Forbidden Half-Bloods

Book One: Andromeda

Chapter 1

The Old Camp Half-Blood

A flash of lighting danced across the sky. It was the night of the Winter Solstice and the solar eclipse. A cold, harsh winter wind violently shook the trees. Two cloaked figures that were holding a small bundle ran through the forest. The snow was up to their knees and the trees had dark, monstrous figures in the dark of night.

Many years ago, this place used to be full of laughter and now this place only brought sorrow and pain to those who would still come this way. This place used to be Camp Half-Blood, well, before the accident. Almost everything was gone, the trees that used to be the homes of nymphs, were now only charred pieces of wood. And even the tall, strong pines that used to tower above people were still barely standing. Their needles were charred, stiff, and would turn to ash if anyone touched them.

The gods had persevered this place as a memorial to their children who had died, trying to defend their haven and more importantly, their home. Only twelve had died and the gods took that as an omen. The only tree or thing that survived was Thalia's Pine.

The two figures were close to their distention. The lighting flashed again. "Zeus is angry, Klemes." the taller figure said, with a female voice.

"I'll say, Kori. But don't worry we'll make it in time." Klemes said.

"I know. But, it's not that what I was worrying about. It's just…. What will happen when they find out what happened? The child will be hunted down and destroyed and what will happen to us when Zeus finds out that we were helping her?" Kori asked.

"Don't worry we'll be fine and so will the child. Kori, don't slow down know. We have to move faster or the others will find out tonight."

"This is a new low, even for her. But why would you say that Klemes, about the others finding out tonight?"

"Well, the first two people to find out her secret will most likely be Athena and Apollo."

"Athena, how! She's ….. Oh! The Goddess of Wisdom." Kori remembered.

"Yeah. I hate her, she is soboring! A total party-pooper! But, she can smell a traitor faster than Artemis can shoot a bow."

"And what of Lord Apollo? He's so, big-headed."

"He's the god of prophecies and her brother. He'll know that something is up."

For the first time in hours, Kori looked at the baby. Just by looking at the baby, you could tell who the mother was. Warm brown eyes stared up at the world, longing for adventure. A small tuff of auburn hair sprouted out off the top of her head. She was wearing sliver pajamas and was wrapped in a sliver blanket.

Around her neck was a necklace that was far too large for her now and the pendant was a sliver crescent moon set with Tanzanite, the birthstone for December. Kori took off her cloak and wrapped it around the baby. Long red hair tumbled down her face, her green priced the darkness of the night, and her pale skin looked even paler without any light. Klemes shivered in the cold, making his cloak fall off his head, revealing his horns. Yes, I said horns, Klemes is a satyr. He has a goats furry rear-end, hooves, and a little, furry tail. From the waist up, he looks normal, except for the horns on his head.

"What's the baby's name?" Klemes asked.

"I'm not sure. But, I was told to hold the necklace up to the eclipse and to then look at the gem." Kori explained.

"What?"

"The name is engraved in the Tanzanite. The small light given off from the eclipse will make the name viable."

Kori took the necklace off the baby and held it up to the eclipse, and then it glowed. Kori put it back on the baby and the glow faded. But the glow didn't truly fade. It then went into the baby, making its checks gain a rosy glow to them and the baby's eyes shut and it started to snore.

"Tell me the name!" Klemes shouted.

"Shut up! The gods will hear you!" Kori hissed.

"I don't care!"

"I can't read this." Kori teased.

"WHAT!"

"I think it's French. I can't read French, you know."

"FRENCH!" Klemes bellowed.

"No, I think it's Latin."

"LATIN!"

"Calm down. I'm just pulling your furry goat leg. The first part is in English and I can't read the second part though, because it's Greek." Kori said.

"Just read it." Klemes whined.

"Andromeda."

"The rest of it?"

"Andromeda, daughter of Artemis."

Mt. Olympus

"I believe that this year's council may now begin." Zeus bellowed.

