Side Story – Rebellion in the Underworld (3)
Protheus.
The Titan prophet and strategist who aided us greatly during the Titanomachy.
Yet, he was also a god who loved humanity.
In the end, he defied Zeus’s decree and gifted fire to mortals, earning eternal punishnt—
Bound to the cliffs of Mount Caucasus, where an eagle tore at his liver day after day.
He must hate Zeus as much as Cronus, who languishes in Tartarus.
And with his ability to foresee the future, his involvent was indispensable.
“Prophet Protheus. As you said, I plan to rebel against Zeus and claim the throne of the gods.”
“Choosing to wear the Kynee was a wise decision. Now, let tell you where my foolish brother, Epitheus, can be found.”
Epitheus.
The Titan known as “the one who thinks later,” younger brother of Protheus, and husband of Pandora—the woman sent by Zeus.
Despite his brother’s persuasion, he had sided with us Olympians during the Titanomachy, proving to be a formidable ally.
Though slow-witted and easily deceived, he possessed strength great enough to stand against his brother Atlas.
He likely regretted marrying Pandora and harbored no love for Zeus.
“You plan to recruit Epitheus as well?”
“Of course, but more importantly, news of my release will surely reach Zeus. We must deceive him into thinking my brother freed .”
“So we’ll bring Epitheus here quickly and have him destroy the remnants of Mount Caucasus?”
“Exactly. Tell , does Zeus know of your rebellion yet?”
I nodded, and Protheus continued without hesitation.
The Titan’s urgency was clear as he laid out his plan.
“Then we have no ti to waste. I’ll go to Atlas, who bears the weight of the heavens, and bring him to the Underworld. I’ll et you there later with my brother.”
“Atlas? But his daughter, Maia, is one of Zeus’s wives. Will he really help us?”
“Ha. Maia never had a choice in the matter. Atlas’s grudge against Zeus runs deep. Trust .”
If I could rally Atlas, Protheus, Epitheus, and my own forces, we stood a real chance against Zeus.
But Olympus would surely notice if we raised any suspicions, and there was still the wildcard—Poseidon.
For now, I would trust Protheus’s plan. Atlas likely bore no fondness for , but it wasn’t I who condemned him. That was Zeus.
I wouldn’t be foolish enough to ignore the counsel of a proven prophet.
“Oh, and if Epitheus refuses...”
*****
According to Protheus, Epitheus had occasionally visited him, even after his imprisonnt.
Protheus had also used his foresight to track his brother’s movents as he wandered the world.
“If you go where I direct, you’ll find him. Walk down from this wretched mountain, and after a few days at a mortal’s pace...”
Wearing the Kynee and moving swiftly, I soon arrived at the location he ntioned.
It was an unremarkable human village—nothing that should interest a Titan.
Step. Step.
“Co! Buy barley and wheat! Blessed by the goddess Deter herself—quality crops!”
“But why are the prices so high? It’s double what it was last ti...”
“We can’t help it. The rains have been relentless, and earthquakes keep ruining the harvest. Surely the gods won’t stand idly by.”
These mortals prayed for Olympus’s grace, oblivious to the truth—that the gods themselves were the cause of their suffering.
And all because of an affair involving Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.
“Fresh hides of cattle and pigs for sale!”
“Hey, do you know why the weather’s been so strange lately?”
“I’m heading to Hers’s temple later to pray. Why don’t you join ?”
I scanned the humans carefully.
Protheus had assured I would find his brother here.
Yet Epitheus remained hidden—perhaps concealing his divine presence and blending in as a traveler.
I couldn’t bla him. Olympus’s dominance had made enemies of the Titans.
His own brother was being devoured alive as punishnt, so I could only imagine the bitterness he felt.
Wait... over there.
“Things aren’t going well lately, are they?”
“You don’t say? The skies pour rain, yet the earth stays dry. The gods must be punishing us.”
“Who knows what Olympus is thinking.”
