This picture has been severely panned by several reviewers, saying that it was barely any better than the crappy 2010 live action film that this series spawned, but in my arrogant opinion, I beg to differ. Of course, this may be only because I am a die-hard Tekken fan and lover of anime, which nobody can say this film is not based on. But is there anything wrong with that? The creator of Tekken, who unlike the 2010 film oversaw this project, and the screenwriter, who also worked on the space noir anime Cowbow Bebop, wanted to make this a film appealing to an audience outside the following of the series, and in that they badly failed. However, that doesn’t matter, because just about everyone who came to see it was probably somewhat of a Tekken fan, and they loved it. I know because I was laughing and clapping alongside dozens of viewers.

The fight scenes and animation were amazing, and the story and artwork did well in staying true to the original game. And that’s all the fans really need. I’ll admit, there were plenty of flaws, but they were not large enough to kill our enjoyment. Sure, the dialogue was cheesy, but that’s what anime is like. Get over it. Some may have thought the story was not so good, but it succeeded on putting a spin on the original story that we would love. There were some shoujo anime elements despite the game being a fighter, but for us otakus, this simply means putting two good things together to make something even better. Sadly, there were some unforgiveable elements as well. For one thing, the voice acting was not in sync with the movement of the characters’ lips. Also, I disliked how the story was hard to follow for non-Tekken fans. The fact is, nobody else knows what the devil gene is or who Heihachi Mishima is, and when they are explained, it seems quite abrupt. Sure, fans liked it, but this is going too far. It’s as if the creators are begging for critical panning. But none of that matters, for overall Tekken: Blood Vengeance was successful in making us all burst with geeky happiness. Also, one critic said that although Western viewers cannot help but see it as cheesy, audiences in the east, where the game was created, may say something different. With this I completely agree. The Japanese are probably used to this kind of material, finding it very pleasant, so all American haters can eat their words once the film is released in Nipponese theaters this September.  Overall, as a movie, it failed somewhat, but as a member of the Tekken franchise, it rocked the house. On a scale of 10, I give it a 7.

After I saw this film, I was immediately reminded of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. It was a CG animated movie based on a multi-million dollar franchise that overall got poor critical reception, just like this one. However, it still managed to spawn a TV series on Cartoon Network that got significantly higher ratings. Now, a Tekken TV series. Wouldn’t that be interesting? The overseer of the film said on Eurogamer he may consider a TV series if the film was successful enough. It would be a great idea, as long as they managed to right all of the wrongs in the picture, meaning making it more understandable for non-Tekken fans in the west, putting in some more fight scenes, possibly making it a little bit more Shounen action oriented and not a Shoujo Drama, and maybe even adding some more characters in and giving them notable roles and action scenes. The clip at the end of the credits, when the two heroines were signing up for the next tournament, suggested a possible sequel, and if the creators do this, they’ve got it made. I know I for one would watch it. I have great expectations of this film in the future, and I hope that they once again do not disappoint.

• It used to be a French colony.
• The Sri Aurobindo Ashram, one of the main attractions of the state, was founded by Sri Aurobindo, an Indian freedom fighter, and the Parisian Mirra Alfassa, also known as “the mother” both of whom were passionate spiritualists. Many medicinal plants are grown inside, among which people meditate in peace, making it a perfect place for any spiritualist. Here I bought a book on physical fitness, and my sister bought an herbal perfume for my mother.
• Auroville is a township founded by the mother in Pondicherry, meant to be a place where people of all faiths, beliefs, and nationalities can live together in peace. Overall, the mother’s motive for founding Auroville was to promote human unity. This was a place I was particularly interested in seeing, but like I said earlier, it was quite hot, and my sister wasn’t willing to walk the entire 1 km stretch to see the entire town.

And that’s all I can tell you about Pondicherry. Sorry! However, I definitely will be writing on Mudumalai national park, where I will be leaving for tomorrow with my sister and grandparents.

As for today, I’ll be writing on something else. I was going to start it earlier today, but I was busy gaining valuable life experience by reading manga scans and watching music videos, anime clips, and the every episode of the laser collection for the umpteenth time. This series, by the way, is incredibly funny, and one that everybody who views comedy and randomness as synonymous. To summarize this series:

DOCTOR OCTAGONAPUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

O o

/¯____________________________ ______________

| BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAARGH!!!

\_¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

You won’t regret it.

Where was I?

Oh yeah, my views on charity.

There is a common view of charity: an act of goodwill and selflessness in which you give less fortunate people something at your expense, an act that seems to… redeem you of your sin. However, few people truly understand that charity isn’t at all what it’s cracked up to be. In reality, your kind contribution may end up doing the subject of your charity nothing at all, maybe even hurt him further! In order to prevent this from happening, just like you must make smart choices when working and earning, you must make similar ones when giving as well. Four prime examples of this are beggars, peddlers, charity organizations, and street performers.

http://www.pbase.com/britishbeef/image/25283485

Beggars: How much you are exposed to beggars and hobos often depends on where you live. In a developed country such as Taiwan, you may not as often see people on the streets holding out cups and pans. However, in third and fourth world nations such as India and Ethiopia, these people are a part of everyday life, littering the streets. When one of these destitute human beings catches your eye, you most likely cannot help feeling sorry for him, wearing dirty, tattered clothing and living in a cardboard box. Immediately, he will probably meekly ask for spare change, often using religion as an incentive, holding boards saying “God bless you.”

But before you take out those quarters in your pocket, think for a while, what will this man do with his money? Will he wisely buy food and make it last, or will he spend it on alcohol, cigarettes, or heroin like a worthless addict? Although they may not seem like it at first, beggars all around the world are junkies as well, their lethal habits being funded by the contributions of poor saps like you. Of course, not all of them are like that, but do you really want to take the chance? It’s best to refrain from directly giving money to beggars and instead buy them some food, something that may actually do them well.

All this goes even more for begging children. If the child is an orphan, then he probably will not be mature enough spend their small amounts of money on the right things. If the child has parents, then if you give anything to him, money or food, it may encourage his guardians to have him beg even more, as it means more income for them. They may even maim him so that people may feel even more pity and give even more! Unfortunately, this is how life is for the poor.  In developing countries where poverty is abundant, begging is a business, one that goes hand in hand with exploitation. It is also one that is not easily given up, as it is so easy. For example, my grandmother, once went to a woman begging on the street and offered her a job as a maid in her house. In America, some people would kill for employment, but in India, this is clearly not the case, for when she heard this, the woman made like the lazy scoundrel she was and ran away from the work being offered. There are even begging rackets in nations like India, where gangsters take in stray children, maim them, and have them beg for money that will go into their pockets. Do you want to encourage this? Of course not.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6294687.stm

Peddlers: Essentially, many peddlers are the same as beggars, for the goods they sell to you are most likely worthless. These people will do anything to make money, even sell defective, useless, maybe even illegal items. After all, where are these men, women, and children going to find the money to buy quality products in the first place? If you go to an area with high poverty such as the streets and shantytowns of India, China, and Thailand or even the slums and ghettos of the US, you’ll see people hoping to sell you used q-tips, broken toys, or even pirated DVDs and illegal drugs that you could get arrested for even holding! Of course, this is not always the case, as you can sometimes see beautiful baubles made from cheap materials being sold on the streets. However, you must always be careful, as many so-called “salesmen” found on the streets are in reality cheats. So the next time you are pondering over whether to make a trade with a shady peddler, take a moment to wonder what you are really buying.

http://way2freshers.com/jobs/governament/unicef-planning-monitoring-evaluation-officer-recruitment-2011.html

Charity organizations: Where millions of dollars donated eventually find themselves. Whenever one decides to be a little charitable, the name of a notable nonprofit group such as UNICEF, American Red Cross, and Greenpeace immediately comes into his mind, which he ends up donating to without hesitation. And why not? These organizations use their millions for important causes such as helping children in poverty around the world, aiding victims of disasters, and promoting environmental conservation. Right?

Not everyone may be aware, but for years now many charities have shown great inefficiency and corruption, their scandals appearing in the paper countless times. For not all contributions go towards projects and programs related to the cause, instead being wasted away in unnecessary methods of fundraising and sometimes even going into the private bank accounts of officials! Indeed, stories have been heard of heads of charities staying in five-star hotels, consultants getting paid several hundred dollars a day, and fundraisers where over $0.50 is spent for every dollar made. Thus, if a contribution is made without careful consideration beforehand, you may be pouring your hard-earned cash down the drain or even into the pockets of greedy men and women, in the process encouraging further evils.

In order to prevent this, you must think carefully before deciding which bag to drop bills and coins into. Look in the news for stories of scandals in certain organizations and look up facts and statistics on sites like Charity Navigator. When researching, always make sure to use multiple sources and look for up-to-date information, for some stories and stats may be inaccurate or old. Only then should you decide whom to fund and whom to release the hounds on. If you like, instead of giving money, donate your time. Benefit the needy by volunteering at the soup kitchen or working with an organization offering opportunities for acts of goodwill, such as Habitat For Humanity, which builds homes for the homeless. Remember, money can be given just with the click of a mouse, and is not always donated with sincerity. However giving time and effort for another is a true sign of love for one’s fellowman, making it the greatest gift that can be given.

http://www.vagabondjourney.com/2009-01_22-street-performers-busker-photos-budapest.shtml

Street performers: You may think of giving to street performers as charity, since you’re deciding to contribute money when it is not necessary. But that’s not how I see it at all. Unlike irresponsible beggars, corrupt charity organization officials, and con-men masked as peddlers, the musicians, dancers, and jugglers on the streets are honest workers, for they make sure to entertain you in exchange for a possible small contribution. These are people going through tough times, rendering them unemployed, destitute and in need of cash. However, instead of sinking low and begging for it, they decide to continue working in their own way: through the simplest forms of art. Although you may not like their performances as much as those of professionals, you must understand that these men and women are doing us all great favors. They go out on the streets and strive to entertain us, knowing that they may go hungry tonight, yet still working hard. It is these people who fill our cities with an upbeat, joyful, and encouraging atmosphere, and by no means should their efforts go unappreciated.

