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“It is an honor to be in your presence.” And I meant it. Being born of Atara, she was the Mother of my people, having blessed each child with life. I bowed deeply at the waist then rose to face her again.
“The honor is mine.” She smiled softly. I tentatively smiled back before she continued. “Walk with me. I am sure that youhave questions. You may ask them during this limited time, if you wish.”
I fell into step next to her as we walked—well, I walked, she…glided—through the field.
“Thank you, Mother.” I bowed my head slightly.
Limited time. In other words, choose my questions wisely.
“Where are we? What is this place?”
“Hylithria. A name in a language unknown to those in your realm of Taeralia. It is the birthplace of the Spirits. This is their realm.” She spoke gently.
“How did I get here?” I shook my head. I could barely wrap my mind around it.
I had to tilt my head back as the Goddess turned to me and colorless eyes locked onto mine. “I brought you here. You have been chosen, my child.” She laid her long delicate fingers against my chest. “You have been deemed Worthy.”
Worthy.
I had actually done it. But it was hard to believe. Kleio, the Goddess who had never chosen a contestant from the Trial, chose me.
“Why?” I breathed. “Why did you chooseme?” It came out in more of a whimper than a demand. I didn’t feel like I had done anything extraordinary to deserve being Worthy. I survived but nothing was overly…significant.
And why her of all the Gods?
“Because I deemed it so. You were continually willing to sacrifice yourself for another. And you have trusted yourself to seek the truth. I have no doubt you will continue to do so,” she said.
I didn’t understand what that meant. Her answer only added to my endless list of questions in my mind. One in particular bothered me most.
“I still don’t understand. This was a Test of Strength. I’m nowhere near as strong as many of the others.” Though I had trained my body and was able to take care of myself, I was still small in comparison to those like Njall.
“There are some strengths more valuable than physical abilities.”
“But…you’ve never chosen. In thousands of years, not once have you chosen. Why now?”
I inwardly kicked myself for daring to question a Goddess, let alone the one who only just named me Worthy. But damn her for choosing me. How was I to save my people when I still wouldn’t have lands?
Her eyes flickered with something I couldn’t read. “Things have changed. And no one was worth being chosen and granted my gifts before now, before you. I have standards that are not easily met.”
The gifts. Magical abilities beyond anything in the natural world were granted to the Worthy. Each God granted their chosen Worthy a different, new ability, usually one that benefited them in some way, and the Worthy would have to work on mastering their newfound power.
I opened my mouth to ask about the gifts, but she continued, “I have chosen you to be Worthy and serve my Nation.”
I huffed in a single breath, “How can I be of worth to Atara? There’s nothing left. The Glaev—”
“Is not what it seems.” Her voice grew cold and dark, and I swore the realm around us did as well.
I instinctively lowered my head in submission to my Goddess. She may have been lenient with my questioning, but I would have done well to remember that she was, in fact, a Goddess and possessed great power.
“What do you wish for me to do, Mother?” My voice was barely a whisper.
She hooked a finger under my chin and lifted my head until I met her eyes. “Restore the balance so they may return.” A command.
Awfully vague one.
“How?” My eyebrows furrowed.
Kleio leaned in close, our noses nearly touching. “Listen and you shall learn. Seek the truth, Kya.” She leaned back and stood to her full height.
