Rites of Thyme

Atop a temple, a goddess is born.

'Air...I need air...' A bright light appeared from the darkness that swirled all around the glowing woman. It was so far away, yet the woman knew she had to reach it. Something was pulling her there, she didn't know nor did she care. All the woman knew was that if she didn't reach that bright light, she would never be alive. The woman glided through the darkness that engulfed her naked form. Her limbs outstretched as she reached for the light. As soon as she touched it, everything grew white...

The darkness was still there as the woman was blinded by the light. With slight hesitation, she opened her newfound eyes, eyes that she never knew she had. She was seeing the world for the first time. The bright light in the open air shined down upon her body as she shielded herself with her arms and gasped as she realized she had a physical form. "...I'm breathing..."

The woman was laying in the middle of a deserted temple that was full of water on the floor. In the center of the structure was a medium sized pond that had mystical carvings that were engraved into the stone. All around, lily pads and blooming flowers were surrounding her. This woman is human, but she wasn't born...she was created as one.

Greatly impressed by what she was seeing, she struggled to move her newfound body. At first, she had found great difficulty in just moving a finger. With great concentration, the woman closed her eyes and imagined her body getting up. When she opened them, she was standing. Her eyes grew wide as she fell onto the ground on her side. Water rippled all around her from the impact of the fall. Shaking off the surprising pain she was experiencing for the first time, the woman closed her eyes yet again as she felt her surroundings with her hands. 'Water...I am...of the water...' As she thought this, she felt water all around her body. The woman opened her eyes and found that the water she was laying in was pushing her into the air. It was like it was a living thing, feeling sorry that she had fallen to the ground and pulling her to her feet.

The woman opened her mouth as an unseen force from inside her body caused her to create some form of language, "Your sign is Azure, and you have been chosen as my body. Do my will..." At first, the woman didn't understand. Was she speaking? There was nothing to be done. She was born...no created for a purpose. The being within her body was wanting her, needing her to do it's will.

All of a sudden, a blade of the most intricate design was formed in front of her by five feet. The voice that came from her yet again spoke, she could feel her opening in front of her face move in unison with the sound, "This is your sword. Take it, and destroy the ones that fight..." Without meaning to, the woman grabbed the sword in front of her and sheathed it on her hip.

The voice had commanded, and now she must do it's bidding. The woman, realizing that she would now be called Azure, lifted her weak limbs as she felt her body moving forward. It was time to gain control of her body, but why is it she's not comfortable with this form?... After a solid ten minutes, the woman had finally gained complete control of her form as she walked down steps that towered down to the ground.

It appeared that the temple she was at was located on the mountain of one of the gods of the water element. No one had been placing offerings to this specific god ever since floods had been damaging the nearby villages. Perhaps they had lost their faith or maybe they just simply fear the powerful being from above.

She countinued walking down the steps as the temperature started to get warmer and warmer. At first, Azure had never noticed anything of the matter until drops of sweat began to run off her shoulders, neck, and forehead. She was born of water, there was a possibility that she was being weakened from the immense heat.

Ignoring the feeling she was receiving of being tired, she finally reached the bottom of the temple steps and sat down onto the first step. She gasped for air as she felt something in the body beat furiously fast, which she came to learn from the voice that it was her heart. Something that was required to make her...human...