The Prophecy of Rao - Season 1: Forbidden Verses
Disclaimer: Based on DC comics' characters and the mythology created in Smallville (i.e. property of the CW network), and created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster but the words are my own.
AU/SML: At the aftermath of Dark Thursday, Cor of the House of El, presumed dead, leaves the Phantom Zone. He arrives on Earth and hopes to begin a better life but mystery surrounds him quickly. He sets to unveil this mystery and find the answers he craves for, guided by the spirit crystal of his mother.
Note:
Rao - the Red Sun God of Krypton and creator of the universe
Krypton - home world of the Kryptonians
Kandor - capital of Krypton
The Phantom Zone - prison dimension created by Jor-El
Collaris - the Blue Giant of Eerie and co-creator of the universe
Eerie - home world of the Yllyan Empire
Lux Eternis - capital of Eerie
Ventu Collaris - Highguard of the Yllyan Royal Court
Chapter 6
The daughter of the Ocean Lord
The boat was half full of water and it was heavier – sinking was inevitable. Cor lifted his head and looked around. He is in the middle of nowhere. There was nothing but ocean in every direction and soon his lifeline was to become a part of the boat. How did it get to it?
A day earlier
Every day seemed to blend into the other. The habit of routine was born – getting up, freshening up, quick breakfast, catching the bus, arriving at work, singing papers, having lunch, listen to problems of all kinds, filling in papers, listening some more, visiting people, then some more papers, signing off, catching the bus home, quick supper and going to bed exhausted.
This day began like the others but it turned out otherwise. Cor woke up at five, quickly freshened up, made his breakfast, and moved to the bus station. The bus punctual as an Englishman arrived at quarter to six and delivered him at work half an hour later. Cor got to his post, put down his jacket, and sat behind his desk. There was already a pile of papers the size of Mount Everest. This month the size of the pile seemed to grow up exponentially. He wondered what the pile at this rate would look like next month maybe it would reach even Mount Olympus on Mars.
Sighing as quietly as possible, he took the top file and opened it. It was the usual memo coming from the Metropolis office beginning with 'dear colleagues…and blah… blah…and so on and so forth…we have to stick together and see you next month'. Cor put it aside and moved on the second file. This one was from their office giving the guidance and the expectancy for this month along all potential changes, if any. Cor discarded this one too.
The third in the pile was also a routine one – a reminder for all the work hours, ethics, work expenses and shifts. Human life was routine one and there were times Cor wished he could do something else with it but then again all jobs have that problem. Of course, his job provided help to those who needed it so in overall it was something worth few personal sacrifices.
Nearing lunch, Cor had gone through half the pile. Today seemed almost routine and casual with a few exceptions though nothing extraordinary. After lunch he got to the second half. It was also rather boring until he reached one file that changed everything.
The file concerned a man found on the shores. He had no ID, no nothing that could show who he was or how he got there. The coastal guards who found him presumed he was a beggar and thus left him at the shelter. The curious part was that the man according to the constable's report did not look anything like a beggar but he remembered nothing or at least pretended not to. However, it was not considered worth further investigation.
Cor stood up, took his jacket and the file and moved to the front desk. There was something intriguing in this case. He knew well the constable and this seemed rather unusual way he used to describe even a beggar.
"Jenny, I want the address to the shelter where this John Doe is." He passed the file.
"Oh, the sea beggar." Jenny exclaimed.
"Sea beggar?" Cor looked up.
"Yeah, it seems every month we get one of those. They are all found within the same place, dressed in expensive clothing and remembering nothing. I think the police tried some form of investigation but it yielded no results."
"This is rather unusual. You have continuous repeatable events and no one seems bothered with it."
"Well, we have tons of those. The world has grown indifferent. Here, you are. Have fun."
"I shall try." Cor took the file, the address, the expenses money and left.
Jenny's assessment of the world grown cold and indifferent wasn't far from the truth. Cor wondered why the humans would not be even remotely interested in such an intriguing case but there was only one way to find out and that was meeting the poor beggar. Cor had his way of finding information.
He reached the place six hours later. He entered into the shelter and presented his credentials. The clerk at the front showed him to the beggar's room. The man sat up but his stare seemed empty.
