T.J. Eckard and the Death of a Hero
By-Himaru Kishimoto
Chapter 1: I Fight With the Horse through the Sands of Time
Author Note: Thank you for reading my newest fanfic. First off I got the chapter name from the lyric in the song "Mendocino County Line" that goes like this "You danced with the horses trough the sands of time". So that's basically were I got the idea for this chapter. I do not own the Percy Jackson and The Olympians franchise. The character here is about twelve, the age of Percy in the first book. Coincidentally it goes on around the same time.
It could be considered weird that I can be struck by lightning and just get a great high, and it could also be considered weird that birds love me, and it could be even be considered weird that I'm deathly scared of graveyards and the last time I was at one I felt a boney hand tug at my ankle. Although even weirder is that my friend David is always around me, and is always uptight. He's an orphan and, he unofficially lives with me in my apartment in New York City. My mom died years ago. All I have left of her is a necklace, a shield, but not a normal one. My necklace is in the shape of a shield like the shield the 1958-1961 United Arab Republic coat of arms except the color was red in the top right and bottom left corners and blue in the other parts. I'm sorry I have no better explanation for it. Oh yeah my name is T.J. Eckard
I live with my Uncle Vinny in our apartment above the "Funny as Hell" comedy club in New York City which he runs. I always hated being stuck in those tiny rooms, in our apartment, so I set up my own room on the roof of the building. All I have really is a hammock and a radio which is in my tent I use for storage so it doesn't get wet in the rain. David stays with me this is one of the times when he's actually calm. Every other time he's drinking Monster energy drinks to stay awake, and warning me against doing some of my dangerous habits like taking back alleys to get to school faster. David is tall, African-American, and has a small afro. One time he fell down a flight of steps, taking me with him, and when we crashed at the bottom, I felt a sharp pain in my back were his head should be. I always wondered from that point on what he hid under that afro.
Today was the last day of school. We'd been learning about the Greek gods. I know it sounds weird, but it was almost as if I could read the writing. It was last period, Mr. Hanson fell asleep so, not unlike other kids I was getting in some well earned graffiti. It would take a month easy to clean this up. No one wanted to get into to much trouble so long ago me and my friends came up with a formula that was basically liquid silly string that came off easily.
Later that day we were walking home, Me, David, Matt Paulson, and Sam Smith. We were having a good time until, we went our separate ways, and it was just me and David.
"So were are you going next year?"
"Oddly enough, I haven't been kicked out yet."
"Well, you are a good kid; it's just the combination of the ADHD, Dyslexia, and Claustrophobia."
"Right, at one point I just stopped caring somewhere along the way, the same with Sam, but Matt is such a nerd."
"True."
Just then what might have been a horse came at me. It picked me up with its teeth, by my collar. And soon David was out of sight. The last thing I heard him say didn't even make sense.
"Oh no, it's starting, I must warn the others."
And then he started blowing on some sort of pipes.
The next thing I new, I was in the middle of a dessert, I had no idea how I could get this far away from New York in mere seconds, then something formed in the sand, a human form. When it was fully formed it started to speak.
"I am a sand-demon a small lump of the power of Kronos has been given to me, more than enough to beat you. Sands of time awaken!"
Immediately a bunch of sand formed around me and the horse, creating an hour glass. I managed to dodge the horse which now seemed to be just bones, until the sand was to my waist. I had half an hour left.
It went by so fast. I couldn't dodge anymore. The horse just kept kicking me in the face, which was the only part of me visible. Then I saw another horse I thought "Come on, reinforcements. He has me dead." Then I saw David getting off the horse and I focused hard to see through my bloodshot black-eyes. It wasn't a horse, it was a…A…A CENTAUR! AND DAVID HAD GOAT LEGS!
I couldn't hear anything but they were fighting. Columns of sand and trees erupted. It was a good fight. Well, until, until David was struck by a knife in the chest. The Centaur was hurt too. I was in up to my upper lip in sand, then a beautiful girl who was my age came, lead by a hawk. She shot an arrow and made a hole in the glass, and with David's dying breath he said "T…T.J. concentrate on the wind!" I thought he meant because, I had been in there so long I needed a good breath but, a strong wind came it seemed almost solidified it impaled and destroyed the sand demon, broke the hour glass, and reduced the horse to a pile of bone.
The next thing I new I was on the centaur, who was moving with incredible speed clutching a sapling cherry blossom tree. I passed out again and then woke up in a cabin, which was extremely crowded. The beautiful stranger sat by my side, feeding me some kind of chocolate drink. I stood and the stranger regarded me coldly.
"You okay, windbag?"
"Yeah, who are you?"
"Not important."
I looked out the window, the stranger warned that I needed to rest, but I had to. I saw a summer camp, and by the water were Matt and Sam. And I saw bathroom stalls flooding, and a bunch of big muscular girls come out. Later I talked to The Centaur, named Chiron with the beautiful stranger.
"You did a good deed for this camp Em, how can we repay you?
"First off, don't call me by my mortal name. To boys, it's Emelius."
Now that I could see her out of my eyes that healed strangely quick, she was even more beautiful. She had shoulder length auburn hair; she was about three inches shorter than me, with brown eyes, that seemed to glow like fire.
"Well, Emelius, you're welcome to stay in the Artemis Cabin."
"No, I must make it back to lady Artemis."
I watched as she disappeared on a silver wolf, and wondered if I'd see her again. Later that night I buried David the cherry blossom tree deep in the woods. Sam, Matt, and me buried him, while Chiron said a few words. We also met a friend of his named Grover, who was very sad about David. That's how I met Percy Jackson, one of the best swordsmen at camp and the person who flooded the stalls.
I grew accustomed to life in Hermes cabin. The actual children of Hermes rubbed off on me and helped me with my thieving skills. Before no time I was the one you went to if you needed something: Coke, Gum, and Beer for the older kids. One day I went back home to get my stuff, explain things to my uncle and make sure I had something to wear beside, Cargo Shorts and an orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt. By the time I got back I was nice and comfortable in my faded jeans and black Fender Guitar shirt, with of course my guitar. When I got back, Chiron was looking for me.
"A package for you."
"Who's it from?"
"It's somewhat anonymous. It says to T.J. from your dad. It's from Mount Olympus. At least we know you know which side you belong on."
Chiron left and I opened the box. Inside was a three foot long beginner's sword, my necklace and what appeared to be a dream-catcher necklace. There was also a note.
Dear Thomeus John (T.J.)
The enclosed dream-catcher is a magic item that can create artificial dimensions. I'm sure that you will find a way to use it. You'll find out what your necklace does soon, and if I have to teach you what a sword does, I'll zap you dead right now. Keep this a secret for now okay, son.
And at the bottom of the letter was a picture of an eagle, the sacred animal of Zeus.
