Neira shrieked in surprise. She leaped backward and toppled onto the cave floor. A beautiful woman materialized around the hovering orbs. She was cackling heartily at Neiras reaction.

Two other women appeared next to her. On her right side was a tall serious looking woman with arms folded across her chest. Her long hair was intricately plaited against her scalp.

Rolling her eyes she grumbled “You asked for our help. Why are you so surprised to see us?”

“It's clear that she did not actually believe we existed.” This came from the curvy woman on the left. She looked at Neira with a very knowing smile.

The woman in the center had finished cackling, and made herself comfortable. She sprawled out in the air in front of Neira, her sharp eyes glinting as she spoke.

“She does appear to be in a desperate predicament. That tends to drive people to try all sorts of things. Many of which they don't actually believe will work.”

Neira stared open mouthed at the goddesses but said nothing.

“Well! Perhaps introductions are in order.” chimed in the supple goddess on the left. She smiled, motioning with graceful hands. “I am Hesh, the goddess of wisdom and fertility.”

She gestured to the goddess on the right. “This is Minar, the goddess of hunting and strength.”

Minar grunted and looked away. She appeared very put out by the whole situation.

The center goddess spun upright with a flourish. Her short black hair fell in sharp lines across her face. Green eyes locked onto Neiras, intense and unblinking. Each movement and expression reminding Neira of the panther she had once seen as a girl, languid and deadly.

“That leaves me.” She stretched her arms out, plumes of dark, acrid smoke billowing over them. “I am Zyree, the goddess of cunning… and of death.”

Coughing and waving away the smog, Minar glowered at Zyree.

“Goddess of overdramatic nonsense would be more accurate.”

Zyree giggled and conjured a wicked looking black viper. It slithered over her thin arms as she sneered back.

“More fun than being the goddess of perpetual dissatisfaction.”

She launched it at Minar with a wild cackle. Minar caught the serpent by the tail. Snapping it like a whip, she let the carcass drop into the pool.

“Really Zyree? Must you always be so immature?”

Zyree shrugged, giving a mischievous smirk. With another flick of her hand the limp serpent vanished again.

Hesh shook her head with a sigh.

“In any case, why don't we continue our conversation with Neira. Assuming you two have finished bickering like children?”

Neiras eyebrows scrunched.

“How do you know my name?”

The goddesses looked down at her again. Hesh smiled.

“We know everything about you, Neira, daughter of the forests of Twylar.”

Neiras face flushed. She scrambled back up to a kneeling position. Giving a practiced dip of the head, her eyes lowered in obeiscance.

“Of course, the gods know all.” She spoke with the stiff formality she had used all her life as a slave. “I apologize for my foolish words. I must have forgotten myself.”

Hesh put a gentle finger under her chin, pulling her gaze back upwards. She shook her head almost imperceptibly.

“Actually, that is not strictly true. While we each have great power, we are not omniscient.”

Neira frowned.

“But then… how do you know so much about me?”

“Simple.” Zyree chimed in “We have been watching you.”

Neira sat for a moment in stunned silence. Her mind churned; none of this was what she had expected.

“But, why?”

Hesh and Zyree exchanged glances.

“Beleive it or not, you're a very interesting human to us.” Hesh explained with a shrug. “You have been one of our favorites to watch, ever since you were a little girl.”

“One of their favorites.” Minar grumbled with a scowl.

“Minar of course, doesn't like anyone.” Zyree teased

Minar glared at her.

“I simply have high standards. Something you wouldn't understand Zyree.”

Zyree crinkled her face in mocking scorn.

“In any case,” Hesh interrupted with a hard glance at her sisters. “I believe you were requesting our assistance with something?”

Minar rolled her eyes again.

“I’m sure she just wants us to help her get out of these caves.”

“Well, if you look through the lens of human perspective that would be unsurprising. Escaping these caves is a formidable task.” Hesh tucked a chunk of her long honey colored hair behind her ear “But I really think it would be best to let Neira tell us what her request is before you get upset about it.”

Minar let out a huff but said nothing. Neira paused, looking from one goddess to the next.

“I imagine that whatever I ask for, there would be a price?”

Zyree grinned again. “There would indeed.”

Neira nodded, biting the tip of her thumb, her brow furrowed.

“I need an ally.” She said finally “Someone trustworthy, who can teach me to protect myself and help me find the things I need. I also need a way to alter my appearance.”

“I see.” Said Zyree with a grin “An ally is a simple enough request.” She looked at Hesh. “I think a fire demon would do nicely for this, what are your thoughts?”

“Do you mean Akua? That would solve both requests at once I suppose.” Her eyes sparkled underneath her thoughtful expression.

“You request another source of aid?” Minar had a hand to her head, her eyes squeezed shut. “You always rely on the help of others. This is why I do not revel in your life as my sisters do. Someone or something must always come to your aid.” Her voice grew louder, her hands sweeping out to the sides.

“If this is your solution then here is the price I will require. You must prove your strength to me before you leave these caves. There is a Sak living here. You must find it and conquer it.”

A Sak?

Neiras eyes grew wide. She swallowed, her mouth feeling dry.

“I have no weapon, how am I to kill such a beast with my bare hands?”

Minar folded her arms again, one eyebrow raised imperiously. “I never said killing the Sak was required. To conquer takes many forms. Nevertheless, I will grant you a weapon.”

She brought her hands together, fashioning an ornate dagger from the air before her. She held it out to Neira, a smile playing at her lips.

“In that case,” Zyree cut in “my task for you will be to escape this labyrinth of tunnels. If you succeed then Akua will be waiting for you just outside.”

“How will I recognize this demon?”

Zyree giggled “He's pretty hard to miss. He will also give you a pendant with this symbol engraved on it.”

She indicated the engraving on the top stone of the altar. Neira nodded, clutching the dagger to her chest. She looked over to Hesh.

“For my price, I wish you to build us three new altars. Akua will show you the locations I have chosen.”

She smiled, touching her fingertips together.

“Are the terms agreeable to you Neira?”

Neira nodded, looking at each of the goddesses.

“Very well, that concludes our business.” Hesh said “Remember, we will be watching.” She gave a wink and the goddesses vanished, leaving Neira with the same daunting task she had faced before.

She crossed to her pack and pulled out the waterskins and washed away the drying blood. It was cold, numbing her skin as it flowed over the myriad wounds covering her arms and legs. She refilled the waterskins in the spring before tucking them away.

Gripping the blade in her hand, she crossed to the wall of the cave. There were several gems down at eye level giving off a decent amount of light.

Neira carefully dug the tip of the blade into the surrounding stone. With a combination of tentative levering and slow burrowing she managed to exhume three decent sized gems.

Armed with a light source and a dagger to mark her path she set off through the small stone mouth. The tunnel was wide enough that she could crawl through on her hands and knees.

Following the twists and turns she soon came to a drop off. Holding the gem out over the chasm did little to illuminate it. She chose the smallest gem and dropped it down.

It looked as though she could safely drop down, but there was no guarantee she could climb back out if it was a dead end. She backtracked out of the tunnel, giving it an extra mark in case she needed to return and push further.

Without the mouse to follow she chose the next few tunnels at random. Each of these went only a short distance before terminating.

The fatigue she had felt before her divine encounter began to creep back in. She dragged herself forward through another cramped passage. The stone beneath her began to give way to soft sand.

Neiras heart beat a little faster, a smile starting to spread across her features. She crawled further, the tunnel widening into a small low cave. That was where the tunnel ended.

The smile twisted into a grimace. Curling up into the soft sand she groaned. She lay her head on the pack, a few tears soaking into the fabric, and drifted into a fitful sleep.