A/N: Hope you guys had a great thanksgiving! Haven't updated because school and I'm actually writing a story in a notebook at the moment (gasp) so it's even slower! Trying to get this stuff up in my free time!
An intake of my breath and I fingered the smooth metal cross. The small intricate designs on the sides were breath taking.
A small scene of the crucifixion on the side was in gruesome detail. It was almost as if you could actually see the blood dripping on his face. Other than that it was just animals leaping over logs and flowers blooming in the grass. But I didn't just see pictures, I saw living, breathing organisms with touchably soft fur and sunlight pouring over water droplets and bright green leaves that you could almost feel the warmth from the rays.
All thoughts of earlier nightmares and worries melted away with my fears. As if they had been written and scribbled down on some burned paper that I finally had the sense to throw away.
Noticing a small loop perched at the crest of the cross, I untangled my own leather necklace from my knotty blonde hair and delicately slide the worn out leather through the freshly polished hole.
It slowly creeped down beside my smaller wooden cross and I re-clasped it behind my neck and let it just dangle there for a few seconds before I shook myself out of my sleepy daze and stealthily tip-toed through the mangled bodies strewn over the dusty, untidy floor.
Loud creaking noises emitted into the room when I tried opening the door to outside. Stopping immediately, I paused for any sounds of waking but only received some annoyed grumbling and unconscious rolling around in sleeping bags.
Soundlessly, I made my way outside and cautiously closed the mosquito-netted door behind me. The buzzing of moths hitting and hitting again light bulbs with the sounds of almost in-audible animals calls from the small forest had a peaceful air to it.
Grabbing one of the countless sweaters draped over the porch, I noted a small hole in the forearm and shoulder but I tugged it on anyways. The subtle chill made me scrunch my shoulders up and wrap my arms around my torso. Chiding myself for grabbing such a thin sweater, I was too lazy to choose another and headed off the creaking wooden steps and towards the big house.
The beautiful pinks, reds, oranges, and blues of dawn were just starting to haul itself into the sky when I spotted the main pine tree on the tip of half-blood hill. Beside it was a sleeping mass of scales and muscle with its body rising up and down with its breath. A figure sat cross-legged next to the beast, poised idly in place.
A large bubbling hatred made its way through my chest and up to my face turning it to a cherry red when I had ventured too close and now recognize who it is.
Clearing my throat Nico Di Angelo whirled around with a yelp and swung his black knife aimlessly in my direction whislt trying to peer through his mess of black hair to spot his intruder. If I hadn't enough sense to be a cautious way back from his body then I know that I would probably be sliced and diced right about now.
Cocking my hip, he swept his hair out of his eyes in a Justin Bieber like fashion and his black eyes widened like dinner plates when he noticed me. His bags under his eyed and the mold of his palm pressed onto his cheek gave me a clue to why he had been so surprised.
Nico Di Angelo had been asleep.
Trying to help myself not to laugh. A hot burning question came to mind and I couldn't stop myself before I spilled it out.
"You tricked her didn't you? You know she's not good with a sword so you used that to you're advantage. That's really low don't you think?" I practically spat out through gritted teeth. I didn't want to lose control and have something crazy happen. Already with my anger inside of me I could feel the scorpion chanting and urging its way up through me.
"I didn't do anything Alazne," he tried to reassure me, holding his hands up in surrender, "she let me go, told me that she couldn't stand keeping me there and just straight up let me go, from there I intercepted the Ares girl and Percy went through the distraction and claimed your flag. Simple as that."
It was simple, so simple in fact that I wanted to pound myself with a meat grinder for being so stupid as to as left Genna with Nico, or to left Nico with Genna. Either way I was mad at one of them, but I wasn't sure which one to be mad at. I mean Genna let Nico go because she was too weak-hearted to keep a living breathing…thing in custody. But on the other hand I thought that I could trust him and maybe that would make up for the embarrassment he caused me or something, maybe this is one of the many things that guys can't understand but still! We had an agreement in my head that he had no idea about but he should still keep it! Man, boys are slow.
