((Olivia not Dan'l))

Olivia stood on the riverbank and watched the water move by it was something she and her father had done in years past.  Water was such an amazing thing it was so calm, so peaceful and yet at the same time so hard and unforgiving.  It destroed massive stones turning them into small pebbles over time.  Water was the inspiration behind the martial arts her father had trained her in.  She grinned thinking back to those days as a youngster.  It hadn't all been fun growing up a slave never was.

She shook the dark mane of hair out of her eyes before assuming her stance.  To the untrained eye what she was going to do might seem like a dance and it was, kind of.  The fluid movements were meant to exercise the body as well as the mind but unlike a dance the were also meant to be lethal.  Each movement mirrored an action to be used on an enemy.  Strikes to disarm, to cripple and to kill were interwoven with kicks of the same.  Punches and kicks were fine but most of the martial arts she had learned and mastered were built around using your opponent's power against them.  Practicing these manuvers was one of her favorite as the movements looked nothing like what the really were.  They were a dance, a dance of destruction or they could be.

The rigorous training left her sweating and exhausted without a thought she shed her simple clothes and jumped into the river.  The cold water felt amazing on her heated skin she reveled in it once again thankin Glipsa that she had the opportuity to do so.  Without her involvement none of the last few years would have been possible.

There is more for you to do I need you.

That voice was never far away.  Olivia swam to the riverbank standing up and letting the water run in rivlets down her naked body.  Her shoulder length black hair she squeezed dry as best as she could before making her way towards the clothing she had kicked off.  Beside them she had brought a simple emerald colored robe it would have to do.  Knowing Glipsa the need would be something some distance away.  With a sigh Olivia picked up the other clothing she would find somebody somewhere to donate it to.  Not sure who would want stinky clothing though.

You are correct, partially.  You need to come home to me.

Home that was a word Olivia never used.  She didn't have one she never had.  If Glipsa meant...

I do.

"Glipsa I do everything for you, give everything for you.  Why there?"

The silence was deafening and unsurprising.  Who was she to question a god? Taking a deep breath she began walking in the direction of the space port a days walk away.  She hoped batting her lashes at a captain or crewman would work again.  If not she wasn't sure just what she was going to do to catch a ship...home.

Batting her lashes had proved fruitless but stowing away hadn't.  She had to contort her small frame in ways that it wasn't meant to bend in order to fit inside the small box but in the end she had been able to make it work.  She breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the transport take off now what was the worst that the crew could do? She took that back she didn't want to know.  Thinking the area around her would be empty she cracked the lid on the box only to find herself facing somebody's hind end.  She slowly lowered herself back into the box lowering the lid but the damage had been done.

"There's something in that box go on grab the lid."

Olivia didn't wait for the inevitable she ucoiled herself and stood up pushing the lid up and out of the way.  As she did the robe she was wearing fell open exosing everything to the two figures staring at her.

"A stowaway! We've gotta tell the captain."

"Are you kidding? Look at her we're going to have some fun first."

Olivia had heard words like that years prior words belonging to slavers and slave owners who had then beaten and raped the objects of their desire.  That wasn't happening this time.  She cartwheeled out of the box losing what was left of her robe in the process before smashing a backfist into the man's throat.  His companion backed away slowly.

"I didn't want any part of it."

Feed them.

What? Sometimes Glipsa didn't make any kind of sense, like now.  What did make sense was the enormous figure who through open a door and glared at her.

"A stowaway.  Do you know the penalty? Or the penalty for trying to seduce one of my crew?"

"No, I don't.  I didn't.  I'll cook for you three meals a day if you let me ride with you all of the way."

A grin spread over the captain's face as he heard the words.

"Yes, yes you will.  You'll also scrub dishes and clean toilets do anything that's asked of you.  Anything short of..." he kicked the crewman who was on the ground still holding his throat.  "Feel free to do that again he needs it from time to time."

Under her breath, "Glipsa you are amazing and I adore you.  I am pleased to be your eyes, ears, hands and feet.  Help me to always put your needs before my own."

I love you too child.  Now go.  You're needed in the galley.

The rest of the trip to Argatu was uneventfull, boring even.  In what little spare time Olivia was allowed she did as she always did form after form of her martial arts practicing always practicing.  In the moments she was awake but doing tasks for the crew she did did her duties diligently striving to do her best in all things.  For in this way she was able to please Gilispa.  The crewmen gave the young woman a wide berth most treating her with both awe and respect after hearing about her encounter, and then seeing her work ethic.

With the planet in view the captain came down to the galley to visit.

"We've arrived.  I'm guessing you don't have propper clearances do you? You've done all I've asked and more and for that I'm gratefull.  We're going to have a slight engine malfunction causing us to put down in a field adjacent to the forest over there.  Be gone when we fix the problem.  Oh, and it was nice meeting you."

Olivia breathed a sigh of relief before once again thanking Gilispa for working in such strange ways.  Who would have thought the captain of this vessel would be so, so, human? The word didn't quite fit the bulky reptilian creature but that wasn't the point was it?  Having no other belongings Olivia spent her last few moments on the ship hastily throwing food down her slender neck.

The ship went through a series of movements to show any observers that they were indeed having engine failure before landing smoothly in a grassy field.  The cargo door descended and a young female clad in a green robe raced quickly from the ship into the protection of the forest mere yards away. 

