New Dawn of Olympus

New Dawn of Olympus by Sgt. Dresnat, Mark 105 RTI

(Note: this is meant to be a novel. 51,175 words total. 117 standard 9"x11" pages.)

You know when people always complain about having an extraordinary life? We’ve all heard “The Unwilling Hero Effect”. I understand and almost sympathize with those people, extraordinary life is difficult, but I would never trade my life for anyone else’s. I love my life. Sure it’s scary almost all the time but I’m more than an average person; I’m a hero. I’m writing this because I want a people to understand that even though my life is in peril every day, it’s still a good life.

May 16th was hot and I’d taken refuge in the coolest part of the building, the school library. I was writing a short story about something that had nothing to do with school, a story of heroes and monsters and somewhere far, far away from where I was now. But I got bored writing fiction and I’d come to a point where I just wasn’t making any more progress so I ejected my flash drive from the computer and I started to walk across the lobby to the band room. Occasionally some of my friends would be there or just somebody I could talk to but probably not, most people were in class or had left during the break. It was just an average, boring day that I wanted to end. I was so glad that this was my final year in high school. In a few days I would graduate and then I would never have to come back to this place ever again.

I saw two of my friends Grace and Kara, but they were busy doing some sort of biology report and biology kind of scares me so I decided not to bother them. I wanted to talk to them but they wouldn’t appreciate the interruption to their work.

Grace had soft brown eyes and golden brown hair. She stood about 5’6” and had moved here in seventh grade from Puerto Rico, a fact that was very apparent from her distinctive Hispanic look. Kara was her best friend and she was a little taller, but not much. She had olive Mediterranean skin, like mine for me shared an ancestry with the ancient Romans and Greeks. She also had dark hair, almost black but not quite and in that area we were different. My hair was lighter than that, but still darker than Grace’s. It was an average brown color.

As I walked through the lobby, I noticed a trio of men come through the front doors. They were short; maybe 5’5” and they wore long flowing sand brown robes and sunglasses. Their hands were shoved deep into the folds of their robes.

They walked fast and one hit me with his elbow as he passed. I looked into his face as he passed and I caught my breath. The sunglasses had been jostled off his face and hand fallen to the ground. He made no effort to pick them up. He just turned to glare at me. His eyes were black, not just his iris, his entire eyes were black. He growled at me deep in his throat and continued walking with his companions.

My collision with the black eyed man made Grace and Kara, who were sitting not far away, notice us. They were startled, borderline scared. The men were stalking right towards them. One of the men took his hands out of his robes but they weren’t hands.

Where hands should be a claw sat on the man’s arms. It snapped cruelly, but the horror didn’t end there. Another man, the one that ran into me shed his robes and the body of a scorpion was revealed. How he fit into the human looking robes I will never know. It was long with six long arachnid legs. A long barbed tail curved above their body. But it hand the torso of a man with a pair of pinchers instead of hands. They were part man, part scorpion.

The third man, was normal, thank the lord. My relief ended when he pulled out a long scimitar out of the many folds of his robes. He yelled something in a language I didn’t understand. It wasn’t Arabic; it was much older and darker. The scorpion-men responded to it and rushed my friends.

Kara whipped out a long curved blade, like the one Arwen uses in Lord of the Rings, out of nowhere. She deflected a series of blows from both the claws and the tail before going on the attack. She took off the tail and the arms then cut straight through the torso. I could do nothing but stare, since when was she a master swordsman and why wouldn’t she tell me. I loved weapons and I had significant experience with fencing and kendo.

Grace threw an orange hued powder at the other scorpion man and it clawed at its own face as the power washed over it. She opened what I would’ve sworn was a tube of lipstick out of nowhere and it extended and until it became a Greek kopis blade, it was a curved ancient Greek cavalry weapon. She stabbed at it twice and the scorpion man crumpled into itself, dissolving into a pile of dust.

The man with the scimitar seemed more controlled than his cohorts. It moved towards the two girls carefully and cautiously. That’s when I finally kicked into action. My adrenaline was pumping, these weren’t just my friends, they were my female friends, and that triggered something primal in me; I had to protect them. In hindsight this may have been a misguided thought for they were the ones with weapons. I rushed the man from behind. He was too focused on my friends to be aware of me. I tackled him from behind and knocked him to the ground.

He recovered quickly though. He threw his elbow into my face and rolled over. I kicked at his legs so he’d lose stability as he tried to get up. He slipped and jabbed me with a small knife hidden in his sleeve. It barely nicked me, it was enough to draw blood but not enough to damage anything vital, partly due to its size and partly due to the fact Kara’s sword was imbedded in his back.

I pushed the limb body of the man off of myself.

“Hey guys,” I said. I tried to stand but immediately wished I didn’t. I felt like I had been hit with a freight train. Kara grabbed me before I could fall over. “What the heck was that?”

“Kara,” Grace said. “Look.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">She nudged the knife the man had stabbed at me with her toe.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Celestial bronze.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“What?” I was so confused. The only place I’d heard of that was in Greek mythology.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“He’s bleeding,” said Kara.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“He’s that means he’s one of us.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Yeah, he’s a half blood.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Guys, what are you talking about!” I managed to regain my balance and stepped away from Kara. “This sounds like the Greek myths.” I was jostled from behind and I almost fell again. That’s when I realized everyone around us was panicking and they seemed to be running away from us.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I wonder how much of that they saw,” said Grace, commenting on the panicking people. “I doubt they saw us getting attacked by three monsters.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“The Mist is funny like that,” replied Kara.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I wonder if we’re going to get expelled,” said Grace.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I started to protest again but Grace wasn’t having any of it.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“This is real, Drew.” Grace looked into my eyes with fierce intensity. I’d never felt scared of Grace before but that look revealed a side of her I’d never witnessed, a girl who had to fight and kill to survive. “Monsters are real. We’ll explain everything later but we’ve got to go!”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">She started to move towards the exit but she stopped abruptly. A man blocked the doorway. It was Doc Cohen; a Marine Corps veteran and our physics and calculus teacher, basically the most bad ass teacher ever imaginable. But that wasn’t what shocked Grace. It was that he was holding two ancient Egyptian swords, khopesh, blades in his hands. He marched forward and with each step he changed. His form shifted from human to a jackal headed monster.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Oh, so Doc’s an Anubite. That makes perfect sense,” I said sarcastically. I was quite knowledgeable in Greek, Egyptian, and Norse mythologies and the anubite is a very common Egyptian monster. But seriously, that crap was messed up.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“We knew there was a monster here, but we didn’t know which teacher it was. I was really hoping it wasn’t him.” Kara flipped her blade and then raised it and set up her body in a battle stance.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Drew, get out of here. We can take him.” Grace said as she pushed me away. When I hesitated she said, “You’re just going to get killed. Go!”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I ran. Yeah I know it’s not courageous or chivalrous or anything, but after what I just saw I was freaked out. On top of everything I was unarmed. Then again I was also really scared. Any of you guys who are thinking, oh I’d totally take that dude on, please imagine a man with the head of a jackal. That in and of itself is pretty freaky, now imagine it’s got swords.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I turned down the band hallway and a man, just like the scimitar wielding man except he wore a dark trench coat over his robes, turned to face me.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">He starred at me a moment like I wasn’t what he expected but I would be good enough. He pulled a handgun out of one of the many pockets of his coat and leveled it at me. The muscles in his hand tensed and he pulled the trigger. I felt my body warm from the sunlight, streaming in the open door at the end of hallway. I couldn’t see properly and I could hear my blood pumping slower. And the only thought in my mind was ‘Was I dead?’

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I was blind for a moment, but then a light flashed and I had a bird’s eye view of the hallway. The world was moving in slow motion. I saw the bullet travelling towards me very slowly. I also noticed there were two more of the men, one in the robes of the first man, the other clad in the trench coat of the one who’d shot at me, coming into the hallway.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Another of the men held up another handgun with a third holding a short curved blade. I moved out of the way of the bullet and it embedded harmlessly into the wall behind me. I saw the trajectories of each gun like they had laser sights on them, so I moved out of the way. They moved too slowly to compensate, for I was moving normally.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">My instinct or something else inside of me took over. I grabbed the first man’s hand and twisted it, pulling it out of the man’s grasp. It was a move I’d seen while watching a program on the Israeli martial art, Krav Maga. I stepped back from the first man, now cradling his sprained hand and I fired on the other two men. They fell in piles of black dust. I heard a yell and pivoted. The man whose gun I stole now had a knife raised above his head and was coming at me. I tapped the trigger twice and a pair of rounds passed through the man. Then it was quiet.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I watch as all of the men dissipated into dust and the wind carried them far away. My body returned to normal and I realized I have weapon. I ran back to where my friends were fighting my physics professor. The situation was worst though. Doc Cohen had received reinforcements. A trio of those robed figures had shown up and were advancing on my friends, cruel blades raised like executors.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I’d fired guns before, many times. My weekends were basically me going back and forth between homework and the firing range. I aimed do the sights and I dropped the robed trio with three taps of the trigger.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I tried to get a shot on the anubite but my friends were too close. I was a damn good shot, but I wasn’t going to risk hitting one of them with a bullet.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I noticed something behind me and I turned, aiming my handgun, but I quickly lowered it. It was my friends Sam and Alice; both were armed. Sam was not only stocky but tall, around 6’3” with a mess of curly dirty blond hair. He held a shield and short sword. Alice was much shorter than any of us. She also had flowing blond hair and had green eyes. She drew back on a large bow, an arrow knocked.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Sam yelled and Kara and Grace leapt out of the way as Sam slammed into the monster. Alice let and arrow fly and it caught my professor’s in the throat. Sam then drove his blade into the rib cage. The monster slowed but it still tried to push against Sam.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I walked up to it and put two rounds through its legs and as it fell I shot it in its ugly snarling jackal head. The monster slackened and turned to dust. Sam wiped the yellow powder out of his face and looked at me astonished.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“You’re one of us?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Apparently.” “Well this is just perfect.”Alice was obviously not excited about this new turn of events. “I take it we’re leaving now?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Now, if not sooner. We’ve been compromised. They would’ve had us but I don’t think they were expecting Drew. Hell, I wasn’t expecting Drew,” said Grace.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I wasn’t expecting me either,” I interjected. “Just for the record.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Sam ushered us out of the school. He was obviously the leader of the group. He was stoic and calm headed, even with all this crazy crap.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“We’ll take my van,” he said while opening the driver’s seat door.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I noticed something as I clicked the safety on and slid my stolen gun into my cargo pant’s pocket. I stopped him.

<p style="text-indent:.5in"> “Yo Sam, check out your tires,” I said.

