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[Ddraig talking]

[Ddraig thinking]

{Albion talking}

{Albion thinking}

|Tiamat talking|

|Tiamat thinking|

(Mastema talking)

(Mastema thinking)

Mental Communication

"Regular Dialogue"

Attacks/Spells

Lemnos, Greece, 8,900 BCE

"This sword is… amazing. How much?"

Hephaestus glanced over at his customer. His customer was a minor god that he had forgotten the name of. Humans in this region primarily lived in fear of the Gods that resided here as well as the various monsters that roamed. The children of Echidna were another one of his regulars as one puts it. People came to him from across the land to purchase tools and weapons.

"Four Drachmas," he said.

"FOUR! That's highway robbery!" the god yelled.

"Well, you're a god. You shouldn't have trouble paying for it," Hephaestus said, hammering away at his latest project.

"I'm a god you stupid blacksmith! Listen to what I say or I shall-!" The arrogant deity immediately went quiet as a massive divine pressure fell on his shoulders. The pressure grew more and more intense as the deity was forced to his knees.

"I won't say this again. Four drachma or it's no deal. Like I said before, you're a god, you should be able to pay this fee for no problem," Hephaestus said, placing his hammer down. He crossed his arms and glared at the deity as the heat inside the room skyrocketed to extremely uncomfortable levels for anyone who wasn't him.

The deity looked at him in shock and fear. This lowly smith before him just radiated power on par with the Gods of Olympus, rivaling that of the oldest Olympians, Hades and Hestia, as well as that of the God-King Zeus. He left in haste, leaving in a burst of green leaves. Hephaestus sighed, his mood soured as he decided to close up shop.

"Leaving so soon?"

Hephaestus turned around and a small smile graced his face.

Before him stood a man. A man was the most accurate way to describe him. The person in front of Hephaestus was more or less a giant, standing at nearly three meters in height. He possessed large muscles, with his biceps easily being twice as thick and wide as Hephaestus's own. His legs were rather thick as well to support his massive frame. The man had blazing red hair as well as a fairly thick beard. His fiery red eyes bore down on Hephaestus as he returned his gaze with a blank yet welcome expression.

"Teacher Pallas, what are we going to do today? Are you going to hit on Thetis despite the fact that Lady Styx told you multiple times not to?" Hephaestus asked, a cheeky grin manifesting itself.

"Cocky brat," Pallas said, placing Hephaestus in a headlock and giving him a noogie.

"But seriously, that's not why I came here today," Pallas said, releasing him.

"Huh? So what is it?" Hephaestus asked, fixing his hair. The two men walked down the street as people gave them a wide berth. The humans of this town loved and adored Hephaestus. He was kind to them and helped provide them with a great fishing harvest due to the fact that he had the Goddess Thetis's favor. But when it came to Pallas, the Titan more or less was the most terrifying thing to come to town. Not even an attack from a Chimera would compare to the massive presence that was the Titan of Combat, Pallas.

"Well, I heard that one of the Knights of Hell was passing through town so I might give you a heads up," Pallas said.

"Do you know which one?" Hephaestus asked.

"Hmmm, I forgot but it was the one with the voice that made you do what she said," he answered.

"Well, as long as she doesn't come to my shop, I guess I'm good," Hephaestus said. The two rounded a corner and headed down to the beach. He conjured a conch shell that he had been storing in a pocket seal and crushed it. The ocean before him churned before parting, allowing Hephaestus to go in between it.

"Hey, kid. Watch out. What you did today? Olympus will probably find out. Just… don't make anything that'll catch their attention because trust me… once you have it, you'll be miserable for the rest of your life," Pallas said.

"I'll keep that in mind but you have to remember… Eventually, Hera will find out I'm alive and come looking for me so I'm living on borrowed time," Hephaestus replied.

"Aren't we all? Take care, kid. And say hi to Nereus and Thetis for me will ya?" Pallas said, vanishing in a burst of red light.

The forge god smiled, allowing himself to be swallowed by the sea and taken down to Thetis's palace.

"Are you not hungry?"

Hephaestus looked up and saw the worried azure eyes of Thetis. She brushed her long black hair aside as she leaned in closer to his face. Hephaestus leaned back as Thetis placed her forehead on his.

"Hmmm, no fever," she said, sitting back. She straightened her dress and placed some seaweed in her mouth.

"Thetis, you know beings like us don't get sick," Hephaestus said.

"I'm just making sure… you are like a son to me after all," she said, smiling. He smiled at that. Thetis was the woman who had raised him his entire life. Told him stories of who he really was and the people who were supposed to be his family. Of course, all of the stories Thetis told him were told with great reverence, however, Hephaestus felt nothing towards the people on Olympus. As far as he was concerned, this woman here was his mother, not some jealous and petty Goddess.

"You know, Pallas said that a Knight from Hell is going to pass through the region," he said.

"That's odd. If I remember correctly, those Demons don't take breaks and go everywhere their wards go to," she said.

