Free Web NovelChapter 110: Chapter 110: Poseidon/Hades
These last few days had not been the best for Poseidon, for many reasons related to his older brother, but at the same time, he could not say he was not at least a little happy that Damon was back. Aside from the beating his brother had given him, the god of the sea had not really exchanged many words with the red-haired god.
He did not even know why Damon had given him a second chance. Poseidon knew he was just as guilty as Zeus in many ways, and maybe that was why he had not dared to set foot in Olympus after everything that happened.
He had locked himself away in Atlantis for a few days just to think about what he should do, until Amphitrite finally convinced him to speak with the redhead. It was better to face his problems now than to stay hidden, waiting for Damon to come looking for him again when he got tired of waiting.
When he arrived at Olympus, honestly, he was surprised. Not because he had not heard some rumors; the news was already spreading through the entire pantheon, even in Atlantis, through elemental spirits, nymphs, and any minor god who had decided to venture out of their territory. That said, one thing was hearing rumors and another was seeing it for himself. Without a doubt, removing all the statues and representations of Zeus that only served to inflate his ego gave Olympus a more refreshing air.
The god of the sea also could not help but notice how even the way many people acted had changed for the better. At the very least, the place felt calmer. No one seemed to be walking around trying to avoid crossing paths with Zeus or one of the major gods anymore, afraid of receiving an order they did not want to fulfill only to end up with a simple coin as payment.
As he walked through one of the main halls, two nymphs carrying several clean fabrics stopped when they saw him. Poseidon noticed the surprise on their faces before both lowered their heads respectfully. It was nothing exaggerated, but it was clear they had not expected to suddenly run into him.
"Lord Poseidon," one of them said cautiously. "Do you need anything?"
Poseidon immediately noticed the caution in the nymph’s voice and raised an eyebrow, but he did not give it too much importance. She was just a simple nymph. What did it matter?
"I am looking for Damon," answered the god of the sea. The two nymphs quickly looked at each other before one of them lowered her head again. "We have not seen him in a while, Lord Poseidon. After giving some orders, he left the palace."
Poseidon frowned slightly. "He left?"
"It seems so," the other nymph answered carefully. "No one knows exactly where he went. Only that he is not in the main hall or in his temple."
Poseidon slowly nodded. It did not surprise him too much. Damon had never been the type of person to stay in one place enjoying glory, and he had never been the partying type either. He was sure that if the roles were reversed, Zeus would be throwing a celebration all over Olympus with orgies in every hall. That said, it was uncomfortable to have gathered the courage to speak with him only to discover that the redhead was not even in Olympus.
"I understand," the god said thoughtfully.
The nymphs lowered their heads again and quickly continued on their way with the clean fabrics in their arms. For his part, Poseidon kept on walking through the hall, noticing how some minor gods stared at him from a distance with surprise in their eyes.
The god of the sea returned the look to one of them, and he instantly looked away. Poseidon let out a sigh. It did not surprise him. Most of them were probably wondering what he was going to do now. Maybe they expected him to return and declare war on Damon, or maybe they only wanted to know if the god of the sea had understood the message too.
And honestly, Poseidon still was not sure about many things. But he did know he had no desire to die at his brother’s hands, and he had even less desire to see Atlantis disappear in an instant. A shiver ran down his back as he remembered how easily Damon had dealt with him.
Putting those thoughts aside.
Upon entering the throne room, the first thing Poseidon noticed was Damon’s new throne. He had to admit it was impressive. It was not excessively ridiculous, yet it was impressive to look at. It suited his brother, someone who did not need to show much because his presence alone was enough, at least that’s what Poseidon thought.
To his left was Hera’s throne, naturally. Although Poseidon could not help but wonder if Hera was actually still the queen. She was supposed to be the queen of Zeus’s reign, not Damon’s. Right???
The second thing he noticed was his own throne. It had been moved a little to the side, on the right side of the room, being replaced by Hades’s throne, which was now the closest to Damon on that side. Poseidon did not know what to think about that. It was not that he was angry or anything, but the presence of the god of the underworld was certainly unexpected.
Although when it came to Hades, Poseidon really did not know what to say. They were brothers, yes, but the relationship between him and Hades had never been too deep. They did not hate each other, but they were not close either. The bridge between them had always been Damon, and naturally, when that bridge disappeared, the contact between them was lost as well.
Poseidon let out a low sigh but said nothing. His own throne was still on the right side, only now it came after Hades’s. Beyond it were the thrones of Hephaestus, Apollo, Hermes, and Ares, placed in that order. On the other side, beside Damon’s throne, was Hera’s, followed by Hestia’s, Demeter’s, Aphrodite’s, Athena’s, and Artemis’s.
That last part caught his attention a little. Well, Hestia was back among the twelve.
