Sitting in her mother's throne room she had a large book in her hands that detailed plants from the forests in Revaliir. She was so excited looking at each and every one. However, her favorite was all the colorful plants that Laeto Rainforest had. She thought the plants there were just gorgeous. Looking over each of the flowers, leaves, and fruits she knew that she had to get some. “Is Momma home?” Sapphire asked one of the clergy members. The person shook their head and Sapphire put the book next to her mother's throne before leaving.

“I'm going to Sularia.” A lie. She made her way out of the realm her mother had created and exited one of the many arches. This one was somewhere deep within the rainforest. She pulled up her long lavender hair and tied it up. A baggy dark blue dress adorned her petite frame and matched her sapphire eyes. 

Her bare feet happily skipped through the forest as she looked at all the colors. She picked some of her favorite flowers from the book and smiled. They smelt so good. She held them close as she heard a noise. She let out a scream as a creature foreign to her appeared. It was something her mother described as an ogre of some sort. 

She ran for a long time before she finally tripped. Her knees were skinned and her bright red blood leaked from her body. Tears welled at the edges of her eyes as she let out a loud cry, “Momma!”

It had been a week since Shawarl moved into Laeto Rainforest. In that week she had established her own form of dominance in the area. Villagers often spoke of the guardian of the forest. How she punishes the wicked of heart. They also spoke of a woman with strange hair, selling strange blue fruit. She would then vanish into the forest once the sweet treats had all sold out. She could not complain about her new lifestyle. She had plenty of opportunities to hunt, and her fruit sold well. Enough so that it was able to buy her a set of fancy blue robes with golden trim. She still preferred to run around barefoot though.

Shawarl had just finished selling her fruits, and was returning to the deeper parts of the forest when it happened. A girl's cry called for her mother. Normally she would ignore such a plea, but something else was off. The voice sounded like it was in pain. Immediately she ran  towards the crying.  It did not take her long to find the child on the ground, tears in her eyes, and bloodied knees. " What are you doing here child?!" She scolded as she moved closer. Upon closer examination the wounds were nothing to cry about. " Stop crying this instant, good girls don't cry at skinned knees!" Once again she scolded the child, as she began to rip parts of her robe apart.   The woman then bandaged up the girl's knees with the torn robes. " Now stand up, and lets get you back to your mother."

Shawarl began to walk off in the direction of the village. Pausing to look over her shoulder to make sure the child was still okay. " Shawarl does not have all day, come come.!"

Hiro was wandering through the rain forest, though not wandering aimlessly.  He was hired to defeat a certain monster that had been killing people who traveled through this region.  The raven-haired youth had his crimson cloak on, his sword by his side, and his eyes were searching for footprints. Very large footprints.  The monster he was trying to track down was an ogre, a giant humanoid monster of below average intelligence.

There was a roaring in the distance, it sounded monstrous, so he started heading in that direction.  The monster was hunting people, so who knew what or who it was tracking.  He started finding footprints, one set human in size, and the other were about the size he expected the ogre to be.  There was another roar in the distance.  Hiro charged in the direction the footprints were heading in.  Someone was possibly in trouble.  There was a technique his father taught him, channeling mana into his muscles to increase strength or speed.  Now was the time to test the technique.  His legs felt lighter and faster as he ran, he was able to move faster than normal.  If he kept this speed up, he'd find the monster in no time, hopefully before it was too late.

He finally saw the monster, it was stomping toward a pair of people, two young ladies.  It was now or never.  Hiro flew up into the trees with his enhanced speed, the monster was focused entirely on his prey, he did not see Hiro fly down toward the large monster, towering above the two ladies, but not above the trees that surrounded them.  Unsheathing his blade from his belt, he held the broadsword in both hands and let loose a primal yell as he plunged the blade deep into the monster's neck.

