LIMINALITY
Table of Contents
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 56 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 ENDChapter 41
Calm as the night sky hangs over the flying vessel, the midnight wind breeze passes against everyone's faces who were outside the buildings of this fine airship as Janus leans forward with both elbows placed on the rails of the ship while he overlooks the relaxed waters of the vast ocean that lay beneath them.
With his spear resting at his side, he focused his attention solely on the ascending moon, its gentle and hypnotic glow captivating his gaze for the better part of an hour as he relished in the tranquil moment. Thinking himself of the sheer wonders of what will become of tonight, he could only sigh softly.
It's as if all his problems were washed away, along with the noisy chatter and humming engines that carry them from wherever they are. He is only glad to have no interruptions, especially when the entire crew is inside their respective homes.
Janus was happy and sad at the same time, having no one to share this moment with him but nonetheless enjoying this freedom he had come to enjoy. "Beautiful night," he said to him in a low whisper, expressing his admiration for the moon that loomed in the far horizon.
And the sight of it reminded him of his own lack of purpose in why he existed in the first place: "dust to dust, ashes to ashes." Gloomy thoughts invaded his mind, and he closed his eyes in frustration, heaving out a breath of despair at the idea of it. "Everything comes and goes like the tide of this wretched sea," he mumbled bitterly. "Why must it all be so meaningless?"
The voice of the narrator then spoke from within: "Such is the nature of time; nothing lasts forever, no matter how much we want them to." There was a pause before he continued: "Nothing stays the same; no matter how much we try, things will always change over time." He said, "We cannot stop it, nor can we prevent it. All we can do is accept what has already happened and move on."
Janus scoffed in disbelief, "except me," stating the difference between his own world and reality. "I exist because I don't know why I do it in the first place," shaking his head in distraught. "I'm not human or animal either, just... something," he said quietly as he opened his eyes to gaze up at the starry heavens once again. "Yet here I am, sailing across the stars with no clear destination in mind," lacking the energy to even muster the courage to stand or even move for that matter.
He stayed where he stood as he watched the celestial bodies glide lazily through the darkness of space, lost in their dancing beauty. His own thoughts betrayed him, struggling with what it meant to exist and how he came to be. He felt small in the face of the universe, insignificant compared to the immensity of it all.
But what's to say about his insignificance? He was a living, breathing primordial god worshiped and respected by ancient Rome; however, now he was simply an outcast and unwanted for the nature he possessed. But it wasn't power he wanted or needed; he didn't care for the praise or glory he might've gained over this.
Instead, he lacked the ambition that humans or even other gods have; choosing a life of simplicity and peace—nothing complicated or troublesome that would warrant too much attention from others—he would rather stay alone than interact with many.
And that is what he achieved during his isolated prison time—his imprisonment, which is no less of a prison than his current situation. Now that he is freed, he is still missing that spark to motivate him to live. At first, he was thrilled to face worthy opponents and later having something to do with his life.
Many times, he questions himself about his role in everything. Don't get him wrong; he actually wanted to take part in this destiny that was handed to him, and now Janus is beginning to feel something noteworthy to justify his entire reason for living in the first place. However, it does feel somewhat empty.
What was he forgetting? Humanity? No, it's different, more tangible, and more important. And while it pains him to admit it, he is starting to develop a newfound affection for his companions. Even if this is merely a product of his imagination, Janus can't find what keeps him from experiencing these feelings.
"Love."
Vesta sweetly whispered in his ears as he trembled and gasped lightly at the thought, but he knew she was right, and he knew he would never be able to deny it again. "You love that woman," her words resonated with him to the point his heart pulsated a bit.
Closing his eyes, he wondered if he was truly in love with her. Possibly romantically or platonic, it did not matter, for he felt the connection of this newfound feeling. "Yes, I do," admitting his affection, he could feel the tears in his eyes as the realization hit him.
She was unlike any person he had ever met; she was beautiful, interesting, and strong. "Humans are interesting," he said quietly to himself, thinking that was what he'd been missing all this time. "They live their lives so passionately and fearlessly; they always seem to be finding a reason to keep going even though they may lack common sense at times," he sighed softly and slowly blinked. "But they are admirable all the same," he added with a thoughtful gaze.
Lowering his head down at the waters, he watched the waves roll onto one another in never-ending succession, crashing against each other in a in a rhythmic pattern as if trying to mimic the beating of his heart. A flicker of color caught his attention, and he looked further to see several dolphins leap from the water, their sleek gray bodies glistening silver in the starlight as they splashed happily together.
When he thought his peace of mind would last forever, the noticeable approaching presence of someone at his side interrupted it, shifting his focus from the water and its denizens to the approaching figure, whom he recognized immediately.
"Bull?" He questioned, with confusion all over his face, "What are you doing out here?" Janus asked as his newly acquired companion stood next to him in silence before placing his elbows on the railing of the ship as they shared a momentary glance together before he gave an answer.
"I am just checking up on you," Bull replied calmly before averting his attention toward the sea below. "After having been rescued, I think you deserve a heads up for your troubles," he paused briefly, hesitating. "So yeah, thanks," the Minotaur grunted bluntly, letting his words hang in the air for a while.
Nodding in response, Janus turned his attention down at the ocean. "Your friend convinced me," Janus chuckled quietly. "If it wasn't for him, you would've still remained in that cell," convincing him to take his thanks somewhere else.
Staring silently at the horizon, Bull's eyes seemingly lost in the endless expanse of the night sky. "Ah, yeah, he tends to do that," he admitted at this, "but you went through the effort of getting my ass out of that fucking prison, so thank you."
