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Kintsugi Chapter 34: One Last Ride
THUNK.
THUNK.
The slow thudding echo of wood softly weaved through the trees. In the forest of his home, Hephaestus was hard at work on his newest project. A large sailboat was being made, with a cabin large enough to house a small kitchen and two beds.
It was an absurd creation in this ancient era, and one he normally wouldn't make. However, things had changed a great deal over the years. For all that he was worried about sharing another world's future knowledge, his current world had already undergone change.
It was easy to forget that the scarcity of food was a driving factor that limited humanity's development.
But here? Lemnos had no such concern. The field that Hephaestus had made, the soil that he altered, had grown dividends far beyond what he had intended. Food was abundant, farming having become a central practice for Lemnos. Their community-driven focus had allowed the vast majority of the population to have something most never envisioned.
Leisure time.
The abundance of resources also allowed experimentation. Hephaestus smiled, the memory reminding him of Krios' uncle. The man had finally done it; years of constant revisions had sparked the inspiration within to allow the creation of concrete. More specifically, what would later become known as Roman concrete.
"Well, I guess it's more Lemnian concrete now," he thought.
That had been… er… different. The walls, the ground, their very homes had been rebuilt with stronger material. Architecture, storage, and city planning, it would have been too much too quickly if not for Kassandra.
The centaur was as much a teacher as her contemporary Chiron was. Yet, she focused more on the arts than the body. Writing, reading, and alchemy—she was a fountain of knowledge. It had struck him then that if he had not rescued Kassandra from Hecate all those years ago, she never would have spread the knowledge that she did.
One single action, with a vast amount of outcomes not even a god could envision.
Through Ifrit's eyes, he could see the city, his grin growing wider at the sight. Large walls covered the city proper, the stone painted with a vibrant, if chaotic, colour scheme.
The population was growing steadily, vast stretches of land had been converted to farmland, and the community worked together to grow their food. Eventually, there would come dissonance in some way. But Hephaestus was confident they were ready for it.
"...I'm happy you were able to see this, old friend," smiled Hephaestus.
The blue line that shone on his arm pulsated for a moment.
He cringed a bit, Ifrit eying a burning effigy in the town square. It was in the shape of him, the wooden statue carved with a master's precision. It was unique, he'd give them that.
Using animal fat, they had the flames travel through the grooves of the wood, emulating the cracks his own body made. While the face was mostly featureless, it was obvious what, and more specifically, who it was meant to represent.
"I told them to stop making those," he grumbled.
His other half merely cackled in his mind. The blue light on his arm harmoniously flickered like laughter.
Ifrit never bothered with human words and didn't care for learning them either. She cared only for him and Eri, keeping mostly to herself.
Which was a load of bullshit.
"CAW!"
The bird was an attention whore, no ifs ands or buts about it. Constantly "patrolling" the city, her azure flames, a symbol of Lemnos, the colour seared into the flag the community had made with Arachne's silk.
"SQUAK!"
Her chirping was near endless, but it didn't distract him from the final finishing touches.
"CAW!"
She was arguing his point, as usual.
"You roost in the orphanage," muttered Hephaestus.
"CAW!"
"Yes, how nice. Keeping the children warm as they shower you with praise and wonder."
She would "sleep" on random rooftops, enjoying the food and tributes that would be showered over her. It was cute in a way.
"Ow," he muttered.
His heart stopped for a second, the bird's beak impacting the organ from within. He rubbed some sweat off his brow, though that was mostly a habit. He didn't really sweat anymore.
He could feel her smug attitude from here, at the fact that she was able to be present in several spaces. She didn't bother using the skill much, as only one body really had any strength.
But it was enough to peck him from anywhere.
He severed the connection between their sight, focusing instead on his finishing touches. Along the hull, the boat shuddered, as the several runes engraved by Hephaestus began shining bright. As the final nail struck the keel of his ship, the pointer finger on his right hand glowed cherry red.
The wood sizzled as he softly traced a new Greek rune into the wood. As the symbol finished drawing, lines of power spread across the hull, the air turning heavy.
"...still not used to that," he muttered, "this mist."
It was Hecate's creation, a tool originally created to protect witches from persecution. Unfortunately for the witch, the creation of it had expanded far beyond simple witches. It was slow, but eventually the mist would spread, affecting mortals across the world.
But, it wasn't just humans if affected. Monsters too were infected by its power. Those who were bound to Tartarus always left "war trophies" in a sense. Items or pieces of power left behind by the monster. The mist would conjure the energy left behind into something connected to the slayer of the beast.
Any reasonable person would assume that Hecate would do away with the strange system, but it had an unexpected boon.
When monsters died, the energy they left behind could be disastrous to deal with. Their very essence could infect living things, and given enough time, create monsters of a different sort.
Now, thanks to the unintended side effects of the mist, said energy would coalesce into items or regents. It would have been an awe inspiring achievement if not for the fact it seemed so utterly random.
Hephaestus still had the leather coat made from the Python's skin. It was irritating to figure out how to keep a monster's flesh as intended, but it was doable.
At least he'd never be stuck with a coat again.
"Speaking of," he thought.
The coat was… well, useless. Even as a material, it was fleetingly weak. Perhaps he'd give it to some random hero somewhere down the line.
