The Outcast
Chapter One: From the Cradle…
Thunder shook the ground, lightning illuminating the sky. The wind was strong enough to pull trees from the ground, and the sea itself churned. At every corner of the Greek world, everyone was thinking the same thing: The gods are angry. We must appease them. So they made offerings of wine, savory meats, and even animals, hoping the storm would let up.
Meanwhile, up on Mount Olympus, Zeus, god of the skies, sat on his throne, gnashing his teeth together. His head had been pounding all day, and nothing he did seemed to help. His fists made cracks on the arms of his throne, and when he yelled, the entire world shook.
"Brother, are you alright?" asked Hera, youngest of Kronos's daughters.* She was dressed in a flowing dress made of peacock feathers, a golden circlet on her brow.
"I am fine, sister," Zeus said through his teeth, closing his eyes tight. "It will pass—AHHH!" he yelled as another spasm of pain overcame him. Damn woman. His wife Metis must still be alive, then. He had swallowed her to prevent her from giving birth. The words of the Fates came back to him.
And from your union shall a son be born…
…and with him shall come a strength…
…great enough to cast you down and take all you hold dear.
No, Zeus had vowed, it shall not be, and turned his wife into a fly and swallowed her. Still, though, she continued to vex him. She had loved him, and he her, but the life of one Titaness was not worth that of the King of Olympus. Fates forgive me, he had thought when it was done. But I did what had to be done. Metis, my love, surely you would understand.
"No, you are not," said Demeter, goddess of the harvest, dressed in a yellow chiton. "Something must be done. You are clearly unwell."
"I agree," Hermes said from his throne. "Someone should take a look at your head, Father."
"Agreed," said Aphrodite. "I say we have Hephaestus examine you."
Murmurs of agreement came from the other gods, but Zeus slammed his fist down on his throne. "I SAID NO!" He took a deep breath, even though the banging in his head continued. "Forgive me, my family. I am…tired. Yes, perhaps a nap will do me good. If you will excuse me." He moved down from his throne and walked out of the Hall of the Gods, rubbing his temples.
All the Olympians watched him leave, anxious expressions on their faces.
"What do we do?" asked Hermes. "Fates know he can't continue on like this."
"I say we crack his head open and see what's inside," Ares said, crossing his arms.
"Hush now, Ares," said his mother Hera, swatting him with her hand.**
"Now, now, Hera," Aphrodite said, holding up her hand.
"What are you saying, Aphrodite?" Poseidon asked.
"I'm saying that we have Hephaestus split Zeus's head open while he sleeps. That way, we can remove whatever's annoying him and he can be back to normal."
"Will that work?" asked Demeter.
Aphrodite shrugged. "Perhaps. But even if it doesn't—do you still want Zeus to go on like this?"
The ground shook as another set of lightning bolts lit up the sky.
Poseidon cleared his throat. "Hephaestus should go through with it."
The smith god pulled his best hammer out of the satchel at his waist. "I'll need help."
"What do we need to do, brother?" Apollo asked.
"Just hold him down." He spun the hammer in his hands. "I can handle the rest."
-o-
Zeus was snoring loudly on his king-size bed. His massive bedroom was a sight to behold: golden walls and floor, reflective roof, dozens of couches and love seats, and large windows granting a breathtaking view of Mount Olympus.
The other Olympians gather round their king, each afraid what would happen when this was done. The wrath of their king was well known, especially to those who had been on the receiving end.
It wasn't until Poseidon, the mightiest of them, stepped forward that the others moved into action. Demeter, Hera, Hermes and Apollo took hold of his arms, while Poseidon, Ares, Artemis, and Dionysus took hold of his legs.
The king's eyes opened immediately. He began thrashing, trying to throw his attackers off. He very nearly freed himself, but the Olympians held him tight.
"Aphrodite," Hephaestus commanded, "hold his head still."
She intertwined her fingers through his hair and held him tight. Hephaestus held a stone chisel to his father's head and raised his hammer.
"Stop!" Zeus bellowed. "I command it. Release me this instant!"
"We cannot, brother," Poseidon said.
"You can, and you will!"
"Hold still, Father," Hephaestus said. "This will be over soon."
"Nooooooo!"
Hephaestus brought the hammer down.
A loud crack echoed through the room as Zeus let out a wail of pain so great it seemed to shake the world itself. A white light erupted from his head, engulfing the entire room.
When the light faded, the gathered Olympians saw two new figures among them—a woman with long brown hair dressed in golden armor, a spear and shield in her hands; and a man with short dark hair and shining eyes, dressed in black armor over white robes. He held no weapons, though his eyes showcased a dangerous glint.
