HEPHAESTUS

Stay away from the room. The maid shouted when she found Hephaestus outside the door.

An offering from a Royal. A maid whispered with disgust inside Hephaestus’ old house as she started making the food for the man down the basement. Plain cheese and bread. They will have to keep him She hissed. In exchange for wealth.

He will steal our eyes in our sleep. Another one gasped, horrified.

The one next to her snorted. He won’t manage

And it seemed that it was the truth. Their mother had more jewels around her body each day. Their father also was smoking expensive cigarettes, the ones that Hephaestus saw nobles smoking at the previous gathering.

Once each week they took the train. Once each week they were going to a gathering. The food tasted different, even the water. Once a week they met with the strange man and talked. They were sharing their ideas and he was correcting them or congratulating them.

Once a week Leviathan was appearing and walking away with the man by their side.

But Hephaestus wanted to walk back to the basement. See once more what creature was hiding underneath their bedroom.

When the time came, they found the opportunity to snap the key from one of the maids when they were cleaning the newly installed chandelier.

Late at night when everyone was asleep, it was time to act.

Twenty five parts of the stairway. Within two minutes, they had to walk so that no one would hear them stepping downstairs.

The key was challenging to turn inside the hole as it made a heavy noise when the door finally opened. Hephaestus waited five seconds to make sure none would come for them. Then again, none would have seemed to mind if they had just disappeared.

The room was dark again with only the voice of the old man hissing curses at them.

Hephaestus stood on their ground, a few feet far from the man.

‘’Who are you?’’ Hephaestus asked him.

The man moved his body close to the cell bars, moving his hand far from his small prison his.

‘’What would you like to know?’’ He asked with a smile. An almost toothless one. Crooked. And painless.

Hephaestus gulped dry and waited for the man to speak.

‘’I am a Phoenix holder’’He rasped.

‘’What is that?'' Hephaestus asked with the curiosity of their growing bigger, second by second.

A wild bird stood on the man’s arm and started picking his skin.

It did not seem that the man was in pain when a part of his flesh was pulled off his body

The moonlight bathed the man’s stained skin which was trying to reform back to its original shape.

Hephaestus gasped.

‘’You are a …’’ Cold sweat showered their skin as they took a few steps back.

‘’Are you afraid now kid?’’

The next night there was one more gathering. This time the food felt like poison around Hephaestus’ tongue. Each time they tried to take a bite they just wanted to run somewhere, to throw up. Looking around, they noticed that they were the only ones who did not eat and drink from the glass.

A high tension behind their nape sent shivers down their spine. The air around them became so thick they could almost taste the fear in the atmosphere.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Someone was watching them. Studying them.

The same man as the other night was standing once again, further from the crowd, tapping his fingers repeatedly at his elbows. His eyes were fixed on the young Hephaestus, never moving. He seemed to be waiting for something, though what remained a mystery. Suddenly, he turned around and walked away without a sound.

But Hephaestus found him in a corner, alone, and stood right next to him, waiting for him to speak.

Five seconds passed and their mind started rushing about what they saw. Down in their basement. In the cage. The man. The Warlock.

Phoenix holder.

‘’I heard that your parents…’’ The man moved his fingers close to his chin. He sounded curious as if he already knew the answer to his own question. And yet so innocent for a grown man. Like a lost child

‘’There is nothing'' Hephaestus interrupted him. The man pouted and moved his gaze down his shoulder.

Ten seconds passed and then the man laughed.

‘’I was planning to say that your parents have a raise, correct?’’He asked again.

Hephaestus’ cheeks turned dark red and shook their head. The man chuckled with his fingers close to his lips.

‘’You seem frightened.’’

‘’Are warlocks evil?’’ Hephaestus asked fast.

The man’s slight smile faded and yet he was still gazing with curiosity at them.

‘’Are you afraid they might come here?’’ He asked.

I am afraid the one in the basement does it.

‘’Well, warlocks are considered to be violent but also smart’’He said skeptically.

‘’What does that mean?’’ Hephaestus questioned his statement.

The man tilted his head to the right, showing them the crowd. They were clacking while one of the servants was opening a bottle of nectar. Around those nobles, there were Hephaestus’ parents, laughing together.

But this was not the picture the man wanted them to see. They zoomed their eyes fast for them to notice that every pocket watch, every button, and metal around them was iron.

Hephaestus gulped tight, looking at the man’s leather gloves.

‘’Even clothing has iron.’’He explained with a soothing tone. ‘’And the food here too. They are not dumb enough to come here.’’

After that, they couldn’t listen to what the man was talking about. They didn’t even notice that Leviathan had arrived and taken the man far from them.

Let’s talk again. This is what they heard last from him.

That night, Hephaestus could not sleep. They had touched his hand. Their hand had a burn mark. They could not eat food with iron dust.

And the key to the basement was still in their belongings.

Walking down to the room now felt easier to breathe. Easier to walk and live around.

The old man let out a heavy breath as his dark eyes were looking at Hephaestus, curious.

‘’What is it now kid? Love the freak show?’’

‘’Are you evil?’’ Hephaestus asked him.’’Are you violent? ‘’They raised their brow. ‘’Will you take my eyes?''

‘’I am not interested in your vision’’The old man blew air with his hand, tired.

The man took four seconds before he laughed. ‘’Why are you asking me?’’

‘’Are you violent? Is this the reason you are here?’’

‘’I am here because of fear’’ He explained and stretched his chained wrists.

Hephaestus moved closer to the cage, excited to listen more.

‘’Fear is what keeps me here’’’’

Hephaestus looked down and then at the door of the iron cage.

‘’What will you do if I open your cage?’’

‘’I will hide.'' He growled, moving his body far from Hephaestus. ‘’Maybe I am afraid too.’’

Hephaestus studied the man in the dark. Old, wounded, and frail with eyes burning from hatred. Afraid and alone.

They flexed their fingers and kneeled. Their parents wouldn’t understand. Even the man who shared the same passion wouldn’t. None would.

‘’Can I hide with you here?’’

Two warlocks afraid and alone of change. Afraid to be found. Trapped together and shaking hands, gently.

His name was Prometheus.

‘’Forethought in ancient tongue’’ He rasped.

The dreams stopped becoming memories. Because Hephaestus had never been inside a dark room. Not like this. Not pitch black for no trace of the wall to touch. The air is heavy and yet dry.

They tried to speak but no sound came out of their voice. They couldn’t feel the floor, their feet touching. If they were touching at least.

Nothing was the word they could not process. They were inside with nothing.

When they closed their eyes, they waited for three seconds. Three seconds to wake up back to the forest. But when they opened them again, only a fire form was standing in front of them. Form of a human body. Right at their height. Warmth heats their face with the scent of burned oak.

Then everything appeared. Hephaestus frowned as they let out a burned scream.

‘’Get out of my head’’ They hissed, moving their hand down.’’I told you I don’t want this’’

The fire form did not move. So Hephaestus shut their eyes and waited three seconds to open them again.

This time, he was standing in front of them with his face covered with the dark helm of his.

Hephaestus swallowed dry when his hand slipped to their left shoulder and then moved high up to their cheek. Cold and stiff against their heated skin. Almost distant. The young gunsmith wanted to push the man far, making him disappear from any existence. When they moved their fingers to his dark suit, nothing happened. Hephaestus didn’t even feel his presence, his weight, warmth, or cold.

We will talk again. His voice whispered to their mind.

Hephaestus squeezed their eyes again and opened them after one second.

Then, a dark door appeared with whispers accompanying it.

The metal was harsh against the touch of their fingers. Celery silver, stained in a dark color. The whispers slowly became one clear, perfect phrase.

Help me.