If someone were to tell her that a year ago, she would be actually sitting down with friends as useless chatter filled the air with side splitting laughter, Feriah would have laughted at them. But there she was, sitting on the veranda with Habibah and Neema, laughing at debauchery that the men had created over time. The sweet drinks and treats before them gave her more proof that she had relaxed more than she ever had, watching as Habibah laid out the cards before them.
"Really woman, you are doing it again?" Neema said to her.
"Why not, never know what fortune will bring you." she replied placing the cards out.
"Never knew you for a fortune teller." Feriah nodded at her.
"Eiraf, Feriah. A seer in terms." the woman corrected her.
"The difference?"
"Some fortune tellers rely on known knowledge and swindle people out of money." Habibah explained, "I, however, do it for my own want and knowledge of seeing. I was lucky to be taught it."
"In the world you lived in, I'm amazed you weren't killed." Neema stated.
Habibah nodded to her, "True. I was just lucky that not many knew."
"Guessing it was bad for you." Feriah questioned.
"Oh it was. Pretty much in the same line of work you do, but instead of being the savior I was the one being saved."
Feriah felt herself recoil, knowing the world that children survived in those places, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"No, no!" Habibah waved her hands at her, "I'm not upset, glad actually that there is someone out there that actually cares about people like me."
She watched as the woman sunk into her memories, "It was hard, no doubt about it. My father was what some would see as radical, my mother blindly followed with others. It was my grandmother and neighbor that taught me the art of seeing the rest of the way, they alwasy told me I was special. But when the times changed more drastically, they did more than most would ever, plus when the knowledge to sell off children for money and the good of the cause, it was just easier to give my sisters and I up. Males were better in that world, but you already know that."
"I've seen boys in the cirlces as well, no child of either gender is safe from that world. Not even of skin or religion." Feriah noted.
"Then you know." Habibah went back to her cards, "Now lets see."
"Who did you channel this time?" Neema asked, sipping the sweet lime drink.
"Our Feriah." was all she said.
"Oh lord, now I'm terrified." Feriah joked, making Neema giggle at her and Habibah shake her head at her.
She watched as the woman flipped the cards over, looking over everything that was before her, barely understanding the faces of the cards.
"Well, I see that you have struggled, a path full of sadness and pain yet you have overcome it with great knowledge and power. Then I see that you have a chellenge before you, one that you are questioning over as well. Unsure of what will come of it and were it may lead. And then the last I see is bright, your days ahead will be full. A lover with you as the future continues on."
Feriah listened intently, trying to see what she was hinting at, yet deep down she barely believed the words, "Wow, so what does it mean?"
"You had a rough past yet you learned from it and made yourself a better person. You have a challenge before you that you are unsure of what ti think of it. if I was to guess it's not the ring you are working on now but your partner that you have helping you. Now for future, you will be happy and have a good outlook with things. If I were to guess, a husband and children." Habibah explained.
Feriah nearly busted out in laughter, "Me? Married? Please, no man can handle me."
"Oh, that so?" Neema smiled at her, "I have seen how you look at a certain Greek and how he looks at you."
Feriah felt her cheeck blush as she mentioned Hercules, she didn't realize she was that noticable, but looking at it, it was true. No matter where she was, her eyes always found him. Hell, she could point him out in a crowded room. His voice, his body, his skin and hair, and those eyes, oh how she loved his eyes. How beautiful they were against his skin, how they stuck out so brightly against the masses. Yet they were like her own, and like her fathers as well. The thought of him and her mother brought a small ache to her heart, knowing that they were gone and never to see what she had accomplished in life, yet she knew Father Jabari's words were true. They were proud and happy of her, here or not.
"Seems that we put you in a foul mood." Neema broke her thoughts.
"What? Oh no, no you guys didn't. I was just thinking about my parents." she replied to them.
"Oh, sorry Feriah." Habibah gave her a sad look, "Losing parents are hard at times, I know losing my grandmother was horrible."
"It's fine girls, really." Feriah reassured them, "Besides, we have one another and the guys to keep us entertained."
Both women laughed at her statement, "That's true, I know Gupta has his moments with the boys. He's the calmer of the bunch."
"That still doesn't mean that he doesn't get in trouble." Habibah noted.
