Into The Blue [On Hold]

Prologue

Because I think she would like to read this story one day. Zoe has lead me into reading all of the best books in my life, and is my Star Wars buddy. My earliest friend and a great inspiration, may the force be with you!

Ps- The Picture is of The very grateful sister of the water making her gift for Mrs. Messlina. ____________________________________________________________________________

'Never tease the crocodile with your feet still in the water' ~African Proverb

65 AD, In a small Italian town a little girl with dark hair, brown eyes and the palest of skin was born. She had a wonderful, caring mother, a loving father of high political power and an older sister called Leona. She was named Naia, Naia Messalina.

Nearly two years later another girl was born, this one also with dark hair and brown eyes. Her mother named her Valeria Messalina. Growing up Naia's mother told the three sisters stories of how they were named.

"One day," She would begin, "I walked by the edge of the forest. Where I saw an injured lion. There were two choices, I could help it or let it die. For me there was only one choice. I went over to the lion and helped it. I came back each day to see how it was and heal it until one day it was fully recovered.

Then it could've killed me but it didn't, it transformed into a beautiful young woman with long golden hair like a lions mane" As she told this part of the story she would always stroke Leona's blond hair, "The woman thanked me for my help. She told me she and her sisters had been cursed. She had been turned into a lion and now she was free.

In thanks she put a small child into my arms. A baby with fair hair and brown eyes. I named her Leona, for lion. The woman left with just one request, to free her sisters, and then, I looked now at my daughter, Leona, looked back up, and the woman was gone." Mother would then tell my story.

"One day, " She would start as she always began her stories, "I heard a cry coming for a near by river. I followed the sound until I came to the river bank. There I saw a young lady, chained and badly hurt, not even one yard from the river at high tide. She said 'Help me, save me like you saved my sister!' I rushed over her and undid her chains. She tried to stand up only to fall back down again.

She told me she had been cursed twice, once to be chained and twice to be forbidden movement in her legs. 'Help me!' she cried again. When I asked how she only said, 'Carry me! Carry me into the water!' I did as she had asked. I gently picked up the girl and carried her into the water until it was up to my waist and then I release her into the water. Immediately she was able to move her legs once more and all of her wounds were healed.

She gave a sigh, like someone whom had been away for a long while finally returning home. 'How cruel it was to chain me so close to the water but where I would never be able to touch it even if I managed to break my chains.' I didn't understand her word but then she drew up a ball of water and carefully shaped it with her hands as if it were clay. She shaped a perfect baby girl.

She then placed this water baby in my arms and she materialised into a real baby with darkest of hair, palest of skin and deep brown eyes. 'Thank you' she said as she did this. I named my second daughter Naia, for water-nymph. The woman asked only that I free her one last sister, before submerging under the water, not to re-surface." Mother then told the story of Valeria's name.

"One day, I walked though the forest and I came across a path which I had never before noticed. I followed it and it wasn't long before it let out into a beautiful feild of flowers. I stolled in the feild, taking in all the beauty and sweet scents. As I neared the centre of the feild I heard a voice. 'I am cursed to kill all who enter this feild.' I turned to see a young woman in a pure white dress holding a long sword.

I recognised her as the third sister. I told her I had helped her sisters and that I could help her. She just shook her and kept repeating that she had a stronger curse than that of her sisters and I could not help her, she was cursed to kill me. She raise the sword but I had an idea and grabbed her arm. instantly she dropped the sword.

She was in a state of shock, as was I. She told me her curse was broken and that I had the power to break curses with a single touch, explaining how I broke the curses of the sisters so quickly. She thanked me many times, bending down to pick a large bunch of flowers. When she gave them to me they became a beautiful baby girl with deep brown hair and eyes. The woman had only one request 'Name your third daughter Valeria, after me.' And so the baby was named Valeria.

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Now thinking back, I doubt mother ever saved injured lions, went for walks in the forest or broke curses. However she told those stories with such a way about her that I couldn't help wondering if there was at least something real the stories were based on. Or perhaps she was majorly intuitive. She sure got pretty close with my name..

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My name's Naia. Naia Raine, Naia Messalina, Same person. Everyone has a story, this is mine. I wrote it down so I can always remember exactly what I'm fighting for. If you have found this book then you are one of the last ones left. Good luck! I wish I could be with you to advise you personally.

Most of this book probably won't be useful to you, but it could be, and I think you'll enjoy it. It might bring happiness in these hard times. When you get to the end of this, just remember, it's been a long war and it's still very far from over...

~Naia