The ogre screamed in anger, flailing about with its arms, trying to grab the man latching to its back.  Hiro quickly pulled the sword out of the monster's neck, a river of crimson pouring out of the wound, then leaped off the monster's back, thrusting his hand forward, unleashing a blast of flame aimed at the wound he just inflicted on the monster.  The fireball exploded against the monster's back, sending smoke and the stench of burning flesh into the air.  The ogre, now in pain, and incredibly angry, turned to see Hiro on the ground.  It looked incredibly cross.  It unleashed a loud roar through the air as it glared at the young lad.  Hiro roared back cockily at the monster, as if mocking it.  He reached back with his left hand, summoning another orb of flame in it, then flinging it up at the ogre's face, blinding it as it began to charge at him.  It screamed in pain and rage, flailing about blindly, Hiro ran to the side, dodging the monster's fists, striking with his sword at where the ogre's Achilles tendons would be on one of its heels.  The monster fell to one knee, shaking the ground with its weight.  Hiro leaped up to the ogre's head, summoning some flame into the blade of his sword, heating up the blade, not too much as to melt the metal, but just enough to make it glow red.  He stabbed the monster in the side of the neck with the blade, then drawing the blade fully across the monster's throat.  A river of blood poured from the neck of the ogre, strength drained from its body.

The monster finally expired, collapsing to the ground fully.  Hiro gasped and panted and held up his sword to the sky, his body and blade covered in the monster's blood.

"DEFEATED IS THE MONSTER!  I HAVE WON!"  He looked about to see if the two ladies were still around.  Hopefully they escaped safely, or hid somewhere so they were uninjured.  "Is everyone all right?  It's safe now."

[permission to gm on all accounts]

Sapphire was utterly shocked at this woman! “But I..” No use trying to tell her. Sapphire got up on weak knees before she caught up to Shawarl. “I wasn't carrying because of my knees.” She was meek. Soon though they would find out.

---

It was that time of the year that many farmers were asking her which fields to rotate to. Some even asked her to bless their wives' pregnant bellies. She would tell them their fortune and they would be happy. Some would  cry as not everything would be happy. She was given gifts, maybe not extravagant but Angela loved them all. In some aspects of her life she was very humble especially with her image when in front of her mortal followers.

She had just gotten done patting the belly of a very pregnant farm wife when she got the prayer from her daughter. “Excuse me, I am afraid one of my young ones has wandered too far from mom.” She offered a smile but inside she was fuming. It took her but a few moments to appear in the Laeto RainForest. The ground began to shake. The trees began to unleash an unholy moan. Rocks were beginning to crumble with each step she took.

Sapphire got up and ran behind Shawarl, well in front of her. “She's here.”

It took the Goddess no time at all for her ivy eyes so filled with rage to look down on the little lavender haired girl. “You lie to my clergy. You come out here on your own when you know better. Then you have the balls to yell for me when its the most important time of the year.” Her voice was filled with the anger of a thousand dragons.

“Explain yourself Sapphire Rose and quickly before I choose a punishment.”

Sapphire was clinging to Shawarl now but her teary blue eyes peeked out towards her mother. “I just wanted to see the rainforest. I loved the pictures. I want to learn Mama. I want to be a scholar!”

“A scholar is no use if she is dead from a simple ogre.” Her words stung but they were true. “You know better then this. You were raised better than this. I taught you how to be strong and yet you don't know how to be.” Angela's words stung her young daughter. “How do you think I would feel if something were to happen to you. If someone hadn't come along and saved you?” Angela calmed down. “I would be heart broken.”

Sapphire ran over to her mother and wrapped her arms around the redhead's waist. For a moment Angela was hesitant but she returned the hug and patted the girl's head. Snapping her fingers the forest became alive once more and snatched Hiro up. The tree tore its roots out of the ground and ran towards the Goddess. 

“Boy you will stay with my daughter as well as,” Angela looked down at Sapphire.

“Shawarl.”

