PreviousEve is our Avatar. Our Prophet, our Sibyl.
We are a humble God and must bend our backs from time to time, yes, but Eve is our charge. We will not lend her out like a cheap whore to further our own goals - what sort of a Deamon is a God who would so easily trade his followers like cattle for coin? Decline Ishtar's offer with all the grace and dignity befitting a Goddess of her stature.
(and others)
"Madam, your offer is generous..." You hesitate, fearful to offend or put into words anything which could put her in a bad mood.
"But?"
"But, I cannot accept. YoumustunderstandEveismyavatarandprophetwithoutherIamnothingandwellIamherguardianand-"
"Enough, hold your tongue." She muses, twisting a strand of flame-colored hair in her fingers. "You are headstrong, little god. Not a quality I dislike...nevertheless I am not used to refusal. I shall keep an eye on you Arlore, God of Rabbits. A time may yet come when my remembrance of these events go not in your favor. When it does...be ready." She glares at you again and you feel the pit-feeling that prey feel among predators. You try to look away, but there is something all encompassing about her beauty. Her body disappears slowly, bare legs, bare stomach, breasts, hair, finally only her eyes are left, then she blinks and she is gone. You begin to breathe again.
You decide to send a message to Eve's mother, some sort of comfort to assure of her daughter's safety. It is a half-lie, because your powers are not great, but better than a full-truth. You summon to her home all the rodent creatures of the nearby forest - rabbits, weasels, mice (many mice) and when she goes to step out to draw water from the well, in the morning, you have these creatures gather and bow before her. You note with some compassion and satisfaction her weak knees, her kneeling and her tears. She mutters a short prayer and runs home. She grabs her daughter's shears and cuts her own graying, flowing hair.
"I have nothing give but what remains of my faded beauty, but I shall give it, again and again until she is returned to me. Whole and unharmed. Let it be a covenant between I and thou." She closes her eyes, and tears follow and fall into the hair.
(New Power: Covenant!*) What do you do?
What does Eve look like, by the way? I gathered she has black hair...?
Also, this is the pre-Ancient Era, right? Eve is a common levy, she won't be given an expensive sword or axe, or even armor. She'd most likely be given a bronze spear and maybe - MAYBE - if she's lucky, a wicker shield. That's fine, though. A spear is a more fitting weapon for the Prophet of Rabbit God. Swift, precise, relying more on agility and sharp reflexes than brute force, a testament to her superior hand-eye coordination and able to overcome much stronger and better-clad enemies.
Oh! And before I forget, if we're going to increase our sphere of influence, we might want to branch out into something similar to our existing domain. Maybe next we'll put all land creatures under our domain? Then all wildlife, then the forests, and the hunters, etc.
Meanwhile, Eve marches with the men to the fortress. It is a rough 3-day journey through the wilderness (the captain is insistent on avoiding the main roads, hoping to cut the journey short by traversing across the Laho Forest, avoiding the winding path of the Shemish Mountains). A few of the other recruits from the town recognize her, but whether out of fear or admiration, say nothing. She is easily able to befriend the other soldiers given her good looks (which they cannot quite put a finger on) and her nightly hunting successes (her rabbit powers have proven quite effective). Meat is friendship in the ranks and the recruits and even some of the squad-leaders hang around her, hoping to share in the spoils of her hunt.
Although her black hair has been cut short, her breasts bound, her dress the dress of a conscript (thick, hide boots which reach to the knee, unpatterned, brown robes, with loose sleeves that reach to the elbow, and go down to the ankles and are fastened by a belt of white cloth tied around the waist, an arm band of unmarked bronze to indicate rank, and a strip cloth, white, tied around her forehead to keep the sweat from her eyes) it could not hide her blush or fair arms, her eyes the color of doe's eyes, her lips not broken like men's lips, pink and full, her nose slim and not square or twisted or flat. Scarless, markless, and fearless, she is regarded with confusion, by the men - and embarrassment. She learned quickly to be taciturn, to mask her bird-voice, high and light. She learned to do as much as she could in private - bathing, resting, relieving herself. But she is in a constant state of anxiety, only her faith in you, still unshakable, keeps her steadfast.
*Covenant - An agreement between a divine entity and a mortal. The mortal declares a vow and so long as it is kept, the god gains a unique power relevant to the mortal's plea and independent of the three laws. The covenant itself, however, is still under the confines of the three laws. Therefore, the severity of the vow determines the magnitude of the unique power.
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