New chapter thanks for reading :D
Kratos was sinking into the lake. Sun shine didn't reach him anymore. Complete darkness surrounded him.
Suddenly something appeared below him and revealed the muddy ground. It reminded Kratos of the portal that Hades had pushed him into at Olympus. A god was definitely behind this.
Kratos hit the portal and started falling. The water had disappeared and turned into a pit. The walls were too flat and slippery to grab a hold of. He didn't fall for too long. Another portal appeared right under him and Kratos fell on solid stone. Used to getting hard hits, he didn't hurt himself at the fall. The cave continued straight ahead and curved to the left. Drops of water fell from the ceiling. Was this place under the lake?
The portal on the ceiling had disappeared and left Kratos only one way out. He continued deeper into the cave.
Right after the turn left, Kratos came to an empty hall. He looked around him and wondered why he was here.
Some drops fell to his head and Kratos looked at the ceiling. A strange circle with some cracks on it seemed like it could lead him somewhere. Kratos stepped back and pointed his hand at the circle. Chiron's vortex plunged into the stone and blew a hole in the ceiling.
Tons of water filled the cave and left Kratos floating until the water reached the ceiling.
Now the water had set still and the circle was now just a hole to an upper floor. Kratos swam into it and saw the surface of the water. He jumped out of a pool in the middle of another hall like the last one. Only this time it wasn't so empty.
Kratos heard heavy breathing behind him. Quickly he turned to face the god that had summoned him.
A bearded man sat on a throne. He held a golden trident in his right hand.
Kratos didn't expect to meet Poseidon, Lord of the Sea.
Bley was walking in circle, when he suddenly felt a tingling in his head. He closed his eyes and his mind travelled far beyond the sea and to a small island. Bley couldn't see anything, but only Hades would contact him like this.
"He got away", Bley commented fearlessly.
"We know. It is because of my brother, Poseidon", Hades grunted in Bley's ear.
"What do I do now?"
"You pretend you don't know anything. I'll handle Poseidon myself. Just wait until Kratos shows up somewhere. Now leave", Hades shouted the last words and Bley opened his eyes.
I hate this method. I always get a headache when he complains about something. Bley sighed and sat against a nearby tree. Finally some time alone. He fell asleep only to see the nightmares of his horrifying memories of his youth.
Kratos raised his hand to reach out for his blade, but Poseidon interrupted him by saying: "Don't draw your weapons just yet Kratos. Let me first say what I summoned you for."
Kratos looked at him suspiciously and asked: "Did you make me fall?"
"Yes I did. I could control that tiny drop of blood from all the way here, although I can't say my powers are at their very best."
Kratos let his hand go of his blade and demanded an explanation.
Poseidon took a deep breath. He seemed weak and tired. This reminded Kratos of the titans that had been hit by Hades's soul-stealing chains.
"Why did you go through all that trouble to bring me here?"
Poseidon watched Kratos silently for a long time.
"Straight to the point I see. I had to remain hidden, until your arrival."
"From Hades", Kratos said certain about the fact that Poseidon and Hades weren't on the same side anymore.
"Indeed Kratos. I had to warn you."
Kratos didn't need warnings, but he wanted to know more about Hades's plans.
"Tell me from the beginning."
Poseidon coughed badly. He wouldn't live through this day.
"After you killed Zeus, we decided to leave Olympus and live to fight another day. We gods have been killed in the Great War and now in this. We fled to a small island far away from the shores. There was a cave where we build a pool to watch your every move. One day Hades came to us and said: I have a suggestion to make. Let me go talk to him."
Poseidon was breathing heavily. He had to catch his breath for a while.
After questioning Hades about his intentions, we decided to play along with his game. Two days later I went to speak with Hades alone. I asked him what he was really after. Rudely he told me to ignore everything else and concentrate in killing you. I asked some more and pushed him to the edge. Finally he had had enough and attacked me with his chains. While my soul was being dragged out of me, I used all of my powers to free myself and escaped the island. Hades must have told that I had betrayed them and assisted you in battle."
"What did you do afterwards?"
"I found myself here waiting for you to arrive. I knew you'd have to come here to kill the birds of Stymphalos. But while waiting I wanted to know who Hades used as a tool to be sure you would complete the tasks you were given.
Kratos remembered the first time he met Bley. His eyes were brightly yellow in the early dawn.
"Who is Bley? He seems to know all of the gods personally."
"I promise you will hear Bley's story at some point. Right now I don't think I will live long enough to tell you about him."
Kratos nodded and listened to the rest of Poseidon's warning.
"Hades is planning something. Something that required the death of Zeus. Something that needed your wife and child dead. I know he used them to lure you into this journey.
"What does my family have to do with all of this", Kratos shouted and listened to the echoes continuing around the caves.