"Greetings," said the woman, slamming the butt of her spear on the ground. "I am Athena, and this is my younger brother Meraxes."
He held up a hand. "What up?"
While Hephaestus moved to stitch up his father's head, the other Olympians moved to greet the new arrivals.
"How are you here?" asked Hermes.
"We were born from Zeus and the Titan Metis," Athena explained.
"Then it was you who were causing Lord Zeus so much pain," Hera said.
"Indeed," Meraxes said. "Though it was more Athena's doing than eyes. The old man's head was so empty I had plenty of room." He laughed, and the other gods laughed with him, though much quieter; it was dangerous to mock their king, even when incapacitated.
"It is a pleasure to meet you," Apollo said. "I am Apollo, and this is my twin Artemis."
"The pleasure is all ours, though I'm afraid you are much less impressive than my sister and I. You have your looks, at least." This time laughing was much easier.
"I like him," said another god.
"And who might you be, friend?"
"Ares, god of war."
As the introductions continued, Hephaestus finished stitching his father's head back together. Groaning, the king rose to his feet. When the newest gods noticed, they knelt before their sire.
"Father," said Athena. "It is an honor. I am Athena, and this is Meraxes."
Zeus didn't hear her. All he heard was the words of the Fates, echoing in his head.
…great enough to cast you down and take all you hold dear.
He had tried to prevent the prophecy once; now there was no choice but to do so again. "Seize him!" he commanded, pointing at his son.
Meraxes looked up, confused. "My lord?"
"I said seize him!" Zeus said again, and this time the gods listened. Apollo and Ares grabbed him by the arms and shoved him roughly to the ground, causing Meraxes to cry out in pain.
"What is the meaning of this?" Athena demanded.
"The Fates have decreed that this boy shall cause the downfall of Olympus," Zeus said. "I cannot allow that."
"What? No, never. Father, please, listen to reason. Athena, dear sister, you must not believe this madness. You know me, you know I would never—"
"Silence!" Zeus said. He turned to Athena. "The Fates themselves decreed your brother would destroy us all. Are you willing to take that risk?"
"I…" She turned to her brother, hesitated, then lowered her spear. "I am not."
Something within Meraxes cracked. "Athena…?"
"Stand back," Zeus commanded, and all but Apollo and Ares moved aside. The Master Bolt appeared within his hands; he raised it over his head. "In the name of Olympus and the gods of Greece, I Zeus, king of gods, cast you into the deepest part of Tartarus."
"Sister, please!"
Athena turned away.
Zeus threw the lightning bolt. It struck Meraxes square in the chest, and scattered his essence, banishing him from Olympus. When the light faded, Zeus moved to his newest daughter, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I know you have made a difficult choice today, my daughter, but for your loyalty I would name you as the goddess of wisdom, and welcome you into our hall as the twelfth Olympian. Will you accept?"
For a moment Athena was stunned. Then she smiled.
"Yes, Father. Thank you."
-o-
Deep in the pits of Tartarus, suspended over the void of Chaos itself in a black metal cage so small his limbs were contorted in agony, hung Meraxes, his skin singed and peeling off, revealing the muscle and nerves beneath. Ichor flowed down his body where the metal chafed at him, and his wrists were held together by stygian iron shackles that dug into his wrists by twelve long black nails, six per arm. The air was acidic and caused each breath to be labored and full of excruciating pain. He was naked in the cage, his armor stripped from him. His hair was matted with sweat and ichor, and he was crying tears of golden blood.
"Help me," he sobbed, throat tightening from the pain. "Please, somebody help me!" he shouted, desperate for help from anyone. "ATHENAAAAAAAAA!"
* Before Zeus married Hera, he was married to the Titaness Metis. After he swallowed (and killed?) her, he married Themis, Titaness of Divine Order and Justice, though they later divorced. Then he married Hera.
** Greek mythology's timeline is—shall we say—messy. There's no clear timeline or order of events. Because of that, some events don't really make sense in relation with other events. Needless to say, even though Zeus and Hera weren't married at the time, in this story they still had kids. Ares and Hephaestus were born out of wedlock while Zeus and Metis were together. It was only after Metis and Themis were out of the way that Zeus married Hera.
A/N: If this seems a little short, I apologize. The reason it's so short is because there's going to be a massive time skip between this chapter and the next one, and I didn't feel comfortable having the narrative shift so abruptly in the same chapter. Not to worry, the next chapter will be up in a week or so, so don't fret.
Reviews are always welcome, see you later.
Bye!