"Having fun?"

Annabeth looked up from the myriad of books around her and saw Percy standing in the doorway. "You could say that," she said.

"Wow," said Percy as he examined the library. "I don't think I've ever seen this many books in my life."

"I know. It's such an amazing collection, isn't it?" Annabeth asked excitedly.

"Amazing isn't the word I would use." Percy sat across the table from Annabeth. "Terrifying is more like it."

Annabeth smiled. "I know of a few books that could change your mind."

"I haven't even gotten through the last list you gave me."

"Did you even start?"

"Uhhh… no. But you can't blame it on me, blame the dyslexia."

Percy reached across the table and held Annabeth's hand. Annabeth blushed. She moved the books to the side. "I like you the way you are anyways, Seaweed Brain. I wouldn't want you to get all intellectual on me."

Percy made a circle with his fingers and held it up to his eye like a monocle. "I say Reginald, these books are absolutely astounding. I've read fifty in the past hour. Can't get enough of them I say."

Annabeth laughed. "Is that what you imagine smart people are like?"

"Oops, forgot the mustache," said Percy. He put his finger below his nose. "There," he said in a fake British accent, "good as new. Bully!"

"Yup, the mustache definitely completed the look."

Percy and Annabeth laughed together.

Percy looked around the room some more. "Hey, where's Alice? I thought she was here with you."

Annabeth pointed to the aisle between two bookshelves where Alice lay curled up on the floor, her head resting on a thick tome. "She was getting tired, so I told her to get some rest while I did some more research. When Ryan comes back we'll be ready for him."

Percy frowned. He let go of Annabeth's hand. "I can't imagine what Leo's going through right now."

"We'll get him back, Percy." Annabeth leaned across the table and kissed Percy on the cheek.

"I know," said Percy. "I just hope he's okay." Percy patted his pocket where Riptide usually rested. "I hate not being able to do anything about it."

"We can prepare. Harold will fix Riptide, then we can make Ryan regret ever kidnapping our friend."

Percy slowly nodded. "I still don't get it, though. I talked to Ryan before we left. He seemed so normal."

"As normal as demigods go?"

"Exactly. I guess never being claimed by his godly parent was a big hint, huh?"

"He was probably spying on us, trying to get close to learn our weaknesses."

"Maybe…" Percy sat in silent contemplation.

"Some people are like that, Percy," said Annabeth. "They trick everyone into thinking they're one thing when they're really the complete opposite."

Percy sighed. "A year later and Gaea's still finding ways to mess with us."

"We managed to beat her once, we can beat her son, too."

Annabeth took Percy's hand.

"Promise?" he asked.

"Promise."

"Activate level three."

"Tier three training simulation activated. Good luck, Miss Forester."

Kate loaded a clip into her sniper rifle, Velocity. "Luck?" she muttered to herself. Kate ran her finger along the bayonet blade running down the barrel of the rifle. "Never heard of it."

A dozen holographic werewolves appeared in front of her. The werewolves were tall, skinny, and smelled like wet dog. Each one had fangs and claws that could shred a steak in two seconds. They snarled and snapped their jaws at Kate who simply smiled.

The computer voice counted down, "Three… Two… One… Begin."

The werewolves leaped into action. They galloped across the floor towards Kate. The first wolf rapidly closed the gap and came face to face with Kate. It opened its mouth wide bough to swallow Kate whole. It snapped at Kate and instantly disintegrated into a million tiny digital cubes on the floor.

Kate held Velocity in her hands tightly. The freshly pulled trigger vibrated slightly from the shot. The eleven wolves remaining hesitated before attacking. They encircled her and growled. The werewolves acted as a pack, working together to bring down large prey.

Kate estimated she had three seconds before the wolves attacked from all directions. One on her right was down on all four feet and crouched to the ground. As soon as the wolves attacked, Kate slid on her knees as the wolf jumped into the air. Kate held Velocity in he air as the wolf soared over her. Velocity's blade disintegrated the wolf before it hit the ground.

Kate got to her feet and fired two quick shots before he wolves could counter attack. The remaining eight wolves scattered and attacked without synchronization. One at a time, Kate shot the wolves before they could get close or waited until they lunged at her before cutting them down with the bayonet.

