Terror, pure and unfiltered Terror—that is all I felt as I hid, holding my eggs close to my chest. I was hot, my leg was burning from the flames that consumed it, and on top of that, it was almost broken.

  Still, I fight through the pain, trying to keep my eggs safe. I listen carefully for what is to come at any moment, but then I hear it: the door opening as they charge into the room. I need to be quick and agile. I wait for my moment, and as they walk past me, I run out the door to my house, and once outside, I pull a rope, causing my house to fall on the invaders.

  Running out into the night, I see my village consumed by flames and smoke, corpses litter the ground, and soldiers are everywhere.

  Despite my legs, I somehow managed to duck and weave past them.

  That is until my tail was pinned to the ground with a blade. I trip, my eggs tumble onto the sand undamaged, thankfully, and I try to get to them.

  I soon feel a boot press against my back, and laughter fills the air.

  ????: Well, what did you find, men? ?

  My body begins to tense up. I know that voice well; it belongs to a man I once loved.

  He soon comes into view, and I soon see a white heron wearing black and gold samurai armor. He smirks down at me; his kabuto bears a silver and gold eye. He smirks at me, kneeling down.

  Samurai Heron: Ivanna, my love, I have found you at last.

  Ivanna: Let me go, please, Zeus.

  Zeus: Ivanna, return to me. Let us be a family. With me, our children can have the greatest future imaginable. With my divine blood and your beauty, we can create a pantheon of greatness.

  I spat at him.

  Ivanna: I would rather die than see my children grow up to be anything like you. You're a monster, evil incarnate with hands drenched with the blood of so many innocents, and I will not let you taint them.

  Zeus: ……

  I then felt a sharp pain in my back; it was cold and stung. I then felt my life draining from me; my vision began to get dark.

  Zeus: It’s a shame, Ivanna. Your beauty was the only thing that brought light to my war-crazed soul, but don’t worry, I will train our children to be strong, and hopefully they will gain your beauty as well.

  Zeus would then walk away.

  I was dying, truly dying, as my hearing began to fade. All I could do was think about my eggs and the horror Zeus would inflict on them. I wish I could have been stronger…

  At the very last second a radiant light consumed me, and I would find myself in a new world. Looking up, the sky was pale pink with three suns in the sky. Looking around, I saw that I was in a world filled with tall golden grass. Was this heaven?

  I got up and decided to travel through this heavenly world. As I traveled, I spotted a small, exotic bird, and for some reason this small bird felt incredibly familiar to me, even though I believe this is the first time I am seeing it.

  The bird would then let out a calm coo before flying away, and I followed it. The small bird flew farther and farther away, and I would find myself at a temple, and I stopped dead in my tracks.

  Yet again it felt like I knew this place.

  ????: My, my, you're certainly more beautiful than we ever could have imagined.

  Turning around, I saw a beautiful silver cat wearing a white feather cloak with a prismatic sheen.

  Ivanna: You're beautiful, miss, but can you tell me, is this Heaven?

  ????: Hmm, Heaven, what a lovely name for this place, but no, my dear, this is more or less a memory of your motherland.

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  Ivanna: a memory Please, miss, this doesn’t help me, plus I want to know where my eggs are.

  The Silver Cat would then begin to chuckle to herself before taking my hand in hers and then taking me up the steps of the temple.

  ????: My dear, please follow me. The others can’t wait to meet you.

  Ivanna: Others?

  I soon found myself being led up the stairs of the temple, reaching the top platform, which was a beautiful garden with two other creatures, specifically a white peacock, and next to her was a white lioness wearing an alabaster circlet.

  The silver cat soon brought me to the center, and each of these figures would begin to examine my body.

  White Peacock: Look at her, a radiant-looking peacock just like myself. She has certainly inherited my elegance and beauty.

  White Lioness: And her perseverance—it takes so much to try and run with a burnt and broken leg. She has also gained my perseverance and strength.

  Silver Cat: And the way she managed to stay hidden for so long and avoid detection—that shows some great strategy. That is something she inherited from me. Ohohoho.

  I was beginning to be weirded out, and frankly, I just wanted to know if my eggs were ok. I then growled and screamed.

  Ivanna: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WOMEN TALKING ABOUT!??

  The three would then gasp.

  White Lioness: Oh my, I guess we should stop playing with our granddaughter and explain ourselves.

  White Peacock: Then shall we shed these mundane forms?

