Poseidon and Nerites: A Hellenic Love Story

It is said that the Muse Erato, who presides over love and poetry, loveliest of her sisters, is want to spend her time on the beaches and coves that line the home of her people, for those sands have born witness to some of the greatest acts of human love. Yet there is one beach, located on Kriti, that she loves to visit above all others, for it was here that from the love shared between Poseidon and Nerites, was born beloved Anteros, who brings to partners the greatest joy: that of a love requited. She is want to visit this beach regularly with her wife and daughter to reminisce on their favorite love story.

Long ago in the time before mortals, the confluence between Gaia and Aether brought forth the Sea to fill her deepest canyons, and they named him Pontos. In the deepest recesses between the Sea and the Earth beneath was formed Nereus, who came to embody the deepest, darkest depths of the sea where he was born. Much time passed, and Old Nereus fell in love with Doris, the immortal daughter of Okeanos, who lived at the confluence of her brothers’ streams and the Sea’s salty reaches. He pursued her for some time before she agreed to marry him, but together their love brought forth fifty daughters and then finally, one son. The first of these daughters was Amphitrite, who was wed to Poseidon, and by him bore noble Triton, father of Pallas. The last child born to Doris was named Nerites, after his father. Thin but athletic, Nerites had inherited his father’s coral red hair and his mother’s grey-green eyes that offset his browned skin, giving him a striking appearance which attracted attention from both admirers and those envious of his features. To ensure he would find a suitable spouse when he came of age, Nereus and Doris sent him to Triton’s court, wherein he could spend his days courting the eligible gods who came to pay tribute or simply to seek Triton’s wisdom.

Perhaps it should have been expected, but youthful and ever seeking thrills, Nerites neglected his parent’s desires to find a spouse and instead spent his days racing chariots across the sea floor, impressing all who watched with the speed and skill at which he drove the silvery-white fish-tailed horses. So impressive was Nerites’ skill that those who bore witness spoke of a gold-and-silver blur as he raced by. Within a few decades of his arrival, none could best his skill as he sped round Triton’s hippodrome in his chariot, pushing the horses to their limits and only just managing to avoid crashing into the walls that lined the dirt track by a hair’s-breadth. Doris frequently came to visit her son, watching from afar and taking note that even the lovely but aloof Aphrodite had begun to spend more of her time watching Nerites. In time, Doris came to believe that the goddess of beauty had taken an interest in her son. She was thrilled at the prospect, knowing that should the two gods be wed, their children would truly be the most beautiful in all the world.

Indeed, Aphrodite had taken notice of Nerites, but not in the way that Doris hoped. The young charioteer was indeed very beautiful, but he was much younger than she, and Aphrodite was not interested in courting him. Instead, she had convinced herself that he would be the perfect match for one of the many daughters of Okeanos, or even for Demeter, who was far closer in age than she as the spawn of the primordial Ouranos. All of her plans changed the day the daughter of Zeus arrived in Triton’s palace. Nerites was the one to greet the young goddess Athena, and Aphrodite, who had been watching his movements, immediately took notice. It was not very long after that Aphrodite’s mind was made up. These two young gods would be together, she decided, and none would stop her in seeing her plans through. For surely, she reasoned, these young ones could never hope to understand love better than herself, who ruled over the tides of the heart.

While Aphrodite schemed, Tigris and Euphrates, the twin river gods who dwelled in the east, grew to be among Nerites’ closest companions. Tall and well-built, the twins were exceptional athletes, boasting great skill in archery and chariot driving. Seeing an equal in Nerites, the twins challenged him to races on a regular basis, posting any variety of conditions in hopes that they would best him. It truly speaks well of their skill that they did indeed succeed on occasions, though swift Nerites won the majority of their bouts. In time, word of the competitions spread, drawing crowds larger than Nerites had alone, with even dark-haired Poseidon himself making his presence known, loudly cheering the racers on from his seat as they pulled off a turn at high speeds. Not all made their presence known so readily, however. Hidden amongst the crowd of gods, her pale brown hair hidden beneath the hood of a cloak, Aphrodite would watch Nerites, certain he would one day catch sight of Athena, who would watch from the front row with great intensity and focus as the chariots rounded the curves of the track, her grey eyes narrowed in concentration, taking in every detail. This only confirmed for Aphrodite that she was right, and she began making plans to bring the gods together.

