Amethyst

Chapter 9: The City Beyond

Chapter 9: The City Beyond.

   Right in front of me stood a curvy, wide-hipped woman. We were somewhere on the surface. Even the slight breeze was potent and yet, refreshing. Aware that we were at the top of such a high place, the unease in my stomach sank further. As I looked around, everything else in the surrounding area was notably lower than here. An uncomfortably high place so far away from the Goddess' earth. The stars had returned to these skies, not the senseless black from before, and they glimmered softly against their black backdrop.   

  I felt a breeze hit my skin and shuddered. Bracing, jarringly in anticipation, for a heavy burst of rushing air to sweep me off the high surface. Knocking some rocks down, a steep natural step down towards the woman in front of me. They clattered weightily as they collided with the ground. Despite their clatter, she was moved and did not turn. 

  Under the night sky, I could not see which color her hair was. I could tell was that there were various shades of brunette in her hair,

 which held curls so tightly that they had a distinctive "O," shape pattern. Perhaps her hair was beginning to pepper, as the old Medurian men's and woman's hair does. That makes her, possibly, very old, so I decided to approach her with respect.

   "My child, "she cooed, "Come forward." The lady put up one of her hands, motioning me over to her... By her fingers, I could tell that she was not a Sage and her hands were far from the translucent pale or even the tan of a Sage. They were much, much darker, a black spinel skin tone. Never had I experienced anyone who looked remotely like this woman did. Her fingers, however, were as normally proportioned, just as my own. Not the creepy over-extended fingers of the Old Sage's, that apparently was used to increase dexterity when carving gems and making intricate details on them.

  Without any further words, I did as asked. Cautiously following the rocks, I had struck off their previous perch, maneuvering down from the step. 

  We were taught as children to always honor our elders. This woman, she was an elder after all. Going by the strange streaked peppering of shades in her hair. Perhaps this woman was not a Medurian elder but an elder nonetheless, in her own right. 

 I would not know for sure until I have seen her face. If she had the upwards tilt of Medurian eye's or not would confirm with certainty, but her hair looked just about right. Despite her hair being oddly shaped and streaked with different shades. 

  Peeling my eyes off the women and to the horizon in front of me. Bellow, the sheer drop before me, was a basin, with more shades of green than found in the Emerald City upon the masses upon masses of trees laid out before me. Mist danced and revealed the tops of some while shrouding others. Further, beyond the trees gave way to water… water which encircled what looked like a city. Earthen walls encompassed the city snuggly; they looked as if parts of the Goddess' earthen stone had been dismantled, moved, and then reassembled here. Rather than carve into them from where they originated. What effort would all that have taken? I wondered. Most buildings hid beneath the wall's lining, but not a few that climb above the city, where others only peaked beyond the uncarved borders. The side behind the town gave way to a continuing expanse of water... glimpses of being on the vessel wrought my mind, and I began to feel nauseous. Though this water did not swell, it was as calm as the quartz glass ceiling on the Opal Cathedral's main Temple Hall. Actually, it looked just like that. The stars above reflected onto the waters below, making it almost impossible to see where the skies met the water. 

  Only a few arched pathways of stone connected the city to the forests in front; these I found exquisite and delightful use of the goddess' earth, of her stone. These constructions triumphed over the waters below! Allowing the people to cross! Though these were not carved with detail, their rounds were perfect arches with symmetry on either side, and each turn stood matching with the others, side by side with perfect precision. Orbs of glowing yellow moved at varying paces across to either side of pathways. … like the Opal City. Except there was no roof above it to protect it!

  "Are those people not afraid? I see their walls built to shield them from that expanse of water, but what shields them from the storm wind's of the surface's skies?" Stopping to gaze at the bewildering site further.

  The woman's laugh was deep and rumbling, "Why should these people fear the Oceans and the Skies, child?" She boomed haughtily, continuing, "Should you're, underground Medurian, the kingdom's not fear the Earth?" 

  Oceans? I wondered if that was what surface dwellers called this expanse of water... Oceans?

  I was close enough to the woman now. I turned to try to look at her. She turned her face slightly at that moment. I didn't get along enough, to be sure. Though I thought I had seen… glowing purple veins?!

  In my mind, an image of the Goddess statue flashed. Its eyes searing with violet, producing an aura which brought me to my knees just before… I raised my hand between my chest to my sternum… sure enough, I could feel the ordered edges of embedded hardened carbon in my skin. With a gasp, I silently traced them through light and loose silken cloth, a light lilac dress that gently wrapped around me. I couldn't tell what the sacred pattern I had been merged with was, so I dropped my hand to my side and looked again at the wide-hipped woman. The scorching ache that each shaped amethyst brought, being fired into me, was gone. There was no pain or even discomfort.

  "It's a wonderful one, my child." The woman spoke again, "You will be fond of your Merging."

  How did this woman know of Merging? "Forgive me, Elder… how could you possibly know that?" More importantly, how did she know about MY Merging and that I had not yet even seen my own design? At that, I tried to think back to my last memories. 

  First came the vessel: the vicious rocks that nearly toppled the wooden container into the blackened water. Then I started coming back in a rush. The creaking, columns of timber, groaning as their cloth wrestled with vicious storm winds that never seemed to end… and the two voices! The two women! The soothing and the jeering voices always seemed to come from a different direction from the last each had spoken. Getting thrown off of the wooden container… sinking. Sinking, like a rock in one of our lagoons. Except this black water didn't seem to ever end…

  I had accepted death….

 Was I dead?

 Was this the afterlife? "Are you… the Earthen Goddess?" I inquired sheepishly, bewildered at how I came to be standing here. "I was in black water! It never ended! I kept sinking! I-."