"Maybe a Prime Demon is passing through here?" Hephaestus asked.

"Or maybe one has taken up residence here," she said.

"Who knows? But that's pretty risky considering how fickle and petty the Olympians are," he said.

"You may be right on that but remember, Zeus and his siblings saved us from the tyranny of the titan, Cronus, all those years ago," she said.

Hephaestus nodded and continued to eat his food without fuss. The two conversed about various things such as Hephaestus's plans to open a farm within town to help with the funds for his Smithy as well as the recent marriage between Thetis's sister, Amphitrite, and the Olympian Sea God, Poseidon. It was a celebrated marriage and a mutual one at that. One could only wonder how long it would take for the Sea God to become unfaithful to his wife like the Sky God was to his.

"Excuse me?" a woman asked.

The farmer turned and was immediately entranced by her otherworldly beauty. Her violet-blue eyes shined within the light and her luscious black hair blew in the Mediterranean breeze. Most of all, the farmer smiled lecherously as he saw her body. Her robes failed at hiding that seductive figure.

"Y- Yes?" he asked.

"Can you tell me where the Smithy is? Milady requires some of her jewelry to be repaired," she said.

"Oh," the farmer said. "Well, just down the road, there's a smithy there. It's run by Heph. Nicest guy you'll meet."

"Thank you, sir. Here are a few drachmas for your trouble," she said, placing some coins in his hand.

The woman walked down the street, her eyes closed and deep in thought when another figure materialized next to her.

"Milady, why are you still here?" she asked, her yellow eyes staring into hers.

"Naamah, just let me have my freedom. Running Serpent's Seed and babysitting my siblings for the past several thousand years is bad enough. I just need a break after the fallout with the whole Flood thing," she said.

"As you wish, though, is there anything this humble knight can do?" Naamah asked.

"Just go on vacation like Cain did. Go see, Ouza," she said.

"Elder Sister Lilith…," Naamah pouted, her face stained red before sighing. "Very well."

Naamah dematerialized once more, her presence vanishing. She sighed in content, finally having some proper time to herself as she ascended the steps to a large stone building that she assumed was the smithy. She was slightly annoyed. The Elder Cyclops were all busy with the maintenance of the Older Olympians' weapons and tools so she couldn't go to them.

I swear if Aphrodite breaks one more bracelet… I will filet her, she thought. She knocked on the wood door.

"Hello? I'm here to commission a repair?" she asked.

"Give me a second," the smith said.

Lilith waited for a few seconds before the door opened to reveal a slightly disheveled but rather handsome red-haired man. He looked down at her with indifference. Honestly, it kind of annoyed her. Men fell at her feet, even after she worked for the self-proclaimed sexiest being on the planet.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I need this bracelet repaired," she said. Lilith watched as the man roughly snatched the bracelet and inspected it.

"Hmmm, what happened to this and why is it… kind of sticky?" he asked.

"Uhhh, long story short… Milady wanted to try something during one of her little… trysts and decided to use it to keep someone from ejaculating," Lilith said.

"Gross, well, I can tell you that this metal is not receptive to magic at all so fixing it when it has magic-induced corrosion is not something I can do with my present tools so I suggest going somewhere they can," he said, tossing her back the bracelet.

"Hey wait!" she asked.

"What?"

"That sword. How much?"

"Four Drachmas."

"That's it? Here," she said, tossing him a whole bag of coins. Hephaestus's eyes widened as he lifted the bag in front of his face.

"Wow… what is this sword made of? It's so light," she said, swinging it.

"Shouldn't handmaidens be handling clothes and not… weapons?"

"Oh, so you're saying women can't fight?"

"No… I said nothing of the sort. I don't care if you're male or female, I just wondered why a handmaiden purchased a sword…"

"Do you doubt my capabilities to be able to protect milady! Very well then! I challenge thee!"

"Woah! Don't get so easily offended, lady!"

"No! You're slandering my honor!"

"Well, I guess there's no choice but to have a duel!"

"Pallas!"

"Who?"

The two turned to see Pallas standing with his massive frame at the door.

"A duel? What about the town?" Hephaestus asked.

"We'll do it in a field. Plus, I'll cast an anti-magic barrier to prevent the use of any spells," he said.

"I guess… what about our innate abilities?" she asked.

"No use of hereditary powers either," Pallas said.

"When?" Hephaestus asked.

"Now," Lilith said.

Field outside of Lemnos

"One more time, Lady… you're crazy," Hephaestus said as he twirled around a pair of silver falchions.

"Tch! I told you! My name is Aglaia! I'm a Charite that serves Goddess Aphrodite!" Lilith said as she pointed the sword she purchased at him.

"Remember, you two. No magic. No abilities. Just swords. Ready?"

Lilith and Hephaestus glared at each other, nodding.

"Go!"

The sound of metal clashing rang throughout the field as Hephaestus locked blades with Lilith. She smirked, easily pushing him back. She poured more strength into her blade and staggered him, leaping into the air and swinging her blade down on him.

