Artifact of a Forgotten God-Closed

[Perplexia]

Lady Kathleen Savoy was born into a privileged life in the heart of England. Her heritage was a mixture of English and Irish, and her red hair, green eyes, and fair skin reflected it. Her height was about 5 feet 4 inches tall, with an above average chest, and a tiny waist. What she was missing in height she made up with temperament and intellect.

Much of her early childhood was spent in boarding schools, and exploring whatever interests tickled her fancy. The times dictated that she married off to a man of means and provided him with heirs. His fortune would combine with hers and so their dynasty should flourish. But Katie had other plans, through her studies she gained a fascination with history, and their relics.

Because of her status in society she was allowed to pursue her degree in Archaeology. Although she would never be allowed to be hired by a museum as one. When she first met Dr. Stern. He scoffed at a woman in his studies. But she soon proved to him that her mind was brighter and she was more capable than 98% of the male students in his class.

She became fond of her Mentor Dr. Stern, and assisted him all over the globe on his projects. Sadly she was pulled back to England, to deal with the affairs of her parents after their untimely death. It was an eye opener to a world primarily held for men, with no remaining family members it was now on her shoulders to manage the renters and ensure the estate was correctly taken care of.

It had been two years since she had lived the life she was carving out for herself, when a package arrived for her. The return address was that of a solicitor that she had vaguely heard of. Sitting at her antique redwood desk she opened it. Inside were a box and two letters.

Dear Lady Savoy,
Enclosed you will find an artifact bequeathed to you from the Estate of Dr. Stern. It was his wish that you have this rare piece he acquired from a dig in Cairo, Egypt. In my opinion it is an offensive piece, and most certainly not be given to a lady. Please also find enclosed a letter he left for you as well.

She had no idea that he had passed or was even ill. Opening up the second letter she read it wiping the tears from her eyes.

Dear Katie,
If you have received this letter then I am no longer with you. I have been exposed to a virus in the Congo, and I’m not sure if I’ll recover. One of my greatest achievements in life has been training you to follow in my footsteps. I know that you’ve left the life you started to shoulder the responsibilities of your families’ estate. But do not lose yourself in a life you have no love for. You have a gift of uncovering and locating lost treasures.

I had a dream Dear Katie, that I should give this to you. Perhaps it’s a small piece to a larger puzzle, perhaps it’s just a trinket. Please do not think badly of me for sending this to you. If I hadn't had the dream, I would have never sent you such a thing. Do yourself the favor of finding out.
With appreciation for your skills and the passion that lives in your heart,
Dr. Stern


Placing the letter down she picked up the box and began to unwrap the artifact that hung from a short leather string. “oh my” she said out loud examining the artifact. The item was a double ended phallus. Nothing in her wildest dream would have prepared her to receive such an item.

Society view alone would refuse to show this in a museum, much less have it given to a woman, unless perhaps it was a deviant of some nature. But even then.

Taking it by the string she placed the piece on her desk and took out her magnifying glass. By the time she was done she anticipated the item was approximately aged between 700-200 BC. She had done quite a lot of research into the gods and meanings in relics. It was definitely an artifact. But what was its significance? For whom was it made for?

Feeling a bit drained she retired early to bed. It was there the dreams that images began to take her on a journey.

 

[Finadien]

Seth-Amon had it all. He was one of the mightiest gods of the pantheon, rivaled by Horus and Osiris, lusted for by Isis and Bastet, hated by Set and Khonsu. He could walk among men and his every whim would be a command to them. They would obey his wished even if it meant their death. He was powerful and feared and loved and respected and worshiped. Everyone knew his name and his face. He was not like the others who hid behind cats and jackals and ravens, he floundered his beauty and enjoyed the bliss he saw on the faces that behold his visage.

When he walked among mortals, he was about 6’2”, broad-shouldered, sun-tanned skin and long black hair. His eyes were steel grey and had slight silver shimmer to them. He choose to go clean shaven another thing that set him apart for many high born mortals and even the gods choose to go with a chin beard that curled up at the end. He wore a black shendyt that shimmered with a metallic sheen and sandals of the same fabric.

No woman could resist him and even the males of the women he took for himself were not jealous because he was beloved by all.

And then the falling out came.

The misunderstanding.

The war.

The banishment.

It was a trivial matter they fought over, long forgotten beneath the sand of time. But his arrogance made him believe he could fight them all, win over them all, be the one sole god for all mankind in this war.

He was wrong.

