(Words: 3999)
A warm current brimming with vigorous life force surged into her body as Thetis woke up from unconsciousness.
Looking at the familiar figure before her, her heart stirred, and she was overwhelmed with emotion, murmuring quietly.
"Lorne..."
She traveled almost the entire Ocean of Oceanos, pleading with the Gods, and the only one who came in response was him.
"You are injured, so stop talking and rest properly."
Lorne comforted her gently as the hand resting on Thetis's back continuously channeled God's power into her body to stabilize her injuries and drive out the other force that invaded within.
Feeling that reassuring warmth, Thetis's tightly wound nerves completely relaxed as she curled up like a bird with a broken wing that found its way home, tucked into that sheltering harbor.
"Splash!"
At the same time, a great rush of water erupted from the sea, breaking the brief tender moment between the two.
A drenched and disheveled figure burst out of the water and shot a furious glare at the two figures embracing ahead.
"Damn you. What do you think you are doing? She is mine! Get your filthy hands off her!"
Hearing the roar, Lorne did not even look as he pressed his hand backward toward the charging figure.
In an instant, a water-blue narwhal leaped out from behind and sent the other party crashing straight back into the sea.
Peleus surfaced before ten seconds passed, already experiencing a repeat of the crushing pressure of the deep sea and the suffocating sensation of oxygen deprivation.
A trace of hidden worry surfaced in Thetis's eyes as she pressed her lips together and moved close to Lorne's ear with a quiet warning.
"His name is Peleus. He is Father God Zeus's grandson, and this time he came under Zeus's instructions to force me into a union with him and fulfill the divine mandate."
The fire-stealer Prometheus once told Zeus that if he married Thetis, the resulting child would be stronger than the father.
That cautious and suspicious God king had no wish to produce a dangerous rival, so although he coveted Thetis's beauty so much, he never actually made a move on her.
Now, Zeus seemed to have made up his mind to use his grandson Peleus's hand to eliminate this hidden danger.
After all, as long as the ceiling of the father was locked in place, even if the child Thetis bore fulfilled the prophecy and grew tremendously powerful, he could never threaten Zeus's position.
And Peleus himself, whether in ability or in achievement, left little impression worth noting in the history of mythology.
Lorne furrowed his brow upon hearing this.
"Son of the Underworld judge Aeacus? The one from Aegina Island?"
Thetis gave a nod with a thoroughly resigned expression.
Counting it up, Peleus's father Aeacus, just like Sea King Poseidon, was also her brother-in-law of a sort.
Long ago, Zeus transformed into a divine eagle and abducted the nymph Aegina, carrying her to a deserted island and forcing himself on her.
Aeacus was born from this.
Aeacus's wife was Endeis, daughter of the centaur sage Chiron.
They produced two sons, Telamon and Peleus.
Later, Aeacus became infatuated with Psamathe, the daughter of Old Sea Man Nereus.
Psamathe transformed into a seal to escape his pursuit, but this was not enough to fool Aeacus.
That son of Zeus gave chase and, in the end, won Psamathe, fathering Phocus with her, the namesake of the city of Phocis.
From that point on, Thetis's family grew to include another branch of relatives.
However, as Aeacus's three children grew older, Telamon and Peleus became deeply jealous of their half-brother Phocus and deliberately struck him dead during a discus throw.
When Aeacus learned of this, he was furious beyond measure, drove Telamon and Peleus off Aegina Island, and severed all ties with his two wayward sons from that point on.
After this, Peleus drifted about outside without making a name for himself, not even measuring up to his brother, Telamon.
Recently, Zeus remembered him from some forgotten corner, and so his luck turned as he came to the Ocean of Oceanos with the [divine mandate's] prophecy in hand, making a grand display of pursuing Thetis.
But with her nephew's violent death on her mind, Thetis naturally held no favorable impression of Peleus, not to mention her feelings for a certain guy, so she went out of her way to avoid his pursuit.
Yet Peleus inherited the fine traditions of his father and grandfather.
When pursuit failed, he turned directly to coercion, not hesitating to produce God-granted weapons in an attempt to achieve his purpose by force.
