A Perfect Disguise
The time a disguise was so perfect she forgot who she even was. As narrated by Vordea.
Sometime in the 85th Century
Vordea decided she needed a bit of a vacation. From what was a reasonable question that had no answer, at least not to the other Gods. Eigengrau didn't ask. She never asked, come to think of it. Vordea considered it her best quality, she could just say something was going to happen and Eigengrau would nod a fraction of a millimetre and offer no objections. But we're getting ahead of ourselves.
Vordea chuckled to herself as she thought about how nosy everybody would be if she told them she was going to go play pretend in a human village. So she just didn't tell them. Not even Eigengrau. Just stopped showing up to the meetings. Oh she was sure they would be in an uproar by now, it's been several months. But for now she was just Agnes Howard, a wandering woman who happened on the quaint seaside village of Keld and quite liked it.
To the inhabitants of the village, Agnes was a free spirited woman who seemingly came in with the breeze one day. She claimed to be from here and there, had a delightful airy laugh, and green eyes that sparkled when the sun hit them just so.
Morning found her lazing in a chair on the pier, eyes closed, as a fishing line tied around her toe hoped to catch her breakfast.
"Agnes, you're never going to catch anything like that." A voice from above her said, almost teasingly.
Agnes opened an eye and the face that matched the voice was the blacksmith's apprentice.
"Oh good morning to you as well, Jason!" Agnes said cheerily, flashing her teeth in a sparkling carefree smile. Jason was fun to tease, and he reminded her of someone she was sure she used to know, but the name escaped her.
Come to think of it, was Agnes always her name? She was sure she had another one. Well, not like it mattered.
"Care to join me?" She offered, gesturing at the empty chair next to her.
Jason laughed. "I wish! Master Grazmug wanted to convey his thanks on the apron you repaired. You got a real knack for sewing."
"How many thanks?" She held up an open palm.
"Five of 'em." Jason placed his hand in hers.
For a moment, Agnes's heart fluttered. Jason yanked her to her feet.
"I was fishing!" She shouted.
"No you weren't. You were sleeping." Jason countered, prodding her in the chest.
"Okay I was sleeping."
"Come on, I'm sure somebody needs some help today."
"Unless it's sleeping count me out." Agnes laughed as she walked back down the pier with Jason, one arm wrapped around his.
Agnes helped out here and there. She never worked more than she had to, but never turned down anyone who needed a hand. To nobody's surprise, every single man in the village was constantly trying to woo her.
They needn't have bothered.
She had her eyes set on Jason from the first day she locked eyes with him. She loved his strong arms, his stocky build, but most importantly she loved his attitude. He didn't get swept up with her nonsense.
---
One crisp winter morning, Jason woke before dawn to find Agnes curled up in his bed with him. He smiled. She must have climbed in the window again. He pulled her closer and decided to sleep a bit longer. She sighed contentedly.
Awhile later, he woke again this time to the smell of breakfast. Before he could open his eyes, he felt a kiss on his lips. He opened them to Agnes looking at him almost dreamily. For a moment, he could swear her green eyes looked far older.
"Ah you're awake!" Agnes said, seemingly panicking for a moment. She hadn't planned for this.
"Kissing people in their sleep now?" Jason asked.
"Quiet you!" Agnes threw clothes at him. "Why couldn't you sleep for another two minutes?"
Agnes and Jason flirted as they dressed and ate breakfast.
"Come on, when are you gonna marry me?" Agnes asked, blowing a kiss at him. She really did like him, but he kept putting it off with all sorts of ridiculous excuses like only being 17, not being a real blacksmith yet, and then the latest one.
"Why do you even like me?" Jason eventually asked.
"I just do." Agnes batted her eyes. "Come on hot stuff, tell everybody I'm your woman!"
"They'll think I bribed you."
"You did." Agnes loved this part. Jason stopped and looked at her quizzically. "By being a total stud!"
Agnes laughed her airy laugh again. In-between the laughs, she couldn't shake the feeling she was someone important. But who? Well, she reasoned it would come to her in time. Back to the beefcake in front of her.
