Tales of a Synsuous Nature #8 - Tales of a Goddess
A Goddess is Found
One afternoon, Synsuous enters the Busted Flagon, expecting to sing. The place is almost empty and her hopes are dashed. She looks around the bar and not three feet from her stands an ominous figure! It is a woman dressed in black and red; her face is barely visible under the hood that she wears. Synsuous is somewhat scared of this woman, but at the same time drawn to her. She smiles at he lady, 'Hi! I am Synsuous. Would you care to hear a ♪song♪?'
She woman rewards Synsuous with a hint of a smile and nods. Synsuous sits on the edge of the bar and sings for her. When she is done the stranger's face comes closer to bearing an actual smile. 'Did you enjoy my song, ...I...I don't know what you call you', Synsuous says. 'You may call me One', the woman says in a voice that is sultry and yet menacing. Synsuous smiles and curtsies, 'I am pleased to make your acquaintance, One! Did you like my song?' One laughs in a way that indicates this is not a daily action for her, 'You have a lovely voice'. 'Thank you!' Synsuous' smile grows even wider and the depression she felt minutes ago is forgotten. 'Why...why are you wearing a hood? Did something happen to your face? What was it? Will you take off your hood? Can I see your face?' Synsuous is full of questions, most of which remain unanswered or result in the recipient doing something unpleasant to her, but she continues to ask them anyway.One looks at Synsuous closely, 'How old are you, Synsuous?' 'I am 16', she replies brightly. One examines her even more closely, 'Where are your parents? Why are you alone in such a dangerous place?' Synsuous suddenly turns pale, 'My...parents? I..I live here now! By myself!' 'I...see. And what are you doing in this place?' 'I come here to sing, so I can eat!' One looks concerned, 'Come with me. I would like to talk to you and this is not a good place to do that.'
One exits the Busted Flagon and sets off at a rapid pace. It is all that Synsuous can do the keep up with her and soon Synsuous is hopelessly lost. Finally, they stop at a secluded vantage point with a stunning view of Divinity Reach. One says, 'I honestly don't know why I am doing this. There are only two living people that have seen my face'. With that she removes her hood. Synsuous looks at One's face for a moment and then her's glows with happiness. 'You are beautiful! Why do you hide your face?' One looks very serious, 'My line of work is very dangerous and it is better for me if no one can identify me.' 'Really? Dangerous? Why? What do you do? Can you teach me?' One laughs and actually smiles, 'One question at a time, dear child! Why are you here alone? Where are you parents? Who is taking care of you?'
Synsuous starts to reply that that was more than one question, but bites her tongue as she realizes what it feels like to be on the other end. 'I am here by myself. I am currently staying with a family, but I do not know them and no one really watches out for me. I have been attacked several times so far in the Flagon. I don't know why'.
One looks at her and says, 'We shall have to do something about that. I can teach you how to defend yourself.' At first, Synsuous is very reluctant to touch a weapon at all, let alone useone, but finally she gives in and agrees to learn.
'Come with me then', One commands. She leads Synsous outside the city to a field where several Centaur can be seen. 'Stay here and watch', One orders and then she sneaks up on the Centaur. Before Synsuous can even blink, One has killed three of them and dispatches a fourth instantly before returning to Synsuous. 'You are a Goddess', is Synsuous' awed response, 'a Goddess of Death!'
One does not deny her divine nature and Synsuous begins to worship her new Goddess, the only deity she believes in.
Several days later, her Goddess gifts her with two magical pistols and tells her to hold onto them until she has been trained to use them. Each morning when she awakes and each night before she goes to bed, she polishes the pistols with a soft cloth, whispers a prayer to her Goddess and then kisses each pistol before returning them to her pack.
More Tales of the Goddess
Synsuous begins to look for her Goddess every day, generally finding her outside of the taverns and sometimes not finding her at all. At first she is amazed at her Goddess' ability to find her no matter where she may be, but then she realizes that of course her Goddess knows where she is at all times! She takes to sitting at the feet of her Goddess and resting her head upon the knees of her Goddess as befits her position as a dutiful follower. Her Goddess smiles down upon her and blesses her with her affection. She begins to feel that maybe she will be safe from death because her Goddess would stay her hand and spare Synsuous' life no matter what happened.
Synsuous praises her Goddess everywhere she goes and tells everyone of the her divine presence in Tyria, but few believe her and simply think her daft. On several occasions she tries to introduce her friends to her Goddess, but her Goddess, being fiercely protective, glares at these people and clouds form in the sky as One swears to wreak havoc on any who would harm her devotee.
One day, Synsuous cannot find her Goddess at all. She doesn't worry, knowing that her Goddess is always busy administering death to those who deserve it. But on the next day she cannot find her Goddess nor the next day. Now she starts to worry. She asks the other followers of her Goddess, Fox, Markel and Delirium, but they do not know where she can be found either! Suddenly, she decides that she must have done something to fall out of favor and she runs home to cry! She cries for several days, never leaving her room. Her friend and guardian Aelfred brings her food and tries to comfort her, but she will have none of it.
Finally, when she is all cried out, she decides she must earn her Goddesses favor anew. She goes to every place she has ever seen her Goddess and there she dances and sings her praises, leaving small offerings to please her as well. She writes poems and letters to her Goddess and burns them so that the words will reach her where ever she may be. She continues to tell everyone of her Goddess, in hopes that this will curry favor as well.
One day, when she is going to the Maiden's Whisper to perform her devotions, her Goddess whispers to her! She runs to her Goddess and throws herself violently at her feet! She praises her Goddess for returning to her and swears to be ever faithful. Her Goddess, being pleased with Synsuous, strokes her hair affectionately. Synsuous cries tears of joy, wraps her arms around the legs of her Goddess and rests her head thereon.
The Death of a Goddess
After Synsuous' suicide attempt, <insert link to "Bad Kitty!"> her Goddess stormed off. People around her finally realize how troubled she is and she gets help in the form of a therapist. <insert link to "Paging Dr. Stone"> Synsuous believes she has been forsaken and that she will only return once Synsuous no longer desires to kill herself. She sees her therapist daily and works very hard to fix herself.
Despite all of her efforts, her Goddess never returns. She finally realizes that she has be abandoned forever and runs to her favorite spot of worship in tears. She falls to the ground and sings, her voice filled with anguish:
♪I reach to the sky
And call out your name
And if I could join you, I would
And it feels and it feels like
Heaven's so far away
And it stings, yeah, it stings now
The world is so cold
Now that you've gone away♪
She then falls into a heap, sobbing. Vivi comes by looking for her and comforts her. When Synsuous wails about being abandoned, Vivi suggests that perhaps it is another lesson for Synsuous - that she needs to learn to rely on herself. She is still hurt, but determines to learn this last lesson from her Goddess. Arysa also arrives and Syn heads back home with two of her three adopted sisters.