Kintsugi Chapter 31: Trial of the Gods Part 1
The wind and rain screamed around them. Alcippe would have fallen over, if not for Hephaestus. The god's power shrouded them, his divinity taking the brunt of Poseidon's rage.
Alcippe slammed through the cloth acting as a door. She was out of breath, the storm ramping her anxiety. "Mother! MOTHER! Where are you!?"
An older woman, with streaks of grey in her onyx hair, rounded a corner. She was sopping wet, lacking protection from the rain.
"Alcippe," she whispered. The two embraced, crushing each other in their relief.
"What's happening?" she asked.
Her concern only grew. Standing in their doorway was a man of massive build. He was taller than even the love of her life, Ares. Yet, he was far less daunting. His form was similar to the bulk the men of the forge would carry, though his height made him seem far bulkier than even them.
Her eyes noted the muscles in his shoulders, equal in build and strength. Unlike the soldiers and craftsmen she knew of, his muscles were not lopsided. For a moment, she was concerned, her hand reaching for the knife she carried in a sheath on her back.
Yet, whereas her love carried the savagery of a warrior, this man was tranquil, a pillar of calm amidst this storm.
But it was the rain that stayed her hand. Every raindrop that hit his skin sizzled into steam. Even if he felt nothing like the gods she had come to know, she knew he couldn't be human. His golden eyes were warm and for a moment, she felt safe.
"I would ordinarily not intrude," admitted Hephaestus as he stepped into her abode, "but time is of the essence. Alcippe, grab whatever it is you need. We have to leave."
The mother turned and before Alcippe could grab her things, Hephaestus grabbed her by the arm. He whispered something to her, the two sharing a look.
"What?" she asked.
"I asked for a reason. It will bring you no harm, I swear."
She scoffed, ripping her arm from him.
"That's not what I'm scared of…but fine, take my burdens. Whatever the hell it actually means."
The girl left, Hephaestus' mind reeling from the events. The complications would only grow even more. He needed to–
"OINK!"
Hephaestus blinked. Alcippe's mother was carrying a bag but behind her leg was the stoutest boar he had ever seen in his life. It was muscular, its tusks sharp, its red eyes bleeding an urge to murder. It eyed him, ready to take on even a God.
It was also short and impossibly round. It was like a little ball. He blinked at it and the boar blinked at him.
"OINK."
A deep echo promising murder. A murder ball.
"...Did…did Ares make this?" he thought.
It was objectively cute, maybe. But all Hepahestus saw was a poor creature distorted into a caricature of some sort.
"...can Augustus come?" whispered the mother.
"Of course," he muttered. The woman before him smiled, notably ignoring his look of pity at the boar. She even picked the boar up like one would a puppy. While she seemed slightly, the muscles she had could only be achieved through martial training.
She was also armed, a sheath strapped on her back with a dagger.
It took only a moment for the mother and daughter to gather their things. Everything was put together quickly, was it sad that it seemed practiced? Hephaestus' ears twitched, looking out the window to a pair of beady eyes peering from the woods. The two lived close enough to the city to walk, but not so close as to be accosted by neighbors. For a moment he assumed it must have been an animal.
A deeper glance brought a scowl. It was a beastly creature, a mix between a wolf and a deer. It didn't matter. For a moment, Hrunting appeared by Hephaestus' side, the beast running off at the mere sight of it.
Young and weak. A newly born monster searching for a path to power. He sent the sword off, the death throes of the monster suffocated by the winds.
"We're ready."
Hephaestus gestured outside, the two following him with their sacks of goods.
"Ifrit!" roared Hephaestus.
Alcippe's poor mother didn't even get the chance to scream as the phoenix came barreling down, wrapping them in azure wings. To the humans, it was like riding in an enclosed roller coaster, fast and brutal. The air left their lungs from how fast they were moving, their hearts sitting in their stomachs.
Just as quickly it was over, the two gasping for breath as embers fell around them. Alcippe eyed the strange house, the make nothing like she had seen before. A clear material in the windows, a wooden structure cut in straight lines and flushed together.
It was almost alien to her. A structure of the gods.
"Apologies," interrupted Hephaestus. "We're normally more careful. I have to get to Ares, but Kassandra will help you."
A woman's head peered out from a larger barn beside the home. While still made with wood, it's design was at least something Alcippe had seen before. She eyed the woman. Beautiful, with long brown hair, she looked at Alcippe and her mother with surprise.
"I will? I will!"
Kassandra trotted up to the group as Hephaestus disappeared in a torrent of flame. Neither mother nor daughter were shocked. Ares was a part of their lives and as such nothing amidst the supernatural was surprising.
"OINK!"
"...uh…hello there," muttered Kassandra, backing away from the defensive boar. Its eyes were drilling into her, even as the woman cuddled it to her chest.
Alcippe and her mother looked to the distance. From Lemnos, the storm in Athens could not be seen. But the daughter of Ares felt her father even now. Even her wholly mortal mother felt something in her stomach, the weight of it bringing worry.
He was fighting…but was he winning? For all that she griped about him, for all that she felt that the god had left her alone, these last few months had been something she grew to cherish.
For the first time in her life, Alcippe prayed.
-Ares and Poseidon-
"BRING IT ON!" roared Ares, fighting against the storm. "Face me you coward! Hiding behind the ocean like your pathetic son!"
His eyes screamed, a shine of crimson even in the face of the storm. Lightning curled above Ares, Zeus pushing back against Poseidon's oceanic might. In fact, it was not just Zeus.
Athena stood behind her brother, clad in full regalia, nothing but the light of her eyes visible beneath her helm. Her divinity shrouded Ares. Demeter, Artemis, Apollo, every Olympian stood behind Ares.
Not a single one stood with Poseidon.
Even Hades, lurking in the shadows, stood not with Atlantis, but Olympus. Hestia herself was even here, quiet and flickering like a candle.
"Coward," rumbled the voice of Poseidon, "says the whelp surrounded by gods."
He emerged from the water. His once luscious beard had been sheared to a goatee. An attempt to woo Demeter that he never got around to changing. His black hair flowed down his back like the seas he embodied, but his eyes?
Cold as the northern glaciers.
"You killed my son," muttered the god, "so I will have a child, for a child."
"YOU WON'T EVEN GET NEAR HER!" roared Ares.
Ares roared as he charged forward, only to jump back as a pillar of fire slammed between them. Ifrit sat on his shoulder as Hephaestus rose. He stood between them, staring down Poseidon.
"On that," rumbled Hephaestus, "we agree."
"Brotherly love," muttered Poseidon, "Cute. Sheltering her will do you no good, nephew."
"Perhaps. But sheltered she'll remain. She is under my protection, Poseidon. An oath I swore to Ares long ago."
A bit of a stretch on the timing, but no one else needed to know that. Ares had the sense to keep his reactions to himself.
Hera stilled, eyeing the two. Even now their bond made little sense to her, but an oath of protection was no simple matter. It embodied concepts that went beyond just physical protection.
It carried a weight even Poseidon balked at.
"Ludicrous," grumbled the sea. He ignored the spark of jealousy at the way the younger gods had come together.
Poseidon made to move, only for lightning to strike in front of him. The blast scorched the earth, the sparks making Poseidon's arms sting. He hated how his brother's domains allowed Zeus to bypass his defenses so easily. He looked to the sky, to the domineering glare and stood tall. "Stand aside, brother."
Zeus stayed above, lightning curling off his form. The once playful yellow had turned a searing angry blue, the lightning growing more and more erratic.
"I will not," snarked Zeus. "After all, you're threatening a grandchild of Zeus, brother!"
Zeus glared at Ares, "A grandchild I've only learned of now, but a grandchild nonetheless. I do not need oaths to take action."
