Page 51 of Ares' Shield
The girl cocks her head to the side and huffs. “I’m Kira. You will want to talk to Max. He’s our foreman.”
“Thanks, Kira. You have any idea where Claud is?” I ask.
Kira grins. “We were so lucky to have him come help us in the forges. He’s been a huge help with crafting new weapons.”
“Claud is awesome. He didn’t deserve to be left in Tartarus.”
Raven steps forward. “Do you know where he’s at?”
“I just got here, so I haven’t seen him, but he’s usually in the mouth of the volcano.” Kira turns to stride through the cavern.
“Volcano?” I ask.
Nobody told me this was a fucking volcano. I narrow my eyes on Raven.
She pats my arm. “It’s not an active volcano, B. They need it for welding and whatever other shit they do.”
“It’s still a fucking volcano.”
Kira glances at us over her shoulder. “Why do you think it’s so hot in here?”
Raven nudges me with her elbow and I reluctantly follow Kira into a damn volcano.
Still not the weirdest thing I’ve done lately.
Flames burn in sconces all along the wall, lighting the cavernous space. The clang of metal hitting metal reaches my ears, growing louder the farther into the mountain we go.
Kira opens another metal door and I’m blasted with a wave of heat. I nearly stumble back. It’s hotter than the entrance.
“Hey, Claud, are these friends of yours?” Kira yells over the sound of hammers clinking and a drill.
“Friends?” Claud asks.
He claps his hands as we step into the room.
“Hey, Claud,” I say.
I race over to the huge cyclops, passing by several metal workbenches and Hephaestus kids giving me confused frowns.
“Friend.” Claud picks me up in a crushing hug.
I can’t stifle the giggle that bubbles out of me. “It’s good to see you too, buddy.”
We found Claud in the underworld. Tartarus had spit him out and he was alone and scared. He didn’t even have a name. We named him.
Claud sets me on my feet and reaches for Raven. She sidesteps him but pats him on the arm.
“Good to see you.”
“I work.” Claud claps his hands again and turns to the huge sledgehammer on the bench behind him.
“That’s great, Claud. You like it in the forges?” I ask.
“Yes, friends.” He points to Kira and several others working around him.
“I’m so glad you’re making friends and having fun here, Claud.”
“See lava?” he asks with a hopeful smile.
