Chapter 1 - Face Full of Snow
Some old guy named Oscar once said that there are only two tragedies in life. Not getting what you want, and getting what you want.
Now Oscar might have been some poet from Ireland, but he also knew what he was talking about. Our story here, however long it shall be, is ultimately, a tragedy. Like many people, like many events, and like many stories, this tale of one boy raised from fear and anger will not have a happy ending. But then again, these types of stories rarely do.
Nobody knows the ending to this boy's story, and least of all, the kid himself. But hey, that's something we all have in common.
The trees are a blur of green and brown, blending into a soup of the dull colors of nature. Percy is staring straight ahead, trying not to worry about the speed of this boar as it's hooves thunder against the stone and dirt.
Grover has had the time of his life trying to keep the apple on a string from straying too much, as the boar continues its Sisyphean task of eating that god damn delicious looking apple. Although Percy just thinks it looks like a normal apple. But something is motivating this boar.
Bianca is still shaken up from the skeleton attack, with Zoe sternly watching the outside cover, trying to catch glimpses of the mountains from between the trees. The New Mexico wilderness is gorgeous, and she thinks about all the game she could hunt. And by game, she's thinking of mountain lions and bears, not, you know, normal prey like elk or deer.
You wouldn't be able to tell, as she is hiding it, but Thalia is completely freezing her ass off. Turns out, leather jackets don't really provide that much heat when soaked wet with snow.
Regardless, the five members of the quest are relaxed, or at least as relaxed as they can be while riding a thirty-foot-tall boar able to gore them at a moment's notice. They're all quiet, just watching and waiting for their arrival at their next destination.
That's one thing that they never mention when you leave for a quest. It's a lot of travel time. A lot of sitting and waiting.
Sometimes it's on a bus, sometimes on a pig. You don't really get to choose; you just go with what the road gives you.
Bianca asks the group, "So how long will we ride this… thing?"
"I don't know," Grover responds. "Until it gets the apple?"
"Ha ha," Bianca says, rolling her eyes. "But seriously, where are we going?"
Percy replies, "California. I was told to search out 'The Old Man of the Sea'. In San Francisco."
"That guy who caught a fish in that book?"
"No. he's Ner–"
Before Percy can finish his words, an arrow hits his chest, and throws him off the boar and into a tree, completely knocking him out and breaking most of his ribs.
The others don't have time to respond before three arrows fire into the skull of the boar, killing it instantly.
Grover screams, as another arrow whizzes past his head and straight for Zoe's. She quickly ducks as the arrow lodges itself a foot deep into the tree behind her.
The sudden loss of momentum from the sprinting boar being killed, launched the group forward and into the snow, and they tumble down into it completely disorientated and their weapons spread out across the banks of snow.
Without a single word being spoken, and only a handful of seconds passing, the entire group has been attacked and almost defeated.
Zoe shoots up to her feet and says, "We need to go."
"Not shit," says Thalia, quickly activating her shield and reaching for her mace case a couple feet away.
She reaches out for it, when a brown shadow leaps down from the trees and onto her back, pinning her to the ground.
A solid black knife is put to her throat before a boy's voice says, "None of you move, or the storm child loses her head."
Thalia's face is shoved into the snow, aggravating her to the point of sparks shooting off of her body. The shadow acknowledges this, and digs his knife into her neck, producing blood.
"That includes you," he says coldly.
"Who– who are you?" asks Bianca, frozen on her hands and knees, previously in the process of rising.
"That matters not. What is your purpose with this spirit?"
The group is silent.
"SPEAK! I've killed that boy, and you will all have your turn if you do not speak. What is your business with the spirit?"
Grover's hair is covering his face, and so from behind his curly brown hair he mumbles, "What spirit exactly?"
In an almost complete 180 personality switch, the figure calmly and politely says, "Oh, do not worry spirit. For I have saved you from these humans. You can run free now; I shall finish them once their plan is known."
"Spirit?" replies Grover, now thoroughly confused.
"Hey, we're just moving through here–" Thalia tries to say.
"Silence worm," the shadow says, angry once more. "You have taken this spirit from his home and stolen him here upon the back of your beast of destruction. What is your ploy?!"
The shadow looks down to Thalia, and that's all the time Zoe needs. She instantly reaches for her dagger, and throws it at the shadow, impaling him in the shoulder.
As he falls off of Thalia, and spins around to face Zoe, she says, "I know not what manner of foul creature you are, but we know not what you talk about."
As the shadow stands up, sunlight lights him up revealing his appearance. What was thought to be his body, was a fur coat wrapped completely around him, with a bear pelt and head working as a hood.
His face is unreadable as he pulls back his hood, revealing the features of said face. Golden eyes like a hawk pierce Zoe's mind and she almost stumbles back in fear. She doesn't feel fear. Not like this. She feels… like prey.
But then she looks away from the eyes and at the person. She's shocked, but before she says anything, Bianca says, "You're… you're a kid!"
