Twisted Mythology: Three Tales of Greek Mythology Page 10

  “Of course,” the Captain agreed.

  Hades watched the mortal come to his feet and walk out of the cell, attaching the plant to his belt. An instant later Hermes entered, a grin across his tanned face. The messenger said not a word until Hades stood up and commanded the god to speak.

  “Father Zeus wishes to see you, my lord,” the young god announced. “A foolish mortal King called Sisyphus has offended, and Father Zeus asks for your assistance in the matter.”

  The god frowned; Zeus was so easily offended these days. Hades could guess it somehow involved a mortal woman. But whatever his brother wanted, it could and would wait.

  “Inform Father Zeus I will attend him shortly,” Hades ordered Hermes. “I have pressing business that cannot wait.”

  “Are there any details that I might pass on to my father?”

  “No, now go.”

  Hermes bowed and retreated from the cell. Hades exited behind him and approached the Captain. “I have been called away, Captain, and it is as you suspected: I will be leaving Larissa for good.”

  “I am sorry to hear that,” the Captain said. “Good luck on your journey. If you ever wish to return, there is always a place for you in my guards.”

  Hades clasped hands with the mortal and gathered his horse, exiting the city through the north gate. He followed the road to a hill and a farmstead located at the base. He left the animal in the care of the mortals living there and marched to the opposite side of the hill and the gate to the Underworld located there.

  He quickly traversed the maze and crossed the River Acheron using a bridge. He reached the other side of the river just as Charon docked his soul filled boat. Normally, he would have taken the boat across and spoken with the boatman but Minthe had little time and he did not want to test Zeus’ patience more than necessary. As soon as he stepped off the bridge, he ran across the Field of Asphodel to his palace and the stables beyond. He ordered Alastor saddled and once the giant black horse was ready, Hades raced back to the surface.

  Now that Minthe was in plant form there was only one amongst the gods who could properly care for her, and Demeter stayed well hidden. His sister rarely left the safety of her cottage, and few know how to find the goddess. Hades visited Demeter rarely, but when he did, he only stayed for a few short hours at a time. When he entered the forest that surrounded Demeter’s cottage, he dismounted and guided Alastor through the dense woods. Before he could see his sister’s home, he could hear laughter echoing through the trees.

  Only his sister’s precious daughter could make laughter sound like a song. He slowed his pace when the fence and cottage came into view. He could see Kore running around the garden while Demeter tended to a large bush near the fence. The elder goddess looked up at him when he was several paces from the stone and wood that surrounded her garden.

  His sister smiled at him. “Welcome, brother,” she said. “It has been a long while since you’ve honored us with her presence.”

  “It is good to feel so welcome at your side, my lady,” he replied. “I wish I could spend more time in your company, but I’ve a summons from Zeus that I cannot leave unanswered much longer.”

  “What is it that I can do for you?”

  Hades pulled the plant Minthe had become from his belt and extended it towards his sister. “I have brought you a new plant for you garden.”

  Demeter accepted the plant with a smile. “A flowering plant I’ve never seen before. What do you call it, brother?”

  “It is called mint.”

  The goddess nodded and pivoted on her heel and found a spot in the sun to plant the nymph. Hades watched for a moment before mounting his horse and commanding Alastor to Olympus.

  Twisted Mythology: Poseidon

  By Ashleigh Matthews

  Copyright ©2015 Heather Mayson

  All Rights Reserved

  Chapter 1

  For the thousandth time since my kin had chained me to the marble pillar in the courtyard, I yearned for my brother’s ability to control the skies. My mood is dark, and I would have given much to have such powers. If Olympus was located closer to the seas, then I could have drowned all my kin, even Zeus who had nothing to do with my present troubles. I know too well I have my own damned self to blame.

  I have always been a cheater; from the moment of my birth, I have cheated my fate. The stories would have the mortals below believe that Rhea had not had enough of her husband swallowing her children after their birth until she learned she was expecting Zeus. But that is a lie. Four times my father stole my mother’s children before I was born. Somehow, I know not how –the details don’t really matter- she managed to birth me in secret and give Cronus something else in my place.

  Rhea hid me among a herd of horses; she used her powers to transform me into a foal and encouraged a mare whose own foal had died in the birthing to take me as her own. My earliest memories were running alongside my foster mother with the rest of her kin. Time meant little to me for all that mattered was running, kicking and eating. So when my mother sent a member of her Kouretes bodyguards to train me to fight –to help my brother Zeus overthrow our father- I cannot say just how much time had passed.

  It still amazes me how quickly Kelmis picked me out from the rest of the herd, and when he changed me back into a god, I thought he had worked some kind of magic. I thought him a god, superior to me. But I was young then, and stupid beyond compare. The bodyguard struggled to carry me to the boat he used to take me to Crete where Zeus had been hidden.

  I was allowed nowhere near Zeus after my arrival. Not used to my new form, I had to learn everything over again, from how to walk to how to eat and how to speak. I hated every bit of this training. I wanted to be a carefree horse again. At first no amount of explaining could convince me that I could not go back to being a horse.

