The Keeper

Chapter One: Exile

The sound of laughter rolled across the Garden of the Hesperides, the sound of children at play. In the twilight-caked garden, Aegle chased Erytheia through the flowers, their dark hair flowing behind them. Hesperia was doing cartwheels across the silvery grass, while Arethusa and Zoe were braiding each other's hair, mixing pretty flowers with their hair.

Watching them, Agon smiled to himself. His little sisters were certainly gifted when it came to having fun, and he couldn't fault them. Glancing up the mountain, he could see where the sky descended to meet the earth, where his father was imprisoned.

The Great War, as it was called, had been over for nearly a month, and the gods of Olympus had won. From the safety of their garden, the Hesperides and the Keeper had watched their father, the Titan Atlas, be dragged to the summit in chains. They heard his bellows of outrage when he was forced to hold the sky in place of their grandfather and granduncles; Iapetus, Koios, Krios, and Hyperion. Their other granduncle Kronos had been obliterated by Zeus, the upstart king of the gods.

During the war, his sisters had been fearful and worried, and had looked to him for support.

"What will happen, brother?" they would ask. "What will Father do?"

He would placate them with a comforting smile and a kiss on the forehead. "Calm yourselves, sisters," he would say back. "Our father and Granduncle Kronos know what they are doing. These new gods are young and inexperienced; they will soon fall."

They would let out a collective sigh and go back to whatever game they had been playing, and Agon would go back to his duty: guarding the Garden. It was a sacred place to the Titans—a place untouched by time or decay that had been granted to the Titan Atlas for his unwavering loyalty to Kronos. The children of Atlas had lived there too, though their mother Pleione rarely visited.

It had been she who tasked Agon with keeping the Garden when his father was not around; a task that the young Titan had accepted with full devotion, much to the shame of his father.

Atlas was proud and wanted a son who would join him on his conquests and learn the art of battle at his knee, but Agon had been a disappointment in that regard; instead choosing to tend to his duty and maintain watch over his sisters. As a result of this, the two were never very close, though Agon did feel a pang of pity whenever he heard the great general cursing from his mountain.

Something poking at his hand broke him out of his thoughts. A tiny, coppery lizard was wiggling its way under his palm, its many heads slithering and hissing at each other as they each tried to get comfortable.

"Hello, Ladon," Agon cooed, lightly dragging his forefinger under one of the tiny dragon's many heads.* Agon had found it a few months ago, and had bonded with the tiny lizard instantly. When his sisters had seen it, they had been horrified.

"Ew!" Aegle had cried, hiding behind Arethusa. "Get it away!"

"Why?" Agon had asked, smiling. "I think he's cute."

"That thing is not cute," Arethusa said. "It's a disgusting lizard."

Agon gasped in mock horror. "Sister, how could you? One day this magnificent little thing will be big enough to guard this whole garden by himself," he had said.

Zoe, the youngest, had said, "But why would we need that to guard us? What about you?" That seemed to catch everyone's attention.

"Not to worry, sister," Agon had said with a wave of his hand. "Ladon here will help me." He held it out to her. "Come, feel."

She had crept forward cautiously. When she ran a finger over his scales, he cooed and nuzzled her. Zoe erupted into giggles. "Ewwww—he's slimy."

The other Hesperides had taken to the lizard not too long afterward, though they still kept their distance.

"Agon," someone called, "come play with us!" It was Erytheia, smiling her widest smile, who had said it.

Agon smiled, but said, "I can't, girls. You keep playing."

Aegle let out a loud sigh. "But you never play with us!"

"I promise I will soon, but not now. Okay?"

"Fiiine."

Agon laughed and closed his eyes, letting the sounds of laughter and patting feet roll over him. He let out a content sigh and felt Ladon curl up into a ball under him. His rest was interrupted by someone softly clearing their throat.

Zoe stood in front of him, holding something behind her back. "I…uh…I made this for you." She held out her hands and showed him what she was hiding: a crown made of roses, dihalides, and tulips.

"For me?" he asked, holding out a hand to take it.

"Mm-hmm."

"It's beautiful," he said, taking it gently. "It's—" He stopped suddenly, an uneasy feeling washing over him. Above him, the protective aura that sealed the Garden flickered and faded.

Someone's here, he thought.