Hephaestus parried her attack before performing a spin kick that sent her flying across the field. Lilith flipped in midair righting herself before landing gracefully on the ground.

"Not bad for a blacksmith," she said.

"Hmph!" he smirked at her. For some reason, his smirk infuriated her as she disappeared in a burst of speed and appeared in front of Hephaestus. Every instinct in his body told him to move which he did as he narrowly avoided a slash from her.

He brought his knee up, kicking her ribs. She skidded back and glared.

Lilith composed herself before her eyes dulled and she suddenly appeared in front of him and slammed the hilt of the blade into his stomach. Hephaestus felt the air get knocked out of his lungs as he stumbled back. He managed to maintain his balance before every hair on the back of his neck rose and he brought the falchions up and was locked in another deadlock with Lilith.

The two poured their strength into it, neither one giving into the other. They stared into each other's eyes before Hephaestus noticed something and said the words that would end the match.

"You're kind of cute," he said.

Lilith was immediately caught off-guard by the statement as her face turned red, allowing Hephaestus to capitalize on her momentary slip in focus to knock the blade out of her hand. The sword flew into the air and embedded itself in the ground.

"Enough! The victor is Hephaestus," he said.

Lilith sighed and smiled.

"Good job," she said. "Though… that was a cheap trick."

He smirked as he saw her red face. She was honestly cute. The way she played with her fingers as she looked down. It made her look adorable.

"Thanks, Aglaia," he said.

As she picked up her sword, she saw that the sun was beginning to set and gasped.

"I have to go back! If I don't get back in time, Lady Aphrodite will kill me!" she said, grabbing the sword.

"Aphrodite?" Hephaestus asked.

"Gotta go! I'll be back for a rematch, Red!" Lilith said before vanishing in a burst of violet light.

"Nice catch kid," Pallas said, patting his shoulder. "She's a 10 in my books."

"Aren't you married?" Hephaestus asked, narrowing his eyes at the titan.

"I am but you can't help but stop to appreciate the female body," his mentor said with a dreamy smile. For some reason, this didn't sit right with Hephaestus at all. It made him feel strange when Pallas directed that comment at Aglaia.

"You're a gross old man," Hephaestus said.

"Eh? Hey, wait!" Pallas said as Hephaestus walked off.

It had been months since Hephaestus had met Aglaia. His slow life had continued and he couldn't be happier. He would never give up his peaceful life for anything else for it was away from the main centers of activity of the rulers of the land. The Gods had only ever visited cities that were considered population centers. There was another matter to his life that had changed. Aglaia. She had come often to visit and the two developed a deep friendship. The townsfolk had also gotten used to her and adored her every time she came. Despite her dainty and fragile look, she was capable, helping out in the fields as well as helping out at the docks. She even helped Hephaestus a few times within the forge, learning how to craft basic accessories and repair them. He stated that it was for whenever her mistress broke another piece of jewelry. Her frequent visits to someone other than Hephaestus might be annoying, however, he didn't mind. She was a breath of fresh air in the town that he didn't know that he needed.

He hummed a tune that he had heard from his best friend as he absentmindedly hammered away at a tool that he had been commissioned to make. Pallas's wife, Styx, had asked him to craft her an Oath ring. He had been intrigued by the concept of such a tool as he was asked to infuse the metal he was working with waters from the River Styx. To say that this was one of his greatest achievements was an understatement. After all, he had just begun working with magical tools and Pallas had noted that he had a knack for them.

As he pulled the ring out of the cooling bath, he placed it on the table and began to look for some tools to begin the inscription of various symbols befit of the Goddess of Oaths. As Hephaestus rummaged through his tools, he sensed a massive surge of power envelop the town. It was similar in nature to Pallas, only far more subdued, as if they were trying to conceal the fact that they were here. He sighed. So much for peace. He sensed Thetis's turmoil as an aquamarine flash of light appeared outside his window.

He walked out of his forge to see Thetis staring down a rather slender young man with slightly effeminate looks. He had orange-blonde hair with flowing locks as well as light bronze colored eyes. He wore a white toga with an orange sash that wrapped around his right shoulder. The clothing was tied together at the waist by an intricately designed golden chord. The man smiled politely as Thetis bowed before him.

"Lord Hermes, Messenger of the Olympian Gods, how may this lowly Nereid serve you?" Thetis asked.

"Eh? Can you not bow… that's always made me rather uncomfortable," Hermes said. Thetis nodded and straightened herself, eyeing the Messenger God with such intensity that Hermes couldn't help but flinch underneath her gaze.

"I've received word and heard rumors of a smith here capable of working with magical items. My father, Zeus, has asked me to retrieve such a smith for a special project," he said.

"There's no such smith here. I will have to ask thee to leave," Thetis said.

"I thought you might say that… so my father asked me to make sure. If I find out you're lying, Zeus shall smite the entire town and wipe it off the face of the Earth," Hermes said.

Thetis took a step back, looking at Hermes with a face of disbelief.

