Chapter 101: Typhon (13)
Among the three Moirae, the youngest, Atropos, let out a long, exasperated sigh at Poseidon’s obvious feigned ignorance.
Clotho and Lachesis always brushed it off with a laugh, calling it “the cute pranks of a young god,” but Atropos had been put in genuinely difficult situations more times than she could count.
“I can’t exactly say you’re being punished because of the island you gave us, but as her parent you have a lot to answer for. Seriously…”
The moment Atropos’s scolding began to build, Poseidon squeezed his eyes shut and pretended not to hear a thing.
There were simply too many incidents Charybdis had caused; every time he heard about them his mind went blank.
‘Why does that child love causing trouble so much…? What did she do this time?’
In Poseidon’s estimation, if all three Fates had come in person, and during the middle of a war no less, it had to be a colossal headache.
‘Did she tangle the threads of fate again? But that’s happened so often they usually let it slide. Or did she randomly resurrect the dead again? Or maybe she swapped Atropos’s shears once more?’
While Poseidon was desperately playing deaf, his mind racing through possibilities, Atropos’s rant was reaching volcanic proportions.
Clotho, the eldest, had been watching the scene with amusement, but unfortunately there was something far more urgent than this comedy routine right now.
“Atropos, that’s enough. There is a more pressing fate at hand. We should first explain why we came.”
At Clotho’s gentle voice, Atropos—who had been spewing words like an erupting volcano—suddenly remembered herself with an “Ah!”
For some reason, whenever she got tangled up with Poseidon she completely lost the plot.
“Oh right! I should’ve started with the fact that Typhon’s thread has begun twisting again!”
Poseidon, who had been covering his ears and eyes, lifted his head at that.
“Hm? What was that?”
Atropos scowled at him.
He’d heard everything and was still pretending he hadn’t!
“Haha, Poseidon is always so entertaining.”
“Lachesis, big sis! This is not the time for that!!”
Just as Atropos, the one who had suffered most from Charybdis, was about to explode again, the middle sister Lachesis calmly interjected.
“Rather than that, it would be faster to tell him about Lady Gaia’s movements.”
“That’s…”
“Exactly. The twisting of fate is more urgent right now. You can look for your shears later. That cute little girl always stops stealing them after a good scolding anyway.”
“That’s not the point right now…”
Atropos swallowed her anger that kept rising at her sisters’ words, but she knew there was something far more critical at the moment.
Fine. Lady Gaia preparing to move is the real issue. I’ll endure. Endure.
“So, what do you mean Gaia is moving?”
Poseidon, who had been quietly listening to the sisters talk among themselves, couldn’t help but jump in the moment he heard Gaia’s name.
Normally the best policy when Atropos was this angry was to plug your ears, shut your eyes, and seal your mouth, but the name “Gaia” made that impossible.
The three sisters, who had been chattering for a while, finally snapped back to the main topic at Poseidon’s question.
“Honestly, every time we talk with you the side chatter goes on forever. Hehe. Anyway, according to the covenant between Lady Gaia and Lady Nyx, Typhon has been granted one more chance.”
“As a result, the great wheel of fate we spin has begun turning properly once again.”
“Meaning everything you messed up is finally returning to its rightful place.”
Poseidon listened, but his only thought was:
‘So… what exactly do you want me to do about it?’
“You’re probably thinking right now, ‘So what exactly do you want me to do about it?’ aren’t you?”
Flinch.
Poseidon was slightly startled that Clotho had read his mind perfectly.
“No, seriously, how do all you goddesses keep reading my thoughts bit by bit? Am I that easy to read?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just that your mood swings so wildly it’s fun, or should I say entertaining? Anyway, you’re fun.”
“Really? Then plea—”
“Stop! Just stop!”
The moment Poseidon and Clotho were about to veer into small talk again, Atropos, utterly fed up, cut them off.
‘Every single time big sis meets Poseidon she…’
“The important thing is that the Protogenoi have begun influencing the world once more. Neither we the Fates nor Zeus wish for them to interfere with the world.”
Poseidon nodded at Atropos’s words. That reason alone was enough for them to come to him.
After all, he was the closest being to the Protogenoi.
“So you want me to back off with nothing in return?”
“No, we’re not that shameless. It is common knowledge that even revived, Typhon lacks the power to defeat both you and Zeus. Therefore we request this: let the God of the Sea now remain silent.”
“This oath is sworn upon the Styx. Clotho.”
“Lachesis.”
“Atropos.”
““In the name of the goddesses of Fate, we swear: should you ever have a single request, we will twist fate itself once for you.””
“Ooh…!”
***
The battlefield, now without Poseidon who had accepted the Moirae’s request and withdrawn, burned with ferocity.
The renewed clash between Zeus and Typhon.
Their duel was savage. Lightning, storm winds, and torrential rain raged for three full days and nights, dyeing an entire mountain red with their blood.
Yet in the end, was it simply destined?
Typhon fell, and the war concluded with his sealing beneath Mount Etna.
The remaining Gigantes withdrew without resistance, and Olympus did the same.
“I’d love nothing more than to finish every last one of them right now…”
Having faced Eurymedon for the first time, Zeus knew: without his brother Poseidon, wiping out both Eurymedon and the Gigantes would be too much. Moreover, the Gigantes were far from his only enemies.
Thus, to prevent further losses, both sides silently agreed to end things here.
“The Gigantes have sworn an oath with the Moirae; they won’t move for centuries. The real problem is Hades, who absorbed part of Typhon’s wealth and forces…”
Even with his return, Zeus still had a mountain of headaches.
***
“He was stronger than I expected. Typhon, I mean. Don’t you think?”
Poseidon, who had merely watched the entire spectacle from the sidelines, now gazed at the goddess standing before him.
