‘Dhe, beannaich an taigh, Bho steidh gu staidh, Bho chrann gu fraidh, Bho cheann gu saidh, Bho dhronn gu traigh, Bho sgonn gu sgaith, Eadar bhonn agus bhraighe, Bhonn agus braighe’
‘God, bless the house, from site to stay, from beam to wall, from end to end, from ridge to basement, from balk to roof-tree, from found to summit, found and summit’ Mother and I chanted as we walked along the borders of my property.
We chanted the prayer with Mother walking ahead while I followed behind her placing the salt blend at the same spot as she did, thus, increasing its power. ‘With this prayer now complete, no harm can come to this property and its surroundings. An invisible shield is now in place’ she assured me.
With the protection prayers complete, Mother proceeded to choose her room. What we loved about the cottage was that some rooms were faced the sea while others faced the moor. We could hear waves as they gently rolled against the shore. Mother saved the best room for me, the master bedroom. It had a one-hundred and eighty view of the ocean and skies. I had bought new furniture and my new bed was made of oak and had elaborate ornamented carvings. Mother had inscribed a love prayer beneath the bed.
Over the next couple of weeks, I proceeded to build a roundhouse, a similar one to the one I grew up in. It was made of all natural materials which I could obtain from nearby markets. To build the walls of the roundhouse, I used dry stone and filled the spaces using clay and straw. I also built a ring of support poles and weaved it with wattling and plastered in daub. For the wattling, I used Hazel wood, as it is a naturally long and pliable wood. For the daub, I used a mixture of clay, Earth, straw and cattle manure. I charred the upright poles to prevent them from rotting. Then, I smeared daub, about an inch thick, making sure that the gaps are shut. Once the walls were built, I raised the roof poles and bound them using more Hazel poles. I had kept a snake of reeds which were bound close to the foot of the roof which was used to provide a stitching anchor for the thatch. For the fireplace, I used bricks and built a small chimney, although during my time, there was no concept of a chimney in a roundhouse. With the roundhouse complete, Mother and I protected it the same way as we did for the property.
‘Congratulations!!’ Jake and Savannah chimed as they entered through the wall. They had grown out of walking through doors after how realizing how fun it was that they could walk through walls while laughing at some mortals who absent-mindedly hit the walls instead of walking through them.
‘Thank you, thank you’ I say as I hug and peck Savannah on the cheek, they did the same with Mother.
‘Do you have to leave? I mean, can’t you stay a while longer?’ Jake asked sadly.
‘I would love too but some business deals have come and I can’t delay that any longer’ I told Jake ruefully.
‘Going to the Realm of Gods has become an overseas business trip!’ Mother said to me telepathically.
‘Jake and Savannah, if there is ever any danger to you two, either negative entities or evil spirits, always return to this place’ I tell them both as I hand over the keys to Jake.
‘Yeah, will do, but why?’ Savannah asked curiously.
‘Mother and I have protected this property and its surroundings to its borders, if ever any negative entity or evil spirit attempts to enter, they risk being burnt at entry, but, of course, they don’t know that’ I tell them, matter-of-factly.
‘Aidan, is it true? You are also the God of Thunder, Taran? I mean, yeah, we saw how you transformed and defeated the baddies, but it’s really unbelievable!’ Jake asked me, after having doubts on whether to ask me to not. He was not sure how I would react but he decided to ask anyway.
‘Yes, it’s true … Sarah told you about me?’ I asked. There had been no contact between Sarah and me after my revelation. ‘Any news on Sarah is good news for me’ I thought to myself.
‘Yeah, she told me and she is still recovering from what you showed her, I mean, it’s not every day God reveals himself to mortals and you revealed yourself twice to her’ Jake said, rather happily, ‘great to know that we are now rubbing shoulders with the Gods’ Jake teased as he gently punched my arm.
‘Jake, take good care of her, I know you have and always will, but there’s no saying what the future lies, contact me telepathically if you immediately sense danger, whether to her, Nara, you and Savannah’ I tell Jake as I pat his shoulders and give him and Savannah a hug. Mother does the same.
