A. White
Chapter 1 as originally written
He was dreaming of their lives in the days before earth’s creation; before everything in the heavens was centered on earth and humans. He was dreaming of their lives before Zeus’ destruction of Atlantis.
Having noticed his son in deep thought and having pulled these thoughts unknowing from Zethos’ mind. Zeus inquired of them.
“Father, tell me again...why can’t we go home. Why are we dawdling among this inferior race of Adamites? This is their world, not ours.” Zethos whines.
The question upstarted Zeus, for years beyond humanity’s existence he had longed for the same thing. To reinstate Olympus to it’s former glory. But that wasn’t happening any time soon and Zethos knows that. The part of Olympus protruding and resting onto a mountain in Greece is merely the backdoor to the once glorious kingdom and celestial realm. The parts humans rave about is nothing compared to her former beauty. He did give the world the language, literature, ruling system and alphabet of Olympus, but they seems to have forgotten all he contributed to their development. He wish he had left them primitive after the devastating global flood.
His mind drift back to the ancient days of yore. Perhaps Zethos was right. Perhaps it better to restore Olympus than to muddle with mortals. He let go of the present and allowed his mind to drift back to a far distance past. A past, he like many others have avoided:
Inside the milky quartz gate, leading from the main celestial highway to the realm of Olympus, is where his weary eyes rest. The Milky Quartz gleams in a brightness no human have ever seen. Except perhaps one and he doesn’t wish to think about her right now. The white translucent to opaque variety of crystalline quartz luster road lead to his magnificent palace. A palace larger than the entire earth. Although the stones is the commonest variety found in pegmatites and hydrothermal veins found throughout his kingdom it’s highly prized among humans. The pink and magenta planets housing his children can be seen from a distance. They float about as pretty as nova star.
These were the days before the “Great War”, when peace flowed like a smooth, pacifistic river. There was no care in any realms. No one knew what death, pain, suffering and woe was although all had been warned of things they may cause their falls. They had been warned that the immortal being named Evil would tempt them into his snares. But back then he wasn’t named Evil. His name was Albritiel. A wise and consoling king among the others. No one knew his exact age nor exactly what was he for when they knew themselves they knew him. No one paid serious attention to Michael’s warnings of do not associate with him for he will lead one astray. Michael warned about everything. Besides everyone knew the rules and was too old and clever to fall for Albritiel’s tricks. Besides no one took his joke seriously except Michael.
He enters Hera’s chamber where she is seated among their created beings as they attend her every want and desire for there was no need. None knew the experience of a need. He didn’t care much for the idea of creating beings with intelligence but what could he say---that was the rule.
He was a sight to behold—splendorous dressed in a gleaming white coat extending to his knees adorned with the gemstones and the seal of Olympus on his chest. Hera’s attributes matched his own in her Grecian styled dress flowing over the chaise which she sat with their youngest child. The children was created by the combining powers and essence of both parents not birthed as the only method available to lowly humans, a few immortals tried that method but did not care for it.
He bent and kissed Hera’s upturned cheek and tickled little Athena under the chin. The golden haired child giggled and pushed his hand away. They decided this one wouldn’t be created an adult. They would allow her the luxury to grow into adulthood. Hera excused her staff but not her guest which consist of the queens Lilithael and Paranormael. Paranormael whom everyone called Paranorma was the newly wedded bride of Azazael. They had been married a short sixty five million years. Hera had often commented to him how the young couple needed to take it easy on making children for they only had six worlds so far which can so quickly become over populated.
“Zeus, my sweet prince, oh I sometime forgets he’s no longer a prince but now King Azazael, will be home shortly. I’m giving a gala for his homecoming. I can’t barely wait to see him.” The marble skinned black haired exceptional beauty said extending the invitation to their older brother. Paranorma’s beauty was legendary among the queens.
“Oh really?” Hera asked, sitting Athena on the floor and sending her along to play with her numerous siblings. The three delightfully watched the young six thousand year child run to join the others.
“Yes, I’m so glad. They’ve been training for something since forever.” Paranorma exclaimed.