Aphrodite was crafty, and so it was that many more years passed before she put her plan into motion, departing the palace late at night and secreting her way into Nereus’ domain and securing a sample of his writing. Copying his hand, she forged a letter advising Nerites that his parents had taken notice of the young daughter of Zeus and believed that she would make a fine wife for him, not-so-subtly suggesting that he go to watch her sparring practice. Certain of her plan and arrogant in her power, Aphrodite had neglected her spying upon the younger god, and thus was unaware that Nerites had already made plans with Euphrates to spend the day swimming, and thus “forgot” to attend the training when the proposed day came.

Undismayed, Aphrodite next pursued her scheme by laying out Nerites’ favorite foods in the palace courtyard, knowing he often spent time reclining and relaxing in the evenings after a day spent racing. She then rushed to the island whereon the Hesperides dwelled at the western end of the Ocean, telling them a tale of how the two gods were merely shy and in need of encouragement. Erythia, the red light of sunset, was the first to agree, convincing her sisters to lend their light in setting the mood. They descended on the palace as both Nerites and Athena were deeply engrossed in their readings, but after acknowledging the other’s presence and briefly engaging in some polite conversation, the two had settled down on opposite sides of the courtyard, and neither took notice of the shift in the color of the light, for these things were not so uncommon in the days long ago when the gods freely walked the earth.

Growing infuriated by her continued failure, Aphrodite set about concocting a string of schemes to bring the two together. A never-ending shower of rose petals and a love poem written by the Muse Erato herself failed to win Athena over, as did a proposal by Nerites’ sister Erato, for him to take a moonlit stroll along the beach at night. One by one, all of Aphrodite’s schemes failed. Even when she sent Eros into the palace to convince Athena, all saw the war goddess chasing him back out shortly after, with the primordial embodiment of love barely dodging blows from the furious warrior, who hurled her spear so fast that even Nerites barely saw it as it flew past him and out of the palace in pursuit of the fleeing Eros.

Exasperated and out of ideas, Aphrodite finally took herself to Nerites’ chambers with a golden pair of wings she had fashioned. “My dear lord Nerites,” she said in a simpering voice “I have seen the ways you and Athena look at each other, why do you deny your feelings? I know foremost that such things can be daunting, but if you would but confess the feelings I know you hold for her, I would give you these wings which would transport you faster than any other god above or below the world”.

Nerites’ face filled with anger, and he cursed at her “I would not take her to be my bride for all the wealth in the underworld! And since you come to me now, offering bribes, that must mean it was your foul scheming behind the incidents since she arrived here. Hear me well, but she and I will never be married, so you may as well take your bribe and throw it away!”

At these words, Aphrodite’s face contorted with a rage that would have frightened Typhon, had he not been locked deep in the depths of Tartaros. Her voice took on an icy stillness as she retorted “you shall live to regret those words, child. I know not by what power you resisted my gifts, but you will not be fulfilled until you acknowledge my rightful place!”

With these words and a great inward rush of water, Aphrodite cast a curse upon Nerites, transforming the handsome god into a small oceanic shrimp. So strong was Aphrodite’s anger in casting her curse that Nerites found himself completely incapable of reverting to his godly form for more than the briefest fraction of a second before the curse re-asserted itself. Smiling a vindictive smile, Aphrodite departed for Olympos, leaving Nerites trapped and unable to defend himself from the predators of the ocean. Though they would have been unable to kill him, passing through the digestive system of a shark is not a pleasant experience for anyone.

