Chapter 1
It was possibly the weirdest dream I've ever had. My friend Justin and I were fighting, but not with fists. I had a 6 foot tall spear and he had a bright bronze sword, and we were attacking each other without ale. My other friend Scott was sitting against a tree with a short sword watching our battle. The worst part was that, that was the normal part of the dream. The second part of the dream involved a 20 foot bunny wearing a top hat hopping in between Justin and me and continuing down the hill into the woods. I mean, aside from the bunny, I've had dreams like this before, what kid hasn't, but it was possibly the most realistic thing I've ever experienced. We then woke up to my aunt screaming at us to wake up because we were late. Basically a normal start to my day. Justin had spent the night because his mom went out of town for something, I didn't bother asking about it. Justin was a grade ahead of me, a little shorter than me, light brown hair that always stood up straight spiked like a Japanese cartoon character, and his eyes were always storm gray. I on the other hand , am tall, lanky, with medium length black hair and my eyes always change to different shades of green and blue. It was pretty difficult to pin point them. When my aunt yelled we both jumped like crazy scrambling to get dressed.
"Dude! Were late!" Justin yelled
"Thanks I didn't notice" I snapped hardly awake. It was about 7:45 school started at 8:05 it was 3 miles away and my aunt refused to drive us. Great. So Justin and I got ready and took off running down the road to the school. We didn't talk much, one because we were late and running full speed , two I was busy thinking about that bizarre dream I had. So we got the school around 8:15 and we took off down the hall. I walked into the biology room and Justin walked across the hall into the physics room. As I entered the Biology room I could of swore my biology teacher gave Justin an evil glare as he passed by, not like a 'wow these kids are stupid for being late' look, more like a sadistic 'I'm going to kill you' look. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me so I didn't question it After that the day went by pretty normal. Finally 4th period study hall came around. During this period Justin Scott and I always hang out in one of the band practice rooms. Justin and I started walking up the hall towards band.
"Sherman! Corey!, wait up!" Scott called from behind us. We stopped and he caught up. We all walked into the first practice room and sat down. Adam, another friend of ours used to hang out with us, but lately he had begun acting weird. Adam was a straight A video game playing quirky kid, but no he dyed his hair black and was more dark and depressing it was just weird. Scott put in his headphones to listen to his ipod and Sherman and I started talking about this video game we've both been playing when all of the sudden Steven, a small quirky kid none of us really ever associated ourselves with, ran into the room.
"Guys! All three of you need to leave no-" his words cut off as he fell to the floor. A 6 inch spike was lodged in his back.
"Run.." was all he mustered out in what seemed like a goat voice. He began to fall apart into a pile of dust, leaving the spike behind. Now standing in the doorway was my biology teacher .
"Aww isn't that sad, I killed your saytr." he sneered sarcastically while shaking his head.
"Wait our what?" I started. "What are you doing a student just died shouldn't you be doing something?"
Davis just laughed. "Don't play stupid with me half-blood" The words half-blood came off his tongue like poison. "But no worries." he continued. "You'll be in the underworld soon enough, along with the rest of your incompetent kind." Before I could reply Sherman tackled me into the wall as another 6 inch spike said past my head. I couldn't see where they were where coming from, but all I knew was my sadistic Bio teacher was now trying to kill me.
"Corey were in deep here and its all my fault." Sherman muttered. I didn't say anything mainly because I just realized Scott still had his eyes closed ipod blaring so loud I could hear it. Worst part? noticed too. Before I could even do or say anything a spike sailed past us piercing Scott through his left shoulder.
"Scott! No!" I screamed. Scott's body limply hit the ground and he didn't move. Anger took over my body. So off course I did the most logical thing possible. I grabbed the closest music stand and charged ready to strike him. My impulses ran my body and I dodged the first spike that sailed at me. I thought I had him until something invisible struck me from the right, which sent me flying into the wall, smashing my head. My vision came in and out. So I either saw, imagined, or dreamed that Adam ran into the room, as was about to finish off an unconscious Justin, and made a huge burning abyss underneath . Painful death? I sure hope so! After that everything just went black.
Justin was the first to wake. He jerked up out of bed, one he'd never seen, been in, and a room he'd never been in either, highly confused.
"Wow my body hurts!" he said rubbing his shoulder.
