The murmur of spring water, rippling in the valley, sounds so alluring around, but nature seems so cold and so careless in front of this fairy-tale sound, which is springing as if from the depths of the life-giving earth, but which blesses the alive beings too, who are living their eternity above the tired body of Planet Earth.

But the same enchantment can be seen and above the waters which pass through the woods on Kyllini Mountain, for that divine color is given by the breath of the trees, by the flight of birds through the air that mirrors for a moment the birds being in that miraculous mirror, but also by the rays of the gentle sun, which penetrate through the tangled branches of the trees, only to wash into those waters.

And everything around seems asleep, because for 7,000 years since the Cyclops left these places nobody else dared to stand up to the Titans and settle on these lands.

So, nature, feeling in control of itself, was acting up freely and it spread up the mountain ridge, covering it slowly with a brown-green vestment, which not only was covering the mountain, but it made the old, weary mountain more enticing than ever.

But not everything was a miracle and life around. From time to time over there, was passing a strange spirit, unseen by others, but whose presence was felt till deep in the serum of the trees, when he was passing next to them heading to the ridge of the mountain, from where were listened to weird whispers, which were reminding about curse and pain, but whose source nobody ever dared to find out.

And those feelings were unique, in their way, because at the beginning was felt only a gust of wind cooling the surroundings, playing with the small branches of the secular trees, dancing in the rhythm of the leaves, as later, that current of air to go down to the ground, to ruffle the spiky hair of silky grass and to make it bent to the ground in front of that unseen being who was passing at that moment through those places.

But what the trees didn’t know it was that being wasn't a stranger in those places, but it was known as the Fourth Moirae, who took her first breath from the depth of Arkadia Grotto and who often was passing over there, to fill her body with life-giving energy, because that mountain wasn’t only her home, but it was also the fountain which was filling her heart with a strength that was making her pulsate of happiness.

Parca's footsteps move slowly on the stony ground, covered here and there with wild herbs, raised at will. But the Titanide of Fate does not seem at all bothered by this, on the contrary, she smiles, when the thread of a rebellious grass, which does not even want to submit to its magical power, raised its head and looked up, trying to see the face of the stranger, but instead of a gentle look he sees only the blue expanse of the sky, for the titanide has the power to pass unseen, at will, through places where only the enchantment of nature reigns, but her face and body take on different forms only when she is among men.

A barely heard squeak made her stop and look around, but only the vacuum of the air kept her company there. However, it didn’t deceive the titanide at all, who uncovered her head by the hood of her long, gray frock and she revealed her body to the world.

Seeing her, the trees started to whisper her name, but it didn’t amaze Parca, because she did it and before and some of the creatures, who were living on that mountain, were used to her presence there, as Parca knew each soul on the mountain, but that squeak seemed strange and weird to her and she decided to be careful and to listen to everything that happens around.

For a few seconds, nothing happened, but later nature hardened as if a soul full of power sprouted its breath over nature’s body. Amazed by that sudden change, Parca stretched her hand in front of her, but nature kept that hardening, and thus the titanide understood that a being much stronger is approaching her, but who she never met before, at least not in a battle, and she decided to wait.

The gust of hardened wind started later to pulsate around Parca. Thus, the Titanide looked around, but she saw the same view as a few moments ago, but only her ear could catch a barely heard noise, approaching her on the ground, as if it was a flying arrow thrown toward her.

Parca instead didn’t move from her place, but per contra, she waited for a few moments for that noise to approach more, till was about to touch her heel and then she jerked in the air, transforming her body in bird and, letting herself to float on her big and skilled wings, she overflies the surroundings, but she again didn’t see anything.

“What Magic is this?” wondered Parca, while her shadow was descending on earth, overshadowing the hardened blades of grass. “It seems to me that somebody is playing a prank on me and this is something that I dislike,” and in her voice was heard a trace of anger and irritation, which Parca feels each time some stranger is stepping on her territory without her permission.

“If on Earth is quiet, then the anxiety comes from the sky,” she continued her thought, but when to look at the sky, her glance caught the movement of a white bunny coming out of his den and sneaking around, while he was sniffing the horizon. “Only a living soul in this kingdom of stone?! Only one devilish soul can create this view. Cronus!”

