Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Mon Jun 5, 2017 11:03 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

For a moment Angela gave Ernest a weird look before patting her on the head. “It’s what mothers do. We don’t mean to be rather hard with our actions.” She wanted Ernest to know she hadn’t meant to hurt her. “I do much worse to my own children and you might as well be adopted at this point.”

Once they were in the clinic she saw Ernest’s expression and she chuckled. “The last thing you want is your hospital to look like a hospital. Relaxation is key and I find rain forests to be quite nice… Don’t you? The trickling of waterfalls… the flutter of wings… Nature is something that can help calm down even a soldier who had lost himself to battle.”

Once Ernest had asked her question she nodded a bit. “It can. I’ve healed many, many things. There is a natural order of life that must be preserved. When I was a fresh God to the conclave, despite how dark my heart was, I saw what happened when Life went overboard to save everyone. It wasn’t good.” She shook her head a bit. “No matter how good a person is they must respect the laws put in place by their spheres. Life must gift to Death… and Death must gift to Life. We must not always interfere. Once in a while is alright but to always do so… is destructive in its own way.”

Angela let out a laugh and she shook her head. “To be fair, I can get anything I want out of anyone if I wanted to bad enough. I’m not the best example.” She gave Ernest a smile. “Not that I would of course. I respect a person’s space.” She thought about Ernest’s last words and shook her head. “Believe it or not there are some people who are like that Ernest. There are others who’s motivation is so shot that for them it is better to do nothing even when they could do something. Mortals are complicated…”

She reached over and ruffled Ernest’s short hair with a smile. “I believe in you Little One. In many ways, I see myself in you. I suppose that is why I was scared. At your age, I was a fresh healer. I was trying so hard to do whatever I could to help.” She prepared the area and thought about it.

“One day I was doing research with alchemy components and this odd person came in. I had sworn that I had seen this person before but I couldn’t place it. They asked me what it would take to put up a barrier… Varaz and Komiteia to be specific. This was well over fifteen hundred years ago by the way.” She mused as she thought. “I had told them that it was almost impossible without altering the basic existence of some plants and ingredients. They didn’t even flinch as if they expected me to say that. He asked me… How much of each would you need of these special plants?”

She shrugged and laughed more. “I asked if they were a god and they didn’t answer. If they were a god… couldn’t they have done it themselves? So I answered him and I told him all the plants and the properties of them that would need to change or be were fine… I shit you not he brought them all to me! Massive amounts! Told me to work to my heart’s content. He sat there and he watched me do it. He was so odd and I hadn’t even thought about why it was…”

She gave Ernest a smile. “A few nights after I completed the alchemy quest that I had been given… I ascended. Maybe not to what they had wanted me to but in time I came to be what they had wanted. We don’t see eye to eye often but I am certain it was him who had done that.” She pushed herself off the table and smiled again as she pushed her way to the ingredients nearby. "But we were learning salves not going over my history. We should do a basic healing salve first… Can you grab that mortar and pedstle from the other table please?"

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 10:51 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Ernest smiled. "Yeah, I've been really lucky with this orb. It's been really helpful. Annoying, but helpful." Most days, she had mixed feelings about the orb. It was great unless she wanted it to shut up. That was never going to happen.

"Hey!" Ernest glared at Angela. "You didn't need to do that!" Still, she understood Angela's point. She knew, to some degree, that she had been getting lucky, but Angela didn't need to emphasize that by flicking her.

She followed Angela through the gateway, and stared around the room. This was the last thing she would have expected to be a healers' ward, but she supposed it might be useful in its own little way. After a few seconds, she blinked and followed Angela, listening as the goddess talked.

"Can your god magic heal pretty much anything?" Ernest asked. "I mean, not that you would, but, hypothetically?" She was fascinated by everything Angela could do.

She almost laughed at Angela's suggestion that Ernest could be walked all over easily. "Have you ever tried to get something out of me?" she asked. "A pushover is one of the last words anyone would use to describe me." She sighed. "I can see what you mean, though. It is tempting to help people. I suppose that's better than it being tempting to not help people, though." She laughed as Angela started insulting people. 

Her face saddened as Angela talked. "I know what it's like to be unable to help someone," she said. "Trust me, can handle it." She had handled it before. She could do it again.

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:36 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

“Well not everyone is as fortunate as you are to land one of these orbs with this temperament. Normally they are a lot worse. Bludgeons the head right in they do.” She shivered a bit from the thought and laughed. “At least you figured it out.”

Tilting her head again to the other side now Angela reached over and flicked Ernest’s nose hard enough so she would know that wasn’t good at all. “You’ve been surviving on luck. Each environment is different. You could survive in Laeto because you know about what fruits you can eat or what you saw people eat but that knowledge doesn’t transition to say Virens Forest.”

Taking Ernest’s arm Angela made a gateway and they appeared in a rather open room. It was a tropical room with pleasant humidity. There were beds and clerics running around healing the sick and injured that came to the shrine. “The number one thing you can do for yourself when you aren’t in the city or near someone who knows how… is to know how to heal yourself. I’ll teach you a few different ways.”