W- Would Zeus go so far as to kill hundreds of innocent people just to find a blacksmith? Thetis thought to herself.

"Wait," Hephaestus spoke up, getting in between Hermes and Thetis. "It's me you're looking for… leave Thetis and this town out of this."

"Really? That's good enough for me. I just need proof," the Messenger God said.

Hephaestus gulped and pulled out the Oath Ring he was forging for Styx. "This ring is a divine artifact that I have created using common metals and waters found within the River Styx. This was commissioned by a certain Goddess so you can understand why I don't want to give this to you…"

The mere mention of Styx and a certain Goddess was enough to shut Hermes up as he waved his hands in surrender and nodded.

"Very well, I'll believe you for the sake of believing. If she did commission that… I will have to merely go off faith for this," Hermes said. "Very well. I shall give you two hours to gather your belongings and to say your goodbyes."

"Wait… why?" Thetis asked.

"If he is who he says he is, then he shall relocate to Mount Olympus where he can be easily accessible to the Gods should they need their Symbols of Power to be repaired," Hermes said.

"But what of our village? Hephaestus is a vital part of what we are!" she cried out.

"Not my problem. Zeus's orders. I'll be back in two hours to retrieve you so be ready," Hermes said as he disappeared in a gust of wind.

Hephaestus and Thetis remained silent as the other villagers looked between the two. It was no secret that Thetis saw Hephaestus as her own son. After all, it was her that raised him ever since he fell out of the sky and into the sea.

"Heph, please reconsider going. Where you're going… it is, in some ways, worse than the deepest pits of Tartarus," Thetis said, turning to him.

"But I have to. You heard what that Messenger God said… if we refuse, Zeus will destroy the town," Hephaestus said.

"I just don't want you to…," she said.

"I know… if I go, I will have to confront her," Hephaestus said.

"Just be careful," Thetis said. "And don't forget about us."

"I won't. Tell the Old Man that if he wants to see me, come to Olympus," Hephaestus said.

Thetis nodded and the two shared a hug before Hephaestus went to pack his forge.

"Are you ready?" Hermes asked.

"Yeah," Hephaestus said. He glanced over at the several large sacks that sat behind him, causing the Messenger God to sigh. He walked over and grabbed some of the sacks while Hephaestus effortlessly lifted the other ones over his shoulder.

"Let's go, these things are heavy," Hermes said. "Hey, place your hand or elbow or something on me."

Hephaestus nodded as he nudged Hermes. The Messenger God smiled as the two were enveloped in a flash of green light.

Mt. Olympus

Mount Olympus was a beautiful place. A city that was beyond human understanding, sitting in a dimension that could be accessed at the highest point of the mountain that was named after the city. Hephaestus could not repress the awe he felt when he looked at the city. The marble columns were leagues ahead of what any human city could replicate. The intricate gold designs on every temple and building showed that whoever built this city showed great care in building it. The roads and streets were paved with smooth stone that seemed to be eternally polished. Various waterways line the walkways as small water nymphs and spirits played in these artificial streams. Trees, as well as some plants, could be seen on a few of the terraces.

"Hephaestus?"

He stopped and saw a familiar face. "Hey, Aglaia."

Lilith was shocked to see him on Olympus. She thought he'd never come here, considering how much he loved his life on the coast. Lilith sprinted over and hugged him tightly. He returned her hug with equal force and the two stayed like that until Hermes coughed.

"You two can get reacquainted later but for now, come on, big guy," Hermes said.

"I'll catch you later?" Lilith asked.

"Yeah, count on it," Hephaestus said. He waved goodbye and continued to follow Hermes down the path. As the two Gods walked, Hephaestus stopped and glanced over to his right.

There stood a large empty temple that had an abundance of life flowing through it. He walked up the stairs, completely forgetting that he was supposed to follow Hermes and entered the temple. There inside the temple stood a massive brazier that contained a massive roaring flame. The flames twisted and danced in the wind, seeming to take notice of his presence as the intensity of the heat increased. It was nothing Hephaestus couldn't stand considering his abilities. The flames seemed pleased with his presence and began to shape themselves into a figure. The figure was feminine in shape and had a delicate face with a gentle smile. The more she took form, the more Hephaestus felt at ease. She sat on the ledge of the brazier, dangling her legs off as she fully manifested before him.

Portions of her body still retained their flame-like look but Hephaestus could see that this was clearly a Goddess. Her age and power outstripped that of Thetis and surpassed even Pallas. Her blazing red hair mimicked the flames behind her, dancing and twisting. Her gentle warm eyes put his soul and being at ease as she sent him a gentle smile.

"So you're the new friend my baby brother called over?" she said, moving from her spit and hovering in front of his face. Hephaestus remained still as the Fire Goddess moved around him.

She reappeared in front of him with a gentle smile and cupped his face with her right hand. Strangely, despite the flaming aura around her, he wasn't burned.

"Welcome to Mount Olympus… wait, I should say this instead. Welcome back, Hephaestus," she said, smiling.

