Chapter 4: Freedom
It was the week's end, and Kronos was sitting upon a klismos opposite of a muscular titan who was dressed in an orange toga. His eyes were a bright yellow reminiscent of fire. He had a slight stubble signifying an oncoming beard. They were playing Petteia, a game that reminded Kronos of chess.
"I win, Prometheus."
Kronos rose from his seat and started to walk towards the door.
"You have some skill, but you are nowhere near my level. Practice some more and next time we'll see how close you'll come."
Prometheus rose before bowing.
"Yes, uncle. Next time, I will surely beat you."
Kronos chuckled as he left the room. He made his way towards the stable at the side of the palace. There he saw a goat with a coat the colour of gold that shimmered in the sunshine. Its body was muscular and strong with powerful legs and upon its head were silver curved horns that curl upwards and outwards. Its sapphire blue eyes were bright and piercing, with a sense of awareness and intelligence that one wouldn't expect from a goat. Along with the goat was a snake the same size, with scales that shimmer in shades of green and gold. Its body was muscular and its scales were thick, almost impenetrable. Its emerald green eyes were dark, yet intense and piercing.
"Capricornus and Ophion, come here."
The moment they heard their master's voice, they dashed towards him as he led them to a hazy yellow-brown chariot. Kronos drew his hands over the golden designs and carvings along with the precious metal and jewels that adorned it.
He attached the special harnesses that were connected to his chariots to Capricorn and Ophion.
"Today we're going to free my siblings, which means we're going to Tartarus."
The moment they heard the name of that place, they began to shake in fear. Kronos then caressed their faces to try to comfort them before climbing onto the chariot. The goat and snake began to pull the chariot and soon, they were soaring through the skies heading towards the south.
They soared through the skies until they reached the southernmost point of the mainland of Hellas. They began to slow down and landed near a cave that seemed to suck the light out of its surroundings.
They slowly entered the cave with Kronos lighting a torch to fight back the darkness. The creaking of the bronze wheels could be heard as they travelled deeper and deeper down. Eventually, they saw the visage of darkness as a small ferryboat with a cloaked being on it.
When they drew closer, Kronos saw the familiar old and worn wooden ferryboat as dark as night with an even darker aura surrounding it. On the ferryboat was a pale-skinned old man with a skull-like face, sunken eyes and a thin bony body in a raggedy dark cloak with an oar of the darkest shade with golden engravings.
"Kronos, for what reason have you come here?"
He spoke slowly and deliberately with a deep and gravelly voice and a sombre and serious tone.
"Lord Kharon, I would like you to allow me to travel the rivers of the Underworld."
Kronos lept off his chariot then reached into the air and grabbed it as if something was there and a bag of golden drachmas appeared in his closed palm.
"I have a generous offering, if that will please you."
A glint of greed appeared in Kharon's eyes as Kronos chuckled slightly.
"Kronos, do I look like a deity who can be swayed by some drachmas?"
"Lord Kharon, I never said that. Now, how did you come to such a conclusion?"
As Kronos spoke he swung the bag around and closer to Kharon. Kharon smiled at his actions.
"You need not hide your thoughts. I already know of my love of money."
Kharon grabbed the bag in a split second. Kronos hadn't even realised it until he saw the bag in Kharon's hand.
"I shall lend a bit of my power for you and your steeds to safely travel through the rivers of the Underworld."
"Thank you, Lord Kharon. I hope for an amicable future between us."
Kronos bowed as he felt a dark aura envelop him and his steeds. He realized it was the same dark aura as the one that covered Kharon's ferryboat.
Kronos got back on his chariot and slowly made his way towards what he knew as the River Styx. He clapped his hands twice and a rainbow tornado seemingly formed over Capricornus. The rainbow tornado destroyed the shadows around it for a few seconds before it slowly disappeared revealing Capricornus with a lower body and tail of a fish the colour of the tornado.
Capricornus and Ophion jumped into the river and made their way down it. A few minutes later, they came across two unnatural rocks with the mark of Erebus and Nyx on them. This was the true entrance to the underworld.
Going past the rocks, Kronos found himself in darkness for a second before the surrounding aura glowed, allowing him to see once more. Kronos scanned the area around him and saw familiar yet new dark plains to his left and right.
'The underworld is such a dark place. I wonder how it will change when Hades becomes its king. It'll most probably differ from the Underworld I know if I raise him or maybe it'll stay the same. Only time will tell.'
Kronos pondered many things about the future and his knowledge of the journey. Continuing down the River Styx, he came upon a confluence and turned right, eventually coming upon an unnamed lake. Dark toxic fumes were coming from the lake, but Kronos and his steeds were protected by the blessing of Kharon.
