[OOC TRANSCRIPTION] [The language spoken is Greek but I ain't writing alladat. This is posted for anyone who cares and also any seers who might be spying.] "Brother, come back. We need you." Heph steps backwards, a scowl set on his face. It's been a while since he's seen Ares' human form, but those eyes betray his identity. His arms come up defensively out of habit, despite the war god having done nothing except approach. Ares tilts his head, a sad look on his face. "For what? Lock me up again? Take my lovers from me again? Get me drunk and board me on a mule again? I'm not going back, Ares. We're not brothers. Not anymore." "Hephaestus..." Ares steps forward, Hephaestus steps back. He seems... scared? Unnerved, at the very least. Unusual for such a happy go lucky horse. He grips his wrist, as if remembering the shackles, stepping back away again. "Hephaestus," Ares tries again. "Heph, please. We need you. Those apprentices are good but... they're not you. The quality isn't the same. They don't know what the gods need. They're... bland." Heph bares his teeth, snarling. "And what about what I need, Air?" People look at them and he ducks his head, speaking more hushed. "You didn't care about that for four thousand years, what's the difference now? Suddenly care because Aphrodite is gone? My only regret is it wasn't by my hand. Be grateful Eirene severed your bond to her so you didn't need to mourn." Ares reaches towards Heph, who slaps the hand away. "Don't touch me." The war god bristles, stepping forward again. Now he's the one growling, but he's cut off before the words can fully form. "Be careful, Ares. There's humans around. Your blood always ran hotter than mine, but you don't want a scene, do you?" Ares' red eyes glance around, but his fists shake. He ends up taking a swing at Heph. Heph catches the punch and wrenches that arm behind him, fist connecting with Ares face. And then, he runs. Gods bless his legs, the feeling helps him run. He knocks himself through people, skirting around buildings until he finds an alley with no eyes. His bow manifests into his hand and he tears a hole, wings manifesting when he flies through the portal to open air in the mountains. An arrow appears on the string but it's not fast enough to avoid Ares' punch to the back of his head. He twists in the air and drops the human guise, hoof slamming the other god in the face and sending him away before an arrow is loosed into Ares' shoulder. "Leave me! I'm happy, Ares! I have friends! I have a family! Don't make me destroy you too, brother!" Ares rips the arrow out, golden ichor spilling. Dropping his own human guise allows the armor to form over his skin. He doesn't need wings to fly, though. "Like you did to Father? You embarrassed him, you embarrassed all of Olympus! You're one of the twelve, Hephaestus! We need you on the mountain!" It becomes a fight, a brawl in the air. The god of war vs the god of forge, once brothers, once enemies, now nothing. Heph has the strength, but Ares has the skill, and he keeps the troll from drawing his bow by staying close. Heph isn't armored, after all. Eventually, heph gets a glove off with his teeth, and thrusts an unfettered punch into Ares' chest, flinging him far away. And the troll growls, nocking his bow. One more arrow flies, landing square in the eye gap of Ares' helmet. The god yells, curling over himself. Gold drips freely from his face. He snaps the arrow, but leaves it in his face this time. He glares at Hephaestus with his remaining eye. "I am one of the twelve, Ares. But no longer of Olympus. You'll never ascend higher than what I am, because /I made you/. Go home if you want to keep the other eye." Ares spits, but his form shimmers to nothing as he leaves. Heph watches the spot for a long moment, then grips his face. Gaia please, don't let this become habit. "So, how'd it go, Hephaestus?" The troll spins around, arrow pointed just inches away from Hermes' face. He blinks, then lowers his bow. A pathetic smile. "As well as you thought it would." #violence #blood @aspirationalAsiatic @typifiedArbitrament @adulatedCoquette @composedGrievances @glamourouslyAbstruse @anachronisticGoddess @cascadingAccent