A wide, white space with no distinct roof, floor, or walls surrounds me. A few feet in front of me is an old round table made of shiny silver metal with two matching chairs on opposite sides.
A woman with skin as dark as onyx and just as beautiful sits in the chair on the right. She's wearing a golden cloth robe with chains of gold wrapped around her body in a way that accentuates her womanly curves. A golden crown decorated with sitting cats, their jeweled eyes sparkling, holds her pin-straight, black hair in place.
The artistry is so well done and realistic, you'd almost think the cats are going to jump off the crown at any moment.
Her eyes are black as the night sky and full of sparkling diamonds, so enchanting that I want to stare into them forever.
In the chair to the left sits a woman completely different from the one on the right. Her complexion is like ivory, smooth and white. Her clothing is made of a white material that shimmers and sparkles even though she's not moving.
Rather than the overabundance of gold chains that the woman on the right wears, she has a simple gold belt braided around her waist. Her hair is a soft blonde that is almost white, yet easily definable against the white of the space I'm in.
Around her head is a simple gold tiara made to look like ivy vines, with a bow and arrow set in the middle of her forehead. Her eyes are the deepest, brightest blue I have ever seen, clearer than the clearest sky at midday.
Both women are looking at me with interest and speculation.
"Are you sure about this, Bast? She doesn't look like much," the lady on the left asks, doubt clear in her tone.
"Yes, I'm sure, Athena. She will accomplish what we seek, what we need. I have watched her, studied her. She's the one," the dark haired woman sitting on the right, who I'm assuming is Bast, answers with lazy confidence.
I look between the two, at a complete loss as to what's going on. I can feel that I'm asleep, that this is a dream, and yet, I'm aware and alert as if I was awake. I reach for my arm and pinch the skin just above my wrist.
I let out a yelp at the sting, jerking my gaze to Athena when a snort escapes her.
"Well, at least she's not crying and gibbering like an annoying simpleton," Athena says with a smirk.
Bast sniffs in indignation and says, "No, that would've been Zeus' choice. Stupid man, always thinking with his dick instead of his brain. How do you put up with it?"
Athena sighs warily before replying, "Even the Gods can't choose their family, you know that as well as I."
Bast sighs and nods her head.
Rising like a queen from her throne, Athena states, "Well, I'd better head back, I have my own preparations to make."
Before the last syllable registers in my brain, she's gone. No wavering shape or puff of smoke, she just disappears. I stare in shock and awe at the spot she was standing before swinging my gaze to Bast.
She waves her hand, indicating that I should take the vacated chair across from her. With no other viable option, and curious about what's going on, I cautiously walk up to the chair and sit down gingerly.
I cross my arms on the table and lean forward a little, looking at the woman as she watches me with a gentle expression on her face. Her features are cat-like, with a small, pert nose set in the middle of her gently rounded face. Her lips are full and smooth with a small hint of pink where they meet, and her ebony skin looks like it's covered in a fine layer of black hair that my hands itch to touch.
"I suppose you're wondering what's going on. Well, to put it bluntly, you're my chosen," Bast says, watching me patiently.
Thinking that she's waiting for me to say something, I reply, "Okaaay?"
She smiles at me like Spider does when I'm being particularly dense, and she finds it amusing.
Frowning, I sit back in the metal chair and cross my arms over my chest, contemplating all that I've seen and heard here.
"You're a Goddess?" I ask, trying to get my facts straight.
She nods slowly, continuing to smile at me.
"And I'm your chosen?"
She nods again.
"Chosen for what and why?"
Placing her elbows on the table, she rests her chin on her hands.
Studying me for a moment, she responds, "The 'what' is a little complicated and will require some time to explain. As for why, because you are one of mine."
She says 'mine' in such a way that makes it clear she thinks I should know what that means.
When I don't respond or comment, she frowns and steeples her hands in front of her face as though she's praying, resting her chin on her thumbs.
"I see your religious education has been lacking."
She places her hands on the table and sits back in the chair.
"I guess it can't be helped, considering you weren't raised in a conventional manner, but I would've thought that a chosen of the Fates would've at least taught you the basics."
She cocks her head to the side and then looks over my shoulder, a fierce frown marring her gentle face, before she quickly looks into my eyes.
Her voice echoes inside my head as well as my ears as she says, "It's time. Ask Spider, she will know what to do."
She waves her hand in front of my face, blocking my sight.
In the darkness that follows, I fall into a dreamless sleep.
(*****)
I wake up slowly, the memories of my dream drifting through my thoughts as the morning sun coming through the window warms my body. I can feel Emerald laying on the small of my back, purring quietly in her sleep.
Lifting my head a bit to put my hands under my chin, I squint my eyes and try to put what happened in my dream into perspective.
Gods and Goddesses.
From what little I'd learned growing up, people worship or believe in a lot of different gods. I've never heard about the gods doing anything for anyone, though. No matter what people pray for, it never seems to come about. My ears twitch back and forth, and I lay my face in my arm as I reach my other hand up to rub them.
A picture of Bast flashes in my mind's eye and I throw my head back with surprise, my eyes round as the words 'one of mine' ring in my head.
'She had ears like mine!'
I was so caught up with her being a goddess, I forgot about the black cat ears she'd had on her head. Sitting up on my elbows, I feel Emerald stretch before jumping off my back to sit beside me. I can see her cleaning her front paw out of the corner of my eye as my mind blanks and runs in gibbering circles sporadically.
Sitting up, I cross my legs on my mound of cushions and close my eyes while taking deep breaths in and out.
'Ok, so, either I'm her daughter--highly doubtful--or my oddities are a sign that I'm somehow connected to her--much more likely.'
Nodding to myself, I open my eyes to see Emerald sitting in front of me, watching me with her clear green eyes.
Reaching forward, I scratch her between her ears and say, "Emy, you wouldn't believe the night I had."
She pushes her head into my fingers and purrs loudly, standing up to force more pressure into my scratching.
After thinking about going to Fireside and seeing if I can't get in touch with the elite from yesterday, as well as telling Brandon about Ricky, my thoughts turn to Bast's orders to ask Spider about what's going on.
With Spider's place being closer than Fireside and work, I decide to start with her, and then head to work before making my way to Fireside. I rise purposefully to get ready to go see my adoptive mother, wishing that it had been someone else with the answers.