Ares turned to his father, stunned and apologetic all at once.
"HE IS A MURDERER!" The trident in Poseidon's grip slammed into the ocean like a marble floor. "My son was defeated! His battle is over!"
"Like anyone would believe that!" growled Ares. The god of war snarled, his body radiating a crimson shroud at Poseidon's smirk. "Your son threatened my daughter! He attempted to take her innocence from her by force! You think I'd stand for that! That I'd let that happen!?"
"It's too late," thought Hephaestus.
The rage in Poseidon never simmered, but it changed from the need for conflict…to the surety of victory. The sea god even had the audacity to chuckle, eyeing Ares like a gullible nephew.
He smirked even more when Ares lunged forward, held back only by his brother.
"Let me go!" he growled.
"Calm down…we've already misstepped. Look at him!"
Ares's glare would have killed a man countless times over. Yet, even the war-driven god could see the smugness of Poseidon.
"No one would believe me," muttered the sea god, "I guess we'll have to settle it, won't we?"
Hera stared at her brother, her dead cold eyes making even his confidence falter for a moment. Hera knew the truth, that Ares would probably have been forced to watch his daughter be taken before he could take action.
Not that Poseidon cared.
The nature of divine law, at its core, centered on two components, justification and retaliation. Yet, there was a more sinister core to it as well.
Survival of the Fittest.
While the gods lacked genuine free will, they did have autonomy. Without divine law, the world would be a wasteland of gods laying an endless siege against each other. Through divine law, a god could be restricted, their divinity sundered, or even their actions limited.
As Hephaestus had experienced.
It was why direct conflict was avoided, for the most part. For why bother engaging in a fight that would leave you wide open to such a thing?
Ares' strength was great, but as a god, subverting divine law was all he could do. His strength had already waned from pushing against the system for his daughter, doing so again would have consequences.
Severe ones.
He hated it, the very feeling. Like something had sapped an internal part of him that was seemingly never coming back. Something needed to die. Anything to feel strong again.
Ares scowled, feeling the subtle influence of Pallas, his so-called "guardian". The arrogant Titan was an annoying pain in his ass, always portraying himself as a disciplined warrior.
Meanwhile, he was more of a savage than Ares was.
Hephaestus' hand was on his shoulder a moment later. Ares shook it off, but his brother leaned in unafraid.
"...Trust me," whispered Hephaestus, his hand once more on his shoulder.
"..." Ares looked in the distance, eyeing the trail Ifrit made through the clouds.
"Fine." he muttered, shoving out of Hephaestus' grip, "Now get off of me!"
They silently bickered, the sight of which made the older gods uncomfortable. Hera eyed them, still struggling to understand the relationship between those two.
She wasn't uncomfortable with it, no of course not. Her son growled as Hephaestus stood forward. The war god was the eldest between them, it was him who should be at his front, as was proper.
"If they were going to play pretend family, at least do it properly," thought Hera dryly.
Yet, Hephaestus stood between Ares and Poseidon like a bulwark. As if he alone could withstand the tide if need be. He was a mistake, an aberration. Hera still believed that with all her heart. What she saw that day, that broken thing…it shouldn't have been born.
But perhaps it was due to his distorted nature that a tragedy had been avoided. For a moment, something fluttered in her chest. So quick it may as well have not existed. Whatever remnants had withered before the goddess would even think to recognize it.
It was only for a moment, but the sensation brought a frown to her face.
"I demand…justice," said Poseidon softly.
Hera rolled her eyes at her brother's words. Of course he'd go this far. Poseidon was the most reckless of them all.
"The issue is how well it has worked in his favour," thought Hera.
There was nothing worse than a reckless streak that was rewarded. A thought that was shared with one other, Hephaestus' own gaze sharpening at Poseidon's words.
"Justice, for you?" clarified Hephaestus.
"You know what I seek, Zeus," said the sea god, ignoring his nephews.
The brothers shared a look, Zeus crossing his arms. The electricity never dimmed, if anything it got more sporadic, more violent. But even the sky had to relent. For Zeus was not just a god of lightning, but of justice, for all the good that brought.
"A trial. You sure you wish to bring us to that point?"
From Zeus' tone, it seemed that it wasn't something that could be dismissed. Hephaestus tuned out their conversation, more focused on Poseidon's mannerisms than anything else.
He was smug. To him, he seemed to have everyone dancing in the palm of his hand. He would call it arrogance if not for the way he carried himself. This wasn't confidence in his abilities…this was something more.
Something concrete.
Though…why Poseidon seemed to falter for a moment as they locked eyes eluded Hephaestus.
"They're both staring at me," thought the god of the sea. The golden eyes of mother and son were a rather eerie combo when they're both stuck on you.
It was hilarious to the god of the oceans just how similar those two were. Stubborn to their principles, unyielding, and somehow knew more than they should. Even when Poseidon restricted divinity in his discussions with Hera, his sister always knew what he was going to say, as if she could read his mind. In fact, it was the greatest rumor amongst the minor gods that Hera was indeed capable of just that.
It was false, but it was a rumor that Hera tended to with pride. Now, the son she threw away shared in that quality? A pair of weavers, artists, and politicians rolled into one?
If the duo wasn't so creepy, he'd outright laugh. Served her right. Children were precious, no matter their form. The atrocity of his father was something Poseidon would never repeat.
The idea that his child was murdered? It was one that he would enact a revenge so total and complete, no one would ever think to do it again.
Ever.
The air was silent after Poseidon's declaration. Zeus was calculating every angle his brother could be going down.
"A trial?" muttered Ares.
Demeter was beside her nephew, the God of War eyeing her quizzically.
"It's rare amongst our kind, but when disputes are large enough…we use a trial."
"Large enough my ass," thought Ares. "This is personal."
Hephaestus eyed the older Olympians. They all seemed put off, but more so annoyed than anything else.
"I take it this isn't something we do leisurely?" he asked.
"No, it isn't," sighed Demeter. "It invokes divine law in a way that is draining for all parties involved. A God of Justice acts as the judge. They anchor divine law to the trial, empowering the laws of a given system both with their own power and those that are bound to us as gods."
Hephaestus blinked, turning to Zeus. It took him only a moment to realize the implications.
"...then, you can influence divine law?"
"That's not a wrong way to look at it," admitted Demeter, a soft hand to her lips. Her brow furrowed as she tried to explain again. "We avoid it only because it enforces our laws with that of Chaos. The punishments that follow such trials are…"
She turned to Poseidon, her displeasure obvious.
"Unavoidable. As is the evidence that is provided in a trial on Olympus."
The death of a child was serious, yes. But Ares wouldn't say it was a large issue to the gods per se. It was…depressing, but a mortal child was ultimately of little consequence.
Death was a natural consequence of life. So long as you died on your terms, any death was a good death in Ares' eyes.
"That little fucker," thought Ares, his rage reaching new heights, "he's trying to avoid responsibility!?"
What had been attempted was the furthest from an end on one's own terms. It was humiliating and disgusting. So, he killed the little prick, as he so deserved. Now, Poseidon was attempting to exact vengeance…for that…that…thing!? The habits of his fellow gods always disgusted Ares. He never understood why anyone would want to simply take.
It was abhorrent, weak!
It should have been a fight! A conflict of equals seeking victory over the other! Of submission freely given, of dominance asserted!
It was boring otherwise. At least, that's what it was at first.
The memory of Aclippe in his hands as a baby echoed. It wasn't just boring…it was wrong.
Poseidon…was wrong.
"A trial would require the entirety of Olympus," stated Demeter, "Demanding something like that–"
"Worried for me sister?" smirked Poseidon.
