Caution: Lime ahead, but not in a good way.

Death, Greed, & Love
Chapter 36
Hephastis' Pain

"What did you do?"

She looked up from the tiny corpse that stained the wooden floor of her room to meet his gaze.

"Hep-chan."

She sucked in deeply the tobacco that she was smoking when she saw him wince.

"The child—"

She cut him off before he could finish.

"You're a strange one Hep-chan. Most men would have tried to kill me or avoid me after what I did to you. You do neither." She laughed. "You came to see how I was during the pregnancy, even though you wince every time you're in my presence." She moved over to him, and caressed his cheek with her long nails. Her lips curved into a smirk when she felt his skin tremble where she touched it. It was as if he was fighting the urge to not pull away. She took another puff, this time blowing it into his face. She laughed when Hephastis started to cough violently. Her eyes thoughtful, she stroked his russet locks. "I suppose the child would have been beautiful. Your hair," she continued to finger the coopery strands, "your eyes," her gaze lingered on the silver pupils as she released his hair and turned away, "my dark looks, my figure…She would have fetched a pretty penny. She would have been exotic. Every man's wet fantasy. It's unfortunate." The woman frowned at the dark expression that flashed through Hephastis' eyes. Then she smirked. Maybe she was starting to have an effect on him after all.

"Why did you kill the child?"

"She would have interfered with my work."

"I would have cared for her."

"You? Care for a daughter that was born out of rape? Don't make me laugh."

"So how is the construction on the fortress coming?"

He hated the woman in front of him.

"Well enough. The foundation has been laid and the four watch towers are nearing completion."

Hate, hate hate. Her brilliant eyes, her slender figure. Her hair was too long. Women should be fat and submissive. Like Aya.

"I have brought the plans for the armory, dormitories, training facilities, and briefing rooms. Do you wish to see them?"

A stupid bitch. Hephastis sneered.

"That what I called you hear for isn't it. Interfering little bitch."

Had he said that aloud? The narrowing of the eyes confirmed his suspicions. She said nothing as placed the bound scrolls on his already littered desk. Her movements weren't angry. Her limbs weren't trembling with the rage that he knew was boiling up inside of her. It was with a light touch that she placed the plans on the wood surface. Hephastis could appreciate all of this. Her face was calm and expressionless. Even her eyes, as they boldly met his, were calm. If only the rest of her body was like her face. Her stance was a slouchy, rebellious one. One hand firmly gripped the hilt of the sword at her waist. One leg was bent a bit at the knee while the other was rigid. Her other arm hung limply.

"That is enough, Taiji-ya-kun."

The baby was buried in an unmarked grave by the river. Its mother had not wanted to bother with such a thing, but did so at his insistence. Hephastis wanted to think that this act meant something.

"Hey Cle. Hope you're having fun up there. Are you getting along with all the other kids? I bet you're like your daddy. Not letting the bullies push you around are you." Hephastis took out a bunch of crimson lilies wrapped in golden mesh. "I brought you a gift Cle. Their called crimson lilies. They're a hibryd that my sister made. She used the seeds of lilies of red roses. Aren't they pretty? I wanted to bring you something special."

Who was he fooling? Cle, his baby girl, meant nothing to that whore. That's what she was a whore. A damn whore, just like his mother. The bitch left when he was only 3, when his sister was 20.

Sleeping with the enemy.

"I guess what your grandpa said was true, Cle. The only women you can trust are the fat ones. They're dim and submissive. They know their place. Your Auntie is one of those people. You would have liked her. She would have been the perfect mother. Did I ever tell you that she is barren? Sis doesn't think any man will ever want her, so she takes care of my father. I hope that some day I can find a woman like her. You're not like her are you Cle? I mean up there. It's strange, but for some reason that makes me happy."

Hephastis was very much aware that he was being watched. The passerbys were watching. Pointing and staring. Did they think he was crazy? Did they worry that the new High General was crazy? Young and handsome as he was?

