Erinyes Game
After a quick search, you find Hephaestus sitting in the video game room, tapping away at a game controller. His character onscreen pets a dog, and Hephaestus smiles softly.
With a giggle, you sit next to him. He nearly jumps out of his skin.
“H-Hestia! I didn’t see you. Want to join me? You can be my sidekick.”
“Sure.” You pick up a controller and help his character complete missions in a fantasy world, stopping to pet any animals you come across.
“Hey, this isn’t part of the main story mission, is it?” You ask.
“Nope. Not a side quest, either. I just like doing it.”
You tease him mercilessly but help him find animals anyway, talking all the while. You don’t want to think about the game, but you know. It’s inevitable. As the two of you let your characters pet and feed a stray cat, you turn to him.
“Hephaestus, what do you think of tonight’s Moirae phase?” You ask.
He sighs. “I think I’ll have to vote for Aphrodite. I know you two are friends, but I think Hera was actually telling the truth.”
“Really? Why is that?”
“I don’t think you’re a Fury, and I am Charon. So if there’s a Fury left, if it does come to voting, I’ll have to go for her.”
“Wait, you’re Charon? So when people didn’t die during Nyx, you protected them?”
He blinks as if he didn’t realize that it slipped out. “Oh, um…yes. That’s right. And last night I protected myself. I believe Aphrodite realized that I might be Charon and so wanted to get rid of me.”
“Oh, wow.” You think his words over for a moment. Aphrodite was certainly your friend, maybe even your closest friend among any of the Olympians.
“Not to put a damper on things,” Hephaestus adds quietly, “but I really don’t think you should trust whatever she says tonight. We can end this game together, Hestia. What do you say?”
You’re absolutely speechless. This whole time, he’d been the quiet one, but now he was looking you in the eye without a hint of nervousness.
Later on, you realize there isn’t much time before the Moirae phase. Excusing yourself, you run to see Aphrodite in the entertainment room. She’s half-heartedly pushing cards around in a single player game.
“Hestia!” Her expression brightens up instantly, and you feel a little guilty for not coming to see her sooner. “I really wanted to tell you something.”
“Of course, what’s up?” You ask, sitting next to her.
She takes a deep breath. “I’m not just an Olympian. I’m also Charon.”
“What?” What a great coincidence.
“I didn’t want to say anything until I had to, I didn’t want the Furies after me.”
You hesitate a moment. “Sure, I get it. So when no one died last night, that was you?”
She nods. “Last night, I protected you. Hephaestus must be the other Fury. He tried to kill you, but wasn’t able to reach you.”
Part of you wants to believe her, but do you really? “Thank you, Aphrodite. That means so much to me. It’s terrible that Hephaestus is a Fury, though, he’s so quiet and nice.”
“I know, Hestia, I know.”
You’re really not sure what to believe, but you have a good idea at this point. The Moirae phase approaches far too quickly for you to handle.
With a giggle, you sit next to him. He nearly jumps out of his skin.
“H-Hestia! I didn’t see you. Want to join me? You can be my sidekick.”
“Sure.” You pick up a controller and help his character complete missions in a fantasy world, stopping to pet any animals you come across.
“Hey, this isn’t part of the main story mission, is it?” You ask.
“Nope. Not a side quest, either. I just like doing it.”
You tease him mercilessly but help him find animals anyway, talking all the while. You don’t want to think about the game, but you know. It’s inevitable. As the two of you let your characters pet and feed a stray cat, you turn to him.
“Hephaestus, what do you think of tonight’s Moirae phase?” You ask.
He sighs. “I think I’ll have to vote for Aphrodite. I know you two are friends, but I think Hera was actually telling the truth.”
“Really? Why is that?”
“I don’t think you’re a Fury, and I am Charon. So if there’s a Fury left, if it does come to voting, I’ll have to go for her.”
“Wait, you’re Charon? So when people didn’t die during Nyx, you protected them?”
He blinks as if he didn’t realize that it slipped out. “Oh, um…yes. That’s right. And last night I protected myself. I believe Aphrodite realized that I might be Charon and so wanted to get rid of me.”
“Oh, wow.” You think his words over for a moment. Aphrodite was certainly your friend, maybe even your closest friend among any of the Olympians.
“Not to put a damper on things,” Hephaestus adds quietly, “but I really don’t think you should trust whatever she says tonight. We can end this game together, Hestia. What do you say?”
You’re absolutely speechless. This whole time, he’d been the quiet one, but now he was looking you in the eye without a hint of nervousness.
Later on, you realize there isn’t much time before the Moirae phase. Excusing yourself, you run to see Aphrodite in the entertainment room. She’s half-heartedly pushing cards around in a single player game.
“Hestia!” Her expression brightens up instantly, and you feel a little guilty for not coming to see her sooner. “I really wanted to tell you something.”
“Of course, what’s up?” You ask, sitting next to her.
She takes a deep breath. “I’m not just an Olympian. I’m also Charon.”
“What?” What a great coincidence.
“I didn’t want to say anything until I had to, I didn’t want the Furies after me.”
You hesitate a moment. “Sure, I get it. So when no one died last night, that was you?”
She nods. “Last night, I protected you. Hephaestus must be the other Fury. He tried to kill you, but wasn’t able to reach you.”
Part of you wants to believe her, but do you really? “Thank you, Aphrodite. That means so much to me. It’s terrible that Hephaestus is a Fury, though, he’s so quiet and nice.”
“I know, Hestia, I know.”
You’re really not sure what to believe, but you have a good idea at this point. The Moirae phase approaches far too quickly for you to handle.