They’d been slashed.

“Mine are slashed too!” called Kara. That was truly a shame. Her father was ridiculously rich and had bought her a sleek silver Porsche for her sixteenth birthday. It was a really nice car.

“Same here,” said Grace as she kicked his deflated tires in frustration.

“Here too!” Alice sounded furious. I’d though Grace’s eyes were scary before, Alice made her seem incredibly tame. She looked like was going to murder someone now.

I went to my car, it was my baby. I loved it more than most things in this world. It was a 2000 Lincoln Continental Presidential Edition, all leather interior. “I’m good!” I said after checking my tires. I pulled out my keys. “Need a lift?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">They came over and Samuel took my keys.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“So,” I asked. “Where are we going?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Half Blood Hill, it’s a training camp for Greek heroes like us,” responded Sam. He stared the car and the girls piled into the back. “It’s in New York, so it’s a little bit of a drive and we need to get there now.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">There was a loud screech and a truck came around from behind the school.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Sam we have to go, now.” Kara seemed freaked out. The other’s followed her gaze too the truck and they were all staring at the truck as it stopped in front of the school. A large creature got out of the back. It was different than anything I’d ever seen or read about before. It was over eight feet tall, its skin was leathery and it wore cruel red armor. It had beady black eyes and a four mandibled jaw filled with shark-like teeth.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Tartarian spawn,” whispered Kara.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Grace said to me, “Hey Drew, you’ve got a nemesis. You must be really powerful; only certain half bloods have one.” She seemed mildly impressed.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“That’s something new,” I said.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“They take the form of the monstrous nemesis of the hero they hunt,” explained Sam. “That’s how we know that this one’s hunting you. We’ve seen this twice in the last week. The Fates release it when it’s your time to be a hero. We’re assuming it’s yours because we just found you.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">It sniffed the air and then turned toward us. It started to stalk toward us. Sam spun the car out of the parking space and punched the gas. He sped out onto the road dipping no lower than 80 miles an hour until we hit the free way.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“So what’s going on?” I asked casually.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Sam exhaled. “The robbed figures, those are wraiths. They were once men but they were corrupted by giants.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“So, what I read about the giants in the Heroes of Olympus series was true?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Grace put her hand on my shoulder. “Drew, everything the author writes is real. He’s camp Half Blood’s scribe. He started writing the books so the camp could get more money because, well, we really needed more money. Plus we needed heroes and the earlier they hear about themselves the easier it was to find them.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Okay and the giants?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“They’re the enemy right now. Leo, is leading the efforts to build the...”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Argo II,” I interrupted. “I’ve read the books.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Of course you have,” Alice said. Her tone was full of exasperation.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Enough Alice.” Sam stepped in. “He’s been through a lot. You remember when you first met a monster. He’s taking it way better than you.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“To be fair,” I interjected. “I’ve been praying for this to happen for years.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Sam was exasperated. “Whose side are you on?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Kara and Grace giggled.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I was trying to help you!” Sam said.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Aren’t you glad I’m one of you?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Shut up.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I asked questions about the world I’d just tripped into. For the most part they were patient with me when they answered. I was quite excited to meet the characters that had guided me through my childhood. Percy, Annabeth, Chiron, it was all a little too much to take in at once. I looked out the window and noticed we were pulling into a truck stop. I’d been here before.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Why are we in Purgatory?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Purgatory was what we called this one truck stop we were at when we went to Washington DC with the band. We stayed there briefly and had enjoyed a meal. It was cloudy and abandoned, just like the last time.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“We need gas,” Sam said.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">We stopped and got out of the vehicle. Sam started to fill it up Alice stayed and chatted with him. I followed Grace and Kara into the food court. They turned into the women’s restroom. Following them their seemed awkward so I went into a small convenience shop inside the food court. I grabbed a pack of gum and went to the check out.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“You from around here?” asked the woman at the checkout counter, smiling. She was elderly, upper 60s probably.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Naw, I’m on business,” I responded. That was more or less true. I don’t really think I would call driving away from my life after being almost killed pleasure.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“You shouldn’t chew gum on business. It gives you cavities and makes you look like a cow,” she said with a grin.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“How much is that?”I really didn’t want to get into a lengthy conversation. I knew I had to get back to my friends and I didn’t want to keep them up when we’re in the middle of important business.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Now that’s just not polite,” he grin was still there but it seemed less pleasant and more unsettling. She also didn’t blink which only added to my unease.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I’m sorry ma’am,” I said.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Not as sorry as you’re going to be!” The lady jumped at me and I instinctively threw myself aside. I fell on the ground and hit my elbow sending a tingling feeling through my right arm. I absolutely hate that feeling when you hit the nerve cluster there for it always messed up my coordination with that arm.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I heard weird tearing and sliding noises so I rolled on my back to face the old lady, but she wasn’t an old lady anymore. She was morphing into a cobra. The giant sail fanned behind its head and obscured the lights in the room. I tried to crawl away but a pair of wings tore out of the snake’s back and it started to slide towards me. She had the same unblinking eyes that were locked on me.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“You’re not who I was expecting, but it doesn’t matter I’m hungry,” she hissed.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I just want gum!”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Apparently she didn’t find that as funny as I hoped because it coiled back and bared its fangs. I tried to pull out my handgun, but I had some trouble because I was trying to crawl backwards and my arm was still tingling.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">As it struck forward an arrow intercepted its face. The monster hissed, reared up, and spat a green liquid into the air that started to melt anything it touched. I finally pulled my handgun free. I fired into the creature and I kept firing until my handgun ran out of bullets.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">The monster thrashed and Alice stepped forward. She put another arrow into the writhing beast. It slowly melted into a sickly puddle of green goo.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Thanks,” I said. I pulled myself off the floor and dusted myself off.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I don’t want to have to save your ass again, Drew,” she said and stalked out of the room.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I grabbed all the gum on the shelf and followed Alice back to the car.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Sam,” Alice said. “We just had a wadjet attack Drew. Egyptian snake thing. We’ve got to go.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“They’re learning our route. Shit, I was just starting to like this place,” Sam said. He looked around like he was having a nostalgic moment.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Kara and Grace ran out from the building. Their blades were drawn and bloodied.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“We’ve got to go,” said Kara. “Scorpion men ruined the salad bar.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Sam’s faced changed and he looked nervous. He saw that I held an empty handgun in my hand and I put back it in the right pocket of my cargo pants. “I want Alice in shotgun. Drew has no weapon so I’m going to go straight to Half Blood Hill in one shot. We can’t afford any hiccups on this trip. Get in.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Grace opened the car door and slid in. I offered to let Kara in but she insisted on me being in the middle so I got in. Kara followed me and pressed me up between the two of them.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Grace smiled at me and said, “Cozy.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I didn’t know how to answer that and Kara and Grace giggled at my loss for words.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">You see, Grace and Kara were quite attractive. Sitting not just next to them, but in between them was exhilarating. It was very hard for me to keep my cool. It’s funny how hot and bothered I got about girls when I’d only been killed like three times today.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Sam looked back to Grace. “We need to talk. Alone.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“No problem,” she replied. She pulled a tube of lipstick from one of her pockets and did up her lips. Sam put his eyes on the road and got back on the freeway.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Drew,” Grace said. I looked at her and she kissed me. It was amazing, but it was so confusing and random. Then I started to feel light headed; my vision started to black. Okay that made sense; she had a kiss that made people pass out. She released and I sunk into the seat. The darkness closed in around me.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I woke up in the middle of a crazy battle. A boy with black hair and deep green eyes ran up to me and grab my shoulder. He pulled me up off the ground and shoved a sword off the ground into my hand and then ran off into the fight.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I knew who that kid was immediately: Percy Jackson. He was my hero and now I knew he was a real person and apparently some of my best friends have known this for awhile. Hell, writing this I’m realizing it was Sam Sheffer who introduced me to the series. He begged me to start reading these books. Did he know, or did he just want me to see his world?

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I ran to follow Percy but he was already in the middle of a dozen enemies hacking and slashing and then moving on.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">A woman, below the waist a snake, a Scythian dracaena, crawled in front of me. Right now I really hate anything that has to do with snakes. It swung its curved blade and I jumped back. I stabbed my sword forward and caught the snake lady in the throat and the monster fell into dust.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">As the dust passed over me, I went into third person. I saw the person that I thought was me run forward and look up at the sky and I saw the face. It was nothing like me just some crazy kid in armor. I watched as Percy started fighting with a tall, proud looking man with a large sword. They traded blows for a moment and then the man burst into flames. His sword split into two and he turned into a cyclone of fire. Percy fought him to a pool of water and became a mini hurricane that doused the flames before they could overcome him.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Then time slowed down until it stopped. I could feel my chest rise and fall, but I couldn’t see myself. I couldn’t even move. I was starting to freak out and then there was movement. The man in the fiery cyclone looked up at me.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I will find you!” he shouted at me.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">That confused the absolute crap out of me. I feel now writing this I should’ve been afraid of but first thought in my mind had been ‘what did I do to this guy?’

<p style="text-indent:.5in">The picture shifted. There was a blonde boy in old Roman armor. He Held a large golden spear in his right hand and a Roman shield on his left. He walked next to a girl riding a Pegasus and they looked at each other before rushing forward.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Then it was chaos. A monstrous tide met the two warriors, and then I saw they were leading an army of over two hundred Roman soldiers broken into five columns. I stood in the first column behind them and I marched forward with them. The Pegasus and giant eagles swooped above the monstrous tide and cut them down. The blond boy and the one column of Romans I was in broke through. My gladius found the spaces between the monsters’ armor and I with my fellow legionnaires cut them down.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">The scene shifted again and the blond boy had lost his shield. Romans and monsters were fighting in a large throne room and a ten foot tall man with ram’s horns on his helmet holding a large spear moved towards the boy. The boy was distracted by a seal looking monster in front of him.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I shouted and the blonde boy noticed just in time for the kid to block the spear with his own. Both weapons flew away and the kid grabbed the helmeted man who shrunk down to his size. The two combatants grappled. Then I realized this was Jason Grace, son of Jupiter. My body felt ripped away from itself and I noticed there was a sword blade protruding from my chest. My body heated and I became a bird’s eye view. I saw a body that looked nothing like me where I just was. That person turned and stabbed the monster in the throat before collapsing. My view kept moving outward until…

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I woke and my head was buzzing. I was wearing my camouflage jacket and cargo pants. I was groggy and it was dark. I couldn’t tell if that was dark in the room or it was night out. I just couldn’t see anything. The only way I knew what I was wearing was that I could feel everything in my pockets. I must’ve just had a seriously effed up dream. It wouldn’t be the first time. I hated my dreams. This was just my room it was dark because I’d woken up in the middle of the night.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I threw the blankets off of me. I hadn’t realized I was in a bed. A nice tantalizing, warm bed. I was tempted to slip back under the covers but I shook my head and stood up. I paused for a second because I couldn’t feel my contacts. That was weird, I was still in my clothes but I’d taken the time to take out my contacts. I pushed the thought out of my mind. I couldn’t see anything at night anyway. I walked over to the door and I opened it the light blinded me for a moment and I shielded my eyes and looked at the ground.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">That’s when I realized I was not at home.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“How was your nap, sleeping beauty?” Grace said smiling. She shone with a brilliance that probably came from the fact my eyes were still adjusting, or maybe it was something more.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I rubbed my eyes and scrutinized the room. Everything was crystal clear; maybe my contacts were just working better than usual. I wasn’t going to complain.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I was in some room with a ping pong table in the center of the room. There were a group of people all sitting around a ping pong table in folding chairs. My friends were there but there were a few I’d never met before.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Hey, give the kid a break.” Chiron, the centaur, the teacher, the myth said. “You have a way with magic.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I have no idea what’s going on.” I was really confused by the entire situation. I’m having crazy dreams, getting attacked by crazy monsters; basically everything around me is just crazy.

