Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2022 18:02:02 -0500
From: Rick Heathen <rick.heathen@gmail.com>
Subject: Centaurian - Chapter 6

Centaurian - Chapter 6

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All Rights Reserved © 2022, Rick Haydn Horst

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events,
locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination
or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living
or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Thank you for delving into this work; I hope you enjoy it.

Please send questions, comments, or complaints to Rick.Heathen@gmail.com. I
would enjoy reading what you have to say.

------------

Synopis: When an unusual man comes into the protection of Officer Liam
Phillips, Liam doesn't know what he's in for. His world gets broadened and
turned upside down in this adventure of love, sex, gods, a one-quarter
equine, and a vacation he will never forget.

------------

Centaurian, By Rick Haydn Horst

Chapter 6

Released by the gods from its disconcerting doldrum, the wind continued its
characteristic oceanic breeze, and when the captain gave the order for the
ship to return to cruising speed, it rode the swells of the relatively calm
waters at a fuel-saving twenty-two knots.

Since the entire incident with Kratos took less than sixty minutes, it left
a few hours before the next work shift. Those who had awakened from their
slumber tried to rest a little longer before morning, hoping they had seen
the last of the overnight events.

As Emma, William, and Ronan, mounted the staircase, Liam, who trailed
behind them, noticed a change on Ronan's back and seemed alarmed by
it. "Ah, Ronan...were you aware you have a new tattoo?" Liam tapped its
location in the center of his back just below the one that read STALLION.

"I do? What is it?"

"It's some kind of symbol about three inches tall and a bit less in width."

Emma and William paused on the next floor before continuing upward, so she
could have a look.

"It's your mark," she said. "I meant to tell you about it, but I hadn't
realized you would use your powers so soon."

"I have my phone," said William pulling it from his pocket. "I'll take a
photo and show you."

"What does it mean?" asked Liam.

She traced it with her finger. "It's the astrological symbol for Chiron
fused to a backward `R' for Ronan," she said. "It marks upon his skin a
visible sign of the permanent connection of Chiron to his former self. So,
he could use it as a symbol for the name Ronan Stallion or for the
Centaurian. William, dear, please send me a copy of that. I'll send it to
Caleius for inclusion on Ronan's future clothing."

"It is an attractive design," said Ronan studying the image on the screen,
"but I happen to know that someone invented this astrological symbol for
Chiron in the twentieth century for a newly discovered orbiting body."

"That doesn't matter," she said. "It's just symbolic. If people refused to
use a symbol due to its recent invention, no symbol would ever become old."

"This was your idea, wasn't it?" he asked her.

"Prometheus decided long ago using the power would result in a mark, but
nothing distasteful, of course. Since I stay `au courant' [conversant] with
life on Earth, its appearance and location he left to me. I put a lot of
thought into it and considered assorted designs over the years, but I
settled on this one due to the name of the orbiting body, and just as with
you, it has a hybrid nature. Do you disapprove?"

Ronan shook his head. "I like it; it makes a great tattoo. While you're at
it, let Caleius know that my Centaurian shirts need to leave my back
unobstructed for my wings." He gazed upon Liam. "Regardless of my angelic
appearance, I will use those when necessary."

"I can't say I blame you," he said. "They're too awesome to forgo. But now
that you've used your power, why don't you just manifest your own clothing
from now on?"

"I'm sure I could, but I'm not a designer. I would need a pattern to copy."

When Liam noticed Emma studying his eyes, he opened them wide to give her a
better view.

"You must be absorbing Ambrosia in quantities that no one ever has," she
said. "The gods are lucky to get a few glasses on Olympus. So, if you made
a guess, how much do you think you're getting?"

Liam shrugged a little. "Two liters, maybe."

"Every day?" asked Emma.

"No, every time. So, six or seven liters a day, probably."

She gasped. "Oh, sweetie, I don't know what that will do to you."

"That's a lot of anything to put into your body," said William.

"It won't kill him," said Ronan.

"Well...no, it won't do that," she admitted.

"So far," said Liam, "it seems to make me leaner, more muscular, tan, and
green-eyed." He shrugged. "Let's see what else it will do."

"Very well," she said, "that's up to you, but just know you've entered
unknown territory."

They parted ways, and upon entry of their cabin, Ronan headed straight to
the sink, not that he had an overly fastidious nature, but he had touched
that foul-smelling god and wanted to remove any residue. As he stood there
washing his hands of Kratos, he gazed into the mirror at himself and asked
how he felt about having---in all honesty---executed him. He questioned
whether he had made the right choice, but he hoped that having the
knowledge of his ability to destroy a god would deter Zeus from further
action, but he wasn't the sort to give up, and Ronan had a much greater
vulnerability than his lack of buoyancy.

Liam had removed his clothing and kissed him the moment he emerged from the
bathroom. Ronan held him in his arms, appreciating his ability to save
himself from a long sojourn away from Liam at the bottom of the ocean.

Straddling Ronan's body on the bed, the head of Liam's cock lay on Ronan's
lips. He kissed it repeatedly. Liam bent down kissing Ronan who moved back
and forth between kissing Liam's lips and the head of his cock.


"I like you this big," said Ronan.  "If it were up to you, you'd have me
leaving three trails in the sand, wouldn't you?"

Ronan's brows rose in interest. "At least three!"

"Oh, at least!" Liam laughed. "And preferably more, right?"

"Uh-huh." Ronan smiled, pulled Liam's face to his, and kissed him. "You
never have to say it back to me, but I meant what I said to you earlier on
the bridge. I do love you."

"I know. Would you really not want to hear me say it back?"

"A lot of people feel an expectation of having to say it in return when
told they are loved. I know you prefer to avoid mushiness, so you never
have to say it. To me, your actions practically yell it from the
mountaintops."

Liam kissed him for several minutes and felt the heat on his back from
Ronan's erect Centaurian appendage. Once they had begun having regular sex,
it always leaked a stream of slippery precum when erect, making entry into
Liam's body smooth and pleasurable.

They moved to Ronan's favorite position with Liam lying on his back, Ronan
deep inside him, and Liam's cock in his mouth. He rubbed the head on Liam's
hole, which had become nothing more than a port of entry to give Liam
orgasms and fill him with Ambrosia.

The soft-coated steel bar of Ronan's cock began its long slide into Liam's
interior world, a place to bond in waves of mutual pleasure. He fucked inch
after inch deep inside Liam, giving him exactly what he needed, that
stretched and full sensation.

Liam ran his hands over Ronan's impossibly muscular body, and he marveled
over how it flexed as he thrust into him. He knew, if he wanted, Ronan
could fuck him continually for a hundred years---one orgasm after
another---and not make a dent on the sustained pleasure his body was
capable of supplying. In all the universe, no one else like Ronan existed
and his love came with a privilege that only he would ever know.

One inch. They had reached that last inch his body had trouble accepting,
defying his wishes with its stubborn refusal to allow entry. Ronan never
complained, but Liam wanted it all, so he could get that rough
pelvis-to-ass banging he so often needed. The continuous pistoning, the
thrust and pull of cock went on for fifteen minutes. Ronan lifted Liam's
cock and bent to stuff the head into his mouth. Liam's would need to be
even longer if Ronan were to perform that maneuver with greater ease, but
the simultaneous suck and fuck had him on the verge of orgasm. He jacked
his monstrosity into his lover's mouth and when he came, Ronan began to
fill him. He allowed himself to savor the pleasurable waves of paroxysmal
spasms that accompanied every jet of Ambrosia filling Liam's body. It went
on and on, and Liam loved to watch him knowing he helped make it happen,
and he could feel every surge of the magical liquid like the mild quake of
a gasoline pump, filling Liam's tank with Ronan's nozzle deep inside him.

Lost in the sensation, Ronan kept slowly fucking a few inches in and out of
Liam as he filled him, and when their usual stopping point---the
fifteen-minute mark---came and went, it continued. Curious to know how long
an orgasm Ronan could sustain, and how much Ambrosia he could hold, Liam
allowed it. He had already reached the point of saturation and adding more
had begun to supersaturate every cell in his body. When the twenty-minute
mark came, and his belly felt like a balloon, he began to feel strange.

"Ronan," he said placing his hand on Ronan's chest, "you need to stop."

His eyes opened. "Okay." He laid his hand on Liam's belly. "Wow. How do you
feel?"

"As content as a kitten with a belly full of cream. Don't pull out. May I
sleep on you a bit before morning?"

"Of course." He pulled Liam to him and kissed him. He held him in place as
he laid upon the bed with his sleepy man atop him fully impaled on his long
nozzle.

As Liam slept, Ronan thought about what had happened with Kratos. As per
his information, if Prometheus foresaw him dethroning Zeus and had kept
vital information from him---or whatever may be the case---if necessary, he
knew he would forgive him anything for bringing Liam into his life. There
were things beyond price, especially the love of a good man.

In the darkness, Ronan concentrated and sensed the swirling imagery that
accompanied his connection to Prometheus. The minutes slipped away, but he
never had to ask his question, and he barely had time for an answer;
morning would soon arrive.

"I know what you will ask, my son," he told Ronan. "The answer is not a
simple yes or no. Have I seen you dethrone Zeus? The answer is yes, but I
have told no one of this. What you have experienced, is someone
manipulating both you and the future by lying in the present. Their lie has
created a chain reaction that will result in Zeus's removal from the throne
because he will give you no real choice but to remove him. I'm uncertain
who has started this lie, but know this, having told it, doesn't
necessarily make them your enemy. There are mitigating circumstances."

A knock came upon their cabin door which disrupted Ronan's conversation
with Prometheus. The captain had requested that his three passengers join
him and the first mate in the meeting room just before breakfast.

Liam led the way, and with his body having absorbed the Ambrosia, he
appeared slightly taller and more muscular than before. Emma followed him,
then William, and Ronan came last, dressed in shorts and a tank top
identical to the ones he wore the previous day, with CENTAURIAN stitched
across the chest. They found the meeting room, a bland space located on the
third floor with a table at the far end with several chairs surrounding
it. Apart from that, the room contained a lot of empty space for the many
folded chairs held in a rack against the back wall for the crew to use in a
congregational fashion.

At the table sat their hosts with a laptop. Their expressionless faces
foretold the serious nature of the gathering, although the specifics
remained unclear as the passengers and William seated themselves.

"We have a question," said the captain. "As you know, the company equipped
the ship with several CCTV cameras, and it caught on camera the altercation
between Herr Stallion and Kratos. So, we have something for you to see."

"The ship's computer stores the video feeds and uploads them via our
satellite link to the company's server," said Paul. "I transferred this to
the laptop after I saw it." He played the file for them, which included an
audio track.

The video began just before Kratos arrived, and when he did, he walked
forward, fading into existence where he stood waiting. It recorded the
words he yelled to the bridge, Ronan joining him atop the containers, and
everything said between them. Then Ronan, with his face to the sky, shouted
to Zeus, but the moment the two men ran toward one another, three men faded
into view at the lower end of the image and watched the scene with great
interest.

Liam leaned in for a closer look. The video cut to a different camera angle
with a closer shot of the men as they stood near the superstructure. "Is
that who I think that is?"

Paul touched the space bar on the laptop to pause the video with the image
of the men.

"That is our question," said the captain.

The three of them had perfectly built, muscular bodies---as befitting
gods---dark hair with a beard, and none of them looked older than
thirty-five years old. One stood naked holding a trident; one wore only a
pair of what looked like black jeans and held a bident; the third one wore
a pair of white pull-on linen pants carrying a single-pointed staff.

Emma nodded. "They are exactly who you think they are."

"Kratos had me so busy," said Ronan, "I hadn't noticed them."

"Let's see the rest," said Liam.

Paul increased the volume of the laptop and continued the video. Ronan
dodged all that Kratos gave him, and they spoke only a moment. Rapidly,
Ronan had Kratos immobilized and jumped with him into the sky. On the
camera with the better view, the three men watched with their heads tipped
back, and a few moments later, a bright blue flash lit the sky and
illuminated the ship and the water around them.

The three men began speaking a language only Emma and Ronan could
understand, so Emma translated for them.

Poseidon turned to Zeus. "What am I supposed to see, brother?"

"That abomination can destroy a god," said Zeus.

Hades shrugged. "So what. Good for him."

"That abomination, as you call him," said Poseidon, "is our brother."

"He's no brother of mine," said Zeus.

"He is half Chiron," said Hades, "so he's our brother whether you like it
or not."

"He tricked me into setting Prometheus free. Chiron is supposed to be
dead."

"You called me away from my millennium marathon of coitus with Persephone
for some vendetta, is that it?"

"You saw how dangerous he is," said Zeus. "He will dethrone me; the word is
that Prometheus has seen it."

"Prometheus has remained in hiding since he created the first Stallion,"
said Poseidon. "He knew you would punish him after saving Chiron. So, you
don't know the source of that rumor."

"I only saw that foolish prick, Kratos," said Hades, "pick a fight with the
most powerful kid on the playground---who was just minding his own damn
business, might I add---and he paid for it with his life. Those who poke
their finger into the eye of a scorpion should expect to get stung. I don't
blame the Centaurian for his actions (I wouldn't put up with Kratos's
behavior either), but since you instigated it, Zeus, I do blame you. This
is the second one of us you've destroyed in your feeble attempt to kill the
Centaurian. He made his point clearly; if you leave HIM alone, he will
leave YOU alone, a sentiment upon which I wholeheartedly subscribe." Hades
shook his head emphatically. "I will not help you with a problem of your
own making." He stepped away and faded into nothingness.

"Nor will I," said Poseidon. "Hades is correct, entirely, and I have been
approached twice; the others have concerns over your growing
paranoia. Perhaps, it's time you retired."

"I will not," said Zeus, incensed over the idea.

"Over the ages," said Poseidon, "none of the Stallions have ever shown
malice. Generally, we have left them alone, and they have left us
alone. Incidentally, why did you ensure Aquila's birth?"

"I wanted future leverage," said Zeus, "in case it proved necessary."

"Oh, yes, of course." Poseidon rolled his eyes a little. "I suppose, I
should expect nothing better of you, but the Centaurian has more power than
you've realized---likely greater than your own. If you push him, he has the
power and the will to defend both himself and others, but he doesn't want
your throne."

"No, he doesn't want it; I think Prometheus does, and he will use the
Centaurian to get it."

"If he should dethrone you, I can only hope he will show you more mercy
than he just showed to Kratos. Let it go, brother." Poseidon heard the
people leaving the superstructure, saying no more, he stepped away and
vanished. Likewise, Zeus walked forward and disappeared as well.

Paul paused the video.

Liam turned to Ronan. "Why is Zeus so down on you?"

"Zeus never liked Chiron."

"Really?" asked Emma. "I never knew that."

"The evidence had lain before everyone to see. Chiron was immortal, so when
Heracles accidentally struck him with the poison arrow, rather than dying,
he would have lived a life of suffering, so he asked Zeus to trade his
immortality in exchange for letting Prometheus go. Zeus should have
released Prometheus long before then, but he never would, so this begs the
question, why would Zeus consider Chiron giving up his immortality a
sufficient price for letting Prometheus go? What sort of trade is that? Had
no one ever asked that question?"

Emma thought about it for a moment and shook her head. "I hadn't thought
about it before, but...now that you mention it."

Ronan continued, "Chiron was viewed mostly as a teacher, a tutor, and a
healer. And while the gods could appreciate his abilities along those
lines, Zeus never considered him his half-brother, and although Chiron was
a demigod, no one treated him as such. He was an outlier, an oddity. Chiron
knew how Zeus felt, but others felt kindlier toward him, and he was useful,
so Zeus tolerated his existence.

"If Zeus had denied Chiron's request, no matter how agonizing, he would
have remained. But Chiron never liked the way Zeus continually punished
Prometheus, so he offered to give Zeus what he really wanted---Chiron's
absence---in exchange for letting Prometheus go. Zeus agreed to his
proposal, putting on a show of taking pity on Chiron for his suffering, and
as a consolation, he gave Chiron a celestial equivalent to a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame with the constellation Centaurus. Some people like
to say that Zeus placed them among the stars, but they're not actually
there, are they? It's just representative. To my mind, it's no better than
some company giving a retiring employee their name on the company
plaque---which hangs on the wall of some obscure hallway---and a gold watch
before shoving them out the door."

Emma laughed to herself and placed her hand on Ronan's. "That sounds like
your humanity giving Chiron the voice he apparently couldn't find at the
time. I'm so pleased that he lives on within you. I had no idea about any
of that."

"Herr Stallion," said the captain, "as the one ultimately responsible for
this vessel and crew, I must ask. Has not the video indicated that we are
in danger?"

"That's a probability," said Ronan. "I offer you my apologies,
captain. Would you prefer that we left the ship?"

"Wouldn't that leave us vulnerable?" he asked.

Ronan closed his eyes and tipped his head. "Maybe, but we must leave when
we reach Genoa."

"Might Zeus sink the ship before we get there?" asked William.

"Don't give him any ideas," said Paul.

"Guaranteed, he has already thought of it," said Emma, "and he might try."

"What would that get him?" asked Liam.

"Apart from making me furious?" asked Ronan. "I don't know." He turned to
Emma. "Have you the ability to transport anyone?"

She shook her head. "I don't have that kind of power. I can move myself and
relatively small inanimate objects, but not anything as complex as a person
and nothing large. You probably can, however. That, and a lot more."

"I have little doubt that I can play the piano," said Ronan, "but that
wouldn't mean that I know how."

"How did you know how to use the eternal flame to destroy Kratos?" asked
Liam.

"The same way you know how to digest food."

"I don't know how to digest food; it's just something my body does."

"Exactly. I've only used my mostly internalized abilities, those aren't
much different than taking an intentional breath or flexing a muscle but
manifesting something external from myself or instantaneously transporting
something from one place to another, especially over a great distance is
something else entirely. I feel the power within me to do that and more,
but I don't know how it works."

"It's not much different," said Emma. "I could probably guide you a bit on
how to teleport. I wish I could show you how to manifest externally, but I
wouldn't know where to begin. It's something you will have to figure out on
your own. I will say this, however, once you've done one thing, you'll
quickly get the idea how it works, and the rest will come naturally."

"That's good to know." Ronan turned to the captain. "If Zeus should try to
sink the ship, at the moment, I don't know what I can do to stop him."

He remembered what Prometheus told him and a thought occurred to him. He
rewatched the video of the brothers, and although difficult to discern with
clarity, he observed them closely. Zeus and Hades never turned fully toward
the CCTV camera on the wall, but at one point, Poseidon looked directly
into its lens, and he seemed undeterred. "Perhaps, it's time you retired,"
he had said to Zeus.

"There's someone I need to speak to," said Ronan.

"Who?" asked Liam.

"I don't want to say just yet."

"Should I come with you?" he asked.

"I wish you could, but I think him more prone to show himself and speak
candidly if I were alone."

-------

Poseidon, the god of the oceans and seas, earth-shaker, storm-maker,
horse-pater, and middle brother to the major Olympians was not the god he
used to be, but few of them were, anymore. Humanity's abandonment of them
proved the best thing that could have happened to both humankind and the
gods. The gods, like the attention whores they were, had convinced humanity
that it needed them, but that could never have been true, any more than a
slave could really need their master, when the master, apparently, could do
nothing for themselves. Masters and gods become spoiled at great cost to
the ones spoiling them---whether that spoiling occurs by force or by
choice. Humanity lavished the gods with the attention they craved and felt
entitled to receive, in the form of worship, sacrifices, and adoration. The
supplication of the masses teeming with valid needs; however, the gods had
fulfilled on divine whims at no greater frequency than coincidence. One
only puts up with negative returns on earnest efforts for so long before
the inevitable questioning occurs, followed by a well-deserved desertion.

Most of the gods found their abandonment a humiliating and humbling
experience. Their golden age had come and gone, and with it, their
perceived importance, along with all that lovely attention used to bolster
their massive egos. In its absence, many of them became more introspective
and searched for a way to find some purpose for their
existence. Others---usually lesser gods---lived in denial that anything had
changed or had the grace to diminish in a divine melancholia from which
they seldom ever resurfaced, if at all.

Ronan could see the first traces of the sun peaking above the horizon as he
made his way toward the forecastle to call to Poseidon. Upon reaching the
forwardmost point of the ship in silence, he found Poseidon leaning naked
against the foremast enjoying the sunrise with his eyes closed. Within
reach, his glowing golden triton defied gravity in its unsupported vertical
position upon the deck.

Ronan hadn't immediately made his presence known; he simply studied
Poseidon's hairy and tan body for a moment. Droplets of water traced the
lines of his impressive musculature. It visibly dripped from his hair,
short beard, elbows, and generously sized genitals as it puddled around his
feet, discoloring the metal deck plating beneath him. He ran his fingers
through his tousled heartthrob hairstyle to keep it from his face and
crossed his arms. His overall appearance characterized a modern notion of
masculine handsomeness, rivaled only by Ronan himself. He sensed Poseidon's
mystique and could understand why he had had so many lovers of both sexes.

He opened his eyes and turned his head to gaze upon Ronan. "Have I met with
your approval?"

"You are far more handsome and different than I had imagined, you have body
hair, and your penis is certainly larger than I expected; so much classical
art tends to depict your body as hairless, and when they bother to show
your penis at all, it tends toward the diminutive. You don't mind that I
took a moment to admire you?"

"I've always been this size. The minuscule genitals in artworks are nothing
more than popular sculptors and painters placating some ridiculous cultural
notion of intellectualism, and when they have me draped in cloth, it's to
avoid encouraging pruriency among the viewing public."

"If they ever depicted you as you actually are," said Ronan, "they would
have plenty of pruriency among the viewing public. I found myself with a
few prurient thoughts myself."

Poseidon smiled. "Thank you. That means a lot to me coming from you. You'll
find that I am always naked. For the god of the ocean to wear clothing
makes about as much sense as a man wearing an overcoat in the shower. I
will admit, though, the body hair is new, it seems you've started a trend
among the gods. So no, I don't mind if you admired me; it only seems fair;
I've admired you since you met Henri Estalon, but I must say, you have
excellent taste in your appearance. I much prefer you this way, although
you look even better without the clothes."

"Knowing your blatant disregard for keeping a familial distance," said
Ronan, "I figured being one-quarter your brother wouldn't stop any
flirtations, but I must ask, `Aren't I a little old for you?'"

"Damn those ancient Hellenes and their proclivities. They merely ascribed
to the gods what they would have done, but I assure you, speaking for
myself, all my lovers were adults. Granted, one might even view a
twenty-year-old as a child compared to someone thousands of years old, but
still, the legal authorities of the age would consider them legal adults
today; so, no, you're not too old. As for the rest of you, the eternal
flame has you far removed from your biological origins, and mentally you're
three-quarters not my brother. Besides, I have an appreciation for
horses. I've been a stallion many times, and had several equine children,
two of whom were particularly famous."

"That all sounds strange to me."

He shrugged a little. "Meh...the life of a god." He held out his hand to
shake. "I believe you have the custom for this form of greeting."

Ronan stepped up and shook his hand.

"It's nice to finally meet you," said Poseidon.

"And not merely spy on me?"

"I spied in the most appreciative and respectful way possible."

"Oh, then you left when Liam and I had sex."

"Well, no, of course not."

Ronan's brows rose in surprise. "Would you watch and masturbate like some
peeping-tom?"

"Oh, don't make it sound so sordid."

"So, you did masturbate while we had sex? How is that respectful?"

"It's of the highest respect. One, I had never before had the compulsion,
and two, I'm a god; what greater compliments do you need?"

Ronan thought about it for a moment and realized they came from entirely
two different perspectives and decided not to press the point. "Oh, well,
in that case, thank you for bestowing the honor upon us."

"It was entirely my pleasure," he said.

"Yes, I dare say it was," said Ronan.

"I believe we have something to discuss," said Poseidon, "shall we get on
with it?"

"Would we not attract the attention of our paranoia-prone brother?"

