2 Death is only the beginning

"Caspian… Caspian Maverick… Wake up. I may be an ancient one, but I am still a God. It is impolite to keep me waiting." A deep and powerful voice echoed from all around me, rousing me from my slumber as I struggled to focus on my surroundings.

'Where am I?' I thought idly. When I opened my eyes what greeted me was nothing but water. A seemingly endless expanse filled with not an ounce of life. For a moment I began to panic, it was only when I remembered why I was down here in the first place that I calmed down and all fear and apprehension left me. Realization dawned on me and I was left with only the truth of what transpired.

"I really am dead." Looking down at what should be my hands all I can see are clear silvery lights intwining in the shape of a vague humanoid figure.

Just as you never once question the fact you stand on earth I didn't question for a moment that I died when my boat sank in that storm. Without thinking of the reason for my retained consciousness I began to survey the area around me. I also attempted to check out the rest of my seemingly incorporeal body. But as I scanned the surroundings I was left frozen in place.

For in the corner of my eye I caught sight of something else entirely. Something eerie and shock inducing. Further proving the irrefutability of my current predicament.

Pinned beneath a broken section of an old fashioned sailing ship, not 50 meters to my right, is a dead body. My dead body. Short and thin, with curly jet black hair, my eyes though lifeless are filled with struggle and strife. And though it pains me to have died young, the smile on my face reminded me I had lived a good life. Even still I couldn't help but recoil at the sight of my own corpse. Only to once again be shocked out of my wits when I looked down. If I still had a heart it might give out from the successive shocks.

Staring on in utter fascination I belatedly realized that my legs were working. I can actually feel my legs! Strange luminescent things they are, that doesn't change the fact I can still feel them! Even though I'm dead I can still fell the water flowing around and between my toes as I wiggle them freely! A pure sense of satisfaction and unbridled joy washed over me. In my confusion and excitement I had completely forgotten about the voice that had awoken me.

"Now that you've had a moment to come to your senses, I believe we can move on." The deep and majestic voice startled me from my stupor. Almost instinctively I waded backwards through the waters, trying to swim away from the voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

"Be at ease young Maverick. I will not harm you." The voice stated with a sense of finality, yet there was a sense of gentleness that could be felt within that heavy baritone.

"Wh-who are you?" I asked to seemingly no one as I failed to locate whoever was speaking.

"I have had many names, but you may call me Pontus for it is one of my favourites." In that moment, as the voice echoed in my ears, I felt it calm me down, preventing the barrage of questions I was about to unleash.

'Pontus… isn't that the Primordial god of the Sea from Greek Mythology?' I wondered momentarily as all fear and apprehension towards my recent demise left me. Before I could speak the waters around me began to shift and converge, swirling and gathering together into a visible torrent.

Parts of the sea bed and seemingly hidden sea life were dragged into the depths of the vortex without a struggle, some even willingly throwing themselves into the mix, blending together until they formed a singular massive entity. The being that emerged can't quite be called human. Though it has a masculine figure, those features are greatly over shadowed by the long, scaly, fishlike tail and serrated fins on his sides, arms and running along his spine.

With the upper body of a middle aged man and a dark green beard that flows freely in the waters around us like a bed of thick seaweed. Upon his head rests an intricate and ornate crown, seemingly formed from naturally occurring coral, adorned with other bits from the seafloor itself.

On both sides of his neck rest a pair of gills and within his sagely beard lies crablike appendages that twitch and shift when he moves his mouth. Even his skin is covered in patches of shiny, shark like scales and his shoulders and forearms are coated in the the carapace of a crab or lobster, layered with the shells of various crustaceans, giving it the appearance of an extremely solid, natural armour.

"No need to be so shocked. None of the ancient Gods look quite human." Pontus stated matter of factly as if reading my mind.

"I'm… well… uh, this is all a bit much for me if I'm totally honest. But one things for sure, I can't imagine what would cause a God to come before me like this. I don't expect this is a casual occurrence. Not that I'm complaining. This is just… a tad overwhelming." I replied as my mind steadied itself and I forced all the questions to the back of my mind.

The knowledge that gods are real aside im still trying to come to terms with my own death and the possibility of an afterlife. I couldn't help but glance at my body, still pinned beneath the section of my ship. It sent a shiver up my nonexistent spine.

There was so much I never got to do in life. So much I never saw. So many things left unsaid. I may have done a lot in my life and I may have come to terms with my death, but it's not like I couldn't have done more. And it's not like I wanted to die. I involuntarily clenched my fists as I stared at my lifeless body.

"Haah." A long sigh left my ghostly lips. It's not like I can change any of that now.

"Your right." Pontus replied, seemingly oblivious to my mental dilemma. "This is not a common occurrence. In fact I am prohibited from showing myself to most. Only to people like you am I allowed to reveal my existence." Pontus said, his powerful voice carrying easily through the waters. He almost seemed exited. The conversation quickly caught my attention, giving me a welcome distraction from thoughts of my own mortality.

