kindness in her heart and was now far weaker than they were.”
Blinking at this new information, I think of what I know of my goddess, the Great Mother, who, from what I’ve been told, is their Menishea. In our teachings, the Great Mother is an all-powerful being, so I can see why the priests wouldn’t want this version of creation being told.
“Over the years, the gods became bored as the humans and elves who once worshipped them began to forget them. Pulling their influence, they left, forsaking their creations.” He pauses again as a smile returns to his face. “All except the youngest goddess, Menishea.” Awed sounds and praises to their goddess fill the space, the elves’ eyes glittering with pride and happiness. I am also in awe, but not at the goddess, at her people. They believe and worship her with every fibre of their being, which is completely different than their high elf cousins.
“Menishea loved all of her subjects and watched over them, but she was weak. She found a sect of elves who still fully believed and worshipped her, so she used her magic to help them grow and flourish, their love for her fuelling her own power. That is how the wood elves came to be.” There is another pause as Speaker Hawthorn glances over his shoulder at the other speakers, who are nodding in agreement. His expression changes now, becoming somber at whatever comes next in the story. “We have continued to worship her ever since, until one day, she vanished.” Some of the gathered elves make quiet noises of distress, shaking their heads at the loss of their goddess. “However, some of her magic remained in the very ground itself, and through the forest, we were able to see a vision. In that vision, a young lady of mixed race was going to come to us, and with her, magic would be restored.”
Although the speaker doesn’t look at me as he finishes his story, I feel the eyes of almost every elf on the platform land on me expectantly. Mother above, I pray, needing her guidance now more than ever. Falling back into my nervous habit, I reach over and start to twist the bands on my wrist, my finger brushing gently over the goddess mark. As soon as I touch it, it’s like a jolt of electricity goes through me. My entire body becomes stiff, and my mark glows so bright I see many cover their eyes to protect themselves against the light. Vaeril turns and places his hand on my shoulder. I see his mouth open, but no sound comes out. Then, everything goes black.
I feel like I’m floating, my whole body weightless. I can’t see anything, but I know I’m not alone. There is a familiar presence watching over me and surrounding me with love.
“Great Mother,” I whisper, my mouth pulling up into a smile. I wish I was able to bow and show my proper respects. This is the first time I’ve been able to feel her properly since I escaped Arhaven, and I hadn’t realised how much I missed her comforting presence.
My child, she replies, but it’s like she’s speaking directly inside my head, no sounds reaching me. You have done well.
“Where am I?” I query, then realise that’s not important, so instead, I ask the question at the forefront of my mind. “Are you Menishea?” I whisper again, but it’s not the awed tone from before, it’s the voice of someone who’s not sure they want to hear the answer.
Her pause is answer enough. Yes, I am both the goddess the humans worship, and the Menishea the elves worship, she explains in an even tone. If that is true, then were the elves right about the other gods? I’m struggling to get my head around it. Everything I thought about my goddess was wrong. No. That’s not true. Sure, what the priests taught us was wrong, but how I feel about the Great Mother and her love for me hasn’t changed.
There is a great evil keeping me from my people. The only reason I can speak to you now is because some of my magic is in the environment around you, she continues, pulling my thoughts back to the present. A great evil? What does she mean by that?
“But I could hear you back in Arhaven,” I point out, confused as to why she would be weaker only in one place.
The evil is only surrounding the elves at