  An accidental meeting with Cronus had solved that problem. Kelmis said I had earned a reward for all my hard work and took me with him to trade with the gods on Othrys. We weren’t supposed to see my father, but both he and my mother were in the courtyard when we arrived at my father’s court. I watched my father order Rhea about like some common whore. My mother’s guard had to hold me back from trying to take Cronus on right there. I was angered, and I didn’t know why. It gave me yet another reason why I wanted to go back to being a horse again.

  On the trip back to Crete, over unpleasant seas, Kelmis did what he could to not only calm my mood but explain the truth. And for the first time, I paid close attention. My little mind drank up every single word out of the warrior’s mouth. “Those were your parents, young Poseidon,” Kelmis said. “Cronus is a vile excuse for a god, everyone knows it except Cronus himself. He is suspicious and greedy, but he knows his doom is upon him. His own father cursed him.”

  “Why?” I demanded.

  The Kouretes warrior smiled. “Uranus had been a cruel king as well and Gaia, desperate to put her husband in his place, begged each of her six sons to take the sickle she had made with her own hands and dispatch their father. Only Cronus could be convinced to do the deed. Gaia helped her son and when Uranus came to take pleasure in his wife, Cronus unmanned him. As Uranus retreated he told his son that the same fate would befall him, that his own son would drive him from power. Cronus has spent all these years trying to prevent the curse from happening.”

  “How?”

  “Every time Rhea birthed him a child, be it a daughter or a son, Cronus has swallowed the babe. Four times I watched him succeed, but your mother is a resourceful goddess.” Kelmis’ grin grew. “Twice she has managed to save her children from this fate. First with you and then with your brother Zeus.”

  I returned the grin, the seas calming around us as I did so; I had power of the seas even then. I had just learned that not only did I have a brother but an ally who would stand with me when we saved our mother from our father’s tyranny.

  “I think it is time that you meet Zeus,” Kelmis announced as the boat reached the beaches of Crete.

>   I could not have agreed more, but my hopes of a quick victory were quickly dashed at the first time I set eyes on my brother. I could only describe Zeus as scrawny even though he stood as tall as me. My years of living as a horse had done a lot for my physique. My shoulders were broader. I knew with my strength alone, I could defeat Zeus in a wrestling match.

  But I had neglected to take it my brother’s years of working beside the other Kouretes warriors on the island in the forge and that he had been using a sword since the moment he was strong enough to pick one off the ground. I thought I had great speed and agility, but Zeus was faster and always managed to get out of the way no matter how quickly I swung my blade. It made me angry the more often I practiced with him. No calming words from Kelmis or the other Kouretes had any effect.

  It was during the weapon’s training with my brother that I first learned that could control the seas. And as soon as I discovered that I had this power, I started using it to my advantage; it turned out to be the only way I could defeat Zeus or the Kouretes in our mock battles. More times than I can count, Zeus complained that I wasn’t playing fair, once he coughed up all the water in his lungs. Watching my brother vomit up the sea made me happy. My pleasure didn’t last long. Kelmis insisted that I learned to fight with weapons made of iron.

  “Othrys is nowhere near the sea, boy,” the bodyguard reminded me. Then Kelmis grinned at me. “I commend you, though, for using what strengths you know you have.”

  His compliment made me proud, and I vowed that I would become as skilled with weapons as my brother. To that end, we practiced from dawn until dusk. I lost track of the days as we prepared for the day for the day we would rescue our mother. Gradually, as I improved with the sword, other lessons were added, and again Zeus proved more skillful than me. It made my heart sink; it was not fair that my brother more quickly than I did. Little did I know what else Zeus was learning. I could only blame it on my blind determination to save my mother from Cronus.

  Soon –to my pleasure—Zeus took these lessons by himself, and I had more time to improve my skill with the sword under Kelmis’ watchful eye. The one day Zeus vanished from Crete, and when I learned the reason why, I went into a rage that took the Kouretes warriors days to calm.

  Chapter 2

  The slightest turn of my wrists brings the chains deeper into my flesh. My lips are too chapped and my mouth too dry for me to breathe even the shortest curse. How long will my kin leave me here to rot? How long will they allow me to go without food or drink? Curse Hephaestus for creating chains that not even a god could break.

  And curse that blasted Kelmis for giving Zeus an honor that should have been mine by right of birth. I should have been the one sent to Othrys to serve as our father’s cupbearer. It proved the Kouretes believed my brother more capable than me. I should have seen it then, but the insult stung. I could control the seas. What could my brother do besides best me in combat?

  To calm my dark mood, Kelmis saw that practiced with the sword from the moment I woke until I collapsed from exhaustion. And the stronger I became, the more difficult the task became. I went days without sleep yet I still found the solitary moment to curse Zeus for stealing my honors. When my lips did not insult my brother, I had some for the Kouretes. They deserved my wrath as much if not more than Zeus.

  They had come up with the plan, had they not? I had been not included in their planning. The details did not concern me as long as we saved my mother from her sorrow in the end. I would play my part when the time came. The Kouretes kept me distracted as possible and I uttered as few words as I could.