Flustered, I registered that the pink, and oranges of dawn were spread halfway through the sky and my skin regrew most of its warmth. I noticed these things because it was better than having to explain everything to Nico.
"Are we good now?" he sounded bored, like I had been the one asleep and he was patiently waiting for me to wake up.
"I'm not through with you!" I exclaimed with a finger raised and an almost comical look on my face. Some of me was starting to already forgive him but I honestly didn't want to forgive him that easily.
Trudging down the hill and slipping on unexpected melted frost, my cheeks reddened in embarrassment and I hoped that he hadn't seen me fall. Moving on, I stomped up to the big house in a lighter mood and met Chiron in the door way. His gray/brown hair was damp and slightly tousled and he wore a baby blue robe around his upper human half.
"Well good morning Alazne." He brightens with a twinkle in his eye while waving me inside. The cheetah head hoisted above and blazing fireplace snarled at me when I strode inside but minded it's manners when Chiron hushed it with a scowl and tossed it one of the sausages on the ping-pong table which had greased plates piled high with eggs, sausages, waffles, pancakes, and a grubby, pudgy, almost purple haired man patting his stomach at the end. He wobbled slightly in a stool that served as a chair.
His eyes narrowed at me when I entered the room behind Chiron but didn't ask any questions as he shrugged and stuffed his face with a meaty fistful of ham sausages. The cheetah whined in protest but Mr. D ignored the wailing creature and went for another heaping full of eggs.
Trotting out of a room which I was pretty sure was the den, (I honestly hadn't noticed that he'd left) in his right hand he held a sheet of freshly pressed paper. Handing it to me, I skimmed over the contents and furrowed my brows as I looked up.
At first I thought that this was a mean joke but grew quizzical at his puzzled expression.
"Is something wrong here?" he asked, looking over the sheet and handing it back to me. Nothing wrong except for the fact that it was written in fancy scrawled lettering which I could have made the mistake to say it was the writing of a preschooler. Little symbols and quotations on the page made me dizzy to look at and trying to decipher.
"I can't read this- I mean it's, it's not English." I replied sheepishly. He acted as if every head of summer camp expects their campers to read fluent gibberish. Next thing you know he'll be asking me to raise the dead. I almost expected him to yell, "Surprise! Just kidding here's the real paper!" But none was handed to me and every one in the room fell silent. Even the cheetah on the wall grew silent with the tension in the room.
"Well that's odd!" Mr. D exclaims loudly into the room, "You're a little oddball aren't you?" his cruel name calling hurt my feelings and I crossed my arms as if to keep my anger inside.
A stern look from Chiron and Mr. D's foolish grin was swept off his face faster than the pancakes could disappear in his mouth. Silently, Chiron clopped into the den again and I heard a furious tapping on something like a type writer. With a loud ding he came out again with another piece of paper. At the top was a symbol that looked like a centaur holding a bow and underneath was the bold letters : CAMP-HALF BLOOD. It was the same logo that was printed on all of the shirts.
Farther down the page was a time table consisting of activities like archery, Pegasus riding, and rock wall climbing. At the very bottom of the page were the signatures that were needed. My full name I scrawled down hastily and the name of my guide that would be showing me around (preferably a satyr) it noted beside the space. A grim air filled the room as Mr. D informed me that almost all of our satyrs were away spreading news of an unfortunate leaving of Pan the wilderness god, so the space stayed blank.
Chiron told me to keep the schedule in a safe spot, the Stoll brothers that were the head of my cabin were notorious for changing the activities into things like raiding the supply shop and pranking other cabins. (The Ares cabin had an unfortunate ordeal of their cabin painted pink) Trying to make sure that I wouldn't be pulled into one of these immature scams.
"This was my own personal schedule for Camp-Half Blood and I had some different activities than others so from now on I couldn't just go with the crowd.
Thanking Chiron and casting one last look at Dionysus who was trying to inspect himself in a spoon, I stepped back into the warming morning air to spot a boy dressed in all black and a skull shirt that read: I LIVE THROUGH DEATH he was trying with another boy with a mess of brown hair and bright sea-green eyes to calm down a nervous black Pegasus who was stressfully flapping and recoiling it's wings in distress.
