SPARKS AND CINDERS

This is an original story based on Greek myth, but very sensual. Please comment nicely!

"Don't be afraid, sweet Poppy. I know a place where loud, thundering Zeus will never find you!"

"Oh, thank you, heavenly goddess!" Poppy was a shepherdess, innocent of men's kisses. She desired only to spend her days in peace while caring for her flock. When the king of the Greek gods chose her for a lover she didn't know what to do!

"Husband, here is a new helper for your workshop." Aphrodite laughed at the look on her crippled husband's soot-stained face.

"I don't need girl helpers," the ugly god grumbled, covering up his shyness with anger. "My own two hands are strong enough for all the work I need to do, forging armor from molten metal and making weapons for the mighty gods. My fires are hot enough without some foolish girl falling into the flames!"

"Kind sir, I promise not to get in your way!" Poppy really felt quite sorry for the crippled god. But at least his lonely island was far from the reach of Zeus.

"Well, I'll just leave the two of you to get better acquainted. Behave yourself, sweet husband!" The laughing love goddess clapped her hands and vanished, leaving the ugly old blacksmith all alone with the beautiful mortal maiden.

"Let's get to work." Old Hephaestus was limping badly, yet he led Poppy right to his red-hot forge, where he hammered all day making weapons and armor. The wide-eyed girl was astonished to see walking metal men who worked all by themselves!

"Why are you protecting me from Zeus?" Poppy asked at the end of a long day. Her hard work had pleased the blacksmith god.

"Long ago, Zeus tried to force himself on Hera, my mother. When I dared to interfere, the mighty king of the gods hurled me down from Olympus. I fell for days until I landed here, on the island of Lemnos. My legs were shattered, but with my strong hands I learned to work metal and master fire. Zeus is no friend of mine."

"Oh." Tears filled Poppy's innocent blue eyes when she pictured Hephaestus standing up to the thunderous rage of mighty Zeus. To think that his brave deed had left him a lonely old cripple! And now he was married to a selfish young goddess who mocked him openly and enjoyed countless affairs.

"You go to bed now," Hephaestus said, gruffly. He pretended not to notice the tears in her big blue eyes.

"Good night, kind sir." Throughout the night, Poppy could hear Hephaestus hammering away. Why did he drive himself so hard? Could he never find peace? Tender pity made the mortal maiden weep for the god, until tear-swollen eyes grew heavy and she slept.

"Watch your fingers, girl!" Hephaestus growled a warning as the heavy tongs clanged on the floor. "That's the third time today. Have you forgotten how to handle molten metal?"

"Forgive me, sir. I don't know why I'm so clumsy this morning." Poppy wiped the sweat from her brow with a winsome smile. There were smudges on her cheek and dark shadows under her eyes.

"A clumsy helper is no use to me." Hephaestus huffed. "Go out and lie in the sun. Eat and rest!"

"I'll rest and get strong so I can be ready for the next day's work!" Poppy kept smiling even though her soft heart was bruised by Hephaestus' harsh words. She truly wanted to please him!

Poppy bathed in nearby pool, washing every trace of soot and smoke from her long golden hair. Nothing was more delicious than a tray of grapes and olives eaten outdoors in the garden. Afterwards she rested, lying in the shade with her eyes half-closed. For the first time since fleeing the embrace of Zeus, the young shepherdess felt protected and at peace.

"Sorry I yelled at you before." The slow, dragging steps and the harsh voice had both become sweeter than music to her.

"I was clumsy today. I wish I had hands like yours!" Poppy sighed deeply as her wise old guardian and protector began rubbing her shoulders. She'd been resting in the nude, yet she felt quite safe as Hephaestus gently stroked her shoulders with scented oil.

"My hands are for shaping molten metal," Hephaestus said shyly. "Not for lingering over smooth, soft flesh like yours. I should stop."

"Please don't." Poppy didn't feel it was wrong, letting the god of fire and metal soothe her with his touch. Surely the two of them could comfort each other with more than kind words? She felt so grateful to Hephaestus, and would gladly let him do whatever he wished with her yearning young body.

"You are as beautiful as Aphrodite!" For a long time, Hephaestus didn't say anything more. His hands spoke for him, stroking her shoulders and her back.

"More," Poppy said, in a husky voice. "I want more. Please!"

"But I mustn't." Hephaestus was slow to turn Poppy over onto her back. But the sweet shepherdess was yearning for him to do so. Finally the crippled god gave in to her hoarse pleas and began to stroke her firm young breasts with his rough and callused hands.

"Oh, you are like Zeus! Oh, you are so strong. You are even stronger than Zeus!"

"Hush, sweet child! We must not do more." The crippled old god was straining with all his might not to slide deeper inside her. Poppy wanted him. He saw her flushed cheeks and felt how she tightened all around him. Yet he also felt cold and familiar dread.

"More! Please, more!" Poppy wanted Hephaestus. She wanted to cover every inch of his pain-wracked body with tender kisses. And in turn she wanted him to take her savagely, to hammer her like hot iron in the forge. She wanted his hardness hammering her softness till there was nothing left but sparks and cinders!

"No, no, no!" Sobbing, Hephaestus hammered away at his lovely helper, feeling her long nails rake his shoulders and her long legs tighten desperately around his hips. Both of them were completely under the spell of Aphrodite. All either of them could think of was surrendering completely! But when the moment came, it was cruel and agonizingly brief. Hephaestus shouted with pleasure as he spurted into the body of the mortal girl, who instantly went up in flames and was consumed in a cloud of thick black smoke. Nothing remained but sparks and cinders.

"Sweet husband," Aphrodite said mockingly. "When will you learn to control yourself?"