And she's right. The ambusher, the shadow, whatever he is couldn't be older than 14. Matted brown hair, sun kissed but white skin, and chapped and battered lips obviously show that this child has been in the woods for a while, yet he is still a child.
Zoe quickly collects herself before pointing at the dagger lodged in the back of the kid's shoulder. "Does that not hurt?"
"Aye. But the fire within me rages more," the kid then leaps forward and Zoe, baring his teeth like an animal and swiping wildly with his own solid black knife.
Zoe dodges to the left, stumbling right into Bianca and knocking both over and into the snow. Before she can chide herself for such a stupid mistake, the wild child is on top of her, dagger against her throat.
"Five seconds. What was your plan with the boar and the spirit. Five"
"What pl–"
"Four"
Bianca starts to cry, the weight of both Zoe and this mystery boy on top of her is almost too much. That and the mystery boy is overpowering them and apparently killed Percy.
However, Zoe looks at the boy coldly and says, "Our plan with the boar was to get to California. We know not what spirit you speak of."
Suddenly, a rock hits the back of the boy's head. Almost like an owl, he swivels around to see Grover throw a can at him. "OI! Get off them," he screams, backing up quickly.
"Of course," the boy immediately gets off of Zoe and Bianca, letting them breathe.
Zoe just looks up shocked, before Grover then proudly says, "Now you gotta fight me!"
"Spirit, I cannot fight you. I just saved you from these dregs. Tell me, did they bring you to harm?"
"Save me?" Grover says incredulously.
"Ah yes, you are correct. They have not been all killed. Lend me a few seconds more."
As he turns around, Grover shouts, "Don't kill them! I… uhhh… command you!"
"As you wish," the boy says, before continuing, "Although I do not know why you would spare your kidnappers. You are far more merciful than I." He then turns to the bewildered Zoe and Bianca before saying, "Now you may run along. Be quick. Lest I find you again."
Thalia rolls over in the snow, before sitting up and asking, "Can anyone tell me what the fuck is going on?"
"Nope," say Bianca and Zoe simultaneously.
"The spirit you have stolen has spared you. Now run along before he changes his mind. Or mine."
"If Grover is a spirit, then I am the Queen of England," says Thalia, rolling her eyes.
The boy narrows his eyes and says, "Than perhaps I shall kill you. Root out the evil."
"Hey, hey, hey" says Grover, walking up to the boy cautiously. "I said no killing."
"Of course," the boy respectfully says.
The three girls stand up in the snow and get an even better look at their assailant.
No taller than 5 and a half feet, he's not very imposing. His brown hair is sticking up in every possible direction, and those piercing yellow eyes and still staring them down and making shivers run up their spines.
"Who are you," asks Bianca.
"Be silent profligate. I wish not to hear you speak," he responds, every word dripping with cold ruthlessness.
"I think I should do the talking," says Grover. "Who are you?"
"Must I speak in front of these women and my kill?"
They then turn and finally realize that the boar was killed.
Grover's eyes fill with tears. "The gift…"
"What gift, my lord?" asks the boy, confused.
"That boar was a gift from the wilds. From Pan!"
"Yes… Indeed, it was. I have been tracking it for months, before your kidnappers stole it, enchained it, and used it for whatever foul deeds they plan. Now… it is dinner."
"No, you don't get it. These aren't my kidnappers, they're friends."
"Ha! Now that is funny. What would a great spirit of the forest be doing with the very creatures who seek to destroy it? You say this boar was a gift from the great lord. Was it sent here to ravage the men of this great forest?"
All four of the quest members share a look of utter confusion and bafflement, before Bianca almost screams, "PERCY!"
The other three instantly realize, they forgot about the son of the sea god. Thaila, Grover, and Bianca rush over to him, slumped against the bark of a tree.
The boy sneers at Zoe, who stayed behind, and says, "It's no use. He was my first shot. I don't miss my first."
"We'll see about that. That fool might surprise you," she replies, sneering right back.
Thalia yells over to Zoe, "He's alive! I have his pulse. A little beaten up, but with some ambrosia, he'll be fine."
A shocked look crosses the boy's face, a completely new look. "That's impossible. That shot would've killed a cyclops."
Zoe smiles and says, "Once again, he will surprise you."
The boy doesn't smile back and says, "Leave this place. Now."
Grover comes back up behind them, leaving behind the tending of Percy for Thalia and Bianca. "No, I want to know. Who are you?"
The boy looks over to the satyr. He sighs and puts his knife back into his belt. He goes over to the boar and starts removing his arrows. Whatever was in the arrow tips is the same material as his dagger, solid black stone.
While working on removing his arrows, he responds to Grover.
"I truly have no name. Call me the trees, as I walk among them. Call me stone as I was shaped from it. Call me the wind as that's what breathed life into me. Call me nature, as that is what I serve. I am sorry spirit, for the only thing to call me is the hunt and the birth. Growth and decay. Life and death. I have no name, for I have no need."
