Chapter 1: Birth in Divide
Several months following the trial and banishment of Persephone
At this rate, mortals were unaware of the madness happening among the gods. They didn't know of Zeus severing all communications among Olympus, the Mortal Realm, and the Underworld. They didn't know Demeter was exiled in mortal form and that Persephone was now responsible of the mortals' agriculture and natural movements. As usual, they just minded their own, backwards lifestyles. Eating, sleeping, praying to the gods, and doing whatever it took to not piss off the gods. No madness among the gods.
Well, there was the madness that struck the House of King Cadmus of Thebes (see Chapters 93-94 of LORE OLYMPUS.)
The madness was caused when, after his return from an irrelevant war, King Cadmus discovered a ghastly truth. Something they hoped wouldn't haunt them.
Semele, following her act of debauchery with the disguised King of the Gods, had given birth. Cadmus knew that a worse curse would befall his royal house if Hera discovered the half-mortal symbol of Zeus' infidelity. In a mad hope to save his household from Hera's wrath, Cadmus hoped to kill the infant.
It was in vain. Just the night before Cadmus returned to Thebes, a nymph had approached Semele as she fed her child.
"Your father seeks your child's death."
"You're crazy!" Semele held her baby close to her. "I just gave birth to the child of Zeus AND an heir for my father! Why would he kill a son of Thebes?"
"Your child isn't safe in Thebes, Princess Semele. Even with Hera's wrath looming over your head, worse dangers await. Olympus has untethered their ties with the deities and nymphs in the realms of mortals and the dead. Your child is special, but in this situation, dangers threaten them. Zeus cannot protect your child."
Semele bit her lips. It was true that she hadn't seen Zeus in a long while. She hadn't even informed him of her pregnancy. With her father gone for months on the battlefield, only her sister Ino knew of her pregnancy.
The nymph summoned a rolled-up map out of thin air. "You need to leave the palace TONIGHT!"
"But where?" Semele panicked. "I've been in Thebes my whole life! My father could track us!"
"Which is I bless thee with this map. Take your sister Ino, a mule, and sufficient provisions. Follow the route specifically and hopefully, you will reach Nysa. Or as they call it, Thrace. My sisters the Hyades will harbor you and your sister."
"Thank you so much!" Semele knelt before the nymph.
"However, you must be warned. The Hyades will only shelter you and your sister. They will leave the sheltering of your child to their neighbor. He and his comrades will raise your child. Hidden and raised among them, none will suspect your child as Zeus' offspring. You will still be near your child. You both will live. But until your child is ready to rise above them… they cannot be near their mortal mother."
Semele hugged her baby tightly. Separating with it… once in Thrace.
Before she could ask anything else, the nymph had disappeared.
Semele could have just ignored the warning. Give herself the false hope that her father would embrace her child as his grandchild… and that no wrath or madness would follow… the birth of her child with… the King of the Gods…
"Ino!" She ran out of her chambers.
In the dead of night, Semele and Ino stole clothes from their servants, prepared a mule and provisions. The servants didn't realize until the King had returned that his daughters and the bastard were missing. On that day, a light scorched Thebes to flames.
…
The days seemed endless for Semele and Ino. The women followed the map provided by the nymph. They took turns with the mule, one guiding it by foot while the other rode it, baby in arms. The path started off carefully hidden under the floral canopy, so as to not alert Helios. In open fields, the women had to avoid contact with other mortals. They couldn't even ask for hospitality from farmers, so the only refuge they could find at night were small caves by waterfalls or some oak trees. Sometimes, they were forced to seek shelter from heavy rainstorms underneath a rock.
The baby cried frequently in storms, a helpless call for the sky to stop. It only needed the maternal milk to survive, but the women, on the other hand…
Several weeks, if not two months, had passed since the princesses fled Thebes. They weren't even halfway to Nysa and their provisions were down to their last days. Growing up as royalty gave disadvantages to their survival.
"There's only enough water to last a day." Ino checked their water bottle when they took a break on the road in a great field of grass with no trees in sight. "Probably enough for each of us to take a sip… and the mule drinks the rest."
"The rest for the mule?" Semele sat down, her child safely cradled in her arms. Just as she said that, their mule brayed from its dry lips. "I'm sorry, girl."
