Chapter 2

Horatio Evans was the son of a backer. He had grown up to be one too, of course, what else would he have become? But even though he wasn't part of the higher class, he wasn't used to see such unusual behavior.

People around camp were all between ten and twenty, all dressed in weird ways, everybody addressed each other by their first names and basically seemed to lack of any normal education. Everybody laughed when he addressed them by 'Miss' and 'Mister'. But they just figured he was an insane Demigod that maybe had pissed off one of the Gods, and now thought he came from the past.

Horatio didn't believe that this was the year 2012, he was simply convinced that it had all been just one, giant, dream. Even when Lily told him about the Greek Gods being real, he had barely reacted, he only nodded and looked off to the distance, over the hills.

Just a dream, he repeated in his head, this is all just a dream, Horatio, you'll wake up eventually.

Lily showed him around Camp, showed him the Pegasee, the cabins, the armory but he just nodded every time she explained stuff to him.

But then she came to the part of one of his parents being a God. Horatio stared at her. They were in the Amphitheatre, no one else was there, it was only an hour before dinner.

"What do you mean by that, Miss Smith?" He had asked.

"Well, either your mom or your dad is a God, a Greek God."

Horatio's eyes narrowed and his voice became icy cold. "I can assure you that both my parents are very mortal."

She sighed. "No, one of them is a God. Do you know both your parents?"

"Of course I do."

"Well, one of them isn't your biological parent, you get it?"

He sprang to his feet when she had said that.

"Are you saying, Miss Smith, that I am an illegitimate child? Are saying I'm a bastard?" He said the last part with a much raised voice; his face had gotten paler as he got angrier.

"Who are you to say something like that?" He yelled. "My father and mother both are honorable people, and I will not accept you insulting them in such a manner! I have had enough of this nonsense!" Horatio yelled, his hands balled to fists. "Even if this is a dream, I won't let you mock me any longer!"

Lily wanted to stand up to reply, but every second stretched out and seemed like hours, she felt like she was moving through some thick liquid, but it didn't seem to affect Horatio at all, he just stood there, fuming with rage.

But then he seemed to realize that something was wrong with Lily and he became very calm and concerned.

"Miss Smith?" He asked.

Lily didn't know how, but she could stand up normally all of a sudden, the thick liquid was gone, Time was running normally again.

She felt exhausted and almost fell down if it wouldn't have been for Horatio catching her.

"Miss Smith, are you not feeling well?" He asked.

"Nah, I'm fine … just … Gotta go!" she said, and ran away towards the big house.

"He did what?" Chiron almost yelled. Lily shook her head.

"It was like what … you know … Kronos did, slowing down time and everything."

Chiron was in his normal centaur form, both were standing on the front porch of the Big House. He looked very worried about this.

"Don't be that horrified, old friend, it's not what you might think."

Both centaur and girl spun around to see a young man leaning at the wall. He had dark hair and dark eyes, he was wearing a silver cloak and in his hands he had an old pocket clock that he kept opening and closing again.

"Now, don't just go around assuming the boy is from that horrible nephew of mine, who, must admit, shares my name. He is not a Titan's child."

"Who are you?" Chiron asked. The young man chuckled.

"All dwelling in one house are strange brothers three,

as unlike as any three brothers could be,

yet try as you may to tell brother from brother,

you'll find that the trio resemble each other.

The first isn't there, though he'll come beyond doubt.

The second's departed, so he's not about.

The third and the smallest is right on the spot,

And manage without him the others could not.

Yet the third factor with which to be reckoned

Because the first brother turns into the second.

You cannot stand back and observe number three,

For one of the others is all you will see.

So tell me, my child, are the three of them one?

Or are there but two? Or could there be none?

Just name them, and you will at once realize

That each rules a kingdom of infinite size.

They rule it together and are it as well.

In that, they're alike, so where do they dwell?"

"That's from Momo!" Lily immediately cried. "From Michael Ende."

The man smiled. "Exactly, I truly love that book, isn't it pretty how she recovers all that lost time and gives it back to humanity?"

The girl became pale. "But you're not Kronos … why?"

"Oh, it is a rather long story … well; maybe not if you think about it, anyway, I am Chronos, a God, not a Titan, I am time, and that lad that you think is insane is my son, and I can tell you he is far from losing his mind. Don't be too hard on him, he came from a very different kind of time, I can't send him back by myself, he has to do it himself, tell him that." And with that he vanished.