Hi! Everyone! It has been a big while and I am so emotional right now as I am now publishing the final chapter of the story of Delphina.
This is the first time that I finish a multiple chapters story so I would like to thank you for your long support.
But I won't keep you for too long. So enjoy!
Chapter 41: A new God
"Are you sure you are ready to do this?" Apollo asked her, hugging her from behind.
Delphina stared at the luxurious palace all made of marble blue as the sea with golden drawings of shells on its wall. To her, it looked foreign but still somehow familiar. She hadn't come here… Since the day of her birth.
"I have to do this, Apollo. Calypso got the courage to meet her a few days ago. If she can do it, I can do it. I also need this closure." She touched her belly now very bombed. "I won't be ready to welcome that child until I do."
She had slowly realised how different it was in comparison to when she raised Asclepius. She was bearing this new being. He or she will look like her and be immortal. She will look upon that baby and inevitably think of herself when she was at that age.
She needed to understand what her own biological mother felt at that moment. Why would she give up her own twin babies?
She tenderly held the hand of Apollo, appreciating his comforting presence. However, she said. "I am grateful to you for accompanying me here, but I need to meet her alone."
He kissed the top of her head and replied. "I understand. Call me out loud if you ever need me to return to you quickly, my ears will be all yours. I will be back to Delphi to do some work."
He let go of her and soon, she heard the flapping of the swan's wings departing with Apollo's chariot. She gazed at the house once again. She imagined that moment her entire life and then, it was now.
She touched her bully to remind herself for whom she was doing this. Calypso had shared her experience and said it had been fine. She can do it.
She advanced toward the door and knocked on it. It didn't take long before a brown-haired servant came to open it. She looked at her and asked. "Hi! My Lady, I am afraid that your face is not familiar. Can you tell me what is your name and why you are here at Lady Pleione's residence?"
"My name is Delphina, Goddess of Dolphins. I am one of Pleione's daughters. I am here to meet my mother."
The servant didn't twinkle her eyes, not that surprised at all by her presence. Probably because Calypso had already come here earlier, meaning the whole sudden appearance of an abandoned twin child kind of event was now déja vu. Delphina would have preferred a more expressive reaction as it felt so casual when within, she wanted to scream in anxiety.
"You may enter." The nymph replied. "Feel comfortable to take any seat in the room. I will inform the Lady of your presence."
Delphina nodded and chose a bench in the middle of the room to sit on while she waited. She attempted to remember the words she had practiced to say for this moment but her mind went blank. She seriously considered running away.
But the baby kicked in her stomach and she was reminded. No… She couldn't run away. She had acted as a coward for way too long. This needed to be done in order to move forward.
She heard the door opening. Here she was…
Her hair was curly as the waves, dark like the abyss and long like the seaweeds reaching her behind. She had a face oval like an oyster with eyes green as an emerald. Her tanned skin and slim body reminded her a lot of Calypso. She was a true beauty as someone would expect from an Oceanid.
However, her facial expression was cold. Not cold in an angry way but cold in an indifferent way. Here, she stood proudly unafraid to accomplish her duty of facing this ineluctable meeting.
It should have hurt Delphina to receive such an unwarm welcome but quite the opposite, she was strangely comforted in her expectations. "Hi!" She dared to break the ice.
"Hi! After the visit of your sister, I was wondering when you would come."
Her mother lowered her eyes to her stomach. "Congratulations."
"Thank you."
"Would you like to have something to drink or to eat? Or anything else?"
"No. I am not hungry or thirsty. But thank you for your offer."
"I see." She took place on a chair placed in front of her. They stared at each other for a moment before she said. "I guess the reason why you are here but I will let you ask for it only when you are ready."
Delphina crossed her hands on her knees. Her belly had become large enough that her arms would embrace it once she put herself in this posture. Her child rested there, innocently, almost ready to face the world.
"Be honest with me… How did you feel when you reached that stage of the pregnancy with me and Calypso?"
She closed her eyes and retracted her legs to bring her feet under her chair. "May I have the chance to just explain everything from the beginning?"
"You may." Her mother could take her time as long as she managed to get a closure. An explication of why she had been given up. She doubted she could save this relationship as she did with her father but she needed to understand why. Why she couldn't get even a single visit during her whole childhood? Just a sign that she cared! Did she even care?