"This is him but I doubt you will get anything from him." The clerk said and left.
Cor looked around. Every place has its uniqueness. The room was simple – one bed, a bathroom, one small table, two chairs and a window. The view was not facing the sea. There was a closet with some clothes some of which were undoubtedly the ones the man was found with on the shores. They were as Jenny said expensive.
Cor took a look at the sitting man. Despite the poor clothes on his back they seemed matched perfectly and fashionably. The man had trimmed his beard perfectly that revealed educated manners.
On the night table, there was a book about mountains and forests with a lot of pictures as Cor saw. He frowned. Something here did not make much sense. He left his luggage in the room and went looking for the clerk. He wanted to see what information he had on the other 'sea beggars'.
"Hello again," Cor said.
"Is there something I can help you with?"
"Yes, I would like all the files you've got on the sea beggars."
"Wait a minute." – The clerk rummaged through a holy mess of files and soon located two.
"Thank you," Cor said but turned around again. "Were they admitted here as well?"
"Yes,"
"Show me!"
"Follow me," The clerk shrugged, moved from behind the desk and led the way.
He showed him to the other two rooms and left. Cor entered in every one of them. They were exactly the same with exactly the same book on the night table and in the same place. The men sat up in the same place with the same expression on their face. Cor's first assessment of vacant look was incorrect. They were not vacant they were indifferent and this was highly intriguing.
'What are the chances that all sea beggars would arrange their room in exactly the same way if they knew nothing of each other?' – Cor asked himself. This was an interesting dilemma. 'Alright, the first has been here for three months, the second for two and the last one just one. Now, the other two could easily know about the first. But what motives could they have to make it identical?'
Cor opened their files and that's where he got his answer. The three have not moved ever since they got in. They haven't interacted with each other at all. Every night around seven, they go to the bathroom, take a shower, trim their beards or shave them and resume their vigilance until the next day seven o'clock. This is what one can call a routine. Every attempt of communication with them they met with indifference. And around nine, they would eat the food in the tray.
Cor moved into the room of the first beggar and sat down. He took the book and went through the pages and pictures. The information in it was trivial, standard explanations for the pictures and the mountains and forests it covered.
Cor left the book on its original place but opened it on a forest of deep green, and left for the room of the second beggar. There he did exactly the same thing but left the page on a mountain with ice peaks, and moved back to the third room.
His luggage was still there untouched. The man still sat in the same place. Cor took his book and sat in front of him. He opened the book at random without even looking but observing the sitting man's eyes. He flipped through the pages several times.
The beggar's pupils dilated several times. The first time, the reaction showed surprise, the few that followed depicted terror, and the last one peace.
Cor moved to one of the chairs. He looked at the pages he had flipped on. The colors varied from plain to saturated deep. The reactions however were not associated directly with the colors but more to the fact that he had managed to find the problem. Finding the course these people chose however would prove far more difficult but Cor was confident he could use the abstract to find it.
He visited the second beggar. The book was at the same place but not at the same page. Cor looked at the page. It was plain green grass on a mountain slope. He then visited the first beggar. Again, the same situation, the book was at its place but the page was different. This one was on Nantucket Island. He had his heading.
He left the shelter and headed to the bus. He bought a ticket to Bridgeport, Massachusetts. He arrived the next day afternoon at his destination.
He located quickly the port and looked for a fast boat. He found a man providing such services and took the fastest and most expensive boat. He bought enough food for at least two weeks worth and set sail.
He reached the shores of Nantucket Island in less than six hours. He looked for the closest valley of reefs and soon located it, and followed its path to deeper waters. It was only a hunch but he made it based on what the beggars had shown him.
He sailed for two hours until the shores were only a smudge on the horizon, no incident so far. Of course, it was stretch in itself that he would find anything, if any. Earth was after all almost three-quarters oceans. The chances that his logic will bear fruit were slim at best but Cor was persistent.
The ocean however was perfectly calm and did not show any change. Maybe there was something he was not doing right but he was not to give up either. He maintained his course.
A hundred miles away from Cor's place and six hundred feet under on a rocky ridge, there was an amazing sight. It looked almost surreal but there it was.
