Chapter 8: The Nest Finds Us

Chapter 7

The next morning I woke up with a pain in my neck, and I am not talking metaphorically. My head had been bent at an odd angle. Things like that are really annoying, bothers you for hours. I was rubbing my neck as I walked outside and noticed Anna sitting by the entrance staring at Sean talking with Wander about something. She looked up as I approached.

“Why is it that no matter where we are, he always finds someone other than me to talk to?” She asked me. This happened to be a touchy subject. They both liked each other, for a long time now. They both wanted to get closer to each other. They also thought that the other did not think the same way or had the same feelings.

“For some people its easier to talk to those they don’t want to talk to than it is to talk to those who they want to hear from.” I said. It was true, but also a little confusing. She turned to look at me. Those golden eyes that drove many a man at the camp a little wild tried to bore into my soul.

“Who?” was all she asked. I knew what she was talking about. She wanted to know who I was referring to. I remembered a few years ago, before the war, when Lupa told me about my Mother. See, I am a year round camper. I cannot leave, the aura, or scent, or whatever you want to call it that Monsters track me by is too powerful for me to leave. I had to order a mail in home schooling course for all the way through high school as a child. I finished it all in two years, so by the time I was eleven, I could theoretically go to college. But that would be too dangerous. For me, someone who could identify the dangers and respond appropriately, and for the mortals, those poor fools who could not see what was happening and would run around in circles like a chicken with its head cut off.

When Lupa talked about my mother to me, she told me that, if I wanted, a meeting could be arranged at the Wolf House. There Monsters would not be able to find me for a long enough period of time that I could meet my mother. The person who left me as a three year old child to a wolf in the middle of a burned down ruin. I agreed, mostly out of what I thought was righteous anger. I wanted to yell at her, scream at her, hit her. Lupa made the arrangements, and told me something before I left.

“Pup,” she said. “Do not give in to the anger you are feeling now. Let it go. There are things that you do not know, that go beyond personal feelings and emotions as to why mother left you at the wolf house. She does care for you, this is ninth year she has been trying to find this camp, to find you. I finally gave in because I believed you to be old enough to understand the truth.” Then she left, and I traveled to the Wolf House.

It was a two day trip for me. The night before I reached the meeting point I had a dream. I saw a faun with a large ax fighting against some monsters I couldn’t see, while a woman ran towards a forest. I recognized the forest as the one surrounding the Wolf House. The Faun dispatched its foe and chased after her, intercepting another shadow before it reached the fleeing figure. The dream focused on the girl. She looked to be about thirty, with the dirty overalls of a mechanic, holding a bundle that I came to realize was a child. It was me.

My mother ran for the Wolf House, which she could just see through the trees when something rose up in front of her carrying what looked to be a steel sword.

“Yum, Yum, Mortal and Demigod.” My mother screamed. “Ha, Ha, Dinner and a show.” He stepped forward. He swung the blade downward and my mother jumped back. The sword nicked her arm, a light wound that would normally not cause much damage. But for someone who was exhausted and frightened it was potentially devastating. My mother, however, did not give in to the panic I could see was rising within her. She pulled out something that, technically, should not have been invented yet. A portable nail gun. She raised it towards the monster and fired off a few rounds of what looked to be bronze or gold glinting in the evening light. The Monster roared in pain, the Faun came from behind my mother and attacked, burying its axe into the creatures head.

“Run Masha!” It yelled at her and looked around nervously for more attackers. My mother got up, fixed her grip, and ran forward again, the Faun trailing her and watching for more trouble. At the boundary of the House they became surrounded by red eyed wolves. Lycaons pack.

“I am sorry Masha, I could not protect you,” the Faun said. “I am sorry Vulcan, that I could not repay my debt,” he said pointing his head towards the sky. He raised his axe, my mother raised her nailgun. Then Lupa’s pack jumped into the fray, attacking the wolves that invaded her territory. My mother and the Faun used the opportunity to escape into the Wolf House. Lupa was there, watching them approach. Lyacons pack was fleeing.

“Leave him here mortal. His path lies with you no longer. I thank you for flushing out the invaders, so that they may feel my packs fangs.” Then she rushed off, following her pack to hunt down any remaining monsters in the land where they were not welcome.

I woke at that point. The next day when I met my mother I could not be angry any longer. It took most of the allotted day we had, but I was finally able to talk to her.

I told that story to Anna, who had a tear in her eye. I assume because of my mothers difficulties in getting me to the house. It was unusual, from what I have heard, for parents to have difficulty transporting young Demigods to Lupa.

“I understand Mark.” She said, then she got up, brushed off her pants, and walked over to the two children of Murcury. I got up and followed her.

“Alright Wander, where to?” I asked as I approached, then I stumbled as I saw where we were. In front of the cave, where yesterday had only been open desert, today was the mountain I had seen in my dreams.

“The nest of the Pheonix.” Wander said, pointing at the hill. “It does not stay in one place, which makes it so difficult to find. Well, that and it is in this magical desert which is hard to get to. There you will find Hyas and the Pheonix.” He turned toward the three of us. “I cannot remain any longer, it is not in my power, nor my nature, to stay in one place for so long.” With that, he walked off. I turned to grab the canteens and other supplies we had brought out last night, only to find them sitting next to me and the cave gone.

“The cave is his home, it wanders with him through all the locations that he goes to guard for my father,” Sean said to my unasked question. “So, are we ready?” He looked eager to rush in. Like allways.

Anna smiled at me, activated her bow, and pulled back the string with her middle finger, so that the ring activated and an arrow formed. I put the canteens back into my pockets.

“Pro Roma,” I said. They repeated the phrase, and we marched to do battle.

Chapter 9: