In the Beginning Ch. 03

Chapter 3: Bound By Fate and the Seeds of Rebellion

Nyx looked upon the dark loneliness of Erebus's Realm. Her brother was fading, but even with this knowledge, she could see the dark lands becoming more like him. There was a warmth to this Underworld of his. She could feel his love in that place. Never wanting to let it go, she closed her hands. Increasingly, the Realm was filling with beings, and they all came to call her "Mother."

There was a being that did nothing but sleep. Another looked grim and lonely. Every night Nyx rested, there was another. She could not think of how, but those present were, in fact, her children. Somehow, Chaos and Erebus must have been responsible for the new lives in Nyx's world. Rather than being upset, as some might be, Nyx smiled, cherishing her children. She watched each of them, thinking of their names.

**********

A year after making love twelve times, Ouranos was outraged to find there were still no children. Gaia expanded in size, and things seemed to grow in the land. Water was carving through in significant quantities, and their actions formed rivers, lakes, and oceans. Still, Ouranos stared at his wife's burgeoning belly, impatiently grimacing. Before too long, he would need to revisit the Fates.

**********

"Dear sister, is he coming?" Clothos asked Lachesis.

"He is, but he does not know how to find us here," Lachesis remarked. "Will this be a problem going forward?"

"The Kings of Olympus will always seek us out," Atropos answered. "If they come with a serving heart, then they are deserving of our advice."

"Will one do so?" Clothos wondered.

"I think with each passing generation, it shall get easier, dearest sister," Atropos said.

"What of the conquering King?"

Atropos laughed. "Which one? There will be many."

"If Ouranos does find us, how?" Clothos wondered.

Both Atropos and Lachesis exchanged a look. Lachesis could see and understand what Ouranos was doing at the moment. Atropos could see what choices would lead Ouranos to their home. The older two looked at one another as sisters do.

"Mother," they both said to Clothos.

**********

"Ouranos," Nyx said, acknowledging her nephew. "What brings you here?"

"I was hoping you could help me locate your children."

Nyx motioned to her more depressed-looking son. "Do you need Thanatos? He does not know what he controls, but I am sure he could help?" She motioned to her napping son. "Or did you mean Hypnos? I think he is why we sleep so well here, though I cannot be sure."

"No. I need the Fates. The ones that see the future."

Nyx held up a hand to stop him. "I am aware which children you want, Ouranos. I will tell you where they are, but I do not think seeking them out is the right answer."

"Oh?" Ouranos asked, curious. "Why is that?"

"They do not only look at the future, Ouranos but also the present and the past."

"And?" Ouranos asked, curious what this had to do with him.

"They understand us, Ouranos. They see things within us better than we see ourselves. If you think they exist just to help you, you are sorely mistaken."

"And?" Ouranos wondered. "What of it?"

"If you follow them blindly without thinking for yourself, you will find yourself following them blindly."

"If I get what I want from this, why should I care?"

"Because they might give you what they want for their own desires, Ouranos," she said wisely. "Chaos left us to rule our Realms. You need to be in command of yours."

Ouranos thought on the subject. While he wanted to trust his aunt's judgment, it felt wrong to risk everything to chance when he could simply ask the Fates and be given the directions he needed. "Where are your daughters?"

**********

When he was guided to the cave, Ouranos could see so much. Upon their walls, a beautiful tapestry of events depicted Chaos coming to the land of Greece and bestowing Ouranos a crown as ruler of the lands. Parts of the tapestry were not sewn yet, but on the far end, Ouranos saw a noble fighting a younger man. He could not be sure, but somehow, one of the figures looked familiar. It almost looked like him, only the visage was of a lesser being.

This lesser version of himself wielded a thunderbolt and bracers that seemed to shine with lustrous authority. His opponent was a small thing, yet there was something captivating about this being. Ouranos did not think the smaller being was divine, but he seemed to be wielding lightning, controlling the sea, causing earthquakes and had smoky beings similar to Nyx at his back. The right edge of the tapestry was unfinished, and as he reached up to touch it, all three sisters shouted at Ouranos.

"Stop!" they exclaimed.

Ouranos halted. Their united voices were filled with a might that reminded him of Chaos. Though Ouranos had plans for Chaos, he did not possess the strength to defeat the Great Progenitor. Ouranos turned to see the sisters wearing cloaks to cover their bodies and obscure their faces.