At that moment, from the far too distant kingdom of heaven, a hawk, high as a kite, rushed to the ground and passed like an arrow past the great white bird, who seemed to be a Phoenix bird, in which Parca transformed her body, and the hawk attacked the poor bunny, who hadn’t any chance to survive when he met the sharp claws of the big bird.

As long as the hawk enjoyed his prey, Parca was floating above him, lurking on each of the bird of prey's movements and waiting for the moment when he will finish to enjoy the sweet taste of the fresh bunny’s meat, because Parca felt, deep inside her bones, that something will happen after that meal. And this happened very soon.

When all that was left of the fluffy little animal was his white fur, the hawk rolled his eyes around, as if looking for someone. But not seeing anyone, he stepped on the ground slowly, and his beak closed and opened slightly, making no sound around.

It seemed weird to Parca because even if the hawk seemed to talk to someone, she couldn’t understand to whom he was sending his message, but when she felt a rumble approaching her, she looked up and she saw other arrows heading toward her - Cronus’hawks, 6 in number, who started their attack on her, with a single aim: to finish with her life.

But Parca decided to face them and, waiting till the 6 hawks, who thrown themselves toward her, were just a stone’s throw, and then she jerked in the air and she passed them, through a hole left between their bodies, while hers was made so thin, while her big wings stuck on her body and made her seem like a white arrow.

Reaching outside the enemy group, Parca spun in the air, uncovering her body of wings and, stretching them wide beside her, she rushed down again, targeting the hawks that were fiercely searching for her around, not understanding where she had disappeared.

But when her body pounced on them, fluttering her huge wings over their bodies, a small hurricane was made around, but the hawks didn’t scare and with their sharp beaks they deeply tweaked from her feathers, leaving on their white color small beads of red blood.

However, Parca wasn't as if she was going to run away, so she doesn’t let them overwhelm her with their attack and small white birds like her appeared around her, but in much larger numbers than the hawks and at Parca's command, the six hawks had been attacked, while the small white birds were flying around them, beating fiercely from their wings and tweaking deeply from the hawks’flesh.

But the danger was not over, as the battle wasn’t ended, for as soon as she saw herself out of the attack of the six, Parca felt approaching her, from behind and climbing above her, the seventh hawk, the one who had enjoyed the bunny’s flesh.

But this one could not be defeated with cunning and Parca felt it in his imposing shadow, which covered her completely, but his attack was late to come and the titanide couldn’t understand why he was acting like this. So, she decided to dare and to look into his eyes and, climbing at the hawk’s level, who was floating on place above the fight for life and death between his brothers and Parca’s birds, created from her illusions, he waited till Parca was at the same high as he was and then Cronus’ thunder voice could be heard talking to her.

"You've kind of intensified your way to your sisters' lair, Sister Parca, and that smells like conspiracy to me."

“Do you think so, Cronus?! For me it’s just a visit to my sisters and nothing more and more than that, my being was born from the energy of this mountain and I can’t live a long time far away from him, as the sun can’t live forever in the shadows.”

“And still, your being showed up in this world due to the titans’kindness, of which you are abusing, because your presence here is stealing from our life-giving breath and it’s also taking power from us.”

“You told the Cyclops the same words, 7 thousand years ago, when they were still living on these lands, but this mountain is empty till today because no shadow of titans is living here. But then when someone is stepping on the back of this mountain and he is trying to receive his blessing, then you show up and you are asking for your rights. This is what seems to me as being avarice and fear of being defeated. Correct me if I’m wrong, Great Cronus.”

Parca’s voice slowly trembled, but not because of fear, for she was trying to send to Cronus her decision to continue and from now on to step on this mountain and to feed her body from its energy, even if Cronus was against it because Parca wasn’t thinking to be submissive in front of a mad titan, whose fate was to be defeated by his own son.

"What's planning your evil mind now?" I don't like it when you're silent. You better talk to me!”

“I’m not sure you’ll like my talk, what will seem to you a sad and threatening prophecy.”

"Are you trying to inspire fear in me?"

“No, of course not. I’m just trying to warn you, for is the time to end with your avarice and to be more kind with the people who surround you, because it will come the time when you will need their help, but everybody will turn his back to you then, as you are turning your back to them now.”

