Chapter 15
I do apologize for the error folks, apparently I updated the wrong version of this file to upload to fanfic. Sorry about that.
Kintsugi Chapter 15:
A moment, then two. Each passing second dragged on with the way that Artemis was looking at him.
"Nemesis?"
The word had a very slight warble. He had been so focused on his objective that he had never considered the tone of Artemis' voice whenever she named the Gods. Whatever she was doing, it was adding a slight distortion to the word, minute really.
"Yes, Nemesis."
He could feel the way that the distortion kept adding the entirety of the word. He could feel the very divinity around him shimmering and churning away around him. This was Artemis' power. He added his own, the authority of his divinity allowing him that much.
The reverberation…that was the secret. It dispersed…whatever happened with the spoken name of a God.
"I still don't know how that entirely works," he thought, "must be a God thing."
He was a God, but not in the same vein as the others. A proto demi-god was probably a better term for what he was, though that too lacked the fullness of what he was. He stilled, wondering if Artemis had caught on.
She smiled.
"Clever. Will you still hunt with me, friend?"
Ah, yes. The deal had been to teach him how to obscure his own words as she did. With him learning it on his own, that deal was null and void.
"Consider your information as part of that deal," stated Hephaestus.
She smirked.
"Oh of course cousin."
She even gave a mocking bow. She was a sassy thing, not at all like the goddess he had memories of. Though to be fair, said Goddess was nuts.
"Nemesis has been a long time enemy of the Olympians. She states she is "for the people" seeking retribution against those in power. A rebel. In many ways, she is," admitted the huntress, "but she envisions all those in a position of power as undeserving of it. She tries to elevate herself beyond her station to fill the very power structures she espouses as corrupt."
The sneer was filled with malice.
"She even attempted something to my mother of all Titans. I've never trusted her since."
"Yet, she attacks me," growled Hephaestus, "I have done nothing to her, I wasn't even one of the Olympians at the time!"
The ground shivered a bit, the heat growing, his anger sparking if only for a moment. Artemis smiled though. For the longest time he seemed so…passive. Yet, she could see now that it was merely contained, boiling away. She had heard from her aunt Hestia that Hephaestus was more than just fire, that he represented the flames within the earth. Volcanoes may slumber for a time…but no matter how quiet a volcano may be, eventually, it would erupt.
"Her reasons are her own. Rarely does she care for collateral. She believes herself to be a master manipulator."
Artemis turned, eyeing the horizon as the sun began its descent. Her silver eyes narrowed as she recalled what few times she had seen Nemesis.
"She's an abhorrent Goddess. Says one thing and does another. I wouldn't even be surprised if she'd sacrifice her own blood to get what she wants."
"That's the problem," sighed Hephastus.
The ground cooled as the heat simmered away. A disappointed frown filled her face. In many ways, she was looking forward to seeing what was beneath his passive demeanor.
"I don't know why she's done this nor how accurate your depiction is."
Artemis narrowed her eyes. She knew they agreed for honesty, but still.
"Whatever your concerns with her are, they bring bias to your judgement," said Hephaestus, "I need cold hard facts, the sort I cannot seem to find."
"This again," muttered Artemis, "always so concerned with every variable that you barely make any moves."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
She twirled around him, light on her feet. Her hair framed her eyes and to some it would be beautiful. All he saw was the glower of a beast, her own silver eyes poking through the strands of her hair as she moved gracefully.
"Only that you do nothing but bend to the winds around you. That's no way to live."
He rolled his eyes, not knowing the slight respect Artemis had garnered from it. Most Gods would explode at the provocation.
"Another telling me how to be…".
They moved silently. It was…comforting to Hephaestus. Sure, her words annoyed him, much like Pallas' did. Yet, there was a sense of rightness to it. This idea that he could speak without concern of what it might bring. It was a far greater gift than he gave it credit for.
Was he always so…exhausted?
"It is aggravating," he thought, rubbing his brow.
It had been easy enough at first. The charade, the passivity. That he was willing to fall into this routine so simply. Yet, here he was with Artemis, coming undone.
There was still so much he didn't know about her. For all he knew, she was lying and manipulating him. He couldn't trust his own instincts. After all…Calliope died. He thought she was safe and she was not.
"Wake up."
He jolted his head to her, the silver eyes peering at him. She was closer now, a mere hand or two away, tilting her head not unlike an owl.
"I can smell the guilt from here," she muttered.
"What of it?"
"Nothing, just noting."
"Well stop," said Hephaestus, "that's my burden to bear…I would ask again of Nemesis. What goals does she have? How do I fit them?"
He clenched his fist.
"More importantly, why on earth would she assist that…that filth!"
She was the Goddess of retribution, the balancer of the scales. Many of the stories that Hephaestus knew of were centered around Nemesis being a Goddess of balance. While fair was too strong a word, she was far from the worst of the Gods.
"But then again," he thought, "those stories were told from the perspective of humans."
It was easy to forget but the truth was that most myths were told from human perspectives. One man's hero was another's villain. How many were true and others simply fables to explain the unknown? To humans, Nemesis was carthic retribution, justice done against heinous sins.
What of the Gods though? How was she to them? Could this be some absurd revenge of some sort? There was too much that was unknown…but the truth was rather simple. What he could gather from the fragmented memories was that Nemesis was involved, empowering the shroud that covered Deimos. However, that was the extent that he could see. The barrier, the shroud, all of it could be explained as a deal she was paying back.
What elements of Nemesis did he truly know?
Deimos was his most immediate target and now he was gone…but he had a new lead.
He waited for an answer, but Artemis only gave a sad smile. These were questions she could not answer, for she probably didn't know. Another avenue than.
"What do you know of Circe?"
He blurted it out, uncaring anymore of pretenses or courtesies. The area became quieter, as Artemis eyes narrowed. There was a sharpness to them, a defensiveness.
"Why do you ask?"
"There was a…tutor for Deimos. I refuse to believe that there is any average mortal who is capable of creating seamless Chimeras from the corpses of men and monsters. That skill is beyond the average ken of men."
At least in this age currently.
"Hecate's magic, the one she teaches her coven, is powerful enough to retain the corpse of monsters and create the monstrosities I saw."
He stood firm, but open.
"I do not seek to claim that Circe is at fault, but from what little knowledge I have she is training those that Hecate does not accept. Do not try to pretend with me that such a gulf between apprentice and master is just a fantasy."
She sighed.
"I cannot."
"You know her."
It wasn't a question.
"...yes."
"If I request a meeting, would you grant it?"
"I have no reason to," admitted Artemis, "especially not with such a bias."
He internally scoffed. It was funny to him how she threw those words back at him like she understood them. Like he was the only one. Still…he had other avenues.
"I understand."
He motioned to the distance.
"I'll be attending this…party. I take it you will be returning home?"
Artemis shrugged. Of course he wouldn't get a straight answer. He moved either way. His time here was going to be short…that much he knew. Deimos was not the dead end he feared it would be, but it was certainly not the end result he wanted.
Still so much to do. He had asked Artemis if she would convene a meeting, one that she refused. He had asked out of habit, yet now…now he was just sifting his thoughts, letting the silence of his walk sort his own experiences from these last few moments.
Whichever conclusion Hephaestus had reached…it put Artemis on edge.
