The Immortal Heart

A/N: CondemnedForLife, thank you so much for your review! As for your questions, yes, it was Hera's poisoning of Hades that made the child deformed. Hades doesn't know this, so he simply assumes his body was not fit to carry a child to term. As for question number two... all I can say is "wait and see". ;)


Chapter 27

Several hours passed in negotiating the rocky shores, but the little fishing boat was finally able to reach land. Poseidon had found a pocket of space roughly surrounded by cliff sides and boulders, which provided much more protection from prying eyes and the elements than simply leaving the boat out in plain sight. As he surmised, the rocks were solid and easy to use as a bridge to the mainland.

“Granted there are no inhabitants using the coves…” Hera stated, climbing down the rocky terrain with several satchels over her shoulders. “…ones which might find our arrival most disagreeable.”

“Lovely,” Hades muttered to himself. Hera always had a way of ruining her eldest brother’s already feeble optimism.

“Careful,” Hestia told him as she lifted a makeshift gurney with the oldest god.

Reclining uncomfortably in said gurney was Demeter, moaning each time she was jostled in their grasp. Hestia and Hades had volunteered to carry their injured sister to the mainland as the boat clearly held no room for a cart, let alone a horse. Even so, both god and goddess were still tired from restless sleep and constantly holding vigil for their unfortunate sister. However, a gurney promised the benefit of shared effort and strength instead of just one person carrying the weight of a fully grown goddess. As Poseidon navigated the boat to the shore, the two Olympians had improvised the crude contraption out of animal skin blankets.

Zeus guided Hestia and Hades down from the boat, as losing one’s balance now amongst rocks and shallow water take a turn for the deadly. Once he was certain they could follow Hera safely, he turned his attention back to Poseidon, who was securing the boat so that it would not float away.

“Any memories resurfacing?” the older god asked, climbing off of the boat.

Zeus grimaced for a second, but he stubbornly cast his doubt aside. “Not yet. But soon.”

Crete was unknown territory for Zeus’ five siblings, and they all expected their leader to guide them to their destination without any further misadventures. Zeus would have wanted to say that he knew where to lead his fellow Olympians, but his mother’s whereabouts were as much of a mystery to him as it was to Poseidon, Hera, Hades, Hestia and Demeter. Instead he could only hope that the titaness had sensed their arrival and would choose to show herself eventually.

“Zeus, do you know where we’re headed?” Hera inquired after the gods had wandered through the woods for several hours with no apparent goal. She was sore and aching from the walking and carrying the load on her back, and sweating from the heat of the sun blazing down on them.

“I was raised on this island, sister,” Zeus replied curtly, annoyed at being questioned, but even more so at not being able to provide Hera with a proper answer. “Of course I know where we are headed.”

“And would you care to share this with us?” Poseidon interjected, trying to keep his tone conversational rather than criticizing. Zeus oftentimes did not respond well to criticism, and this was an occasion when discord must not arise between the family members.

“We shall head to my birth place, on Mount Ida,” the youngest Olympian said on a whim. “It is where I spent the first few years of my life. Perhaps our mother will await us there.”

“Back to another cave?” Hera objected loudly. “Zeus, you cannot be serious! We all need a place where we can relax and recuperate, and you wish to take us to a cave to live like beasts!”

Hera did not know the pressure her brother was under; if she had, she would have known that mouthing off to the god when he was in that mood was most unwise. Before she could continue her tirade, Zeus’ hand shot out and cuffed her across the face hard enough to knock her flat.

Hera felt blood pour from her nose when she lifted her head and anxiously glanced up at her youngest brother who loomed over her.

“I will not tolerate more of that attitude from you, sister,” Zeus growled. “Either you follow my lead or go back to the boat. The choice is yours.”

“I cannot go back,” Hera said.

“Then keep your mouth closed and help your siblings. I’d say it’s your turn to help with Demeter’s gurney.”

Hera was more than happy to do anything which required Zeus to presently draw his attention away from her. She stomped over to where Hestia and Hades continued to walk, and begrudgingly announced she would take over for her brother, who glanced her way with a look of obvious doubt.

“You heard me, I will help,” the eldest goddess all but snapped.