<p style="text-indent:.5in"> The centaur spoke again. “I’m Chiron.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I’ve read about you.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Okay….”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“The books, the series. Your scribe writes them, I’ve read them over fifty times.” I just stopped this just made me sound creepy.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Anyway, you’re a half-blood.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Got that part.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“He’s read the books extensively. He knows a good amount about our world,” Sam spoke up for me, my main man sticking up for me. That’s why we’re like totally best friends. Kinda.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Extensively is putting it lightly. He really obsesses over them sometimes.” That was Alice. We’re cool. We’re like best friends too, but in a different way. She can be critical. It could be annoying sometimes. One the other hand she might be the smartest person I know. We kind of dated at one point. I screwed that up and that’s probably where the critical aspects came up.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Anyway,” Chiron was trying to get the conversation back on track. “So you know the basics so I guess it’s appropriate to skip the introductory film. I was wondering, since you know so much about our word, if you knew who your Olympian parent could be?” Chiron and Sam exchanged a glance like they were unsure about their course of action.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Well, I’m probably not Big Three just because of the pact and the fact I’ve never had an attack before today.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“We’re looking into that,” Sam said. “We have a specialist checking on your home situation. Find out which parent is real and how that all works. Make no mistake Drew DeYoung, you are very strong. You have a powerful aura. You must’ve been protected or guarded otherwise we would’ve found you long ago.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I can’t narrow it down even between male and female. See this is why having a stable family is bad.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Drew,” Alice looked me right in the eye. “Don’t be funny.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Hey, don’t hate on the boy.” Grace spoke up for me.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Kara jumped in. “Yeah, remember how you took it?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Alice shut up fast.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Wait, that’s twice you mentioned it, what happened, too Alice?” I looked to her because I was curious. Alice just glared at Kara and Grace.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Not important!” Chiron said. “Jeesh, you guys get off topic. We’re in a war. There are these giants, the children of Gaea and the spirit of Tartarus.” He saw that I was about to interrupt and tell him I knew about this but he stopped me. “But you’ve read the books, so you know you’re going to need to be trained. It will have to be faster than most heroes. We never get the proper amount of time for heroes. Annabeth,” Chiron waved his hand to a blond girl with grey eyes. I thought to myself, I’ve totally read about her. “Will show you to the armory and give you equipment.”

“We’re just shoving him right into this?” Sam asked.

Chiron seemed confused by the question. “Is there anything else to go over? The child knows everything he needs to and time is not a luxury we have now.”

“Where is he going to sleep?” Alice asked.

“He hasn’t been determined. He’ll be placed in Hermes cabin.”

“Oh, okay,” I said. I tried not to look disappointed but I’d read about Hermes. It was a cabin for the rejects of the gods.

Chiron’s look softened. “I’m sorry child but it’s what we do. If you don’t know your parent...”

“I know.” I cut him off, which was rude and I was about to apologize, but I saw understanding in Chiron’s eyes. He truly cared about me even though he’d only just met me. That was refreshing.

“I’m sorry, Drew. We will talk more soon but now there just isn’t time.” Chiron was sending me away. Annabeth got up from the table and held the door open for me.

“No problem,” I said. I really didn’t want to be a bother. “We’ve got a war to win.” I topped it off with a big smile to try to make up for my lack of enthusiasm before.

Annabeth led me away from a large building I only now realized was the big house. It was a four story farm house with a wrap-around porch. It was the start of every demigod’s metamorphosis to hero hood.

We walked in silence for a little bit. I would’ve tried to start a conversation but I was trying to comprehend everything that’d happened to me. The sun was beating in the sky but it wasn’t nearly as hot as the feeling I got when I thought about the kiss Grace had given me. I know realize she must have some magic lipstick or some other kind of magic kiss that puts people to sleep but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I’d liked Grace for a long time. Ever since I’d noticed her in my eight grade Language Arts class wearing a red short-sleeve top, I’d always tried to talk to her, become friends with her, and maybe, just maybe get a date with her. I’d succeeded in all but the last part. We bonded in Senior Seminar, a ridiculous class that makes no sense that forces seniors to do a crazy big project and if they failed the project they didn’t graduate. That class now didn’t feel as a big deal after being attacked by my physics professor. I guess I won’t be graduating now anyway.

“Don’t be so depressed,” Annabeth said.

I didn’t realize I looked so unhappy so I immediately flashed a grin and she laughed.

“I understand it’s hard for you. Your whole world is just completely shaken up in one day,” she continued.”

“Something like that, yeah.”

“We’re getting to the fun part, trust me.”

We walked into a collection of mismatched buildings. Every one of them was based off a different Greek god. I followed Annabeth behind one that had an owl and a spear decorated on the front. She pressed a code into a key pad and a locker opened up revealing a large shed inside. She slipped in and I followed. The lights flashed on.

“Motion sensor lighting, they’re state of the art,” Annabeth commented.

I couldn’t respond; I was in heaven. The walls were lined with weapons, swords, spears, shields, and in one corner in the back were a rack of guns.

I finally found my voice. “This is the single greatest place, in the world.”

“It only gets better,” she smiled and I laughed. She then asked, “So, what weapons do you like?”

I reached into my cargo pants pocket. I pulled out the handgun I stole from the wraith and Annabeth scowled.

“That’s a wraith’s weapon.”

“Yeah, I took it and shot them.”

Annabeth ripped her eyes away to look at my face. She looked mildly impressed. She took my stolen handgun and dropped it into a large empty wastebasket.

“Well then I guess you’re a gun guy.” She pulled a shotgun off the rack. “Mossberg 500 pump action shotgun.”She handed it to me.

It was heavy, but that was expected and honestly I found the heft reassuring. I’d been shooting guns for years and I’d used Mossbergs plenty of times before. I pumped it once and the action worked smoothly.

“This’ll work.”

“Put that up against the wall and we’ll get you a real weapon,” Annabeth said, baiting me.

“What’s wrong with guns?” Annabeth rolled her eyes and pulled a standard Greek sword off the shelf and handed it to me. I swung it awkwardly and Annabeth took it away. She took another sword and again it was awkward. We tried weapon after weapon, I could use all of them but Annabeth wasn’t satisfied with them.

“What’s wrong with you?” “Hey, I was perfectly fine with the falcata.”

“There is one weapon for you in here and that wasn’t it, trust me. I’m a child of Athena, I know strategy, and part of strategy is putting the best weapons for each person into their hands.”

“Hey, what’s this?” I grabbed a black bladed weapon on the bottom shelf. Its blade was curved and had a series of holes along the top, like military blades do to remove weight.

Annabeth turned and her eyes widened in alarm. “That is…”

“A kukri,” I interrupted. I couldn’t help myself, it was that cool.

“Yes, but that one is different.”

“I like it.” I made a few slashes and it felt comfortable, more than any other weapon I’d used.

“Di Immortalis,” she whispered. “That’s not a traditional weapon. It’s not Greek, or Mediterranean at all.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I know, it’s from Nepal, the Gurkas used them. It my favorite type of knife, I have one back home.” I ran a finger down the side of the blade and right along the sharpened edge was a line of silver.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Annabeth took the weapon from me and held it up to the light. “This weapon was forged in Uruk, far from Nepal, but still East. The blade is made with Egyptian iron and Damascus steel. It’s a mortal’s weapon but it’s been enchanted to be just as effective against monsters.” She handed it back to me. “And this weapon of the East seems to be perfect for you, which is weird.”

“Why is it weird?” I asked, puzzled. The handle felt comfortable in my hand. The blade was almost twenty inches long, which while large for a knife, was small compared to a sword.

“It’s not a weapon Greeks generally use. I mean they use that design with the falcata and kopis, but those are much longer and are usually used on horseback. You don’t strike me as an equestrian.”

