Oh Fortuna, how fickle thou art. These were the words my mother used when she was having a difficult day with the children or with my father. They came to me now as I realized my life had become a series of near death experiences, one after another. My fortune had changed again, as in the span of minutes I went from a burnt offering to
well what exactly?
The tide began to recede more obviously all around us. The tendrils of phosphorescence retreated and faded as the flow of water began to pick up momentum. Gurgling sounds once again became audible as some of the highest islands and sand spits began to emerge in the moonlight. The women of the two tribes had ceased their wailing, but many were still overcome with emotion and reverence, muttering or weeping or praising in rapture, just more quietly now. Others were emerging from their trances, looking around with faces of reverence or astonishment or bewilderment or even fear. After our moment together watching the rise of Selenea, Aegea had moved away from me. In fact, none of the women were close or even looking at me except one. Aegea and Phoebe were muttering something to each other as they stole covert glances at me. The rest of the women were looking at their feet or their hands, at the sea or at the moon goddess or at the village, anywhere but at me.
The old woman however remained standing in the exact same spot from which she had uttered her words on my behalf, just a few feet away. Now she was staring directly at me, expressionless but unwavering in her gaze. I returned her gaze and found myself drawn towards her. I came to stand in front of her and we simply stared into each others eyes. In her eyes I saw a question, but also excitement, and for a moment I caught a glimpse of the young girl she once was. She extended her arm and placed her hand on my heart, and I in turn covered her hand with my own, and we stood there for a moment, perfectly still and staring, while the other women milled about or stared or muttered as they saw fit. Eventually, the old woman and I broke our embrace, leaving me with a feeling of acceptance and calmness I had not felt on this island.
The water was really receding now. Because of the unusual height of the full flood, the water was still quite deep and the currents were quite forceful, so many of the women were debating the right time to cross the water and return to the village. Others were waiting patiently and talking quietly among themselves. More women from both tribes were looking at me now, and I didnt see clear hostility in any of the stares. In fact, looking at the faces around me, my feelings of acceptance were growing more and more. The moon continued to rise into the sky, bathing us all in a soft glow, and shining like silver in the rapidly ebbing currents.
Finally, some of the women determined that it was appropriate to begin crossing the various streams back to the village. The first few ventured out, slowly at first, testing the strength of the current. They found the situation passable, and were followed by others. I began to move into the queue but the old lady stopped me. Wait, she simply said. The Lesbians and Amazons continued to file across the streams towards the village until at last the only people remaining behind were the old woman and myself, a young Lesbian attendant, and Aegea and Phoebe. The old woman now began to speak more forcefully to all of us. In my dreams I was foretold of this night. Long have I waited for a unified blessing from the gods that protect us on both land and the sea. The last thing my grandmother told me was that it was my fortune to see such an event transpire, and that in so doing, my lifes purpose will have been fulfilled.
Dont say that grandmaam exclaimed the attendant. We still love you and need you so much.
Nonsense child. Now, all of you, escort me to the edge of the lagoon the old woman commanded.
We did as we were bidden, supporting the old woman as we traversed the rapidly growing island in the direction of the receding lagoon. At the edge of the island two inward curving peninsulas of rock jutted out into the lagoon, almost meeting at the middle and creating a shallow pool. The shallow pool was swirling and the peninsulas were growing as the tide continued to rapidly ebb. The old woman directed us to help her down into the pool, to the protests of her granddaughter. The rest of us simply did as we were directed. Aegea and Phoebe were especially helpful and I was amazed to see that Aegea was behaving in a deferential manner to the old woman, a stark contrast to her behavior just an hour or two earlier. Eventually, we got the old woman one step into the pool. The tide had now receeded sufficiently that the two peninsulas met in the middle, and the pool was completely separate. With the water still, the sand fell to the bottom and the water became crystal clear, the swirling gave way to placidness except for a small amount of water running over the edge of the pool into the receding lagoon below.
Once in the water, the old woman no longer required our assistance. All of you, please stand back now, except for you granddaughter, she requested. The old woman kneeled in the pool and bid her granddaughter sit at the edge. Attend to me Sappho, my granddaughter, for what I am about to tell you. My life had a purpose, and I was true to that purpose in action and belief, without doubt and without fail. Now my fortune is fulfilled and my time is at an end.
No Grandmaam Sappho began to cry softly. I wondered how old she might be. Twelve, thirteen maybe? Almost a woman certainly.
