The Maid has traveled far. she walks a road that leads down into the Netherworld. As She walks, She grows weary and saddened for She sees how the world begins to wither with Her passing. She comes to a bower where all seems dead. The Maid knows she is drawing close to the entrance of the Dark Queen's realm.
Exhausted and heart-sick for all the suffering She has seen, the Maid sits in the bower upon a stone. She weeps tears of pity for the life that is fading about her. From her tears, where they land, a spring bubbles forth. About her the frail trees begin to have the sap move and the weary world finds a breath of hope.
Once the Maid recovers herself from the weight of grief that she carries, She rises and sets herself upon the path again that leads into the place below all places where darkness reigns without even the respite of starlight. Though she knows this place is part of the road to the Netherworld and has been fashioned by Her Mother's hand, the Maid can not help her horror at the massive amounts of suffering in this vale. The cries of the anguished are deafening. Somewhere in the cacophony, the Maid realizes that She hears Her own voice.
Then, over the hills, they come. The servants of the Dark Queen seem fair to look upon, each bearing some manner of casket with them. Where all else in the vale of suffering look weak and sickened, they walk tall with a terrible aura of power about them. The souls of the suffering watch these creatures pass wearing faces of humanity. They shrink away for fear of the monstrosity that lurks in their alien eyes.
The demons approach the Maid, bearing their caskets before them and dressed in fine array. With the demons of temptation who bear the caskets come the demons of suffering who hold sway over that vale. The demons of suffering run ahead and lay siege upon the Maid. They engage Her in mighty battle, sure of victory for they could see Her weariness. Beset on all sides, the Maid did her best to ward off their attacks with Her great axe. For each blow She turned away, ten fell upon her, ravaging her soul with their talons.
As they fell on Her, the demons of suffering cried: Hope is dead, for the light of the Mother has fallen from You. You shall go down to suffering and death and none shall save You. In the illimitable emptiness of the universe shall You stand alone and none shall give You comfort. In the darkness of eternal night shall You kneel to weep and no hand shall be put upon Your shoulder, but every hand shall be raised against You to do You hurt.
The Maid trembled at their evil prophecy and with the pain of the wounds to her soul. Still, she stood in that desolate place with her great axe and answered: Go your ways, for what I have said, that I shall do. The demons of suffering parted as the richly dressed demons of temptation came forward with their caskets. As they approached, the Maid watched them with suspicion. The demons of temptation stood before Her and offered Her their caskets. As they spoke, they opened their caskets to reveal each one bearing wondrous treasures, dainty food and sumptuous treats, and all manner of luxury.
The demons of temptation spoke, saying: Be You lead by us, and You shall have protection and all good things. The whole of the world shall be Your fortress, and You shall have wealth and magnificence that all the children of the earth shall love You. But the Maid answered: How shall you give to Me that which is Mine? For I am Princess of the world, and all the children of the earth have been given into My care by the hand of the Eternal.
Then the demons of temptation said: The light of the Eternal is taken from You, and whether these things are or are not Yours, it is we that have the power of them, and we You must obey if You will be saved. But the Maid saw through their lie and rebuked them. She replied: That which is right in the deepest heart of things, and in the center of all being, that is right and none other, and the Truth alone is true. Nor shall all the powers of the earth count against it, neither all the powers of the seas and skies move it by the smallest fraction in all its vastness. I shall obey none but My Mother, though all your power be turned in fury upon Me.
And the demons answered: Not our power, but the power of one far greater from whom our power derives. And the Maid said: Thus may it be. And the demons were filled with confusion. And they questioned Her: Think You that Your Mother will save You? And the Maid answered: She will do what She will do, and blessed is Her name. And the demons laughed in mockery, saying: Then You are abandoned to the uttermost darkness. And the heart of the Maid fainted within Her. And she said, quietly: Thus may it be.
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The text of the conversation between the Maid and the demons comes from the Mythos of the Daughter in The Gospel of Our Mother God. The rest of it comes from inspiration. The introductory scene of the Maid in a bower was a vision that came to me as I was praying the other day.
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