THE WOODS WEREN'T LIKE ANY…sent to Wilderness School
"Yeah, that would be unnerving to see." Annabeth said
Even there, the school had been…This was the Twilight Zone.
The demigods snorted.
He stumbled along until he…which was fine by Leo.
"Yeah, that's good." Will said
Then, at the bottom of a clearing…one gift-wrapped monster.
"That is very clever." Annabeth said. Hephaestus nodded.
Leo edged closer…he hoped there wasn't.
"There isn't." Beckendorf chuckled. Leo sighed in relief.
He picked his way down the crater…They raised many heroes that way."
"We- I- Leo's not a bad kid." Percy said. Hera shrugged. Hephaestus glared at her and shook her head. Leo sighed.
A total psycho…quest to rescue her.
Everybody snickered.
Tia Callida would've loved this vat…he extinguished the flames.
"Well that was a good hide and seek." Chris said
"Most definitely." Leo said
He could still see the dragon…or stomped him flat.
"That sounds magnificent but scary." Dakota said. Beckendorf nodded.
It was the most beautiful thing… I should've thought of that."
Beckendorf and Hephaestus laughed.
"That happens so much. Like when you see such a machine, you start saying the ideas and then come to an answer to your own questions." Beckendorf chuckled
"I swear. For me it happens with buildings though." Annabeth said
The dragon snorted…but for which he was grateful.
"Whoa." The demigods said
"That's handy." Castor said
He liked his army jacket…been pretty embarrassing.
"Even in front of the dragon." Jason laughed.
"Duh." Leo said
The dragon stared at Leo…Why no crispy critter?
Everybody snickered.
"I'm sure I'd taste delicious but I'd rather not get eaten." Leo sighed dramatically. They all laughed.
A spark flew out of its neck…net that had wrapped around them both.
"Oh damn." Katie said
The dragon blew flames…And Leo set to work.
Hephaestus and Beckendorf stared intently at Leo.
"You gained the trust of the dragon that not many were able to tame." Beckendorf said
"The dragon bonds with you. You will be able to find a way to communicate with it." Hephaestus said. Leo smiled.
"Awesome." He said.
It took him almost an hour… in a green poof of mist.
Everybody snickered.
"No doubt. The campers pick it up from the dryads and they pick up some signs from the campers." Grover grinned.
The Greek campers grinned sheepishly.
"I on the other hand, pick it up from the dryads, campers and the main one, Demeter." Nico said, grinning at Demeter who rolled her eyes good natu4edly. Persephone snickered.
"Got to secure the doors. Can't have Nico listening to more words." Hades grumbled. Nico laughed.
"I have tricks dad." He said. Hades sighed and shook his head fondly.
Leo returned his attention…something his mother used to say.
Hephaestus smiled.
"I remember that." He said. Leo smiled at him.
By the time he was through…mechanisms looked a lot better.
Hephaestus was soon covered in grease and oil.
"Uh, sorry about that." Leo said. Hephaestus waved it away.
"Eh, it's okay. I'm used to it." He said.
He slipped in the disk…"Could you not show off?"
Everybody laughed at that.
Creak? the dragon asked…"I'm calling you Festus."
"Named after Hephaestus?" Percy asked.
"Most probably." Leo nodded. Hephaestus smiled at Leo.
"Good choice." Percy said
"It means happy in Latin." Jason chuckled.
"Nicee." Leo snickered.
The dragon whirred its teeth…Leo hoped it was a grin
Everybody laughed.
"Maybe. Most probably." Hephaestus said
"Cool," Leo said…Festus bounded off into the woods.
"See. He likes you." Beckendorf smiled. Leo grinned and whooped.
Leo lost track of time…That's some first-rate engineering."
"Dude! That's kind of like Fabrikator stuff." Will said
"That's really special. I never knew there was something like that. Seems accessible only to Hephaestus kids. Like only one of them can open it." Beckendorf said
"Did you know it was there?" Annabeth asked Chiron who nodded.
"Maybe it is time for it to be used now." He said
The dragon unfroze and marched… A date at the bottom read, 1864.
The Hephaestus kids' mouths dropped open.
"That is going to come in very useful. You found something really good." Beckendorf said to Leo.
"Festus did." Leo said
"No way," he muttered…"That's creepy."
"Wait what?" Pollux asked
"The drawing Leo drew as a kid… The same sketch is in the bunker which has been abandoned. That's freakishly cool." Travis said
"This just proves that the fates had chosen you." Hera said to Leo
"Maybe the ship has to be built for the quest." Annabeth said
"Most probably, if you are going to do the quest then we might have to build it. I think the quest parts will get clearer after the reading after the fates make you guys gods. The prophecy might change too. We can't be sure of that but it is quite possible that you might have to do the quest. It depends on what we change. So either way we can only find out after reading the books." Apollo said. Everybody nodded.
"If we are going to build the ship then Leo has to take the lead, seeing as he most probably knows his way around the ship the most." Castor said. Leo nodded.
"But I'm obviously going to need help." He said
"The other Hephaestus kids will be there and so will some of the members of the Athena cabin." Annabeth said. Leo nodded.
"That's good I think." He said
"But I don't get why the mast looks life Festus' head." He frowned
"We might find out in the book." Silena said. Everybody nodded and Hades continued reading.
Festus snorted like he was trying…"We've got work to do."
"This place. It's amazing. We should modify it even more. Add more machines and tools. Make it an ultimate bunker for building." Beckendorf said
"That's a good idea. It could help the other campers and you if you plan on staying a few days or weeks at camp." Hephaestus said. Beckendorf nodded.
"I'll help with some tools." Hephaestus said.
"Thanks dad." Leo grinned. Hephaestus smiled and nodded.
"The chapter's done." Hades said
"I'll read." Persephone said