Chapter 4: The Hidden History

With practiced ease, Tyche arrived at the temple. Her beautiful sisters swam over to welcome her, joyfully dancing in the water as they poured out their longing for their younger sister. Tyche was touched, and she took out brightly colored gems and robes woven from mist to present to her sisters. She had discovered these gems while spreading fog across the earth and had especially prepared them as gifts for her mother and sisters.

Surrounded by the Oceanid nymphs, she came before the sea goddess. The goddess lovingly stroked Tyche’s cheek, sensing the spark of divinity in her daughter and showing visible pride on her face.
“My beautiful daughter, goddess who brings prosperous currents to the sea, waterborne messenger who commands the clouds and mists—you are our pride!”

Tyche, a little shy, replied:
“Salutations to you, my great mother!”
As she spoke, she produced a crown, crafted from crystal and inlaid with pure green gemstones. The splendid crown magnified Thetis’s majesty. The goddess was overjoyed, praising her daughter’s craftsmanship. Tyche then undid the clasp that linked the crown together, and it transformed into a necklace. This marvelous change left the goddesses astonished. Thetis even remarked that Tyche might one day earn a divine office in the arts.

Seeing that her mother was in high spirits, Tyche took the chance to ask about the gods’ preferences:
“My revered mother, when I was fulfilling my duties on earth, I met Prometheus. He delivered an invitation on behalf of King Kronos, inviting us to a banquet. Will you attend?”

The delighted goddess, still admiring the necklace, casually replied:
“All the gods will be there. You will also be able to see your father and your sisters.”

Tyche pressed further:
“My father, the great Oceanus, what gift would please him?”
The goddess set the necklace aside and pondered:
“Your divine office already adds luster to him. Fulfilling your duties well is the best gift you could give.”

“But since this is your first time attending the gods’ banquet,” she added, “you should also prepare gifts for the Mother Earth, Gaia, and for Queen Rhea.”

Tyche nodded.
“I understand, Mother. Would the Earth Mother and the Queen like gemstone ornaments?”

Thetis’s expression grew solemn.
“The Earth Mother is the earth itself—gold, silver, and gems mean nothing to her. A robe woven from mist would be the most suitable gift.”

“As for Rhea…” Thetis sighed.
“She no longer cares for such gifts.”

Tyche understood. It was because of the curse laid upon the first king of gods—that the second generation of kings, too, would be overthrown by their own children. This thought filled her with urgency; soon, another war of the gods would erupt. The gods tied to the world’s foundations were indispensable. If any god fell, the divine office they governed would be lost forever. That would be an irreparable wound to the world. Since Chaos, the primordial void, had created the cosmos, no deity who embodied a primordial power had ever truly perished. Even Uranus, dethroned as king of the gods, still reigned as the god of the sky—though rejected by the earth and unable to draw near, he could only slumber high above.

“Does the Earth Mother have other brothers and sisters? I’ve never seen any gods beyond those of her line!” Tyche asked curiously, faintly recalling that Gaia had siblings.

Thetis smiled, wrapping an arm around Tyche’s shoulders.
“At the dawn of the world, there was nothing but Chaos, and Chaos had no form. When streams of energy from the chaotic sea merged into Chaos’s body, the primordial gods were born. The eldest was Gaia, the Earth Mother, the only primordial with a physical form—she became the foundation of the world. Next came Tartarus, embodiment of the Abyss. His appearance separated the earth from chaos; the abyss gnawed at the earth, fixing it in place. Then came Erebus, god of darkness, and Nyx, goddess of night. They were both halves of the same darkness, and upon appearing, they sought to merge again. Their entanglement enveloped the earth. From their union was born primordial Eros, god of desire, who dwelled within the hearts of gods. Eros’s power then gave rise to Aether, god of the upper air, whose presence shielded the earth from the abyss. Finally, Hemera, goddess of daylight, was born, bringing light between darkness and earth.”

She paused, then continued:
“Under the protection of the gods, Gaia bore Uranus, god of the sky, and Pontus, the primordial sea god. Their coming stabilized the world, forming the three realms of heaven, sea, and underworld. Later, Uranus and Gaia gave birth to the twelve Titans, among them your father and me.”

Seeing how enraptured her daughters were, Thetis smiled with satisfaction. She clapped her hands to rouse them and said to Tyche:
“My daughter, go prepare your gifts. Your sister, wise Metis, will guide you on the path to Mount Othrys.”

After bidding farewell to her mother and sisters, Tyche rode the ocean currents back to the sea’s surface. Shoals of fish swam beside her, escorting the goddess to a warm bay. Setting foot on the sunlit sands, Tyche summoned mist to weave into pure white cloth. She crafted a crown of flowers and green leaves, adorning it with ripe red fruits. Nodding in satisfaction, Tyche returned to her work of shaping the clouds.