She looked to the God of fire, wondering where this…tension had suddenly appeared from. It was minute things really. The way he stood ever so straighter, the slight hesitancy in his movements. He was more fluid, relaxed. Yet, there was undeniably a rigidness to him, the way his shoulders coiled and his fingers half curled.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
He stopped moving. When he turned to lock eyes with her, there was no anger. She felt relief, but still worried, wondering if her refusal had wrought an end to their short lived friendship.
"I…I am sorry for my words earlier."
She was annoyed at the way he looked at her. All shocked. As if the idea of an apology was alien to him. It hurt her a little, to think it might actually be.
The smile he gave her revealed otherwise.
"I am fine Artemis, I swear to you on that. Just…thinking. Reflecting."
"On?"
He smirked, falling in line to walk side by side with her.
"Do you ask because you are concerned, or because you want entertainment?"
"It cannot be both?" she joked.
He actually snorted.
"What assurances do I have that you will not simply dispose of my personal thoughts to the others, hmm?"
The words were cutting but his tone was jovial if a little tense, his mood brightened for reasons she couldn't understand. She answered as she always did. Honestly.
"I am not the gossip my brother is. Of that you can be assured. Even Athena would not be privy to my thoughts…though she has a strange way of snuffing them out regardless."
He could see that. He chuckled.
"Forgive me if I'm a little light on details. Just realizing that…the words of a friend had more merit than I gave them credit for…that your words had more merit as well."
"Of course they did," muttered Styx in his head.
He stared at his hands.
"I held that man in my hands. I have no regrets for ending his life nor how I ended it."
Whatever that meant for Hephaestus, he realized that he could live with it.
"His memories gave me more than just a reason to end him. There was perspective there…a realization."
He looked her dead in the eye.
"What happened to Calliope would have happened regardless. Deimos was a member of that village long before Calliope and the others had moved there. He was commissioned to assist in by his master. It altered his focus, but not his own goals."
He looked upwards, stepping over the branches of a few lone trees.
"How do I traverse this world? If every action or inaction merely resolves into consequences for those around me? I shouldn't be involved."
He scoffed. There was a fire to him, a personal spite that narrowed into his face.
"I say it, but it's just talk. I speak on keeping to myself and yet I do not but get involved."
He shrugged.
"A fallacy to my own hypocrisy. Even now, the idea of being alone was…"
It was haunting. That was the darkest secret he carried. EMIYA lived without fear, a machine without emotion. Even at the wrought iron hero's best, his emotional range was little better than a potato. Lust and love were learned emotions for the man but something like fear simply wasn't a concept EMIYA felt. Nervous, anxious, but never fearful. He was too hollow and bare to even think about it.
It hurt to realize it. He was a God, stronger in power than most in EMIYA's memory…and yet.
"I am weak," whispered Hephaestus.
How else could one describe his…need for connection. These rolling anxieties that he could not be swallowed and forget.
"Weak," whispered Artemis.
She smiled, revealing her symbol of power. Her power thrummed in the open air, suffocated only by the sheer mass of Dionysus presence.
"Action or inaction. Quite the binary view friend. Your life is your own. While I…disagree," she stressed, "with the way my family lives, it is ultimately their way to live it. Our freedoms are limited and as such we express them in whatever ways we are able."
She gestured to the wilds around him. For a moment, he saw a deluge of woodland creatures, small birds flying through the air, the feel of a predator at the edge of his senses. It dispersed a moment later, to be replaced with a frantic merriment.
"I live in the wilds and Dionysus parties frequently. It is our way. You can act thinking of every possible consequence and prepare for it…but I believe Hephaestus that there is only one true way to live."
She smirked, a pair of sharp canines peeking from her lips.
"No matter what you do, there will be consequences. So, live. Do as you please. To desire others is not a weakness."
He gave her a blank look. Yet, there was no reproach to her. Instead, her eyes burrowed into him, like a hawk peering at prey.
"Connection is not a weakness Hephaestus if you're powerful."
He blinked.
"That is the greatest truth of the world. Power."
She grinned, feeling the grass beneath her suddenly bare feet, her arms spread to embrace the wind.
"I love this, every moment of it. Every step I take is a moment I take for myself."
She turned, letting the call of the wild surround her. Hephaestus looked around, noting the way the various animals all called to join Artemis. He liked to believe it wasn't forced on them.
"You want to live Hephaestus, then take it!"
When she smiled, it was all teeth, like a smiling wolf.
"Live as you please and be ready to fight for it!"
She was right in front of him now. The thrum of nature's law, the survival of the fittest, it echoed in his heart, her domain at work. As much as he thought against it, there was some truth to it. Still.
"Doing as we please is how mortals get hurt, Artemis. How many people are harmed by the inattentiveness of Gods?"
Her wolfish features began to cool.
"...it is that important to you?"
"Is it not for you?" he asked.
She looked away. The thrum of the wild quietened as she relaxed.
"...I admit to having some concern."
They were passing by a village. It was seated a long distance from them, but their sight was beyond mortal ken. She scowled a bit, eyeing in the distance the way a man ignored his wife and child. The way a mother was eating and ignoring the distraught expressions of abandoned children.
She sighed. Her divinity swelled, reaching for retribution, only to sputter after it reached halfway.
"The way human women and children are treated is…"
"Disgusting," said Hephaestus, "it is disgusting."
She blinked. For a moment, she felt in him a kindred spirit. Athena did not detest the treatment of women in an emotional way, so much as found the imbalance idiotic. Athena also found the callous dismissal of children in some instances as stupid as well. It was all so…clinical, cold.
For Artemis, it struck at her very core, the way that humans could so easily discard their children without a thought. It brought the image of wolves to her mind, of a ravenous hunt, a cleanse…one that could never happen.
For after all, in a demented sort of way, it was survival. Cruel and horrible survival. All because of this, the majority who used survival as an excuse remained untouched. They went on ignoring the responsibility and care that was their calling. As the Goddess of childbirth, she found the practice of leaving children to die or be orphaned in cities a punishable offense, one that she struggled to enact. After all, circumventing divine laws was not easy for offenses like that, strange as it may have been.
The others cared little, with only Aunt Hestia giving her thoughts any bearing. Yet here, she found another.
"...You feel the same?"
If he noticed her hesitation, he didn't bear it any mind.
"Of a sort," admitted Hephaestus, "normal families don't abandon their children but…"
It was a common enough occurrence not to be strange in this era. Children abandoned, women abused, even men could be forced into labour or slavery without a second thought. It was a harsh era. A more delusional Hephaestus would believe he could change society as a whole, but he knew better. A single man could not change the world entirely on his own. The people needed to change because they wanted to.
…or was that just another lie he told himself? Artemis cared little, smiling slightly.
"You created a sanctuary, yes. Many nymphs are clamoring to move to your home because of it."
Artemis kept to herself that she had investigated the said sanctuary before meeting Hephaestus. The barrier around his island had been fresh, but strong. Without Zoe's own inclusion, she doubted she'd be able to enter as easily as she did, or at all, for that matter. So she took her chance and forced the girl to stay by the beach for an extra couple of hours before meeting him.
What she saw was mind-boggling. The sanctuary was built with his own power, yet the very key of it was taken from his hands and left in another's. The area was saturated to such a degree that even Hephaestus couldn't enter freely.
Not that some of the Nymphs would mind apparently. That particular conversation she could do without.
Though his next question only made her giggle a bit.