Then again, he'd rather not. Hephaestus grimaced a bit at the idea. If half the heroes of myth were anything like EMIYA's, there was no way he was arming those superpowered nuts.
Not like they needed him as most gods could conjure whatever a demigod could need anyway.
"Is it almost done!?"
Returning with her pack was Eri. In the earliest stage of womanhood, the sight of her brought him joy. She was just shy of six feet, her red hair now long enough to be braided and resting across her chest. She wore a short chiton, one that ended just below the knee. Strong leather sandals wrapped around her feet and legs, providing protection and support.
Yet, it was her arms that bore the most interesting armaments. Wrapped around her left arm was a crimson cloth, sheared from the same scarf Hephaestus wore around his neck right now.
It was wrapped softly around her left arm, humming with power. The string that was tied to keep it on her arm was lined with charms and mystical symbols.
On her right arm was a vambrace, ideal for protecting the arm from a bow's string. A gift from Artemis… even though Hephaestus was the one to make it.
Still, a gift was a gift.
Yet, for all that they drew the eye, it was the belt around her waist that drew the most attention. A new "invention" from the weaving spider, the girdle was spun from both Arachne's webs and strong leather.
He recalled that particular argument, stating that girdles already existed elsewhere in Greece before her, but the spider was vehemently adamant that she was the first.
It rested on Eri's stomach, protecting her intestines, but was mostly used to hang her regents and mystical ingredients. She had enough bags of holding that even Hecate, the creator of them, was a bit concerned about how many she held.
It was a rather hectic ensemble, if he was being honest. Some had referred to Eri as a "wild child", but she embodied it now in the literal sense. The way her hair was erratic, always covered in dirt and grime, she was every bit a lover of the outdoors. Even now, there was a scuff of dirt on her cheek and clothes.
She had filled in somewhat as well, but shared the same lithe body type as Hecate and her mother, Athena. Unlike said Goddess, though, the girl was not as heavily muscled, a little lax in her physical training.
It was irksome how she preferred the mystical arts almost entirely to the physical ones. It seemed unbalanced to Hephaestus. He was a living example of how magic could be counteracted after all.
"Why are you still spending so much t-t-time on that, Dad? We have to go!" she complained.
Hephaestus sighed internally, missing the days she would call him Papa.
"We'll go as soon as we load this into the water. Then we need to sa–"
The ship lifted up, Eri giggling with the green glow around her hands.
"Just tell me where, Dad!"
"...I still need to add the sail," he muttered.
"...oh…right…sorry."
She eyed the boat as she softly set it back down, looking at the sail that was built a bit away from it. It leaned against the tree, the fabric having been spun from Arachne's silk.
It was a pleasant surprise to learn that the cursed silk could be spun into different textures. Suffice to say, after the people had become used to Arachne's appearance, she was busy. Orders upon orders for her wares.
Hell, Krios had even managed to figure out how to make sails for the boats with Arachne's help, which made it easier to move with the new ship.
For a time, Hephaestus had been worried that Arachne would be overworked. Instead, the more work she got, the happier she was.
Adjusting the boat upward and installing the sail was easy enough. He'd prefer to do it on the water, but ever since he had defeated Poseidon, the sea was… wary. It was like the waves would recede ever so slightly whenever in his presence.
"Good," thought Hephaestus.
He didn't need Poseidon ruining this like he did the Odyssey in that one story.
"It's ready," said Hephaestus, sealing the boat together with alteration and reinforcement.
"I can't w-wait!" stuttered Eri, her hands wringing together. They glowed slightly with arcane power, the boat lifted above their heads. "I heard Sparta is home to both Apollo and Artemis!"
"They worship them as they do the other twelve," chuckled Hephaestus.
"I can't wait to see Uncle Ares too," smiled Eri. The brightness dimmed a bit as she frowned slightly. "A shame Alcippe couldn't come."
"She's pregnant with a child," smiled Hephaestus. His voice became soft as his smile grew. "She won't move until they're safely born."
Eri nodded, the two approaching the tree line quickly. She got the boat across the beach and began rifling through her pouches.
"I got regents," she muttered, "some hex-bags."
"I still don't see why you'd curse anyone," grunted Hephaestus.
Curses, one of the more unsavoury sides of the mystic arts. It was one of the few things that he and Hecate had ever legitimately argued about. In the end, despite his misgivings, knowledge was power. That and it was Eri's choice in the end.
"The more tools I have, the better," smirked Eri. "Besides, it works well as a t-threat!"
"...That poor boy," he sighed.
"He was trying to woo me!" growled Eri, "he wouldn't leave me alone!"
"I agree. I was talking about the bystander you had hit."
"...oh," she muttered. She cringed a bit, looking away. The poor kid was still bald, though he had grown to "rock it" as they say. "That's t-true. But I'm more accurate and c-careful now, promise!"
He stopped a bit, turning to her.
"We can still stop by Athe–"
"No," said Eri firmly.
"Are you sure?" he asked hesitantly.
"I'm sure. Mother… mother made her choice."
She looked away, her father's hand more an annoyance than a comfort as it rested on her shoulder.
"Eri… she is your mother. If what you said is true, Athena's actions are not fully her own."
Eri scoffed.
"I feel her every day, Dad… she won't change her mind."
She felt his stare before she even saw it.
