by Dee King
“I don’t know. I assume something it’s drawn to, like trying to take out all the gods and goddess’ left is the best I can guess?”
We all go quiet; this monster was tracking all our past movements from when we were here last time. This couldn’t be a good thing. It seemed to be like a rabid dog, tracking its prey. We were now the prey, the hunted, and it was coming for us. Nothing like fighting a beast that wants to devour you.
Chapter Sixty-Five
Ready or not, here we go…
Walking away from the table, I step away from everyone and find a window to look out of, searching the ocean for the monster who now sought after us. We didn’t even know how to kill this thing, let alone what the hell it was. How we were going to protect all of us was another question. We had taken on what I had perceived to be the monsters and had won, but this was nothing like that. This was a true monster who could devour you whole. Heck, it could devour a whole country in seconds. Feeling an arm around my waist, I turn my body towards Sebastian. Letting him hold me, we both stare out the window as if it would give us all the answers we were seeking.
“This is where the four of you come in. You will have to kill it while we hold it.” Zack walks over us to showing a distorted image of the kraken.
“That’s it?” I stare down at the picture, taking it from his hand.
“Yep, that’s it. Don’t let this image fool you. That’s only one side of it.” His tone was very serious.
“Okay, us four? No. No way. We can do it by ourselves, not our children.” Sebastian says releasing me.
“No, that won’t work. We need all of us just to hold it back.” Zack tells him, but his eyes don’t meet Sebastian’s.
“You better think of another way because they are not to kill this thing. That’s a job for us, not… not these children.” He points to the four children now standing behind us.
Our children and two Migades children that we were told were ready for this listened to Sebastian as his words were loud enough for everyone to hear.
“The Migades children will hold it back with us, but the four of you will have to do this. There isn’t any other way.” Zack is now pleading with Sebastian.
“They aren’t prepared for this. Hell, we aren’t prepared for this. Battle yes, this… this thing isn’t like a battle, it’s… a killing machine.” I enforce what Sebastian is saying.
“I’m sorry…” Zack tells us as he moves away from us back to the table.
“We’re ready Sir.” The boy standing beside my son speaks.
Sebastian says nothing, just pats him on the shoulder, moving past them, leaving me with the four of them.
“Mom, we really are ready. We’ve been trained, and you were close to our age when you found out about all of this. We’re ready I swear.” Atlas pleads with me.
“Okay. Okay… Just… Listen to what you’re told. Don’t try to be a hero, understood?” I ask them all.
“Understood.” The four of them all bow their heads at once.
Leaving the four of them as they were huddled together discussing how this was going to epic, my heart sank. They were so naïve. Just as I had been when I learned about who I was. Sebastian was right, we were going to be the ones to kill this thing. No one should have to pay for what my parents had done. Not again. The kraken was moving closer to our area. We had to act now or take the chance of not being able to kill it before it did any more damage. Our children had never had to fight, had never seen us fight, and we all held a moment of silence for what was about to happen. Colin was the first out of the shack, as Sebastian and I were the last. We begin walking towards the end of the shoreline, as everyone stands straight like they were just going to attack it head on. Bending down, I touch the water, making it glow as I once had. It is the colors of the rainbow, then a bright blue, as my hand traces a heart in the water through the sand. Dolphins come close as Colin walks out into the water. Everyone takes their place on the back of a dolphin, hanging onto their fins following Colin out into the water. The four of us standing on the beach, this was where we had to wait till time got closer. Atlas begins jumping up and down to psych himself up. Ember holds the fireballs out in her hand playing with it like a tennis ball, tossing one up, then batting it away.
“Stop that.” Sebastian says to the twins.
“There’s no way you are prepared as you think you are. Atlas, this isn’t a fight like in training. This is the real deal. Be on your game, keep your eyes open and stand in the water. Ember quit that. Stand back from the water, hold your hands out in front of you. We are still on Earth and you don’t know who could be watching.” Sebastian scorns them.
“Oh, and a big monster coming out of the water won’t be what the mortals are watching?” She rolls her eyes but does what he says, I would have laughed at how much she was like us; but something startled me.
