Preparation Helps. Scary Goddess Is Here.

Some three years later, Oizys got tired of waiting, and took matters into her own hands, screaming as loud as she could:

"COME AND FACE ME ME ME! CHILD OF THE QUEEN OF OLYMPUS OLYMPUS OLYMPUS!"

Her voice echoes across the islands of Lemnos. The sea nymphs near the coasts all dashed away from the land, and the few hundred inhabitants of Lemnos froze in fear.

Oizys knew that she was not mistaken when she get that burst of divinity all those years ago when she was near.

Even when she arrived at that area and nothing was to be found, the 'rumours' of Hera banishing her newborn child solidified her thoughts.

THAT DIVINITY SHE FELT WAS OF THE CHILD OF HERA! A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO DISPLAY HER STRENGTH!

But after years of searching and finally finding out where the child may be hiding, THAT DAMN BITCH ATHENA JUST HAD TO STEP IN!!

NO LONGER WILL SHE HESITATE BECAUSE OF HER!

SHE WILL PROVE HERSELF AND FINALLY BECAME AN OLYMPIAN!

NO LONGER KNOWN AS THE DAUGHTER OF NYX!

When she defeats that offspring she will feed…feed…FEED!!!

….

"HEPH!" I heard a shout come from below me.

I was currently sitting upon the shoulder of my gigantic statue that reaches a solid 40 meters. I stood and jumped from it, landing near where I heard the call.

"There you are," I heard as I turned around.

"Algaea," I said happily as she came near me.

"Hello Heph," she responded, "Still working on the statue?"

"Of course I am," I replied with a laugh, "Trust me when you see what this will do, even your will lose your composure,"

I saw her smile before turning her head, her hair covering her face from my view.

"The more I look at it the more confused I get at how you mean that this will become something as great as you explain…you haven't even given it any features, just a simple, smooth, empty human canvas,"

"Well…I wanted to make one in honour of Eurynome or Thetis; They refused when I explained what it would do," I told her.

"Why will you tell them and not me?" She asked turning to me, "Am I not as important to you?"

"No! You are important to me Algaea!" I exclaimed, nearing her, "I just decided that I want to give you a nice surprise…for the celebration of your birth soon,"

"Oh-Well…then I guess I can be a little bit more patient," she said, her face angled up so I could see her smile

By the gods, she is beautiful.

"One day," I started, turning and looking up at my newly made creation, "When the time comes, this will protect the people of Lemnos,"

"You are too kind for your own good Hephaestus," she told me, grabbing my hand

I relaxed at the touch and questioned, "How do you mean?"

"Don't think I didn't see all of those weeks of you trying to find a way to build this…I may not know what it may do…but I know it can't have been easy for you,"

I chuckled at her words and looked down at her, my body now already fully matured and grown to full height, "You knew?"

"Of course, I'm always…I'm always there to help you," she said, "It is good you have chosen to be a benevolent God, Heph; I guess…We must simply have courage and be kind,"

I brought her into a hug, enjoying a different kind of warmth, and said, "Thank you, Algaea,"

I felt her clutch me tighter as we both stayed in each other's embrace.

"I decided on the statue's name," I started, "I shall call it 'The Steward', to look over those of the Isle of Lemnos,"

"Argus…my first automat-""COME AND FACE ME ME ME! CHILD OF THE QUEEN OF OLYMPUS OLYMPUS OLYMPUS!"

A cold sliver spread up my spine as my fiery hair began to fluctuate.

"W-What was that?" Algaea asked, terrified.

"I…do not know. Algaea, run, back to Thetis, quickly. Whatever it is…it feels extremely wicked," I told her.

"What about you Hephaestus?! Come with me, quickly!" she said, hurriedly trying to pull me away.

I looked over to my statue, noticing that dark clouds began to hang overhead as if the air carried with it the torment of thousands.

"No…they come here with the intent to harm…what kind of man would I be if I ran with my tail between my legs?" I told her firmly.

"Also, I have been prepared for an invader ever since Thetis and Eurynome had conversed about it. I shall draw her to where I had prepared…and I shall best whoever this invader shall be," I explained confidently.

As I began to head away, I heard Algaea call to me, "Just…be careful Hephaestus…Mother would be sad-I would be sad if Gods forbid…you never return,"

"Of course," was my simple reply as I dash away.

I took a few deep breaths and told myself, "Come on Hephaestus. Trust in yourself. Trust in your machines. You're going to win this. You have to win this,"

I finished putting everything inside of my pouch, everything I placed inside vanished - no weight, no mass, no volume - though I knew everything would be there as soon as I reached for it.

Oh, how I love this small pouch.

"OFFSPRING OFFSPRING OFFSPRING. WHERE ARE YOU YOU YOU?!" I heard from the same snarky voice as earlier.

I reached where I had prepared a small battlefield, filled with my trinkets and contraptions and, taking out a bow and arrow, attached a note reading:

"Follow The Fire"

Thus, I let the arrow loose towards the direction of the voice, hoping it would reach them.

Then, I lit a grand pyre behind me, releasing a radiant set of fire into the sky.

"THESE GAMES ARE FOOLISH FOOLISH FOOLISH!!! WHEN I ARRIVE I WILL RIP YOU INTO RIBBONS RIBBONS RIBBONS!!!"

To say I was fearless at that moment would be a lie, but, it mattered not, as my conviction was greater than my worry.

"THERE YOU ARE ARE ARE," I heard the voice once more.

I looked ahead and saw a woman. Her skin was pale and looked to be lacking the glow of the sun. Her hair was grimmish and messy; The overall description would not be grotesque, but she holds with her, a strange type of beauty.

