Preface

This story is the fifth and final story in the series: The Time of Zeus. If you’re reading this, you should know the drill. While reading the other stories is not necessary to understand the narrative and character development, it would provide helpful context, and at this point, I will be referring to this incidents and events in previous stories in this one.

The whole point of these novellas is to make the stories bite size, so that anyone who wanted to read these stories could jump on and off at their own leisure. Look to the Author’s Notes to me discussing some of the places I deviated from the norm and maybe I will give a reason why.

There will be depictions of sexual encounters in this story. Warning for incestuous relationships, but we’re adults and this happened in the mythology.

As a story about Greek Mythology, there will be fight scenes, violence, some abusive nature (which the author does not condone), politics (not red versus blue but you can’t overthrow a king without it being political), revenge, magic, and more.

Stories like God of War, Percy Jackson, Lore Olympus, SuperGiant’s Hades, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, GoodTimes: Hercules, Mythos as well as Hesiod’s Theogony and The Library by Apollodorus and more helped inspire the author’s imagination. I hope I paid homage to these stories without being unoriginal.

Quotations from songs, poems, books, and mythological sources appear throughout this work for transformative and illustrative purposes. The author claims no ownership over these excerpts and does not intend to infringe upon any copyrights or misrepresent the origin of the original creators’ works. Rather, the use of these epigraphs serves to draw thematic connections between ancient mythology and modern artistic expression, highlighting how timeless these stories and emotions are.

Every effort has been made to comply with the principles of Fair Use under applicable copyright law. The author sincerely thanks the original artists, writers, and creators whose words help bridge the mythic and the modern.

Further, many tales were shifted to fit this narrative that is told, but the spirit of the myths are hopefully preserved. Think of this telling as apologetics to try and rationalize many mythologies into one world while also building a more real realm for these characters to exist in.

It is this author’s hope that you enjoy The Coup. Reader discretion is advised. Please rate accordingly, and thank you for your consideration.

The Progenitor:

Chaos: The primeval void from which all things originated. The name refers to a realm of near infinite nothingness as well as a being that embodied both sexes and was the Creator of the Grecian Pantheon. They are the parent of the Primordials.

The Primordials:

Erebus: The personification of darkness and shadow. He has become one with his realm. Child of Chaos. He is the father of the Moirai

Gaia: The personification of the Earth and mother of all life. She is called Mother Earth for this reason. Wife and mother of Ouranos. She mothered the Titans, the Hecatoncheires, the Cyclopes, Pontus, and more. Trainer of Zeus in his youth. Lives on a remote island with Rhea, away from Olympus, and relatively free of Zeus.

Nyx: Primordial of the Night and daughter of Chaos. In the absence of anyone in the Underworld, she once ruled the realm. Mother of various Chthonic deities including Hypnos (Sleep) and Thanatos (Death). Mother of the Moirai. Chief advisor to Hades, using her experience when she ruled the Realm.

Ouranos (Uranus): Primordial of the Sky. Conceived by Gaia and the magic of Chaos, making him the Last Primordial. Husband to Gaia. Father of the Titans, the Hecatoncheires, the Cyclopes, and Aether. He has been slain twice-over and returned to Chaos.

Pontus: ‘Supposed’ Primordial of the Sea. Son of Gaia, potentially born from her tears over Ouranos’ death.

Tartarus: Primordial of the abyss that serves as a prison for the Titans. His form was that of an older man with a bald head, long wispy beard and hair from the back of his head.

Titans:

Atlas: Lesser Titan who was the General underneath the Mad King Cronos. Son of Iapetus and Clymene. Brother to Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius.

Coeus: Titan of intelligence and the inquisitive mind. Son of Gaia and Ouranos. Once the lead strategist for Cronos during the Titanomachy (The Great Titan War or The Great War). Currently imprisoned on the wall in the pit of Tartarus. Husband of Phoebe and father of Leto.

Cronos (Kronos/Cronus): The once-Titan ruler of the universe until overthrown by his son Zeus. Son of Gaia and Ouranos. Father of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia. Currently imprisoned on the wall in the pit of Tartarus.

Crius: Titan of constellations and heavenly bodies. Son of Gaia and Ouranos. Once the strongest Titan in terms of physical might before his father crushed his hands, wrists, and forearms. Currently imprisoned on the wall in the pit of Tartarus.

Epimetheus: Lesser Titan of afterthought and hindsight. Brother of Prometheus as well as co-creator of many animals within the land of Greece. Son of Iapetus and Clymene. Brother of Atlas, Prometheus, and Menoetius.

Leto: Lesser Titaness. Daughter of Coeus and Phoebe

Metis: The deceased Lesser Titaness of Wisdom. She served as the War Counselor to Zeus during the Titanomachy/The Great Titan War. Daughter of Oceanus and Tethys; as such, is one of 3000 Oceanids. Consumed by Zeus and lives within him as a quiet voice, much like a conscience.

Oceanus: Titan of the Ocean and current ruler of the seas. Son of Ouranus and Gaia. Husband of Tethys. Father of the Oceanids and Potamoi (river gods).

Prologue »