Chapter 29:
-Deep in the recesses of Hades-
Nemesis eyed the flickering sphere of shadows that warbled above her hand. Her eyes twitched as she absorbed the message for what seemed like the hundredth time. As soothing as her brother's words could be, a searing heat behind her eyes threatened to spill out from her, the searing heat a screaming headache of pure rage.
"My family…is retarded," muttered Nemesis.
That was Nemesis' reality. Everyone she worked with…was retarded.
Circe and her students? Retarded.
Her idiot brothers? Both of them, retarded. Hypnos at least was an air-head, but Thanatos liked to think of himself as a "fair" and "just" god. Always on about the rules, but more than willing to "break" said rules at his leisure. So, he was retarded.
Her mother? The most powerful Primordial entity she had ever seen, but that did nothing to detract from the almost alien way she thought. Pain was love, stoicism was comedy, it was all too much.
Now…now it was Eris, the stupid, arrogant, RETARDED, Eris.
"I'm going to kill her," whispered Nemesis, staring at the wall across from her. "The second mother puts that idiot back together, I'll kill her again!"
Her hair, always springy no matter how she willed it, was irritatingly poking her in the eye, her fingers to her skull. She was a god, yet somehow she was having a headache to end all headaches.
Her golden blood dribbled down from her eyes, blood seeping from whatever vessels had popped. She eyed her little war table, wondering where it all went wrong as she rubbed the blood away. She grimaced at the shuddering shadows around her living space. A silent warning.
She couldn't even harm her sister if she wanted to, not that her mother would ever understand something as simple as venting.
Deep within the realm of Hades, on the edge of Tartarus and the mortal afterlife, was the home of Nyx and her ilk, covered in their mother's power. Here, Nemesis was free to plot and scheme to her leisure, safe under her mother's protective shroud. Here, their domains were undisputed, even by Hades.
Much like Olympus, their homes were not entirely solid. A shifting of energy to create whatever was needed. Though, more solid accommodations had become the norm as of late.
Nemesis was the first to adopt the structures the humans made, especially the kind made to worship her. Rows of pillars and elaborate designs were chiseled to the walls that enclosed her space. At the far end of her room, away from the archway that acted as an entrance, was a set of stairs. Even in her living quarters were a monument to her ego, the stairs leading to an altar. Though, at the moment, it was more of a table.
A place of worship, a testament to the glory of her own plans. Littered across the slab of stone were symbols of the gods that she had under her sway. Countless minor gods, favors big and small binding them to her will.
In the middle, larger than all the others, was a hammer. The fruit of all her labors these last few decades…or rather it should have been. Unlike the others, it remained inert, the hammer cold.
This…this was what she needed. The hammer that would bring the gods low. The instrument that would forge a better tomorrow, a more accurate tomorrow. Her tomorrow.
Hephaestus.
"...sister?"
Thanatos shivered a bit, Nemesis eyes drilling into him. He didn't dare climb the stairs to his sisters altar/wartable. The ghastly white flames flickered the shadows around her, the mismatched eyes shining in the shadows.
"Explain to me again what happened," she hissed.
No hello, no how are you. Thanatos shuffled a bit before relenting.
"Eris attacked Hephaestus."
He had told her via Iris several times, even left her a message directly, but of course she wanted him to report to her in person.
"I know that much you dolt! I mean why?!"
Her brother blinked and Nemesis was ready to punt her idiot sibling through the wall. He genuinely didn't understand that she needed more. If she didn't know any better, he was being purposefully difficult.
"She was told to not go near him!" she yelled.
She slammed her hands on the table she was resting on, the stone cracking at the rage. Her air twisted and gnarled into thorns for a moment. Her right eye burned a crimson red. She hissed as she turned at her brother.
"Does she have any idea what she has endangered!? How long have I been dragging him in!?"
Death grimaced. For all that his sister could be delusional, there wasn't arguing the results. She had gotten him of all gods under her thumb afterall.
Nemesis ran her hands through her hair, her dual colored eyes fighting to see which iris was angrier.
"I had him!" she slammed her hands on the altar, cracking the stone even more. "Now? Now our idiot sister may have ruined our one shot, ONE, at bringing the Olympians to their knees in this century."
"..."
Thanatos kept his mouth shut. On the one hand, her success would finally shut her up. On the other? He shivered a bit, recalling the fate of Pan. She was playing with fire. She began to pace, a manic glare drilling into the floor.
"What drove her, brother?! How did she squeeze past my bindings?!"
Thanatos shrinked back, grimacing at the sharp pain around his wings, narrowed eyes peeling the layers before her. She was like a hunting dog. A feral bite, right to the point.
"I know you know."
"I–"
His sister shushed him, suddenly in front of him. Her finger crushed his lips, her left eye shining an icy blue.
"Don't pretend you don't spy on us brother. I know you and Hermes have your…dalliances."
The god of death actually blushed, his sister smirking at his anger. It was always fun watching her brother unravel. His little wandering eye was precisely how she got him wrapped around her finger. A habit he would never quit and thus a binding that would never loosen.
It was Thanatos that told her of Hephaestus. He had been drawn to the young God when he was a child, locked within his home. Her brother finally found his spine, his grey hair tickling her face as he locked foreheads with her.
"That is none of your business," he hissed, "and it isn't like that."
She rolled her eyes. Of course, he would say that.
"You really have no understanding of what a friend is, do you?" whispered Thanatos.
She ignored him as usual. Still, they both knew she wasn't wrong. Thanatos wouldn't call what he did spying, it was more…unsolicited curiosity.
It wasn't like he was actually there after all. Memories carried an echo in the land, not unlike the corpses of the dead. He could gather these echoes, the waning gasps, and make them his own.
So yes, Thanatos knew some things….and yes, he was totally a voyeur. He cleared his throat, moving away from Nemesis.
"Eris was summoned by Medusa," he whispered. The ground shuddered around them, the mists of death taking shape. Medusa, in human form, was approached by Eris.
"...I ignored that monster for a reason," hissed Nemesis.
"Eris had become impatient," explained Thanatos, "decided to act on her own. When you theorized that Eris was a bane to Hephaestus, she became…well…"
To say that Eris was a battle junkie was like saying Ares was a peaceful war god. The chance to completely dominate an Olympian? Eris was already a goner.
"That glutton! Did she even consider what would happen if she failed!? Knowing her, she squealed like those pigs she so adores."
Nemesis hated the sound those stupid animals made. So Eris, of course, made it her sound. No matter where she went, pigs screamed. To Hephaestus a ring, to Nemesis a squeal. Whatever set the person on edge to announce the arrival of discord.
It wasn't enough. Her idiot brother knew more, he always did.
"When are you going to learn?" muttered Nemesis, clenching her hand, a swirl of color forming around it.
"Sister wait!" Thanatos flinched, feeling the bindings within his core. She pulled and his wings began to–
They both stilled at the sound of an echoing tap. They turned to the archway to their right. The smell of a summer breeze wafted through the necrotic air of their home as the sound got closer.
"Hermes," scowled Nemesis, "what does he want?"
Footsteps echoed through the shadows, the house opening up to an unexpected guest. It would only do so under one circumstance.
He came bearing a message.
The wild and carefree look was absent from the Olympian as he appeared from the shadows. His hair was slick back, his toga black and wreathed in adornments of his station. His greaves were alight with his power, his divinity creating the image of wings at his ankles, the upgraded variant from Hephaestus lacking the adornment.
What infuriated Nemesis the most, was the smug smile. It oozed from him, a constant confidence that she needed to rip from him.
"I come bearing a message," smiled Hermes.
He didn't bow, even when he was in the house of Hades. His arrogance was so great that, even near Nyx he would remain his aloof and arrogant self. The worst part?
Her mother did nothing. The light flickered away, a twisted sneer now barking at Hermes.
"Out with it!"
"You've been officially invited to the summer solstice celebrations on Olympus."
The silence was deafening. Hermes didn't really care if she was shocked or not, amusing himself with the whispers in the dark. Nyx was such a…disastrous entity, but she had a wicked sense of humor.
As amusing as it was though, the silence lingered. He even began wondering if Nemesis was broken?