The rock bed was full of light provided by corals with glowing crystals. Sitting in circle while maintaining place due to the ocean current, twelve creatures stood. Some had no clothing as none was really required others had rags on green yellow stripes. At the head of this gathering was one impressive person. He was holding a silver trident with shining gems' tops. It looked like he addressed the others about something important.
The others nodded answering the questions. The topic was the recent discovery of Orin, child of Atlantis. Orin had spent his life among the earth dwellers though he was very gifted while cleaving through water. Many old rivalries have attempted to claim his life which was why the one talking had dispatched his trusted guards to protect him until the problem solves itself. He had no intention to plunge the oceans in on out war.
Another person in red ragged stripes moved to speak. He announced his daughter Mera had developed an interest in young Orin and was to pursue further the matter or in simpler words she has chosen her mate as the others interpreted it and nodded approvingly.
A third spoke of the recent dwellers invasion of their sanctum and the retaliation response that was not approved by the here sitting council. The trident moved uncomfortably.
"Your protégé does not represent the will of the council, Ocean Lord." Councilor Verity said.
"She has acted only in the best interests of us all." The Ocean Lord defended himself.
"Antagonizing the Earth dwellers may alert them to our presence." Verity countered.
"And we all know how this ended a few centuries ago." Councilor Sharpen reminded.
"It is true." The others nodded.
"The Earth dwellers do not suspect a thing." The Ocean Lord shook head.
A swiftly cleaving shark appeared and stopped before Sharpen. He smiled darkly.
"Really?" He said mockingly. "Then why is there an Earth dweller rafting moving into sanctum waters as we speak."
"It is possible he simply enjoys a trip." The Ocean Lord replied.
"My sentries have followed him ever since he began his journey from dwellers' town of Bridgeport. He has followed the route to the Island and keeps coming."
"It is a coincidence."
"We all know there is no such thing."
"Not everyone sailing into the ocean is a threat, councilor."
"That's what we thought when the Earth dwellers started all this time ago."
A flock of small fishes moved to Verity. She grew concerned at once.
"It seems it doesn't matter. Your protégé has made her move once more."
Councilor Verity was right. Cor noticed the sudden change of the ocean. The waves became exponentially bigger and he had trouble maintaining any course. It was like the ocean shifted at once from calm to stormily ugly. There were absolutely no warning signs. It seemed unnatural and it was.
In just a few moments, Cor's boat flew on top of waves that would make even a Tsunami jealous. The boat descended that nightmare plunging deep and drenched Cor in a matter of a second. This continued for several terrible moments before Cor hurtled his head into the railing and lost consciousness.
Almost as suddenly the waves subdued and resumed their calamity. Cor came around some time after. The boat was heavier – sinking was inevitable. Cor lifted his head and looked around. He is in the middle of nowhere. There was nothing but ocean in every direction and soon his lifeline was to become a part of the boat.
His day began unusual and ended dreadfully. But whatever the reason for this abrupt change he will not give up.
"You hear me!" Cor shouted into the wilderness. "I do not yield."
It seemed kind of stupid to discuss the calm ocean but his senses were on high alert.
"This Earth dweller is certainly persistent." Councilor Sharpen remarked.
"It is more than that." Councilor Reamer said. "Watch!"
The boat was to sink anytime soon but not before Cor managed to make a small raft with suitable oars. He had noticed the increased presence of sharks in the area. It was a good thing he had brought his favorite friends with him – the shield crystal and the blade of Rao.
The sharks moved closer and got more aggressive. Cor stood up on the raft taking firm place poised to retaliate.
"I am Cor of the House of El, the Ardent Fury of Rao. Come any closer at your own peril."
One shark rattled his raft but Cor did not move, only followed it with his eyes until it submerged deeper.
Suddenly several hundred feet before him a maelström formed and something seemed to emerge. The sharks formed around it like a horrifying picturesque of pets. And it was at this moment that Cor saw for the first time, the daughter of the Ocean.
She was the most beautiful and terrifying thing any mortal could see in his entire lifetime or ever have seen. She was all in pearly gems Cor had never seen. They had their own light and shone brightly at the sunlight. Her eyes were the deep and cold of the ocean's most saturated blue.
The sharks separated and moved to attack. She only watched with a dark smile but she had clearly misjudged the dweller on the raft.
