The Gift of the Lethe

The Forge is Burning

"I'd like to get you a new weapon."

Pallas furrows her brow as she stares at Athena in confusion. "I don't understand. I have my spear."

Athena's gaze drifts to the corner of the room, where the spear leans against the wall. Sunlight rests on the point, the metal glimmering like liquid. Athena turns back to Pallas and takes a ragged breath. She inhales slowly, closing her eyes for a heartbeat.

"I can't look at it, Pallas. I know you're fine, but I can't- Every time I see it, I see you dying."

Pallas takes a step forward and folds her arms around Athena, hugging her close. The owl sitting on Athena's shoulder hoots at her in irritation but doesn't move.

"That's all you needed to say, Thene. Perhaps we could melt it down and reforge it? Unless you can't handle a spear at all."

Athena laughs against Pallas' shoulder. "A spear is fine, just not that spear."

"Alright."

Athena lifts her head from Pallas' shoulder and pulls back, wiping away a silvery tear. "To my brother's forge then?"

When Pallas nods, the owl takes flight, sweeping through the open-air window. In its wake, the familiar feeling of brushing feathers grows until it sweeps them away in a soft wind. When the feeling fades, Pallas is hit by a blast of heat. She steps away from Athena to sweep a frizzing curl out of her eye and look around her. The forge is cluttered with machines and bits of metal that leave the space chaotic, yet somehow charming. Across from them a man is standing with his back to them, fiddling with something. Sparks fly from it, dancing out to the sides. He glances over his shoulder at them.

"Give me a moment."

With a shrill squeal of metal, a fat spark flies out and spins lazily toward them before settling amid the scrap. The man turns to them and inclines his head, brushing his hands together as he does so.

"Athena."

"Hephaestus."

He nods toward Pallas. "Who's this? A demigod?"

Pallas frowns. "Yes, I am a demigod. My name is Pallas, Lord Hephaestus."

A bark of startled laughter bursts from his mouth. "You need not call me lord, young Pallas."

From the corner of her eye, Pallas can see Athena give her a strange look. It causes her to frown. Is something wrong? "What is it, Thene?"

"You weren't this respectful to either Apollo or Aphrodite, yet-"

Pallas shrugs, smiling softly. "First of all, I didn't know much about them. Second, they weren't the one to help you out of your father's head. He is, so I will pay him more respect than I may pay others."

If she looks hard, she can see a smile tugging at Hephaestus' mouth as he looks to Athena. "She's good. What did you come here for?"

Athena holds out her hand and the spear appears, summoned from where she had left it behind in their room. Pallas can't blame her for not actually grabbing it before they came here, even if it would have been physically easier. If they had brought it, then Athena would have to look at it longer than she will be having summoned it when ready. Now that Pallas knows Athena's discomfort, she is glad that she chose the route better for her own mindset. Athena extends the spear toward Hephaestus, the butt of the shaft angled slightly away from her so the spearpoint is not pointed at him.

"Would you mind reforging this spear?"

He takes it from her and turns it, inspecting the metal of the shaft and point before setting it on the table. "I can, but why do you wish for a perfectly good weapon to be reforged?"

"To give it a new life, to banish the memories of the past."

"So you want the same weapon, just melted down and remade?"

Athena nods. "And perhaps some enchantments, but I should be able to handle those on my own."

"Should I call you near the end of the forging for that then?"

Athena dips her head slightly. "Please do."

Hephaestus gives a short nod. "Very well. It should be ready for your return tomorrow, at my best approximation."

Athena nods, smiling. "Thank you, Hephaestus."

"My pleasure. Pallas, it was a pleasure to meet you, and to see you bring light back to Athena's life."

She blinks in shock. "You knew?"

He gives her a warm smile and reaches behind him for something on one of the tables, a small piece of metal that he fiddles with. "It wasn't that hard to determine. Athena's happiness and closeness to you, your name being that of her only love, and your own actions today were clues. Were you aware that you have been speaking in Ancient Greek this entire time?"

Pallas blinks again. "I hadn't consciously recognized it, but I do much prefer Greek over English. In this life, I was born speaking the language, but I only had two years of experience with it and even then, I wasn't truly speaking. But I spent far longer with Greek."

He gives her a nod but doesn't speak. Athena touches Pallas' shoulder and murmurs, "Come, it's time we should go."

Pallas lets Athena whisk her away in a rush of feathers.

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What did you think of this? Does it make sense for them to remake the spear? What do you think is going to happen next? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~ Goddess of Fate, signing out