So the next time you see a someone standing on the sidewalk and playing an instrument, singing, juggling, dancing, or miming, take a moment to observe, for they are happily giving you a free show. The best thing you can do for a performer is to stay throughout their show and show your approval afterwards, either with clapping, a handshake, compliments, or just a simple smile, for it is then the performer knows that she has succeeded in entertaining you and should continue to do so for others. And if you like her show enough, don’t hesitate at all in dropping some cash into her bag, since that is what she’s playing for in the first place, and giving her something will encourage her even further. Of course, this does not have to apply for children. Some people, like my grandmother, are saddened when they see a child performing on the streets instead of studying. It means that once again, they either don’t understand the value of the education that is offered free in some countries, or they are being exploited by their parents! In this case, giving to them will only encourage them further. However, no matter why they are performing, they are still artists, and should be appreciated for that. Even though I understand the consequences of donating to them, I still do it out of my great love for art. Of course, this is not something that you should do, but everyone should still show their appreciation for any performer, for it is people like them that make the modern world a bearable place to live in.

And there you have it. Remember to think before giving, and don’t forget to look out for my post on the Mudumalai national park. Once again, this is Naren Pradhan saying

IMMA FIRIN MAH LAZAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://memedepot.com/view/1298

Anyways, lately I have been doing some writing in India, but this time for my grandmother’s blog on Classof1, an educational website. Here’s essay of mine that will soon be on, this one on one of the most distracting factors in the world: the internet.

The internet clearly has no limits. When a computer user decides to double click their Firefox icon, he will have an infinite number of videos, blogs, articles, flash games, photos, and even comic scans at his disposal. Indeed, if one isn’t careful, his web surfing could consume whole hours! And all for free! Indeed, a whole world of entertainment and knowledge is simply a click away, waiting to suck you in no matter where you are.

This brings us to how dangerous this program and network can be, especially to those with work to do. The addiction that the internet causes makes that caused by ordinary video games pale in comparison. And why wouldn’t it? Video games can get repetitive, and they can eventually end. But on the internet there will always be something new. Once you get on, there is no escape. You may think at first that you’ll only be there for a little while, but once you’ve seen what you want to see, something else will catch you interest. This will continue to repeat itself, creating a deadly chain that turns potential talented, hardworking men and women into lazy, unproductive bums.

How can this not distract you?

Workers with computers all over the world are afflicted with the same problem. Any project occupying their time, no matter how important it is, can be interrupted by one thought: “Why not take a short break and surf the web?”  And so they do. But what not everyone realizes is that their break will not be so short. At first it might seem like they’re going to watch just one clip from Lucky Star on YouTube or read one chapter of Deadman Wonderland on Mangafox. But soon, one chapter becomes 7, and one video rises to infinity, most of them not even from Lucky Star!  The internet  is endless, and this is what people must realize. It must not impede work, because if it does, it will do it hard. Whenever the thought of surfing the web surfaces, one must either dismiss the thought or push it forward to when work is done, unless one has the willpower to stop at the right time, which most people do not. Indeed, it is not an easy task, but it is one that must be done, or else countless workers will lose the productivity that makes their life what it is.

Here’s the URL of the website. If you’re interested in the world of education, you should check it out.

http://blog.classof1.com/

It’s clear that after seeing the river Adyar in the city of Chennai in India, any foreign tourist would immediately get the impression that locals take their water body for granted. For years, citizens have used this former ecological haven as their dumping ground, happily depositing their trash, medical waste, and sewage in the waters. Originally a home for birds, aquatic plants, fish, turtles, and many more, the area has now been turned into a toxic wasteland by the bad habits and waste disposal methods of the inhabitants of the city. It was only a matter of time before this issue caught the eye of a devoted environmentalist, in particular an Australian man named Joss Brooks.

Joss had loved nature since childhood, his passion increasing further when he came to India and settled in the peaceful community of Auroville. Dazzled by the natural and cultural beauty of South India, he made it his mission to preserve it. Soon, he began cleanup and restoration projects all over the region, including one in Chennai, where he would at long last raise the river Adyar to its former ecological glory.  This project consists of clearing out the garbage, which will be reused and recycled, fishing out the sewage from the waters, which will be used as fertilizer, and planting species native to the region, brought from his home in Auroville. Although the entire river has not been restored, the part that has been completed has proved a huge success. What was once a putrid garbage dump has now been turned into a beautiful wetland known as the ecological park Adyar Poonga. Even now a rare painted crane has come to join the animals living in their new home, signifying the rejuvenation of the land as well as great hope for the remaining waters.

Everything that has been done to create this park has proved to be beyond wondrous, and I was lucky enough to have the privilege of experiencing it. On July 2, 2011, During my vacation in the city, I was invited to the park to help test water samples from the various water bodies. I was to scoop water out of the river so that its oxygen density, Ph, and temperature could be measured. This would determine how suitable the water would be for local organisms to exist. The data collected by the scientists I accompanied was near ideal. In one area, the water temperature was 33.6 degrees Celsius, a perfect temperature for organisms in this region, the oxygen concentration was 2.5 mg/liter, below the ideal of 4, although this is because the water was taken from a shallow area, and the ph was 7.5, just above the ideal of 7. In another area, the temperature was 32.1 degrees C, just below the ideal, and the ph was 8.53, also quite close to perfect. Unfortunately, the device used for these measurements broke down when we were about to measure the oxygen concentration. Nevertheless, the data we did obtain was quite promising, signifying a future in which the Adyar park will continue to flourish.

While my experience at Adyar Poonga was a simple one, it was nevertheless a rewarding one, since I got to learn much more about the local ecosystem. I found out that the local wetlands contain a mixture of groundwater, creek water, rainwater, runoff, and seawater, and that detritus dumped in consumes oxygen needed by animal organisms. Most of all, however, I was glad I was able to be a part of this great project, being able to help in the effort to turn a wasteland into a garden just a little. Without a doubt projects like this will change the world in these modern times of industrial development and ecological destruction, times when they will be needed the most.

Adyar Poonga really is an amazing place. I was immediately enthralled simply by the whole idea of turning a dump into such a beautiful garden. I’m even happier now that the rest of the Adyar will also someday be cleaned up. It truly is a miracle. Apart from touring the park, I also had the privilege of interviewing the man in charge of the project, Dr. Kalaiarasan, about his job as a wildlife biologist. Here are the questions I asked him, along with his answers.

1. What is the purpose of your job?
A. I’m a conservation biologist who restores and rejuvenates ecosystems in Tamil Nadu. I got a doctorate when I did a piece on community ecology of terrestrial snakes.

2.Who is your employer?
A. First I worked for a private nature park, then the snake park, a public trust. He also set up a biosphere nature park at western ghats nilgiri. Now I work for the govt as a project officer at Adyar Park.

3. How would you describe a typical day on the job?
A. After some stage, not much field work. I mainly formulate programmes and oversee research teams. The success of my job is determined by the richness of biodiversity.

4. What do you feel are the pros and cons of your job?
A. Unfortunately, a part of our job is interacting with politicians, bureaucrats, and local civic community people. However, we like the fact that we are capitalizing the attitude that a good environment is very important, economic-ecological development should be balanced.

5.What is the salary of a typical person in this job?
A. We get a very poor salary (only 35-40 thousand a month) However, the fact that we work with the government and hold much power makes up for it.

6.Why did you decide to go into this field?
A. I come from a family that has been in agriculture for generations. My father taught me how to love and live with nature, making this a perfect job for me.

7.What are the educational requirements for this job?
A. Definitely an education in life sciences. However, this means specifically environmental sciences and not biotechnology.

8. What skills are required for this job?
A. Lots of patience and a high tolerance for boredom.

9. What are the working conditions like?
A. I create my own working conditions. You develop your own skills here, create your own interest. There are different occupations in this field, such as educator or economist.

10. How secure is this job?
A. None of us have to worry about job security. If I do end up getting fired, I can just go somewhere else, working as a consultant or a teacher. There is always room for a biologist.

I found this to be a very rewarding interview, as it taught me about what a career in environmental science could be like. This is a field I hope to work in in the future, so I was very happy to learn more about it.

Soon, I will be visiting two more interesting areas in Southern India, the territory of Puducherry and the sanctuary of Muthumalai, places that I intend to write about as well. Be sure to check it out!

What is it that makes video games so appealing? What is it that makes people flip for almost completely non-beneficial and sometimes even harmful virtual reality?  Being an avid gamer, I have asked myself this question several times, and eventually came up with several reasons. First of all, there is the reason that applies to almost every modern human being alive: video games provide an escape. Every once in a while, most people get tired of the stressful issues of their modern existence such as work, taxes, bills, and family for adults and school and friends for youths, and desire to escape from reality. Several ways to do this is to experience fictional stories such as those in books, comics, and movies or to just simply imagine what is not. However, video games do not just simply show something other than reality, but let you live it. Video games can put you in the place of the speedy hedgehog Sonic, the heroic Link, the mighty Master Chief, or even football star Tom Brady himself and allow you to walk, run, jump, and shoot in their unique worlds. Indeed, there is a reason why another name for these programs is virtual reality, for they create not only a new world but also a new identity for players.

Another reason people love video games is that they are sensually appealing. If you showed a video game to a person from the medieval times, they would think it was magic or even witchcraft! Although tech like this has been around for the longest time, nobody can deny that it is amazing how one can make images appear, move, and flash on screen, or how mere pictures can emit loud sounds by themselves, just with the click of a button. These images and sounds become so vivid that they actually “pull” players in, making it seems like you are actually shooting a gun or swinging a sword when you push down on the controller or keyboard. Indeed, it is just amazing to point a Wii controller at the screen, push a button, and see an enemy go down with the blast of a gun. So in a way, video games are forms of art, works that appeal to the eyes, the ears, and the mind itself.

Finally, there is the less obvious reason: competition. Some may not know it, but video games can be almost as competitive, if not as much, as real sports. Today, gamers everywhere go online on games like Call of Duty, Starcraft II, Red Dead Redemption and play furiously against and alongside fellow players in fierce battles for ranking and the sweet taste of victory. However, unlike sports, video games can be very easy to pick up and get good at. Because of this, people who win in video game matches get an easy sense of accomplishment even though it is not really worth much. Although I am not a highly competitive gamer, I can tell that for many, the thrill of taking part in and winning a video game match is intense.

These reasons may not be the only ones explaining why video games are loved worldwide- some may not even be able to be explained- but as you can see, it is no wonder why virtual reality has won the heart of the modern human. Whether playing one for an escape from reality, a sense of achievement, or just the admiration of art, a player will find a world of enjoyment in the palms of his hands. I know for sure that my friends and I do. Of course, these games are harmful when played excessively, causing eye strain, lack of exercise, the complete ignorance of reality, or worst of all, erratic changes in behavior. However, when played in fair amounts in one’s free time, these remarkable pieces of software make for a jolly good pastime.



