The sky hovered between rain and sunshine, clouds parting just enough for the sun to cast weak rays of light over the divine city.
Mist wafted through this mountain city, carrying the scent of damp scrolls, and trees.
Merva walked through the hallways, her eyes searching for him.
It had become a habit, her eyes looking around the corridors, and surroundings.
She walked towards rose pavilion wondering from which direction he was going to come from.
She saw a girl being cornered by others, her hands fisted, her face a picture of defiance.
Her deep blue aura blinked constantly, contrary to that of the others that shone bright.
She tried to hide, fear gripping her heart.
'But I've been practicing, why not test it now?' It surely was killing two birds with one stone. She reasoned smiling wickedly.
She gathered power gradually from the seal, her focus slipping as she checked for watchful eyes, or anyone arriving.
Her power was chaos, and simply beyond her control. She channeled it towards the people surrounding her pleading with it to listen. She grunted softly, sweat beading her forehead, dripping down her face slowly.
It fired, blowing up in their faces, the effort of it pushing her to the floor.
She wasted no time on getting up on her feet. Dusting herself, and running away quietly.
Merva waited at the outskirts of the learning halls, Zeus standing behind her like a warrior. "What did you say we were waiting for again?"
She kept her eyes kept on the lane, shifting her body balance from one foot to the other. "Someone. I think she might be looking for me."
She nodded her head in affirmation, it was only logical.
'Right? Right?'
If she was the one she would do the same, moreover she had seen something like this.
He watched her converse with herself, her fear and joy evident.
"What if she doesn't know its me?"
She asked for the fifth time, her face paling at the thought.
There was no logic to what she had explained, he did not understand what she was talking about either, but he trusted her judgments, and reassured her. "I think she would. Don't worry too much."
They waited for long, her eagerness slowly turning to despair. Watching as many passed by, but the unknown was no where in sight.
He volunteered to watch for her, "how am I supposed to identify her again?"
"Ocean colored hair." She replied sitting on a rock.
"There are several. How am I supposed to know which one?"
"You just will." She answered.
He raised an eyebrow his face knotting in confusion. "Wait, what?"
She smiled at him, and pointed towards the path. "Eyes on the road, we don't want to miss her now, would we?"
"Your logic is crazy."
And she laughed, resting as he watched on.
He saw a lady in sky blue robes watching them skeptically from afar.
"Merva." He called her.
"Is she the one?" He asked as the said lady approached them.
Merva stood up from the rock and stood beside him. Her face blanching at the sight that the lady was.
"She is beautiful." She muttered.
Her eyes were cerulean, the color of the ocean. Her green blue hair, softly following the pull of the wind. She was an otherworldly gothic beauty.
"Could you please fix your jaw." She told Merva as she came to a stop in front of them.
Merva fixed her jaw, her face still betraying her fascination.
"And fix your face too." The girl said impatiently.
Zeus stifled a laugh as Merva straightened herself, and cleared her throat.
"Thank you." She said so low they almost did not hear it, and then turned to walk away.
"What is your name?" Merva asked before she got too far away.
She paused.Sighing loudly. She turned briefly.
"Serine." She said grudgingly.
"I am Merva, and he is..."
"I know. Can I go now?" And she walked away.
"That was... rude?." Zeus asked.
"We will be great friends" she said confidently as they began walking to the tram.
He watched her facial expression, knowing when she thought of a way to tell him what she wanted, and when she kicked that approach out.
"I have these strange dreams." She began.
"I've been having them since I was little. It is me creating them, at the same time they are like pointers. Warnings." She paused, her face serious.
"She called to me years ago. And today, when it felt like a déjà vu, I remembered." She finished turning around to look at him. He nodded in understanding, and the serious look on her face vanished, in place of it a silly smile.
He walked her to the tram station and then went on his own way.
***
She hung in the sky directly above the ocean, the sky covered in thick clouds. Almost black.
She held a mighty two edged spear in her left hand, shadows pulsing within it, her silver armor glinting in the dark.
The sound of thunder filled the land, and ocean. Fear creeping into everyone's heart. Rain fell like pelting stones all over the realm, lightning filling the sky.
The realm was in chaos.
The wind strong, howling like an injured animal, while people ran about in confusion.
"Mervaaa"
A voice called, running on the land, trying to get her attention.
She screamed, her upper body leaning over as she glared at the clouds in anger. It answered, covering everything in thick fog. Pelting ice on the person who called out her name.
And it changed suddenly.