Her mother opened her eyes and stared at her, giving her full attention. "I truly loved your father. My marriage to him was truly a happy one, something rare in our world. He gave me a son and multiple daughters. Under the rule of Cronus, we possessed our own realm to govern. I possessed anything a woman could ever desire. As you just got married and is now expecting, I believe you can perfectly understand the happiness I felt."
"Yes… But I was denied a place in this hearth." Delphina said that with more venom in her voice than she expected to. She didn't want to know…how great her childhood could have been. How her self-esteem could have been different. She wouldn't have created dolphins had things gone differently but still, the thought of the possibilities. "I want to know why you gave up."
Then, after managing to be calm, her mother finally stormed. "You should have tried being strong during the Titanomachy! My parents chose to remain neutral. My sister and her husband Nereus took the same wise decision. I was afraid and begged Atlas to do the same! We had a family to think of and the consequences that would fall on us if he chose the wrong side…
"Well, he ignored me and accepted to be the second in command of Cronus. He attempted to wipe away my worries with promises of luxury once the war would be over as a gift for his loyal services. He seemed so confident about his victory that I found myself tempted to believe in him. Or maybe was I fooling myself in order to not despair? Anyway, everyone knows how this story ended!"
Delphina was known for her empathy and yet for this time, she hardly found any ounce of sympathy towards her mother as she shared her own point of view of this story. Was she truly attempting to pass entirely for the victim without any remorse?
"Then, I learnt that I was pregnant. I was panicking! Your father took it as a sign that Fates were on our side. But I interpreted it more as a sign that our family should come first! The fight was brutal that night and for the following weeks we ignored each other. Then… He lost. And I lost him. My family was lost forever."
Delphina's blood started to boil. "Then, what? We were still there, Calypso and me! We deserved to be there with you and our real siblings! We weren't lost but you chose to!"
Then, Pleione replied savagely. "How did you think I felt when you two were born? With no husband at my side. With my status lost. Do you really think I had the strength or even the desire to raise you both? Do you really believe you would have been happy with me? When I had just become a ghost of my past self? Raising a child is not easy! Even less two at the same time. I still had multiple children that had to face the lost of their father sentenced to the other side of Earth. I had to remain strong for them. But I had no strength to take care of new ones. This was why I concluded that leaving you two to the care of my sister and her husband was the best decision!"
Delphina found herself trapped in a dilemma. Her mother got a valid point. She would acknowledge that. However…
"So, you didn't love us?" It didn't truly sound like a question.
"I never said…"
"But you never came to see us. Not a single visit. I could understand your argument if you just wished for us to have a better life… But do you even know what is my favourite color? Did you hear about the moment I swam on my own for the first time? Did you even bother to hear about anything concerning Calypso and me? Father had an excuse to not be there, but did you?"
Her mother lowered her eyes. A long silence passed. Delphina felt anxious and yet still in perfect control of the moment. Her mother finally murmured. "No… I didn't hear anything about you until the day everyone started talking about the dolphins. But you know. I thought it was best that I don't involve myself more into your life. I just didn't have the heart to… Would you truly have been happier if I showed up often? Did both of you were really unhappy with my sister and her husband?"
Delphina knew the answer as clearly as she knew the sea. Of course, they were still happy. They dealt with abandonment issues but were still happy. And obviously, her visits would have probably brought more awkwardness than comfort. She even refused to visit her own father for so long. On that subject, she won't be in denial.
But she still got what she wanted by coming here.
She stood, holding her belly and gazed firmly at the woman who gave birth to her. "To answer you: no, I doubt it would have changed anything. But thank you for your honesty… Now, I need to go. Thank you for giving me a little of your time."
Then, she left. No more word from her mother. Not a single attempt to stop her. She let her go as if she was relieved by her early departure. Delphina could feel sad and upset by such a detached reaction but she wasn't. She got what she wanted.
She got a closure.
She relaxed a little bit outside, evacuating all the tension cumulated in her body. She didn't have to wait too long until Apollo returned to take her.
Seeing his chariot landing, she smiled, happy to see him once again. But he appeared worried. He took her hand and gently brought her to his monture. She didn't wait and deposited her head on his shoulder, searching for his presence and his smell while hugging him. She felt his left arm circling her back to hold her by the waist while he used his other arm to command the swans to take off. Once in the sky, he asked. "So, how it went?"
