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Diary of a Thundering Prince
Part 3
Floodway, 31, Year of the Blue Moon
Greetings Book,
The Star Procession was a thing not to be missed no matter what side you were on in politics. There were elephants, camels, seals, walruses, wallabies, seacorns, unicorns, centaurs, fauns, sayters, and many more fabulous creatures. Not to mention glitter and star gold on the clothes. But I allowed the two Nyads to drag me into the city, not for the view, but in the hopes of seeing the Oracle book again. Descriptions of glimmer and glamor did not appeal to me much.
I saw Hercules leaning against a pillar on the porch of the Star Temple. Two guards were trying to get him to leave. But he simply ignored them. One jabbed at him with a spear. He immediately snapped the spear in half with one hand. I gaped. Then a high pitched screech resounded through the air. I stood on my tiptoes to get a better view. I was already taller then most of the people around me. But even I could only see so much.
A second bugle sounded. This time it was low pitched. Then an explosion of golden sprinkles rained down on us. The crowd oohed and awed. I did not. I had seen finer things under the ocean then a shower of sparkles. The ground began to vibrate. Drums and flutes blared. Then men in chain mail, peacock cloaks, feathered bonnets, riding unicorns swept into sight. They were carrying huge standards with golden stars on a black silk background.
I could not help staring at such splendor. Gold shell chariots pulled by walruses swept into sight. The tall men and women, who stood upright in the shells were dressed in gold mail. An elephant trimmed with flashing stars and gold tassels lumbered after the walruses. On it's enormous back was a house of gold, ivory and silver. Seated inside the little tower was a scowling boy about my age. But whereas I was golden haired, blue eyed and fair faced, this boy had straight iron black hair, pale face, and flashing black eyes. His eyebrows were drawn together together in a scowl. As he past, the civilians flung themselves face down on the street. A pompous white haired man in a red toga was marching before the elephant.
“All kneel before the Star Heir!” he was shouting. A little belatedly I dropped to my knees. The boy was scowling at me. He looked far from friendly. I decided that he would make a tyrannical Star Father when his turn came. I shuddered.
Once the elephant had passed, about forty to fifty foot soldiers marched by. They carried star banners, spears and raised swords. There pointed helmets flashed in the sunlight. I shivered. I had little doubt that they would be only to happy to turn on the civilians and slice them to pieces. Then came two buglers on horseback, in flowing cloaks. They were followed by the standard bearer. He rode a massive black winged horse and carried the twenty foot pole, from which flowed the coat-of-arms of the Star Father. I strained to see better. Everyone else was bumping and shoving too. But whereas I wanted a better look at the tyrant, everyone else was trying to backup. So with very little trouble, I found myself in the front line with the perfect view.
About thirty dancing Nymphs, Nyads and Dryads fluttered past. Each had a solid gold band about her neck. These were slave dancers. I felt an angry shiver run through me. These poor creatures were meant to be free and dance unhindered in the waters, forests and plains. The dancers were followed sayters and fauns playing twisted pipes. Then came two eight foot tall minotaur guards with scimitars. Their ivory horns were polished and sharpened to razor sharpness. Their fangs were painted red, giving them an evil appearance. They were iron breastplates, a kilt of leather thongs and belts of bird skulls. Behind them came five cream colored centaurs with golden hair. They each carried a spear. Then came a man in a long red trailing robe. He carried a flashing red staff in his left hand. On his head was a pointed feathered hat.
“On your knees before his Starful Majesty!” the man shouted. Once more everyone dropped to their knees. I winced as the stones bit into my knees.
A chariot of blazing rubies floated past, pulled by a two headed unicorn. In the back was the tallest man I had ever seen. Over seven feet tall. On his bald head rest a complicated wire twist of rubies. His clothes were flashing with red ruby stars. In fact he was so covered, that the only part of him not flashing was his face. It was twisted in a sneer. He looked evil. I shuddered.
Suddenly, an old woman wrapped in a brown cloak and leaning on a crooked staff limped between the crier and the ruby chariot. The guards following the chariot raised their spears.
“Star Father.” the woman cried, “Your doom is sealed, lest you change your-”
“Kill her!” the Star Father boomed, “Show the scum how our person deals with treacherous mongrels like her!” The old lady trembled. The crowd shuddered. Would no one one help the wretched creature?
Call me a fool, if you will. What I did was not bravery but completely stupid. I leaped to my feet and hurled myself between that miserable woman and the spears. Most of them flew harmlessly by, but some struck. Drawing blood where they scraped the flesh. But none of the wounds were fatal. Although being the first time to have lost blood by the hand of man, it was an agony.
“Ouch!” I gasped. Then everyone was staring at me. I held my ground.
“What is this?” the Star Father growled, but even he looked shocked.
“Cronus!” the woman cried, “Take notice of the boy, Zeus will be the scourge of your people until the First Born takes up the Thunderer, I Delphi have spoken.”
“Kill them both!” Cronus screamed.
“Sir, she is old. Can you not understand a-”
“Silence!” Cronus interrupted. I clapped my mouth shut. Then the guards closed in on us. I cocked my fists, and put myself between them and Delphi.
Suddenly, there was a flash and the skies opened. Rain came down in torrents, although the sky was perfectly clear and the sun was shining. The crowd panicked.
“The Sea People!” they screamed, “The Sea People have come to slay us!” Delphi grasped at my wrist. I turned and looked at her in surprise.