“I don’t have any desire for horseback fighting,” I said.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“That’s probably for the best. Oh and please don’t forget, it’s still a knife so you won’t have as long a range as everyone else.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I pointed at the shotgun. “I don’t think that’ll be too much of a problem.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">That seemed to remind her of something. She turned and scanned her palm on a security scanner. A section of the wall turned and was lined with rows of armor. Annabeth perused the shelf until she found what she was looking for. She pulled a large vest and a bandoleer from the racks and handed them to me.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“The vest is a Kevlar/Celestial Bronze hybrid. It can block both mortal and immortal weapons to an extent,” she explained. “And this,” she said holding up the bandoleer, “is full of shotgun shells. You have the choice between Celestial Bronze, which won’t touch mortals, and paint, for non-lethal fighting.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I took them and through the vest on, and Annabeth helped me tighten a few straps so it fit perfectly. She showed me how to put my shotgun in a holster on my back. My shotgun was the stockless version so the only thing over my shoulder was the hand grip. That would decrease accuracy but with a scattergun it didn’t really matter and without the stock it’d be easier to get off my back. I clipped my sheath and kukri to the bottom of the vest where it locked in solidly. I wouldn’t have to worry about it getting loose and falling off in battle. I took my fingerless gloves out of my cargo pants pocket and put them on. With my camo jacket underneath my vest I was ready for battle.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Don’t get carried away,” Annabeth laughed.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“So,” I started. “How bad is Hermes cabin?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">She tried to smile but it was clearly forced. “It’s not the best cabin. When you’re determined it’ll get better, even if you do turn out to be a child of Hermes.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I doubt that’ll be me.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“On the other hand you get to meet a lot of different people. Hermes is still the largest cabin.” She looked at me like she was studying me; like she was dissecting me with her brain. “Your friends said you were their age so you’ll probably be determined fairly quickly. You’re powerful so we probably just need to see that in action.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Like capture the flag?” I asked. The thought of the game cheered me up. I loved the mortal version and I could only imagine what the camp half blood version would be like.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Yes, that’s when most people are determined,” she responded. “That’s when they can really show their stuff.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“When’s the next one?” I was really pumped now.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Wednesday,” she said. “After dinner. We’re doing them more often so the newer recruits can get some battle experience. The war’s been rough. We’ve been fighting more and more monsters are getting braver and trying to break through the camp barriers.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“They’re holding though, right?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Oh yeah, the borders are fine. Peleus the dragon is still guarding the Golden Fleece so, it’s just that we don’t want monsters crawling around our camp when we try to leave.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Understandable.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">After that Annabeth decided to give me the tour of the camp. I saw each cabin, even the newer minor god ones, the lake, the volley ball pit, the climbing wall, the arena, and the dinning pavilion. Everything was just so cool, I wanted to do everything. This was the life I’d dreamed and prayed for. My God had come through for me. There was a line in the first book where Chiron didn’t want to talk to Percy about the metaphysical that allowed me to know that all of this, the Greek gods, be real and still have my Christian God. My God still existed and I still worship him. He’d pulled me out of the average life so I could be a hero. I couldn’t have been happier, except for one thing.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Is there any way I can get out of Hermes cabin early?” I asked for probably the fifth time this trip.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Annabeth sighed and said, “There is one other way. I probably shouldn’t tell you, it’s never happened as long as I’ve been here and I’ve been here a long time. A god can honor a hero, that hero becomes their champion. That means that hero gets all the privileges of a full member of that cabin.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I let that sink in. “How do you do that?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Like I said it’s never happened since I’ve been around.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I decided to drop it and I changed the subject.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Is that the Argo II?” I asked about a massive structure being built in the middle of camp.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Yeah, it’s going to be able to fly as well as travel in water and…” Annabeth went into a detailed description of the architecture of ships. It mostly went over my head but I was polite and acted interested. I mean she dealt with my crap so it’s only fair.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">There was a long horn that sounded in the distance. I assumed it was a conch based on what I’d read.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Oh, geesh, its dinner time already,” Annabeth said. She led me to the dinning pavilion. “Chiron will want you to eat at the head table today. You haven’t even been introduced to your cabin yet. I’ll find you after dinner and make sure that happens properly.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">When I got to the pavilion I said ‘thank you’ and ‘have a nice day’ half a dozen times it seemed like. She’d been so friendly and helpful.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Chiron sat at the table in a magical wheelchair that made his legs look like real human ones. I took a seat next to him and a few of the half man half goat creatures I knew were called satyrs. Tree spirits, nymphs, brought lean cut barbeque that smelled delicious. I took a large amount and almost forgot to scrape off a chunk into the fire. I said a quick prayer to my God asking him to forgive my sins and how amazing the gift he’d given me, making me a hero, was. I also prayed that he told me who my Olympian parent was. I was really curious. I’d always joked that I was adopted. It was kind of funny to find out that I kind of was. Kind of.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">When I returned to my seat, I dug in. The food was amazing. The meat was so tender that it practically melted in my mouth. Chiron laughed as I tried to say ‘skim milk’ while rising the magical glass while I had a mouthful of food and I got soy milk instead. I said it more clearly and got my fat free milk.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“It’s rare to find a new recruit as excited as you on their first day of camp,” Chiron commented.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Most people don’t want their entire life to be a Greek myth,” I countered. “Most people like the normal life, but me, I’ve always wanted to be more.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“You’re friends told me your aspirations for the future.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“They told you not to bring up my aspirations for the future.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“That was mentioned.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I sometimes would kind of rant about how I was going to me Marines, then Special Forces, then CIA, then President of the United States, but that was before I was a Greek hero.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Chiron seemed concerned. “You just want to toss aside your dreams?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Sir, this is my dream.” I raised my hands and waved to everything around me. “This is amazing. It’s magic. I was trying to have the greatest normal life I could with my plan. Now I have a life that is definitely is not normal. That’s what I wanted.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Chiron regarded me with a look that bordered on concern. “You have potential to be a great hero.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in;tab-stops:220.7pt">“That’s all I wanted to hear,” I said before divining into my food.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Annabeth had brought me to Hermes cabin after dinner and she’d introduced me to Connor and Travis Stoll. They seemed nice enough but I decided never to leave my few belongings out of sight, I knew the reputation of Hermes’ children. There was a more room in the cabin than I had thought previously. More and more campers had been determined. The people around me were all much younger than I was. After me, the oldest was probably around twelve or thirteen. It was kind of depressing.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I finally got to sleep but my dreams were awful. There was a small island and there was a temple on it. The island was heavily foliated with coniferous trees and ferns completely covered the ground. As my view came closer to the temple I started to see things that frightened me; the 6-armed earth monsters called simply the Earthborn. They were swarming all over the place. There were others monsters, worst than them. Scorpion men and the winged snake lady, Alice had called her a wadjet.

My view went into the temple. There was a throne made of granite with a monster sitting on top of it. It had reptilian legs and granite colored skin. It wasn’t looking at me but at the ground. I followed its gaze and the ground was twisted into a horrible face. Gaea.

They were talking in hushed tones. “Enceladus is dead. Prophyrion was nearly beaten by a single mortal. My brothers may not be as potent as we thought they were. We may need more time. By my calculations the humans will be in a world war within fifty years. We should lay low let our strength increase and then as the gods and humans kill each other we strike, just as we planned for last time.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in"> Another giant stepped into the room. He had the same dragon legs as the first but his body was made of a softer looking stone, possibly sandstone. Its head was looking up in the sky. “The stars predict failure.” He looked to the giant and then to the face in the ground. “Waiting is better. There are too many heroes. Too many too strong.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Have I raised cowards?” The face in the earth was terribly angry. I could feel the vibrations in my bones. “The plan remains the same. These heroes are strong but we have everything set up now. The doors of death will be forced open soon.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Our brother is dead and another was beaten. This was the doing of a single hero.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Silence, one is here,” said Gaea.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">The granite giant looked to the sandstone giant. “Asterius, what do you see?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“It’s the one that was hidden.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Gaea’s face distorted. “Deal with him.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">The granite giant started to walk towards me. Its mouth smiled revealing a cavern filled with jagged dagger like teeth that grew like stalactites. Its fingers turned into claws and it lunged.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Anax!” I screamed. I fell off of my bunk, eight feet down. Some of the other kids started to stir. One of them sat up. I ignored my pain and quickly grabbed my things; I kept everything I owned in a black backpack. And I ran. I got out of that building. With everything that was swimming around in my head, I needed space.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Once I was outside, I slipped my bullet proof vest on and secured my weapons. I’d been warned by both Annabeth and Chiron that there were monsters in the woods. I wasn’t planning on going in but I wanted to be ready regardless.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I found a rock that jutted out above the water of the lake. The moon was bright and reflected off the water. I unsheathed my knife and studied it. It was surely a beautiful weapon.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Hey Drew.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I spun around and almost fell off the rock.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Wait, you’re…”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Yeah, I’m a half blood too,” said Hannah List, a good friend of mine.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Is our whole town full of half-bloods?” I asked because seriously including me that was six from one town.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Hannah laughed. “No, it’s just us. Then again, we didn’t know about you, so who knows. I guess the gods like little boring towns.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I smiled and sat back down. Hannah sat next to me.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“So Drew, how are you adjusting?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Fine, I guess.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Bad dreams?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Yeah, really bad.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Like what?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Giants, two of them on an island.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Have you talked to Chiron?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I will, tomorrow.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“He’s going to want to talk to you too.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Why?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Because I checked out your home, Drew.” Hannah seemed scared. “There are some things there that Chiron needs to talk to you about.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Hannah was obviously holding back.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“What ‘things’?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Hannah looked away from me. She fiddled with a small stone. “Chiron doesn’t want me to say anything. He didn’t even want me to talk to you before he got a chance too.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Can you at least tell me which is my real parent?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“No.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“That’s more than a little frustrating.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Yeah, I know.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“What if I was really annoying about it?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">She smiled, but didn’t respond.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“So,” I said trying to think of anything to talk about. “Who’s your parent?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“My mom is my mortal parent, but the one that matters here, that’s Apollo.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Totally called it.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“What?” She gave me a look like I was a crazy person. I didn’t like it much. “You’re, like, crazy good with music,” I said, backtracking.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Oh, thank you.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Have you ever met Apollo?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Once.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“You don’t want to talk about, do you?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“No.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I put my arm around Hannah. “Well I’m here now if you ever want to talk about it.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Hannah looked at me with a quizzically.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I continued talking. “You were there for me earlier this year and I needed that, so now if you need something, I’m here. I’m your friend, that’s why I’m here. Um, well I guess I’m also here kinda ‘cause Doc Cohen tried to kill a bunch of us.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“You’re funny Drew.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I know.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">She playfully shoved me.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">We talked for a while, just sitting on the rock talking about anything that came to mind. The sun started to come over the world. The light crept up on us and we went back to our cabins.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I stopped for a minute to put my vest and weapons back in my backpack and then a ray of light hit my back. It warmed my body and my vision changed. I went into a slightly overhead view. It was a third person view. I could still move normally but I could move my view independently from my eyes. I looked at myself and saw my eyes. They were glowing gold. That’s when I changed back to my normal view.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I ran to the lake and looked into the reflective surface of the water and saw that my eyes were normal.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">That was really weird. I’d ask Chiron about that when I met with him, but first I had to get to my cabin. I was going to work as hard as I could because honestly I was looking forward to capture the flag and I was not going to mess that up for myself.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Connor and Travis were leading the Hermes cabin towards the dinning pavilion for breakfast. I took my place at the back of the line, even though; I was easily the tallest person in the line.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I went through the motions of the morning; eating, showering, and a brief workout routine at my bunk. Then the Stoll brothers shouted getting everyone ready for combat practice. We got to the arena and everyone paired up. I was stuck with a wiry kid who twirled his sword around. His name was Ryan and I could tell he was annoyed to be paired up with the new kid. His constant glare expressed that perfectly.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Connor and Travis shouted for us to start before attacking each other. I was watching them and saw them starting to spar and then felt like I got punched in the stomach. The only reason I didn’t double over in the dirt was because I was used to being punched in the stomach in boxing.

