Lianna stood before the massive cavern and stared into its black depths hesitantly. Her aura changed from the soft gold to a black that seemed to radiate off of her entire being. Fear clutched at her heart, but the pain of a broken one was worse. With a deep breath, she calmed the turmoil within. Yes, a cave could mean death to an Aurai. Yes, the fear of darkness was rooted in her very core. No, this would not stop her from seeking the Goddes Rhea. Four years ago Lianna had lost Desmond, he had been her soul mate, and she knew this not because she wished it but because it was the truth. One could only become an Aurai if your aura matched another's exactly, Soul Mates. He had left her before he could tell her anything about his race, so Lianna was left to figure it out on her own.

As she took as a step toward the entrance memories assaulted her. One by one they flashed past, each one depicting a person with a golden aura stuck somewhere in the depths of darkness. She watched as each withered and died without the light of the sun. The Crean that made up her aura fed off of light, keeping her and them alive. If she spent too much time without sunlight, she would join the others of her race that had dwindled into death. Swallowing hard, Lianna set her chin and stepped into the darkness. The light emanating from her guided her way as the rocky floor sloped downward. The darkness pressed around her until all she could hear was her heart beat and breathing. It felt like hours had passed before Lianna saw a floating white light ahead, illuminating a two paths with a sign above each one. She picked the left path which prompted her to be as the maker intended her to be. A broad chest sat open, and realization dawned, it meant she was to leave behind all of her worldly possessions. Swiftly she disrobed and folded her clothing neatly before placing her backpack on top of them. A chill ran up her spine as she moved down the path the cold brushed against her skin, but Lianna was determined to find the strength she needed to bear an entire race.

Stairs were carved into the stone walls, and Lianna took them gladly, trying to rush her journey to get out of the cold. Her bare feet padded softly down the steps until they descended into a pool of water. Lianna could feel the goose pimples covering her arms already, the thought of wading through the water was not pleasant. As she stepped down into the water, she felt the cold rise up her legs but thankfully it was only waist deep. The ends of her long blond hair brushed the surface of the water as she made her way towards a tunnel on the other end. Large statues rose up out of the pool and at first glance they all seemed to be of warriors. When she got closer, she noticed that one of them depicted her father, fully dressed in his guards uniform. To her right was another that made her stop dead in her tracks. Desmond was before she carved into stone. His bright eyes and an easy smile graced his delicate features, and Lianna could feel the warmth of tears running down her face. It had been four years since she had let herself cry over his death. With a shaking hand, she reached out and touched the foot of the statue. The raw emotions swirled around her Aura making it flash from deep blue to gold, to purple. She let herself spend a moment reveling in the pain before she moved on again. This journey would be the last time that it would bother her so. At the mouth of the tunnel was another chest, this time providing a plain robe that Lianna donned gladly.

After passing through the tunnel, it opened up into a massive cavern with a clear lake nestled at the bottom. A stone bridge rose up out of the water leading to an archway and a temple carved directly into the rock. What looked like stars twinkled above, illuminating the chamber and vibrant fish swimming in the lake. Lianna quickened her pace as she made it over the bridge and through a large archway into a circular room. Tapestries depicting warriors and lovers hung on the walls, giving the room a welcoming feeling compared to the dark cave before it. The floor was covered in a beautiful mosaic, leading to a stone throne covered in red sheets. Lianna had made it this was where the Goddess Rhea made her home. Finally, she may have the strength to bear the Aurai.

One could not travel into the Goddess's domain without her notice. This place was attached to her very essence and she was at her strongest deep within the cavern. The feeling of a guest hit her core and caused her to stir from her mediation, or some would call napping. It seemed that when the Goddess was not out along the mortals, she was curled up somewhere in the temple sleeping. Her father had been known for his lack of sleep, while she was known because of the opposite. She put the blame on her training in dream-weaving. The best way to do such a thing was obviously in your sleep. Stretching her arms up, a loud sigh escaped her lips as she reluctantly pulled herself from her bed. There were no doors in this room. The room itself was more like a simple cave with water trickling down the walls into streams that disappeared into the rocks below. 

Rhea let her fingers slowly trace her curls, correcting any mess from her nap as she merely stepped into the wall. Instead of slamming face first into the watery wall she stepped through it and appeared in a hall that lead towards the throne room. The hall could not been seen from the throne room itself and the girl had no idea she was coming as she entered the room. There was a moment that the Goddess almost considered using her tricks for her own amusement however she could feel the sadness that echoed through the emptiness. This was not the time for humor. Pushing one of the large tapestries to the side, she slowly entered the room.

"Welcome to my humble abode, dear guest." Her voice remained soft but it was not hard for it to echo through the area and bring the attention towards her entrance. She appeared almost as if she was from further in the past. Her dress was crafted from thin fabric that barely concealed her soft skin and thin rope kept it together at the waist and kept the fabric tight over her shoulders. If not for the feelings of others, the strange siren would never unburdened by the mortal attire. The people of this land loved the idea of layers and clothing. It was rather primitive, but she knew of many that loved it.