Lorne looked at the blood staining Thetis's shoulder, a dark gleam rising in his eyes.
"He is the one who shot and injured you?"
"I am fine. Let us leave here first and talk afterward."
Thetis shook her head reassuringly, then lowered her voice in a reminder.
"He came here for Poseidon..."
Lorne immediately grasped the meaning in Thetis's words upon hearing this.
Not early, not late, but precisely now.
Forcing Thetis into marriage with Peleus, and the other party being a thoroughly unremarkable demigod hero who previously clashed with the sea God lineage.
Obviously, that God king was making use of the situation to teach a lesson to a certain Sea King who had been jumping around far too enthusiastically of late.
If he could lure Poseidon out in the process and entice him into making a mistake, all the better.
But as a seasoned lone warrior through many years, combined with seven years of hard labor in Thessaly, Uncle Poseidon's patience had long since surpassed what it once was.
So he stayed shut inside the Sea God's temple, watched his sister-in-law suffer humiliation, and had absolutely no intention of intervening.
In the end, it was Lorne who stumbled right into this trap.
"Leave? None of you is going anywhere today!"
A dark and oppressive cold hum detonated beneath the water as Peleus, who had previously been rammed into the deep sea, broke free from the whale's suppression and looked up from the water with humiliation at the disgraceful pair on the sea surface, hurling the cross-shaped spear in his hand with full force.
"BOOM!"
In an instant, thunder cracked across the sky as lightning, coiling like venomous serpents, wrapped around the cross spear and drove straight toward its target.
The tremendous display and the powerful force contained within it reminded Lorne of a certain something.
Zeus's [Thunderbolt].
The God-forged weapon crafted for that God king by the Cyclopes, possessing destructive power that could pierce anything.
But obviously, Zeus was not so extravagant as to hand his God-forged weapon to a grandson he casually pressed into service with empty promises.
What stood before him was most likely just a cheap imitation carrying a trace of thunder authority.
'Besides, I saw the real version when I was young. Who exactly are you trying to frighten with this piece of junk?'
Lorne let out a cold hum as his arm, wrapped in layers of God power, reached forward and grabbed through the air, roughly tearing apart the dense lightning and catching the incoming cross spear in his grip.
The lightning serpents dissolved.
The spear tip let out a wail.
'He caught it? Barehanded? How is that possible!'
Watching the scene before him, Peleus found it somewhat hard to believe as a deep fear of this third party who appeared out of nowhere rose in his eyes.
"Whoooosh..."
At this moment, white foam and bubbles churned continuously to the sea surface as massive shadows rapidly closed in from beneath the water.
Lorne's heart tightened as he immediately placed the temporarily stabilized Thetis onto the dolphin's back.
The water-blue [Whale] behind him raised its tail and brought it crashing down hard onto the sea surface.
In an instant, the pulsing authority surged outward as the sea churned violently, sending thick water columns exploding upward.
"Pop pop pop pop!"
One after another, monsters with spike-covered dorsal fins, mouths full of razor teeth, looking more like fish than people, were shredded into pulp before they even burst through the surface.
A nauseating stench of blood and fish spread across the water.
Thetis watched the monsters on the sea surface, guts torn open and still biting and devouring each other, and felt her stomach heave.
They recognized these creatures.
They were cursed and fallen Atlanteans who normally lived in the ruins where Atlantis sank, preferring dark and cold environments and rarely surfacing.
The appearance of these mad captives here meant...
Thetis lowered her eyes to look at the towering, terrifyingly massive shadow in the sea nearby, and her pupils involuntarily contracted.
"Splash!"
The seawater surged and churned as three colossal beings, each possessing fifty heads and a hundred arms, rose to the surface one after another.
'Damn it. The three Hecatoncheires who crouch in the ruins of Atlantis!'
'This setup was truly meant to dig a pit for Uncle Poseidon.'
Lorne cursed under his breath, scooped up Thetis, and prepared to make a run for it.
However, the moment he took a step, several sharp sounds of air splitting rang out from behind.
The ever-vigilant Lorne turned his head sideways and shifted his footing, easily dodging the arrows fired at him from behind before looking back at the attacker.
