The sails took all of the wind they could, and cut through the waves with incredible speed. The ships at our side had their sails down as well, following behind as I went below deck. Below the boards, and in the hull, was a small shrine with non perishable offerings set to the side. The shrine itself was for Olympus, but the offerings could be used for any god or goddess you needed.
I set up seashells, a small bowl of sea water, honey, and a trident. I knelt my head and let go of myself for a moment, "Lord Pelagios, Enosichthon, Hippios, Poseidon. Grant me storms, grant me passage to lands that cannot be reached by normal means."
I waited for a few moments and nothing came, I remembered when The Senate said I'd receive no help out here and they clearly meant it. I thought what Poseidon couldn't ignore, what my dad couldn't ignore. I grabbed my sword and ran up to the top deck, my father wanted sacrifice for his attention in ancient times so I had to give him sacrifice.
"LORD POSSIDON! I WILL NOT BE IGNORED!" I shouted, my voice boomed across the waves.
"Sara, what are you doing?" Andromeda called from the helm.
"Something really stupid," I said looking at the ocean that refused my order.
I bared my teeth and prepared myself for what was coming. I looked at Andromeda and held my arm over the ocean, I moved the blade of my sword down my arm. The burning sensation followed by quick warmth of my blood followed by numbness quickly spread down my arm, my blood poured into the ocean as sea foam turned brilliant red. I grew faint, dropping to my knee. Dammit dad, don't let me down — down now. My thoughts slowed as a massive wave hit the ship and sent me off the ship. I felt my body engulfed my the cold salty water, my name burned in my ears as someone caressed my body. I saw a shadow in the water, and I vanished into the ocean.
I came to in an empty room, Atlantis' throne room, below water and dimly lit. Ahead of my was Poseidon, the water around him burned with righteous anger.
"Daughter of Poseidon!" He shouted, the noise was deafening. Even in the water, my natural element, my ears almost burst.
"Hi dad….you do something new with your beard?" I started nervously, looking at the walls.
"Out of all the reckless, dangerous, and outright idiotic decisions you have made this takes the entire damn vineyard! I mean what were you possibly thinking Sara! If it wasn't for my position you could've…." Poseidon stood, taking a deep breath, and running his hands through his hair. "I can't lose you-"
"The same way you lost Atticus?" I interrupted, looking up at Poseidon.
Denial. Anger. Depression. Acceptance. They all flashed in his eyes as he stared at me, what were once brilliant blue eyes turned into storm clod grey with brief flashes of lightning. They finally mellowed out into calm cyan rings as he held my face.
"Atticus? Son?" He asked, tilting my head side to side.
"Yes, Pater. You had me blessed with this.. gift.. and now I can't stop seeing my lives! From Zeno, to Rome, to Reaper, and now this! Dad! I can't- I can't do this anymore! WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?! You're supposed to love me! How many times have you watched me die?! How many times did I die and you didn't even know me?!" My chest burned, it felt like my heart was ready to burst as tears lined my eyes. "You're supposed to love me," I choked out as my legs threatened to give out.
I felt his arms around me, pulling me close. "Sara, I'm so sorry. If I had known what this would do to you, I never would have done this…" Poseidon whispered. "Is that why you're in that gods-forsaken place?"
"I'm seeking Tiresias, I need to know what happened that day in Atlantis. Why I was cursed, why Zeno went mad," I answered.
I cleared my throat, staring at Poseidon who seemed hesitant to answer. He looked into my eyes, making sure I was fine, then stood up straight. Poseidon moved towards his throne, sitting down and took deep breaths following my breathing as I wiped my eyes. That's when I realized that I was crying underwater, that's an impossibility even for kids of Poseidon.
"You're not actually here, you locked me in a vision state while the water heals me," I looked around once more, I should've known better. "You're not even my dad are you, Amphirite?"
Poseidon's visage blurred and mellowed out into a beautiful woman with darker skin than my fathers, dark leather hair bounced down perfectly to her shoulders. She wore a pink peplos adorned with gold and seashells, her eyes were a mellow pink, softer than Aphrodite's, yet were as wise as Athena's.
"How did you know?" She asked, sinking into the throne.
I rubbed my eyes one more time, "I'm daddy's little soldier, he'd never hug me unless I was physically hurt and even then I don't think he would mean it. That and he'd never come to my aid in the ocean, he's proven that more than once." I looked at Amphirite, "Can we just…forget this ever happened, please?"