All of the gods came into the throne room. Artemis was the last one to enter the room, even her Hunters were here. "My Lady," Thalia said, getting up from her seat at the foot of her father's throne. "Zeus was about to start the Council of the Gods without you."

"Were have you been, sis?" my over protective brother named Apollo asked. Even Hades was here before you."

"Remember, Apollo. About a year ago, I got Orion back. Three months later, you sent the same monster that killed him eons ago back from Tartarus and that killed him, AGAIN!" Artemis yelled.

"Still, what were you doing, sis?"

"Hunting the monster that you released, before it could do any damage."

"A year? My Lady, it should not take that long to kill a monster." Amber, the oldest Hunter of Artemis said.

"Well, after Orion was killed, again, I destroyed the monster."

"But sis, I didn't bring it back from Tartarus, this time. And the last time Orion got killed, technically it wasn't the same monster. When I took him on that hunting trip, I didn't bring back the same monster, but a lot of other nasty monsters."

"You did what!" Artemis screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Apollo, how could you do that? Your sister has found love in this world and you just take that away from her?" Aphrodite gasped.

"No, Orion was only my friend. But still, Apollo, you are so immature. Any friend of mine that you get jealous of, you feel that it's ok to go and kill them. Face it Apollo, you have a problem."

"Well, sis, technically I don't kill them. I just send monsters out to kill them."

"Artemis, I'm having a hard time believing this story." Athena said, getting on Artemis's trail.

"Why would you say that?" Artemis asked.

"Well, nine months is the time before a baby is born."

Aphrodite's eyes lit up. "Oh, congratulations, Artemis!" she squealed.

"That's not true!" Artemis lied.

"Really?" Athena asked.

"I'm not lying!"

"I don't think so." Athena challenged. "I think that you had something going on with Orion."

"I'm telling the truth. Orion was only a friend."

"Artemis, please tell me the truth." Zeus demanded.

"So you think I'm lying?" Artemis screamed. "Fine! If you will continue to falsely accuse me of having a child, this year's council may continue without me. Thalia, take the Hunters to Camp Half-Blood and keep them away from the boys. I'll meet you there in an hour."

"Artemis, this has never happened be before and it must not happen now." Zeus ordered in his booming voice.

"You know what? Sometimes things happen for a reason!" Artemis said vanishing from the room in a puff of sliver smoke.

Back at the Old Camp Half-Blood

Artemis was behind Kori and Klemes before she jumped in front of them and asked, "Has it been done?"

"Not yet, Artemis." Kori said.

"That's Lady Artemis to you. Just because I kicked you out of the Hunt, doesn't mean that you can cut the respect."

"Let me guess, you want to find a place for the babe?" Klemes asked.

"Yes." Artemis replied. "And I want you both to be her protectors. She will most likely have the srtongest sent. We she becomes 14, I want you to take her to the camp, she'll be safe there. Now go, the horse will be looking for you."

"His name is Chiron." Klemes snapped.

Good, smoke," Artemis said with a faraway look in her eyes. "I hope that that's my Aunt Hestia, she'll know what to do."

Artemis took the baby and ran towards the smoke, deeper into the woods. When she got there, she realized that Hestia wasn't there. But, she did see a young woman by the fire and she went by her to talk. "I know you." the woman said. "Your the Greek goddess, Artemis."

"No, I my just look like her." Artemis lied.

"No, it's okay. I beleive in them. I can also see through the mist. I also know why your here." she said.

"Why?" Artemis asked.

"Because you aren't supposed to have a chid. And know you need a safe place for her."

"Yes. I feel this kinship between us. I feel that you would be the perfect mother for her. Please, I want and need you to take her for me."

"Are you asking me if I want her, 'cuse if that's it, I'll take her!"

"Yes, and thank you." Artemis replied. "Just one more thin, can you tell me your name?"

"My name is Veronica."

Artemis picked up her child for the last time in the next 14 years and whisperd, "Good bye, Andromeda. Just remember, you will always be a daughter of Artemis." And with that she kissed her head and disapeared again into the right.