Poseidon pointed to his trident. "I have us isolated from the outside
world. We are neither seen nor overheard."

"So, you can do that. As I suspected, you wanted the CCTV camera to see the
three of you."

He nodded. "You needed to see it firsthand. I even stopped the wind to
improve the sound quality. I hoped you would want to speak to me."

"But why now? Why not just come to me from the start?"

"I hadn't wanted to interfere with you and Liam; you need one another. This
little experiment of Prometheus has proven pure genius, but it has
succeeded because I helped you; I helped all the Stallions over the years,
especially during their crucial transition period. You're rather vulnerable
just then, and I've held everyone at bay who might have caused any of you
harm, and as for you, I paved the way from the island where Liam found you
to the hospital and all the way into his apartment, so he would have as
little difficulty as possible. I have done all this because the gods are
people too, and as someone who has vowed to help others, we need you."

"You started the rumor because you want me to dethrone Zeus."

"No, Athena started the rumor," he said, "but we don't WANT you to dethrone
Zeus, we NEED you to, and as the Temptations would say, `I ain't too proud
to beg,' if you should insist."

"You, Poseidon, would beg. You really are desperate. Has Zeus gotten that
bad?"

He took a deep breath and gave an awkward little laugh. "Firstly, I want
you to know that I loathe speaking ill of our brother; I honestly wish I
had no call to. Many of us were wilder in our younger years, doing terrible
things we shouldn't have, but the passage of time has tempered us---the
changes on Earth have affected the gods too---but while most of us have
matured to varying degrees, for some, maturity isn't enough. Based on a
fully developed concept of evil, some gods are evil by their nature, and
some, like Zeus, come to be that way. You haven't access to all of Chiron's
memories, have you?"

"No, I think a lot is missing."

"Zeus is the reason we won the Titanomachy, the war against the Titans. He
saved us from the belly of our beast of a father, he led the rebellion, and
then came ten years of war. The written descriptions of the war, as bad as
they sound, invariably gloss over the true horrors of it. When humans wage
war, it results in deaths, and as such, it deprives the enemy of
soldiers. The war of the gods included many mortal beings that fought
alongside the gods of their loyalty. Their enemies had slain most of the
mortals, but since gods don't die, and none could destroy us, how could the
gods wage war against one another? We get creative. To make someone give
up, pain, torture, and confinement are pretty much our only options, and
Zeus proved himself rather clever at it. Some of his punishments since the
war reflect what he had learned. He had Prometheus chained to a rock, where
he endured a never-ending cycle of an eagle tearing open his body to eat
his liver every day, only for it to grow back every night. The war taught
him that cruelty and malevolence would get him what he wants, and it
desensitized him to the suffering of others. As a result, Zeus is not good,
so he is not a good king, never was, never will be. He is a malevolent
tyrant, and his occasional displays of compassion and mercy are nothing
more than an attractive veneer intended to impress."

"Couldn't all of you ban together and remove him?"

"Apparently, you don't remember, but ages ago, Hera, Athena, and Apollo
sought my help to end Zeus's tyranny. At first, I refused them, but they
convinced me to go along with it. However, it would never have succeeded.

"What happened?"

"Zeus overpowered us. As punishment for our attempt to overthrow him, Zeus
tortured Hera. He used golden chains to hang her by her hands from the sky
with anvils attached to her feet and forced her to stare into the abyss; it
almost drove her mad. As his favorite child, he never punished Athena,
but---for a while---he stripped Apollo and me of our powers and sent us to
serve that con man, King Laomedon for wages. He tricked me into building
the walls of Troy by refusing payment."

"So, a scoundrel of the first water."

"A multifaceted and highly polished scoundrel. I learned he did it
frequently and once too often. After all that work, I was so angry with the
king, I sicced a sea monster on him, which of course, would have destroyed
the city and the creature would have eaten all who crossed his path. Some
fake oracle told them they could only appease the monster by the king
sacrificing his daughter to it. They often believed such nonsense back
then, and it wasn't true. She would just be an appetizer for the meal to
come. Heracles, who happened to be in the vicinity, offered to kill it for
a price and save the princess. Laomedon agreed to the price, so Heracles
killed the monster, but the king reneged on that deal too. Afterward,
Heracles, with the help of a squadron of warriors, promptly killed him for
it."

"Well, if Zeus can take away your powers," said Ronan, "what makes you
think I can dethrone him then?"

He stood straight and made a sexy rake of his fingers through his drying
hair. "What I will tell you, you must keep to yourself."

"Okay," he said, "you have my word."

"Do you know what an eternal flame actually is?" asked Poseidon.

Ronan shrugged a little. "Enchanted fire?"

"Not even close." He shook his head. "Energy is neither created nor
destroyed, so even an eternal flame must have a continuous source. The
flame is a remnant from the formation of our universe. It's a tiny
permanent leak from the failed universe adjacent to ours from where Chaos
broke free to create our universe.

"The one there is filled with nothing but a nearly inexhaustible amount of
creative energy that, for some reason, never expanded, but when it leaks
into the space of this already formed universe, it appears intensely bright
and produces heat, so we perceive it as a kind of fire, but it's just pure
creative energy with nothing to do."

"And I can tap into that leak."

"Yes," he said. "It's inside of you. It constantly creates what you are
through your will. It's why you're entirely self-sustaining. However,
there's more to it than that."

"And that is..."

"On our own, none of the gods were ever fully immortal. That was a
presumption from our having an extremely long lifespan."

"How can that be?"

"Because, at birth, our parents imbued us with a finite amount of that same
creative energy, and over our considerable lifetimes, we deplete it. I
couldn't say how long we would live with no external input---it could be a
million years. However, Ambrosia is a transmuted form of that same creative
energy. We all drink Ambrosia, so we keep adding energy to our reserves,
extending our lives and our ability to maintain our powers at their peak
level."

"I see. Speaking of that, why do I have Ambrosia for cum? Surely, that's
not where Ambrosia comes from. Where the other Stallions just the same?"

