The friend from the deep.
It was simply not done; going up to the Mountain of the Goddess was unheard of, especially for an undine. For one, the undines’ webbed feet simply were not made for climbing up the twisted rocky path. And then there was the dilemma of facing the Goddess herself. There was nothing that a creature of the water could offer her that might appease her, and legends said that in lieu of a suitable offering she had been known to eat the hapless pilgrims who managed to make their way to the mouth of her cave dwelling.
And yet, it is here at that very entrance that Krie finds herself. Kneeling humbly at the entrance to the gaping rock maw, warily eyeing the stalactite and stalagmite teeth that lined its edges, she calls out into the darkness, “Goddess of Fire, if you are there, I ask…no, I beg you to give audience to your humble servant, who comes on behalf of her people.”
Krie has no idea if this is how one should properly address a Goddess. She has no offering to give the Great Lion should she appear. All she has is a faint glimmer of hope that she might in some way convince the Goddess to lend her aid.
The tiny patter of webbed feet upon stone echoed all the way to the tips of the great deity's curled paws. She’d ignored the slapping sound at first, believing it to be some illusion her dormant mind had thought up. She had been left undisturbed for so long, burning away the hours in blissful hibernation. She didn’t need to worry for threats that the many species inhabiting her dwelling might pose, for her massive bulk was all the defense she needed. The acrid air her body produced kept all land dwellers away, and the boiling waters that met her arching banks were a deterrent for all sea-dwelling life forms. Or so, she’d believed. After all, what being would brazenly approach the twin volcanoes that rose from her neck and back? Especially considering their constant volatile activity.
The tiny slapping of feet grows louder as the small creatures makes its way up her sloping shoulder. The sound is harder to ignore now, though the deity tries to ignore it. Her slumber had been so peaceful, each dream she had revolving around the many wondrous foods she’d be offered as appeasement. She could almost taste the various meats prepared in various different ways. From skewered fish to roasted livestock. She rumbled in contentment, drifting back into the throes of unconsciousness. A rumble escapes her, rattling the twin volcanoes and causing them to ooze more fervently.
The tiny pit patter stops as the small sea-dweller reaches the beasts ear, mistaking the opening for that of a cave. The sea-dweller calls out into the darkness of the cavern, her voice echoing throughout Iincendia’s ear. The echoing sound jars the goddess from her sleep, causing her head to snap upwards from where it originally rested. The sudden movement topples her small visitor from her perch, sending her rolling downwards a small ways. Iincendia’s three eyes blink rapidly, adjusting to the darkness that shrouds the surrounding sea and islands. She grunts out a cough, ash spewing from her maw. Her ears flick forwards, now lit up like beacons in the night. She continues to peer out at the empty sea, a disgruntled expression forming on her stone features.
❛Who is there?! Who said that?!.❜