A shark jumped high out of the water with open mouth ready to crunch up. Cor used the reverse side of the blade to send away the incoming beast. Another four had jumped and Cor did not have the time to use the blade but swirling around he used the shield crystal. Its light shot the beasts far away.
A shark attacked his back. Cor dived low and it missed him by inches but this time he plunged his blade into the shark. There was no forgiveness for those who attack in the back.
The ocean councilors monitored the meet. They stood amazed by the dweller's firm stance and his weaponry, which he used only to defend himself. The only times he used their lethal force was when the attack came from his rear. And even then he only used it to wound the attackers and never to strike a lethal blow.
"This one is different and his skills by far misjudged." Sharpen remarked.
"It is too early to tell." Verity said.
Cor knew he could not possibly continue this for long. The sharks are ocean creatures and they can keep this up for a very long time while he wouldn't last that long. The dark ocean woman seemed even more dangerous than the sharks. He needed a plan, a new plan.
The sharks were about to resume the attacks when their prey did the unthinkable. He jumped underwater. They fiercely moved to attack.
Cor used the power of the crystal to propel him at the dark ocean woman. She was also armed as he had observed though she would have hardly considered a possible attack on her little isle.
Cor emerged from the water and fell on a knee right before her which startled her a bit. She reacted instinctively and attacked. Cor blocked her blow and retaliated. The surreal battle continued for an antagonizing minute before a golden light separated them.
The Ocean Lord had emerged and interrupted the entanglement. He was visibly impressed. His daughter has never been challenged before. But what truly caught his eye was the dweller's blade. It shone with fiery ardent flame on the sunlight but while it was underwater it was like silver needle.
The Ocean Lord had remembered words long forgotten. 'He shall hold the fiery fury of the Red Sun in his left hand and the stone cold ice ancilis in his right. Know him as Seyt, the Herald of Rao. The dragon crest shall be on his chest and in the heart of the dragon the symbol of hope.'
The Ocean Lord took a good look at the dweller and his eyes were the only ones to show his surprise. 'He shall find you on the sacred shores of the sanctum. He shall fight like your own with skill against skill.' The prophecies were frighteningly correct. They also said that Seyt's powers are that of a God. But the boy had not displayed any which impressed him even more.
Cor however did not wait for the Ocean Lord to make up his mind. He was on the verge of his strength and collapsed. His eyes closed and maybe this was the end of his journey. He did tell his mother he had no destiny and now he was certain he was right.
"Cymo, take him below." The Ocean Lord commanded.
"Take him – where?" Cymo exclaimed shocked.
"You heard me."
"He is a dweller, no, he is a trespasser."
"He is the Herald of Rao."
"WHAT? WHO?"
"I know. It is always frightening when they are so correct."
Cymo obeyed her father though she was not that sure of that statement. The dweller did manage to surprise her but he was still a trespasser. She will not take her eyes away from him.
Cor's eyelids flickered. Through them he perceived light. He opened at once and he gaped. He was no longer on the dark woman's isle but in a rather cozy room. The view however was most stunning.
He was inside in a city where the bright lights stood surrounded by deep underwater ocean of deep blue, very deep. He saw fish and other nautical creatures swim by. Cor shook head and closed his eyes. He was definitely dreaming for this was simply not possible. It defied all logic. He opened his eyes but the view had not changed.
Cor stood up and fairly quickly sensed he was in new clothes. They were of some very soft material he was not able to name. It had tiny pearls on the sleeves and a belt of rare lucid gems. He did not wear any shoes though that seemed a bit more logical. They would have been more of a nuisance than comfort.
His room had everything but with such ornate details he had not expected to ever see anywhere. The room had an aperture though it was more like cracked outlines in the wall.
Cor looked around the room for his earlier clothes and his two most favorite items but did not see them. It seemed by any means that he was a prisoner, not that he had any idea where he was or how deep.
Cor reached the cracked wall. He applied some pressure on the wall and his hand went right through it though he met resistance. His hand on the other side was unfortunately floating. Yup, there was water on the other side. The wall was a shield and since he was not an ocean dweller proceeding outside would not seem the smart thing to do but he was not going to stay in either.
