The Path to Victory

Chapter 15


Two days later, the three Olympians decided they had negotiated with the Titans long enough. With fond farewells – some fonder than others – they departed from their newfound allies and headed home.

Ever one to make a lasting impression, Zeus had suggested he and his brothers put their shining armor back on before they were within sight of the refuge. Posterity, he had called it. Hades and Poseidon would have rather called it egotism, but they remained quiet.

Hades’ armor had been thoroughly destroyed when he had encountered Cronos’ fury, and seeing the very state of its crushed remains caused him to shudder at how extensive his own injuries had been. Fortunately, his armor was easily mended, thanks to the growing powers the brothers had begun to develop since their father's defeat.

Hestia was the first to open the door and bid her brothers welcome, but Hera hurried past her a moment later, running towards Zeus and throwing her arms around his neck. Zeus eagerly welcomed the kiss she had for him, taking her in his arms and lifting her off the ground. Demeter and Hestia followed, greeting their brothers with wide grins and embracing both Poseidon and Hades. Their welcome was nowhere near the enthusiasm of Hera’s to Zeus, but they were not lovers to the two gods. Hades and Poseidon already had taken that duty upon each other.

“I always knew you would prevail,” Hera beamed as she covered her youngest brother’s face with kisses. “I knew you would come home to me, Zeus. In my heart, I always knew.”

Hera was acting as though Poseidon and Hades were not even present; she only had eyes for her future consort. Zeus voiced no objection to this and immediately began to retell the story of Cronos’ defeat to his sister, except that he wildly exaggerated his own part in it. And from the look on Hera’s besotted visage, she wholeheartedly swallowed every word of his.

The remaining four Olympians could only watch as their leader carried Hera off, their destination obvious. Hades could not help but smirk. The goddess obviously believed that her brother had not lain with anybody since they set out to battle and was completely oblivious of Zeus’ affair with Metis; a secret Poseidon had claimed would not stay buried for very long.

Demeter gazed after Zeus and Hera but was not bothered to call out after them. “I have prepared you some food,” she told her two remaining brothers. “Please come dine with Hestia and I.”

“Nothing would please us more,” Poseidon replied for them both, and Hades could only agree. It would be a real treat to sample his sisters’ cooking after weeks of surviving on what could be found in nature alone.

Zeus did not use discretion when he took Hera to bed minutes later. With concentration, one could hear the two Olympians’ lovemaking even from the dining hall. Despite proper manners being a concern, the gods who dined could not help but listen every so often between chewing. The whole affair only made Demeter laugh, especially when watching her brothers’ strain to hear the noise.

“That’s very poor of you to do,” she said. “Is our cooking really that dull that you should be so distracted?”

Poseidon chuckled. “Not at all. I just can’t help but think of how much Zeus must be enjoying himself after such a long absence.”

“Ah, keeping his promise, is he?” Hestia asked, a bit of resentment marking her features. She already knew far too well how faithful Zeus could be. “I imagine it must have been torture for him.”

Hades and Poseidon exchanged glances but said nothing, pretending to be sidetracked by eating the dinner supplied by their sisters.

*

Hera felt ecstatic even after her vigorous coupling with Zeus had ended and they lay beside each other in his large bed, their breaths filling the room with a soft, gasping noise. She could feel his seed leak out between her thighs and onto the mattress, but for now, it did not matter. Hera edged closer to her brother and laid her head on his powerful, heaving chest. Zeus’ arm was instantly wrapped around her form and she smiled against his skin, tasting the salty sweat on it.

“I truly missed this while you were away…” she sighed dreamily, wrapping a long, shapely leg around his muscular thigh.

“So did I, dear sister,” Zeus replied, holding back a grin. As far as Hera was concerned, he had remained celibate throughout the entire battle and its aftermath. To enlighten her of the truth was not on his list of things to do.

“Zeus…” Hera paused. “There is a matter I wish to discuss with you.” Her voice practically trembled with excitement derived from revealing the happy news to him, and she was truthfully surprised that she had managed to contain herself this long.

“What is it, Hera?” Zeus asked as he continued to gaze up at the ceiling and study the intricate cracks in the marble.

