Goddesses Pt. 06

Of course I knew before we left that Lemuria would be a different sort of world than Eva Australis, but I only really appreciated how much of a polar opposite it was once I'd seen it firsthand. Gone were the towering buildings and levels of endless skyway, and gone were the technologically inclined people in their garish and varied fashions. Here the streets were simple tiled paths fit for feet, hooves and wooden wheels. The buildings were elegant yet simple structures of carved stone, never more than a couple stories high. The architecture seemed classically inspired, like the ancient buildings of Greece and Rome, and likewise the Lemurian people tended to wear loose flowing tunics and togas, while their feet were protected by sandals or leather boots. Every size, shape, age and colour of person could be seen but they all shared one thing: the telltale gaunt look of malnutrition.

Along the sides of the streets were deep stone planters in which vibrant blossoms were grown... yet on closer inspection we could see tiny sprouts of purple life setting root in the soil, as it also did in the cracks between tiles and in clumps on nearby lawns. Deep in the Lemurian capital, native life was beginning to infiltrate the imported oasis. One could only assume that out in the fringes where food was grown, the situation was even worse.

Chapter 4

A book keeper burst into the archive, out of breath from her run up the stairs. She hung off the frame of the doorway: "A ship has come!"

"A ship...?"

"From the south, they've come."

Valerie looked up at the stout woman, setting her book down.

"For Jessica?"

"Yes. They heard her message. And they brought food... fresh, untainted food. Let's go!"

***

The crowd was thick; a throng of people had gathered at first out of curiosity, then doubling in number at the promise of a free meal. Dressed in their drab brown robes, Valerie and the other book keeper nudged their way through the tumult of moving bodies towards the centre of activity.

"Book keepers! You did this."

They turned to face a bulky bearded man who beamed gladly as he looked down at the two ladies. He had a cheek full of food, and a massive fresh crusty bread with slices of meat and cheese sat snug in his hand. For a moment he flinched, realizing one of the women he had accosted was in fact Valerie, the goddess of the archives. She had a reputation for being approachable, but the fact remained that she was an immortal.

"Yes. We called the southerners here."

"Take this then. The lineup for food is terribly long. ...And I've already had three." He passed his precious meal down to them, and they graciously accepted it as he stifled a burp with the butt of his fist. "What business do they have here? Or have they come only to bring us sandwiches?"

Valerie and her colleague were tearing the loaf in half. "I am not sure how much of this business The Eldest wishes to make public. That you know it was we who called them here is already more than you should..."

"Secret matters, then."

"Perhaps," Valerie shrugged. "Important ones. Today could be a great day."

"Oh it is one, m'lady. Today our bellies were filled!"

Valerie and the other book keeper chuckled, "I suppose so, yes. Thank you Johan."

The bulky man bowed his head to them, and they slipped out of the crowd to enjoy their surprise meal.

They settled against the rim of an ornate fountain at the centre of a roundabout, leaning against it as they ate and watched the packed street pass by. A face caught Valerie's attention, and she had to do a double take. She scanned the crowd, her acute vision analyzing every Lemurian face. Where...? Who...?

There, moving off toward the shops, she saw her. A tall dark haired goddess, joined by two more slightly sized blondes. In their strange clothes they were hard to miss in the cluster of tunics and togas. Briefly glimpsing the dark haired one's face, Valerie had a moment of recognition. She knew her from somewhere... but how? They must have been visitors from the two visiting ships. Something about her made her heart quicken. She felt drawn to her.

Valerie popped the last bite of her sandwich into her mouth and rose. "I think I know that goddess. I need to see..."

"Alright," the other book keeper said, content to just sit and enjoy her meal. "I'll see you back at the archives."

Valerie pushed off into the roiling crowd, squeezing herself past standing bodies and dodging people in movement. She had to investigate that sighting. Had she known them before? Were they a part of her forgotten past?

Checking down every street and poking her head into every shop, they were nowhere to be seen. It seemed her chance had passed. As the hungry crowd continued to thicken she sensed there was little hope, and retired to the archives.

Chapter 5

We ended our tour of the scenic capital around sundown and returned to our travel nexuses. Once all the food we'd brought was gone the crowd had subsided, leaving those two circular structures alone in a field of trampled grass and paper wrappers.

