The next morning, after eating a breakfast of milk, which was completely different from Gida's whose milk was more like a white strawberry milkshake, my favorite drink. But this milk was bland. Like regular milk. "What is this?" I asked, almost throwing away the glass but stopped realizing that was ungrateful.
Poseidon also looked at his cup with distaste. "I liked Gida's milk better." Hestia just smiled and took another sip.
"I think it's fine, but Gida's milk was tangier." Hera nodded. Hades took a bite out of his piece of bread, swallowed it, then spoke.
"It was probably enchanted to match your interests, mine was almost like the strawberry Metis gave me."
"Metis gave you a strawberry?" I asked. I literally never caught them "hanging out" together. They only talked business. Hades just shrugged.
For the first time ever, Hestia downed her drink. "Come on! I want to see the farmer's baby!" Hera smiled and also gulped her drink down before almost choking. I smiled and she blushed then hurried out the door.
Hestia laughed out loud while following her out. Demeter handed Hades the rest of her drink before hurrying after the other girls. Hades and Poseidon were able to successfully drink their milk in one go.
"Poseidon, teach Hades how to stretch while I get us some weapons to train with." I walked out while Poseidon showed his older brother how to crack his knuckles, not at all what I taught him.
The village was small and it was easy to find the blacksmith. It was the only two story building and the only one made of stone. The inside was filled with the smell of smoke, which now that I thought about it was weird since Prometheus shouldn't have given them fire yet. So how did they bake bread and forge?
What was weirder was that there was no fire or lava. The man just whispered a short prayer and the blade would heat up before he hammered it. "Just take whatever you need," he said before I could ask. I just shrugged and grabbed two dories, two kopides, two xiphoses, and three holphons.
I said hi to everyone while lugging the heavy equipment back to our house. Going through the building, I met them in the backyard. It was a large square with an oak tree in the center. Lining the sides of the yard, was a four foot tall fence composed of stone bricks.
I set the weapons down and we began to train. Poseidon and I stuck to our spears and xiphoses while Hades opted for a more barbaric approach, teaching himself to dual wield the kopides and use the holophon. I taught them how to read the movements of the enemy, when and how to parry successfully, taught them how to be lighter on their feet and when to brace and try to redirect the force while blocking.
While they beat up the poor tree I practiced using my All Seeing eyes of God. I was trying to maximize the amount of time I could use them. It would always start to hurt after thirty minutes. Sparing against Hades and Poseidon was basically just me on the defence while I read their movements with my eyes. Not that I needed them. I was already pretty good at reading the movements of others. Plus, as amateurs, their attacks were pretty telegraphed, so I didn't really need to use them other than to just get used to them. Poseidon was almost able to pull a feint on me but only thanks to the eyes I was able to block it.
"Not bad" I said, closing my eyes.
"This isn't fair," Poseidon panted. "I worked on that all night. When do I get glowy eyes that let me see everything like you?" Hades nodded in agreement and I laughed.
"Sorry man. This is unique to me."
"Hades you spar with me instead, he's looking down on me." Poseidon readied his xiphos while Hades fastened his shield and clutched his Kopid. I instead grabbed my spear and aimed at a flock of birds in the trees. I didn't know how to activate Absolue Attack or Absolute evasion.
I had tried envisioning the spear following the birds, locking onto one and commanding it to follow, attack, chase etc. I even tried saying them aloud which luckily didn't work. It'd be lame to have to say it in battle all the time. I supposed I had to wait for the powers to "awaken" while I was in danger. I had to trust those beings. They got everything else right. Why not this. I decided to try a different skill and opened my eyes before launching my spear at the now relaxed birds who moved only a little farther away.
Just as they took off I began messing with their own vision. Making random obstacles appear, other birds disappear, and scrambling up their vision. The birds looked like they were possessed by a demon. They ran into each other, veered out of the way of nothing, and when some tried to land, I made it seem as if they were high in the sky.
Petah would not be happy.
Every night, they'd finish sore and tired, and I was mentally exhausted. The girls however, returned laughing and relaxed. On the third day Demeter made a surprisingly bold claim during breakfast.