“In a real battle you’d be dead,” Ryan said with a smirk.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I drew my knife and turned slowly as I regained my breath. He slashed again but I was able to get out of the way. He was smaller than me by at least ten, fifteen pounds and three or four inches, but he had the longer weapon.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">He stepped forward and tried and overhead strike. I deflected with my knife and shot and open palm strike into his helmeted head with my left hand. He staggered away dazed. I jumped at my opportunity.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I got within his guard so he couldn’t use his sword. Then I kicked out his knee and slapped him in the head with my knife. I watched him struggle to get up out of the dust.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Lucky shot,” he grumbled as he used his sword as a walking stick to pick himself up.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Maybe,” I said.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">He took a moment to compose himself. I knew he was the more experienced fighter, he’d probably actually fought monsters with his sword, but he’d obviously never fought a boxer before. He rushed me and I blocked two of his slashes before I had to jump out of reach. But I jumped right back in his face. I made a series of slashed that put Ryan into a panicked retreat. I’d gotten to close for him to use his sword effectively. I felt my hands getting sweaty and the knife was getting harder and harder to hold onto. I cursed myself for not putting on my fingerless gloves before the fight. I knew it was just a matter of time before I dropped the knife, so I threw it. Ryan slashed awkwardly upward and deflected it, but I was already on top of him. I punched at his face twice, both times hitting his helmet and then I grabbed him and kicked out his legs.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">We both fell in a heap of Kevlar and Bronze. He dropped his sword and I put him in a strangle hold. I used his bulky armor’s added weight to my advantage. He couldn’t move very well on the ground and I was cutting off his air supply. He tried to get his legs underneath us to get himself up but I kicked them out every time.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Ryan was starting to slow and I felt hands pull me away so I let go. Ryan gasped and dove at me and I jumped away. I saw my knife and scrambled for it.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I’m going to freaking kill you!” Ryan was upset if you couldn’t tell.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I grabbed my kukri and scrambled to get up and turned. Four guys were holding Ryan back. I felt bad for a moment but then he swore at me and I stopped. I looked at my knuckles. The skin had been torn and stung from punching solid bronze armor.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Hey calm down!” Connor said. He and his brother had mischievous smiles on their faces. “We’re going to have a show down now!”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“In one corner we’re going to have Ryan “The Hot Shot” Roberts!” Travis said and rose up one of Ryan’s hands. “Versus, the new guy who has yet to get a nick name, Darren, something or other, I have not taken the effort to learn your name and I apologize for that!” he shouted and someone pulled my unarmed hand in the air.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“My name’s Drew.” “No one cares yet,” yelled someone out of sight.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">The Hermes cabin drew a circle in the dirt and stood around it chanting.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Tear him up Ryan!”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Fight, fight, fight!”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Someone gave Ryan a shield. That was going to be a problem; so far my strategy was to get past his sword and punch him in the head. With a shield it was going to be difficult.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Do I get a shield?” I asked someone over my shoulder.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Hell no, kid.” The kid pushed me forward. “Get in there and kill!”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I staggered forward and regained my composure. I looked Ryan right in the eyes and saw a kid who had something to prove. Then again, I had something to prove.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I felt the sun’s heat on my back and my whole body warmed. I smiled. Ryan, looking unnerved, took a step back and when I didn’t move he decided to attack me. He was more cautious than before.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">My vision started to change and Ryan was taken aback. Half the Hermes cabin was stunned into silence. I was in my third person mode. I moved forward with a bounce in my step. I saw my eyes, they were glowing gold again. I could work with this.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Ryan slashed and I saw the arch, he was moving in slow motion. I got out of the way and countered with a slash of my own. It hit the rim on the shield and nicked his helmet.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">We both took a step back and I saw my opening. I ran forward and jumped. I put one foot on the shield and I kicked. I fell backwards in the dirt but so did Ryan. I got up faster than he did. Doc Cohen had trained me and everyone else in my group of wantabe super humans. That suddenly made sense. Doc Cohen probably knew I was a half blood long ago. He must’ve been trying to find the potential half-bloods.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Anyway, I got up and lunged. I kicked away Ryan’s sword and slashed downward. He blocked with his big shield. I was really starting to hate that thing and he hit me in the leg with it. That surprised me and I was suddenly back in first person.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I tackled him. He held his shield in between me and him. His arms were pinned and I finally had a way to finish this. I put my kukri to his neck and put pressure, not enough to cut skin but enough for him to know who had the real power here.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Okay, time to break it up,” one of the Stoll brothers said.

<p style="text-indent:.5in"> I got up and I was smiling. I was expecting congratulations and cheers but all I got was silence and stares.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Somebody broke the silence with, “Dude that was freaking scary.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Connor Stoll stepped into the ring and his brother followed him. They both had their weapons drawn. “Do that again.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Connor raised his sword but it was a feint. I blocked a strike from Travis and I jumped back. I was on the defensive, the two of them worked like a nothing I’d ever seen before. In moments they had their sword points at my throat.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“So, the new kid just got lucky?” asked someone behind me. That annoyed me in a way I couldn’t quantify. The Stoll brother dropped their guard for a second looking at the speaker. I felt my heart beat fast a few times and I went back into third person.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I slashed, knocking both swords away from me. I lunged and I quickly put them on the defensive.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I saw Ryan come up from behind me. I timed it perfectly. I moved in Ryan’s path and he tried to stop himself, but he couldn’t he slid and I slipped out of the way before he could run into me. He ploughed right into Connor and I ducked under Travis’ blade. I smacked his helmet with the side of my blade. I kicked Ryan in the side and finished with a slash across Connor’s chest, knocking him to the ground. I returned to normal vision.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Holy crap,” I stammered.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“We are going to destroy tomorrow,” said Travis.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Welcome to the team,” said Connor. They each took one of my hands and shook.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">My body was in more pain than I’d ever felt before but I couldn’t stop running, the rest of the Hermes kids were right behind me. There were two determined Hermes campers ahead of me, but they were built for speed. I was still trying to impress them. I’d been working hard all day, I just wished Connor and Travis were still here, but they had to go to some meeting of the cabin leaders.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I was just about to cross the finish line when a horse leapt in front of me. I slid and fell on my behind and looked at the rider. It was Chiron. He held out his hand.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Come child, we have much to discuss,” he said.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I grabbed it and he threw me over his back. I held onto his shoulders and basically tried not to get thrown off. We came to the big house, I slid off and Chiron slipped into his magic wheel chair.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Please take a seat,” said Chiron. “We have much to discuss.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“You keep saying that.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I followed Chiron into the room and I was taken aback. In the room were some of the most powerful demigods. There were representatives from each of the major cabins and a few others sitting behind their cabin leaders. The cabin leaders were all arguing with each other.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“You cannot just cast us aside!” yelled a large girl in a camo jacket. “We’re the best warriors here!”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Just cooperate with us, Clarisse,” A blonde boy said. “We can’t just break down everything just because you want something from us.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Cabin leaders!” Chiron’s voice broke through the din. “This is Drew DeYoung an undetermined camper.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“So?” questioned Clarisse.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“He’s the new camper from New Hampshire.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">There was silence among the group.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“What’s in New Hampshire?” I asked.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Chiron put a hand on my shoulder. “Take a seat Drew.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">The blonde kid pushed the only available chair, one next to him, so I could sit next to him. “I’m Jason Grace, son of Jupiter.” He introduced the rest of the people sitting around the table. “Miranda Gardiner, Demeter, Clarisse La Rue, Ares, Annabeth Chase, Athena, Will Solace and Hannah List from Apollo, Leo Valdez, Hephaestus, Piper McLean, Aphrodite, You know Connor and Travis, Pollux is from Dionysus Cabin, and Butch son of Iris.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Right after you were exfiltrated from your school,” Jason continued. “Chiron and I asked Hannah here, who as you know was already in the area to check out your parents. You see all of our records showed you having a stable family and no record of adoption or remarriage or illegitimacy. We had no idea you could even be a half blood. When Hannah approached the house she was surprised to see a large number of monsters crawling around the premises.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Jason stopped talking and motioned for Hannah to continue.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I couldn’t get close. There was everything from wolves to earthborn. I stayed and observed the premises until I saw a dozen wraiths arrive in a truck with a large monster I’d never seen before. They were met by…” she faltered. “I’m sorry Drew. They met with your parents and I could see through the Mist, Drew. They were monsters.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I didn’t show any emotion. I stayed rock solid on the outside. But on the inside I was shattered.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“You said a trio,” I said. “My parents are two, who’s the third?” “Josh, your brother.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“What type of monsters are they?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Hannah looked at me and seemed to see through my iron resolve. She saw how hard I was trying to stay stoic in the face of the camp councilors.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“They’re Avengers.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“What the hell is that?” asked Clarisse. No one reprimanded her for she was asking what everyone else in the room was thinking.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Avengers are Egyptian monsters. They have the head of a falcon and they are very fast. They were thought to be extinct when Mark Antony and Cleopatra were defeated by Octavian’s Roman forces at Actium.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“That was a long time ago,” Will Solace, head of Apollo’s cabin, said

