1031 Naked Adventure

“We have, like, a complaint about one of your birds,” Lian says. “He is being a pain to us.”

“The Phoenix Birds are as they are,” the mysterious woman says, “none control them as none control the wind, the sea, or the earth. This is the Blue Phoenix, a pretty bird. She wishes you no harm, only to be herself and do as she wishes. The Red Phoenix you must refer to, correct?”

Lian nods.

“He is being troublesome,” she says, “something he wants he does not have.”

“Oh hey,” Lori says, “love your outfit! This your home? Sorry about all the idiots around here shooting guns. We don’t want them here either. So does the President of this place. He wants to take them all away and like, protect whatever this place is for some reason.”

“Because it is my home,” she says, “or was, a long time ago. Many people used to live here, in grand plazas and homes which lived in balance with nature and the land. And those men with steel and fire powder came from over the sea, stole the riches of our lands and killed all of my people. I hear the firesticks’ sounds in my home and this does not please me.”

“Yeah,” Lian says, “sorry about that. These people, the bad ones with the guns, they are trying to come here and like, um, don’t know how to put this-“

“And take all the rest,” she says. “I do not blame you, for I know your hearts and they are pure. Your family is noble and just, born of a good heart.”

The Blue Phoenix shifts, eyes blinking.

“Um,” Lori says, “can I ask you one thing? Who are you?”

“I am Ixchel,” she says, “goddess of the moon, fertility, love, and medicine. I am the rainbow woman. Wife of Itzamná, creator of the world.”

“Oh my god!” Lori says. “I mean oh my goddess! That is so cool! Do you like have, like any, cool powers to help us out?”

Her lips purse and she pets the large blue bird. “My powers are gone, except for my eternal life. The fact I am awake should concern you, ones new to this world.”

Lian blinks. “Why is that?”

“I sense awakenings like my own, Ishtar and others,” Ixchel says, “and it is said when past gods walk this Earth again, that the end of this world is near. I pray this is not the case. I pray my awakening is because of the noise of the firesticks, and not because of the Great Shadow coming, heralding Eternal Night.”

“Um,” Lori says, “then we will do everything we can so you can go back to sleep, cause you know, if the world ends that would kind of suck for us. And all our readers.”