Chereads / The Titan King / Chapter 8 - Poseidon

Chapter 8 - Poseidon

"Hear, Poseidon, ruler of the sea profound, whose liquid grasp begirds the solid ground; who, at the bottom of the stormy main, dark and deep-bosomed holdest they watery reign. Thy awful hand the brazen trident bears, and sea's utmost bound thy will reveres. Thee I invoke, whose steeds the foam divide, from whose dark locks the briny waters glide; shoe voice, loud sounding through the roaring deep, drives all its billows in a raging heap; when fiercely riding through the boiling sea, thy hoarse command the trembling waves obey. Earth-shaking, dark-haired God, the liquid plains, the third division, fate to thee ordains. 'Tis thine, cerulean daimon, to survey, well-pleased, the monsters of the ocean play. Confirm earth's basis, and with prosperous gales waft ships along, and swell the spacious sails; add gentle peace, and fair-haired health beside, and pour abundance in a blameless tide."

-Orphic Hymn to Poseidon

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In an area that appeared to be like a stream of water, almost empty in all manners of things, there were but a few objects in this stream. At the centre of it, all there was a giant hourglass filled with sand. Within this hourglass, at the point where the two bulbs would meet, there was a giant roman clock, the shade of the darkest black and the brightest gold. If one were to look at the top or bottom, one would see holes for the sand to go through.

At the centre point of the clock, there appeared to be a knob there as if it was a door, and indeed it was. If one were to open it, they would find themself within the dark area of the hourglass. Gears were all around, while pathways with inscriptions led to various doors in the centre. A door of the darkest black and it seemed to suck out the surrounding colour.

If one stepped through the door, they would feel as if it transported them to a different time, feeling disoriented afterwards. The door seemingly led to a plain of verdant green grass that glistened with the light of the sun and in the distance, the glass-like sea was set ablaze with a riot of fiery colours. Behind the door were two beings of tremendous power, Kronos and Khronos.

Khronos was teaching Kronos to master his ability to use temporal vision. It had been an hour and so far, it was ineffective.

"Hold your focus, Kronos," Khronos said in a deep, resonating voice. "Time is vast and elusive, but within you lies the power to navigate its currents."

Kronos nodded and took a deep breath, trying to center himself. He focused his attention on the endless expanse of the sea before them and attempted to peer through the veil of time. His eyes glowed with an otherworldly light as he concentrated on the waves, hoping to glimpse the future.

However, time manipulation was not an easy skill to acquire, even for a powerful being like Kronos. He found it challenging to control the vastness of time and focus on a specific point. Frustration crept into his features as he tried again and again, each time feeling like he was falling short.

Khronos, the more experienced of the two, observed his pupil's struggle with patience and understanding. He knew that time was not something to be tamed easily, and that it required dedication and practice. He reached out a reassuring hand to Kronos and said, "Do not be disheartened, my mathitís. Time bends to the will of a few, and with determination, you shall master this art. Come, let us take a break for now."

He snapped his fingers, and a table with two seats for them appeared, along with two empty cups. As they sat, Kronos began to speak.

"Didáskalos, I never got to ask how have you and your wife been?"

"As you know, my wife is pregnant." Khronos smiled as he spoke. "We're expecting triplets with great power over destiny. How about you? I heard your wife's pregnant again. When are you gonna stop?"

They both chuckled as Kronos began.

"What do you mean when I'm gonna stop? It's my wife. Either way, that's great hope you can handle triplets, though."

"I can handle triplets. Do you know who you're talking to? I'm a Primordial, remember? Moving on, how's your mother?"

A confused look came upon Kronos's face as he slowly responded.

"I already told you and nothing has change since then. She's still sleeping ever since I castrated and chopped up my father at her command. She seemed angry and regretful. I'm not sure why, considering she was the one who incited me and the rest to rebel against him."

Khronos's face became remorseful for a second before he spoke, going unnoticed by Kronos.

"My sister, Gaea, has always been irrational, even from in the beginning. I bet she'd even try to fight with Elohim and his servants for a minor reason. Let's just hope she doesn't wake up."

As Kronos opened his mouth to answer a golden ring with an emerald insignia of a sceptre on his left ring finger started glowing. He immediately jumped to his feet before pausing and turning around. When he turned, he was met with Khronos's hand raised in a stop gesture.

"I already know. Go to your wife."

"Thanks, didáskalos."

When Kronos found himself back in Hellas, he was met with violent shaking and the sound of the waves crashing the land. It shocked him hearing the waves.

'It should be impossible to hear the waves with how far away we are.'

He rushed to the labour room, slamming open the door, almost slipping as he ran towards his wife. He looked down and saw the floor was filled with water before looking back at his wife, that was holding their child with an angry look.

"Kronos, where were you? I needed you here!" Rhea, Kronos's wife, exclaimed with a mix of relief and frustration.

"I'm sorry, my love," Kronos said, rushing to her side. "I got caught up in my training with Khronos. But I'm here now, and everything will be fine. Our child is here!" he said, trying to sound cheerful despite the surrounding chaos.

Rhea sighed, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Yes, our child is here, and he's got your brother's eyes, must be a water deity thing."

"Maybe, but he's got the colour of your hair with a streak of ocean-blue. It is wavy, though."

"I bet he'll take after me more than you." A joyous expression came upon her face at the thought of such a thing. "You can name our little earthshaker, Kronos."

"It's perfectly fine if he takes after you and exactly! Earthshaker, that's why I'll call him Poseidon, earthshaker, and wave crasher."

"Perfect name with the perfect meaning for our little one."

Hestia and was at the doorway shyly looking inside the labour room. Kronos spotted her and called her inside. Hestia came close beside her mother as Rhea smiled at her.

"This is your new baby brother, Poseidon. Do you want to hold him?"

A smile appeared on Hestia's face as she shakingly nodded her head. Rhea delicately placed Poseidon in her hands.

"Make sure to support his head and neck with one hand, and your other hand should be at his bottom. Keep him close to your chest as well."

Hestia giggled as she held him. Kronos smiling at the sight.