He could feel the night's cold touch along his shoulder, her shroud a hard earned boon. He smirked, enjoying the primordial's direct attention. Thanatos shivered a bit, eyeing Hermes with a bit of disgust.
"Jealous?" mouthed Hermes.
Nemesis, as usual, was completely unaware. Thanatos wanted to hurl.
"...what?"
For once, Nemesis didn't punt her brother, for even she was floored. Aside from grand celebrations such as a birth or a crowning, the chthonic gods as a whole were never invited to Olympus. Partly due to the problems of getting them topside for lengthy periods, but mostly for the reputation that they had garnered.
Yet, Nemesis had been invited. For the first time ever at that.
"...who invited me?" she asked.
For the first time since he had met her, Hermes found her voice soft. She was usually aggressive and sharp. It was a pleasant enough sound, but he had already seen the decrepit little goddess that hid beneath her human guise.
That and he was sure Nyx wouldn't appreciate it. If anything she'd argue his taste. Hermes hid the smirk from the response Nyx rattled in his head.
"Lord Hephaestus of Olympus wishes to invite you. That is all."
It was fun, maintaining his composure with Nyx as she tried to trip him up. Hermes stood, moving briskly. Nemesis glared at her brother, snapping her head to the God about to disappear into the shadows.
"Hermes."
Only Nyx saw the smirk on Hermes face and the wink that was just for her. Yet, as he turned, the others only saw the discomfort. Thanatos approached him, a familiarity in his touch. He trailed his finger to Hermes' shoulder.
"We've shared so much already," muttered Thanatos, "surely you know more?"
Hermes looked away. It was funny to Hermes, how Nemesis misinterpreted their whole dynamic. Wouldn't surprise him if she thought that he and Thanatos were an item.
A flirtatious couple of gossipers, that's all they were. But, who was Hermes to say otherwise?
"You owe Hephaestus nothing," begged Thantos. "Didn't you tell me how he stole your divinity, made your symbol without your input?"
A mini Hermes cheered in his head. He was wondering when that tidbit would pay off. The god sighed as he turned to the siblings, his face a mask of rumination. He needed to choose his words carefully. He wasn't worried though, for Hermes was built for moments like these.
"Surely," muttered Thanatos, "you do not owe Hephaestus your loyalty? A show, that's all I'm asking for."
"Very well," he muttered, "just for you Thanatos, I'll spin you a yarn."
A wind that only Hermes knew swept across the room, particles of gold revealing Hephaestus conversing with Hermes.
"I need you to gather Nemesis for me," muttered the Hephaestus illusion. "I need revenge. What Medusa and Eris did…I need Nemesis."
"The chthonic gods do not simply come at beck and call," snarked the illusionary Hermes.
"...the summer solstice. I invite Nemesis formally to the event, whatever it takes."
It was a shame for Hermes. He had crafted an entire dialogue between Hephaestus and himself. A play of such skill that it would have brought even his father under his guile. Yet Nemesis' smug grin made it mostly redundant.
"Pathetic," thought Hermes.
His facade remained impeccable, a flirty smile aimed at Thanatos.
"I hope that suffices?"
It took everything Hermes had not to laugh at Thanatos' visible discomfort. Hermes couldn't help but wonder what it was that Nemesis had on Thanatos. The way he looked to her reaction for everything…it admittedly killed any desire to exchange information again.
Stoic death, reduced to a tool at his sister's behest.
"I accept his invitation," smirked Nemesis, "you can tell the lord of flames that I will be…enthused to enjoy his company."
Thanatos was about to crumble and Hermes merely bowed, another little tick to get her ego rolling. Yet, as he turned, the goddess couldn't help but smirk.
"Oh, and Hermes?"
"Hm?"
"I won't tell Hephaestus of our…little talk."
He smiled. To Nemesis, it was a look of relief. For Hermes, he was about at his limit, his chest was starting to hurt from the laughter threatening to spill out.
It was always so surprising how many gods completely ignored the obvious that was right in front of them. Nemesis never did ask if the images that he showed her were the truth. She just assumed that they must be. Poor Thanatos, he really needed to choose his words more carefully.
Nyx's embrace shrouded him, and the god of thieves disappeared into the night. A laugh shared between him and a long time patron.
-With Hephaestus and Eri, Athens-
The ghost of the binding still echoed across his neck. The beautiful sun might as well have been dull. Hephaestus' entire body stiffened and he couldn't move. The ghost of Alaya's touch sent shivers down his back. A maddened sheen to his grey eyes shone with malice. His only solace? The bundle in his arms. His hand absently rubbed his daughter's back. Her coughing had thankfully receded. She snored now, safe.
"But how safe is that?" his thoughts hissed, "how safe could she truly be?"
His eyes closed, but the thoughts never ceased.
"You think this won't spread?"
His fingers curled into a fist, his knuckles resting on Eri's back.
"You think they won't abuse it? Have you bind yourself to your word?"
The gears of his inner world creaked. Even now, he could feel the ghost of his own words, like chains. Suddenly…it all felt worthless. All the patience, all the preparation. Being so careful, only for the worst outcome to be realized.
It wouldn't stand. It couldn't! His thoughts went wild, every connotation and consideration colliding in a chaotic mess. He needed to prepare, be ready.
"Calm," he thought, "you need–"
He gritted his teeth hard and they cracked! The sharp snap brings Eri's eyes to a flutter.
"Hmm?"
The jittery snoring came to an end as Eri jolted up. She blinked the sleep from her eyes. She shivered a bit, her father's now steel grey eyes shining.
"P-P-Papa."
The steel eroded, revealing the golden eyes he always had. The stern, immovable God, softened to the father she always knew. Once more the anger he felt was brought low, sealed within himself as tightly as he could manage.
"Sorry Eri. Are you feeling alright?"
She nodded. She didn't feel like she was coughing and while she felt like she was on a razor's edge, that was to be expected.
"Good. Good."
Ifrit unfurled their wings, coming to hover near the two. It cawed once, before turning into a torrent of fire, spiraling upwards.
"She's going to mom…isn't she."
"She is."
That wasn't entirely accurate. Eri shivered a bit. Her father's warm hand did little to ease the cold she felt from him. Intellectually, she always knew there was more to her father than she knew. Now? She was wondering if she even wanted to know these other parts anymore. His other hand held her head securely to his chest, a thrum of divinity shrouding her in a protective barrier.
"I'm sorry," he muttered. "But, our journey is over."
She didn't argue, she didn't have the strength. As excited as she was to finally be near Athens, she didn't want to leave her father's arms, not yet. So they moved, the father holding his daughter as he rushed towards the great city of Athens. To Eri, it was all a blur, a series of colors that mashed together.
Her inner turmoil wasn't lost on Hephaestus. Bringing her home now was the sensible choice, but there was no doubt that Athena already knew they were here. He could feel the twisting of Athena's divinity. It was partly why he remained in the tree, letting Eri sleep.
He had hoped that Athena would simply appear, as Demeter had…but she didn't. If anything…it was if they were ignored. The frigid breadth of Athena's divinity held no malice, but Hephaestus couldn't help there was something lurking beneath it. An intention of sorts.
He adjusted his hold on Eri, letting her rest on his left arm. She wrapped around his neck, looking around as they came to a resounding landing. Hephaestus didn't care what the mortals saw as he approached the city, the group of travellers around the gate backing away from them.
The guards that stood before the gate of Athens didn't move. They saw him approach with Eri in his arms, but they at least had the intelligence to not immediately shoot a man that came crashing into the ground.
While Demi-gods were obscenely rare in this early era, it would appear that some experiences with them have spread. Why else would the guards be so concerned as not to move?
The captain gripped the blade at his waist, eyeing the new arrival. Hephaestus' ears twitched at the sound of swords being gripped. Blades, invisible to them, formed behind the head of every conceivable threat, ready to form and launch in under a second. The captain shuffled a bit, trying to see beneath the hood of Hephaestus' garb. The child in his arms shared a similar outfit, her own hood obscuring her features. The silence between them was a gulf…but eventually one needed to speak.
"...State your purpose."
