Chapter 29: The Twelve Olympian Gods (3)
"Ugh, why won't this break?!"
Apollo thrashed, unleashing his power in a futile attempt to escape the water cage, heedless of Poseidon's gaze.
But a young god like him stood no chance against the might of a chief god.
Watching Apollo's struggle, Poseidon was reminded of Zeus during the war.
Apollo's arrogance was a mirror image of his brother's.
"How is it that Zeus' children can't shake off that haughty streak?" Poseidon remarked, glancing at Artemis.
"Y-Yes, well…"
"There's no need to punish you, so don't worry. But your brother has a big penalty coming."
Poseidon gestured to Artemis, who fidgeted nervously beside him.
"Your brother committed a grave offense. His actions in my sea are tantamount to defying my authority. Even though your mother, Leto, was warned, he ignored it—essentially disrespecting me."
"…"
"Even if you two are blameless, you should know Hera's leniency is only temporary. This isn't something I can overlook just because he's young."
Artemis, trembling at Poseidon's cold words, asked anxiously, "What will happen to my brother?"
"Who knows?"
"Please, Lord Poseidon, forgive him. I'll share his punishment!"
"Hmm…"
"Please, I beg you!"
Poseidon pondered Artemis' plea.
Normally, he'd discipline such reckless brats with a good thrashing, but…
He could feel Hera's gaze on the situation. Yet, since she hadn't intervened, she likely had no intention of venting her wrath on these children.
Plus, with Leto recently growing close to Amphitrite, imposing a harsh punishment himself felt awkward.
"Fine. You and Apollo will tend and manage my cattle. You'll also offer sacrifices to me and Hera annually. How's that? And you'll need to compensate Python for the trouble caused."
Poseidon's terms were a significant blow to a god's pride, especially for Zeus' children, as it essentially placed them under another's command.
Artemis glanced at her brother, now frantically pounding the water cage in fear, then nodded resolutely.
"Yes, we'll care for your cattle and offer annual sacrifices."
"Good. I won't bind you to the Styx, but I trust you'll keep your word."
Splash.
Poseidon released the water cage and warned Apollo.
"Don't act like a reckless fool. You're just Zeus' son, nothing more."
Overwhelmed by Poseidon's divine aura, Apollo was so terrified he wet himself.
Poseidon smirked and vanished with a wave.
"Sob, sister…"
"I told you to be careful! Come here and sniffle."
Sniff!
"You're lucky Poseidon let you off easy this time, but next time won't be so simple. Be careful."
"Okay…"
"And if Hera had caught you? They say she locks up kids like us, whips them, and makes them work."
Eek!
As a result of this incident, Apollo and Artemis were tasked with tending Poseidon's cattle. It's said that upon returning to Delos, Apollo received dozens of spanks from Leto.
***
After Apollo's misadventure, Leto tirelessly sought Hera's forgiveness.
After three years of fasting and devotion, her efforts paid off, and Hera granted her pardon.
Thereafter, Apollo was permitted to build his temple on Delos, and he and Artemis finally met their father, Zeus, for the first time.
However, they were still not allowed to live on Olympus, as Hera had not granted Leto entry.
"Goddess Hera is terrifying. It took three years of Mother's prayers for her to relent," Apollo said.
"I told you we got lucky back then," Artemis replied.
The siblings had seen Hera only once, when she visited Delos to formally forgive Leto.
As Hera set foot on the island, every creature and plant fell silent, and the nymphs and spirits attending Leto vanished.
In that moment, the siblings vividly felt the world's hostility toward them and their mother.
Hera, looking at Leto kneeling before her, spoke a single sentence:
— "I forgive you."
With those words, Apollo and Artemis felt a newfound sense of freedom.
Apollo realized how childish his earlier bravado had been.
The winds, spirits, and creatures that had seemed to oppose them weren't truly hostile—they were simply too afraid to approach.
The sensation of the world accepting them again with Hera's single utterance was unforgettable.
"Thinking back, it still gives me chills," Apollo said.
"Brother, that's why we must take good care of Poseidon's cattle," Artemis urged.
"Yeah, if Hera's that formidable…"
After experiencing Hera's terror firsthand, the siblings diligently tended the cattle.
But not long after Leto's ordeal, Zeus' infidelity led to the birth of another child—Hermes.
While Apollo and Artemis treated caring for the cattle as their sacred duty, Zeus was dallying with Maia, a daughter of Atlas.
"Maia, I couldn't resist seeing you."
"I feel the same. This place should be safe from Hera's eyes."
Indeed, Hera didn't discover Maia.
She was preoccupied with watching Leto, and Maia lived in such a remote cave that no god noticed Zeus' affair.
But gods often bring about their own downfall.
Hera, growing suspicious of Zeus' frequent visits near Delos, sent Iris, the rainbow goddess, to investigate.
