Before I could even process all that she was saying, my eyes widened with great alarm as I saw her reach for Hephaestus’s back.No. She would not dare, I thought to myself. But my fears came true, as I watched her fling him over the edge. I reached my hand out, wishing to stop the whole thing, but I realized I couldn’t make a fuss. No matter how ghastly the scene was, contradicting Hera would do no one any good. If anything, she would toss the rest of us off the cliff with her son.
I had to bite my tongue and maintain my reservation. Once Hera was done with the deed, she about-faced and returned to the palace. No god or goddess made a single remark about what they just witnessed. Each kept silent as they followed their queen back into her palace, returning to their festivities as if nothing appalling had just happened. But I could not partake in continuing to eat ambrosia and drink Dionysus’s wine with the rest of them. No. How could I after what I had just seen? Once everyone had returned into Hera and Zeus’s dining hall, I made a quick getaway, fleeing the palace, hoping my sudden absence would go unnoticed.
My mind was completely consumed with Hephaestus and what befell him. I had to go down to the surface and make sure he wasn’t badly injured, although I suspected that my concerns would be true. No one, not even a god, could come out of such a fall unscathed.
I couldn’t fathom how a mother could treat her son in such a way, even if she thought he was unremarkable as a god. What kind of queen was she in committing such a detestable act? I felt ashamed by even being associated with her. After all, I was the God of family and valued the love shared between a mother and her son. But there was no love shared between Hera and Hephaestus, which was disappointing. I loathed the very thought of it.
As I traveled among the areas I presumed Hephaestus could have landed, it took me nearly a full day to finally locate his exact whereabouts. He turned up on a wet and sandy basin at the edge of a river. His back was submerged in the shallow water as he laid down, facing upward with his eyes closed. His chest greatly rose and deeply fell as he breathed.
I placed my hands over my mouth, stunned by the wounds and damage I saw on his body. The god was comatose and would likely be for many weeks, months, or even years for the injuries he had sustained. I couldn’t imagine the pain he had endured from such a fall. It was difficult to even think about. But I could not let my sorrow and empathy get the better of me. I came down here on a mission, and now, more than ever, I needed to get my wits about me and assist Hephaestus in coming to.
I approached the massive god and kneeled down on my knees beside him, letting the chill of the river water spread throughout my entire body, but only briefly. Being the God of fire, even the coldest of conditions barely had a lasting impact on me.
I firmly placed my hands over his bare chest. The lacerations across his torso were great in number. His muscles roared with every breath he took. I could not help but marvel at how built he was, but quickly dissipated the thought from my mind altogether.
Once my hands were flat, with my fingers spread wide against him, I closed my eyes, attempting to concentrate all my powers there. I could feel the heat rise from every corner of my body and flow to my fingertips and into Hephaestus. The energy was so intense, I could practically feel the flames being emitted from my entire body.
I was barely able to open my eyes to see the red glow on my hands that transferred into him. Soon, Hephaestus had a crimson brilliance that radiated from him. I was becoming drained, but I had to continue to tolerate the agony I was putting myself through. It was the only way I knew that could help to restore and wake him.
As I realized his full body was engulfed by my fiery aura, I slowly relaxed my grip on his round chest, letting the flames extinguish from his skin. Hopefully, I had put enough warmth and energy into his godly body to allow him to come out of his coma.
Before I could remove every aspect of the fire from him, I could already feel Hephaestus’s body stir beneath me.It had worked!I thought to myself, elated that I was able to give him the strength to become mobile. Little did I realize just how well my powers had performed, for I could see the blacksmith god begin to open his eyes.
But I couldn’t allow him to see me. I did not want him or anyone else to know of the deed I had done. If word got back to Hera about this, surely, I would face dire consequences for not being obsequious to her wishes and demands. Yet I still had to remove every trace of fire from Hephaestus. There was a risk I was posing by having any bit of my powers still lingering within him.
I could then see Hephaestus’s lips begin to quiver, as he squinted, attempting to regain his vision and recognize me. “Y-You’re… H-Hestio, are you not?”
“Shhhh,” I whispered back to him, hoping he would just return to closing his eyes and would somehow forget all of this, although I had a feeling that would not be the outcome at all.
