Man of Fire

With a sigh, I turned toward the next universe that caught my attention.

The first thing that caught my attention was the heat. This place was hot! Looking around, I could see why; I had arrived in a large underground cavern. There were paths that lead around, winding there way above an open lava pit that made up the whole of the floor.

There were people moving about, but not any near me. I had manifested in an out-of-the-way location. One that, I hoped, was out of the normal pathways of these people.

I stood there studying them for awhile. I was trying to determine where the shard was. Finally, I spotted it. It was in what I would guess was a forge of some kind. I began to work my way slowly towards the shop.

The deeper I ventured into the cavern, the hotter it got. I was glad at that point for my increased tolerance to heat. One of the benefits of having been transformed in to a kind of half-dragon.

Realizing something, I checked myself. I wasn't in my "normal" form. I appeared human. Hum, it would appear that dragons don't exist in this reality. I thought to myself, let's just hope I don't need my wings...

I stopped outside the shop, for a shop it was. A sign above the door read, "Hephaestus' Forge", though there was no way I could have known the language it was written in, I could still understand it's meaning.

I raised my fist to knock, before realizing something, Hephaestus was the Greek god of Fire and the Forge. I wonder if this is just a coincidence, or if this is the actual deity...

Before I could finish my action, the door was pulled open. The relative darkness in the forge wracked havoc with my sight, I could not see who had opened the door.

The voice was gruff and guttural, as one who is unused to speaking. "Well, come in. Don't just stand in the door way."

As I entered, my vision slowly returned, giving me a wonderful sight of this strange man's back as he returned to the anvil and resumed pounding on a chuck of metal. He certainly matched the description of Hephaestus; a tall bearded giant of a man, he walked with a slight limp and his back wasn't quite straight.

He stood, watching me, as he pounded upon the metal, taking turns placing it in the forge and a pool of water. "What do you need?"

Unsure of this man, I was caught slightly off guard and blurted my true intentions before I could think of something better. "I'm looking for the Shards of the Crests."

He only grinned, "I know what you seek, the pieces of the disks? Yes, I have one... it fell here many long years ago." He stopped pounding and peered at me, "You want it, yes?"

I was very unnerved at this point, this huge man was eying me the same way the bullies back in grade school used to look at me. "Yes, well... I mean, I need it... so it won't tear your world apart."

He seemed amused by this. "My world torn apart?" He chuckled, "it is already, without any help." He paused for a moment, I feared he was devising ways to humiliate me. When he spoke again, I was greatly relived to hear it wasn't to belittle me. At least not immediately...

"I will let you take the rock... if you can prove your worth at the forge."

As time went on, I came to understand the fine points of forging objects out of the strange sliver-black metal that was abundantly available here. I became quite good at making simple metal items; horse shoes, plates, cups, and the like. It seemed that everything here was made of metal, and it all came from Hephaestus' forge.

D'Talon appeared at some point, startling Hephaestus as he came meeping into the forge and landed on my shoulder. I had lost him when I left Gynt and was too caught up in my tasks to go find him. Needless to say, he was quite upset.

The lessons continued for an extremely long time, Hephaestus made up a room for me in the back of his shop. He, however, never seemed to rest. Even when I was using the forge, he was working on something.

I started in on it. He left me alone in the shop to create, saying he had "to visit a relative."

Whatever the reason, it left me alone to work. I spent a long time trying to get the blade exactly right. It was starting to frustrate me, making a sword is a lot harder than making a spoon. Swords need to me able to withstand a tremendous about of force placed upon them. Spoons don't.

I was just about to give up when a familiar voice spoke out of nowhere, Why don't you use your magics?

D'Talon mawed at the mystery voice, I chuckled at the little creature. "I don't think that would be fair."

He faded into view, "And how do you think Hephaestus makes such fantastic weapons? He uses magic. The only way you'll be able to beat him in combat is if you use magic as well."

"Alright, but I don't know how."

He chuckled, "Just forge the weapon, and let your connection to the Chaos flow into it. It will mold to your will." He faded away.

Thinking, I started in once more. This time, allowing the chaotic energies within my body to flow in to the forming blade.

Mjolnir's voice answered from the air, "You have to abide by the rules of the universe that you're in. For example, this universe doesn't allow for half-dragons, so your wings, tail, and claws are hidden. If you were to need one or more of those things, they would reappear."

"Oh... but why are my Defender powers bound too?"

"That is the Continuum protecting it's self. If you, or any of the Defenders, were allowed to use the full powers of their crest at any time, you would rip the Continuum apart."

