In the Beginning Ch. 06

Chapter 6: The Curse Unveiled

One week later...

When morning came, as the sun began to cast its golden light over Olympus, Rhea slowly returned to Ouranos. She had slept on what she had done and then some. So much of who she was reminded her that what she did was wrong. Still, part of her was not sure what to do. She could not tell Cronos. He was the youngest of the Titans. In a battle of force and skills, Ouranos would overwhelm one such as Cronos. It was possible all of the Titans would prove no match for their Primordial Sky Father.

Rhea could not pretend her father's tenderness did not arouse her. It was something meaningful. Had he always felt something for her? Was this new? Was it right for her to continue to see him? She stood at the entrance to the opulent chambers where, only a day before, her father had ravished her as he had every day since he first had his way with her. What he had felt for her before could never have been just for one night or even one week for that matter. Could it?

She understood the delicate balance of which there were many. She had an engagement to Cronos to consider. He would never know what Ouranos did, but Ouranos's wants and happiness were essential to Olympus and the Realm below. What of her happiness? What did Rhea truly desire? Had she wanted her father's attention when he had given it to her? Yes, of course. Why else would she keep returning to the palace?

When she saw her father standing beside his throne, Rhea ran and wrapped her arms around him. Their lips touched instinctively. Before she knew it, Ouranos enveloped Rhea, lifting his prize into the air. When she felt him re-enter her as easily as he had the day before, Rhea knew there was nothing more to think about. She allowed the waves of pleasure to direct them both and allowed him to carry her to his chambers. When they fell into his bed, she let the rapturous experience take her.

**********

Gaia did not know what she would do. The Titans were still coming into their own, and she could not get them to do anything together. They were as different as different as could be.

Sitting in her Realm, she thought of the rebellious nature of the Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires. They had been right: she was too blind to see they were aware of his cruelty and evil before her. They could have been able to stop Ouranos if Gaia had not stood by and allowed him to do as he pleased. Even the addition of Cronos could have made the difference.

Reinvigorated, Gaia made her way to the depths of Tartarus, the primordial abyss that held the Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires captive. She wondered if it would be difficult to find her children. After all, Tartarus was an ever-changing landscape. She walked through the dark halls. Moving her fingers over the wall, she eventually felt the difference between cavernous rock and a smooth, linked chain. Excitement coursed through her.

"Gyges? Brontes?"

"Mother?" the weakened voice of Briareus said. "You came for us."

"I did," Gaia said, looking at her six children. Each had grown thin in such a short time. "What has happened to you?"

"The chain..." Gyges coughed. "We made it to drain the essence of those bound in them."

Gaia grabbed the chain with great vigor and attempted to rip and tear at the metal binding her children. Gaia screamed and wailed, using all the determination at her disposal. Still, the chain would not budge or unclasp.

"We also made the chain indestructible," Briareus coughed out. "Only the one who bound us could unbind us."

Gaia wailed in frustration. "Fuck!" Her hope was not shattering. It was melting by the moment.

"It does not help that Tartarus is unkind to those like you," another voice said, entering the conversation.

"Nyx!" Gaia gasped. "What do you mean?"

"This Realm has its own rules, Gaia. Your Realm endows you. I could not stay in the land of Greece and not feel my power slightly wane. The same is true here. If you stayed too long, you would need to become a creature of darkness, or you would feel your capabilities decline until you return to your lands."

"Wonderful!" Gaia shouted as tears welled in her eyes. "Not only have I hurt my children for a husband who had hurt me, but I have trapped them in the one place where they will wither."

"So it would appear," Nyx replied, not without compassion. "To be Queen is difficult."

"What am I to do? My children are the only ones who could topple Cronos."

"I do not have the answer," Nyx said, hugging Gaia.

Briareus, the mightiest of Gaia's offspring, spoke. His words were barely audible. "Go to Cronos. We have given him weapons to defend against our father."

"But he is so young," Gaia replied.

"The weapons will make all the difference," Gyges weakly added. The six siblings looked away from their mother; they would say no more. Gaia kissed her fingertips and touched the chain that bound her children. She knew she would free them one day. One way or another.

**********

Ouranos grunted, pinning Rhea to his bed, showering her lips and neck with kisses. He kept himself between her legs, feeling his seed seeping out of her. Possessively, he longed to stay inside. She returned his kiss, letting him know he was allowed to have more than that. He enfolded her in his arms.

