Prophet Prometheus - (3)
Carrying the letter and the golden necklace I received from Pandora, I made my way to find the goddess Styx. As soon as she saw me, emerging from the waters of her river, her wet clothes clung to her body, accentuating her gentle curves. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on such things, so I forced myself to look away.
“Hades, that necklace in your hand...”
“It is exactly what you think it is—Pandora’s necklace.”
I explained to the perplexed Styx about Gaia’s prophetic abilities and the situation with Prometheus, including my intention to leave the underworld temporarily to try and persuade him.
“So I need you to take care of the underworld for a while.”
“Hmm... I’ll inform the other gods. Persuading Prometheus... I hope it works out.”
“If Tartarus opens or if there’s any urgent matter, inform Thanatos...”
The persuasion of Prometheus is something I must accomplish. It’s the only way to counter Gaia’s prophecies.
“Then I’ll head to Mount Caucasus, where Prometheus is bound.”
“...Don’t you have anything else to say to me?”
“Ahem. The weather is cold. You should change into something warm.”
She’s been getting more and more like this lately...
I hurriedly turned my head and walked away, hearing her grumble softly behind me. Crossing the River Lethe and quickly passing the River Acheron, I made my way to the entrance of the underworld. Mount Caucasus is quite far from here.
That’s why I had already spoken to Olympus to borrow Iris.
As I emerged into the mortal world, the rainbow goddess bowed respectfully to me.
“Hades, shall I take you directly to Mount Caucasus?”
“Yes, connect the space to that location.”
With a wave of her hand, Iris opened a portal, revealing the towering Mount Caucasus beyond. At its peak, Prometheus would be bound.
Whoosh—
The cold air greeted me as I arrived at Mount Caucasus, the chill biting into my skin like sharp blades.
Even at the base of the mountain, I could feel the presence of various divine powers. It made sense, given that this is where Prometheus is bound. There were clear signs of defenses set up to prevent Gigantes, Gaia, or ignorant mortals from reaching this place.
Peering from the jagged crevices of the rocks was what seemed to be Athena’s sacred owl, exuding a clean and serene divine power.
Despite being a rocky mountain, I also noticed a sacred tree of Demeter growing there. There were even barriers that would cause ordinary humans, who were not heroes, to lose their way and wander endlessly.
Ssss—
Passing through the barriers, I continued to ascend the mountain path. Hmm. Olympus seems to have secured this place well; I’m quite satisfied with that.
Near the summit, I brushed aside a lion sacred beast that bared its teeth at me and rounded a large boulder to finally see Prometheus.
He was chained to the rock face, arms and legs spread out in a large "X" shape, bound by chains forged by Hephaestus himself. The Titan god hung his head low.
“Oh... Hades. The mighty god of mercy graces me with his presence. Heh heh...”
As I approached him, his middle-aged face slowly lifted toward me. With a twisted, mocking smile, he spoke with a tone dripping in sarcasm.
“How does it feel to be revered for your trifling acts of mercy toward humans?”
“We haven’t seen each other in a while. Can we skip the jokes, Prometheus...”
“Heh heh heh...”
...This guy is still the same.
Before falling out with Zeus, Prometheus fought alongside the gods in the Titanomachy. His personality hasn’t changed a bit since then.
“Ho! If you go that way, you’ll get caught by the Titans... Heh heh... Go if you must...”
“Oh... If it’s prophecy, there’s nothing I can do.”
“Not prophecy, just intuition.”
“Click your tongue... If you use divine power like that, you’ll end up like Cronus...”
“...Is that another prophecy?”
“Who knows? It depends on your brother Poseidon.”
“Ho ho! You’ll get hurt badly one day, mark my words!”
“Hmm... If it’s prophecy...”
“No? Just a feeling.”
“......?”
Back then, we were inexperienced young gods, and Prometheus was a seasoned Titan with the power of prophecy, our greatest asset.
We all trusted his words, but his personality... Well, I have a reasonable suspicion that this might be part of why Zeus had him chained up.
“How have you kept the same personality after all these years of punishment?”
“Just because you’re the lord of the underworld now, doesn’t mean you can’t take a joke? Why not show me some of that mercy?”
After laughing for a while, Prometheus finally grew serious and spoke.
“You came to persuade me to counter Gaia’s prophecy, didn’t you?”
“So, you knew all along.”
“I’m curious to see what method the lord of the underworld has prepared. Go ahead, speak.”
