Ansel
We entered one of the gyms labeled 00. Much like the Common Room that looked small on the outside, the inside was huge. You could probably fit a whole block inside this room. The space was divided into three sections, each separated by walls. The first section was relatively simple. It was an area with only mats. Some demigods were there sparring with swords, while others were fist fighting. The second section was filled with various gym equipment. The last section was larger, and unlike the other two sections, this one had a chimney going past the ceiling and into the fourth floor.
"Um, so what exactly is this?" I asked.
Peter walked up to the two giant doors and knocked five times. It was a little excessive, but maybe that was the norm. Besides me, Alea pointed up to the sign I had missed.
It read, 'workshop'.
"This is the Hephaestus workshop, where children of Hephaestus come to work. It's where we get our weapons. If you need a weapon, a child of Hephaestus would make it for you, but at a cost," Peter explained.
I threw up my hands in disbelief. I needed a weapon, but to get a weapon, I had to pay. I didn't even know if they took credit cards in this world, not that I could use one anyway. I hadn't thought about it before, but how do I get money in this world?
"Don't worry about the price, it's on me. I know the guy we'll ask personally, but he made many of my things, so he'll be nice about the charge," Peter reassured.
"Why can't I just use a random sword," I asked.
Then, just as the doors opened, a new voice answered me. When I saw who was walking out, my jaw dropped. From the rough and muscular voice, I had thought the person coming would be able to snap my body in half, that was until I realized his height. He was shorter than me. There's no way, I thought. A man, if you can call him that, with a full sandy blond beard, began to approach us. His hands were covered with scars, while his hairy arms were soaked in sweat. His muscular, solid body had burnt marks along his fingers and arms. It was just like the fairy tales I had read, I realized.
"A dwarf," I yelled in excitement.
Besides me, Peter burst into laughter while the dwarf and Alea only looked at each other, confused. Noticing their confusion, I explained.
"You know, like in the stories. They're a race of short people that makes weapons for people. He's a dwarf, they exist!"
This is probably the most significant discovery since I found out fries and milkshakes go well together. Peter continued to laugh until the dwarf released large amounts of demiaura. Acting quickly, Peter stepped in between us.
"Sorry about that, Eddy. This is Ansel Nehpus, the new demigods I brought back. Ansel, this is Eddy, son of Hephaestus. He's about the same age as us, so please get along. And I can assure you that dwarfs don't exist in this world."
I frown; how could there be gods but not dwarfs? That makes no sense whatsoever. I concluded Peter had to be wrong, but I decided to focus on something else. Eddy was the same age as me and shorter than me. Usually, I was the shortest in our age group and got picked on for it. However, that wasn't the case; I wasn't the shortest. A smug look emerged on my face as I looked at Eddy. Who in turn turned even more furious.
"Oi, wipe that smug expression off yer face, wee bairn," Eddy shouted.
Wee bairn?
I didn't know what that meant, but if Chicago has taught me anything, it's recognizing an insult. I glared at Eddy and decided to try something. Placing a hand behind my ear, I pretend not to have heard him.
"I'm sorry I couldn't hear you from all the way down there."
It was childish, sure, but when would I ever have the chance to say it? I could see veins popping out of Eddy's forehead. I should have expected it since I would have done it, and in a split second, Eddy kicked my shins. He must have been wearing work boots because it felt like I was hit with a metal bat.
"The taller they are, the harder they fall, innit? But not you, wee bairn," Eddy said smugly.
His smugness was enough to drive out the pain. I was ready to fight this kid. Before I could even attack, Alea placed a hand on my head, causing me to stop.
"Enough. I'm sorry about Ansel; he's new to this world."
She looked towards Peter as if motioning him to go.
"Given that he's new, Eddy. Do you mind making a sword for him?"
I expected Eddy to say no off the back, but to my surprise, he stayed quiet. He seemed to be weighing his answer; there was a hesitation, although I couldn't tell from what. Eddy occasionally glanced my way and then back to the room behind him.
"Did he truly slay the Sphinx with a broken shard from Alea's sword? It's rather difficult to fathom," Eddy asked.
His voice was laced with admiration and doubt. It was hard to tell if he was doubting me or complimenting me. Peter smiled at Eddy's words. I got the weird feeling that this was what Peter wanted.