"So, an uprising then."

“A prophecy, Cronus, but your eyes are too blind to see anything else around than your crown and your power.”

“Because there is nothing else worthy to see around here. Only a titanide of fate meant to die.”

“Do you think that I don’t know my fate, Cronus? Do you think that I don’t know how I’ll end my life?”

“I doubt. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have talked to me like that now.”

“Here you are wrong because even if we both are meant to die by the hand of your offshoot, each of us will have his own death. But while I’ll never see again the light of the day when everything will be finished, you will be forced forever to see how others are ruling in your place, the kingdom that was meant to be yours, but which you lost, due to your stupidity and avarice.”

These words made Cronus’eyes blink with anger and from a hawk body he took his titan form, but he continued to float in the air.

Parca did the same, but she kept the distance between them, even if she had stretched her hand toward him: “if you want you can see by yourself what the stars predicted to you.”

“I’ll better pass. Knowing your nature, I’m sure you planned something misleading to deceive me. But it won’t be that easy, because I already planned your defeat, but it won’t be harmful to me.”

“Do you mean my copies sprouted all over the Earth?” slowly whispered Parca, while on her face a smile had been sketched, but it amazed Cronus so much that he looked with fear into her eyes. “You forgot with whom you are dealing with, Great Titan. Not for nothing, Father Chaos gave life to me, because what happens around me is mirroring in my soul and what others are trying to hide from me it’s sent to me like a revelation because inside me are living Good and Evil alike and they can’t hide from each other.”

“And still, Parca, as long as I exist in the world you will have no peace because you are the only being thinking to dethrone me and my father, but none of us will allow it to you. Neither my grandfather Chaos will allow it to you.”

Parca sadly smiled. “You are such a fool, titan if you think that I’m your only enemy in this world. You are one of those who will defeat and kneel you and it will be so soon, and if you haven’t in mind to attack me today, then I’ll leave because I have more important things to do than to stay and to talk to you.”

And Parca turned her back to him, intending to soar in the air, like the Phoenix bird, but she stopped at the moment she could hear Cronus’thought: “What is she having in mind this time? Should I fear and for this to try to end her life here or to wait and to see how things will evolve from now on?” but he had been so amazed to hear the same thought he had which returned to him as an answer from Parca: “look deep inside your being for the roots of your own hatred and you will see where the seed of evil sprouted because from there your hatred for the entire world is starting.”

Flying toward the horizon and spreading her wings wide, the white, gorgeous bird floated above the woods and she headed toward the ridge of the mountain, where new, weird sensations were waiting for her, because Parca felt that today’s attack of Cronus is only the beginning and that soon everything around will change, becoming her enemy, because as Cronus had a lot of enemies, of whom he had to think about, while he’s standing in the same place and watching the bird’s leaving, the same thing Parca should do - to find out the names of all those who want her loss and to ask her elder sisters to weave the thread of their life and death, for all of those who fought or will fight against her.

***

The master bird named Parca continues to float above the woods. The trees, which till then stood hardened and looking in the distance, were now trembling from their leaves, a sign that Great Cronus, the one with a stone heart, stingy and cruel by nature, left those lands and turned back in the Sky, from where he was dreaming to rule over the immortality.

With outstretched wings and a heart pounding in her chest, the Titanide of Fate succumbed to the gusts of wind that carried her like a small paper airplane, and that flight, unbalanced and dangerous at the same time, it reminded of a strange carousel, in which one decided to climb his body to feel strong sensations, but who in the end had simply decided to give in to immortality and to risk everything.

7 thousand years ago, when the Cyclops and Chaos decided to bring her to life, Parca was born from an egg, similar to the ones made by birds, and that egg, from which her body took form, was unusual, because it hadn’t an ellipsoidal form like the eggs, but it was a little bit flattened on both sides, as if it was Planet Earth a little bit flattened at its both Poles, which are attracting and rejecting each other at the same time, like a magnet.

The first thrill of life of the Titanide of Fate had been a slight hammering into the eggshell, which was floating right in the middle of the Rophion Forest, in Mannar’s Glade, which was changing its view from dead nature into a green forest in seconds, and this change of contrasts was which was giving the necessary warmth to the egg to conceive a new life.

