Page 28 of Hephaestus
Part of me wanted to just sayyes, thinking that would be the most appropriate response, in order to appease the King of the Gods, but I could not bring myself to do that. I felt the need to be as open and honest with him as possible at this moment.
“No. I think what she put me through far outweighs the day or so I had her bound to this golden throne,” I said, pointing to the object I was referring to. “If anything, I think she got off easy, without fully experiencing the wrath I had in store for her.”
Zeus then arched his white brow at me. “What made you release her so early, then? If you have such disdain for my wife, why not keep her held captive here for a longer period of time?”
“I did plan on keeping her tied down longer, but I spoke to other gods and goddesses on the matter. They all gave me the same advice, saying that I should release her in order to face less severe consequences.”
As I confessed this, the King of Gods began chuckling, with a heavy, resonant tone, echoing off the walls of the room. His reaction was a complete surprise, leaving me bewildered as ever.
“I have to give you credit for being so forthcoming with me, Hephaestus. Most others would choose to be more cunning with their words. However, you seem to have no hidden motive behind what you say. You are straightforward and honest, to what some might consider afault. But I must also give you praise. I am quite impressed that you even managed to pull a stunt like that on Hera without her seeming skeptical of your intentions. Usually, my wife does not fall victim so easily to attempted ruses against her.”
Was I hearing Zeus correctly? Was he paying a compliment to me?
This was the least of what I had expected to come out of his mouth. However, I was unaware of how to appropriately respond to such laudatory comments from the King of the Gods. So, I returned to getting back down on my knee, bowing to him. “Thank you, my King. I’m not sure if I am worthy of such commendation.”
“You may rise, Hephaestus,” he instructed, before I stood back up on my feet. “I hope you know that I am well aware of all that you have endured throughout your existence up until this very point in time. You have had to overcome so much more and had to face far greater tribulations than most other gods and goddesses have ever experienced.”
Zeus was one of the few individuals who I imagined would recognize all that I had gone through because of Hera. If anything, I assumed he would side with his wife on forcing me down the path she chose for me. However, it was rewarding to hear him appreciate me in such regard. I could feel my eyes begin to water, just by hearing him give me these accolades I knew I deserved.
I quickly wiped the tears away, hoping to be as subtle about it as possible. Was it unbecoming of a god to cry?
“And, of course, I am fascinated by your skills as a blacksmith,” Zeus added. “The work and detail you put into your crafting of weaponry and armor is far more advanced than anyone I have ever come across.”
I was expecting the worst of my visit here to Zeus and Hera’s palace. This conversation with Zeus was proving to be the complete opposite, much to my satisfaction. But even far more shocking was what Zeus would suggest next, revealing what he had in store for me.
“I think it is time you assumed your throne with us Olympian Gods, Hephaestus. Based on all that you have accomplished up until this very moment, I can’t think of another more deserving god who had to fight their way to this position as you have. So, what do you say? Will you join me and the other Olympians in our power and conquests?”
I nodded without even the slightest form of hesitation. “Yes. Of course, I will. I would be more than honored to serve as an Olympian God.”
“Then it is settled. You, Hephaestus, will hereby be bequeathed the title of an Olympian God. Not only this, but you will maintain your recognition as the God of the forge, volcanoes, blacksmithing, and all forms of craftsmanship. I will have your own palace built here on Mount Olympus, as well as offer many servants to serve your every need. Furthermore, you will have complete access to and ownership of the volcano here on Mount Olympus. If you wish for a workshop to be built there, then you shall have that too. Just make the request and consider it granted.”
And so, it was then that things finally started to turn around for me. No longer would I have to tolerate Hera’s torment now that I was officially an Olympian God. I had so much power and plenty of things at my disposal to only build my craft and skills in the art of blacksmithing. But most importantly, I would be able to live here on Mount Olympus, the very same place where Hestio was, the god that I absolutely loved and adored. All my life, I expected the worse situations to come my way, as if I was cursed or had a never-fleeting streak of bad luck. However, I was starting to believe that streak was starting to wear thin, because now I had so much to look forward to, more than I ever had before.
Chapter 14
AsmuchasIfelt like celebrating my rise to power as an Olympian God, I hadn’t the slightest clue as to how to go about and do that. I’d rather not have a large crowd around me to wine and feast in my honor. Being in solitude was much more my preferred pace. That’s just who I was as a god, and something I had grown accustomed to my entire existence, thus far.
Really, the only person I cared about having by my side was Hestio. So, after my meeting with Zeus, I returned to Hestio’s palace, finding him in one of his recreational rooms, seated by the hearth.
He rose from his sedentary position to accept me in a deep embrace.
“Welcome back,” Hestio warmly greeted me with. “How did everything go?”
We released from one another and stepped back, both of us taking a seat to have this discussion.
“You’d be surprised,” I vaguely replied.
“I hope in a pleasant way?” Hestio questioned, with his lava-colored eyes studying me suspiciously.
I nodded. “Yes. Once I released Hera, she was ready to make her assault, like the untamed beast that she is. But before she could even lay a finger on me, Zeus showed up, unannounced, and put a stop to her.”
Hestio placed his hand over his chest, letting out a deep gasp. “Well, that is really quite a surprise! And I am relieved to see that you are unharmed by her. So, what happened then? I’m sure Hera was fuming.”
“That she was,” I confirmed. “Hera then stormed off so that Zeus could have a private audience with me.”
“Oh? What did he end up doing or saying to you?”
“At first, I thought he was going to punish me for what I put his wife through, but instead, he commended me.”