"This? What is this?" Ouranos asked, captivated by the imagery. "Who are these people?"

The three sisters looked at one another, considering his question. They were careful in their response. "Divine beings of a possible future."

"What are they doing?" Ouranos queried.

"They are in conflict. In the future, many will fight for rulership in the lands."

Ouranos laughed. "Of course they would." He observed the contenders in a new light. In the future, there would be such small beings that they would fight for the scraps of his Kingdom.

The sister on the left asked, "So why have you come?"

The sister in the middle answered before Ouranos could speak. "Sister, His Majesty has come to inquire about the arrival of his children."

The sister on the right added, "They will be here by year's end, Majesty." Upon hearing what he wanted, Ouranos turned to leave. Before he could summon the lightning to take him away, the sister on the right spoke up again. "We would like to remind our grateful servant we do not exist to guide his every step. Our Mother was correct; if you come for our counsel at every turn, you will be a slave to destiny. Keep that in mind."

Ouranos allowed his great magical might to flow into his hands. He turned, preparing to strike the sisters for their temerity; however, they had their hoods down. They glared at him with such ferocity Ouranos recoiled. He summoned his lightning and disappeared.

Clothos looked to Atropos. "How many times will we allow him to be disrespectful before we punish him, dearest sister?"

Atropos looked towards their tapestry upon the younger god battling against a King of Olympus. "Perhaps we already have, my lovely sister, but let us allow him one more mistake before we invoke our ability."

The other two seemed to accept the answer of the eldest sister. Together, they measured and then spun them while Atropos constructed a pair of shears. Soon, she would need to clip the first thread of life from Chaos' Realm. As Atropos worked on her creation, she muttered, "Might we summon Thanatos if Ouranos forces our hand, dear sisters?"

"Of course, dearest sister," the other two sang.

**********

Gaia sat with her children. She was so proud they were growing, becoming the size of small mountains. Maybe with time, Ouranos could see the potential within them. When she stopped thinking of Ouranos, her attention returned to her children. She shook her head. Cottus was banging one rock against another. "Cottus, you silly boy, you cannot keep hitting things against one another." Gyges was getting bigger every day.

Briareos was making a bowl out of clay. "Oh, aren't you creative, sweetie," Gaia said, kissing him.

"Momma?" Briareos asked. "When you have other babies, will you stop spending time with us?"

"Oh! Honey! I would never!"

"I don't think Dad likes us much," Gyges casually said. Together, he and Briareos were working on condensing the air until there was a shimmer of magic over the stones, turning it into the head of a hammer. Gaia watched, amazed by the craftsmanship and talent of her sons.

"Oh! Yes, he does," Gaia said, hiding deep in her heart she was lying. "He has a hard time showing it to you. He's the first father, after all. It is not easy." Though she smiled and told those things to her children, the words rang hollow.

"He's going to get rid of us," Gyges said bluntly.

"No!" Gaia exclaimed. "He won't. I won't let him do such a thing!" She wrapped her arms around her large son, showing him all the love in Greece.

**********

By the end of the year, Gaia had given birth to twelve children. The experience was painful and left her exhausted, but Ouranos was overjoyed. Each child had their own way of doing things.

Gaia observed Oceanus never wanting to be around them. He was far too busy playing in the water. Gaia could see he was obsessed with puddles and pools as a baby, but all too quickly, he grew up and was swimming in rivers and oceans. He was strong and handsome like his Father, Ouranos.

Coeus spent most of his time staring at the night sky. Gaia wondered what was up there that had him so captivated. He was going to be a problem child; she could tell. He would spend time with his hundred-handed siblings, and for that, Gaia was excited.

Crius was also obsessed with the heavens. But unlike Coeus, when Gaia asked what he saw, he said, "Stars, Mother. The stars are coming." She had no idea what that meant, but his love for the heavens made her smile.

Hyperion saw the light of the sky, condensed it into a ball and was the first to name the sun. He spent more time away than his siblings, traveling to the east of Olympus and continuing to return with news of lands called Babylon, India, and China. Gaia wondered what those lands would bring, but they were thoughts for the future.

