‘We have seen him at war and I think he deserves it!’ Bel argued. Bel was the Sun Goddess, Belarus. She was also the Goddess of Fertility and Success. ‘Ah! He is but, a mere mortal!’ Arawn said with a snigger.
‘Enough now! I didn’t expect this among Gods and Goddess, what happened to the unity we once shared?’ Dea asked as she returned to her palace to see a commotion over Taran. ‘Arawn, have you forgotten, you were once a mortal yourself!’ to which Arawn kept silent. ‘And, Taran is our hope against Ambisagrus! Have you forgotten that we live in fear because of that demon!’
All of them kept silent as the past unfolded in their minds. Although the Gods lived comfortably, there was always the silent fear that Ambisagrus and Balor would one day take their throne and bring chaos to the three realms. ‘How sure are you Taran is our hope? I have not seen him in action and have my doubts’ Arawn continued. ‘Go get to know him Arawn, you will not regret it’ Nemesis said as she joined in and stood beside Dea.
‘The Oracle has spoken and it has said that the next God of Thunder’s legitimacy should not be questioned. All will be revealed in due time, be patient’ Dea said as she stood in front of the group.
‘Why can’t his legitimacy not be questioned?’ Arawn pressed Dea in a raised voice. ‘Maybe I should make a visit to Earth and see what he is up to’ Arawn continued.
‘All will be revealed in due time’ Dea said to the group as the room went silent with that revelation. Arawn and Bel remained silent and wanted explanation as to how this could be possible. It was a known fact that Leucetius had four daughters and no son. The Oracles had never been wrong and they decided not to argue with Dea as they didn’t want to face her wrath.
Chapter 17 - The Eternity Amulet
It had been six months since the triple whammy tragedy struck St Just. The tragedy was still fresh in the townsfolk’s minds as the restoration works and beautification of the town to its original glory was ongoing. Trees were being planted to replaced the trees that been uprooted, new homes were built for those who had lost their homes, roads were being re-surfaced and a task force had been set up as a vigilant group against vampires. However, this taskforce was soon disbanded as time went by simply because there was no way to differentiate between mortals and vampires and there was no one to guide them on the differences and what they should do in the event of another strike. In the age of law, justice and evidence, it would be difficult to convict someone based on judgment alone. The townsfolk did consult local shamans to protect their town, but their remedies were temporary.
The unconfirmed vampire attacks had caused fear in the townsfolk. Everyone was viewed with suspicion and unknown to the mortals, the demons had retreated back to their lair. Balor and Ambisagrus were recuperating from their wounds and hurt. I had decided to keep out from the vigilant group although I could differentiate all sorts of entities that walked earth. It would be jeopardizing my identity as questions would be asked about who I was. Also, so long as the demons didn’t harm any mortals, it was fine with me.
I had found out from Jake that Sarah initially had been saddened by my departure as she felt that I did not give her a chance to say goodbye. However, with James presence, she soon thought less of me. After all, James and Sarah were set to get married. Rebecca was not in the picture as she had moved to the United States. Rebecca had an excellent work opportunity which she did want to let go and soon after the tragedy, she had packed her bags and left for New York. Jake was now busy with Savannah and although they spent a lot of time together, Jake always placed Sarah as a priority and Savannah knew and had no objections to this. When Sarah did think of Aidan occasionally, she would ask Jake about Aidan’s whereabouts but he gave her the same answer, ‘I don’t know’ every time she asked.
James had been a significant re-entry into her life. James had begun showering gifts on Sarah and they were spending more time together. Although he was busy with work, he would always make time for Sarah. However, he became extremely protective over Sarah and his jealousy streak showed whenever Sarah mingled with other men. Because of this, Sarah hardly mixed around and soon, the only man in her life was Jake, who was always near her whenever she needed him the most. James was also set in his ways, they argued over the venue of their wedding, Sarah wanted a beach wedding but James insisted on a garden wedding. Eventually, it was decided that their wedding would be a garden wedding and Sarah had grown tired of arguing over the venue. She was happy that James was now with her and that they were going to live happily ever after, so she thought.