"Do the trial," she said instantly.
The trial of the gods was not some social concept of justice. It was a ritual, one that intertwined divine law with that of the community. The laws of Olympus, empowered to its zenith through the focus of a God of Justice.
In this case, Zeus. Through this, the law both in word and spirit would be adhered to.
Hecate had taken this to a more mobile form, using spells to replicate the effects, but to a lesser degree. But within the so-called "Court" of Olympus, the typical twisting of truths was, quite literally, impossible and thus its punishments forever binding.
It was the greatest strength the Olympians had, and was a source of pride for Zeus. Even Hermes and all his tricky ways wouldn't be able to avoid spilling the truth in such a place.
The laws of Chaos filtered into an Olympian lens was a terrifying concept for many of the would be manipulators in this world.
"The cost," thought Hepheastus, eyeing the other Olympians, "must be shared across all those involved, rather than just the accuser and accusee."
If even half the myths that Hephaestus had knowledge of were even remotely true, then Poseidon would rend heaven and earth asunder just to hurt Ares. The cost of such a ritual wouldn't matter. He'd strong arm the gods if he had to.
He could see it in his eyes, Poseidon would not back down. The god stood tall, even against the other eleven. Dionysus and Hermes had come closer to the two, joining them on the ground. The God of Wine's lazy eyes were sharp, his drunken haze absent. Yet, there was an unmistakable bite to him.
Like vipers circling around. The original six shifted uncomfortably as Artemis and Apollo joined as well. Athena appeared behind them all shortly after, her face covered in the shadows of her helm. The youngest generation, standing in unity.
Hermes was cold and sharp, arms clasped behind his back. There was no smile on his face, merely the promise to get involved. Ironically, of all Zeus' children, Hermes was the one most embroiled in his father's affairs.
He'd fight if he had to.
Apollo's smile was easy going, but there was a hint of something to him even Artemis didn't know about. Poseidon felt his skin crawl, the feeling of pestilence dragging its finger across his neck.
Though why he felt like Apollo was going to punch him was strange.
To Poseidon though, Artemis was the worst of the lot. Hephaestus and Hera were stone cold, but the goddess of the wild made no attempt to hide her utter disdain.
She paced, her bow absent. Her form shuddered, revealing a wolf. The entirety of her domain brought to bear…and a hint of the sea. She would become any predator necessary…even one from the oceans.
His kingdom would not be safe from her hunt.
"That's the way," smirked Poseidon, a hint of pride for the younger generation.
"Bastard," muttered Ares.
It annoyed a lot of them, but they didn't move.
The air grew thick with tension. Poseidon's trident was summoned, grasped in an ever tightening grip. It rose and swelled like the sea at Poseidon's back, his divinity surging to eclipse every single one of the younger generations.
His smirk faltered when none of them budged.
They had all stayed back before.
They wouldn't do it again.
Electricity sparked across Zeus' form, his smirk the most annoying of everything that was around him. Poseidon taking slow steps forward, his eyes glowed ready to–
"What are you all doing?" drawled Hera.
Only for it to pop. Poseidon lulled into a stop, his face falling as a tinge of concern grew in his eyes. The younger gods all shuffled around like they'd been caught by their mother.
Hera was stoic, but there was a fire to her that Hephaestus had never seen…a protectiveness as she gracefully moved in front of her son.
Hephaestus ruthlessly crushed any semblance of emotion that rose from within him at the sight of it.
"It would wait?" muttered Poseidon, "And why should we wait?"
"Because knowing you, you would invoke Atlantic law in this little scuffle of yours and bypass the trial entirely. The destruction that would wrought would have you all reeling for centuries from divine law and Gaia herself, if you were unlucky."
"...They started it," muttered Poseidon.
Hephaestus eyed the sea god, put off by the sudden change in behaviour. He had heard Poseidon's mood would shift rapidly, but he didn't think it was this bad.
"The summer Solstice is today as well," stated Hera.
She was imperious, taking control of the room immediately. Zeus' passive acceptance only added to her authority. Her fan came out, softly waving.
Hephaestus felt her divinity spread with every movement of the fan. Why she bothered, he didn't rightly know.
"It is an event that a multitude of gods have been invited to. You are welcome to fight but we know the consequences will be something we'd all rather avoid, even you…brother."
"...Hmmph," grumbled Poseidon.
She was like a tiger, circling around him. But Poseidon wasn't deterred. Hephaestus still didn't like the confidence as the god waved them off.
"Fine, fine. I'll allow this." Poseidon dispersed, locking eyes with Ares as he broke into water. "Be seeing you."
Even with the sea god gone physically, the sea still raged like a tempest. It seemed unending, the way the water swirled and crashed into itself.
A plan began forming in Hephaestus' mind. One that used everything at his disposal. Athena shuddered, her eyes narrowing as she turned to Hephaestus. Her domain itched within her.
The youngest of the gods congregated around Ares, the war god already looking as if he was about to explode.
"Was hoping to get a scuffle in," muttered Dionysus.
"You'd know we'd lose," grumbled Apollo.
"Sure, but in doing so we might be able to skirt whatever plan Uncle had," muttered Hermes. "He was… too confident."
"Agreed," said Hephaestus, crossing his arms. "There was something more to this…he wouldn't have allowed the fight to escalate."
"On that we agree," stated Athena, her voice hollow and empty. She adjusted the grip on her spear, the regalia she wore disappearing. "This was about power…he was testing something."
"Really? Even then? That's foolish, you don't just try something new," growled Artemis. "To go that far for…for that!"
The goddess spat onto the ground, nature wilting at her caustic state. She looked ready to rip apart anyone that wasn't careful.
She turned, ready to gouge out the throat of the hand that touched her shoulder.
"Thank you," smiled Hephaestus.
Her rage did not subside, but she did reign it back.
"...Sorry," she muttered, running her hand through her hair. "I haven't been that angry in a long time."
"It shows sister, you looked ready to rip uncle in two!" smirked Apollo, "Besides, with all of us in the fight, Uncle wouldn't have gotten out unscathed…though…"
"Starting a fight wasn't the plan, not really" muttered Dionysus, "besides, Ares would have killed us first before trying against Poseidon anyway."
"This is my fight!" growled Ares.
"Sure it is," muttered Dionysus. "Not like we're worried what precedent Poseidon is trying to set up."
"...That arrogant mother fu–"
"Calm yourselves, my children."
Zeus came down from on high, running a hand through his beard. The younger gods made room, the group turning to Zeus. He stood amongst them, a good head taller than all of them. He ran his hand through his beard again.
Some of the gods leaned forward as Zeus spoke.
"This is a mess," he muttered.
Only to deflate.
"No shit," muttered Ares.
"A trial… we haven't had one since the titans," sighed Demeter, joining them in a swirl of leaves. "The consequences can be… unexpected."
"Can't be that bad," joked Hermes.
"I reaped my father's domain of the harvest."
"Well, we all know you can do that–"
"Permenately," stated Demeter.
She was weakened for weeks after a trial held for a Titan. Her ability to reap domains was always temporary. A disconnect that would reform over time, just as Kronos did.
But, just as her father had reaped a bit of time's power, so had she taken his. They had not expected for her to keep the power as a consequence of the trial, but it was all the same.
It had killed the morale of the other gods and titans that sided with her father. It had weakened them significantly as well, which was another danger they hadn't considered.
"...damn," muttered Hermes.
"I believe it has more to do with sister's synergy," muttered Hera, appearing beside them. "But that's beside the point. Poseidon is a fool if he thinks this will go his way."
"It makes you wonder why Poseidon wants to use something so draining," said Hestia quietly. "You don't think he's trying to weaken us?"