"Well… What do you think?"
"After analysing your body language, I think that you possess no intentions to see her ever again but you still have the relief of knowing that this meeting is finally done."
"God of Truth as usual." She smiled and hugged her husband tighter. "You know what is funny? It's that my name means "womb". My mother named me after that. And Calypso means "to conceal". Thats the extent of what we represented to her at our birth. I should not be surprised but what I found strange… It is that now I realise that my kindness was inherited from my father. And my pride and hypocrisy came from my mother. I always thought it was the opposite. Meeting my father made me remember what I used to be and that I can do mistakes and forgive myself. And my mother…"
She touched her belly. "Well, meeting her made me realise that I am ready for this child… I know that I can be better than her."
She looked up to Apollo and he turned to her, smiling. They hastily kissed each other and she melted under the pleasure once she felt the hand of her husband caressing her belly like the attentive partner he was, sharing his joy of becoming a father once again, this time with her.
He broke the kiss and said. "You are better than her as you inspire me to be better everyday."
She couldn't be happier.
…
She knew that giving birth was painful but not that painful.
Pretty sure if she was mortal, she would die as she felt her body being torn from inside out.
She screamed as another wave of pain hit her. "Ah!"
Her mother-in-law, Leto, brought a wet cloth on her front while holding her hand and told her. "Take a breath, you are doing pretty well."
"I will take a breath once this baby is out. Ah!"
"At least you are in a comfortable bed, not expecting twins and not about to go through this for nine long days."
Delphina could laugh if the pain wasn't so distracting. Once upon a long time ago, just after the birth of her own children, Leto had promised that someday if Delphina was to have children on her own, she would be there in return to assist her during her labour.
Obviously, she couldn't have predicted the she would birth Leto's own grandchild which was strange and touching all at once. But Delphina couldn't have chosen another woman to be with her during such an important moment. The bond they shared was hard to describe. The day Delphina chose to help Leto, her life changed forever. And it was about to change again.
"Delphina, my love, are you sure you don't want me to use my powers to ease your pain?" She heard Apollo say with his typical sweet care.
"Or me using my powers to make your labour go easier?" This time, it was Artemis, reminding everyone she was a Goddess of Childbirth as well.
She managed to remain calm enough to reply politely. "I think I was clear enough a few days earlier… I don't want your help! Your mother alone can… Ah!"
"But my love, you are in deep pain." Apollo responded. "You can change your mind, you know."
Then, Leto intervened. "My dear children, Delphina has been clear enough, I think. Therefore, I am going to ask you to leave. Please, I have everything under control. Thank you."
Once they left reluctantly, Delphina received another wave of pain. She continued pushing and many hours later, she finally delivered.
She collapsed, full of relief and she wanted to cry as she heard the cries of a baby.
"It's a boy, congratulations!" Leto screamed.
Then, a few minutes later, her mother-in-law had cut the cord, washed the newborn and covered him in a white blanket before offering him to her.
So many thoughts inhabited Delphina's mind at once in this very special moment. First, the delight of knowing the painful part was over. Then, the realisation that she was now a mother.
Except that…
She took her baby in her arms who stopped his cries as if her presence alone was enough to calm him. His eyes were closed, he breathed slowly. She noticed the few blond hair on his hair. Just like his parents.
Her baby… Her own baby! A boy. She was happy, so happy, but at the same time…
"How are you?"
Delphina gasped as she hadn't heard Apollo entering the room, she rose her head and noticed that Leto also left, certainly to leave them some privacy. Her husband approached and deposited a sweet kiss on her front. She rejoiced at this tender contact. She instantly felt better… Like her pregnancy scars already disappeared!
She protested. "You just used your powers to heal me!"
He quickly put his finger on her mouth then he gave his most serious look that declined any possibility of arguing. "I respected your wish of giving birth without my assistance. But don't expect me to bear watching you in pain any longer. You should know me well enough to understand that."
Always so caring in his own way. He sounded unbearable but she loved him like that. She smiled. "Fine, you win."