He did not have to think much to immediately notice the absence of Dionysus’s throne. The god of wine was no longer among the main Olympians, and Hestia had recovered the place Damon had probably asked for her.
The decision surprised him a little, but not too much. If Damon was reorganizing Olympus according to usefulness, respect, and real usefulness within the pantheon, then Dionysus did not have much to do there. In simple terms, the god of wine was mediocre when compared to the rest of the major gods. Maybe he would be better off as a minor god, supervising Camp Half-Blood, if he was even still doing that.
The god of the sea’s thoughts were interrupted by a monotone voice that came from one of the darkest corners of the room. "So you finally decided to come out of your cave, brother."
Poseidon quickly turned around upon hearing the voice, finding Hades leaning near a column, surrounded by a shadow so dense that, for a moment, it seemed as if he had been there since before Poseidon entered the room.
The god of the sea felt a drop of sweat slide down his temple. It was not exactly fear, although he also could not say his brother’s sudden appearance was pleasant.
"Uh... good to see you too, Hades," Poseidon said, trying to sound calmer than he actually was. Hades looked at him with his usual monotone expression. "That sounded horrible."
Poseidon let out a small nervous laugh, assuming that was Hades’s way of joking, while a drop of sweat slid down the back of his neck. "Well, not all of us have the habit of appearing from a dark corner as if we were waiting to scare someone."
"I was here first," Hades answered without changing his expression. "I was always here, watching the hundred different expressions you just made on your face."
A shiver ran down the god of the sea’s back at those words. "Okay... that does not make it any less weird." A sepulchral silence fell over the room. Poseidon nervously looked at the black-haired god, whose expression remained as still as a rock. "Uh... so, Hades, what brings you here?"
"It is nothing," the god of the underworld answered dryly. "I just wanted to ensure that you did not make any unwise decisions in Damon’s absence."
Poseidon raised both hands, almost offended. "Hey, I would not dare. You know I do not go against our older brother." Hades looked at him without blinking. "I do not know. Your history is full of screwups. I had to make sure this would not be another one of those."
Poseidon opened his mouth to answer, but then immediately closed it again. He knew Hades was not completely wrong, but that did not make it any less annoying. freewebnσvel.cѳm
"That is pretty funny coming from you," the god of the sea muttered finally. "Or have we already forgotten the whole thing with Persephone?" Hades’s expression did not change, but the slight tension in the room was a clear sign. "You know nothing about Persephone and me," he answered dryly.
Poseidon raised both hands, understanding immediately that maybe pushing that topic too much was not a good idea. "All right, all right. I am just saying none of us is completely clean."
"Maybe," Hades said, taking a step out of the shadow. "But we both know which one of us has it worse. Have you forgotten your actions in Athena’s temple?"
Poseidon froze for a moment. His jaw tightened, but he had no quick answer to that. "That was low of you," he muttered.
"It’s the truth," Hades answered seriously, looking Poseidon directly in the eyes.
Poseidon was about to say something else when, suddenly, a presence made itself known in the room. An avalanche of air crashed against both gods’ faces, forcing them into silence at once. Neither of them needed to turn around to know who had arrived, but even so, Poseidon’s shoulders tensed the moment he felt Damon’s presence.
Damon appeared in the center of the room, Rhea at his side, holding her hand as the titaness observed the place with a nostalgic expression. Her eyes quickly moved across the room, surprised by the changes, before stopping on Poseidon and Hades.
Damon, for his part, did not waste much time. His gaze fell first on Hades, who gave him a small nod in greeting before his eyes returned to Rhea. Damon returned the gesture in the same way, then moved his gaze toward Poseidon, studying the god of the sea carefully.
"I see you have recovered, Poseidon," Damon said, being the first to speak. His voice was heard clearly throughout the room.
Poseidon nodded stiffly, not knowing what to say because of Rhea’s presence beside Damon. He had come to speak with his brother; the last thing he expected was to find his mother in the throne room after so many years.
The room fell silent. Rhea felt the gaze of both gods on her, and a small mixture of nostalgia and sadness crossed her face. How long had it been since the last time she saw her sons like this, in front of her? If they had truly wanted to, they could have visited her much earlier, but they did not, the titaness thought with a sadness directed more toward Poseidon than Hades.
Rhea knew how the god of the underworld was..... mostly quiet and always locked away in his own realm. But at least she had received some message from him from time to time. From Poseidon, however, she had received absolutely nothing. And that hurt more than she wanted to admit, especially because, of all her children, he was the one closest to her. After all, the island where she lived was completely surrounded by the sea.
Poseidon noticed his mother’s gaze on him, and shame invaded him with force. When was the last time he had visited her? He did not even try to count the years. He knew he would not find an answer. :(
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P@treon: Brotato up to Chapter 120