"Nonsense," muttered Hera. "For all that we govern our own realms, our strength together is what prevents our pantheon from fracturing as some have. If he genuinely sought such an outcome, he wouldn't do so in such a way that weakened him as well."
Hestia wasn't so sure. In the last trial, she had suffered the brunt of it, having been freshly bound to the flames of the west at that time. Still, they were stronger now. Perhaps it would be different?
Demeter shuffled awkwardly, affirming herself as she turned to Zeus.
"Brother… do you need us?"
Hera's ire spread to Demeter, a betrayed look in her eye at the harvest Goddess' question. Though Zeus seemed pleasantly surprised at her. For a moment, his grudge for them dulled. He stroked his beard as he spoke.
"I'm confident it won't reach such a point. My ruling will be enough."
She said nothing else. If anything, she seemed entirely uncomfortable there amongst them.
"This is a lot more involved than I thought," said Hephaestus.
"We're stronger now than we were before," muttered Hera, "but I still believe a trial is a mistake. It would be best to curb Poseidon's recklessness and stop it before it begins."
"Don't worry nephew," smiled Demeter, ignoring Hera's pointed look. "We can teach you what you need to know, is that not right, sister?"
Hestia smiled softly as she nodded. For a moment, Zeus felt lighter than air, but it was as fleeting as his very winds. For the memory of Typhon was not so easily forgotten.
"Regardless," drawled Zeus, eying the seas, "Poseidon is not one for losing battles. I doubt he'd bring up a trial of all things for no reason."
"He'll probably try to go after Alcippe," growled Ares. "Could he? Use this trial to get to her?"
Zeus' eyes glowed, the sky rumbling above him.
"I won't let him. Poseidon's hopes to kill Aclippe is clear but…"
"There's more to this," scowled Demeter. "There's always something beneath the surface with him."
"Too true," muttered Zeus.
Hera whispered something to Ares, before looking at Zeus. For the first time in years, the two were on the same page. There was a strange resonance between them, a discussion without words. Zeus smirked as Hera came closer to the group, standing between her husband and her son.
"Of course you did," he chuckled.
He caught himself laughing, killing the mood as best he could by clearing his throat.
Ares looked at his father, before scoffing. He was being treated like a baby. He hadn't felt this way since Pallas trained him. Zeus clicked his tongue, grasping his son by the shoulder. A short tingle danced underneath his fingers, the sparks bringing Ares' eyes to his own.
"None of that boy, I would have done the same. We'll get this sorted out. We did not–"
Father and son shivered, reality tearing at them for actions, divine law weighing heavy on their shoulders. Hera, for once, had a gleam of approval in her eye. She did not fetter over her son, nor did she give him a second glance. He had done what any reasonable parent would do.
For that, she was proud.
No, instead Hera's gaze remained locked on where Poseidon had been. She was stone cold, but her eyes were alight with almost mad fervor. In the distance her divine beast, a lioness, awoke.
It was a quiet beast, seldom moved much. A battle hardened companion from the war, it preferred to slumber on a rock, basking in the sun. It's eyes snapped open and it lumbered menacingly from the Gardens of Olympus down to the island of Atlantis.
Here Poseidon was worshiped and adored, much in the same way Hephaestus was on Lemnos. Before the god of fire had arrived, it was Posiedon that interacted with the humans the most.
Hera was not stupid enough to attack the island, divine law would shatter her form before too much damage could be done. But the threat of it would keep Poseidon's worst habits in check.
Sure enough, the realm began to quiet. Poseidon's rage was reduced to a quiet muttering, but Hera held no illusions. Her brother was biding his time, just as she was. She needed to move quickly, and as Hera left so did the other gods. Hephaestus eyed Artemis, the goddess of the hunt nodding as she disappeared.
They left one by one, leaving only Demeter, Hera, Ares and Zeus with Hephaestus.
Hephaestus weaved divinity around him like an igloo. It was blatantly obvious to any god that he was hiding something, not that it mattered. Whether by scalpel or cudgel, the outcome remained the same.
Poseidon would hear none of this.
"What we need is our next move," said Hephaestus, turning to the group that remained.
Demeter, against all expectations, remained close to Zeus' side. A show of support even Hephaestus didn't expect her to give. Zeus actually seemed uncomfortable, eyeing Demeter with distrust.
But Hephaestus could see the flickering hope in his…urm…father's eyes.
"Still not used to that," he thought.
Ares was itching for a fight, his fingers drumming on his crossed arms. But, they both knew the truth. In a straight contest, any of the younger Olympians would lose.
All of them combined would lose for that matter. In terms of Divinity, Poseidon dwarfed their whole generation. They were less developed, and the raw difference in divinity for gods like them would not be surmountable.
But that was their problem wasn't it? Always about power or raw divinity. There was more to battle than just sheer might. But a direct confrontation was probably what Poseidon wanted.
Hephaestus recalled the fight with Hades, the way that he was able to adjust and alter the terrain and even Hephaestus' own strength against him. Battle with a god was never as simple as trading blows.
No, it was best to circumvent Poseidon entirely.
"This is starting to become more of a political stand-off than an actual conflict," thought Hephaestus.
But there was one thing that burned in him. Something that had gnawed on his mind over and over again whenever the gods had conflict. It always came down to the amount of power they held.
But, was that the truth in reality?
He'd prepare himself either way. He turned to Demeter, but before he could ask anything, Ares scoffed.
"In a direct fight…I'd lose," he muttered, "but even so I'll tear him apart as much as I am able."
"At your age? Nephew, your virtues are many…but you would not be able to harm Poseidon," explained Demeter.
"He can eat a crow for all I care!" growled Ares.
"It's not that you would not harm him it's just he's…annoying at best."
"He really is just sturdy," grumbled Zeus. He smiled as he patted his son on the shoulder. "Though with age, your blade will sharpen to pierce even Poseidon's defenses. I'm sure."
"I'll be back," stated Hera as she disappeared.
At Hephaestus apprehension Zeus sighed.
"It's…difficult to explain."
"It's the sea," said Hephaestus, "isn't it?"
"Partly. Like I said, it's difficult to explain."
It was the nature of fights between gods. Nothing was ever as simple as a physical confrontation.
Domains, authority, repercussions, the list went on. Factors that debilitated or constrained divinity. Concepts that augmented strength and restricted power. Even the nature of how gods actualized a physical form affected battle. For all that Ares was unmatched in physical combat, he was still a young god. A physical domain that was already at a disadvantage against the might of the oceans itself, not to mention that his true form remained unstable, for the most part.
Add into the waning of his strength by bending divine law and…well…
"Poseidon believes he has an advantage with the trials. He does not," smirked Zeus. "Poseidon can invoke the trial all he likes, Olympian law will not bend to his will. The collective authority of Olympus also backs this. Even Hades will get involved."
"Uncle will?" muttered Ares.
The disbelief was palpable. Hades was a recluse at the best of times, albeit not entirely by choice. Ares sighed, rubbing his brow.
"Mother," he muttered.
"Say what you will about her, she knows how to get Gods moving," grumbled Zeus.
"...He's too confident," said Hephaestus, "Far too confident. Are you sure we've covered our bases?"
Hephaestus cringed internally at the modern slang. Zeus had a quizzical look, but focused more on reassuring his anxious child.
"It's fine," smirked Zeus, "Justice is my domain, and I can assure you both. Poseidon has no foothold, not with me."
His tone darkened, the skies rumbling. "Especially with me."
Hephaestus had no doubt that Ares had every support available to him. Poseidon's habits had garnered more enemies than the sea god knew…but the way he carried himself…
Poseidon was no fool. He would sacrifice even precious subordinates if it got him even greater influence. Granted, Skilros was not exactly a stellar example, but the fact he was willing to let Hephaestus murder him showed a cunningness to the ocean's master.