"All this training you boys do. I bet I could beat one of you no problem." Poseidon spit up his water and began to laugh. Hades' face only grew more serious and mine was filled with surprise before I smiled.
"I assume you can back that claim up? Since sparring with me would be unfair, you can spar with Hades." Demeter smiled like she had a plan up her sleeve. When we reached the yard, Hades readied only his sword and Demeter grabbed a sickle.
After a brief standoff, Hades charged forward before tripping and falling on his face. "The hell?" He asked before his arms and legs were completely wrapped in surprisingly strong grass. "What is this?"
"Just a cool trick I learned," Demeter said while twirling the sickle in her hand. She had opted to tie her hair in a bun, leaving Hera and Hades the only ones with their hair flowing freely past their shoulders. Hestia kept her hair in a high ponytail.
"Ugh, that's not fair." Hades complained. The grass returned to it's normal length. Hades stood and clutched his nose. "I thought we were going to fight with weapons, not magic? How did you do that."
"The farmer always did a prayer to Cronus and his wheat would grow. But I refused to pray to him so I tried to coax it to grow myself. And as long as I have a farming tool in my hand, I could manipulate the plants as I liked."
"Woah," Poseidon said. "It's like Zeus' weird eye powers, you think we'll all get one? If so, I want to fly. Wait no I can already do that. How about teleport?"
I supposed their divinities were awakening. As the goddess of farming, naturally, Demeter would be able to control plants. I noticed the house felt cozier and warmer whenever Hestia was in the building. As the goddess of hearth and home, naturally, she should make the place feel safer. Or at least trick your body into feeling safe because I knew, she would sadly be useless in a fight.
I supposed Hera, as the goddess of marriage, family, and childbirth, would unlock her divinity during a marriage or while someone was giving birth. Poseidon was the god of the ocean only after the titan war, but he was still able to cause massive earthquakes.
Hades was a special case though. I couldn't remember any significant powers of his other than an overseer and king of the underworld. He would get invisibility from the Helm of Darkness. I also remembered him being the god of riches and precious metals, so maybe he'd get something similar to ferromancy.
"Well look what I can do," Poseidon scoffed before transforming into a light brown horse with a black mane. "Made it myself, it's a fast donkey!" He puffed his chest out proudly before gracefully trotting around us. "Can't look like this now can you?"
Hera smiled before turning into a sky blue peacock. She flashed her multi-colored tail with what looked like eyes on them. "I think I'm prettier!"
Hestia and Demeter were figuring out who to pick. The majestic "fast donkey" or the beautiful peacock. Hades just shrugged before turning into a small black puppy with large ears and big blue eyes.
"Awwwwww," Hestia said, picking him up and hugging him. "Who knew the tall, bony, gloomy Hades could turn into something so small, fluffy and cute." Demeter joined in and couldn't stop petting him. "See," he said, ignoring the obvious insults. "Easy." Poseidon turned back into his human form.
"True, everybody does like cute puppies."
"But that's so uncreative!" Poseidon argued.
"But it worked. Unlike your 'fast donkey.'"
"I'm calling it a horse. At least I was original."
Before Hera could also argue Hestia shushed everybody. "Don't you see me trying to cuddle."
Demeter laughed before going with Hera to pick up dinner. Hestia wouldn't allow Hades to return back to normal and kept rubbing him against her face while Poseidon took out his frustrations on the tree. I decided to keep practicing with my eyes. We had arrived here just under a month ago, and I was able to keep my eyes active for a whole two hours before feeling discomfort. The headache would also take longer to build up, and it would recede after a minute of rest.
Once I opened my eyes everything froze and a tall woman appeared in front of me. "Zeus, I am Gaea, Mother Earth and your grandmother."
"Do you need something?" I asked while backing up. She was about eight feet tall and her forest green hair which was filled with twigs, leaves, bark, and grass, flowed down to her waist. She wore a simple golden circlet just above her eyebrows. She wore a long, brown silk gown and was barefoot. Her brown eyes, the color of fertilized dirt, seemed endless and all knowing. She looked down at me and smiled like she had found something she had been looking for.