"...Eri, sometimes I feel that you prefer an illusion of someone rather than as they genuinely are."
Eri pouted.
"It's not that simple. Just leave it alone… please?"
"...Alright," he sighed. "I just don't want you to live with something you'll regret."
Athena was still on his shit list, make no mistake about it. But she had sacrificed a piece of herself for Eri. Granted, it was used to "supposedly" benefit the goddess of war, but it was still what allowed Eri to even be alive. He didn't want his own mistrust and negative feelings for Athena to detract Eri from having a connection with her mother.
He rubbed the back of his head, trying to get rid of the awkward air.
"So…where did you want to make land first?"
"First?" she asked.
"Well, yes, first."
Her smile grew as she realised what was happening.
"We can make our way on foot through several territories. So…where to go first?"
She laughed, rushing towards the boat with renewed vigour. She easily hopped from the beach sand to the vessel, laughing even more as it shook under her weight.
"Wherever the winds take us, father!"
She clambered up the sail, laughing as the boat rocked and her father shook his head. Ordinarily, he would be accosted by the villagers and Kassandra, but this time around, he decided to leave without the ensemble.
He appreciated the love, but honestly, it was a bit much. It wasn't because he was reclusive, no matter what Kassandra said. He loaded the boat and unfurled the sail, but no matter how the wind blew, the boat never moved.
"Leaving without a good-bye?"
Rising from the waters, a scaled nymph smiled at him.
"Galatea," he sighed.
She smirked, sitting on the railings of the ship.
"Quite the vessel," she mused. "I take it you are planning to travel quite a ways."
"I am. It is time that–"
The boat shuddered, a blessing so potent it made the already salty sea even more pungent. Hephaestus rubbed his head, eyeing the nymph.
"You didn't have to do that," he muttered.
"Of course I did."
"No, seriously," grunted Hephaestus, "the runes I have on this ship are delicate."
"Rest assured," smiled Galatea, "we of the seas have been using runes since time immemorial. Your ship will be fine."
From her chest, a blue light emerged, her smile growing even more.
"Was it not you who has granted me the authority of Lemnos' waters? Was it not you who has restored all that I once was?"
She dispersed. A male Potomoi now appearing on the other end of the railing, eyeing the runes and sigils. His control was finer than Galatea's, the blessing under his direction becoming ingrained within the wood.
But Hephaestus had already done that.
"That's unnec–"
"My lord," drawled Galatea, reforming on the ship itself. Water flowed around her like a dress, her once demure nature having soured to a more caustic tone. Yet, it didn't change her willingness to serve. "My name and form were restored to me by your actions. I do this, we," she clarified, gesturing to the male spirit still working, "do this, out of reverence. Your discomfort is noted but bear with it. With this blessing, your ship will always direct you to your destination. It may not be as potent as the lord of the seas." Galatea smirked, "But we both know that potency is not… shall we say, apparent."
"...you speak dangerously," muttered Hephaestus, eying the ocean.
"Poseidon has no authority over me. Never again will I bend my words. Not to him… and not even to you," she said.
"...I know."
"And that," she smiled, "is why I give you my blessing freely. You understand as well as I do where we stand. Now, I just have to teach you to accept such graces with dignity, rather than this ignoble attempt of humbleness."
"...I'm starting to regret giving you that authority," chuckled Hephaestus.
"Clearly," whispered Galatea, her hand waving to clear the turbulent waters. "Now, safe travels. The villagers will expect many tales from when you return."
"Tales?"
He didn't like the way she said it, as if the villagers knew more than he wanted them to. He always had an inkling that his stories were out there somehow, but this felt… different.
He eyed her, but she never bent from the weight of his gaze.
When he had returned to Lemnos those years back, fresh from his fight with Poseidon, the authority of Lemnos' waters was… hilariously small. Poseidon, as a last-ditch attempt, had rendered the authority to what was basically a meter away from the beach line of the island.
If Hephaestus attempted to use it for himself, the authority would simply evaporate, and Poseidon's power would return. After all, what Hephaestus did was not a true "reaping" or "harvest" as Demeter called it.
Though that plan of his would have never worked, for Hephaestus never intended to house the authority himself. Caibero, the nymph that had served him (for reasons he still didn't understand), was granted the authority. Oh, she fought against it, but when he insisted, she took the power with grace.
All the parts of her that had been crushed were lifted. Her name was granted back, and the full weight of her strength as a sea nymph returned. She was forever changed from her experience, able to shift from the rivers to the oceans.
But her natural affinity expanded the kindling of authority to a healthy range around Lemnos. It must have infuriated Poseidon even more to know that it would never return to him. A blotched spot in his kingdom.
Hephaestus had hoped that would be the end of it all, and in a way, it was. Poseidon has remained quiet over the years, but Caibero, or better known now as Galatea, was far from it.
She had self-appointed herself as regent of Lemnos, and was doing everything in her power to "groom" him in all the laws of every possible denomination of… well basically anything. She treated him as if he were some sort of future king.
While it was annoying, he did appreciate the knowledge. He had called her a tutor once, a term that she had taken in stride.
"Now," she said, "go off. Learn all that you will. Use Iris if you have any questions."
"I won't bother you with such–"
The sky darkened a bit at the smile Galatea had, her eyes closing in silent mirth.
