Hermes' shoes were seemingly made of copper and leather. Each strap shinned in the light as the boy rolled his ankles. Like there was a persistent gloss to them.

The wings attached to the ankle straps moved with Hermes. He lifted his right leg and the feathers turned with him. Just as quickly as he spun in place, the wings flattened out so he spun faster.

He didn’t even think about telling the wings what to do. It was no different from raising an arm or looking around. The sandals were extra body parts he could take off.

“I call them ‘Talaria’,” Hephaestus said. “I gotta tweak ‘em as you grow. So make sure you check in with me every few months.”

“Thank you, Lord Hephaestus!” Hermes said, still playing with the wings. Jogging in place and watching them flap. “These are the best shoes ever!”

Apollo & Hephaestus we’re looking at Hermes’ legs become a blur. Hephaestus was happy to get a ‘thank you’. Apollo didn’t seem impressed.

“Really?” Apollo asked, “‘Winged Sandals?’ That's honestly the best name that you could come up with?”

Having none of it, “When you invent flying shoes, you can name ‘em.”

Hermes had just heard the greatest thing in his life.

“THEY FLY?!”

“That's what the wings are for,” Hephaestus answered.

The three were already outside. Apollo couldn’t tell Hermes ‘not to take off’. Not that anything stopped him. Hermes had run off before Apollo could utter a syllable.

Hermes ran right off the island into the sea. Onto the sea. Running across the water.

Apollo stood right next to his big brother at the volcano base. Arms crossed and cheeks puffed. No desire to move.

“You gonna go after him?” Hephaestus asked.

Knowing full well he’d never catch Hermes, “You made the sandals! You go after him!”

Casually, “I did my job. Now go do yours. You babysitter.”

Hephaestus turned around. He kicked at the ground, opening the hidden passage to his home. And slowly walked right into the stairway to his forge.

“Hey!” Apollo shouted, “If I lose him, Father will kill me!”

Hephaestus flipped his brother off, “Bite my shiny metal ass.”

The ground sealed back the moment Hephaestus’ head wasn’t in the way. Like nothing had happened. When Apollo tried kicking, nothing did happen.

Enraged, “This is why nobody likes you!”

Apollo’s words reminded him of that month’s meeting. Of Hera & Hephaestus' tension. He had a way to bait his half-brother out.

“You know,” Apollo began, “Queen Hera doesn’t like Hermes either. I’m certain it’d anger her to have another one of father’s kids she didn't give birth to on Olympus.”

The ground opened back up. Just enough for Hephaestus to pop out. Like a gopher.

“If this doesn’t piss Hera off, I’ll build something that’ll kill you.”

-Meanwhile-

Hermes couldn’t be happier. He was faster than a horse before. But now, he couldn’t think of what to compare his speed to.

He never knew the wind could be this harsh. The water under him wasn’t even relevant. Hermes just focused on the push against his chest. The force pulled his hair back. It was the closest feeling to flight he’d ever had.

As his trail left small waves, Hermes tried what he heard. Jumping up, he spread his arms like a bird. He didn’t take flight. But it was the longest distance he’d ever jumped. Clearing a few meters easily.

He landed harder than expected. Stepping on liquid almost made him trip and go under. But Hermes was too fast.

“Whew! That was close!” Hermes exhaled. “Should get closer to shore.”

Hermes looked around and could see the Greece mainland. The very distant mainland. Even at his speed, it’d be faster to turn back around. But that would mean hearing Apollo talk.

However, one more trip and he’d be praying to Poseidon for help.

Hermes weighed his options, “Apollo I gue-”

A wave almost tossed Hermes. It was like running over a bump that disappeared as quickly as it came. Nearly catching Hermes while his focus wasn’t on the sea.

“It’s fine.” Hermes said to himself, “That was just a small wave. I can still make it to-”

This warning hit Hermes a little harder. A much bigger wave then flung him off his feet!

He couldn’t fly no matter how fast he ran in the air. The wings flapping just slowed his descent. Instead of dropping like a rock, Hermes glided down like a bat. Sprinting on the water the second he made contact.

Hermes hadn’t felt that level of fear since his first meeting with Apollo. He couldn’t run any faster to the shore. To the safety of solid ground.

But he didn’t make it. No matter how much faster those shoes made Hermes, they couldn’t make him faster than what was behind him. He wasn't going to outrun a wave the size of a warship.

Hermes tried his best. Like a ram running from a lion, it was only a matter of time. He felt the upheaval nipping at his heels. Pressing against his soles. Dripping on his neck. Finally, flipping him forward like a rug pull.

Into the water, Hermes fell. So far down, he could only see blue. Sunlight against the surface was his only clue where to go. No knowledge of how to reach it.

Hermes held his breath as he flailed. He’d never seen someone swim. He’d never read a book on it. And the first person to ever offer the technique was back on the island.

He started to panic the deeper his body fell. None of his motions worked. Nothing propelled him upward. In his panic, he made a worse mistake.

Hermes opened his mouth. Now, his superhuman lungs were filled with saltwater. Drastically cutting his time underwater in half.

He was drowning. Sinking further into the depths. Losing the strength to kick or swing. His vision became so blurry he couldn’t tell up from down.

Hermes’ eyelids got too heavy to keep open. The blue that surrounded him faded into black. Then, Hermes felt nothing.

He heard nothing for the longest time. No distant splash. No collection of bubbles.

Something close to fish scales scraped his arm. Something like seaweed brushed his leg. But nothing that could wake him up.

That is until the water he swallowed was forced out.

Hermes coughed and threw up the seawater. He was wide awake and somehow unharmed. Clothes fully intact and winged sandals flapping dry.

The sunset let him know he was on a beach facing east. The mainland, more specifically. Where on the mainland, he didn’t know.

Behind him was a forest. Dark and unknown. With no clue which beach he was on, it’d be dangerous to venture past the trees.

“Hello?” Hermes called.

A sudden slap hit his hand. A copper bracelet with Apollo’s golden lyre symbol. Freshly forged without flaw.

“No more running off, you dullard.”

To his right was Apollo. Hair was as dim as the sunset. Gazing outward to the sea.

He was soaked just as much as Hermes. Only for a moment, though. Apollo’s skin glowed like a torch, and soon his clothes were dry.

Hermes didn’t need to move. The heat reached him instead.

“What made you think that was a good idea?” Apollo asked.

Hermes held his hands toward Apollo as if he were a campfire.

“I didn’t,” Hermes answered.

“Then why do it?”

Hermes shrugged. Apollo sighed.

“You’re not immortal. What inconveniences me will kill you. You have to think before you run.”

Hermes didn’t have any clever comeback. He had a cough. He had cold feet. Furthermore, he had positioned himself far from the tides.

Apollo could report this to Zeus. He could scold Hermes some more. Or he could fix the problem.

“So,” Apollo said, “Do you still want that swimming lesson? Make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Hesitantly, “…I’m not against the idea.”

End