Chương 8: Chapter 8

Miles south of the mountain, Cronus waited seated upon his throne.

It was a golden chair made of sandstone and precious metals. My scythe was in my hand. It was a 9 foot black rod that was connected to a large silver crescent. I could change the size and basic shape of the rod, but the crescent would never bend. Rhea stood at his side. I had officially removed her throne, but I had decided to punish her even more. He knew she hated him, and now she had to spend. Every. Single. Day. Just standing at my side.

Her cheeks were hollow and her eyes were covered in purple bandages, stained with her blood. Over a month ago, when I found out the treacherous woman had tricked me into eating a fake while one of my sons escaped, came back, freed his siblings, and declared war on me, I instantly chased after Rhea.

I had found her in a cave, writing on a papyrus scroll when I strolled in. She had fallen off her stool and began to crawl backwards as tears began to fall from her eyes. Before she could go back any further, she bumped into the armoured legs of Hyperion who smiled down at her.

He grabbed under her arms and lifted her up as she started kicking, yelling and sobbing for mercy. I only gave her a sadistic smile and pointed at the table. Two other titans walked in behind me. The male, Atlas cleared off the table and grabbed Rhea's kicking legs before he and Hyperion pinned her to the table.

"Cronus please! I was only-" She started before I reached into her mouth and grabbed her tongue.

"I don't want to hear anything you have to say!" I roared and cut off her tongue with my sickle. Her pupils dilated as blood filled her mouth and she tried not to choke. "Since you wanted to see your children overthrow me so bad, I'll make it so you'll never see again!" I dropped my sickle before closing my hands through her closed eyelids, and grabbed her eyeballs. I promptly ripped them out and crushed them. "Ok Hecate, cast the spells."

The titaness walked up from behind me and held her hand over Rhea as black and yellow smoke seeped from her hand and invaded Rhea's body. The first spell was to stop the bleeding and the second was a spell to completely stop the body's regeneration, making any damage permanent. Hecate had no remorse or pity in her eyes, just boredom. She's done worse and that's why I liked her.

I picked up my sickle and nodded at Hyperion and Atlas. They let the woman go and she rolled to her side and coughed out the blood. I tied ropes under her arms and connected it to the back of my wolf drawn chariot, and rode back to my palace while dragging her behind me. It was long and satisfying. And as a plus, it barely physically damaged her, allowing her to stand next to me.

I sat up in my throne as the doors opened and Hecate walked in. She was six and a half feet tall and wore a long, light purple chiton. Her deep violet hair was done in a mullet of sorts and she carried her paired torch in her hand. It was a foot long violet rod that split into two rods that curved out then up and held to red flames on disks. All over her waist and torch bearing bicep, were a large assortment of daggers. She bowed, balancing the torch perfectly up.

"I've finished the spell. We should leave immediately." I nodded and stood up. I followed Hecate out and we dashed to that wretched mountain. I could leave Rhea there. She couldn't kill herself and running would only bring her more torture. We stopped right at the base of the mountain to see my three sons training with what I assumed to be their weapons of power and the Cyclopes giving them pointers. They stopped when they saw us and walked up to the barrier.

"Come to gawk again Cronus. You won't find anything here." Zeus sneered. His eyes were still shut, but it looked as if he could see everything. His hair had also turned a snow white and was curly and long, just like my own.

"Ah my precious sons! And my brothers the Cyclopes. How I've missed you. Give me a hug." I sneered as Hecate rolled her eyes and sighed.

"We're no longer your sons. You can just call us the Olympians, the future kings of the world. After we chop your ugly face off your head!" Poseidon said grinning. My smile only grew.

"Aidoneus, Rhea misses you. You know, she made your favorite pomegranate juice. She wants to laugh and play in the woods with you just a little longer. Only a little longer." I said, repeating the words Rhea told me just before I ate the eleven year old Aidoneus. It was difficult as he struggled too much, so I went back to swallowing them as newborns and ignored Rhea's wishes.

Aidoneus stepped back before stumbling and falling on his butt. I laughed and Hecate smirked.

"How cute, but I have places to be." Hecate said as she began chanting. The flames on her torch turned a black and dark purple. She put it at the base of the barrier and it circled around it. "It's a strong wall. I'd say ten years before it falls. I wonder where the dirt mistresses is. I wonder if I can replicate this."

I put up my middle finger. And flew away. Zeus had done it and I assumed it was an insult of sorts. It felt fitting since he used it to part with me the last time I saw him. I needed to plan out my moves for the invasion I was going to do in ten years.