She brought Ernest over to a table similar to the one where they first met. This was one was more luxurious than in Itjivut though as it was made from marble with inlaid silver and gold. “I know you don’t know how to do either of those two things unless you’ve learned since I have met you in Itjivut. Anyone can tie a cloth to a wound to stop the bleeding. It’s going past that. The right salve can stop an infection… If you get an infection that can’t be stopped.” It was as if she had come here on purpose.

A clergy member brought an amputated arm past them and Angela sighed a bit. “There’s nothing I can do if it gets that far at least not without my god magic. I’ve stitched arms back on, legs… I’ve made a new eye for someone but without my god magic I’m just like every other cleric or healer out there. I am a herbalist first though. “However, amputated limbs can be put back on without god magic. The only time I absolutely have to use god magic is in cases where the limp is already dead… Like the arm that came past us. Now I could put the arm back on but as it so happens the man that arm belongs to right deserves not to have it.”

She mused as she leaned against the table. “Being a herbalist, healer, cleric, whatever you want to call us isn’t something where you have to be a doormat. There have been times when I’ve let family members heal like a mortal because they need to learn a lesson. There have been people who have broken rules or done things that I despise so I don’t heal them. Do not under any circumstances let people walk all over you just because you want to be good. I call that stupid good. Stupid good tends to include holy clerics, holy healers, paladins,…” She seemed to have a list as she counted visibly on her fingers. “On occasion Naota.” It was a jest really towards her godly brethren. “Though he is the good sort and not stupid overall.”

“They die for the reasons they run into battle. They don’t think they just do. There was a time when I did the same thing. I wanted to help everyone even at the cost of myself. First summer out on the battlefield… in the red sands of Arri I learned the hard way not to be that way. I lost a lot of my friends that I had graduated the healer’s academy with. I was heartbroken over the souls I couldn’t save. I was your age when I found out that you just can’t help everyone. You can only help the willing and those that deserve it.”

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:13 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

"They've killed people?" Ernest asked, shocked. "All this one's done to me is whack me over the head a few times before I learned to pay attention to it. Figured that one out pretty quickly." She'd had a sore spot on her head for a week after, though. 

Ernest shrugged. "I know enough not to die in the wild. Well, at least not yet." She laughed. "Not much, though. I can light a fire. Usually eat without killing myself." She glared at the orb that was still valiantly trying to pull itself out of the bag. "Escape things that are trying to kill me."

She sighed. "The problem I've discovered with the wilderness is that it doesn't lend itself well to experimentation. I wish I could try things out without risking death every time I do. Then I wouldn't have to go back to the cities too much. Despite what people would think, I don't really care for cities. Too many people. Too easy to be recognized. They're at least as risky as the wild, in my opinion. I just have to eat, so I go back."

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 7:52 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Angela held up a finger and smiled down at Ernest. “That’s not necessarily true Ernest. The constellations move with the seasons. Star maps can be tricky so you have to do one for each of the four seasons. Though here in the Gardens the constellations never move out of Ingius so at least you have these ones.” She smiled a bit.

Tilting her head at the orb she laughed a bit. “I’ve heard about those. Tools of the Fae so they can study and remember things. I would be careful though they have killed people before.” Ang added a smile to her face as they spoke. “Temperamental isn’t the word I would use for the Fae.” She chuckled more.

The grin on Ernest’s face was contagious as she pulled her up out of the sitting position the teen was in. “Today, I’m going to teach you survival. There is a ton you need to know and you being young makes me thing you know your stuff about surviving in a city… but what about the wilderness?”

Angela put her hands on her hips and smiled. “I happen to be the best person to talk to about nature and the curses and horrors she has. Let’s start with what you do know about survival in the wilderness.” Waiting for Ernest’s knowledge so she could see where she had to start.

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 9:33 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

The days passed, and Ernest thought they were some of the most wonderful in her life. She spent most of her time exploring the temple, trying (and failing) to not get in anyone's way. Occasionally she would just sit outside and watch the temple hurry along. She noted interesting things to herself and dedicated time to recording them in the strange purple sphere that apparently remembered everything she said to it.

She was copying out a star chart she was trying to make when Angela came running in. It was exceedingly amusing to see her chasing people all around the temple, although today Drae appeared to have found a hiding spot she hadn't noticed yet. Ernest laughed slightly at her monologue and rolled up her star chart. "I would always love to learn more," she said. "Stars will always be there."

She stuffed the orb back in her bag, glaring as it tried to fly out and keep displaying her chart. "Oh, go away," she muttered, buckling the bag over the protesting orb. "Sorry about that," she said to Angela. "That thing can be very temperamental at times." 

She grinned. "What crazy things are you planning to get me to do today?" she said, laughing. "Kidding. I'm excited. Really. I love learning magic." Her grin widened.

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 7:52 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Angela tilted her head. "Not as bad as it used to be. The queen is still new and it will take a long time for people to forgive Adeluna for what they have done in the past. That is the way of the world. The actions of a few define a place as a whole. Mortals are silly like that." She shrugged a bit and gave Ernest a smile. "It will make things hard for her for the time being but maybe in a few generations.. perhaps her grandchildren… People will forgive Adeluna."

