<em><strong>Island of Crete, Antheia (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=96661.msg4202624#msg4202624) awakening to a sunny morning after her dream.</strong></em><br/><hr/><hr/><div class="floatleft">(http://www.randalldsmith.com/my_weblog/images/2008/08/05/crete1.jpg)</div>The warm sun on her exposed skin was the first thing Antheia noticed upon her return to the real world. The heat and warmth caressed her skin, in a way Hephaestus must have wanted to do when he reached out for her in her dream. Her dream... she frowned, realizing that she'll have to get going soon. Though some would doubt what had happened to them, the God had called her enough times that she could trust the message he had sent to her.<br/><br/>She looked around, assessing where she was. Her face was lying against something, her long hair covering her face and she pulled the strands away to see what her face was lying against. There were some documents and prints next to her, parchments that have either been used or not used yet. A length of charcoal lay nearby, all but worn down to the stub from being used so much and some bread that had been blackened from its use as an eraser.<br/><br/>Looking down at her hands, she saw her fingers were coated in the fine black dust and it clicked now. Of course, she thought. She had fallen asleep on her table, most likely last night, where she had been working on some schematics.<br/><br/>Schematics... schematics for... she picked up a piece of parchment and stared at the writings and drawings on it, making out some of the details. Everything looked upside down and... ah. It made sense to her now. She flipped it around and actually saw that it was for a shield.<br/><br/>The shield she was planning to make could deflect and reflect harm if something made contact with it. It was late at night, she was sure of it now as the memory of stars out her window came to mind, and she had been working on this project for the past few days and nights without taking a time to pause or rest. No wonder she fell asleep, she mused as she pulled her hair back and looked for her circlet (http://www.ingasbo.com/images/vines_simple_cropped.jpg).<br/><br/>Finding it nearby, nestled under some parchments, she put it on her head and tied her hair back with the piece of cloth she always wore around her wrist. She pulled herself up to a seating position on the stool she was in, stretching her limbs lazily to awaken herself even further. Antheia looked outside the window of her shop/home that was beside her and noticed the beautiful stretch of beach that lay before it. The clear seawater sparkled in the bright sunlight as people swam or walked on the shore. The beauty sometimes inspired her ideas but for some reason it wasn't now. Something was distracting her. It was a heavy but comfortable weight on her... lap?<br/><br/>Looking down, she noticed there was something on her lap. It was a hammer to be percise. Magnificently made with the sternest of steel and iron and plated with gold. It was the gift Hephaestus had given to her in her dream. She picked it up and turned it over, noting it was made for forgery like Hephaestus promised. No doubt it will strike with precision like he said a well. Wanting to try it out, she stood up and walked to the forgery room. Before she wants to where he wanted her to go, Redwood Forest, she needed to test this out. It had to be something that was almost completed, so it would not take time from her journeys.<br/><br/>The clasp was almost ready. The one she had been making for some time, as she hoped it would allow her to become invisible when it was fastened on her cloak. That could be a good test for the hammer.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><div class="floatright">(http://www.blackpowdermag.com/gallery/connors-prairie-2006/Forge-01.jpg)</div>The forgery was furnished well enough. The stove, prepped earlier in the night to make some swords, was now blazing a healthy glow. Ready for any work she had for it. Going to get the heavy leather apron that was set by, she placed it over her form and tied it to make sure any stray sparks did not hit her and placed on her a pair of thick heavy gloves as well. Antheia then picked up the mass of iron and steel and gold that was the clasp. It was settled down on the surface of a small clay table where she kept all her tools, said table located near the stove for easy reach.<br/><br/>Work began and the sparks flew as the hammer struck it again and again. Though the blinding light and the heat made it hard for her to see her work being done, she could see and feel the hammer hit where she wanted it to hit every time. The aim was true and the work was easy thanks to it since she a few times her eyes had to be closed thanks to the smoke. Her body, thought used to the work but not built for it, felt heavy and aching as she continued to hammer and bend the malleable materials. Sweat ran down her skin, making her feel sticky and exhausted but she kept going. It was almost done and she was hoping and praying to the God that this will work.<br/><br/>An hour or so passed until it was done. The clasp (http://www.irlbrl.com/andrea/blog/uploaded_images/Shikon_clasp2-770334.jpg) glowed from the heat, a little sun in its own right as Antheia pulled it out with her trusty tongs and took some time to admire it.<br/><br/>She carefully eased the newly made clasp into a bucket of cold water to let it cool, the steam rising out quickly as it could as heat and cold met one another. She left it there to clean up the mess she had made on the stove, removing some of the ashes but stopped when she saw the hammer. It lay on the clay table with the rest of her tools, glowing and just out of the flames. It was spotless and, out of curiosity, she quickly poked it after pulling off one of the gloves. Stupid to do, yes, but there was something that made her think, "Hmmm..."<br/><br/>The hammer’s surface, though there was a glowing soft orange hue from the extreme heat, did not harm her when she carefully poked it. There was heat of course but not enough to singe or skin or make her cry out. She took note of that and quickly got back to work in cleaning her station, believing in neatness as well as success. When she was done cleaning it, she went to the bucket and peeked in to see how the clasp was doing. There was no more steam raising from the bucket but it still glowed and that made her frown. It was glowing still? That can't be right.<br/><br/>Quickly pulling it out with her tongs, she saw that it had cooled when she pressed a gloved finger to it to feel the temperature. The blended metals, giving the clasp a rosy gold look, was somehow still glowing with some sort of ominous power. Her heart thudded when she thought of her fire pendant, the very one she wore around her neck right now. It too glowed with the exact same light and so did that sword she gave to that traveling man once when he explained it was for an upcoming war and he needed it within a few days.<br/><br/>It was her will.<br/><br/>She had put her will into the item. But... did that mean the item would be used as she hoped it would be? That if she put it on her cloak and fastened it, it would grant her invisibility? The idea of finally inserting her will into her creations after not doing for over the past two years was tantalizing, as it now opened limitless possibilities to her once again. Swords that sliced through anything, shields that never broke... It would take effort to do these all but that was point of this odd abilities of hers. Though she desperately wanted to try it now, to see if this wild theory of hers was correct, she had to no leave for her travels. Redwood Forest was quite far from where she lived and may take a while to get there.<br/><br/>Taking off the gloves and apron, she went out of the forgery with clasp in one hand and the hammer in the other hand. She was getting her small traveler's sack to place some vitals items, not wanting to waste another second in her God's orders now.