Hazel eyes quickly locked onto the other woman as a gentle smile drew across her lips. There were not many woman that choice to travel so deep into her domain. It appeared that a Goddess of her type drew the interest of men more than women. It was depressing. She loved men and women equally and grew tired of not being able to speak to one of her own gender outside of clergy. The sadness, however, hit her like a brick and for a moment her cheerful appearance faltered. Hazel eyes drifted in color to a deep swirl of blue. It was a passion that made her own heart ache.

"Oh my, forgive me if my temple has brought you pain. With the worst of moments, some find their strength and passion. What may I do for you, my dear? I can feel you came here with an outcome in mind. It is not the first time I had a soul such as yours appear at my throne." She kept a smooth tone to her words and with a blink of her eyes, the hazel iris situated themselves and the gentle smile reappeared. It was hard to break that ghost smile of hers for long.

The Goddess seemed to step out from a solid wall, Lianna hadn't seen a room at the back of the chamber. She should have expected as much since she was in the Goddesses home. Surprisingly, the woman was clothes in very simple garb, a basic robe with a rope for a belt. The robe though looked to be made of fine, thin fabric that Lianna guessed felt like butter. Rhea had long brown hair that fell in perfect curls down her shoulders and back, a stark contrast to Lianna's light blonde. She had expected beauty out of the Goddess of love and was not disappointed. 

Lianna approached the Goddess, feeling underdressed in the simple robe that was provided for her. It wasn't that she typically wore flashy clothing, but she was used to long, lightly colored dresses. Her golden aura clung to her skin and reflected off of the carved walls of the room. When Rhea spoke, it was in a quiet feminine voice, apologizing for the pain she had caused. While seeing Desmond had caused her pain, it had also been a blessing to be reminded of him once more. She had spent such a short amount of time with him, that at times Lianna wondered if it had been a dream. 

"Goddess, I ask for strength. I lost my soulmate three years ago, and I fear that I will never have the strength to bear his loss. Not only that, but he turned me into an Aurai shortly before passing. I still know so little of the race, though I know that I am the only one. He had been trying to petition for help, and I wish to carry on his goals, but find myself having a hard time with this load." Lianna breathed. She looked into the Goddess's hazel eyes as her aura turned the dark blue of sadness. 

When she had awoken with her golden aura Lianna had been so happy. Desmond would not be the only Aurai and some day they would continue the race with a family. There had been such hope until he died a few days later. Now she knew she must pass on their race, but she clung to a man three years gone. How was she to let her aura find a match if she was holding on so tightly to her first love. Was there a possibility that she could find another matching aura? Was there such a thing as a second soul mate? Conflict flooded her as her emotions swirled. There had to be a way to help the Aurai; there had to be a way for her to have the strength to move on. With a hard swallow
Lianna stuffed her doubts down. The golden glow alighted her once more as she set her chin and looked the Goddess Rhea for help. 

"I've come at a great personal cost, if I remain without sunlight I will weaken and die. I need your help, so I might continue this noble race, " she continued. Then waited silently for a reply.

The words that her guest bore were thick with the emotion that she was feeling. It were the cases like this that made her feel lucky to be in the position that she was in. She had grown up watching her mother help the people that came to her, trying to find a little bit of peace for them. Sometimes, it would not last longer than the distance to reach the mortal world above but it was still a beautiful thing to watch someone smile with a real feeling of peace and care.

The Goddess remained silent just listening to what the woman had to say. There was a story there that she was dying to hear. The fairytale of soulmates and the beauty of love. Sadly, it appeared that like some love it was forced apart. The Goddess could not control fate, like her father had when he was young. Fate was devious and never listened to anyone, not even a deity. Her smile never faltered through the complete explanation. It still clung to her lips but her eyes had to fight the power of the emotion trying to trickle in.

Her father’s lineage made it difficult to hide the emotions that she was feeling, but like him it only came out when the feeling was almost overwhelming. It was much like the change of aura but it was displayed through her pupils. The way that the two races had merged so beautiful had been enough to bring pure wonder from her parents. Rhea had felt love many times already in her life, however true love was something she had yet to feel. It always made her curious, could a Goddess whose main duty was to protect that feeling of pure emotion of love and lust actually be able to open her heart up in the same way?

”You must care deeply for this cause to risk everything as you have? I wish there was a way for me to give you the sunlight down this far. I must admit my abilities lack in the terms of darkness and light. You could refer to me merely as an arcane welder, outside of my abilities of dreamweaving and enchanting.” There was a moment where her gaze seemed to show the admiration for what the woman was going for, but it could have been easily lost behind her ghost smile. Her words paused there as she took a soft glance around the room. She would like to help the woman feel more comfortable in her home but there was some things, she just could not do.

