IAmAMythologist: Thanks for the kind words, I hope you enjoy this.
the critic: I'm glad you like my writing style, your too kind.
Fluffy Clutchie : Yes, I'm trying to stay as true to the text of greek culture as possible.
nlgirl17: I hope you like Prometheus here as well.
Vanessa Masters: Yes, a waternaiad will play a roll, but here is someone else you might have never thought.
CaptSwan05 : interesting choices.
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Chapter: XIII
Iris swallowed painful as the full truth of that settled on her, like the weight of the sky upon Atlas' mighty shoulders, his punishment from Lord Zeus,according to the hearsay murmured in eager whispers upon Olympus. Yes, dear gods yes, Lord Prometheus was -unsurprisingly- correct in everything he had said. Yes, the world outside of Olympus was barbarous, and often profane in their contempt for the new gods, and the authority of the Pantheon, preferring to rot in rebellion rather than accept fact and take a knee to the dictations of fate.
There were plenty of beings out there in the wild, who had lost everything in the war, save for their spite, and who would be more than happy to revenged themselves on a turncoat such as herself...never mind that Iris had only done what was practical for her survival.
"I see your point my lord," the rainbow goddess spoke in something of squeak. Blushing profusely at the embarrassing noise, she cleared her throat and tried to speak in a more measured tone, hands folded in her silken lap. "Who would you suggest?" she inquired, hoping she didn't sound as desperate she felt.
Pleased with her request for further advisement, Prometheus pressed his lips together and covered them with his hand, clearly thinking, as the varicolored haired girl watched breathlessly -awed to see the famed intellect of the Far-Seeing at work. Evidently, his mind already had people in mind, for in a moment, it seemed, his eyes lit up with brilliance.
"There is a lad...a youth..." Prometheus said slowly, his curved finger once more pointed towards the Sky Father's endless glory, his fathomless mysteries. "Seventeen years old, who lives with his mother in a mortal village down on the earth plane-"
"Mortal?" both Iris and Tumulus interrupted at once, unable to help themselves. Stares blank and uncomprehending, the goddess spoke first. "Forgive us my lord, we don't mean to interrupt, but what aid could a mortal possibly give us?"
"S-surely a mere mortal could never endure the horrors of Pluton and live to tell of it," Tumulus stammered next, right on her heels.
To their surprised, the god was not offended -far from it. Grinning with pleasure, with some unspoken knowledge, Prometheus merely nodded at their words.
"Your quite right of course-" he agreed with them. "No mortal man could...but this boy is something a tad more than mortal -he is called Phaethon, and he has the sun's own fire in his veins to light your way down in the darkness of Dis young Iris. You'll need him...and also, he shall need you. The boy has a destiny before him that he may yet reach if he hones his skill here."
Iris bite her lip and tried not to make a face at that, not please that her quest could be -on some cosmic scale- merely a footnote in some other story. But if it was the Moirai had decreed, Thaumas' daughter was not fool enough to challenge it -she had seen what befell those who do, and none of their fates were enviably in the slightest, to say the least. By comparison, it could be said that poor Chelone's sentence was the lighter of possible punishments, for fate's wrath was an awe-striking thing. Iris had felt it's touch once, and the brush and left her with a heathy, fearful respect.
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"Where does this son of Helios live?" she asked, the words feeling awkward in her mouth...she had heard rumors of these half-gods, these...demigods. All of Olympus had, were varying levels of intrigued and interest. To some it was but an oddity, a babble, an amusement. But to others, the cross-breeding of god and mortal was a disaster waiting in the wings, certain gods believing it to be the height of folly to bless the human race with beings of godly heritage, and godly power. The argument, the fear, was that such men would lead the peoples with whom Zeus had made an alliance to neglect the offerings that were the gods' life force.
There was some sense to this watchful suspicion of humankind; of whom precious little was clearly known. Their origins were shrouded in mystery like a bride at her wedding, some gods saying this made them, others saying that did, but none knowing for certain (though now Iris wondered if Prometheus' seeming fondness for them hinted towards the rumors that stated he was the maker of Man) -
What fool would give their slaves arms, and expect them not to revolt? So some lords and ladies of the world fumed -Hera included, finding the entire idea repulsive. Iris didn't care for it much either...humans were primitive, dirty, and just a generally dim-witted race of beings -what could possibly be the attraction to them, that made some lords (and yes, even ladies) to want to couple with them, spawning children...in the same manner others were rumored to have spawn with Chaos-born children of Gaia, creating monsters of varying Power; ones potentially capable of challenging the very gods who'd made them? Over a few moments of supposed pleasure? Not that the goddess maiden would presumed to judge those that did, of course. She rather preferred her head on her shoulders, as it were.