"Gilispa grant the captain your peace and safety in his travels."

The small prayer were the last words Olivia was to speak for a considerable amount of time as she began the perrilous journey into the depths of Argatu.  Lush forests and dark murky swamps housed all manner of creatures who hid from the light.  The majority of the creatures would like nothing more than to tear a nagah apart something Olivia was accutely aware of.  Moving quickly and quietly through the forest she tried to envision her exit from the planet.  It was no good the memories were faded and the forest had changed since she had left. 

Welcome home.

Olivia stumbled blindy through the forest for hours before that night was approaching.  With it a chill was in the air something she was ill equipped to deal with.  After all of the years pretending she was nothing more than human here she was being faced with having to return to who and what she was.  She removed her robe and started the process of changing to her serpent form.  The change took considerably longer than she remembered taking minutes instead of seconds but in the end a five foot long jet black viper slid over the ground wher a human girl once stood.

Argatu hissing vipers typically dwell in swampy regions and are known to burrow into the ground waiting for prey to come to them before striking out with venomous fangs.  Olivia's serpent form was that of this type of viper and although it had been years since assuming the form she quickly fell back into the habit of digging a narrow hole in the earth and sinking into it.  Being cold blooded th earth would protect her from the cold as well as offer a measure of defense from other predators.

The night passed unveventfully but rather than change forms Olivia decided to try out the serpent form for a while it would be usefull for finding something to eat at least.  Two hours later and a rodent in her belly Olivia reverted to human form and returned to her quest traveling deeper and deeper into the foreest.

Days and nights blurred together for Olivia as she traveled by day as human and slept at night as a snake.  Forest vegetation gave way to dark wet humid swampland and she knew she was getting closer.

Now you must travel east.

East would take her back out of the swamp land out into a part of the forest she didn't believe she had ever ventured into.  However, just like always she conceeded to her deity's command and turned east.  The trees here were larger than the other parts of the forest, everything was larger.  It wasn't just the size of everything it was the colors as well.  The forest had changed from simple browns and greens to a rich environment full of red, yellow, and purple fruits.  Multicolored flowers dotted the forest floor as well making the forest appear vibrant and alive.

"Gilispa I feel your presence in this place.  It is you keeping it so full of life isn't it? It is beautiful and amazing just as you are.  Thank you for showing it to me."

Three full days of walking to the east later Olivia was almost brought to tears as she surveyed an ancient temple.  A towering statue of Gilispa rose thirty feet into the air although the forest had attempted to claim it as its own.  Vines twisted up and around the massive figure rather than detracting from it they enhanced the raw beauty the goddess possessed.  The vines ended just over Gilispa's wide hips giving the statue the illusion of being clothed in a skirt.  A narrow waist and small chest later and the goddess' hands were visible.  The hands were extended palms up as if the goddess were offering those who came to see her something of importance.  Further up a lean neck and then a beautifull face framed with a mountain of curls.  Truly Gilispa was magnificent.

The temple behind the statue had fallen into disrepair as any building will do after several centuries without upkeep.  Olivia thanked the foresight of the builders for the excellent stonework that had kept the structure from collapsing.  As she entered the temple she felt led to the alter that dominated the first room she encountered.  Made from a solid slab of obsidian the alter was made to resemble the open jaws of a massive snake.  Whatever was placed on the alter to be sacrificed would be swallowed whole by the obsidian serpent.

Are you willing?

Olivia felt her skin begin to crawl as she began to understand what her god was asking of her.  She had brought her all of the way out here only to have her sit upon the alter to be sacrificed.  Remembering the oaths that she had taken she could only nod her assent.  She climbed onto the alter and cried out her acknowledgement.  A moment later the top of the alter gave way and she found herself tumbling down into pitch blackness.

You are ready my dear.  Ready to be my hands, feet, eyes and ears.  To aid you I give you this.

Olivia stared at what had appeared out of the darkness.  It looked like a staff perhaps six feet in length.  The top of the staff mirrored the alter from above.  A large snake's head with mouth open ready to strike.  Behind the head the serpent's black body curled down the staff until the tip of the tail could barely be seen at the base of the staff.

Know that this is all you shall ever need.  As am I.

Olivia reached for the staff only to find herself transported outside the temple as she grasped it.  With staff in hand she surveyed the temple grounds once more.  She wasn't going to be able to leave the temple like this, especially after what had just happened.  She bent to but the staff on the ground...

Use the staff.  Trust it as you do me.

Unsure what to do or how to use the staff the girl pointed it at ground infront of her willing the staff to help her clean the stone walkways.  From the snake's open mouth water began to flow a trickle at first but then more forcefully as Olivia began to get the hang of it.  After two hours of continous effort Olivia was able to direct a variety of blasts, bursts, and streams of water at differing temperatures from the staff.  With her new found ability she made short work of cleaning away dirt and debris from the outdoor walkways.  Inside the temple Gilispa's soft voice guided her thruogh utilizing the snake's eyes to emit light at varrying degrees of intensity.  Guided by the light provided from the staff and armed with the various water abilities Olivia went to work with vigor in an attempt to make the entire temple pristine.  Two days later satisfied that she could no more Olivia thanked Gilispa once more turning her back to the temple and heading towards civilization.

-end_