“I have wonderful news for you… for us both,” Hera explained, grasping her brother’s free hand and placing it over her own belly. “I am expecting our first child!”

Zeus felt as though time stood still. He soon became aware that he had not spoken or reacted much at all, and turned to Hera embracing her so that she could not see his face.

“This is wonderful news,” he exclaimed, though he squeezed his eyes shut and grimaced as he held his sister. “I’ve wanted to be a father,” he found himself saying.

It was the truth, and surely something Hera would want to hear. He had wanted children of his own, but such plans in his mind were always far away in the future, never in the present. How could he be a father now whilst juggling an affair with Metis? Should Hera find out now, she would be furious.

“I can barely wait for our ceremony…” Hera said dreamily.

“Ceremony?”

“Our marriage ceremony, of course,” the goddess elaborated. “I am to be your consort, after all.”

Zeus forced a smile he hoped would convince his sister. “Of course.”

*

Poseidon, Hades, Hestia and Demeter were already finished with their meal when they were joined by Zeus and Hera. The goddess was flushed with excitement and practically walking on clouds, while Zeus’ countenance bore a more serious expression.

They took their seats at the table, Zeus, as usual, seating himself at the short end with Hera to his right. The seat to his left was occupied by Poseidon, his second in command. Zeus reached out to take his sister’s hand in his own before speaking out, and Hera flashed her brother another sunny smile.

“Hera and I have an announcement to make,” he declared, making sure that every pair of eyes was turned toward him before continuing. “We are to be married, and as it turns out, our dear sister is already expecting our first child.”

A murmur went through the dining hall, and Demeter smiled inwardly to herself. She already knew of Hera’s pregnancy; in fact the goddess had sought her out less than a day ago to have her sister confirm her suspicions. Demeter had placed her hands on Hera’s belly and listened intently for signs of a life growing inside her, and there it was, faint but present nonetheless.

“Hers has not been the first child to be created here,” Hades noted aloud. “There was of course mine.”

Zeus’ lips thinned at the thought of the Kraken, which had likely followed the gods back home. He hardly thought of the creature as a conventional child. Yet it had been born of the union between himself and Hades – he stubbornly refused to believe Poseidon had been the one to create such a formidable monster – but it was not some being to nurture as one of the gods.

“The Kraken was a weapon, unlike the child Hera bears. Speaking of…” Zeus poured himself a goblet of wine. “What are we to do with your child, Hades?”

The elder god stared at his brother, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“Its duty is complete,” Zeus replied without any emotion, taking a sip of his wine. “The purpose of its creation has been fulfilled. What is to become of it now?”

Hades felt a small feeling of dread crawl up his spine. “What are you suggesting? That we kill him?”

Zeus began to eat his dinner. “I am not suggesting that directly, but if it proves to be a nuisance…”

“A nuisance??”

Zeus snorted at his brother’s high-pitched outcry. He had known that Hades would be against what he was about to suggest, but it had to be done, no matter what his brother felt about it.

“Brother, listen to me. Your child is more powerful than any of us, but it is also an uncontrollable elemental beast. Should it choose to turn on us… I cannot take that risk. I am sure you understand my reasoning, Hades. The Kraken must be… dealt with.”

“Dealt with how?” Hades demanded to know. “Even if you intended to kill him, how would you do it? Any help from me, you can just forget about!”

“My suggestion was to have him incarcerated,” Zeus replied. “He thrives in the oceans, and I see it fit that he remains there… with no chance of escape.”

Hades glowered at his youngest brother from across the table. “He helped you defeat our father and make you king of the heavens, and this is how you repay him?”

“Hades, this is not up for discussion!” Zeus roared, his patience nearing its end. “The Kraken has served its purpose and must be dealt with. It will be done, and that is final.”

“Hades, our brother is right,” Poseidon said gently, laying his hand atop Hades’. “I know it pains you, but the Kraken must be contained. He is simply too dangerous.”

Hades barely registered Poseidon’s presence until he felt his brother’s touch. He gazed into the younger god’s eyes and saw sadness there. Hades could only presume his own were very similar.

