Page 46 of Siriarna
“I’m sorry Eileithyia. I don’t know what came over me. It was just too much.”
“Drink child. Tomorrow is a new day.”
“I will try to do better tomorrow,” I promise.
“I know you will.” A small smile curves her lips.
******
Daylight brings a fresh attitude and clear mindset. I am ready totackle today’s training. Again, we make our way to the museum and into the allocated god’s chamber. I come face to face with my father’s portrait, but my focus has returned, and I move without loitering to the open space at the back of the room.
I start with the breathing exercises I learned on Evolirium. Next, I clear my mind and zero in on the task of creating electricity. It works and I am successfully able to manipulate the room’s lighting at will. Relieved elation washes over me.I do have my powers back and I am kind of, sort of, in control?a dream come true.
Eileithyia calmly asks me to progress my powers by summoning electricity to my palm. I attempt the request but am unable to fulfil it. The earlier elation vanishes. The goddess notices the change in my body language, and announces we are done for the day. Without argument, I allow her to escort me back to my temporary home.
“You did well today Siriarna.”
“I did okay.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. You have taken the first step, and your power is proving consistent. That is a substantial step forward.”
We are sitting, well I’m slouched horizontally, on the velvet living room couches. Eileithyia narrates tales of her past semi god baby deliveries, which are fascinating. I am drawn into each story enthralled, her voice a soft, steady melody. My mind drifts to my own birth and, sensing the time is right, I ask, “Tell me about my birth.”
Eileithyia obliges. “Your delivery was early and when you entered this world, you were tiny and fragile. You had a faint halo of light surrounding your being, and I knew you had a higher purpose. Your breathing stopped and I called to the Fates to spare you. They were not pleased with the summoning, but once they saw your aura, they agreed. When your breathing wasstrong enough, the Fates placed you in a Time capsule.”
A single tear slides down my cheek. I am alive because of this goddess.
“And my mother?” I murmur.
“She knew only of your arrival, nothing more.”
A twisted glimmer of hope sprouts before I fall into a deep slumber.
******
I wake famished from the constant training, and head straight to the kitchen. Eileithyia is there waiting, fruit platter laid out. She reminds me of Stefanie, and a sharp pang grips my chest. I know I can always count on my guide parents’ unconditional support, but this journey of my heritage discovery, is one I must embark upon on my own.
Today, Eileithyia has decided to take my training directly outside the cave palace. In the open space, there are no light bulbs for me to manipulate. I take position in a clearing next to a cluster of trees. With calm determination, I try to focus on creating an electrical spark in my palm. I do this for more than an hour without success.
Instead of allowing my emotions to wander into a negative space, I take a break and join Eileithyia, who’s sitting beneath the corridor of trees. I need time to regroup before my next attempt. She hands me an apple as I sit—more food! Crunching into the fruit, I allow my mind to relax, to breathe. A foreign sensation washes through my conscious. The mental shelves I use to store knowledge seem to be reorganising themselves—I canfeelthem. Like a chain reaction, a fresh new space has materialised. The vibration and hum that Eileithyia described is pulsing through my veins.
Without taking another bite, I drop the apple and sprint to the clearing. I am excited to try and tap into this power. It’s callingto me from my internal thoughts. Standing in the open field, I concentrate on the gentle hum and energy pulsing through my veins. I locate all my power, filed neatly in its new space. The fire behind my eyes returns, but this time, I concentrate on the electricity and direct it to my palm. Static appears in the shape of a small orb. I control it, move it between each hand, and then extinguish it as quickly as it came. The headaches I have been getting instantly disappear now my power has settled into its new crevice.
I look at Eileithyia in the distance and holler as loud as I can, “I am Siriarna, and I am a god.”
She rushes over and embraces me within her robes, “Yes, Siriarna, you are,” she whispers.
******
Returning to the palace cave, Eileithyia and I sit for some time in silence, and I know this is the last time I will inhabit Amnisos. “You have done well Siriarna, as I knew you would,” she says matter-of-factly, breaking the quiet. “Now you have control of your power, it is time for you to leave and fulfil your destiny.”
I try to protest, saying I’m not ready. That I still need her guidance, but her eyes are no longer smiling back at me. Instead, they are resolved, steely, her stance firm.
Sadness grips my heart, knowing I am about to leave this woman, Goddess of Childbirth, who has been watching over me since my entry into this world—protecting my identity. She is the silent guardian I did not know I had.
I ask the last question I have for the Great Goddess, “Where do I fit in, now?”
“You are in a unique position, Siriarna. Due to your heritage, you have access to all realms. You may inhibit Mount Olympus whenever you choose without invite. The same applies to Evolirium. Lastly, due to the traits acquired from your mother’sinitial mortality, specifically your appearance, you can fit within the Surface World?you are by rights, a Princess of Knossos. The choice is yours from here on in. But please beware, I have kept Psyche’s indiscretion a secret for centuries. Your progression to a god will unleash ramifications no one will see coming. Take care my Siriarna, you are always welcome here.”