Cor took a deep breath and ventured through. He was almost right. He was in an underwater passage that like a sleeve connected to another building. There were no guards at his room so he proceeded. His hosts probably did not think that he would dare venture out or perhaps they thought he wouldn't last long and he would then return on his own. Yup, this seemed the most likely possibility. Cor however did not plan to do so. He had already seen places where he could replenish his oxygen needs.
His training kicked in and he swam like a fish. He reached the first place, emerged slightly above the surface, took another deep breath and dived back continuing on his way down the passage.
He stopped several times on his way but at one point the freebies ended. Cor looked for another way and soon located one. It was not the ideal avenue he would choose but his options had limits. He stayed at his last stop longer than on the others. He was applying the Yllyan breathing technique. He calmed his breath to the bare minimum decreasing the usual effort of breathing. His pulse slowed down drastically. His senses were out for a few moments but the moment the training kicked in full thrust they were back at full alert.
The Yllyans unlike the Kryptonians were water dwellers. They were all excellent swimmers and their water resistance was by far superior to that of the ordinary humans. A fully trained Yllyan can stay underwater for more than half an hour before the need for oxygen becomes irresistible. Cor was also trained though he hadn't fully completed the course he could easily survive for at least eighteen minutes.
Cor charted his course and then dived in. He swam this time around incredibly faster. He reached his target long before the oxygen deadline. He passed again through the seamless wall and could breathe normally but he did not stay at that new room for long. He continued in another passage that led directly into the outskirts of the city for his room was at its furthest end.
Cor so far had not met any of the inhabitants but he was on his toes every time he made a turn. He had limited sight as the water was not crystal clear. But he arrived at his destination without any problems.
He entered through the wall and restored his normal breathing. There were once more passages but they were way shorter and easily covered. He traveled through forty before reaching the inner city. Inside the infrastructure of the city was very different. There were stairs made of limestone.
Cor soon located a map and followed it to the royal chambers. He expected guards along the way and before the chambers but found none. Maybe the ocean dwellers felt awfully secure but a scream coming from the chambers changed his mind.
He took a quick peek and the sight wasn't pretty. The royal fish guards lay splattered all over the floor and dark lady of the isle fought for dear life with some unpleasant looking mermaids.
Cymo was under attack and she did not like it at all. The rival clans had managed to surprise her on her turf and the assassins were more than she could handle. She was already bleeding and her strength failed her.
Cymo had miscalculated the swing of the assassins' sharp claws and was for certain her last mistake and then at the most horrifying second out of nowhere emerged her rescuer. He grabbed the hand and twisted it. The next moment the mermaid lay on the floor. The other two attacked ferociously the intruder but he ducked and dodged until he got wind of a staff and swirled it above his head like a sudden mighty vortex, and then attacked. The assassins had no choice but retreat. Their opponent's skills were most impressive and they made the rookie mistake of underestimating him. It was only for a moment but that is all it takes.
Cymo had held her breath but she had one more problem at hand. She lost her balance in fight and was about to fall on her but. In the next moment two things happened very quickly. One her opponent vanished out of sight and in the next her rescuer's arms caught her just in time.
"Need some help?" Her rescuer said and she looked up at him and gaped in total disbelief. The first shock had taken away her speech as before her stood the trespasser her father had ordered brought into the city and one she left on farthest reaches of the city. How had he managed to reach the inner city was beyond her.
"I'm just fine." Cymo replied in spite.
"As you wish, milady," Cor retorted and let her drop on the floor, then moved away and sat down on the floor.
Cymo's reaction expressed powerless anger. She had never been treated this way by anyone. Her eyes flashed dangerously.
"Help me up!" She commanded with authority but Cor only shook head. "Now!"
"Help yourself your dark uselessness."
"WHAT?" Her nostrils flared up and her eyes threatened to jump off their orbit.
"Find someone else to help you out – oh – but wait they can't they are quite splattered on the ground, floor, whatever." Cor replied. He did not feel charitable towards her. She seemed like a spoiled brat and he was not to indulge her petty ask.
Cymo was a pitiful image and though she was fully capable of getting up on her own Cor swallowed his pride, got to his feet and bend down and helped her up. He retreated as he wasn't sure what the little brat will do.
