Chapter 35: Hephaestus (2)
If Thetis hadn’t found him, whoever tried to kill Hephaestus in Olympus might have pursued him to finish the job.
‘As a young god, I’m still vulnerable enough to die.’
Indeed, young gods were at their most fragile, capable of being killed in their early years.
“Oh, by the way, one of Zeus’ sons came to the spot where you fell, throwing quite a tantrum. He didn’t find any other traces of you, though,” Thetis said.
Hephaestus’ realization hit like a hammer.
He knew who had tried to harm him.
‘Ares… that wretched fool tried to kill me. I’ll tear him apart!’
As Hephaestus swallowed his rage toward his brother, Thetis, observing him closely, made a casual suggestion.
“From what I can tell, someone’s out to get you. If you’re okay with it, why not hide here in the sea?”
“What?”
“This place is Poseidon’s domain. Even Olympian gods can’t enter recklessly.”
Caught off guard by Thetis’ sudden proposal, Hephaestus was further startled when Eurynome interjected, alarmed.
“Lady Thetis, are you mad? Poseidon hasn’t forgiven you yet, and you’re making such suggestions? You’re still under surveillance as a war criminal!”
“Eurynome, you always know how to stab with words. So what? I’ll just beg big sister.”
“What? You’ll be lucky if Lady Amphitrite doesn’t thrash you! And I doubt Lady Eurynome would approve either.”
“That’ll sort itself out once they see this kid. He reeks of talent,” Thetis said confidently.
At her final words, Eurynome fell silent.
Thetis was renowned for nurturing children and recognizing their potential, with one of her gifts being the ability to “smell” talent.
For instance, she had honed the power and control of Charybdis, the child of Gaia and Poseidon.
“Well… if you sensed his talent, it might work. But still…” Eurynome hesitated.
“See?” Thetis grinned.
Meanwhile, Hephaestus was deep in thought about Thetis’ offer.
Though he hadn’t heard the full exchange between Thetis and Eurynome, he was inclined to accept.
‘Ares isn’t the type to plan carefully. He probably acted on impulse and is scrambling for excuses now. The problem is he had help.’
Hephaestus doubted Ares could’ve pushed him alone—there was likely an accomplice.
Even if he returned to Olympus now, Ares’ punishment would be light, as young gods were often shown leniency.
Despite spending most of his time in his forge, Hephaestus wasn’t ignorant of the political undercurrents roiling Olympus.
‘The best option is for Poseidon to take me in. But… will he?’
Glancing at Thetis’ cheerful expression, Hephaestus squeezed his eyes shut and made his decision.
He had no better options.
“Alright. If possible, I’d like to stay under Lord Poseidon.”
Thetis beamed at his response.
“Well said! Choosing your path willingly is always the best way.”
“What?”
“If you’d said no, I was ready to kidnap you. Worked out nicely, didn’t it?”
“Uh?!”
“Don’t worry too much. I saved your life, so all you need to do is work a little for my Lord Poseidon.”
Flash!
A mystical light shimmered underwater, and Thetis and Hephaestus vanished.
“Really… she’s at it again. That’s why I tried to stop her. I even brought up her war criminal status on purpose, but she didn’t catch on. She’s clearly trouble. Oh well, it’s her fate,” Eurynome sighed.
***
Meanwhile, in Poseidon’s palace, a report came in.
“So, Ares caused a ruckus on Naxos and left? That’s hardly important. His recklessness is already well-known,”
Poseidon said to Psamathe, who delivered the report.
Psamathe, a Nereid who ruled over sand and pebbles, had ears in every corner of the mortal world.
“It’s not that. The bigger news is that Thetis found and treated a child. I just got word from Callirhoe,” she replied.
Poseidon read Callirhoe’s message:
- The child Thetis found is likely Hephaestus.
- Both legs were crushed; despite best treatment, he’ll be lame.
- Thetis seems to have sensed something in him.
“Hmm…”
Poseidon recalled that in the original myths, Hephaestus became lame after being cast out by Hera at birth.
This was different.
“This could drag the sea into a sibling feud, couldn’t it?”
“It’s not impossible,” Psamathe said. “But from what I know, Ares is a foolish, arrogant brat who throws his weight around without real power. I doubt this will escalate.”
Her lengthy disdain for Ares was suspicious, but Poseidon understood her point.
In the original myths, Ares was much the same—reckless and bold to a fault.
Woooom!
“Looks like Thetis is here,”
Psamathe said as the conch shell sounded, announcing Thetis’ arrival at the palace.
“I greet the supreme god of sea, storm, and earth, the most perfect of all gods, Lord Poseidon,” Thetis said, bowing deeply.
Hephaestus, at her side, hurriedly mimicked her gesture.
Poseidon frowned, waving his hand dismissively.
“Too much, Thetis. I’ve told you before, this feels like you’re mocking me.”
“Never! You’re my most beloved and respected master,” Thetis replied with a grin.
“Ugh, you’re impossible,” Poseidon groaned.
As their banter threatened to drag on, Psamathe deftly intervened.
