Aries and Hephaestus went straight to Poseidon's castle. Aries and Hephaestus being, born of the titans, had the natural Godly ability to breathe under water. With Poseidon's permission to come into his castle, they were even safer in the water. Poseidon was more than willing to help with their problem again.
Poseidon immediately sent scouts out to search the seas to see if they could find Aries other half. Even Poseidon knows that no one can find out what my true identity is. We are in the past! To change the past is to change the entire world. Poseidon knows the secret because he was part of the decision to send them to the past.
Hephaestus still does not know the story in its entirety. All the Olympians know save for Hephaestus and Aphrodite. Hephaestus and Aphrodite are about to have their own journey into the past. They all know that Joy will not do anything to significantly alter history. I am considered trusted.
Hephaestus went out with one of the search parties, and Aries went out with Poseidon. They searched every inch of the oceans and lakes until they found Amimitl and myself. However, neither Poseidon nor Aries recognized me. Since Amimitl had turned me into a mermaid.
The best way to look at me here is like a copy. The difference being that now I was a mermaid. Otherwise, I looked, acted and sounded just like myself from the waist up. I did a good job at staying out of the way. The only problem was when Amimitl came to me and pulled me out of the corner.
At first Aries and Hephaestus were so busy arguing, that they did not recognize me. They were to busy arguing with each other. Poseidon stepped forward and grabbed my chin turning my head from side to side. He looked at Amimitl and shook his head. Amimitl pulled me back a few feet and smiled.
Poseidon slammed his trident on the floor. It made a loud thunder sound. Aries and Hephaestus turned their heads away from each other and towards Poseidon. Poseidon pointed at me. But the two gods did not get the point. They went back to fighting about weather I was there or not. Poseidon then grabbed me and shoved me in between Aries and Hephaestus. As he did he shoved Amimitl back against the wall.
I smiled not knowing what else to do. Aries stopped arguing and got a good look at me. Hephaestus did the same on the other side. They walked in a circle around me. Then the water seemed to get really warm. Poseidon grabbed me and pulled me back. The water around Aries and Hephaestus had begun to boil.
Both the god looked at Amimitl he put his hands up. "Please let me explain before you whip the floor with me. You see she came to me!" The room was getting hot now. Poseidon created a bubble of air around us all. We were all standing on real feet on dry ground now.
Poseidon slammed his trident on the floor again. Everyone looked at him. "You two are boiling the sea water. There is sea life that will not survive the intensity. Let him finish." Amimitl snapped his fingers and a several chairs appeared. Everyone sat down. Amimitl walked him through what he had trained me on, and why I was there in the first place. He explained about teaching me to split myself. Then what happened the night I had left.
As he talked and explained the matter, Poseidon chimed in here and there confirming certain things. Like that he could only keep an air bubble going on his own for a short period of time. Mainly due to the fact he was still learning his abilities. That he was right about it not being safe to take me to the surface when his abilities were depleted like they were. In essence, he had saved my life. But when he heard about Hephaestus, he burst out laughing. "To think of the beating Aries gave you. To bad that was not caught on recording. How does it feel to get some semblance of the anguish Aries caused you Hephaestus? What about you Aries? You two are brothers! Maybe now you know how it feels."
Aries and Hephaestus looked at each other and shook hands. They were no longer angry with Amimitl. But they still needed to find me. At least now they knew I was not in the ocean. Poseidon confirmed it through his scouts. Amimitl and myself confirmed it as well. I could not tell them where I was though. I could only tell them I was enjoying the wind in my hair.
They both took off again leaving my copy with Amimitl. They even agreed that my copy was not me. That the marriage was consensual. At this time though they decided to split up and see who could find me first. They thought it was important to tell me that each time I split, I was literally leaving a piece of myself behind. A bit of my personality so to say. However, they did not tell me or Amimitl this. They wanted to tell me. It might have helped if they had told me then and there. But no! They wanted to do things the hard way.
