It's A Mad, Mad World

by Arlya-Camilla-Lucas Cahill

Emilya Kane. Tyler Jackson. Just two famous names- but of very different worlds. Meeting in Camp Half-Blood, the two embark on an adventure never seen before... an Egyptian and a Greek? Never before. Join the daughter of Anubis and a grandson of Poseidon as they enter an exciting journey in which several gods, afterlife and magic is involved... it's a mad, mad world.

EMILYA

My name is Emilya Stone. Or at least it used to be. I think I'll stick to Emilya Kane, for now. It's much less confusing than trying to figure out who my dad is.
Oh, but I forgot. There's no such thing as less confusing in my world. My life has 3 stages: Plain confusing, really confusing, and drive-you-nuts confusing. You see, when you live in a world where Egyptian gods run wild, and you could wake up and find yourself hanging upside down by a paper rope somewhere in Duat, the dictionary-makers simply kick out the word normal. It simply doesn't exist in my world. You've probably listened to Mom and Uncle Carter's recordings. You think their quest and missions are tragic, and totally heart-breaking? Poor Sadie forever in the turmoil of choosing between Walt and Anubis? Poor Carter never getting over the fact his girlfriend is more powerful than him, not the other way around?
Then you need to invent another word for my life.
So one evening, Matthew and I were cradling soup when Brooklyn house shook like an earthquake. Matthew was so startled he almost dropped his soup. I laughed.
"What is it?" I asked. "Someone's probably practicing zombie exploding spells again- relax. Jeez."
Matthew turned, his midnight-blue eyes wide with fear. "Not that." He pointed out the window.
I frowned and leaned over to look. The shadows enveloped everything, and there wasn't much to see anyway. "Where?"
"There!" He reached over and guided my hand in the general direction I was looking. "Look!"
Then I saw it. A red blob bobbing in the darkness. As it got nearer, I could see it was a man, dressed in a red suit, rubies stones braided into his dark hair. He radiated power, red smoke hanging around him like mist. We stared at him, his head dipped low. Suddenly, rubies flashing, he raised his head. It was like he looked straight at me, even though I knew it was impossible. His mouth seemed to curve into a smile and revealed two sharp incisors.
Then I ran.
I stumbled into Mother's bedroom, panting like crazy. "Mom!" I yelled. "He's coming. He's coming!"
Mom stood up so fast she knocked her desk over. "Who's coming?" she asked intensely.
"I don't know!" I wailed. "All I know is that he likes red."
Mom grabbed her magician's wand. "Go find Carter and your father." She commanded, rushing past me.
"What do I tell them?" I called, worry evident.
She turned. The look of fear in her eyes scared me.
"Set is coming."
She clattered down the stairs and disappeared.