Then, she looked at the baby who had just fallen asleep. With his finger, Apollo carefully but tenderly caressed his cheek. "It is a boy… A very beautiful baby boy."
"Yes… Indeed."
"You don't sound so happy."
She raised her chin and gazed at him. It was the God of Truth who stared at her with love but also concerns.
She sighed and finally admitted. "I just wish it was a girl instead."
Apollo laughed. "What? That's all? My Love, we can still make more if that is the problem!"
Not sure if Delphina would be up someday to go through that pain once again. "Please, don't jest with me! And this is not what I mean!"
"Then, what do you mean?"
She stared at her son. He was so beautiful and appeared so peaceful. She was full of love toward this new living being… But that feeling was not foreign to her.
"I didn't forget about Asclepius, you know." Mentioning his name alone brought back the pain. She would always wear the scars of that loss. "If it had been a girl, it would have been different. A whole new experience. But another boy like him. And one from my own blood this time… I fear that I am going to replace him. That I might love this son more because it is fully mine and fully immortal. And…"
"Delphina, please! Would you just look at me?!"
She did. Apollo sighed. "Remember when you insisted that Asclepius calls you 'Godmother' instead of 'Mother'? That is because you refused to take Coronis' place. Our son might be gone but at least he is reunited with her. While he was alive, you did well to offer the maternal figure he needed. Asclepius knew it and he wouldn't resent you or me neither for starting over."
She laughed. "I feel silly now. By luck I am married to the God of Truth!"
"For all my numerous imperfections, I have at least that quality!" Then, he kissed her before returning his attention to the baby. "How are we going to name him?"
"I don't know… Did you have any idea?"
"Well, since I named Asclepius, I wanted to give you the privilege of choosing the name of our son."
"Ho!" She stared at the young one. He breathed so slowly, eyes closed, fully at peace. How could she name him?
"To be honest with you… I have no idea. Nothing comes to me."
"Well, you are not obligated to name him right now. We can wait until the right one comes to you."
She rose her eyebrow. "And what if it takes me so long?"
"It won't. You will know it at the right time. But it is important for me to give you that privilege." He kissed her front. "I am going to ask the servants to come take the baby so you can rest. You must be so exhausted."
Before he could move, she quickly grabbed him on his left arm. "Please, I would prefer for you to stay with me. I need you." She breathed his smell. After all this pain and those heavy emotions, she craved simply cuddling with him.
He didn't require persistence. He got on the bed, lying down beside her. Delicately, he took the baby from her and held him himself. Then, he stayed, even putting his left arm around her. As she leaned on his chest, she took a huge breath of his addictive smell all while looking at her baby sleeping peacefully in the arm of his father. And her whole being was enveloped by a blissful sensation: happiness. She never thought it could be possible to be so happy as if that feeling was new. But here she was. Sharing a bed with a man she loved and who loved her back. With a new baby entering their life, this time forever immortal.
She closed her eyes with a smile. She would think about the name later.
…
"Calypso!"
It had been a week since the birth of her baby and she had decided to go visit her sister wishing to present her the baby. Some people might say it was unwise to travel with such a young one but like any immortal, he was already big like a six months old by now. When she realised the speed at which he grew (not like his father but still), she complained to Apollo who quickly intervened with his powers to slow down the aging process. She wanted to enjoy seeing this child grow up the longest as it could be.
But she appreciated that he was no more so fragile so she could travel a little with him. And she couldn't wait to present her newborn to all her loved ones. She first wanted to visit her sister, then later, it would probably be her own father followed by Nereus, Doris and the Nereids. She just longed to share her happiness!
She debarked from the chariot Apollo had lent to her with her son curled up in her arms. Calypso ran to greet her.
"Ho! I am so glad to see you! Let me look at the baby!" She moved the blanket a little then she stared at her nephew still asleep. "Ho! He is so beautiful. He even has some blond hair just like his parents. Congratulation, sister!"
"Thank you."
"Does he have a name yet?"
"No, I am still working on it."
She rose her eyebrows. "It has been a week since his birth, right? Don't wait too long!"
She laughed. "Well, maybe his godmother can help me by providing some ideas."
"Godmother? Really? That strange title coming from your dolphins' pod?"
Delphina laughed even louder. "Don't me give that face. I know deep down you feel honored."
