The wing was blowing throughout the clouds gently as the gods of the mountain felt themselves enjoying their time in the pleasurable company of one another. Smiling, and laughing, they rejoiced in their new creation of the world and the creatures among them, easily controlled by their wise knowledge and powers.
Among the gods, were Prometheus and his younger brother, Epimetheus who snickered at each other in spite, thinking of what they were going to do. They eyed each other tempting as they fixed their delicate robes and watched the other gods, namely, Aeolus, the god of all winds, Poseidon, ruler of the seas, and Hephaestus, god of the fires perform tricks with all three of their powers combined to impress Zeus and his beautiful wife Hera.
Hephaestus seemed to be in Epimetheus and Prometheus's particular interest. They gazed at him wildly, fantasying their own trick as they watched the balls of fire spin in his glowing hands in swift circles with the help of Aeolus's powerful wind.
Hades held back from the crowd, sitting upon his own creation of a black tethered chair, lined with skulls that dripped medicinally with the blood of the souls he had collected throughout the ages. He seemed to sulk dreadfully while relaxing within his seat, allowing his elbow to rest upon the arm of the forbidden chair, pulling his hand to him upwards to rest his head upon it. Near him, sat Morpheus, deep in slumber, his thoughts within his dreams darting from his head down through the clouds towards the new world to seduce their minds with his fantasies.
Despised by her own thoughts, Persephone sat backed to Hades chair, her body set in the same way as his own. Since their marriage she had begun to hate herself and it seemed to ruin the springs on the earth now, frosting them over in hate, despair for her unwilled marriage. Her once beautiful green dress that flowed to the earth and covered it with fresh grown vivid green grass, now spoiled brown, burning with her heart in distaste and disgust.
Zeus seemed to take no notice of the couple as they sat in darkness amongst themselves, hiding from the rest of the crowd. Hermes and Eros seemed delighted though, holding their heads high with bright smiles of joy and love as they stood proudly between Hera and Demeter, clapping in joy of the tricks. Hercules clapped happily from his crib next to Zeus, giggling uncontrollably at the site of the water that flowed in deep waves around the circling flames and Aphrodite looked onto him, smiling brightly as her golden blonde hair flew gently and swarmed around her figure with the little wind that Aeolus failed to control and fell towards the earth.
"Look, we have to wait" whispered Epimetheus secretly to his brother, trying to conceal his smile of interest at the flames that continue to spin. Prometheus through his arms to his chest, crossing them impatiently at this remark as he scowled in the mention of waiting.
"Wait, for what?!" he cried back to Epimetheus as he shot him a pleading look and then turned when their eyes met.
"Just. wait.." The brother begged as he raised his smooth peach glowing hand and motioned it down, signing to keep his voice down as he caught Zeus's eyes upon them in curiosity.
"Boys, please," Zeus began as he stood from his mighty throne and opened his arms in welcome, his voice booming from the ends of the wisp ping clouds as a smile crossed his face, a smile that said "I know you're hiding something". Despite the warning expression, the young gods ignored his smile and stood themselves from their seats within the clouds against the grand coloumns that rose farther into the heavens. They moved in closer to the gathering and all eyes turned on them, curiously in judge of why Zeus had suddenly called them.
Aeolus had cut his act, Poseidon and Hephaestus followed his action quickly, disintegrating their powers back into their bodies. Hera looked to Zeus for answers for the sudden interruption as Hercules's continuous giggles ceased.
The brothers approached the ruler and bowed their heads in respect to him, cutting all thoughts from their minds to hide all that they needed for that moment.
"You two seem more then live enough to enjoy this day, I feel that you boys may be left out if you sit back their with Hades and his grumpy self." Zeus coolly remarked as the group of gods and goddess broke into a furious laughter at Hades.
Hades seemed to mumbling something under his breath, but it was too low for any other to hear him. Disgusted, Hades removed himself from his chair that evaporated instantly and turned to his wife, Persephone, reaching down towards her. She did not seem to resist as he grabbed her wrist and tugged her upwards and they walked silently off towards the golden gates to return to the underworld.
Epimetheus and Prometheus joined with their laughter as they turned and watched Hades and Persephone disappear into the darkness but then quickly turned back to Zeus, felt they had served their purpose to his call and placed themselves next to Poseidon and Hephaestus.
