Heshiena's Point of View

A smile plastered upon my lips when I heard the sound of waves outside crushing against the edge of the sea. Deafening silence of the dawn took over the place. Only the rustling of the leaves. And the whispering of insects prevails.

Isinuot ko ang aking coat, habang nakatayo sa harapan ng malaking salamin. I quickly glance at the wall clock. It's past three in the morning. When I finally done preparing myself, I carefully opened the door of my room.

When I got outside of my room, dahan-dahan ko ring sinarado ang pintuan. I have to be careful not to wake up the others. Dahil alam kong lahat sila ay pagod dahil sa nangyari kagabi. Me, on the other hand, couldn't sleep enough. Maybe because I am craving to know the stories of Greeks in ancient times.

I have to know my father.

And especially other deities for future references. May klase din kami mamaya sa History tungkol dito. Para naman kahit papaano ay hindi ako mangmang sa ganitong bagay.

Napabuntonghininga ako nang maluwag nang makalabas ako ng cabin house nang hindi nai-istorbo ang iba. Cold breeze of the dawn greeted me. Dahilan para manginig ako sa ginaw. Ipinasok ko ang aking dalawang kamay sa bulsa ng aking coat, at nagpatuloy sa paglalakad.

Nahinto na lamang ako sa paglalakad nang may maalala ako.

"Damn, I should've asked Violeta last night where I can find the library," bulong ko sa aking sarili.

I was about to retreat when three floating tiny ball of light came out of nowhere. Odigos. Natatandaan ko ang sinabi sa akin ni Violeta. They are the lights that guide us to our desired destination. When they started to fly away from me, kaagad ko itong sinundan.

I've heard that the academy's library is open twenty-four seven. At doon nga ang punta ko. When the odigos turned left, I immediately know where this is going. Second floor. Habang sinusundan ko ito ay ginagawa ko ang makakaya kong hindi makagawa ng ingay.

Alam ko ang pakiramdam kapag na-istorbo ang tulog.

The odigos once again turned right. Hindi ako nagreklamo. Nang makarating ako sa third floor, nakalutang lamang ang mga odigos sa harapan ng nakabukas na pintuan. Lumapit ako, at doon ko napagtantong ito na nga ang library.

As I entered the library, the odigos faded. Even they faded, I whispered them thank you. Nalula kaagad ako sa dami at taas ng mga bookshelves. How can I get the book if it's located above?

"Good morning, Miss Heshiena." Napatingin ako sa librarian nang binati niya ako.

When our eyes met, she plastered a smile on her lips. She's an aurai. I quickly concluded that when I saw the color of her skin and her transparent wings. She had curly hair, and wore eye-glasses.

I pointed to myself. "You know me?" I asked.

She nodded. "Oh, dear, you're quite popular, you know. After that incident when you arrived at the academy," she said. That made me scoff in disbelief. Of course. "And as a daughter of Lord Poseidon."

Napaangat ako ng ulo nang marinig ang huli niyang sinabi. I give her a questioning look. And another smile plastered upon her lips.

"Lord Poseidon makes us swear to remember every child he has here in the academy," humahanga niyang wika. "He wants to consider his children as royal princesses or princes," she added.

Habang ako naman ay napapangiti. But, at the top of that, I didn't seem to understand why he had numerous children despite of having a wife. Nagpakawala ako ng malalim na buntonghininga dahil sa isiping 'yon.

"Don't be discouraged. Lord Poseidon isn't the only one who had a numerous offspring for over millennia." She nervously said as she tried to rearrange her disheveled eye-glasses. I even saw her gulp twice. "Now, listen." She caught my attention. "You have to say your specific intention so that the book will come for you."

Kaagad ko siyang tinanguhan bilang tugon.

"Good luck."

Hindi na ako nag-aksaya pa ng oras para lingunin siya. Sa halip ay nagpatuloy lamang ako sa paglalakad papunta sa mga bookshelves. Nagpakawala muna ako ng mababaw na buntonghininga bago sundin ang sinabi sa akin ng librarian.

"Lord of the Seas," I whispered.

Seconds later, a book came to me. Kaagad akong humanga dahil dito. Nagulat na lamang ako nang tanggapin ko ang libro. Sobrang bigat nito, at masasabi mo kaagad dahil sa kapal niya. Dahan-dahan ko itong inilapag sa malapit na lamesa.

Tinignan ko ang cover ng librong ito. It wasn't made of paper. Tila parang metal ito. There are even ancient encrypted language. Ang nagpakuha ng aking atensyon ay ang tinidor. I remembered, it's called trident.

Violeta explained it to me. Thanks to her, really.

When I opened it, the blank page greeted me. There are a total of three blank pages before I can read some texts. From the first page, may picture siya rito. It was Poseidon. He was holding a trident on his left hand.

Sinimulan ko na ang pagbabasa.

It is said here, Poseidon is the ancient Greek god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses. Kinain daw siya ng ama niyang si Kronos noong ipinanganak siya. That part, hindi ko mapigilang mapangiwi.

It is said here that his brother Zeus who, after coming of age, tricked his father to disgorge him. "Chry's father," I whispered. Kasama raw mga kapatid nila nagtulungan ang mga ito para i-overthrew nila ang kanilang ama.

I flipped to the next page. And it was story summaries of the book's content. Kahit papaano ay makakatulong 'to sa akin. It is said here that there are numerous myths associated with Poseidon. Kasali dito ang sexual relationships niya kina Medusa, Demeter, at Aphrodite.

Tumaas ang isang kilay ko dahil sa nabasa. Even with Dash and Violeta and Ace's deities? That surprised me. Nakasaad din dito sa libro na involve rin si Poseidon sa rebelyon laban sa kapatid niyang si Zeus. And in relation to humans, Poseidon took part in the trojan war.

I stopped reading for a second to process everything that I just found out.

It is also said here that Poseidon had a competition with the goddess Athena for the primary deity of the city of Athens.

I bit my lower lip. I don't know if I am already to know all these things. Tila ba'y parang gusto ko na lamang umatras. But my mind tells me otherwise. Tumikhim ako at slightly iniling ang aking ulo. There's no turning back. I have to read them.

Inuna kong basahin ang kapanganakan ni Poseidon. A light bulb appeared few inches above my head. Kronos. Right, I remember it now. Chiron is also a Kronos' son. Muli kong tiningnan ang nakasulat sa libro.

Kronos, titan god of time, overthrew his father Ouranos, the personification of heaven, and ruled over the world along with his wife Rhea, titaness of fertility, motherhood, and generation.

My mouth fell wide-open. There are even titan deities in Greek mythology? Kronos was told that one of his children would go on to overthrow him like he had overthrown his father. May marami siyang anak kay Rhea, but swallowed them all at birth.

This Kronos is the most horrible father I've ever known.

Included daw si Poseidon sa mga anak na kinain ni Kronos. Except kay Zeus na kakapanganak lang. Rhea hid him in a cave and instead she gave Kronos a stone wrapped in his clothes which he swallowed. When Zeus came of age, pumunta siya ng Olympus at nagpapanggap bilang cupbearer.

Hawak-hawak niya ang baso ni Kronos na may lamang nakalalasong wine. And he tricked him to drink it. I scoff in victory as I read the part where Zeus take revenge. Nang mainom ito ni Kronos, it leads him to disgorge Zeus siblings: his sisters, Hestia, Demeter and Hera; and his brothers, Hades and Poseidon.

Napailing ako sa nalaman ko. And I already know what happens after that, just a guess, but of course they overthrew Kronos. Muli kong ibinalik ang aking atensyon sa libro.

After Poseidon was rescued from Kronos by Zeus, he teamed up with him and his other siblings against him and the titans. Tumigil ulit ako pagbabasa nang binanggit dito ang salitang 'titan'.

Umiling ako nang hindi makapaniwala. "The war must be devastating and brutal," I commented. I cleared my throat, "and bloody."

It is said here that Zeus was fighting against the titans along with his siblings, the Hekatonkhires, giants who each had one hundred hands and fifty heads. Napangiwi ako sa description ng Hekatonkhires.

A creature like that would've been the most terrifying.

Kasama rind aw dito ang mga cyclopes, mga giants na may isang mata. Poseidon fought against Kronos and the other titans in the battle of the gods or also known as Titanomachy. Sa digmaan, ang mga Olympians, ang younger generation pinangunahan ito ni Zeus na talunin at i-overthrew si Kronos sa kaniyang trono.

Yup, see this one coming.

After the war, Poseidon and his brothers then shared the world by drawing lots. Poseidon was name the lord of the seas and received the rivers and the oceans. Tumango ako. That explains why he became the god of the seas. Now, sabi rito natanggap daw ni Hades ang underworld. Habang si Zeus naman ay natanggap ang kalangitan, at naging hari sa mga diyos.

