Ch. 145: Reunions Don’t Always Go As Planned
“Where is she?!” I boomed
Hephestus balled his hands into fists. “You come in here and order me around like you own the place? You higher gods come in here and act like you own the place. When last have any of you cared about me more than my works.”
I raised my head and started to advance further. “I won’t repeat my self.”
“Likewise”, he said as he made to meet me.
I had no reason to put up with anyone till I had the answers I was looking for even if it meant dealing with the god of the forge himself.
Hephestus stopped and burst into laughter, I swear this guy just loves to joke all the time. “Bahaha! You guy just can’t take a joke, always up for a fight whoever it is. Don’t worry I won’t fight a fight I can’t win.”
I relaxed myself and said. “I apologize for intruding but I’m looking for someone at the moment, might I know if she came by?”
Hephestus smiled and boomed. “Hey kid, it’s for you!” He turned back to me. “Are you sure you won’t eat her soul.”
I raised my hand and said. “Nah! I already had pickled eggs for breakfast.”
“With sauce on top? Maybe ketchup!” He seemed largely happy which was something new over his broody face. I wonder if Talos was really here.
I tried to sense for her energy but I sensed another person behind one approaching from behind him. Someone I could not see due to his hulking features.
“So how’s the underworld? Still full of dead people?” Hephestus asked with a sense of criticism.
I raised an eyebrow and eyed him. “Yeah, I guess.”
“If you need better structures I do have some plans with a good price.” He said again.
Why the hell was he so nice with me, like he fell on the right side of the bed for the first time. It was annoying.
I heard someone approach from behind him and stopped. “I’ll take it from here.” It was a soft female voice.
My heart turned as Hephestus started to walk away. “Be careful with him, he loves dead people.”
“Yeah, I know that all too well.” I could see her small figure standing there, her hair cut short and wearing a dark singlet and trouser.
I could not smile or wave I just stood there and muttered the only thing I could, “Talos?”
She stood there her hand holding on to her other hand with a specific awkwardness that was no hers, her face seemed unusually tensed like she was angry— at me.
“Ten years? You certainly did take your time here.” Her voice carried an undertone of rage in them. “Don’t even try to make up for all the lost time.”
“I- I won’t.” I spoke back going along with the awkwardness in the air. “You had a run in with the circle and came back here?”
“No kidding genius.” She said with a hint of sarcasm.
I stood there for another moment waiting for he to say something or at least yell at me but she did nothing but stand there and look directly at me with challenging eyes.
“So, I’m sorry I came back late.” As I spoke she broke into a sprint and came for me, curious as to what she would do I stood there.
When she crossed the space between and reached me, the first thing she started to do was pound at my chest with her fists. “You idiot, why did you have to disappear for so long and not say a word?” Her voice started with rage and I let her vent it out on me next she broke down and started to sob. Iit made me wonder just what she had been through in all this time.
She threw herself on me and wrapped her hands around me, her eyes crying into me. I stayed there and cursed myself for leaving her alone. My instincts played me and I reached out and pulled her into my wam embrace, my arms wrapling around her.
“I must have put you through a lot, and for that I am truly sorry.” I said I pressed down on her head.
She sobbed more and screamed at me. “Dammit! Where were you when I needed you?!”
It was rare to see her like this which meant she must have gone through a lot.
The only reassuring thing I could say was, “I’m here now, it’s fine.”
CLINK!
“Huh?” I gasped lightly as my hands touched something metal on her left arm. “What’s this?”
She drew back gently and showed me her hands, my heart sank as I looked at her left arm from the elbow down to be constructed of metal.
“What happened to your arm?” The rage I had inside seething through.
Talos looked at me with shaky eyes and said. “It was ten years ago, I had a lead on Pandora and went there earlier than expected to the meeting grounds and I was ambushed my Pandora.”
So my assumption was right?
“I nearly died from the encounter, she destroyed the clock tower and unfortunately for me the rubble came down on my hand and I lost it.” She grazed the metallic covering of her left arm. “It’s a bit of a tale but I came back here for Hephestus to patch me up.”
The rage I had long been keeping locked up blazed from me like a burning furnace as I spoke. “Those who have hurt you, I’ll hunt them down.”
She looked at me with pleasing eyes and said. “Don’t go losing your reins because of me now my knight in armour. I think I might have figured out a big problem, Pandora is the future Mr Anonymous and I was the one who inspired her to become what she bacame.”
My rage melted into a look of pure shock. “Pandora is… You inspired?” What was that supposed to mean anyway? That Talos created Mr Anonymous? Then did that mean she would shoulder the responsibility for it on her own…?
If I revive a magic castle I will mass release 10 chapters