"...right," muttered Hephaestus.
She flowed back into the sea, the silent Potomoi following after her like a puppy. They were attached to the hip, the two of them.
"...they're totally fu–"
"Don't even finish that sentence," growled Hephaestus.
"...what?"
"The business of others is not our own. You've become a bit too much of a gossip," he sighed.
"...some might say you're just boring," teased Eri.
"Hmm."
The sail unfurled, and the blessings of the waters of Lemnos had them cutting through even the most choppy of waters. The air filled his lungs, and once more, a weight had lifted off Hephaestus.
The years he had spent in Lemnos were fulfilling, but nothing ever quite filled him like the expanse beyond. To see and experience new things was the sweetest gift life could bring. But what made it even better?
It was that he was sharing it with her. He laughed with Eri as she lunged to the front, grinning at the sight of the open sea. She turned to her father, but rather than laugh, she faltered.
"Eri?"
She coughed a few times, on the last hard one she pointed back home. At least, where it had once been.
The island was now barely a speck in the wind, both parent and child blinking. Hephaestus felt the wind, and it was still a soft breeze. The water was flowing so smoothly, it looked to the naked eye like it was barely moving.
Yet just outside the circumference of the boat, the waters were rapidly crashing into each other, the noise muted.
"Are we supposed to be t-t-this fast?" asked Eri.
He looked over the boat, his face falling a bit at the runes glitching a bit.
"D-dad? What's wrong?"
He grimaced, rubbing his brow.
"That idiot overwrote the runes I engraved into the wood."
"...oh…"
The boat kept going faster and faster, the sea turning into a rapid so quickly that an island was quickly coming into view.
"Hmm, perhaps I can use this in the future?" thought Hephaestus.
Ignoring the vast speeds, he immediately latched onto the wood, his power interfacing with the interlocked runes.
"Dad!" yelled Eri.
He grunted, slamming his shoulder into the boat's railing. It barely moved an inch, but the slight turn made it swerve past their first island. Faster and faster it went, and Eri's frazzled state slowly bled away.
The islands had dispersed, leaving only a single landmass in the distance on their right. Her eyes darkened as her expression grew solemn. Her hands glowed with the tinge of Hecate's magic, the power of a witch.
Words echoed around her, the white of her eyes shone a verdant green, enhancing the natural light of her golden irises. She struggled to lift the boat from the water, the suction almost too great a force.
She slammed her hands together, a single word rupturing out.
"Rumble."
The water vibrated away from the boat just enough. She lifted her left hand, two fingers pointing to the sky. The boat slowed down the further it got from the water, until finally it was floating harmlessly above a sea, near a landmass.
"Set us down," said Hepahestus, "we can figure out what we can do from there."
The air was thin here, though not entirely in reality. He could feel that he was on the edge of something. It wasn't anything negative, more a feeling of fact…
Like he was far from home.
As they nestled onto the beach, Hephaestus hopped over and got to work. As he inspected the boat, he turned to Eri.
"Eri, Ifrit, scout around and see what you can find out about this place. If there's a settlement, we should make our way there."
"W-why?" she muttered. "You can just remake the boat."
"Remaking the boat isn't the issue. It's distance. You saw how fast we were going. There's no telling where we ended up. Besides, I thought you'd like the adventure."
She grinned.
"True, alright, Iffy, let's go!"
The bird promptly exploded out of her father's back, ignoring her completely.
"Oh come on!" she complained, "It-it was just one feather!"
She stilled as her father turned to her, and she shivered a bit. There were rarely any instances he had ever given her this cold look. Once, back when she had tried to question Hera and the other… when she stole a feather from Ifrit.
She had thought nothing of it, just plucking the feathers from Ifrit's nest. They were discarded, but she wouldn't forget the way Ifrit looked at her. Even now, she was still trying to get back in the bird's good graces.
"...Sorry," she muttered. She quickly went the opposite way, her knife drawn. Eri had grown strong over the years, so Hephaestus wasn't worried.
Much.
He shook his head.
"Sometimes, I can't help but wonder if Hecate may be rubbing off on her too much," he whispered.
He kept working on the ship, smirking at the tree line.
"Not going to respond?"
From the treeline came a white wolf. Its eyes shared a similar hue to Hephaestus, but the tall woman behind it could only scoff.
"Having you forge my weapon was a mistake," she jested. "I can't sneak up on you anymore."
"Oh, the tragedy of it," he sighed. "It's not as if that is the fourth variant of it."
"Stop improving, and I may stop asking for another," she smiled.
"Careful," chuckled Hephaestus, "I'd rather not be told by the others to constantly upgrade their own tools."
"Doesn't Ares constantly pester you anyway?"
He kept working on the ship as Artemis leaned against it. He was scraping out the blessings, but it stubbornly clung to the wood. He wanted to simply break them in two, but he kept the frustration to himself.
"You sent Eri away. I wanted to say hello," she smiled.
"You can always say hello," he said. "It's the fact you didn't that had me send her away."
Artemis grew solemn.
"...Medusa is near here."
CRUNCH!
The boat snapped, his focus lapsing for just a second. It was just a twitch of his thumbs, but the board with runes snapped like a twig.
"...shit."
He scowled a bit, his mental connection with Ifrit sending the bird careening back to Eri. While she was frustrated with the girl, Ifrit would defend her with their life. This time, there was no Eris to stop them.
