Good Mor-Night! :) (Since it is already midnight here haha)

First of all, four words.

I AM TRULY SORRY

It had been almost 2 weeks since my last update and I truly regret it. Everything went unruly with high school thesis defense and practice for the moving up and it totally drained my brain cells. *sighs* To make up for it, here's a long chapter :) I've always admired Hermes and so I dedicated a long chapter for him :) As you notice, he's the only one with a silver item. It is because considering that he is the intellectual and practical type, silver would be more of use rather than gold so there it is xD.

Please enjoy this chapter and let see what you think through reviews!

Thank you so much for supporting this story even though the update had gotten slow. Thank you so much! :')

Lovelots,
FlufflyClutchie


"Silver Lamp"


A genuine smile formed on the lips of Dionysius as he saw his piece engraved itself into the orb that his father held. Doing favours for his mother had always been his pleasure for he had felt that he was positively in debt to her. Even when he was helping her, he felt that a burden was taken from him by the telling the truth behind his story.

Dionysius' guard rose as Ares stood up to approach him with an emotionless expression on his face. The tension rose and everyone was ready to restrain the two if the expected happens. Ares clenched his right fist and in a swift flash, he vanished before their eyes only to appear right in front of Dionysius whose surprise is indescribable.

Ares stood firm and straight from his transition pose and lightly smacked his young brother's left chest. Right after that, he left the room without speaking a word. Silence dominated the hall as they processed what had transpired.

"What was that all about?" Demeter broke the ice and Athena smiled at her. Among all of them, she knew him best both personally and in the battlefield.

"It is his way of saying that he truly respects a person." Athena clarified and upon seeing the serene look on her father's face, she knew that he realized that sooner than the rest. Perhaps it may even be the reason why he didn't do anything even as Ares was approaching Dionysius.

"Not quite the talker yet I am glad that I was able to gain his respect." Dionysius spoke as he let out an exasperated sigh. He got caught up in his own tension only to realize that it was for naught. "Father, you must proceed to the next piece. Mother is waiting for you." He added with a smile and this time, Zeus bumped his fist at the exact spot Ares landed on.

It didn't take Zeus a minute to find out who was next for it was Hermes who was at the back of Dionysius.

"Hermes, your light is deeming us." Zeus benignly spoke and Hermes smiled wryly. He knew that he was next for it was in his calculated possibilities. The sense of certainty intoxicated him like wine to Dionysius and he could not help but to feel indulgent to it.

How blessed is he to be blessed with intellect that is only second to those of the monarchs'.

"Forgive me, my lord but the item that my light seeks is definitely in my chambers. I would love to fetch it here but unlike my sibling, I wish not for it to be known." Hermes stated in a more sincere manner. After all, Hera had only given him a single lamp. For an intellectual like him, it may only have a practical use but that lamp has a sentimental value to him which contradicts practicality.

"Very well then, let us go." Zeus replied and they all went with Hermes taking the lead. They glided across the magnificent golden halls of the palace towards the room of the young god. They flew the biggest fenestella they could find open and soared to the room at the roof of the palace tower where he resides.

Hestia could barely contain her gasp as she saw how cluttered his chamber was. It was good thing that dust never reaches the palace for it would have made things worse. She had felt a strong urge to do a general cleaning as the Goddess of the Hearth. The shelves and wooden treasure chests were filled with so many things that are either broken or antique. Since her nephew had chosen the palace tower's roof to live in, the space was cramped. Their mere presence takes half of that meagre space. She gazed above and saw a huge square leather cloth that she estimated to be three yards on each side held by golden chains upon the roof's foundations at the ceiling. Judging by the feathers falling from it, it must be his bed and she thought of it as quite unique and amusing.

"Ah, forgive my tiny and messy abode, great deities." Hermes spoke as he bent to his knees to open a chest that seemed the most ancient among all of his boxes. He procured a silver kerosene lamp that reflects the seven colours of the rainbow when light reflects on it. The designs on the silver lamp closely resemble that of his Caduceus.

"Father, had my light etched itself on this beautiful lamp?" Hermes playfully queried as he brought the lamp closer to his cheeks.

"It does. Will you tell us the tale of that lamp?" Zeus replied and Hermes set the wick of the lamp ablaze. The dark mellow Dusk approached which showcased the golden flame of the lamp.

"This lamp was given to me by Mother after she saw me bathing in the blood of the wood nymphs." Said Hermes, with a grim smile on his face.