Entering our nexus we saw Marla and Jessica, sitting around the round table just as we'd left them. Jessica was smiling, in fact at the moment we entered the two were in mid-laughter. It was strange yet heart warming to see our mothers, two wisened yet youthful woman from differing worlds, share each others presence. I wondered if something was going to come of their little reunion.

Later that night our cameras picked up the flickering orange light of fire. Zooming in, we saw a royal procession approaching - that same Aerotian woman who had brought us Jessica now walked just behind a pale, dark haired goddess dressed in a sort of off-white shawl. The firelight glinted off of her fine jewellery. At her sides stalked two huge white tigers. Muscular men in togas formed a diamond around them, providing their needed light with huge burning torches.

"Wow," I said. "Is that The Eldest?"

"It is," Jessica said.

Ashley sprung into motion, pulling her tablet out of her jacket. She was training her cameras on the development, documenting what we hoped to be the first moments of what would be a landmark agreement between two quarrelling nations.

Our view began to zoom out as they grew closer to our vantage point. "The tigers, though? Really?"

"Yes. They're her pets," Jessica said. "They say she doesn't bring them out much lately, as their hunger makes them cranky. But I guess for an event like this, such an ostentatious display was called for..."

"She's always had a flare for big visual displays," Marla said. She got up, straightened out her outfit, and walked over to the door. She opened it and stood waiting against the starry background of Eva's sky. Gradually, the flickering orange light of torches began to outline her silhouette.

I started to get up, feeling restless and wanting to get a closer look at The Eldest's tigers, but Matthew gently placed one of his large hands on my shoulder. "Just a moment, Eva. Marla has a plan for you... just hold back with us for now."

"Mm...? Alright, fine," I said as he guided me to stand with him by the wall, out of plain view. I would only be a spectator to the night's meeting.

"Greetings, Eldest," Marla called.

"Hello, Marla," she called back, her voice barely audible from where she stood outside of and below the nexus.

"It was good of you to join us tonight. Why don't you come inside, and we can discuss your situation."

Marla stepped away from the doorway, and into our nexus strode The Eldest, as well as her high-ranking Aerotian companion.

"My second, Genera, will be joining us also," The Eldest said. Her supreme rank belied her appearance, for under her lavender shawl she was a petite, thin and fragile looking woman. Her large eyes were deep sapphire blue, her skin as pale as mine, and her hair was an array of wide, soft black curls that hung elegantly down to her elbows. She was adorned with numerous golden bangles, necklaces and earrings.

"Of course, that's fine. I will be joined by our twin daughters Angela and Melissa as well."

The Eldest watched Jessica rise from her seat to join myself and Matthew at the edge of the circular room. Like me, she would merely observe, having already played her role in the proceedings. As my fantastic birthmother took her place beside me the five goddesses sat themselves down around the table.

It occurred to me then that as showy as The Eldest's tigers and torch bearing men were, it was probably even more of a display for us to have landed our huge, seemingly magical vehicles in the middle of the Lemurian capital, and to have specified that the meeting of our nations be held within those alien crafts. Both ourselves and our northern neighbours had to put up a front.

"So," Marla began, weaving her fingers together before her. "Jessica has told us all about the difficulties Lemuria has been experiencing as of late. From what we've seen so far we believe it's true. But please, Eldest, could you explain to me yourself what's happening, and what we're expected to do about it?"

"I also heard Jessica's message, in fact it was I who requested she send it to you. I can confirm that everything she said is true; our crops are being replaced by the native life of this planet. We aren't able to grow sufficient food to feed the population, and the tainted food we do have has damaged our health.

"Thank you very much for answering our request and coming here to discuss our problems, and for offering our people some of your untainted food. It was an act of goodwill which will not be forgotten. However we humbly ask of you something greater than merely that. As the old human saying goes... if you give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you'll feed him for a lifetime."

"You want us to fix your land, so you can grow food again."

The Eldest and Genera both solemnly nodded.

"What makes you think that we can," Melissa said.

"...Or that that's even possible," her twin added.