Zeus' grin did nothing to ease his apprehension.
Poseidon's confidence was not vested in the event as a whole. Memories of modern politics and legal shenanigans echoed in his mind. Through EMIYA's eyes, he witnessed nobles and the rich alike twisting laws and rules to their advantage or completely circumventing the laws outright.
EMIYA's own death was a result of such things after all.
"Poseidon…he isn't focused on what happened to Ares' child," he thought grimly.
For all that the events leading up to it made sense, the fact remained that Ares' daughter was left unharmed. Regardless of his son's horrid intent, no actual action had been had, aside from their bout.
Yes, they had injured each other in battle, but as Poseidon stated, the battle was over. Familial blood was spilled by familial hands. Distant that connection may be, that didn't change. In the original myth, Poseidon's trial occurred right here and now. There was no relocation, no preparation.
For crimes had been committed by both sides. But now?
In Ares' shoes, Hephaestus would have done the same thing. But divine law…it was inflexible.
"..."
Hephaestus' own gaze was shadowed as Zeus nodded his goodbyes. Demeter seemed awkward here, struggling to decide her next move. She looked to the sky, following Zeus.
Ares shuddered, about to disperse himself.
"Hm!"
He jumped as Hephaestus quickly gripped his arm. The flames surrounded them as Ifrit took to the skies. Ares grunted as they landed, his back to his daughter and lover. He ignored their quiet sighs of relief, eyeing his brother.
"What are you doing?" he grumbled.
"Your family…they need you brother."
"But…it…"
His form shuddered, but the god of war didn't care. His strength was already reduced. He didn't say anything more, instead facing his lover. She was older now, but to him she was exactly the same as he had met her, those 17 years ago.
"Aglarous," he whispered.
It was quiet between them, though that wasn't anything new. Soft touches, distant love, that had been their framework. Yet, when her hands filled his own, it filled his heart as well.
"...You're hurt?" she whispered.
He opened his mouth, but Ares grunted as his form shuddered once more. Shades of crimson flowed off him, his divinity waning. Zeus was an electric glitch, a spasm of electrical energy.
Ares was an open gaping wound, shards of himself eroding in a crimson flair.
He grunted, trying to ignore the human woman's touch. Her gaze…it made him weak. He warred with himself, the urge to pull away or sink in deeper. For a moment his form shuddered, his boyish looks aging to match his lover.
Alcippe almost gagged at her mother's blush. In fact, Alcippe said nothing, unable to look at him. But she remained close. That was all Ares needed. She was strong, and she was free.
That was all he'd ever need. His hand hesitated, struggling to form words that he wanted to say to her. So he settled with a small pat on her head.
His daughter froze at the touch, her eyes wide as her father spoke.
"You got a runt of a cousin here. Look after her for a while, will you?"
"That…that's all you want to say to me?" she whispered.
At this moment, the duo were identical. Both had words they wanted to share, but didn't. Both had the same look of desperate wondering. Both equally stunted in the emotional department.
Both were hugged by family. Both blushed as Aglarous just held them together, tears in her eyes.
Hephaestus sighed in relief, as his brother focused on his family. Cabeiro, his assistant, appeared. She was stone, her face neutral and ready for anything.
"So?" she asked.
"It's bad. What have you heard?"
"Nothing at all," she muttered. "Which just makes what you said even worse. If the gods are choking information this much, I don't want to know what happened."
Information was a weapon, but in the hands of the gods, it was one that could easily be turned against you. Ignorance was a blessing as some would say. Hephaestus argued it was more like a shield nowadays. The sky rumbled, his tongue clicking against his teeth.
The solstice had been announced.
"Already?" he muttered.
"Poseidon," growled Ares.
Hephaestus leaned in, whispering to Cabeiro's ear.
"Get Alcippe and her mother to the grove. Tell Kassandra to let them in and not to exit until I return."
Poseidon was petty, but he wasn't stupid. The humans would be left untouched, if only because harming them would create opportunities for Hephaestus. Ares' child on the other hand…that he may be willing to bend the rules on.
"But why?"
He said nothing. His gaze unmoving until Cabeiro finally nodded. He couldn't see the ocean from his home, but he could smell it. Ares walked up to him, grunting as he held his ribs.
"This is irritating."
"You're worried."
"Of course I'm worried," he scowled. "But I'll handle whatever comes. For now, we have to settle with that stupid celebration."
"Not a fan of the solstice," drawled Hephaestus.
"It's a stupid tradition that Selene and Helios do every year. Father and the others just use it as an excuse to party."
He rolled his eyes.
"Now we're stuck having to pretend while uncle is plotting my demise."
"..."
Ares eyed his brother, noting the look on his face. It was absent of emotion, the only spark being lit in his eyes.
"...you're thinking of something."
He had seen Hephaestus like this once before. No amount of words would bring his brother out.
"OINK!"
Both gods turned to eye the rotund boar. His eyes filled with murder, even with its chubby and bristled appearance.
Ares coughed a bit as Hephaestus robotically turned to him.
"..."
"..."
"...What did you do to this poor thing?"
"...The boar I sent them was too…much," stressed Ares. "Just made him smaller…it's fine. Alcippe loves it."
"You do realize creating and sustaining this creature is likely why you've succumbed to divine law so quickly," muttered Hephaestus.
His brother made to speak, only to drop as he stared at the ground wide-eyed, the realization striking him.
"OINK!"
"Oink indeed," muttered Hepahestus, the sarcasm obvious even from the portly creature.
The sky rumbled again. Hephaestus rubbing his brow.
"There are many moving parts tonight. Ares, I believe it best you avoid Poseidon."
"Fuck you," growled Ares.
He didn't even get another word in before the war god dispersed. Alcippe came up behind him. She turned her gaze to the centaur. The woman waved at her to follow, but she wouldn't listen, not yet at least.
"...My dad," she muttered, looking away. "You're…you'll help him, right?"
"Your father must have told you how to interact with gods," muttered Hephaestus.
"Sure did," she grumbled. "Just said not to. But he also said you were different."
To Alcippe, Hephaestus' eyes had never lost their warmth. She walked around to face him properly, making sure he was focused only on her. She felt small, weak even.
Her father made her feel the same, some of the mercenaries did too. A woman by the name of Ira was especially skin crawling. The way she had eyed her like a piece of meat.
All of them felt like a blade at her throat. A small edge that threatened to cut the cord of her soul. It made her blood boil.
Yet, he stood before her like a wall. A gargantuan wall of blades. Countless edges that if she wasn't careful, would leave nothing of her behind. It would cut into her over and over again. An ocean of blades….no…Unlimited Blades.
Funny then, how it was this feeling that felt the most reassuring. For what she felt was not fear or anticipation…but solace. Peace. A wall of unending blades that would allow none to pass.
If her father was a warrior…then her uncle felt like a guardian.
"You'll protect him, right?" she said, her eyes piercing into the god.
"Your father doesn't need my protection," grimaced Hephaestus, eyeing the sky.
He had covered their conversation, but the gods had a strange way of learning things they shouldn't. He didn't need Ares losing it on him.
"Need and want are two different things. I'm not asking what he wants, I'm asking what he needs."
She gripped both her arms, staring into the woods.
"It was supposed to be an honorable duel. The fact that…it doesn't matter. What matters is this. My father paid the price for protecting me."
She was jumpy, but resolute. She stood her ground in a way that someone would be for a serious promise, only that her fingers seemed itching to dig into his throat. A threat personified, rather than a request.
"Whatever price you need, I'll pay it."
