Ch 76: Steel And Fire
Hephaestus’s laughter echoed through the forge, harsh and biting, his booming voice ricocheting off the cold, stone walls. It was a laughter devoid of warmth, mocking us like we were nothing more than ants scurrying around in his great game. The hammering of his fist on the anvil made the ground beneath us tremble, but it was his words that cut deep.
“Bahahahahahabahaha!!” He wiped the corners of his eyes as if the very idea of our mission was the most absurd joke he’d ever heard. “Can you look at yourselves? Who in their right mind would believe I have a fully operational time machine tucked away in my closet? And even if I did, do you think I’d just hand it over like some fool? You really do underestimate me— Hephaestus, god among geniuses.”
His words sent a chill down my spine, his derision cutting into the core of my resolve. I was beginning to doubt if he’d ever intended to help us. And worse, I questioned if even the god of invention could truly craft something like a time machine. If he couldn’t, did that mean no one could? My mind whirled with doubt. Was I starting to lose my touch? The weight of my failure, my shattered pride, weighed heavily on my chest.
Talos, however, was unfazed, her voice sharp and biting. “Father’s sense of humor leaves much to be desired. Deprived of companions for too long, it seems he’s forgotten how to act like a proper god.”
Her words seemed to wound Hephaestus more than mine ever could. The smugness on his face faltered, if only for a moment.
“Not cool, Grandpa Beards!” Hermes chimed in, his voice filled with exaggerated disappointment. “Why you gotta be so mean, huh?”
Hephaestus snorted, dismissing Hermes with a grunt, and turned back to his anvil, picking up his hammer and resuming his work. The sharp, rhythmic clang of metal striking metal filled the air again, louder than before, each strike like thunder reverberating through the room.
The sparks from the forge flared brighter, the light intensifying with each hit, almost blinding in its brilliance. But there was something more— something sinister lurking beneath the surface. I watched in silence as dark tendrils of black ink-like substance writhed under Hephaestus’s skin, coiling and twisting like living snakes. The harder he worked, the more these dark marks spread across his arms, wrapping around him like chains.
“Hephaestus,” I spoke coldly, my voice cutting through the clanging noise. “You’re a cursed one, aren’t you?”
His hammer froze in mid-air, the sound of the metal silencing instantly. He turned his head slowly, his eyes blazing with a dark fire, meeting mine with a gaze that held both fury and resignation. I knew I had struck a nerve.
“You know about the cursed marks, Hades?” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
Talos, standing beside me, tilted her head, arms crossed under her chest. “Wait, what? I thought those were just really cool tattoos you liked to show off while you work. You’re telling me they’re magic ink?” Her voice held the slightest edge of disbelief, almost mocking, but I could sense the underlying concern.
I raised an eyebrow, glancing briefly at her. For someone as intelligent as Talos, she could be remarkably naive at times, no this was the first time. I guess she was more vulnerable here than anyway else. I turned my attention back to Hephaestus. “So, the more power you exert, the more those cursed marks spread, don’t they?”
Hephaestus stared at me, his grip tightening on the handle of his hammer. For a brief second, I thought he might swing it at me. Instead, he let out a harsh breath and resumed his work, though the blows were harder now, angrier. The marks writhed more violently, snaking up his arms, spreading like wildfire.
I had seen similar marks before— on Aphrodite. Her beauty was a curse, a cruel twist of fate. And now, I realized that Hephaestus bore the same burden. His deformity, his rejection by the gods, wasn’t just a tragic accident— it was the result of a curse, just like Aphrodite’s. The more he forged, the more his curse consumed him, twisting his body but granting him unimaginable strength and skill.
The silence between us thickened, broken only by the rhythmic clang of metal and the occasional crackle of fire. The marks on Hephaestus’s arms seemed to pulse with a life of their own, shrinking and expanding with every breath he took. When he finally stopped hammering, the marks receded, shrinking back into tiny dots on his arms. His face was drenched in sweat, and his hands— now trembling— were smeared with blood. The curse was killing him slowly, just as it was killing Aphrodite.
I stood there, watching him, my mind racing. Could it be that these curses were designed to strip the gods of their power? To force them to give up their divine titles? The theory sounded insane, but it was the only explanation that made sense at the moment. Hephaestus’s deformity was tied to his genius, just as Aphrodite’s beauty was linked to her inability to feel love.
Hephaestus wiped his brow, his breathing labored. He looked over at Talos, his expression softening slightly. I could tell there was something unspoken between them, something that ran deeper than mere words.
“Father…” Talos’s voice was uncertain, wavering for the first time. She still acted detached, lifeless almost, but I could sense that being here, in this forge, stirred something within her. A part of her she had long buried.
For a moment, I wondered if Talos had used us as an excuse to see him again. She was always calculating, always two steps ahead. But even the most hardened souls had cracks— weak spots they didn’t want the world to see.
Hephaestus didn’t look at her again, his eyes now focused on the anvil before him. His voice was quieter now, weary. “I’m not used to working on something without knowing all the details, but… I’ll make an exception. If it gives me a chance to spend time with my daughter… and atone for my sins.”
Talos flinched, a rare moment of vulnerability crossing her face. “I’m not your daughter.”
Without another word, she turned and walked toward the exit. Her steps were quick, her posture stiff. I cursed under my breath. I couldn’t let this deal fall apart now. If I lost Talos, I’d lose everything.
“Dammit,” I muttered, moving quickly to follow her. I could hear Hermes whining in the background, his voice shrill with panic.
“Hey, guys! Don’t leave me with the big scary man!”
But Talos didn’t stop, and neither did I. As we left the forge behind, the heat and clamor fading into the distance, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we had crossed another threshold— one that held far more danger than anything we had faced so far.
And in the back of my mind, a dark thought lingered. If even Hephaestus was cursed, what did that mean for the rest of us? Were we all just pawns in a greater game— one where the gods were as trapped as mortals?
The truth, I feared, was far worse than I had ever imagined.
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If I revive a magic castle I will mass release 10 chapters
