Chapter Text
Anthony knew he was not like most kids. Not every child was born to at least one godly parent. But out of the few that are, they manifest powers. Extraordinary gifts, yet in Anthony’s case, he had not.
The waves crashed against Anthony’s legs as he watched the sun tuck itself into bed. He caught himself thinking about too much lately. How no one else really wanted to hang around him, even though he was the child of their holy queen. All except for his best friend, Ethan, who didn’t care if he had powers or not. Ethan and Anthony had been friends for as long as he could remember. His mother had brought him home one day and said he would start living with them. Ethan was also unique like him; he was half merman. He didn’t have a tail or anything, but the small clusters of scales on his body, his webbed hands and feet, and the gills on his neck still gave him a huge advantage whenever the two went for a swim.
As if he wished it to happen, he could see Ethan walking his way down the beach, smiling brightly as he waved to Anthony. Anthony returned the wave and semi-yelled.
“Hey, fish face!”
“Yeee, ouch! That’s not very nice, dude.”
“Whatever! What are you doing here? I thought you were helping Mom with the new guest?”
Ethan shrugged his shoulders and looked to the ocean. “Ehhh, I got bored. Besides, it’s only supposed to be some queen from another place… like a mainland kingdom… anyway, your mother wants to throw a dinner party, she asked me to get you.”
Anthony made an exasperated noise. He hated parties. He hated sitting in a chair in an overcrowded, overheated room with a bunch of people he didn’t care about. However, he couldn’t ignore what his mother wanted.
“Fineeee…” he managed to push himself.
Later in the evening
Antony, who had changed into more “appropriate” clothes for a fancy dinner, brushed his wavy hazelnut hair to the side—walking into the dinner hall. It was a beautiful open room like ones in old Roman architecture, the columns had intricate details embedded into the thick stone. Multiple different things caught his attention. Ethan was in a corner talking to a trio of boys. They were definitely not from around here. The one who seemed like he was leading the group had dark brown hair with bulky goggles resting on top. To his side was a lean, freckled-faced boy resting his arms on the shoulders of his curly-haired friend with olive-toned skin and coffee-brown eyes.
The one with the goggles made eye contact with Anthony. His eyes felt judgmental yet a bit scared and disgusted by him. Anthony noticed the boy had a scar on his nose between both eyes. Actually, now he was looking at them all of them seemed to be a little beat up. A couple of scratches here and there on their arms and legs.
Anthony forced his eyes away to see his mother was talking to what he would assume to be the queen Ethan had mentioned. The woman was curvy and wore an elegant ruby-red dress. Her chocolate hair was contained in a neat braid. His mother noticed Anthony and ushered him over to them.
“Grace of the Capitol, this is my son, Anthony.”
“Hello.” Anthony politely raised his hand forward.
Grace enthusiastically took his hand and smiled brightly. “Hello! Hah, you’re a hoot! A great island you have! Nice beaches! We don’t have any in the Capitol!”
“Oh, thank you.”
“You know my jester is performing tonight at dinner! He’s one of the best performers in all of the mainland! It will be amazing.”
While the queen was rambling on about how great her country was, Anthony noticed the people Ethan was talking to had left the room.
He was able to sneak out of the conversation and made his way over to his friend.
“So, who were the guys you were talking to?”
Ethan brought the drink he was holding onto to his lips. “Some people that are passing by, one of the guards told them they could come in for some reason. They are staying here for a while apparently. They were kinda weird.”
Anthony gave him a look. “How weird?”
“They asked a lot of questions about you and your mother…maybe they are just interested in it or whatever. It’s not like every day you meet a goddess and her half-god, so… why do you think they’re up to something?”
“Maybe… I don’t.. It’s just something off. One of them kept staring at me… it freaked me out.”
Ethan giggled. “Maybe they are just excited to meet a demi-god”
This frustrated Anthony. A demi-god, sure.. but one with no powers. Nothing special. He was regular. Something that he didn’t care about if he was born from two humans. But he was not. He was supposed to be something.
“Sir Anthony and Sir Ethan?”
