Campe
We camped beside the Phlegethon River while the Cyclopses worked on our weapons. The time gave me some time to scrutinise Poseidon. We all have complex characteristics, with some stemming from our incarceration from birth. I watched from the sidelines but remained focused on our goal. His attitude wasn't belligerent in a wicked way. It was simply his way of dealing with his demons.
Although the physicalities of fighting helped vent the frustration out, I still felt lost in my new world. I left my brothers to do as they willed while seeking peace in the dusky evening. I knew there would be no peace when we returned to Mount Olympus.
◆◆◆
“The weapons are ready to be collected, and it is time to free the Cyclopses,” Zeus said as he stood up. He paused before he continued. “Hecatoncheires also reside in Tartarus, but we must get past a guard first.”
The brothers must be master blacksmiths if they completed our weapons within two days. I wasn't too concerned about the guard because, after years of war, one more monster didn't phase me.
“I knew there was a catch,” Poseidon said with a groan.
“All you need to do is distract her, and Hades will be able to break through the barrier. I will take care of ,” Zeus said confidently.
Arges, Steropes and Brontes were the offspring of Uranus and Gaia, as were the Hecatoncheires. It was our father and their brother who kept them imprisoned. The irony was that his actions were replicas of Uranus’s—a God he hated wholeheartedly.
◆◆◆
When we reached the centre of the Underworld, we travelled down the endless pit on Zeus’s winged back. The lower we sank into the depths of the pit, the warmer the Underworld got. There was an incredible amount of power down here. My brothers didn't seem affected.
Did it come from the abyss of Tartarus?
“Can you feel it?” I asked as our free fall continued.
“Yes, it feels sinister and perilous,” Poseidon said with a frown. “Open the pit as soon as has been removed from her post.”
I nodded absently because I’d begun to analyse the various rare deposits hidden deep beneath the earth's crust. Layer upon layer of earth. I glanced upward and wondered how much further there was left.
Zeus must have gotten impatient because he tilted downward and suddenly nosedived towards our destination. We gripped onto him as we sped into the deepest, darkest depths of the Underworld.
My core hummed, and my body buzzed with unhindered excitement. In the pitch-black environment, I closed my eyes and pictured the lower caverns. The vast span of the lower level made me understand that the Cyclopses and Hecatoncheires prison was described aptly as the abyss.
“We are almost there, Zeus,” I said. “Be careful. There are jagged rocks that spike upward.”
Zeus made a strange noise from the back of his throat, acknowledging my words. It wasn't long before he began to hover over the ground. We jumped off him, avoiding the spiked rocks. There was a little light coming from random spurts of hot oozing lava.
I touched the living, breathing ground of Tartarus, created by Chaos, the ancient Goddess who we all came from. After years of bitter war, my spirit felt rejuvenated from a simple touch. It wasn't sorcery because I could see my brothers weren't as affected as I was. Since leaving Cronus’s belly, this was the first genuine connection I felt in this world.
“We must hurry and find the Drakaina,” Zeus said, taking his weapons from Poseidon.
My hand lingered on the ground before I stood up.
This damned war needed to end .
◆◆◆
I guided my brothers' path while controlling the darkness. My powers were as natural as breathing down here.
“Who awakens my slumber?” A voice screeched with rage vibrating and echoing around us.
“It is I, Zeus, I come to free your prisoners,” Zeus shouted back but began to look around.
began to laugh to the point of sounding hysterical.
Had the darkness driven her mad, or the loneliness?
Poseidon and Zeus stood back to back while I attempted to locate her energy in the dim cavern.
“You have come to meet your death, Zeus,” hissed.
“To your right,” I shouted as a giant scorpion tail swished through the air.
Zeus stood his ground and stuck his sword into ’s tail. Poseidon used his strength to hold her tail up.
“Split up, I've got her,” Zeus said as screamed with pain.
Poseidon positioned himself, ready to distract , while Zeus faced her head-on. I knew the prison's location from pulling out so much material for our weapons. It was rare for Zeus to be wrong, and my rancour left me. For whatever reason, Zeus had not pursued the brothers or our weapons until now.
We had Themis and Prometheus with their prophecies. All I needed to do was trust in Zeus. This was the right time. I left them to deal with , gliding through the shadows until I saw the seal over the pit.
After taking a deep breath, I moved the stiff formation of the rocks at the entrance of the pit, ignoring the scuffling sounds and the odd scream of fury from . I stepped back as the ground began to shake and crumble, but I didn't stop. We had left the battlefield and needed to return before the next wave.
When realised what I was doing, she darted toward me. I reflected all the light in the area onto her until she covered her eyes with her arm. Cronus had picked the perfect warden to oversee his prisoners.
’s head was covered with numerous serpent-like creatures, but each tip had a different beast on it. In place of her legs, she had larger serpents. Her chest and face resembled a female, but her torso was covered in fish-like scales.
Zeus sliced through one of her legs, causing her to scream and swipe at him with her talons. While she turned away from me, I released the spotlight from her and continued breaking through the pit's seal.
The rest of the ground crumbled away, leaving a huge hole in the area. I quickly moved back as the earth fractured beneath me. The Cyclopses came out first. Their hands gripped the edges before they heaved their lofty bodies up, helping one another to pull themselves out. Their size and strength had not waned beneath the earth. They had one large eye in the middle of their forehead that seemed to blink slowly as they looked around.
The entire rim of the pit was covered with countless hands and fingers as the one-hundred-armed Hecatoncheires. This was only one because the numerous head was attached to one body. They needed no assistance to climb out of the pit.
There was no need to read their energy. Briareus, Cottus and Gyges were burning with a desire to fight. One by one, they ran towards , but Zeus had her pinned to the ground with Poseidon throwing him the sharpened spear. With a mighty roar, Zeus drove his spear into ’s neck.
The Hecatoncheires began to slam their multiple arms on the ground in fury as the earth beneath my feet shook. These brothers were ripe for war. I glanced at the Cyclopses, who stood to one side. Their demeanour was much calmer, and I noticed the weapons they held.