Angela motioned the girl to follow her and found a simple room for Ernest to stay in. "This can be yours whenever you come here. The room can change to whatever you want. Want it on a beach? Just wish it. The temple is very much alive just like the forests inside it. And now I don't mean the forests inside the realm… I have forests inside this manor as well." Angela smiled a bit and motioned to the dressers. "There might be clean clothes in there for you as well. If they don't fit you can ask the clergy and they will get you some. You are a guest and I don't let my guests go without. You can get food that way as well. Whatever you like."

Days would pass and Angela would be there to help to Ernest. As the week came and went the goddess slowly began to age. She looked more like Ernest's age now as she flung herself around the temple. "ADRAEJEN!" The goddess was pouting. "Come play with me please?" The husband the goddess had was currently hiding from the hormone crazed teen that had appeared. "ADRAEJEN!" Angela was pouting before she found Ernest. "Do you want to learn more today? I know I've been awfully busy as of late. However, Drae is ignoring my calls." The teenage goddess began to pout more.

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 7:40 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

"I'm sorry," Ernest said. "That must have been awful." She frowned as something occurred to her. "Has something happened to Adeluna? Because everyone seems to dislike them. Is that just how politics work?" Ernest had never been particularly angry at them, although spending a lot of time there tended to get her arrested. "I've heard several nasty stories."

"I never thought I would be able to do magic," she said. "It's amazing to learn that I have a power like this." A smile slowly broke out on her face. "I've never really had much I was good at. Now this is part of me." She laughed, just from all of the excitement that had been building inside of her. 

She paused for a second and realized that Angela was right, she was exhausted. In her excitement, she hadn't even noticed. "Yeah, that's probably best. I'll probably manage to fall down some giant staircase or something as it is. Not that I don't regularly." It seemed that if she knew she wasn't really in danger of anything when she was walking she seemed to trip over everything.

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 7:05 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Angela nodded a bit to Ernest and her childlike smile came back if only to comfort the girl. "My parents and much of my family died when Adeluna attacked us. Before the current queen took over there was a family that greatly feared my people. We lost a lot of good people… had a lot of women raped. You name it and it happened the night Adeluna attacked us… but we don't forget. When the queen of Adeluna wanted that throne we stood behind her and we got our revenge the only way many of us know how… We fought." She was trying to show Ernest that she could relate to her. It was something that her mother did to help her when Angela had been struggling.

Green eyes watched on as the young girl stared within herself to find the mana that Angela had been telling her about. In the end, it didn't matter what they gave the matter for a name. It just existed and it would continue to exist even without their help. A smile crept up to the child goddess's face as she watched Ernest find what Angela had awoken. Now came the hard part which was fighting it. Or more so accepting it. No matter what it was a part of you and Angela knew that it was hard at first to accept something you did not know existed in the first place.

"It is strange but it is how people who struggle finding a way to get their magic to work." Angela gently kicked her feet softly and nodded a bit to herself. "Everyone has this power to them. Everyone has this ability to learn more and do more. Rarely though do people believe that they can. That is what sets you apart from the others. You have come and conquered something that you didn't know you had." Angela hopped off her little bench and walked up to Ernest. "It is a part of you… Not something different or foreign but a literal part of you." Angela seemed pleased that the girl figured it out, though. "We can take a break for today, though. I am sure if you do not feel exhausted that your body is practically screaming at you."

(We can pick it up after Ang ages a bit ;) )

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 1:30 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Ernest nodded. She thought she understood what Angela was meaning. "That must have been really hard," she said, "and all the worse for thinking it was your fault. I get your meaning, now, about Dalanesca, though. Pain can drive people to do strange things. I think the only reason I didn't go insane when…" She trailed off, then spoke again, "when my parents dies was… I knew no one was going to help me if I did." She paused. "If I wanted to survive, I had to get to work. So I did."

Ernest laughed slightly at Angela's opinion of the mages. "Yeah, I learned from experience that nothing works the way you want it to. Even if you are good at it." If there was one thing she had learned, that was it. "I don't think I've ever had something go according to plan." There had probably been a few times, but she didn't really remember them. Things seemed to blend together into one huge blur for her, most of the time.

She sat down on the floor, inwardly wondering what was going on, and closed her eyes, listening as Angela spoke. Look inside herself? She had never done that. It was a strange idea, and she grappled with it for a moment before pushing her confusion aside and trying. She breathed in, slowly, and out again.

The memories came. It was a disconcerting feeling, as she somehow saw herself from the inside, looking at everything she'd done and become. She resisted the urge to pull away. But other than herself, she saw nothing. 

And then, suddenly, there it was. 

She gasped, shocked by its suddenness. It was powerful - she could feel its power, swirling around her. She couldn't understand it, but she knew this was what Angela had meant. This was her gift. All of this power she felt was hers, if she could learn to tame it. 

