Spring in Hades ✔

Chapter 3

Kronos let out an angry sigh. "Why do you vex me so, wife? You know of the prophecy. We are not safe as long as those – abominations - are still alive. Why do you hide them?"

"No, Kronos. We are not safe as long as you are still alive. How can you do this to your own children? To me? What makes you any different from our father? You call him a tyrant, to give you a reason to overthrow him and seize his power and throne. You made the prophecy true, not your children!" Rhea challenged his husband, hot angry tears ran down her beautiful face.

"Treacherous words," Kronos hissed. "If it's not because of my deep affection for you, you and those abominations have been locked up in Tartarus a long time ago. Enough is enough, wife. Hand them to me!" he roared. His once handsome face is now so frightening, scarred by cruelty.

"No! And you will never find them!"

Kronos let out an unsettling laugh. "Fine by me, my love. Because I have my way to coax them out, just by my words," he taunted, a malicious gleam in his eyes. Rhea felt a sharp pain in her chest, she had never been more scared. "You have been a wonderful mother, my love. No surprise there; you are the most wonderful wife. And because of your wondrous nurturing, I did notice where their weaknesses lie – love and virtue. Let me show you," Kronos said with an evil smirk. Rhea's eyes wide, both hands covering her mouth.

"Aidoneus!" Kronos' booming voice called out.

"No, please!" pleaded Rhea in between heavy sobs.

"Come out, boy! Your king commands you!" Kronos continued. Silence but a gentle breeze in the air. Kronos smiled. "Come out, Aidoneus! Or shall I throw your mother into Tartarus, after I let the Keres have their way with her," he sneered.

"I'm here, father," called out a small voice. In between the cypress trees, the little boy stood resolute, facing his father. Calm, with no hint of fear in his eyes. Kronos laughed. "Look at you, boy. So young but such strong sense of honour and duty. Why, if I didn't need to kill you, I would be proud to have such a son," he regarded his son, almost took a liking to him. The little boy continued to look at his father, his face remained impassive.

"Where are your sisters, boy? No matter. I know how to force them out. Come here, Aidoneus," he called to his son. The little boy didn't move a muscle. "I command you to come here!" he roared. The little boy walked up to his father, head held up high, every muscle in his body calm. Kronos picked up his son and studied him. "What a fine specimen you are. And you look like me," Kronos chuckled. "But only that you got from me. Everything else is of your mother's. He's beautiful, Rhea," he said slowly. Rhea can't breathe.

"Shame," Kronos said. He opened his mouth and drew the little boy closer.

"No!" four female voices screamed in horror. Kronos smiled widely. He looked down and saw his three daughters, crying and begging him to put the little boy down. This is too easy, he thought. With a mighty roar, Kronos stuffed his son into his mouth and bite down on the back of the little boy. The boy cried out in agony as he felt his bones crushed and a deep gash down his back, losing a lot of ichor. Down with torment, he tried to fight back by burning his father's tongue. Hurt and angry, Kronos swallowed his son.

The little boy was plunged into darkness, fell in a mass into his father's belly, crouching in excruciating pain. A few moments later, his sisters came tumbling down beside him. Their father's prophecy has been set into motion.

"Come, wife. I expect no more objections to my commands. Let's go home," Kronos ordered his queen. Rhea's spirits are in utter devastation. Kronos swing an arm under the crook of her knee and lifted her, and carried his wife back to their gloomy palace.

The little boy's wounds on his back heal almost instantly. But the children's nature was never the same again.

* * *

On the third year in their father's belly, the children awoke to a bundle dropping beside them. Hestia flipped open the cotton swaddle. "A babe," cried Demeter and she cuddled their baby brother. A name stitched onto the swaddle. Hestia traced her fingers on the letters. It read "Poseidon".

* * *

As time went by, growing up into adulthood, huddled together in a confined space proved almost impossible to bear. They grew up in total darkness, not knowing what each other looked like now. But the lack of sight was regrettably made up by other senses. They fight, they argue, they bicker, all the time.

Sensitive Demeter was always in a squabble with spirited Hera; brawly Poseidon always picking fights with or throw himself in Demeter and Hera's fights. Hestia, with her obnoxious sense of authority, will irritate everyone and start a fight all over again. Aidoneus will always take himself out of these situations but they would join forces against him, accusing him for being too callous.

* * *

Today was no different from the countless days before. Four of Kronos' offspring were at each other's throats again. Aidoneus sat up straight, he felt something. Faint but now growing stronger fast. Poseidon felt it too. First a tremble, then a strong quake. A low rumble enclosed around them. "What is happening?" asked Hera.

Before anyone could answer her, Kronos disgorged Aidoneus. He landed on something hard. Fresh air rushed into his lungs. He opened his eyes. The brightness of the outside was almost blinding; he staggered as his eyes tried to adjust to the light. His vision cleared just in time for him to catch Hestia. Kronos regurgitated again and out came Poseidon. Aidoneus helped him up and caught Hera just in time; Poseidon caught Demeter just as she was almost smashed onto the ground.

They were trying to make sense of their situation, when they saw him – handsome with long platinum curls that fall to his shoulders - stood strong in front of them. Demeter and Hera gasped. In a flash, something was blossoming in them. The handsome stranger has his jaw dropped and eyes wide with shock, a kylix in his hand. What are they doing? Move! thought the stranger.

"Run!" he shouted at them.

They bolted. Aidoneus grabbed Hera's hand and both of them disappeared in a flash of pitch-black shadows, to Thebes. Poseidon grabbed Hestia, who was standing closest to him, by her waist and carried her on his shoulder. They're gone in a flash of salt water, to Athens. Demeter, too traumatised to move, watched her father crouched down and convulsing. Kronos turned to look at Demeter, and Zeus. "Insolent fools!" he roared.

Zeus grabbed Demeter's arm. "What are you waiting for?" he shouted at her. Demeter is speechless, face wet with tears, immovable from terror. Zeus grabbed her by her waist and the crook of her knee, flung her into his hold, and disappeared into a flash of blinding light. They have escaped to Crete.

"Traitors! Wretches! This is war!" thundered the God of Harvest.

In the ensuing chaos, the King of the Titans sat on his throne, stiff. Eyes observing the madness around him. He tilted his head, noticing a missing figure. "Where is Rhea? Where is my wife?"