Passing the scene I scanned my sheet and read my activity for the morning. Pegasus lessons from 9:10- 11:48 which was when the conch horn would blow for lunch.
I let out an inward groan and couldn't believe my horrible luck. I had the riding lessons with Nico, and Percy stinking Jackson. Grumbling I leisurely made my way over and waited for 5 minutes for half of the rest of the Hermes cabin to come along, excusing the others because of a "defective paintball gun" which I had to use all of my self-control to make myself not to laugh.
Starting the lesson, I learned that Percy was going to be our instructor and he went over the basic tips of Pegasus riding. The others acted like they had been told this a thousand times and yawned and whined about wanting to learn how to do a corkscrew and a loop-de-loop.
Right as we were picking our horses, Nico just happened to pick the midnight black one with a high temper that was tied right next to the beige good-natured one I chose.
Softly stroking the mares muzzle, it came to attention that a pink blob was bouncing and skipping across the open field to get to the stables. Closer now I deciphered her perfectly curled bleached blonde hair and gorgeous caramel eyes that made boys melt. Cara Maria made me want to vomit.
She sashayed up to Percy and flirtingly tapped him on the shoulder.
Twirling around Percy didn't seem fazed by her dazzling black eyelashes that could have been long enough to create an earth quake or that her matching pink sparkly plaid outfit hugged and fit her body perfectly, her bright glossed lips were the perfect fullness and her naturally rosy cheeks were tinted a light rose petal rouge.
"Your late." He confronted her with a slight scowl.
Cara Maria's baby pink lips curved into a fake pouty face and she giggled back, "I had to get my special riding outfit on!" she over exaggerated her gestures to her clothing, wanting everyone around to notice.
"Alright, you can go with Alazne, give her some tips okay?" I could tell he was going soft on her for some reason, maybe he thought that she was too delicate to be firm with her? Any reason wouldn't have changed my mind that if I didn't have a beautiful beige mare in front of me I would've hurled over anything in a 5 foot radius.
Skipping over to me, her plastered smiley look was washed away and a bossy ring entered her voice.
"Just hang on and try to stay out of my way okay?" was all she said to me before expertly checking the bridles, saddles, and stirrups.
Cara Maria helped me on the horse by locking her hands together and placing my boot in her palms. She made a disgusted face as the caked dirt and mud on my shoes scraped off onto her palms. We counted to three and she pushed up and I swung my leg over the other side of our Pegasus which I learned was named Velvet. But I swung too hard. The momentum tore a yelp out of my windpipe and I lost my balance and slipping out of the leather saddle and grasped for anything in reach, my hands clasping open air I made contact with the ground that shot a shock of pain up my tail bone. I sat there for a moment with my eyes screwed tight and teeth clenched together while the Demented Barbie of Cara Maria snickered and made a small "Oopsies" with her manicured hand over her mouth.
No one offered to help me up and out of the muck and dirt on the ground, not even Nico who pretended he didn't catch the big ordeal and was still trying to get his Pegasus used to him.
Raging I brushed off my jeans and tried to piece together my pride and Cara Maria helped me onto the horse, but gentler this time so I landed as light as a feather into the saddle. Untying the reins from the post that Velvet was tied to, Cara Maria let Velvet with me on the saddle out to the launching platform. Adjusting myself to the awkward jerking motion in the saddle, she clicked Velvet to a stop and mounted herself like a pro in front of me with a pronounced smirk.
Percy stood with Nico with his horse to our left and flagged Cara Maria to launch. Making loud clicking noises with her tongue and urging Velvet on with her legs, she walked, then trotted, and then broke into a full gallop at which time I was clutching onto Cara's torso like a life-line while she crouched over and urged Velvet even faster. With a satisfied neigh Velvet extended her wings and flapped them a few times.
