Truths and History. Pt.2

Ryan Pov

Mariana comes back from the kitchen with two cups of steamy coffee and the smell of it invades my nose. The coffee smells better than any other I have smelled coming from a cafe or coffee shop. She is full of surprises and if this tastes as good as it smells, I'm hiring her as my personal barista. She passes me my cup and I inhale the strong aroma. I take a sip and although it is hot, it tastes amazing. I hum in satisfaction making Mariana giggle at my response. "It's really good, Anna." I compliment and she nods while swallowing her own. "My pleasure. One of the first things I learned to make." I nod and I have to say, for someone who doesn't know our way of life, she sure makes an impression on making our food. Fast learner too.

"So, what do you wanna know next?" Mariana questions and it has me swallowing really fast, eager to ask for more but regrettably, I choke on my delicious coffee and spill some on my shirt, burning the shit out of me. Mariana thinks it's a joke because she's cackling like a chicken while I rush to get rid of my shirt. I yank the wet thing over my head and when she sees my naked torso she stops laughing and blushes like mad. "That shut you up." I say smugly, she huffs at me and her cheeks go even brighter. "Cover yourself up or I'm not telling you anything." Of course she would use my eagerness for knowledge against me. Reluctantly, I grab my hoodie I took off earlier and put it on. "Satisfied?" She nods and gets comfortable on the sofa again and my giddiness is back because I know, that comfy look means storytelling.

"Okay, you said she was going to serve Neptune. Was she going to do that while they were in the Heavens?" I ask her and when I hope for my mind to help about the ocean heavens, nothing comes up, which is odd. "Yeah, when she was of age and powerful enough, Oedipus held a farewell ceremony for her and on the night of the Blue Moon, the gateway opened and she passed through. She entered Thalassa and on the other side waited Poseidon and a very young, newly appointed crown prince, Neptune." Thalassa, finally my mind gives me something. The name of the heavens is Thalassa, meaning ocean in ancient Greek. Which is fitting.

"I can't seem to delve deeper into this part of her history." I mumble, it's aggravating and makes me feel useless. "You won't. The ocean heavens became timeless when the gods emerged. The Time Gods could only be present in Thalassa when there were no ocean gods. When Poseidon and his wife, Amphitrite came, along with some other lower rank gods like Triton, Oceanus, Proteus and so many more, the Time Gods were no longer needed to keep the flow of time. Since those gods would have their way with the development of Thalassa and everything associated with the ocean."

Okay, to me this all sounds like, when the sea gods came, the flow of time would be endless since water is life and life is timeless. "So because water is associated with life, which is timeless because there will always be something living, the Time Gods were no longer needed there?" I ask Mariana and she nods.

"So, essentially the only way they were ever getting back in, was through their descendants?" Which still gives them some power in Thalassa and a piece of home. "Yes. That way the gods could still get the help and guidance they needed to keep the balance. With the help of the Time Gods, the gods knew when it was time to take the next step in evolution for all ocean life and everything connected to it."

It all sounds so cool and difficult at the same time. These descendants, including me, we have a big role and a ginormous responsibility in the making of things, including the literal heaven of mermaids. That's why we are known as the advisors to the other gods.Wow! I feel so tiny and insignificant in comparison to my task bestowed on me.

"What were their names? The Time Gods'?" Mariana thinks for a bit and I also try to get an answer but like before, nothing. "If I remember correctly, they were known as Chronos, not the titan Cronus, father of Poseidon and the others, the others were Aion and Kairos. Chronos was the first of these gods to be established, he was made to represent empirical time. Past, Present and Future. Later, when Thalassa was being closed of to the three Times Gods, the Roman god of time, and also gates, passages and doorways, was summoned to create the gateway to Thalassa, which was named Mare Nostrum. Because the Nile, which was where the gateway was made, empties into the Mediterranean sea, is why it was given that name." Everything is so linked with each other. Mariana must be a genius for not getting confused with all this knowledge and how the hell does she remember all the names?

"How do you remember all of this?" I pick up my cup, careful not to spill again and take a sip. "Photographic memory." She says, she and Logan shares a trait, I think to myself. Many questions still plagues my mind and I need them all answered but there is one that sticks out like a sore thumb. "Why was I never told by my parents of this?" Mariana looks down and the frown on her face means I might not like the answer.