I found Uncle Carter and Dad with Julian, talking about guy stuff. Basketball, football, blah blah blah who cares!I ran over and tugged at Dad's arm.
"Dad!" I yelled into his ear. "Set is coming!"
He turned pale. Like really pale. For a moment, he looked like a different person. One with my freckled, pale skin. "Dad's coming?" he said in a strangled whisper.
Carter rushed out of the room. "Come on, Walt!" he called. "I'll go get Zia!"
Dad grabbed his staff and ran after him. "Wait!" I called. "Dad, what did you mean by Dad's coming?"
He kneeled down before me. "Look. I'll explain. But not now. Right now, Sadie needs our help."
I figured that was the best deal I would get. "Fine."
He stood up. "Great. Now let's go find your mom."
We rushed down the hallway to find Mom standing at the door. "I won't let you in, Set!" she yelled.
"Aw- come on! I just wanna see my kid. And from the rumors, my granddaughter, too," a man's voice cried from outside.
"For some reason, I seriously doubt that's all you want!" Mom yelled back.
I gripped my khopesh. Yeah, like Carter's. I'm more talented in combat magic than scroll reading or anything on Sadie's side. Of course having to power to crumble stuff into gray dust helps.
On with the story.
"Set!" I yelled, before I could lose my nerve. "Tell me who I am. And how the heck are you my grandfather?"
Mom looked at Dad, distracted. "How did she know?"
Set chose that moment to burst in. "Hello, my dear Sadie!" he said gleefully. "Anubis told her, of course. She deserves to know! It's in her blood! The curse is alive again!"
Up close, Set was even more terrifying. His teeth were jagged and canine, more suited for something feral than a human being. His blazing red eyes glinted cruelly, with some crazy humor in them, like he was going to make a joke about your death. His skin was a flaming red, and sort of shifty, like a wind blowing through a desert. Dust swirled around him, bleached red. He was wearing this weird disco suit, like he was ready to go maim some people, and then pop down to the pub. He had this aura of power around him, malicious and well, red.
"Anubis!" he cried. "It's been a long time, kid!" He rubbed his knuckles on Dad's head gleefully, like this was a perfectly normal family reunion.
Dad pulled away. "Dad!" he complained. "What do you want?"
Set drew back, then made a picture frame with his fingers. "No, no. This won't do at all." He squinted at Dad. "Come on, Anubis. Change. I wanna see my kid."
"It has been a long time." Dad looked at me. "But Emilya's here. We can't -"
"Emilya!" Set yelled, totally ignoring what Dad was going to say. "So that's her name. I was wondering!" He turned back to Dad. "She deserves to know who her dad really is, Anubis."
"Wait, wait, wait." I pushed my way forward. "Can someone please tell me what's going on? My dad's not Anubis, his name's Walt Stone."
Set grinned. "Go on, Anubis. Show her."
Dad smiled at me sadly. Then he began to change. His skin turned pale. His face changed. It was the same face I had seen earlier. It didn't look like Dad anymore. Yet- I knew him. Somehow.
Unconsciously, my vision slipped into Duat. Yeah, you read that right. Unconsciously. Not much people can do that. Actually, no magician could do that. Best case scenario: you get a little queasy. Worst case scenario: your brain explodes. So yeah, I was different.
In the Duat, everything was different. The air was pulsing, like the heartbeat of the house. It must have been all the power in Brooklyn House. I turned my gaze over to Uncle Carter, and Zia. They both had huge sort of avatars of bird-headed people. Falcon, I think. Zia's bird-girl image thingy and a huge glowing circle around her head like you see in Catholic pictures of holy people. He was dressed in armour, but had a calm expression on his- uh, face, beak whatever. He looked more like the just king kind of dude than the warrior. Ra, the god of the Sun.
Carter's one, on the other hand, wearing the famous crown of Egypt. He was also wearing armour, wielding a huge razor blade sword much like Carter's and mine. This had to be Horus. I turned. Mom was glowing with the light of a hundred light bulbs, hanging a few feet of the ground. Her golden hair was done in plaits. And weirdly, she had rainbow wings. Sure, not disturbing at all.
"Uh, Emilya?" A hand tapped me on the shoulder. I spun around. Gah, scary freaking glowing falcon-boy. "Oh. Sorry to surprise you. Can you not cut off my head?" Matthew's voice.
"Sorry, Matthew." I lowered my sword.
He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks." There was an angry red mark where my blade was.
I give him another one-over. "Matthew. What are you WEARING?"
He frowned. At least I think he did, because glowing avian kids don't have much expressions. "What? Normal clothes."
"Lower your vision into Duat."
There was a pause. "Holy Horus." Matthew looked around, confused. "Why is everybody casting weird shadows and dressed like Ancient Egyptians? Wait. Why is your dad casting a dog-headed guy shadow?"
"What by the Gods of Egypt-" I whipped around. Dad was not only casting a dog -dude shadow, he also was a dog dude. He was dressed in a traditional kilt, like Carter. His skin was pale as snow. But his head-Ohmigods. It was the face of a jackal, and it's entirely literal. Its beady eyes stared at me. Then it opened its jaws.
"Hello Emilya."
"Holy cr-"
"Language," he said sternly, and I got a sense of deja-vu. Dad had said that to me when I accidentally picked up crap from my friends at BAG.
"Are you really-" I gulped. "My dad?"
He nodded. "Yes. Recognise me?"
"You're, you're Anubis. the creepy mummy-guy."
He pulled a jackal face. "Ouch."
"Okay," Set pushed his way forward. "This is all very heartwarming and cute, but Anubis and I have to go."
"Go?" We all cried together. In case you're wondering, yes, Zia's voice was weird, and yes, she did sound like someone maimed her vocal cords. But personally, don't say anything about that, unless you want your hair burned off.
"I don't want to go!" Dad cried.
"Too bad!" Set yelled jovially. "'Cos you've got no choice!" He grabbed Dad on the arm and pulled him upwards. Instantly my vision snapped out of Duat.
"Dad!" I cried and leapt up towards him. My hand grazed the bottom of his shoe. Set cackled.
"Bye!"
He smashed towards the window at top speed. A huge cloud of splinters and dust exploded. I coughed. Everybody besides me seemed to be hacking their lungs out. I looked hopelessly at the window. The small figure of Dad and Set was slowly fading. They were gone.
No.
I could go after them. I have to!
I glanced around. Everyone was too busy throwing up a vital organ to form a rescue team. I would have to wait for a bit.
Or I could go myself. Alone.
Before I could lose my nerve I leapt out the window, changing into an eagle midair. As I zoomed away, no one seemed to notice.
I followed them for a while, then gave up. I landed on a marshy ground somewhere near Long Island. I knew I should scout around, look for danger. But I was too tired to do much but crash.