"...Nymphs can move?"
"...yes? You didn't know this?"
He felt his cheeks burn a bit at the look she gave him, like he was a child. He was older than her damnit!
"I thought they were bound to their trees?" he muttered.
"They are for the most part, but it is possible to move from tree to tree, if given time and power."
"..huh."
She snickered a bit.
"You cannot live your life fearing every action in how it will affect others. While my brother is an idiot…he does have pearls of wisdom. You can only do your best. That's it."
"...my best," he muttered.
The rest of their walk was in comfortable silence. He needed it, especially with the rambling of thoughts that whirled around in his skull.
Yet, within his reality marble, a certain river spirit began to smile, a shine to her eyes that wasn't there before. Her siblings all stiffened, looking up into the strange sky above them. The massive gears that floated above the clouds started to turn ever so slightly…and the volcano at their backs began to churn.
"Finally," muttered Styx.
Several Minutes Later -
When Hephaestus got to Dionysus, he was alone. Artemis had long since returned to Zoe's side, with his authority to request the Nymphs in his home to cease their interruptions of Zoe's work if their impediments were ongoing.
Though he made sure to enforce that she was to ask politely. While she seemed more open-minded than he expected, she was still a God. Besides, Ifrit was keeping an eye on them.
"I'm sorry for not believing you, Ifrit," thought Hephaestus.
He knew the Goddess of the hunt was eying his familiar, but he always assumed it was more akin to Hestia or the nymphs. It was a rare beast, not usually seen.
No. The damn huntress was eying his familiar like a trophy. She hadn't made any moves, but he certainly wasn't enthused. But that was a focus for another day. He felt his stomach churn at the smells of the reverie around him. Over the last of the many hills of this island, lay a temple in the distance. The temple he stood before was grand, massive even on a hilltop overlooking the village that surrounded it. It was surrounded by vines with multi-colored grapes.
For all the mysticism that Hephaestus and EMIYA had seen, bright yellow grapes were rather new. The cerulean ones were interesting as well.
Colors of all sorts were spread across the village, but there was a musk as well.
As he entered the village grounds, the sweetness of it all muddled his thoughts somewhat. It wasn't hard to heat himself up to counteract it, but it was shocking all the same. It took a bit of time, but a few of the humans and satyrs that littered across the village took notice of him.
He towered over most, his hair a massive standout for the population. Yet, none approached him, which was fine for him.
The outer rims of this village were rather tame admittedly. Drinking with friends, some music, and the occasional romantic escapade. Yet, as he delved further into the village, what had once been tame became quite risque.
Women danced naked around a fire, men were wearing masks pretending to be monsters, and one guy was just hugging a goat, snoring away. It was funny, that much he would admit. Though the constant staring was becoming less annoying and more concerning.
What was going on here?
It was only when he neared the steps of the temple that he got his answer. The sound of purring entered his ears and he turned. Sitting and basking in the reverie at the foot of the temple was Dionysus. Curled around his feet was a leopard and around his waist was a panther. The two felines were saturated in divine energy, just as his own beast was. The purple eyes they held were lazily staring at him.
"Hephaestus!" declared Dionysus, "welcome to the party, man!"
He walked with inhuman grace. It was easy to think of the thinner man as…lesser. Hephaestus dwarfed him both in height and physicality. He was more muscular and his domains more destructive.
Yet, he could see the way Dionysus' muscles wrapped around his shoulders and wrists. The definition alone presented a certain allure and if what he heard was true, meant that Dionysus was every bit the warrior his travels would depict him as. Perhaps not to the level of Ares certainly, but no slouch.
Thankfully, the man refrained from touching him so freely, only patting him on the shoulder…though the grip stayed a bit longer than he wanted.
"Come on! Drink, be merry!"
A goblet appeared in his hands, filled with a delectable wine. It was tempting admittedly. The creation of Dionysus was said to be unrivaled, with people going mad for another taste. He politely pushed the goblet away from him, smiling.
"I'm not much of a drinker, friend. I've come to create your symbol of power, as requested."
"Bah," muttered the God of madness, "at least relax. The tension is bumming people out, making them keep their distance."
He blinked, looking around. The faces of some of them turned away instantly.
"They're," he muttered.
"Afraid of you, yes," smirked Dionysus, "not sure why the people on your island are so welcoming to you, but this is normal. Took a long time for them to relax around me but I at least had some help!"
He giggled freely, wiggling the goblet in his hands.
"Still, it's quite rude…isn't it?"
Hephaestus snapped his head to Dionysus. He hated the knowing look the god gave him, pushing his buttons. He wanted to believe that Dionysus wasn't crazy enough to hurt people over something so stupid, but best tread…carefully.
He twinged a bit at the thought, the idea of it more aggravating the more he thought on it. He ignored it.
"I'll get to work."
Dionysus blinked, watching his newest family member trudge away.
"Tch, party pooper," he muttered.
Was it so wrong he wanted to see the infallible Hephaestus drunk off his ass? He was so stoic and passive. He wanted to see the flames deep within this new god. The passion, the rage! It fed the madness that Dionysus curled within, feeding him the longer he stayed near. It was nice, true, but he wanted more. He wanted to peek behind the curtain that was Hepahestus' distance…one way or another.
Dionysus kept an eye on the God, as natural Gods do. While he partied and made merry with his followers, his focus remained on his newest guest. He found a more secluded location, irritating but fair, and got to work. The way he just conjured divine wood from nothing was a little weird, but the craziest thing Dionysus had seen.
His travels in India surpassed most divine feats he knew of, weird as their structures were to him. His smile widened at the thought, relishing in his past glories. He smirked as he noted a few of his more…adventurous nymphs slowly making their way to the newest Olympian. Funny how that worked out.
"Cute," muttered Dionysus.
The serving boy beside him looked at him, eyes wide. He didn't say a word as the servant slowly backed away, watching his master's smile slowly dim.
-With Hephaestus-
He conjured the branch from within his reality marble, noting the way that it thrummed in the presence of Dionysus. It was like a sponge, forcibly devouring the ambient divinity. The branch was beginning to grow vines, though it was rather slow, but he didn't mind. He knew of the original symbol for Dionysus, a type of staff called a Thyrsus. Overall, it was simply meant to be a focus, rather than a weapon or a tool like the others.
Like the scepter of a king.
It wasn't easy, but he found a small tree surrounded by marble benches. He could smell the wine from here, some of it even spilled along the bushes around this small haven.
He could see it, the way that people sat here and just talked or listened to music. Strangely enough, he felt this space was more connected to Dionysus than the raunchy party that was going on around him.
As he closed his eyes, Hephaestus focused on the symbol. Today had been a rather reflective day, more than he was willing to admit to. Yet, there were further revelations today…this one being the most annoying.
He scowled as he focused further.
"By all logic, this should be weaker," thought Hephaestus,"no metallic mixture, no hammer, no song, no forge, no anything. Yet, this is a symbol of power…of that there is no doubt."
The branch in his hands was still growing, his authority as a craftsman filtering the divinity around him into the branch. Most of the creation was a result of his power. He had hoped its quality would be lower, so that he could leave sooner…but it wasn't.
"That's not to say there wasn't any effect." Thinking of his past work, he ran his fingers across the grooved wood, "I can tell this is not as versatile. A focus only."
