Part 5 - Lost

Thanks to all reweivers! Encourage and feedback is always nice, and I've taken some advices, toned down the "slang-part" for instance.

Apologising in advance for some dirty language coming up.

Poseidon was resting in the water beneath the foundation of Atlas' stronghold. Amphitrite was hiding in there, he knew that now, thanks to the helpful son of Hermes. The Sea God gazed up at the imposing structure, the highest building in this part of the world. Only Olympos itself stretched further in the air. It sure looked like heaven was resting on these large crests, just as the mortals thought, especially on an overcast day like this. And in a way it did too. Atlas was really "carrying heaven" in this part of the world, keeping up law and order and reporting directly to Zeus himself.

Yet no matter how mighty the stronghold seemed, it still couldn't keep the mighty Good of the Sea out. It would have been a piece of cake for him to go in there and get Amphitrite, and it sure was tempting, especially after seeing her again yesterday eve standing on that balcony watching the sunset.

But he was not going to do a Hades. Poseidon's underworld brother and his pale wife were still after all these centuries not behaving more than polite towards each other, and Persephone was still commuting back to the world above each and every spring, leaving her husband down under and moodier than ever.

That was certainly not what Poseidon wanted. He wanted Amphitrite to come to him freely. But how to achieve that when his letters to her remained unanswered? When that necklace of pearls and those matching earrings he has sent to her had been returned to sender? Together with the mother-of-pearl brooch shaped as a dolphin, the silk gown and the other gifts he had sent to her.

- She don't care for bling or for sweet words, what does she care for? he was saying out loud, staring up these gray walls as if he could conjure her to come out by just doing so.
- Her freedom, someone was saying from behind. Poseidon turned. And there in all her multicoloured beauty was Iris, Queen Hera's special envoy.
- My Lady wants to see you, the Olympian messenger told.
- About what?
- She didn't give me that confidence, but she insisted it was urgent. That you should come as fast as you could make it. And since you don't seem to have anything better to do than...

Poseidon gripped the slender arm of the messenger:
- Now little dame, have you ever been in love? Have you any understanding of...
- You're hurting me, my Lord. Tears were forming in Iris' purplish blue eyes.
- I'm sorry! Poseidon let go. Now, let's go find what the Queen wants.

ooo

Olympos was as beautiful and tranquil as ever when Poseidon and Iris arrived. The only change since his last visit was a winter-part north-west of the main palace, where a snow-covered slope had been created and where sculptures of snow and ice were competing with the marble ones in other places. Poseidon could see some of his brother's youngest kids playing in that slope, careening downhill on plates of bronze. It reminded him of surfing, and it suddenly hit him that he had not enjoyed that game in months.

- I'm not myself, he thought. I haven't been myself since the spring ball last year when I laid my eyes upon that sweet little Neried. I'm obsessed. Crazy! There's gotta be a way out of this.

Hera was waiting for him in her office at the second floor of the small palace she shared with her husband. She was sitting by her desk, a stately beauty with pale, spotless skin and chestnut-coloured hair in an elaborated hairdo. Her and Zeus' youngest offspring, twins the age of six, came running towards him when he entered through the door.
- Uncle, 'Don, where've you been can we come down and visit you in your palace under the sea and play with your dolphins and see these cool fishes that glow in the dark again and can we...
- Maresias! Mellissea! Hera cut them off and their oral assault stopped abruptly. Poseidon will stay over dinner, you can see him later. I need to talk with him now. You can linger if you keep quiet. Otherwise go join your sisters and brothers in the snowy slope!

- But they don't want us there, Maresias pouted and glared at his mother with the same kind of large brown eyes as hers. They say we are too small and then they throw snow-balls at us and put snow inside our tunics and...
- Who did that?
- Harmonios, Melissea told on her big brother. And Androdoros and Othreia.
- I'll deal with them later, Hera stated. Oh - sorry, Poseidon, have a seat!

The twins chosed to leave and Hera put away her writing tools and turned to the sea-god, sighing.
- Imagine we named him Harmonios! Harmony! He's turning out to be even worse than Ares. But I didn't ask you to come her to whine about my offspring. I guess you have enough important things on your mind even without kids.
- I'd love to have them.
- I know. And I know with whom too. In the meantime I guess you can go on borrowing some of ours.
- Meantime? You think I can have her?

- Playing your cards right there's always a chance. Now I need to ask you of a favour. There's a mortal man named Jason. He is sailing with his crew to find...

ooo

Poseidon really felt like Mr Nice Guy that night. He had promised Hera to help her with her latest favourite, he had played with his youngest nieces and nephews until they were screaming with laugher and he had even behaved upon meeting Athena.

Then Nereus had materialised in front of him. And he had been far from his good-natured, humble self. He had in fact been mad at Poseidon. Dared to scold him. Poseidon had been surprised first, he had never thought the older god had the guts, but then he too had been angered.

- It's you who have raised your daughter to be an ungrateful wench, Poseidon pointed Nereus hard in his chest. It's you who raised her to not appreciate what is offered to her, what she can have.
- I have raised her to be independent, free thinking, Nereus answered. All right, she is stubborn, but so are you my friend.
- Do not call me friend, the Sea God raged. Your friendship has turned out worthless. When you can't even have your daughter to understand...

