"That will come back to haunt you" Apollo said watching the dark haired woman's hip sway with each step she took,until she closed the door to the small office with a bang.
"I doubt that highly" said Zeus idly fingering a lightning bolt in his hand.
"You know what happens when you mess with Hera" Apollo flopped down on the couch near the window. "Last time she had you tied up for days". Apollo snickered at the memory of the screaming Zeus hanging from the rafters of the banquet hall. He reflected on the spectacle his step-mother had caused a few minutes before. Tears had always been Hera's and Aphrodite's specialty, it always got them out of various sticky situations they belonged in. Normally, they had caused them in the first place. Apollo rarely agreed with his step-mother, but this time he sided with Hera. The little tyke(Hephaestus was it?) was throwing the whole Olympian world off kilter recently with his existence.
Zeus made a face and twirled the bolt on his fingertip, leaning back in the padded office chair. "Now what were we talking about before? Oh yes,your son was it?" Apollo visibly flinched at the words.
"Yes, well it seems," he rose and began to pace back and forth. "that he wants to drive my chariot. I need some, uh, parental advice, Dad." Zeus looked up at him
"Go for it. Whats the worst that could happen? He crashes? Your horses wouldn't let the happen right?"
"Yes, yes of course, but-" He stopped at the sound of raised voices at the door. A few minutes later the door opened a little and Artemis's dark haired head appeared
"Hey little bro" she said, her eyes falling on Apollo.
"Artemis what was all that about?" questioned Zeus eyeing her slightly askew arrow and bow.
"What was what?" she said, the mock innocence dripped from her words. Zeus tapped the desk in front of him with his lightning bolt, charring it slightly.
"Ohhh, you mean before" she came fully into the room now. Her tunic was sprayed with blood which was now beginning to fade and her left sandal was broken at the heel. Both gods stared mouths agape at the goddess. "What?" she looked down and crinkled her nose. "Damn" she muttered to herself "Stag blood" Zeus straightened up while she crumpled into the couch Apollo had vacated. She stretched so that her legs hung over the arm dangling back and forth in a child like manner. "I ran into Hera on the way over." Zeus's eyebrows lifted. "She was ambushing anyone who got within a ten yard radius of this office. Talking about how you, Daddy of all people, won't accept her son. She was all red faced and crying by the time she let me through. I think she's on the war-path so I'd watch out for her if I were you." She made a 'I surrender' gesture "Daddy? Why won't you accept him anyway?" Artemis gave him one of her pleading But-Why-Daddy? little girl's looks. Apollo gagged. Artemis never really needed to use that look on Zeus. She was his favorite and she had him wrapped around her little finger. One year for her birthday Zeus gave her the band of hounds to hunt with that she had been asking for for months, while Apollo had gotten a second hand lute he only recently started picking up.
A knock interrupted before Zeus could reply. A small boy entered timidly. He was dressed in Sheppard's garb and carried a curved stick. He was shaking from head to foot.
"M... my lord Z... Zeus. Th... There is a message from the fields. It seems Lord Apollo's flock has gone m…miss…missing…again." Apollo strode over to the boy and placed his hand on his head. The boy cringed waiting for a blow to the face with the free one.
"Who is your mother?" he asked placing his hand on the boy's face
"Maia" he muttered. Apollo pulled tuft of the boy's red hair and the whole head came away. Artemis gasped. The rest of the disguise fell away to reveal a smaller boy with golden curls.
"Hermes!" raged Apollo. Hermes stuck out his tongue and disappeared. Within seconds Apollo had pulled up the phone on the desk and was speaking into it. He slammed it down and turned to leave "THAT LITTLE RAT BASTARD! HE DID IT AGAIN!" he swore. Zeus coughed. "Oh right sorry Dad. This is the second time he's taken my flock. The poor things are still scared from the last time!" With that he stormed out of the room, the door nearly falling off it's hinges.
"So anyway" said Artemis after a moment passed. Zeus turned back to her. "why won't you accept him?"
"Who?"
"Hephaestus"
"I don't like it. He has only one parent. Hera. Who has only one parent?"
"Athena"
"Doesn't count. I ate her mother"
"DADDY!"
"What! I don't have to explain myself to you. I'm your father and the head of this family!"
"Fine Daddy" Artemis swept up to the door and whipped it opened, and stopped. There in the doorway stood a boy no older than 12, hand raised to knock. His skin was the color of milk which complimented the dark curls that hung around his ears. His chest and arms were bare exposing the muscles working under his skin, around his waist hung a toga and a leather bag. He looked up at Artemis with his crystal eyes.
"Excuse me Lady of the Forest" He bowed deeply. "My name is Hephaestus. I am looking for his Lordship Zeus. I was told that he was here. Is he about?" Artemis recovered and stepped aside to let him into the room. The boy limped in as gracefully as he could and bowed again. "Thank you, my Lady"
"You're …You're very welcome Hephaestus" Artemis stepped out of the room shutting the door with a glance back. Hephaestus swiftly as he was able, approached the desk and bowed. Zeus leaned forward setting down the lightening bolt.
"So you're the little demy-god Hera has been making a fuss over." Hephaestus straightened up and looked at him seriously
"She is my mother. Did you expect her to leave me?" Zeus frowned at him and paused.
"What is it you want?"
"To join my mother here on Olympus"
"And if I deny you?
"I will ask as many times as I need to gain admission, my Lord."
"I see Hera has schooled you well in manners" mused Zeus as Hephaestus fumbled with the bag around his waist.
"Please accept this as a gift" Slowly he pulled out a slender lightening bolt and set it in front of Zeus. It gleamed in the fading afternoon light.
"Perhaps we have a place for you after all. But tell me where did you acquire this skill? I must admit it is the best I have ever seen." Zeus picked up the bolt and examined it farther. "Yes fine, very fine indeed"
"One afternoon while playing with my foster-father's tools I made a blue-sea glass necklace. I gave it to my mother as a gift. She was so impressed she gave me a sheet of pure lightening for my birthday and I made what you see before you"
"Fine then. You can work the forge with the Cyclops as you helpers. You will make lightening bolts for me when I need them . That will be your payment for living here. As for other things, you can make them on your own time."
"So am I an Olympian then?" asked Hephaestus smiling.
"Yes my boy, you are"
I'm not why I portrayed Hephaestus the way he was. In th myths he is considered ugly and lame. I made him lame with his natural limp, but as for the ugly..I'm not sure.This for some reason is how I see him. Maybe I see him this way before he is thrown off the mountain by Zeus (in one of the myths he fights with Zeus and is tossed off ) LR