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Apollo raised his bow, lining his sights with the deer that was
sipping the flowing water. The
water sounded melodic as it flowed in its lazy way down from Olympus to
connect with the ocean. Mount
Olympus in its entire magnificent splendor jutted proudly into the
heavens, overlooked the lush green landscape. The deer lifted his head, sniffed at the air, and bolted. It ran through the underbrush, fleeing its unseen assailant. The noise of its passing scared away any other prey that
would have succumbed to Apollo’s bow, leaving the area devoid of game.
"Damn," Apollo muttered. He shook his head in disgust, angered by the fact that the deer had
somehow sensed him. It was as
if the deer had a guardian angel watching over it and that it had been
warned.
"You look upset, Apollo," Zeus laughed, patting his
friend on the shoulder.
"I didn't make a sound, Zeus. There is no way he could have known I was there," Apollo
lamented angrily.
Zeus laughed, "If you say so, Apollo. Remember, there are things that you do not understand. Hell, there are things I don't understand.”
"You're not going to start that mumbo jumbo about a divine
entity again are you?" Apollo asked, rolling his eyes into his head. "Because if you are I don't want to hear it. Okay?"
Zeus just smiled and absently rubbed his bearded chin. His blue eyes were shining in contemplation as he pondered the
universe silently. He had
been having these discussions with Apollo and Athena recently, sharing his
thoughts and insights into the nature of the world. He had begun thinking that there had to be more to the universe
than he was privy to, that the world did not just exist. He felt that there had to be a reason for things to happen. He shook his head and stepped away from Apollo, “don’t worry. I won’t bring it up again. Athena
will discuss it with me,” he said, his voice deep and resonant, hinting
at an underlying power, “she was always the wise one.”
“Yes,” Apollo agreed noncommittally.
Zeus smiled again and looked at the distance peak of Mount Olympus. Off in the distance he could see birds flying gracefully in the
blue sky. Their cries of
delight echoed in the distance, calling to him like a siren song. It beckoned him, calling him home. He couldn't explain why the rugged mountain seemed to be calling
for him, why it seemed like a dream forgotten. He knew that on some deep level, in places of his soul never
discussed and never allowed to see the light of day, that he would reside
on the peak of the gigantic rock that called to him like the birds cry he
had heard moments before.
“We should go,” Apollo exhaled, looking at his friend. He slung his bow over his broad shoulder, the drawstring
running down his back as he gripped the wooden shaft with his strong hand.
Zeus stared at him with a look of bemusement, “oh, and why is
that?”
Apollo laughed, a deep sound of mirth, “because I need to get you
to Athena before you go talking to me about life again. I can see it in your eyes and I for one don’t want to hear it.”
Zeus did not deny the thoughts that had been rattling his mind for
the last few moments as he had stared at the distance slopes of Olympus. He sighed, shook his head, and said, “you know me too well,
my friend.”
* * * * *
Darkness and void erupted into light and eternity. The earth wept and the dark skies spilled their tears; she smiled
and the sun baked the day in warmth that brought meaningful joy into the
bleakest despair. She
breathed and the wind blew across the salty oceans and graceful plains
with all the tenderness of a lover’s gentle hand.
She watched over the whole of everything with a mother’s trusting
eye. She could see the good
in everything and just as easily overlook the bad. Still, watching as the mortals of the world perform their daily
chores with uncaring oblivion she knew that something had to be done. The men and women and children that lived upon her lands and
sailed upon her waters no longer believed she existed; they were apathetic
to her, using her for their own selfish endeavors.
She wept.
And the world was bathed in her tears.
* * * * *
“Zeus!” Athena called out as she crossed into the candle lit
room, forcing the door that led into the tavern shut. The wind was howling behind her as the rain fell in torrential
sheets, the dark sky looked menacing in the distance; even the majestic
Mount Olympus could not be seen, hidden by the pouring rain. Her brown leather boots were wet and covered with mud. She had brilliant green eyes that showed wisdom beyond her
twenty years. Her wet hair
was cut short and was plastered to her forehead.
