Atlantis Reborn, Poseidon and Zeus Fight

The ocean boomed and roared. Screams sounded into the air as waves spilled down the streets sending people running for higher ground. Poseidon hovered above it all, a tiny figure lost in the spinning mass of black clouds darkening the sky.

He looked down at the city stretched out beneath him in despair. The wind brought the scent of fear into his nostrils. He closed his eyes, his powerful shoulders sagging. He made no effort to block out the voices buzzing inside his head. He embraced the screaming, the sobs, the men and women shouting his name towards the heavens. The Atlantean people were not only his servants, they were his worshippers as well. If he could not be with them in their darkest hour no one could.

A clap of thunder boomed overhead startling him out of his thoughts. Poseidon turned his head towards Knossos Palace, his home. Fear slammed into him, hard and painful, fear for his wife and unborn child. There was a faint stirring at the back of his head. ---Poseidon? her voice was thin, weak, a vast difference from the strong willed young woman who had once gotten into an argument with Hera.

Poseidon turned his head away as another wave of pain hit her. He could feel her agony as if it were his own. He did not dare speak to Cleito while she was in childbirth. It was bad enough that she had to go through the birth of their child alone, the last thing she needed was to feel his fear and pain as he battled Zeus in the skies above.

Slowly, regrettably, Poseidon turned his thoughts away from his wife and onto the dangerous situation about to unfold. His eyes did a slow circuit of the sea of cloud stretched out before him. The air vibrated with the taint of power, of strength. Wherever Zeus was, he was close by, watching and waiting, a monster in the shadows about to pounce. Poseidon reached behind his back and took out his trident. His fingers curled around the forked weapon so hard the metal glowed a soft red. Power surged through him heating his blood and fueling his temper until it erupted into a raging inferno. “ZEUS!” the wind caught the sound of his voice and sent it echoing in all directions.

Men and women of all ages stopped and looked up at the sky, witnesses to a moment in time about to transpire. Beads of perspiration rolled down Poseidon’s forehead.
“SHOW YOURSELF!” his head snapped to the side as Zeus glided out of the shadows. “Hello brother.” The corners of his mouth curved into a mocking smile. “So this is how it ends.”

“We don’t have to go through this Zeus. There is another way.”

“Yes, there is, you can admit that you stole my soul mate and give her back to me.”
Poseidon sighed heavily. “I’m afraid I cannot do that.” He shifted his body into a defensive position. “Defend yourself.” Zeus bent forward in a bow, an odd gentlemanly gesture that only added to his madness. “As you wish.”

The brothers closed the space between them in a single bound. The wind rose to a roar, a haunting musical melody that surrounded them in a web of mystery. Sheets of rain began to fall, the water gushed down Poseidon’s face making it difficult for him to see. He cried out as a fist struck him hard in the stomach. He staggered backward, blinked his eyes to clear the ringing in his ears. Poseidon’s head snapped to the side as a guttural cry tore throughout the air.
Zeus lunged at him out of the rain, a crazed killer wearing the face of his brother. The two gods came together in a tangle of limbs. The ocean crashed and seethed beneath them in rage, the waves rising higher and higher, reaching almost desperately for the Olympians.

Poseidon turned his head to stare into his brother’s eyes, madness stared back at him and nothing more. “Are you growing tired, Poseidon?” sneered Zeus.

“I’m just getting started.” Poseidon lifted his knee and drove it into Zeus’s stomach. Zeus doubled over in pain giving Poseidon the precious seconds he needed to seize the upper hand. Zeus swept back his rain-slick hair as Poseidon thrust the trident under his chin. “Go ahead,” he said. “Impale me.”

His words pierced the rage burning deep inside Poseidon causing him to hesitate. “Zeus…” his mouth dropped open in shock as his brother vanished. Poseidon whirled around, his cry of alarm lost in a clap of thunder. Zeus slammed into Poseidon’s right shoulder knocking him backwards. Poseidon snarled and raked his fingers across his brother’s face.

Zeus sprung away like a cat. “Why you…” He touched a hand to his cheek to inspect the damage, his fingers came away slick with blood. “I am going to rip your tongue out!”
Poseidon’s lips twisted into a sneer. “Strong words.” He thrust the trident into the air as a spear of lightning shot down from above. Zeus cocked his head to the side, a cruel glint in his ice-cold eyes. “I can see where this is going.”

Poseidon felt his brother’s laughter echo in his head. He blocked himself off to the sound, built a wall between them. My brother is dead he told himself firmly. “Zeus?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

Poseidon began to shake, his emotions spilled out into the weather causing the wind to moan piteously. He tightened his hold on the trident, determined to see his grisly task to an end. “You’re not the only one who can play with electricity.” He thrust the trident forward. Zeus flung himself out of harms way as a blast of blue-white energy exploded out of the forked weapon. “Interesting,” he said. “Very interesting.”