Kate saw Grant out of the corner of her eye. He was leaning against the wall clapping slowly. "Well?" Kate shouted at him. "What are you waiting for? You know you want in on this."

Grant removed his sword from its hilt and stepped forward.

Kate ran at another werewolf as it swung its claws at her. Kate ducked and stuck the butt of her rifle out to trip the wolf. Grant ran up behind Kate and stabbed the werewolf before it could get up, then dove over Kate to stab another. The final werewolf lunged at Grant. Grant ducked and revealed the barrel of Kate's gun pointed at the werewolf's chest. A single pull of the trigger and the fight was over.

Kate took a moment to catch her breath. "Those monsters won't know what hit 'em," she said.

"True, but I'm pretty sure an 'army' consists of more than 12 monsters," responded Grant.

"You always have to ruin the moment," said Kate. "Just let me enjoy this one."

"I can't help that I'm facetious." Grant playfully punched Kate's shoulder.

"Did I ever tell you how terrible your flirting is?" Kate punched Grant's shoulder so hard he stumbled backwards.

"Every day."

Kate shook her head and slung Velocity over her shoulder. "So what brings you down here? Couldn't be you just wanted to interrupt my training montage, could it?"

Grant rubbed his shoulder. "Actually, I only wanted to see what my favorite person in the whole world was up to."

"Oh really? I'm your favorite person in the world?" Kate stepped up to Grant and stared him down.

"You're not going to make me repeat that are you?" Grant said with a sly smile. "You're head's big enough without more flattery."

Kate dropped her rifle at her side. "No, but I'm going to need you to prove it." She gave Grant a wink.

"Okay," said Grant as he wrapped his arms around Kate's waist. "I can do that." Grant leaned in and Kate closed her eyes.

"There are billions of people on the planet, but I have only ever met like a hundred of them," said Grant.

"Huh?" Kate opened her eyes.

"Yeah, disregarding people I've met at school I'm left with the rest of the team and you," continued Grant. "Don't get me wrong, I like those guys, but…"

"You're such a dork!" Kate laughed.

"Hey, you said I had to ruin every moment."

"This was one of those moments where it is highly recommended you don't ruin it," said Kate picking up Velocity.

"There'll be plenty of moments for me to ruin later," said Grant, "but right now we're trying to decide who takes first watch tonight."

"Me, duh."

"That would be a good idea, but…"

"But what?"

"I don't think Percy, Annabeth, and Piper trust you." Grant immediately covered his face in fear of retaliation.

"Well, that makes sense," said Kate. "They just met me, what reason would they have to trust me?"

"That, and you didn't exactly make the best first impression."

"I wonder why that is?" said Kate, accusingly.

"Piper's still a little miffed you were being fake nice to her."

"Just because she thinks she's a princess doesn't mean everyone has to bow down to her."

"Wait, what? I didn't get that impression from her at all."

"Trust me, I know her type," said Kate. She placed Velocity on a bench and checked it over for damage.

"What type? She seemed pretty cool to me."

"Her dad's a movie star and her mom's the goddess of beauty. You don't have parents like that without letting it go to your head. Just watch, she'll prove just how prissy she can be soon enough."

"Hmm," said Grant, cautiously. "Maybe let's get to know them a little first before making judgements?"

"Whatever, don't say I didn't warn you." Kate loaded a new clip into her sniper. "Just know that if it ever comes down to you or her…" Kate fired a shot to the far side of the room, hitting a perfect bullseye on a diminutive target. "… she'll always save herself."

"You blew it, Fi. You really messed up bad this time."

"It was only a mistake. He will forgive you."

"He hates me, I know it."

"He just needs his space right now."

"I pushed him too far and now he doesn't want anything to do with me."

"That's not true. He loves you, remember?"

Fiona sat in the attic alone huddled against the window. Outside she could see Harold putting the finishing touches on his homemade forge. The moonlight flitted through the window, illuminating Fiona's already transparent body.

"We only dated for a little while and I broke up with him!" Fiona said to herself.

"Why did you do that? He's super nice."

"I know, but it was so weird! Like dating your brother."

"You two grew up together. You couldn't get any closer as friends than you and Harold."

"It worked when we were just best friends. We hung out all the time and there wasn't any pressure."

"What pressure? You don't have to impress him, just be yourself."