"I have no knowledge of the origins of Ambrosia. I have come to think that
we might find a hint in the fountain of youth story. But you must remember
that Henri had a son, so he couldn't have produced Ambrosia. I suspect that
Zeus had less to do with the creation of Aquila than it sounds or as much
as he prefers to take credit. Zeus often takes full or partial credit for
things in which he was not involved. He likes to claim credit for
instigating the creation of humanity, but regardless of the stories told
about it, he had nothing to do with it. He saw Prometheus' genius and
wanted a share of the accolades. And as Aletheia is the personification of
truth, Zeus likes to claim her as his daughter, but she isn't. I could go
on and on about that topic. On Henri's own---with just any woman---he could
never have had a child. So, what I think Zeus did was bring Henri's ideal
woman into his path and he into her's. It occurred the way Prometheus
brought you and Liam together. I think both you and Henri gave the one you
love---and to whom you have a special connection---exactly what they
wanted. Henri's wife wanted to have his child so badly, he subconsciously
manifested what he needed to make that happen."

Ronan remembered. "Liam expressed a concern about growing old, burdening
me, and a fear that I would leave him if he wasn't handsome anymore."

"So, you subconsciously manifested Ambrosia to solve the problem," said
Poseidon.

"If it is the same energy that gives the gods their power, then that would
mean-"

"Your Ambrosia has charged Liam with so much creative energy that, if
things continue---at some point---he could achieve godhood."

"Okay," said Ronan, "THAT I will need to discuss with Liam."

Poseidon nodded. "Agreed."

"So, how do you know all this?"

"Athena, the goddess of wisdom and knowledge, would only discuss her
dangerous insights with a rare few and in secret. We have discussed various
points on the nature of our power and how it relates to you. Here's why you
can dethrone Zeus. You are the creative energy in its purest form, and
through the leak, you receive a continuous supply of it. A god's powers
emanate from the same energy but it's several steps removed in purity from
yours, we can't hold as much as you do, and we can deplete ours."

"But I don't know how to wield it," said Ronan.

"Like all the rest of us, you can learn, and it's deceptively simple. I
suspect you would find little impossible for you; the problem would come
from your inability to effectively utilize your imagination and see beyond
your perceived limitations."

"So, imagination is important?"

"It's all-important. You cannot manifest what you cannot conceive."

"I see. So, why hasn't Zeus tried to take away my power as he did yours?"

"I suspect he tried that first, and his failure has caused him to fear you,
and the ease in which you destroyed Kratos has him worried. He was the
strongest, and not even Zeus can generate the heat necessary to vaporize a
god and convert their energy. A god's destruction results in an
instantaneous conversion of all their energy into an unstable form which is
the source of the explosion, or so Athena says. The more powerful the god,
the larger the explosion. Destroying Kratos required power beyond the
ability of any god that I know. I couldn't speak to how far your abilities
go. None of us are truly omnipotent, but you may be the closest to reach
it."

"The idea of having that kind of power scares me," said Ronan.

"Good," said Poseidon. "It would worry me if it didn't, but you asked me if
Zeus had gotten that bad. You've no need to just take my word for
it. Unlike with Zeus, you're welcome to question my veracity anytime you
like. That's something I've learned from Aletheia. If I'm honest, the truth
will stand on its own. So, believe your own eyes. Zeus refused to stop you
from destroying Kratos just to see if you could. He threw his life away, so
yes, he is that bad."

"I destroyed him without remorse," said Ronan, "so what does that make me?"

"Kratos was a rabid tiger and the strong arm of Zeus's tyranny. You gave
both Zeus and him an opportunity. You even told them what you would do if
they wouldn't back off. Those are not the actions of someone who is without
kindness, understanding, patience, or control. You destroyed him to protect
people. You did what you did because you care about others, but Zeus and
Kratos did what they did because they only care about themselves, and
therein lies the difference. You question yourself, Ronan, because you are
good; the people who aren't, wouldn't bother."

Ronan thought about that for a moment. "He never even called out to Zeus."

"Kratos would have viewed that as weakness," said Poseidon. "He swore long
ago that, if need be, he would die in Zeus's service, but in full
disclosure, he only swore that because Zeus insisted."

"That's terrible," said Ronan. "I couldn't imagine myself wanting anyone to
do such a thing."

"I know you don't want the throne," he said, "but you would make a
wonderful king."

"Speaking of that, if Zeus is deposed, who would take the throne?"

"If you dethroned him, then it would be you, but your power would be so
immense that you would have the authority to appoint a ruler if you
chose. I just ask that you not appoint me. I don't want it."

"Can I count on you?" he asked Poseidon.

"Once you have deposed Zeus, you will have my full and open support. Until
then, I will help you as best I can, but I cannot allow Zeus to see me
openly helping you. I hate to think what he would do to me if he knew."

"In whatever way you can help without jeopardizing your own welfare is all
I would ever ask. Who can I trust?"

"You can trust Prometheus, Dolos, Athena, Aletheia, and me. Other than we
few, I couldn't say, undoubtedly, you can trust more than those you can't,
but this isn't a topic open for discussion among the gods; we have no
intellectual freedom. To act as if we do would make us the target of Zeus's
cruelty."

"Olympus sounds like hell."

"Under a powerful malevolent tyrant, Olympus IS a beautiful hell."

"What would the gods prefer?"

"We must have a strong ruler, someone to answer to. The problem with Zeus
is not that he's a powerful monarch who punishes unruly behavior. We need a
powerful ruler willing to punish. The problem is that, among all the gods,
he's the one with no form of oversight. He has no one to answer to, and
that has turned him into a biased, capricious, unreasonable, and malevolent
tyrant who wields his power unevenly, unjustly, and with cruelty. Those are
the things that no one wants."

"Okay. I'll keep that in mind. Let's take this one thing at a time for
now. Do you think Zeus will try to sink the ship?"

"Kratos pointed out your fondness for the humans. I suspect he knew that
from Zeus. He attempted to use it to get to you, Zeus may try that too,
except with deadlier consequences. He could try to sink the ship and
far-"---he tipped his head, listening for a moment---"Do you hear that?"

"Vaguely."

"Zeus is also likely to send someone else after you. There are gods more
dangerous than Kratos, and one is coming. I must go." He grabbed his
trident and vanished as he hurried away.