Hades did not care to interact with Hera at present time, and though he had promised to never leave Demeter’s side, he knew Hestia would look after her all the same. Carefully he handed over the corners of the animal hide where he had kept such a steadfast grip to his oldest sister. He was silent as he did so, but once she had a firm hold of the skin, he leant in to whisper three words into her ear in a very serious tone.

“Don’t drop her.”

As Hades proceeded to walk away, Hera watched him for a few seconds, contemplating the nature of his words. The way the god had sounded was almost as though he had left out two words: or else. Hera would have loved to laugh in his face, to tell him he did not scare her in the slightest, nor did he convince her that he was capable of hurting her. But the very idea that he would seemingly want to without pause had taken her aback.

How dare he challenge her!

If the goddess had not known any better, she might have thought Hades actually believed he was worth more than he really was. The little wretch needed to be taught a lesson someday soon, when all of this misfortune was behind the gods for good.

“Was what you said true? Are we going to the mountain where she will see us?” Hades quietly asked Zeus, carefully taking him by the hand. Part of him feared the youngest god would be irritable to the point of yanking his hand away, but Zeus did no such thing. Instead, he squeezed the thin hand in his own.

“It is not certain that we will find her there,” he answered. “But it is the best place to start. If we do not, then the rest of you will have to remain at the mountain while I look for her by myself.”

Zeus really hoped that the latter would not be necessary. Demeter had spent enough time exposed to the cold spring nights and the swift shifts in the weather that came with this season, and another night in a cave was not something he wished upon his dying sister.

Reaching Mount Ida would take them many more hours on foot, and Zeus knew that his family could not go on without food and rest, so after another hour of walking, the Olympian leader announced that a break was in order; a decision welcomed by his siblings.

Hera set down her end of Demeter’s gurney more abruptly than was necessary, and a part of her hoped that Hades had witnessed it. The wounded goddess emitted a weak groan of discomfort upon roughly hitting the ground, but she did not berate her sister. She simply did not want to waste what strength she had left on something so needless and trivial, even though she had no idea why Hera would do such to her.

The Olympians made camp in a small clearing in the woods and set up a fire around which they congregated, and a sack containing apples and pomegranates was passed around to serve as food. Zeus knew that his siblings were hungry for meat, but whatever fish they had caught was left on the boat, and so far none of them had seen anything to be considered as potential prey.

Hades tried to cajole Demeter into taking at least a few bites out of an apple, but the goddess was too weak to bite into the fruit and soon gave up her attempts to chew.

“She is fading…” Hades quietly stated as he watched his sister slip back into what could best be described as deep sleep bordering on unconsciousness. “She needs help now, or all hope will be lost.”

Zeus was about to speak words of encouragement but was interrupted by the growl of massive beast coming from the foliage only a short distance away.

Both Poseidon and Zeus drew their swords and nearly the same moment, motioning their siblings to gather behind them as they face the direction of the noise.

For a very brief moment, the image of the hidden thing from the sea appeared in Hades’ mind. What if it could change size or shape, and had followed the gods all the way to Crete? What if the horrible thing had been a spy for Cronos, and had led horrible monsters to the Olympians’ destination to lie in wait? Hades hovered over Demeter’s immobile form, his arms gently around her. He would act as a shield for her. Even if this thing might destroy each and every one of them, he would protect her with his last breath.

Finally the roar reached a crescendo. The creature which made the noise exploded from the vegetation, teeth bared and laws unleashed on all four of its feet. Zeus automatically roared back, his own cry of ferocity a little unimpressive compared to that of his attacker, but indicative of his bravery nonetheless.

Giving a low, thunderous moan of a roar, the lion approached slowly, blood on its mind and murder in its yellow eyes. Zeus did not care. Only days ago he had dealt with titans, and now all three of them were dead. When the lion finally pounced, it barely touched him before his sword was protruding from its back. The beast did not die completely, and Zeus struggled to avoid getting his belly torn open by flailing, bladelike claws.