He laughed. It was a warm laugh, like a fluttering ember. It crackled away as he put his hand on her head, just like her father. It somehow felt heavier.
"You have my word, I'll do my best. Your father will return to you, safe and sound. Maybe then, you'll tell him how you feel."
She sputtered, backing away and walking quickly. She didn't even offer him a second glance. He eyed her for the moment, the way she walked.
"Her breathing is perfect," he realized.
A technique that was absurdly difficult, as simple as the wind for that girl. Even Eri, a daughter of war herself, lacked that silent grace. If what Ares had mentioned was true, that this girl was barely months into training…
"I wonder," thought Hephaestus, Ifrit growing around him, "Just what you'll become?"
Flames surged at his feet, and Ifrit's wings spread. Here and now, they would put an e–
"Don't even think about it!" yelled Arachne.
Ifrit came to a sputtering stop, both man and bird turning to the spider woman. He sighed, Ifrit awkwardly waiting as he went to grab his attire.
It was a party after all.
-Olympus, thirty minutes later-
The celebrations of the gods were the stuff of legends. But to Hephaestus, it just seemed like a more rowdy house party, one that he found little enjoyment in. The realm of the gods had been altered once more. It was easy to forget, considering their relativly human-esque mannerisms, that these were beings of immense power.
Ifrit landed at the foot of Olympus, and both she and her eternal companion could not help but eye the transformed Olympus. The once glorious stone, shrouded in the winds and clouds of the heavens, was now home to lush woods.
A pathway was in front of him as Hephaestus climbed the marble stairs. The creation of the gods, life itself, used as a decoration for a party. The sun blazed above them, and the weather was beautiful.
The pathway split to several branching baths, each pathway clear to their respective domains. Hephaestus felt the divinities of his compatriots. Each seemed to be entertaining their own guests in their way.
The most rowdy party goers were, of course, with Zeus. Right out the gate he was drinking and dancing away. Hephaestus couldn't help but sigh at the sight. Suddenly a voice rang in the air around him.
"Now announcing the arrival of Hephaestus!"
Hephaestus scowled as he looked up at Hermes, that cheeky cousin of his fluttering above him. His winged sandals were fluttering lazily as he floated in place. The lord of thieves cheekily stuck out his tongue before disappearing again.
Hephaestus himself was of interest to a few already. A physical god that was melded with human elements? The rare few gods that considered themselves intellectuals would dive to study him further, as Athena had.
But now? Garbed in Arachne's attire, he was eye-catching for many. He wore not a chiton, but a tunic. A verdant green hue and along it's edges were golden thread, all in a square like pattern. The tunic's sleeves ended at his elbows. Around his waist was the scarf he never left home without, now used like a belt.
It clashed horribly, but it was the only belt he'd wear with the attire.
"Arachne has really outdone herself," he thought.
Both Hecate and Arachne attempted to adorn him with jewelry, or at least arm braces of some sort. He rejected the idea of it. Jewelry, at least to him, wasn't something that expressed anything about himself.
Useless, in a way.
Yet, it was not the tunic that caught the attention of others. Oh no, for Arachne had designed something beyond even the ken of the gods, beyond the ancient world.
Arachne…made pants. Held up by his belt, the brown pants rested comfortably on his body, flow down to just above his ankles.
Hephaestus adjusted his clothes, sighing as another air spirit just phased through him. Most gods, as he saw, just phased through each other. It was rather rude to him, if he was being honest.
Another spirit tried to do the same, only to wilt at his stony look. It wasn't a problem after that. This first area was rife with gods, everywhere he walked there they were.
Large, small, long, and wide. The gods before him shifted in hue and shape so often that he wondered why they even bothered with human-like forms. Eventually in his pacing, Hephaestus eyed a table. Admittedly, he could eat, though the food was…strange.
Tables of a wild assortment were spread everywhere and dozens upon dozens of gods intermingled together around them. He approached the table, at least attempting to pretend that he was here for the party.
The assortment was colorful, with some of the food something he actually recognized. He lifted some bread, eying the nuts and fruits that were already mixed into it.
He chewed, the flavours strong enough to sting his tongue. Even so, it tasted stale to him. He could feel the enchantments and how it influenced his taste. It felt like coating something in sugar just to make it taste good.
"How boring," thought Hephaestus.
Yes, the food was boring. Yet, that wasn't to say the taste was bad. There would be no denying the skills of the god or goddess that created it. But it was still boring. The slight jump in spices, the little imperfections in seasoning and cooking…it was all absent.
All stale.
Hephaestus rubbed his fingers of crumbs, staring at his hand. The party was also well underway, with music blaring by mystical means. In the realm of the instantaneous, even Ifrit was slow it would seem. It had barely been fifteen minutes getting ready with Arachne and then rushing here.
It all felt so pointless.
Hard as it was, he needed to at least maintain the appearance of enjoying himself. He didn't need Nemesis having some epiphany of some sort, nor bring Poseidon's attention on him too early.
"...Poseidon," thought Hephaestus.
He could feel the older god from here. A part of him wanted to just be done with all. Might as well just start the trial and complete the party afterwards. This awkward tension that was spreading only killed the mood.
He walked past the tables and through a passage of trees and flowers. There was an opening to the side and Zeus was in the distance in the middle, surrounded by sycophants and admirers alike. They nodded to each other.
"I wish I had your confidence," thought Hephaestus.
It was too much if he was honest. The party never stopped, not even as Hephaestus moved between each segment. Too many people, too much politics, it was just too much everything.
He looked to the sky, eying Apollo and the muses playing together.
"Of course he'd present himself like the sun," muttered Hephaestus.
Apollo had the snark to wink at him as he sang away. For all that he felt about Apollo, there was no denying his music was beautiful. Unlike the food, this was all skill. Apollo's passion was almost overwhelming, the music resonating even in his own core.
He basked only for a moment, before he continued. No matter who he came across, he kept walking, wondering where Nemesis was. He scowled a bit, his mind racing to the worst case scenario to prepare for.
He slowed as he noticed more gods staring at him. Well, less him and more Ifrit. His companion scoffed, swirling into the cracks of his body. The golden markings that opened to let her in sealed shut to seamless skin a moment later. Hephaestus tensed as Dionysus wrapped his arm around his elbows. He hadn't even sensed him.
"My man!" grinned Dionysus, "you finally made it! Me and Hermes had a bet that you wouldn't even show up!"
The smell of wine was almost overpowering, but even the exuberant Dionysus lost his smile.
"I lost, of course. So, thanks for that."
Careful.
It was a haze of words that fiddled in his mind, the barest touch of madness.
He's watching.
It felt a moment later, Dionysus talking and chuckling away as if nothing was said.
"Come on man, lots of Gods haven't had a chance to meet you yet," he smirked.
Hermes appeared at his side and for once, seemed presentable. His hair was slicked back and his attire was straight and narrow. His usual appearance, that of a sandy haired fellow with lightning curled around his feet, was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, he was quieter, not as energetic.
"Brother," smirked Hermes, "you've made me a very rich god!"
Hermes goblet glinted in his eye, and as Hephaestus looked to it, the reflection of Poseidon was viewed clearly, unmarred from the twisted light. He didn't even bother locking eyes with the god, instead more concerned for Ares.
"Hermes, is Ares–"
"HAHAHA!"
His brother flew by, another god laughing as they spun around, dancing to the wild music Apollo was playing.
"...never mind," he muttered.
Hermes just shrugged. The minor gods didn't even take notice of him, a slight snub.
Like Hephaestus cared. Hermes chuckled as his brother walked tall, uncaring for the minor gods' attention. The way they stared at his back, aghast. It was beautiful. Dionysus eyed Poseidon, looking at the goblet in his hand.
