Protheus. An obscure, but simultaneously well-known figure who is responsible for the Greek race of humanity.
He has a special affection for them, going as far as to sneak to earth and gift them with fire against Zeus' wishes.
For this, he was punished and had his innards eaten by a bird every day for years.
A deity willing to show such care for the weak and feeble humanity wasn't always popular with the other gods, but they were always highly respected.
And Protheus was still a titan. While he wasn't necessarily the strongest, he was definitely more powerful than most gods.
Perhaps his only real potential threat would be Zeus, and there were ways to keep the overgrown man-baby in check if worst ca to worst.
Lailah was pleased with this choice indeed.
But what would the man who was actually nominated have to say?
Heads swiveled in one direction in droves.
Everyone looked toward the top of the Greek section, where the oldest of the deities had been watching this entire spectacle without much judgnt on their face.
They knew better than anyone just how bad Kronos was getting. Seeing him get chopped into pieces and fed to a feral, albeit cute, bat god was just as unsurprising as it was unmoving.
But Protheus' nomination? That was a different thing entirely...
"Zzzz...."
"Brother. Brother, wake up."
Atlas nudged a sleeping man with a graying chocolate beard and a head of matching curly hair.
He was around nine feet in height. His physique was just as muscular as nearly every other one of the titan brood.
He wore a simple white toga with golden brambles in his hair. His olive skin was tanned and glistening like bronze under the morning sun.
A pair of fluffy earmuffs and a sleeping mask adorned his face. When his brother began shaking him, he groaned and uncovered only one eye and ear.
His irises were bright orange. Like the purest fla.
"What..?"
"Wake up."
"I don't much care for political executions. My stomach isn't exactly cut out for this brand of barbarity."
"Don't worry, it's already over."
"Oh, good then. So who's getting the throne now, the serial rapist with daddy issues or the habitual shut-in with everything issues?"
"You do."
"Of course, I wouldn't be opposed to the idea of the young Athena running despite her... Wait, what?"
"They want you to sit on the throne of Mount Olympus. Lead the Greeks against what's coming."
Protheus finally realized that the Colosseum was eerily quiet. He was horrified when he found a surplus of eyes on him.
He turned back to Atlas with an aghast look on his face.
"They're joking."
"They're not."
Protheus turned back to the crowd.
"Go fuck yourselves."
He made sure to speak loudly and clearly so that even those who were not in the Greek section could hear him. Their grim faces were all the clarification he needed to confirm he'd been heard perfectly.
"Aww, that's not very nice of you, Protheus. Your fellow tribesn are turning to you in their ti of need."
Protheus pulled off his sleep mask and glared down at a certain scaled goddess.
"Why am I not surprised? Is this another one of your scheming machinations, serpent queen?"
"I resent that accusation." Lailah rolled her eyes. "I wasn't the one to nominate you- Shiva was. I have nothing to do with how the pantheons appoint their leaders."
"Don't give that. By doing nothing, you're signifying your acceptance of this outco. We've all seen by now that if you aren't satisfied with a figurehead then you will have them hacked to bits and replaced."
"I'm confused. Are you upset that I'm allowing you to keep your head, or...?"
"Grr..."
Protheus had never cared for Lailah. And he didn't exactly go around hiding his disdain either.
She was a cruel woman. She had no warmth or light to her personality unless it ca at the suffering of others.
But most of all, Lailah did not see the pursuit of knowledge as an avenue that should be shared and walked down by many.
Anything she discovered, she kept to herself and her people. She didn't share it with anyone outside of Tehom.
Not just gods, but humanity themselves could go so much farther along as a species if Lailah deigned to implent and share just a crumb of what she knew.
But she would never. Not because she feared the potential ramifications. But because Lailah didn't care about any human other than the two daughters that she had.
Everyone else could just lie down and due for all she cared.
"...You just think I'll just lower my head and do this just cause you ask?" He huffed.