‘Sarah, are you alright?’ Nara asked as she saw her daughter staring out the window as the raindrops fell on the window panes. Sarah had not heard her. She tapped Sarah on her shoulders and said, ‘dear, what’s wrong?’
The tap made Sarah jump and say, ‘what did you say mother?’
‘Are you alright dear?’ Nara asked again, ‘I’ve noticed that you have been staring and standing in rain these past few days’ Nara said while pouring a mug of hot chocolate. She passed it to Sarah who just looked at it and walked away. ‘I’m fine mother, just thinking about James’ Sarah said as she gave a slight smile.
‘Are you happy with James and the upcoming marriage? You know there still is time’ Nara said. Although Nara was Sarah’s mother, she could not read her daughter’s mind. She had tried many times, even as Sarah was a child, but all she ever got back, were blank images and empty thoughts. It came as a surprise to Nara that he daughter did extremely well at school when she always had thoughts that he daughter never used to think. Now that they were reunited, Nara knew Sarah was always thinking but she never could tell what or why. She had consulted the Elders about her predicament but they offered no explanation. The Elders were baffled just as she was.
‘Yes, of course! I’m happy’ Sarah said as she sipped her hot chocolate and sat on the swing in the patio. She swayed and gently moved her legs to the to and fro motion of the swing.
Nara didn’t want to disturb the peace her daughter enjoyed that moment, Sarah was alone with her thoughts. Jake had gone out with Savannah and would only return after dinner.
‘Sarah, dear, please come with me once you are done. I will be in my room’ Nara said as she watched her daughter from the doorway. She could not help but ask about Aidan. She wondered if Sarah had ever thought about him after their last meeting.
‘Sarah’ Nara said to which she turned her head. ‘‘What about Aidan? It’s obvious you still think of him, is that true?’ Nara asked as if wanting to confirm her thoughts.
Sarah glared at her mother and looked at her in the eyes and said, ‘nah! Why would I want to think of HIM?’ although Sarah felt her eyes tearing at the thought of Aidan and what she had mistakenly thought about him and Jasmine Halle. He was a good friend in the short time they had known each other, he had saved and protected her many times, but, he was a God. And Gods don’t live mortal lives, they are immortal, Sarah thought as she looked at the water falling down from the gutter. It had been raining these past few days and whenever it rained, Sarah only had one thought, Aidan.
At the rain reduced to a drizzle, Sarah looked up at her mother, went to the kitchen, washed her mug and followed her mother to her room.
As she walked up the stairs, she heard rumble and shuffling of clothes, as if her mother was looking for something, when she reached her mother’s bedroom doorway, she saw her mother holding up a pendant and dangling it in front of her.
Sarah was piqued with interest. As she entered her mother’s bedroom, she saw her mother dangling an amulet in her hand facing her. Her mother had closed her eyes and was chanting a something in a language Sarah didn’t understand.
Sarah walked and faced her mother with the pendant dangling between them. Her mother slowly opened her eyes and took Sarah’s right hand. She placed the pendant in Sarah’s palm and closed her palm with her fingers. ‘What’s this mother?’ Sarah asked curiously. She had always been in her mother’s room before but she had never seen this p
endant before.
‘It’s yours dear. It’s the Eternity Amulet. It has been passed down from our lineage, from mother to daughter, wear it with you at all times, it will protect you from any impending danger’ Nara said as she held Sarah’s palm tightly and brought her to the bed.
‘This symbol is called a triquetra and it represents the three aspects of a goddess which is maiden, mother and crone. Triquetra also represent the three domains of Earth which are the sea, Earth and sky or in our language, Magh Mor, Mide and Tir’ Nara explained to Sarah who was bewildered.
