"Ma, father is awake."
His weary eyelids flickered firstly then flipped open like the pages of a book. He closed his eyes again after that call had waned out. Then the voice came again. Twas a wonder how the gentle, still, small and feminine voice persisted and kept the call coming.
He opened his eyes again. He couldn't confide in the sleep again. That was what it seemed like to him.
The last thing he remembered was that he was standing by the sea and was waiting for Athena. Then not long after, he had seen a lady standing in the waves, her back to him, few metres into the waters.
He had gone after the lady, calling at the name, ATHENA but the lady didn't look back at him. Then he had kept on walking till he got into the waves. He had kept walking on and fighting his way through the waves. The water had swallowed him up to his chest.
But as soon as he got behind the lady and touched her from behind, she had melted into a warm and salted water which disappeared into the length of the crashing waves.
He had stood there smothered by surprise but hadn't seen a huge wave coming before him. Before he could run out, he was hit and had sank into the depth of the water. That was all.
Then he had opened his eyes to see a lady seated on the bed not far from him. She had her back to him and seemed to be reading from a book.
He had touched his hand to her back and caressed her thinking that twas one of the encounters with Athena or a Nymph or probably the lady he had seen in the water the previous day.
But then the lady had called at a mother and had referred to him as a father. He remembered vividly that he didn't in no wise impregnate any Nymph back in the depth of the ocean. He was as confused.
Then came rushing in, was a middle aged but beautiful woman dressed in a long milk gown with hair braided stylishly. He could hardly remember her. Beside the woman was another lady who was almost the size of the one sitting on the bed.
As soon as the lady seated on the bed saw the woman and the other lady, she stood up and intended to hide the book.
"What's that, sister?"
The other lady hurried to the first lady.
"It's nothing. Father is awake."
The first lady seemed to had fought her way round the trick. The second lady ignored the book and went rushing to the head of the bed and sat close to Vulcan.
The middle aged woman too was already by the bed to the left.
"Oh, goodness! You didn't want to wake up, Vulcan? Everyone's been here wanting to see you after the scene you made at the cave of Myclops yesterday."
The second lady helped Vulcan sit up as he watched the middle aged woman in surprise. He had no faintest idea what she was talking about.
"What scene?"
Vulcan shot, sitting up. He wanted his voice deep and fierce but all he got was a mild and unseasoned counterpart.
"I told you that he didn't do it."
The second lady shot in Vulcan's defense. Vulcan looked from her to the middle aged woman who glared at the lady and looked back at Vulcan, more determinedly.
"Now you don't want us to start with an early morning quarrel again."
The middle aged woman shot. Vulcan didn't know what to say to the three. It seemed as though he was in another phase of Fantasy. He didn't know what to believe.
"And by the way, how'd you get this robe. We all know that you're poor and can't even afford the food for your own livestocks. Plus we didn't see you dressed in this last night."
The woman kept reeling. It seemed as though she was a barrel of words. Before Vulcan could say a thing, the second lady had had her take,
"We can't be sure, ma. We could barely see him amidst the dark yesterday. Plus he was drunk. Like dead drunk."
"He's our father, watch it."
The first lady, who had been silent all along hurled. She seemed to have a hidden beast in her though she seemed reserved.
In that short period of time, Vulcan had made hypotheses but he was still smothered by confusion and didn't know if he would survive.
He looked quickly around the room. Twas like a shithole, though there were few items necessary for a family. He was fed up with the view. He ignored and looked back at the three, sharing his worried gaze.
There was only one question wielding at the base of his consciousness. He couldn't help but ask,
"Who are you guys?"
He watched as the surprise which had been seated in his face all along switched its place, and was spread across the faces of the three.
But why did they seem that surprised? He had asked the right question, he didn't know them.
"Is this some game, Vulcan? Is this your own new trick of running away from responsibilities? We are caught in the claws of whether to call off the wedding ceremony of our first daughter and now you're asking who we are. I'm sure you're about to ask what her name is."
The woman scoffed. But Vulcan was in the darkness of it all. He needed light and he seemed helpless. He couldn't ignite it on his own.
"But sorry, What's her name?"
Vulcan meant it, though he could see disappointment on the face of the second lady. But the first lady whose name he had asked for, didn't seem moved.
"Ok! Now I'm done here. You either stop playing this dimwitted games or leave the home for us."
The middle aged woman stomped off as the second lady followed but the first lady stayed.
She watched her mother and sister walked out then walked closer to the bed and sat near Vulcan.
"My name is Prium. I'm your first daughter. I don't know what happened to you in your sleep after yesterday. But one thing I'm sure of is that you're not doing this on purpose."
She said, her small lips canvasing the strength of her beauty, and the life in her round face.
Vulcan still didn't understand, but he felt deeply within him that he could trust Prium.
Then, soon noise started coming from outside the hut. Twas more of commotion.
"What's that?"
He asked, his face melting into concern.
"You raped the daughter of the King yesternight. Protest is being made before the judgement of the King. We all knew you were drunk and didn't do it on purpose."
Vulcan just watched her speak. He had no faintest idea what to think. He didn't know which sucked more, reality or fantasy.
Why should he believe that he did that? Well that didn't stop the noise from coming.
Suddenly, the door was broken open.