She shivered, a silent
protest to the cold water that soaked her clothes. She was dressed in a dark leather vest that covered her soaked
white blouse. Her tan pants
were leather as well and were laced closed at her ankles and waist. She crossed the room, ignoring the sounds of the drunken men
and scantily clad waitress, and took a seat next to Zeus as he sat sipping
a glass of goat’s milk.
“Athena,” he smiled,
his face shining in delight, “so good to see you!”
“Apollo sent me over,”
she admitted, “said something about not being able to handle you
today.”
Zeus nodded, “yes,” he
said, nodding slightly. He
picked up his wooden cup and took another sip of the warm milk. “I had that feeling again,” he began, “the one I told
you about.”
Athena nodded, “I
remember.” She motioned for
one of the waitresses and signaled for a glass of wine. The waitress acknowledged her with a wave and promptly returned
with a wooden chalice filled with the sweet red liquid. Athena sipped the wine while Zeus took another pull of his milk. “What has gotten you so worked up?” Athena asked, setting her
glass on table.
"Do you ever think
there's more to the world than just us? I don’t mean just you and I, it’s just that I sometimes get the
feeling that we were placed her for a reason; that we are meant to be more
than the sum of our parts. It is how individuals ban together to become a
society, that together that society accomplishes what the individual could
not.” He continued, “How
do you think we came to be here, Athena?”
Athena looked at him with
a caring gaze, her head tilted slightly. She smiled and took his hands in hers, “I don’t know,” she
said honestly. “Historians
believe different things. I
have read different accounts from mankind evolving from lesser life forms
to being created by what could only be called God. Truthfully, I don’t know what to believe.”
Zeus ran his fingers over
Athena’s knuckles, “what do you want to believe?”
Athena pulled her hands
from his and sat back in her chair. She
looked at Zeus with an understanding of him that she had never thought
possible. In that one
question she knew what he believed and what it was that had been causing
his consternation; it was his belief in a God that nobody thought existed. Society as a whole, the same individuals thrust together to form
that greater purpose, did not believe what he did. It was because of that belief that he had been questioning life in
general and the formation of that life. Athena shook her head, “I don’t know.”
Zeus lifted his cup and
drained the last of his milk. He
set the empty cup back on the table and said to Athena in a voice so low
that is was almost inaudible over the drunken din of the tavern patrons,
“that’s what bother’s me.”
Athena nodded in
understanding.
Zeus was questioning the
formation of the universe and the miracle necessary to bring forth life
and Athena had admitted that not only did she not know what to believe;
she didn’t know what she wanted to believe. How could he expect the general population to believe what he felt
was right when the woman he respected most, the woman whose wisdom and
insight had been proven correct time and again, didn’t know what to
think? He exhaled loudly and signaled for another cup of the warm
milk. “Thank you for
listening, my friend,” Zeus said with a small smile.
Athena nodded, “anytime,
my friend, anytime.”
The waitress delivered
another cup of milk to Zeus and together he and Athena sat quietly. The room was full of boisterous people, men and women sneaking in
from the rain to warm their bodies with a stiff drink and a friendly smile
from the women serving the wine. Athena finished her wine and rose to her feet, “if you need
to talk…” her voice trailed off.
“I know,” Zeus smiled
weakly. “Don’t worry
about me. I am going to go to
bed here shortly, the milk does that to me.”
Athena chuckled, flashed
him a warm smile and turned towards the exit.
“Good night, my
friend,” Zeus whispered to her departing back as she stepped from the
tavern and into the rainy night.
*
* * * *
A glimmer of light emerged
from the darkness. The rain
let up as her tears stopped. Impossibilities
opened up as hope returned to illuminate the depths of mortal despair. Was it possible?
Time would tell.