‘Our language? Mother, what do you mean? Mother, and I can’t take this, it’s yours’ Sarah argued as she placed the pendant back in her mother’s palm, only to face resistance from her mother who placed it back in her palm. ‘It’s a gift from me to you, come’ she said as she moved to the back and clasped the pendant necklace. Nara came forward and admired the necklace pendant as it fell against Sarah’s pale white skin. ‘It fits perfectly’ Nara said admiringly.
Chapter 18 - Revelations
As they sat admiring the necklace pendant, Nara said, ‘Sarah, I have something to tell you and show you. I have called Jake and Savannah to be present. It is time for you to know the truth of your past and your future’
‘Mother, I don’t understand, what truth are you talking about?’ Sarah said as she looked more confused than before. ‘What is it you want to show me?’ she continued curiously.
Just then, Jake and Savannah walked through the walls of Nara’s room. ‘Nara, you called’ Jake and Savannah chimed. ‘Yes, please be seated, all three of you’ Nara said as she motioned Jake and Savannah towards the bed where Sarah was seated.
Once they had all seated, Nara said, ‘please watch, I’ll explain everything after that’ and then she began her transformation. Nara had white hair and wrinkled skin as a mortal depicting her age. She closed her eyes and then Sarah, Jake and Savannah saw that Nara’s wrinkled skin was becoming smoother, her fine lines around her eyes, face and body had disappeared. Her rough skin was now smooth and supple and her pale white skin changed to a pale golden color. She emitted a ray of light behind her and she was not standing on the floor, she was gracefully floating above it.
When she opened her eyes, her once hazel eyes now flamed amber. Her eyes were now beautiful with the right amount of yellow and orange hues. Sarah, Jake and Savannah watched as they gaped in awe. What was once a mortal Nara, in her place, was now, Electra.
‘Sarah, Jake and Savannah, this is my true form. I am Electra. ‘Sarah, we come from a lineage of Nephele, a race of cloud bearing nymphs, bearing water to the heavens and bringing rain. Working together with the Gods of Thunder, we would nourish the lands and feed the streams. Sarah, your grandparents are Oceanus and Tethys, who await you at the Realm of the Gods. Your father, Thomas and I chose to become mortals, leaving you to inherit all the powers we have within us. Sarah, you are The Protected One’ Electra said in a calm tone as she gracefully stood before the three of them. Electra, in her true form, was a beautiful young maiden. Electra, was curious to know how Sarah was as Iris. Electra placed her right hand on Sarah’s chin and brought her head up.
This was too much of a shock. As Sarah slowly regained her composure, she turned to Jake and Savannah who still sat, open-mouthed at what had been revealed to them. Sarah then used her palms and closed their mouths, she looked towards her mother and said, ‘you mean, we are Gods too?’ she asked curiously.
‘No, we are not Gods but we work closely with them. Our alliance has long been established. The seniors of our race are known The Elders and they work closely with Dea, whom you met? Do you remember her?’ Electra continued asking, wondering whether her daughter remembered Dea as Nara transformed to her human form.
‘Yes, mother, I remember Dea’ Sarah said with Jake nodding and agreement and Savannah shook her head. ‘Savannah, you will meet Dea in due time’ Electra said.
‘Mother, why am I known as The Protected One?’ Sarah asked eagerly. Just then, a white cloud of mist appeared before them, it was Dea.
‘You are The Protected One because you are my successor and in your true form, you are Iris, the messenger of the Gods, the link between God and mortals. The Chosen One is the one who will protect you as long as both of you may live’ Dea said as she gently touched Sarah’s cheek. With that revelation, Sarah became giddy and held her fingers to her forehead and rubbing her forehead slowly. She then closed her eyes and had fainted on the bed. ‘Sarah!’ Nara, Jake, Savannah and Dea screamed as they rushed towards her.
~~
At the Realm of the Gods, Aidan was well-liked by the other Gods and Goddess. He had a good humor and could make even the fiercest guard laugh. His boisterous personality and abundant energy always kept everyone on their feet. However, just as he was good humored, he also had a powerful streak with him and it was a known fact that the Gods did not want to make Aidan angry as an angry Taran could affect the three realms.