“No, I don’t think so.” Zeus corrected. “Brustiel and Azazael simply loved to tussle and play fight so Father simply gave them a way to extinguish all that energy. When younger they played too rough for my children.”
Hera nodded. “Pascasiel was always the gentle one of those three.”
Paranorma didn’t care for the compliment but hid it well because she wanted these two at her party. It was an honor for those of Zeus and Hera’s caliber to attend your social functions. All one had to do was say they was appearing and they other showed up even if they had declined your earlier invitation.
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The stately Royal Palace of Olympus was made of marble and pure gold. It was essentially an akropolis--a fortified hill-top and palace complex--located just below the peaks of Mount Olympos. The golden gates of the heavenly fortress were guarded by the three Horai, not that it needed guarding but Zeus liked to create strange animals. Inside the gates contained the palace of Zeus, lesser palaces for the other gods, and stables for the famed immortal horses. The buildings were built of stone with gold foundations and were surrounded by cloistered courtyards with golden pavements.
The main structure was the palace of Zeus. It had a fairly simple layout-- typical of an Olympian palaces--with a central hall, private bedchambers and storage rooms. The golden-floored hall served as both a council chamber and feast-hall for the Olympians and provided them an expansive view of their worlds below allowing them to observe their offsprings from great heights. The golden tables and tripods of the feast were animated by the divine smith Hephaistos (Hephaestus), and trundled in and out of the hall as required.
Before the palace of Zeus was a large, cloistered courtyard where the full assembly of the children would gather when summoned by their father—including those of the, river- and sea-deities as well as nymphs. The peak of Olympos held a huge ornamented golden seat that functioned as the secondary seat or throne of Zeus, apart from the rest of Olympus. This is where Zeus gathered his family since time unknown to give thanks to the Creator of all things.
The Olympian akropolis lay above the clouds among the paths of the stars, near the endless solid bronze sky. He, Hera and their children dwell in the ethereal zone known as the aither--the bright upper-air of heaven or shining blue of the sky where they feasted on ambrosia and nectar, and other edible substances collected from the meadows of a Paradise, their usually came from near the endless, encircling river Okeanos.
The smoke of sacrificial offerings wafting from other worlds could be seen floating to Heaven; passing over and through their part of the aither creating a beautiful iridescence hue over Olympus. They never knew was making the offering; they only saw the results.
The air of Olympus was ceaselessly fragrant scented and perfumed by the divine flowers called akions, that grew abundantly there. The scent was tantalizing and so ever soothing as well as lovely.
The glittering white beach with it’s serene, clear blue waters was over a thousand miles just below the chamber of Hera; was everyone’s favorite meeting place. The children of Zeus not her own wasn’t allowed. She felt this was strictly for she and her children. His millions of other wives and their children lived in the palace so she felt she was being reasonable. Many times she fiercely protested against their occupation but he always did whatever he wanted regardless of how she felt. Always quoting the divine law that a father must care for all his offsprings. But did he have to move the mothers in also? The worlds he was doling out it was she who had the powers to help him create them. Quiet contrary to belief; a king can not create worlds alone. It took the conjoining of their powers to create new worlds and she would rather do that in making love to him than tolerate all his children and their mothers in her palace.
Leto was her biggest competition mainly because she knows she is the only second wife Zeus actually love. She strut this fact in her face every chance she gets. But when Zeus is out cheating on part of them Leto wants her for an allly to drive away the other woman. When Apollo and Aphrodite was born he was so beautiful one had to cover their eyes to look at him. Leto said she was wanted to get a good look at him but disappeared with him and took him to Zeus telling him he was their son.
Her children Ares, Enyo, Hebe, Eileithyia, Hephaestus, and Eris, no one tried to steal them but many of Zeus’s women tried to steal some of the others and present them as gift to him from their loins. Especially after the ability was removed to form children by your powers and you had to carry them inside your body. It wasn’t painful but it was something you preferred not to do.
All the while Apollo was growing up Leto secretly told him she was his real mother. I asked Zeus to put an end to her lies but he kept saying Apollo knew she was lying and her lies were harmless. So yes, I deserve this gala for the putting up with Zeus and his excessive philandering.