Zeus seemed to allow this and replaced himself as well back into his seat, nodding in agreement to their decision, gracefully closing his eyes as he did so. His neatly combed white hair flowed to his next while his velvet shimmering white robe swept back into his seat carved from the clouds.
Hespera suddenly approached Zeus, nodding her dark sparkled diamond head at him in pardon.
"Please sir, it is time." She whispered as she rose herself up, her body glittering with the stars from heaven as her graceful body flowed with the darkness of the night.
"Of coarse, Hespera! Of coarse!" He bellowed as he stood from his seat and clapped his hands to regain the attention of the others. "I'm afraid I must end this party everyone, for night seems to have come and must cover our grand new world and newly created species of man. I welcome you all back here tomorrow when Eos wakes us all with the glorious golden sun to rejoice again as we watch this species flourish with our wonderful gifts of nature." He finished and Eos smiled to him, her body radiant with the rays of the sun. The gods all separately departed then, all bowing their heads as they sunk through the clouds and descended to their parts of the world for the long rest full night.
Swiftly, Hephaestus turned his movement towards the volcanoes that steamed high with smog and smoke from the intense lava that shifted silently within their bowels. Unknowingly though, the two young brothers, Epimetheus and Prometheus, silently fell closely behind the man as he continued to descend closer to his home.
"Now can we?" Prometheus asked, temptation rising in his voice as he gazed at burning waters below.
"Yes." Epimetheus whispered to him as Hephaestus disappeared into the fires, a smile crossing his face.
Quickly, Prometheus went into a dive towards the trees nearby that seemed torn and useless. Landing softly onto the ground, he darted his grand blue eyes to each side as he clipped a small branch from the dead tree and returned to his brother's side, his grin widening in excitement.
"You're turn!" he cried as he held out the branch to Epimetheus who instantly took it and dove towards the opened volcanoes and stopped before touching the red substance. Slowly, carefully, he dipped the dead stick into the ooze and then lifted it just as quickly as it burst into flames. Satisfied, he flew back to his brother and they both stared at one another evilly as their eyes narrowed as their smiles grew to their maximums.
"Let's go." Epimetheus told him, his voice deeper now, filled with temptation as they drove off towards the nearest cool mountains. The soft grudges of man were inside, they knew that sound all to well for they had watching the new species practically the entire day before the party, studying the beasts that were suppose to grow up and become them. They ravaged at their spoils from a recent hunt, slicing open the insides of the mammoth that they had taken down and it caused the brothers to recoil in distaste.
"This should help them." Prometheus remarked as he lowered his eyes to the burning branch but then something caught his eye, the branch was disappearing too fast, there was no way to keep it going.
"Epimetheus!" he cried as he pointed to the fire as it hit his brother's hand. In shock and pain, Epimetheus through down the stick as he brought his hand to his pale lips and held it there to ease the pain and to keep himself from shouting.
"Damn!" Prometheus started as he glanced down at the burnt twig as the fire quickly disappeared from the end as it hit the ground, "We need to try something else, carrying the fire from Hephaestus isn't working.this is the third time we've tried this and I was hoping this would be the last!" he finished, his voice filled with anger and disappointment as he turned his gaze away from the stick to the men.
"Well." Epimetheus started as he finally finished blowing the remains of his burnt hand to cool it, "I know another way, a faster one. but there is a risk, brother.."
"What risk could there possibly be that's to much for us?" Prometheus cried out, as he waved his arms upwards in discord.
"Zeus.." He whispered in answer and Prometheus stopped dead, his expression fading quickly into a dreadful face to his brother's solution.
"Z-Zeus? W-What does he have to do with this?" He asked, his voice low now, shaking in fear of the name spoken.
"His lightning.. We could conjure up a grand storm and send the lightning to man's nearby trees." He quickly informed him, taking his gaze from the ground, to the men, to the sky.
"Yes. yes, yes, yes!" Prometheus agreed, his expression returning without the slightest trace that he had thought the matter over for even but a second.
"You agree to these risks then?" Epimetheus asked warning, his voice tone as low as his brother's was when frightened.
"Yes, lets just do this now! I hate patient!" he shouted eagerly to his brother and shot his body up towards the heavens. Epimetheus nodded as he watched his brother disappear into the clouds and then quickly followed.