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“What is with all the Egyptian monsters showing up?” asked Clarisse. “We’re up yes to our neck in monsters already. Why do we need a whole new type of them?” “Because we can’t catch a break,” Connor said. His ever present smirk was nowhere to be seen.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“So, what are we going to do?” I asked.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Jason stood and I could tell that this was his element, war.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“We’re going to send a strike team to Bow, NH. This team is going to interrogate these ‘Avengers’ and find out their specific commander. From what I’ve been told, they are mid-level operators. They can command ground troops, but they are relaying information from a greater source.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“And Jason, do you have a team in mind?” Chiron asked.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Everyone in the room stiffened up. Each person was excited, there was a quest, a chance to leave the camp and test themselves in the real world against real enemies.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I need all the heads of camp to stay here, we’re going to need out primary leadership to mobilize once the Argo II is completed. We have to send in a team that knows the area.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“So I’ll be leading the team?” asked Hannah.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“No,” Jason said. “We can’t afford that you might’ve been spotted by the avengers. If that is so, then if you’re seen by them they spook and attack. No, we have to be more covert. Drew, we need your assistance.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“You need me to go back and pretend that nothing’s wrong.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. I knew that I’d have to go back and I really didn’t want to. But I saw Jason and everyone else. These weren’t characters from a book anymore. They were real people.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Yes Drew, I hate to ask but, can you do this? Can you go home?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“And get a shot at killing the things that lied to me my entire lives? Darn right I can! The only thing I have to ask is who’s coming with me?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Jason sat back down, obviously relieved. “We have to talk to them but I think that the people who brought you here are all your friends and they live in Bow. As long as you all don’t storm into your home and try to kill everything you’ll be fine.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Sounds like a lot of fun.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Chiron stepped forward. “This is a team of five. A team of three would be better, more in sync with the ancient traditions.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I’m sorry Chiron but we can’t afford to weaken our strike team. There are three avengers and I have doubts that they’ll be able to be beaten in a one on one. Killed maybe, but certainly not captured.” Jason said. “I’ve put a lot of thought into this and sending a five man team that knows the terrain, will be best.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Chiron nodded, satisfied with the logic in the statement. “Drew, do you accept the quest?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I smiled. “Yeah, like I said, it’s going to be a lot of fun.” Inside however, I smiling was the last thing I wanted to do. I didn’t think this would be a lot of fun. I was scared out of my mind. Going home was going to be very hard.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">During dinner on Wednesday there was an excitement buzzing through the campers. It was time for capture the flag. As soon as the meal was over the tables were covered in arms and armor. Each cabin helped each other slap on armor before lining up in rows. No one was given helmets yet.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I found that the people here were very loyal, especially when you’re a good fighter. After the meeting I went back with Hermes cabin and I made a comment about not having any more clothes. Connor and Travis put their arms around me and led me into a back room of the cabin and opened a closet with a hand full other senior campers.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“We’re going to how you something we’ve never showed anyone undetermined, but we think you’re one of us. But you can never tell anyone about this, ever,” Connor said.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Or you’ll have some major problems,” Travis finished.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I just flashed a smile and said, “No problem.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">They stepped into the closet and I followed them. As soon as I stepped in, I was stepping into a convenience store. There were a few mortals wandering around but they didn’t seem to notice a half dozen teenagers just materialize, but I noticed that we just stepped out a door that said bathroom with an “out of order” sign on the door.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I followed the guys out of the store and into a small town. It must’ve been somewhere in upstate New York. It was rural, tons of trees, and all of the buildings were tiny.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“So, um, where are we going?” I asked the group.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Right there,” Connor and Travis said together. They pointed to a building with a display board saying “Welcome to Happy Harpy’s Department Store.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Okay everyone get ready.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“What’s going on,” I asked.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">My cabin mates pulled out weapons, bows, swords, and shields, and rushed the department store.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">About ten seconds into the attack I understood. The Happy Harpy’s Department Store was actually run by harpies. They were killing them all so we could rob the store. Also there were only two harpies and they were very fat. It took two seconds to kill them and eight seconds for them to explain the situation to me. Luckily, I’m a fast learner.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Travis shoved a duffle bag into my arms.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Fill it up son. Anything you want, it’s yours. Stealing from monsters isn’t stealing.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I immediately went to a section with leather jackets and found a nice one and put it in the bag. I moved to trench coats, from there I grabbed some jeans and cargo pants, muscle shirts, fleece socks, a cool Marine Corps t-shirt and then something caught my eye from the corner of the room. It was a military section celebrating the release of the newest World War 3 game.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I grabbed a full set of red urban and woodland Delta Force camo. I felt like one of the Special Operation Commandos from the game with the clothes. I don’t know why that kind of stuff gets me so excited. I blame TV.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Okay everyone, it’s time to leave!” The brothers called. I through my now very heavy duffle bag over my shoulder and I ran after them. They booked it. We must’ve been on a strict timetable. Now I have clothes.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Now I was wearing my woodland camo outfit. I strapped up my Kevlar vest and inserted shotgun shells into a number of inserts on the front. I then slapped on knee and elbow pads followed by fingerless gloves. I checked my knife and shotgun and then, I was ready for battle.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Chiron walked in front of the assembly and held out a scroll.

“Blue team will consist of Zeus, Athena, Apollo, Hermes, and Aphrodite cabins. All others, Ares, Hephaestus, Demeter, Dionysus, Iris, Hypnos, Nemesis, Nike, Hebe, Tyce, and Hecate, will be the Red team. Now heroes, no killing or maiming during the game. Grab your helmets and Blue team will be on the east side and Red will be in the west.”

The organized lines degraded and turned into a mob. I shoved to the table with the helmets and took one that was obviously made for me. It was a Delta Force Kevlar helmet with goggles and a mask covering my mouth and nose. It also had a blue stripe down the middle. It fit perfectly.

I got out of the crowd and followed the blue group.

“Hey Drew, wait up!”

I turned around and Sam ran up to me. “Hey, you’re looking good; you’re on my team, Drew. Did the Stoll’s tell you what your job is?” “Um, no,” I said. It was good to see Sam, but I was kind of surprised because I hadn’t seen him since I’ve been here so I’d kind of felt abandoned. Seeing him again was charged with a number of conflicting emotions. But I put the negative ones aside. He was my friend and I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

“You’re with me and Alice. We’re going to be doing some front line work. We’re going to see some action. I hope you’re ready.”

“Oh, I was born ready.”

Sam took the lead and waved for me to follow. He led me to an area in the woods where a dozen heavily armored teenagers were waiting. Their shields all had symbols on them representing their Olympian parent. I recognized two of them from Hermes cabin, Ryan and another named Chip.

Sam walked up to them and was greeted. He and introduced me to the group.

“Hey everyone, this is Drew. You probably heard about his arena performance. We thought he might be a good candidate for this attack.”

“You guys heard about that?” I asked.

Sam thumped me on the back in a comrade-like manner. “We hear if there are any new and talented fighters.”

“So I’m really that good?”

“If you do as well as you did in the arena, you’ve got no problems. I mean Ryan’s pretty damn good and if you could take him on, let alone both Stoll brothers. That’s no small feat.”

“Sam, time to go.”

Alice had seemingly materialized out of nowhere.

“Did you just?” I started to ask but Alice interrupted me. She sounded more annoyed than anything.

“I’m good at sneaking, Drew. That’s why I’m the scout.” She looked back to Sam, obviously impatient. “It’s time to go.”

There was the sound of a conch shell and screams as the game began and people ran to battle. The group I was with followed Alice into the undergrowth, sneaking into the woods.

“So what are we doing?” I asked.

“Quiet!” Alice chastised me.

Sam stayed beside me and whispered, “Ares cabin almost always sticks together. They’re stronger in a group. What they’ll do is let all the other cabins fight together for a few minutes and then they’ll charge right in and overwhelm our defenses. What we have to do is intercept them long enough for another team lead by Jason and Annabeth, to get their flag and bring it back.” “Oh so basically we’re going against the best fighters in the camp.”

“Yes.” “So we’re going to totally die.”

“Come on Drew, this is just like boxing.”

“Yeah except if you make a wrong move, you die.”

“Since when do you worry so much?” “Since I heard we’re taking on Clarisse. I’ve heard too much about her spear.” “Don’t worry about her; we’ve got a plan for her. It’s the guy named Mark you have to worry about. He’s a gun guy, like you.”

I was intrigued, for I hadn’t seen any other gun wielding warriors at the camp. “What does he use?”

“He’s got a pair of double barreled shotguns. He normally uses paint but we’ve seen fire balls come out of the barrels.” Sam shivered, possibly with anticipation, or fear.

“You two, shut up!” whispered Alice from the front. “They’re up ahead, get in formation.” Our people were hiding in the foliage on top of a hill. There was an open field in front of us. Beyond that the woods continued to fan out.

“Formation?” I asked.

“Follow us in, Drew.” Sam looked a head and I followed his gaze. I didn’t see anything at first but I started to hear something. There were shouts and yelps like a pack of wolves descending on sheep. The cries grew louder and the undergrowth on the other side of the field erupted. Three Blue team campers ran out of the field and were quickly followed by a dozen of the biggest warriors, both males and females, wearing blood red splashes on their armor.

They were the Ares Cabin.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">They descended on the three blues and destroyed them. Their spears and swords and shields smashed over their heads. There was one that kept to the back of the group. He carried the shotguns. He still wore Greek battle armor just with a pair of bandoleers over his chest. That’s why I didn’t notice him before. He fit in with the rest of his kind, bloody and brutal.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Alice drew her bow and so did another, a boy from the Apollo cabin. The others readied themselves and I unslung my shotgun from my back. I knew that one us ranged fighters would have to take down Mark. I didn’t have to get as close as he would, for me to hit him but he had much more experience. Regardless, I was going to take him out.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I looked at Alice and she caught my eye. I saw her aim her bow not at the monstrous warrior in front of the group, one I would assume is Clarisse, but at Mark. She had everything under control. She knew I’d be able to wreak havoc among the slower armored warriors.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">She let the arrow loose and Mark staggered back, the bolt sticking out of his chest. He staggered but did not fall. The other arrow hit the biggest warrior but Clarisse kept moving forward as if it was nothing. We all broke from our cover and charged into the ranks of the Ares children.

