The following is a bit of alternative fiction based on certain characters from the Xenaverse. It is not meant to infringe on anyone else's rights. If you don't agree or disapprove, please go read something else.
The ground crackled under their feet, lifting and bucking. They were lifted into the air with the rough force of the earth's movements. Arete felt a sudden sense of gratitude. Even though the Gods didn't see fit to give her a sense of direction, she had a GREAT sense of balance. Now she used it, jumping and leaping from each buckled piece of ground, her lover cradled in powerful arms, until the earth opened up right in front of them.
They almost toppled over, as if a rug was being pulled from under them, but that balance thing came into play and the blonde made a save, actually flipping over onto a bit of ground that wasn't moving. (How'd she do that? Arete wasn't sure, but she blessed the every God she could think of) Kalai grinned impishly at the blonde, "Ooh fun! Let's do that again!" Arete's gaze narrowed and set her lover down. "AWww," Kalai pouted humorously, "I guess I'll have to do it myself then." She made as if to leap and was held back by a pair of wide strong hands.
There was a fierce whisper of, "You do and you ain't getting' any tonight." Kalai turned against the grasp, intending to respond with a naughty phrase, but that got caught in her throat. She didn't know what it was about those lovely green eyes, but almost every time, when the light hit just right, it was like she became a wanderer caught in a maze. The blonde smiled and touched the young warrior's cheek in a gentle stroking movement. Then she looked to her left and then up and up. Her expression became stoically impassive. "It seems you woke *something* up, Kalai." The Amazon followed Arete's example and looked up and up. She gasped.
Iovene had remained on the edge of the circular pit and wasn't affected by the earth's movements except for rumbly feel under her feet and so she had the clearest view until her companions joined her. To her it was like watching something hole itself under a rug (a really grassy, kind of muddy rug) and just grow and grow. When the maw formed, she'd stepped back, hand to mouth and eyes wide. She was no coward, but it was kind of a surprise to have a giant piece of earth with its eyes glowing, staring intelligently at one.
It spoke first.
"You." There was a long pause and no other words flowed out of the elemental's mouth, but Iovene could see and feel a whirl of thoughts going around so fast she almost couldn't track them. It made the odd Amazon a bit dizzy.
The pause was so long that Arete assumed they were supposed to answer. "Yes?" Her voice was quizzical. More pause. . .more pause. .
Iovene blurted it out, "It knows you. .Well, it doesn't know you, personally, but it's heard of you." She bent down and picked up one of the uprooted pieces of vegetation, "through its connections." Kalai and Arete looked at the dowser in astonishment, though they knew they really shouldn't have been surprised.
The ground twisted somewhat to focus on the dowser. The being towered over her, its mouth hung open and clumps of dirt and weeds and whatnot kept falling down. It nodded at her as if inquiring. Iovene smiled benignly and nodded back, "Oh sure, be happy to." And she really was. For once this little knack of hers was coming in handy. "It wants me to play interpreter."
Kalai's hands found her hips. "Well." She looked thoughtful and then grinned widely, "I think that sounds fine. Let's do it." Then, acting instinctively as a good ambassador she turned to the elemental and spoke, "If you know us, then you know that I'm Kalai and this is Arete." The blonde wrapped a strong arm around the small woman's shoulders and gave a half bow in acknowledgement of the introductions. "and our interpreter is Iovene." Iovene didn't bow but she did wave, kind of.
The creature bowed and then a groan issued from somewhere really deep. Iovene began to speak, but it was as if it weren't her own voice. "It is an honor to be in your presence." Iovene's voice was suddenly deep and rumbling. She touched her throat in confusion and the three women looked at each other. Their body language sent frantic messages. (*you okay* *shrug, I think so*) The sensation of the creature's voice was startling, but not unpleasant. She decided to roll with it. "I have heard much about you all. You are a source of great joy. It is good to have the powers back. It will be better when *all* are returned." That caused a stir. Kalai looked at Iovene. They had no clue. Iovene shrugged and returned her gaze to the elemental.
Well that was a puzzle, but it wasn't one they'd solve right now. "Uhm. . thank you. I think." Kalai looked up at the glowing eyes. Did she detect humor?
"You are welcome bonded one. You woke me for a reason?" There was a gentleness in Iovene's voice. For some reason, Arete knew that it reflected the kindness of the earth itself. She wondered what the creature thought about the method of waking, but was a little afraid to ask.