"When the descendant dies they lose all memory of who and what they were. Aion, who represents the everlasting eternity of the Greek cosmos, decided it was best to start over again with each new generation. To have every new generation to learn again, create a new perspective and find better ways. That's why all the female descendants die in childbirth and the male descendants...their fate is unknown until their death." You know the saying 'don't ask questions you don't want the answer to', this is one of those questions.

When I was born they had to resuscitate my mother, that's why she never told me. She didn't know who she was anymore. And me...if I die the bloodline ends and the Time Gods have no link to Thalassa and no one knows what would happen when there is no longer someone to advise the ocean gods. Where would that leave life in the great aquatic kingdom? I don't have a kid to continue with all this. Mariana is already at war with people who want to take over the entire world.

Like the biggest mass that covers this planet isn't good enough for them. It upsets me to think about this now. How a simple storytelling went so dark so quickly. Mariana's small, warm hand lands on my big and suddenly cold one, "You're my friend, Ryan. I won't let anything happen to you. Besides, I'm going to need your counsel one day when I become queen." She smiles at me and it makes me feel a little better knowing that I have someone looking out for me other than Logan. A Goddess no less, who would have thought...

"But what about this war that's going on?" She snorts at my question, pulling her face rather ugly. "What war? As far as I'm aware this is some thirty six year old man's tantrum because he ain't the rightful heir." She all but scoffs and rests her head on her hand. I look at the time and I can't believe it's almost ten thirty in the evening. We've been talking a while but it hardly felt like it. Carlo finally decided to join us inside while the old couple prepares food. "What did I miss?" He asks, his voice sounding deep and a little hoarse. "Nothing much." I answer him and Mariana rolls her eyes and leaves, going to the kitchen. "You okay?" I ask him. Dumb question but I need to hear it from him. We've been friends since high school so he knows I'd always ask dumb questions when I already know the answer to them.

He flops his hands, shrugs his shoulders and opens his mouth but nothing comes out. He shakes his head at himself and does the whole thing again. What a weird guy...

"If it makes you feel better, she really did love you." Mariana says while walking in with three cups. The smell of the coffee once again has me salivating. She hands out the cups to me and Carlo, which he mutters a low 'thanks', and I just grab at mine like a starved child. "How do you know? Our relationship was supposed to be a secret?" Mariana shrugs at him sipping her coffee, "She used to look like the world was ending every day until one day she just...smiled all the time and was a big ass romantic." That has Carlo smiling a little bit.

I guess knowing that he had such an impact must make him feel better but also even more heart broken. Knowing he made that someone special happy and now they're gone. "Well, I guess nothing good ever lasts. When you showed up you reminded me of her. That's why I thought I could have another shot at love but...you only had eyes for Logan." He laughs but it isn't warm, it's angry and false. Like he's mad at them.

Mariana looks at him, studying his face and his expression. "I know you're hurt but don't shut yourself off from love just yet. You now know that anything can happen in just a moment." I look at my hands resting in my lap. Her words mean a lot to me. I definitely know that. One second you have everything the next, it's all gone. Aaand just like every other time wise but ominous words were spoken, something horrible happens. The ground starts to shake and we all jump up.

"Earthquake?" I question but Mariana's eyes tells something different. Suddenly, a loud piercing scream like sound fills our ears. The glassware shattering and the ground shaking even more. Maria and Papa run from out the kitchen and soon after Logan comes out of Mariana's room.

The sound intensify by the second, getting louder and stronger, shaking the whole house until everything starts falling from the shelves and the floor literally cracks open. "All of ye outside, now!" Papa yells, hardly audible above this painful scream in our ears. We run outside and we see everyone from the entire neighbourhood outside, covering their ears. It felt like forever before the scream stopped and everything calmed down. There is no other sound that could be heard after that. My ears are ringing painfully and I notice that all of our noses are bleeding. Every last human being's.

We all look at Mariana who is breathing hard and a worried look on her face, one of utter terror. Logan walks to her and grabs onto her shoulders, "What is it?" he asks her. She looks like she's going to faint any moment now. "It's Mary. William has her and if I don't go to him...he's going to kill my whole family." Logan pulls her tight against his chest while she starts to cry hopelessly.

What are we going to do now?