"W- Who are you? How do you know my name?" Hephaestus asked, slightly backing away.

"I am Hestia. Guardian of this Flame. Goddess of Sacred Fire, Home, and Hearth," Hestia said, giggling at his reaction. "And of course I know you, I bless all the newborn Godlings. Despite her seeming resentment of you, she still brought you to me…"

She did? But why bother if you were just going to throw me off Olympus, Hephaestus thought.

"Will you tell everyone who I am?" Hephaestus asked.

Hestia shook her head. "I just said welcome didn't I?"

He remained silent.

"But why? Why would you-?"

"Enough of that… I can see the pain in your eyes every time someone brings up my little sister. But I can also see how kind you are… so please Nephew, don't do anything too rash and remember that you're always welcome here," she said. She tapped his forehead and Hephaestus blinked as he found himself standing next to Hermes.

"So here we are," Hermes said.

"Huh, right," Hephaestus said, glancing over his shoulder. The Temple of Hestia stood a few hundred feet back in the way they came. He smiled. At least one of his family members was welcoming.

Hermes pushed the doors open to reveal a throne room with eleven empty thrones all except for the one at the center. The room was filled with the smell of ozone as a man with dark hair and a slight beard sat on the central throne. His imposing and muscular figure sent a wave of slight fear and apprehension traveling throughout Hephaestus's body as the God's azure blue eyes bore into his very being.

The Smith bowed before Zeus, showing his respect to the King of the Gods.

"Hermes, is this the smith?" he asked.

"Yes, Lord Zeus," Hermes said.

"He doesn't look like much," Zeus said, stroking his beard.

Hephaestus looked down, relieved at the fact that Zeus might reject him so that he could return to his idyllic life by the sea.

"But… considering that the Hekatonkeries and Elder Cyclopes are busy with other things such as… Prometheus's… you know," Zeus said. "Very well… a trial run right here. Make something for us, Smith."

"As you wish, your highness, though if I may say something," Hephaestus said.

"What is it?" Zeus asked.

"I haven't used my powers to create in a while so forgive me if this trial run fails to live up to any expectations that you may have," Hephaestus said, apologizing in advance.

"It matters not. I have no expectations at the moment."

That comment stung Hephaestus's pride as a smith a little. His creative powers were no joke according to Thetis. With it, it was possible for him to forge weapons that were on par with Zeus's lightning bolt.

He nodded and knelt before Hermes, asking him to remove his sandals. Hermes complied and removed them. The Forge God placed his hand above Hermes' feet and closed his eyes. Wispy blue energy surrounded the feet of the Messenger God and a blue light emanated from the throne room. When the light died, a new pair of golden sandals adorned the feet of Hermes. Two white wings fluttered at the mouth of the sandal.

"Woah," Hermes said as he moved his feet around.

"Test it out, Lord Hermes," Hephaestus said. Hermes nodded and walked, only to embed himself into the wall. Zeus raised an eyebrow, impressed.

"May I ask what the purpose of those sandals were?" Zeus asked.

"They were made with his frame in mind. Lord Hermes seems to be a person who would use his speed and natural agility in combat thus I created a pair of sandals that would capitalize on that. And this would make his job easier," Hephaestus said.

"I see… very well. You start in an hour. I shall have someone prepare an area for you to work in," Zeus said.

"Actually, I don't need-!"

"Nonsense. As our new Forgemaster, you will require a place to work in," Zeus said, laughing.

"I see," he said, looking down. Hephaestus looked back at Zeus and smiled. "I thank you for your hospitality, Milord."

"So this is it?" Hephaestus asked, inspecting the crackling bronze cylinder. He looked at it closely, coating his hand in energy to prevent it from getting burned off. Hephaestus and Zeus were currently within Hephaestus' new workspace. It was a work in progress but Zeus wanted him to get to work as fast as possible.

"It was stronger back in the day," Zeus said.

"How much stronger?" Hephaestus asked, telekinetically lifting the cylinder.

"I could knock a Titan off its feet with it and pierce my father," Zeus said.

"I see… it looks like the core that the weapon uses is wearing down," the Forge God said.

"Wearing down? What do you mean?" Zeus asked.

"The core uses Enchanted Fulgurite. Fulgurite is a crystal or formation that is created when lightning strikes the ground… sometimes. It seems that this was made due to the haste of the Titan War. You needed a weapon immediately I presume?" Hephaestus asked.

"Yes… though I didn't realize that my hastiness could have affected my weapon so," Zeus said.

"It's alright. I can just transfer the power contained in the crystal to a new more stable core," Hephaestus said.

"Really? How long will it take?"

"Considering that the power contained in this core belongs to who I think it does, it will take me a few days at most," Hephaestus said. "And the strongest metal you can find me."

"I see. Very well, I shall send Hermes down to the Underworld to retrieve Stygian Iron for you," Zeus said. He clapped Hephaestus's shoulder. "I thank you for your work."

