Waves of heat made the sun-scorched air shimmer over tall stands of elephant grass across the Delta Boundary. Miles away lay the edge of the Mangrove Forest and the nearest shade. Several more miles in the opposite direction, the River Goddess’ blood emptied from numerous channels into the sea.
Amidst the mix of mudflats, grass islands and waterlogged plains, a multitude of creatures massive to infinitesimal made their way about in an energetic and tangled web of life. High atop a low cropped grassy hillock watching over the vast spectacle sat the Goddess Okavanga.
This vast mixture of the River, Land and Mighty Sea was her new home. Not only a home, but a realm for her to rule! Originally a denizen of the sea, the Goddess placed her red-brown mortal looking hands through the matted and cropped grass strands down into the black soil of her land-based home. Closing brown eyes also approximating those of mortals, Okavanga felt the earnest throb of life in the Delta pass into her fingers.
The pulse traveled the lengths of her arms and sent shivers of pleasure through her spine. She could additionally feel the pounding of the surf miles away and see the fish and other creatures that lived there. Tainting the swirling bright light of life, a dim and ill form of energy rose up from the ‘dark spaces’ in between. The Priestess warned her of this. Before Okavanga abruptly stood a creature her benefactor called, ‘a Demon’!
The being made no attempt to hide its true nature from the goddess and she recoiled from the mismatched form combining bodily components from both lower land and sea creatures. Okavanga had seen many strange denizens of the deep in her search for the one she knew as ‘Svengald’. This creature however, had a sense of intentional malevolence which made it seem ‘ugly’ even to her eyes.
The goddess stood defiant as the demon loomed over her mortal form. Looking to where rows of multi-colored eyestalks trained upon her, Okavanga used her mortal voice to address the unwanted visitor.
“Why have you come before me...demon?”
The eyestalks moved about chaotically for a moment then all focused on the goddess. In a voice like the clicking of thousands of crabs moving over stone the demon replied, “You have no right to be here! This is my domain, begone!”
Okavanga felt her mortal feet shift rooting her to the hillock. Too long a time had she wandered alone. Now with a home to call her own and other beings with which to commune, she wasn’t going anywhere!
The Goddess’ voice dropped low as she countered, “I have every right to be here. This land was gifted me by the Great Power!”
Chitinous shell flanges rose angrily making the demon look larger and its voice thinned to a painful screech in Okavanga’s mortal ears.
“For long ages, these paths have been where demons alone dare trod! When we find mortal trespassers here, we eat them! You are not the ‘Great Power! You are no power at all! You are nothing!”
Okavanga’s eyes flashed with blue-green fire as she defiantly responded, “Oh? Then if I am ‘nothing’ as you say, why haven’t you eaten me? Perhaps you were waiting for your companions to attack me from behind?”
Suddenly, from beneath the soft earth of the hillock four hidden demons were ejected only to be caught tightly within tough blades of elephant grass! Not turning to see the similarly misshapen mix of bodies, Okavanga smiled displaying her many rows of sharp teeth instead of the single row of dull mortal ones. Most pleasing to her ears was the sound of the demon’s muffled screams as their shelled bodies cracked within the giant constricting blades of grass.
The initial demon moved to back away, but its multitude of multi-segmented limbs had also been caught within the powerful grasp of the plants! Not to be undone in a flash, the demon expelled from its body a massive many colored claw and snapped it closed. Okavanga side-stepped the deadly limb, but was knocked backwards by the abrupt explosion of sound! Two of the demons caught in the claw’s path and the grass which held them fast burst apart into fragments and gore.
Crashing down the hillock, Okavanga held her hands over her mortal ears as they painfully registered their inability to deal with so loud a noise. The Great Power had also warned her even with her true nature looking out, the mortal frame she wore had limits and to be mindful of them.
Coming to a splashing stop amidst a mud hole at the hillock’s base, the Goddess realized the body covering given to her by the Priestess had been torn away through the demon’s power. Now angered, Okavanga made to leap upon the demon and tear it limb from limb. The Goddess suddenly realized it still being ‘daytime’, she was not her true self and could not fully change until darkness fell!
Now free, the three remaining demons descended upon her reaching with claws, tentacles and even land animal-like limbs! Surprising to the goddess, her mortal body was quite agile as she dodged the many flailing appendages. When one demon’s grasping tentacle got too close, Okavanga snatched at it and when caught there was an unexpected screech of pain.
Looking at her hands, the Goddess saw though still the same color as her mortal body they were now that of her true self! Digging her claws deep into the tough rubbery skin, Okavanga opened her mouth wide and bit a large chunk out of the limb!
Showered in inky spurting blood, the Goddess swung the stricken demon into its fellow smashing them hard into the mud. As she prepared to use her living flail upon the initiator of this contest, Okavanga saw the deadly claw prepare to fire once more! Having pulled the demon before her as an unwitting shield, the Goddess felt the world explode around her as she was blown back by the force of the challenger’s weapon.
Covered in the pulpy spray of the demon’s obliterated cohort, Okavanga landed back first with legs splayed as her body came to a halt many yards away after plowing a trench in the mud!
Before she could rise, the demon trundled towards her snapping that powerful claw! Despite rolling aside to avoid a direct blast, Okavanga was knocked away in a spinning arc of flailing limbs from the mighty concussion! Unable to control her fall, the Goddess finally smashed face first into the ground as tall stands of elephant grass were torn from their deep roots and thrown high into the air.
