And here it is, the second chapter that my mind created while I was off the computer. I hope you enjoy this one as well.

If you want, leave a review with something you'd like to have happen in the next few chapters.

Chapter 20:

The Street Urchin

Jaden made a mental note never to let Buddy lead him onto a train again. People glared and cursed and whispered about them. And the worst part was that he didn't have a ticket and he had no idea where the train was going. All he knew was that he was going further from camp than he wanted to be. The main thing, at least, was that he could now think about why the now completed eagle would want to transform itself into a pendant.

Thinking back on it, it had taken him almost an entire day to gather all the mud and leaves needed to create the body and feathers of the eagle. When he was done and was about to go to sleep, he had mumbled under his breath that the skeleton form looked much better than a skeleton wrapped in mud and leaves (to be completely honest, the eagle had reminded him of Blake's dodo). Come the next morning, he woke up to find himself face to face with the eagle he had seen in his dream after rebuilding the skeleton, only it had taken on a smaller form.

The eagle had then insisted that Jaden stay in the cabin for a little while and practice his skills in the practically desolate area. Unfortunately for both Jaden and Buddy, 'practice' meant a vigorous training program that included hunting, obedience and guard skills (for Buddy) as well as physical, mental and survival skills that any demigod would need in order to survive (that was specifically for Jaden alone).

And that eagle was one tough instructor.

One month later, the eagle had finally accepted the fact that they needed to move. That was when it turned itself into an eagle shaped pendant and attached itself to Buddy's chain collar. The next thing Jaden knew was that Buddy was leading him to the nearest train station and onto the closest train that had pulled into the station.

And that was how they ended up being caught by one of the train guards and kicked off at the next station… in Albany, New York (according to the eagle).

" Thank you, Buddy." Jaden grumbled after the guard had gone. " Not only did you get us lost, but we are no longer on Long Island. Now am I supposed to get back to camp now?"

All Buddy did was look up at Jaden with his tongue sticking out of his mouth and his tail wagging happily.

Buddy was not the one who brought you here, son of Luke Castellan. A voice said in the back of Jaden's mind. It was I. You still have much to learn and this is the only way you are able to do just that.

" What do you want me to do, Eagle?" Jaden was not impressed.

Here we will train your mind, your strength and your abilities as a grandchild of Hermes.

" You don't mean… steal, do you?"

Life here is hard and so is yours. Only the best of the best survive here and make the most of their hard lives. Keep low, be quick and try not to get into too much trouble. Your goal here is two weeks. By the end of those two weeks, you should be ready for anything.

" After this, will I be able to go back to camp and stop Zeus from destroying everyone?"

Yes.

" Fine."

The streets were dark by the time Jaden had found an alley way to spend the night in. And judging by the clouds in the sky, the night was going to be a cold and wet one. As quietly as he could – also on the eagle's orders – he made a small shelter that he hoped would hold out the night. Buddy, already cold, snuck into the makeshift shelter of bins and cardboard and curled up with his head on Jaden's lap.

" It's okay, boy. We'll be out of here soon. I promise." Jaden whispered, breaking a stolen chunk of bread in half and feeding it to the dog.

The bird gets hungry, too, you know. Zeus' eagle growled, returning to the size and body of a golden eagle.

" All I've got is bread and a couple of apples. And I don't think birds eat those types of food." Jaden replied with a glare.

Mortals brainlessly feed bread to pigeons! Give me some! Now!

" Definitely Zeus' eagle." The boy mumbled to a clap of thunder as he broke some of his own bread off and fed it to the bird. " Just don't blame me if you get sick. I'm already being blamed for everything else. I don't need Zeus getting angry at me for feeding bread to his eagle. Besides, I've got no more ambrosia."

That's why I've brought you here. By the end of your weeks' training here, you should be able to gather the needed requirements that any demigod must have on a quest or journey of their own.

" And what's that supposed to mean?"

It means that a daughter of Demeter and son of Hermes live around here somewhere. If you can steal Nectar and Ambrosia from them, you would be doing very well indeed.

" And if I can't?"

The bird watched as Jaden stuffed the bread into his mouth and swallowed before giving a reply. A daughter of Hephaestus also lives in this town with her husband, a son of Apollo. They should be easier to steal from.

" You know," Jaden remarked after pouring water in Buddy's bowl. " for a bird that's been stuck in a human skeleton in a cabin underground for over a hundred years, you sure know your way around the future."

To say the eagle was glaring daggers at Jaden would be an understatement.

The first full day of training saw Jaden on the streets with Buddy, trying to impress the public with tricks and music. This was exceptionally hard considering he didn't really know how to play the ukulele he had stolen before finding the cabin and the eagle. Next to that he wasn't really familiar with any songs, playing random notes that somehow sounded like they belonged together. He eventually found himself praying to Apollo for better music.

But that wasn't all; Buddy was starting to get tired of wearing sheets and his bag all the time. The poor dog, come lunch time, was starting to disobey orders and do his own thing. For a short time there, Jaden had thought of turning his dog's disobedience into something similar to a circus clown's act. But five minutes later, as well as a whole bunch of food being thrown at him, he decided that it wasn't worth it.

Even the questions that some of the passers-by were asking him were starting to annoy Jaden and his dog. At one point, some kid asked him how he managed to befriend a pit bull. Jaden answered with something along the lines of Buddy following him home. When one of the older kids who had been throwing food at him arrived, Buddy instantly woke up and latched onto his arm.

Thanks to the pit bull, a hidden knife that was in the older kid's hand dropped to the ground. During the attack, Jaden gathered his things (and the dropped knife), ordered the dog off the kid and the two hurried out of the area. But the bad thing about the better people getting close enough to him was that he would always check their pockets for anything… and he always felt bad about what he was doing every time.

" I don't understand it, Buddy." Jaden sighed as he looked over his stolen goods once he was safely back in his alley. " Ever since I can remember, and in the dreams I've had after that car accident, my mother has always told me that it was wrong to steal. Now look at me. I'm stealing from people that I don't even know. Buddy… I don't feel too well."

What you are doing will benefit you. The eagle said, no emotion in its voice. It's keeping you alive, after all.

" It's still bad. I didn't even steal things back at camp even though Griffin and the others were trying to get me to steal."

You are a grandson of Hermes, the master thief. It is in your blood to steal.

" That doesn't mean I have to like it."

The eagle fell silent, knowing it was useless to argue. Buddy - as sensitive as ever - quietly lay beside his master and licked at Jaden's hand. The boy could have sworn that the dog was trying to comfort him. And the deep look in the dog's eyes as the animal looked up sadly at his master made Jaden remember the other dogs that had been in his life. In fact, there was a similarity in Buddy's eyes that reminded him of old Digger, Poppy's dog.

With a sigh, Jaden turned to his stash of loot. What he had sitting in front of him was a mobile phone, a pair of watches, an electronic pocket game, quite a few pocket knives (including the one that belonged to the guy Buddy bit), one wallet, a packet of bullets (which he immediately threw in the nearest bin), an expensive looking ring, all the food that had been thrown at him and Buddy, and about ten dollars in both coins and notes.

Already, as he looked over the items, he was planning on handing in some of the things for either money or else to the local lost and found. But something like that would have to wait until the next day. The afternoons, you see, were for demigod training, not item trading. And you don't want to get a lightning bird angry if you can help it.