Years passed. Not long after the exile of Jason, King Kevin passed away, pining for his beloved son. As the King had agreed, Mark took the throne, and worked as hard as King as he had as a Prince. He bred horses that could breathe the stifling air of Phokis, and sacrificed a great many to Athene as a token of his gratitude. In addition, Mark married a beautiful noblewoman, and fathered two sons of his own. He was a just ruler, and well loved by his people.As time elapsed, Mark began to dismiss the prophecy that hung over his head. His father, whom the Oracle had predicted would be responsible for his death, was now dead himself, and not much missed by Mark. His brother Jason had been missing for years, and although Mark did not like to dwell on the fact, was likely to have also met his death. There was little chance of the boy returning to claim his throne.
But the Gods had not forgotten their promises. The childless King Gerald had adopted Jason as his own when he arrived as a refugee on Titanos, and Zeus watched as the exiled prince blossomed into strong and noble young man. The time had come for him to fulfil his destiny. Zeus called a conference of the gods. "This man Jason has suffered great wrongs at the hand of his brother," he declared. "We must now tell him to raise an army and return to Phokis to exact his revenge."
There was a general murmur of assent. Only Athene looked doubtful.
"Father, are you determined to humiliate me in front of my mortal subjects? It was I who advised King Mark to cast Jason into exile, and since then he has made many very satisfactory offerings and sacrifices to me. He is a good King. If Jason suddenly returns home to crush him, it will reflect badly on my divine authority."
"Perhaps you should have considered that before defying me and interfering with fate, Pallas Athene," Zeus scolded. "The will of Zeus will be done. Now, I must appear before Jason and tell him of his destiny."
As he had promised, Zeus presented himself to Jason."Jason of Phokis, I am Zeus," he announced. Jason prostrated himself before the King of the gods.
"My child, you were once a Prince of Phokis, but your envious brother cast you out. Your father is now dead, and Mark has taken the throne. Does this not enrage you? The prophecy of Apollo stated that you were destined to be King. You must now return to Phokis and fulfil that prophecy. There is no alternative."
"Merciful Father Zeus," Jason replied. "I have forgiven my brother for his wicked deed. I was my father's favourite, and perhaps I frustrated Mark by my idleness. Though it grieves me to learn of my father's death, I am happy here on Titanos with King Gerald, and have no wish to wage war on my homeland."
"Wretch!" exclaimed Zeus, "what kind of word has escaped your teeth's barrier? Of course you wish to have your revenge. It is the will of Zeus. You will raise the army of which I spoke, or I will smite your beloved Titanos with all the thunderbolts that heaven can provide."
Jason was persuaded by Zeus's reasonable words.
"In the meantime," continued the god, "I shall send an omen to your scheming brother."
With that, he lifted the shuttle that had once carried Jason aloft, and hurled it back through space to the planet Phokis, where it crashed into the desert soil.
Not long afterwards, one of King Mark's men reported the discovery of a smouldering wreckage not far from the palace. Mark went to investigate the scene, accompanied by Alan, his father's loyal confidant.What he saw there brought bile into his throat. He immediately recognised the rocket that he had launched all those years ago. Gasping for breath, he wrenched open the door. It was empty.
Alan, too, was stunned. Was it possible that Jason was still alive and planning his return to Phokis? The deadly request of King Kevin rose from his memory like a savage leviathan from the deep. If Jason returned, he was duty-bound to end Mark's life.
"The return of this rocket is surely a sign from the gods," said Mark. "O, merciful Athene, make your intention clear."
But Athene remained strangely silent.
Shaken, Mark made his second journey to visit the oracle. He reasoned that there must be some further information to be gained regarding his future.The priestess fell into her trance and Apollo channelled his voice through her once more. "The winds of fate are blowing against you. You will make an enemy of Zeus, your brother will usurp you, and you are destined to die by the hand of your father."
The prediction was unchanged.
"But priestess," Mark protested, "my father is dead. How is it possible that he will kill me?"
"The Oracle is never wrong, my Lord. Is it possible that your father is not the man you supposed?"
Mark's troubled mind was flung further into turmoil by this suggestion.
Desperate to settle the issue of his parentage, Mark confronted his mother."Kevin took me from Titanos less than a year before you were born," confessed Hermione, tearfully. "Before that, I was the mistress of King Gerald. It is possible that Gerald is your father. But no! You are surely Kevin's son; you have his likeness, his noble virtue. You must not be disturbed by gossip, my darling."
"This gossip comes from the gods, Mother," replied Mark. "All those years that Father shunned me, he did so because he knew I was the son of another man; a man who is now destined to bring about my death. This is extremely vexing."
Athene listened to this conversation with interest. If Mark could be convinced that Gerald was indeed his father, and that he posed a threat to Mark's life, it would not be difficult to persuade him to attack Gerald pre-emptively. If Gerald could be killed, Jason's army would lose its leader and Mark might be able to fight them off and retain his throne. That would frustrate Zeus's plans, and teach him some respect for Athene's tactical thinking. She quickly darted down to speak with Mark."Flashing-eyed Athene!" gasped Mark. "I am glad to see you; I am most desirous of your counsel."
"You have heard, then, that your true father is King Gerald of Titanos?" Athene fibbed.
"I had heard rumours, goddess; only now have you stamped them with the mark of truth."
"You must destroy him, Noble King. Even as we speak, he is leading an army to Phokis to overthrow your power. Strike him down at the earliest opportunity."
Mark did not have to wait long for his chance. The ships of Titanos soon assembled above the atmosphere of Phokis, and in accordance with the rules of engagement, King Gerald requested a formal meeting with King Kevin to declare war officially.As Gerald turned to leave, Mark thrust his dagger deep into his ribcage.
