Antarctic Ocean, next to the South Orkney Islands, two years ago

Something weird was happening. The guys from the Meteorology had predicted today the sea would be calmer. No one had expected the Antarctic Circumpolar Current would give as a gift to the young researchers a terrible wind, able to shake even the British Antarctic Survey's ships. The ships were in the sea, one more time, researching about global warming.

Everything was enigmatic. And Kanon knew. Kanon felt it.

The men were trying to come back to the South Orkney Islands, Where the Britannic research base had fixed, but it was hard. And Kanon, although a typical orthodox Greek mom son's, and he himself did not believed in a god, was there, praying for Poseidon, thar, maybe, Poseidon could calm the sea and make it come back to the research base, safe and sound.

And it was there, in the middle of his praying, that he saw her.

A woman. In the sea.

Although he was too far from her, he could see that she was a white woman, with long blond hair. She was trying, at all costs, get free from the furious sea, holding a big iceberg. She was naked, and Kanon did not understand how that woman did not die from hypothermia yet. But when he saw her, he screamed to his partners to help her.

"THROW A LIFE JACKET TO HER!" His research partner, John, screamed, while he was running through the ship.

They threw a life jacket to her, and one more time, Kanon contradicted his own beliefs, and made a pray for Poseidon, because maybe the God could save her, bring her safe to the ship. But the life jacket did not reach her, because the sea waves moved the life jacket away from her. The sea was playing with her luck, and she was trying to hold her own life.

Kanon had a terrible idea.

"Take a boat, a life jacket, and an oar! I will go there!" he shouted at the guys.

"Are you mad?" John asked "you are going to die with her! We can't do anything to save her, Kanon!"

But Kanon had already took the boat, and he was already wearing the life jacket over his thick coat and, with the oars in his hands and the boat, he was already gone, facing the furious Antarctic Ocean. To his luck, the boat was tied up to a rope, that led to the ship. Maybe this could save him if he could not save her.

This time, Kanon prayed out loud, while he was rowing the damn boat, trying to reach the woman.

"Poseidon, help me. Please, help me. I beg you."

He was a good rower, and an exceptionally good swimmer. When he was studying in his alma mater, the University of Athens, he played in tournaments, like rowing championships, but mainly swimming championships, because he really liked that. Those were good times, that he played, and after that, he went to some parties, drinking bad drinks, doing drugs, and going back to his home, drunk, and listen sermons from Saga, his well-behaved twin brother.

He was reaching her; he was getting closer to her! Had Poseidon listened to his prays?

"HOLD MY HAND! HOLD MY HAND!" Kanon said, asking himself if the woman could understand English.

And that was the worst possible moment, but he could not help him. She was beautiful. Probably the most beautiful woman he met in his whole life. The Greek poets would never be able to describe such beauty. She had a long straight blond hair, but it was little bit darker, because it was wet. She had an admirable body, thin waist, and curving hips. Her hands were grabbing the iceberg, and those hands were delicate, with handsome fingers. Her lips were pink, and seemed so soft, like a feather pillow, sweeter as a fruit. And her eyes were as blue as the sea, not that violent sea, but the warm and calm Mediterranean Sea, his home.

The woman looked at him, scared. Maybe she did not imagine that he would be crazy enough to rescue her, to face the furious sea to save her life. But he would do that, a thousand times if necessary, because she was the most beautiful woman in the world, and a beauty like that could not be lost in the sea.

But the gods were not on his side.

The boat turned out and he fell. But he took the life jacket and, grabbing the iceberg, he tried to put in her, but she thought the movement was weird and invasive.

"I am trying to save you!" Kanon said "Do you understand what I am saying to you? Do you understand English?"

She shook her head, scared. She understood. But why did she not want to put the damn life jacket?

The answer never came. A violent wave came against him, pushing him down. He tried to swim, but furious sea threw him away from her, suffocating him.

The last thing he saw was a long mermaid tail, blond hair locks and blue eyes, trying to save him.

There was something on his lips. They were soft, sweeter than fresh grapes. Was someone kissing him? If it were, he wanted the kiss could never have an end. But it seemed that the person was not trying to kiss him. The person as trying to force air inside his lungs, with its warm and comfort breath, trying to save him.

But he did not want to be saved. He wanted that lips, that kiss, for the rest of the eternity.

So, he slowly opened his eyes. And she was there, his mermaid, with her face dirty by the dark sand of the beach, with her wet hair, pink lips, and blue eyes, so sweet and worried, looking to him. Her soft hands were on his face, and for god's sake, what a soft and warm skin.

- Kanon! My Lord Kanon! You are alive! My Lord Kanon, listen to me!

Shw was speaking his mother tongue, the beloved Greek language. And Kanon was dizzy and weak by the shortness of breath, and he was also shivering, with dark spots dancing on his vision. But Kanon said, low, what he wanted to say since he put his eyes on her:

- Are you the heaven?

For a second, she got confused with his words and her eyes were widened. After that, she looked at him, in the most soft and caring way that a woman could look at his loved, as if all the love were reflected in the eyes blue like the sea and smiled, the sweetest smile in the world, indescribable and happy, because he was there.

Kanon would kill and die for her, she just had look at her like that for the rest of his life. He did not need to sleep, drink or sleep. He just needed her here, he just needed his mermaid.

- Don't you remember me, my Lord? Don't you remember?

Kanon wanted to answer, but his body did not let him do that. He was losing his consciousness.

- Kanon, I am…

And the darkness took Kanon.