Belly of the Beast

Time had once again waited for no one. 15 years or so had passed in the Belly of the Beast. I only knew this by observing what happened outside of here.

I watched as mortals went about their day, never needing anything. It all being provided by Gaea herself.

That was to change soon, as the Titanomachy would devastate Gaea's body and only Demeter would help try and rectify the damage.

Progress on the threads of reality was coming slowly. I had only recently budged them a little. That had allowed me the manipulation of causality, a power, that alone, would make me one of the most powerful gods ever.

It allowed me to manipulate the relationship between causes and effects, allowing me to decide what happens and what doesn't, when and how.

There is no need for a "why" however, as the why of something is determined by causality itself, which is at my command, with this I did not need reason.

Testing had proven me right.

The first time I had budged the string, many lives were lost, as I had made the action of sparking up a fire actually turn into a quick blast of 'Absolute Zero', in which all motion of matter stopped instantly. An absolutely impossible feat.....for most.

——

Hera had sensed another.

Another sibling had entered the family. Another condemned to darkness and destitution.

She looked down and frowned at her fathers flesh cave with dismay and glanced over to where her sister Hestia sat among her other sister. She did not know where the twins were as they usually stayed to themselves. Many times she and Hestia had tried to bring them together longer than….a couple....., whatever! You get the point.

Hades was…solemn and what she thought, shy. He preferred the background, introverted in all aspects. Aemond however, simply didn't find a need in talking to them so much. While he could definitely be social and hold conversation, alot of the time he wouldn't.

'Most of the time he's meditating in a corner somewhere.' Thoughts of Aemond come to Hera as she ponders about her younger brothers.

"Come join us." Hestia calls out to her, beckoning by her fireplace.

She joined them momentarily, joining in on talk of the outside world as they found themselves doing alot. "Dont worry sisters, there will come a day when we grace the outside world with out presence." Aemond had once told them with confidence and grace a god should have. Hera felt empowered by those words for some reason. Her brother had soothed her mind instantaneously and without any struggle.

Which Hera would be grateful for.

——

Demeter had gone to the edge of their surface. Bellow her an ocean of stomach acid that spanned for a seemingly infinite amount of distance. What ever the end was, she could not see it.

As she looked up, she saw the baby her sisters had talked about. Another member of the family. Her hair whipped about at inhuman speeds, darting at the child about to be devoured by pulpous innards.

"Gotcha!" She exclaimed as she grabbed the baby softly.

——

"Sisters! Another…boy!" Demeter shouted in her arrival. She passed the babe around to her sisters, each playing with hid cheeks.

——

Poseidon stepped slowly, hoping that this might be the last time ever. Aemond's corners was warm and quiet. Too quiet for Poseidon's liking.

He reached the entrance and stood for a long moment, afraid. The sea of acid wained at his flex. He took courage from that. He straightened, and entered the cave.

Not once did he leave the room. So Poseidon had stayed away.

Aemond was a confusing figure in his life. An elder brother he had grown up with, yet knew next to nothing about.

He stood in the entrance for a moment, afraid to speak, afraid to come closer. Bright blue lights flashed in the dark. The only thing Poseidon could see in the darkness was Aemond's eyes, as they glowed with his divinity.

"It happened." He stated, strangley. As if he knew it would happen. "The stone."

An extra, faint light appeared where his brothers mouth should be, and then disappeared when he closed it. "Y-yes. Hestia and Hera sensed another sibling and sent Demeter to the edge. She recovered a stone baby…..as you said."

"Good. Prepare yourself brother, this is a sign of our freedom." His elder brothers words shocked him. "From out of the Belly of the Beast we go." Aemond muttered to himself.

At first thoughts of doubt filled Poseidon's head. 'Preposterous!' However it changed to 'He….has never been wrong.'

"Of course."