A few days later, after recovering, they returned to Orario. Malion stayed behind with Hera. Bell and her discussed some stuff about his mother and aunt, but unfortunately, she knew nothing about his father (she refused to tell him).
"Please! Can you tell me!" Bell said, looking at Malion with curious and innocent eyes.
"Geh. You have your mother’s charm and your father's persistence. I suggest you stop asking about him. You are better off not knowing that poor excuse of a man."
Lucky for him, Hera didn’t get a chance to meet him. Malion made sure of that.
The Artemis and Hestia Familia leave together, with the Aphrodite Familia staying behind to help with the rebuilding. Circe and the others were still asleep, and there weren’t enough horses, so Cirrus rode with Ai.
"Stop it~ Hehe~" Ai said as Cirrus was flirting with her bit.
"Mmm…" Artemis grew a bit jealous of them. "Cirrus." She gave him a look that said she, too, wanted to be spoiled.
"Next stop Art, I promise," Cirrus said, tickling Ai.
"Hm! Hmm! Haha!! Stop it, Cirrus!" Ai laughed.
Orario’s gate.
They return to a mountain of cheering from many gods and people, thanking them for their work.
Applause! Cheering! Applause! Cheering!
Applause! Cheering! Applause! Cheering!
Applause! Cheering! Applause! Cheering!
"Do you like the cheering?" Cirrus said to Bell.
"It’s nice. So many smiles. " Bell said, taking in the praise.
"Yeah… enjoy it. It’s a hero’s welcome. I am not too keen on this, so I bid you farewell." Cirrus disappeared from the group, as did most of the Artemis Familia, as they were away for too long.
Cirrus went to see Lenoa while the Familia that left took the day off to rest.
Knock! Knock!
Cirrus enters her shop.
"Ah, Cirrus. Nice scar, it makes you more manly." Lenoa said, reading a book. "Did you summon Circe? I haven’t had a headache in days."
"Thanks. I did. Right now she is sleeping, but, um, I have to tell you that she has changed a bit and about... Nox."
He took Circe out to show her mature appearance. They took her to her room to rest while Cirrus told Lenoa what had happened to Nox.
"I see..." she walks over to Cirrus and hugs him. "If you need anything, just ask, alright?"
"Hm, I will. I’m sorry I have to leave, but you know..."
"Yes. I will take care of Circe until she wakes up again. You just go and get settled. You're going to be a father soon, so I suggest you read up on childcare."
"Has word already spread?"
"No. I overheard it when your wives came to Circe for a check-up."
"Hah… any advice on child care?"
"Yeah, I hope they are like you as a baby. You were a blessing given how quiet you were."
"Hmm… I get some books and ask some people."
Cirrus took his leave.
He walks through the alleyways where Fels appeared next to him.
"Fels."
"Cirrus. I am sorry for her loss."
They stop walking, and Fels puts their hand on Cirrus’ shoulder.
"We both knew what was going to happen... We even made wills, but... well, I ended up inheriting her stuff. Actually, I didn't mention it because I wanted to show you and Lord Ouranos."
"Really? Then it can wait till tomorrow, for today you must rest. Your body and mind must be exhausted from so much traveling and events. "
"Thank you." They hug and part ways.
Moonlight Tower.
"There we go," Cirrus said, putting White Night in Nox’s room.
"Cirrus," said Vesta. "Wouldn’t it be wiser to leave my body in your shadow?"
"It would, but this was Nox’s room."
Vesta looks around to find several musical instruments and sheets of music, along with various other jewelry, clothes, and a teapot on a stove. The room had everything a house would need.
"So will this be where you store White Night?"
"It will be. I mean, I can summon it to me, so even if it’s in my shadow, it’s always a chant away."
"Very well, but at least lay it on the bed so it can bathe in the sun and under the moonlight."
"That’s fine."
After putting White Night in Nox’s room, he goes back to his room, where Ai and Artemis were.
"Ahh! Finally!!" Cirrus said, flopping on the bed. "A comfy bed."
"It is," Ai said as she lay next to Cirrus.
"Hey," Artemis said, as she lay next to him as well. "Do you want your reward for reaching level 9?" she said with a smile.
Ai then grabbed his arm and slipped under it.
"Do you? We can wear it for you. This could be the last time before I can wear it?"
"… Yeah, let’s do it."
They spent the day like newlyweds… again, indulging Cirrus in his tastes.
Late at night.
"Ugh… Huwaah!" Artemis leaned over the bathroom sink, vomiting. "I think I ate something bad... ugh. I knew I shouldn't have had another helping."
She rinsed her mouth and brushed her teeth.
She walked out to the balcony and took in the cool night air.
"… Nope. I feel a bit off."
She walks back inside and gently wakes Cirrus up.
"Hm?" Cirrus slowly opens his eyes. "Art? What’s wrong?"
"I think I ate something bad. Can you use your magic?"
"Hmm… Sure. (Theïká Panoplía.)."
His armor was a bit more different; it was a beautiful hooded cloak that was like the sacred garments worn by the gods. The armor now had a rainbow pearlescence to it.
"Ah~" Artemis' nauseating feeling dissipates as the armor wraps around her. "I feel better." She said, getting back into bed.
She gets under the covers as his armor fades away. She gets under Cirrus's arm and snuggles in.
The next day.
Down in the Room of Prayer.
"So why did you ask to bring me here as well?" said Hephaestus, who was invited by Cirrus.