Amphirite sat up, "Sara—"
"Please!" I shouted.
The Sea Goddess looked at me, pity in her eyes that I didn't need. Amphirite waved her hand and I opened my eyes to a white beach, bordering a lush jungle with bright pops of color decorating the canopy and emergent layers. I stood up and my wrist had healed over, leaving dull white marks visible on my skin. I laughed to myself a bit, in the right angle it looked like a macadamia cookie. Poseidon hadn't answered my prayer, or my trip into the ocean, so it was true The Olympic Gods had no reach out here. That said, Amphirite could come save me so that meant Minor Gods could come out here but why?
"Hey there, little lady," Jack walked down the coastline infront of me. "We really gotta stop meeting like this, especially with the whole island hopping."
"I didn't summon you, how are you here?" I looked at me, gathering my thoughts and securing my gear.
"Your friend summoned me and told me to follow you knowing I have to do what is asked of me. I'm also acting as a beacon for the fleet, they're following my magic," he said as he flicked the brim of his hat.
"Ok, you're with me then. I need to talk to Kalypso and see if Telemachus is here or if she saw him," I marched off into the jungle.
I heard the clinks of Jack's gear as he followed through the jungle, "Y'know, I knew another chosen kid of Poseidon, it's how I got my gun actually. A sort of souvenir from an old bounty hunter, I wanted to challenge him myself but I'm glad I didn't. Bastard cheated in his last duel, shot his opponent in the back."
"Did you know who his opponent was?" I asked, curious to see if he knew who my past life killed.
"No, some outlaw though. Thought about claiming the bounty, but it wasn't my kill. Well, that and the fact I was wanted in almost every state," Jack let a low laugh, thinking about the good old days.
"It was Reaper. The same man who'd hunt you down years later and almost kill you, Jack," I answered. "He was a dangerous outlaw then, and tri-fold so when he rose again," I thought back to the books I read about Reaper and Jack.
Jack looked stunned, as he stopped dead in his tracks. "How did you?-"
I turned and drew the revolver from my hip the same way I had all those years ago against Reaper and many other outlaws. "Cause that was one of my past lives, I remember you. I wouldn't have cheated against you, Jack. Especially if I saw the man you'd became long after, that being said you wouldn't have won."
Jack's gun had left it's holster, but by the time it took him to raise it I would've put a shot through his chest. "Well I'll be damned, little lady, you got that curse my sister had on her. Curse of…Zagreus, right?"
We both holstered our guns. "Yes, I do," I thought back to what Andromeda told me a mere couple of hours earlier. "Jack, you should know-"
"Andromeda Rose, the little girl, is the same Andromeda Rose I knew back then? I figured. The eyes, the way she stared at me…. I knew it back in San Francisco. The only person i haven't found is La Volpe, Hekate Sorceress. I remember at one point I traveled to 1969 and found out she was ascended to actual godhood, I wonder if she's still around," Jack sighed out walking past me into the jungle.
"Do you remember her actual name?" I asked, following Jack's lead again.
"She's taken many, I think she was named Something Rossi in '69," He answered as he jumped over a small root.
"Eva Rossi? Goddess of The Written Word?" I asked. "She lives in Maine! In Marco Rey estate! She watches over Athena's Legion, and they guard her home. I know she helped The First Roman, but I didn't know she was the same Hekate Sorceress in your books."
"Marco Rey estate?" Jack smiled looking back to face me, "What god thought of that name?"
"Hermes," I looked at him as we came across a cave with wooden beams throw over the entrance and a barely held together door.
"Of course—" Jack stopped dead in his tracks looking at the cave. "Kid, get behind me." Jack's tone grew serious as he cocked his revolver's hammer back.
I stood behind him as Jack moved towards the door, slightly crouched down as he moved his hand down. He looked at me and pushed his fingers to his lips as he stepped up to the door, I sensed a river nearby and tensed my wrist snaking water over dirt and roots pooling water at my legs.
Jack took a singular step back and whispered, "Get ready, there's two gods behind this door and Calypso doesn't normally get visitors."
In a singular motion, Jack kicked the door down and drew his revolver. The door came off its hinges as the beams over the cave cracked and splintered near the door. I followed behind, water circling and locking around my wrists. In there were two goddesses sitting at a table, one I recognized from portraits while the other looked like my sister Olivia's friend.