 Now, the woman chose to look at me, with hilarity twisting her mouth up and a worn softness to her eyes, as my fathers had. "Do you think I would disrespect my own handiwork in such a way?" Bemusement tinting her tone as she smirked over at me. It had taken until now for me to realize I had seen purple veins on the side of her face… that here stare was lit by a violet fire that shimmered and licked lilac piques. 

  "Goddess…" The words barely made it out of my mouth. They were more a breath and barely a whisper. In awe, I fell to my knees before her. "My Goddess!" I proclaimed loudly.

  Her laughter was as a deep silver bell might sound in tone. 

  My hands found their way to my betrothal necklace, lingering there. The question was hiding just behind my lips…at the tip of my tongue… Part of me was daring to ask. The other is that I was afraid of the answer I might receive in asking at all. "Am I…?" I lingered on the last word but couldn't find it in myself to begin to sound it out.

  "No, no, my child!" The earth goddess laughed gently again. Coming closer, she held out her hand, "...come now, my daughter, stand to your feet and look at me. Let me see you." As she aided me in pulling me to my feet, she then started by placing a firm and comforting hand on my shoulder. Her touch brought with it the comfort that a mother's touch might. "You are not dead. On the other hand, you have now met both my Sisters."

   Flashes of memory fragments echoed from the argument of the warring voices between the black sea and black sky. "The Water Goddess…?" In disbelief, my voice cracked slightly, "…and the Sky Goddess?"

  "Those are my sister's indeed! Goddess of Water – she sometimes calls herself Goddess of the Ocean, Sea, or River, depending on her mood and the occasion. Then there's the Goddess of the Sky… or Sun…." The Earth Goddess broke off, looking to the sky as it began to lighten to a shade of blue like the deep shade of fresh sapphires, "We have much to discuss… but not enough time. Choose the jackguar with fur the shade of Citrine and name him as such. My sages will present you with the companion you will bond with before your journey. He will do all he can to protect you, and he will not steer you on the wrong path. Find the savannah." The Goddess pointed out to the city beyond the cliffs.

  I followed her hand to look at the city once more. When they returned to her again, she was gone.

  There was no wind. Only stillness and calm. I opened my eyes….

  In my mind, an image of the Goddess statue flashed. Its eyes searing with violet, producing an aura which brought me to my knees just before… I raised my hand between my chest to my sternum… sure enough, I could feel the ordered edges of embedded hardened carbon in my skin. With a gasp, I silently traced them through light and loose silken cloth, a light lilac dress that gently wrapped around me. I couldn't tell what the sacred pattern I had been merged with was, so I dropped my hand to my side and looked again at the wide-hipped woman. The scorching ache that each shaped amethyst brought, being fired into me, was gone. There was no pain or even discomfort.

  "It's a wonderful one, my child." The woman spoke again, "You will be fond of your Merging."

  How did this woman know of Merging? "Forgive me, Elder… how could you possibly know that?" More importantly, how did she know about MY Merging and that I had not yet even seen my own design? At that, I tried to think back to my last memories. 

  First came the vessel: the vicious rocks that nearly toppled the wooden container into the blackened water. Then I started coming back in a rush. The creaking, columns of timber, groaning as their cloth wrestled with vicious storm winds that never seemed to end… and the two voices! The two women! The soothing and the jeering voices always seemed to come from a different direction from the last each had spoken. Getting thrown off of the wooden container… sinking. Sinking, like a rock in one of our lagoons. Except this black water didn't seem to ever end…

  I had accepted death….

 Was I dead?

 Was this the afterlife? "Are you… the Earthen Goddess?" I inquired sheepishly, bewildered at how I came to be standing here. "I was in black water! It never ended! I kept sinking! I-."

 Now, the woman chose to look at me, with hilarity twisting her mouth up and a worn softness to her eyes, as my fathers had. "Do you think I would disrespect my own handiwork in such a way?" Bemusement tinting her tone as she smirked over at me. It had taken until now for me to realize I had seen purple veins on the side of her face… that here stare was lit by a violet fire that shimmered and licked lilac piques. 

  "Goddess…" The words barely made it out of my mouth. They were more a breath and barely a whisper. In awe, I fell to my knees before her. "My Goddess!" I proclaimed loudly.

  Her laughter was as a deep silver bell might sound in tone. 

  My hands found their way to my betrothal necklace, lingering there. The question was hiding just behind my lips…at the tip of my tongue… Part of me was daring to ask. The other is that I was afraid of the answer I might receive in asking at all. "Am I…?" I lingered on the last word but couldn't find it in myself to begin to sound it out.

  "No, no, my child!" The earth goddess laughed gently again. Coming closer, she held out her hand, "...come now, my daughter, stand to your feet and look at me. Let me see you." As she aided me in pulling me to my feet, she then started by placing a firm and comforting hand on my shoulder. Her touch brought with it the comfort that a mother's touch might. "You are not dead. On the other hand, you have now met both my Sisters."

   Flashes of memory fragments echoed from the argument of the warring voices between the black sea and black sky. "The Water Goddess…?" In disbelief, my voice cracked slightly, "…and the Sky Goddess?"

  "Those are my sister's indeed! Goddess of Water – she sometimes calls herself Goddess of the Ocean, Sea, or River, depending on her mood and the occasion. Then there's the Goddess of the Sky… or Sun…." The Earth Goddess broke off, looking to the sky as it began to lighten to a shade of blue like the deep shade of fresh sapphires, "We have much to discuss… but not enough time. Choose the jackguar with fur the shade of Citrine and name him as such. My sages will present you with the companion you will bond with before your journey. He will do all he can to protect you, and he will not steer you on the wrong path. Find the savannah." The Goddess pointed out to the city beyond the cliffs.

  I followed her hand to look at the city once more. When they returned to her again, she was gone.

  There was no wind. Only stillness and calm. I opened my eyes….