It was a warm salty afternoon in the Attica peninsula in Greece. While happy couples walked hand in hand on the beach, many tourists marched like a trained phalanx on the promontory in the South of Athens, taking pictures and watching the Mediterranean Sea caressing the shores like an eager lover.
Being a popular excursion for tourists during their stay in Athens, Cape Sounion was crowded and pretty lively. The visitors looked for the ruins of the ancient temple of Poseidon, one of the mighty Olympian deities and God of the Sea. Being his shrine, the site was surrounded by the sea on three sides. However, some groups stayed until it got dark, thrilled of watching the sunset over the Aegean Sea. In fact, this sunset was a sought-after spectacle and one of the most beautiful ones in Greece, a wonderful gift to those who dared to climb to the top and challenge the cold salty breeze.
At the bottom of Cape Sounion and surrounded by darkness and water, a young man was fighting for survival instead of enjoying the place. Tonight, the high tide was threatening his life again. Taking into account that he was hungry and tired after many days of confinement, he had little chance to live another day.
At this moment, he didn't care of his wet shabby clothes or his damp long blue mane which weighted him more than his heavy burden of sins. His efforts were focused to find a little bubble of air so he might keep breathing until the tide lowered. But that little bubble seemed to be running away from him as his lungs ached and his hands were bleeding again in his attempt to stay above water.
When he was about to give up, he swore and kept fighting. He clung to his life and tried to breathe deeply. I cannot die now! Revenge! Damn, I'll defeat you! But his ruthless ambitions couldn't make him survive.
As it happened before, every time he was within an inch of death, a golden soothing light covered his battered body and aching limbs, making him recharge his cosmo and have hope to live for another day. Kanon sighed. Saga? Are you saving me? The golden light was gone and he was left in the darkness again. In those long minutes when the hideous cave was dark like a hellish pit and the waves gloomily licked his body, his memories came to haunt him again as slivers of his past pranks, misdeeds and sins mixed with a salty taste. So he vividly remembered the last bloody confrontations with his twin Saga.
One took place in front of the masked Pope, as they fought to get the Gemini Gold Cloth. Although he had granted the Gold Cloth to Saga in public, the twisted Shion wanted to make the final decision about who might be the owner of the mythical armor in private. So the twins were summoned to an inner training place where they deadly fought just dressed with loincloths. Their force and will was similar, two mighty warriors engaged in a-thousand-day battle. At last, Kanon had a last minute distraction which allowed Saga to hit him on the chest and throw him to the ground, being then the only winner of this sorrowful game.
The second confrontation took place at the Gemini Temple, because of Saga's stubbornness. Kanon's points were honest and clear: if they were powerful warriors and few people knew they were twins, why didn't they take advantage of it? Why didn't they rule the Sanctuary? His brother was horrified and just denied all his ambitions. Then, the struggle began. After getting hit in the head by his twin, Kanon was unconscious for a while. When he woke up, he found Saga preparing breakfast and announcing that Athena had arrived last night in the form of a little baby. Kanon pretended to rejoice while he kept scheming how they might take advantage and become the new rulers of the sacred shrine.
Weeks after, Saga and the other Gold Saints gathered for the occasion but Kanon stayed in the darkness of the Gemini Temple. It might sound paradoxical but while Saga dutifully made a solemn vow to the goddess, Kanon decided that there was only one plot for them, one based in deceiving and killing both the Pope and the baby.
When Saga came back, he was shocked to listen to Kanon's plans. Afterwards, he seemed deaf to his words and hostile to his schemes. With a silent order, the twins got out of the Temple and they stealthily marched towards a lonely plain in the South of the Sanctuary. In that secluded post, they fought again for the last time. Because Saga was wearing his Gold Cloth, he easily defeated his twin and dragged him to that dreary jail at the bottom of the promontory, where a dark spot opened its filthy bleak mouth.
Then a stern Saga condemned his twin to die alone in this jail, a summary trial by a Saint who was not a judge but a warrior who wanted to be acknowledged as a demigod. His deaf ears didn't listen to the pleas, curses and threats that Kanon shouted with cuss words. The older twin left without looking back and repeating that the evil one should die soon. Why did you punish me, Saga, when you were the worse of us? Why did you want to kill me when you were the evil twin?
Many days passed in this prison without a chance of escaping. Many days and nights in which Kanon had for company his thoughts of revenge and a warm loving golden cosmo which helped him to endure this ordeal; but most of the time the salty taste of his tears, sweat and blood.
Kanon shook his head to get rid of those painful memories. No, Saga wasn't the one helping him! His cosmo was dark and evil now, not golden and soothing! Someone still cared for him. But his brother turned his back to him so he had no brother now.