Silence child, and hear me now, for your life too has a sacred purpose, a fortune that you must fulfill in time. All that I have forseen in my dreams and remained true to in my waking life has now come to pass; everything except this one last charge that I must give you. You are to become a poet. From now on you are to devote yourself to recording the events that you witness. You are to recite the events in such a way that they inspire others with emotions of beauty and majesty, so that we may forever remember our past, and in so remembering, we may advance in the future. This is your fortune Sappho, your destiny. Do you understand what I have told you?
Yes grandmaam, but please do not say that your life is over. I love you.
Silence Child. Stand back with the others now and remember what I have told you. Remain faithful to your gods and to your destiny, and you will be rewarded, just as I have been.
With that, the old woman kissed her granddaughter on the cheek and pushed her reluctantly away. Sappho, as I now knew her to be called, joined us above the pool, looking sullen and scared for what might happen next. As we stood in rapt attention, the water continued to trickle over the edge of the pool into the lagoon now a couple of feet below. The ebb of the tide was much weaker now, and everywhere a silence and calmness was taking over. The old woman moved ever so slowly into the middle of the pool, which was about waste deep by the look of it. The old woman began using her hands to pour water over her hair and face and shoulders, looking out to the receding lagoon that was bathed in silver moonlight. Before our very eyes a faint phosphorescence began to glow in the pool, growing brighter and brighter as the old woman kneeled and occasionally poured the water over her head. The trickle of water carried the phosphorescence to the lagoon, where it began to grow and intensify, in the form of a river leading out to sea.
It was so beautiful.
And then I saw her for the second time.
In the water of the lagoon, faint shapes could be seen moving about in the phosphorescent flow. The shapes were so familiar to me, though I had never seen them with my eyes until now. One shape in particular moved directly toward our island, and the pool below, breaking the surface of the water just out of sight beyond the pool edge. One second later and there she was, Calypso, pulling herself up over the edge of rock quickly and effortlessly, as smooth as the water from which she came. My heart felt as though it would burst and I was overcome with feelings I could hardly name, some noble, some primal. I wanted to run to Calypso, but somehow my feet would not move. For the briefest moment Calypso looked at me, a look of recognition and acknowledgement, but of what else I could not say. Almost instantly however, her gaze turned to the old woman, and I realized suddenly that this moment was not about me, not about me at all.
Once their eyes met, the gaze was never broken, as Calypso climbed into the pool with the old woman. For the first time Calypsos lower body was revealed to be in the shape of a fish, in stark contrast to her very human upper body. Calypso reached out and took the old womans hand in her own and led her to the edge of the pool. To all of our surprise the two of them began to move over the edge, and to slip down into the lagoon below. Sappho gasped and wanted to stop them, but Aegea and Phoebe held her back. Calypso took one brief look back at us, and I could swear she flashed a wink. With that, both women slipped below the surface of the lagoon, leaving us aghast. The phosphorescence in the pool slowly began to fade, and the last sign we saw of them was the vague outline of two forms under the surface racing back out to sea, as the river of phosphorescence faded behind them.
Now it was just the four of us on the island. Nobody knew what to say to each other, or even what we meant to each other after this night of supernatural events. Sappho was obviously distraught, Aegea and Phoebe were clearly uncertain of what to do, and I was just happy to be alive and so relaxed to be considered something other than an enemy. I put my arm around the shoulders of Sappho, to give her some small comforting touch. This led her to sob even louder and so I pulled her towards me in a close embrace. After a moment or two the crying dwindled, and so I released her. She sniffled and wiped her tears. All around us, the tide was out, the waters were quieting, the moonlight was bright, and the future was a mystery. Together, the four of us began the short journey back to the village all wondering what might come next. As I reentered the water I paused, wondering if I would still feel the presence of Calypso and the Nereides. I felt only water and sand, and happiness.
Back at the village some people were starting fires, others seemed to be opting directly for sleep. For my part I realized that for the first time I could go wherever I chose. Strangely, I felt drawn to my own hut, which felt oddly like home. I hoped to find Cyme around, but instead I found only an empty hut, save for a pitcher of water and some flatbread. After dispatching all of the bread and some of the water I became overwhelmed by exhaustion. Sleep came very quickly.