"How close?"
"On a small island away from here, this place is their hunting ground."
"...You're usually not one to spoil anyone's hunt, man or beast," he muttered.
"...Father had me direct his son to Medusa's lair. The boy foolishly gave a promise and must now stick to it."
"So the hunt was already spoiled anyway," nodded Hephaestus. "I take it Zeus has done what he can for Perseus?"
Artemis looked exhausted, rubbing her eyes as she nodded.
"I've never seen him worry as much as he has now. Athena has armed him the best she can, the others pitching in, but… I admit some worry."
"Oh?"
"Us getting involved has sapped us of a bit of our resources, but the sheer number of demi-gods being born makes what we're doing with Perseus unfeasible on a larger scale."
The huntress rubbed her hand through her wolf's fur, the canine more than happy to indulge in her affection.
"Zeus himself has yet to recover from the times he's interfered with his sons. But that's not the only reason I'm worried."
He couldn't help himself. "You, worried for a man?" teased Hephaestus, "Whatever has the world come to?"
She rolled her eyes, shoving him lightly. "Not you too. How did that wretched rumour ever start?"
"I think it was when you killed the man who was spying on you bathing?" grunted Hephaestus, rubbing his chin. "Or perhaps the time you turned a hunter into a deer for his dogs to devour?"
She could only shake her head ruefully, looking to the sky.
"Mortals tell it as if they are one and the same. At least you know the truth."
"We all do, they just think it's funny to paint you as a man-hater," he grunted. "You are a defender of children. Unfortunately, most abusers are men." Hephaestus turned a bit quizzical, though, eyeing her.
"Though I do find it strange they never tell of Myrias. That woman shoved her child into a fire as a sacrifice for you."
The gods rarely intervened in mortal affairs, in part due to Divine Law. However, such affronts to their domains, directed entirely at them as individuals, typically allowed them to exert their power without fear.
A situation Artemis used to pin that woman into a bloody cushion. The husband, too, for good measure. The both of them infuriated her to such a degree her core still simmered at the thought of them.
"Don't remind me," she growled.
"Apologies. I know what it is like to have rumours surround you. Aphrodite did the same with me," he said, studying the broken board. He eyed the runes, an idea forming. "Stopping them does nothing; it only propagates the rumours."
"Oh yes," muttered Artemis flately, "me the man slayer, and you the pleaser of the goddess of love, you completely understand me."
She actually scowled as she pointed at him. "You know, they still say you made her howl to my moon."
He coughed a bit. Actually, quite a lot.
"W-what?" he grunted.
Artemis rolled her eyes.
"Supposedly, we are "together" said Artemis. "And you're using Aphrodite to make me jealous."
The two looked at each other. The huntress had to admit… she got a sick thrill from the utter shock on his face.
"They say you've been conquering Olympus one fair maiden at a time," she drawled dramatically, both hands rising to the sky. "Now you're intruding upon the sacred grounds of Hesta, biding your time to pillage the soil Demeter, and even have your eye on the captivating Persephone."
He blinked owlishly.
"...you're lying," he said flatly.
"Only one of us can lie."
He grimaced at her flat stare.
"...They got worse?"
"They got worse, yes."
Hephaestus narrowed his eyes.
"Hermes?"
"Of course it is."
"...I think I'll actually kill him."
"Please do. It wouldn't be as frustrating if it weren't so stupid."
Hephaestus hummed in agreement.
"This obsession with sex is exhausting," she muttered.
"Tell me about it," grunted Hephaestus. "You'd think they have nothing better to do."
She rubbed her brow, the Goddess sighing. "I just… I wish I could at least understand why it's always about you or me?" she scowled.
"It bothers you and they are bored," shrugged Hephaestus, making more adjustments to the ship. "I used to say it would go away but…well…"
The two shivered.
Artemis held no desire for the dirty tango. She was the embodiment of the wild, in all its aspects. She swore eternal virginhood precisely to pursue just that. A life filled with nothing but the hunt.
For once, she felt comfortable enough to talk about it.
"Perhaps I should just explain it," she muttered, "that I feel nothing from it."
She blinked when Hephaestus suddenly stood.
"Hephaestus?"
"...Artemis."
"Hmm?"
He rose, a hand placed on her shoulder as he looked upon her. His face carried with it the stoicism of a rock. So solemn and serious, one could hear the rumble of a mountain rising behind him.
"Do. Not. Explain. That. To anyone."
"...Hermes?" she grunted.
"Hermes."
The rumour mill of the gods would have a party with that aspect.
"Knowing him, he's the one calling my hunters my… my…"
She couldn't even finish. While a number of her hunters were nymphs, the majority were young women that she had taken from situations so horrid that Divine Law did nothing to impede her.
It was a disgusting rumour, suffice to say.
"I know. I'd like to believe Hermes wouldn't go that far though. But aside from the rumours of our family, how have you been, well?"
He moved back to the ship, memorising the runes that were placed within. Hecate had an extensive library and was a master of runes. With that said, the runes of the sea witches were not actually her forte.
It was a rare opportunity to add them to his collection.
"I have. I heard Eri call me by name earlier and followed you here to say hello. She has grown well," smiled Artemis.