While the water went up and covered his body again, he struggled to breathe and remembered the moments when he mercilessly feasted his eyes upon his twin's passage to the evil side. Being twins, Kanon was able to watch what Saga was doing in real time through their trained cosmo. So the younger twin happily witnessed Saga's fight against his evil ambitions which ended in his defeat. Finally, the darkness tainted his pure soul and drove him to accomplish the most evil deeds. He rejoiced when the demigod's fine hands were dripping blood of innocent people killed in his way to the top.
Although his poisoned words and laughs were sent directly to his older twin's ears, Kanon wasn't happy neither his vengeful spirit was at ease. What happened to Saga now didn't settle their debt. Not yet. You must pay dearly, Saga!
Suddenly, he was taken out of daydreaming as the high tide threatened him to end his short dark life again. For a moment, he felt that golden soothing cosmo surrounding him but when he was on the verge of losing consciousness, a blue light flashed and the waters moved out of the little cell. Babbling on the floor, Kanon tried to stand up as soft whispers called him towards a thick wall at the end of the jail. With his cosmo, he hit the wall and the debris fell before him, showing a small place where a long three-pronged golden spear proudly stood up.
Maybe it was his lucky day, Kanon said as he approached the weapon. With this trident, he might escape from this jail and seek revenge from his stupid narrow-minded twin. While his hands got nearer the spear, he noticed it had an Athena's Seal on it. With mockery, he took it away. When he grabbed the trident, he felt like an earthquake and astonishingly, a dark pit opened and he slipped downwards to utter darkness. Falling into the depths with his mind full of threatening images, the twin finally was unconscious for a long time.
When he opened his turquoise eyes, Kanon was surprised to find himself in a silent place where it seemed that clear blue water covered the supposed to be skies. He had a slightly salted taste on his lips. Holding the trident, he wandered through the ruins of buildings and, as he walked by, the place seemed to become miraculously rebuilt and anew. On the doors and walls, he found the symbol of the trident. Carefully watching this old wonderful place, he realized he had landed in Atlantis, the realm of the God of the Sea Poseidon.
Actually, the huge white temple of the Olympian God was at the end of the promenade. Kanon eagerly walked towards it, climbing the big marble steps to the main building. While he approached the inner chambers, he walked through the audience hall where the golden throne of the deity was located. All was magnificent and displayed the power of one of the more aggressive and reckless gods who was known as "Earth-Shaker" in mythological times.
In a side chamber, Kanon entered a brightly lighted up room. He stared in wonder at eight mighty armors lined up and set on marble pedestals. They shone with an orange hue like they were made in 24 Kt gold. They were wonderful and shinier than the Gold Clothes he used to admire. Each one had a name finely carved at the base.
Kanon approached the armors in awe and slightly caressed them, like a lover who doesn't want to wake up a sleeping beloved. They softly sounded like whispering reassuring words to him. He smiled and caressed the long neck of the one named "Sea Dragon."
- You are so beautiful and powerful! I wish all of you were mine!
They silently watched him with a sort of bent head but he noticed all were facing one: in the middle of them and in a higher pedestal, it was the most beautiful armor he had seen, one made and fit for a god. The pedestal had his name: Poseidon.
Still holding the three-pronged spear, he walked towards the god's armor and challengingly looked at it. As the other scales, it was mounted over a structure and a metallic dark blue bearded face was under the golden crown. Defiantly, Kanon approached it and went around the pedestal, watching the divine armor's exquisite work. Then he noticed a nicely shaped jar, closed with Athena's Seal. Getting closer to it, the trident sent a strong meteor-light blow towards the jar and the seal immediately was broken. The power of the strike sent Kanon to the floor. With otherworldly noise, a dark gloomy figure appeared in front of him.
This spirit formed the features of a tall bearded man in armor which was similar to Poseidon's. His commanding voice froze everyone and everything around him including the reckless Kanon.
- Who dares to wake me up now?
Kanon was dumbstruck. So this is Poseidon! Damn! He quickly knelt before the god with bent head as he was a humble worshipper.
- So, who are you, human? – The male voice asked again with a hint of distaste.
Kanon looked around in panic, his turquoise eyes dancing feverishly in search of a plausible name to say in order to appease the deity. Again, his probing eyes were set on the tall armor.
- My lord, I'm Sea Dragon! – Kanon convincingly answered while he sneaked a look at the talking image.
Poseidon talked again, facing the kneeling human. – Listen to me, Sea Dragon. I was sealed in that damned jar by my wicked niece Athena at the end of the last Holy War. She wants to rule the world alone.
- Yes, my lord, damned Athena…
- Shut up and listen to me! Now I am back seeking revenge! But… not yet. She's still a baby in her filthy Sanctuary and we must wait until she's on age for fighting.