“As well as Shawarl. You will help her learn then return her to the rose covered arch. You can set him down now.” Angela nodded towards the tree who set Hiro down and then scampered back off. “I am Angela, The Mother. By my decree I make you her protectors until she returns home.”

“No punishment?” Sapphire foolishly asked.

Angela bent down and got on her level. “If you really want one I will give one to you. I am too restrictive with my younger children. However, I will give you the same talk I gave your sister Zephyra. If you want to come to a dangerous place you need to hire someone. You simply can't utilize your abilities yet. A dead Rosenites is a bad Rosenite.” She booped her daughter on the nose.

She was careless, and soon the ogre was on top of the pair. But, someone else reacted before the dragoness could. Sounds of combat filled the air for a brief moment in time. I HAVE WON, his victory cry filled the air, but there was little time. Indeed no time to thank Hiro for his deed. The forest began to quake and moan, even causing Shawarl to cringe in fear. She's here.  At those words she looked up from the child only to have her gaze meet with a red headed woman. Who began to scold her child. Well now she no longer had to search the village.

The altercation was short, and ended in a situation Shawarl would have hoped to avoid. " Shawarl does not teach children. She hardly knows anything of this land herself! " She let her old way of talking slip out. The plant-creature had neither the will or time to take care of another person's child. It was close to her feeding time, and she could not let humans see her eat. Not after the encounter with Icarus. Plus there was simply no reward in the deal for her.

Shawarl turned her back on The Mother, and headed towards the town to stalk her next victim. The young-man would have to deal with the child himself.

Hiro had planned to take the ogre's head, and bring it immediately back to the village that hired him to kill it.  But things quickly got . . . complicated.  Who was this young girl with the lavender hair?  Who was this other woman who was helping her?  A third woman appeared out of nowhere, giving off an intimidating presence.  She was gorgeous with red hair and green eyes.  But for her to appear out of nowhere, and berate this little girl, it must have been her mother.  She sounded pissed at her daughter.  She was lucky Hiro was there to save the kid, who was identified as Sapphire Rose.  At the command of the red-haired woman, the forest came alive, a tree coming and grabbing Hiro before he could even do anything, and carrying him to her.  She introduced herself as Angela the Mother.

"The Mother?  You're a Goddess?"  Hiro had heard of people praying to a goddess named "The Mother," but to think he'd meet the Goddess of the Earth in the flesh, and get ordered to perform a task for her, the care-taking of the Goddess's child.  Could complain, he could refuse, but was he the kind of person to turn down a quest handed to him by a Goddess?  He could be greatly rewarded!  Or the Goddess could strike him down if he refused.  It was fear he felt right now, this was a good opportunity to get in well with this goddess, but if it was Goddess of the Earth and Fertility, she could make it so that he could NEVER have a child as long as he lived.  It was in his best interest to get this done.  He bowed down to the Goddess.  "My name is Hiro Kouen.  I-it shall be done.  I intended to bring that ogre's head back to town to get paid, but I guess I have no choice.  Where is home?"  He turned when the other woman, Shawarl, refused and started to walk off.  "Miss, you realize she could smite you into dust if you refuse, right?"  Did she not have any concern for her own life, let alone the life of this child?

Angela's green eyes followed Shawarl for a moment before her voice went into the dragon's mind. “Maybe there is something I can tempt you with my friend. I know what you seek. What you hunger for. What if I was willing to give you someone to eat maybe multiple of people to eat. Something to sate your hunger? Would that be reward enough for watching and learning with my child?”

“Shawarl, you could learn about the land with her. I think it would be fascinating to learn at least about this forest the best you can seeing as you live here.” Turning her attention to the young man Angela held out her hand and a large sum of money appeared in a sack. She threw it towards him. “I believe that is more then that ogre is worth. I am not such a mean Goddess that I would tell you to take a task without reward.” She held up one finger. “The rose arches you have seen around. Take her there when she is done.”