The captain of the guard cleared his throat, sweat brimming down his brow. His clammy hands gripped the handle of his sword, his demand echoing in his own ears. He wore only some armor. His authority granted him better wares than most. The helm he wore was more elaborate than the others, easily distinguishable for his duties. His bronze cuirass had some wear and tear, but was well maintained.
Its quality was average for the time, a decent smith's work. Hephaestus adjusted Eri, the girl's hand gripping his chiton. She was still shaken, but he could feel her magic. The way it twisted and churned silently within her. Coiled and ready to strike at a moment's notice.
For a moment, he felt pride. A feeling that was smothered with the cold sheen of a mind of steel.
"I seek to enter the city," stated Hephaestus. "I've come to give offerings to Athena."
Honesty was his best policy, besides it wasn't wrong. He had arrived with gifts, if only to prevent hassle.
"...you must understand. We can't just let you…in…"
The guard's voice failed him. The man before him looked up, a mane of crimson hair framing a hard jaw. But, it was the eyes. They were gold, but the longer he looked at them, the more he could see slips of grey shine through.
He wasn't human, he couldn't be. The guards had fought monsters before, some even human looking. His blade would always find its mark. Yet, looking at this man, a man holding a child nonetheless, and the captain felt a knife's edge at his jugular.
His jaw clenched, resisting every instinct to swallow. The slightest twitch…and he was afraid the sheer force of this man would slit his throat.
His soldiers fared worse than he did. Each of their hands shook, one of his younger recruits even struggled to breath.
The worst part? The captain's honed instincts all screamed that…this wasn't even directed at them. What sort of monster had walked to their gates? A beast of such magnitude that the very echo of his presence forced his men to their knees.
All logic told him that he should turn this man away. Yet, could he?
"...you…you only seek to give an offering," muttered the Captain.
He swallowed his fear, his shoulders stiffened as he prepared for the worst. The man' s swirling gaze rested on him.
"That is all."
His voice was young, yet rasped with a touch of smoke. Looking at his face, you wouldn't think the man before them was any older than his twenties. He gripped his sword, a silent gesture to his second in command. It took him a moment to complete the message, the symbol for priestess not one they've used much of.
"...very well," muttered the man, "but only if I have your oath that you will not harm the citizenry."
The air left his lungs, the cold press of a sword seemed to almost jam itself into his shoulder. All his old scars, ever aching memory, erupted at the sight of the man's now cold grey eyes.
"No…not grey," thought the captain, "that can't be grey."
The sheen was too bright to be described as a lifeless stone. The luster of bronze felt brittle against this. The jagged feeling at their throats disappeared, leaving many gasping for air.
"I swear," muttered the man, his hood obscuring his face once more, "upon the Styx itself, that my business is with Athena."
Humans swearing upon the Styx did very little. It was a matter for the gods. So when the skies darkened, all the color left the captain's face. The sudden surge of thunder echoed like a horn, a declaration!
A god…was here.
"Please," rasped the captain, "come in."
The gates slowly opened. No one followed Hephaestus in. It wasn't the soldiers that made Hephaestus calm himself, nor was it the daughter, but rather the people. The sight of a child shivering in his presence doused the heated blade within him, but he didn't stop moving. His eyes fluttered shut as a breath seeped in. The air spread like ice in his chest.
The iron grip had returned but the will to contain it was oh so weary. It bubbled beneath it, a caustic need to lash out.
"Contain it," he thought.
The sound of a volcano echoed in his mind. An urge to just let loose roared. The once iron chains rattled in his mind, bits of fire seeping from a crack in his arm. Hephaestus grit his teeth, another breath to cool the fire inside. A responsibility for those around him, a weight that would never cease.
Yet, what was it that infuriated him so?
"Papa."
His thoughts chilled, his child's voice piercing through. it only made the indecision worse. They were in the middle of the streets of Athens, still far away from the temple.
But even so, he stopped. He lifted Eri, the two facing each other. Her eyes were a bit watery, but she carried all the strength she could muster as she spoke to him.
"You're not okay…are you?"
"No…I'm not," he admitted.
"...It will be okay," promised Eri.
"...You cannot promise–"
She pouted, putting her hands to his lips. She shook her head, anger sparking into a flame of indignation.
"It will be ok. I…I'm still scared," she muttered. "But I won't be anymore. I promise! When we get home, you can train me to fight and-and that w-w-won't ha-happen again. I'll be s-stronger, I promise!"
"...Eri…what happened wasn't your fault," sighed Hephaestus. He placed her down, kneeling in front of her. His eyes carried a weight she saw in her father often, but now there was no facade to cover it. He cupped her face. "The fault lies with me. I…I couldn't protect you at that moment. The enemies I have…they'll keep coming."
It was comforting, the hand on her shoulder. But it was the fear that set her off, her eyes slowly widened as she realized what was happening.
"I promise you," muttered Hephaestus, "so long as I stand, nothing will harm you–"
"You don't get to say that," scowled Eri, a bit of tears in her eyes. "You're the strongest. Don't pretend that you're not!"
His facade crumbled, a bit of the weariness of a counter guardian finally seeping past the visage of Hephaestus.
"Eri…what we faced…it showed me that there are things that…that I wasn't prepared for. Absolutes in this world–"
"No."
It was firm. A resounding word that shattered the thoughts he had. He blinked at her, Eri's courage growing, the tears forgotten.
"You're the strongest," she whispered. She shoved against him, something on his face making her scowl even harder. "You are!" Eri bit her lip, searching for something that she'd never find. A part of her was realizing there was something absent within the father she had come to idolize, the encroaching fear making her eyes water. "You made the impossible possible. They said there can never be divine tools like yours."
A sharp jab in his chest. It was a childish blow, even with Eri's superior strength. But it thumped in his chest like a sledge hammer.
"They said you cannot heal nymphs, but you did!"
Thump.
"They said that Gods don't help people," Her words turned watery, her scowl coming full force. "But you do!"
She stomped her little foot, the ground shuddering at the surprising strength. The people around them didn't matter, whatever eyes were on them may as well have been invisible.
Eri looked up at her father.
"They said, t-they said you shouldn't exist father! T-that you're abnormal! You-you are alread-dy won!"
She scowled. Along her arms…was fire. His eyes widened as Eri's eyes glowed. Sparks of fire erupt around her. Raw magic igniting into small flames.
"You're mad and sad a-and I hate it! You…why don't you believe in yourself!"
He stilled.
"Why do you believe you'll fail!"
Eons. How many eons of failures. So many, they drowned what little successes he ever had. The echo of that chain. He almost reached for his neck.
"I–"
Her arms ignited, her hair poofing up.
"You're the strongest papa! You never stopped trying…so why do you seem like you've given up?"
She rubbed her arm on her nose, the fire completely escaping her notice.
"I haven't given up," said Hephaestus sternly. He meant it, truly. Yet…it rung hollow. Like a sword without a core.
I am the !? $ of m% S&$rd
Words that once thrummed with power, now seemed so quiet.
"You're angry, but you're never angry…not like this. You…you're scared Papa."
S$%L is m% B(*y, F%4e is my b$32d
She sniffed, the flames dispersing as she wrapped her arms around him.
"I don't want you to be scared."
A hand raised, only to fall at his side. The words he meant to say withering in his throat, the taste of ash rooted in his mouth.
"It's not that simple, Eri."
She just hugged him tighter. His heart shuddered at her look, her eyes looking away from him.
"I know. I know," she muttered weakly.
The small girl berated herself. A few words wouldn't make her father feel better. Life was rarely that simple. So, she'd try again. They weren't going to move from her until her father was back to normal!
Well…that was the plan. Yet, before Eri opened her mouth she noticed something. No one was around. An exaggeration perhaps, as there were a small speckling of people here or there. But, for a city of Athens size it was unusually quiet.
Hephaestus noticed as well, the two looking around.
"Eri..what do you sense?"
She sniffed, her expression cooling into indifference. All emotion, locked within her.
"Nothing," she said. "It's…it's not magic."
Hephaestus sniffed the air, the tang of blood-soaked metal splashing on the back of his tongue.
"Athena," he muttered.
Eri shivered, the callous taint of her mother's strength alien to her.