‘Mother, it’s time’ I tell Mother as we walk out the door and evaporate into a cloud of mist. We did that as Savannah was not present during the battle and Jake had not told her about me.
~~
Jasmine Halle walked into store as Aunt Josie, Sarah, Jake and Savannah were packing up. They had sold the balance stock to an antique collector who was coming to collect them. They looked up when she opened the door, ‘we’re closed’ Sarah said as she looked up to see Jasmine Halle at the counter. ‘Sarah, just to let you know, Savannah and I would be meeting Aidan later. We’ll see you at home too’ Jake said as they placed an antique jewelry set back on the display panel.
‘I know but this is the only place where I can find you. Can we talk over a cup of tea, please?’ Jasmine Halle continued with her eyes pleading. ‘You can go Sarah, everything here is fine. I’ll meet you at home’ Aunt Josie said as she wrapped a ceramic knotted jug into a box.
Sarah and Jasmine Halle sat down at a private corner in the café and after placing their orders, ‘Sarah, I have a confession to make. Aidan and I are not a couple and if I gave you the impression that we were, I’m very sorry’ Jasmine Halle said while touching Sarah’s hand.
‘I was part of an evil scheme to destroy Taran, or Aidan, as you know him. My task was to lure him using my sexuality as no man had ever rejected my advances before. Once, he was in my grip, Leucetius and Ambisagrus, who planned this scheme, would kill Taran and absorb his powers. I would get Taran’s soul as my reward. Taran or Aidan rejected my advances at every step, in fact, nothing happened the night before on the day I walked in to your aunt’s store and told him how good Aidan was in bed. I just said it to make you jealous as he seemed more interested in you than me’ Jasmine Halle said honestly.
Sarah sat in silence as she absorbed what Jasmine Halle had told her. Jasmine Halle continued, ‘Sarah, I would like to show you who I really am and why I did what I did to Aidan. I felt he did not deserve the position that was given to him, after all, he was a mortal and now all of sudden, this mortal is now God’ Jasmine Halle said as the waiter placed the bill. Jasmine Halle paid and said, ‘keep the change dear’.
‘Sarah, please come with me’ Jasmine Halle said as she led Sarah into a quiet alley. There, Jasmine Halle transformed into her full form and approached a stunned Sarah and said, ‘Sarah, I am Nemesis, the Goddess of Revenge, please forgive me’ Nemesis continued as she transformed back to Jasmine Halle.
‘I … I … I don’t know what to say. Aidan and you? were nothing and all the things that I was thinking. Oh my God! What an irony! What’s with me and Gods anyway?’ Sarah said lost in her own conversation.
‘Sarah, Aidan and you are unique. I have scanned the world and can read what’s on each individual’s mind except Aidan and yours. It’s as if you two have the ability to block out unnecessary intervention in your thoughts’ Nemesis continued.
‘I … I guess I forgive you Nemesis or Jasmine Halle, what do I call you?’ Sarah asked confused. ‘Nemesis would be fine. Thank you for your forgiveness. I won’t take anymore of your time. Take care Sarah’ Nemesis said as she disappeared into a white cloud of mist.
Sarah stood in the alley, dazed and confused. She looked around and then ran back home as fast she could. When she reached Aunt Josie’s home, she ran straight up to her room, to find Jake about to kiss Savannah. Savannah became startled at Sarah’s unexpected entry and moved away from Jake. Jake turned and said, ‘Didn’t your mother ever teach you to knock?’
‘Not when entering my own room. Jake, where is Aidan? I need to
talk to him, please tell me, where is he?’ Sarah said as she went down on her knees where Jake was sitting.
‘Sarah, Aidan and Aunt Marella left for an overseas business trip an hour ago’ Jake said sadly.
