The Goddess's Hero

What do I have to lose?

Jacqui's POV

Dark and cold. Hungry and homeless. Despair and destruction. That's how many mortals imagined the Underworld. I love watching their expressions as they pass to my Judgement Seat.

Jaw dropping astonishment as they walk through my torch lit caves; illuminating beautiful underground waterfalls and lush green moss many mistake for grass. White camellias and carnations adorned the path until the tunnels end. The path continued out of the cave and into a beautiful forest.

Through the forest, it travels over a rock bridge across the river, and opens out into green rolling hills. The hills then get steeper and steeper until the path is laid through a mountain pass.

Within the pass comes my first gate. Carved from the same stone as the mountains, it hides until you are right up next to it. Tall and proud it stops all traffic entering and my stone golems check the souls for anything suspicious.
"Suspicious" as in darkened soul tone, living body, brightened countenance, animal tattoo, etcetera etcetera.

Darkened soul tones were sent to the mountain caves to wait for inspection as they could be poisoned or dangerous. Living bodies were sent to a separate area to await my arrival where I choose whether or not to let them pass. That's never happened before but I thought it best to be safe rather than sorry. If a soul has a brightened countenance that soul is sent to the Overseer who decides whether or not to make that soul a Guardian of Comwen or not. And if a soul bears an animal tattoo they are immediately sent to Comwen as a Guardian.

For the rest of the souls, they are simply allowed to go on through the gate. Once you pass the mountains you are greeted with a seeming less endless desert. The faces of the souls turn from jaw dropping amazement to jaw dropping terror. They forget they are dead and no longer need water or food to survive. I find it funny.

I whistled and a sand worm erupted from the depths spraying sand everywhere. I laughed as it nuzzled down to my level and slobbered over half of the traveling souls causing them to scream.

"Enough, Chachi." I giggled and hugged my oversized friendly worm. Chachi laid his head down and I climbed up his back. "To my Oasis, friend." Puffing up his chest like a prideful boy he dashed into the ground.

I smiled as the sand around us was eaten by Chachi's gigantic maw. Traveling by sand worm was the quickest way through the desert. The rush of wind from the speed messed up my hair but I didn't care. This was one fun thing I could do in between my duties.

To soon we were thrusting upwards and Chachi playfully threw me off into a large pond resting on the middle of my own personal paradise. Large prawn trees covered the area for a few yards giving sufficient shade. The coconut and banana trees were beautifully spotted here and there.

Oh, but the water was delightful. Cool enough to be refreshing but warm enough to relax. So many Colorful flowers sat atop lily pads that one would think it was a field rather than a pond. Until they splashed into it of course.

Attempting to suppress my mirth, I turned to scold my friend. "How many times do I have to tell you NOT to do that?" I wagged a finger at him and Chachi lifted his tail and stuck it into the ground. Using his tail he began to lift himself up. "Oh no. Nonononono!" I tried to run but it was to late. Chachi smashed his entire mass into the pond causing a tsunami to flood the area. I was swept away to the other end of the pond and when I got up to give him a real scolding he had disappeared.

Sighing, I took my heavy dress off and left my tank top and mini shorts i wore underneath everything, I relaxed into a shady part of the pool. Breathing in deeply I let my mind wander.

Usually when I let my mind wander, I think of my brothers and sisters and if they are ever as tired as I am and if they really enjoy what they are and what they do. But today? Today my mind turned straight to my student, my hope.