"And only enough bread for two days… We could forage for berries, but I can't tell which ones are poisonous."
The baby gave out a small cry.
"It's alright, sweetie. We'll get to Nysa," Semele helplessly comforted her child. "I hope…"
The worst possible cough alerted them. Ahead of them, a crone was weakly walking. Her robes and cloak were horribly ragged and soaked in mud. Her bony feat walked bare on the hot ground. Her long fingers suffered fresh cuts. She looked on the verge of collapsing.
"Pardon me… Which way is Thebes?" She coughed.
"Thebes? You need to rest!" Semele got up and showed the crone the rock she'd been sitting on.
"No, I mustn't!" The crone gasped sickly. "You carry a child!"
"My child will experience the basic of hospitality," Semele insisted. Ino helped the crone sit down. Once she uncorked the bottle, she held it before the woman.
"Your water, now?" The crone exclaimed. "Aren't you going far?"
"To Thrace, good mother. But you'll need your strength more than us to get to Thebes." Ino shook her head.
The crone drank, unceremoniously dripping water from her lips.
"We'll also give you our mule," Semele said. "We can walk to Thrace without it. You need it more."
"Well, I've seen enough!" The crone rose in height. Semele, holding her baby strong, and Ino took a quick step back. The bony crone transformed into a dark-blue skinned entity with green and purple veins spread all over. Her eyes were as mismatched as the poison that flowed in her veins. Her rags transformed into a robe of snake fangs while her disheveled hair was now a moving black mist.
The mortal women instantly kneeled before the entity. The baby, on the other, laughed happily.
"LL… Lady Achlys…" Ino stammered.
"G… Goddess of misery and poisons." Semele shushed her baby. "We didn't mean to offend you."
"Offend me? You gave me hospitality!" Achlys chuckled. "I usually roam around scaring mortals because it's funny to watch them freak out over their misery! Had I gone in a less pathetic shape, you'd be freaking out over the things that make you most miserable." Achlys bent down to better look at the baby. "I had a feeling though, with the precious life you shield, that you'd do better to provide hospitality than to be scared. And I was right! You were ready to give up all your valuables AND walk all the way to Thrace with the baby!"
"You… know of our plight?" Semele shook a little less.
"Yes! You might find hard to believe, Daughter of Cadmus, but you and Zeus have birthed a new deity that rivals the powers of a fertility goddess! A fertility god! It wasn't hard to understand why you fled Thebes… and why the latest scandal with Persephone severed the realms… But that's a story for another time!" Through some force, Achlys got the women to stand up. "It's why I had my nymph give you that map!"
"You send us the map?" Ino was shocked.
Semele knelt on the ground again. "Oh, thank you, mistress of the darkest mist!"
"Well, it's not like you would have believed me if I came myself!" Achlys shrugged. She pointed at the direction of Thrace. "You satisfied my expectations, princesses. But I must repay your hospitality… by blessing your baby."
Semele and Ino were afraid… But was it a good idea to deny a goddess? Especially the spreader of misery? Regardless of who she was, she had helped them… and the mortals were hospitable. Semele presented her child. Without their mother shielding them, their purple hair and hazel skin was exposed. The baby laughed in the arms of the goddess.
"Oh, how adorable! A fertility god! Always a fertility goddess or wild fertility spirits, but NEVER a fertility god! It seems to like me!" Achlys tickled the baby's belly. "Eris made a safe call to protect Persephone with wrath, and this little cutie needs all the help. What do you call it?"
Semele blushed. "Dionysus."
Achlys gasped in awe. "Dionysus! How perfect for a little half-god going to Nysa!" The baby Dionysus kept trying to suck on the fangs in the goddess' robes. It giggled as it wiggled around the teeth capable of dripping poison. "Look at it! So curious about the wonders of danger! Silenus will adore it!" The goddess gasped. "I know JUST the blessing this child needs!"
Achlys cleared her throat, held the baby up, and began to give her blessing. Doing so caused the excited baby's veins to turn purple and green like hers.