*
* * * *
Zeus sat up in his bed. He shook his head in disbelief, rubbed his eyes, and stared at the
visage that stood next to his bed. A
glimmer of light enshrouded the woman that stood there. She had brown hair, the color or earth, which reached down to her
waist. She was draped in a white robe that stretched behind her as
if caught in the currents of an ocean breeze. She smiled at him and his heart melted with the warmth that her
smile delivered. She was a
visage and he felt tears sting his eyes at the dawning realization of who
she was.
“Hello, Zeus,” she
said. Her voice was the song
of the wind whistling through the pines, it was the sound of a child’s
laughter and the wistful moan of a winter wolf crying to the moon. It was heaven and earth, life and death, music and song rolled into
one.
Zeus opened his mouth to
speak but found that he could not. Tears
of joy leapt from his eyes as he stared at her. His chest heaved as he struggled to draw breath. He could smell the sweet scent of jasmine in the air as if it was a
part of her. The smell
reminded him of his childhood and his mouth fell open as the memories of
his youth flashed in his mind.
“Take my hand, Zeus,”
she said, raising her hand to him.
Without question Zeus
reached out to her and gripped her hand.
The room spun away and his
vision faded.
*
* * * *
Zeus opened his eyes and
was not surprised to find that he was no longer in his bedroom. He was laying in a field of daisies, their colorful blooms shining
in the warm sunlight. He
could smell their fragrant aroma as a warm wind blew over his naked
shoulders. The sun smiled
down on him, warming him, bathing his body in its joyous light. He took in a deep breath of the flowers and exhaled with a
gentle hum of delight.
“Welcome, Zeus,” a
voice said behind him.
It was she, he realized as
he listened to the singsong lilt of the melodic voice. Composers for centuries to come could not match the beauty of
her voice. He sat up and
turned to face her. Her face
was beautiful, shining with a glow that put the moon to shame. The white robe she was wearing fell away revealing the soft skin of
her shoulder and the rising swell of her breast. He opened his mouth to speak but could not formulate the words; so
captured he was by her presence.
“Do you know me?” she
asked/
Zeus could only nod.
She smiled and his heart
swelled in happiness. “I
know who you are, Zeus. I
have chosen you.”
Zeus tilted his head in
confusion, “ch…chosen?” he stammered.
“My name is Gaia,” she
explained, “I am Earth and more. I
created the universe, the land, the sea, and the air. I gave birth to the life that lives upon the land and I nurtured
that life, watching it grow from infancy. I watched as man took their first tentative trips upon my waters. I guided thoughts and dreams to allow greater cities to form. The rise and rule of man was deliberate and it saddens me to see
how my guidance was repaid.
“I have been forgotten,
Zeus,” Gaia continued, “once, when mankind was young they worshiped
me, called me mother, sought my council. Now, I am but a fragment of a dream lost in the oblivion of time. I am a memory taught to very few by even less. I have seen you and heard your conversations with your friends. I know that you believe and that faith is a powerful thing. For that I thank you.”
Zeus looked at her with a
dawning understanding of the past. He
had known deep within his heart that there was more to the universe than
what man had created; had know that life did not just start with the first
recorded scrap on a historian’s scroll. Now, looking at the beautiful woman that stood before him with the
smell of the flowers heavy in his nostrils he knew that he was right. There was more to life and her name was Gaia.
“How can I help you,”
he asked as he climbed to his knees to kneel before her.
“The men of the world
have all but forgotten me with their sense of purpose and their need to
feel important. I can feel
the displeasure of the plants, the animals, the stars and the planets at
the attitudes of the men and I need your help in making them believe in
something beyond themselves. I need to you become a God and shoulder the
responsibility in making the people believe.
“You will be the ruler
of the Gods, Zeus, and it will be a heavy burden. You must protect me; the men believe in a patriarchal society and
that is why I have chosen a man; they must never learn the truth, that the
true God is a woman. You will
be allowed to have other God’s assist you. Your friends, your family; other’s you trust as I trust you. They will become lesser God’s under you, as you will be under me.
