Memoirs of an Immortal (The Immortal Series) (14 page)

He looked at her for a mere moment longer and then continued on his way. I tried to read her mind, I know I shouldn’t, but I did and to my surprise it was blank. She had lost all thought and I laughed a little.

Prometheus followed Hephaistos into the workshop. We followed as well. There was an inner courtyard that was surrounded by different little areas, one was sculpting, another metal working, one also appeared to be an area where they were developing ideas. I had no idea that a place like this could exist, it was as though he was able to do anything as a craftsman.

“I heard that you have finished with their weapons” Prometheus broke the silence.

“I have.” Hephaistos finally spoke. His voice was deep and low. He did not make an effort to even look at us.

“Can we get on with this Hephaistos? We need time for them to heal and adjust.” Prometheus was losing patience, something I had rarely seen.

“Fine then I will explain to them their weapons and then I will fit them.” Hephaistos gestured us to follow him into the right side of the courtyard. There was an open room and on the table were various large weapons and different scrolls with our names were on them.

“I took into account the weapons in which they favored and grew up with and also watched them training with Ares’ sons. It helped me better understand their techniques and skills. So I designed each weapon to better fit the master. Eirene had used a large double axe as her weapon of choice.”

In his hand he held this huge double axe, which was almost as big as Eirene.

“Come here.” He motioned her to come to him. “Now we will fit it.” He said in a serious tone. With a quick jerk of his one hand, Eirene was in mid air, she slowing lay down as though she was in a table, he motioned his hand and her body rose up. “This will hurt” He said bluntly.

With a quick swoop, he inserted her weapon into her back. It inched its way into her through a small slit it created. She yelled and passed out.

“You!” He pointed at Zoe. “You are the healer, so heal her.”

He then lowered her body to the ground. We all stood there with our eyes wide while Prometheus said nothing.

“You have to be kidding right? Pro? What’s going on?” I asked frantically.

“This is how all of us carry our weapons. You’ll be fine. Now, Hephaistos please continue.”

Prometheus can sometime be so matter of fact like, as though we were supposed to understand this.

“Couldn’t you at least prepare us for this?” I stared at him angrily.

“Why?” He asked annoyed. He turned and looked at me and placed his hand on my shoulder. “Do you think I would put you in danger? That somehow I would forget who you are to me and allow anyone to be hurt you?”

Hephaistos continued, but not before I could see his irritation, as he stared at Prometheus’s hand on my shoulder, his heavy brow outlining his green eyes.

“Next! We have Agape. She chooses to work with a spear. However a spear is not a deadly weapon. So I designed a weapon that can now deploy multiple spearheads. She can also extend her spear to any length she desires.”

With the end of his speech, he proceeded to do the same thing that he had done before. I took a step forward, horrified with the pain my sisters were feeling. Prometheus put his hand out and stopped me.

‘Stay still’
.

Zoe was next. She was given a large composite bow and quiver that had unlimited amount of arrows.

Eva’s weapon was a large double sickle that she could detach or reattach at will. The sickles themselves were enormous and as I feared. Her screams were louder than those my sisters.

Finally it was my turn. However, Hephaistos did not keep his distance like he had with my sisters, but walked right up to me and spoke directly to me, as though no one else was there.

“For you, I designed the weapon similar to what your father had made. However, yours are far more dangerous than those of your sisters. Your weapon will be able to deal more damage, but will also hurt you in return. Since you prefer an offensive attack, this will become an incentive to end your fights as quickly as you can. I could not create a weapon that dealt as much damage as these do without a price.” He looked straight into my eyes, as though pleading with me. “The swords are large so they will attach to your wrist with wrist bands to help you wield them. I’ve created two fine threads that attach your swords. With your mind you will be able to control them at will.”

I walked over to my weapons. They were glorious. They were silver and white gold and had beautifully ornate designs on them. As I looked at them, I reached out cautiously and my fingers slightly outlined them.

Hephaistos leaned in close to me. “Do…do you like them?” He asked hesitantly in a low voice. “I designed them with you in mind.” He said so genuinely.

“Yes I do, thank you.” I answered as best as I could, knowing that these large double swords were about to become part of me.

“I will try to make it as painless as possible.” He went back to being stoic. With a gentle hand, he lifted me. Our eyes met, mine full of nervousness, his full of care. The pain I felt was indescribable. The moment that I was about to scream, I passed out.

I could hear voices as I was waking up. My heartbeat was so loud that it echoed and reverberated throughout my body. I finally opened my eyes to the feel of a warm hand caressing my face.

It was Hephaistos. His beautiful green eyes were melting with concern. As I became aware of my surroundings, I realized I was lying down on the ground in his embrace. He broke our stare and slowly released me

“You will be fine now.” He said as he let go of me. “Your sisters have also woken up.” He got up and walked towards the opening, “You may stay here for as long as you need.” But before he left, he stopped himself. “If there are any problems with your new weapons, do not hesitate to see me. I hope that your weapons are too your liking.”

Zoe had run and taken his place beside me.

“Are you ok? It took you longer to wake up.” Her voice sounded anxious. “I couldn’t even heal you. He wouldn’t even let me near you. He said something that it needs to heal naturally.” Zoe was looking over my body.

“But didn’t he allow you to heal the rest?” Why was I the only one that was not allowed to be taken care of?

“Perhaps he just wanted to take care of you himself.” Agape interjected with a faint smile. “He seemed to be very concerned about you and you alone. But his face did change towards the end when you kept calling out Leonidas’ name. It was as thought it pained him somehow.” said Agape.

