6 Chapter V

Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump what is that sound. Why could she feel it? Noises were around her, words. Her head hurt a lot.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump

The ba-dump sound got louder and faster. Why could she not see were her eyes not open. All she saw was darkness. What was this? She felt the wind on her face. Where was she? She heard this loud wailing sound and her throat began to burn. Was that sound her?

Ba dump. Ba dump. Ba dump. Ba dump, ba dump.

The sound increased and so did the vibration in her chest.

The tugging sensation on her head stopped but the feel of the wind increased. She wanted to see, see what was happening but her eyes would not open. What if it was not whether they were open what if it was that they were yet she could not see.

The sound and vibration increased even more. It was so cold she wanted to feel something anything but this biting wind. She wanted to hear those voices again just so she would know she was not alone. She even wishes to bring back the pain because it let her know she was alive. What was this? Who was she? Where did everybody go?

She stayed in that state for a long time not knowing what was happening or how much time had passed. She fell for days until she was consumed with burning pain. She hit something, hard. She felt the pain in her head first as it shattered through her body feeling like everything in her body had broken.

Yet her mind finally gave in as she passed out.

Hours later she jolted up. It was no longer dark, it was bright. One shade of bright light. She moved her limbs she had grown and she felt bigger, heavier.

Beneath her was rough and grainy is this what had hurt her so bad. She jumped and backed away.

She looked around only seeing what was the color...white, yes white. The more time that passed the more knowledge she seemed to obtain.

"Hello" a deep gruff voice says from behind her it sounded like it attempted to be gentle but failed miserably. She spun around to face the voice. She saw a mixture of colors that she could not yet name.

The figure was big, gigantic. They hovered over her.

"Shhhhh, shhhhh pretty girl, I won't hurt you, you're safe." He said kneeling down.

She felt the heat of another body it increased more and more until she felt them whoever they were. They did not feel how they looked they were flowing of bright colors.

She was touching Hephaestus arm she ran her fingers up to his shoulder while doing the same thing to herself using her other hand. She trailed up his neck to his face.

He was shocked. She was blind. Gods usually heal from all wounds no matter how severe. Yet at such a young age only a few days old. He had landed feet first which gave him a permanent limp. Maybe she had fallen headfirst and it now affected her sight.

"You can't se-" she stuck her finger into his mouth and used her other hand to touch her own.

"Can" he began again then she mimicked him

"Cahhhhh-aaannn" she copied the movement of his tongue with hers.

Hephaestus tilted his head to the side in question and she did the same. Her long red hair that reaches her knees swung with her head. She looked up at him with crystal white eyes. She was looking at him but also past him as if she was seeing more. But also less at the same time.

He grabbed the small dainty hand that was touching her mouth and placed it on his chest the other still in his mouth "I'm Hephaestus."

"Heeeef-feeeeee" she said slowly and struggled to continue.

"That's fine, Hephee is fine."

She grabbed his hand and placed it on her chest. She looked panicked, her eyes dancing around. She placed her hand back on Hephaestus' chest and patted "Hephee" and then she patted her own chest in question.

Hephaestus grabbed the hand she had on her chest and put them on his lips which she then proceeded to shove in his mouth.

"Karma."

"Karrrr maaaaa" she mimicked sounding out every syllable slowly.

"There you go I'm Hephee" he patted her hand to his chest "And you're karma."

"Hephee" she smiled wide and giggled.

"Karma" she seemed very proud of herself as she grinned.

"Great job little one, come one I'll take care of you." He took off his shirt placing it on the small girl. Hephaestus laughed internally about how It reached her ankles.

He picked her up, placing the light girl on his hip as she clung to him placing her head on the crook of his neck.

A volcano was no place for a child so he decided he'd take her to his house farther down the mountain. He rarely used it, it was built for Aphrodite but she was usually much too busy with other men to stay at the mansion with him.

He teleports them little Karma already asleep. The little thing already had him wrapped tightly around her finger. Hundreds of ideas were raking through his head on how he would spoil her. It would take some getting used to having someone else around. He would have to make her something to assist her since she could not see. The poor thing would have trouble in this world other gods would exploit and use her just like they did him.

Servants greeted him at the door every god had their humans they pick up along the way or worshippers that show promise. They mostly just kept the house clean. But he knew other gods weren't as nice as him and used them for their own twisted or sexual desire.

"Prepare Aphrodite's room and make some food to be delivered to her later."

"Yes, master" the servants all voiced in unison and ran off.

Hephaestus decided she'd sleep in his room tonight. He couldn't imagine the poor thing waking up alone in the darkness. He also didn't think she'd let him go judging by the way she was clinging to him.

He entered his room looking around the plain beige interior with little decoration and laid down on his huge bed placing the small child on top of his chest.

Her light snores filled the room. He looked down at her she had an adorable chubby face with long lashes around her doe eyes, freckles dancing around her nose and cheeks. She was so innocent. At last he took notice of her dark red hair it reached the legs of the little toddler the color of an apple. He'd never seen someone with such hair it was unnatural. Before he even knew it he was touching the rippling waves of hair that were laid across her body. It was so soft and shiny it glistened.

There would be so many people who would try to hurt his little sister, but he promised he'd never let any of them hurt her. He'd build her the most powerful weapons with the strongest armor. He'd build her eyes if he had to but he couldn't help but think her blindness was far from her greatest weakness but her greatest strength its what made her different from the other gods.

With that thought he closed his eyes and for the first time in a long time, he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Questions?