Over the course of his stay, Aidan had formed a friendship with Leucetius and his family. He had become friends with his wife Selene and their four daughters; however, he was still cold towards Leucetius and would never be in the same room as him. Marella had been welcomed with open arms and used to spend time with Leucetius, Selene and their daughters. Aidan was amazed that Leucetius would always ask about Aidan, his childhood as well his likes and dislikes and Aidan would always wonder why. One day, Aidan saw Marella and Leucetius hug and Leucetius kissed Marella’s cheeks as he bid her farewell.
Aidan, who had seen the kiss, was becoming furious. After all, Leucetius had once tried to kill him and now Leucetius had kissed his mother. ‘Something is not right’ I thought to myself. Just as Marella walked up to the stairs where Aidan stood,
‘Ah! Aidan … how was your sleep last night? Have you had your breakfast?’ Marella asked as she touched his cheeks. Aidan’s eyes were beginning to flame red and Marella knew why.
‘Yes mother, I slept well and breakfast was good. Why did Leucetius kiss you just now, he had never done that before. Mother, you do remember that he tried to kill me once’ Aidan said as Marella led him to the hall. There she sat him down in the lounge chair and as she sat down next to him, she said, ‘Aidan, there are a lot of things you need to know. I will not hide anything from you anymore. Please do not interrupt until I finish and after that you can ask as many questions as you wish’ Marella said as she held Aidan’s hands which were on his lap.
‘Ok, tell me everything then’ I said as I placed my hands above hers.
‘Aidan, you come from a lineage of Gods. You are aware now that you are The Chosen One. And, you are also aware of some resistance against your installation as the next God of Thunder’ Mother said.
‘Aidan, you need to know that Leucetius and I go back a long way, before you were born. Aidan … Leucetius is your father. I was married to him for a brief period until he met Selene; we parted ways once I knew of their affair. Leucetius had fallen madly in love with Selene and still is. By that time, I had left Leucetius and the Realm of the Gods and chose Earth as my home, only to realize that I was pregnant and carrying his child. We had never kept in touch after I left the Realm of the Gods. On Earth, I met your mortal father, who accepted me as his wife, despite the fact that I was heavily pregnant with another man’s child. Your mortal father was a gem of a man, never you forget that’ Mother continued pensively as she looked at our palms.
‘Then, you came along; you were a handsome young boy, as a baby and as a child. My nymph friends who visited us disguised as mortals adored you and there was always someone taking care of you and carrying you about here and there. You began displaying some powers at an early stage but mortal life memories formed and you soon forgot your true calling’ Mother continued.
‘Aidan, Leucetius is your father and you are his son he never thought he had. Yes, in the past, he has tried to kill you but at that time he did not know you were his blood son. He has repented and with this revelation, I hop
e you two can at least meet’ Marella asked earnestly.
I was dumbfounded; my one time enemy was now my father. As I sat with my head hung, a figure appeared at the doorway, it was Leucetius. Our eyes met. Mother stood up and greeted him; I could sense he was cautious, while I remained cold.
Mother brought him closer to where I sat and as she brought him closer, I stood up. We stared face-to-face blankly at each other, not knowing what to say or do until I uttered, ‘father’ and smile was soon formed. With tears welling in his eyes, he said, ‘son!’ as we both hugged tightly for a long time.
Leucetius then said, ‘son, I’m sorry about trying to kill you’ to which I answered, ‘shhhh … it’s settled. I know’ as I brought my mother into the hug and we had a family group hug. We moved to the balcony and happily began chatting and catching up on missed events. Dea came soon after and she joined in the conversations. She then said, ‘we will make this occasion an official one!’ she said gleefully and spoke to her assistants to call for a meeting at the Successoral Room. The God of Thunder now had a legitimate heir and it was time for a celebration.