Hephaestus nodded in shock. From what he heard, Zeus was not one to hand out compliments so easily but considering that this cylinder was his precious weapon, it was understandable.

Hephaestus wiped the sweat off his forehead as he fanned the flames inside his new forge. Getting the Stygian Iron to melt was an endeavor in and of itself. The melting point of the metal reached in the tens of thousands, higher than even pure tungsten. He leaned back as he watched the metal begin to melt.

"So this is the new forge?"

Hephaestus glanced over his shoulder and saw someone leaning against the door. The man was a tall and muscular deity, perhaps even more so than Pallas. His red eyes held a hint of arrogance within them. He had curly blonde hair with a bang going down to the left of his face. He wore a red cape with a loincloth and waist cloak. On his head was a black helmet with intricate markings depicting war.

"You must be Lord Ares," Hephaestus said.

"And the lowly smith knows his place. How quaint. Just came to see this shit hole," Ares said, walking out. "Carry on."

Hephaestus nodded and glanced at the person who had accompanied Ares. His breath hitched upon seeing her. She was the most beautiful being he had ever seen. Her flowing sun-kissed blonde hair and multicolored eyes were a sight to see. Her buxom figure, which was barely contained by her toga, was tantalizing and hypnotized him. She glanced over her shoulder and sent him a small wave, making Hephaestus wave dumbly back.

"Right!" Hephaestus said, running back to the furnace. As he began fretting over the mold, he accidentally knocked over a set of papers. A blueprint. A blueprint for a throne. A throne for the Queen.

Hephaestus walked into the Throne Room accompanied by Hermes. He saw that it wasn't empty this time but rather, the room was filled with other Gods. He recognized some of them such as Ares and the Blonde Goddess that he met a few days back. At the head of the room, Zeus sat on his throne next to the Goddess that had birthed him. Mixed feelings began to bubble within his heart with hatred being the most prevalent among them.

The Goddess in question was practically a male version of Hephaestus. She had blazing, imperial orange eyes that looked at him as if he was insignificant. However, he could make out traces of shock and some regret beneath those emotions. Like Hephaestus, she had flowing auburn hair. The Goddess wore an elegant blue toga.

"I present you your new bolt, Lord Zeus," Hephaestus said. "I had to pull a few favors to get some Old Times Tongue Runes engraved on the new core."

"I see. May I?" Zeus asked, walking off his throne. He nodded, presenting the bolt to Zeus. Zeus took the Bolt and ran his power through it. The Bolt crackled with newfound power, lighting up the entire room. Deciding to test it, Zeus walked over to the edge of the Throne Room and fired it. His aim, a rather large unsuspecting island in the Atlantic Ocean. The energy discharged from the Bolt rocked the entire planet as the island was erased from the face of the planet. The waters around it boiled from the sheer heat of the blast until all that was left was large amounts of steam.

Hermes whistled at the sheer intensity of the blast.

"Impressive. It seems that you have proven yourself, Smith. Tell me, what is your name?" Zeus asked.

"Hephaestus, milord. My name is Hephaestus," he said.

"Very well, Hephaestus. I, Zeus, for this incredible show of craftsmanship and for repairing one of Olympus's most sacred treasures, offer you a spot on the Council," Zeus said.

"What? He gets a spot for fixing your Bolt!?" Ares said.

The other Gods chorused in agreement.

"Father, I believe that is unwise," Athena said.

"Brother, think of what you're doing?" a black-haired man with green eyes said.

"Athena, Ares, Poseidon, quiet down. I can make this decision as I please for I am King," Zeus said.

The Gods quieted down, begrudgingly accepting Zeus's decision.

"I… I don't deserve this," Hephaestus said.

"You don't," Hera said, looking at him with a level of disgust.

Hephaestus looked down, his hatred for Hera growing by the second.

"Wife. Quiet down and-"

Zeus went quiet when a calming yet powerful presence entered the room. The doors opened to reveal Hestia. She calmly walked into the throne room with a small smile on her face.

"Sister," Hera said.

"I, for one, back Zeus's decision. I believe that Heph would be a great addition to the Olympian Council," Hestia said. Zeus and Hephaestus sent her a look of appreciation.

Hephaestus's life quickly went back to normal after that event. Well, almost normal. On top of his assignments, which were mostly from Ares, Hephaestus now attended council meetings and quickly realized that politics within the Greek Pantheon was based on one of two things: Power and Beauty. It was obvious right away that the stronger Gods had the most power. The Olympians were the most powerful Gods on this mountain and it was natural for them to lord over the minor Gods, though Hephaestus didn't agree with that sentiment.

Aglaia also visited him frequently, now that she didn't have to fly down to Greece to do it. The two constantly spent time with each other, eating at all the popular eateries on Olympus as well as talking about each other's lives. At one point, he laughed as Aglaia complained about her mistress's tendencies to bring multiple lovers into the temple and how she would have to clean up vaginal discharge as well as seminal fluids that would be scattered all over the temple. She even considered quitting at some point. All in all, Hephaestus was just happy to see her again and vice versa.