Brief silence ensued, both enjoying the sound of the waves and majestic dolphins following the airship altogether. "It's no problem," Janus uttered under his breath. "Honestly, I'm surprised they didn't behead or torture you for killing an important figure." The sentence alone caused Bull to snicker in response.
"Ha! Those fat pigs were too scared of interacting with me since," he then explained with pride radiating off him, "me being a half man and an animal freak was enough for them to know they weren't dealing with a regular guy." Reminiscing about the moment on the prison guard faces, he simply couldn't stop grinning at how easy it was for him to be intimidating to those bastards.
Scratching the back of his own neck, "Can I ask you something?" His eyes still locked onto the bodies of water, Janus decided to speak up: "What do you think of humanity in general?" The question he asked caused Bull to pause in contemplation as he carefully considered it.
Turning to his side, he met the other's gaze before replying with a shrug of his shoulders, "For starters, they're weak and stupid." Bull spoke at this as if he were stating some fact: "They have a tendency to lack common sense at times and can be full of themselves for being themselves," he answered honestly while shaking his head slightly. "Still, they aren't bad folks; some are decent enough to get along with."
Interestingly, Janus raised an eyebrow upon hearing that statement. "I see," Janus commented, leaning forward until he too rested his chin on the wooden surface of the rail. "However, can I tell you what I think of them?" He proposed curiously to see if the Minotaur would be interested in hearing another point of view, much to his satisfaction.
Raising a hand upwards while using the other to prop his elbow onto its palm, Bull grinned cheekily in agreement. "Go ahead," his deep voice echoing across the open space said, "As long as it ain't a story or shit, then I'm all ears."
Taking this as an opportunity to speak, Janus nodded slowly and straightened himself to speak. "I think humans are fascinating creatures," he started, watching as the ship sails over a massive whale that swam underneath the waves. "They can be cruel and evil, but they can also be kind and good." This caused Bull to raise his eyebrows in surprise at this as he listened intently. "Sometimes they do horrible things to each other for reason or not, but sometimes they do wonderful things for each other without expecting anything in return."
Pausing momentarily for effect, "To sum it all up, they're basically contradictory beings who have their own set of mindsets in how they view the world," Janus finished with a faint sigh of relief, "and I can't deny that I don't understand why they act the way they do."
It was then he noticed the way the bull man looked at him; it was an odd look that showed he was still absorbing everything Janus had just shared. "You know, I thought you would have a different and plain perspective of them," the Minotaur commented as he folded his arms over the railing. "Maybe like mine since their stupid and greedy bastards, but still, yours got me thinking about what you said," he scratched under his chin thoughtfully. "Damn, never took you as philosophical type."
Snorting amusedly, "After spending a lot of time with a human, you begin to question their importance to the rest of the cosmos," Janus admitted openly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Anyways, I want to ask you something else as well." It made sense given the conversation that they had so far; it wouldn't hurt to try again.
Curious, "Alright then, shoot," the Minotaur prompted him, clearly eager to hear what else this person has in mind. "One more before I leave; there is something I have to do soon anyway, so hurry up," said the growing impatient beast.
"What do you think of love?"
Blinking multiple times, he asked, "Can you repeat that? I didn't catch it," Bull questioned with a blank stare, wanting to make sure he heard that correctly. "I wasn't sure whether what I was hearing was true or not. Pretty sure my ears are clogged or some shit," he muttered to himself with a scratch under his jawline.
Staring back in a deadpan expression, "I said, What do you think of love?" Janus repeated himself for the second time, and judging by the way the Minotaur is looking at him, it's safe to say that the big guy had finally understood what he meant.
"Love?" Bull almost laughed at the idea of it: "The only thing I love is smashing things," answering boredly. He then snorted in disgust when he saw that the guy was waiting for a better answer: "Are you serious? Do I look like some maiden who's desperate for a man to bed?" He spat with a roll of his eyes.
"Because I think I'm in love with her," he said, bringing his head onto his left upper chest, gripping it tightly where his own heart is supposed to be. "I want to know more about this feeling," he murmured softly in a rare tender moment of his gruffness.
Hearing this, the Minotaur chuckled dryly before turning to have his back leaned. "Oh, I see, your one of those guys, aren't you?" he declared as a matter of fact, earning a quizzical stare from the man next to him. "Why don't you propose her for marriage or something? Shes already a grown and capable woman from what I have seen." having a clue of who it is, "your afraid to ask her out?"
Bringing his open palm on his own face, he covered his face from preventing any tears from falling out. "I don't know what love is," his confusing words were spoken by a soft whisper. "Love is a very strange emotion that makes one's heart beat fast; it's the butterflies in one's stomach, and it's the fluttering of a pair of wings that cause the birds to fly free." Shaking his head sadly as he understood what those phrases meant now, he looked at him with such intensity that it almost made him turn away.
"What kind of love am I feeling?"
"Listen now," removing himself from the railing, the Minotaur stood tall and loomed over the confused fellow. "I'm not really the guy for you to discuss this kind of stuff with; why not just go ask her about it?" He suggested with a shrug of his shoulders, "Surely it would be better than to come asking someone like me about such a sensitive topic." He let out a slight chuckle, gently patting Janus on the back.
"Don't be a chicken." Turning to where he came from, he begins to walk away before leaving some words for him: "Just go and try, won't you? Better than keep brooding about it for eternity," she said, walking further and further away before finally disappearing from sight.
Leaving Janus all alone again with his thoughts, "maybe I should go ask how I feel?" He wondered out loud, not noticing a familiar silhouette of a feline cat watching from the roofs, "I'd like to know more about this feeling..."
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