Iapetus was obsessed with Nyx's son, Thanatos. Gaia was unsure of what that meant. It was a blessing that her children were getting along with Nyx's children.

Mnemosyne and Phoebe were the same yet opposites. They constantly spent time with the daughters of Nyx. Mnemosyne talked with Clothos about what had already happened, while Phoebe discussed what could be with Atropos.

Rhea was different. She was beauty personified, with piercing ice-blue eyes and dresses that matched with a hint of silver. Her body was similar to Gaia's in that she was shaped like an hourglass, one of Iapetus's inventions. Rhea learned to copy designs from Nyx's Daughters of Destiny, from which she could make clothes for all her brothers and sisters. She was the child to name her siblings, proclaiming they were so large they were Titans.

Tethys was obsessed with Oceanus but would never go as far as the ocean. She was more content to play with rivers, streams, and springs. That did not stop Tethys from always being affectionate with her brother.

Gaia considered which children would pair together; it made sense in her mind. Gaia had Ouranos. Nyx had Erebus, even if they were different. It seemed the newest generations would have pairs, too.

Theia was as bright as the ball of fire Hyperion made, but it was more than that. When Hyperion came home to see Gaia, Theia was obsessed with him. Gaia found that to be adorable.

Gaia hated that Themis would lecture everyone about what was fair. To be scolded by her child was a new experience, much like everything, but Gaia navigated it well.

And then, there was Cronos, the son Ouranos craved; the largest of his siblings, powerful in every sense of the word. He would wrestle and play fight with all of Gaia's sons, including the hundred-handed children and the Cyclopes, and never lost. However, if Gaia had to guess, Cronos's bald head and hairy body disappointed Ouranos.

Gaia was happy watching over her children and seeing them grow while imagining what they would bring to her life. In the coming centuries, she would see them mature and change, and the Realm of Greece would flourish for it.

**********

Ouranos was pleased with his children. They were all different, and each had a mighty force in their own way, but they all kneeled before him as Father Sky. Having such obedience and supremacy, he wondered if destroying Chaos was possible. With that domination, even Nyx would kneel before Ouranos, and he would have all Greece under his rule. He would pay attention to all Hyperion said when he came back from other lands. Some beings gave Ouranos pause, and to invade their lands, he would need more children.

After having the Titanic children, Ouranos could no longer pretend Gaia interested him. With his children as influential as they were, having an army of beings nearly as strong as him might not be the smartest thing to do. He would need someone who could give him many children, was attractive, and would do all he wanted. Nyx would never do such a thing. She was too enamored with the Realms of Tartarus and Erebus. Perhaps Eros is what brought Nyx and Erebus closer together. Ouranos had not seen that flitting man since he had been made King. This meant he had limited options.

Even as he thought about it, he looked at a small clearing owned by Cronos in Greece. Rhea was there, and Ouranos could see her form that had matured in the last fifty years since her birth. He could not be sure of it then, but she had the body of what the mortals would one day think of a twenty-year-old. As his eyes fell on her, they filled with a growing lust. His body reacted to the idea of making Rhea his second wife or letting Cronos have her. Ouranos would be sure to put his superior children in her first. He was not sure how, but he would have Rhea.

**********

Red-headed Mnemosyne's eyes were gray, and she wore a dress of white and gray. By the appearance of her siblings, she was considered dingy. She sat in the cave with Clothos, lost in the thoughts of time gone by.

"Surely that means memory is the same?" Mnemosyne asked Clothos.

Clothos held out the tapestry, revealing some of the most notable events of time past and of things that were yet to come.

"No. History, the past, is written in stone. It is permanent; fixed. But Memory? Ah, what a gift memory is! Things can be how we want them to be: a boy with the right amount of stubble, a kiss tender, perfect, without mistakes. Or it can make things easier, villains and heroes. The past has no villains or heroes, just people, Mnemosyne."

Mnemosyne considered Clothos's response. "I see. Then is Chaos truly unknowable?"

"Is anyone?" Clothos wondered.

"You're having fun with me, aren't you?"

Clothos laughed. After a moment, Mnemosyne joined her. "Yes, Titaness. You are my favorite of your siblings."

"Will we always be friends? Will things always be so?" Mnemosyne asked, motioning to the peaceful world around them.

