The Celtic Knot: Chapter Five

The Celtic Knot: Chapter Five
What are you talking about?” he said, “This isn’t funny,” He added.

“I’m not joking,” she said, grinning, not mischievously, but like they were regular friends. “There’s no such thing as demigods or Camp Cryger-”

“Cryfder,” the girl corrected him.

“Whatever, but my point is, mythology is called mythology for a reason-They just don’t exist!” snapped Frederick.

“That’s always their first outburst,” the girl said, “you’ll cool off soon.” She still smiled.

Frederick was so angry at her, and he was screaming in her face-and she was smiling?

“I’ll go somewhere and think,” he stormed off from the runes.

Frederick peered around. There were at least fifty people outside of the little cottages to the right. There were girls giggling in the stables, and he also saw Peter. Frederick wished that he could talk to Peter, but it looked like he was busy. He laughed as he looked at Peter-he really sucks at horseback riding. He then smiled again at the mud-covered form surrounded by the girls, all giggling. Frederick remembered the time they went to another camp, where everybody was normal and there were no ruins or orbs or girls telling others they were demigods.

Frederick refused to believe this, but he really didn’t know whether to believe it or not. He sighed and headed toward the woods.

The woods seemed a bit creepier from the outside then it did in the inside. But when he was actually inside the woods, the trees weren’t gnarled and have long shadows. As a matter of fact, the inside of the woods smelled of pines and the sun peeked through the branches. The trees were incredibly tall, and the leaves were still green, despite the cold December day. It was cold in the air, but the sun gave heat, so it was like the beginning of September here at this camp. Maybe these woods were…magical, he thought.'' I don’t believe in magic, Frederick corrected himself, or demigods and mythology''. But if he did have an immortal parent, that means he wasn’t an orphan, another part of him said. But there’s no such thing as myths and gods, one part of him rejected. He was having a battle against himself.

He then had two answers: 1) this is all just a stupid dream, or 2) gods were real.

He then came to a conclusion: this is all just a dream, he reassured himself, I’ll just wake myself up right now. He pinched himself hard on the arm, and then he thought he felt the pain, one more time. He pinched himself even harder than before, and then his skin was red and the spot felt like it was on fire.

“That won’t work,” someone said.

Frederick turned around, “Who are you, and how long have you been stalking me?” he screamed.

The man started chuckling, “Hmmm. Is that how you introduce yourself? Don’t be so paranoid. This is actually for your own good. And I wouldn’t say ‘stalking,’ but I’ve been keeping an eye on you for thirteen years,”

Frederick was even more paranoid. He wasn’t even alive for thirteen years, “Well, who are you?” he said again.

He saw a shuffle of movement in the lowest tree. He found a foothold and began climbing.

“I knew you could climb easily,” the man smiled. The man was now in sight, he hung from a branch just a foot above the one Frederick was sitting on. The man was tall, and had a cape of mahogany velvet, hanging freely. He had light-brown hair, and a trimmed mustache. The man reminded Frederick of a musketeer. He was comfortable, and he smiled. And was that a spear across his lap?

“How would you know that?” Frederick asked.

“I know you very well,” the man said, “my name is Lugh.” He smiled.

“Why are you here?” Frederick asked, “or don’t tell me you believe this…” he gestured east of the woods, “stuff?”

“Oh, I believe it, all right. I’ve believed it for way over fifteen-hundred years,” Lugh answered. He smiled.

What’s up with people smiling here, Frederick wondered. “They are just simply friendly here,” Lugh said, reading Frederick’s mind.

“How did you-” Frederick studdered.

“I know a lot of things, my friend,” Lugh continued to smile,

“But I’m came here to tell you to stay here when you think of leaving, and as a reminder I’m going to give you this,” he touched his spear and it transformed into a miniature spear. “Use it well in moments of need,” Lugh said. He then faded into sunlight. Frederick looked at the spear. It looked like a regular twig.

“Ugh, thanks?” Frederick said to the spot where Lugh was sitting. He then jumped down from the tree (and twisted his ankle on the landing), and limped out of the woods at the sign of a horn being blown.