For His Mate

For His Mate
Poseidon

The afternoon carried on quietly as I stared out above the highest tower. No one could find me here, not even my most trusted friend, Silas, who was now tending to the needs of our guests.

My hand gripped the railing, and the fish flew by like birds of the sky had me gazing at their streaks of colors that blinded my peripheral. The bioluminescent colors of the garden dwindled, letting me know the surface was losing its light.

How many years has it been? Since I had surfaced and graced the sandy shores with my feet? Far too long and yet not long enough. My cold feet felt the coolness of the hardened stone tower, the small torch light radiating enough light so I could feel the burn on my back.

They shouldn’t be here. My guests would be far better hiding somewhere amongst Bergarian in the places of the supernaturals. I wasn’t here to entertain and protect. I couldn’t. It brought up too many sour memories, too many times I thought I had sought comfort in many gods for only them to use my gift of molding new life to their advantage.

Hades stayed away. He sunk into the abyss of the Underworld and gave me no reason to hate him, but I distrusted them all. How terrible of me to believe that, but my heart couldn’t take the betrayal.

A fire erupted fifteen feet away from me. It wasn’t large by any means, but the fire gave way to small electricity tentacles that made me growl in frustration. The last time I received a letter like this was when Zeus had put a stop to me creating new beings. Of course, I did not listen, and they all hide beneath the waves, but these creatures that I have made were nothing but honorable towards any other living creature.

They weren’t made with the evil many had. They were taught to have their own opinions, their own mind, and to discover the life of lies, deceit, and truth, but the one thing I could not show them or have them understand was that of love. Because I did not know what that was.

The lightning sparked the scroll towards me, pushing it through the thickness of the air as I grabbed hold. The lightning static dissipated, leaving me nothing but a scroll in hand with Zeus’ wax seal.

Grumbling, I pulled it apart, finding something I never thought I would ever see. A summons to the Celestial Kingdom for a trial, or a trial pre-trial of sorts, to see if one was agreed upon by the gods.

Reading further, I find that Uriel’s parents Athena and Michael had deceived Uriel by keeping her hidden and poisoning their daughter because of a prophecy. A prophecy that hangs in the balance between life and death of all creations. I grumbled again, pinching the bridge of my nose.

I had not been to the Celestial Kingdom since Zeus had taken over. I wouldn’t know the proper etiquette that was now required. Do I wear clothes that humans wear? Suits? A tie? My original robes?

Pushing away from the banister, I turned hastily, trotting down the stairs. My feet hitting the comfort of the carpet, I tracked further and deeper into the palace. I did not understand why such a convening should take place. It should be quite simple. Uriel was poisoned by another. It demands punishment.

As I rounded the steps, hushed arguments from that of Lucifer and Loki as they spoke to Silas. Every detail I had questions about was being spilled from their mouths. Silas’ mouth hung in shock at the accidental poisoning and the prophecy that rode on Uriel’s back.

Leaning against the wall, I listened like a coward instead of walking straight onward into the conversation. I was the God of the Sea, the one who controlled the mighty waves and the creatures within, yet I could not face my brothers and sisters in such a matter.

“Kronos,” Lucifer whispered, explaining that their message needed to be sent to Ares within the next hour. To find out if Kronos was still in Tartarus. My heart clenched in my chest. Our sperm donor was alive and now they fear he had escaped from his prison.

Taking heavy breaths, I sunk to the floor. I don’t know if I could ever face such an evil entity. He stole everything from me. He stole my younger years, the fear that lives in my nightmares every night, and now he could be walking among us, or worse yet, ruling all over the gods?

I shivered, burying my face in my hands. “What kind of god am I?”

Silas took the message, his tentacles popping down the hallway. He turned his head over his shoulder. “Are you going to stop him?” Silas’ eyes softened. “Stop the madness, help heal our Master of his nightmares?” My heart gripped again in my chest.

How could he possibly know? Am I that loud when I sleep? Does he hang by my door, listening to me cry into the night? Embarrassment flooded me, too scared to even close my eyes because it would remind me of the darkness of the pit of my father’s stomach.

“I’ll do more than that,” Lucifer growled. “I’m going to destroy every piece of matter that had him created.” Lucifer’s heavy breaths had my panting cease. His words held truth, his determination radiating throughout the room.

Loki backed away, seeing the red feverish hands of Lucifer. “I do it for my mate, and in turn, if that helps Poseidon, so be it.” Lucifer turned, looking at Loki as he trailed behind the hallway.

Following shamefully down the hallway not to be seen, he opened the door where all my creatures stayed to relax. Once the work was done around the palace, they came here to play, love life, and talk amongst themselves.

