Chapter 1 – Classes.

The sound of water gently lapped at the soles of my boots. It was disorienting to go from kneeling to standing without being aware. The world was dark and empty. The only source of light radiated from me. Travelling and getting softer and softer until it couldn't travel any further and I lost sight of the water. 

The slight ripple of the water didn't originate from my feet where i disturbed the water. But rather came from everywhere to arrive at my feet. There was the soft steps of feet in the water echoed from the distance towards me. 

Getting closer and closer. Neither speeding up or slowing down. A woman, naked and yet free of genitalia stepped from the shadows. Her body, entirely made of soft silver gleamed in the light I seemingly radiated. I relaxed as I spotted her. 

The ‘builders’ as practically everyone called them as such. Even to the point where they themselves began to refer to themselves as builders. Usually they would only appear in the world. But they were always seen here. 

“Miss builder.” I greeted her. “Thank you for coming.” I said warmly. The expressionless mask of the builder cracked for a brief moment. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. 

“Miss Alosa.” It said emotionless with a polite bow. “Follow me.”

“S-sorry?” This wasn’t how things went. 

“Please, follow me.” 

“Umm yeah. O-ok.” She began to walk away from me with the same pace as she arrived. I followed, my feet making splashes in the water and yet surprisingly the rings of water maintained their focus on me, even so much as to be slightly ahead of me so that with each step my foot would land in the centre of decreasing rings of water. I caught up to the builder. Walking slightly behind her. 

“W-Where, *ahem*, I mean. Miss builder? Where are we going?”

“Not far.” She said without any inflection. We continued to walk. The only sound accompanying us was the splashing at our feet. I was nervous. This wasn’t how this was meant to go. 18th birthday, full moon, request of a class from the maker. 

Then Builder who offers a choice of a few suitable classes. Not, follow the builder for a stroll. 

I blinked, with nothing but the builder and the water to look at, it was hard to focus. Which was why I rubbed my eyes when I saw a dot of light ahead of me. Or was it two. Flickering in the distance. Torchlight maybe. Definitely fire light. Not that weird mage light that binds to a place for eternity. “What's that?”

“Where you’re going.” The builder said and stopped in her tracks. 

“You're not coming?”

“No. Please continue on Miss Alosa. Good bye.” She turned walking into the darkness leaving me alone in the Darkness. I turned back to the firelight in the distance wondering what the hell was going on. 

With nothing else happening around me I resumed my walk straight ahead. The light began to look like… two windows in the distance. 

“CRUNCH!” The strange noise startled me. The sensation startled me. I looked down at the pebble stones under my feet. Assorted browns underfoot. My boots were soaked.

“Huh?” I looked up at the lush green forest. It was night time and the light coming out of the small cottage was still flickering just the same. But now I could see light escaping out from under the door. I was stunned. This wasn’t how this was meant to go. 

My feet moved from the pebble riverbank that flowed behind me to the dirt grass and shrubbery of the forest before a glassing clearing where the cottage sat. I forced myself to move forward approaching the hut. The door of the hut swung open as I got closer. 

A woman stood in the doorway. Beautiful pearly white teeth shone at me as I took in the woman. Small oval shaped face with large green eyes. Brunette hair that trailed down to her mid back, several plaits ran its length within the hair itself. Her long lithe body was easily six feet tall. 

She held out both of her hands to me and without even being aware of it, I arrived in front of her and had taken her hands. Her warmth suffused me. Running up my arms through my chest and spreading out through the rest of my body. 

“Alosa.” She said softly. Her voice, musical. She walked backwards into the cottage dragging me gently with her. 

“Are you a Builder?” The pearl of laughter that rang out from her was gorgeous and musical. 

“No, they serve my Father. Get the kettle, pour us some tea?” She instructed and dropped my hands. I felt her hands leave mine and it felt like a loss. As if something beautiful had been taken away from me. 

“Your dad?” I tried to focus on the conversation rather than the ache in my heart. The fire crackled as an iron kettle began to whistle above the fireplace. The leather glove allowed me to remove the kettle and I poured water into the cups on the table. This woman worked on the stew hanging beside the kettle. It smelt divine. 

“Yeah, Dad.” She said, “You might call him the Maker.” I paused as the words rang in my ears. The Maker? THE Maker! The fucking Maker?! 