No other god took his side, he apparently wasn’t as loved as he thought, and the mortals no longer worshiped him. His power waned and the only rational option would have been to accept his fate, to cower before the others and be one of the lower deities, relegated to a status that was not befitting someone like him. He would have none of that and so he rebelled again.

It was in vain.

No it was even worse. The others wanted to make sure that he never again could rise to power, that he was no longer a danger to them or anyone else and so they banished him. Gods could not be killed, so banishment was the only option, and the best way was to bound him to an object.

He nearly laughed when he saw what they had in mind. It was such a feeble object, something so small and mundane, nothing to befit his former status. He tried to fight again and escape, but there was no way he could evade his fate. Just as he felt the last vestiges of himself leave the universe and enter the cold stone, he realized what else they had done. Not only would he be banished he would be forgotten. No god, no mortal and nothing in between would remember Seth-Amon. Not even that they left him.

And then darkness surrounded him, engulfed his being and pressed in on his self. It took bits and pieces of his memories, and he was helpless against the intrusion. He felt himself getting lost, loosing anything that made him what he was.

And then there was nothing but darkness and the feeling of loss.

The first signs that anything had changed where tiny specs of light that pierced the darkness and with them returned a semblance of his self. He couldn’t really remember anything, but he knew that he had to grab that chance and escape the darkness that had felt like the only thing he knew.

Suddenly he was standing in the dessert, the wind playing with his black hair and the sun warming his body that had felt cold for so long. He slowly turned around and there she was, a woman that looked nothing like the women he knew. Her hair like fire, her eyes like smaragds and her skin a soft pale tone that made her even more appealing. She was wearing a strange garment not fitting for the dessert and looked a bit confused, perhaps as confused as he was.

“Hello,” he called out, wanting to introduce himself but realizing that he still was missing much of his memories.

“Who are you?” he asked, “Who am I? Where are we?”

 

[Perplexia]

Katie felt the heat of the desert in her dream. The sun was so bright, a gust of wind stole her shawl. and she watched it float away like a magic carpet. She could see a very faint outline of pyramids in the distance. A sound seemed to come from a breeze. Then she saw him. He was the image of a walking Greek Adonis.

"Hello" she responded with a quizzical brow. It made sense to her that she would think of Egypt after getting the artifact, but why was she dreaming of a man she'd never met before. Men hadn't held her much regard, so she tended to not think much of them in return. Some were rather physically appealing, but held the ego to go along with it. Then there were those that dismissed her for her choices in life. Others seeking to add to their portfolio and so on.

"Well you're in my dream, which seems to be in Egypt, and I am me, how do you not know who you are?" It was simply her nature to be standoffish when she met new people. But this was her dream, why was he here.
"The sun is nice though. We don't see much of it where I live, though it s a bit hot, but the breeze helps relieve that" she looked at up at him for a moment and then asked "Are you okay? Do you need a doctor?"

 

[Finadien]

When she spoke he realized that she was not talking the language of his people but he still could understand her. There was something at work here that he didn’t understand .. no that was wrong, he didn't understand anything of what was happening. He didn’t know who he was or who she was or where they were.

Then her words registered with him and a few things started to make sense. He was in a dream… in her dream. He had been in dreams before, hadn’t he? He started to remember a war and darkness but not much more.

He looked around and realized that he knew where he was, he knew that the pyramids marked the edge of a oasis with shade and protection from the sun.

He smiled at her reassuringly even though he still felt at a loss what was happening.

“Yes, I am okay.” He told her. “And no, I don’t need a healer.” For a moment he wondered how he knew what the strange word “doctor” meant but this was not really important right now.

“This is your dream? So who are you?” he pointed towards the pyramids. “But perhaps we should continue our talk in a more accommodating surrounding.”

 

[Perplexia]

"Well I'm glad you're okay and don't require a ..healer, I'm not sure how to go about finding one in my dream."

"That seems like a long walk" she said still avoiding who she was. "But I suppose it would be better than standing out in the sun. But if this is a dream, then I can't get sunburned." she was debating with herself before starting the walk toward the pyramids. "I don't understand how I can feel the hot burning sand under my feet, or the heat at all if this is my dream."

The walk seemed to go in flashes one second the pyramids were barely visible, the next they were closer, and the next even closer and the next they stood in front of them. Her hand went over the texture. "wow these are breathtaking. I've never seen these particular ones. I've been to Egypt a few years ago and did some excavating, but these are similar but not the same."