Poseidon's trident was a stark comparison. It rang with the authority of Poseidon in all ways, carrying with it fragments of Poseidon's abilities and augmenting them further. While the weapon quality remained the same, their functions differed entirely. Dionysus was bridging the gap however, due to the nature of the God's divinity.
The branch he held was soaking up every ounce of Dionysus' authority and domains. There was no telling what sort of weird abilities would form. A wild chaotic thing. Perfect for the lord of madness himself.
The quality remained regardless of his input…it was infuriating. All the skills he was bringing to his forging and his divinity were augmenting what he couldn't
He wanted it the other way around. He wanted his divinity to elevate beyond his natural ken, to trespass further into the ultimate wea–
He stilled. This…feeling in his chest.
He felt pride; there was no other way to describe this feeling…and he had been hurt. They say there was no greater motivation than scorn. How true it was. Like a fuel to a flame, the need to elevate his craftsmanship screamed at every thought he had within himself. The countless tools and variants to his process that he could think of filtered through his mind.
How could he adjust these to filter or incorporate divine energy? What use of monster materials could be had to further his work again? There were so many avenues for improvement that it was almost overwhelming. The urge to just retreat into his reality marble and start working was almost too ravenous, like a dog to a bone gnawing over and over. The branch just needed time, which led him to other prospects. Well, it should have.
"Are you lord Hephaestus?"
He turned, eyeing the gaggle of nymphs that found his little haven.
"I am," he declared, standing.
His chest was still ignited, but that simmered away as he focused. The nymph was a lithe thing, beautiful if thin. She was like a branch in the wind, like she could snap with just a small gust. Her eyes were owlish, wide and unblinking. It was cute, if not unnerving.
"A pleasure, lord."
Immediately, he was on edge. There was a tone here, almost too reverent.
"What do you require?"
She stilled, fear now causing her to shiver. He noted that there were other nymphs…all of them just as thin…
Just as weak.
He relaxed slightly, concern taking the tension from him. He placed a hand on her shoulder.
"What's wrong?"
The moment his hand touched her shoulder, he could feel a noxious energy. A familiar noxious energy.
"You're sick," he whispered.
She nodded.
"Not enough to fade away…but our lands cannot sustain themselves anymore. Lord Dionysus had saved us from Atlas' rampage but not before the damage had been done."
Golden eyes softened, knowing the issue. Atlas had rampaged across Greece looking for a primal stone of Gaia to leash his army. Wis had been his final target, not his first.
"He took your lands?"
She bit her lip, nodding.
"He killed our keystone. She didn't have what he was looking for."
"Dionysus brought you here?"
This time, a smile, brittle and small.
"Yes. He's housed us in his vineyards, made us the "stewards" of his garden."
He could see affection there, from all of them. Jovial and forceful as the God could be, he was still seen as the most friendly of the Gods for a reason. He smiled.
"Are you not acclimating well enough?"
"Oh no!" she gestured, "that's not it! We've situated ourselves just fine. His vineyard is more than enough to sustain us…but the damage is…severe and our homes are too new. I've heard you are able to repair that which has been broken for us…is this true?"
Rather than speak, he let his divinity flow into her. What had once been a thin, willowy woman was replaced by a thicker beauty. Her hips were wide and her chest was thin. Her divinity replenished.
"Is this what they referred to as thick?" he thought.
Suddenly, the others were surrounding him, drawing in this strange adaptive divinity. Soon they had their fill, smiling away. It was different from what he was used to. This felt more…natural. The nymphs of his home were more…attracted to him, he would admit that much. Yet, these nymphs were cordial, the undercurrent of lust absent from their gaze.
"If that is all?"
One of the reformed women pointed to the staff in his hands.
"Is that lord Dionysus'?"
"It is," he stated, "it just needs time to ferment."
It was a good choice of words, for the staff began to cause his mind to dwindle a bit, his vision shaking as if he had too much to drink.
It was done. Just being near the thing was almost overbearing, if not for the support at his back.
"Woah there!" said a voice, "easy."
His vision stopped swimming as the staff left his hands.
A turn, and he was faced with the lord of madness. His smile was present, yet there was hostility that wasn't there before. He blinked, it taking a moment for him to realize.
"Ah, they merely asked for some assistance in replenishing their own divinity. They've acclimated quite well to your lands, but they cannot feed on your vines the same way they can a leyline at the moment…if I have that correct."
He still wasn't entirely sure what means the nymphs sustain themselves with. None bothered to ever educate him on the matter.
Dionysus however, didn't seem to care. Emboldened by the adoring eyes on him, he clicked his tongue.
"I see I see. Well, I can't have that."
The nymphs strangely took this all in stride, smiling away with him. Dionysus took a more dangerous tint, his madness growing.
"So, in return for the affront drink with me!"
A simple request.
Easier than the others.
It was simple.
"No."
But it was the last.
The sound of a woman giggling echoed in his mind, accompanied by the sound of gears clashing ever faster.
"...what?"
His golden eyes burned. His chest rose as he looked down at Dionysus. His expression remained calm, but absolute.
"...No."
Dionysus actually bristled, scowling now.
"You dare insult my hospitality! After all the help I gave?"
"Help, I never requested and I've adhered to your hospitality."
"I invited you here and you're leaving!?"
"Yes."
He turned to the nymphs, a bit put off by their own angered expressions.
"I am sorry…but this is not for me."
"So now it's beneath you," growled Dionysus.
His divinity swelled. Dionysus began to sweat ever so lightly when imperious eyes drilled into him. It reminded him too much of Hera, the way she would scold him. He would swear he didn't balk at the sight.
Yet, no blow ever came. Instead the God simply began to walk.
"You insult me and you think you can just walk away?"
When he turned, it was with an annoyed expression.
"Your party is not boring. Nor is it bad. I prefer my own time, over yours. I mean no insult."
Yet, the denying of a God's domain carried far greater insult than even Hephaestus would be aware of.
"You insult me in my home," seethed Dionysus.
His divinity swelled. There was no action behind it. After all, even by divine standards, this was not a breaking of the law. Just a cultural one.
"Then I will bring that insult to your own ho–"
It was horrid. The smell of fire and ash. As a God, Dionysus had many bodies, many perspectives. Unfortunately, he still felt everything within said bodies. Like now.
The air shimmered as Hephaestus was wreathed in fire. Dionysus felt his eyes widen as he saw Hephaestus ignite his own divinity within himself, propelling himself further. Like bursting a dam for greater force.
Dionysus had travelled the entirety of India. He had fought monsters the average God would avoid, seen lands others could not even imagine, and had for a time the greatest freedom the Gods had ever known.
He was strong.
He was an Olympian!
He was being held by his throat, feet dangling in the air.
His throat burned at the contact of Hephaestus' skin. A blade was conjured in the flame god's open hand.
The nymphs, bless their hearts, attempted to intervene. Dionysus had the sense to ward them off with a gesture.
"Power," muttered Hephaestus.
The air began to shimmer as countless blades formed, aimed at all the servants who had just arrived.
The air warbled with the heat. His own power flowed freely for the first time since Leto's domain. It was like a weight had just slammed into the shoulders of those around him. A stone in their chests.
"Is this the only language you speak?"
His grip tightened, but not to choke. Choking a God was a useless endeavor. This wasn't to harm.
FWOOSH.
It was to send a message.