---
The next few years just kind of happened. To nobody's surprise, Jason and Agnes got married. They were never blessed with children, but Agnes never took it personally. Looking back at it later, Vordea wasn't exactly shocked. There's one special exemption at the core of all reality, after all.
She's never been happy about it, of course.
Not that she'd ever admit it. Would rather die, all things considered.
Bit of a drama queen considering how old she is. Part of the fun, though. Now where were we? Of course.
One day, Eigengrau visited the village. The old Master Blacksmith Grazmug had died and she was at his funeral. While there, she spotted Agnes. Or rather, Agnes spotted her first.
"Did you know Grazmug?" Agnes asked Eigengrau as she stood in front of the coffin. "He was always pretending to be grumpy. He loved all of us."
Eigengrau very slowly, very carefully, turned her head to look at Agnes. Then her entire body. She stood unblinking at Agnes for several minutes, while Agnes almost absent mindedly chewed on a pastry.
"Oh did you want one?" Agnes asked. "Do Gods eat?"
Agnes offered the half-eaten pastry to Eigengrau.
Eigengrau blinked once. A second time. Slowly, she reached her hand out and took it.
"Thank you." Eigengrau stated, and with that she was gone, as if she never existed.
After Eigengrau determined what had happened, she set about making sure none of the other Gods disturbed Vordea's well-earned vacation. It was the least she could do for her best friend.
Agnes meanwhile, glanced up at the volcano outside the village. She never did like it, but she'd been to the nearby town of Lansbury several times and the library in the town hall had no records of eruptions. Still.
She never noticed the puff of smoke as she turned away. What would she have done even if she had, though?
---
It all came crashing down 20 years after the first puff of smoke. 5 years after sickness took Jason. The volcano roared to life with the intensity of an angry bear. It belched smoke and lightning as the villagers below screamed, desperately trying to outrun the angry volcano.
Agnes stood alone in disbelief, staring up at the volcano. Why did it have to end like this? Could she do nothing to protect these people she cared about?
She closed her eyes tight, pleading to any who would listen.
Then suddenly, she remembered.
"Wait a minute... I'm her." Agnes whispered. She remembered at long last, 30 long years since she arrived in the village. Who she was. No, who she is. "I'm... Vordea."
She glared at the volcano. The eruption died mid-breath, like a child caught with its hand in the cookie jar. The shaking stopped as the volcano guiltily went back to sleep. Turning her gaze to the ocean, the storm clouds in the distance dispersed as if they had been a prank.
"Well, why didn't I think of that sooner?" Vordea asked herself, as she snapped her fingers. Her normal avatar returned in an instant. Got too caught up in the disguise, I suppose.
Glancing around, it seemed nobody noticed Agnes disappear. All for the best, she supposed. She did like this village, all things considered. It was a lovely distraction. Maybe she'd come back sometime. Shame about Jason though. He had lovely forearms.
"I'm sure the Church is in a panic. They always are." Vordea giggled. Wouldn't they be surprised?
She started to walk lazily down the road, as the villagers stared at the volcano, and then at her. It's not like even the most backward peasant wouldn't recognise her on sight, after all.
Ah well. Keld was nice. Maybe she'd visit Vaust first?
Best leave out the part about the disguise, though. Wouldn't want them to know.
She paused for a moment at the house she shared with Jason for a good 20 years.
"No, can't have you collapse any time soon." She stated, and glared at the building for a moment. Satisfied, she continued walking.
Eigengrau joined her soon after.
"Hello Eigen, miss me?" Vordea asked with a grin.
"Did you enjoy yourself?" Eigengrau asked, already knowing the answer.
"It was nice." Vordea answered. After a short pause, she continued. "Thanks, by the way."
"Of course."
In the aftermath, the village finally noticed Agnes Howard was gone. The woman who blew in with the breeze one day 30 years ago was at last carried away by it. Some claimed they saw her staring at the volcano. Nobody suggested she fled. Agnes would have never done that.
Somebody still leaves flowers at Jason's grave. Nobody's ever seen them. Some say it's Agnes.
In a way, they're right.