"Well gee-golly, I would certainly hope that you would, even though I didn't ask. Your fellow Greeks desperately need your steadfast leadership." Lailah blinked her big round eyes innocently.
Protheus felt his blood boiling.
"There are better alternatives to a leader than ."
"Of course there are, but unfortunately we need soone inside the Greek pantheon to do it, and pickings are slim there."
Lailah remained unbothered as nearly every Greek deity in attendance shot her a dirty glare.
She held up her hands in faux surrender. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I offend the pantheon of warmongering sex addicts and alcoholics?"
The dirty looks just intensified further.
Lailah suddenly felt a tug on her dress.
Nubia was staring at her mother with a raised brow. 'Um, I don't know if you rember but mom is also an alcoholic sex addict.' (Valerie)
Lailah pinched her daughter. 'Don't talk about your mother like that, she is one of the loves of my life and you will respect her.'
Nubia blinked so many tis that her eyelashes could've fluttered away.
Sotis, it was really hard to tell if her parents were oblivious to the fact that they sotis said shaless things, or if they knew and just didn't care.
"Titan of Forethought. Gifter of Fla." Shiva suddenly said.
Protheus turned his gaze towards the blue-skinned god, and he imdiately waved his hand in disinterest. "I've no need for flowery words or ceremonies, Destroyer. Speak plainly if you hope to change my mind at all."
"Very well... I've yet to understand why you feel so inclined to refuse."
"You don't understand?" Protheus scoffed.
He looked around at the other Greek deities in the stands with him and his disgust and disinterest only heightened.
"Look at this bunch. Rudderless, unmoving. They hold not the capacity for any form of higher thought or elevation. They don't want to grow. They want to be attractive, have sex with worshippers, and wet their spears and arrows with the blood of those who dare to 'slight' them. They bore ."
...
Protheus was fairly respected by the Greeks before all of this. He even had so admirers too.
It was amazing just how quickly he managed to lose it all within a couple short breaths after waking up.
Deities were now more inclined to take their chances with King Rapist or King Edgelord.
Shiva and Laialh seed amused by his reasons for refusal.
"I see... So your issue is with the culture rather than the actual burden of responsibility. Well, that's an easy fix." Laialh shrugged.
Shiva nodded in agreent. "If you were to be king of Olympus, then you'd be free to change the culture to suit your ideals however you wish."
As smart as Protheus actually was, it was clear that this particular line of thinking had never quite crossed his mind before.
He could mold the pantheon. Perhaps make these gods a bit more like humans..!
It was a very far-out idea that not many would have dared to entertain, but if he were king, then who would stop him?
Everyone let Kronos run around doing whatever the hell he wanted, so why wouldn't he be worthy of the sa?
Sure, he might occasionally have to put on a gruffer persona to keep certain rambunctious crowds in line, but that wasn't exactly too much of an inconvenience, was it..?
And besides, the potential upsides were more than just a little tantalizing to think about.
"...Fuck it then."
Protheus stood up and towered over the crowd of Greeks giving him unkind glares.
"I'll accept!"
The hate-filled gazes of nearly every Greek deity intensified.
Ares, Persephone, Deter, and Aphrodite were already considering asking for temporary asylum inside of Tehom.
They hoped that Lailah wouldn't bolt before they could beg her to let them move.
"Well, now that that's done…"
Dusting off her dress, Lailah stood up and gave Asmodeus a nod.
He turned his head to the sky and the dragons flying around in it.
With one telepathic word from him, the dragons started descending out of the sky one after the other. Certain brigades landed in front of certain pantheons and inspired looks of awe.
"Allow to formally introduce all of you to the mbers of the Seven Bright Legions.
Over the next several weeks, they are going to defend and teach you, until they believe that your armies can adequately defend themselves.
You may want to pray for them. My armies have spent so very long without sothing to do that they may beco a tad bit… overexcited."
I'm going to get back to double uploading again I just been really tired from work ngl.
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