Near to being completely buried, the Goddess realized she still held the still writhing tentacle of her demon attacker. Her free hand suddenly registered the immense throb of life present in the Delta Boundary and Okavanga drew in its power!
Rising explosively from the marshy earth with eyes filled with blue-green flame an enraged Minor Goddess announced, “I am Okavanga, Goddess of the Delta. This realm is under my protection and I shall tolerate no rival!”
When the demon again moved to engage its powerful claw, Okavanga held out her hand towards it. At once, the claw was ensnared by many thick blades of elephant grass while a combination of mud and water flowed upward enveloping the demon’s segmented hard-shelled body! The claw pulled away from its target at an unnatural angle, snapped shut only to blast away half of the demon’s lengthy body in a shower of shell fragments and viscous liquefied organs!
Moving her hand sharply down, the elephant grass tore away the claw with the sound of a snapping tree trunk. The demon’s horrific screams of fear and agony were silenced as Okavanga gestured then torrential streams of mud and water swamped its body forcefully pouring into every wound and open orifice!
The Goddess watched with satisfaction as the body of the dying being twitched as it swelled near to bursting from the overflow. Moving her outstretched hand down slowly, Okavanga allowed the swirling mixture to pull the swollen and writhing demon along with its unmoving fellows down into the marsh.
As the demon’s remaining eyestalks sank beneath the muck the young goddess held up its dead cohort’s squirming tentacle as she proclaimed, “I will tolerate no rivals. Upon your slowly dying form, shall I build my new home. From your mighty weapon and your cohort’s living limb shall my servants be born! They will protect this land and mortals will come to live here as have I. For you...I show no mercy. But for any demon who would abide by the Great Power’s and my laws, peace shall be granted.”
With a final wave of her hand, mud and elephant grass spread over the pit holding the demons causing the hillock to swell in size to that of a small island. Lesser grasses, cypress and palm tree saplings started to spring up about the new raised land. From what Okavanga had read in the earth, in time their roots would grow deep and make the island strong. An unexpected sound of clapping rose behind the young goddess. Immediately, Okavanga turned and went down on bended knee.
“Greetings mighty one!”
The Priestess bowed her head in acknowledgement and replied with the voice of the goddess within. “Greetings to you ‘Goddess of the Delta’. May I set foot upon the foundation of your new dwelling?”
Okavanga still had yet to grow used to the Great Power’s kindness. She could go anywhere she wished, when she wished for this world was hers. Nonetheless, the Priestess honored the claims of lesser beings upon the lands she obviously owned.
“Of course Priestess, I would be honored for my home is your home!”
Okavanga watched as the powerful goddess’ mortal form climbed the steep slope of the new island. As the question formed in her mind, the Priestess answered it for the young goddess.
“Because I can. That is why I climbed up instead of leaping or just ‘appearing’. I too possess a mortal body so when it isn’t necessary to call upon my powers, I don’t.
Okavanga in this realm, you will find power tends to attract unwanted attention. The demons you just put down will not be the last entities to take umbrage with your rule over the Delta. There will be others. Some, far more powerful because of their subtlety than the brutes you handily dealt with today.”
The young goddess felt the Priestess’ gentle hands upon her shoulders as she softly chided, “Please child, rise. There is no need for formality when it is just us together. Let us talk as women about an important matter and a request I wish to make of you.”
The fires of the Great Goddess left the Priestess’ eyes leaving the near black ones of her mortal self to look upon her. Okavanga subdued her own power and felt her hands and teeth revert to their mortal shapes.
Smiling the Priestess remarked, “You are growing confident in managing your form and powers my dear. That was a fine romp you took those demons on! I sometimes miss the ages when I could battle enemies with such abandon....”
Okavanga wasn’t sure she wanted to imagine the power of foes capable of taking so great a being to task in battle. From the Priestess’ account, when she fought with the great powers of this realm, their battle rendered the world unfit for life!
The young goddess rose and said, “Thank you for your praise Mighty... uh, Priestess. You have but to ask and I would fulfill your request....”
Her benefactor gave her a stern look and said, “Don’t be so hasty to comply young one. Hear me out before you commit to my request.”
Now concerned, Okavanga listened with intent to the great power of this realm.
“How goes your time spent with the mortal Svengald?”
Not expecting such a mundane question the young goddess stammered, “S-Svengald? I, uh, we...it goes well!”
The Priestess could not suppress her grin as the being no doubt thousands of years old demurely tried to hide her reaction like a blushing maiden. She completely understood for her young husband reawakened such feelings in the Goddess thought buried ages past.
“I am glad the mortal pleases you. I am also glad you haven’t had to bring him to me clinging to life because of your lack of restraint in some time....”
Even through the drying mud from her battle and dark skin of her youthful mortal body, the glow of a prodigious blush washed through Okavanga at the Priestess’ bluntness! This time, the young goddess turned completely away from her benefactor to hide her shame.
Looking up at the sun high overhead the Priestess said, “Come, let us continue this conversation in the shade. By the way, this is a fine foundation for your home. I look forward to seeing what you build here.
Take my hand and we shall away. As I said, we have much to talk about before I make my request.”
Turning back, Okavanga took the Priestess’ hand and saw those mortal eyes light with amber fire as the world disappeared....
To be continued....
© 2014 H. Wolfgang Porter. All Rights Reserved.
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