“Usually its sailors that refer to him as the fucking Maker.” She said offhandedly. My hand shook and the kettle fell from my hand. It stopped mid air. The woman had a finger pointed at it. With a flick of her finger the kettle gently came to rest on the top of the hearth. 

“Eznah, Ghatrix, Liseses.” 

“Ill tell my sisters you said hi. In fact, they will probably already know. I don't get many visitors.” She mused. 

“The unknown Goddess?” Divinely inspired art would occasionally have a Fourth Goddess, Hidden away in the Shadows. Mostly the art just showed the four male Gods and three female Goddesses. But common enough was a group of 4 and 4. Even if one was hidden. Leading to a debate that was still ongoing. 7 or 8 gods?

“The unknown Goddess. Mysterious.” She said with a smile. 

“My Goddess. I don't know your name.” 

“I know.” She used a ladle to scoop out large portions of the stew into wooden bowls. If she didn't want to say anything, then I wasn't going to pester her about it. 

“I heard your prayer. It was beautiful.” She sat down on the other side of the table. 

“Even if it wasn't to you?”

“If you knew my name would you have added it?” 

“Of course. But since you haven't given it or proven your existence. It seemed blasphemous to speculate. Now it seems blasphemous not to add it. Even just the Unknown Goddess.” She laughed again. The joy radiating from her made me smile. 

“Alosa. Come sit.” She placed a bowl of the stew in front of me and and tore a loaf of bread in half. I sat down and took the half she offered me. “Even your intention of servitude to my family and I, it seems freeing. Yet you can't lie to us.” She said dipping her bread. She took a bite of the food musing. She gestured to me to eat mine, i scooped a spoonful blowing on it. 

“Servitude with action. I wouldn't care if after this conversation you never thought of me again. If you did what you intended to do when you prayed. Protect people, Get stronger, protect people again? I will greet you in the Afterlife myself. With open arms.” I moaned with the mouthful of stew. The flavour was full and the meat was soft and all of it perfectly seasoned. 

Hopefully with more of this stew. She snorted, eyes filled with mirth and started to laugh.

“I'm so, so very sorry.” She reached across the table placing a finger on my lips. 

“You are delightful.” I relaxed again and dipped my bread for another bite as she regained her composure, stopping to wipe a tear out of her eyes.

“But… this isn't about me, it's about you. You and your class.” 

“My class and access to the system?”

“Gods are gods. The maker made us and the system. Then together we made the rest.”

“But…” I could sense a but coming on. 

“My aspect is Different. Not evil, just different.” She said holding eye contact. “You wish for power and freedom. The system can only do so much. My brother and sisters, my cousins. You don't align with them so they can’t help you beyond a standard system given classes. Hunter, Rogue, shaman. Etcetera.”

“Shaman?” I hadn’t expected that.

“You're in touch with nature.”

“But…” There it was again. 

“But you do align with me.”

“And that is what exactly.”

“All things Carnal.” This was new. No one knew anything about this relating to the possible eighth Goddess. 

“You're the Goddess of Sex?” 

“Crude. But yes. I look at you and I think of a Succubus.”

“I'm a lesbian.” 

“I know.” She sipped her tea for an agonisingly long time. 

She knew I was a lesbin. And still wants to turn me into a Succubus? 

“How is being a Succubus going to help me save people.”

“I'm bending the rules a little for you. And honestly my brothers and sisters do it enough. That I can do it a fair bit, One time, for you.”

“But how is being a succubus going to help me help others?” I asked. I just couldn't understand. She reached across the table and took my hand in hers. 

“Trust me. Succubus is a subclass I sculpted, just for you. Quick and agile, magic as support.”

“Why does the Goddess of Carnality want to help me?”

“Because you are sincere. All of us want to help you. But we can’t. You don't suit all of us. But you do suit me. This has the potential to be a powerful class. But you'll have to work for it.” I was stirring my soup, honestly considering it. 

“A powerful class? Will I be able to help lots of people?

“And have some fun.”

“Thank you. I accept.”

“This will hurt a bit. I'm very sorry.” She placed her spoon and bread on the table. An angry Violent Red flame gathered in her hands. 

“Fine. But tell me one thing.” My eyes started to get heavy. 

“What's that?” My vision began to darken. 

“Whats your name?”

“Just between you and me? Call me Alina.”