Cry of the Moon

Chapter 6: I Make a Deal

It turns out Zeus hadn't been completely honest about the full might of his army. Alongside his five siblings and approximately fifteen Titans, including Eos and myself, Zeus had rescued and recruited the might Cyclopes and Heketonkheines from Tartarus where Kronos had imprisoned the after he rose to power. The Cyclopes, a peaceful race uninterested in fighting, were talented craftsmen from Gaia's first set of children. It was said they could make anything the mind could dream up and more. The Heketonkheines had 50 heads and 100 hands and were powerful fighters who could take out hundreds of enemies at a time.

Zeus and his siblings, I learned, had been hiding out in a cave on Mt. Olympus, a nearby mountain with a clear view of Mt. Othrys. A little while after Zeus had shown up at my palace and recruited my sister and I to his cause, I had received a message. The Gods were holding a meeting to discuss strategy for the upcoming battle.

The cave isn't hard to find. It's almost as if some creature had stabbed the side of the mountain with a sharp blade. However, when I go inside, it's empty. I make my way to the back where I find an opening in the wall small enough to make it a tight squeeze for a Titan, though it would be the perfect size for the smaller gods.

When I make it through, my breath catches in my chest. The opening leads to a magnificent hall with ceilings reaching higher than I can see. Pillars line the hall, giving the impression you had just walked into a regal temple. A waterfall drains into a golden pool in one corner and a forest sprouts in another. The walls are made of stone streaked with white marble, giving the impression of lightning.

Nymphs, dryads, Cyclopes, Heketonkheines, and Titans roam the hall, some inspecting their surroundings and others speaking to each other with hushed voices.

I spot a figure in the crowd and make my way toward him, pushing past a group of nymphs who are holding a lively conversation with what seems to be a rosebush.

"Helios!" I call and my brother turns around, looking pleased when he sees me.

"I'm glad you could make it," he says, giving me a hug when I reach him. "I was worried you and Eos wouldn't agree."

"We almost didn't," I tell him, and then punch him in the shoulder.

"What was that for?" He winces, rubbing his arm.

"Why didn't you tell us?" I yell, punching his other shoulder. "Why wouldn't you tell us you joined with Zeus? You knew he was going to ask us! A heads-up would have been nice!"

"It was a secret!"

"From other people, maybe! I'm your twin, Helios. I've literally known you since we were in our mother's womb together. I am the one person you don't get to keep secrets from."

"Well, you and Perses, of course," he corrects. I glare at him and he groans. "What if you had said no, Selene? I didn't know your history with Zeus, and honestly, you've never shown any sign of whether or no you support Kronos as king. Your decision could have gone either way, and if I'd told you and you decided not to join, it could have ruined everything!"

I'm about to object when a pretty, petite woman joins us and takes Helios' arm. "Is everything alright, my dear? I heard raised voices."

"Hello Perses," I say, casting Helios a look to tell him our conversation is not over.

"Hello sister-in-law. It's good to see you. I feel like it's been centuries."

"Yes," I agree, trying not to glare at Helios. I'm already regretting coming to this meeting. "We missed you at the party last weekend. Mother Theia was especially unhappy."

Perses casts a sly smile at Helios. "Well, I supposed we just got lucky that we decided not to go."

"Yes, lucky. And to your own sister's own wedding no less."