Chariot of the Sun and the Moon

The forge of Hephaestus roared with unquenchable fire as he shaped metal with his hammer, each strike sending sparks cascading like miniature stars.

For the first time, the young forge god had received a commission from the divine.

Not just any gods—Helios, the god of the sun, and Selene, the goddess of the moon.

They had come to him with a request:

"Forge for us a better chariots that will solidify our rule over the sky."

In return, they offered rare celestial materials from their respective domains.

Helios presented sun-forged gold, a metal that burned eternally without consuming itself, imbued with the very essence of daylight.

Selene offered moonlight silver, a metal that absorbed the quiet stillness of the night, reflecting light even in the darkest abyss.

Among the treasures they gifted was the laurel tree of the moon, a rare celestial plant that thrived only in the lunar realm, its wood humming with mystical energy.

Hephaestus had always known of Helios and Selene's roles in the world.

Helios drove the sun across the sky, yet at times, the sun remained too long or too short in the heavens, causing imbalance in the cycle of day and night.

Selene guided the moon, but sometimes the moon would linger or disappear entirely.

Their movements were not yet perfected—their control over their celestial bodies still incomplete.

But with the divine weapons Hephaestus would forge, the sun would only shine during the day, and the moon would only illuminate the night.

Hephaestus accepted the deal without hesitation.

His forge came alive with unmatched intensity, fueled by celestial metals never before worked by any craftsman.

For countless days, he labored.

He shaped the body of the chariots from sun-forged gold and moonlight silver, reinforcing them with divine enchantments.

But what was a chariot without its mounts?

Hephaestus did not simply forge ordinary steeds.

Instead, he bound the spirits of great celestial beasts to each chariot, ensuring their power surpassed all other divine vehicles.

For Helios, he forged steeds born of pure flame, each breath radiating intense heat, their hooves leaving streaks of fire across the sky.

For Selene, he summoned phantasmal mares woven from moonlight and mist, their forms shifting between the physical and the ethereal, moving with impossible grace.

At last, after what felt like an eternity, the chariots were complete.

Two divine weapons, each representing the cycle of the heavens.

Helios and Selene stood before Hephaestus as he unveiled his work.

Helios' Solar Chariot burned with the radiance of dawn, its golden form emanating endless warmth. It was a masterpiece—the very embodiment of the sun's journey.

Selene's Lunar Chariot shimmered with the soft glow of midnight, its silver surface reflecting the vastness of the cosmos. It moved as though it drifted between worlds.

Helios grinned, placing a hand on the chariot.

"Magnificent. With this, the sun shall rise and fall as it was meant to."

Selene ran her fingers across the moonlight silver, her expression serene.

"And now the moon will have its rightful place in the heavens."

The gods took their places in their new chariots.

As Helios rose into the sky, his flames no longer burned the world uncontrollably.

As Selene ascended into the night, her presence became constant, yet ever-changing in perfect cycles.

And so, with Hephaestus' masterwork, day and night were forever set in balance.

The Tenth and Eleventh Divine Weapons were born.