As she wasn't paying attention she accidently cut her finger on the corner of a stone. "ouch" she exclaimed looking at her index finger as a tiny drop of blood appeared. "my name is Lady Kathleen Savoy, but you can call me Katie or Kat. I'm from England. What's your name? Do you remember?"

 

[Finadien]

He looked at her while they walked. She was beautiful in a foreign kind of way. They moved at a steady pace, but the distance seemed to shrink in greater steps which made sense if this really was a dream. But why her dream and not his? How could he think and be if this was not his dream? Perhaps it was his dream but why didn’t he remember being awake or being at all? Why couldn’t he remember what or who he was?

He listened to her and savored her soft voice, her curiosity and the way she moved. When they reached the pyramids tiny fractions of his memory returned to him. These were not burial places as had been the custom for some pharaohs, these were temples erected for some god.

When he saw that she had cut her finger he took her hand into his and softly kissed the spot where blood was escaping her delicate skin. He tasted her blood and found it invigorating. He looked down and realized that this also had stopped the bleeding and now her skin was unmarked and pure.

He took another few steps and pointed to an entrance of the building what was beckoning. It was not dark and foreboding like those of the other pyramids but broad and inviting and a soft gold glow emanating from it.

“I am Seth-Amon.” He told her and knew that this was his name. His memory seemed to return which was a good sign. She had mentioned Egypt, and he knew that this was the land he was from. But this “England” he never had heart of. It seemed much had changed since he last … what? Had lived? He squinted, rubbed his temples and a slight shimmer of annoyance crossed his face. Why couldn’t he remember?

“I’m still not sure.” He told her and was not even knowing what he was not sure about.

 

[Perplexia]

When Seth-Amon took her injured hand and placed a soft kiss on her finger, the wound miraculously healed. She was flabbergasted and overly curious how that happened. Of course it was her dream so perhaps she wished it. "Well we have about 7 hours before i will wake up to try to figure it out. Any idea why these pyramids look different then the ones the pharaohs were buried in?" she realized that would probably be an odd question coming from a woman.

"I have a doctorate degree in archeology, its the science of discovering the past. We collect artifacts for museums to display and try to put together an accurate analogy of the past. Who the people were, what kind of lives they lived, what gods did they worship, who the pharaohs were in that time period, the type of tools and such that they used excreta." She gave him soft smile "They let you get the degree, but very few will allow a woman in the field. They believe our job is to be pregnant and provide heirs." She let out a laugh. Even in her dreams apparently she couldn't keep her opinions to herself.

He was just stunning to look at. He seemed harmless enough but men often did. "Are you from Egypt?" she questioned "'The way you said your name sounds like it. But dialect isn't my strong area"

Katie gave him time to reply as she tried the door to the pyramid. "It seems stuck" she exclaimed tugging on it."

 

[Finadien]

Some of the words she used were new to him, but he could guess the meaning from the context. Apparently she was a scholar of some kind and knew a lot about his people, perhaps more than his spotty memory could offer right now. And he guessed that time had passed. A lot of time it seemed.

“Yes,” he answered, “I am from Egypt, that much I know.”

He pointed first at the desert and then at the pyramids.

“This is my home.”

He looked at the door she was trying to open and saw the symbols there. The carvings clearly showed his name. He waved a hand over the hieroglyphs and the door swung inward, offering a view of a brightly lit room, with benches on the side, a pool in the center and a raised dais on the opposite end. A throne stood there in the center decorated with an eagle and a raven. On one side of the throne there was a table filled with fruits and meat, goblets of wine, bowls of spiced rice and more delicacies. On the other side furs were laid out to offer a place for resting and … other things.

He pointed to the throne.

“THIS is my home,” he repeated with emphasis on the first word. More memories returned to him.

“It is a temple build to honor the god Seth-Amon.” He told her. “Welcome Lady Kathleen Savoy in the halls of …” and then his memory failed him again. He was a god, wasn’t he? A god of what? Why was he here?”

 

[Perplexia]

Katie watched with amusement as he opened the door. She'd never seen actual powers before. Of course there were tales of them, but never imagined how real it have ever been. The gods of Egypt hadn't been worshiped in some time. Though they had all been documented in some form or another. Egypt was a very spiritual place. They revered the gods and fought not to join the Islam religion. Slowly she stepped inside looking at everything. "So you were a god of Egypt" she said curiously. "Through time many god temples and such were found, the history of the gods and their roles. But I do not remember yours. Its as if you've been erased. Why? What did you do?"