"This…this isn't Mama,' muttered Eri, "it can't be."
A part of Hephaestus wanted to turn away. But…she needed to see this. She needed to see her. So they moved. Eri's small feet echoed in the strange silence, at least to Hephaestus.
As they weaved through the city streets, he noticed that it began to get slightly more extravagant as they ventured. They were approaching the temple. A large crowd, easily hundreds of humans, was surrounding two women.
Most were watching, but a good number had started to veer away from the crowd.
"They're retreating," thought Hephaestus.
Eri's eyes beamed, recognizing one immediately. Behind a loom was Athena. Her hair was somehow even darker, a swirl of ink around her shoulders. Her face was sunken, absent of any emotion whatsoever.
Her hands worked fluidly with a master's prose. By pure skill, she was superior to the woman across from her. Mechanical and precise, there was never any hesitation.
Yet, for all that Hephaestus' keen eyes could discern the difference…it was the other woman that was superior. She was slower, a few imperfections in her work, but her face was alright. Her smile was practically beaming, her work was beautiful in the way that only true investment could ever be.
"Arachne," muttered Hephaestus.
"You…you know the other woman?" asked Eri.
"No…just heard her name. I think she's challenged Athena."
"You assumed right, stranger."
Eri quickly shuffled to her father's leg, wrapping her arms around the cold metal. The older woman, with grey in her hair, eyed the young girl.
"Arachne has challenged the goddess herself and…" the older woman merely gave Hephaestus the eye. Even the average person could see it. Athena…she was losing.
He gritted his teeth, Hephaestus knowing what was coming. The result would have been notable days ago, the patterns already blooming if not complete. He hesitated.
His eyes widened, staring at the ground, and at the feet that refused to move.
"Papa?"
"Eri, I–"
"I have done it!"
Now that stood, tall and proud, Arachne was quite a sight. She was, in all honesty, ordinary. Her flowing brown hair fell in curls, held together by thin strands of cloth. Brown eyes, and an angular face. She was plain.
Yet, the exuberance that she held, it would have swayed any man. There was an energy to this woman, her very smile electric. She embodied the very domains within Hephaestus, a craftsman born and bred. Her very blood, nay, her very soul sung of her calling.
She was an artist…one with an ego to match. The crowd noticed as well, the darkening of the clouds as Arachne kept boasting.
"Even the gods cannot handle us. See! They can be surpassed!"
"She's dead," muttered Eri.
It was like a gong had echoed. Most of the humans started to shuffle away, even the woman beside them had the common sense to get out of dodge.
The few that stayed…they'd likely come to regret it. Hephaestus looked across, locking eyes with a man. He shook his head, gesturing for them to leave, quietly. They didn't listen, of course. Instead they remained focused on the woman. A morbid curiosity of what will happen to this bright artist.
…there was a lust for blood in the air. Hundreds had shuffled away, but many still remained, watching. These people would be right at home in the coliseums of Rome. His muscles twitched, the urge to surge forth stopped to a dead halt.
The fear clung to him like a cloak.
His mind reeled, wondering if this was Athena…or himself.
I have created over a T*&$3!and blades
Was he…was he afraid? Was this fear? EMIYA, for all his faults, was genuinely fearless. A ravaged nub of a human being, EMIYA didn't feel as humans normally did. EMIYA was strong. His experiences had crafted Hephaestus into the God that he was today.
This…this invoked old memories. The kind that Hephaestus never dwelled on. His hands twitched, the urge to get involved culled by his bindings. But it was more than that.
It felt it in his spine, the chill of frosted steel. A silent affirmation.
"Does it even matter?"
Hephaestus shoved his internal dilemma away, focusing his eyes on Eri. For once, she held little sympathy. On the one hand, Hephaestus did understand somewhat. You tell a god to their face that they weren't needed or were lesser than man? You were basically throwing yourself off a cliff.
There was no cure for stupidity after all. Still…
"Move," he thought, "move!"
His mind raged but his heart? It felt so heavy, so weak. All he could do…was watch.
Athena towered over Arachne, the skies darkening as she tilted her head at the bragging woman. The master of the loom finally seemed to notice her folly, turning to the goddess.
The air grew thick, the tension crushing them. Hephaestus moved, instinct driving him forward, to get between them. He managed to get through the crowd before his body jilted to a stop.
"FUCK!"
His mouth twisted shut, the word echoing within his mind. Not even a twitch as he struggled. He had moved earlier, only to be stopped. It was beyond frustrating.
Athena rose her hand, her curse on the tip of her tongue, and–
"Mother!"
The tension popped like a balloon. The goddess of war robotically turned her gaze to the child that bundled towards her, crimson hair on full display, smile wide. She showed no shock nor joy. There wasn't anything in the hollow depths of Athena's eyes. The humans that stayed all eyed the young girl that suddenly came forward, a few blinking at what they just heard.
"You-you dare!?" muttered Athena's priestess, eyeing the child, for who else could this woman be?
Her robes were too fine for the average civilian, and her finery all bore symbols of Athena. There was also an air of familiarity. A young woman, that much Hephaestus could tell, with the mask covering her face. There was a hint of Athena's grace about her, but hardly enough for it to even be called a blessing.
It was more akin to someone writing their name on something. This was Athena's priestess. The woman's head snapped to Hephaestus, the words dying at the sight of the man. He was massive, sharing in his daughter's crimson hair. But his hollow gaze killed the words in her throat. Instead, she turned to Eri, ready to ream the foolish child to oblivion. What sort of fool declares herself the child of a virgin goddess?
"Erichthonius." Athena looked around, mulling her thoughts. "Daughter."
A sigil formed above Eri's head, the girl blinking at the owl that formed above her.
"Huh?" muttered Eri.
"Huh?" muttered the crowd.
One man fainted. The priestess eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of her mask, her thoughts swirling in the now existential crises that suddenly punched her in the gut.
His hands twitched, a grimace as he eyed Athena. The goddess didn't even smile as she stared down at her daughter. Yet, Eri never went in for a hug or any other show of affection.
It was strange enough that Hephaestus stopped pushing against the oath that bound him. Zeus, Aphrodite, all the other gods she was so energetic. Instead, she stood at attention, like a soldier. He went to move again, but his body refused to listen.
"Not again," his thoughts warbled. The cascade of EMIYA's memories makes him feel so heavy.
His daughter, thankfully, was free of such a burden. Instead, she merely bowed.
"Mother."
Eri finally allowed herself a wide smile.
"It's good to see you."
A few of the mortals around them eyed him up and down. A priest was about ready to explode, the priestess finally finding her words.
"A child? You…dear Goddess you have a child!?"
The absurdity that a priestess would even think to talk to a goddess so directly spoke volumes. Athena, the goddess of war, a virgin goddess, had a child. The worst part?
Said goddess didn't give a shit. Genuinely, there wasn't any care for her priestess at all. Just the vapid empty space that was her emotional centre. Cold, distant, and strong. So imagine their surprise when the Goddess cupped her daughter's face.
"You are healthy," said Athena, turning Eri's head lightly, "strong. You have grown much since I've last seen you."
"Hehehehehehehehehe."
Athena frowned at Eri's stuttering laughter. Arachne looked around, staring back at the floor when the priestess and her guards eyed her.
"That…is not right."
Athena lifted her, inspecting her like a carpenter would their creation. She even pressed her fingers into Eri's chest.
"HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! Stop, i-i-it tickles!"
Athena frowned a bit deeper.
"You are…adequte. Nothing broken. Strange. What makes you chitter?"
Hephaestus almost throttled her, but it was the way that Eri looked at Athena. It was lovingly, yes. But no one could mistake the pity in her eyes.
"I am one hundred percent operational," she said. Her smile grew sad. "You seem healthy, mother."
"I am."
"You lost."
"I did," she said lazily.
Eri placed her hand on her mother's. Athena twitched a bit, a scowl forming, but it quickly disappeared as her hair turned blonde. Her expression grew animated, the lifeless gaze springing to life.
Eri smiled wider as her mother's gaze turned to look at her in awe. Hephaestus blinked.
"...what just happened?" he muttered.
"Oh…you are beautiful," smiled Athena.