“Quiet! Listen!” I yell, hearing the screams of someone in the army.
The four of us stood quietly, awaiting to see the beast. Without hesitation, I walk into the water, guiding it with me. Now, walking on the water, freezing it by every step I took, the kraken was close. I could feel the water ripple beneath my feet as I tried to hold the water stiff as if it were glass. We move faster and faster, now at a full run towards the screams we could hear in the ocean before us. Ice beneath our feet, the water worked as fast as we did. Colin had a leg he was attacking with his trident, as Alex had another one, cutting a leg off with a sword. We keep running fast and hard as we approach. The kraken was the scariest thing I had ever seen. This was what nightmares were made of and we were about to be face to face with it. There was no time to waste, as it was lashing out at all of us. This beast was taking on a whole new meaning to monster. It was the size of the tallest building on Earth and as big around as one, too. It was a true beast. Right on here on Earth.
Chapter Sixty-Six
Face to face with your deepest fears is when you become the strongest…
This creature was something straight out of sci-fi movie. The legs of an octopus, the strength of a machine, and the face of the devil. It was like an octopus on steroids. It’s teeth showing as he was feeling the wrath of Colin. He was hanging on with all his might as he would try and cut a leg off, then another would whip around stinging him. The others were all screaming for it to try and follow their voices as Colin was clearly the god to take this thing down. Sebastian throws the first fireball at the kraken making it screech in pain. He kept throwing as fast and as hard as he could as Ember followed her father’s steps. One after another. The kraken screeching each time, leaving time for Colin to stab this thing repeatedly. Atlas kneels, touching the water and forging a blade from the ocean, throwing it directly at the heart of this monster. It squeals again, this time lashing out towards us as Alex drops from the leg he had tried to cut again. Alex falls into the water. As I rush to help him, the kraken grabs ahold of me with one of his tentacles. I slash at it with all my might. It releases me, making me now land in the water. Swimming back up, I take ahold of Alex and make the ocean water ice again. Throwing him on top, I pull myself up on the side of the iceberg. Running towards this bastard, there was enough hate left inside of me to destroy it. Screaming something like the word freedom, I find my trident in my hand as I run straight towards it. Ducking under the fireballs and the ice shards Atlas was now throwing, I was able to stab the kraken straight in the heart. It drops everyone that was being held captive in its tentacles. As it starts to fall below the ice, one of the tentacle clenches my leg. Trying to cut free with the trident repeatedly, it had me. It shoots back out of the water, with me in its grip, smashing all the ice around us. Taking out each one of us at one time, its tentacles slamming down on the ice, beating each of us with its mighty strength. Ryker now lay atop the ocean waves, floating dead from the massive blow he had just taken. We had just lost one of us that had come to give their life for humanity. There was no time to mourn anyone, I had to free myself. Finally releasing myself from its
grip, stabbing it with the golden trident, Colin screaming out, ‘Look Out.’ Turning sharply, I fall to my knees on the ice that I had built back up and slide over to grab the twins. Sebastian, seeing me, runs as fast as he can; running on top of the water, sliding into us, taking both children, tossing them out into the water. The kraken’s mouth is over Sebastian as I try to slide back, stabbing it with the trident. Sebastian is devoured. My screams are met with a silence. The monster has swallowed him whole as it disappears from our sight, falling deep into the ocean. Swimming underneath the surface of the glass, Colin follows me, swimming deep and hard, it’s falling fast to the ocean floor. It crashes on the floor of the ocean, sending shock waves through us. I lose Colin in the wave, trying to go further into the ocean to kill this monster and get my greatest love back. Feeling something pulling me up, I fight. I fight with all my might to get back to this monster. He took my everything. I fight against whoever was pulling me back above the water and throwing my body atop the ice that appeared as glass. I hit the ice, breaking it into a thousand ice pieces of what looked like glass.
“Selene! NOOOO!” I hear the voices around me as I tumble back down to the deep ocean.
