The memories of her grandmother were fond ones. Distant, but fond. Athens Sparro died of natural causes and old age, but she lived a long and fun life. She had a daughter, Eden who married Damien Edge. The two then had their own daughter Pandora. It was Athens idea to name her Pandora, Eden loved it so much she immediately approved of the idea.

Athens knew that her mermaid gene would be passed onto Pandora, after she realised it skipped a generation and Eden didn't have a tail. She never told her daughter of her mermaid side, as the war slowly brewing which caused her to leave Izroulia early knowing disaster would strike. The mermaid side had to stay a secret, as without the gene Eden was very much human. But she couldn't stay away from the ocean, and raised her daughter by the sea which sparked Edens love for diving.

Eden met Damien in university for marine biology, Damien going to be become a fisher preaching ethical ways of fishing that wouldn't harm the ocean. And when they had Pandora, they naturally raised her by the sea too.

Athens could tell Pandora carried the gene from small details only Merfolk had. The bigger long capacity for breath hold time and the better view under the water. Every time Pandora came to visit her grandmother as a child she'd excitedly talk about how she could hold her breath for a long time and see in the salty water without any pain, bragging about it as if she were a better swimmer than her diving certified parents. It was clear she carried the gene, and knowing of the spirit pools existence, Athens put a plan into motion.

She knew transforming a child would be too risky, so she'd wait until Pandora was older and tell her everything. In the meantime she'd tell stories about ocean myths, funny sea creatures that lurked in the deep blue, how to identify different types of fish. It entertained the young Pandora, her bedtime stories whenever she was staying the night with her grandmother, were that of sailors and mermaids.

But unfortunately as they both got older, it became clear the Athens she wouldn't live to see Pandora transform. So she put together Pandora's box, full of unknown treasures of Izroulian origin and a puzzle that would lead her to the spirit pool.

Athens died when Pandora was 16. The whole family took it hard, they all missed her dearly. And they still did to this day, who wouldn't miss someone they loved so much?

And for years up until now, Pandora wondered what the contents of the box she was left meant. The handmade ring was pretty, but she didn't recognise the materials it was made of. All the shells were beautiful, but she didn't know of any shells that looked like those ones did. And the letter never made much sense until she was able to decode everything with the help of her new found friends Aries and Icarus.

Her name even made sense now. Pandora, the Greek myth about the first woman to be made by the gods. And the box that unleashed unknown entities into the world. It was no wonder Athens decided to leave her a box in particular, drawing the parallels to the myth.

It was a common thing among Merfolk to name their children after Greek and Roman myths. Not quite a tradition per se, it wasn't a rule or anything. But a very common practice.

Aries after the zodiac and god of war.
Icarus after flying too close to the sun.
Pandora after the first woman and her box.

And even her grandmothers name, Athens. It was a city where many myths took place, named after the goddess Athena.

Now Pandora knew about Merfolk, Izroulia and her grandmothers origins, everything made sense. All these gaps in her life and questions she had were finally understood.

Perhaps the fates had cast her on this path, perhaps it was chance. But she felt that that box her grandmother left her, the mission she sent her on to find her mermaid side, it was like she found her life purpose.

She always loved the sea, she was raised by a whole family of seamen after all. Being a mermaid, finding her pod, taking back Izroulia... she felt it was her life's calling.

"Now tie the left one underneath the right one..."

Pandora followed Aries instructions carefully, as they sat on the beach after school. There was a-lot she wanted to know about Merfolk culture, and Aries had somehow put up with her constant questions and answered them all.

"Loop the left one around the bead and through the hole so it's secured" Aries explained.

When she was told about the Izroulian practice of memorial beads, that can be worn as jewellery or used as decor and alter pieces she was immediately drawn to the idea. Wanting to make one for her beloved grandmother.

"Yeah like that, then just repeat until it's the length you want" Aries said.

"Where do you even get all this stuff?" Pandora asked.

"Around. There's a lot of stuff floating around in the ocean, and there's people who hand make beads and carved gems for these"

"It's pretty common then?"

"It's not just a Merfolk practice, it's all of Izroulia. But obviously all the ocean materials are pretty tied to Merfolk and other sea people"

She used string woven from the fibres of seaweed, shells collected from the reefs, brands made from tumbled gems and the teeth of long gone sharks and dolphins that would occasionally wash up on shore.

"You gonna make it wearable?" Aries asked, weaving their own string bracelet.

"Think I'll just make it a long decor piece I can put up with my box and pictures of us together" Pandora replied.

"You can use it to peg pictures on"

"Ooh yeah, good idea"

When they were completed they would be cast with a memorial spell that assured wherever the soul was in the underworld, the loved one would be able to watch over their family. By making this, Pandora hoped that her grandmother would be able to see she figured out the puzzle and was swimming with a tail now. She hoped she'd make her grandmother proud.

"What are funeral practices like for Merfolk? I suppose water burials are a thing?" Pandora asked.

"We took after the Viking era and burn the bodies on boats floating into the sea so they can be returned to the ocean. Some choose to burry in the sand, so they have a place to come back to and mourn like a gravesite" Aries explained.

"Man Viking funerals are so badass, that's how I wanna go. Shoot me with burning arrows and let the ocean take my ashes"

"Same, it seems so fitting. Like watching it would give you a strange sense of closure"

While time has healed and Pandora was able to get over the grief of the loss, she'd always miss Athens. All of this new Izroulian information felt kind of like more closure. Knowing what happened in the land her grandmother grew up in.

"If I ever have kids I'll continue the Greek myth name tradition, I think my grandma would like that" Pandora mentioned, almost done with her weaving by now.

"Got a favourite myth? Aside from your own obviously" Aries asked.

"Hmm... probably Achilles and Patroclus. Basic I know but it's one hell of a tragically beautiful love story"

"Man it's so good. It's so famous for a reason"

"What about you?" Pandora asked.

It was a no brainer for Aries, they'd grown up on the myths. Some of those myths were actually real events, although the details were a bit muddled after travelling through realms and thousands of years.

"Nyx protecting Hypnos from Zeus, we love a dedicated mother protecting her baby. Although Orpheus and Eurydice is a close second" Aries replied.

"Nyx... she's night right?" Pandora asked.

"Yep, the primordial goddess herself. And Hypnos is sleep, something I need right now"

"You're always tired"

Perhaps Hypnos favoured Aries, because they were indeed always tired.

Tying off the end of the weaving, Pandora finished her memorial beads and gathered up the long string to hold the finished project up.

"Told you it wasn't that hard" Aries said.

"It's pretty fun to make actually" Pandora replied.

Aries pulled a notebook from their bag, scribbling down the enchantment and ripping the page out to give to Pandora.

"Here, it's best performed at sunset" they said.

Pandora took the paper, reading it over. It was a simple incantation, no materials needed. Just the words on the page, the beads and someone of Izroulian magic. All three of those things Pandora had in her hands already. Aries took one end of the weaving to take a closer look, seeing the pattern Pandora had created.

Shell, Jade stone bead, shark tooth, anchor charm, repeat. Clearly Athens must have liked green, there was a lot of it.

"She'd love it" Aries said.

Pandora smiled down at her handiwork, feeling like she'd finally fully come to terms with her loss.

"Yeah, she would"