  Silver Cat: Yes, let’s.

  I was about to ask when the three creatures would be bathed in radiant light, and they grew taller, their appearances becoming more ethereal and beautiful.

  Inanna: Ivanna, we welcome you home, dear child. We are your progenitors, the Priestesses of Dawn. I am Inanna, Priestess of Justice and Fertility.

  I began to grow scared these were higher beings far stronger than I could be. The white peacock spoke up next.

  Hera: I am Hera, the priestess of marriage, family, and childbirth, and you, our progeny, are absolutely perfect.

  Next the Silver Cat spoke up; she purred lovingly and said,

  Freya: And I am Freya, priestess of love, beauty, and war. Dear Ivanna, we have waited so long for you.

  I got on my knees and bowed before them; this action felt so right at that moment.

  Inanna: Rise, dear granddaughter, for we have great plans for you.

  Ivanna: But can you please explain to me what is going on?

  The three would laugh, and it was Hera who cleared her throat and said

  Hera: Long ago, when the lands of the Old Faith were still a desert, we, the priestesses of Dawn, ruled with love and compassion.

  Freya: But then came the great war where all divine beings fought for supremacy. It raged on and on for many ages.

  Inanna: We tried to abstain from the war, but like most things, it came to us either way.

  Hera: We knew that we would perish in that war, and we braced ourselves for that tragedy.

  Freya: But then we were approached by a seer.

  Inanna: This seer predicted that our bloodlines would converge, producing a blessed child of great strength. That, my dear, is you.

  Ivanna: Listen, I don’t want to be a part of any of this. I simply want to be with my children. I want them to have a future.

  The three would then smile, looking at each other, and then nod in unison.

  Inanna: Our beautiful granddaughter with a heart of radiant gold perfected this more than we could have hoped for.

  Freya: Listen to us. Ivanna, we shall help you reclaim your children and then reach your happy ever after.

  Hera: But you must also help us in the process. We can revive you, and at this point you are not at liberty to refuse.

  They were right. I have no other options. If I want to get my children back, I need to do this.

  I soon stood up off the ground and nodded my head.

  The next thing I knew, the wind began to pick up as a twister formed around the temple, lightning filled the skies, and the three priestesses soon held out their hands towards me.

  Hera: To you, our granddaughter, I bestow my train. Let my powers flow within yours.

  Hera soon shot a white beam at me, and I felt an influx of power rush into me.

  Freya: To you, our granddaughter, I bestow my cloak. May its protective power shine down upon you.

  Freya then fired a beam at me as well. Inanna then spoke up; she had a smile on her face as she said,

  Inanna: Finally, to you, our granddaughter, I bestow upon you our circlet. With its power, you will crush all who stand in your way.

  Inanna would then fire a beam at me as well, and I felt so much power rush into me; I was changing, evolving. Soon the entire world went white.

  ????: And so the newly reborn Ivanna would lay upon the sand, exhausted and tired, taking a small rest for the great battle that she had to overcome.

  What? I soon realized I was back in the ruined village, lying on the sand. I soon got on my knees. I was disoriented, and things felt weird.

  Raki: The newly reborn priestess sat on her knees in a complete daze. Her grandmothers had prepared her well, but soon she would turn her gaze upon Raki, a bard of the Anansi order.

  I looked at this strange spider for some time. He was weirdly dressed in purple and black attire that was reminiscent of a bard. He stared at me with a smile on his face. I decided to walk over to him.

  Raki: Ivanna would stumble over to Raki, greatly confused as to why Raki was even here. Raki was prepared to answer questions, for he held insight that Ivanna so desperately needed.

  Ivanna: Why the hell are you talking like that?

  Raki: It’s my job. Ivanna, I am Raki, a proud bard and scholar of the Anansi order.

  Ivanna: What is the Anansi order?

  Raki: It’s a group of bards and scholars who dedicate their lives to chronicling great events in the forgotten lands.

  Ivanna: Right, so you said you have information?

  Raki: Of course, my dear Ivanna. Now, where to begin?

  Raki would then tell me how to get started. He told me where my eggs were being held in one of Zeus’s strongholds. Raki also told me where I can create my promised land and what path to take.

  I would let out a loud sigh. I knew what I had to do, so with a deep breath, I left.

  Raki: And so Ivanna would start her journey through the Forgotten Lands. She would create a congregation of strength and love as her grandmothers wanted, but she would face many struggles along the way.