MOS episode 3 part 3

Finally, episode 4 has begun. Just like I promised, the map for the whole series before 3 part 3 is now in the last post, and now the map for that one is here as well. As for the symbol, I’m still thinking. I hope to have it by the next part though.

Man of Strength

Episode 4 part 1

(It is a cold and cloudy day, this time on the Libyan coast. On a road on a cliff with the sea on one side and grasslands on the other, Heracles and Iolaus ride together on Heracles’s motorcycle, Iolaus in the back.)

Heracles: You sure that gadget of yours is giving us the right directions?

Iolaus: (Holds a PDA in his hand) Of course I’m sure! These directions come from maps made by professional cartographers with decades of geographical experience.

Heracles: You never know. Even cartographers are only human.

Iolaus: Honestly, get with the times already.

(They then ride into Oea. It is a rather small town, consisting mainly of a large port packed with cargo ships, a few passenger ships, and loading equipment, with some large commercial buildings and compounds along with a few small huts on the side. As they ride through the town, the bike goes over a mix of dirt paths and stone roads being constructed over the paths. Walking or driving by in trucks, vans, and fancy looking cars are both workers and well dressed middle-eastern men.)

Heracles: I didn’t think this place would be that small.

Iolaus: Well, it was only founded about a year ago by a Phoenician trading company, and is still being built.

(Eventually, they stop next to a merchant dressed in fancy purple Arabian robes.)

Merchant: Welcome, travelers, to Oea!

Heracles: Thank you, kind sir.

Merchant: What brings you here? Probably not tourism, judging by those weapons.

Heracles: Actually, you could say that. We’re here because of an old legend in these areas.

Merchant: I suppose you mean the legend of Old Man Phorcys.

Heracles: Do you know anything about it?

Merchant: Of course. When I came here with the company, I couldn’t help looking at some of the legends and history of the area. According to legend, an ancient, immortal being of the sea named Phorcys lives in an underwater cave in the far waters by the cliff nearby. Some say he was a primordial god that ruled over the seas until he passed them on to Poseidon. Other legends say he is simply an immortal creature whose mind is one with the sea. However, in all legends, of the sea he is omnipotent, and his eyes see everything in his domain, not to mention he takes the form of a hideous aquatic beast. No wonder, as he was the father of equally grotesque monsters such as the Gorgons, the Graeae, and Echidna, who gave birth to even more monstrous creatures. Of course, nobody really knows, as he has never been seen by any mortal man.

Iolaus: And why not?

Merchant: The waters by the cliff nearby are some of the most treacherous of all. On the surface are dangerous waves, and below are some ravenous sharks waiting for an unlucky sailor to fall in. Nobody enters those waters and comes out in one piece.

Heracles: The perfect place for a sea god’s hideout. Anyways, thanks for your help.

Merchant: (smiles brightly) Not a problem. It was a great pleasure to meet a fellow mythology enthusiast.

Heracles: (revs up bike) Well then, lets go.

(They start to ride away)

Iolaus: Go where?

Heracles: Where do you think?

(The scene shifts to the cliff the merchant was talking about. It is not raining, but the winds are strong, resulting in violent waves. Right below the cliff is a small collection of sand, where Heracles, now without his belt, weapons, cloak, and coat, revealing a thin, red, long-sleeved shirt, stands with Iolaus.)

Iolaus: You’re joking, right?

Heracles: You said so yourself. This is the only way to find and defeat the Hydra.

Iolaus: Didn’t you hear the merchant? Nobody enters these waters and comes out alive. And I don’t think being a superhuman is gonna be much help. Besides, we’re not even sure if the legends are true.

Heracles: It’s worth a shot.

Iolaus: Is that all you’re gonna say?

Heracles: I don’t think I have a choice.

Iolaus: … Fine then. I have a really bad feeling about this, but let’s go.

Heracles: I don’t think so. I told you earlier you could come with me to Oea, but that was it.

Iolaus: Then why did you bring me here in the first place?

Heracles: Because if I come back injured, I was hoping you could go for help.

Iolaus: So you do need my help a bit more! So that’s what I’m gonna give you.

Heracles: Not in that way. You were the one hesitant about this at first, and just like that, I’m worried about you.

Iolaus: Worried or not, you’re not leaving without me. Who knows when you might need me to get you out of a jam!

Heracles: This isn’t about me, it’s about you!

Iolaus: I’ve been training myself for years for situations like this, and I may not be as much of a superhuman as you, but I still am your blood relative!

Heracles: (Through gritted teeth) Get this straight. You are not coming with me, and that’s final! It’s too dangerous!

(And with that, Heracles dives into the treacherous sea and starts swimming into the open water before diving below the surface.)

Iolaus: (Extremely annoyed) To dangerous my foot!

(And with that, he runs into the water after him.)

In a cloud of bubbles, Heracles dives below the dark blue water. Pushing himself downwards in long bounds, he turns his head around, looking for some sort of an entrance to the cave. Suddenly, when he turns his head right, he narrows his eyes before swimming that way. In the distance, at the bottom, something seems to be struggling. Eventually, once he gets close enough, the image becomes clear. It is a porpoise , caught in a net on a rock outcrop and fiercely thrashing, trying in vain to get out. Heracles narrows his eyes and starts swimming strongly towards the unfortunate creature. However, as he pushes himself towards the rock, a dark, menacing figure swims by in the distance.

When Heracles gets to the porpoise, he grabs the net and with one strong tug, tears a large piece of it off. Just like that, he continues to tears pieces of the net off until the last of it is floating away. As soon as it is free, the porpoise dashes away. That being complete, Heracles attempts to swim upwards, but is unable to go any higher. Heracles then looks down and frowns, seeing that his foot is stuck in the rocks. Desperate to get to the surface and deprived of his strength due to lack of air, he struggles in vain to pull his foot out. At the same time, from its point of view, the being from before starts to approach him, who widens his eyes and struggles even harder when he sees it.

Just then, hands reach out, grab Heracles’ foot, and release it from the rocks. It’s Iolaus! With that, the two of them quickly swim to the surface. At the top, Heracles and Iolaus thrash in the water, struggling to stay above the large waves.

Heracles: What in Tartarus are you doing here?! I told you not to get involved!

Iolaus: (Sarcastically) You’re very welcome.

(A wave crashes over them before they surface again.)

Heracles: Shut it, you disobedient nephew of mine! I told you, this is too dangerous! You’ll just get hurt!

Iolaus: That’s what I get for saving your life? This is exactly why I followed you!

Heracles: I told you already, this is too dangerous for a child like you!

(Iolaus is aghast. These words drain the anger out from his face and replace it with great shock.)

Iolaus: U-Uncle!

(Then it happens. A gigantic, grey shape rockets out of the water between them, Heracles barely dodging. It’s a gigantic shark! Iolaus lurches back in terror. The shark splashes in again and swims towards the young man, jaws wide open. However, Heracles appears in front and throws a punch at it. It dodges by diving under before coming up straight towards him. Heracles swings his arms hard, pushing him back far enough to dodge again. Once again, the shark rockets out of the water, narrowly missing the two. However, this time Heracles lunges forward and wraps his arms around the beast. Both Heracles and the shark splash into the water, and the beast dives, taking him with it underwater. Iolaus gasps in fear.

Underwater, the shark propels itself through the blue, thrashing side to side violently, trying to get Heracles off. However, Heracles will not let go easily. He tries to squeeze the beast to death, but is unsuccessful, as the beast’s thrashing do not allow him to get a good grip. He then tries to swim upwards and bring the beast to the surface, and is successful due to his superior strength. In a burst of white water, Heracles and the shark explode out of the water. In the air once again, Heracles takes a deep breath. Finally, Heracles wraps his fingers around the beast’s open jaws, and when they hit the water, before the shark can snap them shut, with a roar of power, Heracles jerks his arms in opposite directions, ripping its jaws apart and instantly killing the creature. Heracles, blood washing off of him in the seawater, swims over to Iolaus.

Iolaus: (looking down, terrified) By the gods, no!

(Heracles looks down to see the faint, dark shapes of more sharks coming from below.)

Heracles: Don’t worry about them. Look.

(They turn their heads to see the sharks surfacing around the bloody carcass of the mutilated shark and hungrily taking large bites out.)

Heracles: They’re attracted to the blood, so that should keep them busy for a while. Now get back to shore!

Iolaus: (not knowing what to say at first, but then narrowing his eyes) … Make me.

Heracles: I said get back there!

Iolaus: No!

Heracles: Dammit! Fine then, looks like there’s no reasoning with you! I think I saw a hole at the sea floor below. We’d better get there quickly before the sharks finish their meal.

Iolaus: All right. What about light? It should be pitch black down there, so we might not be able to see.

Heracles: Actually, when I was under there, I saw a faint, bluish glow coming from it. It might guide us to the cave, and it might not, in which case we’ll drown. I’ll be able to last longer down there, but you have no powers, so once again, it would be better if you turned back.

Iolaus: Don’t worry. I can hold my breath for pretty long, and also remember, although I don’t have any actual powers, I can still do things not actually impossible for human beings.

Heracles: That is true, but… fine, lets go.

(With that Heracles dives under, Iolaus following closely behind. They swim slowly towards the bottom, and eventually, a large hole emitting a bluish glow in the floor comes into view. Seeing it, they immediately start pushing themselves towards the hole before entering it.

As soon as they enter, almost all light is left behind, with the exception of the glow. This glow turns out to be coming from several large, glowing underwater crystals in the waters. Still, the amount of light is small, so only the black silhouettes of the two can be seen as they descend. After going a bit lower, the passage stops going down and proceeds forward, in which direction the two swim as well. Slowly, as they proceed, the crystals on the walls get more and more scarce, so Heracles swims to the wall, breaks one off, and continues ahead, the crystal in front of him. This is the right choice, as eventually, the wall crystals disappear completely, so the only light in the cavern is that coming from the crystal that Heracles is holding. This is quite dangerous, as despite the light, it still very dark, and they will never know when they might bump their heads on a wall, effectively ending their journey.

