The Immortal Heart

Chapter 35

Two days later, Chiron said his goodbyes to his newfound family.

“I shall return to fight by your side on the battlefield,” he promised. “In the meantime I am to return to the giants and tell them of your well-received gifts. All of us must be prepared for the day when we stand up to the Titans.”

“We will be,” Zeus replied, and for a split second the centaur could see a flicker of brilliant light in his half-brother’s blue eyes.

“Safe journey, Chiron,” Poseidon said. In his arms were a bow and quiver of arrows, both belonging to the half-god. Chiron graciously took them and slung both over his shoulder.

“I will look forward to seeing what your trident will do on the field,” the centaur said. He then turned his vision to Hades. “Brother, I will be saddened by your absence during the battle, but you can bet that I will be present at your wedding.”

Hades, who had not said much during the farewell, smiled nonetheless. “Just look after my brothers for me,” the god replied. “Because I will not be there to do so.”

“You have my word on that,” Chiron replied with a wry smile. He did not bother pointing out that the two younger gods were more than capable of looking after themselves, especially now that they had been trained in using their new gifts. Hades’ worry would not be diminished by simple words of reassurance.

Though Chiron had been liked by everyone except Hera, Poseidon knew he would miss the centaur more than his siblings. They had spent a lot of time together during the days Chiron’s visit lasted, and though they had not known each other for long, the god and the equine half-god had become incredibly close. Poseidon prided himself in persuading Chiron to let himself be ridden on, particularly when no one before him had been granted the privilege.

“You will see him again, brother,” Hestia told her melancholy fellow Olympian when they were on their way back to the house. “Don’t be so sad. I assure you he will not forget about you.”

Poseidon’s response to his sister’s attempt to cheer him up was a dry little scoff. He was a little ashamed that his emotions were so obviously written on his face, but at least Zeus had shown enough sensitivity so as not to tease him about it.

“Do you know if there are any horses on this island?” Poseidon asked his younger brother, trying to sound casual about the subject.

“It is very likely,” Zeus replied. “But it is also very likely that they are skittish and prone to keeping their distance from us. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, I was merely thinking of taming some.”

Zeus shrugged at the thought. “It will certainly keep you preoccupied, and well enough distracted from the stress all of us had been sharing with one another before Chiron’s visit. I just hope it does not keep you from training yourself for battle.”

“I assure you it will not,” Poseidon responded. “Besides, all of our horses are still on the other side of the waters. We would benefit from a few ones on Crete.”

“As you wish,” Zeus smiled, giving his brother a hearty clap on the shoulder. Poseidon smiled back and proposed that he search for the animals right away.

“I’ll go with you,” Hades suddenly said. Poseidon turned to regard him with honest surprise.

“I did not figure you to be interested,” he said as they wandered through the forest. They were walking toward a clearing which looked to be plains and field, a likely area to find hoof tracks or droppings, anything to lead them to their target.

“Forgive me, Poseidon,” Hades said, the uneasiness already clear in his voice. “It is not a matter of love for the animal. It is a matter of avoiding physical injury from one’s own sister.”

“Still giving you grief, is she?” Poseidon replied, Hera’s advances still fresh in his mind.

“The strange thing is she has not,” the older god answered. “And I would have figured she would be at least muttering crude insults to me as we pass, but she does not even do that. It unsettles me… as though she is up to something. I would rather not be present when that something happens.”

“I might have something to do with that,” Poseidon said as the two gods reached the edge of the woods. Sure enough, the ground was disturbed as though a herd of horses had recently galloped through. “These tracks are headed north. This way… as I was saying, I left her a little humbled that last time we were alone. She wanted my body, but her behavior in the past has put me off to her empty proposals.”

“Oh my…” Hades said, blanching a little at the idea of Hera’s rejection.

“Look!” Poseidon suddenly whispered excitedly as they reached the peak of a hill. Both gods ducked down and peered carefully at a vast herd of horses grazing on lush green grass. Hades glanced at his brother and saw a wide grin.

“Perfect,” Poseidon said.

