About forty minutes later, they arrived back at the beach, said goodbye to the dolphins, and were met by Dite and Athena.
"Did you have fun?" Dite asked with a tense smile.
Yup, she is upset. But hopefully, this cheers them up!
"Yes. We made sure to bring plenty of the food and gifts back with us for the two of you." Phaestus stated, which seemed to cause their smiles to relax slightly.
They all headed to the main building, where he shared the food with the Dunlap and Merluka royal families and even the people working in the building.
Queen Delvirra was enjoying the cube drinks the most.
"This is just delectable!" She squealed as one of the cubes melted in her mouth.
"This meat is just the best! How is it so moist with just the right amount of salt!?"
"Ah! Father, you took some of mine!"
The King and Prince of Dunlap were tearing into one of the plates of meat.
"It is Ravager Crabmeat. It is known for its' danger and high-quality taste." The Queen Mother of Merluka commented as she was enjoying another dish of blue-colored fish.
Ruby, White, and Phaestus enjoyed some of the facility's food, while others enjoyed the food of the Undersea Dragon Palace. Their second banquet continued late into the night.
The two moons hung in the sky while Phaestus sat on a beach chair, listening to the ebb and way of the ocean, trying to let his stomach settle after his second banquet of the day. He quietly watched the light of the moons dance off the surface of the water.
"Phaestus?" Dite walked up to him, sitting down next to him.
"Is something wrong?" She asked.
"No. I am just thinking about what Lady Yven told me."
"You mean the message from Lystmour?"
He nodded.
"I thought you would be happy about it."
"I am. It's just that I don't know how to bring this to an end. The Pope is the head of a country. How could I bring an end to the curse without sacrificing so many lives? Or having to fight through them? Queen Delvirra told me that the Pope never leaves the city."
She asked him what he meant.
"War, Dite. To bring an end to the curse, I would need to fight through people who do not know the truth." He paused, looking up at her.
"Do you think me weak?" He asked her, his shoulder slumping.
She leaned over and hugged him.
"You are not weak. Do you not remember what Lord Tulsen said? You are a good man. The difference between us and monsters is our emotions and morals. Besides, you must not have heard about it, but tensions with Dawn have been escalating like you predicted. If there is to be a war, I feel that Dawn will be the one to cast the first stone."
He turned to her, "When did that start? Why have I not heard about this?"
"We just heard about it this afternoon from Queen Delvirra while you three were at the Undersea Palace. The Church of Light has been using dirty tactics to try and worm its way back into the politics of each kingdom. Bribery, extortion, blackmail, assassination attempts, and spying. They don't have enough power in any of the kingdoms to try a coup, thanks to your efforts." She stroked the back of his head lovingly.
He leaned into her, resting his head against her chest. "Thank you."
They stood and headed back to the main building where the sleeping quarters were. They tried out the beds at the resort but found that they were nowhere on a memory foam mattress level and slept in the Haven.
Over the next few days, they continued their vacation, enjoying the various activities the resort had available. Though Phaestus introduced them to volleyball, which everyone loved.
Dite, Ruby, Princess Lindi, the young King of Merluka, the King of Dunlap, and Prince Alfa enjoyed a game.
Athena and Queen Delvirra were relaxing in one of the gazebos along with the Queen mother of Merluka.
Phaestus was sitting on a lounge chair with his eyes closed with Leros, playing in the sand nearby. Dite's team ended up winning against Ruby's team, and she approached Phaestus.
"Darling, I asked for you to keep an eye on Leros. Why are you napping?" She asked him chidingly.
"I am keeping an eye on him." He replied smiling
"Really? What is he doing right now?" She asked coyly.
Without opening his eyes, he answered.
"He just finished making his little tower using the shaped bucket and is currently shoveling sand into it to start forming the next tower."
Her face contorted in confusion, and she looked between her two boys, seeing that it was precisely as Phaestus said.
"How did you…?"
He pointed up at an angle.
Dite looked in the direction he pointed and spotted a difficult-to-see object floating in the air. It floated down before her and stopped.