"May I ask why you've come before me? You said yourself this isn't exactly normal." I asked as my curiosity grew.

"Well you see Caspian, It has been a good long while since I have met a child of the sea such as yourself. You who were born on the water, lived on it and died on it. You who know the sea's splendour as well as it's wrath. You have intimate experience with it in many different ways. Not often in this day and age do people live that way. So it happened that when I saw your soul on the verge of death, I came personally to greet you."

Once more I felt his ancient voice wash away my worries, his soothing, deep intonement brining me peace of mind. It was as if just hearing his voice better allowed me to come to terms with my own passing. This guy would give Morgan Freeman a run for his money.

'This is what it means to be a god.' I thought respectfully as I stared up at the primordial entity floating before me.

"Caspian, your soul is one that longs for the open ocean as does my own. That is why I am able to come before you as I have now." Floating closer to me as he spoke I felt the waters around us hum with every word that left his mouth. The crab (or shrimp) like appendages attached to his beard shifted and curled as he smiled down at me.

"What exactly do you mean? I'm dead aren't I? I can't long for anything anymore." My voice was steady as I spoke, but if I had a heart it would be beating wildly in my ghostly chest. I looked up at the strange and majestic form of the being before me with hope burning in my eyes.

'Why would a god come before me?' The thought struck me like a lightning bolt. I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I couldn't stop various scenarios from filtering through my mind.

'If this is a god then… maybe, just maybe, my life isn't over yet… maybe things don't have to end here!' That thought alone was a sobering one. What if the reason this god is here is to save me from my fate and give me another chance?

Hope built in my chest like a tidal wave.

'What if reincarnation exists? Or is this simply the fate of all those who die in this manner? No, calm down. Don't get over excited. You don't want to disappoint yourself because you let your imagination run wild.' I tried to reign in my thoughts, but it was too late. The idea was planted firmly in my mind and had already taken root. Countless thoughts continued to cloud my mind, but the instant the god spoke once more my mind cleared and was completely focused.

"Even now I can sense it. Your soul longs for adventure as much as it longs for the sea. I cannot return you to life as you were before. I can however send you into another world to start anew. A world under my jurisdiction. A place where you won't be so limited in what your able to accomplish. Where determination and strength of will define your path in life. It is a world ruled by the sea in its purest sense. This is my offer. To give you another chance at life. A chance to live however you desire in a universe adjacent to your own."

Coming to a stop right before me, the the 30ft behemoth of a man, er rather the 30ft God, seemed like he could swallow me whole as he lifted his hand, cradling me in his gargantuan palm.

"The multiverse is wider than you realize and even now it grows infinitely larger. You humans truly have no concept of how powerful imagination is. So allow me to enlighten you. Every story you tell, every fable, legend and myth, even movies, comics anime and manga; all of them are intricate tiny worlds onto themselves. Born from the minds of their creators and given life by the devotion and belief of their fans. Every time you write a story, you become the god of your own miniature universe, you just don't know it." Pontus' intoned sagely, as if to clarify something that hadn't even crossed my mind as of yet.

Looking up at the Primordial God of the Sea as he loomed over me I couldn't help the inner child in me from geeking out. Yet I did my best to stay focused enough to ask what needs to be asked.

"What about my mother?" I asked almost wistfully.

"Ah yes, i expected that question. Your mother received the same offer, but she declined. She is currently living in her own paradise in heaven. She is free from pain, from fear and all the things humans worry over. She is at peace." Pontus stated softly, his words bringing tears to my ethereal eyes.

"Thank you." I replied only after taking a moment to recollect myself.

"No need to thank me young Maverick. It was a great honour to ferry your mothers soul to the other side." Pontus added with a faraway look on his fish like face.

"I could do the same for you if you would like. You could join your mother." Pontus offered after a moment of thought.

"If i go to this other word and die there, can i still meet my mom in heaven?" I asked once my mind had settled and I thought through Pontus' question.

"Of course. Though there are many different heavens based on individual beliefs and varying faiths, both you and your mother are Jewish, therefore you both will wind up in the Jewish heaven spoken of in the Torah." Pontus remarked informatively.

"Well thats good to know. I'll take you up on your first offer; to be sent to another world. That way I'll have more stories to tell my mom when I finally see her again." Its not that I don't want to see my mom again. I do. I just know that I would forever regret it if I didn't take this offer.

"Wait… does that mean all the gods are real? And… were they created by human belief too?" I asked sceptically as my mind wondered once more.

"Yes they are real. Every single one." The God said with a mischievous smirk, choosing to only answer the first of my questions. The crab like appendages growing from within his beard shifted as he chuckled to himself.