"Oh, sweet thing... You look terrified."
And yet, her voice tickled your ears like velvet, and she held herself with such dignity, it was as if she were standing just inches away. The Goddess smiled, lips delicately curled upwards as a show of her gratitude for your sacrifice. In your silence, she raised one of her hands to place against the precipice you were stood on, elegant fingers curling into the luscious grass. Flowers immediately bloomed from nothing, crawling along the ground to hug your legs. Your breath hitched at the contact, petals licking at your calves.
This was The Goddess of nature. The very same deity your village had been worshipping since the day you were born. But truthfully, you had always been skeptical of her existence. After all, everyone in the village worked hard, day and night, to grow the flowers and food that kept them alive. How were you to assume this Goddess had anything to do with that?
But, here she stood, smiling, towering over your little form.
"I'm pleased to meet you, all the same." The Goddess continued, "It seems your people have appointed you as my treasure, this century."
You swallowed, throat dry. A small hiss escaped your mouth in lieu of a proper response. What could you say to this gigantic mythical being you so clearly had no previous respect for? That you're sorry?
Even without words, she acknowledged your internal struggle and lifted her other hand, lightly bending at the waist to bring her hands together.
Suddenly gaining clarity, you flinch and scramble to ran back down the mountain, only for her hands to catch you first. Through your panic, you consider screaming, but the terror is too overwhelming. You stare at The Goddess, hair flowing, eyes shining, teeth poking through her lips as she watched you in her cupped hands.
She exhaled softly, "What a beautiful one you are."
...Her hands were gentle. Plush under your body, and strangely, comfortably warm. A fresh, baked loaf of bread suddenly came to mind, and your nose was briefly touched by its delicious scent.
"My, my, what a gorgeous perception of my power."
Inexplicably, your shoulders untensed, overcome by the feeling of love and appreciation. The world nearly blurred as you sunk into the softness of your Goddess, her eyes becoming your sole focus.
She came closer, the tip of her nose nearly kissing your chest as she breathed, "I believe you'll make a perfect little helper for me."
That voice wrapped around you, slipping though your ears as if she were speaking with the wind itself. You could think of nothing else as you lay against her connected palms, eyes wide with wonder as she opened her mouth.
Although you knew for certain you should be petrified, you could only embrace the feeling of admiration for the divine.
You slipped onto her tongue, so much like her hands, only even warmer.
As she tilted her head back, you slid with the motion, and imagined yourself adrift through a quiet creek. You were embraced from every angle as you were swallowed, soon listening to the tender heartbeat of your Goddess.
And eventually, there was light.
A soothing, pulsing light you found yourself surrounded by. Her stomach was small and snug, awash with colors too immeasurable for your mind to follow. So you shut your eyes, savoring the gentle rock of her gait.
"Sleep, little one." She hushed, her voice everywhere at once, "And when you wake, lend me your strength, so that I may give your people another prosperous century of harvest."