She fought it, tried to keep it from pushing her, but it was stronger than she was. She couldn't get a hold on it, and for a moment, she felt utterly lost. Then she pulled herself together, and forced herself to think. She had to contain it. She let herself be pulled by it, and then, suddenly, it made sense. This was part of her and she would control it. She set her jaw and pushed back at it, daring it to fight her. And fight her it did, but it couldn't forever. She pulled at it, instead of wrestling with it, taking it, claiming it.

And she was back in the little room again, with Angela still watching her. 

"That," she said, "was the strangest thing I've ever done."

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 11:51 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Angela gave Ernest a heartfelt smile. “It’s not trouble really. When I became a goddess I lost my family. Before Iva and Rohan… all the others that have come with my ascension… There was Lyre and my husband Wyatt. The Voice is a very powerful being and the World Tree is probably even more powerful. When I ascended I had a vision, most likely of Dalanesca killing me. It brought down our little cottage, I loved that cottage Wyatt built it for us. Royalty or not… it was the best gift that anyone had ever given me back then.” She looked pained for a moment. “When it came down it crushed both Wyatt and Lyre. It took a long time not to feel angry at myself. Much like how Dalanesca was angry at me. If I could have killed myself I would have. Immortality is evil in that way. That’s why I understood Dalanesca the way I did. Exactly why I didn’t fight her. I understood her.”

She attempted to change the mood to a happier one. She trusted Ernest with the knowledge that the tiny Goddess had given to her. To Angela, Ernest was a good girl. The goddess chuckled a bit and shook her head. “After all these years of being a healer? Not a lot embarrasses me. Them? Probably. Master magi get shoved so far up their…” She looked for the word and wanted to be vulgar about it but she sighed. “Up their rears that they can’t understand that just because you know how to do it well doesn’t mean there won’t be any accidents. Even something you know like the back of your hand can be flawed somehow. You could be tired, lacking mana, or a bunch of other things that you don’t really think about because you aren’t trained to.”

Angela found another seat in the room so she could watch Ernest with ease. It was on top of her bookshelf, the thing had to be a good seven feet high but she wanted a good spot to watch. “Okay, I think I see the problem. Stop.” She shook her head a bit. “Let’s try this method first.” She gently kicked her legs and the sound of her heel hitting the hard mahogany reverberated in the room. 

“I want you to center yourself. Sit down for a minute. Close your eyes. I want you to look deep into yourself. There are stories of people telling others to think of that one happy moment in your life. That’s bullshit first off. I’ve seen people rip others to shred because their anger filled them.” Angela crossed her arms.

“Deep inside you is a massive tingling. Most people can’t feel it. They don’t even know they have the spark. We call this mana. It is a natural life essence. It flows from you to the ground and repeats the cycle. Sometimes it takes a while for the mana to come back. Sometimes it does not. Depending on the race of the individual they are stronger mana wise during the day or at night. You are human. You are very lucky in this case. Humans are flexible. They are strong willed. The only thing that they lack is a hardy body and longevity. However, that’s what makes them so ballsy. Creatures like myself or vampires… we could sit in a chair and not move for centuries at a time waiting for our opponent to make that one wrong move…”

She tilted her head. “Humans don’t, won’t, or can’t. Your life spans are way too short for such games. So you become ballsy. You attack when you know the moment is right instead of waiting your opponent out. Sometimes we meet a rare breed of human who waits their enemies out but they are still impulsive compared to us.” She began to tap her fingers against her skin. “What you are going to do is keep looking inside yourself.”

She took a deep breath and exhaled. “You will train your breathing. You will breath deeply and exhale slowly. You will look into the depths of not only your body but your very soul. Focus Ernest. Look for that spark. I’ve heard it feels different for everyone depending on your element. Fire is more like a spark or a hot touch. Electric is a pool of energy that sends your body into a tingling sensation. Earth is calm and waits, you can feel its patience within you. Water is calm but at a moments notice you can feel the swell like high tide in a storm. Light is a sense of purity, nobility, and reassurance. Darkness is a sense of confidence, demanding power, and the cold light of the moon. Wind is a swirling vortex inside yourself.” She could have kept going on but she stopped herself. “Feel for something like that. Something foreign to you within yourself. Something that you have been missing but didn’t realize you needed. That is mana. That is life’s energy. There are many different ways to cast spells. You don’t necessarily have to call it mana. Rosenites call it Essence. Some call it Chi. You need to find it Ernest. You need to tame it.”

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Mon Mar 6, 2017 7:39 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Ernest sighed. "Sorry. I didn't know." It struck her that it must be incredibly hard to be a goddess, to watch the world change, and be responsible for everything.

"That has to be no fun. I can imagine it must be very embarrassing for everyone involved." She frowned slightly. "I hope I never do that. Then again, I probably will. I can see that happening."

She was still slightly confused by the whole mana thing Angela was talking about. She knew it was something that let people use magic, but that was about it. Still, she focused and tried again, allowing a bit of her mind to think about magic, and the strange runes on her hands. Once again, there was the strange sensation of suddenly being somewhere else, and she now found herself much closer to the mark, but this time, several feet to the right. 