"Well, I figured a smith god like you would appreciate it. Lord Ouranos, as I said to Fels, I left something out when I reported what had happened, and this was it." Cirrus reached into his shadow and drew White Night.
Their eyes immediately widen upon seeing it.
"(Wake up, Nox.)."
The divine weapon turns white with hieroglyphs. They could see a radiance come off Cirrus that felt similar to Ouranos and Astraea, with his hair turning white at the ends. As Kali's tattoo grew up near his eye, his silver eye transforms into a radiant topaz.
"Oh, I forgot to mention Nyx actually blessed me with this silver eye, or, I guess, a topaz eye."
"There is... so much to process," Hephaestus said. "But why do you have a veil like Nyx’s?" Hephaestus tried to touch his veil, but it had no texture, for it was more akin to light.
"You mentioned when you reached level 9 that an ability came up?" said Ouranos. "What was it called?"
"Sacred."
"Hmm, well, the divine weapon I will leave Hephaestus to that, but your aura It would seem to me that your soul has taken in my and Astraea’s Arcanum along with some other influences like Kail’s ichor in your tattoo and possibly some of Nyx through Nox. You are, in a sense, spiritually my and Astraea’s child, and, in a convoluted way, distantly related to Kali, Artemis, and Nyx."
"So what? I’m spiritually a god? Or half of one? Also, when you said I am distantly related to my wife, I got a layer of gross."
"I would assume half and do not worry about being related to Artemis; given how little of a foundation Artemis had, you could put it as third cousins twice removed. Also, does that aura appear when you wield White Night?"
‘Half a god and I already have a convoluted family tree.’
"I can answer that," Vesta said.
The red gem glows, and a wisp of fire appears, taking form.
"Vesta," said Hephaestus upon first seeing her. "How are you here?"
"I split off from Hestia when she came to help Cirrus purify the flame, and in the process of that, he forged this weapon that serves as our contract and my body."
"So you used the flame as your forge, huh? No wonder it made the perfect body for an aspect of Hestia to inhabit. "
Using the flame would not be enough to host the aspect of a god, Cirrus came prepared with the material one of which was the scales of the Black Dragon and even some metal from another world and various other materials that are too much to list.
Hephaestus walks up to the blade and touches it.
"I see… Well, I have to say you truly take the cake as the best smith to have ever lived. I doubt anyone could reach this level of smithing and even forge a divine weapon in Gekai. But what about these slots and gems?"
"They are the magic stones of two spirits, but the red one is Vesta, while the yellow one was a farewell gift from Nyx," Cirrus said.
"She gave you one hell of a gift." Hephaestus looked at it with a keen eye.
"What is it? Aphrodite said it was Zeus’s divine weapon, Bronte?"
"Well, yes and no. You see, Bronte is more of a weapon set, so she, Nyx, gave you one, and I have to say you put it to use far better than Zeus ever could. I mean, you made a divine weapon stronger with another."
"Speaking of Nyx," said Ouranos. "How did you meet her? None felt her divinity on Gekai?"
"Well, when Artemis opened my status, I fell into a lull, and I found myself in a field of Night Phlox with a night sky and shooting stars. I looked around and found Nyx…" Cirrus closes his eyes. "Ah, when I first saw her, I felt true awe, like when I first met you, Lord Ouranos." He opened his eyes again. "She also resembled Nox, but with a darker color palette and a more mature appearance."
"Hm… Did she want anything? Or say anything?"
"She simply brought my mind there to thank me for freeing Nox, and so she gave me this silver eye and that gem. After that, I came back, and I went to work again. She also said some stuff about the future, but I think she made those parts hard to remember."
"I see... that answers all of my questions." Hephaestus and you wish to ask?"
"Yeah, was there any material, in particular, that was used in the production?" Hephaestus said as she touched the blade. "There is a material that is... not adding up?"
"Nox," Cirrus said lowly.
"Eh?" she said, a bit surprised.
"Nox, the Grand Spirit of the White Night," said Vesta. "She sacrificed her body to house the power of the flame and to save her master, which is also a reason I remain in the blade. None shall desecrate this weapon, as I am its watcher. "
"I… see. I am sorry for your loss." Hephaestus bows her head in respect. "Vesta." Hephaestus looks at her. "Are you sure of your Hestia’s aspect? You look and sound more reliable."
"Unfortunately, yes."
"I do have a request. It was the reason I asked you to come," Cirrus said as the blade returned to normal, as did his appearance and aura. "Do you think you can repair this?" Cirrus takes out Gram. "It was damaged when fighting Epimetheus, you know, the first hero of humanity who became immortal due to the flame and wielded Ethon. Oh, and could you make a sheath for White Night?"
"An impressive blade," said Ouranos. "To be able to hold its own with a divine weapon is impressive."
"I’ll say." Hephaestus examines it while Cirrus holds it. "… Hmm hard to say, but I think I can do it... if you let me examine that divine weapon of yours? I can make it a sheath in the process." She said with an excited face.
"Vesta?"
"She is a friend, so I will allow it, but know that I won’t allow anyone to use or swing me." She returns to the red gem.
"I’ll bring it to your workshop tomorrow."
"Thanks!"
Hephaestus leaves the Room of Prayer with a pep in her step.
Welp, I have a feeling that Artemis is pregnant
"Ugh… Huwaah!" Artemis leaned over the bathroom sink, vomiting. "I think I ate something bad... ugh. I knew I shouldn't have had another helping."
wait wait wait wait a damn minute
Well that certainly is a plot twist