"Don't even think about it," whispered Hermes, their words only to themselves.
"...I can get anyone drunk," muttered Dionysus, "Wouldn't take much."
"Drunk or not, Uncle will get his revenge one way or the other."
Dionysus grimaced. For all that he was the father of debauchery, there were a few lines even he wouldn't cross.
It wasn't as if he was a heroic individual or some sort, he just found it stupid. Genuinely stupid. What was the point of enjoying a woman's company if they were not as enthusiastic as you?
He enjoyed the hunt as much as any man, but the best sex was happy sex in his humble opinion. As far as Dionysus was concerned, if a man was stupid enough to try that with Ares' kid, he was stupid enough to die.
Still…
"I know you're right. Don't need Poseidon on me, but still…are we really just going to leave it like this?"
"Of course not," smirked Hermes, "It's what the trial is for."
Dionysus recalled Hephaestus' own expression. He was a careful sort, never even taking Dionysus' brews when offered. If he was worried…then Dionysus would be as well.
"I guess you're right," he muttered.
He'd have his own preparations, for the fall-out would be immense. He wasn't really the brotherly sort. But when he saw the way Zeus and Poseidon hated each other?
He didn't want that, not with his siblings at least. Dislikes, sure, he could live with that. But the betrayal and hatred?
That was a different matter. He saw enough of that in India to be sick of it.
At least, that's what he told himself. He still felt guilt for how long he waited to join the fight against Typhon. He wouldn't make that mistake again. It was a shame though, Poseidon was a great drinking partner.
Still, he'd rather back his brother than any of his aunts or uncles. At least Ares and the others would try.
Dionysus smiled, his divine beast curling around his feet in solidarity.
"Bah! I've squandered enough time. Who wants to drink?!"
The crowd around him cheered.
Elsewhere, Hepahestus was still on the hunt. The number of gods would imply a rather normal party in terms of distance. Yet, he had been wandering for quite some time, looking for Nemesis.
"Where are you?" he thought.
Crystalline laughter echoed across the forests that he found himself in. It was brighter, more colorful, filled with an exuberance for life. The scent made his nose itch.
"Have I wandered so far?" he thought, lost in his own musings. He kept walking, only to still as he neared a wall of shrubbery. It was like a room but with no door. The flowers were beautiful, of varying shapes and colors the likes of which even EMIYA had never seen. The wall dispersed like a curtain, revealing Aphrodite. She caught eyes with him, whatever she was saying stopping abruptly. She didn't seem to care that she was surrounded by her admirers, she ignored them as she stood, their jealous gazes latching onto him as she approached.
Their eyes remained locked together, a smile coming to both of them. Ever since Aphrodite had rescued Eri, there had been an ease between them. Their conversations would come and go with the ease of a summer wind.
Her appearance was rather vapid, in all honesty. Beautiful, but empty. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and an unreasonable bust size. Her hips were also impossibly large.
Yet, as she approached him, her form shifted. Blonde became brunette, blue eyes became a shimmering amethyst, and her skin a more grecian tan. Freckles spotted across her nose and her jaw sharpened. Her heart-shaped face was surrounded by curls of brunette hair, all cascading down her back and across the front of her chest.
Her clothes wrapped around herself, at first glance, more conservatively. Yet, the sways of cloth woven by Athena only hugged her wide hips and deep chest. It swayed beneath her breast, hugging the hills of her stomach and rear.
She chuckled a bit, the cloth dispersing to reveal the valley between her chest.
It was as if she was kissed by the sun.
She was taller too, her head beneath Hephaestus' chin.
"Hello dear husband," she smirked.
"Aphrodite," he greeted formally, "My apologies for intruding. I was just walking by when I heard you."
Aphrodite giggled. The sultry sound like a vixen's whisper.
"Is that all?"
Her husband, one of the few that looked her in the eye, chuckled softly.
"No. Just Eri has been asking about you as of late. Told me to say hi."
She stalled, her flirtatious smile crumbling to embarrassment.
"Oh, well, I guess it's been a moment since I last saw the girl…"
When she had recovered, she visited Hephaestus for a brooch. That was the last she had seen of Eri, as the next few times she had stopped by was when the girl was off to Hecate's island.
Hephaestus eyed the gaggle of frothing gods waiting around the marble bench she was sitting on. It was rather pathetic if he was honest.
"Entertaining, I see."
Dry like the sahara, Aphrodite could only laugh in agreement.
"Oh them?" she rolled her eyes. "Same gods that abandoned me when Zeus made his decree. They've been trying to get back into my good graces for the last several years."
She smirked, her eyes taking on an emerald hue and becoming slitted like a viper's.
"They'll never get it. But it's fun to watch them try and fail."
They heard it, and even then the lot still didn't seem discouraged. If anything, they only seem more emboldened.
"I'll have to take your word for it," said Hephaestus. He couldn't really see how this situation was enjoyable. She giggled, leaning in. Her fingers trailed across his chest. There was an ease to her movements, but it was more than that. She was free. The manipulations, the considerations, all of it was absent from her.
One god shriveled into a jealous husk (literally) at the look Aphrodite had for her husband. For it was not adoration nor lust.
It was joy and respect. That and a bit of teasing. She knew the gods that surrounded him would only seethe with jealousy. It was part of the reason Hepahestus allowed her to touch him. As her fingers trailed a little too long, Aphrodite felt that witch's glare even from here. Hecate was watching.
"This is more fun than I'd like to admit," thought Aphrodite.
Still, business before pleasure was best. A lesson she had gleaned from Hephaestus. It was always more fun to enjoy your time without a looming problem laying over your head.
"You're looking for…her?" muttered Aphrodite, hiding their actions with a sudden dance. She eyed her husband's legs, knowing the metal that gleamed beneath his clothing.
You'd think he'd have two left feet. Yet, he moved well, though she wasn't a fan of the almost systemic style he was using.
"I am."
He didn't even question how it was that Aphrodite may know his plans. Hephaestus had long come to terms that his wife was more powerful than she let on. That her wisdom was greater than her appearance would suggest.
That and she was horrifically nosy. She was a horrid gossip to the point that even Hepahestus knew. He caught her more than once speaking to Eri and even Hecate of all goddesses.
She giggled, as if she could hear his thoughts.
"...Wait…" he thought, his mood souring for a moment.
"Your face, darling," smirked Aphrodite. "You're like an open book."
The hilarious part to Aphrodite was that it was a truthful lie. She could hear Hephaestus thoughts, albeit they were quiet even this close. Her husband's face was a rock, barely twitching nowadays. Yet, for her it was just that easy.
"He's come a long way in hiding his thoughts," smiled Aphrodite, a bit of pride swelling in her heart. "Still, not far enough for me."
To be fair, her entire essence made reading microexpressions and body language a cinch.
"She's up further north, closer to the thrones. She always tries to see if she can siphon something. It's rather sad, honestly."
She winked at him, her fingers trailing down his sides. A part of her felt annoyed though. For all her touching, his gaze was steady. While she could read his surface thoughts and emotions, his deeper desires were entirely alien to her.
Did he even care that she was basically draping herself all over him? The divinity of Hecate sauntered through the area, Aphrodite's brow twitching as her husband's head snapped to Hecate's direction.
The warmth of that smile was annoying. He turned to her, bowing as they separated.
"It was good seeing you, Aphrodite. It is time that I go to another."
It was irksome. The whole thing was irksome. It wasn't like she wanted his attention in that way, but the idea that he seemed entirely unaffected by her was almost as annoying as being dismissed.
"You're lucky you're cute," she grumbled.
She rolled her eyes at his confused look, waving to Hecate as she appeared. She returned to her retinue, though the enjoyment of watching them squirm had shrivelled along with her mood.