Then, the baby started to cry. "Ho! Well, he is now hungry."
"Follow me to my grotto, I will give you a seat to breastfeed."
Delphina followed Calypso when the latter suddenly stopped right in front of the entrance. She turned to her. "Ho! And don't be surprise, I have some company."
Delphina had no time to ask questions before she heard. "Calypso, your sister is now here?"
The Goddess didn't recognize that voice. She just knew it was masculine so definitely not belonging to a nymph. She searched from behind her sister than a young man exited the grotto. Dressed with a gray tunic, his head covered with short curly black hair and displaying a tanned skin.
His appearance also seemed familiar.
Calypso would then present him. "Delphina, I would like to present you Telemachus."
She knew that name. He was Odysseus's son!
Well, they would both need a conversation.
…
One hour later, Delphina could finally make a good summarize of what she just learned.
So, Telemachus had been looking for his father by taking the sea itself. During his adventures, he got shipwrecked and he was thankfully rescued by the dolphin that Delphina gave to her sister to keep her company.
Calypso, despite remaining heartbroken after Odysseus' departure still welcomed and offered him shelter. Having learnt her lesson the hard way, she took the courage to tell him she was the reason his father failed to return earlier but that now, he was back home.
"I did return to Ithaca." Telemachus told. "I went to embrace my mother and finally met the father I am been longing for. At last, we came to experience those family moments we had dreamt to have for so long… However, I…"
He turned to see Calypso. "I had just tasted the amazing feeling of having an adventure. Unlike my father, I enjoyed it. I might thank my greater luck for this enjoyment. Nevertheless, I needed to explore more. Therefore, I quickly embarked on a ship and curiously my path brought me back here. And… well, I am still here."
He smiled to Calypso. Delphina was tempted to open widely her mouth. She needed deeper answers!
Then, her son finished to eat from her breast and Delphina went to put him to a cradle provided for her so the baby could sleep. Telemachus took this opportunity to stand up declaring he needed to relive himself. Once she and Calypso were alone, Delphina quickly sat back beside her and requested. "So, what is truly going on between you and Telemachus?"
Calypso blushed. "Well, it is… Look, I don't want you to jump to any conclusions so soon! It's true that he reminds me a lot of his father and I do like him. But still, I just started to know him and I don't want to get hurt again. Also…"
"Ho! Calm down! Sorry, I don't to want to put any pression if that is the impression I gave you. But… I will always wish you the best."
"Thank you… I can say he is really kind and I enjoy his company a lot."
This had to be one of the best gifts the Fates could give her. Even if Calypso had reassured Delphina about that, she still struggled to not feel guilty about her happiness when her beloved twin didn't have the same luck. But who knew? Telemachus seemed to be a really good man and he was here on his own will. Maybe he would not be shy about receiving immortality later.
"I am back." Telemachus said after he returned in the grotto. "Did I miss something important?"
Calypso and Delphina quickly shook their heads. "Nothing!" They said at the same time then they laughed.
Telemachus smiled but he quickly stopped and opened widely his eyes in shock.
"Something is wrong?" Calypso asked.
"Delphina, is it normal that your baby is not in his cradle?"
Her heart stopped. She turned around. Her son was nowhere.
Suddenly, she remembered the story of when Hermes left his cradle a day after his birth. A god just like her son.
Ho! No!
…
"Apollo!"
Her whole world spun around in her head. She couldn't see clearly, she couldn't think clearly. She could only feel her heart hitting violently her chest and her breathe threatening to cut itself.
She held firmly the reins of her chariot while the swans flew over the sea. Her eyes wandered constantly in every corner of the water, looking for her offspring.
How she regretted to not have any name to call for at this moment. All she could scream was the name of her husband in a desperate begging. "Apollo!"
How long would it take him to come here? He wouldn't dare to be deaf to her calling in particular when it was an emergency. She needed his sun powers in order to find her son!
But she couldn't wait for him. The more minutes passed, the more in danger her baby must be. She cursed these immortals with their abilities to move on their own so early after their birth.
Memories of Asclepius came back to haunt her just like all the kids she had seen perish. Feeling her heartbeat alarmingly increasing, she forced herself to calm down. Her son was at least immortal.
But he could still get hurt.