<p style="text-indent:.5in"> I ran with them but stayed my trigger finger. I ran past the main clash and clamor. Mark broke the arrow protruding from his chest and looked up to see me fire into his face. The paint splashed out of his face. He fell to the ground and fired all four barrels simultaneously, two of which hit my chest and knocked me to the ground.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I was down but certainly not out. I rolled over and got to my feet, a little sore maybe, but still able to fight. It was much easier for me in my lighter, more modern, armor than his heavy bronze plates. I shot him as I rose, twice and then three times. I fired until he stopped trying to pick himself up.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I turned back towards my people and I was horrified by what I saw. In hindsight I should’ve known how this was going to go. It was a straight one on one fight between a mixed batch and a unified group of hardcore Ares kids. Sam and two Athena kids were the only ones holding their own.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">The last light of the sun hit my body and it warmed me. I went into third person. I was starting to like the feeling. I saw my weapon’s trajectory and spread pattern. I fired and nailed two of the Ares kids in the back. I then realized my plan was a bad idea.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">The two Ares kids turned around and I fired again but then I was out of ammo and they were still stalking forward towards me. This was going to be difficult. I threw my shotgun away, it was useless now. I drew my knife but it seemed small, especially in third person.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Then I had a realization, if I did well my parent would have no choice but to send me a sign. They’d have to tell me who they were and I would finally find a place where I belonged. That gave me an incredible determination.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I let out a barbaric yell and so did the two Ares kids. I stabbed, slashed, parried, ducked, weaved, and rolled. I felt invincible. That was until Clarisse turned to me. The other two Ares warriors backed off. She came at me with her spear. Even with my gift, the slowing of all around me, Clarisse was still too fast for me. The spear was thrust into my gut and the sun passed on to warm the other side of the world. My sight returned to my eyes and all air exited my lungs. I managed to grab her spear with one hand and when she pulled it close I was in turn was pulled towards her.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">My knife was heavy in my hand but I brought its steel and iron blade into her helmet. It flew off and the spear slackened in her hand. It fell and I brought my blade into her chest plate, but I was still not strong enough. She kicked me in the chest and the force threw me ten feet backwards.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">She came at me again with her spear, but I desperately slashed and managed to parry the point. It drove deep into the loam beside me, I saw the moon. In that moment I made a realization: wasn’t the moon just a reflection of the sun? Yes, I’d read that in science class years ago. I closed my eyes and then I could see again.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Third person view is good for fighting. I mean I wouldn’t want it all the time, that would be just plain weird, but when it comes to being able to see everything, in battle, it really comes in handy.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I closed my fist on the solid wood rod and pulled myself up and slapped Clarisse in the face with the flat of my blade. Clarisse stepped back and dropped the spear but she drew a sword from her belt.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I let out a guttural yell and ran right at Clarisse. We traded blows and I could feel my knife getting heavier and heavier with each strike. I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep this up much longer. I decided in that moment, if I was going to go down, I was going to go down like the hero I so wanted to be and heroes kept fighting the hard fight. Both her reach and her blade were longer. As I parried I was pushed back. I was fast with my knife but she was just as fast with her longer weapon.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Sam broke through and slammed his shield into her side. Clarisse tumbled away, stunned.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I had that totally under control!” I yelled at my friend.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">He laughed and retorted, “Whatever you say, Drew.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">The two of us stood by each other as Clarisse got back on her feet. We both charged right at her. All she held in her fist was the short sword but Sam had sword and shield and I had my knife. She was fast but so were the two of us. Before too long she was down on the ground and knocked out.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Sam hit me on the shoulder playfully and then stopped for a moment.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“What’s wrong with your eyes?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I looked at my eyes in the third person view. They were glowing silver instead of the ‘normal’ gold. But Sam didn’t know about that at all.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I don’t know, it’s cool though,” I said trying to deflect. “Hey Sam, watch your back!”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">An Ares kid came up beyond Sam but due to my warning he was able to turn and block and double handed blow with his shield. He dove into the fight, momentarily distracted.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I was about to follow him but I saw something on the edge of my vision. The paint covered Mark stood up and reloaded one of his shotguns with a shell that looked different from mine. I turned around and charged him. He saw and he smiled at me. He pointed the gun and I jumped out of the trajectory but when he pulled the trigger, a ball of fire flew passed me. The heat burned up all the air from my lungs and evaporated the paint off my chest. I awkwardly tired to get up and tried to get a breath but then I immediately threw myself to the ground as a second ball flew over my head.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">He had a long reload time, which gave me all enough time to get off the ground and close the distance. I brought my knife onto the shotgun and it became a sawed off shotgun.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“You bastard!” He shouted at me.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I kicked him in the fork of his legs and followed it up with a punch to the jaw.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Stay down!”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Mark didn’t want to stay down however. He got to his feet and tackled me. My knife flew away and I lost my extended vision. And now he had the advantage. I had no training in grappling and he was much heavier than I was in his bronze armor. I tried to wiggle out from under him but he repaid me in kind for the punch I landed on his jaw and let me tell you, jaw punches hurt. He brought his knee up but I was able to block it before he dug it into my side.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Then I did the only thing that I knew in a situation like this. I pulled one of my arms out from between our bodies and I threw my arms around his neck and kicked out his legs. It was a tactic that had brought me into victory in many a squall but this was a Greek trained warrior and on top of that the son of the war god, Ares. He was ruthless.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">He pulled himself up and drove his fist into my stomach. I lost my breath; it had been driven out of me. Even though I wore a Kevlar vest, I still felt as though I’d been hit by a small truck. I curled into a fetal position as he started to rain blows down upon me. He thought I was beaten but I needed to curl myself up so I could change the dynamic of the fight. I brought my feet into his chest and threw him off. I used the momentum to roll away from Mark.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I was able to grab my knife and I got to my feet. Mark drew a xiphos blade. It was the traditional weapon of a Spartan. It wasn’t long, but it was longer than my knife. I allowed the silver to shine in my eyes and I saw a way to beat him, but I wasn’t experienced, I wasn’t trained, and I wasn’t fast enough. I slashed with my knife at his helmeted head only to be blocked again and again.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">A group of blue team warriors came out of the undergrowth the lead one carried a gladius, a standard issue Roman blade and had lightning bolts stenciled on his helmet. Mark disengaged with me and turned to face the son of Jupiter but even he was no match.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Piper McLean, head of Aphrodite’s cabin, ran past holding the Ares cabin’s flag in her hand. She was flanked by a half dozen Aphrodite and Hermes children. When an Ares warrior ran after her, children of Apollo appeared from the opposite side of the woods and sent arrow after arrow into his armor.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">The conch sounded and the Ares kids screamed in frustration. They tried to destroy everything around them, driving their spears and swords into trees and bushes. Dryads and Nymphs in turn screamed and ran from the destruction of their homes and then suddenly all was quiet.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">There was something wrong, everyone could feel it. The wind stopped blowing and the crickets, frogs, and other noisy animals of the night were silent. Something evil was close by.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I saw my shotgun and retrieved it, immediately loaded the celestial bronze rounds into the chamber. The cambers all moved together creating a ring and I slipped in as well.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Anyone hear anything?” whispered someone behind me. It was too tense to say anything in a normal tone.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Shut up,” scolded Alice. I felt momentarily good that I wasn’t the only one she scolded, but the feeling evaporated fast.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">There was a stirring in the woods. A tremble was felt by all. Everyone shivered even in the hottest of summer nights, even covered head to toe in hot armor.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">There was a roar. Similar to the roar of a cow yet it seemed deeper, older, darker.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Then it was quiet again. I saw movement to my left and I turned to face our new enemy. There was nothing there. I looked harder for I was sure there was something there. I saw two glowing points that may or may not exist, and still I looked harder. They winked out and only darkness remained. I willed myself to go into third person but after losing it again and again today I couldn’t.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">There was a roar again and a mighty beast tore out of the woods. It was huge, the length and height of a school bus. It looked like a triceratops, a dinosaur I’d learned about in kindergarten, but it was armor plated and brutal tusks sprouted from its mouth along with three rows of long dagger-like teeth.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Behemoth!” shouted someone from Athena’s cabin I’d never met.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I fired my shotgun but I could only release three shells into it before I had to dive out of the way. The tank of a monster continued to plow straight through our scattering formation. I saw Alice put an arrow that subsequently exploded in the place between armor plates but it barely made the beast slow.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Jason jumped between the tusks and slashed at the monster’s face with his gladius. It roared and stood on its back legs, trying to throw off the hero. Failing that it lowered its head and charged. It wasn’t directed at anything or anyone in particular, it was just forward. Jason barely made it off in time for the creature, one I’d never seen before in Greek mythology, was faster than it appeared.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">It flattened a patch of trees and crashed into a sizeable boulder, breaking it into a shower of smaller stones. But after a quick shake of the head, it turned and charged us again.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">We were smaller and more agile so we were able to dodge the beast. I sprayed the shells into its face whenever it turned to me, yet it did nothing unless its mouth was open and even then it just leveled its tusks and charged faster.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">As it rushed its way through a group of Blue team’s warriors I heard a scream. It was not the screams of those who are frightened but safe no this was the genuine terror of one who is truly about to die. I turned to see that it was Grace she had fallen to the ground.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">It takes a long time for me to truly trust someone but when I do, when I truly call that person a friend, then I become deathly loyal and protective.

<p style="text-indent:.5in"> The monster turned around and saw my friend lying there. It enraged the beast. It lowered its head, let out a great bellow from its lungs, and charged.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I was not going to let my friend die. I cast aside my shotgun, for against this foe it was useless. I drew my knife. I didn’t know how good it would be against its armor skin. I ran as fast as I could, my legs burned and I intercepted the monster. My knife carved a clean slice through the plates. The monster veered off and howled in pain.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I stood over my friend as the monster turned. It looked at me with nothing but pure hatred in its eyes. It hesitated a moment and I saw more than just hatred, there was fear. I saw its fear, I saw that I could do serious damage to it, and then I saw the moon. I let the light warm my skin and I closed my eyes and my sight changed one more time.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I was able to see everything again. The feeling was amazing and not for the first time today I felt invincible. I charged the giant monster my knife in hand and I leapt high, narrowly missing the razor sharp tusks. I landed on its face and dug my blade into it. The beast bellowed below me and so I rose, bring my knife with me and then used the knife for what it was best at, slashing. I cut at its face and eye and the monster reared up on its back legs. I brought my knife up again and my entire body tingled with power. The light of the sun, reflected in the moon shone bright and it warmed my body. I came down with strike after strike and with each blow my body heated again until I erupted in flame.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Now I have to tell you this, finding yourself on fire is, how do I put it, a concerning feeling. I felt the flames and it hurt. If you’ve ever been on fire you’d understand, but I saw that it did not blister my skin and for that I was happy. Then I remembered that I was on fire. The only thing that kept me from panicking was that I saw that the flames hurt the monster.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">The monster did not like having a burning, knife wielding demigod on its face and it came down and charged forward. I remembered Jason, how he just barely got out of the way. I was not as fast or as nimble as he was. Nor was I a son of Jupiter or Zeus, apparently.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I dug my knife into the monster’s head and I closed my eyes but my sight was on Grace. She was safe, frightened and shook up, yes, but she was safe and that was important.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I started to scream, the flames were too much and I was going to die. It provided me no calm; it just let me drive my knife deeper. The flames got even hotter.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Stop!” I shouted on the top of my lungs and in a brilliant starburst the flames pushed away from my body. The monster turned to dust as it ran and I was sprawled on the ground, my body coated in a thick layer of yellow, sulfurous, dust. I tried to stand but there was barely enough strength in my body to keep myself breathing.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I felt hands on my back roll me over, but I could see nothing. That was disturbing. I was kind of getting used to being able to see everything. That made seeing nothing more frustrating than anything.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I heard muffled voices, some were saying my name I think but it was hard to tell. At that moment the only thing I wanted to do was go to sleep and I just killed a giant thing so I kind felt that I could take some time for myself. What I’m trying to say is, I passed out.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I was suddenly back home, home meaning Bow, NH. I saw monsters crawling all over the front yard I played in as a child. It annoyed me greatly. My view went inside the building where my dad sat on the couch with my mom. They were watching something on the TV and behind them was my brother playing with a soccer ball and trying not to hit Nike the golden retriever they’d just bought before I’d left.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">It was so weird, so normal. They were still going on with their life while monsters covered the property. Was that how it always was and I just couldn’t see them?

