[Third Person POV]
When Hephaestus sensed three sharply spiked divine energy signatures in the distance, he didn't hesitate for even a moment. With a single motion, he unfurled the wings of his Ratholos armor, kicked off the ground, and launching himself upward in a burst of force. The wind roared past him as he ascended, locking onto the distant signatures.
The distance was short, so Hephaestus arrived in less than a minute. When he descended, he spotted both sides locked in a tense confrontation.
On the right stood an unfamiliar twin-headed lion wreathed in fierce orange flames, its growls rumbling through the air like distant thunder. On the left were figures Hephaestus could never mistake, no matter their forms—one a silver lion, the other a winged woman draped in flowery, thorn-covered vines. Even transformed, he recognized them instantly. They were the mothers who had taken the old Hephaestus in, Thetis and Eurynome.
Both flaming heads of the twin-headed lion snapped toward him at once, their eyes sharpening with alert focus.
'Dammit… another god? And this one feels quite strong despite looking so young.'
'Wait—the scent Her Majesty described… the trail I followed leading me to this island, and now a young god appears here of all places…'
"Identify yourself young God." The right head Ophryléon declared, its voice deep and resonant like burning stone.
The other head, Theradyos, followed, flames rising higher along its mane.
"And explain why you are residing here."
Each head of the flame-wreathed lion possessed intelligence surpassing the other garden guardians back at Hera's domain. But the two heads shared something more unique compared to their compatriots. A mental link, a link allowing them to have thoughts exchanged instantly, their minds overlapping and amplifying each other. Together, their combined reasoning was far sharper than either alone.
Which was why, the moment they saw this unfamiliar young god, both Ophryléon and Theradyos began weighing the same possibility.
Could this be the very "thing" her majesty Hera herself wanted me to find and possibly kill, or perhaps this young God has a form of relation with it.
However, Ophryléon and Theradyos unaware of that the hideous, crippled child Hera discarded had recently transformed anew, and this child before them from what they know of Godly esthetics is definitely above average.
So, seeing a handsome(?) young god with unfamiliar armor and no resemblance to that infant, they assumed the latter.
Hephaestus, meanwhile, was thoroughly unimpressed.
"First you come to my island radiating murderous intent," he said, voice steady and edged with steel, "and now you question why I live here, even though it's none of your damn business?"
Seeing the beast for the first time, he could tell immediately. It was intelligent, yes, but far from wise. Any creature wiser would have masked its bloodlust instead of announcing its intent so blatantly.
Ophryléon and Theradyos remained calm, entirely unfazed by the young god's slightly sassy remark. They drew back their bloodlust, though only partially, and regarded Hephaestus with a measured, guarded stillness. After all, the two goddesses close by were silently observing everything.
Instead of escalating, they chose a different line of questioning.
"Very well," Ophryléon rumbled. "Disregard our previous inquiries."
Theradyos continued, his tone firm but controlled:
"But answer this: do you know of a deity infant, one so hideously deformed that most cannot bear to look upon it, and bearing a crippled leg?"
"No. I don't." Hephaestus replied immediately.
As a deity, he possessed the innate ability to perceive the essence and true nature of beings. Souls, intentions, and truths that mortals could never comprehend. Lying was nearly impossible to detect from him unless one was another god of comparable strength. A stronger deity might sense something "off," but mortal beings or beast possessing no domains, had no such intuition.
So to the ears of this beast, Hephaestus words have simply spoke the truth, being utterly unreadable, at least should be from what he can tell.
"I see," Ophryléon said slowly. "Then you will not object to accompanying us to Mount Olympus. Your words can be confirmed there, yes?"
The twin-headed lion had served the Queen of Olympus long enough to understand some divine abilities well. They knew probing his truthfulness directly was pointless, thus decided a simple escort to Olympus should resolve all doubts.
They waited, flames whispering in the wind, for his answer.
"Haa...fine, if you're prepared to die, then I'll be happy to oblige."
The response was instantaneous.
In a single, explosive moment, both Hephaestus and the twin-headed lion unleashed their attacks.
Ophryléon and Theradyos roared, releasing twin streams of white-hot flame from both heads, searing, concentrated, bright enough to scorch the clouds.
At the same time, high above, Hephaestus summoned and launched a massive sphere of condensed blue fire, the heat distorting the sky around it as it spiraled downward.
For a heartbeat, the world froze.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOM!
The air shattered.
A colossal explosion tore outward, a shockwave scattering the sand on the Island shores, and the sea around the island surged, waves moving away from the shore around the collision of the two attacks.
But Hephaestus didn't stay still.
He was already moving, bursting through the dissipating fire and smoke. The wings on his Ratholos armor flared wide, trailing blue embers as he accelerated. His gauntlet gleamed with molten heat as he formed another sphere of flame, smaller but significantly denser.
Theradyos saw him first.
"LEFT—!"
Just as Hephaestus was about to slam into the beast's flank, the lion twisted away, narrowly avoiding a direct hit, and immediately countered with two streams of white-hot fire blasted point-blank at Hephaestus's face.
"WHAT–!?"
A shadow tore out from the white flames
A massive black-red heavy hammer, shaped like the snarling visage of a monstrous beast, in Hephaestus's hand swung in a vicious arc.
CRAAAAAACK!!