Vertical reptilian pupils, a long lizard-like tail, flowing dark-blue hair, and goat horns sprouting from her head.
—Well… he didn’t look stronger than you, though?
“You’re overrating me. Right now I can only wield the power of a demigod, you know?”
—To you, that’s nothing more than a game, isn’t it?
“…”
Poseidon frowned as the goddess in front of him dissected him with her gaze.
“You’re not the only one watching. If you’re not a voyeur, how about you stop?”
At those words, a trident materialized in Poseidon’s hand.
Kieeeeeek!
“How dare you draw your spear against her—do you even know who this is?!”
The monsters guarding the goddess went berserk the moment they saw the trident.
At the same instant, Psamathe and Pherusa, standing behind Poseidon, began radiating their divine pressure.
Monsters ready to pounce, sea goddesses ready to strike—an explosion was a heartbeat away.
Fwoosh!
The blue-haired goddess stepped between them.
—Please don’t be like that. You’re making my children uncomfortable.
With a single wave of her hand, the blue-haired goddess dispelled the pressure bearing down on her side.
That single gesture was enough to harden the faces of Psamathe and Pherusa.
In that one motion they had clearly felt the overwhelming power and presence of the goddess before them.
“You stop too. We didn’t come here to measure auras.”
—True. I didn’t come to fight you. I only have a request.
“Then hurry up and say it so you can leave.”
Urged by Poseidon, the dark-blue-haired goddess hesitated for a moment before finally opening her mouth.
—Will you marry me?
“…?”
Whaaaaat?!
***
The news that the half-unsealed goddess Tiamat had proposed to Poseidon spread through the entire sea like wildfire.
“No way! Lord Poseidon is now marrying a monster too?!”
“Well, it’s not exactly impossible. I saw Lady Tiamat from afar—she really is beautiful.”
“Good grief, this guy’s hilarious. So you’re saying it’s fine for a monster to stand above us, huh?”
“Who said that?! I just said she’s pretty, that’s all. What, you didn’t think so when you saw her?”
“…”
While the sea creatures, nymphs, and merfolk were thrown into chaos, the gods remained calm and composed.
Poseidon getting married one more time was hardly a problem at this point.
And everyone knew it was necessary for the stability of the seas.
In truth, no one—not even the highest sea gods who knew the full circumstances—had foreseen that Tiamat’s seal would loosen by half simply because of Typhon’s meddling and the slight slackening Hera and Athena had allowed at their request.
“It’s fine by me,” Psamathe declared. “The concept of marriage that Lady Tiamat holds is very different from ours in this era.”
“Psamathe is right,” Amphitrite agreed. “Back when Tiamat walked the world, ‘marriage’ was little more than a promise not to invade each other’s territory.”
“Haha, Eurynome, weren’t you from that generation too?”
“What did you just say?! While you were off playing around, I was the one who suffered every hardship imaginable, and you—!!”
“W-wait, that’s not what I meant—UWAAAAAHH!!!”
Leaving Poseidon’s screams behind as Eurynome throttled him, his inner circle—along with Gaia and Amphitrite—all supported the alliance with Tiamat.
Gaia knew full well Olympus had tampered with the seals, but she was equally aware of the massive nuisance Typhon had been to the seas.
Amphitrite, for her part, had sighed countless times watching the Oceanus currents roil the moment Tiamat’s seal weakened.
Above all, from the gods’ perspective, re-sealing her would only create a future weakness. Having her as an ally was far better.
The rest of Poseidon’s retinue naturally approved; a stronger, more unified sea was good no matter how you looked at it.
“Ugh! I’m sorry!! Eurynome!!!”
“So what exactly are you sorry for…?”
“For calling you old lady! For saying you’re ancient!!”
“…You’re dead.”
With Eurynome currently in no state to cast a vote, the council moved on.
“Then we’ll count it as unanimous. We proceed with the alliance with Lady Tiamat.”
“Yes, that’s for the best. Once Tiamat is settled, the seas will finally be truly united.”
“I have Lord Poseidon’s seal right here.”
“Then we can execute it immediately.”
“Very well. It is decided.”
“UWAAAAAHHH!!!”
Ignoring Poseidon’s anguished wails in the background, the union between Tiamat and Poseidon was formally agreed upon.
In the end, the one who profited most from the war against Typhon was Poseidon himself: the aid of the Moirae, a marriage alliance with one of the most dangerous sealed beings—everything fell into his lap.
***
Krrk… krk… kuh…
“…Mother… why… Poseidon… of all beings…?”
“Exactly. Do we really need to bind ourselves to him? Yes, he defeated Pontus who once sealed us, but still…”
The ones most dissatisfied with Tiamat’s decision were her most active children: Tlaloc and the drowning goddess Lan.
In their minds, they were perfectly willing to continue the war if necessary, so bowing their heads felt intolerable.
What they didn’t know was that, with the Aloadae and Typhon buying time, their mother’s seal might have completely shattered eventually.
Yet even knowing her children’s feelings, Tiamat simply smiled with delight.
—Hehehe… I have seen it. The child who will be born between him and me. That child will one day reign as king above all monsters.
“…”
Lan and Tlaloc fell silent.
It was the first time they had ever seen their mother this happy, and the first time she had ever spoken of “our king.”
One thing was certain: whatever future this union with Poseidon would bring, they would have to watch and see.
***
And… in the deepest depths beneath the earth, now that the war was over.
The defeated Gigantes and Typhon’s monsters had withdrawn without further struggle, preserving their full strength as they vanished into hiding.
“This time we lost. But there will be a next time. The point where the threads the Moirae have woven cross once more.”
—Eurymedon. Do not forget: rescuing Lord Typhon remains our highest priority.
“Yes. Let us watch how the situation unfolds for now.”