The silence that followed the battle felt unreal.
It wasn't the fragile, nervous quiet that usually came after monsters fled—it was complete. No snarls in the distance. No shifting shadows. No sense of something watching from behind broken stone.
Chris leaned heavily on his shield, breathing hard.
"…It's over," he said, half-disbelieving.
Jake wiped blood from his lip and slowly straightened, eyes scanning the ruins one last time. He was a son of Hermes; paranoia came naturally to him. But even he had to admit it.
"There's nothing left," Jake said quietly. "No presence. Whatever was haunting this place… it's gone."
Clarisse let out a long breath and planted the butt of her spear against the stone floor.
"Good. Because I am done fighting for today."
They split up, searching the perimeter of the ruined Temple of Hestia with the caution drilled into them by years of quests. Broken columns lay scattered like fallen bones. Ivy crawled over scorched stone. The hearth—ancient, circular, and cracked—sat at the heart of the ruin, cold and dark, untouched for centuries.
Yet everywhere they looked, the signs were the same.
Ash where monsters had fallen. Claw marks that ended abruptly. Tracks that stopped as if the creatures had simply ceased to exist.
Teddy crouched near a collapsed wall, brushing his fingers over the ground. He could feel it—the absence. Not just of monsters, but of danger itself.
"They're gone," he said softly. "All of them."
Clarisse grinned, sharp and feral.
"Then the quest's done."
Hunger hit them all at once, like a delayed spell.
Chris's stomach growled loudly enough to echo off the stones.
"…I haven't eaten since yesterday."
Jake laughed weakly.
"I think that minotaur shook my appetite loose."
Clarisse's eyes narrowed as something moved near the tree line. A rabbit darted out from behind a fallen column, frozen for a moment by the sudden quiet.
Clarisse didn't hesitate.
Her spear left her hand in a blur.
The rabbit dropped instantly.
"Well," she said, walking over to retrieve it, "problem solved."
Chris raised an eyebrow.
"That was… efficient."
Clarisse shrugged.
"Children of Ares don't starve if there's anything with a heartbeat nearby."
Teddy smiled faintly and set his backpack down near the hearth.
"I'll set up the tent."
With practiced ease, he drew out the small folded cloth. The moment it touched the ground, it expanded—silk and runes unfolding into a fully formed tent that looked utterly out of place amid ancient stone.
Chris whistled.
"I forget sometimes that your dad is… well. A Wizard."
Clarisse jerked her chin toward the tent.
"Cook inside. I'm not in the mood to deal with smoke."
Teddy shook his head.
"No."
All three of them looked at him.
Clarisse frowned.
"What do you mean, no?"
Teddy glanced toward the hearth—dark, cracked, forgotten. His voice was calm, but certain.
"This is a Temple of Hestia. The quest wasn't just to kill monsters. It was to make this place safe again."
Jake crossed his arms slowly.
"And?"
"And Hestia isn't a goddess of empty ruins," Teddy said. "She's the hearth. The fire. The home."
He stepped closer to the ancient stone circle and placed a hand on its edge.
"If we leave without lighting the hearth… then the temple is still dead."
For a moment, none of them spoke.
Chris was the first to nod.
"…He's right."
Clarisse stared at the hearth, jaw tight. She'd grown up in battlefields and barracks, not kitchens—but even she understood what this place had once been.
"…Fine," she muttered. "We do it your way."
Teddy knelt and reached into his bag, pulling out flint, kindling, and a small vial of oil. He worked carefully, reverently, as if afraid to rush the moment.
Jake helped clear debris from the hearth, brushing centuries of dust away. Chris arranged stones to steady the fire.
When Teddy struck the flint, the spark caught immediately.
The flame bloomed.
The fire settled into the hearth as if it belonged there—golden and steady, casting soft light across broken columns and cracked stone. Shadows retreated, not in fear, but in peace.
Clarisse swallowed.
"…That feels different."
Jake nodded.
"Yeah. Like the place is breathing again."
They cleaned the rabbit and prepared it simply, roasting it over the newly lit hearth. The smell of cooking meat drifted through the ruins, mingling with the scent of smoke and old stone.
For the first time in centuries, food was cooked in Hestia's fire.
Teddy watched the flames, feeling something settle inside his chest—quiet approval, gentle and warm, like a hand resting briefly on his shoulder.
The rabbit was barely finished roasting when Teddy lifted it carefully from the hearth.
He didn't take a bite.
Clarisse blinked. "Oi—"
He stepped forward, toward the gentle warmth that had begun to gather near the fire, warmth that wasn't coming from the flames alone.
"Hestia," Teddy said clearly, without fear. "It's yours."
The fire flared softly.
Higher and brighter.
