Chapter 10:
"What?! " exclaimed a surprised Andrew. His eyes lit up with surprise denial and just a tinkle of hope. " Percy is this is a joke-"

"-I don't joke about things like this Andrew. I know where we are! We can use this spell and be free! "

And without a moments hesitation Andrew and Percy ran. Andrew at one point over took Percy and kept the lead all the way back to camp. He was going to be free. His family could finally be happy.

The moment Andrew arrived at camp he yelled "we're free! We're free!"

Cora and everyone came running," Andrew what's wrong?"

"Per-Percy knows where-where we are," he exclaimed panting.

"What?! " exclaimed Brain.

"Yeah I know where we are! We are in a place called Stonehenge. I think we might be trapped in a pocket dimension," exclaimed Percy.

"We're going to get out! We're going to get out! We're going to get out!" Cheered Opal. Kim then joined as well" We're going to get out! We're going to get out!"

And soon everyone joined as well. Percy could feel the happiness in the air. The happiness they felt was almost intoxicating. Percy smiled and he joined as well, " We're going to get out! We're going to get out!"

They cheered for well over half an hour. And they hugged and laughed. And then Percy asked, " so when are we getting out?"

Brain replied immediately," the ritual can only be done during sunset and we need time to do the potion. Most likely we will have finished it by tomorrow we will be free," a tear the fell from Brian's eye, " gods I never thought I would say those words. Thank you Percy thank you."

That night even though they had the same soup everyone thought it was the best thing they had ever tasted. Even Opal did not complain. Their happi ess just made everything feel good. There was laughs all over the table and people shared what they would do when they get out.
" I want to run into the plains beyond," said Cora, " ever since I saw those fields just beyond the barrier I have always wanted to run into them and now ... I can finally do that."

" I want to see a proper sunrise," said Kim, " not one from inside the circle one which is real."
And everyone shared theirs and when it came to Percy he simply said, "I want to find a certain person and tell them I love them."

After their meal everyone went their separate ways hoping to sleep their last night in this prison of theirs.

Opal and Hector sunk of for a make out session, and for once Percy knew what they were doing. Kim and Cora went into the forest to check for flowers that Kim liked so that they could take with them when they left. Andrew and Brian went off to start the potion. Gerald and Kila went god knows where, yes Percy was still dense when it came to love, and Mila went to practice with her blade.

Percy looked up to the sky, the moon was shining bright. Percy smiled hopefully tomorrow he could start his journey to find Artemis.

Percy then decided it was time to fight one more God. Athena had given him a gift that changed the way his brain worked, but Apollo's gift was much more direct. So Percy assumed he could take on another god now. And if Apollo was telling the truth, but then again he is the god of truth so he can't really lie, then Percy was going to face Hephaestus.

Percy recalled all he knew about the god. He never really like the God, he caused the death of Bianca and generally he just seemed a little off to Percy. But he did feel sad for the guy, having a cheating goddess like Aphrodite as a wife? Sad on any guy. Also he had Hera for a mom, really had horrible women in his life that one.

Percy then made his way to his spot on the rock. There he sat crossed legged and focused. His mind was running a thousand words at once. He was happy that he was finally getting out of here. Sad that this family he had was splitting up and going their own ways. Excited by a chance to see Artemis again and most of all glad that he met her in the first place.

Percy focused pushing all those thought away from his mind. He felt himself being pulled into himself. Slowly he opened his eyes. And in front of him was the bottomless sea of his soul.
Percy looked down to the shadow blocking his path downwards. He reached out and touched it. The moment he did he reappeared in a white room.

The room was big and open on two sides. There were pillars on the open side, and the scenery scene between the pillars was of Olympus.

'So I'm in Olympus?' thought Percy, 'not really a surprise.'

But then there was something else that Percy that Percy was surprised at. In the center of the big room was a cradle. The cradle was big and was lined with gold. It was big enough to hold a child comfortably and had plenty of place left for plenty of toys.

"I see you have arrived Percy," said a booming voice. Percy turned around and saw the God of the forge standing by the door leading to the room. The god walk to the crable, grabbing hold of the edge and looking in. "You know this used to be my cradle. My mother never used to actually care for me she left me to be raised by maids, and this place. To a person like me this place was hell."

Percy asked, "why?"

"Haha do you see how plain and boring this place is? To some one like me who thrives on imagination this place was Hades incarnate." Then everything was silent as Hephaestus looked into the crib. And then after what felt like eternity, and to someone like Percy with ADHD it was, the God spoke, "Perseus to win my gift to you, you must learn under me. In this place there is no such thing as time. One could spend an eternity in here doing the things they love, how do think Athena reads all her damn books? So that is what you will do Percy. You will learn from me, are you sure you want to do this?"