"Like Sadiq is a calm man."
Feriah laughed at her, "Good lord, I saw Hercules and him cause all kinds of issues in the government building, I hate to see what they get into outside higher ups view."
"A lot of trouble." Habibah smiled, "They are men, it's in their nature."
"That it is but we all know that Hercules would probably calm down if Andromeda was still around." Neema added.
Andromeda? She couldn't have meant that Andromeda, "Who's that?"
Both women looked at her, curiosity crossing their face at her words and making her wonder what she said wrong, "What?"
"You don't know who Andromeda is?" Neema asked as Habibah placed the cards away.
"No." Feriah replied, "Should I?"
"Well, yes. We've both seen here once or twice in the dreams, the Ancient that she is." Habibah answered, "I thought you saw her as well."
"Dream? What do you mean by that?" she asked, the daunting fear rising up in her.
Both of them looked at each other, question lying in their faces just for Neema to sigh, "Feriah, have you had dreams of women, during eras so far from this one that it makes no sense however you looked at it, and for your case a woman that shows you that world. One that Hercules sort of resembles?"
Now it was becoming too real, "What are you trying to tell me? How do you know about that? Wait, did you speak to Father Jabari? Or did he tell Hercules and now you guys are asking?"
"Feriah," Habibah took her hand, "No one told us. In fact, we just assumed you knew. We've seen Amdromeda with Sadiq and Gupta, so we really believed that you constantly see Andromeda due to her being Hercules's mother."
"Mother?!" she shouted, "What are you all talking about?"
"Feriah, did anyone talk to you about your dreams, what they mean? Or have you seen Hercules in them?" Neema asked.
"They are nothing but my mind healing after surviving the ordeals that I have and trying to place things over the bad so I don't do anything stupid. A way to remove the insanity that really is my mind." Feriah stated.
"No, Feriah. They are real, it's all real." Neema explained, "What you dream of are past lives of women that made Greek history so powerful. And Andromeda is the imbodiment of Ancient Greece, the mother of the lands as she stood strong. And with it, Hercules is the personification of Greece while my husband is Egypt and Sadiq is Turkey and it making Dryas Cypress. You are surrounded by personifications Feriah, that is the truth."
This was insanity, it had to be, there was no real rhyme or reason for all of it to be happening, "You're fucking insane!"
"I'm not, and you too will be a personification." Neema threw at her.
"The hell I am!"
"You are!"
"Girls please." she heard Habibah beg, yet they ignored her.
"There are no such things."
"You are to be Athens as I am Cairo and Habibah to be soon Ankara and the child within her to be a city of Turkey. This is the world you are surrounded by."
"This is madness!" she stood up from them, backing away slowly.
"It's the truth Feriah, we thought you knew, that Hercules told you. We blindly assumed that when he brought you here that day, you knew your fate to be a capital." Habibah said to her.
"No it's not. Personifications don't exist. No nations or capitals or cities that are people, it's just pure madness and all you are doing is dragging me down in it even more." she felt her back hit the door.
"Feriah please, listen to us. It's true, you will be Athens one day. It's why you are in Greece-"
"I'm in Greece to save children from a slave-ring and then heading back to-"
"There is no base when you return. That's what Father Jabari said to Hercules and the truth that he did truly hide from you." Neema slammed her hands down, "You are to stay in Greece and get the help you need and not only that be the person you are meant to be."
Father Jabari left her here, to stay in Greece with no way home or reason to? He wouldn't do that to her, no he needed her, he trusted her just like she trusted him. He wouldn't have abandoned her there, never in a million years. She felt her head shake at the news, her hand fumbling the handle as both women yelled out for her. Once the door came open, she ran. Ran out of the home, ran away from the words they told her, ran away from her nightmares and heartache, just ran.
There was no real place she ran to, just anything to escape what they told her. Their words of personifications and nations made no sense, how her dreams were supposedly the key to her being something that didn't even exist, that Andromeda was a real woman and the women were past lives that were residing in her, everything was nothing but a real heavy dose of insanity, yet the more it crossed her mind, the more it felt believeable.