The air shimmered, and from the heart of the hearth, she appeared.
She was found standing there as if she had always belonged in that place. Her robes were simple, woven in shades of ember and ash, her presence calm enough to make even Clarisse's clenched shoulders loosen.
Teddy rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Aunt Hestia," he said happily.
Hestia laughed—a soft, gentle sound—and rested her hand on his head, fingers combing through his hair.
"You did well, little hearth-keeper," she said fondly.
Behind Teddy, the three demigods dropped to one knee instinctively.
Clarisse lowered her head, spear grounded.
Chris bowed deeply, reverent and silent.
Jake followed suit, eyes wide, heart pounding.
Hestia looked at them with quiet pride.
"You restored what was forgotten," she said.
She gestured to the fire.
"This temple will stand again—not in stone alone, but in purpose. No monster will claim it while my hearth burns here."
Relief washed over them, heavy and real.
Hestia accepted the rabbit from Teddy and took a small bite.
That was all it took.
Warmth flooded outward, gentle and profound. Hunger vanished—not stuffed, not uncomfortable, simply… gone. The ache in their bodies eased. Bruises dulled. Exhaustion retreated like a tide.
Clarisse blinked.
"…That's unfairly good."
Hestia smiled and shared the meal with them, each of them taking only a bite, yet feeling as if they had eaten a feast made at home.
Then she raised her hand.
"I did not come empty-handed."
She moved first to Clarisse.
"For courage that protects rather than destroys."
A small band of bronze appeared—etched with a flame that never burned her skin. Clarisse stared at it, stunned.
Next, Chris.
"For loyalty that endured fear."
A pendant shaped like a hearthstone settled against his chest, warm and steady.
Jake received a charm last.
"For guidance and safe return."
A coin—not drachma, but something older—etched with a house and an open door.
Finally, Hestia knelt in front of Teddy.
"For you," she said softly, "who remembered me when the world forgot."
A small ember floated into Teddy's hands, solidifying into a simple ring.
"The Hearthbound Ring," Hestia said. "Wherever you stand, fire will answer you."
Teddy beamed and hugged her again.
"Thank you."
Hestia kissed his forehead.
And then, as quietly as she came, she faded back into the fire.
The hearth burned on.
The excitement didn't fade when the fire of Hestia finally settled into a calm, steady glow.
If anything, it grew.
Clarisse was the first to break the quiet, stretching her arms and rolling her shoulders as if she'd just finished a particularly good sparring match.
"So," she said, grinning, "quest done. Monsters dead. Temple reclaimed. Anyone else suddenly remember we're in the middle of nowhere?"
Jake groaned softly and unfolded his map again, even though he already knew the answer.
"We're… very far from the nearest town," he admitted. "Like—hours of walking. Possibly days, depending on terrain."
Chris sighed and looked around the ruined hills and forests.
"And we don't exactly have a chariot parked outside."
They all went quiet for a moment.
They had drachmas.
They had some emergency cash.
What they didn't have was transportation.
Teddy tilted his head, listening—not to them, but to something else.
A low hum.
A familiar one.
His eyes lit up.
"Oh!"
Before anyone could ask what he meant, the air in front of the ruined temple rippled. Wind stirred the ashes of the hearth. Leaves lifted from the ground as if caught in a gentle current.
And then—
A flying carpet drifted down from the sky.
It was wide enough for all of them, woven from deep blue and gold threads that shimmered faintly with magic. It hovered two feet above the ground, steady and patient, as if it had been waiting for them all along.
Clarisse's jaw dropped.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
Jake stared. "That's… that's real?"
Teddy bounced on his heels, excitement radiating off him.
"It's my dad's!" he said happily. "He uses it all the time. I know how to ride it!"
Chris blinked. "You what?"
"I learned," Teddy said matter-of-factly. "It's easy."
Clarisse crossed her arms. "You're seven."
Teddy nodded. "Yeah."
That somehow made it worse.
The carpet lowered itself slightly, tassels swaying, revealing small hand grips along its edges—clearly designed so riders wouldn't fall off at high speed.
Teddy hopped on without hesitation and grabbed the central handle.
"Okay," he said, suddenly very serious, in a tone that reminded all three of them uncomfortably of Harry. "Everyone get on. Hold the grips. Don't let go unless you want to see how fast you can fall."
"…Comforting," Jake muttered, but he climbed on anyway.
Clarisse followed, spear strapped securely, excitement overtaking caution.
Chris took the last spot, sitting carefully and gripping the edge like his life depended on it.
Teddy glanced back at them.
"Ready?"
No one answered fast enough.
The carpet shot forward.
Clarisse yelped.
Chris swore.
Jake clung on for dear life.
