YES! I ACTUALLY GOT MORE OF THIS FIC DONE!!! WHOOOHOOO!!! *does backflips*
Chapte 10
Dementa didn't now how long she had slept, but it was the most restful sleep she had in a long time. The bed she was in felt so warm and comfortable that she didn't want to wake up, but a savory scent reached her nose and her stomach growled. Realizing that it had been ages since her last decent meal (and therefore increditably hungry), she sat up and opened her eyes.
"I figgered that would wake yer up." A female voice, one that had a sliggish accent to it. Dementa looked over and her eyes widened slightly in surprise once again.
Standing beside her, holding a plate of food, was another odd being, though there was obviously slig treats in her. Her head and arms were distinctly slig, but the rest of her mimicked Ishtar. Her skin was a yellow-green with green barring and her eyes were a flaming orange.
"Who are you?" Dementa asked, "And where's Ishtar?"
"Names Jai'ana, most jus' call me 'Jay' though." the female said as she handed Dementa the food, "An' mother is out talkin' ter her superiors, seein' 'bout gettin' that curse off of you."
Dementa eagerly accepted the plate and dived in.
"So..." Dementa asked between bites, "Are you cursed too?"
Jai'ana blinked at her for a moment, then hooted a laugh.
"Nah, I was born like this." She said.
Dementa thought a moment, then said, "You called Ishtar your mother...that would mean your father was a slig..."
"Big Bro actually." Jai'ana said with a smile, "I guess when yer a goddess you can breed with anythin'..."
"Goddess..." Dementa muttered to herself, remembering what Ishtar had told her about the one that had cursed her...and how it was unlikely the other gods would help her, "Not like any of them care what happens to me..."
"Mother's at least tryin'...yer can't fault her fer that..." Jai'ana said.
Dementa put down the plate and laid down again, turning her back to Jai'ana, in a deep state of despair.
"I just want to end it..." Dementa said softly, "but even that choice is denied to me..."
Jai'ana, seemingly at a loss as to what to say, just said, "Yer sure you don' want any more?"
"I'm sure..." Dementa said as she pulled the covers up around her, "I am not hungry anymore..."
"Ok...."
There was a moment of silence, and then Dementa heard Jai'ana leave the room. Dementa sighed, curled up into a ball and closed her eyes....
The next thing she knew, she was standing near a cliff edge. Cautiously she stepped up to the edge and looked down; she couldn't see the bottom. There was nothing but never ending blackness.
Kind of like my life... she thought, nothing but endless suffering....
”Only if thou let it.” a soft female voice said.
"Wha? Who's there?" Dementa said, staggering back, startled.
Just then a large serpentine shape appeared in front of her, hovering over the depths of the chasm beyond the cliff edge. It was silver in color with a white flowing mane and two draconian arms. One the face where two catfish-like feelers and the eyes were white and pupiless. The whole form moved as if it was treading in water...though nothing but air surrounded it. The creature reminded Dementa of something...something from her past, but she couldn't place it.
”I am known as Thunder Moon.” the creature said, “Goddess of Healing”
"Goddess?" Dementa thought a moment, "Then you must be one of Ishtar's superiors."
”Thou are correct.”
"Then...are you here to remove the curse from me?" Dementa asked hopefully.
The Goddess shook her head, sadly.
”Alas, we cannot undo what is meant to be.”
"You mean I am meant to suffer!?" Dementa howled, furious.
"Thou only suffer because thy let thyself suffer."
"Do you think I want to suffer!? No! I have looked all my Odd damned LIFE for a way to ease my suffering...and to actually be happy. Have I found the means? Obviously not!"
The goddess lowered her head down to Dementa's level and turned it to one side, looking at her with one of her white pupil less eyes; Dementa could see her reflection in it. Dementa stood firm, but shaking with fury and sadness
"Happiness can be achieved, if thou searched hard enough and in the right place. The key to thy's happiness lays with another."
"I can't get close to another as long as this curse is one me...." Dementa said softly, turning her head away, tears running down her cheeks.
The goddess turned her head so that she was completely facing her now. With one of her feelers she gentlely turned Dementa's head back toward her.
"There are ways..." she said softly, with a gentle smile, "Open thy heart and thou will find them...til then...farewell"
The goddess suddenly dissipated into mist...and faded away to nothing.
Not long after the Goddess had fully disappeared, an evil laugh echoed through the air; one that Dementa recognized immediately.
"Zilathoga..." Dementa whispered, breathlessly as she backed away from the cliff edge.
Suddenly there was a loud crack, and the cliff around her broke off from the rest of the cliff, casting her down into the blackness of the chasm below....
|