Swimming harder than I ever had, using all the might I could, I see the monster laid out on the ocean floor, it was lifeless. No, he didn’t get to have Sebastian, he didn’t get to have my love. Stabbing this thing repeatedly, trying to keep the current from pulling me back up, I slice off each leg that I could. Breathing became harder and I feel myself blacking out. I keep fighting trying to cut this bitch open to get to Sebastian. The trident escapes my hand as I drift down to the bottom, laying in front of the beast. My hands rip at any part of this thing that I could, the breath leaving my body. I wasn’t dying without him. With no warning, my arms give way as I feel my body laying beneath me. Still trying to fight, I see images cross my mind. The first day I saw Sebastian, the first time he kissed me at his house, and the first time he told me that I was his love. I was his Charming Selene. Memories of love, beautiful love, taking me away to some other place. Sebastian was more than just my husband, he was my love. He was glorious in every way you can think of. From his strength to the way he loved… He was gorgeous in every sense of the word. From his touch, to his smile, to his caress of my skin - letting go of all the pain that had surrounded my heart. Seeing our children being born, seeing them play with Sebastian as toddlers, and seeing my children become the adults they were growing to be. A smile spreads across my face as I remember the greatest loves of my life. We weren’t the normal kind of love, we weren’t the normal love that fairy tales were written about, but nonetheless, he was my greatest joy in all the worlds. Sebastian had always been more than just a guy from a party, he had been my soul mate. He held my heart in his hands. Without him, my heart would no longer beat…
Chapter Sixty-Seven
I was a heavy heart to carry, but the Phoenix will rise, and my heart will heal…
Who’s the one to blame? Who’s the betrayer in this game that had been played in our lives? Had we fallen into the trap just as we had always done? Did it matter now? We were going to die and our children would grow up as I had. Orphans to a world they didn’t know. Feeling my body being dragged across cold, hard ice, I wake. A pain searing in my side, I lay on my back considering the clouds above me. It felt as if all of this had been a horrible nightmare. Was I awake on Earth or was this the Island that we had sent our parents to? Would Sebastian be here?
“Mama, oh thank the gods!” Ember is laying on top of my chest holding me tight.
“Mama…” Atlas’s voice beside my face.
My children hold me tightly. Opening my eyes wider to search their faces, tears stained cheeks, heavy breathing, this wasn’t a dream.
“Sebastian?” My fate. My love. I cough up a ton of water, rolling over to my side.
“Selene, we tried… He’s… He’s gone.” Hearing Alex’s shaking words were like knives hitting me in the heart.
Hugging my children as tightly as I could, then kissing each of them on the forehead, moving away from them. My clothes tethered by the water, the clouds break free, the sun shining down on the ice. Seeing the monster underneath the ice, I punch it again and again. But this time it wouldn’t break. Screaming out, Colin pulls me back, holding me tight as I fight him. Screaming out for Sebastian, my words filling the ocean air, all the while I can hear the sobs of everyone around me. Colin keeps holding me, whispering it’s okay, it’s going to be okay. I shout at the top of my lungs for the love of my life, feeling my body collapsing beneath me, I fall to my knees on top of the glass ocean we had created. Colin keeps ahold of me as Zack and Alex now try to hold me back from trying to escape their grip. Hurting each of them, all I wanted was Sebastian. I wasn’t just going to leave him there. With a deep breath, I relax my body and they let go. I turn to my children.
