Trojan War Chapter 11

 

The Goddess and Helen

 

11.

“Aphrodite”

 

“God, when will he stop?” The Inspector at the Space Port lamented to his peer when the rumbling at the nearby volcano spewed smoke like that of a smoking chimney.

“Hephaestus is at it again. I was told that he is forging new metallurgy that will rival the ones we have now.” The other inspector replied while he adjusted the panels that were scanning the loads that were going onto the freighter. The Inspector had been at the task for over two decades at the Macedonia Space Port V. It was situated on an off-planet of the Macedonian’s controlled planets and the one that was there was a mining planet with one-third of it gored and removed like morsels of flesh to be fed to the other worlds.

Titanium was aplenty within the hard subterranean of the planet, and one of Hades Underworld was designated there.

“When will it end? We do not need such hard metals with the war ceased.” The earlier Inspector continued on his ranting. He looked to the readings on the tablet and then cursed at the aides who were loading it.

“Stop! For that shipment to Troy, you are registering sixty tons there and I can see there are more on the load. I may be old but I am not senile.” The Inspector screeched his call to the aides to recalibrate the loading.

“God! Imbeciles I am given to work with.” The Inspector screeched again. He then glared at the aide who was staring at him. “Don’t you stare at me? I am not the one who placed you here. You are as ugly as God himself.

Hephaestus stood out among the Gods, not because of his wonderful metallurgy but he was deformed in the looks from the works he does at the metals. The metallurgy was a tough assignment involving the handling of molten materials that could burn a limb into nothing in seconds yet when it’s molded into shape, it could take on heavy impacts. The works of the metallurgist required to heat and the volcano was an ideal location despite its danger.

“Check those readings. I am not getting the required heat.” Hephaestus roared to the aides; so named volunteers from Hades Underworld but more of condemned world outcasts forced to do the labor. The aide in front of the console looked at the readings and did the needed adjustments. It was to cause the foundation of the volcano to rumble and more ashes were thrown onto the outside.

“My Lord, we are tethering at the maximum.” The aide called back. The aide was dressed in the golden overall covered from head to toe with the goggles over the eyes and the mouthpiece. It was to protect the aide from the heat.

“Arghh…” Another aide at the furnace cried out when molten metal spat out like the spit of the serpent. The aide had retreated to a safer distance.

“I am burnt.” The aide was smoldering the fire at his overall.

“Get back to your post, imbecile. What is a small burn compared to me dumping you headfirst into the furnace pot?” Hephaestus poured his effort into the works of completing the new mixture of metal which will be the hardest he had ever produced. The first few shipments have been sent to Troy for testing on their motherships to reinforce the hull. If it’s successful the same will be applied to the other worlds.

“Then I can get the needed rare jewel stones for my consort, Aphrodite,” Hephaestus muttered to himself. He recalled the day he was brought to see Zeus and told the surprising news.

“Hephaestus, I want you to wed Aphrodite.” Zeus had looked at the younger God who had served him well with the invention of stronger metals and weapons. He had won over the world with that might without sacrificing his warriors. The God of Metallurgy was also a favorite of Ares. He was then at the Great Hall with Zeus and none of the others were present. It was intimidating to stand before Lord Zeus, who sat on the high throne with the golden seat that rose high above the Lord and had its top decked with the fourteen spokes to denote the fourteen major Gods and Goddess. Zeus himself was clad in the simple

“My Lord Zeus, I am honored but Aphrodite is …” Hephaestus had tried to reject the matter.

“Do you feel my sister is unworthy to you?” Zeus had on the Chiton and in his right was the weapon of choice; the lightning rod that was created by Hephaestus with the aid of the Archaeon; the one weapon that will absorb the power of the surrounding to be channeled through that rod into a burst of energy that even the hardest metal known then will melt on contact.

“No, Lord Zeus. I am your child to command and I shall obey but before I do so, please allow me to speak.” Hephaestus pleaded in a string of words swiftly delivered lest he misses on the words.

“I feel unworthy. I am a minor ranked God compared to her, and above it, Aphrodite is …”

“She is a beauty beyond the others in Olympia. I would have wedded her but I am to Hera now.” Zeus reminded himself.  “You do know how envious your mother will be if I did. Hera is your mother, I presume.”

“Oh, you are not her’s. I am mistaken.” Zeus muttered. Hera had abandoned the child upon birth as she saw him as incomplete. It was Zeus who raised him and given him the to create weapons.

“Anyway, I felt that you deserve Aphrodite. Do you agree?” Zeus looked at the other. “I am seldom mistaken.”

Hephaestus looked down at his own feet. He was not a handsome God-like Apollo or even charismatic like Hermes or aggressive in the looks like Ares. He was a simple Olympian conceived by Zeus and yet he lacked the looks. At the tender ages, he was keen at the qualities of fire, and with his silly attempts, he had burned part of a city but he was forgiven by Zeus although Hera wanted him banished. The latter saw the quality in him and made him a metallurgist. Zeus did caution him then.

“Hephaestus, the task is dangerous and you may…”

“Lord Zeus, I am willing.” Hephaestus displayed his wounded fingers. “It hurts but it was a good effort the pain.”

Zeus recalled those words which to him was like an oath. As he had then, summoned the other to wed his sister.

“Hephaestus, do you take Aphrodite as yours?” It was arranged then and the two were wedded. Aphrodite had no say on the matter and had to walk behind Hephaestus at the functions. The wedding of theirs was not without its rumors.

Aphrodite was the Goddess of Beauty claimed onto her for she was beautiful. She was the fairest of maidens in the Worlds, wooed by many but she stood by her brother’s choice. She traveled with Hephaestus to his abode and despite the harsh conditions of the place, she made her own home there as comfortably to herself. Despite her consent, Aphrodite was not to be led into a life of oblivion. Her lover, Hephaestus much as he was trying to oblige her but his main interest was on his tasks at hand. His absence however gave Aphrodite the freedom to be herself.

“I am a beauty and refused to be contained to one Man only.” Aphrodite thus was unfaithful to Hephaestus. She made it known to even Ares, the God of War.

“Hephaestus procreated for you the wonderful weapons, why don’t you do the same for me inside my womb?” Aphrodite had confessed to Ares during their illicit rendezvous.

“I am ever willing.” Ares had replied. “I will have wed no one but only you.”

“Why then did you not protest to Zeus during my wedding?” Aphrodite had glared at Ares. “Are you not manly to challenge him? Or are you a wimp that I ought to reveal?”

“I did it!” Ares upset at being branded a wimp. “I did and met Zeus. He told me his reasons. He feared with your beauty, you may drive the others to fight for your love. It’s will lead to the downfall of Olympia. He made you …. a …”

“Sacrifice to Hephaestus? Perhaps the Goddess is not spared of the humiliation as that had befall the womenfolk of the worlds. Are we commodities to be traded?”

“I would have stopped the wedding but Zeus is the almighty and even Poseidon stopped me from confronting Zeus. He was said to be Zeus’ equal and yet he relented me to act.”

“Then I am to be what I am but defeat is never in me. I had preserved my beauty as a feat that none others could challenge.” Aphrodite sighed. “Speak no more of this, Ares. Make me yours and filled my womb with your seeds. I will bore your sons that will stand by you in battle.”

“Aphrodite pride herself on her beauty,” Ares told Paris of the Goddess.