Percy thought or this trial that was given to him. So far this is looking to be one of the longest. Percy wondered whether he could do it. Whether he wanted to do it, but the moment he asked himself that his answer appeared to him. An image of Artemis smiling, her face brought a sudden bolt of happy ness to him. The way her lips moved when she called him Percy. And then Percy knew his answer.

"Yes I am ready," he answered with his every being backing his answer up.

Hephaestus narrowed his eyes, "you do this out of love boy be warned that love is a fickle thing. My experience with it has always left he half dead and for the worse. But I will not go against your decision. Now I ask are you ready to begin?"

Percy nodded without hesitation.

"Then your first task Percy is to build a forge using only the materials in this room," said Hephaestus.

"W-what? Bu-but that's impossible!" Percy stammered out.

"There is no such thing as impossible! Now show me that you are worthy!"

And so Percy turned to the room. The only things there was a cradle. what the Hades am I supposed to do with a cradle?' Wondered Percy.

'This was next to impossible and yet Hephaestus is standing there expecting me to guess what it is I have to do!'

Percy was beyond furious his anger growing, and then Apollo's voice spoke in his head, 'relax Percy this is a test you have to bet it and not let it bet you. Now focus!'

Percy sighed and then calmed his mind. 'Alright Percy focus you can do this. Okay the only thing in the room is the cradle. I can use it for wood and the gold for the weapon. But I still need to make a forge and that is made out of stone. And the only stone around...' Percy looked at the room which was made out of marble and the marble pillars, 'gods I am such an idiot.'

Percy drew Riptide and cut the marble pillars down into big bricks of marble.

Percy then began to work, he arranged the bricks to form the furnace for heating the metal and for the anvil he cut up another pillar. He carved a hammer out of the leftover marble, though it was crude it would work for what was to come.

Percy broke the cradle and separated the wood from the gold and special gems embedded in it.
Percy then put the wood into the furnace and lit it. While all this was going on a smile grew on Hephaestus's face.

After the flame was lit Percy stood up and looked at the god with a look of victory on his face, " I have done as you asked my Lord."

"Good Perseus. Now for the real task begins, you have to make for me the one tool that you can never live without. Give that thing form, make it whole, make it worthy of what it is representing." The god of the forge looked at Percy, the look in his eyes telling him, no daring him to fail.

And Percy was not too about to give the god his wish.

Percy already knew what it is he had to forge. He put the gold into a marble bowl and put the bowl into the forge and watched it heat up to melt.

He then went to corner of the room with marble. He cut one into a cube of marble as big as a human head.

Percy cut the marble in half and the started carving out pieces of marble. For big part he used his sword and cut chunks of it out. And then for the delicate parts, the one that required a lot of attention to detail he used prices of marble to focus on the little things.

After one side was done he moved onto the other and soon his molds were ready.

He then took the carved molds and placed them together to form the cube of marble again only this time he carved a hole in the top of the cube. Percy then placed the cube back into the marble floor he took it out of.

Percy went to the forge, the gold now melted into the bowl of marble. Percy gritted his teeth,'okay time for the difficult part,' though Percy.

He then without giving it a second tough reached into the forge and grabbed the bowl. The heat went right through him the pain the heat everything. He could feel the heat burning his palms, but Percy gritted his teeth and continued he poured the molten gold into the hole of the mold and threw the bowl away.

"FUCKK!" Percy yelled. He clenched his fiest and willed the pain to go away. Apollo's gift of healing kicked in and took the pain away, but not before making sure to leave Percy a reminder to never do that again. Percy knew this was all in his head, but the moment he was seriously messed up to think about 'mind over matter.'

But now it was done. The gold flew into the mold and after giving it time to cool, and some time for Apollo's healing to finish healing the burnt skin Percy pulled out the block of marble.

The pieces of marble fell off and left standing in their place was a bust of the one person Percy knew he could not live without. In front of him was a beautifully carved bust of Artemis. There was a few imperfections here, a few mistakes there, but it still looked to Percy as the most beautiful thing ever made, of the most beautiful person ever there.

"Good job Perseus," said Hephaestus as he inspected the bust, "it is a little rough around the edges. But still better than I thought." He looked at Percy now his eyes showing that now things were all business, "for your last task I ask you love this."

"What?" asked a confused Percy.