Dionysus cringed at the heart that tore at his throat, the flames that curled around Hephaestus' arm, the skin cracking and spewing fire.
"I…can't stop how you feel. I can't dissuade you either. So I will make it clear."
He lowered Dionysus to his feet…and then kept pushing. Dionysus grabbed his hand, pushing with all of his divine might. Yet, the taller leverage of Hephaestus could not be an excuse for what occurred.
"GRK!"
His knees buckled, slamming into the earth beneath it with a crack. His back followed soon after. Copies of Dionysus charged at Hephaestus back, only to be skewered or burned. His servants were smart enough not to interfere.
He was kneeling over the god of wine, his eyes calm, a sense of resignation over his expression.
"I am leaving," said Hephaestus, "and you will remain here. There will be no repercussions, no battles, no insults. I leave you whole, your people unharmed…and I expect the same."
His face twisted, showing the slightest hint of anger.
The cracks of his body were a far greater indicator. The flames that winked from out of his arm were sadistic, angry, as if they were the river of pain in the underworld. It licked Dionysus' face, a stinging sensation the entire time he'd rather do without.
"If you bring this pettiness to my home…I will rend you."
He was quick, switching his grip from Dionysus' neck and slamming his fingers into Dionysus' chest. They dug into his chest, breaking the skin, his heat eating away at his insides. Dionysus kept a firm face, ignoring the pain.
"I don't need swords to fight you, Dionysus. Harm my home and I will kill you, and when you reform, I'll simply kill you again."
His golden eyes peered into him, quelling his pettiness at the sheer surety he saw within it. He was always a petty individual, and every now and again, it reared its head in the worst of ways, like today.
"Every life you harm, twist, or outright end, I will bring back twofold. Do we understand?"
A reluctant nod.
"...Good."
As he rose, Hephaestus felt…wrong, yet good. A weight had been lifted off his shoulders, yet anxieties still ran rampant. Was this the right call? What future repercussions could be had from this?
It started in his spine, the feeling. Like a balm of cool water after a hot summer day. It calmed him slightly, the icy feeling quelling the heat that was rising.
"You're welcome."
The voice was demurred but unmistakably Cocytus. The way he was being stared at by everyone was also awkward. He wanted to leave.
"Damn it," he thought, "If only telepor–"
His thoughts died with the sound of a familiar call. He blinked, staring up at the truck-sized azure phoenix that came screaming at him.
"Wait, Ifrit!"
He was wrapped in fire as he was carried away. It was a blitz, so fast that even with his divine senses, he missed the smirk on the God of wine.
"Did you get what you wanted, my lord?"
He turned to his newest caretakers, taking one of them under his arm. He hopped up, none the worse for wear sans the hand-sized burn in his chest. His wounds melted away and the ground repaired quickly.
The gaggle of servants that had surrounded them disappeared as well, a construct of the Nymphs whose eyes were closed in concentration.
"Oh yea. Getting him drunk was never going to happen, but I knew there was more to him than that weird passivity. It was fun!"
He chuckled. It was cute, the way the two Gods thought they could have a private conversation in his domicile. Poor guy needed to loosen up a bit, have a rager!
Literally in this case.
"Ah, gonna be a blast when I can get him drunk."
"So much attention on him," whined a couple of the nymphs, "what about us?"
He blinked, staring at their forms.
"So he actually did help you, this isn't an illusion anymore, is it?"
They all smiled.
"Good."
The night was still dancing away, his people none the wiser. His trick undiscovered. It was a good night for Dionysus. Unfortunately, the God of Wine wasn't one to consider consequences, as he would inevitably learn.
-With Hephaestus-
The sun had yet to fully fall when he returned home. Ifrit reduced in size after they landed, finding a perch on his shoulder as she always did.
"While it was…Unexpected, I appreciate the save, old friend."
"Finally, you're back!"
He blinked, turning to see Zoe. The ground and everything around him were repaired, her obligation complete.
"Zoe?"
She had an imperious expression, a grimace as well.
"I've completed my dues. Am I free?"
"Of course you are? Why remain?"
She blinked, her blush becoming worse.
"Y-you're the one who kept me here!?"
"...what?"
His face began to chill into a disbelieving expression as Zoe went on a bit of a rant.
"You obviously have feelings for one of my sisters!"
He blinked. The raucous laughter within his world was loud enough to echo in his skull.
"Why else would you bind us to repair the damage?"
His eyes ghosted to the sky, spacing out. Ifrit's eyes lost their focus, drifting separately in her own disbelief.
"So, out with it! What do you need to forget about them!?"
She blushed harder.
"...please leave. I have no such desire."
She inflated.
"What!? Are they not good enough for you!?"
"...I'm losing brain cells," thought Hephaestus, "I can feel them dying."
He stared at Zoe.
"I swear to Chaos that I hold no such desire for you, your siblings, or anything of the sort."
The sky was bloated out for a moment, a singular eye piercing him to the spot as he stared back at it.
"YOU IDIOT!"
The eye of what he assumed was Chaos closed, its judgment complete. He looked at Zoe, the poor girl, pale as she stared at him.
"I hope that suffices?"
She barely nodded as she backed away.
"Message received," she uttered, "I'll leave you in peace, my lord."
He blinked. She seemed like someone had just kicked her dog. The young goddess disappeared. Leaving Hephaestus staring at the spot where she was standing.
"...Gods are weird," he muttered.
It wasn't an oversight to include him in that list.
The sound of chuckles with a breathy snort turned him.
"Jeez Heph, way to break her."
He turned. Kassandra entered from the treeline, a basket full of vegetables and fruits that had been collected. She had an easy smile on her face as she settled the basket at his feet.
"Thank you," he muttered. He wanted food desperately. He wasn't hungry, but he was definitely craving something to fill his stomach if just for the taste.
He stilled as he picked an apple.
"What do you mean I broke her?"
"Well, you swore by the most dangerous oath a God could make, just to say she had no chance. Spitting in her face would have been kinder."
"I only swore by…" he looked up, pointing to the sky, "because swearing to Styx is irrelevant."
The displeasure within was obvious, but Kassandra's mirth was infectious.
"How sweet," she muttered, "You hurt her by principle."
It took him another second. Then his face soured. Kassandra began hollering, almost choking on her food.
"Your face!"
It scrunched up even further.
"HA! Oh, thank the fates she already left or she'd be even more mortified!"
"Kassandra, I think you're a little delusional. Desire doesn't work that way."
She blinked. Then started laughing even harder.
"This isn't funny," he muttered.
"The delusional one is you," she smirked, "why do you think she waited for you?"
"...even if you're right, she had a stupid way to go about it."
"PFFT!"
After her last bout of chuckling went through, Kassandra finally calmed down. Hephaestus felt bad enough, but he still had to say it.
"I didn't mean to go about it like that," he muttered.
"Of course not," cooed Kassandra, pinching his cheek.
"I'm not a child!"
"You are compared to me!" She grinned.
He really wasn't, which made it even more infuriating.
The two chatted for a time, catching up. The apples were sweet, time was savoured, and for the first moment…he felt content. There was still so much to do…but at least a part of Calliope's tragedy had been closed.
"Deimos, huh?" she muttered, "what you're describing sounds a lot like the mist."
"Truly?"
She nodded, chewing the carrot loudly.
"It can confuse and dull the senses if used masterfully…but last I heard, the lady of balance is not one to be able to use it."
