Story Of A Goddess

Prologue:
“Are you sure that you have to go to Earth?” The Greek God Travalias asked his wife trying and failing to keep the pain out of his voice.
Turning towards him he notices her own eyes are quickly filling with tears, “Darling, I do. I know you don’t want me to, and I don’t want to either. But I have to go.”1

“Why not send Artemis in your place? She would gladly go.” He whispers looking down at his hands.

"Because, the humans still remember her, and if a Goddess that is still in worship or at least remembered leaves then it could be disastrous for not only them, but the people of earth, as well as all of us.” Sighing she says as her fingers going up to gently trace his jaw line, “Unfortunately the mortals have forgotten me, so I am free to move around among them. Helping, and guiding them.”
“Don’t forget me.”
“Travalias! How could you think that I would forget you? You’re my husband, my souls-other-half, my playmate, my flying companion, and the one that has and will be with me through the ages. Come with me to earth, together we can make even more of a difference.” His wife begged unable to hold her tears back any longer allowing a few to slide down her cheeks, “You know I will never forget you. You know how much you mean to me and how much I love you. For heavens sake! You are the ONLY man that I have been with since the dawn of time.”
“Availea,” He whispered her name caressingly as if all the love that he had for her could be possibly be expressed in the way he spoke her name, “I would go if I could. But you know it is impossible. I can help you more from here. As much as it pains me to have you leave, I just want you to never forget me. I will always be there for you when you need me, you may not know it but I will be there. I may present myself to you differently than I would if you were home. But you know it will be me, and my infinite love for you.”
“I won’t forget you.” Came her reply, even they both felt that she would not know him from Adam, and she would have no memory of him. No memory of his kisses, or his strong arms holding her. They may have been immortal Gods but they needed each other, they could bring the world to its knees and stop the planets from rotating but they couldn’t stomach the thought of being away from each other for maybe a century. Even though that was no time in the time of the Gods but it was everything to mortals, and that is exactly what Availea would be. A mortal. Well not really a mortal, she’d be what was known through the ages as a witch, a seer, a shaman and a million other names. But now on earth they were called witches, and even though it had been hundreds of years since the Salem witch trials the people of Earth still feared the great people.
A knock on the door startled the couple and they broke apart as a small man came in; as Gods were concerned he was one of the shorter ones. His warm blue-green eyes revealing his sadness at having this great Goddess sent to earth and bowed slightly at the waist and said rather softly as if he were afraid to cause the two Gods even more pain, “I’m sorry your Highnesses, it is time for the journey.”
“We’ll be there in a few moments.” Travalias said reluctantly his distress apart on his on his strong facial features.
“Very well,” Came the mans reply as he ducked from the room, “Hera, wishes to speak to the Goddess before she leaves.”
“I told you that we would be there in a few moments, LEAVE US NOW.” Travalias growled, shocked at himself that he could lose his temper so quickly and fast apparently over nothing. Was this the way that life without Availea would be?
“Travalias” Availea whispered appalled at the way that her husband had treated another God.
Hanging his head and not daring to meet her eyes he whispers, “I’m sorry my love. It is just that he is rushing us part, and I want every moment that I can with you. How can I deal for possibly a century without you?”
“I know darling. It will be hard enough to deal without you on earth, but to worry about you as well. I wish that you would come.”
“I would, but you know that I must stay here and help you from here. Now remember when the time comes closer for me to reveal myself to you then you will start having dreams or visions of the Greek Gods, you may not remember what is being said, but that will start the process for you to reveal your destiny. The most important thing for you to remember is that I love you, and I will always love you, forever and always, and I will ALWAYS be there for you, and I will always help you in everyway that I can. Just call for me and I will come.”
“I love you too. And what if I just want to talk or have a one sided conversation with you?”
“Then just start talking to me and I will always listen. Now remember you HAVE to do the spell that we wrote, so that you can get your memories back, then you have to do it whenever you feel the need. Don’t worry about bothering us. Now remember, some people will try to deceive you. They will try to convince you that you are nothing, when in reality they can feel your power. Other’s will try and convince you that you belong to them, and try and get you to leave me. Do NOT listen to them.”
“I won’t, is there anything else?” Availea asked averting her eyes away from Travalias’.
“Yes. Just remember, that anytime that you feel lonely, and then just think of me and how much I love you and need you.” He told her cupping her face gently in his large strong hands and kissing her gently, trying to ensure that she doesn’t forget him, and will always love him, “We should go. They’re waiting for you.”
“Okay, I love you and I’m sorry that I have to go.” Came the whispered sob.
As the couple walked down the long hallway that went to the Golden chambers of the Council Availea clung to Travalias’ hand as though afraid that she would be pulled away from him before the time had come.