He knew I was coming but didn’t foresee the specifics of how I’d persuade him? I suppose that’s how your prophecies work.
You joined us in the Titanomachy because you foresaw our victory, but there were still times when we struggled in the war, as you couldn’t see everything.
“Prometheus, you care for humanity like your own children, don’t you?”
“Do I?”
“Otherwise, why would you defy Zeus to give them fire?”
“Oh...”
“The Gigantes created by Gaia are powerful, but they are the worst thing for humanity. They eat humans and sacrifice them without hesitation.”
To defeat us, Gaia created Gigantes who prioritized physical strength over wisdom. Though they match the gods in power, they are more monster than deity.
“Hmm... You must think I’m weak because I’m chained here. But remember the humans sacrificed by the gods...”
“They are better off than with the Gigantes.”
“Are you admitting that the gods are the lesser evil compared to the Gigantes?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“Oh... Zeus won’t like hearing that.”
Honestly, how many humans have been sacrificed due to the whims of the gods? The underworld is filled with those who died due to prophecies, curses, or simply for being too arrogant.
You can’t lie to the greatest prophet in the world. To persuade him, I need the truth, not sweet lies.
I summoned the greatest weapon of the underworld, the Bident, to my hand. Then I cut through the chains binding Prometheus.
Clang! Clatter. Clang.
The chains that bound Prometheus were forged by Hephaestus at Zeus’s command. But this Bident was also crafted by the god of the forge, with even more care and dedication.
As the chains that had bound him for so long were severed, Prometheus stumbled for a moment, then looked at me in shock.
“Ha. Do you think the king of the gods will allow this?”
“I’ve already discussed it with Zeus before coming here.”
Brushing off the dust from his body, Prometheus studied me with a curious gaze.
“What will you do if you gain nothing from me?”
“...Then that’s that. The punishment you received was excessive, to begin with.”
“Hah... You’re going to release me?”
It’s not bad to see the wise Titan god taken aback. Now, to move forward...
“What are these? And is this necklace...”
“This is a letter and necklace from Pandora. I swear by the River Styx that she was neither coerced nor threatened.”
Prometheus examined the golden necklace seriously, then opened the letter. He studied the scroll for a long time, as if scrutinizing every single word.
Whoosh—
Zeus’s sacred eagle swooped down to peck at Prometheus’s liver. The letter was still in his hand as the bird attacked.
Thunk. Flap. Flap-flap.
But the sacred bird was easily caught by the prophet. The playful demeanor from earlier was gone, and Prometheus looked into my eyes with a grave expression.
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“...Hoo.”
A gentle breeze stirred between us as he let out a deep breath. Then he spoke again.
“Hades, as you know, Gaia’s prophecies are on par with mine.”
“That’s why we need your help.”
“She knows exactly what to do to win this war against you all.”
He released the eagle and continued speaking. The bird, realizing it was no match for this renewed force, flew away.
“No matter how well you prepare... The gods will be struck down by Gaia’s attack, even if I warn you in advance.”
“You mean we’ll definitely take a hit?”
“Yes, and it will be a significant blow to your plans.”
Despite Apollo, Selene, Helios, Demeter, and countless other gods being on high alert... We won’t be able to block this attack? Could it be the final assault of the Gigantes, or something else entirely?
“But after that...”
The instincts of the Three Rulers told me that Prometheus was about to give us a crucial insight. The strange energy emanating from his half-closed eyes hinted that a prophecy was about to be revealed.
“When the mortal world and the underworld are connected, the gods will win.”
The prophecy was clear and powerful, as if it were a curse or a blessing. The fates of two worlds, previously separate, would be entwined.
“Zeus probably told you to get an apology from me, didn’t he?”
With a gesture that signaled he wouldn’t reveal more, Prometheus turned his gaze skyward. Then, he shouted with all his might.
“Zeus! I apologize for the harsh words I spoke to you!”
Rumble—
As soon as his shout ceased, the sky echoed with the sound of Zeus’s thunder. It wasn’t a prophecy but merely harsh words. Prometheus’s claim that Zeus would be overthrown like Cronus and Uranus was not a prophecy after all. It was a provocation against Zeus for chaining him to the mountain.
By admitting this here, we’ve managed to remove one major source of anxiety from Olympus.
“Oh, and Hades, you should keep your lower half in check! Heh heh heh!”
“What... What?”
Flap—
With those parting words, Prometheus transformed and flew away, leaving me with an odd sense of foreboding.