"What? This is glass?" She looked around the object curiously.
It looked like a glass ball and pyramid were fused together at the bottom of the pyramid.
"A new project I have been working on in preparation for the church's summoning. I had a little time yesterday to myself and decided to make that. I am calling it Beholder Eye. I forged it on the God Forge, so it has multiple enchantments to it. I can control it at extremely long distances, and it gives me both audio and visual of its surroundings. My eyes were closed because the double vision was starting to give me a headache. The double hearing, though, has been interesting." He explained, moving the Eye away and dancing it about in front of Leros, causing him to clap and laugh.
Dite apologized, hugged, and kissed him and Leros before returning back to the next volleyball game. Phaestus continued his practice on using his three Beholder Eyes that stealthily flitted about.
Their vacation came to an end, and it was time for Phaestus and his family to head home. The Dunlap family planned on staying in the Merluka for a bit before heading to Meerka, where a meeting was to be held between the allied ruling powers.
Everyone was gathered just outside the main building of the resort, where Sherry stepped forward.
"Hello, Sherry. I see you have some luggage there." Phaestus cheerily commented.
"Yes, milord. I have finished my goodbyes. If your offer is still open, I would like to accept." She replied nervously, hoping he had not changed his mind.
He nodded and motioned for her to join them. She thanked him and took a place next to Ruby.
"Phaestus. Be sure to stop by the capital when you finish your project, or a few weeks, whichever comes first." The King of Dunlap said.
Phaestus nodded.
They all said their goodbyes, and Phaestus teleported his group to the rear courtyard of their home in Lenmos.
Sherry was helped by Ruby during her first few days on her arrival. Ruby gave her a tour of the city and took her to the government office that handled citizenship, land deeds, taxes, housing, and employment assistance so that Sherry could live in Lenmos. With Ruby's help, they were able to finish all of her paperwork within a couple of days.
Douglas and Ella boarded a train heading to Dunlap, where they would stay for one week, then catch the airship heading to Obai from there. The airship would typically run a course of; Lenmos, Meerka, Alta, Dunlap, Obai, Merluka, Meerka, and ending its long course back in Lenmos.
They would spend a few days in most cities while spending around a week in Obai.
"Alright, everyone, we will be back soon." Phaestus said to his family and servants.
Dite, Ruby, White, and Sherry were staying at the estate to assist with administrative duties in Lenmos while Phaestus, Athena, and Princess Lindi would be heading to the mountain range southwest of Dunlap. Their goal was the home village of mountain giants of Athena and Queen Delvirra. Phaestus was worried that the residents of Lenmos would panic if they kept hearing a 'bell' ringing all day and night since he was unsure how long it would take to craft the blade. So Athena offered her home village since she also wanted to see some friends and family.
"[Mass Teleport]." With his spell, the three of them teleported to the Forest Giant village.
"Gahahahah! Welcome, little brother. Here to join in another big hunt?" Elder Ooolba welcomed Phaestus' party in her home.
"Good to see you too, Elder. Are you well?" He replied with a smile.
She laughed in reply and asked what brought them by, which Phaestus explained that they were going to be heading to the Mountain Giant village.
"Ah. I see. Could you deliver something for me then? I got a great cask of honeyed mead I've been meaning to send up to Elder Raokka."
He agreed to her request, and she had someone bring it out for them. Phaestus stored it away and promised Elder Ooolba that he would come by when he had some time to hang out. Phaestus summoned forth his Silver Chariot, his party climbed inside, and it roared up the road, kicking up dust in its wake.
"I am honestly surprised this Chariot of yours can traverse the mountainous road so well." Athena commented.
A few hours had passed, and they were making their way up the mountain using the wide path the giants used.
"It has been a while since I have used it. Teleportation magic is so much more convenient. Too bad I have to be familiar with the location to be able to teleport to it, though. But hey, once we arrive, we will be able to visit more easily." Phaestus commented.
"I have never been to mother's home village before. Grandfather and Grandmother rarely come to visit the castle, so I am looking forward to seeing them." Princess Lindi added cheerily.