Poseidon would have made the killing blow had Hestia not shrieked at the sight of another lion, this time advancing from behind the group. Giving his own battle cry, Poseidon took several swipes at the large animal, his sword making its mark several times in a dull yellow hide. He managed to slit the beast’s neck by the time he saw another lion running right for him from the corner of his eye. Reflexes quicker than that of the creature itself, Poseidon thrust his blade forward just as the creature opened his jaws. The lion was skewered, blade sinking into his open mouth and bursting out of the junction between head and neck.

The god barely had time to draw his sword out of the carcass before he saw yet another big cat, this one female, emerge from the dense vegetation. Rather than charging, the lioness circled the small group, as if to assess the situation and plan its attack.

Zeus and Poseidon did their best to form a protective ring around their four siblings, but given that there were only two of them, they were unable to cover as much ground as they would have liked. The skulking lioness was soon joined by more of her sisters, and in a matter of seconds, the Olympians were surrounded by a half dozen beasts, each one sending hungry glares at the group of gods.

Hades stayed leaned over his sister, unsure whether Demeter was conscious enough to realize the danger of the situation. Her eyes remained closed and nothing in her breathing or heartbeat suggested that she experienced any additional stress. Hades trusted his brothers’ ability to defend them from attacking predators, but he wished now more than ever that he would have been able to assist them rather than cower on the ground like a pathetic wretch.

After what felt like hours but in reality was less than a minute, one of the lions finally attacked. Its predatory gaze was fixed on the pair lying down – in the animal kingdom, wounded prey were always preferable – and Zeus, who was currently facing another direction, saw the pouncing lioness from the corner of his eye.

Knowing that he could do nothing for Hades or Demeter if their throats were torn open by the animal’s talon-like claws, he acted on pure instinct and threw himself against the feline to intercept its deadly pounce. The sword in his hand skewered the lioness, but not where he had hoped. Instead of delivering a fatal blow, the blade sank dully into its left front leg, angering the predator rather than maiming it. Zeus had no time to withdraw his sword and make a second attempt, this time with better aim, before a heavy, clawed paw struck him across the face and sent him sprawling to the ground several feet away.

Fighting disorientation, Zeus looked up to see the lioness advance toward Hades and Demeter with nothing to block its path.

“NO!” he cried out, hand reaching for them in vain as the lioness came within inches of its terrified prey. Blood from his wound dripped down into his eyes and in his panic he was momentarily convinced that he was seeing everything in red because he was too late. Surely the lions had effortlessly overpowered his helpless siblings and were devouring them, tearing them limb from limb…

But why did he hear no screams? Scrambling for the sword which had dropped from his hands after the assault to his face, Zeus fervently wiped the blood from his eyes, staggering to his feet and looking around. Poseidon was on his back, with two lions standing over him, while the lioness standing within inches of Hades and his sisters remained quite still. In stunned silence, Zeus looked around at the attackers, dumfounded at why the beasts had stopped, why they remained so still as though they were not even real.

Then a rumbling stirred from beneath his feet, and in response to the foreboding noise the lions broke into a run, retreating into the woods as fast their feet – claws sheathed – could carry them.

Blood still running down his face, Zeus looked around frantically for the source of the rumbling, the gods all able to hear and feel it getting closer. Whatever this was, it had frightened the animals away, and though he would not admit it, Zeus found that notion terrifying. He could stubbornly insist all he wanted that the lions had taken him and Poseidon by surprise, that their strength was waning from poor rest and dogged travel, but now he knew for certain that the unseen force heading for the family would not be something he could defeat.

Most unsettling was when the rumbling stopped, and Zeus would have shouted for whatever had been approaching them to show itself had the ground not exploded upwards right next to him. A leafless slanting tree, possibly leaning so from the harsh elements, began to move and it was not until the branches curled with a voluntary motion that it started to look eerily like a hand.

Vines shot from the earth and wrapped themselves around Zeus’ feet, and before he could even begin to sever them with his sword, more of the same emerged, pulling his weapon from him and effectively binding his arms as well. The god was trapped and powerless, and a quick glance at his siblings told him that they had all received the same treatment, except for Demeter, who was still unconscious and clearly not considered a threat.

“Show yourself!” Zeus bellowed out, furiously fighting his bonds, which only tightened further the harder he struggled.