Just then, their possible salvation appears. In the previously pitch black distance, another glow appears. And unlike the crystals, this one moves. The glowing object darts upwards, and immediately, the two follow. This is the right decision, as after they get to the point where the glow once was and swim upwards, there is a splash, and at last, the two take a deep breath, their heads being faintly illuminated by the crystal above water in the otherwise absolute.)

Heracles: (gasping) Iolaus, you- you there?

Iolaus: (also gasping) Yeah. How long were we down there?

Heracles: About 20 minutes.

Iolaus: Really? ‘Cause it seemed an hour. Oh man, that was absolute torture.

Heracles: You regret coming?

Iolaus: Not a chance.

Heracles: Hmm, I was afraid you would be dead and far behind me by now. But I’m glad I was wrong. Despite not being super fast, strong, or agile, you have some really strong lungs.

Iolaus: What do you expect? I’m your nephew!

Heracles: I suppose. Anyways, I’m just glad we’re both alive.

Iolaus: Me too. (turns his head) Hey, look over there!

(Heracles also turns his head to see another light in the distance, not blue like the crystals but red, like fire. They look closely, and it turns out it is fire, coming from two torches on each side of another passageway above water, near a small ledge at the end of a path going into another cavern.)

Heracles: (smiling) Iolaus, I think we may have found it!

Iolaus: All right!

(However, as they celebrate, there is a loud splash behind them, and the two turn in horror to see the object that led them to this large cavern: the half-submerged body of a humongous, glowing giant squid.)

Iolaus: By the gods…

Heracles: Swim for your life!

(The squid lunges, tentacles at the ready, narrowly missing the two, who dash off in the the nick of time. Heracles uses his tremendous arm and leg strength to push himself and the crystal forwards through the water rapidly towards the torches, far away from the squid, but then turns around to find that Iolaus is not as capable. Behind him, the terrified, panting Iolaus is swimming frantically with strong strokes away from the squid, which is racing through the water close behind. However, the squid is too fast, and eventually catches up to the unlucky Iolaus, who lets out a high-pitched, almost comical shriek before the beast’s tentacles lunge towards him.

However, Heracles is not ready to let is nephew be devoured so soon. In an explosion of white water, Heracles appears in the squid’s way, the crystal in one arm, and throws a strong punch near the squid’s beak. The blue cephalopod flies back several meters before crashing into the water.

Heracles: Get to the cave entrance! I’ll catch up with you!

Iolaus: But-

Heracles: Don’t worry about me! I’ll distract it long enough for you to get there!

(Iolaus hesitates for a bit, then starts paddling to the cave entrance. In the meantime, the squid quickly recovers from the blow and rushes back in. As soon as it gets close enough, Heracles unleashes a combination of strong punches and swings from the crystal itself, enough to subdue the deep-sea beast and push it backwards but not enough to knock it out. Eventually, his aquatic opponent turns the tables on him and swings two of its tentacles at Heracles. He ducks, dodging it, but this gives the squid the opportunity to lunge, its large, sharp beak wide open.

Luckily, Heracles is able to dodge this as well by diving backwards. After coming up, he looks and sees that Iolaus has finally climbed out of the water onto the ledge. Seeing that, he starts swimming quickly after him, the squid hot on his trail, now faster than ever. Heracles swims as fast as a dolphin, but the squid moves even faster, and slowly gets closer and closer until he is within the reach of its tentacles.

All of a sudden, from below, an unseen force rams into the squid causing it to suddenly stop. Heracles swims a little further, then turns around to see the beast descend into the darkness after whatever hit it.

Bewildered, Heracles catches his breath and swims away towards the ledge. Below, the squid begins to stand out in the darkness less and less as it swims through the passage the two came through in the opposite direction. Then, it stops to see the faint shape of a porpoise in the distance, swimming up the entrance to the cavern towards the hole it first came through. In the meantime, Heracles climbs out of the water onto the ledge as well, meeting Iolaus.

Iolaus: By the gods, I though you were a goner there!

Heracles: Yeah, that was way too close. It’s a good thing that monster lost interest in me at the last minute.

Iolaus: Indeed. Anyways, why don’t we go in here and see what’s inside?

Heracles: Good idea.

(With that, the two, still sopping wet, walk through the cavern entrance past the two torches. At the other side, they walk out into a room lit by the same glow produced by the crystals and squid below, but this time more brilliant than ever. The room is a fairly large one, with large glowing crystals on the walls and ceiling illuminating the room. In the center is a stone pedestal upon which the creature they had been searching for rests.

The creature is a large snakelike creature resting in a coil. Then, as it uncoils itself, stands up on its serpentine body, and slithers down from the pedestal, it speaks.

Phorcys: Greetings, adventurers, and welcome to my humble abode.

The creature, Phorcys, reveals itself to be a creature with the lower body of a large, black sea snake and the upper body of a humanoid being. The human-like part of it is not especially good looking, being covered in blue scales, crab claws replacing its hands, and lobster antennae sprouting out of its otherwise bald head. However, other than that, it looks quite human, having the same chest, abdomen, and bearded face as an ordinary old man, not being exactly as hideous as Phoenician Merchant said.

Phorcys: I am Phorcys, the old man of the sea. With my mind’s eye, I see everything in my domain, the ocean, as I meditate, which you have awakened me from. However, I see you have been through many perils and obstacles in your journey to get here. It would have taken extraordinary power, determination, and luck to swim all the way through the caverns and escape the squid that guards the underwater lake. Truly you are blessed by the gods, and are worthy of my audience. Tell me what it is that you seek.

Heracles: What I seek is to find out how to find and kill the Hydra.

Phorcys: (Pauses for a second, then sighs) I knew this day would come eventually.

Iolaus: What’s wrong?

Phorcys: The Hydra is my grandchild. Thousands of years ago, before I became this creature, I was an ordinary married man blessed with 2 pairs of beautiful triplet daughters, until my family was cursed by otherworldly forces. I turned into this hideous beast, and to add to that, I became immortal, so I would have to suffer forever. To add to that, my daughters became the Graeae and the Gorgons, one of which was slain soon after. However, me and my daughters’ fates was not at all as horrible as that of my wife, Ceto. When we were cursed, she was pregnant, so the baby was affected as well. Therefore, Ceto died of childbirth when out of her exploded a terrible creature, Echidna. Echidna herself mated with the immortal beast Typhon, and gave birth to even more monstrosities, including the dragon Ladon, the ogre Grendel, the Nemean Lion, the dog Cerberus, and much more.

One of these beasts was the Hydra, a many headed serpent, one of the most fearsome of them all. It burrows throughout the world, destroying whole forests, demolishing villages, and even ravaging cities when it gets hungry. No matter how much human beings persist, they are doomed to perish if they cross paths with the monster that is my granddaughter. If a person is ever even seen by the Hydra, if he is not immediately gobbled up by one of the beast’s heads, its toxic breath will take him out with just one inhalation. And even if one actually does manage to cut off one of its heads, two more will grow in its place!

Iolaus: Oh my! It seems like this thing is invincible!

Phorcys: Not so! The creature burrows under the ocean as well, so I have been able to observe it in several of its horrible rampages. What I have seen is that most although the beast’s breath is very strong, it can still be avoided with an ordinary gas mask. It’s just that not that many people realize that, judging by the massive effects on those that do inhale it.

Heracles: You’re right, I would never have guessed.

Phorcys: Indeed. But one of the most important things I noticed about it was that when the one of the Hydra’s heads is cut off, no more will grow back in its place if at the stump fire comes into contact with its acidic blood.

Heracles: So that means it can be killed!

Iolaus: (excited) Heracles, you were right!

Phorcys: (smiles) I said I knew this day would come because I knew that although the monsters that are my grandchildren seem invincible, there are several special men and women in this world you may call heroes, people with superhuman powers that make them extraordinary amongst ordinary humans. I can see you two are some of them. Without a doubt you two are… (he stops.)

Heracles: Yes? What are we?

Phorcys: (pauses) Without a doubt you two are heroes. The point is, when you slew one of my less formidable grandchildren, the Nemean Lion, you proved you are capable of ridding the world of the curse that my wife and I brought upon this Earth. (sighs) Although it pains me to know that my own kin could die at your hands, but I suppose it was inevitable that this would happen eventually, when heroes would come and free the people of the Earth from the reign of terror these beasts have over humanity. If it is any comfort to me, my grandchildren will hurt people no longer.

Heracles: I probably cannot hope to understand your pain, the pain of your kin having to die for a good cause. Nevertheless, I shall slay this beast and put an end to the suffering it causes humanity as well as you.

Phorcys: Thank you. Right now, the Hydra has just burrowed under the coast of Punt and is heading towards the Sahara desert. There, it will stop at an ancient abandoned quarry, where it will rest before continuing its worldwide rampage. If you start for there right now, you should be able to meet it as it rests, although soon after you step onto the rocky ground, it will emerge from below, ready for battle. However, be warned. Although there is a chance that the Hydra can be killed, there is also a chance that it cannot.

Heracles: What?

Phorcys: Although Echidna was not immortal, her mate, Typhon, was. Nevertheless, immortality is not always passed on to offspring from a mortal and an immortal. As you have seen, the Nemean Lion was mortal, and just like that, the only one of Echidna’s children I know is immortal is Cerberus, the many headed guard dog of the underworld. As for the rest, they are most likely mortal as well. Nevertheless, I never got to observe them thoroughly enough to know, so there is a chance that the Hydra cannot be killed as well, and that one of its heads, the one that it started off with, is indestructable.

Heracles: Hmm. Well then, it’s a chance I’ll have to take.

Phorcys: Are you sure? Because if my granddaughter really is immortal, it will mean certain death for you.

Heracles: Yes, I am sure. It is something I don’t have a choice in doing.

Phorcys: I see.

Iolaus: Uh, Heracles, I know I should have asked this earlier, but… how are we gonna get out of here?

Heracles: Well, I assumed that Phorcys would know a secret way out or something. Other than that, I didn’t really think about it.

Iolaus: (Angrily) Are you serious?! You mean to say you just jumped in here without thinking about how to get out?!

Phorcys: Calm down child.

Iolaus: I’m not a freaking CHILD!

Phorcys: My apologies. Anyways, the last person who came to see me crawled out to the land on the surface through that narrow tunnel (he points to a hole in the wall large enough for Heracles to squeeze through.) So far, it has not closed up.

Heracles: I see. I am very greatful for your help, o ancient one, and now, I shall rid the world of the Hydra.

