Kronos' Past, The Tale of Zephyr

Kronos left the home and slowly made his way towards the center of all the pipes, finding something interesting. There was a large pipe, larger than any of the others, that made its way into a large hole full of lava. He read a nearby sign that said 'Community Forge' and kept walking. As he did he saw many different people using the giant pool of lava in different ways to forge metallic tools. Many of them groaned and grumbled as they did so. As he walked by he could hear swears and shouts of anger as the tools created would not meet the standards of the dwarves who had made them and consequently would get tossed to the side.

"Now Junior, watch this!" He heard from the far side of the pool.

Kronos clicked his tongue and shook his head in disapproval before watching, as if he'd already seen what would happen.

The father used a pair of tongs to lift a metallic cup over the lava and held it there for quite some time. The child started to grow impatient and edged his way closer and closer towards the pool. While being too concentrated on the cup, the father failed to notice. "Now, look!" The father said eagerly as he swiveled around.

Startled by the sudden closeness of his son he shifted awkwardly causing a bit of the boiling hot liquid to drip out of the cup and onto the child's arm.

"AAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!" The child shrieked as he fell to the ground and started squirming in agony.

The father threw the cup to the side and quickly bent down and pulled the liquid, already starting to solidify, off the child. He tore a fabric off his shirt and wrapped the mark in it. "I'm so sorry Junior, I'm so sorry Junior!" He mumbled as he finished wrapping the wound.

The child continued to cry and after the wrapping was finished quickly got up and ran away. "NOOOO!!!!!" He shouted as he continued to run.

The father's shoulder sagged as he slumped down to his knees. Another dwarf walked up to him and patted his shoulders, saying something to him before grabbing his head and giving him a hug then returning to work. The father sat there for quite some time before slowly rising up and resuming his work, lacking the energy he had before.

Kronos turned around and decided that was enough for today. The sight had caused his stomach to turn as it reminded him of something else. The turning evolved into growling, making him realize it was time he made his way back to the house and cooked up something.

When he got back he was surprised to see Bjorn out of the room, covered in sweat and black stains.

Kronos lowered his head, not wanting to hear what Bjorn was about to say.

"Lord Kronos, let's talk shall we?" He said as he threw two plates with sandwiches onto the table.

***

"Ahhhhh…." Sky managed to make a noise. He slumped against a nearby tree covered in dirt, soot and the smell of explosion.

"We'll take an hour long break before resuming, use it however you will." Jennifer said as she disappeared into the forest.

Prometheus slowly made his way next to Sky and found a seat next to him. "Sky, what are your thoughts on Kronos?" He asked.

Sky leaned his head against the tree and thought for a second. "He's a good guy but it seems like he's too distant and hiding something…." Sky said what came to mind.

Prometheus saw an opening. "I think so too… Do you wanna know why?" Prometheus asked.

His curiosity got the better of him as Sky nodded.

Prometheus turned to look at the canopy that was above head. "You see Kronos has made two mistakes in the past, both of which he has become a prisoner to." Prometheus started.

Sky nodded along.

"The first was made early on… you see there was a prophecy given to Kronos that his oldest child would claim his throne on Olympus by killing him… being fearful of his power being taken away Kronos did what most immortal beings would do… he tried to murder his children by eating them..." Prometheus turned to Sky expecting to see an appalling look on his face.

Sky still looked at Prometheus full of curiosity and anticipation.

Prometheus smiled and continued on. "But what he did not know was that his wife Gaea had hidden his lastborn… your father Zeus… and when Zeus grew older he attacked Kronos, slashing open a large opening in Kronos' stomach allowing his siblings to escape and sending Kronos down to earth in a horrible state." Prometheus finished.

"And the second happened later on down the line… many, many centuries later when he met a group of twelve children running away." Prometheus looked up.

"You see, these children were half-bloods, containing the blood of his children as well as other mortals..." Prometheus explained, "Seeing as they were his grandchildren and taking it upon himself to atone for the mistake of eating his children he decided to take care of them." Prometheus continued.