"I hope they won't be bothered with our abrupt visit." Phaestus said.
"Not to worry. I already sent word ahead." Athena replied.
He looked at her quizzically.
"Remember when I shouted out loud the day before we left home? I was letting them know we were coming. Oh wait, I think you were in your workshop." Athena said.
Phaestus thanked her, and they continued on their journey up the mountain.
A couple more hours and they arrived at an imposing-looking gate that was massive.
"Stop here, Phaestus. Also, put away the chariot."
They stopped, got out of the vehicle, and Phaestus stowed it away in the Haven. Athena grew to her normal giant size of ten feet tall.
She spoke in the mountain tongue toward the door. "Hello! The party from Lenmos has arrived! Open the gates!"
A reply comes from the top of the wall, and the gate groans open. Using his Haven ability, Phaestus moved Princess Lindi onto Athena's shoulder while he used the [Resize] spell on himself to make him the same height as Athena. He then casts several spells on himself to make his body as strong as a mountain giant before entering. Athena warned him that her family was very physical in their affections and for his own safety to use said spells.
"Rorroco!" Two elderly giants charged out and hugged Rorroco lovingly.
"Hello, mother, father."
Phaestus quickly moved Lindi over to him before they hugged onto Athena so she would not be smooshed.
"Careful, dear! Our sweet Roro is carrying our grandchildren!" The mother said.
"You're hugging just as hard!" The father retorted.
Phaestus looked at them a bit annoyed and shifted Athena a few feet out of their grasp.
"Whoa!" The two fell to their knees, hugging each other.
"I would appreciate it if you two would pay more attention. You almost crushed your granddaughter here." Phaestus said, pointing out Princess Lindi, who was sitting on his shoulder.
"Lindi!" The mother stood and gently took the princess and hugged her to her face.
"Hey, uh, I know y'all are happy to see each other, but uh, can you come inside so we can close the gates?" The guard asked.
The mother and father got embarrassed and ushered Phaestus' group inside.
"Ah! It is so nice of you to come to visit!" The mother commented, coddling Princess Lindi, who was enjoying the attention.
The father was over at a cooking pot, checking to see if the stew was ready.
"Hmm, I feel like it lacks something. Eric, can you check the taste here, please?" Eric changed Rorroco and his attire while they were in the village amongst trusted friends and family.
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Eric tried the stew. "Hmm, one second."
He changed his size back to normal and shifted into his Haven to gather several garlic cloves, herbs, and some salt before returning. He and his father-in-law prepped and added the vegetables and herbs to the stew, then added salt bit by bit until the taste was just right.
"Ah, I really cannot get enough of your ingredients Eric, they taste so divine!" Father commented.
You have no idea…
Eric thanked him and sat down next to Rorroco.
"So, how much longer do you think?" Mother asked them while glancing at Rorroco's stomach.
"Several more months. It has only been a few months, you know." She replied with a tired smile.
"Well, maybe a miracle will happen, and they will be born sooner!" Mother replied.
"That would be unhealthy, you know." Eric commented.
They sure do love family…
A few minutes later, the stew was done, and they all enjoyed a meal together.
"So then, Rorroco, you mentioned that you guys had another reason to come here?" Mother asked as they relaxed.
"Yes. Eric?" She turned to him.
"Thank you. I am going to be forging a powerful weapon. The process will be done in secret, but it will be causing a sound like a bell ringing. It will sound like it is in the distance, but do you have a location nearby that I can work in?" Eric asked.
"Why not the sacred mountain?" Father said.
"Don't we need the Elder's permission to enter, though?" Rorroco asked.
"I am sure it will be fine. You are family, and I think I might have some alcohol here he might like."
Oh! The delivery!
Eric told them about the delivery that Elder Ooolba asked them to do, and Father said it would be perfect. Father and Eric left to get permission from the elder while Rorroco and Princess Lindi stayed behind with mother.