"Finally," thought Hephaestus, "some details."
"Is that right?"
Kassandra shrugged.
"Just something I heard when I was with the lady's coven. Something about domains makes it harder."
Hephaestus didn't even entertain the notion of learning to use the mist. If his own history and EMIYA's were anything to go by, manipulation of that level was beyond him…supposedly.
"Maybe something to experiment with later," he thought.
"So you're saying it's not her?"
She shrugged.
"Could be she empowered it and someone else manipulated it. Can't tell ya."
A loud crunch as she finished the carrot, a contented hum as she reached for another vegetable.
"Man, these are fantastic."
Hephaestus sniffed his arm, not enjoying the pungent smell of Dionysus' wine.
"I'm going to bathe, then rebuild your home."
"It's fine Heph, I got some housing out in the human villages."
He shrugged.
"Won't take but a moment."
He rose up, Kassandra's voice trailing at his back.
"Will you be staying this time?"
He stilled, turning to her hopeful expression.
"Almost. I'm heading to Olympus tomorrow. It's time I finish the symbols for the rest. After that, I'll be organizing a meeting with Hecate."
Her name echoed a tad, her 'eyes' trained on him.
"A…meeting," Kassandra whispered.
"Yes, a meeting. Though I doubt it will happen quickly. While I wait, I'll stay here."
Kassandra said little as Hephaestus moved into the tree line. Any river he went to would likely be inhabited by a nymph of some sort.
So rather than gamble, he made his way to a familiar river. He entered the river, his clothes dispersing. He had long since ignored making his clothes again and again by hand. It was too much of a hassle. He found the edge of the river deep enough for him to sit, basking in the water as he sank to his chest.
He stared upward, looking into the sky. The horizon dimmed as the night took hold, the various stars painting a tapestry across the sky. The constellations were absent, either not yet formed or entirely different from what EMIYA knew.
His eyes were shut for a moment, basking in everything. He had said no. Risked his population just to snap at a God.
It felt horrible. It felt Irresponsible. It felt invigorating. Like he had stepped out of a cage somehow. His body burned, the steam bubbling from the water below. A pair of hands caressed his chest, making him look down. The nymph of the river just kept washing. Ceibero hummed a tune, carefully dragging her finger across red-hot lines. Everywhere they trailed, a new crack would be visible for a moment.
"I've made sure we are not disturbed this time," she promised, eyeing the way he looked carefully around the bank. The evening sun shone through the trees to frame her face. He couldn't help but ask as he locked eyes with her.
"...why do you wash me?" he asked.
She said nothing, her own skin shimmering from the heat of Hephaestus' body.
"There are cracks."
He blinked.
"...that won't close with cleaning."
She scoffed, narrowing her eyes.
"There is grime in those cracks, my lord. Now shush."
He blinked, only feeling it minutely. There was energy in his body, the essence of Dionysus had seeped into these cracks and he could see the way her water was tainted purple for a moment. She was taking his burden. He wanted to stop her, truly he did. Yet, the feel of a woman's hands on his body was admittedly harder to shy away from than he admitted.
The soothing touch was cool to his heated skin.
It was not a weakness to have a connection.
"Though I doubt Artemis would appreciate her words being used in this context."
The thought brought a smile to his face, making the beautiful woman look at him. Her hooded eyes were a pleasing sight, but he made sure to restrain himself. The very idea of kissing those lips was present, sure…but there was a weight behind it.
It wasn't that he didn't want to…but that he couldn't.
"Thank you," he whispered sleepily.
She stilled, staring at him. Her hand softly came to his face.
"Sleep, my lord…you deserve the rest."
He fought against it, truly, but even he needed to sleep. It was so cool, so soothing, his eyes fluttered uselessly as he nodded off.
It was a dreamless sleep. His intentions for his reality marble were not present in his thoughts. Merely a rest, the first genuine sleep he's had since Calliope, not reality marble, no waking thoughts.
Just blissful sleep.
His face fell into the water, though it was quick to churn and caress the sleeping Olympian. His chest fell up and down, content and quiet. She stood there, misting her river so none could disturb him and left him to his peace. Seeps of Dionysus' divinity filtered through the water, but even that was eventually dealt with.
But peace was far harder to obtain than some would like. Even for one as weathered as the Wrought Iron God.
-Hephaestus, Dream State- (First Person)
I didn't dream. Not truly. Even EMIYA only ever dreamed of the reality marble. Yet, unmistakably this must be a dream.
"This place," I muttered.
It was a swirling mass of orange and black, like fire and ash. I was naked in here, even my legs were gone, instead obscured by the same strokes of color. Whatever this space was, it was devoid of anything of substance.
It was tranquil, but I was no fool. I was brought here for a reason.
"A reason."
My thoughts echoed, voiced by something new.
"Pretender."
The voice laughed.
"Yet…not."
"Strange."
"Yet, good."
"Free."
"Yet not."
It took me a moment. The trio of voices.
"The Fates," I muttered.
"Clever," voiced one.
"Smart."
"Yet, dumb."
I rolled my eyes. Their sway over me was limited. Fate was never so simple as a predetermined consequence.
"True," muttered one.
The joyous tone of it threw me off.
"Why am I here?" I growled.
"An insult was thrown," they said all as one, "from the safety of home. A sibling to be responded to in kind."
"That was a horrible rhyme," I muttered. "Actually, that wasn't even a rhyme."
My thoughts were not my own here, so what point was there in hiding it. A pearl of laughter filled the room.
"Funny and cute."
He turned, facing an old woman. She had a horrible boil on her face and a gammy mouth, a single eye peering at him with lust.
"Odd yet strong."
The second sister, middle-aged, their eyes bandaged.
"Silly but ready."
The third seemed to be around his own age, youthful and full-bodied. Her empty sockets were visible to the world, a small smile on her face.
"Our sister spites us," they said all as one, "so enjoy this gift."
The cruel smiles they held did little to assuage him. But he endured as the world around him twisted.
"Again."
I turned, seeing a thin woman with frizzy brown hair. She was pretty in a sort of crazy way. A black toga wrapped around her form, biting her nail. Her eyes were wide, showing an eye that was blue and an eye that was red.
This was undeniably in the underworld, but nowhere I had ever seen. It seemed to be a house, yet it was a temple of some sort, housing many of what I assumed as the Chthonic Gods.
"Sister."
It was strange to me, the way I was seeing this. I could walk anywhere in this dream and they were none the wiser. I stepped forward to study her face more, but paid attention to what was going on.
"I am here, as requested."
The voice was unmistakable to me. Pale hair in a grey toga. He lacked his standard scythe, though he seemed annoyed for reasons other than this. Thanatos was here.
"They need to be brought down!"
The words were growled out, breaking through her throat like gravel.
"For what reason? Because they live in the sky and us below the earth?"
"YES!"
This was an old argument obviously.
"Sister, our stations are beyond our control."
"Not mine," growled Nemesis.
The eldest sibling narrowed his eyes.
"I admit sister, you have power. I've never seen a god that could intermingle and manipulate the mortal realms as you can…but that's the mortal world. The Olympians dwarf us considerably."
She snapped her teeth at him.
"A folly of design. Nothing more. All I need is leverage and they will be in the dirt where they belong!"
"Again with this," he muttered, "you speak as if you are burdenless of crimes, sister."
She narrowed her eyes.
