HBH IV: Forges Of Hellfire

II: Is That A Love-Driven Psycho? Yes

"They're trying to bring Mark here, I don't know why but we're the leverage."

"Uhh, Bronagh, I don't think these half-bloods serve Master Graham." I turned around to see two Cluichuan holding a pick-ax and bludgeon. "We'll be going." I yanked Claudia and we bolted out of there. "GET THEM!" We heard one of them shout. It sounded weird coming out of it but we ran. "Hurry." She turned a corner. We hid behind a wall while those gremlin-looking weirdos talked to a man. "General, we found intruders."

"FOOLS! What are you both doing here then?"

"Sorry General McNamara."

"You'd better be sorry or you'll be thrown to the forges." I peered around the corner and saw the man. It was Rowan. He'd changed since the last time I saw him. His eyes were dull and filled with fear and confusion. "That's the same guy that was on the ship just a few months ago? Something must've happened." Claudia commented quietly. A scar ran along his face. It was fresh and seemed to have happened a few days ago. "Where'd he get that scar? Looks sick."

"Looks painful and filled with shame and disappointment."

"Sheesh."

"Someone or something gave it to him, we could talk to him and maybe he'd spill some info."

"Or it could go terribly wrong and we die."

"We can always try, he's still human."

"I thought the same thing about Gray and that led me to being thrown off a cliff." She dragged me off. "You're so dramatic." I told her angrily. "I am drama, drama is me." I rolled my eyes. "Please do not."

We came across a similar room to the first with the Cluichuan, however this one said: EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS, BEWARE. I peeked once again and saw another camper manning another operation. She was Pandora Sawyer, she was one of the half-bloods who joined Balor's Army when I first got to camp. She turned her gaze to us. We quickly crouched down. "I hope you're leaving soon." I looked up. Rowan had his sword in hand and brought it down. Luckily me and Claudia dodged it. "We were just leaving." Once again we ran out of there. "WHEN GRAY FINDS OUT, YOU'LL BOTH BE DEAD!" He bellowed behind us. "We're dead."

"Yes ma'am we are."

"He's clearly not gonna stop."

"What happened to, 'He's still human Claudia, we can talk to him' huh?" She mocked me with the hand talking thing. "That was before I realized how he was." I ducked under a rock and held my breath hoping he wouldn't hear us. Claudia gripped my arm tightly. He walked right past us and found Pandora. "Find those intruders and don't even give it a second thought, kill them and tell the Son Of Morrigan, his sister and girlfriend are dead." Pandora nodded. Rowan turned around and walked away. I sighed in relief but Claudia was close to tears. She was hyperventilating and desperately tried to grab me. "He- he's gonna kill us."

"It's okay, calm down." She looked at me with fear evident in her eyes.

She eventually calmed down but she was still crying. "That son of a barnacle is gonna pay." We remained there for a little longer until we were sure we were clear of any weirdos trying to kill us. "Hurry."

"Over there."

"Where?"

"Another tunnel."

"Let's go." We walked towards the tunnel. "We're not gonna check it or anything?" Claudia asked me. "No, we don't have time. Desperate situations call for desperate measures." I cleared up some of the cobwebs carefully. "Mark would've done a thorough check of that tunnel, then even if it checks out he would tell us it's dangerous and we can't go through." I laughed. "Arin would've made a joke out of that." She nodded while climbing through the tunnel. It was fairly small so we were crawling through it. The farther we crawled we smelled a sickening smell. It was strong and was everywhere. It smelled like exhaust fumes. "Gasoline." Claudia and I were soaked in gasoline mud, we were basically living breathing fire balls. We quickly sped up and we finally reached the place below us a vat of water was filled to the brim. We jumped in quickly. We climbed out and hid behind the vat. "The water was awfully warm. "I poked my head behind the vat and saw a Fomorian dipping a red hot piece of metal into the water. "A forgery."

"That's where all the hot air was coming from."

"Hurry."

"Over there." I pointed behind another vat. A crucible filled with metal was placed atop a fire to melt. It was taken off and cast into a sheet of metal. "Are they making a shield?"

"Possibly armor."

"Or plating for some kind of machine."

"Could be all of that."

"I don't know how but let's roll with it." Loud noises of gears turning, the hammering of metal and the hissing of metal while it cooled. The flames shot up sending embers into the air. We found a hidden door in the corner. Surprisingly it was unlocked. We sighed in relief for a moment. "What did I say?" A cold voice spoke. I turned around and Gray was facing the opposite of us. I yanked Claudia back and she looked up. We listened quietly to the conversation. "Rowan, we didn't kidnap them so they could free around our little underground operation. If they get out our cover will be blown. So when you find them- KILL THEM!" He shouted at the man who is most definitely Rowan. Claudia shrank back, she clearly wasn't used to seeing this side of her former best friend. "Keep the blonde one, she's necessary to bring Mark here. The other one- bring her to me. Fail and- you can expect a painful end." Rowan looked terrified. For a split second we made eye contact. "Oh no."

"Behind you!" Gray turned around and saw us. We stood there like deer in headlights. "RUN!" We bolted for the door and threw it open. We flew out and climbed around. Gray and Rowan were pursuing us. "We gotta hide."

"We gotta shake a tail." I slid under a table and pulled water from both vats. "Not again." Rowan ran forward but I slammed him into the vat beside him. Gray raced forward but Claudia drew her sword as well. He stepped back. "I won't fight you Claudia. I just need Kendra and I'll set both of you free."

"No." Rowan stood up with a murderous look in his eyes. Pandora came out from the door with two soldiers. "KILL THEM!" She screamed like a maniac. The soldiers jumped down. One of them lunged forward to stab me. They missed, fortunately. Unfortunately, my shoulder had a bleeding gash. "I need them alive, Pandora." She looked down. "You told me to kill them."

"No, enough of this." I took the opportunity and raced out of there holding Claudia. I locked the door behind me and raced toward the second tunnel. "Stay here." I poked my head through the glass. I saw an angry Gray, Pandora who was filled with shame and Rowan who was in a wheelchair. "When I asked for the strongest to join me, I wanted the strongest of the strongest. Now the strongest of the weak." Pandora dropped to her knees. "I'm so sorry Gray, please forgive me. I won't let it happen again."

"Get up, you disappointment."

"Of course Sir. Rowan? Aren't you going to say sorry?"

"He is my General, he wouldn't need to."

"Exactly." Rowan replied slowly. "Don't test me, Rowan."