"Hoooo? A delivery from Elder Ooolba? How is that old bat doing?" Elder Raokka was a towering eighteen feet tall with bulging muscles and a large black beard with several gray streaks.
Now THAT is an epic beard!
"She is well. She sends this gift of honeyed mead." Eric handed the large barrel over to one of the elder's attendants.
The attendant put a bit into a giant cup and handed up it to the elder, who took a sip.
"Oooooo. That is good stuff. I'll tell ya what, that old bat may be a pain in a conversation, but she knows how to make good mead." He takes another sip.
"In regards to your request to use the sacred mountain to forge your weapon, you have my permission." Elder Raokka continued to enjoy the mead they brought.
Eric and his father-in-law left the elder's home and returned to give the good news.
"Oh, you two are back rather quickly. How did he reply?" Rorroco asked.
"He gave us permission…." Eric trailed off in thought.
Rorroco poked him in the cheek. "You're doing it again. Slipping into thought without saying anything."
"Ah, sorry. I just kind of felt that it was a bit too convenient, which I got to thinking that we got a helping hand here."
"Senior Goddess?" He nodded in reply to Rorroco's question.
Eric summoned a bottle of the wine he made from the grapes in his greenhouse and placed it before him on the table. He then kneeled down and clasped his hands in prayer.
Thank you, Senior Goddess, for the help with the Elders. Here is some wine I made. I hope you enjoy it.
In the next moment, the bottle was replaced with a small piece of paper that had a cute, smiling face on it that was giving a thumbs up.
"I guess she heard your prayer." Rorroco said with a giggle.
They made plans to head to the sacred mountain after spending time with Rorroco's family and friends.
Four days later, they headed out the back of the Mountain Giant village toward the mountain's tallest peak. The trip took about an hour to walk the path to the entrance of the cavern. They entered inside to find the cavern had several chairs, stools, and other furniture organized neatly by one of the walls.
I guess they set things up when they are going to use it and put it away when they are done. This is almost like a town hall for events and such. Eric thought.
"Alright. Let's head into the Haven, and I will get started." Eric commented, Rorroco and Princess Lindi nodded, and they shifted into the Haven.
Eric changed into his workshop clothes that he made using the god tools he got from the Hephaestus. They were enchanted to boost his stamina, lower his hunger and thirst needs, resist fire and heat, and increase physical strength.
Princess Lindi entered the workshop while Rorroco went to relax in her giant form.
"Uncle, is there anything I can help with?" She asked curiously, watching him finish his preparations.
"Hehe, I appreciate the offer Lindi, but I am good. I have been preparing and setting up for this since the beach trip. Everything is ready." He shifted a large ingot of metal to the anvil. It had a greenish but golden color to it, shining with the utmost purity.
"Oh. My… Uncle, what is that?! I have never seen such beautiful metal!" Princess Lindi leaned in close to the ingot, stars flashing in her eyes.
"Orichalcum. I purified it several times while passively imbuing it with as much divine energy as I could. It may be presumptuous of me to say this, but I would willing to call this a divine or god metal."
Eric got his forge started and picked up the god hammer.
"Okay. Back up, Lindi." Princess Lindi backed away from the god anvil.
I now know what I am doing. The picture is so clear in my head.
"[Fire Control]." The flames leaped from his forge, dancing around the ingot wildly, heating the metal to a bright red and yellow.
A two-handed blade. The pommel, blade, handle, guard, the gems from Lord Tulsen, everything is planned.
"[Water Control]." Divine water slithered up to the surface of the god hammer, creating a watery extension on the end of the hammer.
Imbue my will, my soul, my vision… The god hammer glowed with a powerful golden hue. The air vibrated from the power exuded from it.
"U-Uncle?" Princess Lindi was in awe over the vision of Eric finishing his preparations.
First strike.
GONG! A dazzling flash of light burst forth from his hammer strike, shaking the very Haven around them. The light faded from his eyes, his entire focus set upon his task, his goal, his work.
"WAH!" Princess Lindi lost her balance.
Second strike.