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Sun Mar 5, 2017 9:26 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Angela laughed a bit. “A small thing for how much I had to pay to be a goddess, Child.” Such an adult thing from a little bit but behind her laugh was a sadness. She had lost much to become to be was meant to be. Fate was cruel.

“There have been stories of teleporting going wrong but nothing like that. It’s gating that does that. I get a few cases a month where I need to stitch a body back together because they prematurely close a portal on themselves.” She winced a bit. “Have any idea what it’s like getting information about where they were coming from so you can go get their foot or finger?”

The goddess was entertained and clapped as she watched Ernest go a bit farther this time. “You need to allocate your mana reservoirs. The more mana you use the farther you go. Use too much and you’ll overshoot where you teleport. In this case, you could end up in the wall and probably die, if I wasn’t here to get you out. Use too little and you’ll do what you just did. Try it again.”

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Sun Mar 5, 2017 8:27 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Ernest frowned. "Shoot. That would have been awesome." She sighed. "Oh, well. I suppose being a goddess has to come with some perks. It seems like a pretty difficult job."

She nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty strange." A grin broke out on her face at Angela's compliment.  "What happens if you teleport badly? Do you leave body parts behind or something?"

She walked over to one X and stared at the other one. "That's a long way away." She focused on the other X for a few seconds, and found herself suddenly in a different place again - but not nearly as far as she'd hoped. She'd only made it about half the distance. "Shoot. It's a lot more difficult to go that far."

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Sun Mar 5, 2017 8:07 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Angela thought about it and shook her head a bit. “I’m not so sure you can talk to them the way we can. Maybe they can express their thoughts and desires but not so sure about full-length communication.”

The goddess watched as Ernest concentrated. She was proud of the young one who now was learning quickly with the tools that she had given her. “Yes… and well dematerializing your body and rematerializing it is sort of a weird thing altogether.” Angela came over to Ernest and smiled. “You did well for your first time teleporting. We’ll have to practice on the range of your teleportation.”

Taking some chalky material she stepped far away from Ernest to the other side of the room by the door. She made an X on the floor and looked up at Ernest. “Land on the X. Not by it, not near it, on top of it. Keeping practicing until you can do it.” She walked back towards Ernest and made another X right in front of her desk. “You have to do it from here.” It was a good ten or so feet away she had to imagine if she could pick a number for the distance.

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Sun Mar 5, 2017 4:47 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Ernest stared slightly. "Do all of the elements have voices, then? Can mortals talk to them?" She was getting excited. "I could ask them what they know about the world!" Ernest had a fascination with learning everything the world had to offer. "That would be so cool."

She calmed herself down somewhat and focused on the same point across the room again. Her hands stung slightly, but she tuned that out. She tried to relax. It was very difficult, though; she was used to paying attention to every little thing and getting nervous whenever something happened. Nothing can happen to me, she told herself. 

She blinked, and suddenly, there she was, several feet away from where she'd been only a moment ago. The sensation was very strange, and she reached out to touch the wall, mostly to see if it was actually real. "Was that what was supposed to happen?" she asked. "That was… weirder than I expected."

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Sun Mar 5, 2017 3:40 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Angela tilted her head. “Only fools and idiots believe they know how the world works. You can get pieces of a puzzle but even for gods, it is truly obscure how the entirety of the world works. I know my element for example. It could tell me how it thinks the world works but the other elements all have their own opinions. Somewhere in the mess of voices, there is the truth but we’ll never know. I don’t even think a master of the elements would know.”

Watching contently as Ernest tried Angela lost her self-control as she laughed when the girl fell. “No, you are tensing yourself. You need to free yourself. When you get tense you make mistakes. When you are calm and collected you make some of your best achievements. Even for people who have a hard time controlling themselves… they have these moments of clarity.”

Getting up Angela summoned a little knife in her hands. She took Ernest’s hands and looked up at her. “This will sting a little.” She lightly grazed the knife into runic patterns across the girl’s hands and palms. She made sure that she drew no blood from her. She blew on them and they started to glow. “These will act as anchors. Right now you have a difficulty connecting to the mana within you. These will help and when you think you have it down I can turn them off and we can try again without them. For now let your body ease into it. In this room, we are protected and you cannot hurt me. Don’t worry about anything right now but the spot you must teleport to.”

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Fri Mar 3, 2017 9:24 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Ernest grinned. "Then it's definitely beyond my comprehension, being a mortal - and not the smartest one at that." She considered what Angela had said more closely. "Do you understand how the world works, then? Being immortal and all."

"I'm not sure I want you to be more tricky," she said. "That could end badly." She was still smiling, though. Now that there was no immediate worry, she was a little abashed at not trusting Angela so much.

She tried to do what Angela described. She focused on a point about three feet across the room, and managed, after a few seconds of holding still, the grand achievement of falling on her face. "Note to self," she said. "Do not tense muscles when trying to focus." She peeled herself off the floor. "That wasn't quite what I was trying to do."

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Thu Mar 2, 2017 12:06 AM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Angela chuckled in an oddly fitting child like way. “Good and Evil are the same coin. That’s the best way to think about it.” She tilted her head. “On the contrary, there are very good answers for deep questions it's just beyond a mortal’s comprehension. At least I think so.”

