I never knew she could paint at this caliber. The figures on the wall look like they could come to life at any moment. My eyes blink away the unshed tears threatening to spill over, they are not of sadness but of pride. Walking over to the mural, I touch the wall, it’s a bittersweet moment when you're so close to something a loved one left behind.?
The first scene is of an epic naval battle, there are three USS carriers on one side of the sea, Yorktown, Enterprise, and Hornet. They’re massive yet graceful looking in a weird sort of way. Looking more closely at one of the carriers, sea foam is more prevalent at its side than anywhere else in the painting. With the way the water is rippling, there’s an underwater missile that was just launched. Mama thought of everything, no detail was spared.
To the west of the horizon four Imperial Navy ships are off in the distance. The sky is bright blue mixed with thick gray smoke, and aircrafts are dropping missiles around the boats. She painted outlines of men on the carriers in their war-torn uniforms, a look of determination sketched on their faces.?
Written in big, bold letters at the top of the mural:?
The Battle of Midway: The turn of the tide in the Pacific WWII.?
This battle is the one that Blaine Ramsey helped win for the good guys. Trying to take it all in, I walk slowly to the other side of the mural, to get a good look at the Scotsman. Standing in the middle of the group, he is wearing his kilt and has a haughty look of disdain plastered all over his smug face, what I wouldn't give for a chance to punch that expression off his face. Next to him on his left is one bombshell of a lady. She’s young and beautiful. Her hair is jet black, and bright red lipstick is on her lips. Did she fight in the war? She wears a uniform, but girlsweren't allowed to be in the Navy back then. Her uniform is in near tatters, and her right hand is wearing a bandage. I wonder what her story is.
The guy beside her has his arm around her neck and is smiling from ear to ear. Her arm is around him in a side hug. He has red hair in a military-style cut. His clothes are torn to bits, but he's smiling anyways, and I like them both instantly.?
The guy furthest to the Scotsman's left is African American. He’s tall and lean and wears a different uniform. Maybe the Air Force? His clothes are fully intact. That would make sense if he were flying a plane. I remember reading about the Battle of Midway, and planes dropped bombs during the mission. He looks serious and determined, a true military hero.
Lastly, the guy next to Blaine is short with wavy blonde hair. He looks tired and hurt. His side has a bloodstain from his underarm to his waist. Even though he’s severely injured he still manages a smirk. My mother was able to capture the essence of who each person was.
The bottom is titled:?
The First Five.
"Ethan, I heard General Kelli mention that Ramsey was a part of the First Five. But how? He looks so young. Is he like 295 years old or something?" I feel so inadequate in this world. I know next to nothing.
"He's Maritime, Arabella." He says with a shrug.?
"Well, that explains nothing. What does Maritime have to do with him being so old?" I sigh in exasperation.
Ethan laughs and elbows me in the ribs. "Calm down, beautiful. The answer is simple. Maritime people have a longer lifespan than we do. The water preserves their cells and slowsdown the aging process. They can live thousands of years. Eleanor is well over a hundred."?
Little butterflies swarm in my belly, because he's near, and I stare up at him in disbelief. "Stop lyin'! There is no way she’s that old."
Shaking his head, he gives me a panty dropping smile. "I ain't lyin', girl. It's true! Just ask her. She'll be at the tournament as the goodwill ambassador for the Maritime."
"I believe you, I guess. What's the significance of the First Five?" I run my fingers across the mural, it makes me feel close to my mother.
Ethan’s face brightens with excitement, he must love history as much as I do. Motioning for me to sit down at a table near the back, he begins the story, and gains my full attention. "They were the first five Guardians of Peace, and until that time only men were allowed to participate. The times were changing, and the world was at war for the second time. FDR assembled a special team, after the destruction at Pearl Harbor. One hundred boys and one girl enrolled in the program. It was a six-week course of strenuous exercises and tests. I saw some of the training exercises, and it was wild.
“The President's best friend was General Ascot, and he had a granddaughter. He met with the President and convinced him to let her join the program. Charlene Ascot, your great-grandmother, was the first female Guardian. You'll get to meet her soon. Those five are the reason we won WWII. They took out Hitler and Stalin, the Lux history books you were given were altered, because you didn't know about them yet. She’s your family."
My mind already exploded when the bad guys jumped out of the mirror, but not only did my great-grandmother helpwin WWII, but she was also the first female Guardian of Peace. Everybody knows they were the most badass group of their time. It couldn't have been easy for her. She looked so happy in the mural, like she belonged. "When can I meet her?"?
Ethan shrugs. "I don't know, she's a busy lady. I'll ask the King to arrange a meeting soon."
Squealing with excitement, I sail onto his lap to hug him, then immediately move back into my seat before it gets weird. The waitress comes to take our order wearing a smirk, yeah, she saw everything. Ethan orders us both a steak medium rare, and his sensual gaze never leaves mine. He assures me that the meat will be more tender if it’s cooked that way. I always order mine well done. My mouth stays shut, even though shrimp and grits are my favorite and they’re definitely on the menu. I don't mention that I prefer ordering for myself.That’s a red flag move on his part. We eat in companionable silence, until he makes a snide comment about me finishing my entire plate. However, I let it slide, because the steak was surprisingly very good.
With our belly's full we walk toward Lake Luminous in silence. He's being super secretive about what we're going to do during our afternoon together. He grabs my hand, and grins at me from ear to ear. "Arabella, today, I want to introduce you to some freshwater Mermaids."
My heart almost beats out of my chest as Ethan entwines our fingers together, and not because he's holding my hand, I’m over that, because he said mermaids. "Mermaids? Minus Ariel, almost every story I've ever read depicts mermaids as being shady as fuck, beautiful but deadly. Not sure I want to meet that kind of person. Or are they fish? Person fish? Fish Person? What's the respectful way to say that?"
Ethan looks thoughtful. "Yeah, we wouldn't want those deadly mermaids to get ticked off." He rolls his eyes. "I'm just guessing here, but I think it's cool to call the females mermaids and the males mermen."
In my defense, I’m overly excited so thoughts are not coming together clearly. "Oh yeah, makes sense. I'm entitled to ask at least one dumb question now and then."
He laughs. "Yeah, but I think you've used your quota for about the next five years with that one."
I growl at him. "Hey now. I'm nervous. I'm about to meet a potentially dangerous adversary. I could totally die."
He snorts. "Ella, we're meeting freshwater Mermaids. Everybody knows the saltwater ones are the malicious and deadly culprits."
