“We?” I swallowed. My mouth was suddenly as dry as a desert, and I licked my lips in a vain attempt to moisten them.
Yes. We. You are no longer Lilliana Young and I am no longer what I once was.
“What…did you used to be?”
I was the creature you hold in your arms.
Glancing down at the form of the dead lioness becoming more and more transparent, I asked, “This was you? I mean, the voice I hear now is from the lioness?”
Not exactly. In my corporeal form I was an animal bound by instinct. My thoughts were simple. My purpose was survival. I have given up my physical body to become something new, saving the best parts of myself to bring to this union of minds. I am, no longer. You are, no longer.
We are reborn.
We are sphinx.
“Okay, assuming that’s true, then why am I having a conversation with myself?”
The merging of our minds occurs over time. Eventually, there will be only one voice and one mind. If this does not happen—
“Then I’ll go insane.”
Yes.
“Right. So how long do I…do we,” I corrected myself, “need to stay here?”
Until my former body disappears completely. The process should only take a few more minutes.
She was now so translucent it was like trying to touch a dream.
The voice was silent for a moment, and then she added, You do not need to address me vocally, you know. I can hear and understand your thoughts.
“Is it okay if I speak to you verbally for now? At least until I get used to this?”
As you wish.
“Will you miss it?” I asked, curious. “Being a lioness, I mean?”
She didn’t answer right away. Finally, she said, Individually, our forms were mortal, fragile, weak. And the weak must make way for the strong. If we are to grow together, this is something you must come to understand. As I considered her words, she added, It is time. You may arise.
I hadn’t even noticed that the nearly invisible form of the lioness had completely disappeared.
“I’m sorry,” I said as I got carefully to my feet, groaning at the ache in my body.
Sorry? For what? the voice asked in surprise.
“Sorry for what you’ve lost.”
I have not lost. I have gained.
“You might not feel that way if this thing we’re doing doesn’t work.”
She was quiet for a moment, and then said, If we fail, at least we strived to break free of the bounds set upon us. No one can disparage us for the attempt we’ve made to become something more.
“I suppose not.”
I…no, we lifted our head and inhaled. The sharp tang of water called to us and we began running in the direction it wafted from. On the journey, the voice of my inner companion pointed out the tracks of animals and identified scents that I could discern but couldn’t categorize.
When I caught my wild appearance in the reflection of the pool and despaired over the state of my dress and hair, I sensed her confusion.
If you do not like your mane, then you should remove it. We can move more stealthily without it and the scent of it warns your enemies you are coming.
“Most of my enemies can’t smell me coming.”
Perhaps in your world they cannot, but in the realm of the gods, anything is possible.
“I’ll think about it,” I said insincerely. “In the meantime, I’d take a bath in the stream if I had something to change into.”
Why would you do that? The biting insects are not in season at this time.
“Yeah, well, I enjoy being clean.”
But the dust of the plain hides your scent. Ah, I see. You likely use your scent to attain the attention of potential mates. I suppose that is an acceptable rationale, though it will prove inherently dangerous on our journey. We should proceed with caution in that case.
I was unable to formulate a response, but she addressed my shock.
You do realize, of course, that you cannot hide your thoughts from me.
“That’s…that’s just wrong. It’s like having my mother watching over my shoulder.”
You do not like your mother.
“No. I do. It’s just that she’s—”
My inner voice interrupted. You do not. She does not notice your uniqueness. She wishes for you to conform to her standards and choices.