I didn't linger long in Hades' realm I tried to leave the Underworld as quickly as possible. The first thing I had to do was restore my armor and shield. The spear, as always, remained in perfect condition the enhancement granted by Talos had proven its worth.
After four battles with gods and monsters, my shield was riddled with dents and gashes. I doubted it would survive another fight.
Hades had said that Hecate could only be found with the help of two artifacts. Could Charon's lantern serve as a substitute? By its nature, it was meant for navigation through the Underworld, seemingly effective only here. But what if I changed its purpose?
I had learned to summon weapons into this world from memory. But what if I tried to create something entirely different?
Perhaps the lantern could point the way to its owner if I had something that once belonged to Hecate? Like a hound tracking a scent. All I needed was something tied to her.
I was just leaving Hades' palace when I noticed an Erinys following me.
"Are you looking for death?" I asked without turning around.
"I do not fear death. As long as there are murderers, there will be me," the Erinys replied with a faint smile.
"Want to test that?" I scoffed.
"Perhaps not. And you couldn't stop me even if I chose to follow you," she said, locking eyes with me.
"Then stay out of my way. My patience is not eternal."
"Very well. I'm simply curious to see what you'll do next. Think of me as a little bird following in your wake," the Erinys said before dissolving into a black mist. In the blink of an eye, she turned into a raven and perched just off the path. "I heard you forged your own shield? So you're fond of smithing. You're in luck Hephaestus isn't far from here. Want to see him?"
Hephaestus? Wasn't he supposed to be in the Underworld? If memory serves, after the Pandora's Box incident, he was crippled and banished. Had everything changed, and now he was bound here? Or had I simply arrived too late?
"What is he doing here?" I asked.
"He needs materials. The volcano lies directly above Tartarus. Its depths birth the strongest metal in existence. That's where Hephaestus gathers what he needs for his craft," the Erinys explained.
"Take me to him," I said.
She nodded silently and took to the sky, leading me along a narrow path winding through a lava lake. As I followed, I felt the full weight of my exhaustion. The heat here was nearly unbearable sweat streamed down my neck like a river. I hadn't eaten or drunk anything in two days. My body burned, but I pressed on.
The smith god had to help me and in return, I would aid him.
Hephaestus was never a good or evil god. He was a master of his craft, a soul driven by his work. His actions in the past could be understood: as a father, he had to do what he could to protect his daughter. Kratos sought the Flame of Olympus to kill Zeus. Pandora became the center of that chaos. Fate had dealt a cruel hand to both father and daughter.
We neared Tartarus the prison of some of the most powerful Titans. Hephaestus himself had forged this place. For some reason, the name of Hades' wife Persephone crossed my mind. I didn't know why, but it was a thought worth returning to later.
Deep underground, in the belly of heat and stone, it was hard to breathe. We reached the volcano, where magma spread out into a fiery lake. Soon, I heard iron striking stone dull, rhythmic blows, like the heartbeat of a stone giant. With every step, the ground trembled slightly, and small fountains of lava burst skyward, raining fire back down upon the surface. Shielding myself from the droplets, I pressed forward toward the sound until I saw Hephaestus.
His body lacked symmetry, as if shaped in torment. Massive arms and shoulders looked grotesquely disproportionate to his short legs and crooked torso. A steel brace clung to his stomach, holding his posture in place. But beauty was not his strength. In his hands, he held an enormous hammer, striking a tunnel into the rock. Each blow tore the air, sending shards of stone flying.
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Soon, he noticed me and stopped.
"Who are you supposed to be?" he asked, his voice raspy.
"Damocles," I replied. "I come with a request. I want to learn the craft of the forge. To master your art."
Hephaestus squinted at me, wiped sweat from his brow with a calloused hand, and stepped closer. He was nearly as tall as Heracles.
"Learn?" he repeated. "And why should I take you as an apprentice?"
He gave me a brief once-over. There was a flicker of curiosity in his eyes but then he turned his back, slung the hammer over his shoulder, and began walking back toward the tunnel.
"Pandora," I said. It was the only word that could hold his attention.
The hammer froze in mid-air. He turned his head slowly no longer with curiosity, but with a cold, guarded stare.
"Speak while you still can," he growled, now fully facing me. The mention of her clearly stirred pain and anger.
"There are too many ears here," I said, nodding toward the Erinys still perched nearby.
"Hmph..." Hephaestus narrowed his eyes, eyeing her with suspicion. "My island is a safer place to talk."
Then, his gaze landed on my shield and spear.
"Did you forge that junk yourself?"
There was no mockery in his tone just blunt honesty. I wasn't offended. This was the greatest smith of the gods. I knew well that my skills were far from refined.
"Only the shield," I replied, removing it from my forearm and offering it to him.
He took it, turning it over in his hands, running his fingers across the dents and cracks.
"I can feel the echoes of great force in this shield. Talos? I see traces of Cerberus' flame... and these look like Hades' claws," he muttered.
"Yes. Heracles had a hand in it too," I added.
Hephaestus grunted.
"Just metal. No finesse, no artistry. But it wasn't forged for parades, was it? This is a warrior's shield."
He set it on the ground, lifted his hammer, and brought it down with force at the shield's center.
A sharp clang rang out, echoing through the stone. The ground trembled. Flames burst into the air, and Hephaestus barely furrowed a brow. The shield split at the point of impact, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface.
"Hmph. Not the worst I've seen. As I thought, the strength wasn't in the shield," Hephaestus said.
"You broke my shield," I said.
"Damn right I did! I'll help you forge a better one. And you'll show me what you can do," he declared, walking over to the lava and picking up a chunk of ore stacked nearby. He plunged it into the molten lake his arms glowing with scarlet patterns as the heat embraced him. A minute later, he pulled the molten metal free, shaped it with his bare hand into a rough sphere, and set it aside. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he produced an anvil and placed it on a flat stone.
Next, lifting my shield, he walked back to the lava lake and submerged it. When he withdrew his hands, the shield was gone.
"Now get to work. I'll guide you. Pull the ingot out yourself," Hephaestus said, pointing to a fragment of the shield protruding from the flaming sea.
Very well. So be it.