There are hundreds of automatons standing in neat rows like soldiers ready for battle. They all have shields with Hephaestus’ mark in the center.
“This is why the door was locked,” Kira breathes. “Can you imagine what the queen would have done if she got her hands on these?”
I shudder. “We would have never stood a chance against an army like this.”
“It would have been a bloodbath,” Raven says. “They all have different weapons on them. Do they have different strengths? Weaknesses?”
“I don’t know,” Kira admits. “They aren’t animated yet, just built without orders from their master. What will he do with them?”
“I hope he plans to help us in the war. Maybe Apollo told him long ago to start building an army. You know he saw all this millennia ago.” I step deeper into the room.
“It still blows my mind that he saw all this coming and put everything in place so we had a fighting chance. Even Orion being lost to the stars.” Raven shivers.
“That is something I’ll always be thankful I wasn’t blessed with.”
“Agreed,” Raven says.
“The sentries are blocking something.” Kira steps forward. “I wonder if they’re guarding the entrance to my father’s workshop.”
“We have nothing to lose so lead the way.” I wave her forward.
Kira glances back at us before walking directly between two sentries which don’t even flinch in her direction. Shrugging, I try to follow when golden swords cross from both sides, blocking my path.
“Okay, well, what do we do now?” I rub my forehead.
“I don’t know.” Kira walks over to me, passing the same two sentries without a problem and wraps her arm around mine. “Let’s try this.”
We walk side by side, but once again the sentries cross their swords, barring my entrance. This is bullshit. The whole world is going to end if we don’t get to Hephaestus and his stupid goldenguard dogs won’t let us pass. We can’t send Kira in alone this time because we all need transport back to the academy.
Gripping my charm, I pull my sword from the ether and crouch into a fighting stance. “I need to speak with your master, now.”
“No one but his own are allowed to disturb the master in his workshop.” A robotic voice comes from the sentry to the right.
“The war has already started, and we need to get back to it. Go tell your master the daughter of Zeus is here, and we have a gift for him.” I raise my sword to its golden throat.
“No, I will not disturb the master. Only those of his blood may enter.”
“They have some ridged programming. Maybe we should tell Hephaestus he should program some buzz words in the hardware that will alert him when there’s a fucking war to fight and we need his help,” I growl.
“You must let us all through.” Kira glares at the automatons. Her irises flicker with the flames of her wolf. “We need to get to the final battle before we lose and all is lost.”
“Only those of his blood may enter. Now, step away before I’m forced to attack those who wish to intrude on the master’s important work.” The automaton on the left shoves me back but I spin away, thrusting my sword up at the sentry beside me.
“Initiating attack sequence. Intruders are present in the main hall.” A robotic voice sounds around the entire space like surround sound.
“Um, that can’t be good.” I call my whip as the sentry on the left lunges for me with a blunt metal club of some kind.
It swings but I duck low and sweep my leg out, catching it at the ankles. The sentry falls to the ground with a clunk, and I wince, not wanting to hurt these things that are just following orders, but also not having a choice now but to fight them.
“Is there anything you can do, Kira? Like work the same mojo you did before? Can you get them to stand down?” I shout.
“I don’t think so.” She blocks a sword with her own. “There are too many of them. Hopefully my father heard the attack sequence initiated and it will bring him out of his tunnel vision.”
“What’s plan B if that doesn’t work?” I ask.
“We will have to destroy the sentries but only as a last resort.” Kira swings her sword again, fighting off a sentry with an ax.
Double doors that I hadn’t noticed before on the left wall swing open and more automatons pour into the room.
