บท 5: Chapter 5

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.