HEPHAESTUS

They opened the steel door with the tilt of their hand. Blood was boiling beneath their veins.

Orion and Talus stood up with a tremor and looked at them confused. Ukko shouted and looked at them too as Lucifer opened her eyes slowly. Mordred kept sleeping calmly on an old mattress with his mask right on his face.

‘’They took the stoarages?'' Hephaestus asked loudly with rage.

Both Talus and Orion glared at Mara who was slowly taking one biscuit from the jar on the table next to her.

‘’They were two months there’’ Orion warned her but she ignored him and cupped as much as she could inside her mouth.

‘’We didn’t want to worry you'' Talus tried to explain.

‘’How bad is it?’’ Hephaestus asked, lowering their tone.

Orion took a deep breath. ‘’The taxes became higher, the soldiers took supplies such as food, and’’ Orion started coughing again and again.

‘’Medicine’’ Hephaestus finished his sentence. Their friend was sick and could not buy medicine. Because of them.

''The ones that create products are giving them almost all to the army and some of them,'' Talus inhaled.''They are taking them to Olympus. The ones that sell them, they need to pay high enough money to take them from the army and sell them with even higher''

‘’The metal products are all belonging to Olympus and we do not have any assets'' Orion said repeatedly.

‘’And yet still the priests are getting more money daily,’’ Talus complained.

‘’People started to believe in the Spirits and the Made Ones again’’ Orion continued.

‘’Still, you should have told me’’ Hephaestus shrugged. ‘’I can help’’

‘’No ‘’ Mordred woke up from his calm dreams and lifted his torso with a groan as his golden eyes penetrated them.

‘’You won’t’’

Hissing with a closed mouth, Hephaestus tapped on their cane with their fingers.

‘’Where are they hiding them?’’ Hephaestus asked Orion, ignoring Mordred.

‘’Inside a wagon, close to the train station,'' he admitted. ‘’Guarded well’’

''But they send us small samples once a week,'' Talus added, facing Orion who kept coughing.

Hephaestus shook their head and grabbed their old inventions.

‘’I can heal your friend’’ Mordred jumped from his place and moved to Orion’s side.

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‘’Will you heal everyone who is sick?’’ Hephaestus asked him.

Mordred took a deep breath as he placed his hand on the chest of Orion.

‘’No’’ He pushed Mordred away, coughing vigorously. ‘’No magic’’

Mordred clenched his jaw and looked back at Hephaestus.

‘’He will get sick again,'' Hephaestus thought to themselves ‘’Will you heal him over and over again? Or the others?’’

Mordred rushed to them, grabbing their hand tight, and pushing them inside the other room, far from the others.

There was a sudden change in the air with his face stuck close to them. His eyes hold down to theirs then slip to their fingers.

‘’We are not here to help mortals. ’’ Mildred’s voice was rough and tired as he reminded them of the true reason for their return.''We are here for answers''

‘’They need help’’ Hephaestus tried to speak. ‘’This is my home’’

‘’Was’’ Mordred noted.

Hephaestus rolled their eyes and glanced at his shaking hands.

‘’Are you alright?’’ Hephaestus asked.

‘’Don’t change the subject,'' he said painfully.

He is really a truly..horrible liar.

Mordred finally pulled his hand away from them.

‘’I want to help them,’’ Hephaestus repeated.

‘’I can heal a few of them in secret,'' Mordred suggested.

‘’Will your healing help their hunger and poverty?’’ Hephaestus asked back sarcastically.

Mordred’s eyes opened even wider, almost as if he had agreed with them.

‘’You have to trust me.'' They flattered their long lashes, trying to slip their hand into his. But he took two steps away from them quickly and infolded his face, showing his exhaustion.

He had no spirit. And they were no soldier or hero But they had to try. They had to make him agree.

‘’I will heal your friend’’Mordred repeated, leaning closer to their ears.

‘’I do not intend to give mortals more strength because you cannot choose a side.’’

He sounded even more painful as someone dragged him with chains back inside his cold stoic self.

‘’Are these your words?’’ Hephaestus took a breath closer to his, cutting the free air between them. ‘’Or is it Hermes'?’’ They whispered words sharp like a knife.

Hephaestus could see a million ways he was thinking to react to them. But instead, he did not.

The sun on his eyes turned away from them, looking behind, to the desk with the smudged papers.

‘’Take some rest’’ He suggested and moved away from them, opening the door, and showing Mara who was eavesdropping with crumbles around her mouth.

The girl closed the door slowly. She walked inside the room, and cleaned her hands, wiping them out together.

‘’So’'Her wild eyes found the bag Hephaestus was still holding.

‘’What is the plan?’’ She asked with a grin.

Hephaestus flinched.

‘’The princess was right'' Mara admitted bitterly. ‘’Her aunt wants to break us’’

Hephaestus shook their head and looked at the desk.

‘’If you stay there do nothing’’ Mara clenched her arm. ‘’That means she and the scientist won.’’

Pressure like a bullet fell to their body.

Mara lifted her arm slowly and threw something at them. They could not see clearly what it was but they moved their palm in front of their face so it could not hit them. It never arrived. They felt a small wave of energy leaving their body. They lowered their hands to see two keys made of steel moving into the air, at the commandment of their fingers.

‘’Talus’ keys’’ Mara announced.

‘’You stole them,’’ Hephaestus muttered.

‘’I borrowed them’’ She corrected them and moved in front of their side, walking close to the door.

She jerked her head back at them and smiled with satisfaction.

‘’What it would be Rusalaa?’’ She asked, wondering.

Hephaestus looked back at the keys. They could still listen to Orion’s cough. He never got sick. Not that badly at least. Even if Mordred healed him...

They had just to give medicine and food. Nothing less, nothing more.

‘’You want them to pay?’’ Hephaestus asked her.

‘’I do not want to see another area becoming as Diyu'' She replied. ‘’None knows if later, The new Ruler will want to show …another example’’ She said. Cold surrounded her.

‘’And I do not like people that mess with my mind or try to break me’’

Her words were honest but they did not sound like this girl wanted revenge. She was not kind. She wanted things to change but not for her…

Hephaestus could not understand her. But she was like them. Not a hero. Not a soldier.

‘’Mordred will kill us both,'' they said as they followed her with a pressuring jump.

‘’I thought he had a soft spot for you'' She teased.