| Chapter One: The Amazon�s Descent
She was naked and knee-deep in lake-water when the Goddess called to her. Across the great span of moonlit grass, amongst the other lonely hearts and vicious beasts, she saw Her. A portrait of perfection in her darkness, eyes of ebony, skin as snow�she was marvelous. Yet this was not what she needed now, she had come to this secluded wood, to this clearing, to this very lake at midnight�to escape. She had too many voices ringing in her ears, too much to think, too much to accomplish. This overwhelmed princess of the wild had far too much to worry about to notice the Goddess� eyes on her that night. Responsibilities had finally gotten the best of her and she had sought refuge in this clearing, among those who could not judge her. Alone with her thoughts, she had shed her emerald dyed animal-skin clothing and began to sink into the cool waters. Certainly she caught some attention, with her flawless features and firm-toned muscles, who wouldn�t have taken a gander? They did not matter to her though, not tonight, any other night she�d have taken one of her many admirers back to the village for a late-night romp, but tonight she was in need of peace. As the cool water lapped at her soft skin, she had her peace, and her mind filled with answers, possibilities, rather than worry and strife. They want me as their High Mother. How ridiculous, I have only been a Warrior for a moon cycle�I am not prepared for this. Pathetic little whelps they are, all of them. I cannot take on such responsibilities without proper training. Yet they think me capable. I am the strongest of the tribe�no. I shall no give in to this power. I will not take this on. I shall go back to the village in the morning and renounce my title. I will- �You will cease this idle banter with yourself and grow up.� It was in that moment, those first words spoken into her mind, which she succumbed to the Goddess. Yet a fight she put up, her soul unwilling to give herself so freely. All know that the Goddess is always victorious�soon she would understand this as well. � Do not move, Princess, do not speak a word, merely listen. I know your name, I know your lineage, and I know all there is of you and your people. Your trials, your victories, your shortcomings and all the death you have wrought. I know it all. You can hide nothing from me, Mer.� What do you want from me? � I said no words!� My hide! You are the one whom speaks into my mind! I shall ask the questions of the violator of my thoughts. Now tell me, who are you? �As vibrant a soul as I�d hoped. I am pleased, Princess.� Stop calling me that. I am no Princess. �Ah, but you are. You shall rule on high. Savor this moment, Mer. For it is the beginning of a grand destiny for you.� Grand destiny? What is this, a joke? Did my sisters send you? �This is no joke, Mer. I am here to take you to a better place. Where you will live as the ruler of your own domain. Where no one rivals you. No one questions your power or your word. You will make any decisions that need be made. No more worries, no more forced responsibilities. Everything is as you wish.� Paradise? �In a way, it shall be.� What price? �There is no price. I can make all of your desires reality. Is this not what you want? Peace? Freedom? Should I offer this to some other lost child here?� No. I shall oblige. An escape from this seems�necessary. She lived to regret those words. As she stepped through the portal and heard her bones crush. The sound of her skeleton reforming inside her flesh was soul shattering. The feel of cold steel across her supple skin was as ice. Those unforgiving claws tearing into her, molding her form into something else. When she felt herself shrink, all was lost. As her surroundings grew all around her, as miniscule as a leaf to a redwood. Then the long bones shot from her back, curved and began to grow blackened flesh. The pain was unbearable. Her scream echoed through the great marble halls, becoming nothing more than a squeak as her insides shrunk as well. That was the day�the day dear Mer became one of us. �Wag, are you talking to yourself again?� From out of the shadows, the small fairy crept. With a quick motion, she placed both hands upon the fur-covered creatures shoulders. This touch caused him to leap from his small chair and spin around to meet her mocking grin. �No! You wench. I�m cataloging.� As she turned from him, hands behind her back, nose pointed to the darkness above, he took his seat once more and began scribbling, pen to parchment once more. The fairies bat-like wings fluttered back and forth behind her as she tiptoed in circles behind the little beast. �You and those books. Truly, Wag, you�ve lost your mind. I don�t see a point in writing everything down, no one�s going to see it. We�re the only ones here. This big fucking realm and all there is are the Goddess, you and I.� Throwing her hands into the air, her voice rising, she jerked a leg forward and landed roughly onto it, wings gracefully catching her fall. �She hasn�t even been looking for others! I�m losing my fucking mind in this hell! It ridiculous! Why won�t she get off her mighty ass and find us some companions!� Wag, not looking up from his papers, carefully raised a finger as his voice took on a rather apathetic tone. �I would not speak such things if I were you. She can hear us, you know.� A quick revealing of her tongue to the small beast and the fairy spun about again. Pacing around the nothingness, she continued her rant. �Yeah well, with only a mile in every direction I�m not surprised. What about scenery? We�re missing that too! What the hell does she do all day locked up in that eyesore of a palace? Pick her nose?� Now the small beast stood and turned to the fairy, eyes narrowed, his scale covered tail knocking the table and chair over as he spun. �Mitra�you should not speak so loudly.� Rushing up close to Wag, Mitra shoves a slender finger in his face, her voice rising again. Her arms suddenly taking on a will of their own as they flail about. �Shut the fuck up, Wag! I�ll speak however loud I want! It feels like millennia have passed and not a single patch of grass, not a street, a flower, not even a goddamned sky! What are we walking on? It�s been a black void for far too long and if Dyre doesn�t get off her mightier-than-thou ass soon I�m going to revolt!� An exasperated sigh escapes the beast as he turns to pick up his toppled chair and table. �Then revolt, good luck with only yourself. You bloody idiot.� "Hey! I'm not an idiot. You're the idiot. Sitting in your chair, at your table, in the middle of fucking nowhere scribbling word upon word that will never be read! No one cares about us, Wag! No one knows about us! No one will ever read your 'work', yet still your scribble your little nothings down as if they were sacrosanct. You're the idiot, you pathetic fool!" |
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| Descent into the Unknown |
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