Suddenly, a dolphin appeared at the surface. Still on her chariot, she turned to him. "Did you find him?"
When her companion replied positively, the tension in her body lessened. "Thank you so much! Please show me where he is?!"
She followed the dolphin… And never thought of finding her child in this place.
It was a very small island where only a huge rock on the sand could be found. This rock was nothing less than the monster Cetus who once menaced Ethiopia until Perseus turned it into stone with the head of Medusa. At the request of Ceto, the Goddess of Sea Monsters, Poseidon had moved the body here on this island in the middle of the sea, proclaiming it as a sacred site.
And somehow, her baby was now there, sitting down on the sand, touching the rocky head of the monster.
Delphina couldn't understand why her baby had been attracted by this place not like it mattered. She ran to him and took him in her arms. "Son! Ho! By Zeus, please don't run away like that ever again!"
Far from sharing her joy, her son started to fight back her hold, crying out loud, expanding his little arms toward the stone body. From her previous experience with Asclepius, she knew that toddlers could be capricious and have very strange specific interest to hold on to. But this was ridiculous.
"Calm down, we cannot stay here. We have to go back home." What was wrong with him? He was born for only a week now but she knew it for sure: this behavior was unusual.
Then, suddenly, she saw a flash of light. Very breve. Only one second but the energy it has deployed was strong enough to catch her off-guard. In particular, as it came from her son.
Then, the massive rock broke. Piece by piece, each stone fell, causing a good amount of dust. Once it dissipated, scaled skin started to reveal itself. And what was once motionless started to move.
Delphina yelped. It was impossible!
Cetus roared as it realised that freedom from this stony prison was there to be taken and it shook relentlessly to make all the rock fall down. Delphina took many steps back, held her son tightly and tried to stay calm. She was a sea goddess. The monster would not dare to attack her. Or she hoped so. With a child in her arms, she would never succeed to outrun it.
But there was her fear and there was her curiosity. How her son could achieve such feat? It reminded her of her own exploit when she created the dolphins but this was a wild something else.
Cetus turned to her. It was close enough for her the feel the smell from its breath on her. A mixture of salt with earth. She trembled. Cetus would only fix something for so long if it had targeted it.
Her son started to cry. It made her realise that she had someone to protect. She might be minor but she remained a goddess! She moved her hand to summon some water…
Then, suddenly, a golden arrow pierced Cetus' heart. The monster cried one last time before falling on the ground.
Delphina turned and rejoiced at seeing Apollo on his own chariot. She had forgotten she had called him. She ran to kiss him, so relieved to have him here. He welcomed her in his arms.
"Ho! You are finally here! I was so scared!"
"I'm sorry, Delphina! I was at a meeting on Olympus. I struggled to leave as it enraged the other Olympians. Thankfully, my father understood the emergency! Are you alright?"
"It's fine, I am alright." She looked at her son who was now strangely quiet in her arms. "We are alright."
Apollo brought his hand to the baby's cheek, with so much tenderness as if he was afraid he would vanish. "What happened? How is Cetus even alive?"
She explained everything and at the end, she had to add with humor. "I guess he took heavily after his father when it comes to accomplish great feats at a very young age."
He didn't react. He seemed in no mood to laugh as he still stared at the baby. "So, you are confirming that Cetus attempted to attack you both." It wasn't a question.
And suddenly, Apollo stepped back, growled, took his bow and shot an arrow. Once the arrow hit the monster, it made it explode in many pieces. The impact made Delphina scream as each piece of flesh flew all around her. None hit them but that was close. Her son even started to cry once again.
She faced Apollo. "Why did you do that?! Was that even necessary?! You scared both of us!"
"It makes me feel better! I wasn't satisfied with just a simple kill!"
"Seriously? That is so unreasonable coming from you, God of Reason!" Delphina knew Apollo would continue to act with anger, just like he knew she would scold him in disapprobation for this behavior.
They agreed their marriage would mostly be like this.
Her son continued to cry. She tried to calm him down while scolding her husband even more. "Look at the unnecessary trouble you created."
Then, Delphina saw once again the same halo of light emerging from her son's body. It was brief but strong enough to unlock a clear memory.
It was exactly like the light that made her create the dolphins.