"Father?" She asked after a moment. Ouranos paused, fearing she would make him stop. Even as he waited for her to continue, a more cruel thought ran through his mind: Would he stop? "What happens now?"

"You still plan to marry Cronos, Little One?"

Rhea hesitated. Ouranos did not know why; she had asked for his blessing to be with the youngest Titan.

"I do."

"Then he will be your husband," Ouranos said with limitless assuredness.

"Will you no longer see me? " Rhea asked. She paused again before adding, "Like this?"

"You may come to see me like this as long as you want, Little One," Ouranos answered. He realized Rhea had put herself in the perfect trap. She could not denounce Cronos publicly. Her siblings would wonder why, and for her to stop would risk Ouranos's wrath. She was his to have in secret forevermore. If only she had thought through her actions. What a silly girl.

"Yes, Father," Rhea sang.

She kissed him tenderly, pulling his hardening phallus back into her. Ouranos groaned at the possibility of impregnating his stolen prize. Her young, supple body was something to behold. Ouranos wondered what changes she would undergo through the ages. An even darker thought crossed his mind: Would he need to replace her as time went on?

**********

Cronos was not one for the grand halls of Olympus. He could not stand the Realm his father had made; something about the emptiness was unsettling. The land of Greece was at least one of lush beauty and teeming with life. From horses to bison to cows, so many creatures roamed the lands, but nothing quite like the Titans. Was that why Ouranos stayed in his empty palaces? Nothing below was his peer; was it not worth his time or notice?

Cronos pondered that as he thought of Rhea. She had said yes to his proposal. Gaia and Ouranos had given the union their blessing. Though, from what Rhea had told Cronos, Ouranos had asked her for some favor in return. It had taken a lot for Cronos not to ask more, but Rhea told him she had the matter under control, so Cronos trusted his beloved. Soon, his life would be all he had ever wanted. He had no idea how wrong he was.

**********

Gaia appeared before him, materializing out of the earth and soil. "Cronos," she started with kind, motherly affection. Before realizing it, she told Cronos the entirety of what she had seen. The fury in his eyes from the betrayal of Ouranos and Rhea's infidelity was so intense electricity coursed around his eyes. Time seemed to slow for Gaia as she awaited her son's response. After what felt like centuries, Cronos stood up and turned to face the direction of Olympus. Gaia reached out to stop her son and cried out, "No!"

"What? No. He defiled Rhea! He is taking advantage of my future wife, Gaia!"

Gaia could not relate his pain to hers. In her mind, their pain was not equal. While Cronos and Rhea had known one another all their lives, Ouranos had been birthed by Gaia and made by Chaos to be Gaia's husband and mate. He betrayed her trust and love, but she could not say that to her son. He was lost in his pain. She had to focus that on something productive.

"And if you face him now, you will be defeated, banished like your siblings, or worse. They were six! You are one. How do you think you will do, even with your rage?"

"Then I am to stand here and do nothing?" Cronos asked. He gripped his mother's hand with his formidable strength. For a moment, Gaia feared Cronos would crush her hands as Ouranos had long ago.

"Do nothing? No. I have heard the Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires gave you tools."

"Yes...The scythe!" Cronos exclaimed with understanding.

"But it will take more than whatever gifts the Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires may have given you. You will need your siblings."

Cronos looked as though he intended to argue with his mother. All too quickly, however, he returned to himself and agreed with her. "You're right. But all of us?"

"No... only the men. Leave the women out of it."

"Why?"

Gaia looked at him as if he were insane. "If he were open to taking Rhea to bed, do you think he would stop himself there? What of Tethys or Theia? With all of their husbands imprisoned, what would prevent him from doing so? Should you fail, I will hide your sisters until we free you."

Cronos nodded in understanding. "Yes, Mother."

**********

Rhea slept in his bed, exhausted from a day of lovemaking. For that, Ouranos was pleased with himself, but as he lay beside her, he wondered if his goals would come true. He did not know why, but something felt wrong about... everything. Finally, he rose from the bed. Only three beings in the Realms could tell him if he was right.

**********

In the vast and mysterious Realm of Tartarus, the air crackled. Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos stood before the Loom of Fate, their eyes fixed on the shimmering threads representing everything: life, birth, people, places, times, and death of things that once were, that are and would someday be.

