My time in the white void lasted much longer this time. Long enough for me to attempt a few little experiments. I took money from my pocket and threw it. It simply continued flying in a straight line until I could no longer see it. I thought to jump but with the pressure of Bella’s hand I wasn’t sure what would happen. I tried to push off whatever surface I stood on, but nothing seemed to happen. It was like there was nothing to actually push off of and nowhere to go when I did.

This void really was nothing.

“At least it’s better than a void of utter darkness,” I chuckled nervously, comforted by the pressure of Bella’s hand against my own. “I wish we’d hurry up and get there though.”

Eventually the void began to fade once again. Starting with Bella in the foreground and followed by a bright blue sky and endless lush green fields filled with all kinds of fruit and flowering plants. A garden made in perfect order which made me first assume the plants to be fake.

Immediately before us sat a gorgeous woman atop a floating semi-circular throne; long white feathers radiating out from a gold covered marble base. It served as both her seat and her adornment, emphasizing what little there was of her white and gold garment. Her hair, a platinum gold flowed down the perfect curves of her body to meet the finely laced skirt draped elegantly over her legs.

Of all the surrounding landscaped beauty, she was clearly the centerpiece.

I found it difficult not to stare.

“Greetings hero from…” the woman’s voice began to sing. “…wait. Why are there two of you?” she asked perplexed.

“Are you Ulla, the person Thoth told us about?” Bella asked.

“I am,” the goddess answered. “But why are there two of you? The summon performed should only call a single human.”

“Thoth wasn’t sure either,” Bella explained. “He said Elliot was accidentally pulled along with me. Oh right, my name is Bella Hall and this is my best friend Elliot Norad. He… Elliot! Your…Your hair! Your hair is bright white.”

“You don’t understand,” The goddess said gently raising a hand of slender fingers to correct her. “With this type of summon, a second human should result in the death of the first. There should be no way you both survived such a trip.”

Unfortunately, Bella likely didn’t hear her as she was checking both of our hair for a change in color. Her hair hadn’t changed at all. She was the same Bella she had always been. I was a bit concerned about my own hair, but I couldn’t see it or do anything about it right now. So, I decided to answer the goddess Ulla.

“I can explain,” I began. “There was a bit of a complication with the summoning and I was pulled along, just as Bella said. Thoth explained to me the problem just as you described it…”

I continued my explanation relaying Thoth’s explanation about my being caught in the summoning, that I had been caught in the transfer and that Thoth had used his power to support my transfer. Thus, allowing both of us to travel here safely. I did not mention that I gambled my life on it.

The whole while, Ulla nodded understandingly.

When I finished, Bella had a scowl across her face. She couldn’t be that upset about my hair, could she?

She reached out giving me a good whack on the arm. “All of that happened while I was getting changed. You two left me out of the whole conversation.”

“Well, there was limited time,” I tried to explain.

“With Thoth’s help there was no real danger,” I lied.

“I doubt that,” Ulla interjected. “I did not even know such a thing was possible. Sheshat’s father is more impressive than I imagined. To do such a thing in such a short time is truly impressive. I hope you remain appropriately thankful for such attention from a god.”

“Yes, thank you,” I said. “I am and will continue to be exceedingly grateful to Thoth.”

“Did he explain anything about why you were summoned?” the goddess asked. “Why you are here.”

“No, he said he wasn’t sure,” Bella explained. “That your world was outside his knowledge.”

“Well then, let us discuss things further,” Ulla smiled, waving her hands toward her endless garden.

From an orchard of impossibly ripe fruit trees appeared a pink marble platform. A matching path leading directly to us. Just as the upturned stone reached our feet, Ulla and her semi-circular throne began gracefully floating toward the platform.

Even moving in her chair Ulla seemed to exude elegance. Although given that she was a goddess that was probably to be suspected. I imagine all goddesses are similar in that respect.

Bella and I followed behind.

She fixated on the flowers of every possible variety all in perfect bloom. The garden’s fruiting plants looked so succulent I could hardly resist picking one. A beauty of perfection filling every place you looked with a color so vibrant it nearly hurt just to look.

I tried my best not to fixate on the goddess floating slowly in front of me. Her golden hair waving in the wind of her own motion or the curves of her perfectly proportioned form outlined by the curve of her throne. A beauty just as impressive as the impossible endless garden. Well I suppose their beauties are likely connected. Perhaps the garden is meant to be an extension of her own beauty.

As we reached the stone staging, a light metal gazebo raised from inside the large platform. The structure seemed to both be present and not at the same time. As the wired gazebo grew so too did a matching table and chairs raise from the center of the platform for Bella and me.

How to describe this construction. Imagine a material that tricks your mind into thinking it is both translucent and also fully opaque. A sort of iridescent, transparent metal which your mind doesn’t want to register as real. The only word I could think of to describe it:

““Wow…”” Bella and I said in unison.

“Thank you,” Ulla smiled. “I am glad that you like it. This realm is my domain. An extension of who and what I am. Now, please have a seat and let me pour you some tea from my garden.”

She waived a hand and, just as Thoth had pulled a book from empty space, Ulla made appear a silver teapot form from nothing. Two porcelain cups, each with a brilliant golden rim and ornately painted golden flower appeared on the table. The delicate detail so impressive, I couldn’t tell at first if the cup was empty or had a flower sitting in it.