"Dionysus, child of Semele and Zeus. Newborn fertility deity. You are blessed by me, Goddess of Misery and Poisons. You will be known with many names. Androgynos, he who is for all genders. Braetes in Thrace. Dendrites, he who gives fertility. Lyaeus, he who expels anxiety. Semeleios, son of Semele. Dionysus, to protect yourself from those who would harm you and abuse your powers as a fertility god, I grant you my blessing of ecstasy. The raw power of ecstasy that allows the disfunction of mind and body. Where there is an overflow of happiness must also overflow with tragedy. Bless your followers with never-ending satisfaction and punish your enemies with eternal madness. As your preys, their only escape will be the truth. As a son and nephew, your enemies will suffer your ecstasy. Your ecstasy will make you beloved by mortals, nymphs, and deities, the Olympians will have to accept you!"
The sky cleared. Dionysus kept giggling in the goddess' arms. From the earth rose a wagon filled with a week's worth of food and a proper harness for the mule. Small vines stuck out of Dionysus' purple locks, created a tiny tiara.
"Thank you for your protection, Lady Achlys," Semele confidently bowed before the goddess returned the baby to its mother. "If we can ever return the favor…"
"You already did. Don't gossip, but as much as I LOVE spreading misery…" Achlys sighed. "I disdain misery caused from an abused being blessed with fertility. I witnessed Kronos and Zeus consume the powers of Rhea and Metis… As for Persephone…" Achlys just shook her head and pointed towards Thrace. "Your gifts will now allow you to travel faster. The Hyades await."
…
Semele, Ino, and baby Dionysus had finally reached Nysa in Thrace.
Interestingly, what was deemed part of the Greek world is now a Southeastern European region spread out through Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Three seas touch it: the Aegean Sea, the Marmara Sea, and the Black Sea. Legends say that the region was named after an Oceanid, one of the Titan Oceanus' COUNTLESS daughters. In modern-day Thrace, you'd locate several villages and cities, an example being Istanbul.
Thrace was also the home of mortal legends. Some included King Diomedes, the breeder of flesh-eating mares. The biggest mortal celebrity there was Orpheus, who was blessed with the most beautiful voice.
In the era of mortals, spirits, and gods, Thrace thrived in mountainous ranges and two rivers flowing through the chaotic forests. Though mortals did live in Thrace, they ensured to limit their domains. After all, if Thrace housed impactful humans, it was the main homeland of the wildest spirits. Spirits who chose to live in seclusion from the restrains of civilization.
Once their wagon reached the domain of the Hyades, Semele and Ino gasped at the world that was Nysa. Nymphs playing in the rivers. Predators and preys peacefully drinking and eating. The supernatural creatures and the fauna were fun and carefree.
But what shook the princesses more were Nysa's thriving population.
Satyrs.
Creatures considered demonic among mortals. Snub-nosed men with lower hooved bodies, prehensible tails, and dirty, knotted manes. Unsavory creatures who sent herds wild, stole from homes, and far more unsavory than the average unsavory mortal man. Semele and Ino thought they were in the wrong area when they saw the satyrs. Snub-nosed, yes, but that's as far as mortal accuracy went. Their ears and manes were those of horses and their lower hooved bodies had the animal parts of any beast with hooves. Their tails mismatched their lower bodies. Their upper human bodies had mortal skin complexions, but their supernatural aspects gave their animal parts peculiar colors.
And unlike the humans' descriptions, the satyr's went about harvesting in the forest, feeding their goats, conversing with nymphs, and even playing games with what seemed like wild, human children.
In their cavernous home, the Hyades tended to the refugees. The oldest Hyades bathed, fed, and talked with the princesses. The youngest Hyades took turns nursing Dionysus, who kept them quite entertained.
"You are welcome in our domain, Semele and Ino of Thebes," Phaisyle the eldest spoke.
"Thank you." The mortals bowed.
"We will shelter you and show you how you may thrive in Nysa," Coronis the second eldest said.
"Though not in mortal luxury, the freedom in Nysa will help you truly live." Eudora, the third oldest, joined in.
"Despite the price, we are honored to house you," Ambrosia, the youngest of the eldest, said.
The princesses first looked at each other and them at the baby. The youngest Hyades laughed at his attempts to walk.