"I am."
"I had to cover for you!" he hissed, "that village was filled with souls whose time was not yet there. Our sisters made it clear to us that this can't keep happening…or there'd be a reckoning."
"Of what," hissed Nemesis, "of triplets that refuse to leave their little cave? Of the trio that helped the Olympians rise to power!"
"I can't do this anymore," he whispered,
She smirked.
"You're mine, brother."
"No," he whispered.
"Oh? Need I remind you of our own deal?"
The lord of death sighed.
"...No sister."
Nemesis paced around this house of sorts, tapping her chin.
"I just need…more time. More perspectives to manipulate him into what we need."
She slammed her fist into the wall, cracking it.
"He was mine!" She yelled, "I could taste that vengeance. It was…it was beautiful. He would have wrought Hera down to the greatest humiliation and…and he just threw it away!? He gave up!"
Nemesis scowled.
"His weapons…we need his weapons to even the playing field. With them…we can overthrow the Olympians."
Thanatos rolled his eyes.
"Sister, you couldn't even stand against Hestia…please stop these delusions."
"I'm going to see Nekrosa. I expect you to continue delivering her fee, oh brother mine."
The God sighed, nodding.
I was shaking, staring at the Goddess of vengeance, drilling in every detail that I could study. The world was painted over again in shades of orange and black, the three fates before me.
"Spat on us she did," muttered the old one.
"Brought to reality she must be," muttered the middle.
"She insulted us, beat her up," said the youngest.
The other two stared at her, making the youngest look back.
"...what? We speak in riddles for those who want to change their fate. He doesn't care enough to self-fulfill himself to oblivion. What's the fun?"
The other two were annoyed, but I gave a nod of respect to the younger one. Imagine my surprise when it was returned.
"So, go out there and go a little wild," said the youngest of the fates. Her smile was small, but the light in her eyes was nothing but chaos, "Give us some work to do, hmm?"
-Hephaestus, the waking world-
His eyes snapped open, his body bolting up from the water. His hair was soaked, but his skin remained supple and clammy.
"How long was I asleep?"
He looked up. What had once been evening was now freshly morning.
"...hmm," he grunted.
"Welcome back, my lord. Was your sleep restful?"
His body ejected flame for a moment before he calmed.
"It was…informative."
"Until next time."
He nodded to her, appreciating the assistance either way. As he walked through the grass, he realized he had a name where he didn't have one before. A middle finger the fates shot their sister.
Interesting how diverted her personality seemed between mortal and the Gods. Still…he doubted what he saw was the entire truth. The cloth around his neck, tattered slightly from weathering, fluttered mindlessly. He touched it, feeling the smoothness with his fingers. A bit of Deimos blood had gotten on it, though the waters around him had long since washed it clean.
Vengeance wasn't hollow. The death of Deimos was cathartic…but he wanted more.
"Justice, in full," muttered Hephaestus.
The memory of his fist curling into that man's hair, the way his divinity tore into his body to divest its secrets. His fist clenched at the thought, the gears within moving smoother as his mind settled into its new reality.
Going about it like an emotionless, passive rock wasn't working. Fear wasn't working. So, a decision was made. He clothed himself well enough, a crimson toga, paired with the scarf he made as a reminder of Calliope.
"Ew."
He blinked, turning to see the aghast face of a shrubbery nymph.
"...I-I swear I…please don't kill me," she whimpered.
"I won't kill you," he smiled, "though I hope your disgust isn't towards my smell."
"Of course not lord, it's just…you're wearing a lot of red."
It was squeaked out as a tempered whimper. Her fist shook a little as she kept them bound together at her stomach. She was a young-looking thing, even for an immortal. New too, from what he could remember.
Strange hair, curling around in pink curls, like the petals found in the shrubbery to his left. Her eyes shone black with pink irises. A rather unusual combination. Her body was clothed in a collection of leaves that were tied together with cloth.
It looked similar to the modern dresses that EMIYA had seen in his life. It was tasteful actually.
"I guess this is too much red," he chuckled.
He turned to leave, yet the new nymph squeaked out again.
"No, no! Please, any other color but that! Just something other than red! Red hair, red cloth, red toga. Just…something else!"
She looked as if she was about to explode, muttering to herself how stupid she was. He smirked, placing a hand on the toga he wore. The red bled as black took over.
"...better," he chuckled.
"...yes," she squeaked.
"Good. I am Hepahestus, you?"
"..."
She popped out of existence, making him blink. At first, he thought she died, only to feel her presence in the very shrubbery to his right. He shook his head, leaving that little exchange to the weirdness of divinity.
He walked through his woods, waving to each spirit and nymph he came across. They were happy, smiling, and carefree. It was a heartwarming sight, one that lifted the burdens he felt seeing others enjoy their time.
He felt…sentimental.
He kept a brisk pace, enjoying his timely walk. He had a feeling that Kassandra would be at Wis' tree, as she tended to be if not with the humans.
"I wonder what she's doing there?"
"LORD HEPHAESTUS!"
He must have been closer to the village than he thought for busting through the foliage was the heaving but smiling face of the young Krios. The brief break of the leaves showed the village not that far off in the distance, a couple of new homes built from the last he remembered.
"Krios," he nodded, "I doubt your father wants you running through the woods alone."
"Bah," smirked the young man, "you're here!"
The kid couldn't be older than thirteen and was relatively tall for his age. His brown hair fell in curls as his dull green chiton wrapped around his skinny frame. Barely 5 feet tall, the kid was bursting with energy.
"I'm not everywhere at once Krios, I hope you know that," he muttered.
"I know that," the kid scoffed, "besides, we have something important to do!"
"Oh really?"
"Really! My new friends don't believe me!"
He blinked.
"...and?"
"Well, about you! They think I made you up!"
He blinked.
"...I…see…and this is an emergency for you?"
The kid went on a rant about how he wasn't a liar, Hephaestus' brow rising slowly as he did.
"So, you get it right?"
"...sure."
"So you'll come? Please! It would mean a lot!"
He mulled it over.
"Connection is not a weakness."
"...sure, Krios. I'll say hello. But, I'll have to look for Kassandra after."
The boy blinked as he tilted his head.
"Can't you send Ifrit to do that?"
He knelt in front of the boy, his face serious.
"Ifrit is my friend, not my tool, Krios. She deserves the same freedoms as you are I to live as we please."
"...well yea, but friends help each other out and she has wings!"
He felt his eyes space out a bit, the cackling of his familiar echoing in his head.
"Besides, she's faster, isn't she?"
The cackling got worse.
"...do you want me to come or not?"
The boy smartly turned on his heel, gesturing for him to follow. He shook his head, following the boy through the tree lines. The poor kid was bursting with energy, rushing further and further away from Hephaestus' brisk pace.
The sun basked on his skin, the brush of the leaves, the kiss of the wind. It was a moment that felt cathartic, a much-needed pause in the constant movement of his life.
He heard voices as he pushed past the last of the trees and bushes.
"How many times have I told you not to rush into the woods! There are dangerous animals out there! Your mother and brother just got back from your uncle's and you decide to rush off like this!"
"Dad! You're embarrassing me!"
"GOOD! Stop acting like a–"
His voice cut short as the lord of flames exited the woods. He looked over everyone there, noting a few new faces. One was a common woman, a bit taller than Krios's father, a boy taller than either of them standing behind her. A few younger kids, around Krios' age, were also huddled around, a short teenage girl behind them with a ball. Her jaw dropped, along with the ball as one kid stared at him.