The ruined temple vanished beneath them as the carpet surged upward, wind rushing past their faces. The ground dropped away so suddenly that Chris squeezed his eyes shut.
"I TAKE BACK EVERYTHING BAD I EVER SAID ABOUT WALKING—"
Teddy laughed, pure and delighted, adjusting the handle with practiced ease. The carpet leveled out, smoothing its flight, gliding above the trees like a living thing.
Gradually, fear gave way to awe.
The forest stretched endlessly beneath them. Rivers glittered like silver threads. Sunlight broke through the clouds, painting everything in gold.
Clarisse leaned forward, eyes wide.
"…Okay," she admitted. "This is awesome."
Jake laughed shakily. "I hate how normal this feels for you."
Civilization announced itself long before they saw it.
The hum of traffic replaced the whisper of wind. Stone gave way to concrete, forests to streets, ruins to buildings that were still used—still remembered. The flying carpet slowed and descended on a quiet side street, just out of sight of ordinary eyes, the magic folding neatly into itself as the fabric settled.
Teddy hopped off first, steady as always.
"We're here," he said cheerfully.
Jake swallowed and looked up at the familiar sign across the street.
Hermes Parcel Service
Fast. Discreet. Everywhere.
Clarisse cracked her neck. "So… we going in, or are you going to stand there sweating all day?"
Jake glared. "Easy for you to say. I didn't borrow someone's pride and turn it into scrap metal."
Chris folded his arms. "You didn't turn it into scrap. A Minotaur did."
"That's not how apologies work," Jake muttered.
Teddy tugged at Jake's sleeve.
"It's okay," he said earnestly. "I can pay. I have some money."
Jake blinked. "You… you don't need to—"
"I want to," Teddy insisted. "It was our fault. Dad says you fix what you break."
That… didn't help Jake feel better.
They stepped inside.
The small storefront illusion dropped the moment the door closed behind them, revealing the massive interior: rows of conveyor belts, floating crates, glowing sigils, demigods in uniform darting everywhere with practiced efficiency.
And then—
"QUESTERS!"
The shout came from somewhere overhead.
In seconds, work slowed. Then stopped. Demigods turned. Gathered. Surrounded them like sharks that smelled fresh excitement.
"Did you fight something big?"
"Did anyone almost die?"
"Did you win?"
"Is that the kid with the sword?!"
Clarisse smirked. "Told you."
Jake raised his hands helplessly. "Okay—okay—one at a time!"
Teddy was suddenly lifted—literally—as someone picked him up to get a better look.
"He's shorter than last time!"
"Careful," Clarisse snapped. "That one kills Minotaurs."
That got everyone's attention.
They were ushered deeper inside, bombarded with questions, laughter, disbelief. Stories poured out—edited, exaggerated, retold three different ways before Jake even finished one sentence.
And then Jake saw him.
Tom Rivers.
Standing near a sorting table, arms crossed, watching Jake with an unreadable expression.
Jake's stomach dropped.
"…Oh gods," Jake whispered.
He broke away from the crowd and approached slowly.
"Tom," he said. "Hey. Uh. About your car—"
Tom raised an eyebrow.
Jake inhaled. "It got destroyed. Completely. Monster attack. I swear I tried to save it."
There it was.
The worst moment.
Tom stared at him for a long second.
Then he smiled.
"Did you see the red Ferrari in the parking lot?"
Jake blinked. "The—yeah. Everyone did."
Tom laughed. "That arrived yesterday. Gift-wrapped. Note said: 'I'm going to need a new car. The last one was destroyed beyond belief.' Signed—Harry Potter."
Silence.
Teddy beamed. "That's my dad."
Every head turned.
Slowly.
"Your dad," someone repeated.
Tom crouched in front of Teddy. "Kid, do you know how expensive that car is?"
Teddy nodded seriously. "Dad says money's easy. People aren't."
Tom laughed again and stood, clapping Jake on the shoulder.
"Apology accepted. Questers always break things."
The tension shattered.
Laughter followed. Cheers. Someone patted Teddy's head like he was a lucky charm.
As they boarded the plane later—tired, victorious, alive—Jake looked at Teddy with a new kind of awareness.
Power in his hands.
A blade that answered his fear.
And a father who replaced destruction with generosity without blinking.
Jake leaned back in his seat and exhaled.
"…We are never underestimating that kid again."
Author's Note:
Enjoying the story?
Consider joining my Patreon to get early access to more chapters and exclusive fanfictions! Even as a free member you will get one extra chapter and you'll receive early access to chapters before they're posted elsewhere and various other fanfictions.Your support helps me create more content for you to enjoy!
Join here: Patreon(dot)com(slash)Beuwulf