Elves and Demigods

My Thundering Daddy

My earliest childhood memory was when I saw a random Thunder god enter our house. 

Well, at the time he looked normal enough, with a neatly trimmed beard and a blue pinstriped suit. Although, he did spark from time to time. 

I remember looking at him through the cradle I was half-asleep in, and my mom rushing toward the door to welcome the stranger. 

"You haven't slept yet?" A girl's voice said. Thalia. Her little head, topped with her spiky black hair popped up from above the bars of my cradle. "It's late, you should sleep". 

I looked at her with my blue eyes, of course I didn't compeletly understand what she was telling me then. 

"You don't look very sleepy. I know! I'll read you a book, come one". She picked me up and carried me away, into her tiny room. There was a bed, a study table, an open school bag with a couple of books in it that lay on the table and a lamp besides the bed. That's all. 

Thalia carried me over to her bed and carefully placed me on it. She pulled a blanket halfway up my body. 

"I wish I had some story books or comics", she sighed. She didn't say it sadly, only sounded a little frustrated. "Hold on, I'll go grab something from Mom's room". 

In about a few minutes, she was back with a thick stiff bound book. She placed it in front of me. I sneezed once, because of the dust on the book. On it were some funny words and images I couldn't figure out. 

"It's written in Greek. I can read it", she said excitedly. "The book says, Zeus the King of gods". 

I also remember that, on that day, when she read the title of the book, the skies got dark all of a sudden.

"Looks like it's going to rain", Thalia remarked. "Strange". 

I made a weird sound that sounded like agreement. 

"You think so too, huh? Anyways, I'll start reading now". She opened the book, making some more dust fly. Thalia coughed once, then showed me a picture. It looked like a man with a lightning bolt in his hand, the bolt was aimed at a different, bigger man who looked very scary in my eyes. It wasn't exactly something meant for a child to see. 

"That's Zeus", Thalia said. "It says here he was the king of gods. And over here", Thalia shifted her finger to the image of the scary man. "Is Kronos, king of Titans and Zeus's father. Who Zeus killed". 

I know. It wasn't a typical fairy tale that a sister would read to her baby brother, but hey, I think I liked it.

Thalia turned the page. "And this is Zeus with- huh. I can't read the word. Someone's scribbled on it. Was it you?'' she playfully poked my belly, making me giggle. When I looked at the picture in the book, I saw that it was Zeus with someone else. Zeus's outfit almost looked like it was his wedding day. But if there was a bride next to him, I didn't know, because half of the picture had been ripped out. 

I heard Thalia murmef something that sounded like, "Why did mom rip the page?" 

Just then, the door to the door opened. I felt the room's temperature dropping, it didn't make sense now that I think of it. 

And a man entered. The very same one I had seen before entering our house. 

"Who dares take my name so casually?" He boomed. His voice, deep and dark, seemed to be mixed with malice.

"Who are you?" Thalia's voice didn't waver. "This is my room". 

The man's eyes flashed and the it thundered outside. 

The sound was soon accompanied by the loud wails of a child. The large man's obvious rage scared me, as it would any other child, and I burst into noisy tears. 

The man seemed a little mollified and hesitantly reached out a hand towards me. He came closer. 

BAM! 

"Don't you dare touch my brother", Thalia warned. The book in her trembling hands fell to the bed. She had hit the man's hand with the book. That ought to have hurt. 

The man's rage grew again. His nostrils flared like he was on the verge on burning the house. My cries got even louder. Again, that quietened the man. 

"Look dau-" the man stopped himself. "I only want to pick him up once. See if I can silence him". 

"You're the one who made him cry in the first place", Thalia pouted, but she sat down. 

The man came closer to me. I didn't stop crying. But them he picked me up and kept me near his chest and I felt better somehow. He felt strong and cozy, which was surprising compared to how he spoke and appeared. It silenced me, and I felt better after I wiped my tears and snot on his suit. 

"You didn't answer me", Thalia said. "Who are you?" 

"That I cannot tell". 

"Then I'm calling mom. MOM!" 

Mom came running in. "Yes?" 

"This man came inside without knocking". 

Mom looked at me, being held by the man. She smiled, almost sadly. "He will be leaving now". 

The man cleared his throat and placed me back on the bed, before straightening his tie and going out of the room, with mom at his heels. 

Thalia followed them. "I'm gonna go say bye". 

Meanwhile, I stared at something I found in the man's pocket. It was a funny cuboid-shaped thing. I was even able to open it up.  

It looked rather tasty.