Sign of the Times

Secure in his rule, Kronos, the devourer, looked out upon his kingdom and smiled.

For he could not know that many miles away on the island of Crete, cries were drowned out by the wailing of nymphs and clanging of shields.

Nursed on sweet nectar and ambrosia from the horns of the goat, Almatheania.

Deep in the dark, Zeus, youngest son of Cronos, and my brother, was staring out the mouth of his cave, at the bright day sky.

Time passed.

And in time came more changes. Children of titans began to fill the world. All of them I observed individually. No loose ends would be permitted as even the weakest titan I would have on my side.

Some took after their grandparents. Earth and sky, Selene, the moon and Helios, the sun were among them.

Others matched their parents in height, strength and form. Menoitios, Astraios and of course the mighty, Atlas.

Still…others such as Prometheus and his brother, Epimetheus, lived among mortals and attempted to enrich their brief lives.

And of course there was Zeus…..

Squandering his youth doing unnecessary actions. Chasing nymphs around the island, and the sea surrounding it.

At least the time came around.

"Almighty Cronos! I am Maniachus, a simple merchant! We know that you are mighty, oh lord! It is only by your good will that I have not been devoured yet." A disguised Zeus played with Cronos's pride. "Please accept this token of gratitude! A drink made from only the finest of ingredients, the greatest drink in the universe for your taste only!"

"ŶŌȔ ƮĤĬŇĶ ӍĘ Ā ƑŌŌŁ? Ĭ ĀӍ ƇȒŌŇŌȘ!" The king titan roared as his mountainous hand reached out to take his scheming son into his hand and swallow him whole.

{ No you dont } a thin red thread wrapped around Cronos's hand, and while invisible and immutable to Cronos, as he could not even feel it, a path had been chosen.

" ƉĬƉ ŶŌȔ ƮĤĬŇĶ Ĭ ŴŌȔŁƉ ŇŌƮ ȒĘƇŌƓŇĬȤĘ Ā ƇĤĬŁƉ ƑȒŌӍ ӍŶ ŁĬŇĘ, ŇŌ ӍĀƮƮĘȒ ĤŌŴ ӍȔƇĤ ĤĘ ŴĀȘ ƉĬȘƓȔĬȘĘƉ!?"

A small whisper came from Rhea at his side. "Child?"

"Clearly we have underestimated you." Zeus says as his disguise disappears in a flash of lightning.

Cronos, instead of grasping the nimble Zeus, his hand sunk into the Earth bellow him, and what he pulled from it was crumbling ball of rock with a special concoction at the middle.

"Ĭ ƉŌ ŇŌƮ ĶŇŌŴ ĤŌŴ ŶŌȔ ĘȘƇĀƤĘƉ ƮĤĘ ƑĀƮĘ ŌƑ ŶŌȔȒ ƁȒŌƮĤĘȒȘ ĀŇƉ ȘĬȘƮĘȒȘ, ƁȔƮ ŇŌ ӍĀƮƮĘȒ!" The Titan grumbles. "ŶŌȔ ŴĬŁŁ ĴŌĬŇ ƮĤĘӍ ȘŌŌŇ ĘŇŌȔƓĤ!"

Cronos swallowed it all.

——

The sea of acid had picked up in a sudden rage. We had all seen the debris that came in. With a flick of my power, a forcefield covered us all.

As soon, we were engulfed in stomach acid and pulled with its torrent nature.

——

And from Cronos's mouth, 6 gods erupted from it like a volcano. Each of them pulled together by an unkempt force as they landed together in front of Zeus.

No words were shared as the group of gods stood against their father, each with a look of loathing at the incapacitated titan. The special concoction from Gaea immobilized him momentarily. "The great 'king of the cosmos' at his knees, puking his stomach out. How poetic." Aemond comments with amusement and snark.

"ƉŌ ŇŌƮ ƮĤĬŇĶ ŴĤĀƮ ŶŌȔ ĤĀѶĘ ƉŌŇĘ…..ŴĬŁŁ ƓŌ ȔŇƤȔŇĬȘĤĘƉ, ĀŁȒĘĀƉŶ ӍŶ ƁȒŌƮĤĘȒȘ ȒȔȘĤ ƮŌ ӍŶ ĀĬƉ, ĀŁȒĘĀƉŶ ӍŶ ȘƮȒĘŇƓƮĤ ȒĘƮȔȒŇȘ! ĬŇ ƮĬӍĘ….Ĭ ŴĬŁŁ ƉĘȘƮȒŌŶ ŶŌȔ ĀŁŁ!!!!!!!"

"We will take what we deserve. What we have been denied for so long." Zeus says.

"Any who stand with you, stands against you. Watch as we rip everything you have from you." Hades says coldly.

——

"Siblings, let me welcome you to your new home, the island, Crete." Looks of astonishment plastered most of the gods faces. The ones formally in the stomach collectively looked to Aemond, wonder and excitement on their faces.

'How did he know so perfectly?' Thoughts of this caliber bounced in their heads.

He had described the outside world to the group, and while they enjoyed it, they thought of it as a playful imagination.

"A sign of the times." Aemond muttered to himself.