I honestly didn't expect to finish typing this in less than an hour after publishing the encore for the first book. I'm probably going to end up "accidentally" mentioning the fact that I finished typing this chapter early to Skippy, and she's probably going to tell me to update it as soon as I told her.

...

Meh...

Okay! Here we go! More Tynny. :D

…

"One two, one two." Gadreel said, swiping his sword in the air with each count before stabbing it into the ground and leaning against it. "Simple as that. Now you try."

It's been a month since the flood struck us, making it three weeks since Danny and I kissed. The camp was back in shape, as good as it had ever been before. Many items were found missing from the cabins once the flood had receded and we could get back to the cabins, though thankfully none of the missing things were important to anybody, just small knick knacks like lose papers from school that got perfect grades and bland t-shirts that everybody agreed they could do without. Danny had helped me clean my cabin since my sister Mia was nowhere to be found. I had hoped she wasn't hanging around Cyril again, but my wishing had quickly fallen when I had spotted them getting closer then comfort as I took out the garbage that had been littering my cabin floor.

Right now, Gadreel, a son of Ares, was teaching the camps twelve newest members how to use a sword. Zavid had requested he do this because next week was the start of the school year, and a lot of the camps defenders were leaving to go and finish another year of school in the mortal world. Gadreel had been reluctant, saying he was a terrible teacher, but after Zavid had granted him full access to the camp's special weapons in hopes to tempt him into doing the job…

I don't think I had ever seen the son of Ares more eager to do anything in my life.

So there Gadreel was, teaching the twelve half-monsters how to brandish a sword. And there I was, spectating and prepared to dash for an Apollo child gifted in healing as soon as one of them stabbed themselves trying to copy Gadreel's quick and advanced moves.

"Shouldn't you be teaching us with something a little… lighter?" Danny asked as he nervously held the sword he was given with both hands, though it was only a single handed sword, not double.

"Like what?" Cyril snarled in response before Gadreel could respond in a more friendly tone. "Your bones?"

Danny winced at that, and I frowned. Why did the big brute always have to pick on him? Why couldn't he pick on somebody more his size? Like, I don't know… A small tree or one floor building. That's his size.

But before I could speak up in Danny's defense, Gadreel spoke, voice calm as though Cyril hadn't spoken. "Swords are more commonly used in battle because they have a greater range than lighter weapons." He told Danny. "Just think of it this way: The heavier the weapon, the greater the range. The lighter the weapon, the shorter the range."

"But what if we don't want to use a sword?" A guy with dull white hair and pale yellow eyes asked. His voice had this screechy quality to it, and I wondered if it was because of his monster parent, or if it was because he was going through late puberty.

"Would you two just shut up and pay attention?" The girl at the far end hissed. Like, almost literally she hissed it. It was weird, the way her s's were strung out a little. "This sun is hurting my eyes."

Gadreel put a hand to his face and rubbed his temples in frustration. His patience was starting to run thin with the twelve half-monsters, and I knew from experience that nobody wanted to be around him when he snapped. The last time that had happened, he had stormed away and just about cleared the forest province of all its native monsters. We had to wait a year for its numbers to replenish before anybody was permitted in there again.

"I can teach some of them how to use a dagger." I offered, standing up from my spot in the bordering grass. Gadreel turned around and trained his pale blue eyes on me, pale orbs full of hope.

"You wouldn't mind doing that for me?" He asked.

"I don't mind one bit." I told him. I pulled my bobby pin out of my hair, and it turned into my dagger. "It'll give me something to do, y'know?"

Relief washed over the son of Ares' face, and he nodded. "Yes. Please do. It'll speed things along much faster than if I were training all of them on my own." He turned back to the group he was training. "Alright. Everybody who wants to learn how to use a dagger, go with Ty." He told them. "Everybody else, stay here with me."

I saw recognition flash in Cyril's deep brown eyes at my name. His gaze flicked over to me, attaching a face to my name. He scowled when he memorized it, and it only deepened more when Danny was the first to make his way eagerly over to me. The massive block of meat gave me a narrowed look, before a cruel smile twitched up on his lips. An uneasy feeling settled in to the pit of my stomach as he looked away from me, the cruel smile still lurking at the corners of his mouth as he readied his sword.

I still hadn't shaken the feeling of unease off from Cyril's look when Danny, the white haired boy, and three others made their way over to me.

"Are you Ty?" The white haired boy asked. I nodded and held out my empty hand.

"Oldest daughter of Hypnos at this camp, at your service."

The guy smiled and took my hand, shaking it. "Ari." He told me.

I smiled. "Ari." I repeated, trying the name out on my tongue. "That's an interesting name." Lowering my hand, I began to walk. "Follow me," I told them. "There's another area to train just on the other side of this here wall. It's where the archers practice, but I'm sure they'll understand."

I heard several pairs of feet shuffling after me. I jumped, startled, when a warm hand grazed my right one. I looked over to see Danny. He smiled softly at me and reached for my hand, holding it reassuringly. I let him hold it, smiling back at him, because at that moment, after the look that Cyril had given me, I wanted as much assurance as I could get from Danny.

I led them all around the wall and walked to the center of the clearing, still holding Danny's hand as I waited for everybody to join us in the middle. When they were all there, I released Danny's hand, and he walked over to them, joining the four other half-monsters who were waiting for their first set of instructions patiently in front of me.

"The way I like to teach," I started, pacing slightly and eyeing each of them up separately, judging how each of them might do with a dagger ahead of time. "Is do first, and build up from there."

They looked confused, but nobody dared speak to ask me to clarify. Finally, after a few moments had passed, Ari hesitantly spoke up. "What do y'mean by that?" Ari asked.

I smiled and raised my dagger. "What I mean by that is we're going to fight first, and train later." I let it sink in for a few seconds, and when it did, an excited expression replaced everybody's confused one. My smile only widened more. Teaching the eager was always fun, because they put the most work and effort into what they did.

"Alright." I said after the information had sunk in. "Who wants to start us off?"

...

Boring first chapter. It's not as exciting as the other book's first chapter. I know. I know. And for that, I give you my deepest and most sincere apologies.

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Maybe. They might not be sincere. But they are apologies nonetheless! :D

Okay. Before I get ahead of myself, I need to credit the people who own the characters mentioned in the chapter (Because I used them without them even being aware of it... Sorry guys! X'D I can't have my story be just Tynny, can I? No. That'd get pretty dull.) Sorry if I messed any of your characters up...

Anywyas! Crediting. Um... Okay.

So Gadreel isn't mine. Nope. He isn't. He's Oddington's, whose username is For Odd.

Danny isn't mine, either. He's still ScipioPB's. That hasn't changed since the last book. x)

Ari isn't mine as well. He is Stormy's, whose username (as of this current moment) is StormThatWhirlsThroughHeart

If you haven't looked at my profile and already know this, Cyril, Zavid, and Ty are mine,. They are all mine. They my babies

Check out all these people! They are awesome!