GONG! The sound of the bell rang out louder than when Lord Tulsen did his demonstration. A wave for force radiated out from him, blowing several tools, stools, and other objects in his workshop to the ground.
"What is going on in there?! The whole Haven is shaking!" Rorroco could be heard from outside, her voice in a panic.
Third strike.
GONG! The ingot of metal was glowing so brightly with divine power that Princess Lindi had to avert her eyes. The force was even more significant, now breaking a few pieces of furniture.
"Uncle!" She cried out, but he could not hear her. She could see the toll the forging was taking on him.
Eric was breathing heavily. Even his cheeks seemed to have become sunken, sweat was running down his face, but he did not avert his eyes.
Final… strike.
GONG! With his fourth and final swing brought to bear, the final bell tolled, Eric fell to his knees before falling onto his side unconscious. The light of the now changing ingot overpowered all of the light in the Haven like a miniature sun.
"ERIC!" "UNCLE!"
A pillar of light shot up into the ceiling of the Haven, seemingly out of the dimensional space. The power of the forming blade was so intense.
"Ngh." Rorroco fell to her knees, gripping her stomach.
"W-what is… what is happening?!"
"Auntie?! What's wrong?!" Princess Lindi ran over to Rorroco.
"I, I think they are coming." Rorroco said in fear.
"What!? But it is too soon!"
"Oh dear, this is a problem." Elder goddess Oribaba appeared before them with the collapsed Eric near her feet. The air within the Haven was whipping about like a storm.
"Elder Oribaba!" Rorroco cried out, the pain of her contractions causing her to curl up upon the ground.
With a tap of her cane, she created a bubble around them to keep the force of the forged blade from affecting them.
"E-elder, what, what is happening? Ngh, they are not due for months." Rorroco was visibly in pain from contractions.
"It seems as though the divine power of that blade had an effect on them. Nothing bad, I assure you. Now, let's focus on bringing these two new lives into the world, shall we?" Using her godly powers, Elder Oribaba put Rorroco into a comfortable position and eased her pain.
"Now then. Young lady, would you be so kind as to hold your aunt's hand please?" Elder summoned several clean blankets and a bin of divine water.
Senior Goddess also appeared to assist with the delivery. At the same time, the Goddess Aphrodite came along to help restore Eric from his current weakened state.
"Now then, just follow my instructions Rorroco."
The birth took nearly an hour, but there were now two new, crying additions to their family.
I feel so weak… Eric's consciousness slowly began to reform within the murky darkness of his mind.
What happened? Is everyone alright? I think I remember them screaming out for me… The feeling was returning to his limbs, the tingly feeling paining him.
I need to get up. They may need me… He was able to move his fingers and toes.
"Oh, he moved."
He heard a sweet-sounding but familiar voice.
"Aph-ro-dite?" He weakly said.
"Yup! You got it."
Eric took a pained deep breath, cracking his weary eyes open.
"W-what, happened? Is... everyone okay?"
His eyes looked around, finding himself on his couch in his living room.
"Yes. Everyone is okay, but I have to tell you some bad news." Her look became solemn.
His heart sank as she continued.
"You have been out for twenty years." She hesitantly informed him.
His heart sank.
After the words left her mouth, a loud smack was heard, along with a cry of pain from Aphrodite.
"Stop being so foolish!" Elder Oribaba thwacked the Goddess on her rump again.
"Ow! Why does that hurt so much!?" Aphrodite retreated to the other side of the couch from the angry Elder Goddess.
"Humph, Eric, everything is okay. You have only been out for a couple of hours. I had this idiot restoring your mind and body, but she just had to ruin it with her mischievous nature. But there is a somewhat bad but good situation."
Enough strength had returned to his body that he was able to sit up.
"What... is it?" He asked weakly.
"Well, you missed the birth of your twin daughters. Good news though, they are healthy and very strong, just like their mother."
His face froze in both surprise and self-loathing.
"Where are they?"
"In your bedroom." She replied with a warm smile.
Eric changed his clothes to his waistcoat to give him a boost to his physical strength and walked to the bedroom to try to get his blood flowing.