~~
At the Realm of the Gods, we were greeted with a “SURPRISE!!’ as we entered Dea’s palatial palace. Our arrival was awaited and a happy occasion. Dea, Agrona, Mars and Nemesis were present to greet us as we evaporated ourselves into the hall. The atmosphere was euphoric; Agrona was elated and gave me a tight hug and a peck on the cheeks. It was good seeing Alain and Agrona and their kids, Aine and Caden who had grown so fast while I was away at Earth. Seeing their family always gave me hope that things could be possible with Sarah.
Just as I walked away with my cup of mead, wanting to get away from the crowd, Nemesis followed me, ‘Aidan!’ she said as she patted my back as I leaned towards the window pane.
‘Nemesis’ I said in a quiet voice. ‘Do I call you Aidan or Taran?’ she continued.
‘Aidan or Taran, one and the same’ I answered as I sipped the mead without looking at her.
‘Aidan, it is … as we first met when you were Aidan and I was Jasmine Halle’ Nemesis continued with her head hung as she stood beside me.
‘Aidan, I’m sorry’ Nemesis continued with tears welling in her eyes. ‘It’s just that Leucetius and Ambisagrus called me into this and that time, I didn’t agree that you were chosen as the next God of Thunder, I became greedy for your soul, after all, with your soul, I thought I could control you to do my every whim and fancy … but it was wishful thinking when I realized I couldn’t penetrate into your mind’ she said tearfully.
‘That’s when I wanted to penetrate your body but that failed too. Honestly, nothing happened that night. When I chanted the spell to put you to sleep, you slept like a log and I become unresponsive. It’s as if you placed a shield against your mind and your body’ she said as I turned to look at her.
All this while, I had always placed a wall around me, I was not used to breaking down the wall and become vulnerable, I was not brought up like that.
‘And Sarah, she is the most beautiful person I have ever met. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to spoil whatever relationship you guys shared but I read James’ mind and I knew he was coming back for her, so I thought to play around and add fire to the fuel’ Nemesis continued, looking into my eyes.
‘But the fire backfired on me I guess, you really scared me that day at the beach. I’m sorry, really, really sorry’ Nemesis said as she rubbed the tears from her eyes.
I looked at her sternly and said, ‘Don’t ever do this again. Dea told me about what you had done to Echo and Narcissus and I didn’t like it. You shouldn’t be coming into Cupid’s way. The higher-up authority should have made you the Goddess of Breaking Relations instead Goddess of Revenge’ I tell her as I flame my eyes red and returning to blue.
‘All is forgiven, Nemesis … just don’t do this again, next time, you may not be so lucky’ I tell her as I finished my mead and turned to get a second sipping.
As I had turned, Dea stood in front of us and said, ‘Nemesis, I have seen that you have made and effort to seek apology from Aidan and Sarah and seeing that they have both forgiven you, I forgive you too. However, you still have work to do and I am sure, you would be able to complete this task in your new role’
‘New role?’ Nemesis said as she looked confused.
‘Yes, your new role. Aidan has recommended that you be Eros’ apprentice. You tasks will include re-uniting love and creating true love among mankind so as to make Earth a better place. You will have access to his arrows, gold and silver and I suggest you talk to him for more details, he is over there’ she points out to Eros who sees in our direction and we acknowledge in return.
‘Thank you, Aidan!! Thank you so much’ she says as she gives a wide smile and hugs Dea and me.
Chapter 16 - The Oracle speaks
Dea and the Elders had been there before but it was a new experience for Nara and Marella. They needed the assurance of the Oracle that their true selves would not harm the impedance of Aidan and Sarah. Nara and Marella touched the side walls and stick close to each other as they entered the room. All this while, they had heard about the room where the Oracles took place, but this time, they were in it, experiencing the mystical aura in the room. There were led to the room by passing through a narrow corridor which was lighted by torches on sconces. The flames lit the passageway and soon they found themselves facing Pythia and her assistants.
They immediately asked, ‘If we were to reveal our true selves, how would our children take it?’ Nara asked with Marella nodding.
Pythia kept silent as she inhaled and went into a trance-like state. The last session ended abruptly and Pythia had to be brought out leaving Dea and the Elders with an unanswered question. As a precaution, Pythia’s assistants stood by her side.