"Here's the infidel. The unfaithful slut. The shameless bull. Now you've seen the peak of it all. You shall be beheaded for that treacherous act. No one is ready to take your flimsy excuse. Very obvious that you're prepared for the walk. Who knows if you stole the dress also." "Enough! I won't have you speak to my father that way." Prium's face was fiery. Her button nose seeming to burst into phlegm and smear the leader of the protesters in the face. She had been keeping her cool since the while and she couldn't help it anymore. She noticed that she had gotten their attention. Plus she was certain that they were surprised to see her flare up. She wasn't like her sister. She didn't talk all the time. She was always silent but when she was ready to go rogue, not even the priest could stop her. She continued, meaning to enflame her guts and give t
"Father!" The gentle but concerned voice of Prium was borne by the idle winds to Vulcan who was tied to two great poles. He had been tied up by twisted twigs and ropes fashioned from silk. There were two warriors standing before him. One with a spear in hand, and the other with a sword. Two others were behind him with whips used on horses. The process was about to commence and the leader of the protesters was few metres away from him. A generous smile seated in his rough face. There was a grace in his gaze. The spot of execution was an isolated field which was meant for the purpose. Twas usually at the outskirt of the village until the new king had a change. Then twas brought to the front of the Colosseum. There was a ring of iron thorns made around the person to be executed and those who were to carry out the process. At the
"Isn't it barbaric to be that way. I was lost of words at the change of everything." Vulcan complained, his face sharing its grace between the crashing waves and the hankering horizon. He felt like a new thunderbolt had hit him, because everything about had just changed. Though the feeling that succeeded it was quite soothing, probably extracted from the lady seated beside him on the shore. Athena. After the supposed death on earth, he had met himself on the shore of that sea. That sea through which they had been borne by Leviathan to earth, to mark the end of their fantasy. And in just the twinkling of an eye had Athena walked out of the waves and touched him from behind. He had hugged her so tightly that he wanted to force her boobs into his chest. He had kissed her so passionately that he had meant to cut her lips into his and own them forever. After wh
"Where are you going to?" The mother stood at the door eating her up with an odd ogle. You could tell by the gaze that she was as worried as vexed. But one of the feelings seemed to have a greater effect on the stare. She didn't get a response. She had just prepared to go wash few of her clothes and return to the ring and retrieve the corpse of her husband but then her daughter had walked in, indifferently and was packing her clothes. "Prium, talk to me!!! I remain your mother!" That was as loudly and affirmative as she could be. Prium stopped packing her clothes and stood up, she turned slightly and scoffed. Then she hurled, "You ceased being that after you became a public dog." The woman couldn't take it anymore and stomped closer to her. She grabbed Priu
The forest. Earth. "Who are you and what do you want?" Vulcan challenged, as he gained on his guts and moved closer to the lady standing at the mouth of the cave. He was jumpy but needed to gain an advantage on the excitement before twould make a mess of his wills. Prium was behind him, clutched to him from behind, her arms wounded around his waist, her boobs firmly pressed on his back. He couldn't possibly have a boner. She was his daughter for fuck sake. He ignored the thought and concentrated on the naked lady again. She looked neat and her boobs handful, erected nipples and circular mounds. He tried as much as possible not to get distracted by them boobs. He didn't even have the courage to look down her stomach. He might be tempted to lay with her. He fought his gaze on her face trying to figure out why twas taking her
Same day. Earth. "Begone I do not want to see you." Prium shot as quickly as he could. The Nymph let him free of her hold and he fell on his face. He stood up with dirt lacing his nostrils. He cussed and stood tall beside the Nymph. He sideeyed her then back at Prium. He allowed himself to be distracted. "Vulcan? Isn't he dead?" He complained as soon as he noticed Vulcan. Vulcan didn't say a word, only watched, he knew his daughter would have a better response. "From where did you hear that?" Prium teased, though her face was a contradiction of the fear her heart held. One of the reasons they had meant to live in the forest was to hold back the news of Vulcan's life from the people. But now? The cat had been let out of the bag. The man didn't allow himself to be foo
Night. "It's a wonder how quickly you returned from the game hunting." Vulcan complemented, keeping his voice as low as he could. The stillness of the note permeated the room for a while as the golden rays which lit the room seemed to respond. He was seated on his bed, the Nymph on hers, while Prium was lying. Twas their dinner time but Prium had only had a little bite of the meat. Vulcan had been ignoring her. He wanted to see how long he could go doing that. The Nymph smiled at his question and threw in his face, "The ways of the Nymphs are odd to mortals." Vulcan made a joke of it though there were a bazillion meanings he could read to it. "And how'd you come about this room?" Vulcan teased again. He sure knew how mysterious Nymphs could b
The Next day. A strange forest. A vision. "Where do you take me?" Vulcan tried as much as possible to keep calm and tame the rage swelling in the depth of his consciousness. He wanted to lay his hands on it but it seemed rather remote so he quit giving it a try and kept hurrying to catch up with the lady. "Athena, speak to me." His voice keen and demanding. Twas dusk in the forest, and the cawing Ravens were beginning to give him the creep. He could hear the call of the crickets and the hooting of owls in distance. He tried to concentrate, not to be swooped by fear of the unknown. The last thing he remembered was that Ayla had made them form a circle then there was gloom, a thick darkness. And after he had been suspended in the gnawing void for a while, he had found himself in that forest. He ha