"When you tasted my blood, you were able to remember. Would another drop help?"

She wasn't sure if that was why he remembered. But she did know that once upon a time they would sacrifice virgins to the gods. That they believed their blood to be untainted and the gods would grant them good fortune for it. There were so many questions she had with complicated theories on Egypt that she wanted answers for. If this became regular, if she could continue to have him in her dreams, and he could remember. She could write a book about him as a lost god. She could fill in so many holes, and she knew she'd dedicate at least one of them to her late mentor.

 

[Finadien]

He slowly walked around the pool to the raised dais and looked around. This was his temple, he knew as much now, but who was he? What was he the god of? Food aplenty and not just simple nourishment, he knew that all that was on the table was exquisite and tasty beyond imagine. He walked over, took a fruit and bit into it, the juices running around his mouth, filling it, tasting like … he was at a loss for words again.

He handed her the fruit.

“Have a bite.” He told her and looked back at the table. The place where the fruit had been was no longer empty. Another fruit had appeared, looking even more tasty than the previous one. He walked over to the furs and run a hand over them. They not only were soft to the touch, but they also send a slight tingling through his fingers. Finaly, he answered her question.

“No, I don’t think that your blood brought back my memories, they are returning bit by bit by themselves.”

He stepped close to her, looked her deep in the eyes and smiled.

“But perhaps other bodily fluids can speed that along.” He said, one side of his mouth turned up and he raised a questing eyebrow.

Then he turned around abruptly, took two steps, dropped his shendyt, stepped out of his sandals and slowly entered the pool with his back to her. The water was warm and soothing, caressing his body and feeling just right after the walk in the desert. The bits of sand that still had clung to him vanished and he moved to one side of the pool, sat there and smiled at her. He held out one hand invitingly.

“Join me?” he asked.

He now knew what god he was but he still had to figure out where he was, why he was here and what had happened to him.

 

[Perplexia]

Katie may be a bit unconventional in her choice of a career, but she was still a lady. She as flabbergasted at the comment he mad about fluids. It took her by such surprise she didn't have a chance to react. Which had she been able to recover before he walked away would have been a slap across his face. But before she could, her eyes took in the most perfect pair of ass cheeks she could have ever imagined. Then came his question.."Join Me?".

"I most certainly will not."

With that she turned her back to him and walked toward the entrance. The moment her foot touched the threshold she woke up. Her mood was still foul at the implication that would ever consider such a thing. It took her the better part of the day to rationalize why he felt free to make such a comment to her. First and foremost, he was a god. He had been irresistible to woman for..well always. Second in his world virgins had been sacrificed to him.

Sex had been considered a form of entertainment, of pleasure, and divine right for thousands of years. Their cultures couldn't be more extremely different. He'd probably never heard of England before, depending on when he was last awake in the world.

After another long day of dealing with tenants and other estate issues, she settled herself in front of the fire with a book. Until sleep once again took her.

 

[Finadien]

He looked at her right as she vanished and then he felt darkness engulfing him once more.

He was sitting on the throne, and she appeared at the door. He again was wearing his shendyt and of course he was dry again. He smiled at her.

“Welcome back Lady Kathleen Savoy of England. I guess you are dreaming again?” he got up and pointed towards the table. From her reaction he guessed that customs had change a lot between the time he remembered and whatever now was. She seemed awfully prude and it perhaps would take some more time to get her to be more open.

“Perhaps we should eat and talk a bit more?”

He sat down, grabbed a chicken leg, gnawed on it and savored the delicate spices and threw the bone behind him where it vanished.

“Yes, I am a god and I’m afraid I am a god of pleasure.” With that he pointed to the food, the pool and finally to the furs.

“This seemed to make you uncomfortable, but I cannot change that.” He raised his hands in defense.

“I still have holes in my memory and perhaps you can help me? You told me that you cannot remember my, but what other gods do you remember from my land?”

 

[Perplexia]

"It appears that I am" she said responding to his statement slowly walking in looking at everything around her. "Good evening to you Seth-Amon, were you able to remember anything new?" she questioned taking a seat at the table. "Thank you, but I'm not really hungry."

"I suppose you must be a god of something, why shouldn't it be pleasure" Katie smiled back to him. "It is not what you're the god of that makes me uncomfortable, but perhaps simply your candid remarks regarding it. To the best of our knowledge your peoples existence far predates ours. Customs in my world are quite a bit more.. confined than you are perhaps use to. We do not sample the fruits of pleasure for example. A man must make a vow of commitment to one woman as she does to him, before partaking in the carnal passions that occur between the fleshes of two beings." she blushed a little trying to explain something that was simply not talked about.