"Percy, this," the god waved his hand and appeared a holographic picture of Artemis, "is who you love with all your heart. But in my experience love hurts. It tears a person up from the inside and makes men kill. For your last task I ask that you replace Artemis with this beautiful creation of yours. Do this and I will make you my heir. You will become like a son to me. But you will inherit all of my powers."

Percy looked at the image of Artemis. It was the last image he saw of her. She was smiling and her skin glowed with power. Percy looked at the bust, it was beautiful true, but he could never do it.

"No," said Percy firmly.

Hephaestus raised an eyebrow, " are you sure? You could be great you know. No one to hurt you, no one to bother you. Why for a demi god who is not my child to have so much imagination is a great deal indeed. Infact I would say you would make a better smith than me when I was your age. Look at this bust you have made. Is it not as beautiful as her?"

Percy did and for a second he considered it. Percy took out Riptide, he uncapped his blade and swung the sword done, his decision made.

Hephaestus when he saw Percy draw his blade thought he was about to cut down the picture of Artemis, but the sword split the bust in two instead.

"Never," Percy said in a whisper. It was only one word, but it spoke volumes.

Hephaestus sighed, "very well. Percy for completing almost all of my tastes I give you these gifts. First the ability to resist heat. I have seen the dedication you had to resist the heat when you took the gold out of the forge, and so I reward you for it. For your skill with metal I give you a gift, you may control metals to change forms, but only when they are being forged. And lastly I give you my knowledge, I always want to share my love for smithing. And you Percy show promise, and as such I wish to reward it. Now leave me, and remember, imagination is the fuel of the forge."

Before Percy knew it he was back in the real world. His body glowed and a red outline of Hephaestus surrounded Percy, the image the drifted away from the body and out came the dust that transformed into a bead. Percy strung the red bead with a golden hammer on his necklace.

Percy looked up and saw that the sun was rising in the sky, the moon being pushed back down. Percy got up and walked all the while wondering to himself why Hephaestus seemed to want to hurry up the last part of their meeting. Percy then quickly made way to the camp, but something seemed off. Usually at this part of the morning everyone would have been up and about making noise and what not, but Percy could barely hear anybody there.

As Percy walked through the trees he heard a voice, and it was not familiar to him, "gather them in the center of their little home, Lord Mars wishes to have the taken care of."

Percy immediately ducked and hid. If there was a mysterious voice in the forest, and that voice too orders from Mars, or Ares in Percy's case, that could mean only one thing, Mars knew they had a chance to escape and so he sent someone to 'take care' of them.

Percy looked up from his hiding spot slowly, not wanting to give away his position, and he saw 5 roman soldiers walking to the camp, with an unconscious Hector being dragged along by the collar of his leather armor.

When Percy saw the camp he was shocked. The huts were destroyed, everything was burnt. And in the center was Opal, Cora, Kim, Andrew, Brain and the pack, excluding Hector.
There was also 30 roman soldiers there and when the 5 romans Percy was following joined them they threw Hector into the group.

"HECTOR!" yelled Mila as she checked on Hector. His head was hurt pretty bad, but other than that he looked alright. Kila was holding Gerald tightly, he almost looked in pain.
Opal was holding a crying Kim, who was asking the 'bad men' to stop hurting her family. Andrew held his wife close eyeing the soldier, his mind forming a battle strategy, he might actually be a child of Athena. The only one who looked reasonably calm was Brain as he knew one thing the others did not, he saw Percy in the bushes.

Brain nodded to Percy, and the the lead Ramos spoke, "Lord Mars has found you guilty of crimes against Rome. As such he has sent us to carry out the sentence." He waved to his men, and the 35 romans surrounded the group, "any last words druids?"

Gerald caught Percy's eyes and knew it was time. Time to stop holding back, his pack was in danger and so Gerald took Kila's hands of him and stood up, his head lowered down
shadowing his eyes, "yes, not all of us are druids you fool," he looked up dead into the romans eyes, and the gut almost shat himself. Gerald's eyes were red, blood red, the white of his eyes turned black. The moment he saw Hector, his beta, his best friend hurt, Gerald lost it. He kept this hidden long enough.

"I tried to control it, to give you a chance," spoke Gerald. His voice slowly changing, becoming more ferocious, all his words turning into a growl. His nails, grew into claws as sharp as Riptide, and fur as black as night grew on his arms. He looked at the romans gathered, his teeth now fangs, snarling, "but not any more, I don't care if you give up, I"LL TEAR YOU ALL INTO LITTLE PIECES!"

Notes

For the full story check out my profile at fan fic-https://www.fanfiction.net/u/5380086/I-mjusttryingtofindmyway