A sadness washed over Clothos. Always connected to her sisters, she was aware of the choices to come, the depressing truth. So long as Ouranos was King, the sisters agreed to tell them all little of the future.

"We will always be friends, Mnemosyne. You have my word," Clothos said with a smile. "But I think things will change. That is one of the things your brother, Iapetus, understands very well."

Mnemosyne considered what Clothos said. "I guess that means we should cherish our memories all the more."

"Especially when they're happening," Clothos replied. The two shared a look and let out joyous laughter. They reveled in the simplicity of the moment, knowing they would cherish the memory all the more.

**********

As the golden rays of the rising sun painted the sky with hues of pink and orange, Hyperion, the Titan of Light, journeyed back from travels in distant lands. His chariot, pulled by majestic winged horses, descended from the heavens and touched down onto a nearly empty countryside. The steeds and the chariots would fly away to the palace of the Titans.

In the clearing, with great anticipation on her face, stood Theia, the Titaness of Shining Light and Brilliance. Clad in a flowing gown that shimmered like starlight, she stood on the grassy mountainside, her eyes gleaming excitedly. Theia had missed Hyperion dearly during his absence and longed to be reunited with him.

When Hyperion's chariot landed softly on the ground, he stepped down, his radiant presence illuminating the surroundings. Theia approached him with grace, her every movement exuding elegance and warmth. Their eyes met, and a spark of recognition passed between them.

Hyperion smiled. He stood proudly at nearly forty feet tall. He had golden hair that shined like the sun; actually, the sun shined like him. He was proud of that particular gift. The golden flakes that fell off him when he walked were another thing that pleased him. After seeing those other "Gods" from those other lands, Hyperion realized he was truly spectacular. He could get lost in his reflection. But it was Theia who captured his eyes. She was near his size, her eyes were silver, and her hair bound up in the back. She was as lovely as the day, with as much depth as the night. She wore a gown of silver and white.

"Hyperion," Theia said softly, wrapping her arms around her brother.

"Theia, it is good to see you," Hyperion replied, pressing his lips against hers. A kiss from Theia was a drop of light in the darkest night. She brought him the greatest peace.

They sat against a mountainside, letting the colossal structures prop their immense body up.

"Did you enjoy your travels?" Theia asked.

"I did," Hyperion said, running his hands over Theia with affection.

"What do you think of them?" Theia asked, curious.

"I don't think the lands of Babylon or India will last, but the Heavens of China are stable. If they were our neighbor, I have no doubt the Jade Emperor could conquer us with all his warriors." Hyperion saw Theia's eyes light up with curiosity. "You could come with me," Hyperion remarked.

"My home is here," Theia said after a moment. "With all those dangers, one would think you want to help us make Greece the best it can be."

Hyperion laughed, looking at his partner and sister. "How would you like to do that?"

"Mother had us. And we brought more into this Realm," she said with a sly grin. Hyperion's hands ran over her dress, slowly dropping them to her sides. The gown covered half of the countryside. As their lips were brought together, the light in her eyes glowed brightly when his hands touched her bare skin.

By all of Chaos's creation, Hyperion loved how Theia gave herself to him. Her body had a pair of handful-size breasts, her waist untouched by imperfection. He would not want any other, and her glow made him want her all the more. He was so impatient he had to have her. The light from her eyes and mouth when he thrust his cock into her made it all worthwhile.

She cried out his name. "Hyperion!" Theia exclaimed. "Like that. Please! Take me!" She was either telling him or giving permission. Her call was one of begging, born from her love and his absence. He pressed his lips firmly against hers. As her body glowed and her sex grasped his, he was aware the conclusion would come too soon. With his Titanic force and strength, Hyperion would plow into Theia until, finally, together, they let out a loud cry of impassioned delight. The release was so loud and bright that even Nyx in the Underworld could hear their orgasmic union. Descending from their high, they held one another in blissful connection. There was no substitute for one another; they could not and would not have it any other way.

**********

Cronos was a mighty being despite being the youngest of the Titans. While he often wondered what his brethren thought of him, he admired them all. They each had gifts and talents that were wholly their own. He had his own, of course. Control over lightning and some of the heavens ran through him, the same as his Father. But Cronos's great gift was a secret; he had command over time.