The first shy hammering had been followed by the other two, but nothing happened, and it made nature around to breathe anxiously because nothing around understood what was happening and how exactly that egg showed up in that Glade or who brought it there.

And there was something else strange in that flattened spherical shape - the fact that it was floating in the air, at a height of almost two meters, and its movements on the axis were unusual as if the egg was standing above a hot magma breath and not of cold air, pierced sometimes by cold gusts of wind.

But what neither the trees, nor the nature around knew, was the fact that the egg was floating above Mannar’s prison, and he unwillingly saw himself an unexpected witness of the creation of that new life.

When the egg showed up for the first time above him, Mannar didn’t understand what’s going on, but he just noticed a small current of multicolored air slowly floating corkscrew above his cell and his being felt a slight warm thrill piercing his bones, after it entered through his nostrils.

Then the warmth moved quickly through his veins till it got to his heels and it tickled him a little and Mannar slowly laughed, but soon it passed along his heel like a nice tingling and made Mannar move quickly his leg, trying to chase it away, but seeing that nothing is happening, Mannar started to hit with the leg the ground.

But even so, the tingling didn’t disappear, and it made Mannar be nervous and he puffed smoke through his nostrils, tapping with his hoof against the ground and throwing sparks all around the cell.

It made a slight itching to pass all over his body and Mannar forced with it a short time to chase it away and for that he started to spin around and rubbing his body with his hands, then lying on the ground and rubbing his body against the stone surface of the place where he was.

This movement calmed him down a little and, lying this way, on his back and watching at the sky, he saw how through the transparent walls of the bubble-cell passed a white, fluffy feather, similar to those of the peacock and, floating on the air, it was heading toward his nose.

Mannar stretched his hand and caught it easily in his palm, but instead of sliding lightly on the skin of his palm, as the usual feathers do, or to be blown by the wind, the naughty feather melted like a snowflake, and the created water entered through the pores of the skin and mixed with the devil’s blood.

“What kind of devilish thing is this?” wondered Mannar, scratching the back of his head and, standing in a sitting position, he stared at his palm, which caught the feather and whose warmth had melted it.

While staring at the palm, as if he was a fanatic looking at his idol's picture for a long time, Mannar was amazed to see a small red thread coming out of his palm and it raised up, till it got to the center of the upper vault of his cell and, passing through it, the thread joined the multi-colored bubble, which had been formed above him, but who hadn’t the red color in its component.

When the last color completed the bubble, it took the shape of a flattened egg and Mannar's cell began to steal energy from the devil, giving heat to the egg.

Mannar stood up and stepped to the center of his cell, still watching the egg, which was feeding with his devilish warmth, but he didn’t dare to ask loudly what madness was that, being afraid not to awake a bigger evil than he was already living in that cell, in which Gaea closed him a long time ago.

First time when Mannar had been closed by Gaea in that cell, he dared to try to steal her panflute, which was opening the Gate of Aeon, and he did it at Eris’command, who hoped this way to escape from her prison and to rule over the Universe.

But Mannar had been outed by the pan flute, which felt his devilish presence approaching Gaea’s garments, left on the shore, while she was swimming into the river, and the instrument started to blow by itself.

Gaea came out of the river and, moving its waters with her inner force, she threw them above Mannar, who being then in flames, had lost control in contact with the water, and this way the titanide could close him easily in that cell.

Feeling trapped, Mannar modified his voice and started to ask for mercy, but Gaea was used to his changing nature, so she didn’t fall into his trap and she swore him that he will be closed there for 7 centuries, until he will give birth to something, but Mannar didn’t understand then what it can be, but now, after 49 days of the egg floating above his cell, when he heard the first hammering, he remembered what happened then and he understood that he will be set free very soon.

“Finally, the time of my freedom is approaching,” Mannar slowly growled, rubbing his palms and grinning happily. “Mother Nature, you had cursed me to be the captive of this bubble for 7 centuries and I was so bored for a long time, but you made a big mistake then, because promising me freedom you will lose something precious for you, and I’ll start my revenge with that chick, that will soon exit the egg, because I’m not intending to leave free and alive a soul who was born from my evil’s and who can defeat me one day” and his aloud and devilish voice could be heard all around and namely the strong volts of his laughter broke the eggshell and at the same time the transparent walls of the cell fell apart, which were keeping Mannar inside it, like a captive.