That night I slept the sleep of the dead, but after several hours I was awoken by a powerful dream. In it, my uncle Poeitus was calling to me, and I realized that I had to see him now. Outside it was still silent as the dead of the night, but I could feel that the lightening of morning was not too far away. A grey fog had moved in from the warm lagoon, as it often did over the little village. I stood outside the entrance to my hut and took note of the night sounds, the faraway trickle of the little river, the occasional snort of someone in their hut, perhaps a minor rustle in the forest. Where was my uncle being kept? I assumed it might be nearby, but Cyme would never tell me, and I was never allowed to explore the village previously. It had always either been confinement to my hut, exercise at the beach, or bathing and swimming in the river and the lagoon. I closed my eyes and listened. I walked a little ways and repeated the exercise. After many attempts of this I thought I detected the soft sounds of moaning, perhaps it was a mans moan? Yes, definitely some kind of moan, rather than a snore. It was coming from a hut pretty much as far from my own as was possible in the small village. Slowly and quietly I approached the hut, stopping to listen for any sounds at several points. Now I was very certain that what I was hearing were the low moans of a man, and it had to be my uncle.
As quietly as possible I entered the hut, waiting just inside the entrance for my eyes to adjust once again to the greater darkness. Immediately I was overcome by a very unpleasant stench. I was certain this was my uncles hut, and furthermore that it was nearly identical to my own, free of furnishing or adornment other than the hammock suspended in its center, and a small table for food and water. Once my eyes were adjusted I approached my uncles hammock. It was him for certain, and he was moaning low and intermittently as he lay unmoving. Over his eyes was a fold of cloth, its purpose unknown. Over his midsection much larger cloths were simply laid loosely. There was no doubt as to the source of the stench, and my heart and my stomach both hurt. Disregarding the smell to the best of my ability, I knelt down on my stronger leg, and ever so slowly and gently I took my uncles hand in mine. This led to somewhat more moaning, which I responded to with a squeeze of his hand.
what, he simply said, starting up out of his sleep or delirium state.
Uncle. It is I, Aaronius.
Cyme, is that you?
No. Uncle, it is I, your nephew, Aaronius.
My uncle Poeitus gasped. Aaronius! I knew you would come, and not a moment too soon. He tried to laugh, which instantly turned into a grimace and cough, which caused yet more pain. I tried to comfort and calm him, and eventually the trauma subsided. Aaronius. You are the last of our people. Our stories, our culture, our traditions, they must be maintained. You must be strong, move forward, and multiply wherever you go, for the legacy of the Atalantian peoples must go on.
Yes, of course uncle. But you are still alive as well. We can move forward together.
Nonsense boy. Look at my belly. I am finished Aaronius. It is only you now.
I looked under the cloths on my uncles midsection. Against my belief, this intensified the stench, and what I saw made me grateful for the darkness. Uncle, there are others that were taken onto boats, are there not?
Possibly, but unlikely. Zanadis and I were the only two of many to survive the first year at sea. There may be someone on another craft, but it is nearly certain you are the last of the lost city of Atalantia.
I will not forget you Poeitus, or Zanadis. Or mother or father, or Hyphae or Astree, or anyone.
Very good Aaronius. My uncle cracked a faint smile. Just as importantly you will not forget the Osteo, and what the Perla meant to our people. I am so happy I got to speak to you one last time my nephew. Remove the cloth from my eyes so that I may see you one last time.
Uncle, there is no need to speak like this. You will see me again.
Dont be a fool boy. I lifted the cloth from over his eyes. He winced as if the night was too bright for him, but he looked upon me nevertheless. The next time I see you will be from the other side of the river boy
Or perhaps I should say man.
Indeed uncle. I am now a man in deed, as well as age. This produced another chuckle in my uncle, and thus another bout of torment, and I immediately regretted my part in it.
I have said all that I need to say then. Goodbye Aaronius. When I see them, I will embrace your mother and your father for you. If you can, please see to it that I have my toll for the boatman.
Goodbye uncle. I will do as you say and more.
After those words, I returned the cloth to my uncles eyes. I stayed with him holding his hand for several moments, listening to him breath. At some point his breathing quickened, then slowed, then stopped altogether with one small exhalation. The first cold gray light of morning began to show on the fog as I felt my uncle die. The last string tying me to my childhood and my old life was now gone. It existed now only as a memory in my own mind. All I had in front of me was this new life, with these women on this island, and the gallea