L.A.8 per.2
Short Story
The pearly, white path that led up to Olympus was deathly silent. On a usual day satyrs and nymphs would be running around playing music and creating an elate atmosphere. Yet this was not a usual day, every nymph, satyr, and even the Three Graces were eagerly awaiting the outcome of the gods' meeting.
The three sons of Cronus (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades) had declared war. Zeus was enraged at his brothers and had ordered the other gods to choose sides in their war. The other gods were used to this kind of behavior and did not take his command seriously. That is, until, the palace walls started to crumble beneath the strength of Poseidon's rage.
"Brothers," Zeus bellowed, "I will not put up with your childish subterfuges any longer!" Zeus had stood up from his throne and had his lightning bolt in hand. In his full twenty foot godly form with the air crackling around him he looked very menacing. "Gods, choose your sides!" Zeus thundered, as he glared loathingly at his brothers.
"This is ridicules," Athena mumbled to Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. "Will you three just get along?" Athena questioned the three brothers while glaring severely at them. Athena, in the past, has always been able to get the brothers to stop fighting with each other just by glaring at them. Athena slowly stated to rise out of her throne only to be pulled back down by Artemis and Apollo.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Apollo whispered quietly to Athena. Apollo, for once in his existence, was being reasonable about something. Athena glared at Apollo's hand, which was still holding her down, like it was the most disgusting thing in the world.
"For once," Artemis whispered while glancing around the room," I agree with my twin." Artemis had always been the peacemaker of the group unless it came to a feud with her brother. Artemis glanced at the three brothers in their heated argument and sighed. "I think we should let them settle this on their own," Artemis mumbled to Athena and Apollo.
Suddenly, Hades whipped around from his argument and stormed out of the throne room. Zeus, then, started to glow so bright that the other gods had to shield their eyes. Poseidon just stood next to his throne and looked exasperated. The rest of the gods just sat in a stunned silence. They had never seen the trio look so unorganized.
Usually they would fight but at the end of the meeting they would only been slightly annoyed with each other. Now, it seemed that there would be a horrible, fatal war. Old feuds would be brought out, immortals would fade, and their demigod children would die.
Poseidon spoke quietly but powerfully, "We shall have a war. Please choose your sides," he said while glancing at Zeus. "Hades is in the underworld if you need him and I shall be at my palace in the sea if you need me. Please choose your sides wisely," he said while glancing at Athena. Poseidon, then, started to glow and disappeared, leaving the smell of the sea behind him.
"Choose your sides," Zeus ordered again, his tone filled with annoyance. "Choose them yourself or I will choose them for you," he threatened. He slowly looked around the room at the faces of his family. He realized, with a start, that they looked like deer in headlights. Well everyone except for Ares of course.
"I am on team Poseidon," Apollo said quietly, earning a glare from Zeus. Apollo shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"If Apollo is on his side so am I," Artemis stated ignoring they daggers Zeus was glaring at her.
"Well," Hermes started, "Hades tips well. So, I'm with him."Hermes had everyone staring at him in astonishment.
"I'm with Zeus," Athena announced." Sorry, Poseidon," she said to the empty throne, " old grudges die hard." Some of the other gods nodded their heads in agreement.
"I am with Poseidon," Dionysus said lazily. "He may not be my favorite god but at least he throws a good party every now and then." Everyone, even Ares, looked at him in amazement. Dionysus never participates in anything."What?" he asked testily.
"I'm with whomever Ares picks," Aphrodite announced to the whole room.
"I'm with Zeus," Ares stated. "He is most likely going to win," Ares explained, while glancing nervously at Poseidon's empty throne. Ares rarely picked a losing side and didn't want to start now.
"Then I am with Zeus, too," Aphrodite said matter-of-factly. "I don't want to fight against the god of war," She said will glancing worriedly toward Hephaestus, her husband.
"I'm with Poseidon," Hephaestus said while looking irritably at his wife. Hephaestus then shrugged his massive shoulders. "He works with my Cyclopes, and he lets me work in forges under the sea sometimes," Hephaestus explained with another shrug.
"Maybe if I side with my husband in this," Hera said while glancing accusingly at Zeus," he will learn to be more faithful!"
No one had noticed the iris messages that had popped up at the other side of the room and were startled to find two gods, which had left already, glaring at them. Hades and Poseidon had heard the whole conversation and weren't pleased at whom was on whose side. Hades looked like he might strangle anyone in his family. He practically had steam coming from his ears , he was so outraged at the sides.
"Only Hermes is on my side!" Hades bellowed in rage. "You all are fools! My brothers share a world between them while I have the whole Underworld to myself and you aren't on my side!" Hades was so outraged that the gods weren't sure if they were hearing his yelling from the iris message or from the Underworld. "We will see whose side you fools are on when I open up a fissure in the earth, let all the spirits pour out, and stop all deaths! The skeletons and spirits will roam the earth and you will be defeated!" he yelled while slashing through the iris message and breaking the connection.