  I could not recall how many days had passed since my brother had taken my place at our father’s side when Kelmis announced that we were abandoning Crete. “Our brothers have found us a base closer to Othrys,” he told me. His words brought a smile to my face and I helped to gather up our meager possessions to load onto the two boats that would take us across the sea. I kept the waters calm and encouraged the winds to help us as we rowed towards our destination. It still took us longer than I would have liked to make the journey across the sea.

  “This place is called Hellas,” Kelmis told me as we dragged our boats onto the shore with the help of Kouretes warriors I had not set eyes on before.

  Every one of us carried our load from the shores towards mountains located to the north of us. Not once did I ask where Zeus was, and perhaps I should have. I would have assumed, I suppose, that he was still acting as Cronus’ cupbearer. It honestly mattered little. I would have the chance to curse him more upon reaching our destination. I guessed that one of the peaks ahead of us was where we were heading. Other than Othrys, I did not know if the other peaks had a name.

  For several days we hiked north, until we reached the base of the mountain range where Kelmis turned our party towards the east. The Kouretes warriors spoke little if at all. Even Kelmis who always seemed to have something to say spoke only to announce when we were stopping for the evening or when he was changing the path we were taking. Four days after forcing us to go east, we turned north once more, only to turn west two days after that.

  Another two days of hiking brought us to a peak that the Kouretes called Olympus. At the top, we were greeted by the smiling faces of nymphs. I smiled back at them. I had not set eyes one a female form since I had witnessed my mother treated worse than a grain of dust. A few of the nymphs giggled at me or batted their eyes at me. I doubted that I would be getting much sleep that night.

  A nymph offered to show me to my bed. I could hardly say no. Perhaps she would offer to warm the bed for me, I thought as I followed her through a packed courtyard. My eyes shot from one end of the courtyard to the next. Under Kelmis’ careful tutelage I had learned to recognize a nymph from a goddess, and in one corner I found three goddess huddling around a small fire pit. And standing a few paces away stood a god who for a moment I thought was Zeus. I thought it was my younger brother long enough to feel my anger and my jealousy swell in my belly. But the longer I looked at him, I could this was not Zeus.

  He did not have the broad shoulders that both Zeus and I had. He was much scrawnier than I had ever thought Zeus was. His skin was pale and he wore no sword on his belt as Zeus always did. And as closely as I inspected him, this nameless god returned the favor.

  “This way, my lord,” the nymph said.

  Her voice was a birdsong that I could not ignore. I gave her no reply, not even a smile as I tore my eyes from the god. I gave him no more thought, no more consideration as my eyes turned towards the nymph and how her thin dress highlighted her figure. Though slim, she was a sight to see, even from behind. Her long, thick brown hair fell down her back, coming to a rest just above her ass. I could not wait she would turn around so I might see her lovely face once more. It we would just get to my promised bed, I thought.

  Soon enough we moved away from the crowded courtyard and the whispers and cheers that had made it so difficult to hear what the nymph had to say. But the sounds of pounding hammers and crumbling rock had much the same effect. More than once, these sounds forced me to pull my eyes from the nymph. I cursed as I watched men moving about, tools or rock in hand. An eternity seemed to pass before the nymph stopped in front of a large wooden door and finally turned to face me. She smiled as she motioned towards the door.

  “Your apartments, my lord Poseidon,” she sang. “A pitcher of water and towels await you inside. When you finished, please return to the courtyard. The evening meal should be ready by then.”

  She did not give me the chance to invite her inside to help me wash my journey off my person. The nymph turned and made her way back down the corridor along the route we had taken to get here. I watched her until she vanished around the corner with a sinking heart. How would I find my way back without her careful guidance? A curse escaped my lips ad my finger struggled to find the door handle. The faster I moved, I scolded myself, the sooner I would be in her presence again.

  I pushed the door open –finally!- and made my w
ay inside. The space was enormous, I noticed with wide eyes. This room made the cave where I slept on Crete look small. And I would not have to share it with a soul, not even Zeus. I doubted, however, that I would spend many nights alone here. Between the nymphs I had seen and the three goddesses, I would be very content indeed.

  My bed was in one corner and the water in the other. I dropped my bags next to door. I could ask the nymphs during the evening meal if they would care to help me store my possessions before I retired for the night.

  I crossed over to the wash basin to find that a pair of scissors had been set on top of the towels. Trimming my beard and mustache might convince my unnamed escort to join me for the evening. I grinned, a chuckle growing in my throat. I would enjoy the luxuries that I found here, no doubt. I wasted no more time admiring my surroundings and cleaned off the dust and mud from the journey.

  On Crete, I was used to wearing the same clothing for days at a time, and I feared the nymphs might not be so easily swayed to joining me for the evening if I still smelled of my travels. Once I had dried the last of the water from my body, I dug the cleanest article of clothing out of my bags.

  I returned to the courtyard after several wrong turns to find that those working on the palace and the nymphs gone. My heart sank at the sight. My eyes fixed on a large table where the three goddesses sat close to each other as silent as they had been when I first saw them. Sitting near them, I found the god who reminded me of Zeus, and across from him sat Kelmis and another Kouretes warrior. The god and the Kouretes came to their feet at the sight of my approach. Kelmis grinned and walked to my side to accompany to the table. He guided me to the god first.