Below the Surface

Life

Balor laughed as he watched the island fall prey to the gods. The people drowned and he took the water. He went up to the people. "I have a deal for you all. I will grant you life. You will remain in this town and do as I say."

The people looked at each other and nodded their heads. Balor smiled as he snapped his fingers. The people turned into demons who lived in the dark depths. All were granted special powers.

Balor had the men head into the villages around the sunken island to do trading. If the men and women were guilty of any crimes they were lured into the waters and drowned. Feeding Balor.

The women were turned into a form of a siren. They lured ships to their doom. The inland people began to whisper about the strange happenings out on the water.

The Aryan's were granted powers of nature which helped their king, Balor, achieve his desires. They were granted the powers to manipulate: fog, storm, winter, disease, crop-blight.

One night a few Aryan men went ashore. They went into the local tavern to find men to trade with.

"and the island of Aryanna was swallowed up by the sea and simply vanished." A man spoke. His tankard spilling it's contents slightly with each word.

"That's ridiculous an island can't disappear." Another man replied.

"It's true. Where the island town once was there is nothing. The waters have become impassable and unsearchable. Ships that have went that way never comeback." The first man spoke again. His eyes were glassy and his cheeks rosy. One of the Aryan's made his way towards the table. All eyes turned to the small group of Aryan's. Whispers could be heard. Women came to offer their services to the handsome men. They all smiled at the women. However their plans didn't include bar maids.

Reaching the table the Aryan man looked down at the men at the table. "Good day gentlemen." The Aryan man said.

"What do you want son?" An older man at the table said looking at the Aryan. The old man studied the young man at the table with calculating eyes. He was but a young lad when the island of Aryanna was wiped out. He used to live on the island. It was Niamh who had placed him with the family he grew up in.

The Aryan man didn't pay much attention to the old man. Instead looked at the drunk man. "May I sit and listen to your stories?" The drunk man nodded his head. "Sure let me tell you all about Aryanna."

~~~~

Athena watched silently as the four men entered the tavern. There was something about them. Something she couldn't place. The four men were walking gods. There toned bodies told her they worked hard unlike many of the men from her village. These men were all tall, long blonde hair and sea-blue eyes. Their eyes though seemed to change colours.

The leader of the group walked forward brushing off the women who shamelessly threw themselves at the men. He walked straight to a table filled with old sea men. The men always came every day and told their stories about a city island that went missing years ago.

She found the courage one day to speak to one of the old men about the island. He was happy to tell her. He said "The lush island contained gold, silver, and other precious metals and supported an abundance of rare, exotic wildlife. The whole island was one giant city connected by channels for the passage of canoes. The island people were all warriors. Even the women. Everyone wore a form of the precious metals. Gold signified a higher rank of people. Copper was the lowest."

Athena remembered the way the old mans eyes sparkled as he spoke about the island. She asked him "did you see the city?" He smiled "I didn't just see it. I lived it."

Those were the last words he spoke to her. Her mother came and took her way from the man. Scolding her for chatting.

Shaking the memory away. Athena once again focused on the four men. She wanted desperately to meet them. To see them close up. To ask them where they are from.

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