HEPHAESTUS

Hephaestus continued shooting, not realizing that Venus was standing right behind them. When they did they flinched and turned back to see how he was looking at them. It made him want to scream. But they had made their choice before they arrived on the rooftop.

Mordred asked them if they would follow the plan. Their plan and their idea to escape. Their heads bowed in agreement without even a second thought.

"I have accepted what I am" They lied between their teeth and felt Mara stare at them confusedly. Their eyes fell on her too. The girl seemed to know more than she was showing them. Not that she was keeping a secret from them but she could read their personalities easily. She looked the other way and crossed her arms around her curvy waist, trying to think of something else. They looked at the Royal, no Lucifer was her name whose condition kept growing worse with her complexion fading from her flesh. She was far skinny as she hadn't eaten for days, unlike other portraits of royals they had seen in newspapers. Unlike the brutal warriors with great red lion mane, she seemed to be a dear. Or a sick shepherd. But she was determined to not die yet. Even when she was spitting blood or coughing harshly or her lilac eyes were shedding tears she did not die. And that made them hopeful for her. Hephaestus could help her get out. They could choose to help this girl get out.

Then, Hephaestus turned to Mordred again, with a fake smile.

They tried to restrain their frightened tone as they tapped nonstop on the floor with their fingers.

''So don't worry alright?'' They forced a nervous smile.

Now they knew that they could help people, warlocks, in another way. They wanted to. After all, no matter what, there would always be doubt in Venus's mind about them.

So what does it matter if they were sleeping in the same bed while he would hold an iron dagger, hoping that they would not try to kill him first? That would end the mystery, and then they could reveal what they had chosen.

''Well?'' Hephaestus asked him. Please say something. I am begging you, please. But all that he did was hug them tight, wrapping his hands around their weak body.

He was breathing heavily into their neck, making them sweat even more. ''I am sorry'' They muttered again and again.

Venus shook his head and clenched his arms around them even tighter.

They hoped that they could stay like this for a while. Or they hoped that he could just forgive them, accept them, and keep loving them.

But that could not be possible.

Suddenly, Hephaestus felt a small pinch behind their back and it ended up in their stomach. Did he have a dagger and they didn't notice it? They could not remember. They did not see it. Venus pulled the dagger out and he looked away from them. They saw it. Hatred and disgust filled the eyes. The ones that they were afraid to look at. They knew that something like this would happen. And yet...They could taste a bitter flavor in their mouth, like medicine.

Venus stood up and cleaned his blade with his dark glove and looked at them falling. ''Why did you do it?'' He asked them.

''I do not have another choice'' Hephaestus explained, coughing a bit of blood on their clothes and floor. Was it the truth? Was it a lie? Their mind started thinking of any other possible scenario and yet, everything ended up here. On the ground, on their knees, with blood on their hands.

''You have, everyone has'' He panted, frightened.

''Then why did you hurt me?''It was their turn to ask. Venus flinched. Ten seconds passed and he did not speak. They did not expect him to. And yet they wished he did. Hephaestus scoffed and grabbed their cane to stand. But out of fear, Venus kicked it far with a hiss.

Venus grabbed their face with his hand and pushed them closer to the edge of the building. ''No'' They screamed. ''Please...'' They touched their stomach. The wound was deep and difficult to heal, and clothes were ruined by blood. '' Why?'' It was the first time Venus yelled at them. They could hear the pain in his voice. ''You tricked me from the beginning''

They wanted to speak but they were tired. They were tired of being trapped in a cage.

''Stop'' Hephaestus flinched when they heard a familiar voice. If he finds you here. He..

Venus stood there and turned his face slowly. ''Who are you?''

''No, No No'' Hephaestus whispered repeatedly.

The strange man raised his two fingers.''Leave it to the floor.'' He ordered.

Venus looked back at Hephaestus. ''I wanted to help'' they mumbled as Venus put them down carefully. ''You were helping before'' They nodded a no. Before, it didn't seem like they were helping. It was a matter of buying time, or how long they could stay with him.

Two more soldiers moved to the roof with Mordred chained up and his pistols and bag far from his presence.

''Who is that?'' The man was surprised when the soldiers forced Mordred down on his knees. One of them even tried to remove the mask from his face.

''No'' The man ordered. Mordred struggled to get free.

