Chapter 8: Allies and Enemies

“A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.”

-- Baltasar Gracián, The Art of Worldly Wisdom: A Pocket Oracle, translated by Joseph Jacobs, 1904. Originally published by Macmillan and Co., London. Copyright: Public Domain.

The Palace of Oceanus was opulence itself. Even for Prometheus and his titanic brother, it was impressive. They stared at the Oceanids, the nymph children of Oceanus and Tethys. They were all ethereal, beautiful beings.

If romance interested him, Prometheus might have turned his head at them. Instead, he and his twin found themselves at the foot of Oceanus’ throne. For most of their lives, they knew of the importance of Oceanus. As such, they would not disrespect the ruler of the oceans.

However, fondness for others in an intimate fashion was difficult for him. With the intellect and forethought, Prometheus had always led when it came to the actions of him and his twin. Epimetheus was not foolish, but his astuteness came into account when it pertained to memory. Epimetheus was the brother who learned from the past while Prometheus always planned for the moment and the future.

Together, they kneeled before Oceanus.

“Rise, the sons of Iapetus,” Oceanus said.

Beside him, Tethys observed the sons with keen eyes. She was just as much a child of Gaia and Ouranos as her husband. To see a titan willing to break ties with Olympus told her that the shifting waves of Olympus’ water could be leading to irrevocable change.

“What brings you, my way?” Oceanus wondered.

“We have come asking why you are not with Cronos?”

“I am his brother. I am allowed to be changeable,” Oceanus said with a laugh. “Besides,” Oceanus went on, inclining his head towards himself and his wife. “All of my brothers and sisters know how much I love to stay in my palace. That is why I am here, but it begs why are you both here?”

Epimetheus shivered under the scrutiny of the more powerful titan.

Prometheus stood his ground. “You stayed after our father passed. I heard you. You didn’t believe that our father died naturally.”

“You heard my husband and listened, but your brothers did not do the same?” Tethys asked with disbelief.

Prometheus laughed. “Good catch, Your Majesty. I did not hear Oceanus. I saw the way he looked at my father’s body. But that could have been mourning as much as it was suspicion.”

“So, you came here on a hunch?” Oceanus wondered.

“As you said, Your Highness, everyone knows you like to stay by yourself. You swim up your own stream.”

Oceanus laughed at the joke.

“I am willing to bet that since you are by yourself, you will be honest about any suspicion over our father’s death.”

Oceanus considered the statement for a moment before inclining his head in agreement with Prometheus’ statement.

“The wound on your father’s neck was similar to when Cronos removed the head of our father, Ouranos.”

“And that makes you think Cronos killed our father.”

“I do,” Oceanus confirmed with a nod. “I can’t promise it was him, but Cronos acted suspicious when I confronted him. That was enough for me not to help him.”

“Why?”

“Because he killed our father for doing him wrong. Do you believe that he would not kill his brother because Iapetus did something he did not like?”

Prometheus thought on the matter momentarily.

“Maybe Father did not want to listen to Cronos or fight in this fight ahead.”

“I agree,” Oceanus remarked. Shaking his head. “In the future, I know there will be a fight between Zeus and Cronos even further than what has already occured, but Cronos will do anything to hold onto his power.”

“And why is that a problem?” Epimetheus asked.

“Because it means all of his allies are just tools, like the torch Hyperion wields or the scythe Cronos has. We can be discarded if it means he can continue to be worshiped. That is reason enough for him to be removed from power. People matter far more than position, Prometheus. Remember that.”

“I will, going forward,” Prometheus promised.

“What shall you do?” Tethys wondered.

“I shall help Zeus and hope he does not become like his father.”

Epimetheus nodded. “And I shall stand by my brother’s side.”

Together, the twins walked from the throne room of Oceanus. Tethys watched them go.

“Are you sure this was the right path to send them on, Oceanus?”

Oceanus shrugged. “I don’t know, my wife, but ... it is the more honest one. That needs to be enough if we are to have a King of Olympus who is worthy of the throne.”