“When the people are
ready to learn the truth, you can send them to me, but for now, it will be
as I have described. Do you
understand?” She looked at
him with a hopeful stare that he did understand; that she did not
overwhelm him. The mind is a fragile thing, she knew, easily broken and only
the will prevented it from breaking like a frozen twig on a snow-covered
tree in a winter’s wood.
Zeus looked up at her from
his knees and lowered his head, “I will protect you.”
She smiled and the world
was bathed in sunlight. “Take
my hand, Zeus,” she said softly, offering her hand to him.
Zeus reached up and their
fingers, like their lives, intertwined.
*
* * * *
They were lying on a bed
of rose petals as the sun baked their skin. Gaia was lying on her back while Zeus knelt between her parted
thighs. He lapped at her sex
tenderly, his tongue dancing along her wet flesh. He kissed her sex, her thighs; his tongue snaked through the dark
forest of her pubic hair before once again dipping into her moist pussy.
Gaia purred in response to
his tongue. Her head was
tilted back, her neck taut as another moan of pleasure escaped her lips. Her fingers gripped the velvety rose petals as her body climbed
towards the precipice of blissful abandon. Her hips bucked slightly, rising upwards to press her sex against
Zeus’ probing tongue. She
exhaled a thin breath and gasped in pleasure as Zeus continued lapping her
sex.
Zeus ran his hands up her
legs, forcing her thighs apart. Her
sex opened to him as he held her legs widely spread. The moist recesses of her sex revealed themselves as he
spread her legs and he kissed the pink flesh, pressing his lips against
her body. His tongue snaked
inside her pussy and probed their, dancing in fast circles like a tornado
darting randomly across the plains.
Trembling with desire Gaia
gasped as her pleasure mounted. She
gripped Zeus’ head and forced his face into her sex. She came loudly; bucking against Zeus’ trapped face. Her breathing came in loud gasps and the wind echoed across the
planet.
Gaia pulled Zeus higher
until his turgid shaft was positioned against her wet sex. She felt him enter her and she gasped in delight. Zeus drove his cock into her and began to slowly pleasure both of
them. He pulled his cock from
her, hovered slightly and then drove his erection back into her body. Gaia clawed at Zeus’ back and shoulders, her body rising once
again towards completion.
Zeus continued to piston
his hips, driving his cock into her only to slowly draw it back out. His face contorted in pleasure and as Gaia screamed out his name he
came, spilling his seed into her. As
Zeus came he gasped loudly and across the earth, thunder rattled, echoing
loudly from the heavens.
*
* * * *
The morning sun was
shining in the clear, blue sky. Zeus
looked down at the world from the precipice of Mount Olympus. “It is done,” he said to Gaia, more a question than a
statement.
“Yes,” she agreed,
“it is done.”
Zeus turned away from the
rolling hills and grain blowing in the gentle breeze to stare at Gaia,
“and what of you?”
“You will need help,
Zeus,” Gaia said. “Others
to rule with you. I will make them a god for you if you send them to
me.”
Zeus nodded, “where will
you be?”
Gaia smiled, “I am
everywhere, Zeus.” She
looked at his strong face and laughed slightly, “still, I suppose in
time the mortals will seek me out.” Gaia crossed to Zeus and standing before him she raised her hands. Two beautiful eagles flew to her outstretched arms, each landing
softly on her wrist. The
birds looked at her with an intelligent gaze, as if they understood who
she was. The twin birds cocked their head as if hearing Gaia speak and
both took flight. They flew
less than a foot above Zeus and when he understood what they were asking
he raised his own hands. Immediately
the two eagles landed on the perch Zeus offered.
“Release them,” Gaia
said, “one from the east and one from the west.”
Zeus reached out with his
arms and released each of the golden eagles. The first he released from the east. It circled the point of release and then flew westward. The second eagle also made a few graceful circles when released
before flying eastward, towards the rising sun.
The two birds flew towards each other, flying faster than a mortal
bird could traverse the sky. When
the sun was directly overhead the two birds collided. Their bodies intertwined and became one. Together they circled as a single creature, cawing loudly
into the clear sky, before falling lifeless to the ground.