‘’So you are one of them, aren’t you?’’ The man sounded amused. Hephaestus held their breath, looking everywhere for a chance of escaping.

‘’Do not worry’’The man comforted Mordred.’’ My Ruler knows how proud warlocks like you are. So I am not about to expose you’’ There was a hidden pleasure behind those words. ‘’ She respects loyalty’’

Hephaestus wanted to laugh. They knew that this was just to play, to enjoy tormenting Mordred. Everyone who knew about Babel would see a white clay in the center of the pyre.

They had to stick to the plan. Their eyes focused on their destination. One more piece of steel to get free and run. They had to focus on their plan. But for a mere second, their eyes shifted to the destination, to the man’s figure.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Their mind stopped working. Rage boiled their blood as their eyes burned with hatred and fear.

‘’So’’The man sighed. ‘’If you are one of them...you’’

While no one was watching them anymore, Hephaestus pulled out a sharp piece of steel from their bag. Standing up, without the help of their cane, the gunsmith jumped the man's side with the steel ready to cut his throat.

''Wait'' Mordred shouted.

But it was too late. The steel stained with blood had fallen to the ground, making a ringing echo. Hephaestus's wrist stood still in the air. Their grip was tightened by the man's iron glove, and their stomach was twisted by the edge of his cane, right at their wound.

They panted, spitting blood, dressing the steel even more with crimson color.

''Gave the artifact to them'' The man with the helm let them go by pushing them to the ground, falling with their hips.

The man kneeled and his face was staring directly at Hephaestus. They have seen this dream, this memory before. That he kneeled like this once and tried to help them by offering his hand to them. They could sense they had seen him once. And they knew who it was…No scientist. Him.

''Ah,'' The man sighed when he realized. His cane was freshly made. He did not have it the last time they saw him. A scale on each side of the tip of his cane as if he was going to weigh two things on it. His helm was known and made too. But Hephaestus could see his expression from the way he was breathing. The tip of the cane pushed their head back, pressuring their jaw to look up at the veil.

''Hello, Little bird’’The man rasped with amusement, looking down at their prosthetic leg.

‘’You have changed’’ He mocked, looking at the terrified mechanic.

Hephaestus tried to crawl back. Back, limb, burning. Mind returning to a house filled with fire. Instead, the only thing they managed was to whimper and snarl.

‘’Why are you alive?’’ Their voice broke, making Mordred face them too.

‘’Tell me where you hid it’’ The man ordered after, pulling them rough by the top of their red copper hair. ‘’Then I will let you end your own life.'' Such hard words came out from a soft gentle tone.

Hephaestus did not speak

‘’Search them’’He stood up disappointed, looking at Venus, and wiped his hands in his pants.

Venus moved to their side, looking surprised they didn’t put up any fight as his fingers slipped into their pockets and vest. In the end, he found the bottle inside their bag.

‘’Please don’t’’ Hephaestus begged. Venus’ expression twitched frightened and stood up on his height so he could avoid Hephaestus once more.

The man’s leathered hand clenched on Venus’s shoulder as he congratulated him. He then turned to the bottle and back at Mordred.

‘’Send both of them to Naraka’’He ordered the soldiers. Venus’ eyes flinched, looking back at Hephaestus. Their bodies were still frozen and blood boiling and their wound were still open.

‘’Let go’’Mordred growled, flexing his arms to escape.

Three more soldiers appeared, pulling Hephaestus far from the rest of them and Mordred. A chain was getting wrapped around their hands, pushing them to their back.

‘’Why?’’ Hephaestus yelled at the man. Everyone looked at them shocked. Even the man turned to them with a gasp. Why are you here?

Their locks stuck to their sweaty brow as their breath was becoming rougher by the second. ‘’Tell me this at least’’They rasped with a burn.

Ten seconds and none spoke or moved, waiting for the man’s answer.

He hit the ground with his cane, making the scales shake. ‘’Balance’’

‘’Hey, new roommates'’ Mara waved with a big grin as Hephaestus and Mordred got inside the wagon all chained up.

Hephaestus touched their thin, dirty fingers to the cold metal as their eyes kept on staring at the other hand, while the wagon was shaking, as the car made a loud cranking sound and the wagon was shaking. The soldiers took their cane, their leg, everything they would help them bend. Mordred chained and mask still attached to his face

‘’Who was that?’’ Mordred asked them calmly and worried.