"Together, they found a place in the middle of the dark woods where they set up camp and started living… at the time Kronos was more carefree, easygoing… happy… until one day I showed up," Prometheus snorted, "Funny little brother always manage to mess things up..."

"I pulled Kronos aside and told him what I had seen," He turned to Sky, "You see I am the Titan of Forethought, able to see all potential, actual and fraudulent futures… so I told him that one day these children would get caught and killed… angrily and full of disbelief he used his power and fast forwarded time and saw into one of their futures, Zephyr's future-"

"Zephyr… is the first child of Zeus right? The one who betrayed the others." Sky interrupted.

Suddenly the air around Prometheus and Sky grew warmer and warmer as Prometheus turned to Sky, a bright blaze burned where his eyes should've been as he smirked. "There are few things I don't like to joke about, the death of a hero is one of them." Prometheus smiled dangerously at Sky.

Prometheus placed his hand on Sky's shoulder. "There was never a future in which Zephyr betrayed his companions… Do you understand?" He squeezed tightly watching Sky squirm as he nodded frantically. After making sure Sky had understood he let go and relaxed and with him the air did so as well.

"In Zephyr's future he saw them being killed and decided to train Zephyr in case anything were to happen… and as fate would have it something happened… the child of Hera and the child of Aphrodite were kidnapped."

"The remaining children decided they would attack the giants, rescue the others and run… no matter what Kronos told them they wouldn't budge on the decision, when Kronos asked me whether we should go I told him that this was their battle." Prometheus looked up to the canopy with a smile.

Sky watched carefully as this smile differed from the usual one Prometheus wore, it felt sadder and more distant than the usual mischievous one.

"Regretfully he trusted his foolish younger brother..." Prometheus continued, taking a deep breath.

He paused for a few seconds.. "And so the children left… a week later they returned but only as eleven." Prometheus' started again.

"When we asked where Zephyr was… they said he stayed behind to stop the giants because he was the only one that could fight..." Prometheus snorted and looked down at Sky.

"Kronos used what little connection he had left with Zephyr and I tried reading the future… in both he would be tortured beyond belief… broken down… and destroyed mentally and physically until there was nothing left." Prometheus explained

"A tragic end to what could've been the greatest hero to have ever lived… don't tell Demeter I said that though, I know you two have already had a run-in." He said as an aside.

Sky froze as he heard the last comment.

"Don't worry… no one but me knows… I'll keep it that way." Prometheus chuckled a bit after seeing Sky freeze up.

He returned to the story after Sky had relaxed. "Kronos immediately decided to attack Porphyrion but I stopped him… should we have gone it would've caused this world to descend into an even worse hell than the one that already exists."

"I navigated us to an island, far, far away that no longer exists..." He said as he touched the large scar on his face, "And we fought… we fought our grief away for ten days."

"I left that fight with this scar and vanished from the world while Kronos returned to the children and resolved to aid them." Prometheus finished.

"Because of the first mistake he stays distant from his children instead of guiding them which resulted in this mess… and because of the second he keeps himself trapped at Hero's Stronghold… protecting the home of those twelve children becoming a shell of who he used to be." Prometheus turned to Sky.

"Quite a useless coward isn't he?" Prometheus took a stab at Kronos.

"What do you mean?" Sky asked.

"Despite being one of the best instructors to exist, he keeps himself from training others and looking into their futures, all because he's afraid of sending another child to their doom." Prometheus laced his fingers together and stretched his arms forward.

"Although the fault lies with both of us… I knew what was going to happen to Zephyr while Kronos didn't yet I still let it happen… all for a better future..." Prometheus sat in silence.

"Tell me young Sky…. would you sacrifice one person, let them suffer the cruelest death possible, stripping them of their future and all hope… so that many more would survive?" Prometheus turned to Sky, a genuine curiosity in his eyes as he awaited an answer.