Water In My Eyes, Fire In My Heart (Percy Jackson Fanfic)

chapter 27

AN back to present tense writing. I like it better for this story. I'm so sorry that I'm so complicated.

Leo pov

Percy and I haven't spoken much these last few days. I suppose we just haven't found the time. I have been staying in the forge overnight, so I don't sleep in her cabin. The entire Hephaestus cabin is up and working during all hours of the day and night, working on weapons. We have to make weapons with half Olympian steel and half celestial bronze, because the gods can't give us any more steel. We have melted down various weapons and tried to fuze them together with the celestial bronze.

The hardest part is making the metals hold together. They break apart most of the time when we use them. We even have children of athena in here to help us solve the problems. We've been running tests constantly and trying to figure out how to create these wepons.

I've heard from the kids that bring food to us that the older campers have spent most of their time training the younger campers. I've been told that Percy teaches sword practice every day. I wish that I could go see her, but there too much to do.

"Try this, Leo." A son of Athena comes up to me with a notebook. "Try making a thinner celestial bronze weapon and then cover the metal with the Olympian steel."

I pass the idea to Nyssa, who starts the sword, and turn to thank the boy, but he is gone. I start thinking and feel my eyes start to droop. I force them open wider and stumble over to the mini fridge. We have all different kinds of energy drinks in it. I grab a Monster and go back to my work area. When I open it, I have to hold my breath and drink it fast. The drink doesn't really taste great and I have been drinking so many lately that I find them rather repulsive. Quickly, I chug the beverage and set down the half filled can and realize that it did nothing. I finish it and, still, I feel like I could pass out.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and jump at the surprise contact.

"You should get some sleep."

I dont even know who it is. I just push the hand off of me and mumble something. I have no idea what it is, but it makes him leave. 

How the Hades are we supposed to mix two metals that won't hold together?! I wish the gods would just send us more Olympian steel.

Suddenly, my head falls to the desk and I'm too tired to lift it again. My eyes close and I fall asleep.

Percy pov-

I was about half way through sword training with the newest campers, when Jake Mason stopped by to see me.

"Hey Jake." I say.

"Hey. Have you spoken to Leo in the last few days?" He asks

"Um, no." I look at the ground. "I think he's mad at me. I haven't seen him once in about a week, so I'm giving him some space."

"He isn't mad at you or anything. He's been working his ass off in the forge. I haven't seen him sleep in two days and I'm slightly worried. I told him he should get some sleep, but he just grabbed another energy drink and told me to go away. Can you go talk to him?" Jake explains.

"I'll try, but It'll have to wait, unless you're willing to take over here for a little bit." I suggest.

Jake sighs. "Give me a sword."

I grab a sword from the ground and hand it to him. "Just stick with the basics and don't let them kill each other."

"I don't know the basics of sword fighting!" Jake exclaims. "I usually just swing the sword."

"Me too. Teach them that." I smile and give him two thumbs up before heading in the direction of the forge.

I can smell it before I see it. It smells like smoke and metal. Once I reach the forge, I enter and walk over to Leo's work station. He's asleep.

"Leo." I say, softly shaking his shoulder. "C'mon. Wake up."

He groans and opens his eyes. He looks at me and mumbles "Hey."

"Let's go."

"I cant leave. Too much work to do." He says

"You won't get any work done if you are too tired to do anything." I tell him.

"Fine." He stands up and we walk out of the forge together. I walk him to his cabin and he falls onto a bed. He's instantly asleep.

I begin to jog back to the training arena. I'm just about there, when my head starts to spin, making me stop and nearly lose my balance. It's happened to me quite a bit for a week or so. Normally, I would go to Will, but I don't think it's anything to worry about.

Once I regain my balance, I walk the rest of the way to the arena.

"Hey, Jake. You can leave now." I tell him.

"Where's leo?" He asks.

"In your cabin. I'm not sure whose bed he's on, but it isn't his." I tell him.

"Okay. Thanks." He tells me. "I'm sorry if the campers didn't learn anything. I'm a terrible teacher."

After a few chuckles and a goodbye, he leaves and I continue practice.

Leo pov

I was standing in the forge, but it was empty and calming. Nothing like it's been... ever.

I walk over to where the swords and recently forged weapons are. I see swords made with two and three metals. The gold, bronze, and steel swirling around in the blades with beauty and excellent craftsmanship.

I pick up one and tried to examine it, but when I touched it, I felt a pain I had never experienced. I dropped the blade ubruptly with a gasp.

"Careful, Leo. They're hot." I jump at the sudden voice behind me.

"How is that possible, father? Never before, have I burnt. How?"

Hephaestus shakes his head at me. "Some fires burn hotter than godly magic."

"That's how you forged them. With a fire so hot that it could burn the god of fire." I say. "What fire can burn you? How does it burn so hot?"

"My son, sacrificial fires burn hotter than even the fires of a Titan." Hephaestus tells me.

"Sacrificial?" The word sounded foreign in my voice. "Animal sacrifices or..." I can't bear to finish the sentence.

"Just the sacrifice of innocence. Human and animal lives can be sacrificed, but those fires cannot burn hot enough to merge metals that were never meant to mix."

"How do you sacrifice innocence?" I ask

" Satanists often used to sacrifice innocence. They would do that by having a child kill an animal. They would then proceed to burn both the child and the dead animal. The child was usually born and raised in captivity or born of incest, but we do not have any children raised in captivity. You will have to find a child who has never killed even a monster and has never done anything with the intention of hurting another human being or animal."

"Do we have another option?" I ask.

My father shakes his head.

"I don't think I could kill a child. I don't even think there is one that fits the description in Camp Half-Blood." I tell him

"You have to do it. If you dont, there is a more likely chance of our downfall. Satyrs bring new campers every day. I'm sure one of them hasn't killed any monsters." My father tells me. "I won't push the subject anymore. You need some actual sleep. If you ever want to create beautiful weapons, such as these, you have to do it."

I open my mouth to speak, but he's gone. I'm then transferred to a different dream about Iron Man and Bruce Wayne meeting and arguing about who is cooler, The Flash or Quicksilver. Personally I like the Flash. He wears red.