“How do you plan on catching them?” Hades whispered to his brother. The idea of approaching such large, wild animals with wildly lashing hooves and attempt to throw a noose around their neck was more than a little intimidating.

The younger god flashed his older sibling a brief but confident smile. “I would not worry, Hades,” he said. “That will be the easiest part.”

Hades wanted to ask what on earth the other meant by that, but Poseidon was already up and moving before he was given a chance.

The pair quickly advanced toward the herd, so far undiscovered by the animals grazing peacefully in the valley. Less than twenty yards away, hidden behind a fallen tree trunk, the two gods quietly observed.

“That one, over there,” Poseidon said, motioning to a large white stallion that was obviously the leader of the herd. “He will be perfect.”

“Perfect for what?” Hades wondered. “You intend to ride him?”

“Oh, I intend to do much more than that,” the younger god mused, as if talking to himself. “You choose one, as well.”

Hades shook his head. “Horses are your forte, not mine. I… I think I’d rather just watch.”

“As you wish,” Poseidon said with a raised eyebrow. “Then wait here for me.”

He stood up and leapt over the tree trunk, thus making his presence known to the herd. Immediately the horses broke into a run, and Hades wondered what his brother was really up to, as he now noticed that Poseidon had not even brought any rope to capture a horse with.

Instead of pursuing, the curly-haired god simply raised his trident and they both watched as a beam of bright red light was emitted from it. The light beam travelled through the air, as if it had a conscious mind of its own, and sought out the stallion Poseidon had chosen for himself. Hades watched in awe when the powerful animal was brought to a grinding halt, wrapped tightly in bonds of still glowing light.

“Now, now…” Poseidon grunted as he gave his hold on the horse a gentle but quick tug. The horse struggled and its neighing sounded deeper, angrier than how a horse usually sounded to Hades. It frightened him a little deep down inside, but he remained still, putting his trust into his brother. Poseidon likely knew what he was doing, and if he was hurt by his strange plan, the older god told himself he should be allowed to laugh.

“No need for such a fuss,” Poseidon continued to speak with the stallion as though it would understand him. “Come here. That’s right…”

Though a beautiful sight, the horse was still in no mood for its current predicament. It eventually stopped fighting, but would randomly jerk its head or beat the kicked up dirt with a powerful hoof, an attempt to show it was no willing slave to the Poseidon’s actions.

“Shh…” Poseidon whispered, rubbing the animal’s robust white neck. “You’re a stubborn one. I know how that feels. Maybe we should name you after Zeus.” The god finally turned to Hades, smiling. “Do not worry. Come closer. Just try not to show fear to him. He won’t respect someone who approaches with fear.”

Hades wanted to argue that telling someone not to be afraid of something that could sense fear was a futile effort, but he stepped forward anyway, keeping his deep breath of preparation as quiet as possible. Fortunately the stallion’s grunts were much louder.

“He may just be the best looking horse of the herd,” Hades remarked as he approached. “I would not be surprised if most of his fellows were mares.” Though he felt a little silly, he hoped if an animal could sense fear, then it might just sense a compliment.

“I agree,” Poseidon replied, scratching the crest of the animal’s neck until he reached the poll. “Aren’t you?” he asked, admiring the horse.

“And what is this experiment you are intent on performing?” Hades asked, carefully putting his hand out and touching the bridge of its long sturdy snout. It snorted and the god was surprised he did not flinch.

“I was considering creating an entirely new creature, something even more useful in transport than a horse,” Poseidon answered, his hands rubbing at the junction between the animal’s withers and shoulder. He almost looked as though he was pulling at something invisible on the fur.

“I don’t see what more you could do with a horse to improve it,” Hades admitted.

“Step back,” his brother said, and a line of concentration formed at the center of the younger god’s brow.

Hades watched his brother place his hands almost reverently on the stallion’s back, just over its shoulder blades, and wondered what on earth Poseidon was going to do. The look of focus on the other’s face suggested that Poseidon would not appreciate any kind of disturbance, and so Hades remained unmoving and silent for as long as his brother touched the horse.