He caught sight of his brother within seconds, his feet dangling from below a shallow cloud, and he mimicked his brother by popping his head up next to his. They stared at the darken home of Zeus and his family, Hespera definitely had done her job by lighting the heavens up with her beautiful stars and velvet black skies that dimly lit the place enough to see where they were going. The two brothers slightly moved inward, pushing the clouds up passed their shoulders, their waist, and then, finally their feet. Cautious expression plastered onto their faces. Darting their eyes, they finally gave in deep sighs of relief to hear their masters asleep, including young Hercules, their deep snores filling the air, giving it the perfect thunder effect.
Grinning wickedly to one another, they raced to the opposite side of their home and quickly broke through the doors that kept Zeus's weapons hidden from his son.
There they stood, the golden rods that were bent into zigzagged shapes, the grand bolts of lightning that they had longed for. Prometheus made a move to reach for them but then suddenly stopped, his hand shaking in fear. Epimetheus looked to him confusion of his brother's act but then it finally hit him that he was scared of what Zeus might do if he found out. Smiling proudly at his older brother, he moved bravely passed him into the room, reached out and clutched the deadly weapon. It sparked in his hand in reaction but did not singe it, only glowed brighter in satisfaction, as if it were showing off to the others how it had been picked instead of them.
Feeling they had gotten what they needed, Epimetheus quickly turned and headed out of the room, and pointed to Prometheus to close the doors quietly to look as if nothing had been disturbed. The brothers finally turned to one another and smile again with utter satisfaction pouring upon their faces as they leapt from the clouds and headed towards the earth again.
The snores from Zeus and his son still boomed against the sky, faking the sounds of thunder. The brothers knew now they could not control the winds or the rain but feeling the thunder was enough to satisfy the curiosity of man, they descended farther upon them.
"Are you ready for this?" Epimetheus asked, as he eyed his brother as Prometheus nodded excitedly while his eyes widen, his hands pressed together against his chest as he stared down at the men circling the small batch of twigs, their mammoth spoils growing colder by the second.
Without thought, Epimetheus gripped the bolt tightly within his fist and drew back his arm as far as it could grow, and lunged it straight for the bundle of sticks, instantly igniting them into a fit of flames that danced wildly and scared off the men in a hurry. They scattered behind rocks quickly to hide in fear of the striking blast that echoed off the walls of the stone cold mountain. When the sound finally ceased the snoring had stopped, dropping their hearts instantly into their stomachs but then it seemed to restart and they reassured themselves safety as they took in several deep breathes and began to watch the men's reactions to their new weapon.
One man, finally crouched down and moved towards the burning sticks, fur from his hunts covering his cold body but kept a full stench as his odor filled both brother's noses, making them instantly recoil and throw their hands up to their faces. They winced from the smell but kept their eyes on him still as he slowly reached down and gripped the non-burning end of the stick and lifted it to his face. It seemed to delight the man, making him jump in joy as he drew it closer and closer to his face, seeming to now, really enjoy the warmth but then he pushes it against his face and through it to the ground, screaming in pain.
The brothers winced again at this reaction as if they had felt the pain themselves as they watched him double back and drop the fire into the ground, but then they started to chuckle amongst themselves in both amusement and pity for the man's mind. They became so wrapped up in their thoughts and humors that, they failed to notice that. the snoring had ceased.
It did not take long for Prometheus to notice this though. He quickly grabbed his younger brother's shoulder and shook it forcefully as he slapped his other hand over his mouth and stared up into the heavens, fear overtaking his body.
"Shhh. Zeus.." Prometheus whispered as they sulked back farther towards the ground in secret and complete fear now, trying to hide from the one that could destroy them. Prometheus kept his hand still upon his brother's lips, hushing them in total silence, but a roar broke it and a bolt of lightning shun forward and struck them both, but in a different matter. Epimetheus struggled heavily against the bolt as it seemed to tie around their bodies, latching them together as if they were hooked and about to be reeled in. Fighting to break free, Prometheus finally broke his muscled arm out of the bolt's grasp and ripped his brother free from it is clutches.
