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Introducing Zeus
Diary of a Thundering Prince
Part One
Floodway, 19, Year of the Blue Moon
Greetings Book,
I must have somewhere to record all my thoughts. Sometimes I spend hours simply thinking of what I could have said in certain situations, or trying to remember what I had said. Perhaps you can help me. I need to think before I speak, but not so long that everything thinks that I am being rude and ignoring them. Just a slight pause to organize my thoughts. Unfortunately I never stop to think, and when I do, it turns into a very awkward pause. Nereus told Metis I was awkward. She got mad, but that is the truth.
My Name is Zeus. I have lived about sixteen Floodways already. My hair is straight golden blond. The color of wheat when the sun shines on it. My eyes are grey, even thought Metis says they should be blue. I can hardly see why that would make a difference. Eyes are eyes, does it matter if they are green, blue, red or purple? I once saw a seaman with red and gold eyes. I swear that it is the truth. The Nyads laughed and called me a liar. Seamen only have red eyes and Mermen have gold eyes. But I did see a seaman with red and gold eyes. They can laugh all they want, I am not a liar.
I suppose you are wondering who Metis and Nereus are, as well as Nyads, seamen and mermen. I suppose I better explain more thoroughly. Metis is the daughter of a Nyad and a Titan. She is not my mother, but would have me call her so. I know enough to know that no Nyad mothered me, nor do I have any Titan blood in me. Nyads are Seawomen, who live on land, but if they desire could walk underwater as well. Seamen are their men. But they rarely come ashore. Yet they can breathe in the air, and have legs like humans. Mermen are like the Seamen, except they can only breathe underwater and have tails instead of legs. More like half fish, half men. I cannot breathe underwater unless I wear a sea cloak. So therefor I have no Seamenn or Mermen blood in me. The Titans are land forces. The men stand tall, nigh unto seven and a half even eight feet high. The women are shorter in stance, by nearly two feet. I am only six and a half feet high. I figure that means I must be human. That is about average for a grown male human. But if I had Titan blood in my veins, I would be at least seven feet high.
And last of all, Nereus is the Overlord of the sea. There are three forces in Sea World. The Star People, the Sea People and the Land People. Nereus rules the Sea People, the Titans rule the Land People and the Star People rule us all. It does seem rather confusing, but I am told that is how politics work. If you understand them, you have to be crooked. I would rather be part of the confused rabble, than be crooked. It seems to me we do fine ruling ourselves, why do we need the Star People?
Someday I am determined to discover who my father and mother really are. But not yet. Metis grows angry if anyone so much as hints that I am not her son. The other Nyads tease her something dreadful about her lost husband. But every one of the Sea People knows that Metis is not really my mother, and that she never had a husband. We all simply pretend to please her. I wonder why everyone wants to please her so much. Maybe because we all love her so much.
I still wonder where I came from? Rhea said Metis stole me out of a fisherman's cradle. Perhaps she is right, but somehow I doubt it. My friend Seth, who is a Sea Elf, has seen the fishermen along the shore. He described them well. Somehow they do not seem to belong to me. But perhaps if I could see them for myself, I might judge things in a different manner. If only I could leave my little island and look for myself. But Metis will not let me set foot on the shores of man. She says I must wait some more. Wait for what? How long must I be the pampered pet of the Sea People? I am nearly a full grown man. I want battles and adventures? Not battles with fish either. I am tired of fighting sharks. The really big sharks are to crafty to get caught by any of the Sea People.
Farewell for now,
Zeus
To Be Continued
This is an interesting start. I was wondering though, what made you change Metis from being Zeus's wife to being his adopted mother? It was just an interesting change that is very different from the original, and I was wondering what was your thought process when deciding to do it. Anyway, this is very interesting start and I look forward to reading the rest. :)
ReplyDelete-Quinley
I see you know your myths. :D The reason is because Zeus is going to end up marrying Hera (Who isn't his sister in this version) I completely forget the reasoning behind using using Metis for his adopted mother. My plotting was stretched over a long period of time and I tend to not write everything down. I forget why, other then she was one of the names I had written down, or saw at the beginning of the book. I'm going off of D'Aulaires's book of Greek Myths. In the end I was like, oh here's a name. None of them are going to have more then one wife in here, but I might still use the names. I think this is going to be my strangest volume and Zeus' story the most stretched. But the next stories will definitely have better known myths in them. You bringing this up made me notice that Rhea is the name of Zues' birth mother and I was thinking it was Gaea, who is actually mother earth. Now I noticed something else, which I better change too.
DeleteThanks for commenting.
Also I was wondering if perhaps in a different book, and not necessarily this series, but do you think you will focus on the strong Greek goddesses ever in a series? Like Artemis or Athena? Because I think you would do a good job with their characters.
DeleteMaybe. Hadn't thought about that. Artemis and Athena are both in this series. They will probably have more showtime in the later diaries. Unfortunately, I'm so far behind in writing and I don't have much time since I work so much. Would you like to see stories focusing on those characters?
Delete