Legends of Olympus

Chapter 24

As the group walked through the trees, Mira talked about the Notch Trailhead as if she were a guide giving the half-bloods a tour of the hiking trail. She talked about the wildlife that resided in the park, the types of trees, and the best spots that hikers go to along the trail.

"So Mira, are there other tree nymphs in the area? Also, you said that most of the trees here are yellow birch, is that the tree you live in as well?" Zavik asked, clearly taking interest in the nature of the trail. Aubri looked around the trail like she was expecting another monster to spawn on the trail and attack them. Lincoln kept looking back at Ash, especially with her ankle, which limped a little in the air as she was carried on Zavik's back. He felt bad that he hadn't yet learned how to stabilize broken bones with his song like the rest of his cabin could do, but at least he closed the cuts up and healed any cuts on her ankle.

"Yeah there are more nymphs, Zavik," Mira responded, smiling over her shoulder. "They aren't huge fans of people so they either stay in their trees or stay out of sight. I, on the other hand, love seeing people, just don't like it when they lean on my tree," she added, giving a glance back to Ash.

"I said sorry," Ash rebutted. She shifted her grip on Zavik's shoulders, and he adjusted his grip on Ash as well. "Sorry Zavik, am I heavy?" Ash asked, feeling bad for Zavik for having to carry her since she thought he wasn't able to carry her.

"Ash, you're fine. You're not that heavy, just stop moving around on my back please," Zavik said, reassuring Ash.

"You're telling an ADHD person to be still, good luck," Ash said.

"Mira, are mortals able to see the Forge, or is it covered by the Mist?" Aubri asked, cutting into the conversation about trees. She gave Mira a look of urgency, yet also curiosity about the Forge.

"Well, it is hidden in the Mist. To mortals, the Forge looks like an abandoned cabin, and there is a protective force surrounding the Forge 100 meters away from the Forge itself, giving mortals an uneasy feeling that the place is haunted. To you guys though, the protective force is more of a force field that you can't pass through unless you are a child of Hephaestus or one of the Big Three's children. You mentioned a boy named Percy, who from what I've heard was the boy that blew up the Louis Gateway Arch, which to be honest is impressive. Who's his godly parent?" Mira said, asking the question with both curiosity and awe.

"Poseidon," Aubri stated, watching as Mira's expression changed from curiosity and awe to shock and slight concern. "Is everything okay there Mira? Aubri asked.

"Y-yeah. Just never believed that Lord Poseidon would have a half-blood child. But hey, can't stop the gods," Mira said, a slight nervous chuckle hinting in her voice. "Anyways, Aubri, since you are a child of Hephaestus, only you can actually enter the Forge's territory. Don't worry, it's not dangerous, though there is a Cyclops that guards and works in the Forge, so as long as you prove to him that you are worthy of the hammer, you should be fine."

"Got it," Aubri said with a nod. "And for the sake of Zavik, how much longer do we need to walk to get to the Forge?"

"Zavik, can you last 5 more minutes?" Mira asked, looking back to Zavik. He nodded and shifted Ash on his back again. "For you all that aren't children of Hephaestus, you can stay with me outside of the border."

The group walked a bit further down the path, and then Mira trailed off to the left, causing the group to have to walk through more trees in the forest. Lincoln tripped over a root, which resulted in him falling into a pile of leaves. The group heard quiet laughter coming from behind them, and Mira shot a look at another tall oak tree. "Penelope stop giggling," Mira scolded. "You purposefully tripped Lincoln with your roots."