The priestess went unconscious. A number of men swooned at the dazzling smile that shone on Athena's face. A greater number of women did the same.
Eri beamed as Athena placed her down.
Athena tilted her head, the spark in her eyes burning bright. The once barren lands within her suddenly sprung to life as she smiled. At the very tail end of her long hair, the blonde began to recede into an inky black.
"You knew," smiled Athena.
"I did. I feel you everyday, mother."
"You are…sweet, I think the term is," smiled Athena.
It was as if nothing else mattered to her at that moment but Eri. Soft hands cupping the face of the child she created all those years ago. It was too much, the emotions that swarmed with her. Her owl, once stubbornly joyful…puffed up.
Its feathers expanded and its eyes bugged out as Athena shunted the very emotions she couldn't handle directly into her divine beats, as she had done in the past before Eri.
"Erp," it squawked.
"By the gods…it's fucking adorable," muttered a man.
The poor owl felt tears brimming. It wasn't cute damnit.
Hephaestus and Eri eyed the poor bird, Eri's hand touching her own hair lightly as both realized that, perhaps, the plumage transformation of her hair was not entirely from Ifrit.
Athena felt her emotions waning, becoming comfortable and stable. Still, her heart echoed. She eyed the loom, her fingers alight with something far more important than mere artistic skill.
It was the soul, the very core of an artist.
Every emotion she felt for Eri became invested into the loom. This little competition between her and Arachne had been done over the span of weeks, with the last of their work being completed in front of the other. Yet, the way she moved, the quality of the loom, and her own divine nature.
What took weeks was done in mere minutes. The strands were entirely mortal, not a drop of divinity in their construction, merely in their process. The colors were dyed from the pools of color that surrounded them. In the corner of her eye, Athena noted Hephaestus and the way he was so rigidly still. A bit of guilt was bubbling in her stomach, but that too was shunted away.
Soon, a tunic had been formed. It shimmered in the light, the patterns around the waist common for the nobility of Athens. A criss cross of squares and triangles for a sash, with the chiton itself a deep, cherry red.
Unlike the tapestry, it was not a complicated piece. Yet…the sheer color, the sheen, and the quality of its make. Arachne knew.
She had lost. Not because Athena was better…but because she had never competed against the goddess properly in the first place. She had fought war in a battle of artists.
Only in front of her daughter did Athena's artistic aspects seem to come out. The black sheen of Athena's hair was gone, replaced with a sunny disposition. The calm expression was the same, but the light tinge of love that shone through made it seem as if Athena was night and day.
A warrior at night, a craftsman by day. In many respects, a more accurate depiction of the soldiers of Athens. Many soldiers were blacksmiths, carpenters, farmers even before they were soldiers.
Eri hugged the chiton close to her chest, suddenly latching forward to hug her mother. The goddess seemed frazzled, blushing a bit at the sudden affection. A hesitant hand rested on Eri's head.
"I love you," whispered Eri.
"I–"
"I know," chuckled Eri, nuzzling deeper, tapping her chest. "It's why I needed to come and see you…so that you knew."
Her daughter looked up at her, eyes bright and wide.
"I'm grateful for what you did Mama. I'm alive because you sacrificed your emotions for me."
Athena's eyes widened. It hit her then, what must have happened.
"You…you were aware even then?" smiled Athena, "remarkable."
Preening at the praise, Eri continued unabashed. "I'm older now, stable. You don't have to worry about me anymore. I mean, it was impressive that you were able to transplant your psionic energy without using divinity, but it isn't needed anymore. So take it back Mama and be whole."
Eri opened her arms, an adorable thought that this would make it easier for Athena to take back what had been given. Quiet conversations between Hecate and Eri, much like that of a doctor and their patient, had found the lingering psionic energy that held Eri together near birth.
For years, Athena's emotions were connected to Eri, solidifying into her dreams at night. The girl had grown with not one, but two mothers. One, she could talk with and learn from. The other, she could bask in the connection the two shared, learning from the emotions that she could feel.
A selfish part of Eri wanted to keep it. Her mother's pride, her admonishments, all of it could be felt within her. A connection beyond mere words. A precious and beautiful thing. Athena had sacrificed much to let her live as she did, so it was time. It was right. It was something Eri knew that her father would do. It was why he so readily agreed to come to Athens after all.
Right?
Seconds turned into moments and nothing changed. The emotions dwindled, dying bit by bit as the dark tresses returned. The once bright grey eyes…turned stormy.
"Mama?" muttered Eri, trepidation growing in her chest.
The small child couldn't help but step back, the emotions in her chest, the echo of her mother that she always felt.
It stayed. The swell of love and feeling was still there, but it was darkened with the shame of disappointing her.
"But…why?" asked Eri.
She was suddenly pushed away, a force lightly shoving her right into her father's leg. His body responded, grabbing his daughter and putting her behind him. Yet, when he went to charge forward, he was still.
The anger gave way…to fear.
Arachne swallowed, noting Athena's gaze was firmly on her.
"I've lost," she said simply.
"...victory or defeat matters little," stated Athena, her tone dead. "The blasphemy of the gods…is a different matter entirely."
Eldritch energy formed around Athena's hands. It was different from the curses that he knew of. The divine curses were always…light, in a manner of speaking. Firmly divine in nature, no matter how grotesque the curse or punishment.
But…this was different. This wasn't a curse that Athena made herself. Rather, it was something that she had gathered and contained. It was overkill, complete insanity.
"Wait–e–"
The word shriveled as the dark energy slithered around Arachne. The woman cringed, her bones rattling as a horrified shriek ruptured from her. Her hand twisted, a carapace growing between and around her fingers.
"MAMA STOP!" yelled Eri.
"A punishment is due, daughter," she said firmly. "Your father has already interfered once, don't make the same mistake."
Sound ceased to be, Hephaestus staring right at Athena. No, beyond her. The transformation of Arachne was a slow horror, every snapping bone a reminder of Hephaestus' chains.
Self-inflicted they may have been, but that didn't matter. It was an echo of the hell that EMIYA had endured…of the hell that Hephaestus had inherited. But it wasn't just the memories of EMIYA that haunted him at this moment.
He was that little boy again. The child whose cage got smaller and smaller the older he got. He could swim to the edges of the city of Atlantis once. Then a year passed and it was the cyclops forge. Another year, it was around his home, until eventually…he was trapped. Stuck within the confines of the house. He couldn't leave, a power binding him to the area until he had grown strong enough.
Chains of Alaya.
Chains of Thetis.
Chains…of his own.
The fear…it began to bubble into something else. It had simmered for decades, growing in power. A mind of steel that trapped a caustic volcanic pit.
"Contain it," he would think. "Think of the others, of those who could be harmed. Think of the consequences."
Athena moved towards him, her touch soft but deathly cold. She tilted his chin upward, making sure their eyes were locked.
"You are the father of my child," stated Athena, "but even you must learn your place."
"My…place?" muttered Hephaestus hollowly.
"Yes, your place. Look at her."
Arachne's morphed face was tear-ridden. Clawed hands grasping at all the alien parts of herself, a choked scream escaping in tittering hiccups.
"She insulted the gods. A blasphemy that must be answered for. You would what? Save her? She earned that punishment. Detest it all you like, but the business of the gods is their own."
Athena eyed Eri. The way her daughter looked at her would have rendered any mother to her knees. But with her emotions sealed within her own daughter, she didn't need to care about anything anymore.
She was as sharp as she was within the confines of her father's mind. Stronger than she had ever been. Hephaestus was a vulnerability, a god that could act without outside the chains of divinity.
He needed to be brought low. So that he would never act out again. Athena let him go, his hair hiding his eyes.
"You see now don't you."
Athena gripped the skull of Arachne, the poor wretch's many eyes scrambling in fear.
"You fancied yourself a hero, but you are no mortal. You are a god…and it is time you've accepted that."
She loosened her grip, turning to the skies. She scowled a bit, noting the smell of ozone.
"You…bound me," muttered Hephaestus.
"I did. I wasn't sure if it would work, but it stood to reason. As unusual as you are, you are still a god."
"...but why?" he muttered.