“We made him to be a threat,” Poseidon said. “And without an enemy to fight, what would he do? We cannot set him free. He would exhaust his food supply in no time.”

Hades listened to his brother, sighing in defeat. He knew the reasoning was true, and he did not want to risk the safety of his family, nor did he wish to leave the Kraken to eat itself into starvation.

“You would not kill him…?” he asked his leader, needing the reassurance.

Zeus, who was happy to reach an agreement with his difficult brother, nodded. “The Kraken will sleep. It will not cause harm, and no harm will come its way.”

Considering the alternative, Hades finally nodded and sat back down. Poseidon put his hands against his older brother’s shoulder as a gesture of encouragement.

“Based upon our brother Poseidon’s offer to rule the seas,” Zeus added. “This means he shall also be granted responsibility to your… child’s imprisonment. Do you accept this duty, Poseidon?”

Poseidon nodded. “I accept.”

“Can you promise that no harm will come his way?” Hades asked, looking directly at his brother. While he would grieve over the loss of his child in any case, he was immensely grateful that Poseidon rather than Zeus would be in charge of looking after the Kraken.

“I promise,” Poseidon replied, caressing Hades’ neck as a form of consolation.

“Besides,” Zeus put in, “this way we will be granted access to him, should we ever need him again.”

*

There had been no sign of the Kraken yet when the six Olympians headed down to the shore the following day to do their deed. Zeus insisted that all of them be present, even though the operation would technically only require Poseidon and Hades; Poseidon to manage the water and the earth beneath it; Hades to manage the Kraken itself.

“Will you be able to summon him and bend him to your will?” Zeus asked when the gods were already present on the shore, looking over the vast ocean ending in the horizon.

“I believe so, yes,” Hades replied, disrobing for the water and focusing his thoughts on his child. The Kraken had been very sensitive to his calling in the past and he did not see why that would have changed.

“Come to me, Kraken,” he whispered, the waves rushing against his feet. Almost a minute passed by without any sign of the creature, but sure enough a dark shadow passed in the distant waters. Too big to stay submerged for long as it approached, the Kraken lifted its head above the water and growled a greeting to its masters, mere specks in the distance. It hurried forward, bringing the tide with it tenfold, and even Hades had to step back to keep from being toppled over by the water.

The Kraken was still a terrifying sight to the gods, all except Hades, who held out and arm and patiently waited for the beast to descend its massive head. It grunted at its blood relation and leaned in close enough for them to make contact. A moment passed as though they were communicating, and a large tentacle snaked its way around Hades, lifting him and placing him on top of the Kraken’s head.

“Now, Poseidon,” Hades calmly called down, signaling his brother to enter the waves and disappear out of sight. The elder god looked back at the clammy flesh upon which he sat, stroking the surface. “Time to rest at last, my child.”

Hades led the Kraken toward deeper waters further away from the shore to minimize the risk of damage in case the massive beast did not go to sleep peacefully. Even several leagues toward open sea, the Kraken was still able to keep its head above the surface.

Hades, now lying flat atop his child’s head, looked anxiously around for Poseidon, wondering if his brother was truly up for the task. Would Poseidon be able to stay submerged as long as necessary, and even more importantly, would he?

Zeus and their sisters no longer visible at the shore, Hades decided that they were out far enough. He laid his own head against that of his child and focused intently on bringing a state of calm to its bestial mind, just as he had been instructed to. Just a short while later, a sedate growl escaped the Kraken and its powerful limbs started to sag beneath the surface. Hades had no choice but to cling on to his spot on the creature’s head, knowing that unless under his influence, the Kraken would very likely revive before it could be lowered into the bottom of the sea.

//Poseidon, please hurry// Hades thought as he went underwater together with his child, dreading the idea of following the Kraken all the way down. The bottom of the sea split open with a deafening bang moments later, and Hades smiled in relief, despite the fact that his lungs were already straining for air as they continued to descend. Hades tried to push thoughts of air out of his mind. What if he let go too soon and the Kraken awoke? Even worse, what if the creature realized what the gods were trying to accomplish and reacted in fury?