"Oh, that's right Cle. I forgot to tell you. I got promoted. King Higurashi made me the High General. It's a pretty important job. I protect the borders. Well, I got to go now Baby. It's getting late. Don't worry. I'll be here next year. My big girl. You're three now. Be strong. Don't let any one tell you what to do. Hmph, listen to me. Telling you to be a strong women when I've been hurt by that type. I wonder why? Bye, bye Cle."

Now she decided to speak.

"The name's Sango."

"Sango-kun." He didn't touch the plans. "I will get to the plans later. Come and see me tomorrow so that we can go over any changes that need to be made."

Look at her hands tighten around the hit at the implication of changes!

"Yes, High General."

"Now you may go and tell the workers that they may return to the families. I will send someone letter to spell the wood and the foundation."

"I'm sorry?"

"The workers must be tired, Sango-kun, and winter will soon be upon us. The workers need rest. I am not Naraku. I would not make them work through such a harsh season."

Aah, there is the look of surprise.

"The spelling of the wood and foundation will keep it from rotting. It will be fresh and ready for work when spring arrives."

"Very well." The Taiji-ya turned to leave without another word. Hephastis raised an eyebrow at her impertinence.

"You forget to bow, Sango-kun."

Her back went rigid, but she stopped. Her turn was not graceful, but stiff. She gave him a curt bow, hardly acceptable, and turned around again to leave. All this time her hand remained tense upon the hilt of her sword.

"Now, Sango-kun, that is hardly acceptable."

Her stop was only a pause before she continued walking.

"Only the Queen is allowed to leave a room without being dismissed, and that is only until she is married. Such rudeness will only be tolerated once. Do you understand?"

There was no response from the woman until she had crossed the large study and stopped at the door.

"Yes, Lord."

Hephastis crushed the letter that he had been holding in his hand. Such impertintance! That woman would do well to remember her place.

Yes, Lord. The curt words resounded inside his skull. Something, a long suppressed memory, took a hold of these words and morphed them until the Lord became taunting, the yes became cruel.

The High General was hardly aware that he whispered the words as he grabbed at another letter of request in an attempt to keep the memory at bay.

"Yes, Lord." Mocking and cruel.

Her hands were smooth and soft as they kneaded his shoulders.

"My," her voice was husky, flirtatious, "we are tense, aren't we?"

"It's been a long day." His eyes were closed and relished in the feeling, in the release of the tensions of his life. "I'll be graduating from the Academy soon."

"Aren't you the top of your class?"

"Yes."

"Then why so stressed? Surely that must make things easier."

"It is because of this standing that I am so stressed." He leaned his head back to rest on her shoulder. She pulled away from him to sit on the edge of the bed. Without her support he fell back with a soft thud. He looked at her profile quizzically before continuing. "They expect so much to me I feel like I'm suffocating Gypsy."

She did not respond. Using her fingers she traced the intricate swirls of the satin coverlet. Her eyes were on the window that overlooked out into the street.

"What's your real name?"

The question seemed to startle her, but her eyes still never left the window.

"My real name?"

"The name your parents gave you. Your birth name."

"My name is Gypsy. That is all you need to know, Hep-chan."

He wrinkled up his nose. "Don't call me that. No one does."

"Your sister does."

"Yes, well, she's the only one that can."

Hephastis moved his arm from the bed, and crossed them behind so that they would support his head.

"Why do you come here?"

There was something in her voice, some sort of harsh note, that made his hair stand on end. She turned around and pulled her knees onto the bed. She almost seemed to purr as she crawled over to him.

"Gypsy—"

"Shh." The edge of the manicured nail that she placed on his lips created a tingling sensation. Something was forming deep in his belly as she continued to speak.

"You have been coming to see me for over a month. You take up so much of my time. You waste it."

He could only stare into her eyes; the softness that usually dwelt there had left only to be replaced by a hard chill. The emotions that filled his stomach, desire and fear, warred with each other. Still he continued to stare at her eyes. The fear seemed like it was going to win when she raked her hands through his hair. Her long nails scrapped against his scalp. He bled.