Angela looked at the boy for a moment. “Do you know a Sabishii? I knew a Sabishii Kouen. You could say he and I were friends. He would do occasional favors for me.” Looking towards Sapphire after her questions were answered the goddess sighed. “Learn about your forest and don't let this mistake happen again. I won't always be able to pull myself away to save you. You have over twenty brothers and sisters. I have a lot of balancing to do with my duties.” She bent over and kissed the top of the girl's lavender hair. “Please take good care of her.”

Shawarl stopped in her tracks when she felt the 'Mother' speak into her mind.  Then her face turned into a sickening grin at the proposition. "Set them free in the forest, so I can take pleasure in hunting them. This place will be their prison, and I their 'warden'." She thought openly, a trail of saliva dribbled out of the edge of her mouth at the thought. She wiped away the drool and began to chuckle in a dainty way. " For this I will help your daughter, and more. "

With a whirl of blue and purple hair, she turned on her heel, and faced the party. The smile still on her face. " Indeed it will be a wonderful time." Her smile faded just as quickly as it had appeared. " Boy !"  She directed at Hiro with a forceful tone. " Protect us well, and I will reward you as well." Her voice was harsh, even if her message was a kind one. Shawarl had very little experience with humans, outside of eating them. 

Without warning a thick tentacle-like vine appeared from within Shawarl's robes. It slithered forward, up Sapphire's leg, and roped itself around her waist. " As for you, child, you will stay by me. Slip the vine, cut it, or remove it, and I will know. " Her voice was even more strict. She had even less experience with children, and did not want to take chances with this one. Sapphire had already proven herself to be slippery when left unattended. 

" Say your goodbyes, and we will go deeper into the forest to learn."

Hiro caught the sack of money the Goddess threw towards him.  It was enough to possibly buy some new equipment for himself.  He was amazed that this Goddess was paying him to take care of one of her daughters.

"Yes, of course, that will do nicely.  It saves me the trouble of dragging the ogre's head through the forest, thank you very much."  She mentioned Sabishii to Hiro, asking him if he knew of the man.  "Of course I do, that's my father.  I would be honored to do deeds for a Goddess like my father did for you."  He walked over to the little girl, who must have been just a little bit younger than he was.  The older woman who was walking away seemed to change her mind, walking back and asking Hiro in the rudest of ways to assist the two of them in protecting them. 

"Yes, I'll protect you both, I promise," he had a neutral tone, he would have to see how demanding this woman would be.  Was she just not used to people, or was she just being bitchy?  He'd protect them both for the Goddess, and for the promise of money, even though this plant woman was kind of rude in the way she talked.  She was using some kind of living vine from her clothing to tie a leash around Sapphire's waist.  Was that really necessary of her to do?

"All right, whenever you're ready, we'll get going, Miss Sapphire, Lady Shawarl.  Did I get both your names right?"

Angela gave the dragon a smile and it was done. That was the pact. The goddess kissed her daughter good bye and left them to their journey. Sapphire was in amazement at just how easy it had been. She looked at the leash now attached to her and nodded. “I won't slip out I promise! I am just happy my mother has chosen to let me stay instead of sending me back to the temple!”

Looking over at Hiro she nodded. “I cannot believe my mother knew your father. Though it doesn't shock me she has been a goddess for a long time. We have books in the temple that tell stories about a red haired goddess saving fields from a hundred years ago. It was an amazing read! Mom lies and tries to say it is not her because she wants to deny her age.” Sapphire chuckled and smiled up to Shawarl.

“I love your hair Shawarl! I think it has the same color as mine in it.” She held up a lock of her lavender locks and examined it. “Okay, deeper into the forest we go! My sisters are going to be so jealous that I get to do this, at least the younger ones.” She smiled up at Shawarl wondering what kind of deal changed her mind.

“You can just call me Sapphire. I get Lady Sapphire all the time at home and it is rather boring. I'm not a special little flower I am a Rosenite! While I will not be a warrior of Sularia I will be a scholar. Maybe someday I will attend the academy for alchemy training.”