Phorcys: Then go forth, hero, and do not let my help be for naught.

(With that, Heracles walks to the hole and crawls through, Iolaus close behind. After they leave, Phorcys says to himself:)

Phorcys: Entering a battle he is not at all sure he can win. How reckless. (chuckles) Without a doubt he is his descendant.

(The scene shifts to land once again, the clouds now becoming darker, foreshadowing a coming storm. On the cliff from before, it is calm at first. Then, near Heracles’ bike, a hand erupts out of the ground. Following the hand comes another, and the earth caves in to form a small hole from which Heracles climbs out from, followed by Iolaus. As soon as the two get their feet on the ground, they collapse, exhausted.

Heracles: (panting) You okay, Iolaus?

Iolaus: (also panting) Yeah. How about you.

Heracles: I’m just glad both of us got out of there in one piece.

Iolaus: Me too. Now that we’re finally here, I’m exhausted. I’m just gonna take a little rest now.

Heracles: Good idea. We both need it.

(And with that, Heracles and Iolaus close their eyes, resting side by side. However, as soon as they fall asleep, the ominous shadow of a man looms over them- a helmeted man with two swords protruding from his back and two guns on his thighs. The man appears to watch them for a while before leaving them. For the moment.

episode 1- 3 part 2

Well, here it is. MOS episode 3 part 3. Also, I have some announcements about the series to make. First of all, from now on, episodes will start coming much faster than usual, as I will try to work a little every day. Next, I just want to remind everyone that this is steampunk, so it combines modern themes with ancient ones. Third of all, from now on, I will be putting maps of the previous episodes’ journeys with every post. Fourth, if you’re wondering what the symbol on the assassin’s head is, I still haven’t come up with it. I’ll keep trying though. And finally, I’ve decided to stop putting the notes and historical and mythological facts at the bottom of each one, for I think it makes the series look a bit too mild. If you disagree, please leave a comment. Anyways, enjoy!

Man of Strength

Episode 3 part 3

(The scene shifts to the port at Alexandria on a clear but cold morning. The city is a grand metropolis, sporting large, tall stone structures, packed streets, exquisite marble palaces, and a large port holding gigantic ships sitting next to long stone piers. Walking down the gangplank from a badly beaten up cargo ship are Heracles and Iolaus, now in their usual winter clothes, for Heracles his brown wool coat, black pants, and leather boots, and for Iolaus a green cotton full-sleeved sweater, dark wool pants, and white sneakers. Both are carrying rolling suitcases behind them, Heracles’ considerably bigger than his nephew’s.)

Heracles: Look at you. When I last saw you, you were just a tiny toddler wobbling on his toes, and now you’ve got a degree, a great freelance writing job, everything! I sure have missed a lot.

Iolaus: You sure have. Why didn’t you ever come to see us anyways?

Heracles: Well… lets just say your father an I were never the best of friends, brothers or not, and I doubt he would be happy about me visiting. You could have come to see me if you wanted.

Iolaus: Where was the time? I was always busy either studying, training, or traveling with my dad. But it seems I’ve missed a lot too! First you and Eurystheus were at each other’s throats, and now you’re doing nearly impossible tasks for him? What happened when I was away?

Heracles: … Some things came up. I’d rather not talk about what’s been going on lately in my life.

Iolaus: (Looks disapointed) Oh…So what brings you to Egypt?

Heracles: Apparently, the Hydra burrows around the world and attacks at random, so it will be nearly impossible for me to find by myself. I heard this city has the biggest library in the world, so maybe the books there will shed some light on the issue.

Iolaus: Hmm… sounds interesting. But before that, why don’t you come over to the dig site with me? They seem to have discovered some sort of a secret tomb right under a marble quarry nearby. The archaeologists nearby speculate that it actually might be the tomb of one of Alexander the Great’s generals! There’s no way I’m not writing about this.

Heracles: Sounds interesting. Let’s go!

(They get on Heracles’ bike at the road next to the docks and ride away. However, as they ride, the assassin from before watches them from a building, careful not to look over too far and reveal himself, clad in dark clothing, a black helmet with a strange symbol on the front, two deadly pistols on his belt and two longswords on his back.

(The scene shifts to a marble quarry, consisting of a large hole with “terraced” marble walls. In the center, the miners and machinery that should be there are replaced by archaeologists workers with shovels digging a smaller hole in the ground, in which marble has been torn away to reveal mud and sand. Nearby, Heracles is standing next to his bike, watching as Iolaus speaks to one archaeologist in a foreign language. Eventually, Iolaus walks back.)

Iolaus: Man, it was painful to learn Coptic back at the university, but I guess it paid off.

Heracles: It sure did. This is amazing. It’s been such a long time since I went to any historic site outside of Greece. Almost makes me feel bad about giving up being a prince.

(Iolaus smiles, but then suddenly frowns. Over his shoulder he can see someone crouching on one of the terraces. From the ledge, the assassin carefully aims his sniper rifle at Heracles’ head.)

Iolaus: By the gods… get down!

(Iolaus tackles Heracles, just narrowly avoiding the bullet. The assassin puts back his rifle, and draws his swords. He leaps of the ledge, flying towards the two, who have now gotten up, only to be bicycle kicked away by Heracles. He crashes towards the ground, but quickly gets up, although not before Heracles quickly puts on his cloak and belt, having his sword, club, and guns at the ready.

The assassin fires his pistols at him, but Heracles pulls his cloak in front, making the bullets bounce off. Realizing that guns won’t work, the assassin draws his swords and rushes towards him with amazing speed, his black boots flashing across the gray stone. Heracles draws his own sword as well and blocks his first horizontal slash. This strike is followed by many more lightning-fast thrusts and horizontal, vertical, and diagonal slashes from both swords, all of them being blocked or dodged by Heracles. Suddenly, in a flash the assassin puts back one sword before pulling out a gun and firing with that hand. Surprised, Heracles curves his body to the right, the bullet narrowly missing his stomach.

This is followed by three more shots from the assassin, each one being blocked by Heracles’ lions cloak. The assassin lowers his guns, and Heracles, seeing his chance, pulls out his own firearms and lets forth a wave of bullets. However, the assassin dodges each and every one of them with several sideways aerials before doing a high front flip from which bullets fly. However, Heracles does his own long backflip, from which he lands at the same time as his opponent. As soon as Heracles lands, in a speedy motion he draws his club and lets fly. Before the assassin can react, he is struck in the head by the large, heavy projectile. As soon as it bounces off, Heracles flits over, catches the cloak and unleashes several hard horizontal swings to his opponents head, blows that would instantly kill an ordinary man.

However, this is no ordinary man, and on one swing, he grabs the club with energy as though he was never hit in the first place. Holding the other end of the club, the assassin kicks Heracles in the stomach, knocking him away. As he gets up, the assassin does a long jump towards him and does two consecutive spinning kicks to the head in the air. Heracles is knocked down, but rolls backwards. However, as soon as that happens, Heracles gets two quick slashes to the chest from the assassin’s swords. Reeling from pain, he cries out and falls to his knees. He looks up and sees the assassin triumphantly standing over him. The man in black pulls out a gun and points it towards his head. Heracles looks up angrily, but does nothing.

Suddenly, there is a loud clanking noise, and the assassin reels forward from a smash to the head before he can fire. He turns around to see a panting but determined-looking Iolaus, brandishing a shovel. Iolaus unleashes several more rapid swings at him, the first few hitting him, but the last one being blocked by one of his swords. The assassin reaches for his gun, but then slightly pauses. His hand trembles a bit, but then finally pulls it out and holds it up to fire.

A shot rings out, but not from the assassin’s gun. The assassin writhes in pain as we see smoke coming from Heracles’s own pistol, shot as he was still kneeling. In a flash, Heracles gets up, pulls out his club, and swings hard, sending the assassin flying. The assassin once again crashes to the ground, but this time does not get up in time. Despite the wounds on his chest, Heracles leaps through the air, roaring and brandishing his sword, and swings down. There is a slicing noise, and the assassin’s helmeted head finally rolls away, his corpse lying in a pool of blood. Iolaus runs over.)

Iolaus: By the gods, Heracles! Are you ok?

Heracles: (Stands up) Yeah, I’m fine. Flesh wounds like these heal pretty fast for me.

Iolaus: Thank the gods! I thought that I’d lose my only uncle right after I met him!

Heracles: Well, it’s all thanks to you. You really saved my skin back then.

Iolaus: (Hugs him) Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing back then. I just wanted to do something to help out.

Heracles: Well, it worked.

Iolaus: I guess. Who was that guy?

Heracles: I’m not so sure.

Iolaus: Maybe this symbol has something to do with it.

(Iolaus tears out a piece of paper from his notebook and gives it to him. On it is the symbol on the assassin’s helmet.)

Iolaus: You should keep this for now.

Heracles: Thanks. I will. (He turns to his bike) Well, come on, we’d better get going before the police come and drown us in questions.

Iolaus: Alright. I think I’ve got enough info and photos already.

(Both of them jump on the bike and ride away. Eventually, they come to an inn in urban Alexandria. Next to the bike, Heracles and Iolaus speak.)

Iolaus: So, where will you go now?

Heracles: I suppose I’ll head over to the Great Library. I have Eurystheus’ seal, so they’ll probably let me in.

Iolaus: Maybe, but I’ve been thinking, and I’m afraid you won’t find anything there.

Heracles: What? Why not?

Iolaus: Wherever the Hydra burrows to, it leaves behind utter destruction. Few people have seen it and lived to tell the tale, let alone study its patterns of movement. Nobody can determine where it is and where it will strike next. All people can do is pray that it doesn’t come their way.

Heracles: … Oh my. That doesn’t sound very good. How will I track it then?

Iolaus: Well… there is one way. But it’s very uncertain.

Heracles: And me killing the Hydra isn’t?

Iolaus: Good point. There is a being fabled to live on the Libyan coast, near Oea. He is called the old man of the sea, Phorcys. He is supposed to know everything about the ocean and that which exists in it. This should include the Hydra, since it is known to burrow under the sea floor as well. Although your chances of finding him are slim, for no one knows if he actually exists.

Heracles: I’ll try it out. I have heard of Phorcys, and if what people say about him is true, he should know. (He gets on his bike.) I’ll be on my way then.

Iolaus: Wait! (Heracles turns his head.) Let me come with you.

Heracles: What?! You can’t be serious!