"Great Hyades, Achlys' nymph and the goddess herself said that my sister's child must be separated from us," Ino softly said. "Is there truly no way he can stay with us? He's still a baby."
"We understand, Ino. If Dionysus was a regular mortal infant, we'd house him with open arms," Phaisyle sighed.
"Being the son of Zeus is dangerous on its own, but a fertility god is twice the trouble." Corona shook her head.
"Nymphs reported us what happened with Demeter and Persephone. Aside from the communications issue, we realized that Persephone might be just like your son," Phaisyle resumed. "Demeter is now suffering from her failures… because she denied her child the truth of her nature. No control over her gifts. Without any preparations, the Destroyer of Men could be vulnerable to anyone capable of using her powers of fertility to overthrow the current ruler of the gods, be they deity themselves or Titans."
"Believe us, our uncle did just that with his wife!" Eudora quickly nodded.
Semele covered her mouth as she sobbed. "My baby… Why does he… Why must he suffer?"
"To protect him and his family." Ambrosia patted the woman on the head. "Fear not. You'll reunite when he's ready. In the meantime, precautions must be used so that Dionysus will grow strong… but uncontrollable."
"Uncontrollable?" Ino asked.
"Fertility goddesses have always been sequestered. Right now, Persephone's survived, but who knows what they could do a child with such powers?" Phaisyle stood up and clasped her hands. "You'll stay with us, but Dionysus will join our neighbors the satyrs."
"The satyrs?!" The mortals exclaimed. In the background, the baby kept playing with the Hyades.
"Yes. As unsavory as you mortals view them, satyrs live well on Nysa. Their leader Silenus encourages them to nurse the children mortals abandon to die. Once a year, before spring ends, they follow their trails as a herd to explore the world before returning to Nysa. Silenus' entourage includes not only satyrs, but nymphs, abandoned children, and animals. Dionysus will be raised by Silenus' community. His brothers and sisters will be satyrs and nymphs. As a half-mortal, he'll get along with the human children. His divine side is hard to tell, so none would suspect a child of Zeus among satyrs."
Semele looked one more time at her baby. "But… he'll be safe, right?"
"And you'll reunite!" Ambrosia nodded.
"He can't see you or your sister, but I could ensure he sends some tributes for you, so as not to forget…" Eudora began.
The youngest Hyades lifted their heads up. They turned to look at their caverns' door. The baby looked at them, curious as to why the nymphs stopped playing with him. One of them sniffed the air.
"Silenus is outside," she said.
Ino sniffed the air and gagged. "Ugh!"
Semele caught the smell as well. "What IS THAT?"
"The smell of chaotic wilderness." Phaisyle got up. "We figured that their stench would shield the baby's half-divine odor from any hounds sent by Olympus."
"It'll go away after a couple years!" Ambrosia piped up. "I knew a nymph who hung out with the satyrs for three whole years! She stopped smelling like roses, and then she smelled like nothing at all when she took a bath!"
"Come… It's time." Phaisyle opened the door.
The Hyades gave the baby back to the women. Both mother and aunt cried over his forehead, kissed his cheeks, and hugged him. They followed the Hyades towards the exit.
Semele and Ino couldn't imagine that fifty satyrs (at least, dozens of nymphs, and many feral humans would suddenly make a semi-circle by the cavern's entrance. The Hyades let their mortal guests pass. Their audience, on their end, made room for Silenus on his donkey.
Silenus certainly stood out among the satyrs. Despite the dirt on his hooves, his lower black chamois body was well-groomed. His bare, chubby upper-body was a peculiar greenish brown color, like moss growing on dirt in a wintery field. His donkey tail was covered in protective snakeskin. His horse ears were small and brown. Green paint covered his chubby, snub-nosed face to outline that of a chamois. His beard was groomed and held down by plants woven into bands. His mane was so thick, it could be mistaken for an oak tree.
Silenus jumped off his donkey and awkwardly walked towards the Hyades.
"Neighbors." He greeted.
"Lord of our neighbors," the Hyades greeted together.
Dionysus cooed at his mother. She bit her lip and walked towards the satyrs' lord. The crowd stepped closer.
"Lord Silenus…" She said.
He raised his hand. Semele thought he'd snatch Dionysus off her. Instead, he patted her shoulder.