“Shh! Watch your mouth, or you’ll be struck by lightning!”
I found him.
A towering man, speaking to a rchant about the state of the world.
This had to be Epitheus—the Titan who thought too late.
He clearly didn’t want to draw attention to himself, but Protheus had said ti was of the essence.
I needed to convince him before Zeus caught wind of my rebellion or Protheus’s release.
Wearing the Kynee, I approached silently.
Epitheus might have been slow to think, but even he would understand once I spoke.
Tock, tock.
— “I never expected to find a great Titan in a place like this, Epitheus.”
“...!”
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
“N-Nothing.”
Epitheus froze mid-conversation, his expression hardening.
Abruptly, he broke off from the rchant and began walking toward the outskirts of the village.
Good. He understood my ssage.
*****
Outside the village, Epitheus abruptly halted his steps and whipped his head around.
The Titan spoke toward the empty air, his face tense with anxiety.
“Hades. Why have you co looking for ? I’ve never done anything to offend you!”
“Epitheus. Your brother sent .”
“What?! My brother—why would he...?”
Watching Epitheus’s face contort in shock, I removed the Kynee.
“I freed your brother, Protheus, from the mountain as part of my plan to rebel against Zeus and take the throne of the gods.”
“That’s absurd. Do you take for a fool?! Why would you, not Poseidon, rebel?!”
“Because the Olympian gods have gone too far.”
I explained what I had witnessed as the Lord of the Underworld.
The gods’ endless misdeeds, their refusal to change despite my warnings, and how the disasters in the mortal world were the result of their quarrels over an affair.
As I spoke, Epitheus’s expression darkened further and further.
“...Do you understand now? That’s why we need your strength to completely destroy Mount Caucasus and mislead Zeus.”
“Urgh. But I can’t fight!”
“Even after everything I’ve told you? Are you saying you won’t follow your brother, who can see the future?”
“Yes!”
Why was he refusing?
Given his own grievances against the Olympians, I expected him to be more willing than anyone.
“I regret not listening to my brother before. But even he doesn’t always make perfect decisions. That’s why he only now escaped his chains.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“If I join your side and we lose to Olympus, I could end up chained to a mountain like my brother!”
So that was it.
He doubted my strength.
He wasn’t convinced that I could defeat Zeus.
Unlike the Titanomachy, which had been a war between two equal factions, this rebellion was an uphill battle. His hesitation made sense.
Should I follow Protheus’s advice and persuade him with logic?
No. This was war, and exceptions had to be made. Without securing his strength, the rebellion would fail.
I had to trust the prophet’s counsel.
“If you help —”
“Hmph. Save your breath. I’m not taking any more risks—”
“I will revive your deceased family and grant them immortality.”
“W-what—?!”
Epitheus’s composure shattered in an instant.
This was my ultimate bargaining chip—breaking the law of the dead and defying the natural order.
“I swear as the Lord of the Underworld. Your wife, Pandora, your daughter, Pyrrha, and your son-in-law, Deucalion—I will grant them immortality. They will feast on ambrosia and nectar, and once I beco King of the Gods, I will raise them to divine status.”
The Titan’s turmoil was almost palpable as he bit his lip, deep in thought.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
“...Swear it upon the River Styx, and I’ll help you.”
“Of course. I vow upon the River Styx to fulfill every condition I just promised.”
A short sigh escaped him before he released the power he had been suppressing.
The air trembled with his might—a force worthy of the Titan who had once held back Atlas.
“Then after destroying Mount Caucasus, what’s next? Do we march straight to Olympus?”
“Co to the Underworld without drawing attention. I trust you know the way.”
“Fine. I’ll be there, Hades.”
I had succeeded in recruiting Epitheus.
Now, the next step...
I had to return to the Underworld and confront the three Hecatoncheires guarding the entrance to Tartarus.
I would either persuade them—or bind them.
...Before Zeus began to suspect .
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