The ocean churned and foamed violently, dark foreboding waves mirroring the brooding sky, shrouding the realm in an eerie gray blue.
The air vibrated with tension. Thousands of high men, and awakened led by a few high gods clad in armor watched as Serine emerged from the depths of the ocean, her iridescent skin glowing in the dim light.
Eastern Atlantians rose behind her, their eyes glowing softly the dark. They all wielded Nyx blades, the slender crystal edged sword absorbing the light around them.
Southern Atlantians flanked her, their skin shimmering like polished coral, holding staffs that pulsed with bioluminescent energy.
Western Atlantians stood on call, their storm callers in hand ready to unleash the fury of the ocean.
Serine raised her hands and the ocean responded, water tendrils lashed out, entwining her fingers like living vines.
Her eyes blazed with the oceans light, as she summoned the power of the abyss.
In her other hand she held a gleaming crystal tipped harpoon infused with the power of the deep.
The Atlantians advanced, their movements synchronized, as Serine led charge. The sea rose higher with them, waves crashing against the shore in deafening crescendo.
Serine launched forward, the crystal on her harpoon glowing an intense blue light.
Merva walked on shadows, the mighty wind forcing trees to bend, as birds called. She watched her land army ready themselves, waiting on her command.
Wings emerged from her back just below her shoulder blades. They enlarged by the second, their gnarly points covered in shadows.
She began running, and then she flew straight into the thunder.
Her divine weapon appeared, her two headed spear. She raised it up into the atmosphere and sounded the war cry.
They all answered.
She heard a swish in the air and turned.
Before she could see what it was, she fell down from the sky, sinking into the oceans depth.
Merva woke, her head banging, her bed too warm for her. She sat up trying to remember what the dream had been about, but the more she tried, the more it faded.
She stood up from the bed and wore a coat, opening the door to go out, when she saw Serine standing down the hallway.
She changed her mind and swung the door wide open for her, waiting for her to come in.
Serine paused at Merva's door step her face grim. "You called to me. But before I come in you must know, I don't like the land gods."
Merva nodded in understanding as she shut the door, even she barely liked the land gods despite partly belonging to them.
Serine observed Merva's room with a mix of curiosity and caution.
Merva let out a sigh "Here we go."
"You can look around." She said pointing at everything.
Serine's gaze moved to a part of the room that was demarcated. "Your altar? You pray?" She questioned turning to face Merva, her brows raised.
Merva glanced at the space.
"Well, you could say that. I do devotional dances. They help me calm down, and focus. It is the only form of prayer I do now."
She nodded in understanding. "Me too. Not devotional dances, but something like it." She paused looking around some more.
"I didn't like telling you that about the land gods."
Merva leaned against the wall, arms crossed studying Serine. "I don't like the land gods much either."
"Really?"
Merva pushed herself off the wall slightly. "They're horrible to me to."
She nodded again. "Mine aren't that good to me either, but they are not horrible to me."
The tensed air lessened, and Merva gestured at her bed sitting on a cushion facing it.
"Sit."
Serine nodded and sat uncomfortably. "I guess we are stuck with each other for now."
Merva smiled faintly "guess so."
There was a pregnant pause.
"Sooo, do you know why you called to me?"
Merva looked at her confused "I thought you were going to at least give me a hint."
They both sat in silence, both making no effort to talk.
Serine face suddenly screwed up, her eyes narrowing as her brows bunched up together.
She eyed an arrow from her peripheral vision, and it began rising.
Merva noticed everything, standing up immediately her stance changing ready for a fight.
The arrow dropped back, and Serine stood up also. "You don't trust me." She stated as the friendly mask fell of Merva's face.
"Am I obligated to?" Merva asked watching Serine's movements.
"Of course not. I mean we are almost the same, only that your death energy is so much more than mine." She paused. "I must give you credit though, you hide it so well I almost didn't pick up on it."
Her mask had slipped there was no need to hide it. They locked eyes, the air thick with mutual distrust. The stare down lingered, neither willing to back down, until finally Serine turned and walked to the door opening it. "You will not believe anything i say, and I do not want to help, but I know I must. Come to the Poseidon temple early tomorrow if you want to see why you called to me." She shut the door behind her not looking back even once.
Merva stared at the door long after Serine left. She smirked, amused. 'she saw through me, nobody ever did.'
She yawned loudly, feeling really sleepy. It had been another long day. She got into her bed trying to focus only on sleeping, but Merva drifted off into sleep the invite lingering on her mind.