Knowing he would need the aid of a god more powerful than himself to lift the curse, Nerites set off as fast as he could in the direction he knew Poseidon’s palace to be, where he would be safe and where he knew he would find his sister Amphitrite. He swam as he thought to himself, but had not gone far before he saw the patch of sand beneath him shift. Turning, he saw a shape detach from the surface and begin swimming towards him silently. The shifting mass continued to fluctuate for a few seconds before Nerites realized what he was staring at. With a strong flick of his new tail, he pushed himself backwards as fast as he could, away from the octopus. He had to get away. In spite of his best efforts, the sand-colored cephalopod continued gaining on him. Realizing he had not the speed to escape, Nerites turned suddenly and scanned the seafloor for a hiding spot. Spotting a reddish clay jar laying half-buried in the sand, he drove his tail as hard as he could, calling on the last spark of divine power in him to propel himself down past the octopus and towards the jar. He dove in and waited breathlessly. Nerites watched from the darkness of his jar as the octopus advanced lazily, as if it knew he was trapped, then began wrapping itself around the jar, its flexible body filling up the entrance to the neck as it slowly reached in with a single tentacle, trapping him. Just as Nerites had anticipated. The jar was old and covered in a web of cracks, leaving a few holes where pieces had fallen away, disfiguring the black figures that decorated its surface. One such hole opposite the mouth was just wide enough for him to force his body through. Pushing through, Nerites crawled as quickly as his shrimp legs would allow, counting on the jar to obscure his escape from the octopus’ eyes. Once out of sight, he sped off as fast as he could, taking advantage of the few precious moments it would take for the octopus to notice he was gone.

Now swimming higher to avoid any additional predators lying in ambush, Nerites came in sight of Poseidon’s palace just as Helios began his descent back to earth. He could just see the palace though the murky waters; there seemed to be some sort of commotion in the front, a great many servants coming and going, loading up chariots. Two figures emerged from the dark interior; one was clearly his sister. He was still too far away to make out the figure’s face, but there was no mistaking his sister’s coral-red hair. Of their siblings, only a few had inherited their father’s dull red locks. The other he could not see clearly, but Nerites reasoned it must be her husband, especially given the figure’s dark skin. He swam as fast as he could to meet them, but it soon became clear he would not make it before they departed, and so he allowed himself to slow slightly that he could save his strength in case of another attack.

His caution proved unneeded however, and Nerites arrived at Poseidon’s palace with no further troubles. Entering the palace, he marveled at the splendor of the place; columns of brightly-colored corals supported a roof of golden marble, and the vast courtyards held all of the oceans’ varied and colorful plant life in gardens separated by curtains of hanging seaweed suspended from ropes. Fish of all colors swam by, ensured protection from predators by Poseidon’s decrees so long as they remained within the walls. About the ceilings, octopodes swam lazily, shifting in color and texture as their whims caught them. The whole palace was an exhibition of the vast wealth provided by the sea’s bounty, displaying the best of the beauty that lay beneath the waves. Nerites settled as best he could while in shrimp form onto a chair of bleached seashells, trying to relax while waiting for Poseidon to return. It was to be several days before Nerites would hear the ocean god’s chariot return, but thankfully the gods may pass such periods without need for food or drink such as we mortals require. While the lord of the sea was away on his business, Nerites had occupied himself with an exploration of the palace, and whenever he felt his strength return to him, with desperate attempts to restore his true form. Alas, each time he tried, it was in vain, for the curse proved too strong, and he was ever forced back into the body of a shrimp.

Nerites was in the palace throne room, marveling at the intricate displays of pearls which decorated the delicately carved marble thrones when he heard Poseidon’s frustrated voice from outside.

“I really don’t know why you insist on checking back here, love. Wouldn’t your brother go to your parent’s house if something happened to him? Why’d you think he’d come here?”

Poseidon and Amphitrite entered the main chamber where Nerites was waiting, their argument clearly having drawn on for some time.

“Because our palace is closer to Triton’s, and I would rather just take a brief stop to check for my little brother” Amphitrite said exasperatedly.