The two turned around to see an old man. He wore sea green robes. The wrinkles of his face folded neatly. Anthony could immediately tell who he was from the small teal fins tucked behind his round kind face. John Chungus. The mystical water wizard of the deep. One of the best-known swimmers of the island. Next to him a woman holding a very sharp trident. Her blonde hair had streaks of light blue like the sand bleeding into the ocean.
John noticed their looks towards her. “No fear she is my guard Josie.”
“Hello,” Anthony whispered.
“Hey.” She responded. She seemed bored. Maybe she was used to the surface, Anthony thought.
The old man chuckled. “You too seem to be getting along. I come with news… for your mother. Thought she seems a little busy with her guest. Could you tell her something for me, Anthony?”
He shuffled. Anthony trusted the wizard. He was loyal to his mother like most others and maybe may be the same age as her. He came from a long line of sea wizards and witches who some say come from the old water goddess herself.
Yet there was something about how he looked at Ethan that made him confused. In his eye was pain and sadness.. or more like regret whenever he laid eyes on the boy. It confused Anthony but maybe it was because Ethan technically should have grown up in the waters with the rest of the merpeople but didn’t or there was something else that was wrong.
“Sure. What do you need to tell her?”
The wizard's face darkened. “Something is gonna happen soon. Something of terror. I believe you and your mother will be targeted by some outside force and some even from your own nation.”
Anthony bit his lip and chuckled nervously. John was known for being very accurate with his predictions yet this felt weird.
Ethan straightened his back. “Well tell her… thank you..”
Johns face immediately went back to normal a smile raised from his face as if he did not tell them that horrible news a couple of seconds ago. “Well, I’m off. Josie’s told me she spotted a pirate ship coming into our waters. I do not hope it is the infamous Hanbon..last time.. let’s just say it was not fun.” He chuckled like an old man usually does and smiled.
“We’ll be safe..” Anthony managed to shoot out before the man and his guard left the open room and into the sea salt spray air outside.
“What the fuck was that Anthony???”
“How am I supposed to know??”
“Let’s just “sleep on whatever that was ok… I don’t wann-“
The two's confusion was interrupted by the music and loud booming voice of one of the guards. “And NOW THE SHOW YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!! Queen Grace's jester…. WESTON!!”
The jester appeared a very wide grin plastered on his face. He did the typical jester stuff. He was funny. Anthony cracked a couple of smiles but immediately remember what the wizard told him and it would drop.
His mother and Queen Grace appeared behind them talking like long time friends.
“He’s funny isn’t he? He used to perform with his sister but she ran away unexpectedly one day. It’s a shame they were a perfect troupe.”
His mother sighed “Oh really? How sad.”
“Yes, he hasn’t been the same since. He’s been telling himself he’ll find her but I don’t think she is ever coming back.”
Anthony’s mother smiles and directs her attention to them. “So how was John Chungus. I saw you two talking to him.”
Ethan reaches to scratch the back of his neck something he would do when he was nervous.
“He said something-“
“That everything is fine! Just some pirates may be coming in but yeah!” Anthony interjected
“That’s good.”
“Yep! Me and I are gonna go out. Umm to- to watch the sunset.”
She smiled reaching her hand out to ruffle his hair. “Well have fun.”
“Yep! Let’s go, Ethan!”
“But-“
Anthony grabbed the merman’s arm and half run half walked him out of the room. Once the two were on the beach, far away from the castle Ethan yelled.
“Dude what the hell is wrong with you??”
“I’m not ready to tell her ok?”
“Why! It will hurt you in the long run- isn’t it better to be safe than sorr-“
“My mom is fine! But she’ll worry about me. Probably lock me up but a trillion guards on me…TREAT ME LIKE A CHILD.” he yelled. “I can’t feel even more weak than I already am Ethan!”
Ethan looked at him with a face of concern and understanding. After all, he was basically Anthony’s brother. He knew for most of his life, actually since he had his first memory it was of them hanging out finding crabs in the sand of the shore.
“Hey look I don’t want anything to happen to you…but I won’t tell.. her.. if you don’t want to.. UNLESS something majorly bad happens did I will spill the beans becaus-“
Anthony ran towards him warping his arms around him in a hug.“Thank you. Thanks… I couldn’t ask for a better friend..”
Ethan reciprocated the gesture
“Me too..”