Finding The Keys

Chapter 43(*)

*mid-December, Somewhere on/above Earth*

Drip

Drip
Clang!
D

rip
Drip
Clang!
"Hephaestus!"
"Oh no..." I mummble as I heard the thunderous voice of the Lighting God, "Yes Zeus?" I say, placing my tools down on the work bench to my left.
"You have mail." He huffs, placing the red and black letter on my work bench infront of me, "come check it once in awhile." Then he was gone, a boom of thunder confirming.
I grab the letter from the bench and open it. The letter was written in ancient Greek, and it read.
"Hi Dad!
I wanted to ask you if you would like to come down to earth for my Christmas party! I know you didn't get to see me a lot when I was little because the gods tried to hide me from you. So this would be a time for us to establish the connection that you never got to have with me. Also if your wondering how I got this to you I ran into a child of Uncle Apollo's, who helped me contact Uncle Apollo. I hope to see you there!

Your daughter,
FlameBlossom"

I smile, my only child wanted to actually spend time with me after I was missing from her life for 17 years and she still wants me in her life.
My cheeks turn the color of Persephone's spring flowers as I set the letter down on my bench again. I turn and check the calendar that the humans use showing that there is six days untill Christmas.
I write a short response and send one of my small mechanical birds to take it to Apollo. As it quickly makes it's way. I start coming up with ideas for her Christmas present. I really haven't made a present since I last saw little Flame's mother which was a small metal hourglass. I notice a bent-up celestial bronze sheild and sword set in the scrap pile of my workshop. They where from a fallen demigod who wanted his weapon and sheild to be used for something for another demigod. And now I have the perfect use for them. I pick up the sword and the half broken sheild, removing the none bronze objects, I set them down in a small bucket and put my magic to work. The bright yellow and orange flames dancing around the sides heating the bronze inside the bucket.
Soon the metal is melted and I carefully pour the into two curved molds. One mold is that of a bow and the other mold was a mold of a scythe blade. In the bow mold I pour a red and white mixture of metals that would not blend neither with each other and not with the bronze, but they would bond together forming a weapon stronger than a normal celestial bronze weapon. These would be the weapons of a Fury Hunter. A rare group of Demigods and a select few magic bearing humans who are trained to handle attacks from Furies and dispell them. In a thrid mold I pour a similar mixture of metals this time red and black, for the handle of the scythe. I notice a small drop of celestial bronze is left in the bottom of the bucket along with a few drips in the red, white, and black metal buckets. In a sudden thought, I grab a Chinese coin mold, the kind with the hole in the center. I pour the remaining drops of liquid metal in the mold and set the mold aside to set. Later I would visit Hecate, the goddess of magic, to see if she could help me with my idea. I continue with my other projects as I wait for the molds to set.
A few hours later I assemble the scythe, string the bow, and take the coin out of the mold. My youngest cylcops apprentice helps me sand and polish the two weapons and the coin.
As the other apprentices work with older cyclops. I place them in a bag and head of to the home of Hecate. I know I have entered her land when a see a large metal gate and am meet by a large, glaxy colored raven, who instantly flys up to greet me.
"Raven says, Hellooo! Good to see you Hephaestus!" It's says landing on a nearby branch.
I smile, the raven talks in thrid person unless it is addressing Hecate. "Hello, how are you?" I ask looking up at the large feathered creature.
"Raven says, Good! What have you came here for?"
I glance behind the raven, now Hecate was standing invisibly not far behind her precious raven.
"Is your Mistress, Hecate, home at the moment?"
Before the raven can speak another word, Hecate appers dismissing it with a wave of her hand.
"Yes, she is Hephaestus" she says, "what do you need because I all ready know you are not here for a visit..." she crossed her arms infront of her, still standing a few feet from her gate.
"I would like to see if you would help me create a gift for my daughter..."
She stood in thought, "the half fury? The one that's almost strong enough to stand amoung the minor gods and goddess?"
"That would be her" I say carefully moving my hand to the bag that I have sat down on my right side.
"She's the only living child with your Fury lover correct? The previous four had pasted?"
I nod slightly, trying not to remember when AurusFlame told me that our last child had passed while she lied that Maki had survived the enchantment that would keep her alive. Hecate spoke up, "I'll help, Fury child or not, she is a strong young lady, she deserves to be given a chance to join us. She has a prophecy to complete does she not?" With that Hecate smiled and opened the gate to her home. I showed her the weapons I had crafted and if she could help me with enchanting the weapons so they would be bonded with the coin. The coin would act as their storage device, this coin could with bond with the one her mother and Aunt gave to her or she could give the old coin to one of her personalities. Durn the enchantment Hecate speaks, "She has gained control of the first key, are you aware of this? She will be given the second Key on Christmas."
"So IT is starting... She has no idea does she"
"Yes it is... No she does not... The Faiths predict at most two years untill she can control all thirteen parts of her true magic."
"So we have roughly two years to perpare for my child to join us?"
"No, not entirely... The final key will only be able to be controlled after something we could never perpare her for happens. The Faiths can not see what it is or when, but they know it's attached to her getting and controlling her thirteenth key."