Poseidon sighed, the frustration dissipating. “I get it love. I do. I just worry, we don’t know where he is, and Aphrodite’s not saying anything. For all we know, he’s chained up somewhere out there, being tortured.”

“For all we know, he’s here in the palace. I simply wish to check before we waste all our time searching everywhere else. Besides, I still do not see why your brother does not simply force her to help us. Does he even care about us?” asked Amphitrite.

“It’s not like that. He cares, but he has a bad habit of following what’s between his thighs rather than between his ears. And you heard what Themis said, she supports Zeus and this decision, and we can’t just go against the tide without preparation. Divine justice and all that is her domain.” He sighed. “Listen love, I’ll talk to her, see if I can’t win her over. But if we go against Zeus directly, we’ll get nowhere without a plan. Might as well try to get Nilos to stop flooding. Once Zeus’ mind’s all made up, he doesn’t like to change it for anyone but himself. If I can’t convince Themis, we may have to talk to Nemesis, but I’d rather wait a little and see if the tide will change rather than fighting it all the way.”

Amphitrite sighed before responding. “Agreed. But while we were on the subject, you are not one to talk about following what you have between your legs. I saw you chasing that mortal woman while we were on Olympos” Amphitrite said.

Poseidon gave a slightly frustrated look in response. “What? We agreed, mortals don’t count!” he said. “Am I not allowed to dock for a short stop when my ship needs tending to?”

“I simply mean that you have more in common with your brother than you want to admit” said Amphitrite, kissing him on the cheek and moving to begin searching the palace for her brother.

At this point, Poseidon noticed the shrimp that was Nerites. Adopting what he considered a more regal tone, he said “I shall join you in a moment, my dear. One of our subjects wishes to speak to us.” Turning to the shrimp, he said “little one, I promise I will grant you my boon, but first, we are searching for the son of Nereus, have you seen him about these parts?”

Gesturing to himself and his body, Nerites attempted to wordlessly explained what had happened to him, directing most of his “words” to his sister, knowing her to be his best chance of convincing Poseidon. She scrutinized him intently for what felt like an eternity before her eyes widened in shock and recognition.
“Nerites!” she cried, cupping him in her hands. “We were searching all over the seas for you! I had thought you off with your friends when I missed you at the contest, but they said they had not seen you in some time!” She turned to her husband, saying “you see now what I told you was true! That Aphrodite would go to such lengths is proof of her cruelty!”

Poseidon relented, “you’re right as ever, but being right’ll not change my brother’s mind once he’s made it up. We’ll still need a plan if we expect him to hold her accountable, that hasn’t changed. In the meantime, let’s see what we can do in the here and now.” Poseidon took Nerites in his dark hands and surveyed him intently with his dark brown eyes. It was one thing to claim to be a god, but yet another to take the place of one. He had to be certain, lest he allow a mere crustacean to take a place of honor on Olympos. As Poseidon stared at the shrimp, his mind cast itself back in years to the hippodrome at his son’s palace, to the many contests between Nerites, Tigris, and Euphrates. He had felt such pride as he watched from above. These three were pushing their horses to speeds no one else had ever dared, showing off to all the strength and grace of Poseidon’s own handiwork. And then there was the twinge. He had tried to deny it at the time, but there was something else he had felt as he watched the then-thirty-odd year old Nerites push his horses to their limits, his muscles straining to control the horses as he whipped around the track. Poseidon’s younger brother Zeus had oft spoken of the love he felt on occasion for mortal men, but Poseidon had always rejected the thought that he would feel the same. He had assumed his love was only for women, like their wealthy older brother. Yet, the first moment he had seen Nerites speeding along, sweat coating his exposed back as he strained to control the horses, something had stirred within him. And now his wife claimed the same young man was here, in the body of a shrimp. Poseidon stared more closely. The hairs on the shrimp were the exact shade of red that he knew so well, the exact shade that had adorned the charioteer’s head, and that adorned his beloved wife’s. Making up his mind, Poseidon put a dark-skinned finger to Nerites’ antenna and whispered a few words under his breath, only some of which Nerites caught. There was a flash of green light, and the god Nerites floated before the king of the seas. He had a brief glimpse of Poseidon’s face before he was wrapped in a sheet by his sister, who escorted him off to a side chamber to find some clothing for him to wear. As Nerites swam away, he could not forget the image of the god Poseidon, blushing profusely when he had seen Nerites’ body. And something inside Nerites began to stir.