I had pulled myself up and tried to regain my composer.

“Do you feel anything? Is there a reason, why?” I asked knowing Agape would be the only one to know.

She shook her head. “Like you, I can’t sense the gods. I think it’s true for all of us.”

Once I got up Prometheus had walked into the room.

“How are my girls? Do you feel any pain?”

I felt nothing, as though there weren’t two mammoth sized swords stuck in my back, but I did feel an ominous feeling like it would hurt later.

“Let’s go now. We have trespassed far too long on poor Hephaistos and I think the longer we stay, the more it will take him to get back to his normal self.” Prometheus escorted us out.

‘Are you sure you’re ok? I swear the moment you dropped, he grabbed you and wouldn’t let you go. Did something go wrong? I was about to do something, but he wouldn’t let anyone of us near you.’
Pro’s thoughts entered my mind.

“No, I fine.” I stammered.

He stood next to me and stared back to Hephaistos’ direction, he then escorted me out. Outside the gate I turned back to look at Hephaistos’ home. He was there on the second floor window, looking down at me. He stood there, a sad look on his brilliant face. What had happen in his life to make him so jaded?

The Pain

Time had passed and we were granted our own rooms, which to tell you the truth it was something that I was happy about. I was tired of hearing my sisters’ inner voices and I couldn’t concentrate, my mind was no longer my own. It’s not that the rooms made a difference, as time went on our metal abilities only grew.

Even from miles away, I could clearly hear any of those who didn’t guard their thoughts. It had become such a problem that I could no longer train properly. My mind just couldn’t focus. Zoe had tried to implement any technique she learned from Asklepiós. She tired anything to help sooth this offensive attack to my mind.

As time went on, my ability simply kept growing, unlike my sister Agape who seemed able to control her ability to feel the emotions others. She had started to develop a new comprehension of her skill and was now able to control the emotional atmosphere around her.

Agape and I had both been summoned to see Themis and upon arriving there, I could smell burning metal again. Had Hephaistos been there?

“Why hello my children, it has been so long. Come in, Come in and let me look at you.” Themis was happy as she always was.

I was glad to see her, not only because she had become an important person in my life, but also because she always had barriers erected to block out everyone.

My mind had finally been able to take a rest.

“How are you feeling Psykhe? You seem exhausted. I heard that even you training had been affected.” She looked concerned.

I began to feel sorrow, but it quickly went away. I wanted to express my feelings, but I had no clue how I felt.

“Enough Agape!” Themis snapped and gestured her to stop.

“Enough Agape? What has she done? Themis don’t talk to my sister that way?” I felt defensive, so I thought.

Agape’s head lowered as Themis continued.

“I realize that you love your sister, but your misguided attempt to help her is only hindering her growth.”

Agape finally broke her silence. “I do it to protect her. She has always felt everything more than we did. She is full of sorrow and pain. How can I ignore this? She lives her life on how she feels.” Agape was pleading.

I was unable to truly understand what was going on. I felt like I was a void, a being with nothing inside.

“Agape let her go now!” Themis commanded. “You will need to let your sister go, if it continues like this, you will end up doing her more harm. She will no longer be able to cope. For her to reach her full potential, she will need to feel her pain and work through it. Only then, will her abilities grow, just as yours have and only then will she be finally be free. Now I order you to let her go.” With her final words, I began to sense a quiet flood flowing through me. It started with a small surge, but quickly gained speed as emotions ran through me.

First, came anxiety and then fear, until I finally was able to feel a calamity of emotions crashing into me. I was full of rage and agony. I fell to the ground. The anguish had taken over my body and my mind. I only could feel my loss, the loss of my husband, the love that I could never have, a love that I could never feel around me again.

I felt resentment that I was alone in my heart wrenching pain. Every emotion felt like I had not felt it in months.

“Psykhe!” Agape was crying uncontrollably. “I’m so sorry, please let me help, please.” Her hands reaching for me, but Themis had stopped her. She reached down and held me.

“No! You will not help. I know that your ability has grown, but I had thought you would have the presents of mind to let her be, but you did not. For that, you will stay here and feel every torturous emotion. After this is done, she will have the ability to rest her mind.” I had cried myself out every tear I could produce. My eyes had begun to burn. My heart had been torn to pieces, so much so, that I had thought I could never recover.

I was in and out of sleep. I slept for so long, that when I had awoken, I truly couldn’t tell you what day it was. There was a figure hunched over the hearth. I called out Themis’ name, but she did not answer. I could see that the figure had stood up. I felt an arm around my shoulder. I was raised up and was given water. I was placed back down onto the bed and covered.

When I was finally able to, I stood up in the bed. I was about to turn to Themis to tell her thank you, when I realized that it was not her, but Hephaistos.

“Are you finally awake or do you need to sleep more?” He asked.

I shook my head no.

“Are you hungry? I didn’t know what foods you liked so I made different dishes. I also did not know when you would have woken up, so I cooked meals every day, I think that I have become quite skilled.” He said half joking waited for my answer.

I was still shocked that he was here so I shook my head no again.

“I only asked you to be polite. You will eat and you will eat everything that I give you.”

He stood up from where he was sitting and prepared me a plate.

“There are clothes left for you in the next room. I will heat up water for you. Take a bath and then you will eat.”

He had brought a large metal basin into the next room and began to pour water into it. I was curious on how he was planning on heating the water. Shouldn’t he heat the water before pouring it into the basin?