Poseidon?

I CHÓRA TOU VULCAN

"I welcome you all to this call of importance and of course, need."

Athena started, standing before the heap of villagers. The numbers of villagers had drastically increased. You could call that the aftermath of the ought-to-be but was-not war.

It had been said that several other people from different remote settings who had gone into hide when the king of the land was killed and the invaders swooped in returned. People who wanted a ruler who could save them and be there for them. And none of them seemed to find a better ruler other than the glorious Athena.

"I should start by taking into account your loyalty and how efficient you all have been since these past few days. Even majority of you had gone to the extent of bringing in many of your families and friends because you think it right that I rule you. Because you place your trust in me even in the face of opposition."

She paused again. The silence spread across the place was tantamount to the unseen wings of the wandering winds which bore time and tide.

"And as I have always said, I'll say. At first, twasnt my will to rule you. I only came at the bidding of love. I came in search of my lover."

She turned to Vulcan who was standing beside her. A gentle smile pushing a current from her face to his, as he repaid the generosity.

She allowed herself to be distracted by the few guards behind her. She ignored and held back what was germane; her attention.

"But somethings are better left unexplained to let time have its say. As we all know that time has such urgency to test whatever is placed before it."

She paused to continue,

"Enough of the riddles, people of Vulcan. We are close to being in a new era now but evil still looms. Evil still looms as the heavy silhouette of dark dribbles which pace the clouds at intervals. But amidst all these, we shall find our voice and stand tall."

She looked to her left, not picking anyone precisely in her gaze,

"I'm quite certain many of you are still eaten by that doubt of whether or not I'm a witch. Some of you have left your convictions assorted, while some are still hiding under the shade of others' opinions. But of course we are all entitled to our own beliefs."

She looked to the right this time,

"But shall we put a man to death because of what he or she thinks right? Shall we make a man's soul walk the path of gloom because he is yet to have a conviction many had made a cake of?"

"Yes! Let them die. Let the rebels die!!!"

One of the men from the group called and several others joined in, stomping their feet in rage, the innocent but eerie earth bothered by the disturbing rhythm.

She held up one of her arms and the noise began to dwindle into murmur till twas gobbled up by a famished silence.

She continued,

"But we shall make them live. The king and the queen of this land shall make them all live. We shall forged their disloyalty into loyalty. Some of them have acted against their own wills. Some were carried away by petty things. But if they insist in being rogue and evil, then we shall have no choice but to feed them to wild cats who suit their mood and rage."

That seemed rather satisfying for the crowd since none of them had an objection to it. She kept up the pace of her discussion,

"And we shall appoint chiefs and Lord and captains for the land. We shall build forts and ramparts around the whole of VULCAN. We shall make a great Colosseum for every man who wants to be gladiator and our land shall be a great centre of all kinds of trade."

There was an abrupt cheering of the crowd which went on for a few moments. Then it died down again and she kept on the pace,

"There shall be warriors of different Calibre and makes. Warriors to hunt in the forest, warriors to hunt birds, warriors to wage war, warriors to defend his own family. And these all shall we celebrate on the great feast which shall come up in three months time from today. At spring."

The cheers and echoes and noise snatched the peace of the atmosphere again. After a while, she continued,

"By the power of my father, Zeus, and the biddings of the winds which are tied to my wills, all which I had mentioned and promised shall be established before the end of the three months. You all mortals should only be ready to give all you effort and support to the progress. Won't you?"

"Long live the queen! Long live the queen! Long live the queen!"

The people began chewing and each man stomped his walking stick on the earth. And those who had none, had the substitute of their legs.

Athena held up one of her hands again,

"But we shall not pretend that the battle is over. For as I speak with you, there is a long time enemy lurking around us. A sea monster living on the land. An equal who would not give up his dark desires. Even as I speak, Poseidon is here somewhere amongst us and would stop at nothing in ruining the peace of this land."

The building murmur of the people wasn't enough to cloud her voice.

"Even as I speak, he's somewhere near listening to my voice. He is standing beside one of you as a neighbor. He's blending in as one of us. Look, he stands there."

She pointed her hand at the group and every man turned to his back in the direction of her finger. The shuffling went on for a while until all eyes halted on an old man dressed in a long black cloak, with a hood which conceals his face. He had a trident in his hand, planted in the earth before him.

"Poseidon?"

One man began arguing with his neighbor as the strange old man gradually raised his head to reveal his eyes paced by a lightening-like laser.

He stretched his arms out and made a shriek, pruning an evil laugh, face decked out in wrinkles.

"That..."

Athena wanted to charge but Vulcan put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. She turned to him,

"Let him."

He urged and she looked back to her front as Poseidon melted into a dribbled of thick smoke and was sucked by the apt atmosphere.