His hatred for his birth mother diminished into anger. He still wanted justice for what she did to him and so, with whatever free time he had, he constructed something for her. A throne. A throne that would suppress and drain her divine power, essentially making her as weak as a mortal. A perfect way to get back at her. Make her feel as powerless as his infant self did.

He would make this known today at the council meeting. He would shame her in front of the Gods. The throne was a beautiful thing. A golden chair with rubies encrusted onto the sides. Intricate engravings of all of Hera's lined the chair's arms.

He snapped his fingers and transported the chair into a small pocket dimension that was engraved onto his glove.

"Hey, Heph! It's time for the meeting," Hermes said, standing outside his temple door.

"Right!"

Hephaestus walked out of his temple and began to walk with Hermes. Ahead of them, Aphrodite walked with a seductive sway in her walk. She glanced over her shoulder, feeling their gaze and winked at Hermes, making obscene gestures with her right hand.

Hermes and Hephaestus both blushed at her gesture.

As they walked, Hephaestus began to think of a way to do this. To bind and trap Hera.

Perhaps at the end of the meeting, he thought as they walked into the throne room. The meeting was nothing special. It was more of Zeus puffing his chest and glorifying himself. He had gotten used to such things. During these meetings, he spent his time thinking of new things to make. Possible new weapons as well as some improvements.

"And that's all," Zeus said. "Does anyone else have anything to say?"

Hephaestus quickly shot up and walked to the center of the throne room.

"Milord, if I may. I have prepared a gift for the Queen," Hephaestus said.

"A gift?" Zeus asked.

The Forge God nodded and snapped his fingers. The throne he had created manifested in front of them, amazing all the Gods at its wondrous beauty.

"This is for me?" Hera asked.

"Yes, it is. You do know who I am right?" Hephaestus asked.

All the Gods looked between the two, intrigued at Hephaestus's question. Just what was the relationship between the Queen of the Gods and the newest God inaugurated into their council.

Hera remained silent. She had a sneaking suspicion of who he was. After all, he bore a striking resemblance to her down to the shape of his eyes. Her mind denied it. It couldn't possibly be him. He was but an infant when she threw him off Olympus. There was no way he could have survived. Even as a God, an infant is still an infant.

"I see," Hephaestus said, seeing her silence. He sighed. "Still, as a present to you, Your Highness. If your Majesty, Lord Zeus, receives a gift from the new Smith, it is only right that I grant one to our Queen as well."

Zeus let out a booming laugh. He was beginning to like this new God.

"Well Wife, it would be rather rude to refuse a gift," Zeus said. Hera nodded and she stood, allowing Zeus to swap the thrones. Zeus snapped his fingers and Hera's throne was replaced with the throne Hephaestus forged.

Hephaestus let out a small smile. His plan was coming to fruition. Now she would know what it felt like to be weak.

As Hera sat on the throne, she immediately realized that something was amiss. She tried to get up only to fail. Her power was leaving her at an exponential rate with every passing second. Her eyes lit up in a panic as she looked across the entire council room. None of them seemed to notice that something was wrong with her. Her own husband even had the gall to smile and not notice her increased panic. She turned back to Hephaestus, whose eyes held a feeling of triumph and satisfaction.

Is he… is he enjoying this? Hera thought as she saw the glee in his eyes.

"Are you enjoying your chair, your Highness?" Hephaestus asked.

"What did you do?" Hera growled as she tried to move once more. It was then that Zeus noticed something was wrong. The way Hera responded. He could sense the panic in her voice. Her body language, the way she struggled to even lift her body from sitting position. As he reached out to touch her, a shock of energy forced him to retract his hand almost immediately.

The other gods went quiet at this point.

"Undo this," Zeus ordered.

"No," Hephaestus said.

"I command you as your King!" Zeus barked.

"You don't seem very kingly right now," Hephaestus said.

"Insolent cur!" the God-King said as he raised his Master Bolt. He was about to throw it when he heard Hephaestus speak.

"If you kill me here, you will not be able to free her from that chair," Hephaestus said. Zeus paused immediately, gritting his teeth in anger.

"What do you want?" Zeus asked.

"I want nothing from you but I do want something from her," the Forge God said.

"What do you want from me?" Hera asked.

"Do you remember who I am?"

Hera looked at him and immediately looked away. She knew. The moment she saw hatred enter his eyes, she knew immediately who this man was in front of her. Guilt flowed into her like never before but she didn't understand why she felt that way. That boy was her greatest shame. He didn't live up to any of her expectations of beauty and grace. Not like… not like Athena. The child born from Zeus's previous marriage with the Titaness, Metis.

"I do," she finally said after moments of silence. Zeus and the others remained silent. "You… you are the greatest shame that I have ever conceived…"

Zeus quirked an eyebrow. Conceived? Does that mean that Hera was, at some point, unfaithful to him?

"Wait… conceived?" Hermes asked.