The moon was young and whole that tragic night when Hermes decided to rest under a cider tree in a forest where beautiful nymphs live. Roaming back and forth to deliver messages is tiring and places tended by divine beings are always exquisitely beautiful. The beauty of his surroundings cures his stress but that night was different.

As much as he likes to gain knowledge of things which are unknown to the majority, he despises gossip most especially against his family.

"Ladies, don't you think that Lady Hestia does not deserve to be in the pantheon? I mean, she is a mere goddess of hearth and she is not even famous among the mortals!" A nymph blurted which sent them all into a chorus of laughter.

"Even more with the queen! She just sits daintily on the throne and brings plague to whoever she wished. I heard that there was a time that she did nothing but punish the mistresses of King Zeus for the entire day! What a useless queen!" Another spoke and there was so much scorn in her voice that it made them all silent with deadly thoughts formed upon their minds.

"Wouldn't it be better if I were the queen? I would surely be more of use rather than that sadistic, pampered brat! Having King Zeus as a husband is one thing any woman would die for and yet she is not content with that? Greedy little bitch!" The nymphs' ring leader said out loud that one of them covered her mouth in fear that the mighty deities might wreak havoc upon them.

Little did they know that it already came.

"Hah! I am better! I have more heart than Lady Hera and a better wife at that matter." Another brave nymph claimed and she giggled like a maniac. By this time, all the nymphs slowly found the courage to speak that they are more suited to be queen. Intellect is the reason of the other, one because of beauty and all the other qualities of a woman that they found lacking in the current queen.

He gritted his teeth in annoyance upon eavesdropping and could not resist to unleash upon them sweet justice. They know nothing of the queen's burden. He could only think in disgust on how those nymphs dare mock Hera.

"I admire your courage to say those things, ladies." He suavely uttered as he revealed himself out of the woods and into the moonlight. His silver hair stood out the most and his sapphire eyes allured the wooden nymphs' hearts. He was the epitome of a beautiful disaster waiting for the right chance.

"Lo-Lord He-Hermes! A pleasant evening to you." One of the nymphs greeted as she stutters in fear. She realized that he must have heard their conversation and they feared that it will be made known to the entire pantheon. Punishment would surely come to them and a sentence from above is nothing to be taken lightly.

"Unfortunately, my evening had already been destroyed by a herd of ignorant damsels. Do you know that only higher divine beings can bring death to those beneath them?" Hermes asked them in a threateningly polite manner. The venom from his words was enough to make their teeth chatter in fear and some had fallen to their knees.

"Ye-yes, Lord Hermes. Pe-pe-please forgive us! All hail, the Olympians!" The ring leader spoke as she turned to her comrades, signalling them to follow her example. In no time, they were chanting praises in order to appease Hermes but it did the exact opposite.

"Foolish women! You speak of praises when we are looking and stab us behind our backs. Beings like you aren't worthy of life. You would do the world a favour by shedding your blood to make this forest fertile." Hermes calmly told them as he swiftly grabbed a nymph by the next and twisted it in a blink of an eye. The nymphs screamed upon seeing one of them lay lifeless on the ground. The nymphs screamed in terror as they all flee but the God of Thieves was swift. With his dagger and the aid of his Caduceus, he slayed them all in cold blood and a smile of satisfaction bore on his lips.

It was he who robbed the life of those who speak ill against the Olympians.

All hail, the God of the Thieves.

"Woe to those who are ignorant and foolish!" Hermes exclaimed as he cleansed his blades of blood. He heard a twig snap behind him and his senses sharpened. He instantly faced his back and slashed his dagger by the neck, snapping the lock of the figure's cloak. Even so, the figure stood proud and regal while holding her lamp.

Hermes stood astounded and unable to move due to shock when he saw whom the cloak was hiding.

It was Hera.

"Yo-your Highness, Queen Hera, what brings you into this filthy realm?" Hermes nervously greeted as he bowed to give honour to her. Hera eyed his surroundings and saw the cadavers of the nymphs her bloody son had left. He secretly smiled as he thought that it would bring happiness to his vainful mother that those who tamper upon her name are dead.

Yet when he looked up, he saw nothing but her indignant frown.

"Why did you murder them, Hermes?" Hera inquired as she was displeased by his actions.

"My – my queen, I have only done so to defend your glorious name. They know nothing of you, they know nothing of us! I cannot bear the impotence they had spoken of and took justice upon my hands." Hermes defended himself. He could not understand the root of her anger. Should not be she pleased that he had eliminated who speaks foul of their family?