‘’The scientist’’ Hephaestus muttered and lifted their eyes to his cold gaze.

‘’And you know him‘’ Mordred sighed stretched his neck and tried to speak. Hephaestus did not want to talk about what happened earlier. Especially to him. They never spoke about their past…that chapter of their past at least. Not even to Venus. And they will still not speak about it.

‘’I saw him too’’ Mara complained, moving her knees close to her head. ‘’I didn’t even manage to hit him. As if..’’Her hands were trembling as she gritted her sharp teeth.

‘’How is that possible?’’ Hephaestus asked her.

The wagon stopped again and a soldier opened the door while two others pushed Lucifer and Ukko inside.

‘’Ah,’’ Lucifer complained and touched her left thigh fell harshly to the cold metal. Ukko tried to keep the door open but it was too late as the soldiers locked it fast.

‘’Great’’ Ukko licked his lips and turned to their side. ‘’The gang's all here…now let’s die together’’ He smiled. Hephaestus’s eyes widened when they found his shirt was dark red.

None laughed. All of them were exhausted and frightened after everything that happened.

They were headed to Naraka to burn. Lucifer’s condition became critical as her eyes were closed and her head was pressed against Ukko’s thick shoulder.

‘’So’’Mara spoke and looked at Hephaestus with a small evil grin.

‘’Shall we try it?’’

Naraka, the area of punishment

Hephaestus and the others were all tied up in a cell inside one of the buildings. Lucifer looked at Ukko and leaned closer to him. Her eyes fell on Mara's face which still had blood stains. She then looked at her long gray coat. It didn't fit her as it was way more wide and bulky for something like her to wear. When she realized where she had seen it before she gasped. Mara turned to her and shook her head.

''Are we sure about this?'' Ukko asked and looked at the others. Hephaestus nodded a yes and tried to stretch their wrists while they had iron chains around them. Don't end up like me. They repeated Prometheus's words and let out a chuckle. Mara wrapped her arms around her legs and stared at the others. ''Well, there is no way to turn back time right?'' Her eyes fell on Mordred. He agreed in silence.

Five soldiers pointed their guns at them as the door to the cell opened. The other two wrapped collars around their necks with iron chains to drag them around.

Hephaestus was now jumping like a rabbit, trying to follow the others while the soldier was dragging them toward the tall monotone buildings. The air was even more of a hassle to breathe than the air from Diyu. It was thin, heavy, and smelled disgusting.

The inside of one of the buildings was filled with cells on each floor. And every cell had five to twenty prisoners inside. Hephaestus could not believe that even twenty could fit inside those small cages. How can they move or even breathe properly? They asked themselves.

All of them were walking outside Mara and Mordred looked at the other prisoners who were screaming and praying.

As Hephaestus coughed and moved closer to the other cells, people reached out to grab their body. Mordred stepped closer and offered them his hand. Although Hephaestus tried to move, the soldiers dragged them from the ground with the chain. They let out a shout of pain. Ukko attempted to speak. ''You will chop their head off before even getting to the fire'' He said. He and Mara tried to get them up again, even if the soldiers were dragging them around.

They stopped at one of the other buildings and inside of it, two soldiers were calling out their crimes. The soldiers started with Mordred saying that his name and age were unknown and possibly twenty five. Then Mordred shouted that he was nineteen but they did not change it. Terrorism, murder, witchcraft. Punishment. death. For Hephaestus, they found time to dig in. Mechanic to a local workshop that was cooperating with the army. Assaults, explosions, murder, terrorism, witcraft. To the royal, Lucifer they didn't even bother to say anything as they could see that if she took one more step she might die. To Ukko they even spat on him, telling him the same things as before. And when they turned to Mara, one look in her eyes, they hesitated to speak. She replied, raising her middle finger. The two soldiers tried to shoot her but both Ukko and Hephaestus started shouting, trying to stop whatever would happen.

‘’Great news’’ A soldier with a white coat called walking inside the room. Hephaestus lifted their chin and saw their face. Unlike the other guards, he was clean and smelled of expensive perfume. His eyes fell on all five of them as his lips curved into a disgusting grin.

Hephaestus' eyes turned to Lucifer who looked as if she knew what was happening. Her aunt probably sent him. They guessed.

‘’You will be sent right now to the flames’’