Kalai, in her usual manner, addressed the issue head on. "There's a problem with the well in Anipe. The water said that it was blocked. We came to see what happened."
The ground shifted. The response was blunt. "I am old. I fell down."
"Well can you get back up?" There was real concern in the Amazon's voice. She looked speculatively at the ground beneath her. Then, Kalai looked up into what she now perceived as an ancient face. Suddenly it was as if she could see all the wrinkles and lines that wisdom provided and the mouth of the earth, while not necessarily inviting, wasn't as scary.
"It is difficult for one such as I. What was underneath is no longer. I need help."
Arete spoke up, her voice as sweet as ever. She was concerned. Falling earth didn't sound so good and she wasn't sure how they were going to fix it. Strong arms she had, but she wasn't Atlas. "What kind of help?" She wished, rather intensely, that the earth had given them a name to call it. She decided to follow her lover's example of getting to the point, "And what can we call you?"
The ground shifted. They felt the tremors rattle up through their feet to their hips (felt kind of nice, actually). Iovene looked startled but spoke the words the way the elemental felt them, "I am of Gaia. You may call me Ason." This was so Cool, Iovene thought, The elemental perceived itself as male. Wow! The concept shook up some of Iovene's notions about the earth and yet, looking at the way the old one expressed itself, she had to wonder why she hadn't noticed it before. Some places felt male, didn't they. . . and some places female. . . Wow.
The creature's thoughts sped through the air and the dowser plucked them out and tried to make sense of them. The concepts were simply expressed, but she realized that fulfilling some of the tasks might be a real challenge. "Find a young one. Create a path. I will embrace it, cover it and the young one will inherit." The creature smiled deeply and a sigh flowed through its cavernous mouth, "I will surrender to time and become Gaia's again." Kalai looked stricken (It felt like she was losing a friend before she'd even gotten to know them) and the giant creature's voice became even more gentle, "It is as it should be. Nothing is lost. I will make a path for you, that you may make a path for Anipe. When time comes, that which is Ason will return, but different. It will be as Gaia wills."
The elemental continued, "Let the ones who need, find the path. You must find the young one. I will wait until then." Then there was a creaking noise and the sound of air rushing and the earth began to part, slowly.
There was bit of stumbling as they strove to get out of the way, but it seemed like they had plenty of time. Kalai supposed it was because now it knew they were there and before it was just being startled awake. She'd done something similar when Arete startled her awake. She'd rolled in the bed and lashed out. The tall blonde had landed on the floor for that one.
By the time all the earth's creaking and moaning and rumbling was done there was a sizable opening in the ground. The towering grassy face was gone, but they could still feel its presence. Arete took tentative step forward and then another, until she was at the new cavern's entrance. She looked in, and then down. There were steps, smoother than anything they could have made. She started in.
And was pulled back by strong hands. Kalai spoke, her voice soft. "You heard Ason. Let the villagers take care of whatever is down there. We've got to find the "young one." Though how we're going to do that I don't know." She looked at Iovene who was also peering into the darkness. She tapped the curly headed woman's shoulder, not unkindly, "You'll probably need to come with us. Maybe we can dowse it? Or a priest might be able to tell us or something? Plus, I don't know if Ason's typical, but. . ."
Iovene turned to look at the brown eyed woman, "I'd be happy to. But not today." She smiled a little wistfully, "I'm kind of tired." She was also overwhelmed. She'd seen more than she'd said and the old one had offered her a glimpse of something she wasn't sure she was ready for. She wasn't sure any of them were ready for it. She smiled at Kalai, then at Arete and shrugged herself up. "I never did get around to telling you about the latest. Maybe we should talk about it tonight." Sometimes you had to take the small steps first.
Arete noticed that the woman was leaning a bit more than usual. She looked at Kalai and received a nod. Then the blonde wrapped a friendly arm around the dowser's shoulders. "Why don't we just go on back, Iovene. We've got tomorrow and maybe a bit of traveling. You can tell us whatever then. hmm?"
Iovene took a breath, "No." Her voice firmed up and she strove to pull herself together, "No, I don't think so. You better hear it now," The curvaceous woman started walking forward, on back to the village, "because, I have a feeling," And oh it was getting stronger, "this is just the beginning."
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These pages were last updated: October 7 1997
İOctober 1997