13 A Goddess Never Abandons Her Believers (2/2)
”Mommy? Big sisters?”
There was no reply from anyone, so she began to panic, she immediately started to rub her eyes and gasped in shock at the scenery before her. She was in a small circular clearing with a single beam of sunlight shining on her face with a ring of toadstools at her feet and vines were beginning to crawl up her legs.
She hurriedly stood up and shook them frantically to throw the vines off, Ashley began to breathe heavily and start to hyperventilate.
Was she abandoned? Where was everyone?
Her memory was foggy and all she could recall was her mom fighting a huge monster and a strange ball of light.A crashing sound came from the trees beside the clearing and Ashley started moving urgently in the opposite direction.
”Wild pigs are straight ahead, turn left instead,” a strange voice echoed in her head.
”Hello?” Ashley called out cautiously but there was no reply, the voice was feminine but sounded rough and hoarse like it had not been used for awhile.Ashley was not sure she could trust the voice but not having any other plan she decided to turn left.
”Goblin nest within ten meters, turn to the right through the bushes”
Ashley continued to trust the voice and walked further and further away from the clearing, she did not know what the reason was but there was a sense of warmth and comfort coming from the voice guiding her.
”Viperion eggs to your left make sure to avoid them”
”Man eating plants to the right be careful”
”You're too small to fight those griffins”
The voice was becoming less and less hoarse as it talked to her and began to sound like a mature older lady. Ashley had been walking for roughly twenty minutes and was now feeling quite tired.
”Almost there sweetheart, two minutes more and you can rest in the cave up ahead”, the voice steadily encouraged her.
Ashley summoned the last bit of strength in her legs and dashed into the cave in front of her, it was more like a small hole as it was only roughly four feet deep and had only enough space to only fit a small child. Ashley curled up into a ball and placed a couple branches at the entrance to hopefully disguise the opening.
”Thank you big sis” Ashley was not sure who the voice was but she felt extremely grateful. A clean bell – like laughter sounded around her and a gentle hand playfully patted her head. The goddess sighed to herself, she was no longer strong enough to influence the mortal world with her body, she was one of the stronger old gods but yet all she had the power to do was to whisper words to her believers.
She left the child in the safe cave and looked for the lady who made the shrine with her, she spotted the lady not too far away frantically looking left and right through the treetops.
(Elise's POV)
”Your daughter is in the cave two hundred meters to the left”, a voice suddenly echoed in her ears putting her immediately on guard.
”Who are you?” she demanded, Elise was more cautious than Ashley as she had experienced far too many attacks of hypnosis and mind manipulation on the battlefield.
”I am the goddess of the hunt and the sorry excused failure of a protector,” the voice stated in a self mocking tone
”But why would an old god help us?” Elise asked quite puzzled.
”I am unable give my believers blessings or miracles but how can a goddess not protect her flock”, the voice replied.
Elise stayed silently, if she was being truthful, she was not a believer of the goddess of the hunt but now seemed hardly the time to tell her that the shrine was built to simply play along with Ashley.
(Inside the cave)
”Ouch!” Ashley exclaimed
Something hard poked Ashley in the back and she turned around uncomfortably to see what it was. To her surprise it was a large black egg that seemed warm to touch, curiously she held it in her hands and a small kicking movement could be felt from inside the egg.