Leaving the black waters of the lake, they were once again on the clear red waters of the Styx. Not long after, they came upon the Stygian Marsh. They had to stop and travel upon land many times in the marsh, and it was hard to see through the thick, blood-red fog. They travelled to the centre of the marsh, then southeast to get to Phlegethon, the river of fire.
Phlegethon brought light to the otherwise dark realm with its body of lava and flames ever burning on the coast. As he travelled through the river, he once again thanked Kharon in his mind. The river seemed to curve and head downwards, almost like a spiral staircase. He made his way down it and found himself in what he had always thought of as Greek Hell, Tartarus.
The air was thick with a noxious, choking mist, and the darkness was absolute, broken only by the flicker of dim, sulphurous flames. He could see that the foundation of Tartarus was uneven and jagged, strewn with rough rocks, boulders, and sharp crystals that make movement treacherous. The whole place was perpetually cold and damp, with no natural light, yet it was also hot, it was said that Tartarus was hotter than the sun, yet colder than Uranus. In the distance, he could see Kampe torturing his siblings, the Hecatoncheires and Cyclopes.
He quickened his steeds, seeing them being tortured, and quickly came to their prison. The Hecatoncheires were chained together and forced to mine precious ores, mainly Adamantine, and then half of it would be delivered to Othrys while the Cyclopes would forge the other half of them into weapons, jewellery and more which would also be delivered to the Titans.
Kampe was a large, hulking figure with a serpentine lower body and a humanoid upper body with a multitude of arms and hands that were covered in thick, scaly skin, with sharp spikes and ridges running along their length, each of which ended in sharp claws or talons. She had glowing green eyes that struck fear into the hearts of her enemies. Her head was covered in scaly, armoured plates, with sharp horns and crests that added to her menacing appearance.
"Kampe, I order you to stop!"
Kronos' voice booming voice echoed throughout Tartarus. When his siblings heard his voice and the words he said, they were greatly shocked and were a little scared of the reason for his visit. Kampe bowed the moment she knew of Kronos' presence.
"Lord Kronos, why have you travelled such a perilous and dangerous journey to come here?"
Kampe's voice was deep, harsh and like a monster growling. She was confused about why her mighty king would travel all the way here.
Kronos walked past Kampe and got on his knees with his head bowed.
"I'm sorry! I apologise for locking you up in this foul place and making you become slaves for my benefit. My mind was twisted and blinded by the prophecy of our father. I know that this isn't enough to truly atone for what I've done, but I first want to free you and I'll give you whatever it is you desire. I truly am sorry Cottus, Briareus, Gyges, Brontes, Steropes, and Arges. Will you ever forgive me? Even if you don't want to, it's alright. No matter what, today you shall become free."
Everyone felt that his words were from the bottom of his heart and this was further accentuated by the position he was in now. A king on his knees was a big statement, especially a king of a divine pantheon. The Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires truly took the kindness of their mother for no matter what suffering Kronos had put them through they still loved him for he was their sibling.
"You need not cry, my brother, nor do you need to give us anything. You are our brother, and that means you are forgiven. Isn't that what Mother taught us?"
Kronos looked up with tears streaking down his face at a powerful and imposing figure, with bulging muscles and a heavily muscled frame with his arm stretched out towards him. His skin was rough and scaly, like that of a reptile. His most notable feature was his eye, set in the middle of his forehead and it was large and piercing, capable of seeing great distances and perceiving the tiniest details. It glowed with an otherworldly light and was surrounded by sparks of electricity. He wore a leather apron over a brown toga, with heavy leather kothornos to protect his feet, and he carried a hammer along with other forging tools.
Kronos took the Cyclops' arm before speaking.
"I thank you, Arges and everyone, for forgiving me. Now, come let us make our way back home."
They all made the long and tumulous journey back up towards Hellas. Riding on Kronos' chariot the eyes of Kampe, the Hecatoncheires and the Cyclopes lit up the moment they saw the light of the sun. Kronos wore one of his brightest smiles all the way home when he saw that.
As the moment he returned home, he set aside a piece of the isthmus of Corinth for his siblings to lord over. It seemed as if they could mend their relationship, but only time would tell if they'd all actually forgiven him.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Pure_Phoenix
Pure_Phoenix Man, I can't believe they really forgave him that easily and sorry, this chapter was late. I was cleaning the house and completely forgot to set it on a publish timer but I hope you enjoyed the chapter and had or are having a great day!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone