Chapter 23
Maera felt her legs begin to shake, and she had to lean against the sarcophagus for a moment for support. The room felt like it was spinning, and it got harder for her to breath. She knew she had to calm down but everything she had learned in the last two days and then being in this room was so all so much to take in. She couldn't believe that her name was carved and in her son's tomb. The room felt like was getting smaller and it got harder to breath Maera thought. She had to get out and back outside of this room. "Everything alright Maera?"
"Yes, I just feel a little light headed is all. I'm going to just take a step back outside the temple. I'll be back in a few minutes."
"The others should be here soon, you just take your time. Once they get here we can begin the process of opening the sarcophagus. I'm also going to contact the director of Athens's National History Museum, and have him send some of his people here to help transport this back to the mainland."
"Sounds like a good plan. I'll be back in a few minutes then." He nodded his head and turned back around to the mural on the wall that he was studying. Maera hoped he wouldn't look at the front of the sarcophagus. Professor Morton was the only other one here besides her that knew how to read ancient Greek. She put her notebook back into her back pack and practically ran out of the hidden room.
The hallway outside that lead to the main part of the temple seemed longer to get down than before. Everything seemed to be closing in on her, Maera felt like she couldn't get out of it fast enough. She finally made it back out of the long hallway, and came face to face with the statues in the main part of the temple. She took a deep breath of air and tried to calm herself down. Maera looked around her and saw that there were tourists visiting the sights here. She slowly then walked past the statues and people visiting to head out to the main steps of the temple. The sun was shining and the day was getting warmer outside. She stepped down the last step and headed around the corner to find a quite spot to gather her thoughts. Maera found a spot beneath one of the pillars where she then took off her backpack and sat down on the grass. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down.
As Maera slowly began to calm down she felt like someone was watching her. She opened up her eyes to look up to find an older woman standing in front her. She looked up to see who it was and was surprised to see that it was Actaea or least looked like her. This woman looked older; she wore a dark blue sleeveless summer dress, silver color sandals, her hair was braided, and was the color of dark brown but with strands of grey in it. Also, she wore a necklace which looked almost identical to the one Maera wore but had a dark blue stone on a silver chain instead of being the color dark green.
"Actaea?"
"No I'm Amphitrite, but I'm her sister."
"Amphitrite? As in the sea goddess, queen to Poseidon?" Maera stood up so she could introduce herself. She couldn't believe she was going to meet the queen of the seas. "Yes, I am, and you must be Maera."
"I am. It's a pleasure to meet you. I can't believe that I get to meet you in person. I've only know stories that I read and what I heard from Actaea."
"We actually will get to know one another but that will be in the past. You and I are going to become very close."
"That's what Actaea has told me. She told me that my future is actually the past. I am to fall in love the warrior Aeolus. He's Poseidon's son born to a mortal woman and becomes a great king."
"You know your history and yes you will become his greatest love. I wanted to meet you here and now before you would travel to the past. You must know that there are those who will try to destroy Aeolus and use you against him.
There are some gods, two in particular who believe that any off spring born mortal women and other gods shouldn't be given gifts. For Aeolus he was born with powers and to these two particular gods thought half gods, demigods shouldn't be allowed to granted powerful gifts."
"When you say two particular gods you mean Ares and Hades?"
"Yes, the two of them plotted to eliminate any demigod born to not just the gods but goddesses too, any of them who were a threat to them. That's how they manipulated Aeolus's half-brother Otto, who was another son born to Poseidon and a mortal woman to murder him. Ares stolen a dagger designed by Hephaestus on Mount Olympus. This was no ordinary dagger since it was made by a god it was infused with power. Like all objects made by any god or goddess were given powers and had to be careful who wielded them. Like your necklace it has the power to protect the wearer and can transport them any time or place."
"I see that you have a similar necklace?"
"Yes, I do but this stone has to the power to heal the wearer. These two stones were created by the same person, but each stone has its own separate power. Always keep the necklace on you for it will protect you. Aeolus will give it to you when you're past to keep you safe."
"If you don't mind me asking how you got your necklace?"
Amphitrite looked down at the stone around her neck, and looked back at Maera. "I don't mind telling you. It was Poseidon who gifted this to me to keep me safe. I don't have healing powers or the second sight like Actaea, but this stone can heal the wearer. My gifts that I was born with the power to feel people's emotions and sometimes their thoughts. Not all of my sisters were born with powers, only a few us have gifts. I know that you born with the second sight, and that it takes a toll on you with the visions.
I am truly sorry that you and the women in your family were cursed by husband. My sister should have never been punished for Aeolus's death. She did everything she could save him, but Poseidon turned his anger on her. He spent years trying to find out who gave Otto the dagger. When he learned it was own brother and nephew, Hades and Ares, he then sought out revenge on both of them. When Hades and Ares were discovered both of them went into hiding. Hades believed he could defend himself against Poseidon, but he was no match for my husband, who was out for revenge against his son's death. Poseidon had so much rage in him that he could not be defeated. Hades was badly wounded and went into hiding after his battle with my husband."
"Are they still alive? Actaea told me some of the gods and goddesses still walk the earth even in this day in age."
"Yes, some do. As you can see I have aged myself and look older than my sister. We gods and goddesses can age but very slowly. There are some who kept their powers, but very few have though."
"How did you know that I would be here?"
"I know a lot of things, I have kept an eye on you and your family for a long time. Also, I'm here to see Actaea whom I haven't seen a very long time. She and I were close once but that was so long ago."
"She actually lives here on the island, and she has her own stall down at the main market. I'm sure she would be really happy to see you."
"I don't think she will be, it's been centuries since we last saw one another. I had a feeling she would end up back here to Naxos. It was her home here with Aeolus, and she loved you and Drakon. You were her family."
"I think you should see her, I'm sure she would like that. You are sisters after all, and were close at one time."
"That's very kind of you dear but I'm not sure. So, tell me what did you see in the temple that made you come running out of there? You saw something that made your heart race, and your spinning."
"How did you know?"
"I know what happens in the past, and I know what you will find in the tomb." Maera didn't know what to say for a moment for it was so hard to believe it herself. Yet, here she was talking to an actual goddess from ancient times.
"You found Drakon's tomb did you not?"
"Yes I did, did he know one day I would find it? While I was in this present time?"
"He knew about you being from the future, and knew one day you would come here to this temple and find him. He wanted you to know how much he accomplished in his life as king."
"I just can't believe all this will come to pass. Isn't there something I could do in the past that would save Aeolus?"
"That would change everything in history, it would change other's fates. You must not try to change the past, for it is far too dangerous. You must let history play out as it is or everything could change."