At first, it started with a simple rhythmic beat of the
air. Whoosh... Whoosh... Whoosh... With time, it gained volume, but Ronan
couldn't discern its direction. With room to maneuver on the forecastle, he
jumped atop the shipping containers behind him. He wheeled around,
listening. The sound came from the direction of the sun. The moment Ronan
saw the dark-winged figure, he removed his shirt and manifested his giant
white wings. He glanced atop the superstructure to the ship's bridge. He
knew they watched, but the exterior had too much light to see anyone
inside.

When the winged god landed forty feet from him, Chiron's memories helped to
recognize the being as Thanatos, the personification of death. The ageless
and eternal entity rarely showed himself. He appeared as a young man,
perhaps eighteen years old at most, with a thick mop of dark hair atop his
head. He stood naked with his head held high, his wings extended, and his
lithe hairless body in a guarded stance, his hands on his hips.

"Hello, Centaurian," he said.

"Hello, Death. Taken a holiday, have you? Or like Kratos, has Zeus sent
you?"

"He asked me to look you over. He even asked me to take you if I could, but
I don't do those sorts of requests; I am Death, I have no loyalties, not
even to Zeus. However, since I wanted to meet you anyway, I told him I
would come and do what I could."

"...making no promises," said Ronan, "that's smart. If you just want to
meet me, why don't you come in for a cup of coffee and some apple cinnamon
strudel?"

"Are you actually inviting Death to dine with you?"

"Well," said Ronan, "I don't eat regular food, so you would dine while I
kept you company."

"It's not that sort of visit."

"Oh, I see. So, you're not really here to meet little ol' me then. How
disappointing."

"We must discuss Kratos. He didn't die, you destroyed him and denied me my
due. Having done so, you are intruding upon my territory."

"Aquila destroyed Kakia, have you already given HIM this speech?"

"Kakia used the Chronosian blade in the senseless destruction of a mortal
beloved by Eros, and in turn, Aquila destroyed her for it. Eros has asked
me to consider it justice served, and that I would do. Besides, he no
longer has the blade, and despite his status, one day he could be mine. You
can still destroy gods, and now---having stood in your presence---I sense
you permanently beyond my reach; you are not really alive in the
traditional sense and therefore incapable of dying."

"That's right. You can never have me, but I could destroy you, and do you
know what? I really hate that it boils down to a question of a god getting
their way---whether I like it or not---or me having to destroy them, just
so they would leave me alone. None of you can have me under your thumb; I
won't tolerate it."

"If you should destroy me," said Death, "no one would die ever again, and
that would be dangerous."

Ronan shook his head. "No, I'm not falling for it. Kratos was the divine
personification of strength. He's gone, and I can assure you that strength
still exists. Your mother is Nyx, the personification of night. If she
didn't exist, would the sun suddenly begin shining on the entire planet
simultaneously, or would half always remain in shadow? So, death exists
independent of you. Do you know why humans stopped believing in the gods?
Because they realized you weren't necessary, and yet, here you
are...superfluous...redundant...expendable even. No doubt, you have power,
but you're not invulnerable to me."

"That remains to be seen," said Death, "but you're not completely
invulnerable to me either, so I suggest we come to an arrangement."

"What sort of arrangement?"

"I ask that you leave me to my job and refrain from destroying any more
gods. In exchange for that, I will avoid anyone you designate off-limits."

"I see three problems with that," said Ronan. "One, it implies that I would
destroy gods for no valid reason like I'm stalking them for sport or
something. Two, if gods would leave me alone and not make threats on my
friends and loved ones, they've nothing to fear from me, so let's not
pretend they have no choice. And three, my friends and loved ones are
already off-limits, and I could view what you just said to me as a threat,
so back off. I will destroy anyone who touches them, so no deal. If you
feel the itch to tackle someone, come after me. You'll find me a
challenge. Have you ever seen what bad kids do to butterflies? You wouldn't
enjoy it. However, I will play just as fair with you as I had with
Kratos. You are welcome to leave now in peace, but YOU will be responsible
for what happens to you if you choose to stay. Give Zeus a message. I won't
put up with his shit. He has two choices, he can either leave me, my loved
ones, and friends alone, or he can lose his throne. The choice is his."
Death began to beat his wings and took to the air, but just before he left,
Ronan yelled to him, "And one last thing, Death, you visit me again at your
peril."

Death faced Ronan in the sky as he moved away as if he feared turning his
back on him. With Death in the distance, Ronan's wings burned away as he
picked up his shirt and returned to the superstructure.

"I don't get it," he said. "If Zeus thinks that I will dethrone him, why
does he keep poking me with a stick?"

He met his friends, including the captain and first mate on the bridge. The
first mate called them there to watch as Ronan spoke to the winged
man. Dolos---in the guise of Emma---immediately recognized his brother
Thanatos and told the others who he was.

"All the other Stallions kept their head down," said Emma, "and in doing
so, they appeared non-threatening. You've drawn attention to yourself. And
now, in believing you mean to dethrone him, you have challenged his
authority, but worse still, you've told him what he must do. If he
complies, then he's not the King-of-the-Gods, you are."

"Ugh...that's absurd," said Liam.

She shrugged a little. "He does what he wants, not what he's told."

"I've told him to leave me alone," said Ronan. "He's mistaken if he thinks
he has the right to harass anyone he wants just because he's Zeus."

"Herr Stallion," said Captain Stettler, and everyone turned his direction,
"I've heard the concerns of several crew members after last night. It seems
that some of the crew believe you present a danger. I have had time to
think on it, and it has occurred to me that if Zeus would try to sink the
ship, it would have a greater likelihood if you were aboard. It was bad
enough to have Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and Kratos here, but now we have had
a visit by Death. I have never believed in omens, but it doesn't bode
well. I think the time has come for you to leave the ship."

"Captain...," said William.

"No, William," he said, "I think it's best."

"I'm truly sorry it has gone this far, captain," said Ronan, "but I think
your first instinct was the right one. I ask that you not allow our recent
visitor to change your mind."

"You said if Zeus tried to sink the ship you weren't sure what you could do
about it."

