Chapter 1: I Make a Friend

The hammer rose and fell with a soothing, methodical, CLANG-CLANG-CLANG. I let my body work on itsThe hammer rose and fell with a soothing, methodical, CLANG-CLANG-CLANG. I let my body work on its own, I did my best work that way, as my mind wandered to the current problem. A few months ago, in August, there was war. I am not talking about the war you all think of immediately, but a war between the Gods of Rome and the Titans. CLANG-CLANG-CLANG. It spanned across three years, when the Titans focused their troops on Mount Othrys, a few miles North of our camp. I should probably explain that part.

I am a Demigod, half-human, half-god - specifically, the god Vulcan. There is a camp for me and my kind, where we train in combat and learn other skills that we are born with depending upon our Godly parents. The Gods were Greek at first, but they recognized the superiority of the Romans, and then followed the flame of the west. Currently they are settled in America. Our camp is near San Francisco.

In early June the Titans attacked our camp. We quickly and easily routed them because we were well prepared. CLANG-CLANG-CLANG. Jason Grace, Preator of the First Legion, led us in retaliation, a charge against Mount Othrys where Jason himself defeated the Titan commander Krios was defeated. As the black temple collapsed it was decided we could not allow the Titans to reuse this base again, and so the Observation Fort began.

FZZZZZZ. FZZZZZ? Oh, my body moved on to creating automaton circuitry. The Ninth Legion, children of Vulcan who have been approved for battle, lead the construction alongside the Sixth Legion - Children of Minerva. As the fort was completed, the unthinkable happened. Jason Grace disappeared. This was four days ago. FZZZZZZZZZ. Aedile Bruno, child of Mars, Second in Command of camp has ordered us to continue to guard the fort instead of joining in the search. He says that we must not let the Titan Atlas, who holds the sky away from the earth, know of our weakness.

“What are you making this time?” asked a voice from the door of the forge. It took me a moment to realize that the door was open. I looked at the speaker. Sean Viator, a child of Murcury, one of my best friends at camp. He stood at about six feet tall, his short blond hair hanging around his face, elf-like ears poking out on the sides. His brown eyes sparkled as if laughing at some joke only he knew. His long fingered hands fiddled with what appeared to be a wallet chain. I then looked down at my hands. I had just finished putting in the automatons eye.

“I appear to be making an automaton.” I replied. This answer would have annoyed many of the other campers. All children of Vulcan are amazing when working in the forges, but most need to focus on what they are doing in order to succeed in finishing their project without accident. My Dyslexia and ADHD means that I can make things without focus, letting my mind wander while my body works. My hands finished screwing in the ruby eye inlaid with Imperial Gold - a rare metal blessed by Jupiter that we use to make our weapons - circuitry. I sat back and observed what my body had done without my paying attention, my arms crossed.

On the table in front of me stood what appeared to be a small dragon statue. Reaching about three feet in length, two feet in height, with a wingspan of about six feet. I knew that, once activated, it could breath fire, use its razor sharp teeth, retractable claws, or a retractable dagger in its tail to attack. I lifted the control disk, more like a rectangle than disk, and inserted it into the direct center of the dragons body, where the neck connects to the body. The neck slid back into place and the automaton came to life.

The wings folded back in and its eyes changed colors from ruby to a dark red, and back to ruby. A blink. It looked at me and growled a little bit. I could understand what it said. Hello.

“Hello Growlz.” I replied. “Growlz?” Growlz?. Sean and Growlz asked.

“Your name.” Growlz looked pleased while Sean smiled indulgently. Then Growlz sneezed fire a little. Seans eyes widened.

“You made it out of Imperial Gold?!” Sean choked out as he backed further into the sunlight. I looked down at Growlz, with my arms on either side of him. I studied my three creations. The two bracers, Ignus and Glacius, and the Automaton that, if I made it correctly, would never fail.

Then my musing was disturbed by the alarms and a scream.