"Don't worry," Poseidon said, " those skeletons are pretty much undeleterious," Poseidon said while still glaring at Zeus. "They can't harm us so who are they going to harm?" Poseidon questioned his family. Suddenly everyone remembered something, Hades had very few children that could be harmed or killed while all of them had a plethora to be harmed. "Oh no," Poseidon gasped.
"I suggest a temporary alliance," Zeus said, with a look of sullen resignation. "We can't risk our kids' lifes," he explained.
"Do you really think he would injure them just to spite us?" Aphrodite asked even though she already knew the answer. She looked around the room and saw the other gods shaking their heads with sullen conformation. "Well," Aphrodite started with new found rage in her tone, "if he dare injures one of my children the whole world will become his personal Tartus."
Everyone was so busy staring at Aphrodite nobody realized that Poseidon had broken the iris message and was siting leisurely in his throne. Poseidon cleared his throat loudly to get their attention. Poseidon had a look on his face that suggested he was as unhappy at the alliance as Zeus, but he wanted to protect his children.
"We can't just sit around and talk about protecting them we have to go out and do something," Poseidon said with a hint of plea in his tone.
The gods all sat back down in their thrones and awaited further instruction from the two brothers. The two brothers glanced at each other distastefully and Zeus motioned for Poseidon to lead the meeting. Poseidon was amazed by this fact since Zeus usually ran the meetings even though Zeus was Poseidon's younger brother. Zeus sat down in his throne and sighed quietly.
"Athena, will you please come up with a strategy?" Poseidon questioned. Athena nodded in agreement and Poseidon continued. "Apollo, please make sure all of our children are in the camps, since it is summer. It's the only safe place for them now," Poseidon announced quietly. Apollo nodded and disappeared, leaving to go make sure all of their camps and children were safe and secure. Poseidon announced the rest of the tasks and everyone began their jobs.
"Okay," Poseidon started at the next meeting later that day, "how are you coming along with your tasks?"He had addressed this question to no one particular and everyone stated to speak at once. Poseidon shook his head. "I mean, Apollo, how are your tasks coming along?" Poseidon questioned while turning in his throne to look at his nephew.
"I'm done," Apollo said. He noticed Poseidon had a look on his face that said continue with your report so he did. "All of our kids are safe and sound. I even got some younger kids so that way Hades couldn't use them against us," He said matter-of-factly.
"You got all of our kids?" Poseidon questioned, amazed that anyone could track down all of their kids.
"Sort of," Apollo said. Poseidon raised his eyebrows and Apollo explained. "Some of the parents wouldn't let their kids come, they said their kids were `too young`," Apollo shrugged his shoulders, "Couldn't do much to change their minds. Hope the kids will be okay."
"Thank you, Apollo," Poseidon said. "Athena, what about the strategy?" Poseidon questioned while turning to look at her.
Athena glared at Poseidon for a moment before answering. "The strategy is coming along just fine," she said haughtily. "No matter what angle Hades tries to play we will be ready," Athena stated pride fully.
"Thank you, Athena," Poseidon said stiffly before turning back in his throne so that he sat facing forward again. Poseidon questioned everyone and, luckily, got good news from everyone. "It sounds like we are re- Where's Hermes?" Poseidon asked suddenly, just noticing Hermes was not in his throne.
"Guess he actually is sticking with Hades," Apollo said sadly. "That's too bad. I don't want my brother getting hurt," Apollo said looking questioningly at Poseidon.
"The only thing that will be injured," Poseidon said reassuringly, "will be their huge prides."
"First," Athena said with urgency in her voice, "let's contact Hades through an iris message and see if he will call off this frivolous war." She glanced at the gods' expression and found that even Ares was nodding in agreement.
"Well," Zeus said later on, "that didn't go too smoothly." The conversation had been a disaster and had only made the brothers more made at one and other.
Suddenly, there was a deafening boom. The whole earth and sky seemed to shake with Hades' rage. The gods stood up simaltanisly and started to stride out of the room together.
"Don't give up! No matter what happens," Poseidon ordered, although everyone knew he was just as nervous as they were. "Remember we can't die but our kids can. Let's try not to involve them unless absolutely necessary." The gods nodded in agreement, transformed into their battle armor, and prepared themselves for the worst.
As they walked down that pearly, white path, they looked over the New York City landscape. They let no emotion show as they turned from the chaotic scene. They increased their pace as they hurried toward the stairs down to the city, their faces starting to show conser as they got closer and closer. They composed their faces into emotionless masks as they walked out the exit and into the face of their enemy.