"Agon?" Zoe asked, concern evident in her voice. The others had noticed as well. "Brother?" Arethusa said. "What's wrong?"

"Get inside, now," Agon said, getting to his feet and pulling Zoe toward the small cabin they used as a home. "Now!" he said when they lagged behind.

He kicked the wooden door open and herded the Hesperides inside. "What's happening? Is everything okay? Why are we here?" they all asked at once.

"I don't know," he said, pushing one of the two beds (one for him, one for them) aside, "but I need you to do as I say. Get under the floorboards." He opened the small hatch that led to a small room under the house.

"But you said—"

"It doesn't matter what I said before, now get in!" One by one he lowered them down until only Zoe remained.

"But I want to help!" she said.

"You can't," he said, lifting her up and putting her in Arethusa's arms. "Stay down here, no matter what you here. Until I come back, stay quiet."

"Ago—" Zoe tried to say, until she was cut off by the hatch closing. Agon pushed the bed back into place so that it was impossible to tell anything was amiss. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the cabin to face the intruder.

Dressed in a white robe that was tied at the waist by a golden thread and thrown over one shoulder, golden armbands and leather sandals, his black hair flowing freely in the wind, the king of the gods looked every bit intimidating and hardy as he wanted.**

Agon wasn't impressed. Titans often showed off with powerful regalia and impressive tricks; this wasn't new to the Keeper.

They met in the center of the Garden, with dark gray clouds rumbling with thunder overhead. They stopped five feet apart and regarded each other intently for a moment.

"Lord Zeus," Agon said.

"Keeper," the god said back. "I looked for you on Mount Othrys."

"I wasn't there. I had a duty to uphold."

Zeus looked around. "Keeping track of what"—he waved his hand—"some gods forsaken garden?"

"Better than waging war."

The god smiled, but not warmly. "Speaking of war, I don't recall you siding with us."

"I didn't side with the Titans either. My job is to be Keeper to the Garden of the Hesperides, not fight in my father's war."

"And yet you never declared yourself neutral. Let's see, if you don't join me, and you aren't neutral, then it must be that you're my enemy."

Agon's jaw tightened. "My quarrel isn't with you, boy. Leave this place; your mere presence contaminates it."

The god pointed. "Yeah, that isn't gonna happen. You see, any hostile Titans need to be rounded up and imprisoned. Can't have you lot messing with the new world order, y'know? So why don't you and I just take a little walk down to the Underworld? I hear Tartarus is lovely this time of year."

"I won't say it again, boy. Leave." He gave the boy king a little shove.

Zeus smiled and flexed his neck. "Okay—my turn." He struck fast, dealing a swift uppercut to Agon's chin, sending the Titan flying into the air, only to land with a shake into a newly formed crater.

Climbing out of the hole he had created, Agon stretched his arms, more annoyed than hurt. "If it's gonna be like that…" He struck next, punching the god of the skies across the Garden.

"Oh, I've been waiting for this!" Zeus cried, electricity dancing across his arms. He opened his palms, and a torrent of white lighting shot at Agon, who managed to slide out of the way. "Leave. My. Home," he shouted, running at Zeus, who ran to meet him.

Their colliding created a tremor that shook the whole mountain. The god and Titan came together in a rush of blows, fighting fist on fist. Zeus was quicker, but Agon was more experienced, so the fight was almost even.

Round and round they went. Zeus would surge forward, using the winds to increase his speed. Agon would roll out of the way, then charge at the god. Agon would advance, only to be kept at bay by bolts of lightning called down by the Lord of the Sky. Once or twice he would get a lucky hit in, only for Zeus to land a strong blow on his head, chest, or legs.

After a particularly brutal blow to the head, Zeus snarled, "Enough," and grabbed Agon, throwing him into the air, landing him on the roof of the cabin. A second later, Zeus's foot collided with Agon's stomach, creating a hole in the roof.

"I wonder why there are two beds in there," Zeus said, smiling.

Agon, in a moment of protective fury, wrenched the god off of his feet and threw him onto the cabin. Zeus used the momentum to reverse their positions, only for Agon to grab him by the arms and throw him onto his back. He closed both fists and swung down hard, drawing golden ichor from the great king of the gods.

"LEAVE! MY! HOME!" Agon shouted, hitting the god so hard they fell through the roof of the cabin. Zeus recovered quickly, locking his arms around Agon's waist and flipping him backwards, then kicking him for good measure.