She was laughing and chuckling as Ernest panicked. They were in the pillows and she gave a smirk to the young human. “Only slightly? I’ll have to be more tricky next time.” At least she was being upfront and honest about it.

She tapped her chin and nodded. “Teleporting is good for a fight and to get away from people. HOWEVER, depending on your level of skill a gate can be just as fast as a teleport can. Your magical ability determines the way the gate functions. You could also limit who comes through if you have a strong mindset. Though teleporting will be a good place to start learning. It’s not as advanced as gating. When you teleport you must quickly envision point B. If you are at Point A you must see the pathway to Point B. You must concentrate on it. Will your mind, body, and soul. It is no easy thing to do. You’ll get faster the more you do it and eventually like all other spells you’ll master it.”

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 3:04 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Ernest listened, considering. Sometimes life could be so complicated. "I suppose good and evil can be more flexible than we want them to be. I've always found it complicated. Maybe that's why I try not to think too much. There are never right answers for some of the deepest questions."

She wasn't really surprised at Angela's disappearance and reappearance - after all, that was what teleporting was. But then the gate opened, and she nearly panicked as they tumbled toward the pool. She relaxed when Angela opened another gate and they were safely back in the study. "That was… only slightly terrifying," she said with a grin.

"I think teleporting would be more useful for me," she said. "I don't mind travelling, but being able to move without people following would be useful. Am I correct in assuming that gating wouldn't be very good if you don't want to be followed?"

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 8:35 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Angela tapped her chin and thought about it. “The same could be said about me Little One.” It must have been weird hearing the small child say that. “I’ve killed before. I’ve lost my temper. I’ve let the world go sunder and not care.” She thought about it and crossed her arms. “No one is ever always good in anyone’s eyes. Army A is considered a god sent. They are the heroes to the people. They save everyone.” She tilted her head. “Army B of Empire B thinks they are evil incarnate no matter how much Army A does good for Empire A. The destruction of B but the elevation of A does not mean that A was in the right. It just means that they were partially right because that’s what their people saw. I saw fed a man to a hungry plant because he raped someone. People could see that as evil. Some people will see me as a hero. That is who we are Ernest. That is the mortal condition.”

Once they made it to her study she didn’t sit down. Instead, she turned around and tilted her head again. Her red curls fell so easily as she thought about it. “Teleporting or Gating. Either one is very useful. Teleporting.” She disappeared from where she was and reappeared on a tall shell sitting. It was in an instant. “Is useful but its short range is terrible.” She disappeared and reappeared next to Ernest. “Gating.”

She made a gate appear under them and they started to fall through. They were falling towards the deep pools of the Sundered Falls. Another gate appeared and they landed softly back into a pool of pillows now in her study. “Gating is useful for travel. Getting from Canelux to Parvpora in an instant.” She lounged in the pillows and looked to see just how frazzled Ernest was. “So what one do you want to learn first?”

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 6:59 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Ernest smiled again, but there was a hint of sadness in her smile. "I know that. It's just, some days, I feel like I'm a bad person. You've seen the good side of me, Angela. The other side of me… well, I do what I have to. I don't like to hurt people. I try not to. But sometimes I feel like I don't have much of a choice. I've never done what you're talking about, but… I'm not blameless. Not by any stretch of the imagination." 

She studied Angela, one eyebrow raised. "I can't imagine all you must know, then." Inwardly, she was laughing a bit at Angela calling her young. Angela looked five years old! Still, she supposed, compared to the goddess, she was very young. Not that anyone used that descriptor anymore. 

She quietly stored away Angela's information about emotions. She was sure it would become useful in the future. Emotion was something she had plenty of, although she had learned to hide most of it. "Love," she muttered to herself. That was something she knew little enough about. "I wish I could love as easily as you do," she said aloud. "It doesn't work as well in my world."

She grinned and let Angela pull her along. She tried to remember the location of the room Angela showed her, but she was almost certain she would get lost. The temple seemed to be built like a maze. She looked around, taking in the room with a careful eye. Even when she knew she was safe, she couldn't quite get rid of her habit of analyzing every room she entered.

"Hmm…" she said. "Navigational spells would be good. Or maybe some defensive stuff. Magic would probably work a little better than my current 'run and hide' strategy."

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 12:06 AM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Angela turned on her heel and took a long look at Ernest. “Evil is one thing you are not. Evil is taking a child from his mother and ripping it to shreds because you don’t get your way. Evil is killing almost all of your children for some end goal that makes no damn sense. EVIL is tearing families apart and killing their beloved to get your way through ruling with fear. Evil is not what you are. Misguided yes but you are young and that can change. You do not deserve it. You are here are you not? You are working for the greater good, are you not? Then that makes you a good person Ernest. Damn anyone who would tell you otherwise.”

She tapped the side of her head after a little bit. “I haven’t forgotten much over the years. Some things can’t be forgotten. Once you learn them you get rusty but you can hop right back into the saddle and do it again. I am busy but I can make time. Frivolous things can wait. People can wait. Learning cannot because you are young and that is the best time to teach someone like you.”

