"No," Cyd said, jaw tight. "I'm going to be who I want to be."
The words hung in the air, quiet but firm.
He glanced down at the now-normal-sized package tucked under his arm, then up at the looming bronze palace behind him. Even after everything—getting scolded, smothered, and practically held hostage by a divine blacksmith—he couldn't help but feel oddly… grateful. Spending the day with a goddess like Hephaestus wasn't exactly on his bucket list, but hey, getting fed by her like some pampered mortal wasn't the worst thing in the world.
Even when he said he didn't care about skipping meals for a few days, Hephaestus had waved him off with a, "Tough. I'm bored. Sit still." And that was that.
The sound of a hammer clanged from within the forge, solid and steady—like the world telling him, Get moving already.
"Alright, alright, no point whining," Cyd muttered to himself, eyes dropping to the bracer on his left wrist. "[Blessing] brace is still here. That's all I need."
He gave his cheeks a quick slap. "I've got a goal now. Might as well start walking toward it."
It could kill him, sure. But honestly? That only made him want it more.
So, with the sun on his back and maybe a little too much optimism in his step, Cyd headed into the woods.
Where was he even going? No idea. Olympus sounded like the obvious answer, but that was kind of like saying "Let's drop by the White House uninvited." Gods didn't exactly roll out the welcome mat for mortals.
Still, there were always… alternatives.
Before he could spiral too deep into the what now? part of the plan, a figure strolled toward him—a guy with a cocky grin, slick hair, and a staff with twin snakes coiled around it like a double-dare.
Cyd squinted. "…You've got to be kidding me."
"Yo," the stranger said casually. "Name's Hermes."
There was a beat of silence. Cyd blinked.
"You can just call me Hermes, by the way," he added, hopping down from a boulder like it was a stage. "No need for the 'oh great god' routine."
Cyd took a breath, sizing him up. "Alright then, Hermes. What do you want?"
"Favor," Hermes said plainly, his eyes flicking to the bracer. "But also, I owe you one. You've been lighting incense for me eight years straight. Least I can do is help out."
Cyd tensed. "You know about this?" His hand instinctively covered the brace.
Hermes shrugged, unbothered. "I am the god of messages. News travels fast."
Cyd grumbled, "So… the other gods know, too."
"Most of 'em. Don't sweat it—mortals begging for blessings is nothing new. You're just doing it… differently," Hermes said, holding up two fingers. "Which makes things more fun for them."
"Ah, so this is all a game to them."
"Not all of us," Hermes said, throwing an arm around Cyd's shoulders like they were old friends. "Some of us are actually trying to help."
Cyd gave him a side-eye. "You mean like setting up more obstacles?"
"I mean like handing you a shortcut. Do this one task, and I might just help you bypass the whole 'getting another god to bless you' part."
Cyd raised an eyebrow. "You serious?"
"Deadly," Hermes said, puffing out his chest.
Cyd turned, deadpan. "Cool. I'm going back now."
"Hey! C'mon, don't be like that." Hermes grabbed his sleeve. "Look, even if he's mad right now, you're—"
A loud twang split the sky, followed by a streak of flame that arced down like divine vengeance. A small mushroom cloud bloomed in the distance.
Cyd hit the ground fast, eyes wide. "Is that—"
"Yep," Hermes said, squatting beside him. "That'd be Apollo."
"I thought he was gonna drag you behind his chariot."
"He was. Still might," Hermes muttered. "Sunfire tends to ruin your whole day."
"What'd you do?" Cyd asked, bracing for another explosion.
"Took his lyre," Hermes said sheepishly. "And may have left a… small issue with it."
A voice thundered from the skies.
"HERMES! COME OUT! TODAY I, APOLLO, SUN GOD, SHALL TIE YOU TO MY ARROWS AND LAUNCH YOU INTO THE SUN!"
Cyd slowly crab-walked away. "Yep. Not worth it. I'll pass on being collateral damage."
"Wait, wait!" Hermes said, grabbing his arm. "He won't hurt you. You're Moon-touched. Apollo won't risk offending her."
Cyd stopped. "Moon-touched?"
"You'll figure it out." Hermes grinned. "Just help me out here, and I'll make it worth your while. Blessing, protection, divine GPS—whole package."
Cyd sighed and rubbed his temple. "So you could calm him down, but you're making me do it?"
"Well yeah. That's the fun part."
Cyd closed his eyes, searching his brain for anything that could help. Apollo. Music. Lyres. Wait…
"Hey, Hermes," he said, kneeling and sketching in the dirt with his finger. "Ever heard of an erhu?"
Hermes blinked. "A what?"
"Just… watch."
He leaned in and whispered the plan.
Hermes' eyes widened. "Oooh. That's actually brilliant. You might just pull this off."
"Good. Because if this backfires," Cyd said, standing up, "I'm not saving you from getting roasted."
"No promises!" Hermes said, already vanishing in a flurry of wind and sandals.