The way she had made him promise, it wasn't just a retaliation for Medusa.
She wasn't sure what was so confusing about it, but she answered anyway. She looked right into his eyes, now steel grey. Beautiful…and barren.
"Because what you did was annoying," she stated plainly. "The idea that you can change my verdict because you didn't agree with it was…infruiating. You…you were a proof of concept."
"That's it," he muttered. His fist clenched, steam beginning to build. "Did you even consider the consequences?"
"...your emotional well–"
"Eri was attacked," he snapped. Athena eyed him. There was something more to his tone, something simmering beneath it, beneath the righteousness.
"Medusa," muttered Athena, "she must have learned of Eri from someone."
"Is that all you have to say?"
"Medusa wouldn't have been a problem for you, if you remained where you were supposed to be."
"Supposed to be?"
"You became involved," drawled Athena, an almost lazy tilt to the way she spoke."The way you can just act was unusual, certainly. You needed to be brought to heel."
"..."
He didn't know what to say. She spoke as if she had planned the whole thing, an experiment. To see if it was possible to chain him, and now that she had…she wasn't going to let go.
Thump, Thump!
"What sort of excuse is that?" demanded Hephaestus.
"I give no excuses, merely facts. The fact remains that you, Hephaestus, are not involved anymore. Go home, raise Eri…and know your place."
Arachne's transformation was complete, his heart wrenched at the sight of the horror that spread across the now spider-woman's face. The upper torso of a woman, covered in a carapace. Her face broke apart to make room for the chelicerae, her skin marred with extra eyes, each stained with tears. Her back still spasmed, her body morphs still shaking her spine. The legs of the spider tore through her abdomen, the mass shifting.
The humans? They had long since ran. Her neighbors, her loved ones, abandoning her in the face of divine wrath. She couldn't speak, the words garbled in her new mouth. Her teary eyes found Hephaestus widened gaze…and something snapped.
THUMP…THUMP…THUMP.
The gears within were coming to a close, the trees becoming stained with a barren cold ash. Hephaestus scowled, his muscles spasming for a moment, but nothing more. He had done everything he could to avoid this…and yet it had come to pass anyway.
All those concerns, all those choices, and in the end…it mattered little. The gears would have come to a total stop…if not for a spark.
"Papa, d-d-do something!"
He couldn't speak. He couldn't move. Images of his past. EMIYA, Hephaestus, a hurricane of isolation to the extreme. He was a tool, a weapon to be discarded once used.
A sword…without a sheath.
"PAPA!"
SMACK!
He blinked, his daughter sniffling as the barely sharp tingle of her tiny fist hit his thigh, right in what flesh remained of his legs.
"Fight it," she whimpered, "you can fight it!"
This wasn't something that could be fought. The shattered psyche of EMIYA had shown the fruitlessness of fighting the divine. The cold logic of steel…there was no avoiding it.
Yet, when he looked at his daughter's eyes, he had a thought.
Why do you believe you'll fail?
His eye twitched and Eri's sniffling stopped. A surge of warmth spread beneath her fingers, the gears in her father's legs beginning to turn and steam. She blinked as he stared into space, even Athena raised a brow.
A mind of steel…began to warp.
Your actions will not grant you leverage or good will.
Power. The oldest truth known to man. But, it wasn't power that eluded him, for he had that in spades.
"...you're still here?" muttered Athena, eyeing them both.
No, it wasn't weakness that stilled him.
"Go. Our daughter has said her peace, and received a gift. There is no reason for you to be here."
The underworld. Eris. Even the first time he met Hecate…he had stopped himself at every turn. He had been wary of almost anything to do with the gods. All the while, the very thing he feared was coming to pass. Oh the irony of it all, that it was by his own hand, rather than the gods.
"Hephaestus…go," scowled Athena, her words becoming sharper. "Or did you need to be forced? I've bound you once before…I will do it again."
But that was the thing, wasn't it? The words of Pallas echoed, compounded with Eri. A passivity born from caution could only serve so much.
"...you've forced my hand, Hephaestus. If you do not–"
His fist clenched, and Eri backed away from him. His veins bulged as he began to push against the bindings of his word and for once? His thoughts were absent from tragedy.
His greatest fear…was that others would die because of him. That his actions would render his efforts meaningless.
"What are you!?"
But a life lived in fear…was no life at all.
Why do you assume you'll lose?
He hated it, he detested it, he loathed the very feeling of it. The disgusting pit in his gut was ignored, the ashen taste done away with. The chains…they needed to go.
Athena felt her skin tense, the hairs of her human form standing on end. Light shimmered around Hephaestus body, glowing brighter and brighter.
"You arrogant fool," she muttered. "The laws of the divine are–"
CLANG
A single step. It was all that was needed to render her mute.
"GRAH!"
His skin cracked, fire screaming out from within him. The flames shuddered, flickering an azure hue amongst the vermillion flames.
It was a losing battle, a ridiculous sight to any god. Yet, Athena stilled, eyeing the skies that she had darkened. Flashes of light danced across the stormy clouds, lightning coursing around them.
"Parakletos? For him?"
She scoffed. What use was there–
CLANG
A second, impossible step.
Hephaestus gritted his teeth, his core burning inside of him, his own inner reality seeping in the very flames he kept so contained. The once grey eyes shone gold once more.
He had done everything right, hadn't he? He kept his cool, he focused on those around him, and was always respectful. Careful to never step on anyone's toes as much as he could, always careful of the gods and their egos. That was all that he was, careful…and it didn't matter.
She had bound him, for no other reason than because he had rescued a woman that she had already cursed. Said woman, Medusa, had the gall to attack his daughter. Nemesis, time and time again, proved to always be lurking in the shadows, planning and scheming.
Collateral damage, harm to others, a burden that he bore with grace. A burden…that came with chains. A burden he wouldn't bear silently anymore.
"RRRGH," he growled, a torrent of crimson fire seeping between his teeth. His skin cracked even more, the small lines becoming crevices as his body strained beyond its limits.
Yet, he kept going. Igniting and combusting every ounce of divinity he could. It threatened to turn anything around him to ash, if not for Ifrit.
She cried in defiance with him, her wings wide to direct the fire elsewhere. The flickering flames were flashing, the azure tint of the phoenix almost shared with the god that she was bound to.
Athena broke into a sweat. Words stuttered to a stop, as even the emotionless Athena's eyes widened at a sight she thought impossible. A couple of steps had cascaded into a rebellion.
He swayed, fighting against the influence that tried to force him into conformity. He took a step, another, and then another.
"HRRK!"
He was pulled back, his feet sparking against the stone. The energy that surrounded him shone and solidified. The chains of the fates. Athena, like all gods, always assumed they were abstract things. A way to simplify the conceptual bindings of the ancient laws.
They were real…and they were binding Hephaestus. Rather..they were trying to. The longer he fought, the angrier he seemed to get. He surged right, then left, shaking the chains that grew stronger just as he did.
Around his neck and arms, even his legs. All was bound and pulled tightly, the chains becoming more visible, dragging him back inch by inch. Divine law wasn't something that was followed.
It was adhered to.
To fight against it was something the gods could not do. Circumvent it, avoid it, maybe even twist it, if circumstances allow. This was not a battle of the body, but of will.
The once abstract, almost joking, existence became real in the face of a genuine need. To Eri, they were chains.
But Athena saw deeper. These were not just chains…they were the fates themselves.
One chain shone a crimson red, bound to his neck and shoulders. Clotho, the spinner. There was a savageness to her, an almost blinding anger. A desperate need to reign him in.
The chains at his chest and arms were a softer blue. Strained but calm, Lachesis the apportioner, struggled against Hephaestus as well. Yet…there was a sense of anticipation, a longing for something.
Finally, the yellow chains that bound themselves to his waist and legs. Atropos, the cutter. Strained and focused, she was the most neutral of the three. A god…was fighting fate.
Hephaestus core screamed as he called upon every ounce of power that was held within his body. The recess of the energy he was so afraid to touch was still tucked away.
BZZZT
Lightning danced across Hephaestus' body, a thundering echo reverberating above them. His eyes widened and for a moment, things were still.
"Papa," whispered Eri.
