Chapter Text
Gathering Clouds
Montauk Beach
Lightning flashed overhead, cutting jagged lines across the sky, while winds blew with terrible force. The sea below, capped in the white of violent currents, swelled with the same unnatural fury battering the shoreline. Any living creature near the shore had either fled or long since been consumed by nature’s rage, all but one.
Standing untouched by the furious tempest, a lone man cut an imposing figure to any who would have been foolish enough to observe him. He was unnatural in the purest sense. Despite his proximity to the lashings of nature, he remained unmoved, unaffected. His long coal-black hair, sprinkled with silver, remained still in defiance of the domain of which his very essence held dominion over. Twin spots of glowing green, ever changing as if trying to find a new shade that the sea had not yet graced the world with, sat above high cheekbones and full lips which were hidden by a beard the same as his hair remained resolutely fixed on the sky above.
Another crack of lighting, accompanied by a deafening peal of thunder, left the world bathed in blinding white. When the light cleared, the man, more myth and marble than flesh and blood, was no longer alone.
“Brother”, intoned the new arrival. His tone echoing carefully restrained potential reminiscent of the final moment before lightning is born from the friction held in clouds and carrying with it the weight and wisdom of a thousand lifetimes.
All at once, as if answering some impossible command, nature’s warfare against itself ceased. The tides calmed, the lightning no longer tore jagged strips in the sky, and the flurries of sand settled back to the beach. The man started to slowly turn. His once glowing eyes now dimmed to a shimmering kaleidoscope of green filled with barely contained emotions.
“Brother”, he acknowledged, now fully turning to face the new arrival who shared a distinctly familial look.
Although he was similarly built, if not barely shorter, his face was more regal and hair streaked with more silver. Eyes a piercing electric blue like the lightning which had pierced the clouds moments ago carried a weary and resigned look as they met eyes now the shade of green blue carried by the sea right before a hurricane.
“Poseidon…” the second man started before cutting himself off, furrowing his brow as if he were struggling with what to say next. “I take it you have heard?”
“Yes”. The man now identified as Poseidon ground out, teeth gritted with unrealized grief.
“A new great prophecy has been set in motion. One born from our folly, our arrogance, our complacency”, the last word spat into the air carrying the weight of disgust.
Poseidon’s eyes flickered briefly to their previous chaotic glow before returning to a calmer shimmer. With a heavy sigh and a slight flick of his index finger a set of sturdy wooden chairs materialized in a spray of salt water. Both brothers sat in contemplative silence, a thousand words left unsaid between them. After a moment Poseidon spoke, “Our children, why must they be cast out into a world set against them, every turn they take leading to death and tragedy? They have done nothing Zeus; their only crime is being our blood.”
Zeus sat, face like marble, gazing out on thick, dark clouds that choked the sunlight from the sky. He sat for a moment, electric eyes blazing with some undefined emotion before speaking, “It is simply the cycle of our world brother. As we once faced trials to ascend to and maintain our positions, so must they. Fate is rarely kind, mostly cruel and unyielding, but always indifferent to what we want. Even as gods we are bound by its threads.”
Again, the brothers sat, silent and contemplative. Eyes, filled with the weight of too many emotions, set on the dark skyline. Finally, Zeus spoke again, “Poseidon…”, he trailed off, “my daughter, your son… They will carry the weight of this prophecy, the weight of our sins.”
“They will.” Poseidon agreed with a bitter smile. The next time he spoke it was with the certainty of the sea lapping at the shore and the calm of the eye of a hurricane, “This time will be different. Damn the Ancient Laws, damn Fate, and damn any who would stop us. I will slip through every loophole and bear any punishment to ensure my son is strong enough to endure”.
“They will need it. Apollo sees the threads of Fate converging, tightening to a single point, a single person. All our battles until now pale in comparison to the weight of what is coming”.
Slowly the winds and tide heightened with supernatural fervor before assuming their unnatural calmness once more. “What did Fate decree this time?” Poseidon asked, breathless worry fracturing his calm façade.
Zeus hesitated for the barest moment, a fraction of a second. This slight tremor in the otherwise unshakeable King of the Gods was enough to convey just how grave Fate’s new missive was. As though weighing the magnitude of his coming words, Zeus’ eyes began to glow with the startling intensity of barely restrained divine power as they roved across the bleak sky. As he started to speak a clap of thunder shattered the unnatural silence before giving way to his words, “A storm rises against the endless tide, Lightning lost and war ignited, A burden broken and hero lost, Light in the dark shall start the path, Corruption wakens all the rest, The Binding of Dreams unraveled with a breath, First love lost to the depths, Ruin or salvation on ascendance rests”.
The world remained still as the weight of Zeus’ words settled over the two brothers, as if nature itself were holding its breath. Both turning the words over and over in their heads. With a sharp breath Poseidon spoke, “We face it together, united, as we did against father and grandmother”.
Zeus suddenly stood, his posture etched with every bit the tension he felt. “I will prepare. To long our children have remained scattered and weak. They must be every bit as strong as their counterparts when the time comes”.
Poseidon stood as well, though with a far more fluid grace. “Indeed. I will… ensure… my son’s protection as best I can”.
With a sharp nod Zeus disappeared in a blinding flash of lightning and deafening boom of thunder. Poseidon once again stood alone on the beach. “How much of this is my domain… how much of this is an omen torn from the very fabric of the world” he wondered idly. With a final heaving sigh Poseidon took one last look at the skyline before shedding his physical form and disappearing with a flash of light and spray of mist tinged with the smell of salt.
Olympus – Council Chambers
Three days. Three days is how long dark clouds and light rain filled the sky; small beams of Apollo’s light penetrated the gloomy shroud that had lain over the City of the Gods. Three days since Zeus and Poseidon learned of their children, both born on the same day, at the same time. Three days since Apollo had been seized by his gift of prophecy, his mind torn by visions of utter ruin and glorious triumph in equal measure. Three days since two of Kronos’ sons had heard the prophecy and decided to act, forever changing the course of Fate.
Zeus sat on his throne, the Seat of the Heavens, a massive hulking construct of the purest marble inlaid with veins of the same crackling lightning that could be seen just outside the doors of the chambers. The marble itself was white in places, like the innocence of a lamb ripe for slaughter, and grey fading into a deeper almost black color in other places, reminiscent of the storm clouds hanging above Olympus. The room itself had twelve thrones total, five that stretched to the left of Zeus and seven to his right, creating a U-shape around a massive fire. Each throne was large enough to fit the forty-foot height of the Olympian Council’s divine forms. The chambers’ ceiling towered above even the thrones, each panel that made up the dome under which the Council sat carrying illustrations of past deeds and triumphs associated with each member. The short hall leading up to the thrones was flanked by perfectly spaced marble pillars the same color as the rest of the chambers and inlaid with gold accents and iconography of battles and quests which had given birth to countless myths.
With a sigh Zeus raised his right hand, materializing the Master Bolt, a rod of primordial lightning given permanence. Pointing the Bolt to the ceiling he let off a strike of devastating power that reverberated across the divine realm. Almost immediately the room was filled with the swell of divine energy heralded by two blinding flashes of light. First among them was Poseidon, dressed a loose chiton overlayed with traditional Greek battle armor, his presence seemed to fill the room with the chaotic and calm currents of his domain. The next being to emerge was a stunningly beautiful woman, her face regal and cold. Light brown eyes that shimmered with the same depths of power found in the eyes of all gods sat above a perfect nose and flawless cheek bones, framed by wavy brown hair. Her full lips upturned in a mocking and disdainful smirk as her found Zeus’ gaze fixed on her. Her dress, layered with iridescent peacock feathers, ruffled slightly as she took her place on the throne to Zeus’ immediate right. Poseidon stay to Zeus’ left with an aura of certainty and a grim expression fixed to his face, echoing the gravity of the meeting that was about to take place.
Over the next minute nine more flashes filled the chamber bringing with them a combined weight that would leave mortals struggling to stand. First came the twins, Artemis and Apollo. Artemis seemed to embody the beauty of nature. Her silver eyes, just barely almond-shaped, were sharp and calculating as they roved over the current assembly with the feel of a hunter. Straight auburn hair that seemed to shimmer with moonlight, though none was present, framed a face that was beautiful even by divine standards. Her high cheekbones rested above full, red lips the color of berries and a dainty chin. Much like Poseidon, Artemis was dressed in a tradition chiton as white as fresh snow and lined with silver. Its loose fit did little to hide the curves of her hips or the swell of her chest. To her left was Apollo, eyes blazing like twin suns on an aristocratic face. His body was lithe and compact, only slightly bigger than one would expect a sprinter to be.
Next to arrive was Hermes, his blue eyes as light as the sky on a sunny day and his face perpetually mischievous. Athena, Ares, and Hephaestus all arrived at once. Athena, looking like a princess, was crowned with loose blonde curls and eyes as grey as clouds. Her face no less regal than Hera’s. Ares, the personification of War, was a beast of a man. His eyes a raging inferno that could drive a man mad were deeply set on a scared face that carried a strong jaw and brow. Black hair was closely cropped into a soldier’s cut, his entire being screaming danger. Hephaestus was a deformed creature; more metal than man. Despite his massive, stocky frame twisted and adorned with celestial bronze braces, he stood shorter than most Olympians due to his permanent hunch. His face was malformed. The slight droop in his lips was covered by a raggedy beard and eyes the shone like white-hot metal almost seemed stuck underneath his bulging brow.
The final group to arrive was Aphrodite, Demeter, and Dionysus. Aphrodite was beauty personified, her face marked with impeccable make up, pouty lips almost too full, and body the image of sin. Her chiton seemed to strain against her figure, outlining every curve, while still retaining its flowing look. As she materialized her eyes, an endless kaleidoscope of every shade imaginable traveled across the room. A small smirk upturned her lips as if she were anticipating the coming drama. Demeter’s arrival brought a sense of calm contentment, like walking through a meadow on a warm summer day. Her soft brown eyes held a hint of maturity the belied her status as an elder Olympian. Her face soft and inviting, but no less beautiful than her sister. Clothed in a chiton the color of golden wheat, she sat expectantly. Finally, Dionysus, a portly man. His face chubby and flushed a purple-red just a few shades lighter than his eyes that swam with the madness found at the bottom of his most prized vintages. He sat lazily as if drunk, which he was.
Zeus looked out upon the assembled council. To his left sat Poseidon, Hermes, Artemis, Apollo, and Aphrodite. To his right Hera, Demeter, Hephaestus, Athena, Ares, and Dionysus. Satisfied with what he saw Zeus’ voice rang out with no preamble, “You all have heard the news. A new Great Prophecy has been given”.
Murmurs of discontent rang out from several of the assembled Olympians. Suddenly Zeus raised the Master Bolt and struck it against the ground restoring the silence of the chambers. “We must prepare. This prophecy is like no other we have faced before. The entirety of our legacy rests on what we do”.
“Apollo, share the words Fate has laid against us” Zeus intoned.
Apollo, giving an almost unnoticeable flinch at being singled out, gathered himself before speaking. “A storm rises against the endless tide, Lightning lost and war ignited, A burden broken and hero lost, Light in the dark shall start the path, Corruption wakens all the rest, The Binding of Dreams unraveled with a breath, First love lost to the depths, Ruin or salvation on ascendance rests.”
The council sat. Each member unwilling to break the heavy silence that had settled upon them like the weight of the prophecy that now hung over Olympus. Finally, Hera spoke, “And do tell husband…” she spat “why has a Great Prophecy been issued now. What has occurred to bring about such a shift in the treads of Fate?” Her eyes filled with scorn searching Zeus’ face already knowing the answer but wanting to drag it out from him.
“I have been blessed with a daughter” he rumbled out. Voice carrying the undercurrent of a storm about the break loose.
Before Hera could speak again Poseidon spoke, “Peace sister, fighting amongst ourselves will do nothing but delay us no matter how just the cause”. He hesitated before continuing, “I too have been blessed with a child, a son”.
Silence reined in the chamber before a cacophony of angry, accusing shouts burst forth. Each god airing their grievances over the broken oath of the two brothers. Artemis’ voice rose above the chaos, “Why? You both knew the stakes, the consequences that would be brought to bear by siring more children. The last time you sired children the whole world was at war for almost a decade!” The end of her miniature speech punctuated by her voice rising to a shout.
Athena was next, “Uncle, Father, your arrogance precedes all rationality.”
Ares chimed in, voice heavy with an unidentifiable emotion, “The toll of this coming war will be steep. A price that I hope we are ready to pay.”
Zeus gritted his teeth before slamming the Bolt against the ground. “Enough!” he shouted. “Do not speak to me of arrogance or consequences. Nobody, not even Apollo, could have predicted a new Great Prophecy would stem from our actions.”
“What’s done is done” said Apollo, uncharacteristically grim. “The prophecy has been given. It will not be one conflict. My visions gave me the sense that this would unfold in stages, over a decade at least.”
“My nephew is right. Our mistakes cannot be undone. Even killing the children would not stop what is to unfold. The only thing left to do is prepare. I have already started to mobilize Atlantis in preparation of whatever may come.”
Silence once again hung over the assembly. It was rare for Atlantis to mobilize in force; it had not happened since the last Gigantomachy.
“Is this truly necessary this early uncle?” Hermes questioned. “We have almost two decades before either of your children will be old enough to contend with any type of quest or conflict.”
“Absolutely…” Zeus spoke, “we will not be caught flat footed. This is a prophecy I intend to overcome; Olympus will not fall to the tide of Fate.”
He shifted as if gathering himself, “Atlantis is not the only front we are strengthening. Camp Half-Blood will be remade. In its place we shall bring about a city to rival New Rome.” At the mention of the Roman camp the assembled deities all briefly flickered before settling back in their Greek forms. “New Olympia will be a bastion for our children to gather. No longer will they remain scattered and hunted at the leisure of Tartarus’ monsters. All of you will guide your children to this new bastion.”
Athena, now entire focused on the task at hand, leaned forward with an analytical look in mind. “What of the logistics? We cannot blindly strike out at our goals.”
“I will contact Chiron to begin forming more structured training. Poseidon has already pledged his cyclopes towards building defenses, expanding cabins, and raising new ones to accommodate the minor gods. Hephaestus will stock the newly expanded armories of Olympus, Ares is to begin assembling a standing army of minor gods to defend Olympus, Artemis you will report and neutralize every gathering of monsters you can find, Athena you will oversee the finer details of each operation, and the rest of you will attend to your domains as normal and report any stirrings you come across!”
Zeus’ decree rang out, bringing order and confidence to the assembled gods.
“We have a path forward. When this storm comes, we will be ready.”
With his final words, taken as the dismissal they were, ten flashes of light filled the room before dispersing leaving only Poseidon and Zeus.
Poseidon spoke first, “I have skirted every law I could. My boy will be safe; he carries the protection of the sea in full now.”
Zeus nodded. “Good, I will watch over my daughter. No harm will come to our children until they are ready to shoulder this burden… whichever one it will be.”
With nothing left to say both brothers disappeared in a flash of light leaving behind a spray of sea mist and the smell of ozone respectively.