I woke up when Aidan started to shake his shoulder. I yawned, stretching my arms out, forgetting I was in the air on a pegasus. I quickly grabbed his waist again.
"Where are we?" I asked him, still rubbing my eyes.
"Just over New York, we're about to land". Looking down, I saw a vast city of glass, glinting from the light of the moon and stars. We flew quite low, the pegasi swerving to avoid a head on collision with the skyscrapers. We flew alongside one, and in the reflection I saw my chocolate brown hair with purple tips whipping in the wind, my long, tanned legs loosely rapped around the pegasus's stomach, my arms still wrapped around Aidan who I'd known for a few hours, but somehow I feel as if he's been my friend for years. My mind wandered to my friends on the east coast. What would they be thinking? What am I thinking? I'm across the country to where they are and where I should be. They'd have noticed that I'm not there by now surely. Do you think they've called the police after searching for me?
I was pulled from thought when the city gave way to rolling green hills. The pegasi started their descent and the smell of sweet strawberries floated in the summer breeze. Below us an abandoned dirt track wound in between two hills. We followed the road, lowering gradually until the pegasi hit the road galloping. We came to a stop at the foot of a hill.
"Why are we landing here?" John asked.
"Because of the mortal," Lily answered as if it was obvious. The boys looked at each other, not understanding. Lily rolled her eyes and explained.
"Being a mortal, she won't be allowed in the magical border, sooo" she dragged out the word hoping we would catch on... We didn't "we'll go in, talk to Chiron about the..situation, an then decide what to do with her" she finished. We all dismounted and started walking up the hill, I gave the bay a quick scratch under his chin before he took off into the air with his friends.
Walking up the hill, I noticed on the lowest branch of the biggest pine tree in the valley a glistening golden fleece. Mist curled upwards, as if something big was breathing and looking closer a dragon was wrapped around the tree. The others walked past without grabbing they're weapons so I assumed he was friendly. However neither I nor Aidan went near it. I front of me, the air shimmered. I put my hand out, and the air was solid underneath.
"This is the magical border," Lily explained "mortals can't come through so John will wait with you while we go and find Chiron ok?" It was more of a statement than a question. I nodded anyway and looked up the barrier. I walked a few meters along the barrier, hoping there would be something like a door. I know it sounds stupid but you never know. The silvery air shimmered in front of me into a solidish slab of translucent grey. I decided to experiment and imagined a doorknob. Again the air shimmered and a misty doorknob appeared. I reached out, twisted it and to my surprise, the 'door' opened. I stepped through, closing the 'door' behind and walked over to John who was in deep conversation with the son of Apollo. Aidan saw me first.
"Ari?!" He asked, surprised to see me on the other side of the border.
John looked over at me, "how the hell did you get there?" He asked.
"Um, the door" I answered truthfully. He was not satisfied.
"The door? What door? This is magical border, there is no door!" He said, although he sounded a little unsure. Again I imagined a door in the faintly silver barrier and before our eyes, a door shimmered into existence. I grabbed the handle once again and opened it.
"Entrée si-vous-plait" I said innocently. Aidan walked through first, followed by the son of Apollo and then John, who instinctively ducked even though the doorway was only a trick. John carried on walking down towards a big baby blue barn conversion with a wrap around porch. The lights were on inside as we knocked on the door. Behind it, I heard a faint clip-clop sound, like hooves. As the door opened I saw a tall middle aged man with a neat beared and shoulder length brown hair. Discreetly I looked around behind him, trying to find the source of the noise when his lower half shimmered into a white stallion. Not knowing what to say, I smiled as Lily came into view.
"How come your in camp borders?" She said beating Chiron to the question I could see he was about to ask.
"It's quite a funny story actually," John began nervously. "She managed to manipulate the border into creating a door in which she could walk through... Twice" he finished. A shocked silence that I was now used to settled in the room.
"I'm Arianna Morgan by the way" I thought I should introduce myself as Chiron seemed to be looking at me as if he was trying to pick a lock into my brain.
"I'm Chiron, a teacher here at camp Half-Blood. Children you're excused, Aidan because it's so late you can stay here and have orientation in the morning, Thom if you could lead him to a guest room please, is like to have a little chat with Miss Morgan here". Aidan looked back at me with a reassuring smile as the son of Apollo - Thom - lead him out of the room.
"Miss Morgan, I assume the three have told you that the Greek 'myths' are indeed true. Do you know any of it?" He asked as I took a seat near the fire. Chiron walked towards a wheelchair and I stared wide at him stepping back and shrinking into the small box before answering.
"Yes, sir, I've always been interested in the um .. extraordinary and supernatural so I've read many books on the subject. I'm also doing it as my GCSE art in school." Seeing his slightly confused expression I explained "I live in Wales, I'm welsh as the accent probably gives away and our educational system is different, I'm only here on holidays, well, I'm supposed to be on the other side of the country but oh well," thinking about it like that is quite funny so I couldn't help but chuckle at it.
"In the Greek world, there are many creatures that the mortals, like yourself, can't see. They're not invisible but the Mist conceals the true form of these creatures from mortal eyes" he continued.
"So that's why Aidan's dagger looked like a pencil at first?" I asked, realization finally hitting me.
"Yes, indeed. Some mortals like yourself are able to see through the Mist, but you say that you saw a pencil first?"
"Yes, after he said it wasn't a pencil I looked closely at it and it sort of shimmered and changed into the dagger. Like the Minotaur or the pegasi, I had to concentrate at first to see them clearly. But there isn't supposed to be a door in the border, so how come there was?" I asked confused. Chiron thought for a while before answering.
"My dear, not only does the Mist conceal you from seeing something, it can also make things appear. It seems although you must concentrate to see things, you can also create things, which even for the oldest children of Hecate can be hard. To create a useful object alone is very advanced magic, to create a door in a magical border..." Chiron trailed off in thought, but it was loud and clear what he was implying. What I did at the border should be impossible. Maybe even for a god.
"Well gosh would you look at the time, I think it would be best if you stayed here tonight, we can talk further in the morning. Come child, I will show you to your room".
I followed Chiron in his wheelchair along the narrow hallway, he directed me up the stairs, not being able to go up them himself, to the second floor and the third door down. I thanked him and told him goodnight before walking lightly up the stairs, not wanting to disturb anyone in the house.
I walked past the rooms on my tiptoes but still the door to my right opened slightly. Aidan saw me and opened the door wider, poking his head out in the hallway. He'd taken a shower and his untamed hair plastered the side of his face but the top had been towel dried and stuck out in all directions. The dirt on his face had been washed off and the bruises and graze had somehow healed.
"Hey, how'd it go?" He whispered, revealing perfect, white teeth.
"Ok," I whispered back, "although I think I have more questions than answers to be honest" I admitted.
"Let's hope tomorrow brings your answers then,"
"Right back at you, to think we literally met about six hours ago,"
Aidan pondered this for a moment,
"That is really weird. Anyways, goodnight Arianna"
"Goodnight Aidan" and with that, he closed his door gently an I walked over to my room, an I immediately passed out on the bed.