"I had Cronus, your father, overthrow Oaranus when he had thrown the Cyclopes and Hecatonchires into Tartarus because of their deformities. I wanted Cronus to free them but the foolish boy refused and turned into the spitting image of his father. I had tried to threaten him, but he thought he could outsmart me and just eat his own children." Gaea sighed and shook her head with disappointment. "So I had Rhea save you so you could free your siblings, and your uncles in the pit. Together you will overthrow Cronus and you are free to do as you wish. But you must leave Cronus alive."
I didn't know how to react. I knew I had to free the Cyclopes and Hecatonchires. They were simply too useful. But I didn't know about this leaving Cronus alive. The primordial in front of me would most likely be mad if I imprisoned him, but I didn't remember any myths of the Olympians being overthrown, so I just had to be careful.
"Just draw a circle with a 'T' in the middle to open a gateway to the pit," Gaea explained. "But be warned. It will most definitely alert Cronus and while the Titans themselves would never enter Tartarus, they would absolutely set up an ambush, so be quick and make sure to have a means to escape. The gatekeeper is the blackwinged nymph of Tartarus, Campe. A hard fight, yes, but I believe in your strength. When you exit. Head for a mountain which I will mark for you. I will bless it so it will keep you safe for only 10 years. A map appeared and she highlighted a mountain a little further up north from where we were. "You must do it in the next week or Cronus will notice the mountain he can't touch. Good luck, and remember what I said." The Earth Mother turned into green leaves and fluttered away in the wind.
The sounds around me started up again as time continued playing. I had to fight Campe sooner than I had wanted to.
I looked at the puppy Hades and the training Poseidon. But unlike in the myths, I didn't have to do it alone.
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During our dinner of roasted quail, bread and water, I explained everything Gaea told me. And even the usually carefree Poseidon and Hestia lost their smiles.
"Hades, Poseidon. I want you two to come with me. I'm going to need your help defeating Campe." Poseidon nodded and Hades' frown grew even deeper.
"Our uncles in Tartarus are no doubt weaker after spending so much time in that hell hole. And if it's true the Titans will set up an ambush, how will we escape? The underworld isn't an option because traveling there is unreliable and there is a titaness there named Hecate who can use all sorts of spells." Poseidon nodded in agreement.
"We'll have to distract them. I've already sent a message to Metis to try and cause some mischief in Oceanus' kingdom. And all we have to do is reach this mountain." I pulled out the map and pointed at the mountain Gaea highlighted.
"Well then," Demeter said. "You'd need somewhere hard to get to for the titans, but close enough to make a beeline to the mountain. It's that or you have to fight your way out."
"If you were alone, it could have worked, but since you have to lug the Cyclopes and Hecatonchires, you can't just shapeshift and leave them." Hestia scratched her hair while trying to think.
"Don't worry," I said, I have a plan. "You girls will be spreading seeds around our gateway, and if the titans show up. It's going to be your job to create a forest for us to escape." Demeter nodded with her eyes full of determination.
"After You two plant the seeds, I want you to wait for us at the mountain. Scout the area and see if there is anything useful there." Hestia and Hera nodded, understanding they didn't have any useful abilities yet.
Poseidon shook his head. "Do we have a time limit in there, cause we may need to rest. While the nymph wouldn't be as strong as Cronus, it will still be a challenge. We could be severely injured and/or incapitated."
"Gaea, the earth mother has tasked us to do this." Hera said, putting her hand on Poseidon's shoulder. "She wouldn't give you something out of your league. And I, no, we all believe in your strength."
Hestia smiled, "yea, what happened to all that talk about being named the titan killer?" Poseidon blushed and scratched his head.
"Maybe later."
Someone knocked on the door and Hestia opened it before smiling. "Guess who's back." Metis walked in and immediately gave everyone a hug. "Sorry I couldn't return earlier, Oceanus is now paranoid and essentially scared of his daughters. Which is why I can't do what you asked. He isn't letting anyone near him. So you'll just have to set up your gateway away from any water."