The slanting old tree suddenly began to grow before his eyes, reaching a height of over thirty feet, and the five trapped Olympians could only watch in a mixture or awe and terror as the lifeless, ashen color of the trunk began to assume a shade resembling flesh and the crooked branches moved again, slowly morphing into limbs and digits. It was not until the outermost layer of what had once been a tree fell off to reveal the shape of a gigantic woman that the Olympians realized that they were facing a titan, and a quite powerful one at that.

“That was not a very impressive display of power, Zeus,” the figure spoke, its voice bouncing off the rock formations around them. “If you cannot defeat my guardians, what makes you believe you can take on Cronos?”

Zeus, upon realizing the owner of the voice, fell to his knees. His brothers and sisters exchanged looks at his behavior and stayed quite still where they lay, for fear that their restraints might constrict. They only felt awe at the colossal woman standing over them like one of the trees of this dense forest. Could this finally be…

“Mother.” Zeus looked up at the imposing figure only once, and kept his head bent, averting his gaze from the magnificent titaness.

Every step made by the figure became lower and quieter as her body shrank. When Rhea’s shrinking finally came to a halt, she was still bigger than the gods by several feet. The vines came away quickly from the limbs of her children, but they remained very still, impressed by her presence but still so afraid. Was she angry to see them? Even worse, did she care nothing for them and would kill them without a second thought?

Zeus was the last to be freed of his restraints, but he kept his head bowed. His mother’s hand finally tipped his glance upward by the chin. Her palm could have easily smothered his face if she so wished.

“It has been a long time,” she said, almond-shaped eyes a glittering green. No, not glittering. In those eyes, Zeus thought he was able to see a wavering image of all that was beautiful which grew from the soil in this very wood.

“Yes, my mother,” Zeus replied, his eyes wide with uncertainty and fear. Never before had his siblings heard their leader sound so humble and meek.

When Rhea looked up from her son and surveyed the rest of the Olympians, they each felt their own hearts skip a beat, now that she gave them her attention. Her face was a stony blank slate, neither smiling nor frowning at them. Finally her ivory visage made the smallest of smiles.

“I see you have brought your brothers and sisters.”

“I have,” her youngest son said. “We need your help.”

“I gathered as much,” she replied, and she left Zeus’ side to inspect the rest of her children. She had not seen them since they were newborns, soon devoured by her husband, and though she was a titaness, able to see and know many things, seeing each son and daughter as an adult touched a place within her heart which still felt love.

Zeus’ five siblings had not moved from their spots since their mother finally revealed herself, and they still did not move when she approached them, stopping by each of them to gaze over them intently. Zeus knew of course that his mother had recognized him, but was she able to tell the identities of her other five children?

“Poseidon,” the titaness said without hesitation, passing her second youngest offspring. “Hestia, Hera, my eldest…” Finally she reached the place where Hades was seated with an unconscious Demeter held firmly in his arms, and the god failed to suppress a frightened wince when the titaness, still gigantic from his perspective, crouched by his side.

“Hades,” Rhea said, addressing her eldest son. She lifted her hand and used it to sweep his long hair back from his face to get a better look at him, but Hades still found himself unable to look into her sparkling eyes.

“Will you help her?” he asked quietly, motioning to the unmoving body in his arms. Demeter was still breathing, but stress and infection on top of her burn wounds had taken a huge toll on her, and Hades feared she might not live long after this.

“My daughter…” his mother said, reaching down to touch the feverish, dying goddess. She trailed one finger over Demeter’s features and then allowed her hand to rest on her youngest daughter’s chest, feeling her heartbeat.

Hades knew that Rhea with that hand could easily crush all of Demeter’s ribs with one single blow should she want to, and couldn’t help but wonder if their mother was quick to anger. Still he objected when she began to pull down the sheet wrapped around Demeter’s lower half, a subconscious wish to spare his sister the indignity of a stranger seeing her grievous wounds.

“I must see what ails her, Hades,” Rhea said patiently and made him loosen his hold on the sheet. “You are very protective of this one, I can tell. Are you a mated pair?”

Zeus, standing behind his mother, blanched at the thought, but remained silent. Still, he very nearly exclaimed a decline in response.