She listened to him talk about the holes in his memory. "Well," she thought for a moment "There was Horus, Osiris, Anubis, Isis, Ptah, Hathor, Baset, Thoth, Amun, Nephthys, Sobek, Sekhmet, Geb, Khnum, Khonsu, Nut, Ra, Set, Maat, Kehpri, Montu, to name a few. I'm sure there are more that i'm not aware of, yourself for example." she gave a slight smile. "Discoveries of new things are always happening, though some believe that keeping things as they are is the best for most."

 

[Finadien]

“Ever heard of the god Min?” he asked her. “I start to remember some more things and one of those things is that I had a … feud? quarrel? with him. It was about the meaning of what you call ‘carnal passions’. He thought it should only be used for reproduction, and this would implicate what you are saying, that it is between one woman and one man.”

He grabbed a bowl of spiced rice and used his finger to scoop something into his mouth, chewing delightfully. He pointed to the table with all the mouth-watering dishes.

“You really should try something. It is not about hunger, it is about the taste, the texture, the feeling of bliss as you discover new spices and flavors.”

He looked at her and his grey eyes seemed to shimmer some more.

“Who ever said that everything has to be for a reason besides pleasure? Why the commitment? What does anybody gain from such inhibitions? Only eat when you are hungry? Only bath when you are dirty? Only feel the body of someone else real close when there is any kind of commitment?”

He tried to avoid being overly direct since that had driven her off the last time and he now knew that he was dependent on her dreaming so he could understand better what had happened to him.

“Are you committed to someone?” he asked? “Is that why you are avoiding anything that could loosen your moral inhibitions even in a dream?”

He had to take it slowly with her, he was sure now, but he had to get her to understand him better and to trust him somewhat so he could figure out what had been done to him and perhaps even escape her dreams.

 

[Perplexia]

"Infidelity is still common, but frowned upon, especially by the women. But no I've never heard of him." she listened to his description about food.

"We call those sweets, divine delicacies that are meant for the palette, thank you for the offer, but I've eaten dinner already. I don't like to over indulge in food or sweets."

She listen as he continued. "I actually believe it was men that said that. If a woman partakes in the pleasures of the flesh, that makes her damaged goods. Men want what no one else has had, unless she is widowed. If she's caught in adulatory then she is shunned from society. If a man does it...he's proving his virality."

"No I'm not committed to anyone. If I were to marry, i would lose my properties, and be considered property. Although one day I'd like children, It would need to be with a forward thinking man." she thought for a moment on his second question. "The reason that i won't loosen my inhibitions, is because I don't know you, I also feel that there should be chemistry between two people a love, and an understanding before carnal relations were to occur. Also I'm not sure if this is just a dream without any repercussions that could carry over."

 

[Finadien]

Seth-Amon got up from the table and slowly walked over to her, sounding the pool in the middle of the temple. She still was standing near the entrance apparently to avoid him, but her curiosity had won over at least in part. When she told him what her people were like, how they treated men and women differently how they judged someone before really knowing him he shook his head and sighted.

“How barbaric.” He remarked as she finished. “I can see that the world has lost all sense of civilization if what you say is true.”

He let his eyes roam over her, not on a leering way just to take in her garment and appearance.

“Your bearing and your clothing suggest that you are proud and stately. My people don’t have such fine gowns.”

He walked slowly around her and when he was back in front of her, he continued.

“My people treat me and women equal. If a woman trespasses on some law, she receives the same punishment as does a man. If a man a holly vow of matrimony he is put to the death the same as a woman would.”

He waited a moment for that to sink in, then turned around and walked back to the table slowly, hoping she would follow.

“But anything that happens BEFOR such a vow is of no concern. Nobody is considered damaged goods just because he enjoys himself. This is barbarism.”

He again shook his head and sat down. Then he looked up at her again.

“Yes, there is a difference with me, I am a god and if a woman or a man would partake in carnal pleasures with me that would not be considered breaking of vows, but what you told me really sounds like men took control somehow and twisted things badly.”

He realized that he had talked about “his people” as if there still was such a thing, but from what she had told they where long gone and the world had changed for the worse. With that realization returned some more memories. It had bin Min, the god of fertility that had been his main antagonist. He squinted as he tried to remember more of what had happened and especially why.