He ignored them, turning to Krios' father.
"Hello again, sir. I apologize for my part in Krios' foolishness. The boy must have seen me and rushed to say hello."
He stared at the boy.
"He won't do it again, right?"
The sheer audacity as the younger boy sticking his tongue out. His father smacked him behind the head.
"How many times have I told you not to interact with…shit,"
The last word filtered out as a whisper, but Hephaestus smiled all the same.
"I understand sir, I won't be smiting anyone today, rest assured."
The man shivered, taking a breath.
"I…I know you're different, but that doesn't mean it's the same everywhere. I didn't mean to insult you, truly. I'm grateful and–"
A raised hand, a small smile to put things at ease.
"I understand," said Hephaestus, "my kind more often than not cares little for those around them. A lesson Krios needs to learn. However, you have my solemn oath that no harm would befall any of you in my vicinity. I swear on C–"
He stopped himself, pretending to clear his throat.
"I swear on the Styx."
The family stilled, turning to the sky as it rumbled with thunder.
"What?" muttered the older boy.
Krios grinned, slipping from his father's grasp and dancing around the younger kids, pointing at him.
"See, I told you he was real! He beat Atlas' ass!"
"That is not entirely accurate," muttered Hephaestus.
"He even has a phoenix!"
"Those aren't real," muttered the teenager, still dazed at the sight of him.
A loud screech echoed, making Hephaestus close his eyes in annoyance.
The flaming bird landed on his shoulders, acting as if she didn't hear any of this conversation. He turned his head, giving her a look. The arrogant bird just preened her feathers. It was quite a comical sight, a 3-foot bird sitting on his broad shoulder.
The ball dropped from the older girl's hand.
"...Is that all you needed, Krios?"
The young boy blinked, tilting his head. His father stared at him, drilling into him. Who he assumed was his mother was a little shocked, her pale face trying to piece this all together.
"I want to see fire!"
He blinked, they all blinked.
Hephaestus smirked as he pointed to Ifrit, the poor boy scowling.
"Come on, show some magic! Kassandra does it."
He laughed, the bratty kid putting a smile on his face.
"You have no fear, do you, boy?"
The boy without fear merely grinned. There was a madness there, he could feel it. The sound of the earth cracking echoed in the clear, his arm splintering cracks that spewed crimson fire. His eyes glowed as the cracks shimmered underneath his eyes.
"Hmm?"
The boy blinked.
"Does that hurt?"
Hephaestus stared, pursing his lips.
"I…don't really know. I wouldn't say it's painful."
He turned to the father, the man looking like he was going to pull the rest of his hair out. The flames were snuffed out as Hephaestus held his hand out to the man.
"My name is Hephaestus, I don't believe I ever caught yours?"
The man swallowed, slowly reaching out and gripping the hand in turn.
"It's uh, Alexander Lord."
Much like his son, the man had the same curly brown hair, paired with similar brown eyes. He had a more muted energy than his son, a little lanky as well. He nodded to his wife. She jumped a bit before stuttering out.
"It's um, Helena…sir."
She elbowed her husband, showing the same ferocious energy as her son, as she whispered to him. She had black hair, her eyes a green hue. She was taller than her husband, her hands marred in the way only physical labour could induce. A fisherman and his farmer wife, it would seem.
"How quaint," thought Hephaestus.
She hid behind her husband for a moment, a small chuckle escaping him at the height difference. She was chewing him out about not telling her a God was living so close to home. He smirked, and her face flushed as she realized she was overheard.
"And you, young man?"
The taller teen swallowed.
"It's Grius."
"You're looking for Kassandra, right?" asked Alexander.
"That's right, last I heard she was at Wis' tree?"
"She was going there to collect some herbs. A few of our newer villagers got sick from the cold the other day. She's helping them get through the worst of it."
One of the little children, a small boy probably 6-7 years old, smiled.
"Horse lady nice."
He smiled.
"She is."
He looked above, staring at the sky. Ifrit ruffled their feathers. He could feel his fingers twitch at the desire to just leave and finish things.
"Could you relay a message for me?" asked Hephaestus.
Alexander blinked.
"Uh, of course, my lord. To Kassandra, right?"
"Yes. Tell her I will be at Olympus for a few days, finishing some business."
The entire collection of people blinked.
"Wait..but only Olympians," muttered Helena.
Unknown to Hephaestus was that Olympus was not always open to every God, giving access only to the 8 Olympians.
"Are…you an Olympian, sir?" asked Alexander.
Hephaestus nodded.
"Yes. Let her know that I will be gone, arming the rest of them. Hopefully with all 11 armed, I won't need to leave for a period."
He had some personal projects he wanted to continue and waiting for a meeting with Hecate was the perfect time to indulge in them.
The other humans took time to do basic math, a concept that was far removed from modern people, all except Helena.
"There are 12 Olympians now?" she asked.
He nodded, letting Ifrit billow off his shoulder, expanding in size.
"I'll be back, hopefully to stay for a time. If you wish for me to visit, just talk to Kassandra, no roaming the woods."
The boy was a reckless idiot, but he made him laugh. Hopefully, this would reduce the risk of the idiot running into danger again. Ifrit was now the size of a truck. Hephaestus climbed onto her back. She flapped her wings a few times to get altitude safely, before bursting into a stream of fire. The other kids all stared at the flaming streak flying through the sky. A young girl, about Krios' age, turned to him. He grinned at her, only to get socked in the stomach.
"Why didn't you tell us he was real!?"
"I DID!" he cried.
His mother stared at the sky. She had only been gone a a few weeks at most, having been cut away from her husband and son when they ran from Atlas. She returns now to learn there is a new God that lives on their island and that her son's tall tales were not so tall. She gave her young daughter a smack on the back of her head.
"Why!?"
"For hitting your brother!"
At least this was normal.
-Chapter End-
Hello folks! Next chapter will be the final 3 symbols of power and more! I hope you're excited. As you can tell my typing speed has gone even faster, so I hope you all enjoyed this rather quick release. Hopefully this continues to be the norm, but don't count on it.
P.S: Fun fact, the nymphs introduced here are the same nymphs that tend to the grapes at Camp half blood in the modern era!
Omake (Non-canon…or is it?):
"MAKE IT STOP!" yelled Phelegetheon.
"WHY ARE THEY SPINNING!?"
"HMMM!"
Four out of the five spirits were staring at the massive gears that were spinning above them. The world was spewing with fire as the gears collided with each other, the sky spinning in response to his newfound desire.
The worst part was the volcano. It rumbled, shaking the very earth as an opening formed at the base of the volcano. It spewed fire and ash, but it never fell. If anything, it dispersed above them, keeping the sky clear with what few clouds it had. The problem was that the sky was spinning and churning away, making all of them experience vertigo.
Gods never experienced vertigo.
Ever.
"I think…I'm going to throw up," whispered Acheron.
Styx was floating in her river, her eyes staring up and feeling awful.
"I regret everything," she moaned, "damnit, Pallas!"
The poor Titan of War was sitting at his wife's riverbank, staring at all of them.
"...you do realize you can just…look away?"
The collective groan made him sigh.
He looked to the sky, and even with the vertigo, he smiled.