Category: Greek Mythology
Rating: M
Couples: Athena/?, Hephaestus/OC
Warnings: AU (OOCness for some of the gods at times), Hints of Lemon, Blood: read Torture (but nothing graphic), Character Death
Chapter: 9
Copyright: Greek Gods © By Whomever they belong, Plot & OC´s © by me
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The Titans claimed the Underworld openly soon thereafter. The three children of Zeus stood alongside of Kronos as he burst from their uncle's domain with his army at his heels.
Apollo and Artemis had always been hunters, but now they no longer merely sought to kill animals: being a priest of almost all Olympians became a death-sentence as the Twins of Leto now hunted those loyal to their father.
Ares did not join in their hunts: he remained at his grandfather's side. The golden snake was a constant companion of the God of War, resting over his shoulders. She seemed to have salvaged Athena's wisdom, allowing him to become a dangerous strategist in the upcoming war.
Kronos was thrilled at the loyalty the three displayed towards him, going so far as to downright attack any family-members that came close. He taught them a greater control of their powers, which they absorbed like a desert does the rain.
The eight remaining Olympians remained together, forming a united front against the Titans. But Artemis had spoken truly: most of them were useless in battle. Unlike what Apollo had said however, Zeus' sisters were not. They protected the priests the Twins hunted and had driven them to flight several times.
Zeus himself still spend all his time in his rooms, only leaving them for short visits with his brother Hades. He lost weight, becoming a pathetic shell of the god who had once confronted Typhon head-on.
Hades remained bed-bound: without Apollo's healing-powers it would take him years to recover fully from the wounds Ares had dealt him. He had told no one about the discrepancies he had noticed while being a prisoner in his own realm. Conversations Apollo and Ares had had when they believed him to be unconscious. Apollo healing him at times, still effectively taking years of his recovery and ensuring that the damage would not handicap him permanently.
He told no one that the golden snake who had become Ares' companion had visited him several times, energy transferring between the two to ensure his continued endurance. Her silver eyes had stared at him for hours at a time, reminding him so much of Athena's that it hurt. At first he believed it to be a new torture, but over time he realized it was her way to comfort him. That made it even worse.
He had felt the residue of Athena's powers in the snake and over time the room had been permeated by it. No wonder her siblings stayed with Kronos even when their anger had been cooled: the snake was a constant reminder of what had driven them away from their family in the first place.
But then again, the conversations implied something else, something deeper behind this entire war. 'Her will' is what they had been talking about the entire time. 'Our oaths' was something that had popped up more than once. 'The prophecy' had also been talked about. At least he had a hint of what that prophecy was: Athena's.
But the oaths? The will of an unknown woman? He had no idea what those were. Was it Athena's will? But why would she want this? She was loyal to her father, down to a fault. Why would she want war like this upon him?
And if it wasn't her, who could draw them away like this from their family? Who could demand of them to release Kronos and have them actually do it?
The – former – Lord of the Underworld had the nasty habit to brood whenever he was bored. Being confined to a bed made him very bored. The entire situation did not help improve his line of thought. He kept wrecking his head over what had happened,
He came up empty. No matter how often he replayed the months leading up to this moment, he couldn't explain this course of action his nephews and niece had taken.
It had been no secret that they had condemned their father for the punishment he had dealt Athena when she had become pregnant and all three had grown more hateful as time went by, true that, but that did not explain how they could have gone this far.
He allowed his head to fall back against the white pillows, his hair forming a black curtain over them. It could not explain anything.
Why? Why? WHY? He growled in frustration. "How did it come to this, Gaia! You are behind this!" He screamed his anger to the sky. "Why? Why did you do this?"