“This is for my wife,” Poseidon said harshly, he jumped forward unleashing a second blast of electricity from the trident. Zeus reacted differently this time, catching the sphere of energy in his hand. “Catch!” he flung the electricity in a reverse direction. Poseidon dissolved into smoke before the sphere could strike his flesh. He reappeared moments later, unharmed and ready to continue fighting.
“Well done,” said Zeus, clapping his hands together. “I didn’t think you would be able to block that move. Let’s see if it wasn’t a fluke.” His body flickered, turned transparent, then disappeared. Poseidon made a soft growling noise at the back of his throat. It was almost impossible to see in the rain. Poseidon sniffed suspiciously at the air, his senses flaring out for any sign his brother might be near. A blast of wind rushed past him, it was his only warning. Poseidon whirled around to continue fighting, to his horror he came face to face with a dragon. Poseidon reacted instantly, somersaulting over the winged lizards head onto its back. The dragon reared up into the air, snapping its teeth in outrage. Poseidon threw his arms around the creatures scaly neck and held on with all his strength. The wind brought the distant sound of laughter to his ears. Poseidon lifted his head like a small deer sensing danger. Zeus he thought darkly. It was clear his brother was hidden somewhere among the clouds, all he had to do was find him. Poseidon’s gaze dropped to the dragon thrashing beneath him. “First things first.” He turned his attention to the trident tucked beneath his arm. He uttered a command in the ancient tongue, ordering the trident to change into a sword. Sensing danger, the dragon’s head twisted from side to side, its cat-like eyes rolling wildly. Hooking his legs around the dragon’s belly, Poseidon pressed the sword into the soft flesh beneath the lizard’s throat. Warm hot blood gushed over his fingers. Poseidon refused to relinquish his hold on the animal even as it shrieked in pain. He pushed his mind into the dragon’s brain. Fear and pain rushed through him. The creature was dying and it knew it. Apologises, my poor animal. There is no other way. Gritting his teeth, he pressed harder against the sword. The dragon gave a hideous shriek as the weapon sliced through his neck.
Poseidon cried out in alarm as the dragon unexpectedly dissolved into mist. The wind shrieked his shock into the air, sent it winging in every direction. The heavens answered with a clap of thunder. Hail stones erupted from the sky, sheets upon sheets of poisoned ice spears. Poseidon called on the image of a bird from the Amazon rainforest. Glossy black feathers rippled up his arms and down his back, bones cracked and reshaped. Poseidon spread his wings into the air, his body now that of a Harpy Eagle.
Bolts of lightning shot down all around him, one after another, the shafts of electricity attempting to incinerate him. “You won’t get away!” shrieked a bodiless voice. Poseidon circled around in mid air. Bones snapped and feathers melted into flesh. “I am tired of these games Zeus.”


Zeus emerged out of the shadows almost instantaneously. “Hello brother. What did you think of the dragon? Pretty impressive, don’t you think? I’ll never forget the look on your face when it vanished into smoke. What do you purpose we do now?”

“Why don’t you go back to Mount Olympus where you belong?”
“Sorry,” said Zeus, shaking his head. “I can’t do that I’m afraid. I have business to attend to here first. Speaking of which…” he clicked his fingers.
Sensing movement, Poseidon looked down at his ankle as a long black chain clasped around his left foot. “What in the world?” His head snapped to the side as a second chain appeared. “Oh no you don’t!” He flung himself at the chain. He gasped as it reared backward like a snake. He reached for it a second time, determined to rip it out of the air. It dodged past him and dived for his right ankle. A soft cha-chink told him it had reached its destination. A third and fourth chain appeared. Ignoring the chains shackling his feet, Poseidon launched himself at the manacles. The chains hissed and lashed against him like wild pythons. After an intense struggle, the chains wriggled out of his grasp and snapped around his wrists. Zeus threw back his head and laughed. “Sweet, sweet revenge, is there anything better?”

Poseidon glared at his brother over his shoulder, his eyes glittering with the promise of revenge. “Do you really think these chains will be enough to stop me?” he gave an experimental tug on the shackles. The chains responded by tightening their grip on him causing him to gasp.
“Those are not ordinary chains,” said Zeus lazily, clearly enjoying his brother’s torment. “You have grown careless, Poseidon. Your woman has befuddled your brain. You would have never let your guard down in the old days.”
Poseidon’s teeth flashed. “I never had to worry about an attack from my own brother in the old days.”

Zeus shrugged. “What can I say? Times change.” A corner of his mouth twitched. It was the closest thing to a warning Poseidon was going to get. With an ungainly lurch, the chains suddenly retracted, pulling him out of the air.
Poseidon’s heart rose into his throat as his body plunged towards the ground at break neck speed. The wind tugged at his clothes and clawed at his skin, droplets of rain slid down his face like acid. Poseidon tried to move but his arms and legs had gone leaden. His fall through the sky came to a sudden earth-shattering stop as solid ground rushed up to meet him.
The impact sent shockwaves racing through his body. Poseidon lay on the ground as if dead. He stared up at the sky in hopeless abandon, his immortal body unable to move, his arms and legs shackled to the ground beneath him. He was defeated. The knowledge seemed unfeasible to him. He was Poseidon, the God of the Sea, he could not be defeated.

“Oh, contrary,” said Zeus, shimmering into view. “You are definitely defeated, my brother. It was a fine battle, one that I will cherish for many centuries to come.” He smiled. “Farewell.” His body evaporated into smoke. In that moment, when all hope faded, Poseidon knew true terror. It clawed through his body like a wild vicious animal. His gut clenched at the thought of Zeus touching his precious wife. Power rose inside him like a volcano, surged through his veins like fire, but it was not enough. The chains holding him to the ground were too strong. He flexed his wrists, a weak futile movement that only caused the shackles to tighten. Poseidon sagged against the ground in defeat, tears sliding down his cheeks. “Cleito,” he murmured softly, he savoured the taste of her name on his lips, wrapped himself in her fragrance, his only sanity in a world turned to madness.
“Forgive me.”