It was taking time, but the sisters were finding their way. Hera had picked up the bow made by the children of Ouranos and Gaia, Demeter grabbed the gauntlets, and Hestia drew the staff. In their hands, these divine weapons could shape the future.

“So, what is the plan?” Demeter wondered. “We are going to defeat father?”

“No ... I think it’s bigger than that now,” Hades said coolly.

“Bigger? How?” Hestia asked.

“Father’s siblings will help him,” Poseidon answered.

Zeus followed. “We will have to battle any of the Titans that side with Cronos.”

“Luckily for you,” Prometheus said, making his way into the cave. “That is not all of us.”

“How did you find us?” Poseidon said, withdrawing his sword from his side.

“You’re kidding, right?” Epimetheus said. Your tower of lightning can be seen with anyone with a pair of eyes, and every Titan, greater or lesser, knows the importance of Othrys.”

“We’re following a real genius it seems,” Hera remarked snidely. She looked from Hades to Zeus, unsure of which was truly in charge.

“No one is really leading,” Poseidon admitted. “It has been pretty go, go, go, since Zeus freed us from Cronos.”

The sisters nodded in understanding.

“Then what’s your next move?” Prometheus asked. “It cannot just be to arm yourself and battle the Titans?”

“Why not?” Poseidon asked. “We have been doing all right with that thinking?”

“You have fought Cronos twice, and you failed to kill him both times,” Metis pointed out.

“The way I see it, we are overcoming Cronos. If we haven’t died, we’re doing well,” Poseidon said.

“Wonderful logic,” Hades drawled. “I may be his brother, but that is not my sentiment.”

“Then what is your sentiment?” Prometheus wondered.

“We need Cronos to either allow us freedom to exist or, we should fight with all of the power we have at our disposal,” Hades said firmly.

The others did not speak right away. A weight settled in momentarily. To try and challenge the power that usurped the Primordial King was an insurmountable task indeed, yet there they were in that cave in an attempt to do such a thing.

“I think those are reasonable goals,” Metis said to Prometheus.

Titan to titan, Prometheus inclined his head to her. “I believe I could take these demands before Cronos and his siblings.”

“And if he denies us?” Hades asked.

It was Zeus who answered. “Then it will mean war.”

Metis nodded her head to Zeus. “That would be a fair summation.”

The Halls of Olympus filled up with Titans of every sort. Hyperion and Theia, Mnemosyne, Themis, Crius and Eurybia, Coeus and Phoebe, Atlas, and Menoetius were all present in the grand dining room of Cronos. Rhea was understandably absent.

Menoetius slammed his fist on the table. “Can’t you see that Zeus and his siblings are a problem?”

“Would that have been before or after Cronos ate the children?” Coeus remarked wisely.

“Don’t start making divisions now,” Hyperion remarked quickly. “If we support Cronos, we should support him completely.”

“Even if he brings doom upon us all?” Themis countered with inquisitive curiosity. “We are beings that should protect the order of things, not let creation all fall apart.”

“They are the problem!” Crius said, careful with his bandaged hands. His loyalty to Cronos was on full display.

The damage from Ouranos had been everlasting to leave ichor-bleeding scars that needed to be tended to by cloth since the wounds would not close on their own. The wrappings served as a reminder of the cost of battle even when he was not showing them off to his brothers.

“And what if they were not a problem?” the voice of Prometheus boomed.

The audience turned to face the son of Iapetus.

In his hand was a scroll. “The sons of Cronos would like to be left in peace to live among us Titans within the mortal realm. They will not seek battle against Cronos or any of the Titans.”

“Seek battle? They attacked me!”

“To free their siblings,” Prometheus countered. “The first assault freed Hades and Poseidon, who long to stay free, and the second freed the sisters from Rhea. You cannot pretend that you were ideal parents. While Rhea only held the sisters in her palace, they were prisoners, just as much as the brothers.”

The dining hall was quiet for a moment. Reality surrendered to truth when it was revealed; these Titans were no different. The hush had captured every Titan present. Each powerful being looked at one another. It was Coeus, the wise one, who broke the silence.

“That sounds honest, and they are not asking for anything unreasonable,” Coeus remarked.