Gaia handed a small stone
to Zeus and said, “plant this as their tombstone.”
Zeus took the proffered
stone and placed it above the small crater made by the fallen eagles.
“It is the center of the
world, marked by the sacred stone,” Gaia whispered almost reverently,
“that is where I will be, the city of Delphi.” She smiled at Zeus and
took his hand; “send them to me, Zeus. The men and women you wish to be made gods. When the mortals are ready, they will seek me out on their own.”
Gaia kissed Zeus gently on his bearded chin, “remember, protect me.”
“I will,” he promised
solemnly. “I will.”
*
* * * *
Athena stirred in her
sleep. Her body trembled as
if cold and she pulled her lambskin blanket up her body. She clung tightly to the blanket and opened her eyes. Instantly awake she flew from her bed and dropped into a
protective crouch, her arms poised to strike, “who’s there?”
Her eyes peered into the
darkness and slowly Zeus, his body enshrouded in a faint angelic glow,
stepped from the shadows.
Athena dropped her arms
and climbed to her feet. Her
thin nightshirt clung to her body and her short hair was mussed from her
slumber. She looked at Zeus
and at the white light that enveloped him. Her mouth dropped open in awe as dawning comprehension crept into
her conscious mind. “Zeus,”
she whispered, and again, “Zeus.”
He took another step
toward her and unconsciously she stepped away. “It’s okay, Athena,” Zeus said in a comforting tone.
Athena shook her head in
amazement as if trying to deny what her mind was telling her. When she spoke her voice was a faint whimper, “are you?”
Zeus nodded, “yes,
Athena. I am a god.” He held his hand to her, “take my hand, Athena,” he
beckoned her, “I want you to become a god. Your wisdom has proven invaluable to me, my friend, over the years,
and I require your council still. Come,
take my hand, and I will make you a goddess.”
She shook her head in
disbelief.
“I want you to be the
goddess of wisdom. Others
will seek your guidance as I have,” he said to her, his voice kind. “Here,” he said, holding his left arm up, “I have something
for you.”
An owl flew in from an
open window and landed on Zeus’ outstretched hand. Its voice echoed once in the small bedroom as its head rotated
around to take in its environment. The
owl spotted Athena and flew from Zeus’ arm. Athena shrieked and ducked away from the flying bird. The owl dropped lowered and landed on Athena’s shoulder, taking
up residence.
“It belongs there, my
friend,” Zeus said, looking from Athena to the owl and back. “It is a wise bird and knows when it is home.”
Athena was trembling as
the reality of Zeus’ words slammed home. He had become a god and was offering the same to her. Could she refuse his gift? No, she realized, she could not. He was her friend and what he offered was more than she could
refuse. With the owl on her
shoulder she stepped towards Zeus and offered him her hand.
Zeus and Athena’s
fingers intertwined and the owl cried out in agreement.
*
* * * *
“A good choice,” Gaia
said to Zeus as Athena slept blissfully in her new home on Mount Olympus. “Her wisdom will prove useful to you.”
“It always has,” Zeus
agreed.
*
* * * *
“Hello, Apollo,” Zeus
greeted his friend.
“Are you here to discuss
your beliefs, Zeus,” Apollo asked, sounding exasperated.
Zeus smiled. He stepped forward and the sky exploded with the sound of echoing
thunder. “No, Apollo,”
Zeus said, “I am here to ask for your help.”
Apollo stared, his mouth
agape as the glowing form of Zeus stood before him. His head dropped in amazement as he stammered, “are… are…are
you…?” his voice betrayed him and the words remained frozen in his
mind.
“I am a god, Apollo. And I wish for you to be one. Join me, my friend.”
Open mouth and wide-eyed
Apollo agreed.
*
* * * *
“This one is strong
willed,” Gaia said to Zeus.
Zeus laughed, “Always
has been.”
“I wish to use him.”
Zeus could not deny her.
*
* * * *
“Who are you?” Apollo
asked as he stood before the beautiful woman clad in a white gossamer
tunic that danced on unseen currents of air.