Nerites dressed and went to a neighboring chamber to sleep; he barely noticed the intricate golden marblework of the floor, for it had been an exhausting week as a crustacean. Despite this, his mind whirled and churned as he crawled under the soft sheets of the bed, keeping him from a restful sleep. He awoke the following morn to a deep green-blue light filtering through a canopy that had been raised over his bed. Dressing in a white chiton tunic and complementary pale blue himation cloak that had been laid out for him, Nerites made his way to Poseidon’s dinning chamber, where a display of fruits, meats, cheeses, and flat cakes with honey had been laid out.

As they ate, Nerites and Poseidon were quickly engrossed in a deep discussion of horses while Amphitrite set about arranging a colony of corals in the adjacent courtyard garden so that they might take the best advantage of the blue light that filtered into the palace, periodically holding them up to her husband to silently ask his opinion without interrupting the ongoing discussion. Nerites and Poseidon agreed that the horse was the finest creature yet brought forth by the gods, but disagreed on the number of legs the animals should have. Poseidon was adamant that his creation was perfect as it was, and while Nerites agreed æsthetically, he mused that a horse with twice as many legs and tails might be twice as fast.

In order to test Nerites’ hypothesis, Poseidon brought forth one of his finest horses, and shaping the animal with the skill of a master sculptor, he grew two new legs and a second fishes’ tail from its hind quarters. The finest of chariots was brought forth, and both gods climbed aboard, Poseidon handing Nerites the reins. A flick of the leather was all it took for the animal to take off at top speeds, pulling the chariot out of the palace and into the open sea. At Poseidon’s encouragement, Nerites drove chariot faster than ever before as it flew across the sea. In what felt like the blink of an eye, the chariot carried the two gods all the way to the island of the Hesperides, far across Okeanos’ wide domain. Skillful Nerites was able to retain just enough control over the horse to prevent the chariot from crashing, though it was only with considerable effort that Poseidon was able to maintain his grip about Nerites’ waist, thus preventing him from flying off the back.

Nerites brought the chariot to a halt on the Hesperides’ island, apologizing to the shocked goddesses for the unexpected intrusion before dropping to the ground next to Poseidon, his legs having given out.

“I concede” he said at last, turning his streaming eyes to Poseidon. “I was right about the animal being faster, yet I will concede that it was more functional before, and you were wise to limit their limbs.”

Poseidon let out a long belly laugh in response, the excitement of the ride overcoming him. “My boy, I haven’t had so much fun in centuries! I thought you skilled before, but that just put Helios to shame! You’ve got to stay aboard and drive my chariot. By Ouranos, we’ll bring ol’ Zeusy down for a friendly race, put you against anyone he’ll put up to challenge! It’ll bring that little bastard down a peg or two!”

Nerites agreed, wanting to have something to do and to make up for imposing on Poseidon’s hospitality. Thus began Nerites’ service as the divine charioteer to the king of the seas. Wherever Poseidon went, Nerites would be there, and while he never pushed the horses as hard as before, whenever the denizens of the seas saw the chariot, it was invariably screaming across the seas with such speed that it appeared little more than a blur of greenish gold speeding by accompanied by an adrenaline-fueled cry of excitement from Poseidon.

Some months passed in this manner, the only unusual event being that appearance of Eros at Amphitrite’s invitation. After speaking alone for some time, he came out to the main hall to apologize for everything that had happened and to explain that he had been very badly misled by Aphrodite, who had lied about Nerites’ and Athena’s feelings for each other. Nerites accepted the apology, understanding that Eros had not acted out of malice, but still felt somewhat uncomfortable when Amphitrite invited the god of love to join them for their evening meal.