"I wonder," Zeus said, "who you've got hidden away in there. Maybe I'll have myself a looksee."

Agon let out a roar of rage and ran at the god, picking him up and carrying him through trees, rocks, and even a portion of the mountain. Zeus gave him a hardy headbutt that forced Agon to drop him.

Zeus threw a punch, which Agon caught, and when Agon threw a punch, Zeus caught it. They grappled for several seconds until they managed to find their footing. "If you come with me now," Zeus said as the mountain around them began to shake from their feet sliding backwards across the plates of the rock; entire chunks of the mountain were sliding out of place now, falling to the ground below and breaking apart, "I'll let whoever's in that cabin go free."

"Leave them alone!" Agon tackled Zeus to the ground and began to violently beat him, drawing more and more blood. When Zeus tried to counter, Agon slammed their heads together. Soon Zeus was as golden as the sun, and Agon wasn't much better; he had cuts, bruises, wounds, and lacerations all over his body, and he could have sworn a rub or two was broken.

A bright light began to come from under Zeus's skin. "You have made a grievous mistake," the king promised. "I'll return tomorrow, with the full power of Olympus behind me." There was a blinding white light, and when Agon opened his eyes, Zeus was gone.

He rose to his feet shakily, body working to heal his wounds. The cabin looked largely untouched, save the hole in the ceiling and some debris on the floor, which could easily be fixed. Shoving aside the bed and opening the hatch, Agon found the five Hesperides huddled together, shaking.

"Agon?" Aegle asked quietly when she saw him. "What's happening?"

Agon managed a smile. "Nothing. We're safe."

For now.

-o-

Even though it was always twilight in the Garden, the Hesperides were still children, and they still needed sleep, especially after the long day they had had. As he lifted each of them into their large bed, gave them a kiss on the forehead, and tucked them in, he said a silent prayer to whatever higher power might be listening. Keep them safe, it went. Keep them happy. Keep them together.

"Brother?" Aegle mumbled.

"Yes?" Agon said, softly.

"Are we safe?"

Agon patted her back gently. "Yes," he said. "I promise. The bad man won't come back, I swear it."

She smiled. "Good. Good night."

"Good night, little one," he said, dousing the lamp that hung from the ceiling.

Stepping out of the cabin, Agon took a moment to ponder whether or not he was making the right choice. Would the little ones be okay? How would Ladon feel? Could he even leave? He shook his head. I'll find out soon enough. He began to walk down the path to the base of the mountain where the fog ended. He had taken twenty steps when a twig snapped behind him.

Turning, he saw Zoe standing there, clutching her clothes. "Brother?" There were tears in her eyes.

"Go back to sleep now, little one."

She shook her head. "Not until you come with me."

Agon ran a hand through his hair. "I can't do that, Zoe."

"Why not?"

"I…I have to go."

"No!" She ran at him and hugged his waist. "You can't go," she said, voice shaky.

"I don't have a choice," he said. "If I stay, Zeus—"

"I don't care about Zeus!" Zoe wailed. "Stay, please!

Agon pulled her back and crouched down. "I can't, little one. If I do, you and your sisters will be in danger."

"But—"

"I have to go. I'm sorry. I really am."

"B-But what about the Garden? Who will be its Keeper?"

Agon swallowed. "You."

"Me?" she asked, shocked.

"You." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Zoe, I need you to take good care of your sisters. Think you can do that?"

"I…I don't know."

"Here." Agon reached into his trousers and pulled out a tiny hair pin and held it in his hand. Immediately, it transformed into a long, bronze sword.

"Woah," Zoe said.

"This blade is called Anaklusmos. Do you know what that means?"

"Um…" She thought for a minute. "…Riptide?"

"Very good!" The sword shifted back into pin form and Agon tucked it into her hair. "It was your mother's. She gave it to me when I became Keeper, and now I'm giving it to you. Stay safe, Zoe, and stay strong. Okay?"

"Mm-hmm."

He gave her one last kiss on the forehead. "Stay safe, my little nightshade." She giggled at the nickname. The nightshade was beautiful, yet dangerous, such as befitting a daughter of Atlas. "Remember your duty," he said.

"Always," she said.

"Good. Go back to bed, little sister."