She blinked a bit and tilted her small head. “Good that means I am still interesting. Things that are not understood are interesting. I do get angry but when the fate of the land rests on you not getting mad… you tend to shrug most things off.” She smiled a bit and chuckled. “You can learn to master your temper and that will best guide you. Emotions are the best catalyst for magic. Love is one of the best things. For instance, I love you as one of my own. You could use that to channel many spells.”

The child laughed and pulled Ernest with her. “Then we shall start with simple spells and incantations! Maybe some swordplay will do you good as well.” She brought her into a small room. It looked more like a study. “We’ll have private time here then.” There was a desk and it had many piles of papers and books on it. The walls were decorated with many different magical items.

“What do you want to learn first when it comes to spells Ernest?”

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Wed Feb 8, 2017 7:35 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

A smile grew on Ernest's face when Angela spoke so casually of how Dalanesca owed her one. "I'll say." It was odd, she thought, how easily Angela joked about being killed. She couldn't hold back her grin. She was just still overjoyed to have Angela back.

The smile died abruptly at mention of Cyprus. It saddened her that there would be people like that. "I have never even heard of someone like that. If people like that can truly exist… I think people overuse the word 'evil.' I've heard many people be called evil. People even call me evil sometimes." She paused. "Sometimes, I think I might deserve it." She shook her head to clear it. "Sorry. I got lost in my thoughts for a second, there."

"I'm not saying you can't teach. I know you still know everything. You've probably forgotten more than I know. I just thought, well, you're probably awfully busy. Being a goddess and all."

"I never will understand you," she said. "How do you manage to never get angry? I get angry much too easily. I can't imagine what it must be like being you." She sighed. "It's probably best you're the goddess. I'd probably blow up the world." She studied her free hand. "Note to self: stay away from explosive spells. That wouldn't end well."

She grinned at Angela. "Everything!" She paused. "Okay, I don't know. Magic? Someday, I want to learn everything."

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Tue Feb 7, 2017 8:46 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Angela gave her a smile and tilted her head. “Not at the moment. I will Dalanesca figure out the details for now. I have requested my Triune Sister to help me and she owes me for killing me.” It was true in her words that she and Dalanesca were best friends. There had just been a tiff, at least in god lingo it was a tiff. It was really only someone like Angela who could forgive being killed like that. 

Letting her nails softly thump against whatever was nearby at the time, a marble column as it was, she looked thoughtful. “Because that’s what true evil does Ernest. True evil doesn’t need a reason for anything. They aren’t evil because of an event in their life… they just are. From the time she was born until the time she died, she had always been evil. Soulless. Heartless. Cruel.”

Angela took Ernest by the hand and smiled up at her. “I have a lot I can teach. I may be small and lack my reasoning skills but my powers? My knowledge? What I know isn’t gone.” She pointed up at her head of red curls and tapped softly.

“Those were the words of a healer. A good healer knows not to panic.” She remembered what she told Ernest and smiled. “We have to look at the situation calmly or mistakes will be made. Everyone should look at things the way we do Ernest but the fact is most Mortals are rash beings. Like with Dalanesca, anyone else would have hated her and would have killed her. I calmed myself and knew that it was a pain that no one should have to feel. As the Mother, I know her pain. I understand. Therefore from the deepest reaches of my vast soul, I can forgive.” They were big thoughts from such a tiny body but this was adult Angela escaping the best she could.

She led Ernest through the halls. “What do you want to learn? Magic? Swordplay? All of it?”

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 10:14 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Ernest looked at Angela, worried. "Of course I'll help you," she said, "but what do you mean to do? Are you going to go hunt her down?" Ernest sincerely hoped that was not the case. A five-year-old girl travelling alone - or even with someone - being as powerful as Angela was would be easy to track, and Angela seemed worried enough about Cyprus that Ernest was pretty sure she was a decent threat.

Her eyes narrowed in anger when she heard about the threats to Drae and Rohan. She knew how much they meant to Angela. Threatening Angela's children was actually crueller than threatening Angela herself. All she said aloud was, "That's awful. Why would she do that to you?"

She listened carefully to Angela's request. "I would be glad to learn what you have time to teach me," she said. "You've already taught me a lot, you know, just by being who you are. You're so… different than anyone I was used to." She paused. "Every time I'm about to do something rash I remember your advice."

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 8:58 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Angela blinked a bit and chuckled. “I suppose you really don’t know a lot about me to process my request. My savages are my children. I have 100 or so children and four sisters. My four sisters going by age are Cathrine, Cyprus, Lily, and Toya. We each rule a sector of Arri, my home.”

Reaching up she patted where her arm could reach which wasn’t very far on Ernest. “It was a silly request to make when you know nothing of what else is going on in my world. I shall answer your questions to the best of my ability. My sister Cyprus is the definition of evil… we had sealed her in Parvpora but when I got killed… someone let her out. She sent me a bear head… My husband Drae is a werebear and my child Rohan… he is also like his father.”

She shifted uncomfortably. “As I am small I might be easily overtaken if I tried to pursue her. So I need someone here with my children or at least to look over them.” She tapped at her chin. "So I am offering to teach you what I know. The world will always be a dangerous place even if all the gods get along with each other."