We were fast approaching the end of the runway when with a powerful thrust of her wings and we were gliding over the woods and arching back towards the stable zone. Clutching even tighter, I managed to spot Nico taking off on his horse behind us, Cara Maria must've hated me because she subtly kicked my feet out of the stirrups and did a series of complicated turns, twists, and dives. I was never the person for roller coasters to the whole time I was screaming for her to slow down and just fly straight.
"Why," she bellowed over the howling wind, "are you scared?" I was about to respond that I just didn't like heights when she started a straight up vertical climb and the G-force knocked me back and my hands were turning white and losing feeling. By now I was all but shrieking for her to stop. In our ascent she flicked the reins with her wrists that sent her elbow crashing into my jaw that had been open to scream at her again. My hands lost their grip and my body felt like jell-o as gravity ripped me off the Pegasus' back, and of course Cara Maria was to high and mighty to tell that her passenger was plummeting to her death.
In a streak of black a white hot pain ripped up my wrist and to my shoulders and I suddenly stopped falling and a strong hand yanked me onto their Pegasus' by my wrist. I wanted to bellow at them for being such an idiot and that they could of broke my arm but the fact that without them I would've died and that if I opened my mouth I would probably start crying kept my mouth shut.
Slowly we circled in for a careful landing and I loosened my hold on their stomach. Spotting my hero, I didn't make eye contact with Percy as he dismounted in front of me and careful not to bump my torn wrist, helped me off the Pegasus.
"Let's get you to the armory."
I didn't argue as I held up my limp left wrist with my right hand and trudged to the armory with Percy. I couldn't have been in a worse mood. When we entered the smell of cookies, chocolate, and disinfectant were everywhere. People bustled around carrying trays of food to patients who lay idly in the paper white hospital-like beds. Some had campers lining the outside and were all laughing and talking together while others just lay in bed staring at the roof, trying to tick away time.
Phantom pain came to the scar in my side with the memory of laying on one of these beds and almost being cooked to death. I grimaced with the thought and sat down in one of the waiting chairs that sat empty in the very corner while Percy stopping a girl in green scrubs as she hustled by. Whispering in hushed voices and a few small gestures towards me, soon my left wrist was wrapped up so tight that I could scarcely move it. (Not that I wanted to) All the same, It was feeling much better now and I left Percy inside the armory talking to that same Annabeth girl.
I was told by one of the Apollo medics there that I wouldn't be able to take ambrosia or nectar because of earlier… experiences and that I would just have to let it heal naturally. All that was just a really fancy way of saying, "You won't be able to do anything for a few days, good luck!"
In an even worse mood I was sentenced to the big house where Chiron would watch over me (again another fancy way of making sure I didn't get into any more trouble) and that I would have to put up with Mr. D's bad attitude.
When I arrived at the Big House I expected a whole you-should-take-better-care-of-yourself speech but I received a winning ping-pong match with Chiron (I'm pretty sure he let me win) and some chocolate-chip cookies that were actually cookies and didn't make me feel like I was being smoked on a barbeque.
I wasn't allowed to go to lunch or supper that night so I stayed with Chiron while we baked mega pizzas, and made a mega salad which he wolfed down happily. That day didn't seem to be so bad any more. Chiron acted like the father I never had, even though I did have a dad and a mom. Being with Chiron made me miss my family even more.
In the end we ended up getting half-way through the movie Black Beauty when a sharp rapping echoed from the door and a large Ares girl burst through the door way.
"We found a little boy outside our borders, he made it through, so he's a half-blood. But he's like…her" she pointed to me rudely, "the boy has copper eyes."
I remembered my dream, the little boy shrieking and crying for his mother.
It had to be him, no other person in the world can have those kinds of eyes.
If he's here from my dream that mean's that the dream must be becoming real, if I was correct soon, there's not going to be a Camp-Half Blood. I needed to see this boy.
I needed to see him now.
A/N: Uber thanks to free2fly88 for helping me with this chapter and such :D the main plot has been decided! And it is original! R&R and keep reading! Try to update the story in the next week/week and a half :D Luv those who review!
Kenstar12