Her feet gave out under her, her hands scrapping against the rough material as she fell. Looking up, she found herself in Acropolis, the large columns holding the strong history of the nation as more of the ancient landmark came to view. The dark clouds above her gave way as a light drizzle morphed into a sympathetic rain, one she was letting calm her mind and wash her tears.
"Feriah." she heard her name called faintly, and there was only one voice that sounded like that.
"Alright you bitch, show your face to me!" she shouted at the rain, "Prove to me that I'm insane and that what they said was false."
"It's not." came from behind.
Turning around, she saw her. Andromeda stood there as the rain held no effect to her, her sharp green eyes giving little hope of proving her wrong as she approached her.
"No! Don't you come any closer!" Feriah yelled, "You are nothing more but my mind creating a diversion of insanity and that you are someone that I failed to save. They all are. They are all someone that died in my arms that I can't remember and my mind is trying to make it better by creating a false memory to heal from than actually realizing that you all are truly dead by my own hand."
Andromeda stood thee, melancholy laying in her eyes, "Oh Feriah, how wrong you are."
It couldn't be, "Is Hercules your son?"
The woman gave a small sigh, "Yes, he is mine, from my body and soul. Hercules is my child as one day you shall be my daughter."
"It can't be." she felt herself slowly crumble.
"You are meant to be beside Hercules as the capital Athens. Both of you will lead the world to a better place."
"But that doesn't explain-"
"The dreams? My child, they are Sappho, Queen Amalia, and Melina Mercouri. They are women that helped form the nation Greece to its rightful place along with many others, yet they are the three that took your mind the most."
"It can't be, it's not real!" she exclaimed.
"It is and you need to believe it." Andromeda said, "And with it, you need to quell your scarred mind. Let him help you."
"With what?" she asked the woman only for her to disappear.
"Feriah?" she heard her name called out again, "Feriah!"
No doubt about it, that voice was his, full of worry and fear, "Feriah!"
She cound't move, she just stood there as she heard his footsteps come up behind her, "Feriah?"
His hand came on her shoulder, making her turn and slap his hand away, "Don't touch me!"
"Feriah, what-"
"What are you?" she demanded, "What the fuck are you?"
Hercules just stood there as the rain drenched his hair, he said not a word, yet his eyes spoke it all. He rubbed his face as it seemed he struggled to find words.
"Fine then, is it true that the woman I see, Andromeda, is your mother?"
His eyes came back to hers, giving a small sigh, "Yes."
She felt herself falter backwards, dear god, they were telling the truth, "So Father Jabari spoke of my dreams yes, telling you how I saw her and at times you within them, so the other women are?"
"The actress and political leader Melina Mercouri, poet Sappho, and Queen Amalia."
Her mind felt like it was going to explode with what she had learned, it just wasn't possible, "Please Feriah, I was going to explain it all, I just wanted you comfortable with the others first before diving into it. I know how you barely trust people and I wanted-"
"Trust! You say you wanted me to trust yet now I barely trust you! This whole thing is madness, it makes no sense!"
"I'm sorry Feriah, you're right I should have told you the truth-"
"There isn't any, its all my mind trying to heal, to make a false fantasy after surviving hell and torture. Looking at death and more and..."
She paused, she felt the women of her dreams push her towards him, to rely on his help as Andromeda whispered in her ear, "Trust him Feriah, let him know you and help you. We did our part, let him now."
Feriah looked at him, the rain soaking them both as she shivered, "Why me?"
"Feriah please-"
"Why me? Why, why, why, why me! Why did I have to dream of them? Why did I have to speak with her? Why did it feel so good to dive into those dreams when I should have been terrified? Why did you have to be in them for all it did was make me wonder and love you? Why did it have to be this way? Why did they take me away from them? Why did my parents have to die? Why did I have to survive that hell? Why did they do what they did? Why did they hurt me, or even push me to the brink of death just to bring me back and continue their torturous play? Why...why..." she felt herself shake and break under the pressure of her mind letting everything she kept so well hidden to them all as she saw him in the dreams and before her again.
It was then she knew their words were real about the personifications and what was to come, and yet her mind wanted to know one thing, "Why weren't you there to help me?"
She crumbled, letting the tears pour out as she dropped to her knees. So much she kept locked away, hidden from everyone around her and now it finally came out with broken sobs to a man that barely knew her.
