Oh, Fates.Hecate rubbed her hands together.Protect us all.
???
Nyx cloakedher presence as she got closer to Mt. Olympus, the sight of it alone making power furl out from her. She struggled to reign it in, knowing that it was in everyone’s best interest if they didn’t know she was there. For now. The valley at the mountain’s base came into view, where Nyx got her first glimpse at what was going on between these gods and titans.
She stopped, slipping down into her mortal form like water. She knew that it would be harder for Erebus to detect her if she was in her corporeal body. She had picked an olive tree on a hillside overlooking the valley, where she was able to get a full view of both sides. There was a loud shout and the ground shook with the movement of armies, Nyx’s gaze sharpening as she looked out over the chaos.
Kronos had started moving, and all the titans were advancing on the base of Mt. Olympus.
Where are the gods?Nyx felt her pulse pick up as she scanned the valley for any sight of them. She breathed a sigh of relief when they came into view, rushing down into combat with weapons raised. There was a sickening sound of bodies and weapons clashing together when the lines met, a sound that Nyx knew all too well from millennia of monsters, gods, and titans at war. It was the sound of first blood of the unlucky—or the lucky—who had fallen at the front. Nyx had never been drawn to weaponry and felt it a barbaric invention of mankind. She preferred all her battles be fought with power.
She studied the line, trying to see who on the gods’ side had fallen. It didn’t look like there were many; some titans hadn’t gotten back up, but the gods that fell were back on their feet. Nyx didn’t have time to be annoyed with herself at the small sense of satisfaction that it brought her.
As soon as the gods had rushed forward to meet Kronos, there was a wave of power that rushed through the valley. It was so strong, it nearly knocked Nyx out of her place in the branches. Her hand went to her chest as she tried to breathe through it, but the power caressed her like a lover—like it knew her.
Erebus.She breathed, her eyes falling shut as her head dipped back.Oh, my sweet Erebus.Nyx had never been without his presence for so long. The tremors of his darkness running over her felt like his hands, caressing and touching every inch of her. Nyx gripped the tree branch harder, fighting to stand up straighter and focus her vision once more.
There was Erebus, standing at the top of Mt. Olympus. Nyx watched in awe as his shadows cascaded down the mountainside, their serpentine movement mesmerizing as it looked like the mountain wept shadows. She studied his face, unable to look away, fighting the urge to explode into her primordial form and go to him. There was something that was ancient, almost elemental, in Erebus when he was surrendering to his power.
The wildness in Nyx clawed at her skin, sending shimmers of starlight and black smoke down her arms.Thatwas always the reason that she had never been without Erebus, not because of what he did for her but how he magnified her. Elevated her. Set her free and encouraged her wildness.
As she sat in the tree, fighting to stay in place, she watched Erebus use more of his power than she had seen in a century. It was a magnificent sight. She thanked the Fates that she still had a primordial’s vision in her mortal body, unable to tear her gaze from his eyes. They had gone fully black, sweat coating his curly hair at his temples. She trailed down his body as she watched his hands flex and release, flex and release… Nyx wasn’t even watching the battle anymore, but her focus was broken when she saw Poseidon.
The God of the sea slid up behind Erebus, getting his attention and breaking him from his trance. He reigned in his power, bottling most of it up. Nyx felt the trailing ends of his power recede from her like silk ribbons running over her skin. She shuddered and bit back a curse at Poseidon. Her frustration was short-lived as Nyx tried to make sense of what she was seeing; the two were in stilted conversation.
The earth heaved, causing the olive tree to shake violently. Nyx’s hands flew out to a branch, and she held on, her resolution to stay in her mortal form slipping with every passing minute. Then there was another earth-shaking thud… then another… and another. Nyx turned her head carefully towards Kronos’s ranks.
Oh, Fates.Nyx rolled her eyes at the sight of Typhon.How did Kronos find a way to get him out of his trench?Nyx was merely annoyed that Typhon had been released, her fear nonexistent.I suppose this is what Hecate foresaw.
Nyx stood a little straighter, rolling her shoulders back as she prepared to enter the fray.I guess this whole thing is going to be a little bit shorter than everyone thought.She paused for only a moment, wondering what kind of fallout she would have to silence from Zeus, but that moment cost her. There was a streaking blaze of light across the valley, and Nyx looked up to see Zeus hurl himself into Typhon’s chest.
Her mouth dropped open as she watched the god struggle with the monster, each of them going blow to blow. Current ran over Typhon’s limbs and tentacles, but it merely slowed him down; it did not incapacitate him. Zeus was struck twice by the heavy talons on the end of those wicked wings, but he, too, did not stop. Nyx stood to intervene but found her gaze turning once more to Erebus across the valley. She saw it. His shadows were still pouring out of him, but they were less powerful. Poseidon and Erebus were watching Zeus intently.
Curious.The wheels in Nyx’s mind started turning as she watched Zeus struggle.Very curious.None of the gods seemed to be motivated to step in, even the ones on the battlefield. Nyx leaned back against the tree trunk and made herself content to watch. She was utterly unprepared when only a moment later, Zeus had been dropped to the ground only to have scores of lightning start raining down from the open sky. He ran it through his body like an ongoing current, instead of the single strikes she had seen him use, as he waited for Typhon to pick him up. As soon as he did, Nyx knew it was over. The grip of the electric power seized up the monster’s muscles. and he fell. Zeus was victorious.
That’s disappointing.Nyx merely shrugged, logging away for future reference that Zeus had picked up a few new tricks of his own. She could tell by the scene in front of her that the battle had ended; Kronos and the other titans were in retreat. Nyx sighed, her face turning up towards the mountaintop, but she could no longer see Erebus. Her own shadows began pooling at her feet as they disappeared, her body beginning to melt away as she prepared to sink back into the Underworld.
“Going so soon?” Nyx slammed back into her body so quickly, she almost toppled out of the tree. Hermes was perched on the edge of the branch and was grinning ear to ear. Nyx bit back the growl rising in her throat.
“You are not to speak a word of my presence here. To anyone.”
Hermes only shrugged.
“I’m not worried about that. I do think there’s something that you should know, though.” His voice had a singsong quality to it that made Nyx want to shove him off the edge of the branch, if she didn’t know he was holding himself up.
“Tell me now and quickly, trickster, or I’ll take special care in pulling it out of you slowly.”
“Is that a threat or a promise?” Hermes smiled, making Nyx’s power flare over her arms in response. He held up his hands in surrender. “All right, all right. Glad to see you’re back to your old self.”
“Spit it out.”
“Poseidon and Hades are plotting to kill Zeus.” The words sounded nearly gleeful coming out of Hermes as if he was discussing wine. Nyx’s power reacted in surprise, starlight pouring off her shoulders as a tremor erupted from her. Hermes laughed. “Easy, easy. Don’t let ‘em know you’re here, right?”
“How do you know this?” Nyx’s voice was clipped as she advanced towards the trickster. If tensions weren’t so high, they made for quite a comical sight, both balancing on an olive tree branch.
“The same way that I know everything. I overheard it.”
“You overheard Hades and Poseidon discussing that they were planning on killing Zeus?”
