A young nine year old stood at the edge of a village, clutching two books to her chest. She wore a brown backpack filled to the brim with maps, books, files, and plans all to show how serious she was about this. Two teenage boys mocked her from a distance. They had learned that she was trying to figure out how to get to Angela's Temple to ask a few questions. The two boys shouted at her about how she would never find a goddess and that somebody like Angela wouldn't want to talk to a little brat. Tired of this noise, Dala turned right back around to one of the boys and kicked him as hard as she could in the shin.
"I'm good enough for anybody. So you can go and fuck off!" The child shouted at the two.
The teenage boys ran off to tell an adult about her misbehavior but Dala didn't care. She wasn't going to be around long enough to get into trouble. Dala had been passing through the village to learn about the goddess. According to the wise woman, she would be able to get to Elysia by desire, whatever that meant. The child struggled with this idea since she knew wishes didn't come true. But there wasn't any other thing she could try. Closing her eyes, she began to think hard of Angela. Imagining her legendary red hair and purple gown often worn in the artwork of her, she opened her eyes to find she was in the same spot. Disappointment lingered in the air until she thought to look down and spotted the red ribbon tied around her finger. Without a second thought, Dala began to follow the ribbon.
In a blink of an eye she warped into the realm and barely got a moment to admire the soul stream before arriving at the Twilight Beach. The string had vanished but the child was distracted by rainbow seaglass covering the ground. Reaching out to touch it, she let out a tiny squeal of excitement. She had made it! Or at the very least went somewhere! A big smile was on her face but she quickly frowned, trying to remind herself to be a serious adult. And serious adults frowned a lot. So no smiling until business had been handled. Behind her she could hear the sound of a dog barking. Confusion crossed her face as she turned around to see a newborn dog born out of seafoam. Her smile had returned and the child was jumping up and down.
"There's a dog there's a dog! Doggy!" She shouted before coming to a halt, "Wait no. I gotta focus on work. Doggies will come later."
After stuffing the two books into her bag, Dala rushed towards the silver perches. It was day so she didn't understand what they were. The soft notes from a violin flowed into her ear to calm her while the thick jungle appeared to be filled with life. As she walked, the girl checked the pink flower crown on her head and adjusted it to make it perfect. She'd taken the time to wear her best dress today. It was a simple lavender dress that went just past her knees. There wasn't even a stain on it, which was impressive considering the rest of her clothes. Small glowing purple fairy lights decorated the tree and she stared at them for a few moments. If this was what the jungle was like, then what would the temple be like?
A stained glass carriage caught her eye and she jumped right on in, excited to get to the temple. There wasn't any time for second thoughts. After a short trip, she made it to the Dashuri Palace. The grandeur of the home made Dala's jaw drop. In all her travels, she had never seen anything like it. But there was one thing she had to be wary of. The mothers. The goddess herself was a mother, which was an issue she'd have to figure out later. The child had nothing against mothers but she was uncomfortable with the sudden hugs and touches that mothers often did without thinking. It wasn't their fault, as it was a natural instinct. The idea of a stranger getting too close made her feel….threatened. Years of being in Revaliir on her own taught made sure of that.
Dala, in an attempt to be sneaky, rushed behind a pillar of quarts and started humming a sneaky theme song to get her motivated. She peaked out from behind the pillar to see if anybody had seen her. A group of women temple caretakers were staring at her with a confused look on their faces. Realized that she had been caught, the child squinted her eyes at them and said,
"You see nothing."
Before sneak running to the next pillar. One of the well-meaning temple workers opened her arms towards Dala, in an attempt to hug her and show the child that she was safe here. Dala responded by bolting for the temple door. This was important business! Not some time for coddling. She had come to the goddess to ask her if unfertile ground could be restored. Ria could have answered for small things like putting fertilizer in dirt for plants. However, she was seeking to restore a portion of land, not just a pot of dirt. There were other reasons she didn't want to ask her mom. The child pushed those thoughts away and gazed at the dazzling interior of the room.
"Looks bigger on the inside." Dala said to herself.