The Eldest smiled patiently. "It was an educated guess. Look at you... You are all in the best of health, and it doesn't look as if any of you has had to miss a meal," she said as she glanced aside at Matthew, "so do we think that the native life in Eva Australis is less persistent than ours? No, we think you've found a way to keep the soil clean."

"We have," Marla said.

"Indeed. And... what is it?"

"Enzyme treatment. We annually treat the soil with a mixture of enzymes and cultures to sterilize purple life."

"How very clever. Tell me more?"

Jessica turned to me, apparently already bored with the conversation. Though I stood several inches higher than her I found my stomach begin to tense, her divine and plainly presented beauty somehow intimidating to me once we were close together. She leaned in so I could hear her whisper, "hello Eva."

"Hey..."

At that proximity our chests were pressing together and fighting for space as we kept close to whisper into each others ear, creating a display that could tempt even the most saintly of men. I thought I sensed a growing discomfort in Matthew, but what we were doing was purely unintentional. Who could blame us for sharing such generous genes?

"Marla told me where you've been all this time."

I nodded, relieved that I wouldn't have to explain to yet another family member the incredible story of my numerous hibernations.

"That means you're still so young..."

I nodded again, looking into her caring green eyes, unsure how to feel. Her expression was so tender, as if she were maternally connecting to me in the way a human mother would with her little girl. Part of me wanted her to hold me.

"Yet look how much older your world has become. A lot is riding on what you do, right here and now. What will it be?"

"I... I don't know what you mean. I was told to stand and watch..."

She smiled softly. "You'll see."

At that moment we had to turn back to the main discussion. Tempers had begun to flare, and voices were being raised.

"No Marla, we will not change! We live as the goddesses did before humans built their civilization."

"I'm not asking you to change, Eldest! I just want you to accept that this planet, Eva, is and always has been ours. We developed the means to come here, we brought ourselves here, and we are therefore the leaders of our world. You can live however you want, just realize that your nation exists as an exception to the norm, within our dominion."

"Unacceptable! Your ways are false; you learned them from the humans. You will make all the same mistakes they did on Earth. Goddesses must do away with technology, with money, and live as wholesome unencumbered beings. We will not just lie down in defeat and accept your... perversion!"

Marla scoffed, "and yet you've come to us, begging for our technology! Without it you'll die. Can't you see your contradiction? We brought you here and you need us. So just forget our differences and accept reality!"

Genera's voice was low and level in comparison to their heated delivery: "You would leave us to perish because we won't accept your reality? You would be so cruel to your own race?"

As one Marla and my sisters took a deep breath. Diplomacy wasn't unfolding as they'd hoped.

The room became dead silent, save for the soft clunk of Marla setting down a glass of water. "No, we won't be so cruel. This time. We will help you through your troubles."

The Eldest and Genera were unreactive, holding solid poker faces as they waited for the inevitable 'but'.

"...But, if ever you should come across some new problem... which you will, believe me... you can't come to us for help anymore. We won't be there for you. If you won't accept that Lemuria is a nation of Eva, you will not be treated as one. Once we've shown you how to repair your soil contact between us will again be severed, and you'll have to fend for yourselves."

"Thank you," The Eldest said bitterly.

There was a moment of hesitation as the five goddesses waited for a concluding statement. Soft spoken again, Genera leaned in: "Perhaps... perhaps we should recess."

My sisters both nodded their agreement, turning to our mother.

"...We'll give ourselves a day to think about our decisions, and resume talks tomorrow."

Marla looked at The Eldest, who didn't seem to agree or disagree with the idea. "...Very well. I think we all could use some time to discuss these matters, internally."

"Then the next meeting will be at this time tomorrow," The Eldest said. "At my palace. For a final decision."

"I accept. This meeting is adjourned."

Chapter 6

"That could have went better."

"Yes. The Eldest hasn't changed at all... she's still very stubborn. She'll never give up on this idea of hers, of Eva being like Earth was in ancient times."

Marla shrugged, "well Lemuria can be exactly that. She just has to respect the goddesses who brought her here."

"I guess that's hard for her to do when she's everyone's elder," Jessica said. "Come, we need to turn left here."

