Shane

A boom erupted from the ceiling and I felt the ground beneath me start to shake a little. I looked up in shock at the shaggy haired and obsidian black eyed stranger who looked back at me, dead in the eyes. "Yes you are." He replied coolly, turning and breaking into a run toward the front doors. I had no choice but to follow him.

Bulleting through the doors, me and the vampire guy came out into the schools entrance and we rushed down the concrete steps into the public car park where the rows of buses were left abandoned, their drivers obviously taking a coffee break. The gate at the end of the car park was left wide open, inviting us to escape the confines of the school, yet something told me we couldn't.

"What're we doing? And what was that noise?" I berated the teen, trying to find out why he had taken me out of the school.

"We're waiting for the others." He stated calmly but with a sense of impatience behind it. "Oh and the noise? That was a 250 pound dog that's going to now be searching the entirety of Manhattan for us."

He said this without even flinching or changing expression as if trying to force me to believe it. I'm sorry, but a dog that weighs not far off three times as much as me? That's got be going on my list of most stupid things ever said because-

Another boom cut me off, this time much louder than the second and considering we were outside the school now; that was pretty ear splittingly loud. I heard the vampire dude give a sharp intake of breath at the noise, what was he thinking? Did he have friends in there or something? Then again he did say we were waiting for others, but who on earth could we be waiting for? And what on earth was going on in that school? The questions couldn't quite stay on the tip of my tongue.

"Okay buddy, you'd better tell me what's going on or I'll-"

"There they are." He cut me off, shielding his eyes from his the sun and scanning the front gate. "The name's Nico by the way." He added with a grumble.

I followed Nico's gaze toward the gate and my mouth widened when I saw Rebecca being given a piggyback by one of the assistant teachers that had popped up last week, Benton I think. He was a guy in his twenties who was a little pale lanky guy, he had a hair of bright brown-orange hair and a scruff of similar hair on his chin. He was pretty cool I guess, he had talked to me a few times and popped up in my lessons now and again. But why was he giving Rebecca a piggyback? Why were there so many questions?

The two came across the fifty metres toward us so quickly I barely had time to blink. Nico had a relieved but serious face whilst Benton looked like he was itching to get out of here. Rebecca looked like she had just come off the world's best roller coaster.

"Again, again!" She chirped.

"Not now sweetie," Said Benton breathing heavily. "I don't think I'll be in shoes again for weeks."

I looked down at his feet curiously only to find, well hooves. Like, horse hooves. No wait… goat hooves. I felt like someone had just flipped my brain over and punched me in the stomach.

"What the hell are those?!" I yelled, much to Benton's annoyance.

"Benton's a goat Shane. Well actually he's a Satyr but that's no need to be disrespectful." Rebecca told me, frowning. Seriously, where did we find this kid?

"Please someone explain." I said putting a hand on my temple, trying to ease my confusion.

"You want to go first?" Nico asked, sharing a joking glance with Benton to which he just smiled and shook his head.

"You'll find out soon enough kid, just hang tight with the question okay?" Benton asked, grinning a dazzling white grin.

"Well hopefully we won't have to wait long, I'm not in the mood for fighting." Nico stated. "Where do you think the other three are?"

A third boom sounded off from the school, making everyone's ears collapse in on themselves and the wall on the right of the school erupt in a shower of bricks and sand. Wait sand? "I think that's them." Said Benton exasperatedly.

Out of the hole emerged a guy with black windswept hair and green eyes that I could see from miles away, he was carrying an unconscious blonde girl in his arms. She was unmistakably beautiful, even with the huge gash running down her arm that was looking a little green. Hot on their heels was Jesse who you could also see from a mile away at his height, he was turning back every now and again at the wall, looking very stunned.

"Yeah I know that," I could just make out the dude with black hair saying. "But you just threw her through a wall!" Wait, what?

Jesse looked like he didn't quite know how to respond as they reached us gasping for air. "Empousa?" Nico asked them and the black hair guy nodded. The vampire dude looked shocked, the first emotion I've seen from him today.

"Jesse!" Exclaimed Rebecca as she ran over to hug him. How come I didn't get one?

"You ready?" Nico asked glancing behind them at the hole in the wall. Something seemed to be stirring in the blackness.

"Yeah." The black hair guy said, lifting the girl up and grabbing her hand. "Let's go."