"I know." He nodded. "You won't be separated forever."
Semele cried. "But he'll live, right?"
Silenus' nod was all she needed. Holding her baby up enough, she made Dionysus visible to them all. Silenus' stoic expression vanished at the sight of the child.
"THAT's Zeus' kid?" The crowd began to whisper.
"Can't be."
"I heard he's a fertility god."
"What? That's new!"
"Look at him!"
"He's cute!"
"Are you sure he's half-Olympian?"
"He looks like one of us."
Silenus stroke the baby's hair. "I think you're popular with them, lil' one."
The hardest part came. "Take good care of him…" Semele swallowed her heartbreak. In one second, Dionysus was no longer in his mortal mother's arms. Once Silenus held him, the baby couldn't see Ino urging Semele to follow her into the Hyades' cavern. They were urged to quickly distance themselves from the baby.
"He'll be aware of his heritage," Phaisyle said confidently. "We'll observe."
"We know you will."
The moment the Hyades left for their home, Dionysus began to cry. Once the cavern's door was closed, the crowd quickly circled around Silenus. They wanted to look at their new member. Some nymphs quickly went to comfort him.
"Poor thing!"
"He's so cute!"
"We'll take care of him!"
"Any child we find abandoned is cared for by ALL of us," Silenus spoke to his followers. "Unlike gods and mortals from civilized prisons, we raise each other as equals. We respect the nature around us. We roam freely with nature. We owe the gods nothing and the mortals owe us nothing." He held the baby up. "Dionysus was entrusted to us. Like all the other foundlings, he will be my child. The satyrs will be his brothers and protectors. The nymphs shall be his sisters and nurses. Like all the foundlings, he will learn how we live. Running throughout the world's savage trails. Hiding in the trees and in the water. Disregarding gods and mortals who don't respect our way of life. Understanding nature. Achlys blessed him with ecstasy as protection. Dionysus will grow with us and know his heritage. When he is ready, he will be our god, not because of who is family, but because of how he chooses to use his powers. Let us welcome Dionysus, brothers and sisters!"
…
While the introduction of a baby demigod was welcomed in the savage world of the supernatural, there was an unpleasant commotion occurring among the mortals. COMPLETELY unrelated to what was happening on Olympus.
Located further south than Thrace, and WAY further south than the island of Naxos, Crete was the largest of all the Greek Islands and was considered the biggest Mediterranean island until 4 others beat the record and the Ancient Romans flipped the bird at least twice on the Greeks. The few mountains were rivaled by the rocky gorges, cloudless blue skies, and vast valleys. More than a thousand years after Antiquity, Crete both basked and suffered from its popularity as a tourist spot for vacationers in Greece. The Psychro Cave, where Zeus was secretly raised by nymphs away from Kronos, was an untouchable holy ground.
A future tourist spot for modern man was quite the hellish place in Antiquity. Fastest version of the story, Ancient Crete was ruled by the king at Knossos.
Minos.
Many thought he might have been the product of Zeus-as-a-bull and Europa. Others thought he was the Cretan Tantalos, a cruel man tempting his luck with the gods. However, he was commonly viewed as a mortal version of Zeus… for his poor familial handling.
On this particular day, King Minos and his queen, Pasiphaë, were in a heated argument. Other fastest version of the story, way before Persephone and Demeter's trial, Minos had neglected to properly sacrifice a bull to Poseidon, so the god retaliated by giving the queen a kink for the bull. The Cretan Oracle warned Minos that his queen would give birth to a monster and no heir. Just on this night, three babies were born.
Pasiphaë's bastard with the Cretan Bull. Asterion the Minotaur. At the same time, from Minos, she birthed two girls. A bull-headed monster and no boys to inherit the throne.
"You find it amusing to mock my empire, don't you?" Minos shouted at Pasiphaë. Neither seemed to care that they were arguing before their babies in the cribs. "Had I known you'd never give me heirs!"
"And what, Minos?" The Queen snapped. "Entertain me! Go on, fake demigod!"
