Zeus grows up

Years passed by and Zeus grew from a boy to a lithe young man. His strong body became tanned by all the hours spent outdoors, he grew tall and muscular and he developed wit and cleverness as well as wisdom taught from a multitude of books brought in by Oceanos and later on by the Titan's daughter Metis. Metis, who was the one to become his first long-term girlfriend. But I'm running ahead of events here.

Especially the first years proved hard on Zeus, who was - I admit - rather spoiled by me and Addie. He was used to go to bed and to rise when he wanted, eat when he was hungry and play and slack all day long. But the Kouretes commenced another regime. Zeus had to rise at dawn every morning save for once a week, and he was taught that breakfast was the most important meal a day for a warrior.

First years were mostly about physical exercises: Zeus learned to swim and to fly, and to hide his immortal appearance among mortals. He learned to take other shapes than his natural one and he was practising strength, speed and reflexes.

Zeus was brought to the steep Blue Cliffs and learned to dive down in the green ocean and sent into the great caves of Ida, where the pale and intelligent Okythoos was teaching Zeus to find his way out relying on his sense of direction and sensitivity for Earth-magnetism. And Kyrbas trained him in telekinesis - the art of moving objects without touching them. Both practicing strength, by moving large boulders and fine-tuning, by navigating pebbles in intricate patterns.

Pyrrhikhos himself took care of teaching Zeus in how to deal with Divine Fire, both starting and putting out fires, using small, cold flames for light or hot and flat plasma circles for heating food. Pyrrhikhos taught Zeus about the dangers with Divine Fire, the need to handle it with care and the importance to keep it away from mortals, but also how to make flames in different shapes and colours. The Kourete leader might appear stern and grim but he couldn't help laughing when Zeus was showing off with juggling balls of fire in the air and creating burning stars, comets and roses, which shone in all colours against the night-sky.

The best part of the day, Zeus told me later, were the afternoons, when Melisseus told him "tales" - or rather the stories about the wars the Kouretes had been involved in. The idea was that Zeus was going to get a grip on how wars were fought, both from the common soldiers perspective and from the generals ditto.

At five real arms training started and at six he got his first horse and the terrain excursions became done on horseback instead of on foot. But if there was one skill Zeus never acquired it was the horseman's. And to be honest he hardly needed that. It was only when he went out disguised as a mortal he now and then mounted a horse.

Zeus was also taught how to use divine powers to protect himself from harm. There's the natural reflexes of course that trigger with imminent dangers like attacks, falling objects, fire and the likes. But the Kouretes held knowledge that went beyond that. Knowledge about how to "coat" the physical body in a protective "forcefield" making it shielded even before danger appeared. Later on Zeus developed this art even further, turning him invulnerable to things that normally harm even immortals. That art of self-defence became known as Aegis.

On top of all this Zeus was urged to develop that strange power over electricity he held. First he did it with reluctance, being scared of those sparks and the sound they were making. I understood him, it was terrible to behold those blinding flashes of light and feel the eardrums almost burst with the bangs. Not to mention the burnt reek that came with them.

At eleven another skill showed itself. Zeus could, by using concentration, alter the currents of the winds, gather clouds and dense the amount of water they held, until it started to rain. No-one had ever seen these kinds of powers with a god, so no-one knew how to train him. However at that age Zeus had learned enough self-discipline to train himself, and he was allowed one hour each day dedicated to this art, since everybody agreed that it would be very useful for strategic purposes to rule over the skies.

By the age of fourteen he could not only swing that heavy axe but also throw it a hundred yards, hitting a tree-trunk with it, angering some dryad who was disturbed in her midday slumber. By the way, there were a lot of dryads and other nymphs hanging around the training turf checking out Zeus, attracted by this handsome and powerful young god and the way he was working his body.

Nymphs has this quality that you don't spot them immediately. They hide behind trunks and among leaves and flowers and peak up now and then with smiling eyes and red cheeks, and can make the chastiest of men become totally crazy with lust when they giggle and titter. Young Zeus was no exception, far from it. Intrigued by these girls, he began to loose concentration. The tall and wiry Idaios, Zeus' trainer with the axe, scolded him one night:

" Stop paying attention to them, Zeus! I know how it can itch between a young man's groins upon the sight of a lady. But it's not the time for these kind of delights now. You'll have to wait. Duty first. "
" Then what?" Zeus answered. "When will it ever end this duty, duty, duty? "
" It might end sooner than you know if Cronos finds out that we are gathered here and what we are doing. We must be prepared that it can happen."