Hephastis wanted to whimper when she yanked his hair hard. His scalp touched the bed, crushing his arms painfully.

Still he continued to stare into those beautiful eyes.

The finger she had placed on his lip trailed downwards. Her fingers curled around his neck. For a moment he thought she would choke him. Then her fingers, nails and all, snagged on his collar. She pulled down tearing the silk shirt.

She brought her face close to his ear as the hand on his chest went down further still. She gripped his genitals painfully.

"It is time you stopped wasting my time. Yes, Lord?" So cruel. Painfully cruel.

Resistance never entered his mind. He just stared, turning his head so he could look deep into those beautiful, purple eyes.

A rage welled up deep from within. Anger at himself, at her, at everyone—male or female. Letting out a cry of frustration Hephastis swept an arm across his desk. Remnants of broken wax seals and rejected Tournament requests fell to the floor.

Damn her. Damn her!

He was hardly recomposed when he straightened himself in his chair and ripped off the seal of the envelope. He moved to do the same with the wax seal of the letter but stopped when he noticed the etching in the wax. He picked up the envelope and turned over to see its point of origin.

The Kashante Territories.

Never before had he felt so violated. The pain as she consumed him tore at his soul. He cried. He felt warmth closing in on him from all side and for a moment concentrated on the warmth, the slickness.

Bile rose in his throat.

He was being tarnished, defiled.

This woman, this whore, was turning him into something he wasn't. He was becoming a strangeness. An unwanted one. It was at that moment that Hephastis wanted nothing more than to hurt her, bruise her.

So why couldn't he bring himself to do it? Why did he continue to stare into those eyes?

He couldn't take his eyes off of the Kashentean seal. The golden dog etched in black. Something about the elegant seal brought forth memories that he didn't want to deal with. He couldn't stop the musings. Cle would be seven if she had lived. She would have been a lady-in-waiting for the Queen. He might have been able to bring himself to like the Queen, maybe even lo—no he could never.

Fat and dim. Fat and dim.

—Still the Queen might have liked her. She liked children.

At least that's what he heard.

Unbidden, came the image of his Queen and Naraku. The daughter that could have been rushing to save her lady from the beatings. The Queen turning around to shield a seven year old girl with her own body. Protecting a frail and tiny form while her own turned black and blue.

An emotion rose in the gut of his stomach. It choked his lungs and clogged his throat. His eyes stung and when he blinked his vision started to blur.

"Baby Cle."

A sudden desire, a need, an urge, to be comforted welled up. Sister, I need—

Hephastis stood up suddenly and headed for the door. He needed her so badly. He could just picture her, the plump body wrapped in silk. The scent of flowers always permeated her skin. She spent so much time in her garden. She should have the new flowers she promised for Cle's birthday.

He didn't bother to grab his cloak. It would be cold. Fall was ending in Veshrane. Winter would soon follow. It was cold, but he didn't care. He needed his sister too badly.

His pace was hurried, rapid. Hephastis walked as fast as he dared, doing his best to prevent others from seeing the tears that were starting to trail down his cheeks. As soon as he stepped into the Court Yard the young lord all but ran to the stables.

The letter of request from the Keshante Territories lay where he had left it, the black and gold half broken.

Happy birthday, Cle.

Ok, you guys probably hated this chapter, but I don't care. Iloved it. I liked writing it..except for that one part. It's strange Hephastis was originally just a filler character, an obstacle for the others to face. Some where between chapter 34 and 35 he became to be very important to me. Yes, he is an asshole in the biggest sense of the word, but I love him. Somewhere along the way I fell in love with him and ended up devopling one extra character. I love my Hep-chan. Sadly, this is the last time he'll play a big role in DGL. I am planning on doing a long one-shot sequel to DGL that centers around Kagura. He may make a cameo appearance in that. I hope that this chapter will bring you to love Hep-chan. It may not be as much as I do, but the tiniest but pf love and sympathy would give me such satisfaction as a writer. When I rewrite DGL, both as an original and as a fanfiction I will give more scenes with him. I'm going to cry now so I'll go.

Jav-chan