*********

"Hades, are you okay." I put down my lightning bolt and knelt down to look him in his eyes. They were filled with a deep sadness and rage, causing him to tear up. He locked eyes with me before shoving on his helmet and vanishing.

I looked back up at Poseidon whose hands were trembling as he clutched his trident. "I hate Cronus with every fiber of my being. Every time he shows up, he always runs his mouth." He sighed. "Let's end training until Hades is ready again." I nodded and looked over at the Cyclopes who tried to hide behind rocks the moment Cronus mentioned them. "Come on. Let's go."

We all walked back up and our faces made all the sound in the camp cease as everyone looked towards us. Demeter ran over. "What happened? Where's Hades" I shook my head.

"Somewhere on the mountain no doubt. Cronus came and had a few things to say."

Hestia frowned. "Aidoneus." She whispered. Poseidon stomped past us and into his tent. I rubbed my temples and sighed.

"Knowing Hades, he most likely won't do anything dumb like chasing after Cronus. He should return by tomorrow morning. If not, we'll search the mountain for him." We had already vetoed the idea of Hades attempting to assassinate Cronus. The titan was immortal, and Hades couldn't successfully subdue him and throw him in tartarus or something. We just weren't on his level yet. Finding him was also going to be difficult if not, impossible because of the Helm. He could only stay invisible for an hour before having to rest.

I walked into my tent and flopped on my bed. I didn't feel so empowered anymore. I rolled onto my back and took a deep breath. I wanted to give Hades some much needed alone time. Forcing him to bottle up his feelings would probably lead to our imprisonment if he exploded and rushed Cronus like a bloodthirsty idiot. I needed him to calm down and then I could talk to him before anything bad happened. Metis stepped into my tent and sighed. She sat down on my bed.

"When the nymphs saw Hades playing with Rhea on the beach, we had all thought Cronus regained some sense and stopped eating his kids. They say Rhea's sobs could be heard around the world. Even Oceanus was disgusted with him. He let them grow a strong relationship, only to swallow him as he cried out for his mother to help him and while she begged on her knees." Metis shivered. "Cronus really is a sadistic bastard." Her hair was becoming paler from staying away from her ocean for so long.

I only nodded. He was definitely the biggest, if not, THE biggest dick of all time. Poseidon wasn't taking it lightly either and neither was Hestia. While Demeter and Hera only seemed uncomfortable and pitied Hades, those two had completely different auras.

On one hand, Hestia had deep sadness and worry in her eyes, and I felt the entire camp physically drop a few degrees. She had been alive when Hades was swallowed and he most likely confided in her.

Poseidon on the other hand, was filled with fury and rage. The two of them already had that "serious older brother that looks after the playful younger brother" relationship and after training together and fighting Campe together, their bond had only grew. So when Poseidon saw that Cronus' words had clearly hurt Hades mentally, he wanted to repay the favour by hurting Cronus back physically.

I myself didn't know what to actually think. On one hand, I wanted to get Cronus back for what he had done but I also knew that at the moment, Hades needed us. All of us.

Metis laid down and put her head onto my chest. "A word of advice. Don't share words with Cronus. Everything about him is evil and I can recognize the magic eating the barrier. Hecate is not someone we can deal with lightly. You'll need a different strategy other than running in and stabbing and slashing."

I chuckled and fell asleep.

The next morning I grabbed Hestia and Poseidon and went out to search for Hades. While we were climbing to a new elevation Hestia finally broke the silence.

"Do you know why Hades changed his name."

I pulled myself up onto a platform before helping her up. "His name was Aidoneus before right. That's what Cronus said." I reached down and helped up Poseidon.

"Yeah. I was I'd say eighteen when the eleven year old Aidoneus fell into the acid with me." Hestia grew a sad smile. "My first worry was the fact some of it got into my mouth. Aidoneus had been crying and I consoled him and he told me everything. After a few years of listening to him calling him Aidoneus to the others and mocking Rhea with it, he asked me to call him Hades. When I asked why, he said it meant a place of departed spirits and went to sleep."

"You didn't need to come for me." Hades' voice said. I turned around and saw no one. "Oh, sorry." He deactivated his helm and appeared in front of me. I couldn't see his face behind the helmet. "I was on my way back. I've composed myself". Hestia gave him a long hug and we climbed back down.

Once we reached the camp, Hera and Demeter gave Hades a hug. "Guys, this isn't necess-"

I cut him off by hugging him too and right after Hestia and Poesidon joined in. Soon Metis joined the hug and followed by Amalthea and Gida. Then, even the Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires joined in.

"No guys, seriously. I can't breath."

"Shhh… this is important." Poseidon said and squeezed Hades even tighter despite his protests.