"Yes, captain, but if I'm not here, I can do nothing."

"That assumes he would bother in your absence," said Captain Stettler. "Now
that you have access to more abilities, I need you to find a way off the
ship and go. This isn't just about the ship, it's about the crew's
livelihood. We need this vessel to complete its round. I will keep my word
and donate to the children's charity. I'm sorry it must be this way, but
it's settled. You should go as soon as you can accomplish it."

"I understand, captain." Ronan looked upon Liam, Emma, and William.

"Can you do that?" asked Liam.

"I better start learning how," he said and made to leave the bridge.

"I'll be there to help you as soon as I can," said Emma as he left.

With brows drawn in a severe angle, William broke his usual reserve,
"Captain, I believe you misunderstand the depth of the problem. They are
gods, and Zeus sounds irrational to me. To hurt Ronan, he could use any or
all of us at any time. The distance from him won't make a difference.

"If we take our chances either way, then as captain, I think we should take
our chances alone."

"This ship and its cargo can be replaced," said William, "our lives
cannot."

"If Ronan can do it," said Emma, "we will take anyone who wants to reach
land for safety."

"Encouraging people to abandon the ship in the middle of the voyage is
tantamount to inciting mutiny," said the captain.

"I couldn't say that any of the crew is willing to go," said William, "but
if Ronan leaves, I am not staying."

"You're the purser," said Paul, the first mate, "we need you."

"I am unwilling to take chances with my life. The captain has the legal
right to make decisions for this ship; he doesn't have the legal right to
make anyone stay. I have much respect for you captain, but this isn't the
Deutsche Marine; it's just a job. I was looking for a job when I found this
one; I can find another."

"What will we do without you?" asked the captain.

"That's up to you, captain, but if Ronan must leave, consider me resigned
as purser of this ship."

"Do you think to give me an ultimatum?"

"No, I merely exercise my right to leave based on your decision."

"I will refuse to let you back me into a corner. I will fire you."

William shook his head. "You mistake me. I know that when you've made up
your mind about something, you refuse to change it. Ronan was leaving no
matter what, so you can't fire me, I've already resigned."

"You're making a mistake," said the captain to William.

He gave that a moment's thought. "If I leave and I'm wrong about the ship,
good, I can live with being wrong, but I think your judgment in this matter
is faulty."

Emma left to help Ronan, and on return to Emma's cabin, Liam and William
met the attractive blond steward, Garit Bruckhauser, waiting outside the
door wearing his white smock.

"Is something wrong?" asked Liam.

"I wanted to speak to William. I know that Otto and Kurt apologized to you
this morning, and Frau Nordström returned them to normal. Gustav
asked me to tell you that he intends to apologize, but his duties have kept
him extremely busy this morning. I also wanted to tell her how much I
appreciate her having cursed them."

"Why is that?" Liam asked.

"I have worked aboard this ship for three years, and Gustav knows I've had
a serious crush on him, but he thought I only wanted his big dick, and
don't get me wrong, I love it, but he now knows that isn't the only
reason. We had talked before, but we have had in-depth discussions the last
three days. Gustav said the words `I'm gay' aloud last night for the first
time, and he admitted that when we complete a circuit and return to
Hamburg, he misses me when we don't see one another on our off days. He
also realizes what a jerk he has been."

"That's nice to hear," said William who began to pack. "If he wants to
apologize to me in front of Emma, he needs to do it before our passengers
leave today. I have resigned as purser, so I'm going with them. I'm unsure
when. It depends on how quickly Ronan can do it; it could take just a few
hours."

"Why have you quit?"

"Because when Thanatos showed up, the captain asked our friends to leave,
and I think the ship could be in danger if Ronan isn't here. I have no
guarantees of that, and admittedly, I could be entirely wrong, but we have
only this one life, so I'm taking no chances. I'm leaving."

"Well, I've always had respect for your intelligence, if you think the
chance of danger to the ship is enough to make YOU leave, then I'm not sure
I want to stay."

"Emma said anyone who wishes to leave with us may do so," said Liam.

"Don't leave without me," he said, "I will talk to Gustav and pack a bag."

-------

Emma found Ronan leaning against the railing overlooking the ocean on the
main deck outside the port-side hatch. She joined him, and he hadn't
acknowledged her presence before he started talking.

"Are you at all upset that I destroyed your cousin Kratos?"

"It wasn't personal," she said. "You hadn't destroyed him because he was my
cousin, or because he was a god; although his being a god forced you to
destroy him. He was a problem, and at the time, you hadn't used your
abilities, so you had limited means to deal with him. But that's not why
we're just standing here, is it? You have a fear of your power."

He turned to her. "How did you know?"

"The look on your face before you left the bridge. The captain is pushing
you before you're ready. And...because most anyone else would be so excited
about it that they would explore it as soon and as quickly as
possible. You've not even attempted to manifest anything external from
yourself, have you?"

He glanced downward. "No," he whispered sounding ashamed. "Have I
disappointed you?"

She gazed up at him and saw the evidence of his concern writ across his
face. She laid her hand on his cheek and stared into him for a
moment. "Here you are, probably the most powerful being in the universe,
and YOU worry that you've disappointed ME." She started to laugh but the
wetness of her eyes showed more than amusement and she hugged him. "How
wonderful you are."

Suddenly, they heard a series of unknown, heavy metallic sounds at an
extraordinary volume from the stern of the ship. TANK...TANK
TANK...TANK...TANK, and a BOOM accompanied by a rapid violent
earthquake-like shaking of the ship as Ronan ran into the
superstructure. The ship stopped, the general alarm sounded, smoke poured
from the hatchway from the bowels of the ship, and people began to run out
onto the deck. On his way to the bridge, he met the captain in the process
of evacuating the structure.

"What's happened?" Ronan asked in a hurry.

"We've been hit by a meteor shower; we watched them fall. The engine is
out, we're taking on water, and I don't know whether to blame you or not."

"There are men trapped in the engine room!" yelled a crewman from the floor
below.

A message came from the radio on the captain's shoulder. "Captain," said
the man, "the lifeboats are missing. I repeat, the lifeboats are missing."