 

[Perplexia]

"I believe that the men would argue that the state of things was the definition of civilization, keeping their women safe to be bred like cattle. To ensure the lines of succession were to continue and legacies live on and such. These days they refer to Viking having been the barbarians. Who had similar views to to that of which you speak. Their woman were allowed to be warriors, they did believe in monogamy but if adultery were to occur they would chose whether to remain married or not. Women were even allowed to rule in some cases. Which was most certainly against my countries fundamentals."

Katie looked down at her gown before looking back up at him. "I must have fallen asleep in my chair. This isn't anything formal, just an everyday outfit I wear. A formal gown is much finer depending on ones status." She couldn't help but hold her breath as he examined her. He was truly a fine specimen of a man. She continued to listen to his views on the culture she lived in. "In many aspects I agree with you. I do believe in the experience to be one of joint affection or love however. I never agreed with the idea of matrimony to maintain inheritances. Or one gender being mentally superior then the other. I maintain a large estate with the help of my workers. We have yet not to turn a profit."

She watched as he walked back to his table. Taking a breath, she walked forward a little more in to the room before sitting on the floor. Still not as close as he may have wished.

She listened as he talked about being a god and how everyday rules didn't apply to him. "You were a god in your time perhaps. But these days most of the world believes in one god. Though there are different variations of the religions. It all comes down to the same god. However, many wars have been fought simply over one factor of religion believing they were superior over another. Though I still believe that a if a vow has been taken, it should reman in effect..God or no God."

Katie observed him as he went into thought. "How much more have you remembered since yesterday?" she asked curiously.

 

[Finadien]

She seemed very cautious in his presence but also very intrigued and her curiosity could pull her closer to him if he used it just right. He listened to her description and found that more of his godspark seemed to return since even the words that at first made no sense slowly coalesce into something he could grasp. She was talking about fierce northmen and the fact that she herself was some kind of trader or even higher up the ranks.

“Kathleen, I think that your people have taken a wrong turn somewhere if even fierce northmen could understand the value of equity between genders. And I see that you don’t agree with your fellow people but don’t have the means to escape.”

He got up again but kept his distance. He didn’t want to scare her away again.

“What you told me about the gods seems to be part of the cause of all that. To have just one god with an ultimate truth cannot be the right way. Which god has one this apparent war?” he asked.

“Perhaps a bit more about this might help me remember.” He paused and scratched his chin.

“Besides, there also is the question why I have awakened now and why I am in your dreams. Is there anything you can say to that? What I remember is a feud with the god Min. He is the god of fertility, and he wanted to allow sex only between man and woman and only if the goal was to reproduce.”

He started to massage his temples as if to stimulate his memory.

“There is more to this, but it still eludes me, something about the other gods, something…” he trailed off, feeling a pain in his head and a darkness returning. The more he tried to remember the more it hurt, and it finally brought him to his knees, suppressing a cry of pain but he stubbornly pressed on.

“Anything … might … help.” He breathed heavily.

 

[Perplexia]

Katie didn't disagree that her people had taken their morals to a point that couldn't be described as anything but a suppression of not only women, but other societies and religions. It was almost as if the men were afraid of becoming irrelevant in a society where they seemed to have the most power thanks tot he unjust laws.

She watched him carefully as he moved. People believe in most religions there is only one true god. So its more about which religion wins. It also depends on which country you're in, that will determine which religion holds the most power. People of your country for example, the majority believe in the Islamic religion. Italy, majority believe in Catholicism, and England, my country most believe in protestant's religion.

Katie thought about his question as to why was he in her dream, what could have brought him there.. These dreams were so real, not like other dreams. In a millions years she would have never dreamt his comment about fluids from the previous night. What could have possibly made her dream of a God she'd never heard of?

Then it hit her. was that even possible. "My mentor had an artifact sent me that i received before i first dreamt of you. I estimate it was bout 600-700 bc. It was a double phallus. oh ...BC stands for before Christ which is supposedly the son of the God which is was a lot of religions believe in."

She watched as he struggled. "I think it might be morning and time for me to awaken. I hope that helped." Katie slowly stood up and then poof she was gone and awoke sitting n the chair. Slowly she rose and moved her neck from side to side. When she looked at her shoes, there was tiny particles of sand.

Her day began like every other day with the exception that she thought of him. What if all the gods that had been worshiped in the past were actual gods? She of course had her own doubts about one entity ruling over all the people of the world. She as more of a show me person. Science as where her heart laid.