"Easy for you to say."

"I'm you!"

"And you're just as lazy as I am. So how will we get anything done?"

"By not being lazy, duh."

"That sounds hard though."

"Stop acting like a little kid! No wonder Harold is smarter than you."

"Maybe… Maybe he's right. Maybe we really did outgrow each other." Fiona looked out the window. Harold started a fire in the forge and was warming his hands. The fire illuminated his face just enough to show his proud smile.

"He… He never did need me. I was always just a distraction."

"Don't talk like that."

"But it's true! I always wanted to have fun while he was busy saving the world. He's going to go on to do amazing things, but I'm always going to hold him back."

"Only if you let yourself be a burden."

"That's all I can be," Fiona pulled her knees to her chest and sobbed. "Harold deserves so much better than a friend like me."

"You can't just give up. Show Harold that you can be a good friend. Win him back."

"How am I… going to do that?" said Fiona, in between sniffles.

"First off, stop crying. Second, if he thinks he's outgrown you, then maybe you should grow up a little."

"Like this?" Fiona willed her shape to change. She grew a few inches taller.

"Not exactly." Fiona returned to normal.

"Then what should I do?"

"You need to be just as smart and sophisticated as he is." Fiona listened intently. "Wear glasses and use big words. Or maybe smaller, smart-sounding words."

"Oh, how incredulous."

"Now you're getting it."

"Am I using that word right?"

"No idea, but it sounded fancy."

"I'm feeling so frumptitious right now."

"Not a real word, but you get the point. Now you need to march downstairs, walk straight up to Harold, and say you're sorry."

"Umm… Do we have to go right now? Can't we wait a few minutes? What if he comes up here and apologizes to me?"

"You can't always take the easy way out, Fi. Some problems can't be solved with laziness."

"No, but I can always put the hard work off for a little while longer until the problem solves itself."

"Not this time. You know it's the right thing to do."

"You… You're right. Fine, lets go apologize."

"Good, then after we'll celebrate with a pizza."

"Stuffed crust?" Fiona asked excitedly.

"You know it."

"Ooh, I can taste it already. Delicious pepperoni."

"And don't forget the mushrooms!"

"Eew, I hate mushrooms."

"But your conscience doesn't."

"Mushrooms are gross! They're like mini fungus trees."

"Have you ever eaten a mushroom? They're so good."

"The mushrooms I've had were terrible."

"Yeah, but they taste different on pizza somehow."

"Then it's the pizza that's delicious, not the mushrooms!"

Fiona shook her head. "That got off topic fast." She stood up and took one last look out the window. She took a deep breath. "Okay, time to go show Harold how mature I can really be."

"Hey."

"What do you want, Fiona?"

"Umm, I'm not Fiona."

Harold turned around to see Piper standing before him. "Sorry…"

"I just came to tell you Grant is taking first overnight watch. So, if you want to get some rest…"

"That's okay, I've still got plenty of work to do." Harold picked up pieces of furniture he had dismantled from around the house.

Piper saw the forge Harold made. "Wow, you made that? It looks just like the ones back at camp."

"It's still missing a couple of things," said Harold. "I need to assemble a bellows system or the forge will never achieve the desired temperature."

"It's still pretty impressive." Harold didn't respond. He kept trying to connect a lampshade to a broom handle. "Are you okay?"

"Hmm? Yes, of course. I've plenty on my mind is all."

"Like Fiona?"

Harold put down his tools. "Yes, like Fiona."

Piper sat down on a log. "Want to talk about it?"

Harold sighed. "I'm told you're the daughter of Aphrodite. I'm not one for believing in gods, but in my line of work I'm forced to believe anything is possible. Perhaps your pedigree is indeed marked by the divine. In that case, I would welcome your expert opinion on a certain situation I find myself facing."

"I'm all ears," said Piper. "I'm not the best person to ask for advice on love, though."

"Sadly, I fear love is the exact opposite of what Fiona must feel."

"Who's Fiona? Is she your girlfriend?"

Harold hesitated before telling Piper about Fiona being a ghost. There was always a negative connotation associated with spectral beings. "She's… my oldest friend. We met when we were both very young and naïve. I've yet to meet anyone more free spirited than her. Her cheery smile never faded. She was as bright as the morning sun in my hour of darkness."