As they entered the gleaming hall with the golden chairs, tables, and every food known to man kind there were astonished to see that all the other Gods and Goddess’ were gathered to say goodbye, and wish her well on her journey to the land of the mortals.
“Availea,” Zeus acknowledged bowing his head towards her as he stood, “This is a sad day for us all. Once again one of our own will be leaving us to go among the mortals to stop them from destroying themselves. It is with a heavy heart that we bid our fair Goddess blessed be and a safe journey for all of her mortal life.”
Next it was Artemis’ turn to speak, “My dear friend, I commend you for your unselfishness, I know that not many Goddess’ would leave their husbands to go among the ungrateful mortals who have forgotten her. I give you the gift of my protection, for anytime that you feel you are being attacked by an unseen force remember that you will not only have my army at your beck and call, but also your own. I give you the bow that you used as Ariona on Crystal-Glen to help protect you from those who would do you harm while you’re in your spiritual form. I also give you the love of animals that will be sure to come to your aid at some point in time. I also give you the strength to bear childbirth, without the need of western medicine. Use these gifts that I have given you, and your time on earth will be nothing more then a bad dream.”
“Availea,” Athena was the next to speak, “ I give you the wisdom to know how to deal with the everyday trials that you will face. I give you the patience to help the humans in their time of need, most of all I give you the strength to deal with the trials you will face in the mortal world.”
“ENOUGH!” Hera raged, even though she was getting rid of the sweet little Goddess that everyone loved she was still on edge that they would change their minds and decide to send someone else, “You have wasted enough of our time! It is time for you to go to earth and fulfill your destiny. The God Travalias will stay here, and his wife the Goddess Availea will continue to earth and once again save the human race.”
“Wait!” A strong commanding male voice rang out from the crowd, “I have something to give the little Goddess to help her.”
“Very well then. Step forward and present her with your gift.” Hera sighed obviously annoyed at yet another reason to stall for the Goddess to stay.
As the man stepped forward his face hidden by a cloak, as he removed the garment covering his head the gasp that went through the crowd was audible. He was a taller God his head was held up at an angle that reminded everyone that he was royalty, his dark eyes flashed with contempt at Travalias as he stepped forward, his black hair was curled at the back of his neck, his posture revealed that he was a King among Kings, this was Hades the lord of the underworld and king of the dead.
“What gift have you for MY wife, Hades?” Travalias asked his muscular body tensing.
“I give your little Goddess, the one with who the ENTIRE fate of Mt. Olympus rests the inability to die until her job on earth is done. Yes I know that a Goddess can only die in an extremely rare case. But my gift is that her physical vessel will not die until she has carried out her task and has ensured the future of us all, even if that takes a thousand years, then she will in essence be what’s called an “Immortal” to the mortals. They will see her age until a certain point if she has not finished her destiny then until she does then she will stop, and if she does finish and ensures the safety of us all then she may return to her rightful form.
“Pity that she has to give up her beauty to become a plain mortal, that she have to give up her husband and her powers just because some puny humans have forgotten her. But I give her the gift of haunting a man’s dream, no matter what they will not be able to get over her, and if they think they have then years down the road they will remember what they had and try and find her.” Turning towards Availea he smiles and says, “These are my gifts to the little Goddess.” As he turned to leave Availea just stood there staring transfixed at him, it was finally starting to sink in that SHE was the only person that was able to save not only the humans but ALSO the Gods, if she failed then everything she knew would be lost. Her husband, her friends and, everything that she held near and dear would be destroyed and she would be alone, unless she too was destroyed.
As if reading her mind Travalias stepped forward and draped his arms around her shoulders, leaning down he whispers in her ear, “My sweet loving wife, you will NOT fail, I know that you can do this. You can save all of us. Even those humans who do not wish to be saved, you WILL fulfill your destiny and be back here and in my arms before you know it.”
“ENOUGH!” Roared Hera once again, “The time has come, the departure of the Goddess Availea has been delayed enough.” Turning towards her the vindictive smile on Hera’s face is all to evident as she says, “Goodbye little Goddess, go with this knowledge, if you fail all that you know and love will be destroyed. Go now to earth and begin the process by which you will either kill or save us all.”
The next moment a flash of brilliant bright light flared and the Goddess Availea was gone from Olympus and the Golden Hall that had just a moment ago looked beautiful to Travalias now lacked the luster it had when Availea was by his side.
* * * * * * *
Not long after Availea left her home on Olympus the doctors at a small county hospital scrambled to save the life of a special child, though no one would know just HOW special she was until her late teenage years. On a cold October night the Goddess Availea entered the world as Arissa Danielle McCabe.
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