Chapter Twenty-Five

After a day of calculus and pizza, Dawn snored loudly next to Cierra, keeping her up. She had looked forward to meeting the mystery morphing person and their group, but she couldn't bring herself to try and find them without the sword, and she couldn't sleep with the sword when Dawn taking up half the bed.

It was curious, Dawn had stayed over many nights throughout the years, and never once had she been transported to the dream realms with Cierra, yet she was able to take Cid, the tears, and the sword.

Could only object from the dream realms be taken back and forth? Cierra wondered to herself. What connection did these objects have to both the dream realms and the 'real' world?

It would make sense if the objects could go back and forth with her because they held some connection to both worlds, but then, what did that make Cierra? What did she have in common with both the dream realms and the waking world?

Gently, she nudged her shoulder so that it was just touching her friend's back. Closing her eyes, she thought of the world with the black swirling beings in the sky. Dawn would enjoy the oddness of it all, Cierra thought.

When she opened her eyes, Cierra found herself alone with Cid, the black creatures twisting above her.

She woke herself up; there was no point being somewhere for no reason.

This time when she closed her eyes, she focused on Baaqir. He still creeped her out with his jerky, fast movements, but she needed to let him know she was not going to go to the West Mountain, not yet anyway. Even if he was weird, and if she were being honest with herself, a bit scary, he deserved an answer.

Cierra was not ready for the scene that awaited her when she opened her eyes. The sky, with its three suns spread across the horizon, had taken on a murky color, giving the world a dimmed look. It was as if she were looking around with shades on.

Looking to the left, Cierra almost screamed. She was face to face with the vessel of Sekhmet. The nostrils expanded as though the lion head goddess was breathing and Cierra a took a step back. Hadn't the statue been taller than her the last time she was here? Luckily, the eyes were still closed. Cierra shivered; she couldn't imagine what she would do if Sekhmet opened her eyes.

She forced herself to turn her back on the statue and look for Baaqir, if anyone had information on what was going on, it would be him.

All around her, sand stretched across the landscape. At the edges of the desert, there seemed to be a black miasma trying to push its way in. It was in a cyclical battle with the nature, the darkness creeping forward slightly and the hot desert wind pushing it back in place.

Cierra looked down at Cid, "Was that there last time?" She asked, knowing there would be no answer.

Not being able to find Baaqir and the sudden dulled appearance of the sky combined with the miasma stretch around the desert made Cierra feel uneasy. She needed answers and she needed them now.

"Baaqir!" She called out, worried about who might answer.

"Come on!" She called again, looking around, "Get out here!"

She waited a moment, almost hoping to see his stop motion movements in the distance.

Cierra kicked herself for choosing to come here tonight, she should have waited until she was able to bring a weapon. If the darkness trying to encroach on Sekhmet's land was what Cierra thought it was, she was going to need all the help she could get.

'Girl,' A voice in her head growled. Cierra swung around.

"Who's there?" She called out, muscles tensing.

'I am the Awakener, Ruler of Lions, Protector of Gods, Roamer of Deserts, Finder of Way, Sekhmet, Bastet...'

Cierra swung around to look at the statue, mouth open in disbelief.

'Yes, that is the me of today.'

"Y-you," Cierra stammered, "You're Sekhmet?"

The statue remained still, eyes closed, gently breathing. Baaqir had mentioned the statue was a vessel for Sekhmet, but she hadn't expected for Sekhmet to be inside of the vessel.

'Girl, have you not come here to find me?' The voice in her head sounded impatient, 'You call for my servant, to query about me, do you not?'

Cierra wasn't sure how to tell a goddess known in part for her bloodthirsty murderous tirades that she was not, in fact, looking for her.

"Well…" Cierra struggled to think of what to say that wouldn't sound offensive, "Baaqir told me about your…vessel, and that I might find what I was looking for in your realm." Cierra paused, "And I was swinging by to thank him for his assistance and to tell him that I found what I was looking for." Cierra said the last part quickly, hoping the goddess wouldn't linger too much on the fact that she was not looking for Sekhmet herself.

'What were you looking for?' There was a dangerous lilt to her tone that made Cierra want to tell the truth.

Still, she hesitated. What did it mean to another goddess to possess a divine artifact?

"I was looking for Freya," Cierra settled on a half-truth, hoping Sekhmet hadn't been listening from her vessel when she met with Baaqir, "To try and find answers about what I am."

There was silence, and even though the vessel didn't open its eyes or move, Cierra felt like she was being probed.

'You house her tears.' It was a statement, not a question. 'Why?'

Cierra shifted uncomfortably on her feet, hiding the bracelet behind her back.

"In Fólkvangr," Cierra swallowed nervously, "I found Freya being tortured by nightmares. The women of Fólkvangr, they sacrificed themselves so I could take her tears and run." Cierra spat out the last word, barely keeping herself from adding 'like a coward' at the end.

'Freya,' The voice stalled, 'I have not heard from her in many years.'

"You knew each other?," Cierra asked, hopeful. Maybe this was why she had found herself with Sekhmet instead of Freya.

'Of course. She flew through all the realms looking for that fool of hers, Od,' The voice continued, 'Filling worlds with gold.'

Cierra opened her mouth in surprise, "Do you have one of Freya's tears?" She asked, curious.

'Yes and no,' The voice answered, 'Long ago, I merged her tear into my sun disk,' Sekhmet sounded amused, 'She was not pleased.'

"Sun disk?" Cierra asked, she had read about the disk that sat on Sekhmet's head, but hadn't thought the one on the vessel was the real one. "Is that like your divine artifact?"

'Yes,' The voice sounded proud, 'Do you now realize how powerful I am, to be able to break down and incorporate another goddess' power into my own body?'

Cierra nodded, unsure what to say. Did all divine beings like to brag about their power? From the stories Cierra had read, she wouldn't be shocked.

'It should honor you beyond words that we are speaking,' There was a soft tone to her voice, 'Do you understand?'

"Right," Cierra wasn't sure what to say, but she knew she didn't want to anger the goddess, "Is there something you need?"

'Yes, good, you catch on fast,' Cierra tried to not get offended at the idea that Sekhmet had apparently thought she might be stupid, 'Do you see the sludge there? On the outskirts of my desert?' Sekhmet asked.

To Cierra it looked more like a gas than a 'sludge,' but she nodded in the affirmative anyway.

'It is pervasive. I am keeping it at bay with my breath, but I cannot keep them back forever,' The voice sounded bitter, 'And Ra does not answer me when I call.'

"What do you want me to do?" Cierra asked, confused, "I can't fight. The most I could do is try to heal your land."

'My land will not be damaged by these kalb,' The voice growled, 'No, I need Ra to take up his post in the sky.'

"What about the West Mountain? Isn't that here? Won't the divine beings there help you?" Cierra asked, trying to help.

'West Mountain?' Sekhmet did not sound amused, 'There is no west mountain here. The West Mountain is legend beyond legends. Who told you that mountain was here?' She demanded.

"Baaqir told me," Cierra explained as best she could, "When I came looking for Freya, he said he could take me to the West Mountain. That it was here, and that I could find information about Freya there."

Sekhmet was silent.

'Baaqir lied to you. There is no West Mountain, no stairway to the heavens.' Cierra flinched at the anger in Sekhmet's voice, it felt like all her emotion was boiling over in Cierra's mind. 'When I find him I will drain his body and throw what is left into the abyss.'