“I own a quicker way to the surface. It is a small place that is lost in a jungle. It not entirely the mortal world above. It is much like my temple, crafted in a strange magic. I could take you there if you wish? We could speak above ground on how I may be able to help you. I am sorry to say that I do know a lot about the different races. You would probably need to visit the small one.” Her eyes studied the woman for a moment to see what she would say to the suggestion. She did not want to go into trying to find a way to help her when she was draining her life away to do it.

Love was strong, but it could not overpower death.

Lianna could feel her body instantly relax at the idea of moving out from underground. The Goddess had offered to take her someplace else,  and the subconscious fear she had been feeling all along faded into the background. She needed help from Rhea, and she would do just about anything to overcome this heartache. The Crean were still sending her memories of Aurai who had wasted away in darkness; they were not as trusting of the Goddess as Lianna was. She sensed no dark intent from the woman with the smile though somehow Rhea's eyes didn't smile too.

"I would much appreciate moving elsewhere; I fear no matter how much I try to suppress my terror at the darkness there is no way to dismiss it entirely. My race grants me memories from all past Aurai right now I keep remembering people of my race dying from lack of sunlight. It isn't the most pleasant thing to deal with while trying to petition your help." she admitted. 

Lianna closed her eyes for a moment and witnessed a young brown haired Aurai that had been captured and kept in a dungeon for trying to help someone. His aura slowly dimmed until he lay on the floor of his cell, his pleas for help unheeded by the guards down the hall. In her mind's eye, she watched him pass from this world, starved of sunlight and warmth. When she opened her eyes to the room before her, there was the pain in her eyes. With a shake of her head, she banished the memory and tried to focus on the task at hand.

"I do care for this; I know that if I can't petition assistance for my dying race or move on from my heartbreak they, Aurai will end with me. I can't let the history of an ancient race die off because I can't overcome losing someone," she shrugged. It was the truth, even if it was harsh. Lianna knew exactly what it entailed keeping the Aurai going, and she was willing to do everything within her power to maintain the memory of her love alive. If she could pass on the race, then Desmond would always exist in someone else's memories since the Crean passed them down from person to person. Someday another glowing person would have visions of him, and it would make his loss easier to bear for Lianna. She only had to find a second soulmate in this world and have children. If that wasn't a possibility, she knew that the Goddes of fertility may help her have a child alone. In a situation like that, she wasn't sure if the race would pass on or not. So much was unknown to her, and all she had to go on were glimpses' she received of the past at random. Perhaps, given the time it all would make more sense to her. Maybe the jumble of emotions and history would sort itself out enough that she could process it all.

There was a sense of urgency to the situation. The woman remained very polite about the situation but Rhea could not deny the look of pain in her eyes. She spoke about how her mind was connected to the memories of others of her race. They were showing her images of her own kind that had faded away in the darkness. Rhea could actually understand what her guest was feeling. It was similar to the powers that came with her own position. The Voice gifted her the ability to see into the heads of others and see into their own memories and soul to show her there deepest desires. She could even play with their emotions and tease them with strength or love. She had never known for being as kind-hearted as her mother. The people had given her a title to match her sometimes cruel judgements, but there was kindness deep inside her as well.

”Then let us wait no more. It does me no good if I am unable to have you focus on what you wish from me. I want you to be able to relax in my home, so that this may not be so difficult. I am sure coming here was hard enough as it was. You must just trust me for a moment. I will not force you to walk through another tunnel.” Her eyes rested calmly on Lianna as she took her hands into her own. Closing her eyes, she let the power take over them and in a second the world around them faded and in its place was a beautiful beach beneath a large cliff. There was a tunnel chiseled into the wall to show that there was a way into her temple from there, but it would have taken longer to get here.

”Here we do. Is this more acceptable place for our meeting? I can conjure a few chairs if you wish to sit, but we have a beautiful scene to look at and a shining sun.” Rhea could not help but boast as she released her guests hand and began to gesture around her. She loved showing off and she put great pride into her temple home. She loved it underground, but she knew not many could deal with being deep underground for so long.

”So you wish to continue your race? You would need to speak to my aunt if you wished for a child. I can only help you find a new love or at least peace with the love you own now. I do not believe there is ever one true soulmate, but many in this world of wonder. You just happen upon one and many will hold onto that one until their last breath. Love is a horrible, fickle thing. It can abandoned you so quickly and leave you with nothing but shattered memories and broken dreams, but for you, you must just think upon the moments of love and care. I am sure your soulmate would have not wished pain upon you. He probably would understand your wish to continue on his linage.”

Rhea turned to gaze upon the other woman curiously. What exactly did this she want?  If she wanted a child, she could have easily gone to see Angela but there may have been more to the situation that brought her fear. There was someone shadowing her desires from the Goddess’s eyes. There was too much doubt and fear currently for the Goddess to tell what she truly wished. She wanted her husband back, obviously, but that was not possible. She knew nothing of the new god that housed the dead, but making deal like that were never pretty. People thought Rhea was bad, then what kind of situation could one get with a God who watched over the dead?