Solid arms wrapped around her as her face was pressed into his chest, her sobbing shook them both as she tried to stop herself yet he wouldn't let her. He whispered to her as the rain washed it away, her heart and mind finally open yet broken. But now it was out and she had to face the facts, she wasn't like others and Father Jabari wasn't going to have her back until she was better. And to get better was her accepting her dreams and Hercules.
"Man I'm sorry." he heard Dryas say as all of them stood in the large kitchen.
"It's ok, just didn't think she'd react that badly."
"We didn't mean to make it worse, really didn't. Right Neema?" Habibah said as she was pressed into Sadiq's side.
"No, I didn't it. But after seeing Nora and what that damn group was capable of, it made me fearful of her not knowing too soon and getting captured by them." Neema said as she pulled her shawl around her.
"It was an accident, simple." Gupta said, "But now she knows and it's just a work in progress for it all. Although it sounds like she has a bit of history that is untouched as well my friend."
"Yes." Neema nodded, "I could talk to her but I may have you do a little before I try anything. May want to get ahold of Ottawa and Berlin, they are more adquate for this stuff than myself."
"I have already written Ludwig and Matthew, asking if their wives would be willing to help." Hercules said, "Knowing those two women, they will be all over it."
"That they would." Dryas agreed.
HIs mind was a mess after finding her in Acropolis, the tears falling from her and hearing her break down about her past, it just make him ache for her. He was lucky enough that his mother also whispered to him as he carried her home, telling him what she knew and how to approach her. So as she told him, he left her in his bedroom, curled up on his bed, letting her take in the truth of the capitals and nations.
"I feel like I dropped her in the middle of a war."
"It's her war." Sadiq said, "Not yours. You just have to be the soldier to pull her out of battle wounded."
Habibah nodded at him, "We know she trusts you, the cards say so as well. Maybe you can break into her more now that the truth is out."
He nodded at the sweet woman, hearing the others gather in small chatter around the table yet he was far in his mind to hear any of it. What could he really do? It was more than he thought it was and talking to Father Jabari about her captivity and what was done to her, make him cringe as even Habibah's history came to him. How strong both of those women were yet so blind they were to it as well.
Dismissing himself, he made his way to the bedroom, hoping she would be alright. Glancing in, he saw her sitting up, hugging her knees to her chest as her eyes seemed distant and lost. Quietly, he walked over to her, hoping not to disturb her too much as he sat on the edge of the large bed.
"Why me?" he heard her say.
"I don't know." he replied.
"How long did you know I was this?"
"Since Father Jabari first came here about the slave-ring. I really didn't believe him at first, thought it was fake but the more he talked the more I knew it was real." he replied, he knew it was better to give her the truth now, "Afterward, I watched you and how you were, seeing how you looked at certain things or the way you spoke, I could see it then too. Everything you do had a hint of each of them."
"The strongest?"
"Oh that's Melina. You're tenacity and will power to do what is necessary for the sake of people is definitely her."
Silence befell the room as the gentle storm rolled by the windows, "You loved them all, didn't you?"
Hercules sighed, "Yes I loved them all, it was sad to see them marry or pass on but I knew it was life and accepted it."
"So you have been alive for years and accepted death and losing so many people?" she questioned.
"Being alive for as long as we all have, you grow used to it sadly."
"So being a capital does what to me, how long before I pass and you are alone again?"
Oh, that was something he wasn't prepared for, "You won't. Like me, you will live out days as an immortal."
Her head whipped around, "You mean to tell me I will never die?"
"Yes. We get hurt like humans but do not die unless our nations are disolved or the population dwindles down to nothing, then we will fade."
Her eyes looked at her hands as she stretched out her legs, "Seems sad."
"It does at times, yet we all have each other." he reassured her.
Those green eyes looked at him once more, almost begging for nothing but the truth, "So all of us, everyone in the other room won't die?"
He gave a small smile, "Yes, we all are personifications."
Something sparked in her eyes, like a realization and understanding, "Alright. But now I just need to know more."
She moved around to face him, her eyes still teary as determination crossed her, "Tell me everything about the personification and what we have in store for us?"
Hercules smiled at her, a small hope filling him as he faced her, "Alright, I'll tell you everything."