"Yes, I'm sure every child of Hephaestus has heard already. Using a shard of the sword you created, Ansel defeated the Sphinx. You know what that means. Also, there's a special reason I'm rushing him to get a sword," Peter explained excitedly and proudly.
Peter let the words hang in the air. I didn't understand what Peter was saying, but Eddy seemed entranced by his words. His eyes peered at Peter hungrily, wanting to know the rest. The scene in front of me reminded me of an owner placing treats for their pet to follow.
"It hasn't been public yet. So you'll be the first to know…in the upcoming flag game, our cohort is challenged by the King's cohort. Enzo wants to fight Ansel, but Ansel can't do that without a sword. If you make a sword, then wouldn't you be proving your skills as a blacksmith."
Scary, I thought. Judging from Eddy's sudden excitement, Peter said everything that Eddy wanted to hear. Eddy had a fire in his eyes. Even though we hadn't confirmed that Enzo was doing it to fight me personally, Eddy didn't have to know that. Peter stretched the truth but didn't lie. A shiver ran up my spine, realizing just how scary an enemy a child of Athena could be. Eddy's gaze shifted to me.
"Right, if he's gonna go toe to toe with the King, he'll need a weapon forged from the finest. And if he triumphs, it should come to him at no cost," Eddy emphasized the last part.
I didn't want to think what would happen if I didn't win. If the worst happens, I might end up in debt at fifteen. Mom would freak out if she found out. Before I could say anything, Eddy was already going back inside. Peter and Alea followed after him. Reluctantly, I followed; the air became thick when I stepped through the door. The only thing I could smell was the scent of burning coal and a faint tang of heated metal. The only thing I could hear was the rhythmic sound of hammers hitting something that looked like the head of a hammer except bigger. As we continued to walk further down the workspace, I realized there were at least hundreds of forges with buckets of coal beside them.
The more we walked, the more each forge roared with a furnace of fire. Each forge was a miniature workshop with a workbench and a wall separating each forge. Along each wall that separated the forges were hammers and other tools. Children of Hephaestus moved with a sense of order and purpose, their attention never leaving their workplace. Finally, we arrived in front of a door. It seemed like the oddest thing in this workshop. Once we stepped inside, the sound of chaotic hammers became silent. The room was quiet but not empty. All around the walls were weapons of all kinds.
"Now, then stand in the middle and release your demiaura," Eddy called out from the door.
Peter and Alea joined him, leaving me alone. Where they were standing, I noticed there weren't any weapons. I wanted to do as Eddy said, but there was one problem.
"How do I release demiaura," I asked.
Maybe it should have been my first question when Levi trained me, but we both fought regularly with swords. More than that, I couldn't call forth my demiaura even when sparing with Levi.
From the door, Peter shouted, "Take a deep breath and feel your demi aura. It's all over your body like your blood, except you could feel demi aura. Once you feel it, slowly imagine it moving all over your body. Once you feel it all over your body, exhale."
How am I supposed to know what it feels like…oh my entire body felt somehow cold and hot simultaneously. I cringed, unaccustomed to this feeling. It was like snakes made up of something cold and hot were moving inside my body. Following Peter's next steps, I slowly exhaled. Just as I did, an ethereal dark lavender light was released from within me like a ripple in the water. I knew this was my demi aura, but at the same time, I couldn't believe it. The dark lavender light was beautiful, and calmness and a dark power were within it. My demi aura went everywhere like the wind blowing in an open field. I spun around, watching the waves of demiaura pass harmlessly through my friends and the weapons.
Finally, when my demi aura disappeared, I was alone, standing in the middle. For a second, nothing happened, and then the room was filled with the sound of metal cracking like glass. All around me, every weapon cracked into smaller pieces, and not one remained. Shocked and confused, I looked towards the door quickly. Eddy's jaw dropped in disbelief. Alea was staring at me with wide eyes. The only one that seemed happy about this was Peter, who was grinning like crazy.
"Blimey, what on Pantheon…those weapons…what the bloomin' heck are you," Eddy shouted but not so much in anger; rather, it was more like in disbelief and amazement.
I didn't know what to feel. I wanted to apologize, but it didn't seem like I did anything wrong. Then again, more than 100 weapons were shattered because of me. However, they did tell me to release my aura. So, truthfully, it couldn't be blamed on me. Eddy moved through the carnage with careful steps. He picked up some sword handles and threw them like they were unimportant.