As the city slept the old lovers walked the vacant streets of New Aerotia hand in hand, leaving the central core. All the visitors from Evita had scattered after the meeting, being offered rooms in the various inns as well as grateful people's homes. Marla had asked to see Jessica's.

She was a little embarrassed about her pitiful little dwelling, but if Marla was disappointed, she didn't show it. "Cozy," she commented, stepping inside. "With that good old handmade Lemurian charm..."

"Yes, and a scenic location to boot... far from the hustle and bustle of the city," Jessica joked as they placed their shoes by the doorway. It was a far cry from the sprawling urban condos she and Marla had once lived in together on Earth.

"Is this the best they can do for a goddess like you?"

"They don't really care for me much around here, so yes. I'm fine with it..."

Marla nodded, taking a brief tour of the circular room. "Why is that?"

"They think I'm nuts... I tell them you sired me, that Eva is real and she's our daughter, and to them that means I've lost it."

"So, you're like the crazy lady in the woods to them."

Jessica giggled softly, though there was a hint of hurt in her eyes. "Yes..."

"Oh, darling," Marla stepped close, letting her hands fall on Jessica's hips, "that must be horrible. You needn't live this way."

"But I'm stuck here," Jessica said quietly. "There's no where else to go..."

For a moment they just stared into each others eyes, becoming lost. Eventually Jessica broke away, unsure about where the situation might have been going.

"I still have this," she said as she went to her bed. She came back holding an old framed photograph of herself and Marla. "From back in the beginning."

Marla carefully took the ancient photo and looked at it, a tender smile on her face. "The beginning of us. You were so young... you were in need of a rescue."

Jessica nodded.

There was a silent moment as they looked down at it, reminiscing.

"Am... Am I again?"

Marla looked up, "hmm?"

"Am I in need of a rescue?"

"...Jessica..." She wasn't sure what to make of that question... not until she saw her stepping closer, her eyes beginning to water with sadness. "Oh darling..."

"Take me with you," she whispered.

Marla took her hands, squeezing them tight. "My... my love. I'll take you wherever you wish."

They kissed, inhaling sharply as the barrier between them broke. They melted into each others arms as their pent up emotion and desire was released. Marla decided that from that moment on she would never let Jessica go.

They moved towards the bed, where they collapsed onto it as one, still embracing until Marla backed away to survey the copper haired goddess beneath her. She began to undo her blouse.

Jessica reached out, her fingertips connecting with Marla just below her breast as button by button it opened... softly biting down on her bottom lip she traced her touch down, past her stomach, over her crotch, along her thigh, where she lingered. "Mmm..."

As soon as that blouse was off Marla dove down, burying her face against Jessica's lush chest. She moaned in outright want, finally expressing the repressed need she'd felt from the moment they'd made contact over the radio. She traced her hands along the sides of those round prizes, groaning and shuddering as the lust consumed her. Eventually she dug her fingers between the material and Jessica's breast, easily tugging the strapless dress down her torso.

Tenderly Jessica stroked a hand through Marla's hair, not at all minding the indulgence with which she was tossing and kneading her fantastic breasts against her cheeks, trailing kisses as she went. She reached lower, undoing the clasp of Marla's bra.

Eventually Marla rose, her black and violet streaked hair in a disarray as her upright posture revealed the plainly outlined form of her her arousal plastered stiffly against her thigh. The metallic sparkle of Jessica's ointment was smeared across her cheeks. She tossed off her open bra, firm generous breasts jostling free.

As she stepped away from her position over Jessica they shared a chuckle of annoyance at the clothing they still wore, each of them quick to begin wriggling out of their respective skirt and dress, leaving Jessica nude and ready for Marla, who was in only her black leggings. Jessica sat up, drawn to the sight of that lengthy hard rod through the sheer material as Marla retook her position over her, kneeling on one knee, her other toned and loaded thigh readily presented.

It was that perfect huge tool which night after night of her late adolescent life Jessica had lovingly worshipped. From it she had drawn her immortality, her undying beauty. From it she had received the seed that became Eva, exalted young creator of their world. Marla tilted forward, bringing herself closer as with a low sigh Jessica leaned in and pulled her thigh close, nudging her cheek along that tense heat.