Finally Poseidon stepped back with a triumphant smile on his lips and gestured at Hades to behold his creation. The older god raised a questioning eyebrow, embarrassed to be asking what exactly was different about the animal.

“Don’t you see?” Poseidon implored, and he grabbed Hades by the wrist, jerking him closer and more or less shoving his head toward the place he had been touching.

“See what, brother? What am I supposed to be looking at?”

“Right here!” Poseidon took his older brother’s hand and placed it on the stallion’s right shoulder. The horse remained strangely docile, and once he allowed his hand to do some exploring, Hades could feel the presence of two small, protruding growths from the animal’s back.

“What did you do, Poseidon?” he asked, frowning, and couldn’t help but wonder if the experiment had gone awry. Making an animal sprout tumor-like growths could hardly be called a success, could it?

“I have made him something more than a mere horse, something better! He is growing wings!”

Hades could only stare with raised eyebrows at the stallion, which seemed unaffected by the budding transformation, and it proceeded to graze, ignoring the gods.

“Well…” Hades said, observing the horse’s behavior, “that is quite an achievement.”

“I know it looks like nothing at present,” Poseidon replied, his tone suggesting that he had been expecting a far more impressed reaction. “But in time he will be sporting wings that would hopefully be big enough to carry him on the winds. Our horses have been useful in the past, but imagine how much greater they would be in flight!”

“Are you certain they would adapt?” Hades asked, patting the animal’s back. “What if they do not care to fly?”

“You are the one who asked to come with me,” Poseidon grumbled. Hades laughed and turned to face his brother.

“If your plan works, then I will come with you again. I would love to see what his horse would look like with wings. And I hope that he can fly with them.”

Poseidon tried to smile. “Thank you.”

“Perhaps Chiron will be interested if this experiment is successful.”

Poseidon did not blush but he quickly changed the subject. “We should keep this stallion somewhere close by,” he suggested. “So that we can inspect his progress on a regular basis.”

“If so, we will have to go around the woods,” Hades added. “It will take longer, but at least he will be able to walk. Oh dear…”

“Pardon?”

A peculiar little smile appeared on Hades’ face. “What will Hera think when we return home?”

Poseidon laughed. “She may just miss Chiron’s tendency to take care where he moves his bowels.”

Hades’ smile became a grin when he envisioned the horse defecating right outside Hera’s bedroom window, and for a moment, he almost wished such would occur.

“Are you going to tell Zeus?” Hades asked during their way home. The stallion did not struggle and placidly allowed the god to lead him, as if it had already accepted Poseidon as its master.

“I think I’ll wait until the progress is more obvious before I tell anyone else,” Poseidon replied. “I’d rather not have to explain what I did all over again.”

Hades blushed at his brother’s words, feeling responsible for Poseidon’s irritation. “If it goes well, Zeus will think very highly of you,” he said, hoping the encouragement would tempt the younger god from his annoyance.

“Of course it will go well, Hades. Why would it not?”

*

Poseidon used a piece of traditional rope to tie the stallion to a tree, and being deprived of his freedom to move unrestrictedly was something the animal objected to fiercely. It neighed in loud frustration and reared away from the god and did everything in its power to tear the rope used to bind it.

“Watch out!” Hades cried, afraid that his brother would be hit in the temple by one of the wildly lashing front hooves.

Poseidon, however, refused to back down. Aiming his trident, he let loose another coil of light which wrapped itself around the stallion’s neck, further adding to the pressure. Eyes bulging and frothing at the mouth, the horse gave one last display of resistance before yielding to its bonds.

Hades pitied the animal and thought it was a great shame that such a handsome and powerful creature had to be put in restraints. “Must we really tie him to a tree?” he asked his brother. “If he’s accepted you as his master, perhaps he will stay without the use of physical bonds.”

“I cannot take the risk. He is too valuable,” Poseidon replied, and they both watched the horse, which had ceased struggling but now looked rather despondent.

“What makes you think he will stay? He might run out of grass within range if we do not come back in time.”

“I am sure he will not,” Poseidon reassured his brother. “I know how much they can eat. He has plenty for now.”

