A Demigod Girl: Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Cecidit Genus (Bladewood)
"Long is the way

And hard, that out of hell leads up to light."

-John Milton, Paradise Lost 

Lilith Adams wiped the sweat off her brow, wrinkling her nose. The stench of the black mist protruding from Mount Othrys was so strong, she was surprised she hadn't shrivled up and died. Wiping her long blonde bangs out of her eyes, she turned to her right.

Xander was poised up straight on a boulder, bow in hand. He was scouting the area, seeing if any monsters had escaped Mount Othrys. Lilith looked back down, straightening her golden Trecedim Breastplate.

Yes, she was part of the Trecedim- an elite fighting team made up of 13 powerful demibeings. She'd been as surprised as anyone when they had contacted her two years ago on her thirteenth birthday. They had explained that she was a demigod, the child of a god and a mortal. She was Homo Apollian- a demigod daughter of the Greek sun god Apollo.

And now she was here, on Mount Othrys, waiting for Leila to give the order to raid. As Lilith gripped her golden bow tight, sweat rolling down her palms, their was a small pat on her shoulder.

She turned to find Leila Nacht towering over her. Leila was pretty; much more pretty than she, anyway. Her hair was a dark, dark black, as if the night sky had rained down upon her and stained her hair the color of shadow. Her eyes were a lifeless black, glowing like a lit shadow in the cold mountain air.

"Feeling pumped?" Leila asked, her foot tapping on the ground nearvously.

Lilith laughed, beads of sweat dripping off her chin. "If by 'pumped' you mean that my heart is practically ripping itself out of my chest in fear, then yes. I'm extremley pumped."

Leila giggled, but her voice quievered, revealing a slight drip of fear. "Look," she began. "I know it's your first time on a Raid Mission, but I'm sure you'll be fine. The worst you'll get is a few scratches...maybe a broken leg or rib."

"Well that's reassuring," Lilith groaned.

Leila giggled once again, this time her voice more confident. Looking up to the sky, she sighed. The reflection of the clouds swam around in her eyes, like fluffy white fish in a shadowy black pond.

"If only the night sky hung high," she said. "Then I could pray to my mother..."

Lilith rubbed her temples at this. She'd forgotton that Leila was a demiprotogenoi, the offspring of a mortal and protogenoi. She was a daughter of Nyx, the protogenoi of the night. She'd seen Leila summon the power of the night, seen her use the shadows and darkness to her advantage. But now the sun was out, barely visible through the thick Titan Mist that swirled in circles around Mount Othrys.

Then suddenly it was gone- all of it. The Titan Mist no longer veiled the mountain, and Lilith's vision was as clear as the morning rain that now beat down on the Trecedim's heads.

A temple lay infront of them, some of its pillars scattered across the ground in ruins. The roof was black granite, and was shaped like a lengthy rectangular prism. Thick, granite pillars supported the roof, connecting to a wide floor made of veined tile. Set into the front side of the roof was a large mosaic of a golden sun surrounded by a blue sky.

"Hyperion's Temple," Leila murmered under her breath, a snake of mist slithering out of her mouth.

"Hyperion?" Lilith said, the color flushing from her face. "Like...like the Titan Hyperion?"

Leila nodded than narrowed her eyes. Then she groaned, "No one told you, did they? This isn't just any Raid Mission- we're here to kick Hyperion off Mount Othrys."

Lilith's eyes widened, the feeling of near death setting in. She moved the hair out of her blue-green eyes and swallowed the bile and fear that had surfaced in her throat.

"-to go?" Leila finished saying, and it was only after an awkward silence did Lilith realize that she had been speaking to her. Fear must have drowned out her senses, including her hearing.

"What?"

Leila sighed, placing a hand on her back. "Stay focused, Lilith. I said, are you ready to go?"

Lilith, snapping out of her reverie, answered, "Yes."

With that single word, Leila gave the command. As the leader of the Trecedim, she was required to give orders, and it seemed like on thing she was very fond of doing. She raised her hand in the air, giving the Trecedim signal: three fingers raised to the heavens, while the middle finger and thumb lay flat in the palm. Behind her, the eleven other members nodded in understanding- now was the time. She curled her fingers inward- making a fist- and turned to Xander and Lilith.

"Let it begin," she said, the cold emotion in her voice resembling the dead set expression on her face.

~

The arrows wedged between the cracks of the granite roof, sending small chunks of roof to the ground. Their heads were made of Aprhoditan Glass, one of the strongest metals in the world. The shafts had been carved from the Great Lumen Tree- an elderly tree hidden deep within the tunnels below Trecedim headquarters. The fringe was ruffly, threaded from the soft, clear hair of a Pegasus. And at the very end of each arrow- eight in all- were thing, transparent zip-lines.

Lilith finished tying on her Thread Gloves- gloves made from the burn-proof material that allowed for easy access across zip-lines. Her cheeks ignited with a furious, burning blush of embarrassment as she realized she was the last scout on the ground. The other five scounts were already up on the roof, including Xander and Leila.

(W.IP- Work in Progress... *This chapter is not finished, so please do not make any edits or changes to it. It will soon be completed however, so stay tuned!)