Poseidon had broken open a crevice in the sea floor with his trident, and he looked up to inspect his brother’s progress. Even at a distance he could discern that Hades would soon be too deep to make it upwards in time for air.

We must make this end quickly, the younger god thought, and he swam upwards from the floor, moving his trident as though to stir the water. Concentrating, he created a current that spiraled downward into the chasm. To his pleasant surprise, his plan worked. The Kraken, deeply asleep, was pulled downward by the current.

Hades managed to realize what was going on and let go, though the power of the stream was now taking him with his child. He did not struggle for long before he felt arms around him guiding him upwards. Poseidon only hesitated for a moment, watching the beast sink into the break and using his weapon to close the floor.

The ocean ground closed quickly, having swallowed the Kraken and its many limbs without leaving a single trace. There the beast would slumber, unaware of the world around it, possibly until the end of days.

Hades’ need for air was a different and much more pressing matter. They started ascending toward the surface as soon as the Kraken had been secured, but now Poseidon feared they would not make it in time. Hades’ hands spasmodically gripped Poseidon’s shoulders and when looking at his brother’s face, the sea god could literally see how hard Hades was struggling so as not to inhale the water and drown himself. A small bubble of air escaped his nose; the last one of a steady stream since he submerged himself together with his child. The god needed air now, or he inescapably would drown.

Poseidon pressed his own mouth against that of his brother, passing the air he so easily drew from the water to Hades.

In the briefest of moments that Hades wondered what his brother was doing, the word ‘kiss’ entered his mind. But the concept that his brother was kissing him was forgotten nearly as quickly as it had been wondered. Hades felt air enter him, and he relaxed, letting his starving lungs fill again. His arms encircled Poseidon and he felt completely safe in his brother’s hold.

Meanwhile on the shore, the remaining gods were becoming worried. Zeus had reassured his sisters that Poseidon was perfectly apt at surviving in the depths, but none of the Olympians knew about the state of their eldest brother.

“I see something approaching,” Hera announced, watching intently as something bobbed up from the waters. Whatever the thing was, it was forcing seawater up from the surface like a fountain. As the fountain came closer, the gods could only stare in awe and perplexity. This formation of water was beginning to look very much like a man. In fact, as it came forth from the steadily shallower water, it was a man, carrying Hades comfortably in its arms.

“Poseidon?!” Zeus exclaimed, recognizing his brother once the man-shaped mass of water began to revert back to flesh. The Olympian’s trident, which he was unable to hold due to carrying Hades, was squeezed into his left armpit.

Once he exited the water altogether, Poseidon’s transformation back to normal was complete, and he curiously took in the perplexed faces of his siblings, who hesitantly approached him, as if they were not even sure he was really Poseidon anymore.

“How did you do that?” Demeter asked, touching her brother’s shoulder to make sure he was truly made of flesh and blood once more.

“I became one with the water,” the god replied. “Melded with it. I found it easier to move that way, and I needed to get Hades ashore as quickly as possible.”

Hades, utterly exhausted but conscious, weakly lifted his head from his brother’s shoulder. He was taking fast, deep breaths to compensate for the air deprivation he had suffered during the long minutes below the surface. Now that he was out of the water, completely naked and still soaked, the cold quickly pierced his skin and caused him to hack teeth, despite being in Poseidon’s grasp.

“How are you, Hades?” Hestia asked concernedly and placed her hand against his cheek. “We were afraid you would drown.” She had carried Hades’ discarded clothing with her and concerned about her brother’s well-being, she draped the robes over his shoulders, hoping they would at least help against the cold. Poseidon, though in a similar state of undress, did not seem bothered by the temperature.

“I had my brother to guide me,” Hades managed to say. He looked up at his brother. “I believe I can walk now.”

Nodding, Poseidon put his brother down as carefully as possible and watched him with a protective vigilance as the gods walked back to their fortress. Hades seemed to manage the trek just fine, though once or twice he lagged behind. Poseidon was tempted to take him by the hand in those moments, to tell his brother he had done the right thing in locking away his child, but the sadness in the older god’s eyes prevented him.


TBC...