"Right, everyone hold hands." Nico said, holding the other of the girl's hands and extending his other to me. Erm, no thanks. Everyone else was already doing so, Jesse with Percy and Rebecca who was also holding hands with Benton who was now looking at me expectantly. So was everyone actually. Rebecca didn't seemed to know what was happening but looked willing to follow wherever Jesse lead, they might as well be brother and sister those two.

"C'mon Shane!" Demanded Nico. "We haven't got much time."

"I don't even know you people!" I retaliated. How did they expect me to trust them so easily?

"Well unless you want to get to know that thing then stick around by all means." Said Benton whose cinnamon eyes that looked eager to escape, were directed to the hole. I looked to see a huge dog limp slowly out of the crumbling wall, staggering slightly and seemingly disorientated. Jutting out of the beast's side was a shining bronze blade.

"Percy, that yours?" Asked Benton.

"Yep." He replied, completely poker faced.

Two more of the dogs emerged behind the first who seemed to have found us and was attempting to make his way toward us. The other two dogs seemed to be either adjusting to the light or have a staring contest with the sun.

"Now's a good a time as any kiddo." Percy sighed impatiently.

There didn't seem to be any choice really, either get eaten by three giant dogs or take the hands of two complete strangers… and then get eaten by dogs. Seriously what was the point in this? Why don't we just make a run for it? I reach for the two's outstretched hands. It's not like we're going to teleport or something. I saw the three dogs closing in on us. My hand made contact with theirs.

The world just loves proving me wrong.

The instant I was touching both their hands I was propelled forward, not into the huge dogs as I expected, but into complete and utter darkness. The only thing I could sense was the touch of Nico and Benton's hands and the sound of rushing wind in my ear, yet I couldn't feel it. My face felt as though it were peeling off we were travelling so fast, or at least I think it was fast- I couldn't see a thing.

After about a century the shadows melted away and in its place formed luscious green grass and sloping landscape of a valley. We were sitting on the crest of a hill with a pine tree that overlooked the valley, in it were a variety of buildings; some were small and formed a big ring in one area, another was a four story cabin and beyond a few trees and I could see what looked like an ancient Greek style lunch hall. I could see a volleyball court and fields of what looked like either raspberries or strawberries. Everything seemed to have an unnatural glow to it as well, possibly because I'd spent what seemed like an eternity in darkness or I was starting to lose my mind. Both seemed equally plausible at this point.

Feeling my knees begin to shake I collapsed onto the grass beneath my feet, feeling it's comforting embrace and never wanting to get up again. What on earth had just happened? The rest of the group had done so as well, unfortunately that was also when the dogs reappeared.

A shock of black formed a circle in the air a few feet away from where we were sitting and out of it, sprang the three dogs, each about as big as a rhino. They landed on the grass somewhat sluggishly and seemed to find difficulty in standing. They found our position however, and quickly started converging in on us. This was it, we were going to die here. None of us looked able to stand now, Nico looked only semi-conscious and the rest of the group was extremely fatigued. I could already see myself in the dog's jaws, being chomped into small pieces. Percy was rummaging around in his pocket for something but couldn't seem to find whatever it was. We were doomed.

Until of course the arrows began sprouting out of the three dogs' side. The one closest to us was first to fall and in quick succession, the ones on its flank followed in suite. I stared at the remains that began disintegrating into dust and started question existence when a voice echoed across the hill from behind me.

"If you don't mind, I think you'd want to move a bit more into the borders."

Sprinting up the hill were half a dozen teens in orange t-shirts that read camp half-blood. Four of them held bows and had a quiver of arrows strapped to their back, the one in front who had an arrow nocked was a tall guy with sun kissed blonde hair. He looked pleased and annoyed at the same time. At the back of the group was a beefy guy with a heavy axe in his hands and a girl with stringy light brown hair and a strong build, a bit too strong actually, she looked like a professional boxer.

"You guys could have given us a bit more of a warning that you were coming. I mean a brief Iris message at nine in the morning isn't the best resource of information we could have had." Said the dude at the front.

"Yeah, I mean we almost got Annabeth and Benton eaten." Finished the girl at the back.

"Thanks Clarisse, glad to know you're still in good spirits." Percy replied with a smile, attempting to stand himself and Annabeth up- Annabeth still being unconscious.