"I was conceived without the seed of a male deity… all in an effort for her to prove that any child born from her would be superior to the one born from a previous union," Hephaestus said.

"W- Who told you that?" Hera asked.

"Thetis… She rescued me from certain death and I was raised by her. I never planned on returning here. All I wanted was to be away from the bitch that tried to kill me for not turning out the way she wanted. Rather than wait for me to mature and grow, she eliminated, or tried to kill me on the spot," Hephaestus said.

"Is that true, Hera?" Demeter asked a bit horrified that her sister could perform such horrid acts.

Hera looked away from them.

"And they refer to you as the Goddess of Motherhood? Please… don't make me laugh. You are not my mother. You never will be… Thetis is the only mother that I ever had," Hephaestus said.

Those words cut deep into Hera. The full weight of what she had done had finally caught up with her. Her son… the one she had thrown away just days after he was born had grown. Grown into a powerful and graceful God and she was never there to witness it. In a way, her son had surpassed Athena in her eyes. And every realization that she had made her heart ache with a pain greater than when she had realized Zeus cheated on her. The pain of a mother whose own child hated her. And he had every right to do so.

"Hephaestus… my child, I realize that I have done a great sin against you. The greatest sin a parent can ever commit and that is to abandon their child," Hera said.

Hephaestus scoffed at her words.

"I know that your hatred of me will never cease and I can understand that… which is why I am prepared to spend the rest of my immortal life trying to make it up to you. To somehow gain forgiveness that I know that my foolish heart does not deserve," Hera said. "And if trapping me in this chair will help in that regard, then I accept this punishment."

Hephaestus remained silent. He had never expected that from her. His mind became conflicted… for a good few seconds. He turned around and began to walk towards the door.

"WAIT!"

Hephaestus paused and turned to see Aphrodite behind him.

"Please… I beg you! Let Lady Hera free!" Aphrodite said.

"Why should I?" Hephaestus asked.

"Please… Queen Hera is an important part of this council and an important Goddess. If she were to remain trapped, marriages would fall without her to oversee them and our enemies would take this as a sign of weakness," she said.

"I fail to see how any of that is my problem," he said.

Aphrodite bit her lip. She tried diplomacy and it was clearly destined to fail so she had to use the one weapon she had that worked on all male deities. Seduction.

"If you free her, I shall offer you anything," she said.

"Anything?"

"Anything."

Hephaestus placed his hand on his chin. Aphrodite offered him anything in exchange for Hera's freedom. A tempting offer but he was raised properly. He would not demand her body like the other Gods. Instead, all he would ask for is a chance. A chance to earn her affection and her entire self. But he needed to confirm if her offer was true. He needed an oath.

"Swear…," he mumbled.

Aphrodite looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Swear upon the River Styx that you will abide by your offer," he said.

Aphrodite gulped. She glanced back at the other Gods who nodded. She really hated this. Hephaestus was dreadfully below her standards in terms of male Gods. Despite the fact that he grew into Hera's looks, the scar wasn't doing him any favors with her and his frame wasn't as delicious as Ares and his aura wasn't domineering either. But this was her duty. Hera owed her big time for this.

"I swear upon the River Styx to abide by my offer," Aphrodite said. A violet ring encircled her throat before fading.

"There," Hephaestus said, waving his hand. Several Greek letters appeared in front of him before fading. Hera's eyes widened as she felt her power returning to her. She moved, standing from the chair and looked towards her son. He looked at her with indifference before turning to Aphrodite.

"What is your wish?" Aphrodite asked.

"Allow me to court you," Hephaestus said. Her eyes widened. Courtship? She was familiar with the term but… with him. But she had to accept, she made an oath after all and Styx was not a forgiving Goddess.

"Very well, I, Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty, allow you, Hephaestus, God of…," she trailed off, forgetting what he was the God of.

"God of the Forge, Fire, and Technology," he said.

"Hephaestus, God of the Forge, Fire, and Technology, to court me," she said, forcing the last part out.

"Thank you. I shall try to make you see that I can make you happy," he said.

"Yeah… sure," she said.

From her temple, Hestia watched all the events transpire from the flames. She sighed. Only a few weeks and her nephew had shown the capacity for vengeance. She was happy that he freed her sister but… his wish from Aphrodite. That Goddess was not relationship material. Hestia frowned and gazed at her nephew sadly. His life… he was not meant for Olympus. He was too kind. Too gentle. Even with his capacity for hatred and vengeance, he was not suited for a place where one's ego was greater than the power of Shiva.

"Oh Nephew, I pray for you to have a life where you can definitely be happy," Hestia said.

Reviews:

OenscherC: Yes, there will be more romantic moments.

18Andrew: Yes, there will be lemon scenes. I'm just waiting for the right moment to put it in. I'll probably do it on his birthday like I did last time.

Masterboy: It's still there. Issei's deal isn't going anywhere.

Hey, guys so this was an interlude chapter. I figured I may as well tell some of Hephaestus's backstory in a chapter. We'll go back to the plot in the next chapter so be ready.