Yes. People thought Minos might have been a son of Zeus, but the most confirmed lineage was that of Pasiphaë. She was the daughter of the Sun Titan, Helios himself. Her golden locks always flared up like the sun and the indoor torches turned into bonfires when her wrath increased. If Minos had the chance to kick her out of his palace, she'd reduce Crete to cinders. Minus her Titan-heritage, she was also the sister of the sinister Circe, who pleasured herself in giving men bestial transformations, and King Aeëtes of Colchis, the jealous guardian of the Golden Fleece at the edge of the world. Oh, and did we forget to mention her psychopathic niece Medea?
As Minos and Pasiphaë argued, Asterion and Phaedra cried in their cribs. Even with the former's bull head, he and his human half-sister had their mother's golden locks and fair skin. Only their dark-haired sister stayed calm in her crib.
Looking towards the window of what her home unfortunately was, a toxic golden prison, Ariadne's eyes glowed when she saw the stars shining towards the north.
The shadow sitting by the window also observed the stars with the baby. The other two babies stopped crying when Pasiphaë, after shouting another censored insult at Minos, slapped the door and noticed the shadow.
"I don't believe this. You show up NOW?" Pasiphaë's golden hair flared up. "Where the heck were you?"
"Where do you think I went?" The shadowy figure stood up, revealing herself to be shrouded in robes. Only her glowing golden eyes stood out in the darkness under her hood. "Oh, right… I just committed murder… again."
Pasiphaë picked up Asterion. The hybrid struggled for comfort in his mother's agitated hold.
"Ooh! My cousin born of a kink! Speaking of kinks, guess what I heard from good old Grandpa?"
"I'm surprised Helios even spoke to you. The last time he spoke to me and your father, it's when we both made poor marital choices," Pasiphaë rolled her eyes. She laid the Minotaur back in his crib and picked up Phaedra. "What did Helios say?"
"The, like, best scoop EVER!" Her niece leaned in to look at Phaedra. She then gagged. "Ugh! She smells of weakness and poor choice in men! Talk about a tragedy!"
"What did Helios say?" Pasiphaë put Phaedra back in her crib.
"Oh, that! Remember that whole deal of hundreds of mortals perishing due to the Bringer of Destruction? A work of art, really. I should have thought of doing that on the Argonauts. But anyway! Not only did Zeus banish her and Demeter to the Mortal Realm, but he closed the borders! I mean, we never went to Olympus, but it's a haggle to have Olympians checking our every move! Titan legacy and whatnot! Realm division will keep the gods seriously distracted enough to not meddle with our affairs!"
"The gods off our backs…" Pasiphaë pondered out loud. "Looks like we won't be needing to continuously consult Zeus for empirical spread permits. That buffoon Minos will do anything to make sure I don't raze Crete to cinders."
"We could toss in a little war between Crete and Athens. Should be really fun!" The cloaked niece looked over the third crib. Even after turning off the glow, Ariadne's eyes were still the burning gold color of the sun. Baby and cloaked witch stared at one another.
Then the baby frowned at her cousin.
"That one obviously got the brains out of your kids," the niece wiggled her fingers until a snake popped out of her thumb. Pasiphaë didn't move an inch as the snake slithered towards her baby. Asterion agitated in his crib and Phaedra cried.
Ariadne just stared at the snake for a long time.
She squinted at it and shrieked. Not a helpless shriek of help, but a shriek warning the serpent that bad things would happen if it didn't leave her alone.
Medea, Pasiphaë's niece, summoned the snake to oblivion.
"She's ugly with her father's hair, but she clearly has blessings from Helios. Not magic like you and I, Auntie. If we got Helios' fire, Ariadne got the all-seeing eyesight of Helios. Did you see how she looked at that snake? Just by seeing that it would attack her in self-defense, she scared it off. She's wily."
"Yes, well, until Minos is out of my life, there's no room in my life for a wily child."
"Wow. You really have no love for your brats, Auntie. Then again, bad taste in partners runs in our family."
"Uh, huh. Can you leave? Last thing I need is for your father to wonder why I let you to Crete."
"Fine, I'll go." Medea walked towards the fireplace. Flames began to engulf her and she teleported away through the fireplace. She looked at her aunt one last time.
"You could do a lot worse than a wily princess, Auntie Pasiphaë. You could end up with a family traitor siding with the Olympians!"