Then, to make matters worse, I could hear voices chattering from up the river nearby. I could sense that they were approaching, coming closer and closer to us. I continued to rush to restore and extricate the power of fire back into me from Hephaestus, but I was cutting it very close with the timing.
I could not risk the source of the voices to bear witness to me and what I was doing. No one was allowed to know of this transgression of mine, even if it was meant to rescue a fallen Olympian God. Now, I was put into the ultimate dilemma. Should I continue to extract the flames from Hephaestus and allow those who were passing by to see me? Or, instead, should I immediately disappear and allow traces of my powers of fire to remain in Hephaestus? The result of such an action was unknown and potentially precarious.
I let out a deep grunt, followed by a sigh, having hastily made up my mind. I removed my hands from his body before the red aura around Hephaestus had completely disappeared. I vanished just in time, before the two people who were talking emerged and, soon enough, gasped at the sight of Hephaestus. I watched from afar as the two figures huddled around him and soon tried their best to prop him up. At least they were attempting to further help him.
Realizing he was now in proper hands, there was nothing else for me to do. I fled, making my way back to Mount Olympus. I was sure Hephaestus would have a speedy recovery, thanks to my aid. However, my conscience was not fully relieved. There was a lingering issue that still presented itself that had me worried. What would be the effect of the hint of my power that I left within Hephaestus? I hadn’t the slightest clue. All I could do was hope that it would somehow do more good than harm.
Chapter 4
Thepressurefromtheair pummeled against my massive body. The wind relentlessly struck my face, leaving a burning sensation, as if it possessed flames that were grazing me as I fell from the sky. Once Hera tossed me high from Mount Olympus, I was free-falling, with nothing but all the time in the world to think, before I went crashing into the ground below.
I had to reflect on my decision to return to Mount Olympus. I began to realize it was a foolish thing to do. Why would I even desire to go back to the place where I felt so unwelcomed to begin with? I had nothing but the most horrid of memories when I was younger, living in Hera and Zeus’s palace, constantly being tormented by the Queen of the Gods, enduring her rancorous spite.
It was made perfectly clear that I was unwanted by Hera, which was why she dragged me to Lemnos so that Kidalionas could watch over me for ten whole years. Even after I had ten years to build my hate and animosity towards Hera, I still felt the need to want to return to her. What irrational logic.
Was I a glutton for punishment? I should have been able to recognize how she would have reacted upon my arrival back to Mount Olympus. But never could I have predicted that Hera would actually throw me from the heavens and back down to the surface. I had underestimated the enmity she held in her heart for me.
But what did that say about me? How could I have even thought that I would be so easily welcomed back to the land of the Gods after being exiled from there all those years ago? Did I honestly think barging into the dining hall unannounced would do me any good? Did I expect Hera to put on a warm smile and force the other gods and goddesses who were present to raise their goblets full of wine and toast to me? The absurdity of it all.
Yet, I can remember the warmth I felt in the deepest pits of my body when I did enter Zeus’s palace. Just to be among the other gods and goddesses, my kindred, gave me such joy. I’ve only ever wanted to be accepted by them. Not even all of them, for that matter. If just one of them stood up for me and made me feel accepted, that’s all I could ask for.
However, Hera instantly put a stop to it. She made her sentiments known, and I doubted any god or goddess would go against her wishes, in fear of the wrath she would invoke upon them for their disobedience. Therefore, I wondered now if I would ever be well-received by any of the gods of Mount Olympus.
But that was beside the point now. Hera made it quite evident that I would never be allowed to step foot on Mount Olympus ever again. I was banished for eternity. And now, depending on where I landed from this fall, I would have to find a way to live on the surface. That should be the least of my worries though because the question remained as to whether or not I would even survive this great plunge altogether.
***
How long was I unconscious for? I hadn’t the slightest clue. All I could see was my vision slightly coming to. My head felt foggy, and my entire body was in intense pain. It felt as though an entire army had pierced me with a thousand swords in every crevice of my skin. I could make out Apollo’s glimmering sun, obscuring my sight. But there was a darker image present too. As my vision continued to become clearer, I was able to make out that it was a figure. Soon enough, I felt an immense heat overcome my body. Whoever was hovering over me was propelling this warmth into my chest. Instantly, I could begin to feel my body recovering from the sustained injuries. This torrid panacea was invigorating.