Iolaus: I’m serious. My job is done right now, and I want to spend the rest of my time in Africa helping you. If the Hydra is as fierce as they say, you’re going to need a helping hand. Also, I have a PDA, so whenever you need info, I can get it in a flash. My help will be invaluable.

Heracles: Maybe, but my concern is your safety. You although you can do the biggest physical feats that ordinary humans can do, you still have no actual powers, and most importantly, you’re too young! I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if you, my nephew, got hurt!

Iolaus: I’m 17 years old! And I got enough combat and survival training from my father to keep me alive in any situation! Please, let me come with you. I won’t be a burden, I promise! I want to help!

Heracles: (sighs) So, you really want to help me out?

Iolaus: Yes! And don’t say something cheap like “then go back and continue with your job,” because anyone would find that deathly annoying.

Heracles: Fine then. You can come with me, but only up to Oea. You can give me directions and any other info I need to know, but that’s all. After that, I’ll take you to the nearest port, and you can ride on back to Greece.

Iolaus: (Overjoyed) Thank you so much! I promise, you won’t regret this!

Heracles: I hope not. (They get on the bike and ride away.) After that incident at the digsite, who knows what could come up next?

(As he speaks, back at the quarry, several policemen arrive. One of them is questioning the archaeologist Iolaus was talking to before in Coptic. Suddenly, two shots ring out. Blood flies out of the heads of both the archaeologist and the officer, and they both crumple down. As they fall, the figure of the headless assassin is revealed, standing with a smoking gun in one hand and his helmeted head in the other. He puts his head onto the stump where it was before and screws it back on before dashing towards the camera, going in for the slaughter.)

Highschool of the Dead

You want action? No problem. You want drama? You got it. You want zombies? Well look no further, for there is High School of the Dead. HOFD, or Gakuen Mokushiroku, is an action-horror Shonen manga made by Daisuke and Shoji Sato in the style of Night of the Living dead, Resident Evil, and of course, Left 4 Dead, which all pale in comparison, because this one tops them all. The series has it all: fast paced action and thrills, heartfelt teen romances, a complex, beautifully woven storyline and an expertly designed setting of a terrible worldwide zombie apocalypse, which was enough to blow my mind from the very first chapter.

Highschool of the Dead begins on an ordinary day in a modern day Japanese high school. Everyone is minding their own business, students studying and taking tests and the main character skipping class and slacking off. Then, suddenly, a strange looking man behaving erratically appears at the gate, releasing a deadly virus into the school, killing people en masse and resurrecting them as bloodthirsty zombies, or “them.” Amid the panic, the main character, his would be girlfriend- a spear martial artist-, the president of the kendo club, the intelligent daughter of a local politician, a teenage gunslinger, and the school nurse manage to escape the campus and must work together to escape the undead wasteland that was once their hometown, now only one of the many cities worldwide that has fallen to the deadly virus. On the way, they experience both tension and love within the group, fight their way through the anarchic city ruins slaying any undead beast that gets in their way, and unleash their most primal instincts, throwing away their own moral codes, just to stay alive, making for a great post-apocalyptic action-adventure story of epic proportions.

There are many things I like about this series. The plot progresses “smoothly” as the group struggles to fight through the dreadful undead armies and get to safety. The characters are very well designed, each with their own unique personality, background, skills to contribute to the group, and most importantly, their own ways to add great drama to the story, thickening the plot and killing the reader with tension. The apocalyptic-wasteland setting is terrifying and mind blowing not just for the smoking cars, terrified people awaiting their dooms, and armies of the ravenous “them” eager to give it to them, but also for how realistic it is. As the group trudges through the ashes of civilization, they find hostile revolutionary groups, insane and violent survivors, and officials from the slowly falling apart government struggling to keep order and protect civilians, all of which either assisting or hindering the gang’s progress and making the story delightfully complex. However, while this is all nice, overall, what I like most about the series is none other than the heart-racing zombie action that turns High School of the Dead into a massive thrill ride that horror-fans will sink their teeth into as viciously and “them” themselves!

Higurashi no naku koro ni (When They Cry)

Fellow hardcore horror fans, you’re in for a treat. Higurashi no naku koro ni (literally When the Cicadas Cry,) called When They Cry in the US, is a Seinen manga based on a series of visual novels (video games without too much gameplay but a detailed story) made by 07^th Expansion that is guaranteed to scare even the biggest horror aficionado to the grave. Most famous Japanese horror stories involve ghosts such as Yurei, such as Ju-On (The Grudge,) Ringu (The Ring,) and Chakushin Ari (One Missed Call.) These are good ones, but they eventually get old. However, Higurashi is not one of these stories. Instead, it uses elements of Japanese mythology and murder mystery stories to create a terrifying psychological horror story that will without a doubt keep people watching or reading till the very end and give them nightmares at the same time.

The Higurashi series is really not one linear story, but several different story arcs. Each arc has no real continuity, although it involves the same characters and a similar situation. All of the stories take place mostly in the same place: the small, rural town of Hinamizawa. Several different characters are focused on, the main one usually being Keiichi Maebara, a 14-year old boy who has recently moved to Hinamizawa with his family. In town and at his new school, he makes several friends, all of them girls: Rena, Mion, Satoko, and Rika. Things go along smoothly, until the fateful day of the Watanagashi festival, where he learns of the terrible curse that has plagued Hinamizawa for at least a few years. Soon, people all around, sometimes very close to him, start dying, and Keiichi begins to question what he believes true, beginning a terrible struggle to defeat the curse and survive this mysterious town full of horrors and perils that may be closer than he thinks.

Most horror stories rely on cheap scare tactics such as gore scenes and abrupt “jump-out” moments, and although these do sometimes work, they are not Higurashi’s most prominent features. The thing about the series is that it starts off seeming like a nice, heartwarming romance, slice-of-life, or screwball comedy story. However, as the story progresses, it goes through a dreadful mutation into the biggest mind-effer you will ever see. As you go through it, the story actually puts you in the shoes of the terrified main character as he rushes to outrun the curse, trying to figure out who are his friends and who wishes to brutally torture him to a gruesome death. As the mystery unfolds, unnerving music, loud noises, horrifying torture scenes, maniacal villains, and shocking secrets add to the cold fear that is produced, constantly multiplying it until the very end, when the final “resolution” rocks your world and dooms you to at least one sleepless night. So be sure to go through at least two story arcs from beginning-to end, be careful not to watch too many anime youtube videos to prevent spoilers, and turn the lights down if you dare, for then you will see why Higurashi no naku koro ni is without a doubt one of the scariest works of horror fiction of our time.

Team Natsu, from left to right: Erza, Lucy, Gray, Happy, Natsu

Fairy Tail

This time, I have saved the best for last. Without a doubt, Fairy Tail, by Hiro Mashima, is my favorite serial of all time. FT is a shonen action-fantasy series that won one more new devoted fan the moment I started watching the anime. The setting is the country Fiore in the fictional universe of Earthland. In this universe, magic is used for everything, whether it’s powering machines in the form of energy crystals or being used within human mages to kick serious butt. Many of these mages often work together in guilds, where they can hang out, interact, and make a living by hiring themselves out as mercenaries. The story focuses on one particular team of mercenary mages called Team Natsu, who work as part of the famous mage guild Fairy Tail. Enter the sexy, determined, and somewhat vain Lucy, Erza, the headstrong, tomboyish, and sometimes clueless weapons master and team leader, the titular gluttonous, fight-happy, and simple minded flame mage Natsu, his best friend, the blue, flying, talking cat Happy, and Natsu’s rival, Gray, the ice mage with a nasty habit of stripping at random times. Overall, the story is rather simple, each story arc following one of the wacky, random, and epic adventures of Team Natsu and Fairy Tail as a whole. However, whether the team is simply going on a mission to earn some cash, embarking on a dramatic, perilous journey to fight evil and save lives, or experiencing the tragic backstories of individual characters, Lucy, Natsu, Gray, Erza, Happy, and their comrades and close friends, the mages of Fairy Tail, will never cease to amaze.

In my opinion, both high-octane action and good comedy are equally important in keeping the reader interested throughout the series. The series Bleach had some good action, but there was not enough feel-good comedy to keep me from getting bored, so I eventually stopped. However, Fairy Tail manages to meet this criteria and more. Throughout the series, in addition to the hilarious jokes and slapstick gags, there are many important running gags, such as Gray’s stripping, Happy’s cute and funny catchphrase, Natsu’s stupidity, and Erza’s ignorance of social norms. Of course, running gags are not always, good, for if they are annoying at the beginning, they will be annoying throughout. However, in Fairy Tail, I have yet to find a single bad piece of humor, so the many individual and running gags in the series make for some darn good fun. However, the series is not just fun and games. The team is a very determined one. They love their friends and will always risk their lives to protect each other, and they will stop at nothing to get the job done. So when trouble comes, which it does a lot, Team Natsu fires up and rushes into battle, ready to confront their personal demons, work together and support each other, and most importantly, kick some cold, hard butt. With hilarious comedy, epic drama, and mind-blowing action, Fairy Tail does not disappoint, making it evident that it is a series worthy of pushing itself into our favorite sections.

Picture sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highschool_of_the_Dead

http://www.watchcartoononline.com/higurashi-no-naku-koro-ni-kai-episode-1-english-subbed

http://animes-net.e-monsite.com/rubrique,fairy-tail,637505.html

My Dying Home

I hadn’t slept well last night. How could I have? Every time I swam into my hole in the coral and closed my eyes, I saw the reef that we called home in ruins: the polyps bleached, broken apart, or covered in algae, the anemones, sponges, and sea plants shriveled up, dead, our remaining neighbors , the fishes, having nowhere to live and waiting to die, and our broken underwater “city” covered with nets and junk from the landwalkers above and dark with the shadows of even more trash floating above. It was a terrible sight to see every night, but the worst part of it was that these dreams could have been visions of the future.

When I finally opened my eyes and awakened from my torturous slumber, I reached my arm out, hoping to touch the chest of my beloved husband and bid him good morning. However, to my surprise, the only thing that I felt was the cold rock on the floor of our home. I shook myself awake and looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen. Anxiously, I crawled to the entrance, a hole in the wall of the reef, and looked outside, but he was still nowhere to be found. My heart was now pounding heavily, for my husband and I had never been separated without previous notice. Shakily, I cast out my voice, calling his name, but there was no answer. I tried again several times, raising my voice eventually to a panicked scream, but still there was no answer. Finally, I swam to the top of the reef and looked over our dying home.

