Searching For Serenity

Chapter 13

Artemis
Olympus
We appeared outside Hephaestus's palace, with my hand still on his shoulder. I reluctantly let go of him and he looked at me with a smirk, "So what you gonna do while I run in?"
"I'm gonna go in with you," I answered, "if that's alright with you," I finished, raising an eyebrow
He shook his head, "Yeah it's fine, I just thought you were trying to limit people seeing us together."
I rolled my eyes, "You think they don't know that I brought you here?"
"Well I guess," he said with a shoulder shrug, while stepping towards the door of the palace.
He tapped the door quite a bit more quietly than I would have and the door flew open to reveal a weird looking robot.
Percy opened his mouth to say something but was beat to the punch by the robot, that did an about-face and started speeding down the weird looking hallway. Percy looked at me and let out a small laugh with a confused look on his face before turning and running after the machine.
All right then, I thought as I bounded after them.
I was almost caught up to Percy when a thick metal rod shot out of the wall with a release of steam, almost cracking my ribs.
I jumped back and stared at the back of an oblivious Percy, Is this place trying to kill me?
I ducked under the piston and shot off in pursuit of my boyfriend, who disappeared around a corner. I turned the corner to see a maze of hallways and made my best guess and darted down the tunnel trying to follow Percy's footsteps.
I ran for a few minutes through the machinery filled halls, wondering how anyone is supposed to find their way in here. Finally I turned a corner and saw Percy standing in an open doorway and over his shoulder sat my burly half-brother.
I stepped towards Percy, "What the Hades! You just left me!"
Percy spun around, "I thought you were right behind me!"
"I was," I turned to Hephaestus and pointed at him, "Until his walls started attacking me!"
"Hmm my walls are back to attacking people?" The burly man asked with a small chuckle, not looking up from his project.
"Well they about broke my ribs for me! Why can't you just have a normal palace?"
"Whats normal?" He questioned.
I heard Percy laugh, "He's right you know."
I looked back at him, giving him an annoyed look, to which he smirked and reached out towards me caringly, "Are you okay?"
I glanced at him worriedly, trying to remind him that we're not supposed to seem too close, "Yes! I am fine," I replied hurriedly. He seemed to understand and backed his hand up, but not fast enough.
"Well aren't you two so...friendly."
Me and Percy both snapped our heads to see Hephaestus, now staring at us a with an ugly grin.
"H-huh," Percy stammered.
"Don't worry 'bout me young man, I don't care too much for the Godly Drama," he replied back with a thoughtful, "Unless it concerns my whore wife or the leather loving freak."
You have no idea, I thought with an internal giggle despite having Hephaestus on to us.
He set down the pile of scrap gears and wire he was tinkering with and stood up, "I 'spose you came for your swords."
Percy nodded and started to follow the blacksmith who was walking over to another of his workbenches.
I circled behind them watching Hephaestus hold a sword and a pen out to Percy. Percy grabbed them in response and started eyeing over them. I crept closer, feeling curious and peered over his shoulder.
In his left hand he held an bleached bone white pen that was inscribed down the side, "φρόνησῐς," Phronesis.
I had a sudden onset of jealousy knowing that Percy still thinks about Annabeth, but I quickly suppressed it knowing my feelings were unreasonable.
In his right hand he held a now unsheathed silver version of Riptide, it was giving off a glow similar to Riptide's, resembling moon light instead of a golden haze. The sword was completely silver besides the leather grip and above the cross guard there was a set of antlers raised over a moon on the flat of the blade.
It was beautiful, but it confused me, Why does Percy want a sword with my symbol? Maybe he got it for me..
"They're incredible," Percy muttered and looked up, "Thank you Hephaestus, what do I owe you?"
"No money, lad. You've helped us quite a bit to be asking for money, but I do have something you could help me with...," Hephaestus trailed off looking Percy in the eye to check that he was up for it.
Percy just nodded back, obviously ready to help the blacksmith.
"...Good. I have a..a.. daughter, Ava, she needs to be brought to camp. Her m-mother died during childbirth and her family is full of junkies and take to abusing her when they binge. I'm not asking you to kill them, but I wouldn't be upset if you do," he said gruffly and reached into his shirt pocket, "Here's the address, shouldn't be too hard with 'your lady' over there," he finished pointing to me and handing Percy the slip of paper.
"Shut up!" I yelled a little louder than what was warranted.
I heard Hephaestus chuckle as he started shuffling towards the first workbench, "I bet you two are excited to tell father."
"Percy come on let's go," I said and pointed at my brother, "and you, stop acting like you know what's going on."
Percy started to walk towards the way we came when Hephaestus spoke up with a big smirk, "And to think I thought you were going after one of the hunters."
Percy let out a short snort, to which I kicked him in the ass for, "Go on, keep walkin'."