"Poetic," said Piper. "My mom would approve."

"This love story is purely one-sided. I revealed my feelings to her recently. At first she was delighted to hear of my affections. Soon she came to the realization that we were simply too different to be compatible."

"She broke up with you? I'm sorry." Piper put her hand on Harold's shoulder. "You seem like a nice guy. You'll find someone out there."

"I appreciate the sentiment. However, the story does not end there."

"Go on," Piper prompted.

"We decided to remain friends. I… may have been giving her a cold shoulder lately. She felt neglected and noted how she missed the times when we were friends." Harold stared at his feet. "I told her to leave. I chose to engross myself in work rather than allow myself to suffer the heartache of 'the friend zone.'"

"It sounds like you still love her."

"Like I've never loved anyone else," confirmed Harold. "By now she has to hate me for the way I've treated her."

"Can you talk to her? You both could try to talk it out. Tell her that you never meant to hurt her feelings. She might understand."

"Excellent advice, Miss McLane. If she is still willing to hear me out I will attempt to offer my apologies."

"Glad to help," said Piper. She stood up and stretched her arms. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get to a bed before I collapse."

"Good night, Miss Piper."

"Night, Harold. I hope things work out between you and Fiona."

Piper disappeared back into the house. Harold returned to his work. "I only hope she feels the same way," he whispered to himself.

"Finally, some time alone."

With Kate providing over watch from the roof, Piper using the guest bedroom and Alice, Annabeth, and Percy camping out in the library, Grant had the remainder of the house to himself. He took a deep breath and walked into the dining room. Grant took a seat at the dining table, staring at the flickering candle in front of him.

Grant closed his eyes and focused. He remembered being attacked by Ryan. He remembered being helpless to save his friends back in Salem. Finally, he remembered watching his friend Dawn being sucked into Pandora's Box along with the demon of Fear. All of these memories shared a single emotion: anger.

The flames of the candle grew brighter. The heat became too intense for Grant. He got out of the chair and took a few steps back. The candle flickered to life and took the shape of a human engulfed in flames.

"Hello, Grant. You called?" asked the demon. It's words echoed through Grant's mind in a thousand different voices, each one more terrifying than the last. Grant was too shaken to say anything. "Nothing to say, partner?"

"I… I think it's time we part ways… partner," Grant finally managed.

The demon laughed. If Grant didn't know any better he would have assumed the sound was a hippopotamus's growl. "That is not going to happen," said Anger simply.

"No," said Grant gathering his courage. "I've decided that I don't need you anymore."

"Was it your decision, Grant?" The demon leaned in closely. "Or was it that pesky sister of yours?"

Grant swallowed the lump in his throat. "You told me you needed a willing host. Well, I'm not willing anymore."

"Of course not. You'd never do anything to upset dear Alice," said Anger in a mocking tone. "Oh wait, you already have. On multiple occasions, actually."

Grant grunted. "Shut up, you've been controlling me for too long. Get out of my head!"

"I've done nothing to you. Everything that happened has been your own doing. Killing Ryan? That was your own desire. I simply gave you the means to do so."

"I'm not an idiot. I know what you are and what you do. You aren't going to control me anymore!"

Anger laughed again. "You're making this too easy, boy. Why don't you try again when you have a spine?" The flames in the candle started to die down.

"Wait!" Grant yelled. "You're not going anywhere."

The flames remained idle. "I'm afraid you don't have a choice in the matter."

"I won't let you walk away. This ends tonight!"

"And who are you to stop me?" The flames suddenly erupted. Grant fell backwards and scrambled to get away from the flames. "You are just a simple pawn. You have no power, no authority, over me! Every ounce of strength in your bones was gifted by me!"

Grant again felt powerless. This demon was right. Grant couldn't even touch a demon of the Box. The only one that could was Dawn and she was trapped for all eternity.

Grant let the rage envelop him. Nothing that he could do would bring back his friend and that made him angry. These demons infested the planet and there was nothing he could do about it.

Grant slammed his fist onto the floor. He glanced at his hand and, for the first time, noticed that he was engulfed in flames. But he didn't feel the pain. He didn't care either. He just wanted to take revenge on the demons for all that he'd lost. Nothing else mattered anymore.

Grant rose from the floor with fire in his eyes. The demon before him smiled.

