THE DEATH OF THE GREAT GODDESS;
PART 1 (The truth is revealed)
The lioness drew her sword as shiver ran down her spine. She could sense that something wasn't right, there was something missing that was supposed to be there.
"I knew I could find you down here at the training grounds" greeted King Jonathon as he came up from behind Alanna.
"Why, are you assigning me to a new mission? I thought you said that I won't be needed for another few months," Alanna questioned
"Oh nothing like that, I am only here to give you a message that came here from a messenger, he said it was important and I didn't trust anyone else to deliver it so I came myself." He answered brightly. Alanna took a look at the brightly decorated piece of paper and froze. Tears were forcing their way out of her eyes, she hasn't cried for about ten years but there she was sobbing. Her muscles ached every time she breathed in a breath of air, her breathing becoming more uneven as she read on to the bottom of the note.
"Is there something wrong, Alanna? I have never seen you so pale since the death of your brother Thom," Jonathon asked as her noticed Alanna's sudden depression.
"The…Great goddess… she's…dead," came the answer from the small slumped figure. The King remained still and then he finally said
" Are you okay? Alanna if there is anything I can do just tell me,"
"Everything is fine your majesty," Alanna said coldly as she walked towards the Palace, dropping her sword behind. Alanna had never really addressed Jonathon that formally before and she had never been so cold to him. As Alanna made her way into her chamber, she fingered the glowing ember-stone for answers and in a sudden flash Alanna was gone.
* * *
"Where am I? What am I doing here, am I dead and travelling to the black god? Oh no my head hurts too much for me to be dead?" panicked Alanna. Then she felt a soft breeze surrounding her.
"Welcome! This is the realm of the gods and we have been waiting for your arrival ever since the crack of dawn. Make yourself at home," came a voice from the shadows
"Who are you and what do you want with me?" demanded Alanna as she reached for her sword but remembered she dropped it in the palace training grounds
'Damn why do I always have to be so stupid,' Alanna thought to herself as the shadows crept in and devoured her. Then a tall figure slipped out. It was the Black God. Alanna knew it was he from their last encounter about twelve years ago.
"So I'm really dead," whispered Alanna to herself
"No you're not dead. We have transported you here because it was the last dying wish of the goddess," replied the Black God and the horrible memories of the message came back to her. She winced at the memory of her coldness to the king.
"The Goddess, where is she?" Demanded Alanna as she got herself into her fighting position. The Black God laughed and said
"You were always the one who wanted to settle things with a fight, well don't worry there won't be any fights, hopefully. Come this way, we have managed to keep the Goddess' soul her in room,"
"Before we go anywhere, answer a question for me. Aren't gods and goddesses are supposed to live forever?" Alanna eyed the Black God suspiciously
"'Well yes and no," replied the Black God uncomfortably as Alanna's gave him withered glances. We moved uncomfortably to grab a key out of thin air, it was rusty but beautifully decorated.
"What do you mean yes and no?" demanded Alanna as she circled the God looked for unwanted answers on his face.
"Well, she was suffering for a long time from black magic, we suspect it was the gods of Chaos and well we couldn't save her because the magic was too strong… too evil. After many months, the goddess made her decision, she didn't want to suffer anymore so all the gods summoned up their power and we put her to a deathly sleep," he hesitated as he spoke each word.
"If the Great Mother is dead then who will be the great goddess, there just has to be a goddess to look after all the mortals in the world and you're the black god, can't you just bring her back to life and make her well again? And you call yourself a GOD!" Alanna taunted the Black God knowing that he was hiding something.
"THE BLACK MAGIC WAS TOO STRONG AND THERE IS NO WAY WE CAN SAVE HER. Before the great goddess died she chose a successor to take her place, and you will know the rest when we get there," screamed the Black God as he but his face into his hands.
"NO I demand to know now, I command you!" declared Alanna not feeling any sympathy towards the Black God
"What, a silly mortal commands me?" he questioned, not once has any mortal challenged him before and with a full blast of energy, Alanna was thrown against the wall. Wearily she stepped back up and was ready to take more blows from the God but he continued walking. They finally got to lightly lit room; there was incense and charms of many kinds strung around a towering bed. On the bed laid the Goddess herself and her spirit was hovering over the body. Alanna ran to the bedside without any hesitation.
"Great Mother, guide me," Alanna whispered as she looked up to the spirit of the goddess.
"Lioness, you have finally arrived. I have waited for many days for your arrival, I have something important to tell you and time is running out," croaked the goddess wearily.
"I will do all that you tell me to do," declared Alanna as she searched the goddess' face.
"You have served me well throughout all these years and you will be greatly rewarded…" replied the goddess.
"What do you mean?" wondered Alanna
"Let me finish. My death will mean Chaos and devastation in both the divine realm and the mortal realm unless if a successor takes my place. I have made my choice but it wasn't easy, I have chose you because you have showed dedication and faith in what you believe. You have not once let me down and you still remained sincere to your friends. Thank you."
"But why not any of the other goddesses?"
"All they ever cared about was power and evil but you showed much more than that, you have proved worthy to be a goddess."
"Do I still get to see my friends and family?"
"I'm afraid not, to be a goddess you have to make many sacrifices and your friend Daine had to make the same choice and she chose to be a mortal. But you don't have a choice, you have to be for the good of all the realms, if you refuse then many bad things will occur."
"What about George and what about the King? I'm his champion; I can't let him down."
"To hopefully make your leave easier, we will allow you to go and say your good-byes for the last time but you have to return to the divine realms in a months time if you do not return then all things are lost and so will my soul. To return just hold the ember stone."
Alanna watched as the image of the goddess disappeared and she was back at the palace. She was lying down on a bed in a familiar room, it was her room in the palace and everybody was around her.
"Alanna? We thought we lost you. You ran inside and you fell unconscious, I was afraid that it was black magic again. What happened? I think you do too much training, take some time off and get well before I see you back on those training grounds," questioned Jonathon
"No Jonathon, I visited the Great Goddess and I don't have much time left, I only have one month to stay here and then I have to go away,"
"You're not going anywhere we don't have another mission for you for months,"
"No you don't understand, I am her chosen one. I am to be the next Great Goddess,"
"What are you talking about. I know the Great Goddess is dead but that doesn't mean that you have to be anything. You're Alanna and we're all happy about that,"
"NO YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, Jon, just listen. I was taken to the divine realms when I was unconscious and the Great Goddess said that I had to be the next Great Goddess or everything is lost,"
"How come you're here if you are supposed to be the Great Goddess?"
"The gods let me say my finally farewells and for me to stay in the mortal realms for another month. I can't go I'll miss all of too much,"
"From what I've heard, you have to so I say go and rule with kindness but just don't forget us,"
As Jonathan walked away, Alanna realized that he didn't want her to go and was just putting up a brave front. It was time to tell her family…