---

TYLER

"Hey, Will," I say, shoveling some delicious food into my mouth.
"'Sup?"
"Hey, Tyler. I'm good. You?"
"Ditto. Say- where did you get that steak?" I glance longingly at the juicy, tender steak sitting on Will's plate, and the rest of my friends crow with laughter because, well- I'm seriously hungry.
"Boys," snorts Sheila, one of my friends. "All the same."
All the guys at the table throw her dirty looks.
"What?" she grumbles. "Just saying."
"Anyway- there aren't anymore," Will teases.
After a couple seconds of remorse that I didn't see those steaks, Will shakes his head, joking, "Just kidding. On the right side? Like, next to the scrambled eggs."
But I'm not listening anymore. Instead, my mind is focused on one thing. Rather, someone. Percy Jackson, hero of Olympus. Y'know- also my dad. I get up from the table I'm currently sitting at; nobody really cares where I sit.
"Hey, Dad," I say casually while strolling over to him. I sit down heavily on the seat next to him with a plonk!, grinning at Mom rolling her eyes as I continue to eat. Rather, eat like a pig.
Mom sighs exasperatedly, a note of amusement hinting her voice. "You guys are never gonna stop eating like that, are you?"
Dad and I look at each other at the same time, and in synchronization, we say, "Nope. Have fun trying."
And then we crack up, laughing together as Mom looks on desperately trying not to laugh. She fails, and we all fall down. Just joking. We three, we laugh and then after we finish our lunch, Dad ruffles my hair, whispers something to Mom, and then leaves.
"He's going to the Arena," explains Mom.
"Can I go too?" I may be a teenager, but then again, I'm supposed to listen to my parents, right?
She furrows her brow, yet I don't know why. "No, sweetie," she says, "I'm afraid you can't. Don't you have archery lessons, anyway?"
Crap. Archery. (I may be Poseidon's grandkid, but Mom's Annabeth Chase, awesome leader of Olympus and whatnot, so I got her sweet archery skills. Sucks to be you, Dad!) I sigh. "Okay, Mom. See you later."
"See you later, Tyler." Mom heads off towards the Arena, probably ready to spar against Dad. I start walking toward the archery range, flexing my hands in preparation. Abruptly, I stop. I see Dad walking a hundred metres in front, hands in his pockets. Woah, snap! Isn't he supposed to be in the Arena? Weird. I continue walking in my course, but eventually, curiosity takes over me, and I follow Dad silently. I walk in his footprints to avoid him seeing mine if he takes the same trail back to the main area of camp.
But I don't follow him.
Because the grass has moved. Immediately, I draw my sword, and I'm thankful that I did so.
This figure leaps out from the tall grass, and I raise my weapon, the Celestial Bronze glinting darkly in the sunlight. When it comes within range; my hands sweaty, tense, knees bent and a fierce- I hope- expression on my face; I slash.
I slash and miss. Shocked, I try again, but it evades my attempts.
It blocks my awesome moves which I learnt from the damn freaking saviour of Olympus, and finally, after some cat-catch-mouse fight, we end up in a position in which I cannot harm it and it cannot damage me.
"Who in Hades are you?" I hiss.
What I hear next shocks me. "I am Emilya Kane," she snaps, growling. "Heard of me, maybe?" Okay. It is a female. And when I bend down to get a closer look, I realize that she's a pretty female, too. ARGH WHAT AM I THINKING I MUST CAPTURE HER AND BRING HER TO CAMP.
"And pray tell your purpose of visit to camp?"