The light moved to the pieces of flesh of Cetus. The divine force made them move to the water in every direction. Once they all disappeared under water, Delphina waited anxiously.
She stared at Apollo who looked back at her searching for answers. She only said. "I believe our son just did something."
Then something emerged from the water. Like a large grayish hill moving and producing a geyser of water from its top just like the dolphins when they needed to breathe. Then, it continued to move, diving in the water until a tail large like a horse majestically stood before joining the rest of the body.
Delphina was speechless. Was it a new kind of dolphin? But it was so big! Just like Cetus.
Many others started to appear like this on the surface and her son moved its arms toward the creatures, mumbling. "Whales!"
What? She stared at Apollo. "Our son is now saying his first word at one week old! You really need to slow down his growth!"
Her husband raised his eyebrows, then laughed. "After what we just witnessed, this is the first thought in your mind? And isn't even a word? I never heard that before."
"Well…" She observed her son whose regard was fixated on the creatures he just made. "It might be how he wants to name this animal. In my case, I simply named the dolphins after my own name…"
Her eyes opened widely and her lips stretched into a big smile. "Now! I know how to name our son!"
She took her baby and held him up in the sky face turned to her own so she could look at his pretty face. "My little boy, I am going to name you… Ketos!"
Then, she brought him closer, kissed him on the front and hugged him while he joyfully giggled.
Beside her, her husband replied. "You are serious? That's how you want to name him? After Cetus?"
"My dear love, you gave me the privilege to name him like I want just like you named Asclepius like you wanted. So, live with it!"
He sighed, but she guessed the smile he tried to suppress in order to protect his pride.
Delphina rejoiced. Her son had a name and a purpose as well. Fated to follow her own path. She had no idea what he will do with the "whales". Maybe something extraordinary. Maybe nothing special. Who knew?
Her thoughts went to her dolphins. The day of their creation was centuries ago but she would always remember every detail. After witnessing what her son just did, she wondered how she had been able to do the same, having been just a nymph at the time.
And how having just created an animal had led to such notoriety. She didn't control the sea, didn't preside the arts, didn't look over important aspect of human lives. She just assisted them from time to time when they felt the need.
And mortals had loved her ever since. Dolphins were more revered than Zeus' eagle, than Hera's peacock, than Poseidon's horse, than Athena's owl, than any other sacred animals from the Pantheon.
How whales were going to be viewed by humans?
Ketos laughed in her arms. He was still a very young baby. It was too soon to speculate but one thing for sure.
She, Delphina, Goddess of Dolphins, his own mother would be there to guide him and inspire him just like she would continue to guide and inspire mortals for as long as she can.
Thank you for reading!
I didn't want Delphina to reconcile with her mother because honestly it would not feel realistic to me. Many people give up their children and don't have that much remorse as you may think they have and I think it was important to show that aspect of humanity (however, in real life it is even more complexe and I cannot pretend that I can talk for people who experienced it but for sure they are rarely cheesy scenes of reunion, regrets and love like you can see in movies.)
In greek mythology, Telemachus was saved by a dolphin but it happened when it was a child. But I decided to move this part of the myth later just so it could connect to Calypso. In the mythology, he does arrive on Calypso's island and if she falls in love with him, however, it is not clear if he reciprocates her feelings since it depends of the version (there is even a version where he falls in love with one of her attendants instead), but since this is my story and I want Calypso to be happy, I do what I want!
Ketos is the greek word for Cetus which will later become Cetacea in Latin, a term that will not only refer to the whales but dolphins as well with other fully marine mammals species. Talking about whales, they were not truly present in greek mythology as they are few species living in the mediterranean sea but also because for a long time, human beings didn't even know how they truly looked like only that they were very big (this is why in ancient paintings, they often look like sea monsters as Ketos means sea monsters).
And this is how the story finish. If you ask the question, I am probably going to pursue the spin-off story about the gigantomachy but my priority will be to finish the editing ot the first book of this story (I am now two-third done, ho! My god!)
I still cannot believe, I managed to end this huge story that I started in 2018. Thank you so much for having read it. Now, publishing is the next step in my journey as a writer. I also have plenty of other stories in my head that I can't wait to start writting after this one. I am also gaining more experience so I hope to be able to produce even more better written texts!
But anyway, thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed this last chapter!
See you soon!