Tartarus.
It is a place that exists deep beneath the realms of Hades. A place that came into existence alongside the other primordials.
A dark and gloomy pit where all concepts of reality break down and are confined to extremes.
This is why it is the perfect prison for immortal beings that are the personification of said concepts.
Cottus and Gyges, two of the three Hekatonkheires brothers, stood guard here, at the entrance of this eternal prison of their former kin.
Their vigil, which would last for all eternity, was something that they chose to make sure that Kronos and his kin would never emerge again.
However, an eternity at the gates of the pit meant that they would inevitably be bored.
And being Hekatonkheires, it was obvious what their pastime would be.
"A little bit more depth would do."
"No. It is already deep enough. What we need is a way to make the image pop on the pillar but not in an obvious or intentional way..."
The two brothers worked on a pillar of stone, carving it into a beautiful masterpiece depicting all kinds of images from both the past and the present. A piece that would make anyone weep with envy at their skill.
The three Hekatonkheires were, from the very beginning, beings that loved to create. Their hundred hands and fifty heads allowed them to carve and shape like no other. It was the reason why the black stone fortress of Mount Othrys was so admired by everyone in the realms back then, before Kronos's actions led to the destruction of said fortress.
Unfortunately, the Titans only ever saw them as weapons to be used, never as kin to be loved or appreciated for their ability to create.
It was one of the two main reasons why they joined the Olympians in their rebellion in the first place.
"I think you should use that new tool that my nephew created. He called it a 'Chisel' if I am not mistaken. Combined with a hammer, it should give you two more control over the lines and curves. Not to mention, it makes things much faster than just using your hands."
The two brothers stiffened for a bit before laughing out in unison.
Because the newcomer was none other than the other reason why they joined the Olympians.
Cottus grinned at the Olympian sitting on his shoulder while Gyges shook his head at the god's actions.
"Nephew, what brings you here?"
Brolios Asterion smiled.
"Nothing serious. Just felt like visiting and seeing how you two are doing."
The two ancients laughed at the answer they were expecting and smiled warmly at the only god who ever saw them for what they were, not as a weapon like the Titans saw them, or a means to an end like the rest of the Olympians saw them these days, except for some of the older ones, Like Zeus, Poseidon, Hades and Hestia.
Cottus extended the right half of his hundred hands towards the god with the smile still in place.
"Give it. Since you are speaking so confidently about those tools from young Hephaestus, you must have some for us to test out, yes?"
Brolios waves his hand, using his magic to instantly replicate the chisels made from Celestial Bronze that Hephaestus came up with recently, allowing them to neatly fall into the Hekatonkheires's hands.
Unlike with a normal Chissel that Brolios remembered existing in his old lives, these chissels were the first of their kind in this world, created by Hephaestus using Celestial Bronze, which was compressed to the extreme under the efforts of both the God of the Forge and the God of Destruction.
A special gift that Hephaestus crafted for the Cyclopses for teaching him the arts of the forge.
Because these chisels were made by Hephaestus as a gift for the Elder Cyclopse brothers, Brolios would not cheapen that gift by replicating them, so the chisels he gave to the Hekatonkheires were not the same as those forged by his nephew. Instead, they were the regular kind that Hephaestus made for his own use.
This did not mean that they were useless, however, since they would still be a thousand times better for the Hekatonkheires, who still use their hands to carve things into existence.
Brolios once again waved his hand, materializing several hammers made of a white metal that gleamed like diamonds. The several gemstones encrested inside the hammerheads made the two brothers stare at them with apprehension and awe.
"Adamantine? Nephew, it is a waste to take such a precious metal to turn them into mere hammers for us to use."
Brolios waved his hand carelessly at those words.
"Don't worry about it. I can manifest as much of that metal as I want. My magic allows me access to literally limitless resources, remember?"
The brothers remained silent for a moment before they burst out laughing at the same time, while Cottus patted Brolios on his head, much to the god's annoyance at being treated like a child. Again.
"No wonder Hades is so envious of you and never stops complaining that you are going to steal the title of the wealthiest god from him one of these days."
Brolios shook his head at those words with an amused smile.
"If I wanted to, I could really take that title from him. But I don't see the point in it. My wealth, derived from my magic, is not for others to see in displays. It is meant for use by my family and no one else."
The two ancients shared a look before giving a warm gaze towards their nephew, who looked a little creeped out with those looks.
"Hey, what's with that look? Try out those hammers and chisels and tell me if you like them or not."
The two brothers got to work immediately and realized that Brolios was right.
Using these chisels and hammers was far more efficient compared to just using their hands.
Soon, the work that would have taken days was completed in minutes thanks to the new tools, allowing them to marvel at the beautiful pieces they created.
A pillar that was half black marble and half white marble.
The bottom part, made of black marble, depicted the Age of Titans. It showed all the times of the past where the Titans ruled the world with Kronos sitting on his throne.
And the top half, made of white marble, depicted the Age of Olympus. The various gods depicted in their various domains and tasks.
The part were the Black and White met, had the two different kinds of marble intertwile, sometimes like branching vines of a tree, sometimes like serpents coiling around each other, threatening to end each other, and some times dipicted similar to the very lightning that sheared off the top of Mount Othrys and the collosal orb of destruction that threated the Mother Earth herself into silence that day.
A beautiful, priceless piece of art. One among countless others that sat in the workshop of the brothers.
Gyges nodded at the work.
"Hm. Looks like you were right, Brolios, as always."
Brolios held his nose up high at the praise.
"Of course I am right. Hephaestus's work is beyond reproach. So much so that Uncle Briares is now learning under him."
That surprised the two brothers, who hadn't heard much about their third brother in the past few years.
"Truly? That stubborn oaf actually decided to learn from others?"
Brolios nodded happily.
"He was there, in Poseidon's realm, when Hephaestus challenged the Elder Cyclopses to prove that he had truly learned everything they taught him and created his chisels for the Elder Cyclopses as a gift, albeit with a little bit of assistance from me. Ever since then, Uncle Briares has decided to learn from my nephew."
"Hahaha! So someone finally brought his pride to heel with sheer skill? I wish I were there to see it."
Gyges roared out with laughter while Cottus chuckled as well.
Soon, they devolved into simply topics while Brolios created a large table and chairs for the three of them, filled with nectar and ambrosia for them to enjoy.
The rest of the day, they spent catching up and talking about their day-to-day lives.
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