Having a hot bath drawn she soaked and pondered everything she'd heard about mythological gods and such. By the time that bedtime came around again she decided to test some things. To see if it carried over to the dream or not. So taking a needle she pricked her finger and put a bandage over it. It also made her over if she did the same there. Would it then carry over to her awake world.

 

[Finadien]

Darkness came and went. One moment she stood up and then she was gone and he with her. The next he again was sitting on the throne and she appeared in the doorway. She was dressed differently as if she expected to be at some formal reception and she had a bandage on one finger.

He got up and walked to her.

“Welcome back Kathleen, he greeted her, “what happened to your finger?”

He again invited her to the table without pressing her too much. He sat down and again savored different dishes not because he was hungry but because he liked the taste and the texture and everything else. He realized that this time the dishes were slightly different. There was a kind of bread there with thinly sliced meat between it and he was delighted to have found some new taste.

Momentarily distracted he took another bite and then looked up at her.

“Do you know what that is? It tastes wonderful!”

He chewed and when his mouth was empty again, he smiled at her.

“What you told me just now…” he paused, realizing that for her it probably was more than a minute that had passed, “… what you told me last night? Anyway, I am remembering much more now.”

“It all started with Min being very adamant about sex being only used for procreation and I opposed him. We quarreled and fought and when I made clear that I would not let that stand they tried to put me in my place and offered me to continue as a lesser god, one perhaps mentioned but not really worshipped. I refused.”

His smile turned sour, and he looked at her with a sad expression.

“The other gods thought that my influence was poisoning their followers and banished me. To insult me they choose one of my holy symbols to confine my essence in. Apparently, your mentor found it and somehow you opened a pathway to communicate through it with me.”

He scratched his chin in thought.

“I guess this incident was one of those that shifted the balance in the wrong direction, but I cannot be sure. Regarding the other gods, there was the one of the Israelites who seemed to be rather jealous of other believes but I don’t think that matters anymore. From what you told me there are no gods that have any real power, there are just believe systems and that makes me wonder what happened to my brethren.”

 

[Perplexia]

Kathleen looked down to her finger. "Hello Seth-Amon, it was a test to see if an injury in my reality would transfer over to my dream. As it seems to. If you would be so kind to heal it, that way I can find out when I awaken if what happens in my dream will transfer over to my reality." With that she took off the bandage and approached him holding out her index finger to him as she took a seat in the chair next to him.

She listened as he told her the things that he was remembering about the feud. "Free thinking has always been an issue with many. I would hope that in a relationship intimacy between a committed couple wouldn't just be for procreation. I would hope that its because the two involved want feel that connection and passion between them. I would assume that is the reason that men have mistress' just for the carnal pleasure or intimacy they may not have with their wives. Arranged marriages, are still quite popular. Women are sold like cattle, and expected to not disobey and not have their own opinions. We are merely meant to be bred and produce offspring. In the cases where a woman disobeys and marries someone that is in a lesser station then them, they are often shunned by their families. "

Katie wondered about the gods of his time before speaking again. "I suppose it is possible that in secret a lot haven't given up the ways of their ancestors. As to whether this belief could fuel their existence I am not certain. If the belief in anything other then the social norm were discovered. I'm certain it could lead to strife between many individuals. Unjustly so, if I may add. I've always found it a bit silly that people would dismiss so easily things that existed in many cultures for thousands of years. Simply to fit in with what is socially acceptable. But to some the acceptance of society is everything."

Picking up a piece of fruit she lifted it to her mouth and gently placed it between her lips biting down and savoring its juices. "Had I known the food would have been better here i would have skipped dinner and ate with you. Though in my reality, succumbing to anything to much has consequences.."

 

[Finadien]

He looked at her finger and wondered what he should do about it. He was sure that his healing would carry over to the real world, but would she be afraid of the implications? Would she try to get rid of the artifact and so with him?

He had to chance it, if he refused to heal her she would suspect some hidden agenda and this would be even worse. But he would do it in his own way. He took her hand slowly and gently removed the bandage and looked at the small wound. It was nothing that would really hurt her, just a test as she said.

He pulled her hand close to his mouth, placed a gently kiss on the finger and licked the drop of blood from it. With that the wound was not only healed, but there also wouldn’t be any scar left. The time the drop of blood didn’t bring him strength it didn’t something else and he wasn’t quite sure yet.