“Zeus,” she cried in a thundering voice, “Time has not come! But perhaps it is to late now! Cronus has seen you! Go to the Titans!” she turned and vanished. I gaped.
Suddenly Metis leaped over the heads of the astonished crowd and landed lightly beside me. Her face was blazing.
“Zeus!” she yelled, “Did I not tell you to stay out of trouble, now everything is going to flood!” Two guards grasped me by the shoulders. Metis did a spinning jump and leaped into the air kicking both of them at once. I gaped. She grasped my arm and hauled me off into the crowd, the soldiers only a split second behind. So much for the Star Procession. I suppose I messed up the assassination attempt.
Farewell for now,
Zeus
Hatchling, 1, Year of the Blue Moon
Greetings Book,
I am an idiot. Actually, I wish I had not said that. Everyone has been calling me that since yesterday. I am still wet and miserable. I have had nothing to eat either, I was starving. Metis brought me into the sewers of the city. Hercules and Rhea were there, not to mention many more people of all race and species. All of them were mad at me. I had to sleep wet without a blanket on the stone floor. It was very wretched.
“Metis, I told you we should have left him with Nereus.” Rhea cried for the hundredth time. I sighed.
“Well, I still fail to see what a knucklehead like him could do for the cause.” Hercules grumbled. There was a murmur of agreement. Metis said nothing, but simply stared off into space. I hung my head in embarrassment. Should I have let them kill the old woman?
Suddenly, Rhea came and knelt by my side. I was still to embarrassed to meet her gaze, so I stared at the floor miserably.
“Zeus?” Rhea asked gently, as she pushed my still wet hair out of my face, “What were you doing?” I looked up at her in surprise.
“Stopping murder.” I said. I heard Metis give a sharp intake of breath. No one else made a sound. I suddenly realized that my hair was dry. Of course, Rhea had been keeping me wet on purpose as a punishment. I felt rather annoyed.
“Stopping a murder?” Rhea protested, “Please do not tell me that you were stopping our well thought out assassination attempt. Because if that is so I will kill you myself.” I had forgotten about their stupid plot. Cronus deserved to die.
“No, the old woman.” I muttered, “She stepped right in front of his chariot. Didn't you see her?” I was suddenly aware that everyone was staring at me as if I had just sprouted wings.
“Someone stepped in front of the ruby chariot?” Hercules said at last, “Not likely.”
“She was old, wearing a brown cloak and had a staff.” I cried angrily, “Are you saying I am lying?”
“What we saw was Cronus start yelling then you jumped in front of him and nearly got spitted on spears.” Rhea said with a frown, “There was no old lady.”
“There was!” I snapped my temper rising, “She knew my name.”
“Nonsense.” Metis cried as she turned around, “No one in this city knows who you are.” I thought she looked suddenly frightened.
“Mother Metis,” I said grimly, “That old lady told Cronus that I would be the scourge of his people until the First Born took up the Thunderer. Then she said her names was Delphi.” Suddenly I noticed everyone was staring at me open mouthed.
“You have seen Delphi?” someone whispered. I looked around. There seemed to be awe on everyone's face except Metis. She looked unhappy.
“Who is Delphi?” I asked at last.
“The Oracle.” Hercules said as he strode to my side, “Remember the book you released her from. But while some people can claim to have heard her, no one has ever seen her.”
“But she was standing right in front of Cronus, how could you not see her?” I asked at last.
“Delphi has never shown herself to anyone that we know of since before the Star People came into power.” Rhea whispered.
Metis began to pace in circles, muttering to herself and clenching her fists. She looked very upset. I was seized with the wild desire to apologize for my foolishness. To anyone watching I suppose I looked like an insane lunatic. My friends probably thought I had gone stark raving mad. I bowed my head.
“I was hoping he would not notice you!” Metis burst out, “But after you and Delphi so generously forced you upon his notice, Cronus is going to stop at nothing until you are dead!” I winced. It was one thing listening to rebel talk about a tyrant, it was quite another thing to be the rabbit hunted by same said tyrant. I sighed.
“My lady!” a voice boomed, I glanced up to see a minotaur lumbering through the rebels towards Metis, “I owe you a favor, permit me to be the clod's guardian until I am no longer needed.”
“Until I am dead.” I muttered under my breath. The Minotaur was the biggest one I had ever seen. He was dressed in a white tunic, with a huge iron belt around his thick waist, iron shoulder plates, breastplates, and rib plates. His iron boots came up to his knees. On his head was two wing horns sharpened to deadly points, also armored closer to the skull. An iron horned skull cap rested between the horns and came down to his nose. He had a pointed dark brown beard but fangs.
“Jupiter.” Metis cried and put her small hands in his big paws, “Your debt is not large enough to cover such a thing.” I rolled my eyes. Apparently my life was not important.
“No, even if I succeed in keeping the boy alive, my debt will hardly be repaid.” Jupiter rumbled.
“I thank thee.” Metis said, “If anyone can save Zeus it will be you.” I sighed. Apparently I was to be saddled with a gigantic armored nanny.
Suddenly I realized that Jupiter was looking at me. I stood up hesitantly. Jupiter let out a long suffering sigh and looked back at Metis.
“Can it do anything useful?” he boomed. I heard Hercules snickering. I glowered at the floor.
“You know what, I am not sure.” Metis said. I glared at her. Traitor. “But if Delphi claims he will be a scourge to the Star People he must be useful. I am taking him to the Titans.” I shuddered.
Farewell for now,
Zeus
To Be Continued
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