"You are doing well, Grant," said Anger. "You will make a fine puppet."

Something rang at the back of Grant's mind. A tiny voice called to him. A memory he hadn't thought of in years suddenly came to the surface.

He was standing in the workshop trying to fit two metal pieces together. Grant pushed them as hard as he could. One piece slipped and cut his hand. "Ow! Stupid thing!" Grant threw the pieces off the workbench.

"What's wrong?" Dawn asked. "Did that machine hurt you?"

"Oh," said Grant startled, "… Hey, Dawn. I didn't hear you come in."

"I heard sounds of a struggle. I thought you were in need of help."

"No, it's fine. Just having a tough time getting this grappling hook assembled."

"Grappling hook?"

"Yeah, just imagine being able to latch onto anything and zip towards it at high speeds. It'll be awesome!"

"I must still be getting used to modern customs," said Dawn shyly. "I do not see the appeal in that."

"You'll see if I can get it working. Only problem is getting the pieces to slide together." Grant kicked the metal railing on the floor. "This part needs to slide into the railing so the grapple can fire accurately."

Dawn picked the pieces off the floor. "You are getting frustrated?"

"Well, a little, yeah, I guess." Grant's checks became red. "I mean anybody would, right?"

Dawn put both pieces into place and gently slid them into their correct position.

"Whoa, how did you do that?" Grant asked.

"You cannot approach a problem with aggression," explained Dawn. "A gentle touch is often all it takes."

"Who said that, Hemingway?"

"No, me," said Dawn coyly. She left the room with a smile.

A tear came to Grant's eye. He remembered Dawn being so innocent. Nothing ever made her angry. All his rage melted away.

The tear evaporated in the heat. Grant snapped back to reality. He was on fire in the dining room being mocked by an evil demon.

"Come, Grant," motioned Anger. "There is much to burn."

"No."

The demon's smile faded. "You're back already? I'd hoped to destroy everything you loved by the time you snapped out of it."

"I'm no puppet," said Grant sternly. He let go of all his anger. The demon's flames became dim.

"We had a deal, Grant, remember?" Anger reached out to touch Grant's face, but the further it came from the candle the dimmer the flame got.

"The deal was 'you help me save my friends and I'll give you a host.' I think they're safer without you now," Grant said. He motioned towards the door.

"Be careful now, boy. Do not set me free and expect me to stay away," said Anger menacingly. "You cannot stop me from returning with a new host to destroy you."

"I know," said Grant calmly. "I'll try my hardest, but if you get me, so be it."

"But I won't destroy you first," said Anger. Grant took a step forward. "First, I will burn your friends." Grant stepped forward again. The candle flame retreated. "Then, I will burn your sister." Grant took another step forward as the flames diminished further. "Then, I will take that pretty girlfriend of yours!" Grant stood over the flickering remains of the candle. "Nothing will be safe from my wrath you pathetic worm!" Grant licked his fingers and snuffed out the flame.

Grant let out an exhausted sigh and collapsed to the ground. He crawled to the kitchen and leaned against the cupboards. Grant took a moment to collect his thoughts. He finally felt free, and not just from the demon. Sure it would be back for revenge eventually, but until then his friends were safe.

Grant struggled to open his mouth, but it was so dry from all the heat. Oddly enough, the dining room was completely unscathed by the conflagration. Grant licked his lips and tried to produce a sound. He put all of his thoughts into a single phrase. He opened his mouth and let the words come out.

"Well, that sucked."

Ryan led the way through the dark tunnels. Leo followed closely behind him. Sure Ryan was less inclined to kill him now, but that didn't mean Leo wanted to make him mad by trying to escape.

Leo could tell they weren't in the labyrinth anymore. The walls became solid bedrock. The air grew stuffier the further along they went and the temperature rose a degree every five steps.

Finally, a breeze blew through the cavern. It made Leo shiver. He was used to withstanding heat, but the air in the tunnels was near unbearable. The breeze wafted from further down the tunnel.

Leo hurried along past Ryan and ran to the end of the tunnel. Leo turned a corner and almost ran into the rocks burying the exit.

"It's a dead end," said Leo.

"No," said Ryan. "This is just the entrance."