"I am murdered," Gerald announced.
"Indeed so, Father," agreed Mark. "Now you will never have the chance to murder me, as the prophecy predicts."
"I am not your father, Mark," gasped the ailing King. "My seed is as barren as the cracked deserts of this cursed planet." These were his final words before the sleep of death closed over his eyes.
"Curse you, Pallas Athene!" cried Mark, for the goddess had indeed deceived him.
Athene was stung by the words of her once-loyal supplicant, but she was determined to proceed with her plan to undermine Zeus. She lifted the stricken corpse of Gerald from its resting place and brought it before Jason and the army of Titanos."Behold, warriors of Titanos," she cried. "Your leader has fallen to the might of King Kevin. This is a sign from the gods that your mission is doomed to failure. Retreat while the life force still surges within you."
At that moment, a brilliant streak of electricity pierced the sky. Zeus appeared before the awe-struck soldiers.
"Daughter Athene, your insubordination has gone too far. You should never have doubted my superior power." So saying, Zeus flung his daughter effortlessly back to the heights of Olympos.
"Now, noble Jason," he continued, "you must continue this battle and fulfil the will of Zeus."
Until this point, Jason had been reluctant to enter the battle, but now he stood before the men and gave a great war cry.
"Gerald was like a father to me; he raised me as the son he never had when I arrived as a stranger on his planet. Now I discover that my brother has murdered him in the most ignoble circumstances. Men, we will avenge our king, and I will personally ensure that King Mark pays for his cowardly bloody deed."
A great cheer rose from the heroic army of Titanos. Jason removed the pitch black helmet from the fallen Gerald and placed it on his own head.
The battle raged. Jason chopped his way through the battlefield until he came face-to-face with the man he recognised as his brother. Hidden beneath the opaque visor of Gerald, he knew he would be unrecognisable to Mark. Bent on revenge, Jason charged at the King with a deadly passion.But Mark had always been the more skilful of the siblings. He deftly deflected Jason's attack, and threw him to the dust.
"Who are you, soldier, who would dare to attack the monarch?" Mark demanded, pointing his blade into Jason's chest.
Jason pulled his visor open. "Do you recognise me now, O, glorious King of Phokis?" he asked. "I am the brother you flushed into space to service your own grasping ambition. I was prepared to forgive you for that. But not content with separating me from my own dear father as a boy, now you have cut down the man who nurtured me through all my years of exile. Kill me if you will, but the gods will avenge me, mark my words."
"I have come too far along the tragic road of fate to allow you to live, Jason," said Mark, with steel in his voice; "I must not allow the prophecy to be fulfilled." He raised his sword to deliver the final cut.
Jason closed his eyes against the vision of oncoming death. After a few moments, he opened them to see that Mark had fallen to his knees, and was clutching his chest in mortal agony. Behind the King, a stranger withdrew a blood-stained dagger from Mark's back."Athene..." Mark gasped, shocked by his untimely demise, "Athene led me into all my sins. Forgive me, brother."
"It pains me to deliver the mortal blow to a good King," said Alan, for it was he who bore the regicidal blade, "but we must all take responsibility for our actions as men, and not seek to cower behind the seductive charms of the gods."
"Alan..." uttered Mark, feebly. "Why?"
Alan produced the document that the late King Kevin had given to him years ago. He slit the envelope open using his murder weapon, soaking the envelope in Mark's freshly spilt blood.
"It was your father's wish that you should be killed if Jason ever returned to Phokis." He held the letter before Mark's dimming eyes. "Here, it is written in his own hand."
"Killed by my father's hand," Mark whispered. "Then the prophecy was true, if ambiguously phrased."
Kind-hearted Jason grasped his brother's knees, sending forth oaths to duplicitous Athene. But Mark's body was inert with death.
And thus peace-loving Jason ascended to the throne of Phokis. Since King Gerald had died with no sons, he had bequeathed the title of King of Titanos to Jason, the boy he had rescued and raised from childhood. Jason united the two warring planets in a new age of cordial relations, and destiny was fulfilled.The gods themselves were pleased with the outcome. The will of Zeus was seen to be done, and Athene was humbled into daughterly subservience, as is only right and fitting.
"I hope you have learned the futility of challenging my power, Athene," said Zeus. "Mortal men are nothing but the pawns of my unassailable will, and you will never comprehend the omnipotent machinations of my mind. A son must give honour to his father, even if the father does not reciprocate this respect. The same is true of daughters, no matter how divine. You were wrong to subvert this natural order. Have you learned your lesson, or must I cast you down to the depths of Hades to spend an eternity being mauled by the devil-dog Cerberus?"
"I have learned, father," said Athene, penitently.
"Good," Zeus concluded. "Now, it is time for the sons of the late King Mark to honour their father by rising up against their usurping uncle Jason."
"But surely that will only undo the harmony you have worked so hard to achieve, father."
"Have you learned nothing, after all? Do not dare to question the will of Zeus."
And so the cycle of fate continued along its tragic circuit for the people of Phokis and Titanos, locked into a blood feud passed from the great King Kevin to his descendants. The gods continued to intervene according to their whim.Seek not to comprehend the reasoning of those powers higher than yourself, for that way lies misery. A man is like a leaf which, upon falling into the stream, is swept and dunked by eddies and currents of divine will on its inexorable journey to the infinite sea of death. Pour libations to great Zeus, then, and be thankful for his merciful providence, lest he dash you against the rocky banks of misfortune.
Surrender to the tides of fate, for destiny cannot be altered by the trivial actions of mortal man. That is the lesson of King Mark of Phokis.