I nodded, it should be fine with our new plan. Unless he could take water out of plants we would be fine. "Metis, I want you to stay here with us for now. Gaea has set up an area for us to breath. It's this mountain." I showed her the map.
"Hmm, that wasn't there before. But if Gaea is helping, then there shouldn't be a problem with it. Gaea is a few things, but no liar. So when do you plan to start this operation?"
"In three days. Demeter needs to practice a bit more and I have a few things I need to get ready. Oh and Hestia. I want to try something with you."
I had Demeter and Hades go into the woods, to practice Demeter's abilities and collect dry wood. The rest of us helped me build something in the living room.
After only a few hours. We had a fireplace and a chimney. When Hades and Demeter returned with the wood, I set them down in the fireplace, and with the flint Metis brought me, lit it aflame.
"Whoa," Poseidon asked. "What is that?" I only smirked and looked at Hestia.
"You want me to get in that thing?" She asked and I nodded. Bracing herself, she climbed in. "Wow, this is actually kinda-" She immediately fell asleep.
Hades raised an eyebrow at me. "What is that?"
"It's called fire. Gaea mentioned it to me." I lied. I never should have seen it before, but somehow, I was able to build this entire fireplace for it. Poseidon reached in and quickly pulled his hand back.
"The hell! How do you sleep in that?" Hestia just snored over him. I clapped my hands together. "Let's follow her lead and get some rest. We have work to do.
The next day, I had Hestia meditate in the fire until she felt something. Hades and Poseidon traveled into the woods to fight animals and train Demeter's powers. Hera and Metis traveled around to find a good place to set up the gateway.
I worked tirelessly to activate my Absolute Attack and Evasion, and tried to master my eyes. While I was testing my eyes on a group of bears, Hestia ran up to me. "Zeus you should come see this." I followed her back to the house. She pointed at the fireplace.
Instead of the red and yellow flames that were there previously, there were now red, almost pink flames that were burning without wood. I grabbed a bucket of water and threw it on the flames but they instantly evaporated.
I also noticed that I felt invigorated the moment I stepped in the building. Hestia reached out and the fire immediately grew smaller. "I don't know what it is, but I can only use it in this fireplace." I nodded. I had initially hoped that she could use it in battle, but I supposed as the goddess of hearth, home, and family, It would only work in a place she felt comfortable and safe. Although it wasn't exactly what I had hoped.
"Don't worry," I said, noticing her embarrassment. "This is still helpful. The flames make the entire building an area that gives me strength." The red flames turned to a sea green as Hestia sighed.
The flames also seemed to mirror her emotions. That rose red fire was most likely embarrassment, and the sea green must have been relief.
"Good to know." She said as she sat on a chair. "I'm just going to relax here."
"Not in the fire?"
She shrugged and slipped into the fireplace before taking a nap as the fire turned into a calming blue color.
I sat at the table and poured myself a glass of milk. As Poseidon, Hades and Demeter walked in.
"Oh. What's this." Poseidon said. He took a deep breath. "We came back 'cause we were getting exhausted, but might as well head back out."
Demeter looked at the blue fire. "Is Hestia doing this?" I nodded.
"It's her power. She can make anywhere she feels at home into a fountain that helps those inside."
"That will be useful indeed," Hades said. "But now I feel like taking a nap." Poseidon yawned.
"You said it. It's already almost sunset, I'll just wake up earlier tomorrow. Night." He walked to the bedroom and closed the door.
"I'll bathe first, then I'll sleep." Hades said and Demeter nodded in agreement.
I waited on the sofa for a few more hours until Hera and Metis walked in, panting. Their breathing quickly became regulated as they were filled with energy.
"It's Hestia's power," I answered before they could ask. Metis nodded in appreciation and I could see a twinge of jealousy in Hera's eyes. "What did you guys find?" I asked.
Hera cleared her throat. "The mountain is basically on a peninsula, and is surrounded on three sides by the South Sea."
