Page 23 of Hephaestus
Dionysus then let out a haughty laugh. “I still cannot believe the lengths you went to, to make this happen. It’s unheard of.”
I merely shrugged, not really sure of how to respond to that statement of his.
“You really are something else, Hephaestus. If anything, I think what you did to Hera sent a clear message to the other gods and goddesses.”
“Really? And what message would that be?” I inquired, unaware of that very message that he thought I had purposefully omitted.
“That you are not to be trifled with. If you were able to inflict such havoc on the Queen of the Gods, who knows what else you are capable of if the other gods and goddesses were to invoke your wrath.”
I never considered this. Maybe this defiance of mine had a far outreach to others that I didn’t even acknowledge until now that Dionysus mentioned it. Although my mind was fuzzy, the idea of it seemed accurate. Perhaps the other gods and goddesses did fear me, based on what I had done to Hera, their Queen.
“Well, they will have even more to be afraid of when they see how long I wait until lifting the curse I put on her and the throne.”
“Wait…” Dionysus’s tone then changed. Our hours of hilarity and liveliness were finally put to an end. “How long are you intending on holding her captive?”
“Until Zeus returns,” I simply stated.
“But when Zeus is away, sometimes it takes him days, weeks, even months before he returns,” Dionysus informed me.
“Then so be it.”
“So be it?” he echoed back to me. “I thought this was a short-term retribution. You mean to tell me you won’t be setting her free tomorrow or anytime soon?”
I shook my head. “No. Why should I?”
“Because it will be something Zeus will never forget. Look, I found this little scheme of yours to be rather amusing but forcing Hera to remain held against her will for possibly days and weeks to come, would be a very poor decision on your part, Hephaestus. I think waiting any longer than tomorrow will only force Zeus to apply a strict mandate without giving you the opportunity to hammer out a deal.”
“I honestly do not care,” were the words that escaped my mouth. Did I really mean them, or was it my inebriation that was getting the better of me?
“You cannot be serious, Hephaestus.” Dionysus slapped his palm to his forehead. “Please, find reasoning in what I am telling you.”
“She cannot be allowed to get away with all that she has done so easily,” I found myself saying to him, showing more emotions than I had cared to. My guard was lowering more than I had wanted. And now, I was ready to make bold confessions to Dionysus that I may not have normally done under more sober circumstances.
“You have no idea of what I had to endure throughout my entire existence because of that wretched woman. Actually, come to think of it, you were there to bear witness to one of those experiences!” I shouted, rising from my seat. The flames within me were rising with my growing irritation and rage. “Did you not see her throw me off the cliff? How could someone not be affected and wish to seek revenge after their ownmotherdid that to them?”
The moment I spoke the word that I had trained myself to avoid for so many years, I instantly regretted it. How could I allow myself to be become so unraveled to even refer to her asmy motheronce again? I trained my mind and my emotions to never think of her in such a way. She was supposed to be nothing more than a mere vessel that brought me into existence. Yet, here I stood, calling Heramy mother, going against the grain of my own beliefs when it came to what I taught myself to think of her as.
Now, I did not know how to handle myself. Was it the wine that made me refer to her as such, or was I becoming undone, period? Clearly, accepting Dionysus’s invitation to dine with him this evening was a complete and utter mistake. I should never have gone against my better judgment to begin with and followed him here. As I glanced around the room, it looked as if the lavender walls were caving in on me. I felt trapped here in Dionysus’s dining room and I needed to escape. I needed to get out of here as fast as possible.
Before Dionysus could even respond to my outburst, I was already on the move, limping and stumbling away from him. “I really need to go, Dionysus. I am grateful for your warm hospitality, but I strongly believe I have overstayed my welcome.”
And I would leave it at that as I did my best to make haste out of his palace. I faintly heard him call out to me as I further distanced myself from him. “Wait! You can’t leave Hephaestus. Where will you go?”
This was another thing I did not think through. The effects of Dionysus’s wine really were controlling me. As I sloppily ambled my way outside, beyond his palace gates, I just pressed onward, without a final resting point in mind.
But before I could even get a couple of steps away from those gates, I heard an all too familiar voice call to me from behind. “Hephaestus!”
That voice…
It was the last voice I expected to hear now of all times. But it sent a rush through my inner core, igniting the embers that lingered there. I never realized just how much I missed his voice until this very instant. But I was already hurt by him before. I could not let these feelings be known to him and allow my vulnerability to be displayed, only to be crushed by him once more.
“Hephaestus, wait…” Hestio calmly stated now that he had caught up with me.
I let out a deep sigh, realizing that I was not imagining things; that this really was Hestio who stood behind me. This was not an instance where my drunkenness was getting the better of me.
As much as I wanted to turn around and see him with my very own eyes, I could not find it in me to do so. I knew that would only lead to me having an emotionally triggered discussion with him that I was completely unprepared for. So, I continued to walk onward, not only allowing my deformed leg to be a hindrance, but my drunken stupor now added to my imbalance.
Moving forward, I was expecting Hestio to remain persistent, begging me to stop to talk with him. Instead, all I could hear was the sound of chuckling coming from behind me.
