Unlikely Heroes

Chapter 40: For Eternity

Annabeth was over the moon. The smile, the twinkle in her eyes, the soft bounce in her step. It makes me feel warm and very happy. We just came from back from the workshop, which was a lesson in making your own miniature house or building with the provided material. It was mainly meant as a fun activity and not really to be taken serious. That is true, if you do not have Annabeth on your team.

A simple building was not on the cards in the first place, but what really pushed Annabeth to excel was the prize for the best building. When she heard that, all hell broke loose, building wise. I was pushed to the limits to function as her assistant, handing her materials and tools.

Annabeth herself was in utter concentrating when she was building. I was not certain when it happened, but at one point a crowd was gathering around her as she was creating a masterpiece. Slowly, but surely, her building took form. I was dutifully helping her a long the way.

The result was a marvel of a building. White marble-like pillars held up a roof in Classical Greek style. On the roof, several statues were sculpted in the form of Greek Gods and Goddesses. Of these sculptures, Hades was one of the more prominent one. The roof itself was see through to offer the spectator a view of the inside. Just like the outside, the inside was beautifully decorated with a large statue of Athena on the opposite site of the entrance. On the walls, several detailed and spectacular wall murals can be seen and admired.

This is a slightly altered version of the temple of Athena that stood proudly in Athens at one point in time. It was touching to see Hades having a prominent place. Hades can appreciate the gesture, even if it was not the main focus of the temple. Although, she should know the parent always comes first.

After the workshop, we went towards the ballroom for dancing and to get to know the several projects the charities will be working on. Of course, we won first place. Our prize would be delivered to our room. The building that Annabeth made would be sold during the ball to those interested.

It was Annabeth's idea, and from a quick glance I could see some people that were interested. If I had to guess, they thought she was some famous young architect. In any case, we soon moved to the hall for the feast. Annabeth was already enjoying the day. It makes me happy, but also eased my nerves for later tonight. As we followed the small crowd of people, I was stopped by a gentle hand.

"Excuse me, miss Corvius. You dropped this," a man said, holding out a card. I blinked at him in confusion. "My apologies, but I think you made a mistake. I didn't drop anything."

He smiles a bit as he chuckles. "I'm very certain, miss Corvius. It even has your name on it. We sometimes miss certain things. I have been told it is very normal for humans," he says while giving me the card.

I was confused as I saw him continuing towards the ballroom. My gaze fell on the card, and to my shock, it is a credit card with my name. Annabeth peaks at the card too and raises an eyebrow.

"What a strange bank. H. C. B.? I never heard of it," she says. I totally agree. It is not a name that rings any bells.

"Well, it does have my name on it for some reason. From what I can tell, this is a legitimate credit card. Let's make sure the charities have enough to complete their project. We may as well make use of it," I say with a smile as we continue walking.

The ballroom itself was what you would expect from a high social event. It is decorated well with lights, paintings, and the real eye-catcher was a large and detailed painting on the ceiling. I believe they tried to emulate one of the classical ballrooms they have in Europe.

The room was roughly split into three. One part is open and clearly meant for those that want to dance. The other part had several tables and a bar where people can order many different kinds of drink and snacks. At the far end was a raised platform for used for presentations, speeches, or perhaps even an auction.