"So we looked inland and were able to find a perfect place to put the gate." Metis finished. I pulled out the map and she pointed to what would be the center of North Macedonia. "Sadly though, Oceanus will most likely still be in that fight."
"It's fine. We're not going to be fighting them anyways. We just need to run. Did you find anything else?"
Hera nodded. "We went to check on Amalthea and Gida, and they accepted a place on the mountain." I nodded. I missed Gida. She was the G.O.A.T.
"You two get some rest," Metis said. "I need to rest in an ocean." Hera smiled at her.
"Good night."
"Night." Metis walked out the door, leaving Hera an I alone. Hestia's soft snoring was all we could hear.
I got up and stretched. "Good night."
"Wait Zeus. D-do you think I'll get a useful power?" I smiled to give her some reassurance. "Of course. We're all useful in our own way. And I think you're already pretty important. To our plans, our family, and especially me."
Hera began to blush furiously. "Good night!" She said before rushing to the girls room and shutting the door. I chuckled and walked to the boys room. Poseidon was sprawled on the bed as usual and Hades slept flat on his back with his hands folded over his stomach. If not for the rhythmic rising and falling of his chest, I'd think he was a corpse.
I layed down on my own bed. Tomorrow I wanted to set everything up and the day after enter Tartarus. I went to sleep and dreamed of my lightning.
All six of us traveled to the location of the gate disguised as mocking jays. We landed in a grassland.
Metis was already waiting, and sitting on a rock with a large sack next to her. "Took you guys long enough."
"What's that?" Hestia pointed at the sack.
"Oh, some forest nymphs decided to help me out and gifted me a ton of seeds. And now we're going to spread them around."
We each grabbed seeds and began planting them all over the place. By the end of the day, we covered an area with an 18 mile diameter with the seeds. We had also met the nymphs that agreed to help Demeter grow the trees once we needed it. We returned to the village and prepared everything we needed.
After resting till sunrise, we went back to the site and readied ourselves. Poseidon, Hades, and I each had on a bronze chestplate over our chiton, and leather sandals. Poseidon and I had our shields strapped in our left hands and our spears in our right, with the xiphoses strapped to our belts Hades clutched both his Kopides in his hands and had the spear strapped to his back. He opted to not take a shield as he found it hard to balance.
"Good luck, and you better survive. Or I'll kill you. You should have about 3 hours before the titans can group here." Metis said then she hugged me and gave me a kiss.
"I'll help too if you don't return" Hera said. After saying our goodbyes I drew the rune Gaea showed me in the dirt.
A pulse of energy was sent out as the ground crumbled away to reveal a staircase going down. I nodded to my brothers and we started down.
The air smelled of sulfur, fire, rotting flesh, and blood. Nothing too bad. After going down for a few more minutes we reached Tartarus.
It was a vast wasteland with multiple caves that were probably where the prisoners were. The ground was a maroon rock, and the sky full of red clouds as if they could rain blood at any moment. I had to guess the cave the Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires was the one being guarded. After giving Poseidon and Hades a thumbs up, we walked over to see a charcoal black skinned woman with red eyes. She wore nothing but a cloth around her breasts. We immediately got into our battle stances. The woman smiled and grew in size.
Her giant form, from the chest to the parting-point of the thighs, was covered all over with a bastard shape of hard sea-monsters' scales. She reached a shoulder height of about 13 feet. The claws of her wide-scattering hands were curved like a crook talon sickle. Her scorpion tail rose high over her throat. It had a sharp whetted sting and it coiled and curled on itself. She rose writhing, and flew off the ground, and flapping a couple of dusky wings, rousing tempests and arming gales. She was the blackwinged nymphe of Tartarus.
"I am Campe! Cronus told me to watch out for you. You know, I've never gotten a taste of golden ichor, would you be so kind as to share a few gallons?" She flashed her black fangs. In response we charged and she sighed. "Guess I'll just have to kill you for it." She flapped her wing and we were blasted away into different directions. I instantly rolled to my feet and slid back a few meters to see the nymph charging at me.
Y’all know what to do, leave a comment and or review. Peace ✌️
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