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─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"well, that was . . ."
maddie couldn't think of the right word to describe their meeting with hephaestus. the god had been . . . not the most welcoming of spirits. he had not been happy when they had informed him that they were looking for daedalus, but after annabeth had explained the whole situation, he had reluctantly agreed to help them, but only if they checked up on one of his forges. maddie shouldn't have been surprised, as the gods hardly did favors, unless there was something in it for them.
she wasn't going to lie and say that she wasn't irritated that hephaestus was making them do a chore for them, as maddie had had enough bad experiences in the past to know that these 'side quests' always ended badly. still, she kept her mouth shut, reminding herself that this was annabeth's quest, and she would do anything to ensure that the blonde had everything she needed to succeed.
"intense," percy finished for her.
annabeth ran a hand through her messy hair. "come on. the sooner we get to the forges, the sooner we get to daedalus."
the five set off again, the mechanical spider setting the path. all seemed well, until they hit the tree roots. it was hard enough to keep up with the spider without tripping on the many bits of root sticking out of the ground, but then they passed a tunnel off to the side that looked like it was dug from the raw earth, wrapped in dark roots that spurted small green leaves everywhere.
grover froze, his eyes gazing into the tunnel.
"what is it?" percy asked.
the satyr didn't reply, and continued to stare openmouthed at the tunnel. his dark hair ruffled slightly in the breeze that crept out of the tunnel.
"come on!" annabeth said impatiently. "we have to keep moving."
"this is the way," grover said, awed. "this is it."
"what way? you mean . . . to pan?"
grover looked at tyson. "don't you smell it?"
"dirt," tyson said. "and plants."
"yes! this is the way. i'm sure of it!"
"grover," maddie said unsurely. "we have to get to the forges."
"we'll come back," annabeth promised. "on our way to hephaestus."
"the tunnel will be gone by then," grover said. "i have to follow it. a door like this won't stay open!"
"but we can't," annabeth said. "the forges!"
grover looked at her sadly. "i have to, annabeth. don't you understand?"
maddie watched her best friend, and knew he was right. this had been his dream for years now, finding pan, and here was his golden opportunity, right in front of him.