After many more months had passed thus, Nerites received word from the messenger goddess Iris that his parents wished him to visit, and he made preparations to depart for their home. When the day came, he set off in a chariot, but had not gone more than a mile before there was a great rush of water, and the long-dormant curse was reactivated, forcing him back into the body of a shrimp. Flailing, he left the chariot behind and sped back to the palace as quickly as he could, in case another octopus lay waiting.

Poseidon himself was first to see Nerites enter the chamber. He leapt to his feet and dashed over, cupping the shrimp god in his hands. Before Amphitrite could ask what had happened, there was another flash of light and Nerites found himself in his old body, cradled in Poseidon’s arms.

Putting the evidence together quickly, Poseidon averted his eyes as he set Nerites down and motioning for a servant to bring some clothing. “It would seem your blasted curse is more than we bargained on. I suppose this means you’ll be staying aboard for a time yet?” he asked.

Nerites donned his new tunic before replying, “I do not suppose this will be easy to lift, though I will be happy to continue to provide my services to your lordship in the meantime.”

Poseidon outstretched his arms in a comforting hug. “My boy, I’m sure I speak for Amphitrite as well when I say we’ll do all in our power to lift this blasted curse from you! Now sit, join us for our meal, and when our bellies are full, we’ll try to work out a more detailed plan!”

After their meal, the three gods put their heads together in debate, each assuming a different perspective on how the curse might be removed. None could convince the others, and no conclusions were reached, and so the debate continued on until evening. Over the following days, the trio were occasionally joined by other members of their extended family, including Nerites and Amphitrite’s sister Erato and her wife the Muse. Nerites came to notice that some of his family members would spend unusual amounts of time speaking to Amphitrite alone, something he resolved to ask her about. Before he could, Amphitrite came to him in his chambers. She handed him a jar, saying “I must go to visit mother and father for a week and to explain all that has happened; I spoke to Eros, and we may have found the solution to your shrimp problem. I had the servants pack up all you and Poseidon need in this jar, and then gave them a week off. But, for this to work, the both of you must trust in me, and follow the instructions I have given him.”

“Amphitrite… thanks” he said, hugging her. She responded in kind and swam away to the chariot that was to take her to their parents. Nerites swam to the now-deserted dining chamber. He opened the jar to find inside an entire week’s worth of the most delicate foods he had ever seen, dishes all that had been prepared exquisitely to highlight all the unique flavors of ambrosia. As he laid the food out for their evening meal, he noticed a change in the lighting and looked up to see the Hesperides spreading their silken shawls over the heavens above, welcoming on Nyx in her dark beauty to blanket the sky in a sea of stars.

Poseidon joined Nerites at the banquet, and the two talked long into the night. Selene had reached her silvery zenith by the time the two gods retreated to their chambers, to enjoy a long and fruitful sleep. By the time Nerites awoke, Helios had taken his sister’s place in the sky. Nerites crawled from his bed and dressed, stepping out of the palace to find Poseidon harnessing the horses to his chariot.

“Ho! Finally up, are you?” he called. “Amphitrite suggested we take some leave ashore, and I think it’s a marvelous idea! After all, we’ve been at this question of your curse for some time, we should have time to relax, else we’ll end up working hard to fight the wind. I know you’ve had a few opportunities to explore my domain, but if you’re to be my charioteer, you should know where everything is.” With a mighty tug, he pulled Nerites up into the chariot and handed him the reins. “Here! You drive and I’ll point out all the best sights to see.”