Ryan waved his hand and the rocks parted to the side. Leo felt the cool breeze rush over his face. A pleasing aroma caught his attention. Leo looked inside the newly opened cavern.

"Whoa…" Leo said in awe. "Just… whoa."

"This is where I was raised," said Ryan. "This is Pangaea."

The cavern opened up into a vast expanse of trees and flourishing fauna. Giant prehistoric flowers covered the ground. A giant tree in the center of the oasis reached the ceiling and acted as a column to support the roof. Leo spied a waterfall and hot springs nearby. The place was a perfect paradise. It reminded Leo of Calypso's island, a place where every need could be tended to, except for your loneliness.

Besides the sound of rushing water or branches rustling in the wind, the whole cavern was eerily silent. Leo expected to see dinosaurs pop out of the bushes, but nothing moved. The whole cavern was devoid of any life besides plants. Even insects were nowhere to be seen.

"I get it," said Leo. "It's like Pangea, but with Gaea."

"What are you talking about?" asked Ryan.

"Nothing, just forget I said anything." Leo pointed to the giant tree. "What's that?"

"That is where we're headed."

Ryan walked off and into the brush. Leo trailed behind him, swatting branches out of his face. Delving further into the jungle gave Leo a sense of just how untamed this place was. Everything grew freely here. Purple flowers the size of a minivan emitted powerful odors. Leo stopped to smell each one out of curiosity. With every breath Leo wanted to stay forever. If it weren't for the lack of company, Pangaea would be a paradise.

Ryan pushed through the dense vegetation into a clearing just across from the giant tree. The tree was surrounded by a moat of fresh spring water.

"That's where your dad is?" asked Leo.

"I believe so," Ryan responded.

"And if I help you find your dad, you'll leave us demigods alone?"

"I'll consider it."

"Good enough, I guess." Leo took off his shoes. "Let's go for a swim."

"Wait!" Ryan held Leo by his shirt. "Don't touch the water."

"Why? Is it acid? Are there piranha in the water?"

"No, I just don't like water." Ryan lifted his hand and a stone bridge formed over the moat.

"Oh," said Leo slightly disappointed," yeah, that works too."

Leo and Ryan crossed the bridge to the base of the giant tree. With a wave of his hand Ryan spread the bark of the tree. Beneath the bark the tree was hollow. Inside the tree was an ornately decorated podium.

Leo walked up to the podium. In its center was a small shard of dark green rock. It vibrated slightly. Leo immediately reached out to touch it. It was almost like it was calling to him.

Ryan grabbed Leo's wrist before he could touch the stone. "Don't you dare touch that, Valdez," he threatened.

"What is that?" Leo asked. "It almost feels alive."

"That's the Heart stone," said Ryan. "It is the most concentrated piece of earth on the planet. It holds a sliver of Gaea's power within it. This is how Gaea bestowed my powers on me."

"I thought we were looking for your dad?"

"We are." Ryan pointed up. Leo looked and saw that the tree was hollow the whole way up. Along the sides of the tree were globs of bronze sap. Most of the globs were open. A few enormous globs of sap looked like something fought its way out from inside.

"This is where the Giants were born," said Ryan, "as well as the gods and Titans."

Leo shuddered. "So that means we're in Gaea's…"

"Nursery, Valdez," interrupted Ryan. "I was born here, too."

"Does it feel good to be home?"

Ryan sighed. "My memories of the nursery were not always joyful. It's where I was thrown into the wilderness to fight for myself."

"Right, forgot about that."

"If we have time I could show you where I strangled the wolf."

"I…" Leo stammered. "Yeah, I don't need to see that."

"Fine, lets get to searching these sap pods."

Ryan out his hand to the wall of the tree and closed his eyes. After a few seconds Ryan pulled his hand away. "The sap is too thick. I can't sense any of their contents."

"So we need to get up close and personal?" Leo reached inside his tool belt. He pulled out a few mechanical bits and got to work assembling them. He held up the finished invention. "Haha, grappling hook! I feel bad for anyone that doesn't own one of these."

Leo gave the grappling hook to Ryan. "Thank you, Valdez." Ryan gave Leo a hard pat on the shoulder.

"Oof! Don't mention it big guy. Now, go up there and find your long lost daddy."