“Thetis, I’ve already received the report. That child beside you is the one you found on Naxos, right?” Poseidon asked.
“Oh! Sister Psamathe, you’re here too. Lord Poseidon’s radiance was so dazzling I didn’t notice you,” Thetis teased.
“…Just answer the question,” Psamathe sighed.
“Right, this child is brimming with talent. He’ll be a devoted servant for Lord Poseidon. I’m sure just being around you will naturally make it so,” Thetis said cheerfully.
Psamathe, feeling exhausted by Thetis’ antics, quickly wrapped up the conversation.
“Alright, the child needs to speak with Lord Poseidon privately. Come with me, Thetis.”
“What? I just got to see Lord Poseidon after so long. I want to stay!”
“No way. Amphitrite is already on her way. We need to meet her.”
“Ugh, fine…”
Psamathe hurriedly dragged Thetis out of the palace, fearing she’d collapse from stress if Thetis lingered any longer.
“To the god who shines brighter than the sun, I take my leave,”
Thetis said, praising Poseidon to the very end as the palace fell quiet again.
Hephaestus, overwhelmed by Thetis’ shift from nurturing kindness to fervent zeal, stood frozen, unable to speak.
“Hephaestus, Thetis wasn’t always like that. She’s had… some issues. I hope you understand,” Poseidon said gently.
“Y-Yes, sir,” Hephaestus stammered.
Poseidon sighed at the still-dazed young god and got to the point.
“You may be a young god, but I believe you’re capable of making your own decisions. What do you want to do?”
Poseidon’s question was layered.
It implied he’d observe Hephaestus’ choice while also signaling he’d support whatever path he took.
Besides, earning the favor of Hephaestus, who would one day become Olympus’ greatest blacksmith, wasn’t a bad move.
“I…”
***
Back in the present, deep within his forge in the volcanic heart of Lemnos, granted to him by Poseidon, Hephaestus was lost in thought.
“I’ve done plenty to torment Ares, but this time, I need to strike a blow that truly wounds him…”
Hephaestus had already exacted revenge in numerous ways: crafting Ares’ sword and shield to be indestructible yet doubling the impact of any blow back onto him, or secretly mixing weapons capable of injuring gods into mortal wars, causing Ares grievous harm.
The history of Hephaestus and Ares was a long, bloody saga of vengeance, known to Hera and Zeus but impossible to stop.
After Poseidon discreetly informed Hera and Zeus of Hephaestus’ whereabouts, they had to focus on quelling the escalating conflicts within Olympus.
“This time, I want to tarnish Ares’ divine authority and end this once and for all. What do you think, Cyclops masters?”
The Cyclopes, who had once taught Hephaestus their craft at Poseidon’s request, now worked alongside him in his forge.
“It’s not a good idea. You could end up hurting yourself in the process,” one said.
“But revenge is sweet! It’s like when we deal with our brothers!” another argued.
“He’s right. It’s akin to killing a god. But if you strike discreetly, it might work,” the third added.
Their opinions varied, reflecting the nature of the weapons they’d crafted: the first made Zeus’ thunderbolt, the second Poseidon’s trident, and the third Hades’ helm.
“If I aim to diminish Ares’ divine authority and claim a seat among the Twelve Olympians, will you help me?” Hephaestus asked.
“A master abandoning their apprentice? That’s something only mortals would do,” the first Cyclops replied.
“Exactly. We’re not that deplorable,” said the second.
“Hah! I swear on Poseidon’s trident, we’ll help you!” the third declared.
“Hey, why are you swearing on it?”
“If you’re going to die, die alone—don’t drag us into it!”
“Why not? Poseidon said I could use his name!”
The second Cyclops’ words sparked some chaos, but Hephaestus, deeply moved by his masters’ support, nodded resolutely.
“Thank you, masters. I swear on Poseidon’s honor and name, I’ll bring that fool Ares down.”
Though considered unattractive by divine standards, Hephaestus had grown into a striking figure by mortal measures.
As the saying goes, “those who dwell in darkness become dark.”
He had begun to reflect some of Thetis’ traits, having flourished under her nurturing.
“Eek! I just got chills,”
Poseidon muttered, rubbing his arms in his palace, unaware of the ominous preparations unfolding.
Another “0.3 Thetis” was plotting, fueled by her and Hephaestus’ grudges—whether Poseidon wanted it or not.
***
Even with the Cyclopes’ help, diminishing a god’s divine authority was no small feat.
It was as challenging as Poseidon’s feat of driving Pontus to madness, forcing him to abandon his power and regress to a childlike state.
“Even I, a master craftsman, can’t do what Poseidon did…”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As Hephaestus hammered away, lost in thought with no clear solution, someone knocked at his forge.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Who is it? I’m not taking commissions right now. Come back later,” Hephaestus called out, focused on his work.
Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock!
The persistent knocking irritated him, and he stormed to the door, ready to give the intruder a piece of his mind.
SLAM!
“Whoever you are—!”
Hephaestus froze, stunned speechless by the visitor’s appearance.