"She has. Though she sometimes gets ahead of herself here or there."
"Also not properly cloaking her words," thought Hephaetus. He would have grimaced if he could get away with it. He trusted Artemis immensely, it was the other gods he was concerned with.
Knowing Eri, she did it on purpose to see her. Cute but very reckless.
"I heard she tried to use Ifrit's feather? Is that true?" asked Artemis.
Hephaestus nodded, eyeing the ground. He could hear the weight in her words.
"She must know how a phoenix would feel about that?" scowled Artemis. "For all their rarity, Hecate would have taught her that well enough."
"...I didn't blame her. For all that Ifrit is angry, she doesn't blame Eri either. She veers from Eri now only because of her temper."
Hephaestus sighed, rubbing his thumb over the glowing blue cracks over his left hand.
"Nikos was something of a grandfather to her," he said after a while. "When he passed away… she didn't want to let go."
Old Man Nikos, the grandfather of Krios and a surrogate one to Eri. The old man had been there from the beginning and had basically become something of an alderman to the growing city of Lemnos.
He passed away not eight days ago, peacefully in his sleep. Surrounded by loved ones, a prosperous city, and a bright future… seldom were deaths so peaceful and bright, even in the far future.
Hephaestus had carried the man's body himself, burying him where his old home had once been. The soft smile on that man's face… the god would admit it brought him some peace.
But Eri?
The girl had been inconsolable. Her tears seemed unending at the gathering for the old man. Not even Nikos' family could console her.
Eri spent most of her time in the city learning pottery or painting. Yet, she would always go to Old Man Nikos for a story or two after every lesson. History, his own life, the stories of the gods. Eri didn't seem to care what the tale was, she enjoyed it either way.
Nikos somehow knew his time was coming. Kassandra had informed the family and Hephaestus that the old man was simply… waning. A slow but soft death.
"He must have died well," whispered Artemis. "You wouldn't be so calm otherwise."
"He was an old man," smiled Hephaestus. "One that had lived a full life. It hurts… but he died happy. This I know," he said, shaking his hand, the blue line fluttering in agreement.
"Death is inevitable in nature. But it is one thing to be aware of it, another to experience it." Artemis looked to the wolf that was currently laying around her feet. "This cub was born from the first wolf I reared. She had died, even with my blessings, during child birth. It was sudden, her pain short."
The huntress seemed weary of opening up, but spoke after a moment.
"I retreated to my temple for weeks after that."
"I'm sorry," said Hephaestus, "for your loss."
"...and I yours. My point is that I can understand Eri's desperation… but a phoenix feather?"
The issue with a soft death was not the inevitable nature but the slow visible decay. For while Nikos had been happy, spending what time he could with family and friends, Eri was far from it.
Desperate, she turned to the only cure all she knew of.
The feather of a phoenix.
There was some truth to it. A balm made from the ashes of such a feather carried immense medical properties and even held some regenerative power.
"She must have made a powerful elixir," muttered Artemis, eyeing the woods around them. "I can still sense the lingering echoes of what she had created. Hecate must be proud, in some sense."
"She was. But she was also understandably miffed with Eri," sighed Hephaestus, "wasn't happy that she ignored all common sense."
The feather of a phoenix was a powerful healing tool… but it did not raise the dead. By the time Eri had completed the elixir, an impressive feat by any witch's standards, the old man had passed. The elixir had been used to heal Krios' mother, who had become deathly ill some time later.
The woman had almost died imbibing the powerful medicine. If not for Kassandra, the human woman may well have turned to ash. It was a hard lesson for all involved.
The power of Ifrit was not something everyone could bear. Crafting a Phoenix elixir drained the entity that it was taken from. In fact, a phoenix never did recover from such a thing, that fragment of their life sheared away from them forever.
If not for Ifrit's divine nature and their connection to Hephaestus, she would have suffered the same fate.
"...She misses him," sighed Artemis. "I can feel it from here."
He didn't know precisely how Artemis could feel it, but he attributed it to the nature of her domains.
"She does. Part of our journey here… is for him."
Hephaestus held his hand, wrapping a cloth around the blue cracks that had formed.
The soul of Nikos remained within his reality marble. The old man had a single wish… to see more of Greece.
It was he who inspired Krios to take to the seas and see the world. Nikos lived vicariously through his grandson's grand adventures, looking at the etchings Krios drew with both pride and jealousy. He had been too old to journey safely in life.
So, before his death, Hephaestus would grant him this. Under ordinary circumstances, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to do so. Yet, Krios' soul never moved on, the desire for his lost dream far too powerful.
If left alone, the decay would have set in, and a poltergeist would be formed. At least, according to the rivers.
"You think that like we'd be wrong?" grumbled Cocytus.
It was a strange thing, housing a soul. Much like Iftit, there was no direct communication. But unlike the legendary bird, there was no understanding either.
But what he did know was that Nikos was experiencing everything he was at the moment. What he saw and heard, all of it.
"One last ride," thought Hephaestus.
He was quiet about this, as he didn't want anyone else to get ideas for how their afterlife went.
"...you're bringing him?" whispered Artemis, eyeing the blue cracks.
"Yes."
"To the underworld directly?"
"Yes."
"Didn't Hades ban you?"
"I have sway."
Artemis narrowed her gaze.
"What?"