The Kourete began to carve up cheese from one of the glass plates on the table. Everyone was still amazed by this shiny material and the things Zeus made out of almost nothing but sand. Now and then they broke, but Zeus could make another one in minutes. Zeus took a plate of his own and started to make a sandwich of bread, cheese and ripe tomatoes.

" If he comes here, I'm gonna zap him!" the young god stated, biting into his meal.
" It's not going to be that easy. Far from it. Cronos is a mighty man. He's strong and he's clever. And most of all fast. You might not even get a chance to 'zap' him", Idaios told.
" We'll see about that", Zeus replied and held out his hand, fizzing and sparkling electricity dancing around the lower arm. But Idaios was not impressed.
" Stop that!" he told. "You might be able to awe some nymphs with such stunts. But not me. "

" Idaios! Zeus!" Pyrrhikhos sat down next to the tired-looking Kourete opposite Zeus. "End this pointless discussion! Comes weekend you can pick one of those nymphs and have fun, Zeus. And so should you Idaios, there's so much restless energy within you that needs to be let out somewhere. But before that - Zeus, you should concentrate on nothing but your training. And do as Idaios tells you. "

Zeus hummed with acceptance, and pulled out the leather-thongs that had tied up his whitish-blond hair. It came cascading down his neck and shoulders, and those eagle-feathers he had wore in it fell out. That hair sure was amazing. Add to it those glittering blue eyes and a perfect body and it was no surprise that the nymphs were gathering around the area, hoping for a chance with my ward.

" I'm going for a shower, need to wash my hair", Zeus said to no-one and everyone, picked up his feathers, and with long strides he left the room. I could hear him swear loudly and kick at an empty milk-can downstairs before the entrance door slammed shut behind him.
" This is not right", I told the men. "Zeus is full of the kind of energy that don't fade with physical exercise. He needs some time off, perhaps going to the sea or developing some art. "

"It's only puberty", Pyrr answered. "He needs to bed a girl, that's what he needs. Or a couple of girls. If he can have some fun with those nymphs it's going to fade. And, by the way, he needs to control these urges too. Focus-training is as important for a warrior as arms-training. To learn to sort out distractions and concentrate upon what's really important. "

" Bla bla bla", Adrasteia scorned later. "Men are so one-track minded sometimes. By the way, Oceanos called, he and Metis are on their way here."
"So soon!" I exclaimed. "This must mean that something has happened. Something bad. Or at least worrisome."
"Relax sister! We're still safe here. We're also out of honey, by the way."
"Well then, tomorrow I'll go down to Melissa the bee-nymph and get some more."

¤¤¤

It wasn't as terrible as I had feared. The usual pockets of resistance were still out there giving Cronos trouble and the bad news were more personally related. After Philyra Cronos had married a girl named Epione and now he had apparently tired of her too, because he had kidnapped a youth called Laothea, who was a niece of Oceanos' wife Thetys.
"And Thetys wants me to go after her, to stick my head into the snake's nest."
"It's too dangerous, you're too valuable", I told the Titan. "You're of his kind all right, but you're our best ally. And before Zeus grows up..."

"I've seen him", Oceanos said. "He's beginning to become really good. Much earlier than I anticipated too! It's only a matter of time now until he can become a real actor in the game."
"It's yet to early!"
"I know. I'm here to teach him a few more things. I'm staying a month. And Metis will help me. It will be a part of her tutor-training too, so I'm killing two birds with one stone. "

The 18 year old Metis did help. But not with what we had expected. Already the third day of Oceanos' and Metis' stay Zeus ran in among the pines with Oceanos' tall and strawberry-blond daughter. And it wasn't hard to guess what they did there. They could as well have carried boards telling "we're doing it" because both of them became red as a tomato when someone mentioned the other one. Nevertheless I could see that it benefited the young god. Pyrr had been right, it was this kind of release my boy needed. He was even able to stand the good-natured banter the Kouretes were giving him about Metis.

Interlude

The mortals are still telling this strange story about Zeus devouring Metis and giving birth to their daughter Athena from his forehead. To be honest I don't know how that started. Some blame that bard Homer others mention weird cult aspects, but I think the whole idea was spawned by some jokes flying around among immortals immediately after that Zeus had seized power.