The Ratholos heavy hammer smashed into both heads at once, the impact echoing like a mountain splitting. The beast was hurled backward, claws tearing trenches through the sand, but sand had no strength to anchor such a giant. The creature flipped twice, crashing and skidding until half its body plunged into the shallow surf.
"MPF—!"
Before it could recover, chains of water erupted from the sea entangling its legs. Simultaneously, vines of hardened meadow-water wrapped around its burning maws, sealing them shut. The twin-headed lion thrashed, but the bindings tightened with precision.
Its eyes twitched toward the two goddesses, one of the sea, one of flowing meadows, both working with their divine energy to him trapped.
'I knew the young god was strong... but I didn't expect him to be a Fire God of all things.'
'And now, bound by Lady Thetis and Her Majesty Eurynome… all I can do is pray they spare me for being Hera's envoy… dammit.'
Hephaestus hovered above the battlefield, arm lowered, breath steady, fire still crackling along his armor.
He looked down at the caged lion that was initially struggling to break free before stopping.
Hephaestus had glanced at Thetis & Eurynome for a few seconds before focusing on the beast. His voice, calm and unamused, echoed across the clearing.
"Now... if that's all your strength amounts to, then would you kindly get the f*ck off my Island."
Ophryléon and Theradyos, still bound, displayed brief defiance, but it crumbled quickly. Both heads bowed.
Hephaestus's tone darkened.
"You think being her envoy will spare you?"
Slowly, the lion raised both heads to meet his gaze, calmer now, resigned.
"…You do realize," Hephaestus continued, "that after our little scuffle, Hera will come for me regardless. Whether I kill you or let you crawl back."
His eyes narrowed.
"In fact, I have a few reasons to kill you. Mainly because if I do it now, I won't have to deal with you in the future."
"After all... ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves in this world."
Both heads froze.
For the first time since their arrival, Ophryléon and Theradyos felt a true, primal fear gradually coil deep in their shared mind. Not from humiliation. Not from defeat.
But the possible death the young God's voice promises to deliver with unshaking certainty.
Hephaestus descended slowly, step by step, until his boots touched the scorched sand. The air around him shimmered, not from heat, but from barely restrained divine intent. His hammer burned a deeper red, metal glowing like the heart of a furnace as he held it loosely at his side.
The sea itself seemed to pull back.
"Give me one reason," Hephaestus said quietly, "one—single—reason I should let you walk away
Every word hit like a falling anvil. No theatrics. No empty threats. Just a verdict waiting to be carried out.
Ophryléon tried to speak, his voice muffled but urgent through the bindings.
"…We…—we carry out our Queen's will. It is our purpose. We meant no offense beyond our duty."
"We only meant to find a young God."
Hephaestus stepped closer, shadows of blue fire crawling up his arms.
"Really?" Hephaestus gaze narrowing knowing full well it hasn't given the full truth. "I think you meant to find and kill, correct?"
The beast flinched.
Thetis and Eurynome exchanged silent and knowing looks, the moment this young God appeared both had backed off just slightly seeing how tense him and the beast gotten, but still ready to attack the beast.
Hephaestus raised his hammer, the head of it crackling with molten power.
The binding strained as the lion thrashed, instinct screaming that death was seconds away.
The hammer's glow intensified, heat radiating so fiercely the sand began to turn glass beneath his feet. Perhaps sensing it's inevitable death, Ophryléon and Theradyos stopped wildly trashing, and lowered their heads fully, exposing their necks in a posture of complete surrender.
If a god chose to execute a divine beast, this was the only remaining dignity they could offer.
Hephaestus tightened his grip.
Then a cool wave washed over him. Thetis appearing at his side, gently touching his shoulder.
"Now, now, dear," she said softly, shifting back to her true form restored once the beast was caught, warmth radiating from her presence, "there's no need to take it this far~(*^^*)."
The water bindings loosened slightly, not enough to free, just enough to let the creature breathe.
"Yeah kid, we wouldn't want you getting in more trouble with that Queen," Eurynome said softly, her voice calm but firm, "Besides, a kid like you shouldn't be going around and getting into trouble with people you shouldn't...after this we're finding your parents."
Hephaestus, hearing of the two voices he couldn't helped but smirk faintly.
'By the Gods, I didn't know I missed my moms voices this much...' hearing the two voices perhaps closest to his heart had slightly cooled him.
Still, Hephaestus looked down at the kneeling beast, jaw clenched, and breath sharp through his teeth.
Slowly—very slowly—he lowered the hammer.
"Fine," he murmured. "Live."
The beast exhaled shakily, both heads bowing deeper.
"But hear me," Hephaestus said, voice like smoldering iron, "if you ever step foot on my island again… there will be no warnings."
The lion swallowed, flames dimming to a trembling flicker.
"We… understand."
Hephaestus stepped back, crossing his arms.
"Good. Then crawl back to your Queen and remember next time—" his eyes hardened, "—I won't stop halfway."
After nodding his head frantically, it was released from water bindings, and instantly the lion had dug out a strange stone, smashed it, and disappeared completely.
'Now that's settled… there's something far more important.' Hephaestus thought as he looked at the two gentle Goddesses, his eyes softening.
'We meet again… Moms.'
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Author: First time writing a fight scene, how'd I do ( ☆∀☆)!