Finding me I was going to purposefully make difficult. Now I knew they were looking for me. I watched the entire scene through my own eyes and ears. I knew better than to be found. On top of which, to my face Aries told me he had no problem with me marrying other guys. As long as it was as a split copy of myself and not me. Well, he can go kiss a tree for all I care. If he refuses to commit to only me, than he will have to do the work to find me. By the time he finds me, I may have changed my mind.
I was so upset by my new revelation that I was not paying attention to where I was going. I was flying up this beautiful creek bed. I was just following the water. I was so lost in thought, that I did not see the huge cliff face directly in front of me. I flew right into it behind a beautiful waterfall. I hit it so hard that I began what is now the Grand Canyon. I gave it a fantastic start and the water did the rest
I woke up several days later in a cage. A tribe of men had seen my fateful flight. They rescued me from the water and nursed me back to health. The only problem was this was a warrior tribe. They thought I was some great deity. They put me in the cage so they could keep me all to themselves. I had hit my head so hard I could not remember anything not even my own name.
I looked like a frightened monkey in a cage. It took several days for the tribes women to coax me out of the cage. Once they had they bathed me and dressed me. They treated me like one of their own. Eventually even adopting me as one of their tribe. They taught me their ways and their language.
One day was a particularly bad day for me though. I had awoken to one of the neighboring tribes men trying to rape me. My anger could not be matched. I had shared the tent with other maids. But when I was attacked the women had been kicked out by the jerk.
He did not just attack me. After throwing the women out the women ran for help. He on the other hand, jumped landing on me. He drooled on me as he held me down screaming. I fought with all I had in me. Once I got the leverage I threw him across the tent room and out the door.
He had torn my clothing but he did not do the deed. I walked out after him. I was so angry that my entire body was glowing. He got up and forced a kiss on me holding my hands down. My body burst into flame. He fell backwards screaming and trying to crawl away. I walked after him. I could not speak his language. But I wanted him scared of me.
I turned to walk away and the women cheered for me. The idiot man ran and jumped on my back burning himself irreparably. He fell on the ground screaming. The fires pits around me blazed to life. One of my tribes men walked over and finished off the horrible excuse of a man. I walked off to the water to calm down.
The tribal women brought me new clothing and praised me for a job well done. Some of them wished I had killed the dirt man, several of them told me how impressed the men where at my abilities. They knew I was powerful, but none of them knew just how much.
After that, they brought me all kinds of food and water. Many things like fully cooked entire snake, just did not appeal to me. I lost weight and the tribe thought I was much more pretty because of it. They started calling me their Phoenix. I was a sign of strength, fire and power.
They dressed me in their finest clothing. They brought me tribute of gold and jewels. There was a never ending promise and show of men that they would bring through my tent each night. They wanted me to pick a husband to stop the other tribes men from trying to take me. But I could not pick any of them. I did not want to hurt any ones feelings.
None of those men got what they came after. They all came seeking sex. What they called whoopie. Every one of them leaving disappointed. The tribe elders finally decided it might be best if they had a competition. The winner of the competition would be proclaimed my new husband as well as the chief of all the tribes who believed.
The tribes gathered all the surrounding tribes for a bonfire. There was dancing and feasting before sunset. All the tribes women except me danced for the tribal leaders. After dark, the tribes men made a large pile of brush for the bonfire. I was helped on top by my local tribes men. The main chief nodded at me to show my amazing powers.
I raised both hands in the air and did a sinuous dance. I had the attention of both the tribal men and women. As I danced I gradually caught fire. It started with my hands and worked its way down my arms. My hair lit a blaze and the fire slowly crept down my chest, tummy, pelvis, thighs, knees, and feet. Once I was all ablaze, the brush exploded in an amazing display of fire.
I was flying above the fire and gradually let myself down to the earth again. I walked up to the chief and breathed out slowly. The fire was completely gone and I stood back up. Two of the tribes maids came over with food for me and took me off to where the women were seated.
All the men wanted to be a part of the upcoming contest. The word would be spread far and wide. Two messengers in each direction. Every tribe that believed would be honored with a chance to win the hand of the Phoenix goddess.