"Well I can't say I would expect any different, you took a blunt hit from a manticore." A strange deep voice said. A man in a wheelchair came up through the doorway.
"Hello" he sympathetically said.
"Hey." Justin said strangely relaxed. "Are you the next person to try and kill us today?" Justin sneered sarcastically.
"No I am a friend, and that incident happened yesterday" The man laughed. "I'm Chiron Trainer of heroes."
"Oh…wow, my mom…wasn't lying." Justin said as sadness seemed to overcome him.
"Hmm well then I think we need to talk, Follow me please." Chiron said.
I woke up n a startle but didn't move. I sat up and began looking around confused. I had absolutely no idea where I was.
"Hey buddy!" Justin said. I nearly fell out of the bed.
"Whothewhadawherehuh?" I said almost babbling.
"Haha calm down bud!" Justin said calmly
"So I'm guessing I didn't imagine the bio teacher from hell?" I said almost trying to make a joke out of it.
"Sorry no" He said sympathetically. I looked around and saw Scott bandaged in the bed across the room.
"Is he ok?" I almost yelled before Justin could answer I started asking more questions.
"What happened with Adam and why did we get attacked dude fill me in C'mon!" I said quickly without breathing.
"Corey!" Justin said grabbing me slightly annoyed. "Just follow me I'll take you to Chiron he'll fill you in. Justin turned and began to walk out of the room. The name Chiron sounded so familiar it made my brain hurt. I didn't ask any more questions at risk of annoying Justin. We walked down a hall outside onto the porch. Two men were sitting by a table playing cards. One man, stout, with a thick beard, was in a wheelchair. The other was short, red faced with a Hawaiian shirt on, drinking diet coke.
"Haha good move Dionysus but I'm afraid it's over." The bearded man said. So the game wasn't cards but I didn't recognize it, and apparently the man in the wheel chair won because the man named 'Dionysus' got highly annoyed.
"Ah Corey! The wheelchair man said. "Come over here I'm sure your highly confused at this point in time." I walked over not saying anything. "I'm Chiron the camp advisor" he said happily.
"Chiron?" I replied. "Why does that name sound so familiar?"
"Haha well Corey" he began to say. "Do you know anything about Greek mythology?"
"Yeah I took a couple classes about it." as I said it, it hit me like a pile of rocks. "Chiron the centaur, trainer of heroes." as the words came out I shook my head. "But that's it, its only mythology"
"But that's just it, its not, the gods are very much real and currently in New York City over the empire state building" he started. I cut it.
"Because mount Olympus rotates around the world or something like thats how we got roman gods right?" I liked Greek mythology quite a bit so I knew a decent amount about it.
"More or less yes that's how it works." he replied.
"So wait…. You're a centaur! One how and why are you in a wheelchair, Two you've really trained people like Hercules, Achilles, and Percus?" I said it very excitedly. Justin cut in.
"Really Corey? Percus huh?" it just occurred to me I said it wrong.
"Perseus and yes I did. Also I had this wheelchair enchanted so it allows me to take the form of a handicapped mortal." Chiron said.
"Well why are we here? Why did we get attacked and where is Adam?" Questions just began to pour out of my mouth.
"Easy easy I'll explain." Chiron began. "Ok so Justin Scott and yourself are demigods, half-bloods, heroes whichever term you prefer. I also believe from what Justin told me, that Adam is also one." That explained what Adam did to Mr. Davis at least. Chiron continued. " I believed you were attacked because Justin here" he gestured towards Justin. "Found out about his heritage as a demigod because of his mother, he can fill you in on that story later, and once a demigod realizes what he is, his smell to monsters increases tenfold, so this led the manticore right to all 3 of you at once." This made me realize what Justin meant when he said the attack was 'all his fault'. "but I also believe the other half-blood Adam, also realized who he was because a manticore is an extremely powerful monster to try and take out 1 known half-blood but 2 is a different story. But I digress 4 half-bloods living in the same area with out being killed is a amazing feat on its own." Chiron stopped and gave me look as if he was expecting a million more questions. I stayed quiet. He picked back up. "As for Adam I believe he may be somewhere in the underworld." My silence finally broke.
"Underworld as in death, despair, Cerberus and worst of all Hades?" Something in me felt weird as I said the word Hades.
"Corey" Justin cut in. "This is not the place to use the gods names in bad context." Chiron nodded.