"Wait. What's wrong with Annabeth?" Asked a girl who looked just like the dude in front, come to think of it, so did all the people with bows. Where they like quadruplets or something?

Percy's expression turned deadly serious. "Python, he attacked her this morning and I think he managed to poison her."

"Well we'd better get her to the infirmary fast." Said the tall dude at the front. He rushed forward and helped Percy carry her down the hill. "Take them into camp." He said gesturing from the group to us.

"I'll meet you guys later!" Percy called over his shoulder and with that, they disappeared over the crest of the hill.

We sat- and stood in the group's case- in silence for a moment. I looked across to the others; Jesse was slumped on his back staring at the sky and breathing heavily, Rebecca seemed to be mimicking him. Benton was shivering and looking longingly at the buildings in the valley. I looked at Nico who was glaring sulkily at the ground in both tiredness and anger. Then a question popped into my mind.

"How did those dogs follow us? And how on earth did we get here? In fact, where is here?" I asked.

Nico sighed and continued staring at the grass. "This is half-blood hill, home to camp half-blood," He gestured at the valley. "We're on long island and we got here through shadow travel, something I don't think I'll be doing again after that. As for the dogs, there's a brief period after you shadow travel where someone else can follow you. If they can Shadow travel that is." He nodded as if that settled it.

I was about to question this but a small blonde haired boy in the group spoke first. "I think you guys should come into camp, don't want another monster trying to eat you."

"Yeah," Benton replied. "I'll be considered a Faun before I find it in reason to sit out here. See you." He hopped off down the hill toward the Forrest and Nico rose unsteadily in turn.

"We should get going." He said. "We're inside the borders now, but that doesn't stop shadow travel."

I stood up as well, waiting for someone to give me a reasonable explanation. None came. "Get up punk's. I don't want to have to haul your ass into camp myself." Ordered the big girl named Clarisse, who was standing over Jesse. Rebecca jumped and shot up, looking both frightened and determined.

"Come on Clarisse, you'll give her a heart attack." Said Nico.

"Don't worry, I didn't mean you." She smiled at Rebecca who didn't seem to know what to do with herself. Neither would I if I were in that position, I couldn't tell if Clarisse actually meant it or not. She turned to Jesse who was still on the floor. "It still goes for you though."

Jesse rubbed his eyes and spoke to Nico. "Promise me that we'll never have to do that again."

"What?" Clarisse laughed. "You scared of the dark prissy?"

"No," Jesse sighed as he got up and stretched, standing far above Clarisse. "I just didn't want to have to look at you again."

She looked like she wanted to ram the spear on her back through the side of his head right there and then, but something changed in her expression and she laughed. Not mockingly but happily. "You've got spunk I'll give you that," She punched him on the arm. "You'd fit in well in my cabin."

Jesse smiled slightly. "We'll see, at least tell us what this place even is and what we're doing here."

"Well where do I begin?" Clarisse smirked and started walking toward the valley, we followed in suite with the rest of the group behind us. "Let's start with the gods."

Rebecca, who had come up at Jesse's side and slid her hand in his, spoke up. "I thought there was only one? That's what religion's believe."

A small eager crowd had gathered at the base of the hill we were striding toward.

"No little lamb, I'm talking about the Greek gods, they're alive and well. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if they were listening in on us right now." Clarisse grinned. I thought I had forgotten how to breathe. "This camp is dedicated to the safety and training of their children, for example… you three."

Whew! That took forever but it's finally done. Looking back on it not much really happened but oh well, they're at camp now and that's that, I'm happy. Hope you lot are as well. :P big up to those of you who are back at school, I feel you. The distance between readers and writers is really weird, I feel like I know you all personally but I really don't. Then again it's kind of the same for you.

'hermes child awesomness' Thank you for continuing to follow the story, a lot of people seemed to have died in the last month :L 'Daughter of Athena 20' Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it and I hope this chapter meets your expectations, please tell me if it didn't. 'Jimsdale' The same goes for you as well, lots of gratitude and stuff :) haha seriously though my deepest thanks to you and everyone who is reading this, even if you don't have and account and just want to read it. Thank you so much. 'Guest' Glad you like it, it's an effort to write it at times but mostly just off the top of my head and enjoyable.

Thanks for reading,

Have a beautiful day.

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