Cymo certainly had the wish to inflict pain to him but was mature enough to recognize when she was wrong. She had expected some undefined arrogance from the prophesied herald of Rao but was dearly mistaken. It didn't look like he knew anything of it and even he did he did not show it. His reaction was directly proportional to hers and that earned him some points.
"How did you get here?" She asked after a while.
"I swam."
"WHAT?" She exclaimed thunder stricken. "That's not possible. Your kind can't survive such a long trip."
"You'd be surprised what my kind can." Cor replied.
She looked at him at a complete loss of words. He was different, much more different from she ever thought possible.
"Care to return me back to my cell?" He asked casually.
"Can't you swim back?" She couldn't resist retorting.
"I'm too damn tired." Cor said then a thought came to mind. "But I guess if I try hard to beat the hell out of you I'll get my transport back."
Cymo was about to answer back when someone clapped enthusiastically. Cymo turned around and saw her father. He was both relieved and extremely amused by their banter.
"How long have you stood there?" She asked.
"Long enough to see the young man's bravery and well…" The Ocean Lord replied with a barely contained laugh.
Cymo blushed embarrassed but this was her father's way of annoying the crap out of anyone. She crossed her arms and darted off the chambers without looking either at her father or Cor.
"This was a very brave deed, young man." The Ocean Lord said to Cor.
Cor looked at him assessing what to reply. The Ocean Lord, he could not give him a proper age. Frankly he looked much like the pictures of Poseidon with ragged strips of green algae, pearls intertwined, and the rusty crown covering his slimy greenish hair. And all that made the Ocean Lord look perfectly majestic.
The Ocean Lord did not expect to receive an answer though he could hardly blame Cor for it. He took him away from his usual surroundings. This behavior reminded him much of his late wife and his daughter that had inherited much of her traits.
"My apologies for the inconvenience I created for you." – The Ocean Lord replied. "We will return you to the surface but first allow me to make it up to you."
"No apologies are necessary, your majesty." – Cor said. "I'm the one at fault. I sought you and trespassed on your territories and hospitality. I'm but your servant."
The Ocean Lord was once again surprised. The young man was well-educated and the level of maturity went beyond the ordinary. He streamed with wisdom above his age. And the skills and manners displayed more him in his eyes.
"Come!" – The Ocean Lord said.
Cor followed. They exited the chambers. There was a chariot pulled by two large and long sharks.
"Sit beside me." – The Ocean Lord asked and Cor accepted though a bit reluctantly as it was a great honor he wasn't sure he deserved.
A concern crawled into Cor's mind when they approached a barrier that most certainly will take them straight into the ocean. He couldn't last much so he focused his body and mind and readied.
The Ocean Lord realized his mistake just a moment after they passed through the barrier and put spurs on the sharks. He dreaded the worst but this young man was full of surprises. He lasted longer than he anticipated.
Cor of course fainted at about three-quarters of their destination. The water pressure became too much for him to bear but he was fortunate enough that the sharks swum really fast so the dangerous exposure did not last longer either.
Cor regained consciousness once more in a room though not the one he had woken up the first time. This one was much more luxurious and more space. His pulse had regained its normalcy. He stood up slightly gingerly so he sat back down. The feeling of dizziness passed and he was back on his feet.
He walked to the room's aperture and froze. It exited in an oval and very big amphitheatre. It was full of locals. The royal table so to speak was not on top as one would come to expect but right in the middle. And all servants swam to serve the meals.
He walked to the room's aperture and froze. It exited in an oval and very big amphitheatre. It was full of locals. The royal table so to speak was not on top as one would come to expect but right in the middle. And all servants were swimming to serve the meals.
Cor shook head. This place was so surreal it was difficult to believe he was even there. Two lackeys stopped before him. They held a strange-looking suit and put it on him but Cor realized its potential instantaneously. It provided him with atmosphere and breathable air. Although how he to eat was another matter entirely but apparently his hosts had thought of everything.
Cor sat opposite Cymo. Later Cor suspected this was the Ocean Lord's idea of fun. The banter between him and her was truly intoxicating. They couldn't agree on anything without trying eating each other with caustic and explosive remarks.
The Ocean Lord kept his word and returned Cor to the surface close to the Canadian coast along his clothes and weapons. They parted amicably though the same could not be said for Cymo.
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