Sometimes I would come to play their card games, to speak among them as I did not once feel judged. Many had been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Many even roamed the Earth realm for a time until I pulled the ones that were not tainted with as much evil to destroy humans before they were destroyed.

They crave the sunlight, but this was where they were safe. I would keep them safe for as long as they will let me. That moment was now. I would not let my children be taken from me. I was to be a better creator, and father to them than my own father ever was.

Uriel sat in the middle of the sofa. Her golden eyes gleamed when her mate strode into the room. She did not fear him, not one step he took towards her did she cower. Uriel looked at him with such love and adoration, it only made me want to have something like that.

“Maybe we can take these guys.” Loki waved his thumb around the room. His eyes filled with mischief as he poked at one of the Nagas.

“No,” I stepped forward. My body took a mind of its own, now donning me in the battle attire that I had not worn for thousands of years. My trident in hand, my belt is tightly woven around my torso.

My creature’s eyes glanced toward me, never seeing the anger was now spilling. “They will not help you,” I grunted, pointing my Trident to the rest of the room. “They are my children and I dare not have them harmed.”

“But won’t harm come to us if you lose?” Rhos whispered. “We can help, and we can…”

“I said no!” I bellowed. My eyes turned as red as one of the coral Naga’s scales. “I will protect you.” A fire burned in my belly I had never felt. The wanting to protect what I called my own and make sure they would be safe. For the future to be safe from Kronos.

“Silas tells you too much.” I gritted my teeth. “What do you know?” Silas peered in the doorway. His eyes blinked will guilt.

“To why they are here. To hide Uriel, to protect the princes from the evil,” he spoke, gripping the floors with popping noises. “They deserve it. They deserve to know what’s happening. What evil this is and now that it sounds like it might be,…” Silas stopped his words, looking at the marbled floor. He knew not to bring up Kronos’ name.

“Who might it be?” Rhos spoke again, his clicking of hooves across the floor echoed into the silent room.

“Kronos,” Uriel whispered. Her eyes showed bright, looking into my eyes. Stepping forward, she dragged her mate with her as she held out her hand for me to take. Looking at her and her hand, she smiled, pushing it more for me to take.

Before I took her hand, a dark red mark peeked out from her low cut dress. Seeing that Lucifer also had a mark on his bare chest, I see the picture of hers, a kneeling lamb staring right at me.

“Fates,” I whispered, not wanting to put my hand in hers. This prophecy was falling into place that was briefly mentioned in the letter, and they dare tried to stop it. She was a sacrifice, an innocent sacrifice. Did Lucifer not know, or did he dare not try to see?

Taking my hand in hers to appease her, the bright glow of her hand had my shoulder slumping, the tension in my back falling.

“Ares has received the message and plans on arriving by midnight, Master,” Silas interrupted the glow from Uriel’s hands. Taking her hand away, Lucifer pulled her to his side. She only smiled up at me.

“You are stronger than you think, you know?” Uriel ticked her head. “Your heart was actually shining brighter just now,” she mused. “I’m still learning my powers; they are still growing, I think.” Lucifer pulled her closer, his nose going into her neck as he kissed her shoulder.

“And if you can strike a fire to protect all your ‘children,’” she giggled. “I think you can do that by thinking of yourself. Don’t you want to survive this? This evil is supposed to be so powerful it could wipe us all out?” My fist tightened around the Triton, tapping it on the floor.

“I do not care for my life,” I muttered.

“Well, you should,” Uriel snapped, causing me to stand back in shock. This tiny little goddess had more fire in her than I thought. “If you don’t save yourself, who will save your mate?”

My mouth hung open, surely waiting for a fish to fly into my mouth. The heavy breathing from the Minotaur in the room caught my attention. His eyes narrowed and his arms flexed. “They all want this to work so they can find their own mates, their own happiness and everyone deserves it. Even you. Even if you struggle to be around others.”

Uriel stood back into Lucifer’s arms. “My mate takes care of me, and I take care of him. Now I don’t get those scary dreams. Why are you going to deny your mate of something like that if she suffers from something too?”

My breath caught, unable to breathe. This woman, being as innocent as she is, had my mind turning.

“You are so smart, bunny.” Lucifer’s fingers trailed down her cheek. “Such a good girl for me.” She nuzzled into his chest, gripping him around the waist.

They were certainly complete opposites, and they complimented each other so well. “So, what are you going to do now? Let them help? You fight for you, fight for a gift that is granted to every god and goddess now?”

My back straightened, and my grip on my Triton stood tall. This little goddess had a point. Who was I to deny my mate that I had not met? If the worlds come to an end we would never find each other. My creatures would never find their happiness, either.

“We wait for Ares’ word,” I spoke with more confidence I thought I never knew. “Then we decide a plan of action.”