“Now it’s my turn,” he said and he jumped up, intending to catch in his black hand the little white chick, who was floating in small circles, waved by the warm currents of air. But when the devil’s hand was about to catch the chick, he jerked in the air and from the little bird a gorgeous one showed up, with long tail, like the peacocks, with multicolored eyes on each long feather, because those eyes were made from the colors of the bubble that formed the egg and it meant that they could see the fate of the creatures created by her elder sisters, but only that bird had the power to decide if the thread of someone’s life will be cut or not.

Namely, one of those feathers, with a black eye on it, was caught by Mannar’s hand and he remained with the feather in his palm, when the white bird, with the name Parca, jerked from his grip, singing her name all around, while she was flying toward the horizon, beautifully colored by the shade of the dusk.

Watching at that black eye, Mannar at first didn’t understand what it served for. But soon, when the eye opened and blinked at him, the devil looked deeply into that glance, because the eye on the feather was a devilish thing and he couldn’t understand what for he caught it and why it tore itself so easily from the bird's tail, while the other feathers remained in place.

“I came back to you, Master,” the eye talked to Mannar, making the devil twitch, when he heard a strange voice talking to him. “I’m the evil from inside you, which gave birth to another one, which had now jerked to the Sky, but till it will be able to join our battle you should be extremely cautious and not to fail, because if it happens, we will be lost forever.”

"Should I not fail? In what way?"

“I meant to stay hidden, Master Mannar, because the evil inside you is like an avalanche of hot magma capable of swallowing everything in its path, when what we need is to spread our roots all over the earth and to conquer its surface.”

“And … do you think Eris will agree with this?”

“Who do you think is controlling all this? It’s already the time to step into a new era, devil with 7 fire tails, because those who are against us are already planning their victory, while we are still so weak.”

“Then, we should get stronger too.”

"Yes, but we still don't know how."

"The one born as a bird, who is she?"

"Her name is Parca, and they called her the Fourth Moirae."

“One of the weavers? But how is this possible? No, wait … Moirae is by our side. With this fourth power…”

“No, no, you are wrong, because this Fourth Moirae is different, because she has inside her Good and Evil alike, and the one who has her by his side is meant to die, because the Balance, hidden inside her soul, will be automatically inclined in the part of the one who seems to be defeated and then the loser will be the winner."

“Then let's make them think we're interested in her. Thus, Dike and Mother Earth will try to make her fight by their side, not knowing that they are the ones who dig their own pit,” and with these words, two high-pitched laughers were heard around, and Mannar, putting that feather in his pocket, left the place where he had been a prisoner, having in his mind so many methods of bringing the evil on that Earth.

Behind him, Gaea showed up from behind a thick trunk and she watched in the distance, how Mannar’s silhouette disappeared and she smiled: “unwillingly you told me the biggest secret of Eris. Thank you for this gift, Mannar, because thus we will know how to better prepare our fight to have fate by our side,” and turning her back to him she went in the opposite direction.

***

Parca descended on the ground, right in front of Arkadia Grotto, sunk now in the weak sunshine of the dusk, which were coloring the sky in bloody-red, as if a great battle had been fought on the surface of the sky, which was mourning now its loss.

The titanide transformed again in a beautiful virgin, how she used to walk around the world and she turned her back to the entrance in the cave, watching the sky: “it’s so beautiful the dusk,” she whispered and miraculously, on her right, Gaea’s silhouette had been projected, who was looking in the same direction.

“Nothing is more beautiful than the sky in the dusk. Not even the sunrise.”

“But the sunrise means a new life, Mother Nature. Namely this time of the day you should love the most,” Parca said, without watching her interlocutor.

“Why should I love a part of the day more than the other, or a season more than the other one, when I can enjoy them all, Parca. Even if you create destinies, I have in my power the fate of nature, a fate that you can’t influence.”

"I am just happy only with one of the people and of the Titans. It's funny this way."

“Of course. I already witnessed your funny meeting with Cronus today. What does he want this time? Don’t tell me that he wants you as his wife.”