“If you say so.”

“Granted I should have planned ahead so that we could have a closed off area for him closer to home…” Poseidon admitted. “But I really just wanted to see if I actually do this. To give him wings.”

“Only time will tell,” Hades stated, staring at the displeased animal.

The walk back home was silent, but comfortable. Poseidon and Hades returned in time for a hot, delicious meal, entering the dining room to vaguely surprised faces.

“We were beginning to think you would be spending the rest of the day out there,” Hestia remarked as the two gods took their seats. “And possibly the night.”

“Were you able to find any horses?” Zeus inquired in between mouthfuls of food.

“We searched beyond the woods and found signs of their presence,” Poseidon began.

Hera thought she could smell something.

“And sure enough we found them in a small valley. Their leader was a beautiful example of the species.”

“I do not think that stallion likes you very much,” Hades warned jokingly.

“Oh my,” Demeter responded. “What did you do, Poseidon?”

“I am taming him, but he is unwilling,” Poseidon replied. He had told the truth, but he would leave out the other details until the horse’s new limbs looked much more impressive. “Presently he is tethered to a tree.”

“Of course our brother does not simply choose an easygoing mare,” Zeus said with a chuckle. He has to find the most beautiful and stubborn of the herd.”

“And why shouldn’t I?” Poseidon retorted. “What is the challenge in choosing an ‘easy-going mare’, as you put it?”

“Brother, I am allowing this… pastime of yours on the one condition that it does not distract you too much from our upcoming goal,” Zeus said, the humor gone from his voice. “Your first and foremost focus right now should be to prepare for battle.”

“Believe me, I have not forgotten,” Poseidon replied tersely. “How can I, when you remind me every other hour?”

Fearing that the discussion might soon progress into a full-blown argument, Hades was quick to place his hand atop Zeus’ to distract his brother from delivering another venomous reply.

“We all cope with the pressure in our own way,” he said, giving what he hoped was a disarming smile. “Our brother has always had an interest in horses, and trust me when I say that his current one will be very useful to us all.”

Zeus gave his betrothed mate a questioning glance. “What is it you speak of?” he asked.

“I only ask you to trust our brother’s judgment in this matter, that is all.”

The instigator in Zeus wanted to continue the argument, but a discord within their family would not benefit anyone, so he decided to concede. “Fine. But I expect results, Poseidon. Remember that.”

*

Poseidon went to check on his experiment early the following morning, and just as he’d hoped, the creature’s tiny budding wings had developed overnight. They were still far from being called actual wings, but perhaps in less time than a week…

If Zeus expects results, I will give exactly that! the god thought triumphantly, and already he envisioned himself mounted on the stallion’s back, galloping through the clouds with nothing but air below them.

*

“That is almost adorable,” Hades said hours later when he joined his younger brother to once again visit the animal. They had spent much of the day practicing with weapons; or rather Poseidon and Zeus had practiced while Hades watched from a distance. Hades had been allowed the chance to observe his brothers’ progress as long as he stayed far enough away that Zeus did not fear accidentally hurting him with a stray lightning bolt.

Following lunch, Hades accompanied Poseidon out to the field and found several of the stallion’s herd had returned. They had either casually come back to this familiar field or had missed their leader, and they did not bolt when the gods appeared, though they were very vigilant as they grazed nearby.

“Do you remember me?” Hades asked the stallion. Surprisingly, even in its unpleasant state of capture, the horse tolerated the eldest god’s hand against its fur.

“Perhaps we should let him go,” Hades suggested. “He should run with his herd. I suspect they miss one another.”

“Yes, I know,” Poseidon replied. “But what if he does not come back? He might hold a grudge for my tying him down.”

“Perhaps you should have put more faith in him to stay put on his own,” his older brother said, a sly twinkling in his green eyes.

“If we leave him tethered long enough, he might become used to it,” Poseidon said, though he knew in his heart that such a habit would only form after years of tethering, especially for this strong willed animal. “Give him a few more days. I will unleash him when he will test his wings.”


TBC...