"Ah..."

I continued pounding the metal.

At about that time, Hephaestus returned. He announced his presence by clapping me on the shoulder, scaring D'Talon and startling me. "Fine looking longblade, are you ready to fight me?"

"I think so, yes."

He reached down and picked up his hammer, hefting it and taking a few practice swings with it. He apparently intended to use it as his weapon.

"Come then, the arena is ready." He headed out the door.

"Wait, arena? You didn't say anything about an arena."

He chuckled, "What? You thought we'd battle here in the shop? Of corse we'll use the arena. Now keep up, it's a rather long walk."

Hephaestus didn't seem to mind the weather, and once again I thanked whatever force had changed me, I didn't feel anything from the cold.

The arena rose up before us, an enormous structure, reminiscent of the great Coliseum in ancient Rome. Although this one was in slightly better repair.

Hephaestus walked toward it unerringly. I followed a short distance behind, looking around. The landscape was completely covered in at least three inches of snow, more in some places. The ruins of a great city rose up before us, in fact, this seemed to be very similar to the city Mjolnir showed me so long ago.

Once in the city it was a short walk to the Coliseum. As we neared, I could see hundreds, if not thousands, of people coming from all directions. Hephaestus didn't even give me time to wonder, however, as he continued directly into a doorway.

We were immediately plunged into darkness, it took my eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness. But once they had, I was amazed. The inside of the Coliseum was just as impressive as the outside.

D'Talon awoke at this point, sniffing the air as he rode on my shoulder. Hephaestus didn't stray from his corse, however, and lead us directly to the center arena. As we emerged into the bright sunlight, a massive cheer went up. The crowd was ready.

Hephaestus turned to me with a grin, "Let's give them a show, shall we?"

A man I guess was to be the referee for this match climbed onto a podium and began to speak, "A challenge has been declared! As our fore-fathers decreed it, so shall the events here...." I tuned out as the speech went on.

As expected, Hephaestus came at me from behind with a roar. In a single, fluid motion, I leapt over his head and landed behind him, seeking a free strike with my sword.

He was fast. As I leapt over him, he spun in place and blocked my blade with his hammer. I jumped out of reach as the hammer came down where my head had been. Then blocked another strike with my sword as he continued the movement. The sword seemed to bend under the force of the blow, but it did not break. Hephaestus grunted approval.

We continued like this, trading blows back and forth for a rather long time, until he started to tire and left himself open. I stepped inside his guard and placed a two inch gash in his chest.

At the sight of blood the crowd went wild. The pandemonium was defying. Hephaestus grinned and nodded to me. He brought his hammer around and caught me square in the side of the head. A hit like that would have killed anyone else, I was flung across the arena.

Picking myself up, a bit dazed from the blow, I looked in time to see Hephaestus bearing down on me. I rolled out of the way as the hammer blew into the packed dirt, sending a wave of sand across the arena.

Before he could lift the hammer, I lashed out with my blade and bit into his shoulder. The blade sunk four inches and got stuck. He brought his hammer around to hit me once more, I was ready for it and leapt into the air. I landed behind Hephaestus and placed a kick in the square of his back sending him flying to the ground where the still stuck sword drove in even deeper.

He stood, his arm hanging uselessly at his side. With a broad grin he reached over and pulled the sword out. He tossed it back to me and picked his hammer back up.

I caught the sword by the hilt and looked at Hephaestus, he was smiling. The referee let out a shout to declare the match over.

"That's a fine blade you have there," Hephaestus spoke from behind me. "You have a unique talent, I don't suppose there is anyway I could convince you to stay on with me?"

I turned around to face my mentor, "No, as much as I would like to, I have other things I must do. Perhaps, once I am done, I could return?"

He smiled a broad grin, "The offer stands, but you won't be back. You'll get killed, or find a woman to tie you down." He seemed sad, "but if you ever happen to be in the neighborhood, don't hesitate to drop by. My door is always open.

"I guess you'll be wanting this then," he held out a small piece of stone, about two inches long. I took it and it began to glow; a rich red color, the color of the setting sun and molten metal. His eyes widened, the first time I'd ever seen him surprised, "You are the one it has been waiting for... In that case, I have a message for you as well."

He cleared his throat and began to speak:

"Though Time now stands forsaken,
And Darkness has fallen,
Evil is on the rise.

The One is gaining strength,
But is not yet a Hero.
Find the Temple of the End,
And know the Beginning.

With many questions still unanswered, I stepped into another world.