Inside was Senior Goddess, Princess Lindi, Rorroco, and two silver-haired babies quietly being breastfed by Rorroco.
"Eric!" She cheerily welcomed him, looking a bit tired.
“Rorroco, I am so sorry.” He shakily moved over to the bed and kneeled down next to it.
"It's okay, Eric. Nobody could have predicted this happening. You should have seen my face when I realized the twins were coming." She said with a tired, but dazzling smile.
She is so beautiful…
"Did you name them yet?" He asked.
The two babies finished eating and looked over at him with curious eyes.
"No. I wanted to wait on you, do you have any ideas? I tried to think of some but could not think of any good sounding ones."
The two girls cooed while looking up at their mother.
I owe so much to Elder and Senior… Wait, maybe that would be good?
"What do you think of giving them names in tribute to Elder and Senior?"
The two goddesses looked over in surprise.
"We owe the two of you so much. I would be honored if we could name them after the two of you." Eric said. Rorroco smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Oh, well, this is unexpected. Then, how about Ria from me." Elder Oribaba blushed a bit.
"Hmm. Then from myself, I will bestow the name, Ashe." Senior Goddess said with a pleased smile on her face.
Eric and Rorroco thanked the two of them.
"Let's see, one has brown eyes, and the other has blue eyes. Which one of you will be Ria?"
The blue-eyed babe smiled while the brown-eyed one grimaced.
"Oh. Then I guess you like the name, Ashe?" Rorroco asked the browned-eyed baby, who smiled.
"Well, I guess that adds a couple more super children to the mix…." Eric said, a bit of apprehension to his words, worried if someone like him could truly raise such talented and prodigal children.
The two babies began babbling while reaching out toward Eric. Eric could only smile at them and move in to hug the giggling babies.
"Welcome to the family, Ria, Ashe." He said to them.
Well, Leros did say he wanted sisters…
A few hours later, Eric approached his workshop. The very air around the building radiated with power. Several things around the Haven seemed to be a mess.
"What did I create?" He entered the building to find a golden, two-handed sword with gems inlaid into the wide guard and pommel.
"Yilan." The name spilled from his mouth while he approached the sword in awe.
"What was that, Eric?" Aphrodite was next to him.
"I, I don't know. When I looked at the sword, I could only think of the name Yilan." He replied to her, confused.
"Oh, Heppy does that all the time. He said that truly legendary crafts will take a name upon themselves at completion. So this one's name is Yilan?"
Eric picked up the sword. Power radiated through his body, empowering him beyond anything he had ever felt before. He could feel the blade welcoming him, thanking him for giving it life, and awaiting his command.
"This, this blade is sentient?" He asked in confusion.
"Heppy also said that some weapons can take on a soul of itself. The soul is typically an extension of the creator's will. Let's test it out!" Aphrodite grabs his shoulder and warps them out of the Haven onto a beach facing the water.
"W-what?! Where are we?" Eric asked.
"Hmm, I think I moved us to the north beach of the island of Obai. It should be safe to swing it that way." She pointed out toward the horizon.
Hmm, well, let's give it a go.
He raised Yilan above his head. The blade hummed in excitement. Eric could feel the explosive power build-up to its peak, and just as he began to swing it down, a set of hands reached out and stopped him by grabbing his hands.
"HOLY, THAT WAS CLOSE!"
The power disappeared, and Eric lowered the blade, looking over the man that stopped him.
He was shirtless while wearing a beautiful smithing apron, black shorts, and heavy-looking boots. One of the man's legs looked to missing, replaced with a beautifully designed golden leg. His skin was dark, and his scruffy beard and short, wild hair were black with a few gray streaks through them.
"Darling!" Aphrodite rushed over and hugged the man.
"Ah, yes, it is good to see you, my love, but please, let me deal with this first." The man lovingly moved her away from him.
"Sorry bout that, Eric. I had to stop you. If you had swung that, you might have destroyed your body." The man said.
"W-what?!" Eric looked down at the blade in wonder.