"I…" She hesitates, and I am not proud of my next action. I flip the girl onto the ground and place my sword at her neck.
"Match point."
"In your dreams." She pushes my sword up, rolls, and we end up in the same position as we were, only this time, I'm the one on the floor. "You wanna know why I'm here?" she snaps, eyes glowing. Ooo. Pretty eyes. I blink, clearing my mind as I am dazed because of that stupid flip she performed, slamming my head into the hard, packed ground.
"Yeah. Why else would I be here?" I go for a sarcastic tone.
"I get the feeling you don't understand.
"Ooh, me too! I don't understand what you're doing here! We have ourselves a genius!" I try to clap.
She leans forward until we're nose to nose. I gulp, nervous of the way that she's, you know, PUSHING HER CURVED- WEAPON- THINGY AGAINST MY NECK and GLARING AT ME LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW. I mean, anybody would be scared.
"I'm looking for my father. Now shut up."
"Wha- I didn't even speak!"
"Whatever. SHUT UP."
"I hate you."
She smiles sweetly at me, a total contrast to her actual persona. "The feeling's mutual," states Emilya.
"Good to know that," I say weakly.
"Is that sarcasm I hear, boy?"
"Hey, I have a name, you know!" I glare up at her.
...And realize that she's really pretty.
ARGH STOP THINKING LIKE THAT TYLER.
"Right. Because I definitely should know. It's not like we just met!"
I grunt. She has a fair point. "Fine," I concede grudgingly after an (awkward) moment of pause. "Hi. I'm Tyler."
"That's better. I'm..." She pauses. "Er, Emily."
She's so obviously lying. (Besides, she already gave me her name! Silly.) Argh why didn't I lie too? "Er, my name's not actually Tyler. I'm... Tim. Yeah, Tim, not Tyler.
This Emily/Emilya who in the freaking world cares fixed her eyes upon mine. "So. What Nome are you from?"
I furrow my brow. "What's a Nome?"
"Aren't you a magician?"
"Unless I can randomly pull a rabbit out of a top hat, then no way in Hades am I a magician."
"Hades?"
"Olympian? Greek? Underworld? Comprendo?"
"No comprendo. Dude- stop playing! What Nome are you from?"
"The hell I should know!"
"What nationality?" She sounds frustrated.
"Er... American?" Lol- what else?
"Family?"
"The great Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase. Please tell me you've heard of them."
She crinkles her forehead. Zeus; she's hot. Oh my gods what am I thinking? Ew. Stop. Grrr.
"Sounds familiar..." She's unsure. "My dad might've mentioned your dad once or twice…"
"Well, he should have." Despite being on the ground, I puff up my chest in pride. "MY DAD IS AWESOME."
"And I so believe you."
"Ooh, is that sarcasm I hear, Miss-I'm-so-cool-NOT?"
"Yes, you thickhead."
"Lawl, somebody been reading Harry Potter much?"
"SHUT UP, IDIOT!"
"Jeez, language."
"Shut- it."
"Meanie," I whine teasingly.
Emily/Emilya says, "I said shut up. Now, shut. UP."
"Anger issues much?"
"No, and you talk like a wannabe- gangster."
"Wha- I do not!" I protest indignantly.
"Keep talking, kid."
"You do realize I look older than you, right?"
"I don't care. Obviously not in intelligence."
"Jeez, okay, okay!"
"So."
"So what?"
"So, now you follow me, genius."
"Uh, okay?" a confused Tyler replies.
And off they walk into the sunset!
No, joking!
More like straight into a pool of marshy mudwater.

Author's note: Hi, everybody! Congrats, you've made it to the end of the first chapter. Sadly, Arlya and I will not be posting UNLESS you review. (Please remember we welcome All reviews, the good and the bad.) That's right, folks! No reviews, no posts! With that happy note, bye!~ Lucas

Emilya: Lucas
Tyler: Arlya