"Leave me," she muttered.
If one were to ask her now, she'd vehemently deny any sort of attraction and that was true. The issue was that he lacked any interest in her. She was desire personified, yet he was like a rock.
Well, at least to her. He had softened, yes, emotionally. Gratitude lingered in every essence of him when he was near her, along with respect and other positive emotions.
But the darker, lingering emotions were…weak.
"How aggravating," she thought, eyeing the sharp smug look from Hecate.
She could only watch them leave with the rest of the gods, lost in her own troubling thoughts, attempting to decipher all that was still a jumble to her.
-With Hephaestus and Hecate-
They walked arm in arm, a content smile on both their faces.
"I'm surprised you came," he chuckled.
"I almost didn't. I assumed you would be elsewhere as well," stated Hecate.
"That was the hope. My…guest has proven aloof," he said carefully.
"Hmm."
"I thought you said you were tired?"
"I was. Unfortunately someone has been keeping me… fullas of late."
He twitched, the innuendo sparking the rumors of the gods all around them. The area seemed empty, but the moment he surged divinity into his eyes, the world would become awash in the colors of the divines that didn't coalesce.
His eyes burned slightly, his sight shimmering back to normal in a moment.
"Must you?" he muttered.
"Embarrassed of me?"
"Never. Though I'd rather they not perceive me as some sort of sexual deviant."
He ignored her pointed look. He thought after Aphrodite came clean about their supposed dalliance, that all the rumors would stop. He should have known better. The rumors had surged with new life, and Hephaestus was left with the broken pieces.
He didn't care about the rumors, at least at first. It wasn't until gods started plying uh…sexual favors as a form of payment that it became a concern.
"Recalling Lord Hefr–"
"Please don't remind me," grumbled Hephaestus.
"Watching you squirm with that god was…funny," she admitted.
"He just didn't take no for an answer," he muttered, "Nor did that one goddess."
"No lustful dalliance for the god of fire?" chuckled Hecate, "Most would call that unusual."
He smiled as he turned to her. They slowed to a stop as he took her hands into his.
"The gazes of others never interest me. You and I value the same thing, beyond just the body." He rubbed his fingers across her face, careful of the veil she had crafted. He chuckled as she stiffened, still unused to purely romantic gestures. "It makes what we've forged together all the more beautiful."
"...Oh," cooed Hecate, "You poor innocent soul."
"Hmm?"
"Hephaestus."
"Yes?"
"If not for Eri, I would have you strapped to my bed never to move."
He almost choked. He was an immovable giant, until moments such as these. He seemed so embarrassed with such trivialities. You'd think a man would be more open with his prowess.
"Hecate," he begged.
"I almost couldn't walk the last time. That poor hot-spring. The earth mother would blush with what you've done to me."
Hephaestus actually blushed, his expression stiffening as he clicked his tongue.
"You and your strange humor," he grumbled.
"Honestly, I crave more than just your mind, young God. Truly, I do. But, if I didn't take my responsibilities so seriously, I doubt you'd be upright even at this moment."
Her chest shuddered, his eyes smoldering for a moment. It was quite a contradiction with this man. So constrained, only to let loose in their private little moments.
It was still fun to bring it out, even just for a peek.
She ran her fingers across her neck, the ghostly feeling of a blazing pair of fingers wrapping around it. His hands were large, enough that one large hand was enough to cover her neck.
She smirked at his narrowed gaze. She was without her usual ensemble. Instead, dressed in a simplistic chiton, her hair done up into an elaborate braid that draped across her shoulder. Though the veil remained, it wouldn't stop him.
It was far too simplistic for a witch of her stature.
She felt the heat rise around her, and for a moment, she prepared herself. Would he finally snap?
The heat disappeared as quickly as it came, his gaze calming.
"I know that Arachne made you something. Why are you not wearing it?" asked Hephaestus.
He ignored Hecate's smirk. She gestured to herself, creating distance as she twirled around.
"Do you think I would wear Arachne's clothing as openly as you do? Only a fool would invite Athena's ire so brazenly."
Hephaestus didn't understand her worry. Athena lacked the emotions to care about it.
As if reading his thoughts, Hecate rolled her eyes.
"Don't even try to rationalize it. We both know you did it for that cursed spider."
She gestured for him to follow her, and the two continued their walk. Subtly, Hecate used her magic to scour the area for Nemesis. It was rather strange that the goddess seemed entirely absent. He would have to follow Aphrodite's directions after all.
It didn't shock Hecate that Aphrodite could sense Nemesis. There was always more to the Goddess of love than what could be sensed. Still, didn't hurt to try and confirm her information.
"Why you even bother executing Arachne's revenge is beyond me," said Hecate clearly.
The word shuddered under the weight, the direct call to Nemesis' domain an attempt to drive her to them.
"Says the goddess who made a friend," smiled Hephaestus, playing along.
They shared a smile. Yet, their hopes were dashed. Even still, retribution did not show itself. In silence they walked, each content in their little moment. Hecate stayed close, unashamed of her relationship with Hephaestus. Her lover couldn't hear the other gods, but she could.
She found it hilarious how openly they were jeering her. It was obvious what they were thinking. A chthonic goddess, reduced to an Olympian's consort.
"Idiots," she thought, eyeing them. "All so weak they only have their words."
So…she removed even that. With a snap of her fingers, the weaker deities were rendered mute. In that moment of silence…she felt her. Hecate unravelled herself from Hephaestus.
"She's just beyond the border here," muttered Hecate. "I can't pinpoint her, but she's near. Be safe."
"Always," agreed Hephaestus.
"Liar. Also, the next time your…wife decides to visit, do keep your distance."
He tilted his head.
"I have no such feelings for her whatsoever. But I admit, she is a bit brazen. I'll make sure to set better boundaries for you."
He agreed as easily as a dog would to a treat. It was irritating in a strange sense, just how different he was. Yet, in that same vein, he was the most stubborn man she had ever seen.
What sort of lunatic would go against a beast like Typhon if not due to their sheer stubbornness. Even Zeus, for all his belligerence, couldn't hold a candle to this god. Ironically, only one could hold such a deep grudge.
His mother.
Rather, the mother that laid waste to the very title. It was absurd to her that Hera was somehow able to do what she did, but the goddess of the heavens was a special sort of viper.
As Hecate was well aware of. She shivered a bit, turning her head slightly. She could feel Hera staring at her, from across Olympus.
"Hecate?"
She had no reaction as her hand fell from his face, if anything she frowned as he grabbed it.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Should you be focusing on me right now?"
His fingers softly ran from her hand to her forearm. He spoke as his hand found its way to her upper arm. "You and Eri will always be my focus."
A heat formed in her centre, his gaze hard to maintain. A devotion so complete that it was hard to focus on…and hard to emulate.
"I've told you it's nothing. I–"
His eyes twitched, glowing with ethereal energy. For a moment, the world that was unseen to him became visible once more. It was a cascade of colors, but one that swirled around Hecate was one he'd never mistake. After all, it was the only signature that ever resonated with his own, however dull and weak it was.
Hera.
He stayed silent, his gaze boring into his lover. Their silence lasted only a moment before Hecate crumbled.
"I've been…tasked with perfecting Hera's little project."
"Oh?" he muttered. "So she's the one that is exhausting you every day?"
"It wouldn't be every day if you would stop refueling me," she griped.
"I won't apologize for that. Excuse me–"
She grabbed him and for a moment felt a thrill at his strength. A paranoid part of her wondered how she'd confront him. Did he even know? That he was stronger than the time she first met him?
That his divinity has swelled unnaturally for a god his age? She doubted it.