"..."
"...Khazal..."
"..."
"...Khazal...wake up..."
Khazal blinked several times as her eyes adjusted to the light. She rolled over and squeezed her eyes shut as she slowly made her way up. "Jinji? Where are we? Have we dropped out of slipstream?"
As Khazal's eyes could finally focus, she could tell she was not on the ship anymore. She made her way up to her feet, and she noticed that there was a soft orange light emanating from the middle of the room. She turned to see a large woman, perhaps eight feet tall, standing there completely nude. She had amazing musculature, as well as fierce glowing orange eyes.
Khazal stumbled back, unsure of what she was looking at. She held up a hand to shield herself. "Please do not destroy me!"
"I have no intention of doing so," the giant woman uttered. Her voice was echoing and otherworldly. "I am so glad to see you had completed the quest."
Khazal squinted. Something about the giant woman seemed familiar. "Are...are you a goddess?"
"I am," she stated.
Khazal panicked. "I have gazed upon you!" She dropped down and pressed her forehead to the floor. "I am not worthy!"
"Child," she began. "You are worthy, as you are one of us."
Khazal dared to look up again. "I do not recognize an orange goddess."
The orange goddess smiled. "You know me well."
Khazal nearly choked. "Mother?" She jumped to her feet. "
Mother!
I..." She gazed at the nude body, then averted her eyes. "Oh my..."
The orange woman gazed down, then laughed heartily. "I sometimes forget about notions of modesty." She lifted an arm, then shrunk down to her normal Boccan size. A white dress materialized around her. "Is this better?"
Khazal got brave and looked again, seeing the woman she vaguely remembered. "Mama!" She sprinted over and grabbed her muscular mother in a bear hug. "Oh, Mama Oola! How is this possible?" She then pulled back. "Is this a trick?"
"No, no trick," Oola calmly assured her daughter. "You were born from my own body."
"But...you died." Khazal touched her mother's muscular arm to be sure she was real. "Auntie Crele said she watched it. You had died bravely in combat."
"This is true," Oola explained. "I had died. My essence was preserved by the goddesses themselves, after they had intervened in the invasion. They had changed me into a goddess." She laughed. "Of course, I had been offered the chance before. I gave it all up to get to see your mother again."
"My goodness," Khazal said under her breath. "You gave up the chance to be a goddess just to be with Mama Groovi. You truly loved her." She thought for a moment. "The artifact! I lost it!"
"The artifact is with us," Oola assured her. "It was put there by the original four goddesses. They foretold your birth."
"How could they know that?" asked Khazal.
"Time is not so linear for us," Oola remarked. "You were sent on a mission to explore new worlds. It was also an evaluation on how you would treat strangers. You will be introduced to many wonderful new powers, and we must ensure they will not be abused."
Khazal gazed at her own hands. "I have powers? I am not special."
"You are," Oola replied. "You are one of us. You were born of my body, but your spirit was the result of the goddesses. You are a
theosdan
โhalf mortal, half goddess."
Khazal's eyes went wide. "I cannot believe it! Mama Groovi always told me tales of how you insisted I was a gift from the goddesses." She held her head. "I am feeling weak."
Oola steadied her. "Perhaps a refreshing meal and rest will suit you. I can summon a pod."
Part of the wall opened, and the exterior showed a sunset over a gentle temperate biome. The floating pod hovered down just outside of the doorway.
Khazal was helped into the pod. "Do not fear," Oola cautioned Khazal. "You will be able to learn much more after you catch up on your sleep."
Khazal reached out and grabbed Oola in a hug. "I love you, mama." The door closed, and Khazal was lifted up.
Khazal watched as the pod let her soar over the land. There were trees and grasses, as well as gentle rivers. A few modest shelters dotted the land.
The pod landed Khazal next to a modest cabin. Khazal got out and looked around. The air was clean and comforting, and a blue lake was nearby. She then felt her stomach rumble. "Mama was rightโI need to eat."
Khazal looked over to the lone table and chair to see a steaming plate of fresh vegetables, a leg of meat, and a large bread roll. There was also a large silver tankard. Khazal ran over and sat in the chair, gorging herself on the meal. After cleaning her plate and downing the tankard of ogwa, she felt groggy. She went into the cabin and laid on the bed. She was out within a few minutes.
Oola was back in the temple where the goddesses resided. She was still in her white dress, contemplating getting to see her daughter again.
Kleeda, the blue and second-most muscular goddess, walked up to Oola. "Oola, you are in your Boccan form. Were you concerned that your daughter would not be able to handle you in your goddess form?"
"No," Oola replied, not looking directly at Kleeda. "I know that my daughter is strong. Her
theosdan
physiology should make her unlike mere mortal Boccans. I reverted to my old Boccan form to make her trust me."
Kleeda placed a hand on Oola's shoulder. "Do you think we will find the other?" asked Oola.
"I do not know," Kleeda replied. "The artifact is still transmitting. She should be able to sense it."
Oola turned to Kleeda and gazed up at her. "I suspect that your desire to create these
theosdana