Peleus on the sea surface drew his bow and nocked an arrow, watching the three Hecatoncheires closing in from all sides as he proclaimed with smug satisfaction.
"She is mine! No matter where you run, I will take her back. His Majesty will stand up for me!"
Hearing the stubborn determination in those words to see his purpose through no matter what, Thetis's body shuddered involuntarily as a wave of helplessness washed through her heart.
That was right.
This was Zeus's will, which no one could defy.
Even her own father, even her younger sister, had chosen to keep their distance.
Even if she ran, where exactly could she run to?
Just as Thetis was about to resign herself and give up, a quiet murmur reached her ear.
"I seem to still owe you a favor?"
Before the ocean nymph could react, the Gorgon emblem she had been clutching in her hand all along, treating it like a treasure, was gently taken from her.
Then the fierce wind howled over the sea surface as afterimages flickered.
In the blink of an eye, Peleus, who was making bold threats on the sea surface, found himself seized by the throat and hauled violently upward.
A powerful, suffocating sensation surged over him like a tide as the suspended Peleus thrashed wildly, his face turning a strangled purple-red with panic.
"Father God, save m..."
The words stuck in his throat never had a chance to leave his mouth before his body was launched at high speed like a cannonball and sent crashing toward the three Hecatoncheires approaching from the sea.
Like an instinctive reaction to a mosquito's harassment, the lead Hecatoncheires gave a casual slap at the incoming object.
"SMACK...!"
With a crisp sound, Peleus turned to a pulp along with his armor.
Lorne, already some distance away at this point, looked back at the fragments scattering sporadically across the sea surface, shrugged, and wore an expression of helplessness and sympathy.
"It seems in that father God's eyes, you were not quite as important as you thought?"
"Why did you kill him?"
Thetis stared at the bloody scene, thoroughly stunned.
Lorne wore a face of complete innocence as he argued with righteous resolve.
"Look carefully and do not wrongly accuse a good person! I only returned a hostage. The one who smacked him dead was the Hecatoncheires!"
"It doesn't matter whether I believe that. What matters is whether Zeus believes it..."
Thetis cut straight to the key point and gave Lorne a look of aggrieved complexity as she let her head droop as though resigning herself to fate.
"Tell me then. What do we do next?"
"Naturally, give that God king a helping hand."
Lorne answered with a grinning smile, his face full of dark, scheming intent.
"Since he wants Poseidon to be the witness for your marriage, why not just grant him his wish?"
Thetis immediately understood what scheme Lorne was cooking up.
Simply put, his way of solving trouble was to use the creation of bigger trouble to cover up the existing trouble.
Since that God king wanted to set a trap for Poseidon, they would grant him his wish, lead the three Hecatoncheires behind them, and drag Poseidon into the water.
After all, the proper person to bear witness should be her father, Nereus.
What possible reason was there to go to her brother-in-law, Poseidon?
Even if Poseidon was the Sea King and theoretically administered the Gods of the sea, his jurisdiction did not particularly touch on her marriage matters.
But none of that mattered.
As long as the waters were successfully muddied and those two brothers up above started fighting each other, their own safety would be greatly increased.
If it had been before, Thetis might still have hesitated over whether doing so was ethical.
But after Peleus's pursuit and her calls for help went unanswered by everyone, she was completely enlightened.
Better to sacrifice others than herself; she would worry about herself first.
"South, eight hundred kilometers. There is a sea God's temple newly built by Atlantis survivors in that stretch of sea."
"Understood!"
Lorne gave a prompt nod of understanding, pushed the [Goat] speed to its absolute limit, and, carrying the three Hecatoncheires in tow, raced toward Poseidon's newest stronghold.
The three Hecatoncheires, who had been in relentless pursuit, seemed to receive some invisible instruction as they quietly slowed their pace, following behind at an unhurried clip, occasionally hurling a few boulders to symbolically create a sense of crisis.
The howling wind churned the sea water as drifting foam wove a vast sea fog.
Thetis looked through the haze at the shimmer of waves not far away and shot a resentful sideways glance at the man holding her.