"PROMETHEUS!!! EPIMETHEUS!!!" Zeus cried out in a fit of fury as he rode down towards the two, shaking in anger and hatred. The brothers stood in shock, not moving an inch, completely devoured in their frighten stages, their mouths dropping as if wanting to scream, but no sound passed their lips. Their hair was ruffed up by the fuming wind that seemed to warm up quickly with each second that Zeus neared them. It was Epimetheus who finally broke out of his shock and ripped at his brother's arm and began to dive through the mountains, head first to break the wind faster for they knew, Aeolus, was deep in his slumber. They became desperate, looking for any way out of their misery that was soon to befall them, but could find no ail for it as they glanced around. They knew they were immortal, no thing on this earth could harm them, no sharp rock, nor dreaded animal could spear their hearts in a quick and painless death, no amount of water could fill their lungs and choke the air from their bodies, no fire was hot enough to melt their troubles away, it was all up to them, only to run.
They tugged on the mountain's side, pushing it forcefully to gain more speed to outrun their master. Nothing seemed to work though, for every thrust they made, he made double the speed, only seconds from them.
Earth was nearing them faster, they could both see the bottom that was littered with stones that jabbed up towards them. Hades would have loved to see them dive into them, only to be shot back up into Zeus's grasp. The idea would have surely thrilled him, watching a god die would be like getting to be in Zeus's place himself, for Hades for he would be able to control the dead god to do his bidding without problems anymore. They both dreaded to see that, but could think of nowhere else to go but down. Prometheus closed his eyes tightly as he pulled Epimetheus equally along side him, readying to strike the rocks. only a second from them. then. BOOM, it seemed as if they were hanging from a swinging rope.
Zeus had reached them, both hands clutched on the back of their long robes' necks', tugging hard back against them, inducing the tightly around their throats. They were dead, they knew it was coming, now all Zeus had to do was lift his hand and dispel their immortal bodies, cause them to be mortal again, and it would be over. Epimetheus could just imagine Hades and his wife pulling up a chair below them as they watched the three Fates gather around them with their life threads, just reading to cut them. Bracing themselves for this, they clutched their eyes tightly, let their arms hang lifeless beside their bodies and hung together in wait. but to their surprise. nothing happened.
Zeus was flaring with anger, they both knew it, there plan had gone through, but flawed at the end, failing to remember the sound the bolt made out of their excitement and temptation. They cringed as they hung but a sudden gasp of confusion was let off from the tip of their tongues as they were suddenly shot upwards, dragged by their robes into the clouds, their bodies being whipped by the wind in punishment. As quickly as they had started, they had stopped as well, landing on the soft clouds beneath their feet. Zeus finally let go of their robes and pushed them back so they both tripped and fell upon their backs.
"You!" Zeus cried at first pointing at the both of them, his finger leveled right inbetween them, "You! YOU! INFIDELLS!! How DARE you break upon the grounds of MY home! Steal the sacred bolts and strike them at man!! How DARE YOU GIVE THEM FIRE!! The ONLY one suited for that, is myself or Hephaestus to perform!! NOT YOU TWO!!! You have defined these grounds and stolen MY weapons that could prove as a COMPLETE danger to the ENTIRE WORLD!!" Zeus boomed, his nostrils flaring in rage as his fists shook violently as he glared down upon them, his eyes looking as if they were about to burst into flames themselves. They refrained from opening their mouths though Epimetheus did part his lips as if to speak but shut them instantly when he met eyes with Zeus.
"I can NOT undo what has been done! NOR is there ANY punishment equal to this crime that you have committed! However, I warn you now, I swear, there will be punishment someday soon to come for this heinous act! I will come to you with your punishment, and it shall be swift and vengeful!! Now GO! GO FROM MY SIGHT!!" He finished, throwing his arm up, pointing towards the ground. Both gods sunk into the gods and fell what seemed like, an eternity towards the ground, but finally struck it hard. There was no mark for their landing, but it stung none the less. For a few seconds, they stood and only stared back up into the heavens, wondering why Zeus did not just end it for them right there and then, but it seemed he wanted them to suffer a punishment worse then death.. What that was. they never wanted to find out.. Sulking back now, they both separated and broke into a run towards their homes, like frighten little mice that scurried to their holes, on opposite sides of the world, they vanished into the earth, hoping to sleep the night away and forget what had happened, especially wishing the same. for Zeus.