At Gaea’s remark, Parca just smiled, but her smile was so sad, just as everyone's future was uncertain, because for the first time in those 7 thousand years of her existence, the Balance which was in her soul never before unbalnced as it happened today, making her be anxious and unsure.

"You can't marry the one you're afraid of, and Cronus is afraid of me."

“He’s not afraid of you. Cronus is afraid of fate, because his plans to dethrone Uranus seem unfulfillable now, when you are more powerful than him, because in his limited vision you can destroy his future and thus destroy his plans.”

"But that is not in my power."

“But he doesn’t know it. Nobody actually knows that we are the masters of our own fate, even if the titanide, who has now in her power the Balance of life, plans part of our existence.”

“Maybe we should tell him about this. Thus, he will stop his madness and the fate of the titans won’t ever end.”

Here Gaea turned her back to Parca and with the hands grabbed at her back, she stepped in front of the Grotto, bending her head and with a thoughtful voice she said: “the titans were meant to die a long time before to be born, as the men have written in stars their death before being born because it is the law of nature and it is leading our existence.”

“But still, Mother Earth, nature has been born from your being. You have in your power the stopping of the time,” Parca told her while following her.

“No, Parca. I lost that power a long time ago. Long before than you were born, when I used Black Magic for the first time to kneel the evil. Then Chaos punished me and a single word of his was enough for the Balance of Time to leave me.”

"And in whose power is that Libra now?"

“In the power of men, but men are blind and they can’t see this, for being moved by avarice, by evil, by conquering, when for surviving and for being happy they need so few: of friends.”

Gaea lowered her head even more and a deep sigh came out of her chest and, squatting, she took a white stone from below, which she squeezed in her hand, while still squatting, with her eyes piercing the sky. “Why can't we be similar to the stones, abiding? Thus, we won’t have so many wars, people will be prospere and we will live a long life, seeing our children and our grandchildren growing up and bringing new lives on Earth.”

"Because then nature would stand still and the Balance of Time would be destroyed."

“But what about the sky? How can he stay in place and not destroy himself? Although at dusk it looks like a battlefield bathed in the blood of the victims, the sunshine can look so fresh, as if it was reborn from its own ashes.”

“And still there are also gloomy mornings, rainy mornings, stormy mornings, when the sky is poured out on the earth, so as to wash away his sins.”

“But what about us, Parca? What about us? Why can’t we stop the evil not to continue its destruction of the Earth and to turn it back to its womb?”

“Because we can’t control time, Gaea, because time is controlling us. We are vulnerable and looking for relief in small or big things, but we are never strong enough to win without using tricks.”

Gaea sadly smiled. “You know the reason why I came here to see you.”

“As I know what Eris is planning for me, using my elder sisters. And still, I can’t oppose it, because the Balance of Equilibrium, that exists in my soul, can’t stay still without measuring and very soon it will be inclined not in the lightened part, as you wish.”

“I know, Parca, as I know that hard times are coming and that we will never meet on the battlefield in the same camp, but as enemies.”

“We will also meet outside the battlefield as friends and allies, Gaea. Don’t forget that the Balances were made from One and all the time they’ll tend to join again.”

"There is still such a long way to go."

“Not that long, because the war that will start soon is necessary, as the betrayal is necessary, to see the light of the win, because none of us is strong enough or capable to plan everything that is perfect, to win without victims, who are sometimes necessary and unavoidable.”

"And yet my soul weeps. It seems, for those victims of whom you speak so easily, are my children."

“And mine, Gaea. Don’t forget that not the whole world has been born from you. Many dead people will be on my consciousness and many of those who will leave this world has been born from my body, but still, they are meant to die, to be born again from ashes.”

Gaea said nothing else and she slowly bent in front of the Titanide of Fate who also answered her with a bent and turning her back to Gaea she entered in the paunchy depth of Arkadia Grotto because since Shiman and his people left those lands, the place stopped to light the surroundings and from the depth of the cave was coming out a stinky and unbearable scent, but which seemed not to bother Parca, who entered in the cave proud, looking forward, even if her palms were squeezed in fists, and in her mind were weaved plans how to defend herself if necessary.