"Young and asinine son, evil will always be evil. It can never correct what is wrong. If you are going to kill every single person who would disgrace us, you will have the blood of every single thing that ever lived Have you ever thought of that before mindlessly giving in to your pathetic madness?" Hera vehemently reasoned and gazed at Hermes with a deathly stare.

"I have only done so because of love! I love our family to the deepest pit of my heart. I tried to restrain myself but they utter nothing but hurtful nonsense. If you only knew how they spoke of you, it was terribly insane! I couldn't bear it! It was painful, Mother." Hermes confessed as he fell onto his knees and cried tears of rage. He reminisced his childhood when he was still a student learning all sorts of things necessary to survive under the queen.

"I am impressed. You learn fast, boy." Hera complimented as she took a bite of the pie a teenage Hermes had cooked. This made Hermes blush as he was not used to be praised. After all, he only served as a messenger since he did not have any special power. It is true that he can bring plagues and blessings but it is already a common denominator among the deities. He was not known for anything special other than as a carrier.

"It is because you are a great mentor, my queen." He humbly replied. His heart leapt with happiness in seeing Hera enjoying herself contently with the pie. This was the least he could do anyways. Ever since Hera saw him reading a pile of books in the palace library, she had taken him under his wing. It was not known to him that Hera was moved by his eagerness to learn and that was the reason she took him in. At first, he was reluctant since he truly terrified of her. The memory of seeing her infuriated had been burned into his mind. Even Zeus was careful in hiding his naughty schemes from her in fear of her wrath.

But under her, he was able to see her motherly side. He was able to experience the warmth of a mother's love through her. She was strict and disciplined as mentor yet just as caring. She had been patient with him and he had learned so many things that he used to his advantage. His thirst for knowledge soon grew and Hera had set him free as her beloved student. It was somewhat symbolic to him. It was like he left the nest and went on a voyage to know more. Hera had given him all the means to learn enough on his own and he would be eternally grateful for those precious treasures.

He became famous as a cunning and clever god. It was because of this that he was given the title as the "God of the Thieves". He became prudent and cautious which aided him as a messenger. He held the morbid secrets of the messages he deliver to himself for if those secrets were to be made known, pandemonium is an understatement.

Grimly enough, it was on the tip of his finger to unravel those knots of chaos.

If he had not known better to which he owed from his mother, he would have done so a long time ago. This is why he cannot stand even a single joke that ridicules her. Hera may have done those unspeakable and uncharacteristic deeds but she was more than that. He knows for he had seen it. It became the same for everyone in the pantheon for he knows that even Athena can fall in love, Ares could be soft, Apollo could lie, Artemis has fears and even Zeus can be incapable at times. Each one of them had a weakness but that is what made them vulnerable enough to be loved. None of them deserve any of the cruel words sputtered by those who oppose them. His desire to eliminate them grew so great that he kills those who would dare taint the name of his family. He was like a thief in the night. He strikes at the unknown hour and woe to those who are unprepared.

Hera took out her a clean handkerchief and lowered herself to wipe the blood off Hermes' face.

"My son, I know that your love runs deep. It is so deep that it pushes you to kill those who could potentially threaten or hurt any of us but don't do this to yourself. They are not worthy for you to stain your own hands." Hera affectionately reminded as she looked at him in the eye with her eyes full of concern that it moved Hermes' heart. He realized all of the life he had ended, both deity and human. For the first time, he had felt guilty of his actions.

"Take this lamp and be enlightened. I have faith that you will be able to surpass this obstacle and return to the right path once more. After all, you learn fast, boy." Hera softly spoke as she held out his hand to give him her lamp. She kissed him on the forehead and vanished like the morning mist.

He turned the bodies of the nymphs into magnificent oak and willow trees to serve as their proper burial before leaving the forest. He ceased in killing deities and humans yet cunning as ever, he did not leave them unpunished.

Up on her throne, Hera was well pleased that he exacts proper justice from then on.


"Mother was displeased that I killed the nymphs who kept on spreading malicious things about her. I could not stop myself in doing so for their ignorance infuriated me. If they would only know how kind she was, they would never speak such words.

She chided me for my wrongful act and gave me this lamp as a symbol of enlightenment. She was right upon pondering about it. Violence only begets violence and I was able to learn this piece wisdom through her prompting. I am truly still her student after all. It is true that I left her nest but I didn't realize that she flew alongside me." Hermes concluded as his tale ended. All were silent and paralyzed by what Hermes had just revealed. They never thought that the nephew they all thought was innocent and so lovable could kill on their behalf.

The flame of the lamp penetrated through its glass and forged itself to Hera's orb.