Nerites took the reins and with a flick, set the four muscled and fish-tailed horses swimming, pulling the chariot behind them. The two raced across the sea, stopping whenever Poseidon had something to point out. They traveled through deep trenches where dwelt luminescent creatures, and dolphins swam along above, clicking to each other. They drove over fields of coral the exact shade of the charioteer’s hair, and beneath schools of fish in every possible color. As the day grew on, Poseidon pointed to a distant island, looking from beneath the waves as a mountain rising up to pierce the watery sky. Nerites drove the chariot on towards the mountain, stopping at its base. The two gods swam upwards until Poseidon disappeared into the entrance of an underwater cave. Nerites followed, noting the long-dead remains of a large tusked animal half-buried in the rock by the entrance. Stopping briefly to examine the creature, he noticed how closely it resembled the description his uncle Nilos had given of the animals that roamed the plains to the south. After admiring the animal’s size for a minute, the two swam on deeper through the near-pitch darkness of the cave and soon came to a large air pocket above them. Surfacing, Nerites looked around. The cave was far longer than it was wide, and by the dim light filtering in from the entrance and his own divine eyesight, he could see the stalactites receding into the inky blackness down the cave. Looking closer, Nerites was able to see the reddish hue to the ceiling of the cave that gave the whole thing an otherworldly appearance.

Poseidon swam up to Nerites, pointing to some of the skeletons by the entrance. “Zeus found this place while he was hiding out from our father on this island. He apparently liked to bring Metis here when they were scheming and plotting against Kronos”.

“And knowing Lord Zeus’ reputation, I assume scheming was the only thing on his mind” responded Nerites sarcastically, which elicited a bark of laughter from Poseidon.

“Aye, I’m sure the little bastard had much more on his mind, especially given the twins” he said.

Nerites’ face darkened. “I would prefer not to discuss his daughter right now. Given… everything. She wasn’t responsible, I know, but…”

Poseidon put his arm around Nerites, saying as he did so “No worries there lad. I’m sure the both of you will need some time before you process everything. Just know I understand and I’m here to talk. My own father ate me alive when I was new-born, so believe me when I say I understand weird family dynamics.”

“Thank you” said Nerites, nodding in appreciation. Leaning back, he lay floating in the water, staring up at the cave ceiling for some time, appreciating the stalactites that hung over his head, lazily drifting deeper into the cave as Poseidon followed suit.

Nerites and Poseidon spent the remainder of the day exploring the cave and the sea around it, pausing to appreciate what appeared to be diminutive deer skeletons mixed in amongst the elephants. The day passed, and the two gods eventually found themselves laying on the beach above the cave as Nyx once again sent her granddaughters to paint the heavens with their colors. Poseidon reached into the jar and pulled out a large fire-roasted fish, kept hot by the magics of the jar, its skin still crispy and the meat perfectly salted and flakey. Next to it, he placed a portion of soft, salty cheese and some fresh fruits that glistened with drops of dew in the setting sun, inviting Nerites to sit beside him. After they finished eating, Poseidon lay himself out, his dark skin taking on a fiery glow in the dying sun. Nerites felt his mind relax as he lay down next to the older god, leaning his head on Poseidon’s bare chest. The Poseidon’s beard tickled his cheek, and he could hear Poseidon’s heart beating faster as he felt a strong arm wrap around his shoulder and pull him gently closer, then a light touch as Poseidon gently caressed his hair.

Poseidon and Nerites lay side by side in silence as the Hesperides returned to their island and Nyx spread her stary beauty over the lands. As Selene made her radiant appearance, Poseidon twisted himself around to look Nerites in the eyes, grey-green meeting deep brown. After what felt like an eternity, Poseidon lowered his lips to Nerites’ and kissed him, gently but firmly, a pressure that Nerites returned enthusiastically.

In all of the history of the gods to this point, there had been many great romances between the gods of which the Muses sing to this day, and even more between gods and men, but none had been as pure as the love shared between Nerites and Poseidon. Never before had two souls been so perfectly attuned as now. And so it was that from this single kiss was born a new god: Anteros, the god of a love requited. Nerites and Poseidon returned to the sea god’s palace the following morning, Nerites taking up his role as Poseidon’s charioteer and lover, a shining example of the love shared between two people. And he was never troubled by any shrimp ever again.