Ryan aimed up and fired the grapple into the wall of the tree. The reel retracted and Ryan was whisked into the air and stopped next to a suspended pod.

"Anything?" Leo shouted.

"Not this one." Ryan moved onto the next closed pod. Inside was a wolf suspended in animation. "This is where the monsters came from…" Ryan whispered. "She sent them from my own home to attack me."

"What? I didn't hear you buddy."

"Nothing, Valdez. I'm moving to the next pod."

Ryan slid over to the next pod. Inside this one was a tall man with bushy blonde hair. His clothes were denim covered in rhinestones. "It's him..."

"Is that it?"

"Yeah, this is who we're looking for!"

"Oh good. Umm, any idea how we're going to get him down?"

"All this time…" Ryan said to himself, "… he was right above my head… and she kept him from me." Ryan thrust his fist into the sap. He grasped the man's shoulder and kicked off from the wall. The man slowly slid out from the sap until he was dangling over Ryan's shoulder. Ryan gently descended to the ground.

"Is he alright?" asked Leo.

"He's just unconscious." Ryan laid his father on the ground. "Years in stasis will do that to a person."

Leo studied the man's face. He could have swore he had seen the man before. "Oh my gods, that's Ricky Dash!"

"Who?"

"The famous rockstar from the 80's? My mom used to play his songs all the time in the mechanic shop."

"Hmm, ironic," said Ryan.

"What's ironic?"

"Oh come on," Ryan sounded uncharacteristically sarcastic, "Rock-star? Get it?"

"Wow, how did that go over my head?"

Ryan smiled for the first time since Leo knew him. "You're not as smart as you'd like to think… Leo."

Leo smiled back. "And you're not as crazy and angry as you'd like to think."

"Ugh, mortal babble is always so dull."

Ryan and Leo turned to face the source of the comment. Walking across the rock bridge was General Harkus flanked by three enormous cyclops. Ryan quickly made the rock bridge collapse bringing one of the cyclops into the water. He thrashed and screamed. "Get me out! Get me out!"

"Aha, I knew it was acid," said Leo.

"He can't swim too good," said one of the cyclops as he pulled the other out of the water.

"Never mind."

"What are you doing here Harkus?" Ryan demanded.

"General Harkus, you whelp. Your insubordination has reached its end," Harkus towered above Ryan as the other cyclops eyed Leo. "You've led me to the Heart Stone as I've predicted. Now, your usefulness is at an end as well."

"You slimy, backstabbing…"

"Don't pretend we were allies, boy. I was tasked with training you in swordsmanship and you failed to meet even the lowest of my expectations. If it weren't for your mother's prying eye I would have ended you long ago."

"I've learned far more on the surface than I've learnt from you."

Harkus raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" He threw the red towel back over his shoulder, revealing a distinct pair of swords at his hip. One was made of gold and ornately decorated down the blade to the hilt. The other was a decrepit iron sword with one edge rusted down to the shape of teeth. "Then why don't you show me what you've learned?"

"The Thanes…" muttered Ryan.

"The what?" asked Leo.

"A fabled pair of swords," explained Ryan. "Deadly when separate. Useless when together."

"The gold sword is the Thane of Life," continued Harkus. "It's wielder is immortal while holding it."

"While the iron sword is the Thane of Death. Any wound by its blade is deadly."

"When the wielder has both swords, their effects are nullified. But separate…"

"They are the most deadly swords in legend."

"Except when used against each other," said Harkus. "The wielder of the gold sword is not immortal when struck by the iron sword, but they do not die from the first wound either."

"How have I never heard of these? You'd think two swords like that would have left at least a rumor," said Leo.

"I've been careful not to leave anyone alive to tell the tale," said Harkus.

"It doesn't matter, I'll be the one to finish you, Harkus," said Ryan.

"General Harkus," he retorted. "Very well, it is your choice. Gold or iron? Life or Death?"

Ryan thought carefully.

"Hey, you can beat this guy, right?" asked Leo.

Ryan didn't answer. Instead he pointed at the iron sword and said, "That one."

"Very well," said Harkus tossing the sword to Ryan.

Ryan grasped the sword firmly and planted his feet. "I'll make this quick. My father is waiting."

"You know, there is no learning without pain and suffering," said Harkus. He unsheathed his sword. "It's time for another lesson."

To be continued…