"Sway with Persephone," she drawled.
He could only shrug at her judging eye.
"She said she owed me for bridging the gap for her and her mother. So, she'll allow me entry to cleanse the river Styx when needed."
Artemis blinked, her expression turning ashen.
"You what?"
"Don't worry about it."
It was an acidic river; of course she'd worry about it. Yet, as the conversation stalled, Hephaestus noted she remained. The wolf at her feet shuffled awkwardly as well.
"...Hephaestus," muttered Artemis.
"Hmm?"
"I…I need a favour."
"What do you need?" he answered immediately.
"There is a boar that needs hunting," she admitted, "it wasn't on purpose, but… the creature has imbibed on my strength."
"It actually survived?" muttered Hephaestus. "Your divinity should have ravaged that boar hollow. Without a blessing to contain it, it should have just–"
"Popped?"
A smile grew on her face at his blank look.
Like a cage, a blessing or boon prevented divinity from acting freely. Without it, the energy would simply flow unimpeded, heedless of any obstacles. It was why the true form of a God turned humans to ash. The eyes were the window to the soul, a direct mystical receptacle. The sheer level of divinity would render those unable to handle it to dust.
So potent was the divine power of a god, that not even an average demigod could hope to endure a god's true form.
"Funny," muttered Hephaestus. "But Artemis, by all accounts that I've read and been told, you cannot simply give a mortal divine energy. What did you do?"
Artemis actually blushed a bit, her golden cheeks flushed against her moonlit skin.
"I… tried to make a flower."
"Oh?" smiled Hephaestus. "How did it go?"
"It went well enough, I haven't come up with a name for it yet."
From behind her, she produced the plucked flower.
"The Amaranth flower," thought Hephaestus.
A sacred plant to Artemis. He had assumed it was just something attributed to her. To think it was something she actually weaved herself.
"So you weaved a plant to life. Congratulations, Artemis."
She cringed a bit.
"I had some help from Perspehone. It takes a few generations for the flowers to properly disperse the energies used to create them. I had assumed the area I was breeding them was free of any wildlife, but the boar managed to eat some of it."
"Surprised you'd ask me for this," smiled Hephaestus. "You are the better hunter."
"...I can't."
"...Ah," realised Hephaestus. Like a pair of magnets, the boar must have repelled her by virtue of sharing the same divinity with her.
"...That is quite honestly the most out there theory you've ever had," snarked Styx. "Look at her face."
He did so.
"What do you see?"
"She's uncomfortable."
"Obviously. Just ask her."
Hephaestus cleared his throat and eyed her. Artemis crumbled a moment later, her pride stinging.
"If I hunt the boar, I would be watched and… I don't want anyone else to realise my mistake. That's all."
"Wouldn't your wolf here be more than enough?" smiled Hephaestus, kneeling down to pet the wolf. They were an excellent tracker, though he hadn't called on it just yet.
"It's too weak," she admitted. "It will grow with time, but for now, he's still a young thing."
The wolf nipped at her, a stern look making it whimper.
"I won't send my hunters nor my pack to their death simply for my pride." She leaned in, running the wolf's ears. "Or their own."
"You don't need to justify a thing with me, Artemis," smiled Hephaestus, finding the sight of the two cute.
It was the way he said it that made her pause. The trepidation, the slight hesitance… it was gone.
"Still, while embarrassing, does the poor animal really need to die?" he asked.
"..."
She showed him an image, his eyes widening a bit from the illusion that she showed.
"Hmm… that's bad."
"You see the problem."
"I do," sighed Hephaestus. "That poor animal… this reminds me of that dragon."
"I thought the same," admitted Artemis, crossing her arms. The illusion dispersed in a shower of silver light. "I've always wondered what made monsters so different from one another. Why did some dispersed into Tartarus and others simply died?"
Artemis' hand glowed with silver energy.
"I believe it is the effects of our divinity. Those that were born naturally are claimed by the pit."
"Are they?" surmised Hephaestus. He rubbed his chin, the barest hint of hair dragging against his skin. "Cursed monsters are claimed by Tartarus as well, and they were not born that way."
"The games of primordials," said Artemis, her words honeyed with poison.
"...You have some experience with them?" asked Hephaestus.
"Dionysus is not the only one who communes with them," she scowled. "The moon is… I'd rather not explain it."
"Understood. Do we have a general area for the animal?"
"That's why I'm here as well. It's making its way to the very edges of our territory. If we don't cut it off at Atlas' mountain, it could very well intrude into the realms of the other pantheons."
"I'd rather not deal with that headache," muttered Hephaestus.
"If what Athena has alluded to is true, you may not ever have to."
He could feel her jealousy from here.
"…I am an Olympian God," said Hephaestus.
"But you are more akin to a Demi-God than any of us. Divine Law will likely not affect you the same way it does us in regards to territory."
"Is that why Athena was telling Zeus to lock me in Olympus?" laughed Hephaestus. "I'm not a child. Just because I can walk past the boundaries, doesn't mean I will."
"...and if Eri was kidnapped?" asked Artemis, her brow raised.
"...fair point." He looked to the distance, his vision began blurring as he looked through Ifrit's eyes and memories. "I'll keep an eye out. It won't get past us."
"Thank you," smiled Artemis.
"Anytime. We're friends after all. That reminds me."
