Present time:
Naxos, Greece
Maera brushed a strand of her dark auburn hair that came loose from her braid back from here face. The wind was picking up blowing ever stronger. A storm was brewing out further in the sea. She looked out at the scene in front of her. She was standing at the end of the trail that lead to an amazing view of the Aegean sea and the beach below it.
The Aegean was a dark color blue but the sun shone thru the clouds and brightened the sea. Maera still couldn't believe that she was here. After studying for the last eight years in school, and working hard towards her goal of getting her doctorate degree in ancient Greek history, the study of ancient artifacts and to decipher ancient languages.
She had finally accomplished getting her degree this past year. Now she was on a expedition dig here in Greece. She was second in charge along with her professor from collage and a team of 15 others on this dig. It was going to be a good day to explore the island and study the ruins of the temples that still stood after thousands of years.
She had studied Greek history and all mythology surrounding the different legends of the gods. Maera has been interested in the subject at an early age. It has mostly to do with the history of in her family. Maera and her the women in her family have a dark secret that has been carried thru the years, dating all the way back since ancient times. At least how the stories went according to her aunt Thetis has told her. Each female member was born with the gift of second sight. She and others in her family could see into the future. More like fragments of time that have yet to happen, and sometimes the future outcome were like shadows.
With this gift given to her family she saw it more like a curse for the price of seeing into the future came at terrible cost. With these visions came fear of catastrophic consequences of using this gift. Each member would meet an early demise of seeing an early grave. All the women in her family before passing from this so called "gift" would suffer terrible migraines, hands shaking and palms sweating. Almost like a an out of this body experience. The visions were so powerful that over time would take a toll on the person to where it would lead to an early grave.
Her own mother had the gift of sight but had passed away when she was young leaving Maera to be raised by her mothers sister Thetis. Her aunt was also born of the gift, more of a curse really. But her aunt had long ago learned to control it. She had spent years honing the gift of sight. She had taught Maera how to control it as well.
Now Maera can control when a vision were to come about. She has not had many in her later years. When she was younger she had suffer the painful side effects of a vision. Her aunt Thetis taught her over time to control them by mediation, yoga, and being calm. Her aunt even told her stories as a child about how her family came about each being born with second sight.
The stories always start out back in ancient times when the gods and goodness ruled the world. They would place a gift on a mortal as they saw fit. The legend goes that the god of the sea Poseidon had granted the gift of sight to a priestess who worshiped him and his queen Amphitrite. Her name was Actaea and she herself as rumor goes was a sea nymph. One of 50 Nereids or sea nymphs. As the legend goes she was born to the god Nereus and his wife Doris. Her sister Amphitrite was Poseidon's Queen.
She was also a devoted follower and served faithfully to Poseidon's half mortal, half god son Aeolus. The priestess Actaea had watched over the half god as if he was her own, and protected him until he grew into a fierce and powerful warrior. He would eventually become a king. For caring for his son Poseidon granted her with the gift of second sight and for any female offspring to be granted with the gift. Not for any male born for men who would inherit a such powerful gift would use it to their own advantage. Wanting to be more powerful and use it for impure intentions.
And so each female member born from that time on was granted the gift of second sight. More of a curse. For even though it was given as a gift but it coming at a terrible cost. At least that is the legend her aunt Thetis is always telling her. That and almost every member in her family was given a Greek name when born. Her and her aunt both given a name based off the Nereids or sea nymphs. Her aunt claimed that their family had descended from that priestess who has power in her veins as being born a sea Nymph.
Maera has always believed in the gods and goddess of ancient past. Or anything that could help her understand her gift. She had studied for years trying to find anything from ancient ruins to artifacts that supposedly held some kind of ancient power. That is why she has spent years in school learning anything she could. And now she was here in the heart of it. The actual island where the legend of the priestess Actaea began.