"A few days ride from Olympus -just to the point where you can no longer see the mountain," Foresight answered primly. Then pausing as a thought came to him, he quickly added, "Also, I would advise using your abilities as little as possible until you are in Pluton's kingdom, Thaumantias. Pass as mortal yourself for as long as you can -dim your glory- and therefore attracted fewer monsters."
Dim what glory? Iris thought sardonically, before remembering even her faint aura as a Olympian rainbow goddess would draw beings to her, down in the mortal world -some to worship, others to challenge, and some to destroy or ravish- and nodded obediently, already thinking in her head as to how she would arranged a horse for herself, and thinking to her pass travels as to the safest road to go.
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The mere thought of it shook her, and caused her hands to tremble. So this was it then, the dice was cast...she was really doing this, and her only help would be a half-mortal, and the oinochoe granted to her by her Queen-Mistress. Well, nothing could go wrong with that surely, she thought sarcastically, panic raising up like iron in her mouth.
"M-my lord," she began, trying hard to make sure her words didn't shake. "Could...would it be possible that you could also-"
But in the very next moment her hopes were dashed. For Prometheus was shaking his head, though his gray eyes were both kind and stern. "No child. It is not possible. Moirai had their majesties give this task to you, and only you -therefore, it is you, Iris, daughter of Thaumas, who must lead and accomplished this task under your own banner. Otherwise, it will not contribute to your glory but my own, if I were to help you. For I outrank you, little handmaiden. Phaethon does not, and therefore, it will be said that he aided a goddess on her quest, and not the other way around. You must take courage girl, for all other success will be born of it's marriage to honor."
The honey haired girl was silent a moment, the words and their truth -for the goddess maiden did indeed know them to be true- bouncing in her soul like a stone tossed down a well. "Yes, my lord," she finally forced herself to speak. "I understand...please forgive-"
"There is nothing to forgive, maiden," the god assured her softly -his tone factual. "You are a young parthenos, and this task is one that would shake the courage of battle harden man...all things considered, your slide back is mild."
Iris, well-breed goddess that she was, blushed when her maiden status passed the older god's lips. Averting her azure sifting eyes, she said, "...Thank you, I think?"
She felt rewarded when Prometheus chuckled. "See, the courage is coming back to you already...but you better get gone child. Fate is patience for no one."
The rainbow goddess breathed out slowly, steadying herself for the task ahead of her. "Right...I thank you, my lord, for your help and hospitality. Please accept this gift of me."
With that said, Iris slipped out of her coral encrusted, silver heeled saddles, and set them on the table. After her diadem, they were they most valuable thing she owned...and the most distasted. The only reason she hadn't tossed them out the window in disgust was the fear that such action could prove offensive to Hera, whose saddles they previously were...and the thought that perhaps they could prove useful. So really, offering them here was killing two birds with one stone.
And from the twinkle in his eye, and wry grin playing on his lips, Prometheus knew it as well. Iris blushed again, before offering a guilty smile.
"A gift well given, Handmaiden of Hera," he acknowledge, winking at her mischievously. "...Good luck child...and as your parting gift from me...feel free to make use of the two steeds Poseidon granted to me. You'll find them in the stables."
Eyes widening, Iris could only nod...and her shock multiplied when Tumulus (she had nearly forgotten about the goat-man) spoke. "I know very little about these new beasts of the sea lord, master...will they be able to carry two, for when we find this boy?"
Prometheus' eyebrows shot up, even as a smile began to spread over his face like the dawn. "We, Tumulus?"
For a moment, the cupbearer seemed to faltered, and his dark eyes wrestled with himself, his courage with his fear. Iris stared, fascinated, and when the goat-man meet her eyes...his decision was made.
"...Yes my lord," the satyr answered at last, nodding with firmness. "After all, I said I was Lady Iris's escort, and that I am. And that I will be, until she returns safely home again. Until then, my brothers can cover my duties for me in the Thronos Hall- its thanks to me any of them got through the war. I'll not be missed."
