The Immortal Echoes

Prologue: Hephaestus

Ever since Harmonia had gotten married, Hephaestus knew something was wrong with the necklace he gave her. Everyone thought he made it cursed as revenge for her parentage, but he never cared. Aphrodite was his wife in name only at the time. Hephaestus just agreed to the marriage to piss of Ares. Ares made a stupid joke about his limp, instead of messing with his shield or sword the next time he needed them repaired, he married the woman his brother loved.

Looking back, Hephaestus shouldn't have listened to Eris about making a necklace for Harmonia. He had only planned on giving her a robe. Something simple for her and nothing to extravagant. Eris had spent far to much time in his forge as he created the necklace which would bring misfortune to those who possessed it. From Harmonia herself, to her daughter and many more. Even Oedipus wasn't able to be saved from the curse Eris bestowed upon the jewelry.

There was only one issue in asking for Harmonia's forgiveness, she was being reborn as a mortal. Hephaestus had asked Hera why once. He was told it was because of her choice to follow her husband in his curse of being a serpent. The only real reason Hephaestus could see for her to be burdened by such a thing would be due to the lasting effects the necklace may have. He vowed to only make weaponry or gifts he knew what was happening with.

After almost new lives, Hephaestus needed to make things right. Hephaestus tried his best to calm his mind before he went to speak to his father. Or as the mortals would call Zeus, his sperm donor. Whatever that meant, mortals were odd. He shook those thoughts out of his head. The years which followed the ending of the Grecian rule, no gods truly visited the Earth. Dionysus may be the largest expectation to the idea. Hephaestus tried not to think of his half-brother.

"You aren't to blame bro." Apollo had appeared at the entrance to his forge.

"How did you know I was thinking about them?"

"Its Harmonia's birthday. You always recount the deaths or the orphans on her birthday. Selme wouldn't blame you either. Hades, Selme would be grateful she didn't have to watch Di suffer through the chaos Dad has put him through. Eris shouldn't have tricked you."

Hephaestus knew Apollo was right, but it didn't stop him from blaming himself. This was Harmonia's eightieth new life since she died as a serpent along with Cadmus. Aphrodite had been the one to comfort him the most after, Ares was a close second. Harmonia had been their child, but they knew what Eris was like. Hades, if it hadn't been for her and Zeus, the Trojan war wouldn't have happened. Odysseus wouldn't have missed watching his son grow up. Hector's son would have lived.

"Heph, stop. Eris would have found anyway to mess with her. For now, focus on finding a way to bring her home. Art and I will try to control Eris." Apollo pauses as he walks towards the door, "Dionysus wants to talk to you about things first. He says he has a few ideas."

Hephaestus had found talking to the god of wine difficult most of the time. Selme, Dionysus' mother, wouldn't have been fooled by his mother if Eris hadn't tricked him. Hephaestus left the forge to find his other sibling. It didn't take long, Dionysus always smelled like wine when he was upset.

Hephaestus found him in the kitchen, a full bottle of whiskey, Irish origin, at the table. They stared at each other for a few moments. Dionysus gestured for Hephaestus to sit down. Before Hephaestus could speak, Dionysus held his hand up and poured them each half the bottle. The amount they each had was enough to tell Hephaestus how taxing this conversation was about to be.

"Avenge my mom. Hera shouldn't have tricked her, but this is on Eris. Not Hera or you. Did you know I wasn't going to be a demi-god? My mother was a demi-god, but with father dearest, I became a full god. Heph, you were born directly into this, I wasn't meant to be here. Eris is the one to blame for everything here."

Hephaestus only nodded. He knew how much his brother disliked being a god. Dionysus asking him to avenge Selme was enough to allow some of the burden to lift from his shoulders. The two spoke for what felt like the first time. There had been many times which Hephaestus wished he could stop himself from listening to Eris. He should have known better than to trust the goddess of discord.

After Dionysus finishes the whiskey, Hephaestus knows its time to speak with his father. Slowly he made his way to the thorne room, the feeling of dread began to creep into his body. Harmonia's misfortune was his fault, Hephaestus hoped the knowledge would convince his father to allow her return.

The throne room was empty except for Zeus. Hephaestus wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad one. The dread within him increased with each limping step he took. He did his best to bow before his father, but the injury to his leg, made kneeling difficult.

"What did you want Hephaestus?"

"I wish for Harmonia to be allowed to return to Olympus. Her fate was me fault. She never should have been reborn as a mortal."

Zeus seemed angry at the request. Hephaestus couldn't tell what had angered him, but he knew the request wasn't going to be easy to deal with.

"Harmonia may return, if you can convince her as a mortal of her true form. You will have no help from Olypmus, or the use of your powers. Though any one may visit you if needed, for this task you will be in mortal in all but heritage."

"I'll be a god with no domain? Just like you and mother wanted."

Zeus launched from his throne and stalked towards Hephaestus. "You will not disrespect us. Do you accept the task?"

"Yes"

Zeus once again had Hephaestus thrown from Olympus, at least this time he could handle himself and not be injured. When Hephaestus landed, he felt his abilities being stripped from him. Hephaestus started walking away from where he landed and began his journey to find a way to find Harmonia and bring her home

Hephaestus had watched Harmonia had moved from the Greece around the time of the fall of Rome. He knew she had been born in the United States of America. As he looked around, Hephaestus realized he was in the US. There were going to be trials he was gonna have to face in getting her to believe him, but he was going to make things right even if it meant never returning to Olympus.