- She understands all right, someone cut in. A mocking female voice. She understands what kind of man you are, old crab.
- So what kind of man am I then, Eris, you how knows it all? Poseidon scorned while turning to the raven-haired, skinny goddess who was sitting on the railing to the staircase, looking upon him with malice in her slightly slanted, black eyes.

- The moody one, the tempered one. The one who is just like his sea, calm and glittery day one and raging and storming day two. And that you are the kind who is going to cheat on her just like your brother cheats on his wife. And that's not what this little Neried wants. She wants a stable man. A steady, strong-framed buddy to cling to. That's why she's fucking Atlas.

- She's what? Poseidon felt like he had just been drowned by one of his own waves.
- You heard me, Eris laughed. She's fucking Atlas. Fucking Atlas. Fucking Atlas.
- What do you know about...
- Oh, come on! Everyone else have already understood that. What else would she be doing up in that stronghold for more than a month. If not fucking Atlas.

- Nereus? Poseidon turned to the older sea god. Is that true?
- What do I know? Nereus shrugged. She only tells in her letters that she's fine and that she misses us.
- Of course she's fine, Eris went on. Atlas gives her sausage every night.

Upon these words it was like - something - took control over Poseidon's body, and he rushed forwards and pushed the goddess off the railing and with a surprised gasp she fell four stairs down in the entrance hall. A huge crash was heard when she landed below. When the Sea God leaned over the railing he saw Eris lying on the floor, shatters of broken marble surrounding her, as did her long locks of black hair. Seemingly unbothered Eris folded her arms behind her neck and stared up at Poseidon and Nereus.
- Stupid men! she called up. I mean, it's so obvious. Amphitrite fucking Atlas. You've lost that little Neried, Poseidon. And you'll get that old recluse as a son in law instead of your pal, Nereus!

Poseidon felt his hands shaking, his knuckles turning white. He longed for his trident, longed for striking it somewhere and causing an earthquake, creating a disaster of record-breaking magnitude. Instead he took a deep breath, controlling himself.
- Nereus, he said with ashes in his voice. Do you really think your daughter...
- Frankly Poseidon, I do not know. But I do fear Eris is right. Perhaps that was not Amphitrite's intention from the beginning, she was probably just looking for a safe haven. Somewhere to go where you couldn't reach her. But then... I mean consider her living alone with that man for a month. Sooner or later...

- I don't want to hear, Nereus.
- Let me finish. There is a way to find out.
- How?
- Withdraw your claims on her, tell her she can go home.
- But then I'd...
- Poseidon, listen! If she chooses to stay with Atlas in spite you know Eris was right. If she leaves, returns to me and Doris then you know it was nothing but speculations.
- I'll lose her, Nereus.

- You'd done that anyway. The Old Man of the Sea looked with sad gray eyes at his younger friend. I'm sorry. I'd really wanted you two to... But after all these months even you must understand that it's not going to happen. And for every day she stays with Atlas in his stronghold the risk that she really chooses him as a lover is getting greater.

- If I can not have her, what do I care?
- Because there's a still slim chance that she might chose you. Not tomorrow or next week or even next year. But given time. Remember Pandora! Don't give up hope!
- I'll... Do you want to come surfing with me tomorrow, Ner?
- Buddy! Nereus patted Poseidon on the back. I never thought I was going to hear that again. Come, let's drink some wine.

Ganymedes was filling up the cups of Zeus and Hera when Poseidon and Nereus came up to the bar, Apollo was singing of broken hearts and "docs to patch 'em up again".
- Could've been me, Poseidon said with a moody look over at his nephew.
- Forget her, Zeus suggested and raised his glass. The world is full of women and...
- Yeah, you should know, Poseidon scorned without caring that Hera was sitting next to her husband.

- 'Don hasn't given up her, Nereus told. I know my daughter has all the plans in the world save for getting married, but your brother don't buy it, Zeus.
- I'm not giving up on her, you hear me, Poseidon said with a confidence he didn't feel.
- If you ever get that little Neried I swear I'll shave off my beard, his brother laughed. That made Poseidon even more eager to get Amphitrite. He hated when Zeus made fun of him.

- Just a word of advice, Hera said and held out a cup with snacks. Tread carefully, Poseidon. And don't repeat your mistakes. Don't send her more... what was it you called it?
- Bling.
- Yeah, right, don't send her more bling if it hasn't worked earlier. That might only turn her off even more. Send her something she likes.
- Like what? Poseidon asked Hera.

- What did you send Hera, Zeus? Nereus asked. Zeus only blushed, instead it was Hera who told:
- An injured cuckoo. He knew how much I care for animals and children. Little helpless ones. And he played upon those strings with the same skill as Apollo plays his lyre. Hera nodded to her golden-haired stepson over at the fireplace.

ooo

Two days later Amphitrite embraced the truce and left Atlas to go home to her parents and sisters. Poseidon could have reached out for her then but he held back. She felt more lost to him than ever.