"Mallon, please tell me more of your people and this prophecy," Alex requested.
"Very well, my goddess," Mallon noted. "We shall begin from the beginning. Ages ago, we Alexans lived in peace and joy in our world, free from despair, pain, or misfortune." His voice taking on a saddened tone, he continued, "That was before the Dark Demon came into our world. She enslaved our world, lorded over it with a fist of iron. Since then, my people have kept to the shadows, hidden in the corners of our world, waiting and hoping for a miracle."
"And the prophecy is connected to this miracle?" Alex asked.
"Yes," Mallon replied. "Some time ago, one of our elder priests had a dream. Therein, he saw a large woman of great power, both within and without, who would rise from another world and face the Dark Demon, casting her down and ending her terror once and for all. We believe that you are that woman, oh goddess."
"Why me?" Alex asked.
"You have the great inner strength that our priest spoke of," Mallon explained. "It is unseen to you and your kind, but I and my kind can feel it flowing from you as would a river. That is how we found you, and how you reacted so well to the transfer of power."
"And, beyond the obvious, is there anything else that I can do?" Alex asked.
"You are capable of limited alchemy, my goddess, the ability to forge one thing from another," Mallon explained. "You can also change others among my kind in your greater form, so that they might somehow aid you in your holy mission, as well as have great strength, agility, speed, and the capability to shift your form as best suits you."
Alex shifted her eyes, and noted, "Guess I am more than I once was." She looked to the small man before her and said, "Okay Mallon, you have yourself a goddess. Go to your people and tell them that I will do everything that I can to help."
Mallon's face broke into a joyous smile as he cried, "Great Maker! Thank you Goddess Alex! My people will be most happy to hear the joyous news!"
With those words, Mallon rushed back into the portal, disappearing from view as Alex cast off her sheet, quickly rushing to her drawers and getting dressed. "I hope I know what I'm getting into," she noted as she grabbed her new necklace and put it on, getting her materials and heading out to work.
Sat Jan 01 10:01:47 2005