Hades only shook his head and looked down at his sister’s motionless face. “She is the closest friend I have.” His eyes welled up the moment he said it, and when he looked up at the titaness, the being he now knew as his mother, twin tears escaped and rolled down his cheeks. “Can you help her?” he asked, not longer caring how bold he was to ask something of such a powerful being. “Please? Will you?”

“Oh, my son,” the titaness mused aloud, and her hand left Demeter’s chest just long enough to gently stroke Hades’ thin face. “How kind you are to your sister. An all new race, only six of you, and you cannot afford to lose any of your own…”

Though shapely and beautifully feminine, Rhea’s hand was still frightening in its size, and Hades did not initially notice that he held his breath when he watched the hand touch Demeter’s chest a second time. When she pulled her hand away, a strange glow seemed to radiate from the core of the goddess’ chest, just under the skin. That light glowed brighter until everyone within the clearing could see it, and the light was enough to pull them out of their stupor, bringing them closer with astounded curiosity.

Soon all of the gods were gathered with their mother, watching in disbelief as the light spread to Demeter’s wounds. The glow finally flickered and died, and Hades at last remembered to breathe when he saw to his absolute shock that the burns were gone.

“Demeter?” he whispered, tapping lightly at his sister’s cheeks. Though still warm, the feverish heat and flush her skin possessed had cooled to a more manageable temperature.

Slowly two red-rimmed, watery eyes opened, and Hades could see that while not incredibly focused, at least they were present and aware.

“Hades…?” the goddess asked, her voice hoarse and weak, most likely due to a dry throat. “Are we there yet…? Did you find her?”

“Why don’t you see for yourself, dearest sister,” her brother replied, fighting back tears of joy. He aided Demeter in sitting up and steadied her with a hand against her back as she looked around and finally, for the first time in her life, came face to face with her mother.

Hades understood her response more than well when he saw Demeter flinch and seek reassurance in him by leaning against his chest. Embracing his wary and still disoriented sister, he quietly explained to her what had happened in the past hour while she had been unconscious.

“She means us no harm,” he said, confident that if Rhea had meant to harm her offspring, she would have done so already. “And she healed you.”

Demeter looked down at her legs and her eyes widened upon discovering that her burns were indeed healed. However, the skin that now covered large portions of her left hip and thigh was not soft and smooth as the rest of her, but the rough, uneven texture of damaged scar tissue.

“I thank you, mother, for healing me,” Demeter spoke reverently, too afraid to ask if there was anything to be done about the scars. “I owe you… my life…”

The goddess made a wobbly attempt to stand up, but Rhea planted her hand against her stomach and pressed Demeter back down.

“The bone in your leg is still mending,” she explained. “Straining it now could cause more damage to it.” She cocked her head and looked quizzically at Demeter. “You are quite skilled in the art of healing yourself, are you not, my daughter? I can recognize a healer when I see one.”

“Why, yes, I am,” Demeter replied, feeling slightly surprised about her mending skeleton. She had been in such pain from the burns that she had no idea her leg had been broken.

“We would have been in greater trouble if we lost a healer,” Hades said, feeling far more comfortable to engage in conversation with the titaness. “But even worse, we would have lost our sister.”

“You are very sweet, Hades,” Rhea said with a smile. “Demeter is lucky to have such caring siblings.”

“We were attacked,” Zeus finally spoke up, stepping forward. “By Cronos’ brethren. They came before dawn and left our fortress in ruins. Most of what we had is destroyed.”

Zeus’ tone almost sounded accusatory, and part of him did not feel guilty for it. Rhea was after all a titan. Not only that, but wife to Cronos. She had saved Zeus in order to free the rest of his siblings, only for them to be attacked, left homeless and nearly losing Demeter to grievous injuries. If Rhea did not help them now, she was just as much an enemy to her children as Cronos was.

“You say that we could not even defeat the titans if we cannot so much as defend ourselves against your lions. And what are we given for it? Casual conversation?”

Though smaller than when she first appeared, Rhea was still much stronger in form than Zeus, and her arm whipped around without warning, knocking him to the ground and pinning him against the dirt.