'Bearing witness. If only that were true.'
However, Lorne, who was fully focused on running for his life, obviously did not notice the subtle change in Thetis's expression.
Seeing the destination just ahead, he plunged into that shimmering stretch of sea, his body cutting through the blockade of several Atlantean guards like a nimble fish, heading straight for the newly built sea God's temple.
The Sea King's family, huddled inside their stronghold with the doors firmly shut, watched that pair of a man and woman charging straight toward them, along with the three mountainous colossal figures behind them, as familiar scenes stirred nightmare-like memories.
Long ago, the once glorious Atlantis kingdom was lost in exactly this way.
Atlantean survivor after survivor and sea God lineage member showed stress reactions, their faces pale and their eyes wide with alarm.
Among them, Poseidon's reaction was the most pronounced by far.
His bloodshot eyes fixed on the two shameless guides as grief and indignation welled up in his voice, barely suppressing a sob.
"You bastards. Don't you dare come near me!!!"
Lorne paid it no heed and wore a warm smile as he carried Thetis and smashed through the dome of the sea God's temple, landing inside the great hall and greeting the grief-stricken Poseidon with cheerful familiarity.
"We meet again, Your Majesty."
Poseidon caught on, looked at that radiant, smiling face, and his eyes immediately turned red.
"You actually came to cause me trouble again!"
Faced with the trident, the Sea King produced and pointed at him from close range. Lorne smiled calmly and spoke without rushing.
"The little schemes you and Apollo were cooking up behind the scenes seem to have come to light."
"..."
Poseidon's expression changed drastically upon hearing this.
After successfully calming the Sea King before him down,
Lorne continued.
"How about we cooperate? You are responsible for holding off the three Hecatoncheires behind us, and I will help you get what you want.
Regaining control of the Ocean of Oceanos. Or going even further?"
Poseidon found this absurd upon hearing it and let out a contemptuous scoff.
"You? Based on what?"
"Do not trust me? Then how about this. I swear on my own soul. If I fail to deliver, my soul is yours."
"What use do I have for your soul?"
Poseidon wore a thoroughly constipated expression and kept turning his head to look at the three Hecatoncheires drawing ever closer to the sea God's temple on the sea surface.
"Then. Have you heard of the [Heart of Zagreus]?" Lorne smiled slightly as a twelve-sided die appeared in his palm, and he spoke quietly.
"This bargaining chip. I think you will find it rather interesting."
In an instant, the Sea King's breathing quickened as a thick surge of bloodlust rose in his eyes.
The [Heart of Zagreus].
The original heir to the God king's throne.
According to legend, it contained the possibility of claiming the supreme royal authority of Olympus.
If it fell into his hands, even lacking half the authority of fatherhood, he might not be without a chance at that position.
With this thought, a deep scheming look spread across Poseidon's face.
"Friendly reminder. It was Athena who sent me to help. Do not act rashly."
Lorne answered with a mix of truth and fabrication, soothing him with a grin.
Athena sending him to help was true enough.
But the help was for Thetis and had little to do with the rebellion Poseidon was plotting.
Poseidon took it at face value upon hearing this, and the blood that was already boiling cooled down again.
After carefully weighing the pros and cons, he immediately made a firm decision.
'Do it!'
Whatever the situation, the enemy was already at the door.
Trading blows with the three guard dogs outside was not necessarily a worse option.
If the timing was wrong, at worst, he could find a way to explain it away afterward.
Although clashing with the three Hecatoncheires right now carried no small risk, the return on this investment was undeniably multiplied many times over.
On one hand, forming an alliance with Athena would multiply the chances of that secret plot succeeding.
On the other hand, even if the rebellion failed, the [Heart of Zagreus], the treasure with which to claim the God king's throne, would be his!
As long as he could withstand the punishment and absorb the divinity contained within it, he could advance further and sooner or later have another chance to charge at the supreme royal authority of Olympus.
No matter how he calculated it, he could not lose.
Of course, he had to take this gamble!
Seeing the final flash of determination on Poseidon's face, Lorne held out his left hand with a grin.
"Decided? Then come and sign the soul contract."
"Done!"