Then Iris grinned as well, she couldn't help it - alright, so her only help would be a half-mortal, the oinochoe granted to her by her Queen-Mistress...and a proven friend. Suddenly, she wasn't so afraid anymore.
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"The mountain looks different from here," Tumulus mused aloud a short while later, glancing over his cloak-covered shoulder to his young Mistress. "Does it not, my lady?"
Both the goat-man and the Handmaiden were seated upon the cloud-white steeds promised to them by their patron; a pair of wondrous, awe-striking beasts made with both inconceivable power and alluring beauty, running like rivers through their every muscle. Upon coming to the Olympian stables, Iris had been enchanted by it's mane of silver, that flowed and tossed in the wind like the ocean waves, and wine-darken eyes of the sea at night. Yes, she could indeed see how Poseidon had made them from the rolling surf -being on one was almost like having a part of home.
They had been silence going out through the gates, stopping only to gather supplies from the storage house for the journey. They had been silence going the down the rocky slopes fearful that any word may distract the horse Aiolos and Daidalos -who were intelligent enough to do most of the work for them, in this regard- and send them all for a hard tumble down the mountain.
But now on level ground, having cantered a few heathy miles for the day -and with night dawning- the two questers fell save enough for the time being to look back upon their modest progress...not so much with pride but with refection. From this distance, Olympus didn't seem to be awesome and dreaded house of power both knew it to be. This far into the earthen plane of Ge, magic had concealed the house of Zeus from their eyes, like a veil over a virgin's face. It appeared as any other summit -imposing, but none remarkable.
The rainbow goddess blinked, transfixed by the realization. "It does doesn't it?" she asked, briefly lowering her own plain-woven cloak of her head to better see. She stopped, however, when she remembered doing so would expose her diadem, and the power that radiated from it. "Strange..."
For a second more they stood their, taking in the site and its diminished wonder, before gathering themselves, and urging their horses onward, hoping to make a little more progress before Nox forced them to stop and rest.
"Milady?" the satyr inquired, sounding hesitant, like he didn't know if he wanted the answer.
"Yes?"
"When did Lord Prometheus say we should begin worrying about the monsters and renegades?"
The honey haired girl stilled as she casted her mind back, and tried to remember; her timorous hands twisting the reins as her horse lead them into the begins of a softly rustling wood.
"I don't think he did said actually...but-" she added quickly, when her companion lost some of his coloring. "I don't think will have any trouble until we reach the mortals' village... this close to the mountain no monster would dare take up residence -Lord Zeus wouldn't stand for it."
The red-bearded goat-man considered this a moment, before his shoulders went slack in relief. "Yes, yes, I do believe your right Lady Iris...I must apologize."
The goddess maiden looked at him bemusedly. "For what Tumulus? It was an sensible question."
"Yes, but what a companion I make," Tumulus sighed. "Sacred of every shadow yet unseen. There's no use in ignoring it -I lack courage. I always did, even in the war, where most found theirs in one form or another."
His head lowered in shame. "It is a shame to be my father's son -he was a coward as well, only joining our house to the Olympians when Lord Zeus was sure to win -the only reason I'm a cup-bearer is due to our high blood."
"That's better that what my father did," Iris answered him softly. "My father hesitated so long we lost everything. And he ended up crawled away like a breeding dog deemed to old to sire anything else. It was his inaction that made my twin reckless...Arke could have cared less whether Zeus or Coronus ruled the cosmos...but she was afraid that when the war was over, we would be a laughing stock for taking no sides...so she took one for us, and we had to follow to try and protect her. "
Iris lowered her chin to her chest. "You know how it ended."
"Yes," Tumulus said soberly. "I do...but you have been extraordinary in your own recovery from that fall, Lady Iris. Very few can claim to have gone from a war-captive to a Queen's favorite with in the span of a wedding feast -you charmed the coldness right out of her. I've seen it with my own eyes, she does have a warmer heart towards you than she does for many. I overheard her in the hall - Basileia Hera wants you to succeed in this so she will have a reason to further promote you. Child, you have a future ahead of you, if you can do this task."
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So our brave heros are off to pick up another would be hero, and then to the underworld we go!...with a few mishaps of course. Wouldn't be Greek Mythology without them.