‘Your true identities would have an impact on The Chosen One and The Protected One. They have a right to know about their past. You cannot hide the truth forever. They would accept you for who you are and always seek your guidance. The Chosen One and the Protected One would be reunited and this time for eternity. Their union would be complete. The Chosen One must now learn that he is part of The Sacred Triad which would defend Earth and mankind in the battle against evil. Evil seeks the Nectar of Immortality, and if it falls in evil’s hands, the end of mankind is imminent. The legitimacy of The Chosen One should not be questioned. You know about his past’ Pythia said she pointed her index finger towards Marella.
‘Tell us more, Pythia … please’ Dea pleaded.
‘The Nectar of Immortality is located at the gigantic river encircling Mide. It lies deep in Mide. It is in a vial which emits gold rays. It is liquid in nature. No mortal has found it due to their incapability to reach such depths. Whoever finds it would be immortal and rule over the three realms … but’ Pythia continued.
‘But … what Pythia? Will there be a war? Pythia, who will win the war? Gods or Demons?’ Dea asked and pressed for time from Pythia’s assistants.
At that sentence, Pythia came out from the trance. Today’s session had not taken a toll on her. She motioned Dea and her entourage to leave the room as her assistants brought the next visitor in.
Once they were in the gardens of the complex on the way home, Dea said to Nara and Marella, ‘Marella, Aidan has a right to know who his father is. Time is running out for Leucetius and it won’t be long before Aidan is installed as the God of Thunder, officially. Nara, the same applies to Sarah; please reveal all they need to know. As for the impending war, we need Arousio and Ancamna’s help but Pythia didn’t give me the answers. Looks like another visit is necessary’ Dea said as they vanished into the mist back to the Realm of the Gods.
Back in Devon in Nara’s patio, ‘Come Marella, we can talk. James has taken Sarah out on a date and will only be back after dinner. Unfortunately, I can’t read my daughter’s mind to know if she is at the doorstep or at a movie’ Nara laughed while preparing to boil some water and make tea for themselves.
‘You can’t read your daughter’s mind? That’s strange. I know Aidan can’t, even as Taran, it’s impossible’ Marella continued. ‘How is Aidan?’ Nara asked while placing Marella’s cup of tea on the patio as they sit by the swing outside. ‘Aidan is fine. He sends his love and hugs to both of you’ Marella says with a smile as she sips her tea.
‘And what does he think of the upcoming wedding?’ Nara asked quizzically. ‘He tells me he doesn’t think about it. He did say once, “so long as Sarah is happy with her choices, I’m happy for her”’ Marella continued. ‘Are you happy with the wedding?’ Marella asked curiously.
Nara blinked once and then said, ‘Marella, I have an idea!’ excitedly as she whispered her idea into Marella’s ear to which a Marella gave a wide grin and they both high fived, laughed and hugged each other.
After having a good chat, Marella said, ‘Nara, I have to take my leave now. A
idan would be waiting for me’ she said as she gave Nara a peck on her cheek.
‘Marella, we will be moving permanently to St Just. Sarah has recently bought a house there and with Josie ageing, it’s best that someone be around her. This place will be for sale’ to which a surprised Marella looked at Nara and said, ‘but all your memories are here!’ and Nara replied, ‘yes, but my daughter’s future is in St Just and you know with you’ Nara said as she winked.
‘Ah! That’s wonderful news! We would be able to meet and chat, just like old times. Aidan does travel occasionally between St Just and the Realm of the Gods, so please let me know once you guys are over there for good’ Marella said she hugged Nara and disappeared into a cloud of mist.
~~
‘I object to a new-comer becoming the next God of Thunder!’ Arawn said with his index finger pointed at me. ‘I agree’ Catha said as she turned to look at me angrily.
Arawn was the God of the Underworld. He was dressed in black with a hooded overcoat. He reeked of death and torture. He carried a long sword with a sharp tip. Catha, was the Goddess of War. She and Agrona were counterparts, while Agrona was friendlier, Catha was not and because of that, she didn’t have much friends.