45 Goddess in the Head

A familiar scene grew before Noah, a field of gold with the farmstead but a speck in the distance, perfect, undamaged. An echo of its once lustre many years in the past, likely back to when it was first built. Once again, he stood atop a hill, a place where he recalled Serris' tree to be yet she wasn't here, nor there, or anywhere in fact. Not by the lack separating him from the farmstead and certainly not in the grand forest surrounding him. He would have noticed her many pinkish leaves glistening in them were she actually there.

"This again?" he mumbled scratching at his head as yet again, petals and leaves were churned into the sky by a gust of wind.

"Do tell me, are you going to suddenly awake again, or may we converse now?" as the debris twisted around him, a voice one sweet and soft and certainly womanly called from behind him. He spun around and was taken aback by who stood before him. The woman was tall, much more than himself or anyone he had seen these passing days. Her hair shimmered an ethereal light that made it resemble the golden pastures of wheat around. a few freckles dotted her cheeks, and her feminine aspect were modest and wrapped in a luxurious creamy sundress that connected with the earth, taking on a slight gradient of green as the grass wrapped around it, hiding her feet.

She stared down at him with a calm smile as he found his entire being trembling at her sight, like an ant staring up at a lion he felt the urge to bow his head but something told him that doing such would only be an offense to her majesty. He gulped as she tilted her head and bounced ever so slightly causing her bosom to lightly ripple within its barely opaque fabric.

In turn, her brow lifted to amusement and she giggled into her hand, "You humans have always been so meagre before us gods. It's actually quite frustrating really, all I want to do is speak with you humans and suddenly your start grovelling. Artemia would be utterly ecstatic about that. So, if possible, do reign in your urges to bow. I'm a mere farming deity. Nothing special."

He was pretty sure a deity was special no matter what. "So, you're a god then?" his words coming out slow and broken as he processed the woman's gravitational force attempting to drag him in and rip away his free will.

"Indeed, specifically about agricultural endeavours. Farming, the harvest, breeding, fertility and to some, motherhood. Though in recent years the later have been forgotten as I have been deemed one of Artemia's cohorts. Strange honestly, I side myself more with Typhania. No, actually I would say I'm more centralized within the spectrum of deities. I do prefer not to take sides as that has little to do with my domains." she spoke with her hands clasped over her lap, her expression never faltering from the red lipped smile of allure she was sending his way.

"That's… cool?" he hadn't the faintest of what to say, not to a god at the least. Then came a thought, a reason to his being on Minas, "were… you the one to bring me here? To this world I mean."

"Hmm? Oh no, as I mentioned. I'm a deity with an agricultural focus, bringing souls from another world is mothers strength. Neither I nor any of the other deities have such power. I merely bought your soul during the last auction."

With a splitting of a second, Noah's mind ground to a halt and he repeated, "auction?"

"I haven't attended many in the past, too much farming going on to give myself a break. Not to mention the constant flow of offerings being sent my way that I have to sort through on a millennial basis."

"Wait no, you bought me?"

"Indeed. you were actually quite cheap all things considered. Only a few hundred years' worth of offerings. Nothing too exorbitant."

Noah faltered, to think, his time on Minas was because he was bought during an auction and cheaply for that matter. 'Way to ruin my self-confidence.'

"What do you mean all things considered?" he asked.

"Oh, your soul is, or was, quite malleable, easily mouldable to receive a decent portion of a deities blessing. In all reality I should have spent a good few millenias worth. But apparently the others were all late to the party leaving only me and a few others. I was the only one who could afford to purchase a soul such as yours. Though, I did have to toss out a bit more to have Typhania assist me in granting you a body. That was also quite cheap actually, simply allow her to grant unto you her blessing alongside my own. Ah, now that I think about it, I should hasten our conversation a bit. Our time is limited after all."

"Originally, I had been intending on meeting you earlier but the harvest festivals in Zesune had proven to be quite extravagant this year, so I have been away from Morea for the past few hours. I had attempted to contact you just a few minutes ago but you had suddenly awoken. That was quite rude you know."

