Chapter 5: Weapons of Power

“We’re here because we’re not free. There’s no escaping reason, no denying purpose – because as we both know, without purpose, we would not exist. It is purpose, that created us, connects us, pulls us, guides us, drives us. It is purpose that defines. Purpose that binds us.”Agent Smith, The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

On the heights of Olympus, the three daughters of Cronos and Rhea looked out of their window to see three handsome young men jumping and running down the side of Olympus without help or others.

Hera slapped Demeter and Hestia to motion at the brothers. “Do you see?”

“Were those our brothers?” Hestia wondered. She seemed entirely unimpressed by their efforts.

“So it seems. The one in the middle seems handsome, don’t you think, Hera?” Demeter asked.

Hera’s eyes fell upon another of the three. “I don’t know ‘Meter. I think the scarred one is really cute.”

“Careful,” Hestia mused with a laugh. “You don’t want to impede Mother’s plans for you as queen.”

Hera paused, never thinking of that. She looked at the blue-ish gray deity running down the side of the mountain. He turned his head, looking directly at Hera. It was almost as if he could see through her very soul.

Hera looked back, seeing a sad, damaged man. She wished, for the smallest moment, that she did not need to marry the next King of Olympus.

Crius was the first to arrive in Olympus. He ran towards Cronos. The blow to his brother had left wounds all along Cronos’ body. His stomach had been ripped open. The residual signs of magic and power lingered.

Crius could see the slightly-weak breathing of Cronos. It was uncomfortable seeing his king of a brother being so vulnerable.

Hyperion was next to get there.

“Where were you?” Crius angrily asked. “Where in Tartarus were you, Hyperion?”

“Ruling my domain!” Hyperion shouted back as he ran to Cronos’ side.

A glow emanated from Cronos’ eyes causing the other brothers to step back. Slowly, the wounds weakened, coming undone. Cronos stood as his belly started to close all on its own.

Hyperion and Crius stared in awe at the power of their brother, Cronos the Titan of Time.

“It is good that you are both here,” Cronos said. He motioned his head towards them “Hyperion, Crius. You are the most loyal. After we wipe out these vermin sons of mine, I will find a way to reward you for this loyalty.”

“What shall we do now, Brother?” Crius asked.

“We will wait on our other brothers, Crius. Then, we shall plan for what comes next.”

The three landed in the lands of Tartarus.

The realm stretched before Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades as an abyss of darkness and echoes that seemed to stretch on forever. The air was heavy with an eerie stillness, broken only by the distant murmurs of shadowy figures that shuffled aimlessly through the abyss.

Ouranos walked in the land of the dead without any thought about where he was going. He was a spectral being of a bygone era, wandering with vacant eyes. He could not even acknowledge his surroundings’ existence, much less the existence of the incoming sons of Cronos.

As the three young gods stepped forward, the ground beneath their feet seemed to shift, acknowledging their presence more than the spectral deities who walked the lands.

Zeus surveyed the haunting landscape. Poseidon, his sea-green eyes glinting with determination, clenched the rock that he believed to be made of magic from their mother. Hades, his dark countenance masked with an air of solemnity, found a measure of comfort in this bleak realm where he would not need to fight or have any conflict in the world.

“Brothers,” Zeus began, his voice resonating with authority. “Welcome to Tartarus.”

“Why are we here?” Poseidon asked. “I thought we would kill our father and be free of his rule.”

“Yeah ... I am guessing you both had a lot of time to think about that in Father’s belly?” Zeus wondered.

“We did. Poseidon might be immature, but he is correct in his query. Why are we here, Zeus?”

“Gaia, our grandmother, told me of potential allies that might be here.”

“Who?” Hades wondered, skeptical.

“The Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires, the mighty beings that can forge the weapons we need,” Zeus said confidently.

Hades raised his brow in concern. “Is not Tartarus dangerous?”

Zeus nodded. “It can be, but we will not be here long.”

“And who is that?” Poseidon asked, motioning to the tall Primordial trudging through the Underworld.

Zeus’ gaze settled on the two spectral beings. “Ouranos.”

Hades looked up, seeing his grandfather. His gaze did not linger on the larger-than-life being. Instead, his gaze looked for his half-brother. Cronos had eaten him. Where had his brother been? Surely he had died, and therefore, should have been part of the Underworld.

Poseidon stared at Hades. That answer made Poseidon aware of the fact that Hades was keeping secrets from him.

Hades ignored the look.

Together, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades journeyed through the depths of Tartarus. Finally, they came across gargantuan beings who were chained to the walls of the Underworld: The Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires.

“Cyclopes? Hecatoncheires?” Zeus asked.

One of the Cyclopes moved. “Little being? What do you want?”

“I am called Zeus, son of Cronos and Rhea!”

“What does that have to do with us, little Zeus?” the Cyclops went on. “We have nothing to do with our siblings or their children since our father trapped us.”

“We have come to free you,” Hades said. Though he tried to sound sure of himself, he was shaky. His wounds from a lifetime within Cronos were taking a toll on him.

“You barely seem to be able to help yourself,” a Hecatoncheires responded. The others did not move.

“Tell us how we might help you, so we can all be free of here, then,” Hades growled in response.

“What would you have of us?” the Cyclops asked. “Our father trapped us, and your father used our tools to slay our father but left us here to wallow and suffer.”

“We seek your help in deposing our father from power, but we give you our word that we have no intention of trapping you in Tartarus once again.”

“What does your word mean to us?” the Cyclops asked.

“It is our bond!” Poseidon added. “Zeus swore to free us from our father’s captivity for us, and he freed us.”

In truth, Poseidon did not know if Zeus made such a vow, but he knew that Zeus had followed through on a perilous journey to free them, and Zeus could always contradict him since he was there. Why would he not free the enormous creatures before them?

“All we need from you is to provide us with weapons and swear not to help our parents in the coming conflict.”

“Brontes?” the Hecatoncheires asked the Cyclops.

“It is agreeable, Briares,” the Cyclops said back.

“Help us, little godling,” Briares said to Zeus.

Brontes could barely lift the chain, but he did in the end. When he did, he motioned where the chain was hooked on. “We made it so that the chain can’t be harmed by whomever is wrapped up in it.”

The three brothers could see the near unbreakable nature of the hook. As one, they channeled their power through Zeus. The divine power at their disposal was so powerful that the other Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires started to stir.

Their blast might have destroyed the hook if it were made of a weaker substance. Instead, the hook came undone and fell. Hades and Poseidon picked the fallen adamantine chain and wrapped it over their shoulder, believing it could be useful in their future.

The Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires slowly started to walk forward. Their movement shook their very heavens. Everyone who was alive within Tartarus looked around at the ground and ceiling rocking. The freed beings looked from the tiny gods to the world around them, fearful of what was to come next.

Seeing and sensing the changes within the Underworld, Zeus shouted, “Everyone, to me!”

The Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires touched the back of Zeus with their enormous fingers. Poseidon and Hades grabbed their brother’s arm. With a bolt of lightning, they were gone from the Underworld.

The shaking in the heavens caused Cronos to stop waiting on Oceanus’ appearance. Iapetus and Coeus had arrived to join Crius and Hyperion.

However, the five present started to feel the ground beneath them shaking.