He exploded, a torrent of fire that reached the very heavens. The heat never approached anyone, the reverberations of his divinity safely contained.
"GRAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Vermillion shaded to a rebellious azure blue. His eyes lacked focus, eyeing something no one but Hephaestus could see.
"I!"
A thunderous step forward.
"WON'T"
The chains rattled as his arms began to pull further and further apart.
"YIELD!"
Eri covered her face, the winds picking up. Athena covered her, the aegis she was gifted protecting her.
"Ma–"
BOOM!
Lightning cried out, surging with the flames in a pyroclasmic dance as it erupted from Hephaestus.
It was absurd, the two of them. Her father, in all his stupidity, had implanted within Hepahestus a boon. Worse yet…it was unconditional. It had yet to take shape. A a parcel of the power Zeus wielded just laying there.
It did nothing to assist him, but the fact that it was there, the lightning crashing into everything around it?
"...he is fighting fate…and you would back him? Father…"
Athena could feel her father's stupid grin from here. A look into the clouds confirmed it. The sheen of the lightning…her father was watching. Not just watching, but actively shrouding them.
CRACK.
She stilled, turning her head slowly to see that Hephaestus' arm…had moved. Gravel crunched as his foot shifted forward, the ground scraping against the metal.
"I."
Across his rib cage, three giant gashes erupted, a torrent of pure azure flames erupting like an engine from hell.
"WILL NOT. BE BOUND!"
The chains melded with reality seamlessly. But the point in which they originated, cracked like glass. It emboldened him further and Hephaestus began to twist and turn, fighting with everything he had. There was a zeal here, his teeth gnashing as they slammed shut. At this moment, there was no concern for the future. It was only this moment, here and now.
For once, Hephaestus fought…for himself. He roared, every ounce of feeling that had been bottled up erupted. The voice of a man shuddered with the rage of a god. It rattled Athena like a landslide, the sound shaking her, firm as she stood.
The veins bulged on his neck, his eyes focusing on the chains that bound them.
Crack…CRACK!
"GRAH!"
To Athena, the shattered remains of the blue chains fell slowly. She followed the broken fragments, fluttering away like snow. They melted away, and the goddess of war tightened her grip on her spear.
Eri's smile would light up the world, her voice beaming as her father savagely tore the yellow chains apart. Atropos had given up, but her sister had not. Clotho brought all that she was to bear, the chains at his neck spreading like webs.
Thick strands that stuck to him, burrowing into his body right to the muscle and bone. With words no human could understand, Clotho begged. Clotho pleaded. Clotho called upon chaos itself.
The skies shuddered, but Hephaestus never stopped fighting. The stars of the sky seemed to take the shape of a single eye, peering into Hephaestus itself.
He stood defiant, the smoldering ashes within him roused to an immortal flame. He kept fighting, even as Clotho forced his head upwards. Athena had already covered Eri's gaze, her body relaxing.
Clotho's voice rasped out, strained from effort as Hephaestus kept fighting.
"You! Are! A GOD!" yelled Clotho.
The chains that bound Hephaestus shimmered.
"THE LAWS OF CHAOS…bind…you…"
Hephaestus was still fighting, eyeing the creator itself as his fire burned defiantly.
"I won't be bound!" he declared, "not by them!"
He gripped the chains at his neck.
"And not by you!"
It wasn't Hephaestus' declaration, nor was it his immense strength that finally made Clotho lose the will to fight. It was Chaos. To Athena and the others, it simply left. Called upon and ignored them.
But to Clotho, a primordial entity connected to the very fabric of reality…she saw more than supposed indifference. Chaos…was vicarious. There was pride there…an acceptance of Hephaestus. Chaos was indifferent to all…and yet, there was a familiarity with this young God.
"..."
Clotho's chains hung limply as he broke them, but the goddess was far from free. He didn't let the chains break, instead he gripped it tight and pulled. The very essence of Clotho was ripped from the hidden realm, the plane of reality shattering as she was hurled through.
She was in the form of an old woman, but that quickly morphed to that of a young lady. Clotho's brown hair covered the searing red eyes as she stared at Hephaestus.
He was heaving, covered in steaming sweat. The manic gleam in his eyes shone with the sweet nectar of utter euphoria. His grip tightened, the other hand holding the lingering chains that refused to disappear.
"My fate…is mine and mine alone," said Hephaestus softly.
The eyes that Clotho had, turned to mist, leaving her sightless. He didn't care, not anymore. He peered into the hole of reality, eyeing the other two fates.
For all that it looked like a broken shard in the fabric of reality, the mortal world was entirely unbothered. He'd have to ask Demeter or someone else versed in weaving.
"Do you understand?" he asked simply, the euphoria waning.
They nodded.
"Good."
He didn't give Clotho the time to react. He simply threw her back into the realm in which she came.
Clotho slammed into the wall of her home and Hephaestus saw Lachesis. Her blue eyes shone with mirth but also a sense of pride. She was beaming, as he was.
"You know…when I told you to run a little wild…I was hoping you'd do this."
When he had last met her, she was a woman of relative youth, just past the cusp of a young adult. Her eyes at the time were absent, but not anymore. A pair of glittering blue stared back at Hephaestus, her hair bound behind her with a pair of knitting needles. The fate of the future was in charge now.
Whether that was for the best…well, it he'd deal with it when he needed to.
"I…had spent so much time worrying," he muttered.
Hephaestus had been free of Alaya from the start of his new life, but it wasn't until today that he truly felt that was true.
A world of fire and steel settled, a sun beginning to rise with new vigor.
"Always concerned with every outcome, of every possible tragedy my hands could bring to bear."
The rust that had formed shuddered away. The resolve that had formed finally bloomed into the world properly. The words that escaped him, could now be heard.
His steps echoed, Athena's eyes narrowing in challenge. Yet, the words that resonated within his soul emboldened him further. He had drawn much from EMIYA. He had told himself countless times that he was his own person, but it was only now that he genuinely knew what that meant. He had not just inherited EMIYA's strength, but also his burdens.
Being himself meant incorporating and moving past all aspects of the hero that was melded with him. The good and the bad.
The burdens of the past would never disappear. His strength, his turmoils, they were Hephaestus's now. He had grown beyond the calloused counter guardian, and the abandoned child.
The responsibility of that power. If inaction and action both would lead to tragedy…then he would rather act on his own terms. It was scary, even now there were parts of him that erred on the side of caution.
But bravery was not the absence of fear, but in overcoming it. It all started here and now.
"Athena," he muttered.
They looked at each other, her natural height allowing her the privilege to look down on him. Yet, Athena could not escape the way it didn't seem to matter. For all that she was taller, Hephaestus felt bigger.
For what empowered him today was not the call to arms to protect another, but the fire in his soul to stand for himself. For his values, for his sake, and for his own desires.
He hated this and for once, he didn't hide it with fancy words, no polite language.
"I'll be taking Arachne now," he muttered, "far away from you."
"...you would draw my ire so?" she questioned.
Her eyes snapped open as a cut formed on her cheek. Swords, sickles, spears, and other strange weapons littered around her. They pulsated with powers both known and unknown to her. Her eyes frantically drink them in, their quality beyond the scope of man entirely.
They were like phantasms, concepts brought to life. They were not divine, but yet so similar to the symbols of power the gods so treasured.
"You–"
"If I must fight you, so be it. But you have no standing anymore. What happens to Arachne is none of your concern, not with the curse you've so used for her."
She scowled, a burst of anger actually forming within her. Eri cringed a bit, a small headache as her mothers rage was almost overwhelming.
"You…I know you'll try to break my curse," she scowled, "you think that will go unanswered."
"Yes," he smirked, "I do actually."
She sputtered, for what else could she do. The divine laws that would empower her were useless. Any plans to trap him in his words, had fizzled into nothingness. She had been prepared for a god that she could bind, not a god that could choose.
"...you broke your word," she muttered, their noses touching. "Those deals you've made…they'll fall apart."
"...who would they believe," he smiled, his grin sharp and ravenous. "After all…Eris saw that I could be stopped. All they'll have…is your word. A word they all know you can twist to suit your needs. The word that is worthless…is yours Athena."