“EARTHEN!!!” Followed by the thunderous crash of something large hitting a building.

Not good. own, I did my best work that way, as my mind wandered to the current problem. A few months ago, in August, there was war. I am not talking about the war you all think of immediately, but a war between the Gods of Rome and the Titans. CLANG-CLANG-CLANG. It spanned across three years, when the Titans focused their troops on Mount Othrys, a few miles North of our camp. I should probably explain that part.

I am a Demigod, half-human, half-god - specifically, the god Vulcan. There is a camp for me and my kind, where we train in combat and learn other skills that we are born with depending upon our Godly parents. The Gods were Greek at first, but they recognized the superiority of the Romans, and then followed the flame of the west. Currently they are settled in America. Our camp is near San Francisco.

In early June the Titans attacked our camp. We quickly and easily routed them because we were well prepared. CLANG-CLANG-CLANG. Jason Grace, Preator of the First Legion, led us in retaliation, a charge against Mount Othrys where Jason himself defeated the Titan commander Krios was defeated. As the black temple collapsed it was decided we could not allow the Titans to reuse this base again, and so the Observation Fort began.

FZZZZZZ. FZZZZZ? Oh, my body moved on to creating automaton circuitry. The Ninth Legion, children of Vulcan who have been approved for battle, lead the construction alongside the Sixth Legion - Children of Minerva. As the fort was completed, the unthinkable happened. Jason Grace disappeared. This was four days ago. FZZZZZZZZZ. Aedile Bruno, child of Mars, Second in Command of camp has ordered us to continue to guard the fort instead of joining in the search. He says that we must not let the Titan Atlas, who holds the sky away from the earth, know of our weakness.

“What are you making this time?” asked a voice from the door of the forge. It took me a moment to realize that the door was open. I looked at the speaker. Sean Viator, a child of Murcury, one of my best friends at camp. He stood at about six feet tall, his short blond hair hanging around his face, elf-like ears poking out on the sides. His brown eyes sparkled as if laughing at some joke only he knew. His long fingered hands fiddled with what appeared to be a wallet chain. I then looked down at my hands. I had just finished putting in the automatons eye.

“I appear to be making an automaton.” I replied. This answer would have annoyed many of the other campers. All children of Vulcan are amazing when working in the forges, but most need to focus on what they are doing in order to succeed in finishing their project without accident. My Dyslexia and ADHD means that I can make things without focus, letting my mind wander while my body works. My hands finished screwing in the ruby eye inlaid with Imperial Gold - a rare metal blessed by Jupiter that we use to make our weapons - circuitry. I sat back and observed what my body had done without my paying attention, my arms crossed.

On the table in front of me stood what appeared to be a small dragon statue. Reaching about three feet in length, two feet in height, with a wingspan of about six feet. I knew that, once activated, it could breath fire, use its razor sharp teeth, retractable claws, or a retractable dagger in its tail to attack. I lifted the control disk, more like a rectangle than disk, and inserted it into the direct center of the dragons body, where the neck connects to the body. The neck slid back into place and the automaton came to life.

The wings folded back in and its eyes changed colors from ruby to a dark red, and back to ruby. A blink. It looked at me and growled a little bit. I could understand what it said. Hello.

“Hello Growlz.” I replied. “Growlz?” Growlz?. Sean and Growlz asked.

“Your name.” Growlz looked pleased while Sean smiled indulgently. Then Growlz sneezed fire a little. Seans eyes widened.

“You made it out of Imperial Gold?!” Sean choked out as he backed further into the sunlight. I looked down at Growlz, with my arms on either side of him. I studied my three creations. The two bracers, Ignus and Glacius, and the Automaton that, if I made it correctly, would never fail.

Then my musing was disturbed by the alarms and a scream.

“EARTHEN!!!” Followed by the thunderous crash of something large hitting a building.

Not good.

Chapter 2