He listened to her words and realized that she was looking for the same things as he was, freedom to decide her own fate. Where he was imprisoned in her dream, she was caught in the cage society had built for her gender.

He waited for her to taste the fruit and then returned the slight smile she was giving him.

“Everything has consequences.” He agreed. “it is always important to judge if you are ready to face them. Eating with me and not alone will not really have that much negative consequences and since I’m certain that the nourishment you find here will also carry over into your waking world it shouldn’t be a problem.”

He again took her hand and pointed at the finger.

“You can check this and decide afterwards.”

He didn’t let go of her hand and looked her deep in the eyes.

“You are caught in a cage made by men who are afraid the will lose control and I’m certain I can help you there as well but there are two things that you also have to decide.

“First: Are you ready to face the consequences of a woman that intends to escape her cage?”

“Second: Do you trust me enough to let me help you?”

With that he gently pulled her hand closer and placed another kiss on the back and then a bit further up her arm smiling at her.

 

[Perplexia]

"The cage that you speak of isn't one that can be changed." she replied as here eyes stayed with his. "The only escape would be to marry a like minded man. Who would allow me to maintain my way of life. The only way you could help me would be if you could materialize into my world and marry me. But you've already stated that you have don't believe in monogamy. That and t would be a marriage of convince not one of love."

She pulled her arm back. "You already know don't you? that when I waken that this will be healed."

Katie leaned back in her char and looked at him. "I've only met you a few tames, why would I trust you? You wanted a world which goes against my beliefs of loyalty and honor to one person."

She picked up another piece of fruit and placed it n her mouth. "if the talisman that you were placed into breaks. What would happen to you? Would you be free or lost?"

There were a lot of questions coming to her mind that she was mulling over. It wasn't as if she needed to marry. Because there were no male heirs, everything was hers. She could run it as she wished. She could really care less about her role in society, the only thing she couldn't do was vote. But one day she hoped to have children to pass this down to.

 

[Finadien]

“Marry you?” he said with amazement. He chuckled and looked her deep in the eyes.

“I’m a god, I do not marry. The getting out of your dreams and into your live is the much more easier part of this plan.”

He watched her as she savored the fruit and realized that she was not that adverse to enjoy herself, she just hadn’t accepted that this was a much more natural think to do and that all the inhibitions she was feeling were dictated by the society she had grown up in.

“I will not lie to you. I will not promise you anything just to get out of this prison. But I AM a god and if I would to escape here I will have at least some powers and with them I will make sure that you can live your life as you like without anyone interfering.”

He shook his head.He

“The world seemed to have taken a wrong turn somehow and I would like to help rightening somehow. No, that does not mean a world without loyalty and commitment to one person, it means a world where everyone is free to choose.”

“I don’t know what happened when you break the artifact, I don’t even know if that is possible. But if I had to guess: I will be free, but without a body to inhabit I will disperse. I’m not powerful enough to do something about that, at least not yet.”

He thought for some moments and then came to a conclusion.

“You could create a body for me and help me escape your dreams and I could help you to get your freedom. If that takes a lifelong commitment so be it.”

He paused for a moment to judge her reaction and then added.

“You realize that as a god I will not age and die. So we are talking about your life and if that is the price I will gladly pay it.”

With another look at her he realized that his price wasn’t very hard to pay. He had slept for apparently a long time and if he had to be with one woman for a few years it would help tremendously if she was as gorgeous and as fiery as Lady Kathleen Savoy.

 

[Perplexia]

"well that concludes it" she said as a matter of fact "you do not marry, and I cannot have a man dwell at my residence if I do not marry. I will also not marry for anything less then love. So helping you doesn't really help me. Other than changing a world which will be slow to change anyway. I shan't live long enough for that. " She hadn't the faintest idea of how she could create a body for him to inhabit.

"The only purpose for marriage for me would be to have children. For someone to talk with that I could be partners in life with. It is not a necessity as I'm well off and lead my life as I choose. I can accept others disapproval because its my life on my terms"

She thought about it for a few more minutes. That being said, I think I know of a scientific method that could be used to allow u to escape the artifact. If i place it inside of a glass jar and drop in a small drop of acid. It should be more then enough to collapse the artifact releasing your essence into the jar. I shall take you to the hospital where there are patients barely holding on. I believe Lord Ackers of Bath may be one such man. Reasonably dashing, has a large estate, no children or wife. He is known for being quite the womanizer. Perhaps a wake from deaths door may be enough to change his ways. But then given your apparent hunger for mischief, perhaps not."