First joke was about Zeus and Metis kissing like they wanted to eat each other alive and second was Athena getting the nick "Zeus' headache" because she was constantly getting in trouble as a young woman. Add to that the fact that Metis disappeared soon after Athena's birth, almost like she had been "eaten alive". But the reason for her absence was Zeus cheating on her with the goddess Themis. Metis, feeling insulted and hurt, withdrew to the lush area of Lake Tritonis in northern Africa with her daughter. And there she stayed, while Athena returned to her fathers house some years later - "fully grown and clad in arms" as the mortals described it.

On top of everything she doesn't call herself Metis these days, but Inora. The reason for that has something to do with a later spouse. And she's still some kind of a recluse, a mystery lady living on her island in the Pacific and seldom receiving guests, not many knowing that she's identical with the titanesse once called Metis.

" But she's not crazy", I can hear Athena defending her mother. Athena isn't a frequent guest at the Little Hellas, since she's not often at this side of the Atlantic. But tonight she's here, this tall, blond and regal-looking amazon, and apparently someone was bringing up Metis/Inora's unwillingness to come to the solstice gatherings when most of the immortals of the world get together at Olympos.

" She simply don't like crowds", Athena goes on. "She don't like big parties and pointless chit-chat. Or having to dress up and abide to etiquette. She prefers sitting at home by the fire reading. And if you have a problem with that I suggest you keep it to yourself. "
" Calm down, Athena, I didn't... "
" Calm down nothing, Agoros!" Athena answers the chubby man who's the God of Gatherings. "You want all to mingle and jingle and enjoy themselves. Fine! Most do that. But not all. Do respect those who don't!"

They argue bit more, Agoros and Zeus' hot-tempered daughter; then Athena shrugs and comes over and sits by me and Hudson instead.
" Geee! Agoros wants the whole planet to be like one big Woodstock '69! Where you're crawling around in mud and drink cheap beer in plastic cups. Then he fails to see that it's not everybody's cup of nectar. That some prefer smaller parties. Or even their own company. Stupid brat! Anyway - Artemis told me you're writing about father's youth. Can I see it?"
" Sure, I don't have it here though. But I can mail it. Just let me know where!"

Athena hands over a business-card:
" Here! I really want to read it. I've been at Dad for centuries about him writing some kind of early-life memoirs, but he hasn't got the time he says. So when I heard about your writings I was intrigued. There's so much about these years I don't know about."
" I hope I'll live up to your expectations with my story."
" I bet you can, Thea."

I read out loud from the business card:
" 'Akiko Minowara' ", so you're still in Japan. Guess you like it there."
" I like Futsu-Nushi-no-Kami", Athena blushes. "He's as shy as I when it comes to love and passion. So I guess we fit each other. "

Interlude ends

Oceanos spent quite some time with Zeus. He learned the teenager how to meditate. To empty his mind of all irrelevant thoughts and concentrate on one single thing. To focus on every aspect of something as seemingly simple as a spoon.

" What for?" Zeus questioned.
" Because there might come times in life when you need to bend the will of a matter unwilling to be bent. Or finding the answer to a question where everybody else have failed to find it. There might come times when yours and a lot of other people's benefit rely on your ability to do the seemingly impossible. This will require of you to be able to go even beyond concentration. To acquire the impression of the item. The flow. "

It sounded like nonsense first, but after a while it clicked with both Zeus and me. Empty your mind of everything but the very item, the very question you were pondering. I never became good at it, and Zeus might've seemed far too tempered for this kind of skill, but soon enough he learned it.

Then there was quite a fight when Oceanos and Metis were leaving. This time it was Metis who was upset. She wanted to stay with Zeus, her father insisting on her coming back west with him.
" I'm a grown-up woman, I decide for myself!" Metis insisted, emerald eyes flashing with anger.
" But Zeus is not a grown-up man, he's still too young for a long-term relation."

" What do you know about that, dad? He's mature, he's... "
" He's not fully educated in what he'll need to know to be able to conquer and dispose of Cronos. And he can't do that as fast and as well if you're going to be around distracting him."
" Distracting? With all due respect father, I am not distracting him. I love him and I'm helping him. "
" I know you love him, Metis. But his importance lies beyond love and friendship. He is the very hope for our race. He must become what he and only he can become. The One - the God of Thunder. "

" Then let me stay! Let me help him become that, father!"
" No, Metis. Trust me in this. This must be done the way I see is necessary. The day Cronos is disposed of, you two can be together again. "

After some rounds of similar exchanges of words Metis had yielded and obeyed her father's order. She and Zeus had said a tearful farewell, and something in Zeus' eyes told me that he had matured years and years after that goodbye. He had come to understand that plays has its time and business its.