"Yes just be careful of what you say." Chiron continued. "I have reason to believe Adam is a son of Hades so he should be in good hands." That's when it all hit me.
"Half-bloods… so we all have a parent that's a god?" Chiron looked at my sympathetically. Now I always knew Justin's dad wasn't around. It was a touchy subject with him and I never pushed it, and as far as I knew Scott's dad lived somewhere in Tennessee , but maybe not. So their parents were probably male gods but what I didn't understand was that my parents were both alive, I mean I lived with my aunt and uncle cause of family problems and always getting in trouble but I had both parents.
"I cant be a half-blood" I began. Chiron had a strange look. "I have both my parents?" I said quizzically.
"One parent took the role when you were very young, you were never told for your safety, but as for who you god parent is? I haven't a clue" Chiron replied. All this talk of parents made me realize mine probably has no idea where I was.
"My parents.." I began, Chiron cut me off.
"Are fully aware you are here. They all knew this would happen someday even your aunt and uncle" He reassured me.
"So wait how do we figure out who our parents are?" I said frantically.
"ahh you will probably be claimed tonight at the camp fire no worries." Chiron said. I nodded and pretended to know what he meant. I was questioned out.
"Justin why don't you show him around, just give him the same tour I gave you ok?" Chiron said. Justin nodded.
"Lets go buddy" he said walking away waving over his shoulder. I followed him off the porch past Mr.D who was no playing pinochle with what looked like a satyr. 'God this is weird' I thought to myself. We approached what looked like a stable. It was. We walked inside.
"This is the Pegasus stable" Justin started just as he did wings flapped from the horse I was looking at throwing up so much dust my eyes watered. I rubbed them and regained sight to find a horse fact to face with me grinning, or doing whatever it is pegisi do. I jumped startled and he did the same.
"Whoa! Easy kid I aint gonna hurt you!" a voice in my head said.
"Justin what was that? Did you hear it? The pegisi can talk?" I yelled.
"No I didn't hear anything.. Are you ok?" he said giving me a skeptic look.
"Kid you can understand me?" the voice in my head said.
"Yeah I guess so". I replied.
"Justin! Im a pegisis whisperer!" I yelled.
"God your dumb!"
"No I really can!" I replied.
"Whats your name? I said to the Pegasus
"Lezo but kid my-" I cut him off.
"His names Lezo he just told me!" Justin pointed to the sign on the stable.
"I can read too" he sarcastically said. The sign said 'lezo'.
"Oh C'mon!" I said. "Fine watch" I looked at Lezo. He had amazing colors he was like a black and white paint. "Could you do me a favor?" I said to him.
"Sure kid" he replied.
"Jump!" I said out loud so Justin could hear. Lezo jumped up. Sherman looked stunned.
"Fluke!" he said snapping out of it.
"Fine Lezo lick him!" Lezo's tongue came out of his mouth and licked Justin from mid chest to forehead.
"He tastes horrible!" Lezo replied
"Dude ew! This is my favorite jacket!" Justin screamed.
"Believe me now?" I said smugly.
"Yes just don't make him do it again!" he said wiping slobber off himself.
"Don't worry he said you taste bad." I replied. Justin seemed offended but didn't say anything.
"Alright I believe you, and If you can talk to horses you must be a son of -." he stopped mid sentence to admire the newly acquired glowing trident over my head.
"Poseidon" he finished laughing to himself. I starred at my reflecting in one of the horse troughs in pure awe and the trident began to fade away.
"Well since you've now been claimed I may as well take you to the cabins that way I can get cleaned off." he said still annoyed that his jacket was soaked. We proceeded to walk out of the barn and down the path to what looked like a giant U of Greek monumental houses representing each god.
"Whoa.." was all I could muster out of my body.
"Yeah every god has a cabin for their kids." he said as we walked up to an aqua marine colored cabin.
"This ones gorgeous dude." Gorgeous was the only word that seemed fitting to the amazing cabin.
"Yeah they are" Justin said aiming his response to all of them. "Mines the big white one at the end over there, I'm gonna go clean up."
"Yeah gotcha…wait Justin" I said. He spun on his heels around.
"Yeah?"
"What do we do now?" I said skeptically.
"Train, we need to get a lot stronger, trust me." he laughed. I turned to my new home.
"Great."