"Years of graft, over a century's worth with over a hundred of my sibilants over the decades, poured into filling this room. And yet, it was all torn apart in mere moments," Eddy said.
I thought he would lash out at me for destroying such essential pieces of work, but then, in a complete turn, he laughed. Carefully walking over towards us, Alea and Peter both smiled pleasantly. I was only left more confused than before.
"I feel like I should be apologizing, but now I'm not sure," I said, a hint of uncertainty leaking.
Eddy didn't look mad about it; he looked relieved.
"Ans, I know it's weird, but for something like this to happen is both a great honor and a great disgrace for the children of Hephaestus," Peter began. "Over the years, children of Hephaestus have strived towards one dream-to make the greatest weapon known to both gods and demigods. The weapons here were classified as powerful, unrivaled, and perfect. Every time someone needs a weapon, children of Hephaestus bring them here to test if any weapon would choose them."
He thought for a second before continuing as if weighing his words.
"Noelle and Enzo had come here, but no weapon picked them or was destroyed. You're the first ever to have done this. This proves the weapons here are nothing more than regular- unspecial, rivaled, and imperfect. It's a dishonor for the children of Hephaestus. After all, it proves their arrogance and an honor to those alive right now because it means they still have a chance of being the one to complete that goal."
I guess I did a good thing then. Yeah, I did them a favor. So why do I feel so bad about it? Shaking my head, I focused on Peter's words. I didn't quite get everything, but there were things that I found odd. The main being that this was to see if a weapon picked me, not the other way around. Then, there was the mystery of where Noelle and Enzo got their weapon.
"Just to clarify, you said a weapon would pick me? Shouldn't it be the other way around," I questioned.
Eddy, silently observing the carnage, picked up a shard of metal and twirled it in his hand. He looked up from the shard and tossed me the shard. Before I could catch it, the shard exploded into dust.
"Nah, mate, every weapon forged from adamantine—y'know, the metal of the gods—isn't your run-of-the-mill blade. It's got its spirit all because of the metal it's made from. Since this stuff's straight from the divine, it's too mighty to hand out to anyone. We craft the weapons with adamantine, but only the weapon can pick its bearer. It does that by sizing up the person's demiaura. We're unsure how a weapon can do that, but it just does. If the weapon reckons the person's the right fit, it'll fly straight to 'em."
So, in other words, the weapon has a mind of its own. It was odd for an object to do so, but everything strange in this world was normal. Looking around that only filled me with more questions.
"Then why did these break," I asked. Eddy shot me an amused smile.
"That's 'cause they couldn't handle your demiaura, mate. Consider Alea's sword that you wielded. You could handle it fine, but the moment you coated it with demiaura, it went and exploded. Honestly, this could mean..."
Eddy didn't get to finish as his head snapped towards Peter. Eddy's expression changed immediately; he narrowed his eyes at Peter, giving him an awkward frown. Suspicion, anger, and fear flashed through Eddy's eyes like a speeding train.
"Peter, why don't we chat about the sword for him outside, at my workshop? Oh, Alea, here's the sword you wanted. Still not sure why you're keen on these swords, but whatever floats your boat."
From his pants pocket, Eddy pulled out a regular sword. Alea walked over and picked up the sword. Eddy practically rushed Peter out the door when Alea began to examine the sword. Unsure of what to do, I watched Alea through a series of sword movements. Looking around at all the various weapons, I saw one I didn't see.
"Um, stupid question, but why don't you guys use guns? Wait, do you know what guns are?"
Alea stopped her movement and shrugged.
"The adamantine metal our weapons are made from is the only metal that can kill and injure monsters. Monsters wouldn't just die from one wound, so can you imagine how much of a waste making bullets of adamantine would be? Besides, once a bullet is shot, it can't be reused like an arrow."
Well, when it's put that way, then it would be a waste of time making bullets so that they do not have to be reused again. Unlike an arrow that can be pulled from its target and used again, bullets are a one-time thing. Finding a clear spot in the room, I sat down and continued to watch Alea's sword movements. Each strike was sharp and calculated, but her movements were loose, leaving just enough room for her to change her position. It was like she hesitated to commit to her strike fully. Unlike Levi, who fought mercilessly and forcefully, Alea was cautious and scared. Minutes passed in silence, and Alea and I talked until the door to the room opened again to reveal that Eddy and Peter were very pleased.
"Alright, we got the design for the sword."