Clotho, the Spinner, gently touched the golden strands of the Loom, guiding the weaving of destiny. "Is it time? Does he approach?"

The second sister, the Measurer, studied the strands with her piercing gaze. She could not help as her brows furrowed in contemplation. "Yes, dear sister," Lachesis replied, rather pleased. "He comes seeking knowledge of his path, not understanding that the future is a consequence of his actions." Lachesis and Clothos turned to their oldest sister, Atropos.

Atropos was the Cutter. She held the barely used shears, their glinting blades reflecting the eternal nature of her duty. "He will not find solace in the answers we hold. Very few paths lay before him. Still, there is a chance for him to preserve his desires."

Together, they looked upon their tapestry of Ouranos's reign. He had brought much into the world. In so many ways, it was better for his existence. What was to come would be decided by him.

"How does he come, sisters?" Clothos asked.

"With selfish intentions to overthrow our grandparent," Lachesis responded.

"It does not look good for him," Clothos commented.

"No, it does not," Atropos replied definitively.

**********

Ouranos returned to the Realm of Tartarus. Within was a palace built for the Daughters of Nyx. His children called The Sisters of Fate, for everything they told anyone came true. He, of course, already knew that. He had relied on them early in his reign and would do so one more time. When he was done, he would destroy them and their edifice. They were not needed in his world.

"Ouranos," the three sisters chimed when he entered their palace. The air in the chambers changed when he walked in; he could not help that authority flowed through his actions and words.

"Sisters. I have come to you to ask about the future."

Lachesis held up her hand. "We know why you have come, great King."

"I only need to know if I shall have more children," he paused, unsure how much he could tell them.

"You shall have one more," Atropos answered. She turned to her sisters when Ouranos's joy became visible. "Do you honestly believe they will help you with your goal to conquer the world?" Atropos asked aloud. Ouranos was caught aback by their knowledge. He took half a step forward.

"You have no idea how large the world truly is, great King," Lachesis added. Ouranos retracted that half-step after seeing what happened next.

Clothos, understanding her sisters' intentions, pulled down the tapestry of Ouranos and showed other great lands. A monkey-man of some sort battled against an army of heaven. A giant serpent was fighting a man wielding a lightning hammer. A being of light brandished a spear against a many-headed smoke serpent. Similar images arrived.

"The world is a big place, and you will not be the one to meet these challenges from our lands."

"Oh?" Ouranos asked. He clenched his fist. The rumble of thunder could be heard in the palace.

"You are destined to stay here," Atropos went on. "How you do so is up to you."

"It is all up to me!" Ouranos exclaimed, slamming his fist in front of the Fates—the audacity of those wretches! The sisters barely stepped back to avoid his blow. "This Realm is mine. All the Realms will be mine! I do not need the wisdom of undeserving hags to tell me what shall be mine!"

"Oh, foolish King," Lachesis said, shaking her head. "You have sealed your Fate."

Together, the sisters held out their arms and a bright light blinded Ouranos, holding him in place as words became images in his mind.

"Beware, Ouranos, ruler of the skies,

A cursed throne awaits, as Fate implies.

Through generations, a legacy shall unfold,

Each King betrayed by their deserving bold.

First comes Cronos, with vengeance burning bright,

Devouring his kin in eternal night.

His children swallowed, their Fate sealed,

A dark path of power and blood revealed.

Then Zeus, the thunderer, shall rise,

Freeing Hades and Poseidon, breaking ties.

Together they shall overthrow their sire,

And claim the heavens with divine fire.

Zeus, the ruler, with lightning in hand,

Reign stretching wide across the land.

But in his lust, he shall falter and stray,

Fathering a hero in a mortal's lay.

Hero, born of god and man, his strength unbound,

Shall share with Zeus a bond unspoken, profound.

In a Queen's love, a child, he shall conceive,

The Last Olympian, destined to break the curse and achieve.

Through courage and might, he shall restore,

A new era dawning, forevermore.

So, Ouranos, heed this rhyme and verse,

Destiny's wheel spins, for better or worse."

Ouranos froze before them. With all he saw and heard, he bent over, unintentionally kneeling before the Fates.

"No...You can't. It can't!"

He went to strike them, but his knees would not move. Instead, he stared out at the nothingness of Tartarus. His mind went to a million places. Would he lose all he had? Would the Fates do that to him? Did they have the resources to take everything away from him?

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