Chapter One- Fen
"Hi, my names Fen!" I chirped to a pair of twins stepping into the Iris cabin. My mom is Iris-by the way. Goddess of rainbows; so yes, we tend to be... colorful people. The head Iris counselor, Butch, was away on kitchen duty, so I was stepping in for him, introducing the newly claimed children of Iris to their bunks. There were six of us Iris kids so far, not including the twins. Butch, a brawny eighteen year old with a rainbow tattooed on his arm, Art, a dark skinned kid who wore his hair in dreadlocks, Nevara, who dyed her hair to match the rainbow, Sampson, a puny little seven year old, and me, Fen, your... average hippie. One of the girls, Lilian, her name tag read, stepped forward and asked me "Is Fen your real name?" Gods, I hated that question. "Um, no actually my name is Faith, but just call me Fen ok?" Lilian nodded, but the other one, who had a very innocent looking face (That made her look instantly suspicious), Jenny, said "Of course Faith, whatever you say!" Note to self- do not trust Jenny.
Butch walked in with Art, so I left them to handle the new recruits. As I was walking back to the main area, I watched a flying chariot land and began to remember the day I arrived at camp half- blood with my best friend, Alex Levvy, the son of Apollo. Alex has shaggy brown hair and deep set brown eyes like me. We had always been best friends. I remember that day clearly, even though it was four years ago, on a weekend. It was warm for a autumn afternoon, and the air was full of the scent of past rains. We were ten years old, and had snuck out of our separate boarding schools to meet in the woods and hang out.
We were walking, when we heard a cry for help deeper in the woods. Alex and I looked at each other, and immediately knew what the other was thinking. Together we ran, side by side, farther into the woods towards the noise that got louder with every step. I don't know what we expected to see exactly, maybe a hurt little girl or something, but it definitely wasn't what stood before us then.
A seven foot tall black mastiff dog with teeth the size of your index finger towered over what looked like some kind of sick mixture between a donkey (or maybe a goat?) and a sixteen year old boy. He had two little stumps that poked out of his curly red hair, and looked like he was attempting to play some kind of flute-but apparently he was to afraid to even make out the slightest note. He shot us a warning look probably trying tell us something. I couldn't tell what he was motioning at until Alex pointed out the bow and arrows camouflaged and sitting next to a dead camp fire to our right. Alex ran towards the ornately carved bow and arrows, and I scurried up the nearest tree, hand on my pocketed slingshot, ready to yank it out if anything went wrong.`
I looked towards Alex long enough to see him aim the arrow towards the shadowy devil dog. Before I knew it, the arrow was deeply embedded in the dog's left flank. He yiped and turned around, and I quickly pulled out my slingshot and one of the many rocks that I keep in my coat pocket, and shot, aiming towards it's head. unfortunately for me, the monster disintegrated into a yellow dust before the rock could make contact with his head, therefore, it continued it's course and brained donkey-boy. I leaped from the branch that I was hunched on, and hurried toward my accidental victim. Alex was already there, and was carefully tending to the bump that I left on the now unconscious donkey-boy. It was a good sized knot right in the middle of his forehead and was already a sickly purple color. I stood there for a few minutes, not knowing what to say or how to say while Alex continued to work.
Finally, Alex finished setting the bandage and stood up. "Do you think we should leave before he wakes up?" he asked. I shook my head. "He looks familiar doesn't he?" Alex gasped. "Wow, you're right-it's Kevin-from third grade! Remember, we used to be best friends before you and I were transferred to separate boarding schools. Well, at least I think it's him, but I don't remember him having furry legs and hooves, not to mention horns!" Alex and I watched as Kevin slowly regained consciousness. He jolted awake when he saw us staring at him. "Gods! Give me a heart-attack why don't you!" Alex and I looked at each other. Gods?
I decided that this was the right time to apologize. "Um, sorry for hitting you on the head with that rock..." Donkey-boy, er, Kevin made a bleating sound. "Good aim, anyway." I smiled. I did have a pretty good aim. "Sorry to break up the compliment fest, but what the heck was that thing?" Alex broke in. Kevin stood. "A hellhound. A monster of the underworld." Alex stepped towards Kevin. "So then, what are you?" he said, motioning towards Kevin's hooves. Kevin bleated again. "A satyr. Half goat, half boy.
On the way to camp (while riding on a train) Kevin told us about the gods, the heroes, the camp, learned about the many wars the camp had faced and about the many heroes that fought in them. "By the way," Kevin said. "The camp is still pretty crowded, since only a week has passed since the Titans were defeated, so lets just hope you get claimed pretty fast." Apparently we looked pretty confused, because Kevin sighed and said, "Did I forget to tell you? One of you're parents is a God." Alex and I cracked up so hard, we almost fell out of our seats. Kevin just sat and stared. Eventually we got the point. Alex wiped tears from his eyes. "Wait-you're serious?" Kevin answered him in silence, which we took as a "yes." So, at that point one thing was for sure, either Kevin was crazy, or Alex and I have a lot to learn and I hoped it was the first because I hate learning as it is. Unfortunately, it was the latter. Alex took it pretty well, but I was still in shock.
We got to camp and saw that Kevin wasn't lying-it was definitely crowded. As soon as we stepped past the big pine tree, a man on horse back (no, literally, he was half horse, but after everything we had been through that day it would take a lot to surprise me) trotted up to us. His horse half was a clean white and his human half... well, imagine a middle aged man wearing a "World's best Centaur" T-shirt and you get the picture. "Kevin!..." he bellowed. "I told you, not to come back on a train! Now you're name is recorded!" Kevin stepped forward sheepishly. "Sorry, Chiron, but- I brought them back like you asked...and besides, I thought I should get them here quick before the Hellhound reformed..." The centaur, Chiron, turned stony-faced. "Hellhound? Oh well thats no good. Anyway," His face regained a calm expression. "Have either of them been claimed?" As if it was an answer to his question, A rainbow appeared above my head, and a sun above Alex's.
We've been here ever since, training and such. And as I look around camp today, I realize that not much has changed, we're still just a bunch of half-bloods trying to find our way.
Chapter End
Sooo... we finally posted the first chapter, YAAAAY!
Sorry it took so loong. We wanted to get ahead of the game and write more chapters before we posted. There will be more to come! :D
HEEPWAH!
Oh yah, and by the way, if you're looking for an awesome book series to read...read MAXIMUM RIDE! It is amazing!