The place that was once a wonderful coral reef teeming with life then was starting to grow similar to the reef of my nightmares. The coral was either growing brittle and falling apart or losing the energy giving plankton within it. To add to that, other polyps were dying from lack of enough sunlight due to both the trash and junk on top of them and above them as well as the sediment and algae smothering them. Some of the coral was even being taken away by landwalker divers! Over time, more and more coral polyps were disappearing, and the wildlife in the area that needed them was slowly going with it. Over a period of just a few years, all the populations in the reef had either dwindled or died out completely, and it was all because of those cruel landwalkers.

Several decades ago, when I was born, the reef was a lovely place, covered in coral, sponges, and anemones bursting with every kind of color and brimming with beautiful fish swimming among them happily. However, when I turned five, I swam to the coast and crawled onto a rock, hoping to catch my first glimpse of the world above. It was then I saw the landwalkers. On the beach were five small children, picking up seashells and molding wet sand into small structures. I had never seen such creatures, ones with the upper bodies of mer-creatures but totally different lower halves, so I decided to stay a little longer to watch. Then, one of them saw me and gasped. He yelled to the other four, who looked up and gasped as well. I watched them talk frantically amongst each other for a while, then four of them ran away, presumably to get their parents, so I assumed that none of them had seen mer-people like me before. However, one of them, a little girl with brown hair and green eyes, stayed behind, staring at me. For a few moments, we gazed deeply into each other’s eyes before she ran away as well.

After that, over the years, more and more of the landwalkers started to come to the coast, building structures much larger than the ones those children were making near the shore and eventually some extending right into our ocean. After my first encounter with them, my parents told me to be careful not show myself to them again, for they were dangerous creatures, and I eventually found out they were right. Following their arrival were the slaughtering of masses of innocent sea creatures, the cruel theft of coral and kelp, our main food source, and the dumping of objects and sediment of foreign material into the ocean, which I later found to be the waste of the landwalkers, adding chemicals to the water and blocking out the sunlight shining on the reef. To add to that, after they came, the water itself changed dramatically. The air above started to get warmer, causing the warming of the ocean as well, and new chemicals from both the air and the landwalkers themselves mixed in with the seawater. Eventually, the coral in the reef started to die because of this, causing the fish and plant population to die off as well. My family was hit hard too, for now there was less kelp for us to eat, and eventually, the heat and chemicals made it almost a pain to just live in the water. Although eventually I got used to it, I still missed the good old days when I could swim leisurely in the blue waves without a care. My parents told me that the landwalkers were evil, and I almost believed them. However, I still remembered that little girl on the beach decades ago, when I looked into her emerald green eyes and saw what could have been an innocent, kind soul.

Coming back to the present, I scanned the dying reef, but my husband was still nowhere to be found. Why would he leave me like this, I thought, tears forming in my eyes before diffusing into the water around me, and where could he have gone? My heart was racing now, and I frantically activated my radar, an ability that all of us mer-people have, sending sonar waves out into the ocean, hoping that they would come back with any sign of my husband. Unfortunately, there was no luck then. I decided to try again at another point, and swam to the kelp forest where we usually got our food from, desperately praying that I would see my beloved again. Without him, I would be the only mer-person in this part of the sea, for my parents were dead and I was the only one in my circle of friends who wanted to stay in the reef instead of moving away from the coast and the dangerous landwalkers. There would be no one to talk to, nobody to care for, and nobody to love. I would be so lonely, I might just die.

Unfortunately, the kelp forest was not that well off either. Just like the coral reef, the kelp was dying as well. Just like they stole coral from the reef, divers would swim down to the kelp forest and cut off stalks en masse, and the kelp that they didn’t steal were dying due to the shadow from the sunlight-blocking trash above, the poison in the water, and the higher temperature. This was even worse than the reef dying, for kelp is the food source for us all, and without enough, we will starve. This was already showing, for in this part of the sea, all that was left of the animal community was a small amount of fish, sharks, dolphins, turtles, sea lions, various other species with populations that also were much smaller than they should have been, and my husband and I, the last two mer-people in this part of the ocean. So when I came to the forest, my eyes met the sad sight of a few short stalks of kelp with a few fish, sharks, and sea lions swimming around, either munching on the green plants or catching animals, possibly with the knowledge that their bellies would eventually grow empty in the backs of their heads. With that, I activated my radar again, but there was once again no luck. Horribly disappointed, I broke of a piece of a kelp leaf and put it in my mouth, hoping that food in my empty belly would take my mind off the absence of my husband. However, no such thing happened, and I began to lose hope. Would I never be able to fall into the arms of my beloved, that magnificent merman with those shining green scales, curly brown hair, and enchanting smile, and have him gently caress me and whisper comforting words into my ear? Oh, how could I live without him?

Suddenly, when I became aware of my surroundings again, I realized that I was floating to the surface. At that moment, my long, blonde hair touched the world above and the many terrible floating objects lining it. A terrified shriek escaped my lips as shredded pieces of trash got mixed in my hair. Now in absolute panic, I thrashed around near the surface, but that only made things worse as trash bits got caught in the scales on my tail and eventually in the gills on my neck. They even floated into my mouth and down my throat! By the time I finally returned to the bottom of the kelp forest, my scales were covered in the filth that wasn’t on my gills or in my stomach and throat, giving me an agonizing bellyache and impairing my ability to breathe. In great pain and sorrow, I sat down on a rock at the bottom and began to let out agonized, choked sobs. By then, I had lost almost all hope, so it was only natural that I would just sit down and cry.

Suddenly, I sat up straight and wiped my tears away. My husband would never have stood for this. If he was there, he would have told me to get up and swim on, not stopping on my quest until the cold, bitter end. I smiled lightly, for this attitude was one of the major reasons why I fell in love with him. No matter what, he would push on, always looking at the bright side of things. My husband was out there somewhere, dead or alive, and no matter what, I would find him! Filled with newfound warmth and courage from my thoughts of him, I got up and swam away from the forest, using my radar at full its full capacity.

It was a harsh, painful swim. The physical pain from the trash from before still remained, and I was swimming through it, making it even worse. But no matter what, I kept the thought of my husband in my mind, pushing on. Eventually, both the kelp forest and the reef were far from my sight, and I found myself in the open ocean, with nothing around me but crystal-blue water, large schools of fish, and one large floating vessel of the same material as the structures of the landwalkers, only this one was in our own home, the ocean. Then, something hit the surface of the water, and I watched in horror as a gigantic net was lowered from the vessel into the sea. I had seen these nets several times before. One day, when I was a tiny little mermaid girl, I saw a similar one drop into the ocean from a vessel. The vessel began to use a spinning paddle on its rear to push itself forward, dragging the net along with it, sweeping up all the fish in its path like a white wave of death. Eventually, the net was lifted up, taking the fish up to the surface world, where they would without a doubt meet their doom at the hands of the landwalkers that used the vessel and its net. It was a horrible sight, but nevertheless, I curiously continued to get close to it and watch the nets come down and drag those writhing masses of fish up. When my parents found out, they immediately brought me back home and told me never to get close to them again, for they were evil things that massacred innocent souls. Unfortunately, this made me want to dare to get close to them even more. Ah, the pesky, disobedient, ignorant little girl I was then. Sadly, I almost paid the price for this soon after. One day, I got too close to the vessel, and when the deadly net dropped down and started moving, I realized too late that it was heading right towards me! As the white mass loomed over me, I was frozen with fear, and could do nothing but wait for the end. Suddenly, I was pushed out of the way of that terrible instrument of death, and when I came to my senses, I found myself in the arms of my father. We then shared a tender moment, me sobbing into his arms and him patting me on the back, whispering that everything was okay. When we got back, I got a harsh scolding from my mother, who after that beat me in a fit of anger and sadness. But I didn’t care, since I knew I was safe again. After that, I was never allowed to go near those net-vessels again, but that was an experience that haunts me to this day.

At this particular moment, all those memories came back to me, and even though it was many meters away, I backed away slowly, terrified, as the net pushed through the water, swallowing up the doomed schools of fish in its way. Tears forming in my eyes again, I turned my head to the right and gasped. Right in its way was a sea turtle, a magnificent reptile that was soon to become the unlucky prey of the net. This was too much. There were plenty of fish in the sea, and even though they were carried away in large numbers, they reproduced quickly. However, the sea turtles were now rare creatures, and I couldn’t bear to see one of them die like this. Frantically, I swam towards it, yelling and screaming for it to swim away. For a while, the turtle was puzzled, and when it turned its head in the direction of the vessel, it was too late. In a flash, the net took the reptile and dragged it up with the rest of the fish.

I stopped swimming and started to gasp for breath, my head swimming with sorrow and madness. A few minutes later, another object hit the surface of the water and began to sink down, a grotesque cloud of blood surrounding it. When that red mist cleared out, I realized to my horror that it was the turtle from before, only this time with its front flippers cut off! Instead of those two flippers in the front, there were two open maws, blood sickeningly gushing from them and diffusing into the water around the turtle. As soon as I saw the poor turtle, bleeding heavily and writhing in agony, I could do nothing but turn away with disgust and vomit out the contents of my belly. I couldn’t bear to see this anymore, and once the mess of half-digested kelp had cleared away, I turned away and used the strength of mine that hadn’t been lost with my agonized shouts and violent thrashing from before to swim away from this horror. With any luck, I thought, the poor creature will be eaten by a shark before it bleeds to death.Oh, those cruel landwalkers. How can they do such things without a single pang of conscience?

I couldn’t imagine being in that turtle’s shell, but my situation wasn’t that ideal either. I was beginning to lose my strength little by little, the trash still covering me and in my stomach, which was now almost empty, and all that activity having drained everything from me. However, what I didn’t realize at that time was that the worst was yet to come. I continued to swim through the blue sea, stopping at points to unleash my radar, telling myself that no matter what, I would not stop until my husband and I were reunited. Suddenly, I stopped, and looked ahead in horror. Right in front of me was a dark cloud in the water, slowly drifting toward my terrorized being.