Pagkatapos mabasa ang unang kuwento kung saan involve si Poseidon ay natulala na lamang ako. There's so much stories in this world I have to learn. For me to understand everything, especially that I might be calling this world . . . a home. Sumilay ang ngiti sa aking labi.

Hmm, what's next?

Napatingin ako sa labas. The sun were about to rise. I roamed my eyes in every corner of the library. There I saw the wall clock. It's past five in the morning. Can't believe how fast the time passed. Saktong-sakto kaka-ala-sais lang ng umaga.

Perhaps, I could read another one. I continued scanning the pages. I saw the titles. There are The Rebellion Against Zeus, Poseidon and Demeter, Poseidon and Aphrodite, Poseidon and Minos, Poseidon in Trojan War, Athena versus Poseidon at Athens, Poseidon and Amphitrite, and Poseidon and Medusa.

There are countless stories actually. Maging ang deity nina Dash, Violeta, Ace, Blaze at Nkri ay nandito rin. Maging si Katarina―err, the Queen of the Seas herself, Amphitrite. Pero isa lang ang kumuha ng aking atensyon.

Poseidon and Medusa. Perhaps because of her picture. Para siyang si Valentina na nemesis ni Darna.

The book says, Medusa was a daughter of Phorcys, god of hidden dangers of the deep, and Keto, an ancient marine goddess and the mother of most sea monsters. Dati raw siyang priestess ni Athena. On the other hand, galit si Poseidon kay Athena for turning his beloved into a raven. Para makapaghiganti si Poseidon kay Athena ay sa pamamagitan ng pagkahumaling sa dalaga.

Kaagad kong pinagsisihan nang basahin ko ito.

I didn't expect this would be much worse than I imagined. But there's no turning back.

Ang requirement daw sa pagiging priestess ni Athena ay isang babaeng birhen. Medusa was deeply desired by Poseidon and pursued her to great lengths. Sinubukan ni Medusa na makawala kay Poseidon sa pamamagitan ng pagtakbo papunta sa temple ng diyosang si Athena.

This is f*cked up on so many levels.

Napatayo ako sa pagkakaupo nang mabasa ko ang salitang 'rape'. Napakuyom ako ng aking kamao dahil dito. I even gritted my teeth in anger. Kahit sa sobrang gulat, at galit na nararamdaman ko ay pinagpapatuloy ko ang pagbabasa.

Nagalit si Athena, at pinarusahan si Medusa dahil nawala raw ang pagkabirhen nito. My mouth just literally fell widely open. Athena transformed Medusa's beautiful hair to serpents, and made her face so terrible to behold that the mere sight of it would turn onlookers to stone.

I gasped for air in sadness and pity for this girl. She was punished for the things she didn't committed. Makaraan ang mga taon, pinatay ni Perseus, anak ni Zeus, si Medusa. Dahilan daw para lumabas ang winged boar, Chrysaor, at ang winged horse, Pegasus, sa leeg niya.

Itinuturing daw silang mga anak nina Medusa at Poseidon.

After reading it, kaagad kong sinarado ang libro. I stated the specific password para ibalik ito sa lagayan. I was about to leave when I felt the presence behind my back. Kaagad akong lumingon. There I saw Poseidon, my father, who raped Medusa.

He was still wearing his deep sea green fish scale pants, and his coat. Nakalantad pa rin ang matipuno niyang tiyan at dibdib. I looked at him emotionless, and his face softened.

"I see . . ." he said and smiled at me with sadness on his face. "You've been searching for information about me," he added. And then starting to look at the books. "Did you perhaps find something good in there?" he asked.

I remained silent.

When he realized I was oddly silent, tumingin siya sa akin. His forehead furrowed. Pero kaagad na nawala 'yon nang ngumiti na naman siya ng mapait. Kasunod ang pagbuntonghininga niya nang malalim.

"I guess not."

Lumunok muna ako bago magtanong. "Did you raped her too?" I asked in anger tone. He looked at me with surprise on his face. "My mother," I added.

Bumagsak ang tingin niya sa sahig. He couldn't look me in the eye when I asked him that question. Tears instantaneously fell upon my eyes. Before breaking down in front of him, kaagad ko siyang tinalikuran.

Rape is the unforgivable crime I will forever condemn.