"...what have I unleashed?" thought Athena.
The plans that she held now began to unravel. There would be new plans, tactics to enforce compliance should the time ever come, but for now…she had lost.
Hephaestus ignored her, turning to Eri. He smiled softly, his daughter's beaming face a cool balm on the entire aching bruise that was his body.
"...you did it," she whispered.
"Yes…yes I did."
His fingers weaved through her soft hair, and he turned to Arcahne. Pity swelled in his stomach. The poor girl was trying to run, to even move, but utterly alien body just wouldn't respond to her at all.
He knelt in front of the monstrous woman. She stiffened as he was near, desperately trying to cover herself.
"I seek to help you," smiled Hephaestus, "if you'll let me."
He turned to Athena and back to Arachne.
"You'll be safe at my home. No harm will come to you there, on that you have my word."
The weight of that oath settled in his chest again. He knew than and there that if he wanted to break that oath, it would take every ounce of strength that he had once again. It rested on his shoulders, a minute weight.
Yet, at this moment, it may as well have been a boulder. Still, he stood, pretending to be unbothered. He had just shattered Athena's every expectation. The illusion would serve him well.
"Eri…let's go home."
"...I won't forget this," muttered Athena.
"Perhaps. But you and I both know that it wouldn't matter anyway."
"...excuse me?"
He smiled as he turned to her.
"You assume I wouldn't be thinking of my own counter-measures. You've given your punishment to Arachne. How long that punishment stands for, you never specified."
His words echoed with power and to Athena's disgust, the binds of divine law were firm. In the case of Medusa, her curse was crafted by hand. Hidden clauses were to be expected. But the source of the curse she used here carried no such nuance.
"Go," she muttered plainly.
Eri waddled up to Athena, searching for something in her mother. The tall Goddess only stared back, a silent exchange between them.
Eri could feel her. The hate, the respect, the awe, and the fear. It twisted like a knot. She didn't know why her mother wanted to be like this. So many questions that it almost burned its way off her tongue.
But today was not that day. One day she would get her answers, but for today…she wanted to go home.
"I miss Hecate," she thought.
Eri went back to her father, a soft wave at her mother. She gripped her father's chiton, doing her best to ignore the hurt feeling that spread in her heart. Hephaestus helped Arachne come closer and took a breath.
"Ifrit," he called.
The legendary bird wrapped her wings around him and his motley crew, screaming through the skies as they made their way home. The clouds parted, revealing the shining sun and a clear blue sky.
But the clouds never dissipated for Athena. If anything, her thoughts only become more turbulous. Hephaestus had been the biggest outlier she had ever come across. A god but a man. A man but a god. Both, neither, conjoined yet separate.
An existence that was, quite literally, an abomination. She had never called upon Chaos, precisely for the concern that its gaze would render Hephaestus non-existent. Yet…it accepted him.
If Clotho's reaction was any indication, it was more than mere acceptance. Hephaestus…he was here to stay. Her emergency plans to rely on Chaos had just dissipated into ash.
Contingencies for Ares, Apollo, Artemis, Demeter, Poseidon, and others would have to wait. The most dangerous of them somehow became even more dangerous.
Athena dissipated, but not before using her psionic energy to erase the scene from the minds of her followers. There was no need for humans to peer that deeply into the affairs of the divine.
-Hephaestus, Eri, and Arachne. Lemnos-
They landed with a flair, a shower of fire falling like petals. Arachen looked ready to throw-up, words still garbled from her distorted mouth. Eri bounded to their door, knocking three times to activate the enchantment that bound her parents' homes.
"I'm going to let mama know we're home!"
She was already through the door before he could get a word in. He sighed, a rueful smile as he turned to Arachne.
"I'm sorry this happened to you," said Hephaestus.
His touch was hesitant, soft even, as he took a clawed hand into his own. The trepidation of getting involved is absent from him now. It felt good, light even, to help simply because he wanted to.
Arachne was still shivering, but she relented all the same. The shock of what she had seen did not yet pass. He conjured the blade, but not fully. Instead, the tip of Rule Breaker eased from the tip of his pointer finger. It pricked the carapace she had, but no matter the way he adjusted his energy, it seemed like there was nothing to sever.
"...I had a feeling."
There was no way Athena wouldn't try to circumvent Rule Breaker in some way. She had only seen it once, but knew the dangers such a noble phantasm carried. He looked at Arachne. His calm expression, free of disgust or judgement, brought a sense of ease to the otherwise overwhelmed monster.
The very sight of her now black appendages almost brought her to tears again.
"I told you," smiled Hephaestus, "no harm will come to you here. I had hoped my solution would help you…but I know someone far more skilled than me, I–"
He chuckled a bit, shaking his head as the sound of hooves became even louder. The poor Arachne tried to scuttle away, but her new legs still refused to obey her. Instead, she fell, only being caught by Hephaestus before she stumbled to the ground.
"You're back!" yelled Kassandra as she barreled through the trees. "Heph how was your–OH FUCK!"
She reared back. Arachne tried to hide herself, but for a moment blinked owlishly herself.
Was that a horse woman?
She blinked, shaking herself out of her stupor as Kassandra inspected her.
"Who did this to her?" whispered Kassandra.
"Athena. A curse potent enough even I can't break it. I plan to have Hecate take a look, when she is able."
"That might be a minute," muttered Kassandra.
"Hmm?"
"Better for Hecate to explain. Hey, what's your name?"
Arachne garbled, shaking even more at the sounds that escaped her.
"Hey, hey, none of that," soothed Kassandra. She trotted around, Arachne being tall enough for her head to peak just past the centaur's human collar bone. "We got you here, seriously. Let me see if I can't ease some of the pain while we wait?"
He smiled, the sight of which slowed Kassandra. She studied him for a minute.
"You…feel different," she said.
"Do I?"
"...yeah. You alright?"
"I am. Arachne is our main concern right now."
"Right, right!"
Kassandra began to ease Arachen to her home across the way. For once, Hephaestus felt truly and utterly focused.
I am the Bone of my Sword.
He turned to his door, the back of a man shimmering in his vision. One clad in black and red.
It beckoned at him as he walked towards the door.
Steel is my Body and Fire is my Blood.
His hand hesitated for a moment, reaching for the knob of the door, the mirage of EMIYA between them.
I Have Forged Limitless Blades.
His eyes closed, a soft smile forming as his hand pushed through the mirage.
Unbound by Fate and Astride Belief.
EMIYA's image dispersed and the door eased open. The smell of Hecate's incense, the alchemical brews, and the sound of Eri's footsteps brought a smile to his face. His mind was alight with inspiration, yet his body never felt as light as it did in this moment.
His hands itched to get to work. Mechanical bulls, metallic giants, and so many other ideas screamed to be made…but for today. Today was for them.
"Hecate, you home?"
"Of course I am."
She rounded the corner. He could feel her exhaustion from here, her tired eyes lingering on him for a moment. He shut the door behind him, grabbing Hecate in an almost delicate hold. Her hands rested on his chest, narrowing in concern.
"You…are you alright?"
She shivered, feeling his energy swell within her, eliminating her exhaustion almost instantly. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him. She blushed almost instantly at the bright smile. She hated the way it made her queasy.
"Never better," he whispered, kissing her softly.
They were lost in their moment, smiling against each other at Eri's quiet disgust. His voice lingered as they separated, his eyes still focused on her lips.
"You were exhausted. Are you alright?"
"Just kiss me again," smirked Hecate.
Plans to destroy Nemesis were put on hold as he simply smiled and did as he was told. Today, he deserved a break. But tomorrow? Tomorrow, the forge of Hephaestus would be open to all. For he needed to be ready for the Summer Solstice. There was no more planning anymore.
In six months time…Nemesis would fall. He blinked as Hecate smacked him.
"You're focusing on something else again," she muttered, "your only focus should be me."
"Of course dear."
"D-dear?"
He laughed with Eri as Hecate tried to cover her face again. It was always the little things that somehow threw her for a loop. He realized at this moment…that he was happy.
Eri suddenly latched onto his leg, looking up at him.
"I love you Papa."
"I love you more," he smiled, basking in the life he held now.