“My name is Gaia,
Apollo,” she said to him, “and I created all that you see and hear and
touch. I am the Earth, the
sun, the moon and the sky.”
Apollo nodded, “Zeus
knew of you.”
Gaia nodded.
“Why am I here?”
Gaia smiled at him, “to
serve me.” Gaia touched her
robe and it flittered away like a butterfly dancing in a summer sky. She held her hands to him and Apollo approached her. He gripped her hands, feeling the heat in them. He could hear the loud beating of her heart as he pressed his hands
to her breasts.
Together they dropped to
the earth, the green grass tickling their knees. Apollo ran his hands over Gaia’s body and her skin erupted with
Goosebumps at his touch. Her
skin was ivory and warm to his touch. His hand slipped along her stomach until his palm cupped her sex. He could feel the heat of her body against his hand and he gasped.
“Pleasure me,” Gaia
commanded with a gasp, tilting her head back in anticipated bliss. Her hands gripped Apollo’s head and she pulled his lips to hers. Their mouths connected in passion as their tongues danced a
passionate dance together.
Apollo pulled his hand
from Gaia’s sex and pulled his mouth from hers. He slid his tongue over
her chin, past her neck and between the valley of her ripe breasts. Gaia gasped as his tongue snuck lower. She dropped down, pressing
her back into the welcoming soil. Apollo
bent forward as he continued, dropping lower. He licked his way into her and she spread her legs, opening herself
to him.
Gaia gasped in pleasure as
Apollo painted her pussy with his tongue. Her fingers pulled at the grass at her sides as her body trembled
with passion. Apollo
continued massaging her pussy with his tongue, spurred by Gaia’s moans
of delight. He ran his right
hand along her thigh, trailing the back of his hand tenderly over her
skin. His tongue darted like a hummingbirds wings over her clit, up
and down in a blur.
Gaia gasped and moaned and
dug at the warm earth beneath her.
Apollo pressed his tongue
into her pussy until his lips connected with hers. He kept his tongue extended, filling her with his tongue as his
lips massaged the exposed folds of her sex. He rolled his tongue within the velvety softness of her pussy until
gasping and bucking she came against his face.
She screamed in delight
and on the planet below the birds took flight.
Gaia pulled Apollo to her
and he lowered his throbbing cock into her. She came again as he rotated his hips with his cock inserted in her
moistness. When he came, gasping loudly and shouting her name, she came
again.
He pulled his cock from
her and when Gaia pushed him lower to clean her sex of their combined
juices he did not hesitate. He
lapped at her pussy, cleaning her with his tongue. Her body tingled in orgasmic bliss, as if her body was being held
on the precipice of ecstasy. Apollo’s
tongue lapped at her sex and when he stroked her tongue she gasped,
screamed in delight and exploded in orgasmic paradise. Gaia called out Apollo’s name and when her shallow gasps of
breath slowed she pulled him up her body until they were lying side by
side.
“You are the father of
my children,” Gaia informed him, “and for that I offer my home as a
shrine to you. My home in
Delphi, where our children will hail as home, will serve as a temple to
you. Our children will spread
into the world and be gypsies, carefree and happy, a testament to you.”
Apollo rested his head on
her shoulders and smiled, “as you wish,” he said. He shut his eyes and slept, his dreams filled with the sounds of
Gaia’s pleasure and the words of Zeus’ beliefs. Both brought him comfort.
*
* * * *
The universe revealed the
secrets of the future one day at a time. Gaia looked on from her home in Delphi; watching as the mortal
realm accepted Zeus and his rule. More
and more mortals became gods as the need arose. When a war broke out, Ares sought out the losing side and aided
their demise. When the dead
were interred into the hard earth Hades welcomed their souls.
Gods of love and marriage,
merchants and water all were created by Gaia acceptance. She created them and they served Zeus.
History opened up slowly,
drifting into the past.
And the mortal realm
remembered what had long been forgotten.
They remembered her.
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