𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 cassiopeia bradbury is a star, destined to collapse and shine
[ i. completed / NOT edited
ii. extended summary inside
iii. percy jackson x fem!oc
iv. previously called evermore
v. cover by lyraastarr ]
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THE stone walls glowed. The air felt as if they were walking through an oven.
The tunnel sloped down and Cassie could hear a loud roar, like a river of metal.
The roaring got louder. After another half-kilometre or so, they emerged in a cavern the size of a Super Bowl stadium.
Their spider escort stopped and curled into a ball. They had arrived at the forge of Hephaestus.
There was no floor, just bubbling lava hundreds of metres below.
They stood on a rock ridge that circled the cavern. A network of metal bridges spanned across it.
At the centre was a huge platform with all sorts of machines, cauldrons, forges and the largest anvil Cassie had ever seen - a block of iron the size of a house.
Creatures moved around the platform - several strange, dark shapes, but they were too far away to make out details.
"We'll never be able to sneak up on them," Cassie said.
Annabeth picked up the metal spider and slipped it into her pocket. "I can. Wait here."
Before anyone could argue she put on her Yankees cap and turned invisible.
"She'll be fine, Cassie." Percy told her, noticing her worried face.
"I know."
Percy kept looking at her.
She laughed. "Do I have something on my face?"
"Yeah, a stain right there..." he was about to touch her face but she smacked it away, he caught her hand.
Cassie realised how close they actually were, she felt her cheeks burning up.
He dropped her hand, as if it was burning iron.
Cassie looked back at the Labyrinth tunnel. She missed Grover and Tyson already.
Finally Cassie decided she couldn't stay put. She crept along the outer rim of the lava lake, hoping she could get a better angle to see what was happening in the middle.
"Cassie?" Percy whispered, following behind.
She placed a finger on her lips, universal sign of: shut up.
The heat was horrible. Geryon's ranch had been a winter wonderland compared to that.
Cassie and Percy moved along, trying to keep away from the edge, until they found their way blocked by a cart on metal wheels, like the kind they use in mine shafts.
Cassie lifted up the tarp and found it was half full of scrap metal.
"Why do they have that?" Percy asked.
"Maybe for swords?" The brunette suggested. "Or other weapons."