You take care of each other, we love you more than we could have ever said. You’re our greatest accomplishments, and our lives are beautiful because of the two of you… Remember to love one another and that we love you. I love you both…
Run! Is all my mind could think of as I said goodbye to our children. Each step making way to a glass bottom as I could see the monster below me. The ice begins to break all around me, falling deep into the ocean once again, I begin to swim. A light so bright begins to blind my vision. Trying to find my way down to the bottom where Sebastian was, the light is forcing me back up to the surface. Cursing this blasted light, I find myself floating on top of the ocean, drifting away from the kraken. The water begins to wake around me, moving swiftly, carrying me away from the ice, carrying me away from the ones I loved. My arms out in front of me, trying to find something to hold on to, my arms give way, finding myself back down under the water. The light appears again, pushing me back to the top. Floating among the sea foam, searching for a way to get back down, the current kept me away. I was floating away from everyone that I loved. Without a doubt, this was the end. This was my end. From underneath me, I felt a hand on my back and it pushed me up. It wasn’t a hand per say it was something I had never felt before. Hot to the touch and it felt as if it had claws. My body was being tossed around like a beach ball, being thrown onto the shore line; hitting the sand with a mighty force. Then, out of the ocean the kraken was thrown atop the beach. Was this thing still alive? Trying to gather myself, slowly coming up from my knees, I see it. A phoenix was rising from the throat of the kraken that now lay atop the shoreline slowly turning into ash. Fire surrounded the bird as it soared high above the sky. Watching this magnificent creature rise higher and higher, my eyes missed what I thought was Sebastian. Blinking twice, rubbing my eyes, there he stood. Sebastian was alive. Racing towards each other across the sand; and taking him in my arms, I let the tears of joy fill me.
“I knew I was your fate… I heard your words and they brought me back to life.” His words piercing my ears, as the tears flow; while we search each other’s faces for the realization that we were alive, together.
“I told you I would follow you to the depths of the sea, because you are always worth fighting for. You are my greatest love, Sebastian. There is no me without you…” His hands now on my body, as I stand still, stunned that he was in my arms.
Taking in the dream I was living, wrapping my arms so tight around him, I would never let him go. Turning my head above us, we watch the phoenix keep soaring through the sky. It surrounded the two of us. This was Sebastian. This was truly him. He had risen from the ashes and was truly alive. Alive and in my arms. Kissing him with a passion I had never had, his body hot from the embers that had surrounded him, he kisses me like we never had before. Holding me like we had never done before, he was my everything. He was my heart, and now it could beat for eternity. With him by my side the world had never seemed more beautiful than in this moment. We were fire and ice, we were the ones doomed from the beginning, and we were the last ones standing. Together we were meant to be. Apollo’s last secret to me had com
e true. ‘Fight for what I believed was worth saving.’ Sebastian had always been the one that saved me from myself. We were each other’s fate. He had always said he wouldn’t leave me… He never wavered in his heart even when I had given him every opportunity to leave mine.
“I need you, I’ll always need you; right here with me, forever…” Placing my hand over my heart.
“As I need you, with me, always...” Sebastian lays his hand on mine, pulling me closer to him, holding me against his chest, as I finally rest against him.
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Said you would always be my heart…
Returning home with my family together, my heart was now ready to heal. I couldn’t do this life alone anymore. I was ready to soar through this world with my loves. Sebastian and I had gone through hell, back again, and I was in awe of everything he was. Pure and kind, true to his heart, he was the one who held mine. Tears of joy streamed down my face as I held him and our children all together as the ship began to ascend into the Mount. The gates open as we come in, smiling at my family. No one had spoken about what had happened. We had lost one of our own on Earth, but we knew we would see him again, one day. No one even dared to ask us of what happened, but honestly it was still a shock to us both. Our children wore their badges of courage on their sleeves so to speak, as they stepped off the ship back onto the Mount. All the creatures and the ones we had left behind were here, clapping and cheering. Watching Alex run to Cali, swinging her around his arms, he was beyond happy. Sebastian and I smiled at each other as everyone left the ship before us. We had conquered all the demons that had been trying to tear us apart for so long, it was like seeing the Mount for the first time. Seeing all its glory and the place I now called home. Stepping off the ship, looking like an actual wreck, it was now becoming very clear that my life was just beginning. Walking hand in hand, heads held high, Sebastian and I walk among the others. It was like being royalty, and I guess we were. While approaching the golden street that lead to our home, Olivia rushes to me. Hugging me as I hugged her back. The only mortal that was a goddess seemed to fit right in with the rest of us. Her eyes glossed over, red from crying, and clothes looking worse for wear, I whisper to her.