It was every sea creature’s worst nightmare: a chemical spill. In the far distance, a large vessel was floating away, unaware that several of the capsules on it had fallen off into the sea and released their deadly toxic contents. Now, looming over me was a dark mist of this poison, containing the shadows of hundreds of sea lion, shark, sea turtle, dolphin, and fish carcasses, a black cloud of death that was ready to take in one more. As soon as the poison touched me, I was plunged into hell. As the toxins covered my bare skin and scales, irritated my eyes, and forcefully entered my nostrils and mouth, I went into full scale panic. I thrashed, shrieked, and screamed as the poison entered my body, causing unbearable pain. My bones actually seemed to be set on fire, and my organs began to cry by pushing blood up my throat and coughing it out. At that time, I felt something that I had thought I had felt before, but never really had it cross my mind until now: the true desire to die.

However, this wish did not come true. One part of my brain still having the will to live and find my beloved, my body worked on its own, struggling out of the cloud of poison and forcing itself to swim away. Eventually, when I regained control, I stopped. At this time, my vision was blurry, my body was feeling like it was beginning to fail me, and madness swirled through my brain. Now, I needed my love more than ever, so in one final push, I let out my radar, and in a few seconds, I gasped. My radar was picking up a body with a slow-beating pulse, one with a long tail, a head, and long, shapely arms. It was my husband!

Despite the condition I was in, I rushed to the spot to find my beautiful merman lying on the ocean floor, with sharp metal nets cutting into his arms, drawing immense amounts of blood, but handsome just the same. Although part of me was horrified to see him in such a state as well, I was still overjoyed. And so was he, for when he looked up and saw my ragged self, his eyes widened and a bright smile formed on his face. Immediately, I rushed to him, and when we met, we wrapped our arms around each other at last, his sweet lips pressing to mine.

“Where in the seven seas were you?!” I screamed hoarsely. “Why did you leave me?”

“I had to, my dear,” he whispered sadly. “The world as we know it is ending, so I hoped to go out, find out why the landwalkers were doing this, and possibly try to reason with them. I didn’t tell you because you obviously would have stopped me, saying it was too dangerous. So, I went out on my own, hoping that I could be back in a few hours after finding out a bit more about these creatures. I know, it was a stupid thing to do, and now I am paying the price.”

I couldn’t believe it. “But why must I pay the price too?”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, sorrowfully. “Along the way, I saw a blue dolphin tangled in a sharp landwalker gill net. I couldn’t bear to see it get pulled up to those bloodthirsty creatures, so I tried to untangle it with my bare hands. I was successful, but ended up getting tangled a bit myself. Desperately, I ripped my self free, but ended up injuring myself even more, and now here I am, bleeding on the ocean floor and waiting for the end.

“But don’t cry, my dear,” he whispered sadly, although I had cried out my last tear ages ago. “Judging by the way you look, I’d say we will be seeing each other again soon.”

“No,” I whispered, my voice slowly raising. “You can’t die. You can’t leave me like this, all alone! I didn’t know if it was true at first, but now I know that my belly will swell up soon. I-I-I’m pregnant!”

It was true. A few days ago, I started to feel certain sensations in my abdomen, not painful, but no good feelings either. I was clueless at first, but eventually, it became clear that these feelings were those that all mermaids felt when they were going to have babies. When my husband heard this, he frowned for a while, then smiled lightly. Then, he uttered his last words.

“Then we’ll have some company.”

And with that, he closed his eyes and died.

What he was saying was clear from the start. I would die very soon, and I would unwillingly take my babies with me. These sorrowful words were all it took to drain the last of my strength and will to live. A few seconds later, I fell down beside him and closed my eyes, feeling a painful melancholy, yet somewhat happy that I would meet my end next to my one true love.

I woke up with a cool sea breeze on my skin and cold, hard rock under my back. I was in a confused daze as my eyes opened. Was I dead? If so, where was my husband? Where were my parents? Where were my unborn babies? When my eyes adjusted, I realized that I was in the surface world, in a cave near the beach. It was a dark cave except for the light coming in from the entrance, which let in small amounts of water from the ocean as well. I raised my back up as far as I could, and before I collapsed again, I found that the chemical coat on my skin was gone, my stomachache had been soothed, and my scales and gills were trash free. Even better, my belly had begun to swell up, meaning that my babies were alive! It was a miracle! But how could this have happened?

Suddenly, I heard a calm voice speaking in a foreign language very close by. I turned my head, and to my shock, I saw a little landwalker girl with blonde hair, red and yellow fabrics covering some of her lightly tanned skin like all landwalkers do and light blue rubber attachments stuck under her otherwise bare feet. I was scared at first, but she continued to speak soothing foreign words to me, and I eventually couldn’t help calming down. I knew landwalkers were evil, but this particular one seemed so… innocent, and kind. She then stretched out her hand and before I could react, she pushed a tiny red capsule into my mouth. My eyes widened once I swallowed it, but before I could panic, the girl whispered some more to me, calming me down. I had no real idea what her motives were, but something told me that she meant well.

Soon, four more landwalkers came in. Three of them were children: a black haired boy in green and gray, a redhead girl in yellow and brown, and a brown haired boy in blue and black. And with them was a landwalker adult, a tall, beautiful brunette in pink and black with emerald green eyes, possibly the mother of one of them. This particular woman especially caught my interest because of the way she looked so familiar. They spoke among each other for a while, then the black haired boy held a kelp leaf towards me. I bit into it eagerly, savoring the wonderful feeling of the kelp running down my throat and into my empty stomach. Then, the redhead girl and the brown haired boy ran out and brought in a large vessel of water along with smaller vessels and other objects I did not recognize. Then, they began to pour water from the large vessel over me with the smaller vessels. I was overjoyed, for it felt amazing to have sweet, cold water on my skin and scales again. To add to that, they used the other objects to rub my body. I didn’t understand. Were they actually cleaning me? I assumed so, since now I trusted them a bit more. A while later, they left me alone in the cave.

The next afternoon as well as those of the days after, they came back and did the same things for me again and again. Eventually I found out that the pills they gave me were medicine, to help me recover. They really did mean well, and wanted me to get better. Also, I eventually learned their names from the conversations between them. The blonde girl’s name was Jane, the black haired boy was Tom, the redhead was Leslie, and the brown haired boy was Will. As for the woman, her name was Miranda, and apparently, she was Jane’s mother. I always looked forward to her coming, for every time she came, she emitted that familiar aura that made me feel that everything was all right. This went on for days, weeks, and eventually months. At the same time, my belly got larger, and the movement within it told me that the babies were healthy. And it was all thanks to these strangely kind landwalkers. I wondered, why were they doing this? Most landwalkers slaughter the creatures of the sea and demolish their homes, yet Jane, Tom, Leslie, Will, and Miranda showed great compassion. Why? Was it because they had something to gain from me? Would they eventually use me for their own purposes? Or were they doing this because they truly cared?

Throughout my period of pregnancy, I was kept healthy and happy by the landwalkers. Maybe these creatures weren’t so evil after all! If that wasn’t true, there were surely exceptions. Eventually, the time finally came. One day, after the five went away, I suddenly started to feel immense pain in my abdomen. I now knew it was time. With all my might, I crawled to the edge of the cave and slipped into the water. The landwalkers would unfortunately not know why I left, but if they did, they would have understood. I swam to the bottom of this shallow part of the sea and lay down on the ocean floor. The pain was unbearable, almost as bad as what I felt before in the chemical cloud. However, I knew I had a job to do, and began to push. The pain was even worse, but I fought it and pushed on, and eventually, it happened. Out popped my just reward, two beautiful crying babies, a little mermaid and merman. The pain was still there, but it didn’t matter any more. The wailing little creatures that I had just produced was worth it all. Oh, if only my husband were here to see this glorious moment! With that, I wrapped my arms around my two new children and whispered in tears of joy,

“It’s okay now. I’m here, little ones.

“I’m here.”

“Here’s to our glorious victory and success!”

Jane, Tom, Leslie, Will, and Miranda each raised glasses of ice-cold lemonade before eagerly quaffing them while sitting on the sand. Over the past year, after that life changing experience in the cave, they had worked hard to launch a campaign in Reef City to rally the citizens to help save their ocean ecosystem, and now they were celebrating their success on the beach, next the waters they had strived to protect.

“It’s been a great year, hasn’t it?” said Will happily. “After all those rallies, conventions, meetings, seminars, and that big petition, we have finally changed our city.”

“Yeah!” said Tom. “Finally, people are volunteering to clean up the ocean and are managing to use better methods of disposing of their waste. Now, nobody will ever even think of mucking up the sea ever again!”

“They can’t anyways,” noted Leslie. “After all, it’s the law!

Everyone laughed. “That’s right!” agreed Tom. “We made sure new environmental protection laws were placed! But we couldn’t have done any of this without the help of our supporters and of course, the inspiration we got from her.

“That’s true,” sighed Jane. “I always loved my mom’s stories about mermaids, but I never thought they would actually be true!”

Her mother nodded her head. “After that day when I was five, all of my friends thought that that was a once-in-a-lifetime sight. But I knew in my heart that I would see her again, which is why I became a marine biologist.”

“Well that was perfect for all of us!” exclaimed Leslie joyously. “It was so useful to have a real scientist on our side, and together, we have made sure that the sea will become a beautiful place once again.”

“Indeed,” Will said. “But one thing I still didn’t understand was, what happened to her?

“Who knows?” sighed Miranda. “She was pregnant, so maybe she left to give birth.”

“Wait, look over there!” exclaimed Tom. Everyone turned their heads. Something strange had just appeared at the top of the water, something large and green.

“Oh my gosh,” gasped Jane. “Come on!”

They all ran across the sand, hopped across several rocks, came to the cave they had been meeting at for months on end, and looked over the water. Suddenly, there she was. Gracefully leaping out of the water, smiling joyously, was her, their mermaid friend. After landing back in the water, she hopped out again, this time doing her skillful water-ballet show with her children, a young mermaid and her twin brother. The five stood there at first, agape. Then everyone cheered. As they stood on the rocks, they let all their feelings out, yelling, whooping, and pounding their fists in the air as they were reunited with the friend whose life they had saved, swimming happily with her new family in the crystal clear waters of the Reef City coast.

Notes: The Creature From the Black Lagoon-style monsters are not from any particular mythology. I had to decide on some sea monster to attack the ship. My first one was similar to this one, except that they were crabs and their leader was a giant mother crab, but I decided against it in the end. I thought of making the Hydra itself attack the ship, but then I realized that Heracles had no gas mask and didn’t know the monster’s weakness at the time, so if that did happen, he would be toast. In the end, I decided on these creatures.