Kanon looked down but he silently mocked the god. It's the best time to attack the Sanctuary, old mummie, and fetch the power! This dummie is risking failure again if he wanted to wait until the 88 Saints are assembled!
Instead of sharing his thoughts, Kanon humbly whispered. - What are your orders, my lord?
- Every time I'm reincarnated, I used to take the body of one of the Solo, a wealthy family related to trade. Now, the heir Julian is just a three years old boy. So he cannot command my troops to defeat Athena.
This was true. If this boy was supposed to be the leader, they were doomed to be defeated once again if they fought today. So Kanon carefully listened to Poseidon's plans as some ideas were born in his mercurial mind, too.
- Pretty soon, my spirit would get into Julian Solo´s body and I would put me to sleep until the boy is 16. Meanwhile, you, Sea Dragon, would gather the Marina Generals and recruit my Marina army.
Kanon nodded and looked around. So these armors were the famous seven Marina Generals' scales, the ones said to be as powerful as the Gold Clothes.
- Be careful when choosing the Marina Generals! They must be the most loyal ones and are meant to protect the seven Sea Pillars, the ones which are the foundations of my Underwater Kingdom.
- Of course, my lord. I would do as you command me.
The god smiled and added. - When Julian is 16 he'll be ready and you would bring me down to command my Marinas again.
- As you wish, my lord.
A bright blue light shone as Poseidon disappeared from the chamber to get into the young Julian's body. The boy, who was lonely playing in the gardens of the Solo Villa near Athens, was paralyzed for some seconds as the invader cozily settled in him. The god was sleeping again.
Kanon stayed knelt for a couple of minutes until he was sure that Poseidon wasn't around. Then, with a roar of laughter, he stood up and held the trident as he was his real owner.
- Sleep well, my dear Lord of the Seas! You can stay inside Julian Solo for his whole life! Now, it's my chance to fulfill my ambitions and conquer the world!
With a swift movement, he walked towards the Sea Dragon scale and it answered to him, covering his body with the golden armor which shone again. Now Kanon looked like a divine warrior, more powerful and shinier than a Gold Saint.
- Now I am the Sea Dragon General! I'll rule this kingdom pretending to be under Poseidon's orders! As leader of the Marinas, I'll conquer the world! Meanwhile Poseidon will rot away in the boy's body! HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HAA, HAA, HAAAAAA!
He laughed aloud, holding up the trident and addressing the silent Marinas scales.
- Yes, Marina Generals, that poor dummie would be half awakened inside Julian while I'll be the ruler of the world! So you are under my command now!
Then Kanon lifted his fist against the wavy skies as his deep blue eyes were hard and he screamed to the surface.
– Who was the poor narrow-minded bastard, Saga? Who was the loser twin, huh? You marched now through moldy corridors dressed with heavy stinky velvet robes…! So warm for a wonderful weather in Greece, don't you think so? Now, look at me!
Maybe somewhere in the Sanctuary, Saga could listen to him. His older twin might know by now about his new chance as leader of Poseidon's army. He might know that Kanon had the chance to rule the world without him.
- Go to Hell, Saga! I'll live like a ruler and become the Lord of Planet Earth! I'll be a god and you'll succumb to my power!
But Kanon was wrong. Saga, hardly living crushed under his deadly sins and lies, couldn't listen to his twin. He had enough troubles and challenges to be fit as a Pope and to keep plotting in order to achieve the complete control of Athena´s Sanctuary. In his feverish mind, one of his most terrible sins was the death of his beloved twin, because he realized the younger guy wasn't wrong when insisting that he had his evil shadows. Once more, Saga was deaf to his twin's mockery and Kanon's voice was one of the damned sounds that haunted the fake Pope's days and nights.
Sitting on Poseidon's golden throne, Kanon held the trident and felt the power going through his body. Then he bent down to find a bottle and opened it. It was an old fine Ouzo bottle he found in a big cellar under the Sea Temple. It seemed that the God of the Sea lived in style. Besides, having the Solo wealth at hand, the Sea Dragon had nice ideas to put into practice while Julian grew up. The twin might satisfy all his desires and indulge him in an affluent lifestyle.
With care, he poured the crystal liquid in a coral glass which he previously cleaned and made a silent toast. To you, Kanon, the ruler and god!
He sipped it but suddenly spit it out. The Ouzo had a salty taste. Yes, salty as teardrops and sweat; salty as blood. He knew their taste very well. Kanon faced it now. Becoming a Marina General, he had deceived the God of the Sea. In exchange, he got a salty life to make his plots to rule the world. If revenge is a dish best served cold, I would deliver a salty dish to Saga! But would it ruin the sweetness of my triumph?
The General Sea Dragon grinned. He was given a chance to win all and he would not fail again. If I must live a salty life, let it be! Aren't the sweetest fruits the ones with a salty or bitter skin?