GODS, TYRANTS AND MONSTERS

MY CHILDREN

The smell of fried fish and spinach stew filled the warm house as Arina carefully dished for her two children. A smile filled her beautiful, heart shaped face as she rested her hands on her chin and watched her children eat up.

 
" Mother," Bethel began.

 
" Yes Bethel?"

 
" I want to travel with Leonard on the next voyage. May I?"

 
" Of course you can! You can go with them next time." She answered before touching Leonard's unkempt hair.

 
" We should take care of this hair."

 
" Pirates do not take care of their hair mother!" complained Leonard. " Guss says that long hair shows true piracy!"

 
" You are not a pirate," Arina argued. " You're just a boy who goes on adventures in a ship."

 
" Fisherman, you are a Fisherman." Bethel added.

 
" Aye! Bethel is right," Leonard said.

 
" You are talking like Sulton now?" Arina complained. " Maybe I should not allow you to go with him."

 
" Mother!" complained Leonard. 

" Where is Diaz?" Bethel asked.

 
" Bethel, be quiet!" Leonard said.

 
" Eat up your food now! Hush, be quiet. You are giving me a headache!" complained Arina. " When you are done, I want you to go to sleep, today has been busy for both of you. I want you to rest."

 
" Yes mother." Bethel said.

 
**
" You sound just like your father, always pushing me around. Weren't you the one who encouraged me to go ahead with this? When you decided to turn against Sulli, and push that boat into the water..."

 
The words, said fourteen years ago still haunted Arina. Every night, she wondered if she was the one who caused Nijahoeba to die? She wondered if she was the reason humanity lost to the Upper Beings?

 
She was the reason that they lived in fear, knowing that any day or night, they would be attacked and brought before the judge Mena?

 
Her forehead frowned as she carefully tucked in Bethel who was fast asleep, snoring away in her dreams. At least she had her children, they were the ones helping her to overcome her nightmares.

 
Once she was done, she walked towards Leonard and also tucked him in. Unlike Bethel, he slept silently, his face relaxed and at peace. He was calm.

 
The paintings scattered all over the little table caught her eyes as she walked towards them. Her right hand grabbed the first one while she looked at it. It was a drawing of both Sulton's ships, Cassidy and Veronica.

 
She put it back on the table and grabbed another one. The man with long black hair and beard stood at the crow's nest, flintlock pistol at hand. His bottle green eyes were intense. Leonard had drawn Sulton.

 
A yawn escaped her lips as she put the painting back in its place and headed out of the bedroom, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

 
" You should rest"

 
The deep, familiar voice said as she stopped and froze.

 
" Nijahoeba?" her voice came out small. There was no response as she slowly turned around to face the empty house. He was not there, how could he be when he was dead? She was just imagining things.

 
Her face fell. She missed him dearly.