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 10:06 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Angela suddenly seemed so much older than she looked, and Ernest blinked at the oddity of her going from acting like a five-year-old child to a two-hundred-year-old goddess. It wasn't so much that she had thought Angela incapable of it - far from it, there was little Ernest thought Angela could not do. It was merely odd to watch the little girl talk like this.

"What do you mean, Angela?" She asked the question before she could stop herself. "I mean, I'll help you no matter what, I just don't know what you're talking about. Who are your savages? And who is your sister?" She paused. "You have a sister?"

She sighed. "I'm sorry." To be honest, she couldn't bring herself to tell Angela what she was sorry for. She was sorry for being stupid, for not understanding, for just… not being right. She felt as though there was something there that she was missing, and she had learned from Angela's disappearance that those feelings were almost always right.

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 8:34 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Angela watched Ernest for a little bit before pulling on her hands. “Come on,” She took her all over her temple and chatted away about random things. She stopped her after a while when no one was around and looked at the girl who had waited for her to come back.

“I’m scared of the dark you know.” It was odd at how brightly lit the temple had been since she had come back. “Gods aren’t supposed to be afraid of something like this. I just want to be me but I’m stuck like this.” She angrily pulled at her dress and there was a pout on her lips. “I have a sister trying to kill me but luckily Dalanesca will help. Well not kill me.” She pointed at herself. “But the little savages… she would hurt them. I can’t have her hurt my savages. Or you. No one.” 

There was an evil that she couldn’t understand. “I understood Dal because I went through it but my sister… pure evil with no reasoning.” She whispered up to Ernest. “And she doesn’t care who she hurts.” She pulled Ernest with her again. “I am being happy so not to hurt the earth. The Voice doesn’t take into account my motherly nature as life.” The child was talking large words but in truth, she knew what she should not. For a child, she was highly educated and that did not change. She had two hundred years of experience as a goddess.

“Will you help the savages? I’ll teach you in exchange. Magic. Knowledge. Healing. Swordplay. Whatever you want.”

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 6:43 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Ernest couldn't help the smile growing on her face. Angela! Angela was back! Sure, she was a five-year old, but, honestly, she was cute. And she was back! Really back!

All the same, a tiny part of her didn't trust the little girl, was convinced that this was all a cruel trick. She wondered, briefly, if there was any way to tell without the girl - Angela, she corrected herself - noticing. She pushed that thought out of her mind. Knowing gods and goddesses, it didn't seem abnormal that she would come back as a little girl.

She laughed as Angela babbled on about all of the things she wanted to do that day, and how happy she was. "Of course we missed you, Angela. How could we not?" She smiled again as the little girl curled up near her. "It seems like you have a busy schedule," she said. "What do you want to do first?"

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2017 9:53 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Angela felt like she could burst into tears. Dalanesca had left her all by herself, well not all by herself but she didn’t want to be separated from her sister goddess. With sniffles and tears, she let the Triune Goddess leave her temple. Ang had a lot to catch up on but mentally she couldn’t do it. She got up and dusted herself off as Ernest came to see her. Green eyes zoomed right up to Ernest’s face as she grew a giant smile.

“ERNEST!” She screamed and ran over to the girl as she hugged her leg. “I missed you so much. Don’t you recognize me, Ernest? It’s me, Angela.” She squealed as she twirled around in her dress and reached up so she could grab at Ernest’s arms. “We should play and sing… and dance!” She jumped up and down as she held onto Ernest’s hands.

“We should get into the sweets and get all of them. Then we can play with stuffed animals and dance more.” Internally Angela was screaming, this wasn’t how she normally was at all. Ernest made her so happy as she danced and spun around while holding Ernest’s hands. “Do you think everyone missed me? I would miss me! I missed being!” There was a slight look of being tired on her face as she curled up near Ernest. “I am tired but I am not tired… but I am excited!”

Author: Silver Star, Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2017 9:25 PM, Post Subject: Mortals in a Goddess's Fight - Part Four[P][Event]

Ernest sat alone on one of the benches near the edge of the garden, as was her habit every day since Angela had disappeared. She didn't know why she was still waiting. Every day that passed meant Angela was less likely to return, and every time she went out here it was another hour she could be using to try to get the goddess back. But still she waited. Some small part of her refused to believe that Angela truly would not return, and to humour that part of her, she waited.

As she sat watching, she felt a sharp increase in magic behind her, and turned just in time to see a tall, dark-haired woman vanish in a cloud of dark iridescence. Who was that? Her first thought was that it was Dalanesca, but that made no sense. If Dalanesca was here, she would be trying to kill them, not just disappearing, and, anyway, what would she want here? No, that made no sense at all.

She saw a flicker of movement, and a young girl, perhaps five or six, sitting roughly where the woman had disappeared. Slowly, she stood up and walked over to the child. "Iva?" she asked, but after a moment, she knew she was wrong. It wasn't Iva, although this girl looked similar. "Who are you?" she asked, trying to keep her voice gentle.