"Sorry?" was all he could say in response to the talkative goddess.

"No need, it was my fault for attempting to contact you a few milliseconds before you awoke. Luckily though I have now contacted you a decent bit earlier, a few human hours if I do say so myself. Though I may be off, I do not often bring humans into my domain and when I do, its usually because I'm bored and a decent bit horny."

Noah shivered, did he just get summoned by a goddess to sate her lust? 'I mean, I'm honoured, but please no.'

"Anyways, I suppose I should get onto why I have purchased you. I was hoping you could assist little Liora. Her husband was utterly ashamed to leave her like that. That and the fact abandoning Zoi would be a cruel thing to do. So, I was hoping you could act as a bit of a replacement to Harv. Tend to the farm, care for Liora, potentially raise yourself a new generation of children to take over after your passing." she went silent, something Noah was sure wasn't a common event for the goddess.

"So you bought me, to be a farmer?"

"Indeed."

"As well as to be Liora's caretaker?"

"Indeed."

'Does she only say indeed?'

"Indeed."

He paused, glanced to her honey eyes and smirking lips, "I really should have expected a goddess to be able to read minds…"

"Indeed." she winked.

Sighing out exhaustedly, Noah scratched his head and pondered over everything. After the last few days he had in this world, he was far from being surprised by much. "You know Harv?" he questioned her, "was he also reincarnated?"

"No, he was born on Minas. Quite a lovely boy, the Rostrea's have always been one of my favourite families though it saddens me to see their blood dissipating so rapidly. Had I the means I likely would have assisted young Liora in baring a more loyal child. Though considering her infertility that has proven to be a challenge."

Noah's mind jostled and the world went still. His eyes widening on the goddess before him. "She's what? What do you mean infertile. She's had a child before, a daughter." he argued, his voice raising to meet his shock.

"Indeed, I am aware of young Eleonora's existence. But, much like her mother before her, young Liora suffers a saddening malediction that rends away the bodies ability to bare another after the first."

"Isn't that cruel. How can that be. Were they cursed?"

She shook her head, shoulders rolling into a shrug, "I am unaware. I have not observed the Ginsberg's prior to young Liora's engagement to Harv. But were I to make an assumption, I would indeed presume it a curse. From whom or whence I cannot right say. Nor do I have any business in saying so."

"How can you say that!? Can't you fix it, you're a god aren't you!?"

Her head shook, "you make a mistake Noah. While indeed, I am a deity. I am deity of agricultural endeavours I do not have control over curses nor of maladies. Even had I such a strength, my business is not to fix every malpractice of the world. I tend to farms, I protect them as I can and grant them my blessing when I will. I do not meddle in human endeavours."

"But you bought me. You're already meddling with my existence."

"Perhaps. But that is something else entirely. You are a soul from another world. You cannot exist without my being there to act as your matron. Should I abandon you, you will simply fizzle away into nonexistence and your soul will flicker away. Hence, I have no want of doing such a cruel thing. I would much rather see you exist long into the future of the world. I will make you a promise to never abandon you if that will make you more comfortable."

Noah's breath trembled, to think his life hinged on a gods want was terrifying. "Can I trust you?"

"Young Noah. I am a deity. I see no reason behind the human action of 'lying' nor do I see the point in betraying you, I would not have purchased you had I such intentions. Perhaps if Lyre had purchased you such would be an issue you would face, but not with me."

Feeling the world twist around him, the fabric of trees and reality whittled away into a blurry mess.

"It seems our time is up. Young Noah, I will likely contact you some time in the future, whence I do not know. Until then, I will cast you a suggestion. Should you wish to save Liora and the land, I advise you to seek the wealth of the monsters. You have plenty on your doorstep after all." Her figure began to blend with the void and a strange tiredness was tempting to steal his mind.

And then, nothing, his consciousness faded into the nothingness of the world and for once, he felt his tiredness abate.