Chapter 5: A New Friend

Disclaimer: We don't own PJO or HOO.

I watched the flames die out. It was like watching a person's soul die out. Tacitus nudged me slightly.

"Go to sleep, It's my turn to watch over us," He whispered quietly afraid to disturb the orchestra of sounds surrounding us.

"Okay," I whispered just as silent.

Tacitus tossed some firewood into the fireplace and rekindled it. I stared at the stars overhead. They blinked in and out of existence. The moon started to reach its zenith. *Crack*. Tacitus immediately jumped and started putting out the fire. I reached for Westenra and stood up as quietly as I could.

"Damn it Tacs, only a couple minutes of me sleeping and you let someone come need us." I half ranted.

"Don't call me Tacs. Anyway I knew the person was there. The person was not stealthy at all, not like the hunter anyway. And put your damn war axe down. She's unarmed." He quietly replied.

A girl, around our age, emerged out of the dark. Her face was scratched badly, her dress was in tatters and she was limping badly. A hellhound appeared behind her. I immediately ran towards her and pushed her of the way before the hellhound's claws hit her. I took the brunt of the attack leaving claw mark running down my torso. I grunted. I swiped at the monsters legs. I barely touched it but that was the whole point. I used the force of Westenra to carry my blade upwards. As I reached the highest point I could reach, then swiped down on to the hellhound's head instantly killing eating.

"Overkill much," Tacitus called to me.

"No the hellhound's hide was reinforced. Didn't you notice the glistening?"

"No," Tacitus admitted.

"How's the girl," I asked.

"She fainted from exhaustion or you pushed her too hard anyway how's your wounds? They look deep," Tacitus observed.

"It's deep. I think I'll need a dressing."

Tacitus started rummaging through the bag and grabbed the necessary items. He called me over and started bandaging me. Without putting on my shirt I walked to the girl and picked her. She was really light. I called to Tacitus to make a stew. I summoned a new shirt from the bag and put it on.

"She looks fine except for the numerous scratches and looking terribly thin," I looked over her again and realized she would need new clothes.

"You're lucky that you recover from your wounds faster. You can be more reckless," Tacitus said with envy in his voice.

"I need to eat more food to replenish the energy that I use to recover faster so I can't be too reckless," I said.

"True that," He sighed, "Forge how long do you think we live for?"

"I'm not sure Tacitus. I'm not sure."

The girl started to wake up. My wound almost finished healing so I put on my shirt. I summoned a dress for the girl to wear. She stopped moving and went back to sleep. Tacitus and I sighed.

"It's been three years since we visited the wizard person."

"Yeah. We were twelve then. How have we changed?"

"In a parent's perspective 'too fast'."

"She's awake you know."

"I'm not stupid you know."

"Yeah, you are."

"Screw you."

The girl stirred and sat up.

"Who are you?" She asked timidly.

She had volcanic black eyes. Her black her flowed down to her mid back and had olive skin. Without all those scratches she was very beautiful.

"No need to worry we are friend," Tacitus tried to calm her.

"Yeah, yeah on to the introductions. I'm Forge Nightseeker and the person over there is Tacitus Darksouls," I introduced quickly, "I think you might want to change out of those clothes." Pointing at her clothes. "What to do you want to wear a dress or a two piece."

"I'm Zoe Nightshade and would prefer a dress." (A/N I'm too lazy to write in old English).

I tossed her the dress. She went into the darkness to change. She emerged dressed in the dress.

"Come here," I say politely as I could.

She hesitantly came near me. I stood up I was much taller than her. I was a good 6"1'. While she was 5"3' . I gently cupped her face with a hand. She flinched in surprise but I held on. The scars, scratches any form of physical forms of damage was erased.

Zoe hesitantly touched her face. A small grin formed on her face.

"Thank you," she said with great happiness. Her stomach growled. A small blush appeared on her face.

I raised an eyebrow and pointed at the stew. She again said thank you but Tacitus and me waved it off. She quickly finished the stew. She sighed contently. My eyes widened. I swore.

"We have to go. Now! They're here." I said.

"Do want to come with us?" Tacitus asked Zoe.

She nodded with hesitation. I swore again. They were too close to run from. Tacitus put out the flames and I grabbed everything. I grabbed Zoe's hand and Tacitus' shoulder and teleported away.

When we arrived at a cave far from them I collapsed in exhaustion.

"Damn it Forge we promised we won't use Chaos' power!" He growled at me in frustration.

"They were much too close to run from," I said calmly still laying down.

Zoe looked at us with fear when Tacitus said "Chaos' power". Tacitus quickly explained and calmed her. I looked at the stars and shook my head at them.

I gathered my wits and stood up. I gathered some firewood and started a fire. I lay the bags aside and sighed. That was much too close for comfort. I left the cave to explore and to place some wards. The forest had a creek running right in front of us and the cave was covered by numerous trees. I say Zoe sleeping and I saw Tacitus staring at the flames.

"Damn it Forge, what shall we do with the girl? She is much too inexperienced in this," He said while gesturing at the world itself.

"We shall train her. She couldn't be running away from a hellhound that's been enchanted with those many wards. Anyway what can she been running away from?" I stood up with exhaustion. I fetched a bag.

I reached into the bag, producing a pair of hunting knife. The blade celestial bronze, the hilt had a ruby in it and the handle was covered in blackened leather. Tacitus produced a bow. I beautiful. It was recurve bow. The wood was white as a cloud. Celestial bronze was engraved into the wood. Twisting and twirling around. He also produced a sheath of arrows.

I looked at my weapon. It was a crude tool to make short work of enemies but had its own deadly beautifulness too it. Tacitus' blade was fine but it was also crude tool of death. Our weapons don't hold the grace and beauty that the weapons we produced from Zoe's dream weapons.

I looked at the entrance. The sun was rising from its slumber. We spent the whole time doing stuff but we didn't feel tired but felt glad for our new companion.