Chapter 1 – Naomi

I'd known I was a demigod all my life. My dad often spoke to me and my mum had always told me so. I'd been sent to an orphanage because my mom couldn't get work. Ever since she'd had me she'd had trouble. The whole community looked down on her for having a child out of wedlock, even after we'd moved. She could've told people she was a widow, that my dad had died, but she refused to. She always said that she hated having to lie. Of course, she couldn't tell people the whole truth, they would've locked her up, but she didn't want to lie more then was absolutely necessary.

When I was younger, dad would visit me but over time he began to visit less and less. The last time I'd seen him face to face was in 1911, the last year I'd lived with mom. He'd appeared on my birthday and simply said. 'I see a great future for you Naomi. I wish I could spend more time with you before then, but war is brewing. I can't visit you anymore. I have to deal with some of my other children. They may be about to start a war and I must do everything within my power to stop them. Happy Birthday Naomi.' And then he had vanished as though I'd only imagined him. But that was way before things really kicked off.

It was just a normal day when it all started. Well, as normal as it gets for an orphaned half-blood. 20th December 1913, San Francisco. I'd gone shopping for Mr Haygate, the manager of the orphanage, and on the way back… well you could say I'd run into a spot of bother.

I could see my breath rising in front of me in a misty cloud as I ran down the alleyway. As I turned the corner halfway down I skidded on a patch of snow-covered ice. I picked myself up and stumbled on. The alley let out on to Brookside Lane and I crossed the quiet road before glancing over my shoulder once more. The looming shape was just appearing around the corner of the alley. I scrambled through the hedge and found myself at the edge of the brook. At any other time of year, the sound of running water would having been filling my ears but right now in the middle of winter it was frozen solid.

I heard a roar behind me and realized that the monster must have reached the hedge. There was no time to run for the bridge off to my right. I'd have to take the short-cut. I hurriedly knelt and placed my hand against the ice. It stung my palm, but it only took a moment for me to sense the water below. It was beneath almost a meter of solid ice.

I started running across the river, going as fast as I dared without slipping, but I wasn't halfway across before I heard a tearing noise behind me. I glanced back and quickened my pace. The monster had ripped up the hedge. I still wasn't a 100% certain of what it was but I was starting to think that it was some sort of giant. It was massive with blue skin and purple hair. Also, it would explain why I'd survived this long. I knew giants were stupid and after being half drowned twice already (once by the town square fountain water and once by the contents of a sewer that was open for restorative work) you would think that it would've learnt not to let me near water. As I reached the opposite bank, I turned and saw the giant stepping out onto the ice. It started cracking under his weight, but he wouldn't be on there long enough to make it break completely. I raised my hand and focused. I could feel the water rushing beneath the ice and I concentrated on it, becoming one with it. I clenched my fist and a giant fist formed of water below the monster. It smashed upwards, right underneath him and the ice around it collapsed. He plunged downwards into the funnel I had caused the water to make. It rose around him and he roared in anger. He glared down at the water surrounding him and breathed on it. Wherever the misty vapor of his breath touched it, it turned to ice. I stared in amazement as the frost spread downwards through the water, making him look like a crystal statue. Then he braced, and the ice shattered, flying in all directions.

Before I could even react, his arm reached out and grabbed me. He lifted me into the air, my arms pinned to my sides. I squirmed but I couldn't reach the dagger at my belt. The giant stood at the side of the bank, examining me as though I was some vaguely interesting wildlife. He didn't however try to eat me as I'd thought he might.

Suddenly I felt a strange sensation in my stomach, as though I was on a really fast carnival ride. Everything around me blurred and then my surroundings changed. It was still just about recognizable as the same river but now it was just a trickle of water at the bottom of a ditch. The sun shone, and it was, evidently, early spring. I blinked in the light. The giant lowered me gently to the ground then he lumbered off into the wood as though his job was done, and he had better things to be doing now. On the other side of the stream I could see that the wood now took up that side as well. Through the trees I could just about see a few dilapidated old buildings, entirely abandoned.

'So nice of you to finally let our ice-giant catch you.' I whipped round at the voice and saw a young guy, no more than 20 or so, standing between two armored guards. He had pale blond hair and blue eyes. He was quite handsome, but a scar disfigured his cheek. His clothes were strange. He wore faded blue pants that looked like they were made of a rough material. His shirt was snowy white, and he wore shoes that looked tough and much better than anything I'd ever owned. Facing him, I felt extremely grubby. I was wearing a dress that used to belong to Mr Haygate's oldest daughter. She'd been quite a large girl and it was far too big for me. It was once pale green but was now closer to brown, like seaweed. It was pulled in with an old piece of leather and my shoes were now just soles tied to my feet with strips of cloth.

I looked around me again and suddenly felt dizzy. I started falling forwards but arms caught me and gently laid me on the ground. When my vision straightened out, the young man was leaning over me, smiling kindly.

'Yeah, time travel does that.'

'T-time travel?'

He nodded as I sat up. He helped me to my feet and turned back to his guards. 'Come on. Let's take her back to base.' He glanced at me. 'I'll explain when we get there. Trust me.' He smiled, and I found myself giving a nervous half-smile back. I didn't know where I was or who he was, but he was being much nicer to me than anyone ever had been back home. I couldn't help but do what he said. I trusted him.