"An infant?!" Gasped Poseidon, as he rushed to Zeus's side to get a better look at the thing.
"It seems those terrifying noises we've been hearing were from a mere baby..." grumbled Zeus. He observed the child, looking for any sign of... well... anything. Poseidon did the same.
"Why was it here?" Asked Poseidon, as he looked around at his surroundings once more.
"I couldn't say. But one things for sure, this thing is no mortal. Even we can feel the wretched coldness, no human could survive these conditions." Zeus thought aloud.
The baby screamed in his arms, her face squeezed in frustration and tears. "She's upset. Do something!" Said Poseidon as he covered his ears.
"We can start by leaving this dreaded place, it shows us no kindness that's for sure." Sighed Zeus, he tossed the baby into Poseidon's arms who barely caught onto it before burying it in his arms. It continued to wail and wriggle. Poseidon rolled his eyes and followed his brother out of the cavern.
As they left the cavern they were met with the other 10 gods and goddess waiting outside on a nearby island of ice.
The pure confusion and horror the gods displayed as Zeus and Poseidon return to the surface with an infant in hand was indescribable. They half expected to see the brothers covered in titans blood or simply not return at all.
The child wailed in Poseidon's arms, his face contorted with disgust. He also felt a tinge of shame, as the roaring and wailing beast was simply a crying child. That those horrifying sounds were coming from a new born. He also couldn't dismiss the fact that the child was presented in curious conditions, inside a cavern of an ice burg.
The brothers couldn't determine wether or not the child was safe, as it still has yet to grow into its full form.
The child thrashed in his arms wanting desperately to be put down,
"A-a child?" Stammered Athena. She stepped forward towards her father and uncle, her hand held to her chest in worry.
The other gods started to crowd around the child in Poseidon's arms, they observed its features half expecting it to be mutated or terrifying only to find it looking seemingly normal.
"Won't that thing shut up..." grumbled Ares. Aphrodite rolled her eyes at her mates rudeness but didn't say a word. Her eyes watched the child critically, seeking a flaw.
"Perhaps it's cold!" Proclaimed Apollo.
Athena rolled her eyes, "According to your oracle it's been living in ice before time itself. I doubt her cries are due to being cold."
Apollo didn't respond and bit his bottom lip in mental concentration. The riddle provided by the oracle wasn't much a riddle, it was fairly straightforward.
"What is it?" Asked Hera as she peaked closer at the baby.
"We don't know!" Growled Zeus, annoyed by the constant question.
Hera huffed and shook her head, "That's not what I meant. I mean to ask, what is it's sex?"
Poseidon answered by holding the baby up for everyone to see, revealing it to be a girl. "Ah, a titaness." Sang Apollo.
"What are we to do with it?" Asked Aphrodite, her eyes instantly narrowing at the reveal of it's gender. Who knows what threat this titaness might pose...
Zeus and Poseidon exchanged a look, both pondering what must be done. They couldn't possibly leave it on earth as it might cause mass destruction. They were lucky to find it so vulnerable and powerless, who knows what beasts lingers inside it.
"I say we kill the damned thing." Grunted Ares, his muscular arms tightened over his broad chest. His stern brown eyes shooting daggers into the infants soft silver ones.
"We aren't killing an infant." Combated Hera, she frowned at her temperamental son. Ares ignored her glare and picked under his nails like a child. Surely a trait adopted from his lover.
"We need to keep a keen eye on the Titan, observe it's behavior," suggested Athena, her eyes unmoving from the infant. She couldn't quite lay a finger as to what this things capable of.
"You know, someone's goodness can be determined from how they're raised. What if we're to raise it like one of our children." Hera added. Her eyes twinkled in delight. It's been far too long since she's raised a child nor held an infant. The baby may not be hers yet it was still motherless.
"You can't be serious?" Scoffed Zeus earning a glare from his wife. "We can't just let this thing into olympus!"
"We have no other options! This is the best one." Hera cried.
Athena remained silent, her mind filled with different explanations and possible solutions. Hera was right, their solutions were slim and unpredictable. It would be in humanities best interest to keep the child in Olympus, guarded and raised by gods. However, killing it now would possibly spare something catastrophic...
"I believe we should either get rid of her or as Hera stated, raise her in Olympus and keep her guarded." Athena finally spoke,
If Zeus were to trust or listen to anyone, it was Athena. She was his favorite daughter. At the same time, he was the god of lightening. The god of humans. He couldn't place a threat like that over the gods or people. He must make a decision and soon.
"The thing couldn't possibly do harm this young, perhaps we can keep it in Olympus and make a decision once it gets older and poses more of a threat." Zeus finally contends.
The gods nodded in agreement, although some didn't agree already developing a dislike for the future titaness.
~
"We provide it a warm cot and room yet it still cries." Sighs Hera, she was sitting next to her husband stressed. Zeus ignored her complaining, not wanting to dragged any further into the titaness's business.
Hera realizes her husbands disinterest yet she was far too exhausted to argue and let it go, she stood up and left him. She wrapped the crying child in a silk cloth and took it for a walk, hoping the breeze would calm it down.
Why was it so disturbed? Was it injured? Was it angry? Or was this Titan a lost cause. "Dear child, please tell me what I can do. What I can do to ease your pain." Hera cried.
The child ignored her pleas and continued crying in pain.
"No luck?"
Hera's head turned to face the smooth voice belonging to the god of light. Apollo stood before her with a bright smile. Hera simply nodded, yet she was curious as to Apollo's sudden presence.
"You've never been interested in Infants affairs before. Why are you here now?" Hera questioned, her eyes narrowing at Apollo's sky blue ones.
Apollo awkwardly scratched his neck, reaching for the words to describe his presence. Finally he spoke in stumbled words, "I-I was simply curious. It was my oracle who shared the prophecy yet I've been kept out of the loop for the most part." He explained.
Hera felt slight pity for the man, she tilted her head up at him and spoke, "do you wish to meet the titaness?" She asked.
Apollo's eyes beamed in admiration and he quickly nodded, and with relief Hera handed him the child. "You can watch her for me, I could use a proper break." She sighed.
As the child met Apollo's hands she immediately stopped crying. Her glossy eyes curiously observed his face. Hera's eyes widened at the child's sudden calmness. Not once before had the child stopped crying.
A huge grin spread across Apollo's face, "I told you she was cold." He cooed.
"How do you know that?!" Asked Hera. She watched in pure confusion as Apollo played with the infants tiny fingers. The infant wrapped her hands around one of his fingers, her eyes never leaving his.
"Because. She's freezing!" Exclaimed Apollo.
Hera didn't question the god of light, she simply accepted his explanation because all that mattered was that the child no longer cried.
"Does she have a name?" Asked Apollo.
"Not yet..." said Hera.
Apollo hummed as he rocked the child back and forth, he felt his heart warm as the child looked at him lovingly. A love he hadn't felt for centuries. What an innocent creature you are, so full of love yet so cold. Apollo thought.
"I'm sure she could tell us." Suggested Apollo.
Hera nodded in agreement. "I'm sure she could."