washing those grapes in the water.
Once again the stream didn't seem to move, but the grapes were already clear.

Using her stand, she went into the water, not before undressing herself. She didn't want the dress to be more damaged than it was.

She gaze upon the moon and chanted in Romanian what could be understood as this: "Bendis, mother of Dacia, thy whom binds the humans, souls and everything in between."

From her mother she knew Bendis was the ancient Thracian goddess of the moon, hunting and marriage, who was worshipped with Bacchic-like orgies in the wilds of Thrake. 

(Name) twirled in the cold water as she kept chanting more and more:

"I beg you break the bond between the spirit that took hold of me and myself. For that you, mother, know how is like to have your purity stolen."

The moon turned blood red and she moved on: "As an offering, I give you grapes. Fruits of passion and fun."

A small child-like giggle was heard from behind a tree.

"WHO'S THERE? HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT THIS?"

"Worry not, my child. For that I am here to aid you..." A figure said, stepping under the moon's red light.
"I am here to tell you that Bendis will do as you desire, under one condition."

"What is it?"

"You have to destroy that soul in you."

"How do I do that?"

"Fake sacrifice. You will know when the Moon will be full prepared... I must go... For that one of your fates is approaching."

"(Name)? (Name)? Please be alive... It's me, Noriaki."

"Oh shit oh fuck I'm naked and he's approaching." The basket that once held grapes was now holding a white material. It looked like her dress, but fixed and white as the moon. Without thinking a lot, she covered herself with the dress.

"There you are! I thought you wanted to die... YOU REALLY SCARED US!" Noriaki said. He called Jotaro, saying that he had found (Name).

"I like your gown..."

"Thank you."

"Also what the fuck were you thinking?"

"Well... I... uh... Rituals?"
He shook his head at her answer.

"This girl will be the death of someone..."