12 12: Finally Out!

Zeus fell into deep thought. Now that he knew that his siblings—or at least most of them—had awakened their divinity and seemed to be able to control it, he assumed they would at least be of some use to him. Of course, he did not expect them to be anywhere near him in strength, but this was obvious.

He was Zeus, the self-proclaimed future King of the Hellenic Pantheon.

However, doubts started to sprout within his mind. "I also have believers, right?" he asked with a more fragile tone than usual. It was strange, he thought. If he had some, then why did he not feel any prayers or the belief of his followers?

He had heard that Titans and Gods' in the beyond could hear the prayers of their followers. So why did he not hear anything?

His doubts were not unfounded. Metis shook her head, before answering "No, you don't" Her voice was like thorns in Zeus' mind. She seemed to hold no compassion for his sky-high ego.

"Why?" asked Zeus, wrinkling his nose. "I have been trained my whole life! I know I am talented, even YOU acknowledge that. So how is it that my siblings who have been trapped in our father's stomach for their whole life and had nothing to do, got believers, but I don't?!" his voice was louder than he wished it to be.

"It's not because you're weaker. We have no real idea how strong your siblings are. All we can do is hypothesize their potential for this war" she said, trying to correct him. She took a small pause, then continued. "You should normally have believers, but Mother Earth fortunately hid you from any prying eyes. This "blessing" also makes your connection to the world almost unseeable as long as you are unknown." Her words raised more questions.

"Why "fortunately"?" asked Zeus, noticing her choice of words. His eyes squinted in distrust. His body tensed a bit, while his voice did not seem like he was asking a question where she could choose if she wanted to answer.

And fortunately for him, she did not mind it. "Kronos isn't as dumb as you think. No, he's smart and has experience. Of course, he would have found out you were not swallowed through your tales if you did have believers. I am sure he knows as much as us about your siblings."

Zeus looked more dejected than he should have been. Yes, now he was assured that it was not because his siblings were stronger, but because he was being protected. His pride was hurt.

He, Zeus, the future King was being protected as if he were still a baby! And this was not all. The siblings he was supposed to lead to victory were more famous than him!

His eyes looked at the ground as if hiding their fury.

Looking at his downcast gaze, Metis sighed. She knew about his fragile pride, yet did not care. "Now what I am going to tell you is important, so stop being so pathetic Zeus!"

Without waiting for any type of answer from Zeus, Metis began telling him her plan. "The first step in our rebellion is to free your siblings. We absolutely need their help!" she intoned their need so that he doesn't do anything reckless. She hoped his desire would overwhelm his pride.

After a small break, she resumed. "To free them, we need a direct connection to Kronos. So, Themis, you should remember her, will introduce you, who will be under Metamorphosis, as one of her cousins to Kronos."

As Metis was about to continue her explanation, Zeus interrupted her. "Why Themis and not Mother?" he asked, preferring if his mother did it.

She once again sighed. The Titaness did not like having to explain what she believed to be common sense. "Because if you were to be introduced by Rhea, Kronos would have his eyes on you. Even though he seems to deeply love her, even after all their fights, that does not mean he is blinded by Love. He knows she wants revenge for your siblings. Themis on the other hand has no grudges whatsoever against him."

"Understood?" she asked, anger could be seen in her disturbing white eyes. It was only after Zeus nodded that she resumed, again.

"She will say you are searching for a job. She will list a few of your talents, which will unfortunately be useless until she mentions that you are an excellent bartender. You will show him what you have trained all these years and —" Yet she was once again interrupted by Zeus.

"So you have had this planned a long time ago, right? Because I remember Amaltheia always telling me that bartending would be important for my future." Of course, he never believed her, but he still learned it. It was a fun hobby. "So why never tell me?" he asked, displeased. It was another blow to his pride.

Did she not trust him, he thought—she did not.

His gaze though did become gentler at the mention of Amaltheia, the goat who raised him when Rhea, his mother, was not present.

"Yes," Metis only answered one of the questions and ignored his displeasure. "Now, please Zeus, stop interrupting me."

"As you should know—I hope, as it was in your lessons—every ten years, the Titans have a gigantic party, The Banquet of Victory, in honor of the original Titans who helped Kronos kill your Grandfather, Ouranos, The Lord of the Sky."

"This banquet is the single moment in a decade when every Titans is ignoring their duties. Every one of them is drinking and dancing. So, after having worked for Kronos for two years, and having gained a little bit of his trust, you will prepare his drink. And of course, you will poison it. But it will only be a small and almost unnoticeable regurgitating potion that, coupled with the previous drinks, will make him vomit your siblings."

"Then flee, the fastest you can with your siblings back to the cave."

—(654 B.H)—

The usually quiet Mount Othrys was now booming with drunken shouts. Countless Titans stood upon the highest mountains of their territory while dancing in a maddening joy. The Titans did not party much. Thus, every ten years during the Banquet of Victory, they permitted themselves things that they usually wouldn't.

For example, no guards followed Kronos nor did anyone test what he was eating or drinking.

"To our King!" Every Titan raised their glasses filled with ambrosia—the god's drink which was said to prolong one's life—in the air, before drinking it all in one gulp. Everyone did, for they knew the consequences of not showing support to Kronos.

He was a tyrant. But that did not mean they didn't like him.

The festivities were in full swing. Some danced to the music, while others brawled. There were multiple activities happening to spend the time waiting for Kronos' speech.

This speech would not be a normal one.

For suddenly, Kronos started feeling ill. His stomach made deep rumbling sounds that unfortunately for him passed unnoticed because of the hysterical shouts filling the air.

Before he could even go to an isolated place, he regurgitated his thousand-year-old children. Hades had been in his father's stomach for a bit less than 900 hundred years.

"Finally! I won't have to tolerate the stinking fish any longer!" shouted a voice, filled with never-seen joy. It was a day she had been waiting for a millennium.

Five children, filled with vomit as if they had swum in it, now stood just before Kronos.

"Let's go!" screamed Zeus at his siblings, before transforming into an eagle and flying away.

Fortunately, his siblings understood and also transformed into fast but small animals and fled away.

Soon, they were able to hide from the hoard of Titans chasing them. They followed Zeus and arrived at a cave hidden in the Cretan Mountains.

***

discord.gg/Ept3v9hMHd