"Hades took them. They are still at Olympus but I can't see them anywhere."
"What! Are they alive? Can't you send me there immediately?"
"Calm yourself Kratos. You cannot abandon the tasks you have left. Hades might kill them before you are even close to Olympus.
Kratos took a long breath and asked: "What about Bley?"
"You should pretend that you killed me. I do not believe that he and Hades care about what they tell each others."
Kratos nodded again and said: "Send me back to the surface."
"Not so fast Kratos. I can still help you on your quest. You remember Chiron's promise. This is the second of the four magical powers you will gain through the dangers of your path."
Poseidon made a strange sign with his hand. Kratos felt a sudden force draining into him.
"Use this power when ever you need it most. It drains the water out of living creatures. But it doesn't end to that. You can transfer it into anything that accepts it. And when using this, don't forget that every living thing has at least one drop of water inside them."
Kratos looked at his hands mysteriously. He felt almost invincible with two deadly powers only a hand movement away.
"One more thing. This might be useful in your next task."
A pedal rose from the floor. A blue diamond glowed on an amulet.
"That will allow you to summon the rivers for your aid. But beware not to use it twice, because the water will swallow you if you disturb it again. Now you must leave immediately. Hades is coming."
Poseidon made another gate appear from the wall.
"We will not meet again. I wish you luck for your wife and child."
Kratos just walked through the portal and left the underwater cave.
Poseidon sighed deeply and said: "Welcome, my brother."
Bley sat quietly near the lake, when suddenly he saw bubbles coming from the water. He stood up and called for his eagle.
Kratos emerged from the lake and pulled himself on dry land. He stood up too and saw Bley just near him.
"Where the hell did you fall off to", Bley asked and lied about his knowledge. Kratos wanted to cut his throat for being on the same side with Hades. But he heard Poseidon's voice in his head every time he even thought of killing Bley that instant.
"I met Poseidon."
Bley's face showed no marks of … well, his face didn't look like anything. He would have looked stoned if he hadn't been breathing. That can be arranged, Kratos thought in his head, but then he heard it again: "You wouldn't even get close to Mount Olympus."
"What did you do to him", Bley asked and stopped Kratos from arguing with himself.
"Killed him."
The eagle finally showed up and Bley seemed to lose his interest on the subject.
"We can leave now."
"Not just yet", Kratos said. "I have one more thing to do."
Midday had past hours ago. The night guards of Stymphalos had been busted from drinking on the job, so they had to do extra work. The day had been boring after the morning, but it would soon change into something uglier.
Suddenly the gate was pounded three times. That's odd; those were too fast for just one person. The guards opened the gate and looked outside.
Three birds of Stymphalos hung from arrows on the gate. The guards didn't see anyone near, but remembered the two strange visitors in the morning.
"This is our lucky day! You stay here and I will run to the captain and tell him about this."
Unfortunately no one knew about the captain yet. Everyone just thought that he needed some time alone because of his son's faith. This was going to be a dark day to the people of Stymphalos.
Night surprised Kratos and Bley by coming so quickly. It was closing on to winter, but Kratos would be finished before that happened. Now he concentrated on the task at hand.
The Augean stables were a simple task. Not easy but simple. The stables held 3,000 sheep and ox and including 12 sacred bulls. Their waste hadn't been cleaned for 30 years, until now.
"We will not meet Augeas himself", Bley said. "And the animals have all been driven out of the stables."
Kratos looked down and saw the stables not far away.
They landed in front of the doors and saw how huge the stables really were.
Kratos heard noises farther away. Probably just the animals from the stables.
"I will leave you in piece and go to sleep. You have a lot of work to do here", Bley said and yawned on his way out.
Kratos remained by the doors and waited a while, until he thought Bley had fallen asleep. He took the amulet Poseidon had given him on his last moments and raised it in his hand.
Suddenly water started filling the stables from the walls, although it didn't come from outside the stables. Kratos took a step outside and watched as the water filled the stables, but didn't pour out of the doors. The water started whirling so fast that Kratos couldn't see what was happening inside.
After a few minutes the water seemed to disappear into the ground and the stables had lost their terrible smell.
Trusting that the job was now done, Kratos left the stables and went after Bley. He found him sleeping against a tree. How easy would it be to just stab him tens of times without him ever knowing it, Kratos thought and smiled fiendishly. But he forgot those thoughts, thinking of how many times had he slept in piece and finding Bley awake next to him.
"You don't kill me in my sleep and I don't kill you either", Kratos whispered to the air.
Now Kratos started feeling drowsy. It would help him to sleep more often, but he could manage without sleeping for weeks. That reminded him of the Temple of Pandora.
Kratos closed his eyes and thought he could sleep in piece. But he was going to see the nightmares of his past on their worst.