may 3rd 2023
"So, Anankha... I mean no offense, but I have heard nothing of your Goddess."
The woman in white laughed. "That is quite all right, Fianna. I would imagine She is not widely known in other lands."
"Could you... tell me about Her? Who She is, where She came from?"
"I suppose I could..." Anankha looked at the basket of berries she held. "But perhaps I should wait until we reach the Temple. After all, She may wish to tell you Herself."
Fianna nodded slowly. "There is an oracle there?" Seeing Anankha shake her head, she asked: "A holy book?"
Anankha's smile was gentler this time. "I think there is a misunderstanding, Fianna. Our Queen is a living Goddess. She dwells bodily inside the Temple."
The priestess' confusion only deepened, but she held her tongue for the moment. After a few more minutes of walking, she saw the column of smoke once again through a gap in the trees. "Is the Temple that way?"
She nodded. "I must bring my berries into the kitchen, as the cooks will need them for the pies. You may come with me, but please do not touch the food until you have received Her blessing."
Swallowing, Fianna winced as her sore throat rubbed together. "If you please, might I have some water? I have had none since my ship sank."
"Oh, of course! Forgive my rudeness. Come, we are nearly there."
The gatherer guided her new acquaintance along the well-worn game trail. Rounding a bend in the trees, Fianna gasped when she saw their destination: a huge sloped structure of pink stone, largely overgrown with vines, with a tall triangular doorway. As they approached closer, she could see what looked like large red grapes sprouting from the vines; even unpicked, their smell was strong and sweet.
Fianna noticed the smell of the ripe grapes mingling with other delicious aromas as Anankha led her through the winding corridors of the Temple. Butter, bread, spices... and in the room they soon entered, the distinct salty scent of spiced ham. Men and women in white smocks, their hair tied back with squares of cloth, hurried from table to table to perform a dizzying array of culinary duties. One woman sliced a pomegranate the size of a Human head, her fingers curled around the handle of a knife that looked to be made from bottle-glass.
The gatherer set her basket of berries on a table next to a man rolling pastry dough, who smiled and nodded at her. She grabbed an earthenware jug, looked inside the spout, and then held it out to Fianna. "Please, drink."
Too strung out by starvation and thirst to care if the water was clean, Fianna held the jug to her lips and swallowed as quickly as she could. The water was warm, and tasted faintly of its clay container; but to her, it was the sweetest water she had ever drank.
Breathing deeply and wiping her mouth, she looked up at her guide. "Thank you, Anankha."
"Of course, dear Fianna." She gave a bashful smile, then turned to whisper to the woman cutting the fruit - it certainly seemed to be a pomegranate, but the seeds were each the size of a normal grape. The woman in the smock looked at Fianna, smiled, and nodded.
"Good news?"
Anankha took her arm gently. "Come. The Goddess is already awake, and it is custom to present visitors to Her as soon as possible."
* * * *
The light was dimmer still in this passageway, and Fianna guessed that Anankha was leading her deeper toward the interior of the Temple. Finally they stopped, and the islander brushed her hands on her dress to smooth out the fabric. With a deep breath, she took the priestess' arm once again, and led her into a large chamber whose walls sloped toward the ceiling.
In the center of this chamber was a dais of worked stone, six-sided in shape. Several wide, flat steps led up to a large couch, its gilt edges surrounding a purple cushion nearly two feet thick. The whole was surrounded by gauzy curtains that hung down from a central skylight in the ceiling; through the filmy fabric, Fianna could see two forms writhing and wriggling together, punctuated by the sounds of kisses and giggles.
Anankha cleared her throat, and stood with her arms stretched towards the couch. "O great living Goddess... a stranger has appeared at our shores, and I have brought her before You."
The larger of the two shapes slowly rose from the couch, planting a final kiss on the smaller one. A hand drew the curtain aside, and Fianna had the impression of a towering, voluptuous form. As the figure stepped forward, the late sun illuminated Her visage - a feline face covered in dark fur, whose blue eyes crinkled in a smile as they met Fianna's.
"Thank you, beloved gatherer. Welcome to My island, stranger. I am the Queen of this land, Bubastis."
Her voice, soft and melodious, had a similar accent to Anankha's. Fianna saw that the feline woman's entire body - from plush chest to pillowy thighs - was covered in the same blue-black fur. She also realized that the cat-woman was mostly nude, and the priestess reflexively averted her eyes, kneeling on the stone floor to give the impression of awe rather than embarrassment.
"I, er... Thank you, great Queen Bubastis. I am Fianna, a cast-away on your shores."
Bubastis stepped closer, and Fianna started to realize the sheer size of the Queen. It was difficult to tell behind a curtain, but the cat-woman must have stood at least twelve feet tall - taller than most Trolls that the priestess had met - and almost as wide. A huge, soft hand reached down to touch Fianna's cheek, and she risked a glance up at the Queen; the great cat smiled brightly.
"I suppose that makes two of us." Bubastis took Fianna's hand, gently helping her to her feet. "Though this island has long been my home, I was once a cast-away like yourself. Has Anankha told you my tale?"
Anankha spoke up, a look of admiration in her eyes. "I have not, my Goddess, for I thought You might like that pleasure for Yourself."
The cat-woman smiled, one ear flicking forward and back as She led Fianna toward the couch. "Indeed. Many years ago, I washed ashore when My boat foundered in a whirl-pool. This island was nearly barren, and the people half-starved. I took pity on them, and gave them My gift of fertility.
"Some might use such a gift selfishly, but to My delight, their prosperity is Mine." Bubastis ran her free hand along her generous curves, smoothing down her fur. "The more My people worship Me, the more bountiful the harvest, and the greater My power to make the land fruitful."
Anankha only beamed, overflowing with love for her Goddess. "And today is a feast day. The cooks are hard at work preparing enough food for the Goddess, and for her subjects."
Fianna averted her glance, flustered, loath to break the spell of the moment. "I... I am honored to be in Your presence, great Queen. But I... I am sworn to the service of another."
Bubastis traced a clawed finger along the priestess' pendant. "I make no demands of you, dear Fianna. Simply stay the night as My guest. Partake of the feast... indulge Me a little. In the morning, if you wish, you may leave."
The priestess looked up, and saw a super-Human kindness in the Goddess' eyes. "I would be honored, great Queen Bubastis. Truly."
"Delightful." The Goddess clapped her soft hands together twice. "The first course shall be ready soon. I hope you enjoy it." ■