The Fifth Season

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT: THE TEMPLE OF THE NIGHT MOTHER

SNOH

This was very awkward. And what I meant by awkward is being nuzzled into a fancy hydro-car ordered by my father to take us directly to the River Temple as demanded by my mother. I knew myself that it was complete nonsense to even dispute the fact that I was my father's daughter—there were too many parallels to explain, but I assume having such an odd occurrence strike her, she wanted complete assurance before embracing the idea.

Nobody spoke a word on the ride there. I'm sure my mother was really nervous being around Orion again; their relationship together was something that surprised me once revealed. I mean the look of complete and utter shock that had crossed my mother's face when he stood in front of her was a clear indicator that there was history between the two.

I had always known my mother to be with my false father my entire life; that's just how things were, but to find out that my mom had found comfort and maybe even... love within Orion was something that fascinated me.

Did she still love him?

No, she loved Yursa now and was happy with her and Iah.

But I wonder how different life would have been if my father had approached me sooner and not at this moment in time; the circumstances of which my life trajectory might have been different, but it was Goddess Naiad who ordered him to let me be, so he was ultimately forced to do her bidding.

It was so funny now to think that I had been hopelessly praying to the Goddess for a relationship between my father and I to mend and for him to open his arms and embrace me, not as the High Chancellor of Clouiths, but as my father—the Goddess had no meaning for my false father when she explained that my "father would come around."

It was Orion.

I slowly focused my gaze on the other side of the Hydro-car where my father was sitting crossed-leg, shoulders crossed over his large and broad chest, and his eyes remained shut in order not to focus on anything, in particular, residing in the car.

He was probably avoiding conversing more with my mother perhaps.... mostly because he was sitting directly across from her and she had not stopped her scrutinizing gaze towards him the entire time; I'm not sure if my father was necessarily intimidated by that—such a strong and tall man wouldn't naturally be so apprehensive to confront a smaller woman such as mom, right?

"You're not scared of my mother are you?" I found myself asking him.

My father did not stir the slightest at my abrupt question, "I fear nothing more than my mother's wrath." He replied to me simply.

I wanted to giggle because part of that seemed as if he were deflecting a bit from my inquisition, not answering it as directly as I hoped he would, but I couldn't help but probe further at his statement, "What is Goddess Naiad's wrath like? Have you angered her before?" I questioned him wanting to know a bit more of my ominous grandmother.

He grunted slightly, causing my mother to arch her eyebrow in curiosity by the sudden sound he made, but she said nothing."Your grandmother has the personality of a calm lake on the brisk of the humid fourth season, and a roaring rage of crashing oceans in a storm when she is upset... not necessarily something you would like to get yourself caught up in. Though most times, she remains neutral and impassive in how she responds to most situations." He said.

My lips parted in awe as I could imagine the calm and collected demeanor of the Goddess. Was her expression blank and stoic as a piece of paper? Or was she more animated in the way she interacted with others? My family did mention at one point in time, she did roam the world of Othea, so she had to look like something.