He was nearly at the base of the mountain when she called out. "Will I ever see you again?"

He turned to look at her and winked. "Count on it."

Then he was gone.

-o-

He wasn't going to make it.

There was nowhere to go. Zeus's forces would be on him soon, he knew it. He had tried to put up a good fight, give them a long chase, but it hadn't worked. The gods would be upon him soon, and then he would be trapped within the Pit forever.

He sighed and readied himself. He was standing in a large field, a light blue river running through it. The moon was overhead, and the air was fresh and cool. An owl hooted above him, and two crickets chirped in the grass.

This is a good place to die, he decided. One last stand.

Just then, a silky laugh echoed across the land. "Oh, my boy, you've no hope of escaping."

Turning, Agon saw that the speaker was Nyx, primordial of night, daughter of Chaos, wife to Erebos, who ruled over darkness. She was dressed in a dark dress that swirled with stars and quasars. Her eyes were milk-white, and she had night-black feathery wings that were tucked neatly at her back.

Most immortals would be fearful, but Agon just rolled his eyes. "Why are you here, Mother?"***

Nyx ran her fingers through his hair, scraping out any twigs and leaves that might have been left from his escape through the forests. "Zeus's dogs will be on you soon."

"I'm aware."

"Are you certain? Because if you were, you wouldn't have fled from the garden. You would be safe there."

"Zeus would harm my sisters."

Nyx rolled her eyes. "Oh, so what if he did? They're the daughters of some minor goddess, nothing of concern to you."

Agon's teeth clenched. "You are wrong, Mother. They are everything to me."

She scoffed. "Please, let's not get into this again. Anyway, I have no intention of watching Zeus get his grubby hands on my little baby, so I'll give you an out."

Agon bristled. "For the last time, Mother, I will not live with you."

She pouted. "Why not? Are you ashamed of your mother?"

"Yes."

"Oh, you're mean. You're lucky you're cute." She leaned in and kissed his forehead, causing him to blush redder than a tomato. "Very well, if you insist. Luckily, I've arranged another place for you to stay." She snapped her fingers.

Before he could do so much a blink, a voice said, "You've seen better days."

Whirling, Agon found himself face-to-face with the oldest Olympian. "Hades."

Dressed in all black robes, the Lord of the Underworld nodded. "That's me."

"Come to take me in, Olympian?"

Hades bristled. "Don't call me that. My siblings evicted me from Olympus simply because they feared me, much the same they did to you."

Agon's jaw tightened. "Difference is my family actually loves me."

"And you can never return to them. Sad to say, I know, but the truth. If you have a death wish, then by all means stay, but if you'd like to do some good, join me." He held his hand out.

"Why?" asked Agon.

"You chose duty over family," Hades explained.

Nyx rolled her eyes.

"In the war," Hades continued, "you did your duty, even though your father fought a losing battle. You remained true to your vow. I have use of such oath-keepers in my line of work." He glanced behind the Titan. "Lady Nyx was also very convincing. Come with me, and I can provide you safety."

Agon thought about it. "Swear it."

Hades rolled his eyes. "Very well. I swear upon the River Styx to grant Agon, son of Atlas, safe dominion in the Underworld." Thunder rumbled overhead, signifying the oath. "There, happy?"

Agon nodded. "Extremely. Now, let's go."

Hades nodded. "Agreed. I'd hate to have to meet my brothers like this."

"Good luck, my love," Nyx said, giving Agon a kiss on each cheek and a hug too. "Remember, my door is always open should you need a place to stay."

Agon swallowed and hugged her back. "Thank you, Mother." Pulling away, Agon took Hades' hand, and together, they disappeared.

* Agon found Ladon as a baby and has been partially raising him, hence his small size.

** Since this is a younger Zeus who's just defeated the Titans and taken control of the universe, I imagine he's a little cocky and headstrong, hence his seemingly OOC behavior. He's also still learning to control his powers, which is why he didn't just obliterate Agon immediately.

*** In some versions of the myth, the Hesperides were the children of Nyx, not Pleione. Even though they are the daughters of Pleione in the books, I decided to make Agon Nyx's kid, which will justify why he's so powerful and why Hades would help him.

A/N: Okay everyone, tell me what you thought. Good? Bad? Keep going? Stop? Please tell me. Favorite to tell me if this story is good, and follow to be alerted to my updates.