He reached into his realm, several quivers at the ready.
"For you and your hunters," said Hephaestus. "The arrows are keyed to your divine signature. So long as you allow it, the celestial silver arrows will refill in the quiver."
She blinked.
"How many ord–"
She became quiet at seeing his wink, a finger on his lips.
"I'll simply order another batch when needed," she said, rolling her eyes.
Of course the man would leave it at that. The exchange between the two had become something of a ritual. She needed arrows, he would provide. She would come pick them up, they'd have idle conversation.
It was a pleasant enough pattern.
"Come," clicked Artemis, her tongue snapping with a sharp echo. "I will see you another day my friend. Hopefully within Sparta soon."
"We'll be there," said Hephaestus, turning back to the boat, "on that you can count on."
"I would hope so. Apollo is going all out for his friend and his daughter."
If there was something that Hephaestus had come to realize with divine dynamics, it was that family was… weird.
If not for his own feelings, he wouldn't have believed the distinction mattered. The idea of seeing Artemis, Apollo, and Athena as siblings was…weird. Instinctually there was something that made them different. There was no connection between them, not in the same way he had with Ares.
The only family structures that he had seen with the gods was that of Parent, child, and direct siblings. Yet, even then, that wasn't always the case. Suffice to say, it was weird.
So, he didn't bother thinking about it anymore. He'd leave that to Athena, if she ever got bored enough to explore it.
Artemis dispersed in a gust of leaves, and Hephaestus returned to work. The boat itself was fine. Nothing much wrong with it admittedly.
"If I adjust it… perhaps…"
He could see it, the way the runes fell together. If he adjusted it just right…he may very well have a highspeed vessel without the need of a combustion engine.
A shame really, he had been tinkering with larger mechanical structures for the last few weeks, trying to find ways to hide its uses when needed.
The mist would not heed him and while he loved Eri, that didn't mean he'd be spending every trip with her either. So long as they were kept safely within his reality marble though, there was no need to hold back on developing more… unusual projects.
"This could solve the momentum issue with Talos," smiled Hephaestus. "Perhaps even–"
He suddenly stood, his shared vision with Ifrit showing Eri. She was weaving through the trees, avoiding arrows that were being fired at her. He tore through the trees, uncaring of the branches that broke on his skin.
He was fast, and he could begin hearing Eri in the distance.
"It was an accident!" yelled Eri, "I-I-I swear!"
"I'm sure it was," muttered a voice, "just as your familiar is circling above me! Why should I trust the words of a witch whose enchantment failed!"
"It wasn't an enchantment, you dolt!"
"Just shut up and go away!"
"I said I-I-I was sorry!"
"Then leave!? Do you not see the arrows!?" "
The argument between them, however, died the moment he emerged from the woods. The man was young, around Eri's age actually. Olive skin paired with a flow of night black hair. His eyes were electric blue, damn near glowing much like Hephaestus' own eyes. He was tall, similar to Hermes in his gait and stature.
The strength of the man's bow faltered as he eyed Hephaestus, slowly eyeing the god up.
"..."
"Dad! I was h-handling it!"
"Dad? Dad!? That thing's your dad!?"
She scowled, coming up behind Hephaestus to glare at the youth before them.
"Y-you got a problem with that!"
"He looks like he ate a bear!? Witches have dads!?"
She stared at him, her face turning red.
"We totally have dads you dolt!"
The man glared at Hephaestus and her.
"How do I know this isn't a trick, an enchantment of some kind?"
Eri groaned, slapping her face.
"I t-tried to tell you that, and you s-started firing your b-b-bow at me!"
The young man stepped back a bit. He was glaring at Eri, Eri was glaring right back at him, and Hephaestus… he was just confused on what was even happening.
"You want me to believe you! Maybe don't use your magic hands and cover my face with your curse!"
"Believe you!?" yelled Eri. "You're the one saying you're the s-son of Zeus!"
"I am the son of Zeus!"
"My spell would have gotten to the bottom of t-that lie!"
Hephaestus narrowed his eyes, tilting his head a bit. He looked nothing like Zeus' current form. If anything, he had greater resemblance to Zeus' first state.
"Perseus?" muttered Hephaestus.
The youth stilled, eyeing the god. His eyes narrowed as he scowled.
"...What's it to you?" he grunted. The Demi-god shook his head, eyeing Eri. "Am I supposed to be impressed? The witch figured out my name. That just proves it!" grunted Perseus. "Who are you?"
Eri grinned, her father rolling her eyes as she started.
"I am E-Eri! Daughter of Hephaestus! Child of Athena!"
"Riiiiight," grunted Perseus, "and I'm secretly Zeus in disguise."
"...are you?" muttered Eri.
"...I'm leaving now. Like I'm going to believe that's…that's…"
Perseus blinked as Ifrit landed on Hephaestus' shoulder.
"...that's a phoenix… huh," muttered Perseus.
He eyed Hephaestus a bit more, grimacing slightly.
"...you're actually Hephaestus, aren't you?"
"I am."
The skin of Hephaestus' arm cracked open, soft flames billowing out. The divinity that was naturally trapped within him eased out with the opening.
"....Oh…."
Perseus coughed a bit.
"...well shit."
"You and me both," thought Hephaestus.
"Hey, the kid stole your line."