He felt that the blade shrugged its theoretical shoulders, unsure of what the man said was true. Eric's thoughts then clicked into place, and he looked up at the man.
"Master Hephaestus?" He asked.
The man warmly smiled at Eric. "Yes. You far exceeded my expectations, Eric. So much so you put your life in danger." Hephaestus sighed heavily while shaking his head.
"Is it really that dangerous?" Eric asked, looking down at the blade.
"Aye, it is. To give you the short version, god-level objects have different grades. They rank between one and ten. Humans can wield up to grade seven before it becomes dangerous to them. You crafted a grade five. Six would cause severe damage to your body with a few uses, but five would destroy your body with one." Hephaestus explained.
Eric could feel the blade shake in fear of the thought of nearly destroying its parent.
It's okay. You didn't know. Eric soothed the blade, and it calmed down.
"Your blade there is new and young. It does not know its limits yet. Given some time, it will be able to control its power well enough for only you or someone it acknowledges to wield it. I can tell with a simple glance that this Yilan really cares about you. It has an enormous amount of purifying power too."
Hephaestus asked to hold the blade to take a closer look at it. Eric handed Yilan over to him. Hephaestus handled the sword carefully, checking every nook and cranny of it.
"Truly impressive, Eric. I think you earned my blessing. It is not a blessing of fire like I gave you before. This one will greatly strengthen your mind and body to make your crafting easier for you. You made those clothes to give you a boost, but you will no longer need those with this blessing. Your strength will be on a level of a giant when you activate it." Hephaestus slid Yilan into a beautiful, intricately designed sheath and handed her back to Eric.
"A sheath? It is amazing. Yilan also seems to love it."
Hephaestus laughed heartily. "I figure it would be a nice gift for ya. Anyway, Aphrodite, see him back to his family, and I will see you at home."
Aphrodite gave Hephaestus a loving kiss, and he vanished in an orange flash of light. Aphrodite placed her hand on Eric's shoulder and moved them back to the Haven.
THWACK! "YEOWCH!" Elder Oribaba hit Aphrodite's rump with her cane after they finished telling them what had happened.
"You idiot! You almost got him killed!"
"Oh, come on, Elder! How was I supposed to know? *******, back me up here!" Aphrodite pleaded with the Senior Goddess for help.
"Aphrodite, knowing who your husband is, you really don't have much of a leg to stand on here." The Senior Goddess replied, shaking her head in disappointment.
Aphrodite was going to say more, but with the Senior Goddess' comment, she gave up.
"Alright, you make an excellent point *******. As an apology, I will give a blessing from myself." Aphrodite turned to Eric.
"Wait, what?"
A flash of light passed from her hand into him.
"Huh? What did you just do?" Eric asked in confusion.
"I just gave my blessing. It greatly increases your stamina, attractiveness, charisma, and basically makes you a demi-god in bed." She said with a smile, wiggling her eyebrows, which got her another smack to her rump.
"What a stupid blessing for what you almost put him through!" Elder Oribaba was fuming at Aphrodite.
"Ah! I'm sorry…!" Aphrodite retreated by teleporting away in a flash of pink light.
Elder Oribaba held her head as if she was having a migraine and sighed heavily.
"That damn fool. Sorry about that, Eric."
"No, no, it is alright. I guess it will make Micah and Rorroco happy, at least. Also, the charisma boost will help me in speeches and such." Eric felt terrible for the Goddess of Love having to go through this.
"Well, if you ever need a favor, just let me know. We will leave you so that you can get home and give your family the good news. I am sure that the people will also want to know what the pillar of light was all about."
"Pillar of light?" Eric asked.
"Ah yes, you were unconscious for that. The creation of your sword caused a massive pillar of purifying light that could be seen from anywhere in the world. It was quite impressive. It has greatly weakened the Curse of Tartarus as well. Anyway, we will be on our way." With her final, rapidly said words, the remaining two goddesses' vanished.
"Wait! What? Huh?!" Eric was left confused until Princess Lindi, and Rorroco helped clear up some of the details later in the day.