Her most defining feature was the countless chains that spread across her body, cutting into her skin.

"Well…here I am," I told her, feeling the glow of the fire behind me strengthen me ever so slowly.

"YES YES YES. YES, YOU ARE ARE ARE," She replied with a smile which looked to be straight from Tartarus.

….

"Mother!" I shouted as I entered my home, "Hephaestus…something is here for Hephaestus!"

"What?! Where is he?!" She shouted.

"He went to see who was calling for him," I told her, scared at her tone of voice.

"Was it that voice?!" Mother asked me desperately, "Please, tell me it wasn't that voice!" she continued to plead.

"Y-Yes it was…why? Do you know who that was?" I asked her, seeing her drop to her knees in terror.

Hearing no reply, I went right up close to her and asked again, "Mother, do you know who that was?!"

"Yes…" she finally responded, "That was Oizys, she is the child of Erebus and Nyx, children of Chaos, she is someone who holds a thousand years,"

"Hephaestus…he is but a young god who has barely even begun to understand his godly powers; Not even knowing his true form yet! How come someone so young defeat a heavily experienced Goddess?!" she cried in anguish.

"We should have run when I found out! By the Gods…I knew this would come but…didn't do anything…"

"Then why did you leave him here mother?!" I screamed at her, for the first time feeling anger at her.

I don't know why it is that I begin to act so…so strange when I am near Hephaestus. His natural smile and how enjoyable he is to be around, holding with him a natural charisma; He is the first one I had ever wanted to spend so much time with besides my sisters, Thalia and Euphrosyne.

I had yet to tell Hephaestus that I am the youngest member of the charities, children of Zeus. I was scared of what he would think if I told him that I am the child of an Olympian…

What if he is scared that my parent is such a powerful person?! I didn't want to even imagine the scenario!

"What's going on here?!" I heard the familiar voice of Thetis call out, "Eurynome tell me that voice wasn't who I thought it to be,"

"Hephaestus…he has gone to face Oizys!" Mother told her.

"What?! I thought you said that Athena had told you 4 years! 4, not 3!" Thetis screamed at her, clutching her clothes

"She did tell me that!" Mother retorted

"Why are we still here in the first place then?!" I screamed at the two of them.

They paused for a few moments, seemingly contemplating what to say.

Eventually, when I heard nothing, I said, "Fine, I'll just go and help him myself!"

"Selfish," I heard Thetis murmur, "It's because I am selfish. I just wanted Hephaestus to grow into a nice young God, not having to worry about the burden of being the child of Hera! The moment I found him at the same time as Hera casting her child into the ocean I knew I should have taken him back,"

I stared in shock at this information. All this time, Hephaestus' lineage had been just like mine, the worst part was he didn't even know…

"But I didn't. Every time I saw those small hands clutch around my fingers…or when his hair would warm me during the night as a cold breeze came in. When he spoke his first words, walked his first steps, crafted his first mechanisms and the curiosity of childhood would take over his every action…"

"I just wanted to be his mother," She finished, pain painted on her face.

"It's the same with me," Mother joined, "I didn't want to have to flee every time we found somewhere that could be considered a home for him…it would just be a life of constant pain and suffering!"

My body begins to move before I can think as I dash through the door of the house.

"Algaea! Come back here!" I heard my mother shout

Despite this, I continued towards where a giant column of fire had risen, running to try and help Hephaestus in any way I can.

Maybe then…I could confess to him how I feel…

….

Finally…The time to feast on this god and claim a throne on Olympus had presented itself before me.

At first, I was shocked to see his appearance, since it carries more resemblance to what a Titan would look like rather than a God…

Maybe Hera got so scared and remembered her past…that coward…

He was ruggedly handsome, dirt and grime along with his hands and legs, not the typical delicate beauty one would see in your average god, with a common elemental theme of fire accompanying him.

He also holds some interesting trinkets along his belt and arms…interesting.

"I WILL FEAST ON YOUR FLESH FLES-"

*CLICK*

I quickly looked down to where I heard the strange sound, seeing my foot standing on a small section of land that had been pressed into the ground in a squared shape.

BRRRRRRIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGG!!!

A sudden assault had been placed on my ears as if the screams of every soul in Tartarus directly themselves towards me. I was sent onto one knee as I desperately clawed at my ears, trying to make the noise stop.

I looked to the sides, noticing how there were two small, unfamiliar contraptions layout either side of me.

I plunged my fist into the earth, ripping out a large piece of rock before ripping it into two, throwing them at each of them; The ringing in my ears continued as I stayed in a knelt position.

"επί" was the small whisper I could hear that came from the young god before a sharp celestial bronze pipe shot from the ground, straight into my neck, forcing me to get to my feet unnaturally.

"Did you know…Orthostatic hypotension is a form of low blood pressure that occurs when standing,"

"WHAT ARE YOU-""In dumber terms, when you stand up too fast…"

Suddenly, a horrendous wave of nausea came over me, sending me back down onto both my knees.

"You get dizzy,"

Now, I was completely on the floor, attempting to recover from whatever the God had hit me with.

"And you FALL…"

….

"So…Narcissus, why did you want me to come here again?" A goddess asked.

She was extremely excited; She was invited personally by an extremely handsome God so they could possibly turn just a mere meeting into something more.

She looked to his face since he had not responded to her. What she saw was just him, Narcissus, staring into a small pool of water.

She went close and put her head near his to see what he was looking at; It was his reflection.

She stepped away and asked, "Narcissus?"

"Have you ever looked at someone…and fucked the shit out of them in your head?" He asked her, his gaze getting even deeper towards the water.

She then decided she would swiftly leave, since she saw his smile was getting abnormally wide…