Iris soon discovered Zeus' regular trips to a certain cave.
Without a word, Hera sealed the cave's entrance.
"There's nothing good in a place that wretch Zeus frequents."
As a result, Zeus and Maia could no longer meet, but Maia was already pregnant with Hermes.
Fortunately, Hera paid little attention to a nymph like Maia, allowing Hermes to grow up safely.
One day, while his mother slept, Hermes slipped out of their cave.
The cave, sealed by Hera, restricted entry based on divine power, so the young Hermes, with his nascent divinity, could come and go freely.
In the outside world, Hermes encountered a turtle guarding the cave under Hera's orders.
"Wow! This must be a gift from Goddess Hera!"
Though Hermes knew the turtle was there to watch him, he feigned ignorance, loudly praising Hera as if to ensure his words carried.
He then addressed the struggling turtle in his grasp.
"Turtle, how about lending me your shell? In return, I'll grant you the wisdom to spread your descendants across land and sea."
The turtle, sensing a fair deal, nodded. It trusted that Zeus' son wouldn't make empty promises.
Thanks to this wise choice, turtles would later thrive on both land and sea.
With the turtle's shell in hand, Hermes found a suitable stone and sharpened it.
He then caught a sheep from a nearby field and proclaimed loudly:
"Oh, for Goddess Hera, I shall create a beautiful instrument never seen in this world!"
Praising Hera, Hermes carved the turtle's shell and strung it with seven sheep-gut strings, crafting the lyre—a novel instrument.
He played It loudly, singing a song that echoed across the mountains, exalting Hera's glory.
— "Praise Goddess Hera! All gods revere and honor the queen. With thundering Zeus, the eternal, radiant Queen Hera, mother of glory, guardian of marriage—before your majesty, all creation bows."
The lyre's beautiful melody and Hermes' song of praise resonated through the world.
The music was so enchanting that spirits gathered around Hermes, dancing in delight.
'This should make Hera think fondly of me,' Hermes thought.
Young but quick-witted, Hermes instinctively knew what he needed to do as the future god of trickery, thievery, and messengers.
He understood his and his mother's precarious situation.
After praising Hera, he hid the lyre in his cradle and ventured to a wide plain.
There, he spotted fifty of Poseidon's white cattle, tended by Apollo and Artemis.
"Wow, these cattle are impressive!"
Hermes devised a plan to steal them and offer them to Hera.
"With cattle like these, Hera will surely forgive Mother and me."
He gathered branches, tied them to his sandals, and attached more to the cattle's tails to obscure their tracks.
To further confuse pursuit, he drove them through sandy terrain.
"This should make it hard for the owner to track them."
While crossing mountains and fields, Hermes encountered Battus, an old man tending a vineyard.
Startled to see a child herding such a large group of cattle, Battus questioned him, fearing the boy might face divine punishment if the cattle belonged to a god.
"Young one, did you take those cattle from that field over there?"
"Yep! Old man, pretend you didn't see anything, or you'll face big trouble."
Hermes slyly invoked divine authority to silence Battus, but the old man responded matter-of-factly.
"Of course I will. Those are Lord Poseidon's cattle. Only a madman would steal from one of the three chief gods."
Hermes, puzzled, asked, "Poseidon's?"
"Yes. To be precise, they're tended by Lady Artemis and Lord Apollo, who are serving a punishment from Poseidon."
Hermes glanced at the cattle, pondered briefly, and came to a simple conclusion.
"Then I'll offer them to both Poseidon and Hera. If Apollo can't keep track of his cattle, that's his fault, isn't it?"
Despite Battus' continued concern, Hermes pressed on, undeterred.
He arrived at a cave by the Alpheios River as Eos, the goddess of dawn, began driving her chariot.
There, Hermes selected the two healthiest cattle, slaughtered them, and built a small altar by the riverbank to offer sacrifices to Poseidon and Hera.
"I offer these to the almighty queen of the gods and the god of the sea."
He placed the remaining parts on the altar, adding, "And this, I offer to the newly born Hermes."
This act declared himself a full-fledged god while honoring Hera and Poseidon.
After completing the ritual, Hermes discarded his sandals in the river and returned to the cave.
Maia, who had been frantic over his disappearance, scolded him, but Hermes remained unfazed.
"Hermes, where have you been? What if Hera finds out?"
"Mother, don't worry. Hera will surely like me. We'll make it to Olympus, and if not, I'll become the king of all thieves and travelers on earth. I'm destined to be the god of trickery and lies, after all!"
***
Meanwhile, Apollo was being chewed out by Artemis for losing Poseidon's cattle.
"You idiot brother! What are we going to do about this?"
"But… letting the cattle roam makes them healthier…"
"Don't lie! You were off chasing mortal women again, weren't you?"
"…"
Artemis sighed, looking at her brother, who was so much like their father, Zeus.
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