Poseidon agreed with an excited heart, and a God seal in the shape of a [Trident] like a crown drove into the guarantor's hand.
With a subtle connection formed between the two through the oath, the previously timid and nervous Sea King erupted with boundless courage, grabbed his trident, and stormed out the door with great momentum.
"Zeus! Do not push things too far!"
"I said the sea affairs had nothing to do with me, and yet here you three are again? I will fight you all!"
Then the sea surface churned with towering waves as God's power surged and trembled.
The King of the Ocean, wielding his trident and commanding billions of tons of massive waves, charged toward the three Hecatoncheires with a face full of grief and fury as the battle between both sides erupted.
The newly built sea God's temple was caught in the crossfire once more and reduced to a wretched ruin.
Poseidon's heart bled.
Old grudges piled on top of new ones as the trident in his hand struck toward the three Hecatoncheires with even greater force.
At the same time, Lorne, who slipped away to a hundred miles during the chaos, held Thetis and commented on the grand divine battle in the distance with a grinning smile.
'Not bad at all. Uncle Poseidon still had some ability on his home turf.'
The three Hecatoncheires also held back from delivering fatal blows.
It seemed Zeus was at most suspicious but had no concrete evidence yet.
However, the Thetis beside him could not smile, looking at Lorne beside her with eyes full of worry.
"You stirred up trouble with all of them. What happens after this?"
"Too many lice and you stop feeling itchy. Too many debts and you stop worrying."
Lorne waved his hand without concern, then looked at the trident God seal on the back of his hand with a deeply meaningful expression and spoke with teasing humor.
"When I was the one borrowing, I came to him. When it comes time to collect, it might just be him coming to me."
Thetis did not quite grasp the meaning, but looking at the man before her who risked his life for her and even staked his own future, a wave of regret washed through her heart.
"Had I known things would turn out this way, I should not have let you come."
"No one let me come. I came of my own will. Nobody forced me."
Lorne smiled with complete composure.
Thetis gave a gentle nod as the look in her eyes toward the person across from her completely melted.
Lorne glanced at the divine battle on the sea surface, where neither side showed signs of winning anytime soon, and let out a slight breath of relief. "Zeus did not enter the fight personally. Looks like he was not paying particular attention to the Ocean of Oceanos and only used this opportunity to send a warning.
So with Poseidon covering the matter of Peleus, that is not a problem for now."
The worry in Thetis's eyes did not fade. "So what comes after is the real trouble?"
Lorne gave a nod and looked at the sharp-minded Thetis with appreciation before speaking in a measured voice.
"Go to the forge at Mount Etna.
Meet with Hephaestus. Ask that craftsman God to do a few things for me."
"Mm!" Thetis gave a nod in response, then looked at the man before her. "And you?"
"Making a trip to the Underworld." Lorne lowered his head and looked into the pitch-black depths of the sea below, quietly stating the purpose of this journey. "...To borrow."
Thetis looked at Lorne with some bewilderment.
"Just now on the way out of the sea God's temple, I thought of an interesting question."
As Lorne said this, a playful smile spread across his face.
"When you borrow from one or two people, when the repayment date comes, the other party hopes you are ruined so they can liquidate your assets and recover their losses.
But when you owe enough people, and you owe enough money, what happens?"
Thetis thought seriously for a moment and, in the end, shook her head with resignation.
Lorne's eyes flickered as he offered an answer Thetis completely did not expect.
"They will hope desperately that you stay alive and well."
"?"
"Because if you die, not only can the accounts not be settled, but the entire game stops working.
Everyone faces possible ruin!"
Lorne explained with meaningful depth, then quietly offered his conclusion.
"So when you owe everyone, it means everyone owes you as well."
After leaving behind this counterintuitive answer, Lorne bid farewell to Thetis, leaped into the air, and swam toward the Underworld gate in the depths of the sea below.
The deal with Poseidon had one additional condition attached.
Free passage through the Underworld gate that the Sea King built.
The trident seal and the mark of the dead were enough to let him come and go freely from the Underworld.
Now he had preparations to make, to face the true crisis ahead.
(End of Chapter)