“Calm your temper, Zeus.” Rhea’s eyes no longer glimmered. The green in them was quite dark, like a forest at night, where many dangerous and hungry creatures lurked. “Take care in your anger, son, lest you sound more and more like your father,” she continued, her voice low and rumbling, the sympathy all gone from it. “I would have thought I might be countered with thanks for healing your wretched sister.”

“Zeus, please don’t anger her!” Hades called out in despair, holding the naked and feeble newly healed goddess hard against his chest. He could not bear losing her after going through so much to save her life, simply because Zeus was too arrogant and dim-witted to control his temper.

Demeter accepted her shocked brother’s embrace, despite knowing that he could do absolutely nothing to protect her from their mother’s wrath.

Zeus attempted to dislodge the hand pinning him against the earth, but Rhea’s strength surpassed his own by far. “I am sorry if my words offended you, but we came to your for help,” he said, loath to plead but seeing no other option. “We have no one else. Do you want to see us destroyed, mother? I thought you wanted him vanquished as much as we!”

A loud, wheezing snort left the titaness, and she stood up, finally releasing her hold on her youngest son. “I am in exile, Zeus,” she said impassively. “By coming here, you may have led Cronos and his ilk directly to me!”

Zeus wondered if Rhea knew about the creature that had followed them possibly throughout their voyage to Crete, but in case his mother was oblivious, the Olympian leader would make sure she stayed that way.

“Cronos did not follow us. If he had, we would know it by now,” he said instead, determined to persuade their reluctant mother to give them sanctuary, at least for the time being. “I intend to lead an attack against him and his kind. But I cannot do that now. My siblings and I need a place to stay until we are ready. I was hoping that you could provide us with that.”

Rhea’s eyes flashed dangerously. “You presume far too much, my son,” she said, but the anger in her voice had been replaced by something bordering on amusement. Zeus took this as a good sign.

“If you help us now, I won’t make you regret it. Imagine a world free from our father… Your days of living in exile would be over.”

“Confidence will take you far, Zeus,” his mother replied. “But it alone will not bring you victory. Fine, my son. You can remain here until you have decided how to act against Cronos. Follow me.”

Hades glanced back and forth between Demeter and Zeus, who was looking quite humbled after his exchange with their mother.

“Go to him,” Demeter said with a calm smile on her face. Hades knew her mood had to have improved when she realized was neither wounded nor dying. Even so, he was hesitant to leave her side.

“I will take her,” Poseidon said as he approached the two of them. Demeter nodded and was taken up into her brother’s arms as though she weighed nothing. With Hestia and Hera by his side, Poseidon followed their towering mother as she walked through the forest, the trees seemingly bending backward to allow her passing.

Zeus, looking rather embarrassed, was brushing the dust from his robes and finding his discarded sword. When the weapon was safely stored in his belt, he welcomed Hades into his arms. Though he had been annoyed with how well his eldest brother got along with Rhea, he was glad to see the concern in Hades’ green eyes.

“Brother…” the older god said as he was wrapped up in Zeus’ arms. “Are you alright?”

“It would appear so,” Zeus grumbled. “Did I not tell you we would find our mother and receive her assistance?”

“You did,” Hades replied, reaching up and give giving his brother a kiss. “You were right; she made Demeter well again. And look…”

“I beg your pardon?” the younger god inquired, watching as Hades pointed at his face. Reaching up, Zeus felt the sticky nature of the blood from the wounds caused by beastly claws. He expected to feel the gaping source of the bleeding, but the scratches were already starting to heal.

“Perhaps she is not so angry with you as you thought,” Hades said.

Zeus merely grunted in reply, but nonetheless his mother’s words had struck a chord within him. Indeed, what was the point of leading a war against Cronos if their side did not even stand the slightest chance of victory? Until now, Zeus had stubbornly insisted to himself that he could take on his father and defeat him, but today’s events were forcing him to rethink his conviction.

“She caught us off guard…” he muttered to himself. “It was not fair…”

“What?” Hades asked from beside him, and only then Zeus realized he had spoken the words out loud.

“Nothing, dearest. Let us hurry so that we’re not separated from our siblings.” Zeus took his brother’s hand in his own and led Hades along the path that had formed in response to their mother’s passing by only moments ago.


TBC...