The Son Of Snakes

Prologue

"Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world."
- Archimedes

The woman rushed through the forest, a basket in her arms as tears streamed down her cheeks. She never wanted to do this. But it was for the best, no matter how much it hurt her.

Her feet snapped branches as she passed by trees and logs. She had to make it to where the Oracle told her to go, before he found out. She couldn't let him hurt that basket.

She ran out of the forest, reaching the beach. She dashed up to the waters edge, crouching down in front of the ocean. The cold water rushed past her feet as the warm sun shined high above.

Here. The Oracle had told her here.

She looked down at her basket and the bundle of blankets inside. She pushed the blankets out of the way, revealing a baby from inside the blankets. The baby reached upwards, trying to touch her, waving his hands in search. In not being able to touch his mother, the baby frowned.

"Shhhh, don't cry." The woman whispered, tracing the scar across the baby's eyes. "I'm so sorry, my son. But you can't stay with me."

The baby seemed to get more upset, almost as if it understood her.

"We'll meet again one day. It was foretold." The woman spoke. "And I hope you can forgive me then. But this will be the best for you. I've handled everything. You'll be able to live a normal life."

The baby started to cry.

"I'm so sorry." The woman sniffed as tears continued to trail down from her eyes. She looked back up to the ocean, her heart tightening.

She didn't want to. But she had to.

The baby continued to wail. She apologized one last time, put the blankets back over the baby, and pushed the baby in the basket forwards. The water caught him and pulled him backwards towards the deep ocean.

"May Poseidon grant you safe passage, my son." The woman cried. "Live a good life! Away from us! Please!"

She watched as the baby continued to float out into the sea, his cries slowly fading as he went further and further. And once she could no longer hear him or see him, she finally broke down fully, crying as she laid against the sand.

She had never had to abandon a child before. And never had once in her life had she hurt as much as now.

The baby drifted alone through the ocean, the waters unusually calm.