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“So, did Gaea tell you what our next move is?” asked my dad.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Yes, she says the boy will return to us,” my mom replied without any hint of emotion.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I knew killing the children in the school was a bad idea,” my dad said. “But did anyone listen? No, because we’ve been sitting around babysitting a child for eighteen years just so he can run off with a bunch of heroes.” He was obviously frustrated. He held an alcoholic beverage in one hand and the other was tightly clenched.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“The boy will come back and then we will put him back where he belongs.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“We should’ve just killed him years ago before he could make trouble.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“He’s going to be useful. If you can’t trust Gaea, trust me. Have I ever served you wrong?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“No, not in all our long years.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Drew, it’s time for you to get up now.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I didn’t know what said that last line. No one I could see was talking to me.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Drew, now!”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">The voice came back but this time she, yes it was definitely a female. I could feel a power emanate from the voice.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Please Drew, you don’t want me to ask again.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Fine,” I said and I sat up.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I was back in the big house, now sitting on the table in the middle of the room. The room was crowded. Chiron was in full horseman form and was backed into a corner. Sam, Alice, and Hannah were in the crowd next to Jason but they were backed off. They looked really shocked, borderline afraid.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“What’s up?” I asked.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I needed to speak to you.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">There was that voice again but I still couldn’t see where it came from.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Can anyone else hear that?” I asked.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Drew, turn around.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I felt really dumb, but I turned and I caught my breath. The woman who stood behind me was beautiful. She was about 5’ 5” with chocolate brown hair that shone gold when the light hit it.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Like, whoa,” was all I could get out of my mouth.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">The lady smiled. “Oh Drew, I’ve been wanting to speak to you for a while.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Why?” was all I could reply with.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">She frowned which seemed counter productive to everything about her. It didn’t fit on here beautiful face.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“You don’t know who I am, do you?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I’m sorry ma’am but no. If it makes you feel better I feel quite guilty for not remembering.” I was babbling like an idiot. I didn’t know what was wrong with me.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">She smiled and blushed, that fit her face much better.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Oh Drew, you flatter me, but don’t feel bad. We’ve never met. I’m Aphrodite, goddess of beauty, among other things.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“That explains the whole…beauty thing you’ve got going.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">She giggled, like Grace and Kara would from time to time, but it didn’t really seem to fit her being a goddess, it was too human. But maybe that was the charm of the Greek gods. They were more relatable to humans. My God was too vast to comprehend and while these gods were powerful, they were still nothing compared to Him.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“You’re sweet. But I need to get to business; Zeus doesn’t want us to be talking to any of the heroes. My message is important though. I’m sorry Drew, but I’m not your mother, none of the Olympians are your parents. Zeus is quite upset, he almost claimed you based on nothing more than your courage and creativity but you’re not his. Ares also freaked out and checked through every woman he’d ever had relations with in the last twenty years. That was a long list, let me tell you.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Then who am I?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">She gave me a pitying look and stroked my cheek. Her touch made me feel a little bit better. It warmed my body, not like when I was fighting and went into third person that was more of a burning fire inside of me, no; her touch reminded me of a warm fleece blanket wrapped around me on a cold night.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“We don’t know, but I was able to award you the title of champion. I fought the Olympians to give you that honor, almost all of us wanted to give it to you but since what seems to have set you off was my daughter Grace. You are my champion.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Grace was a daughter of Aphrodite? Well I guess that made sense, she was probably the most beautiful person I’d ever met. Well, except Aphrodite, but she wasn’t a person was she.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Thank you ma’am; I will make you proud.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I know you will.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">She started to walk off, but paused to say something over her shoulder. “And Chiron, you might want to get your team going to New Hampshire soon.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">She then dissolved in a cloud of rose petals.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“So, what’s going on?” I asked no one in particular.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Chiron walked back into the center of the room.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“We’re going to talk about the quest tomorrow. Drew, get some rest. You will be moved to the Aphrodite cabin now. Grace, please help Drew collect his things and help him get a bunk.” Chiron looked exhausted. “Jason and Samuel please stay here, I need to talk to you right now.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I then realized I was on a table so I slid off and followed Grace who was already outside of the building. I jogged to catch up with her but she moved with purpose away from me.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Hey, um, are you okay?” I asked Grace.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">She didn’t look it. Grace looked like she was doing everything in her power not to break down and cry.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I’m fine, Drew. Let’s just get you moved.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">That was obviously a lie. She started to walk faster, pulling ahead of me.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I contemplated a moment, asking myself if I should press the issue of just drop it. Grace was my friend and she was in some kind of pain.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Grace, please, wait a moment,” I said. “I can tell there’s something wrong, I’m your friend. I don’t like seeing you in pain.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Grace stopped in her place and she turned on me and looked right into my eyes. I saw the fire in her eyes that had surprised and frightened me back in New Hampshire.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“You can tell there’s something wrong, but you can’t see what it is, can you?” she accused.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I tried to think fast but it was hard, my mind was racing over everything that had just happened. Then it struck me, something that Hannah had said last night.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Aphrodite,” I said.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">The fire in Grace’s eyes died a little.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Yes Drew, my mother didn’t come to see any of us, pretty much ever. Yet you come along and she comes down on your second day at camp to make you her champion. Do you know how long I’ve been coming to camp?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I have no idea.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I’ve been coming here since the summer between sixth and seventh grade. This is my sixth summer here and I’ve never met my mother. “

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Grace seemed to sink into herself. In that moment she wasn’t the proud hero she usually was. She was just a girl who needed her mother to tell her that she was proud of her.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">There was little I could do about her mother so I did the only thing I could. I gave her a hug.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">It’s funny how powerful a hug can be. If you think about it a hug is really just contact between two people, like shaking hands, but us humans have mixed so many emotions with the simple act it becomes so much more.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">We stood there in the low light of the moon for almost a minute before she pulled away and smiled at me.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I’m sorry Drew. It’s not you I’m angry at, it’s Aphrodite.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“There’s nothing to apologize for. The gods seem to be real punks anyway.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Let’s get your crap,” she said in good humor before kissing me. I half expected to pass out but I was definitely alert when it was over. She turned and walked away, flipping her hair.

Getting my crap, as Grace called it, didn’t take very long. Most of my stuff was in my large duffle bag. I threw it over my shoulder and I hit my bunk awkwardly. I shifted and revealed a part of the wall covered in names carved into the wood. I knelt down and I saw a few that I recognized, Percy Jackson son of Poseidon, Nico DiAngelo son of Hades, and Carl Lewis. I drew my knife and Grace knelt beside me, looked at the wall, understood, and walked out of the room. I carved my name beside them.

<p style="text-indent:.5in"> As I was heading out Connor and Travis stopped me.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Sorry you’re leaving man,” Connor said.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Yeah, we’re gonna miss you,” Travis continued.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“And remember, don’t tell anyone about the closet.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Because we’ll find you.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“And it won’t be fun.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I’m going to miss you guys,” I said and I started to walk away.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Oh, and if you need anything, just ask,” they yelled.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I waved over my shoulder but I didn’t look back. Grace was waiting for me by a swing set. When she saw me she timed the arch to get air and land in front of me.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Come on,” she said. “You’re going to be living in the best cabin in this place.” She led me to the other side of the weird arrangement of buildings and when I saw cabin 10, I would definitely say that it was the most colorful of the cabins.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">We stopped in front of it and Graced asked me, “So, how do you like it?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“It’s very pink,” I responded. The building was painted pink with lacey curtains. It looked like the worst place a guy could live in, but there was no way I was going to tell Grace that.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Grace shook her head and held the door open for me where the entire cabin, almost 20 campers, only four of which were males, which I had no problem with. The lead camper Piper McLean stepped forward.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Welcome to our cabin,” she said. “We have a room prepared for you. I know you’ve had a long day if you want to just be brought there now.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Yes please, that would be great,” I said. I was tired and actually now that I think about it I was pretty cold even in the warm summer night.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Piper led me through the crowd of campers. They all seemed to be looking me up and down and I suddenly became self conscious of my dirty military clothes. Grace melted into the crowd behind me, but I saw her surface after a moment and meet with a girl and they left for another room. I saw the other girl’s face as they turned another hall, it was Kara. She was a daughter of Aphrodite too? That really shouldn’t have been surprising.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I finally came to a stop in the very back of the cabin and Piper opened a door to a small room. It may have been small but it had one bed, one desk, a fridge, and a closet. The walls were plain white. The bed was raised three feet off the ground which was plenty of room for a small, three drawer dresser, and a trunk that had my name stenciled on it. It was simple and I liked that.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I hope you like it, this is out only single room and it’s just been sitting back here for awhile. I decided it should go to out champion,” Piper said.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“This is amazing, thank you, Piper.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">She smiled and left, closing the door behind her and the din of the other campers was suddenly gone; the room was sound proof. I open the trunk and threw my duffle into it. I took time to hand up my camouflage uniform on a hanger before I collapsed on my bed and passed out.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">My dreams took me far from this place. I saw a boy with black hair and sea green eyes, Percy Jackson, running through the wilderness with a pack of wolves. Then the scene shifted to Jason standing over a map of the United States and Chiron with him. They were involved in a heated argument. My dream shifted one more time, to a young boy in an aviator jacket. He was running down a dark tunnel full of swirling mist. He stopped and seemed to sense something wrong. He turned around and drew a pure black sword. He looked at me and cocked his head and squinted his eyes like he could just barely see me. After a moment he shook his head and slashed his sword and the connection broke.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Knocking on my door woke me up. I threw the covers off me and I started to get out of bed but the door flew open and Grace and Kara entered the room. They just stared at me for a moment for I was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“So,” I said awkwardly. “How are things?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Drew, put some clothes on,” Grace said. She wasn’t smiling. There was nothing but cold determination.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Kara started laughing and Grace glared at her.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I bent over and opened up my duffle and chose a pair of cargo pants, a muscle shirt, and my leather jacket.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“So what’s up?” I asked.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“We’re needed,” Grace said. “You, me, Kara, Sam, and Alice.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“We’re leaving now?”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Yeah.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Percy had a week at camp before they sent him on his first quest.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Our timetable is more strict.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I really wanted to try the climbing wall.”

<p style="text-indent:.5in">I pulled a few clothes I didn’t see myself wearing on our trip out of my duffle and then threw the now slightly lighter bag over my shoulder. I grabbed my military gear from my closet and stuffed it in the bag as well. And now it was the original weight.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">We met up with Alice and Sam at my car. I didn’t want to leave the camp, not yet anyway. I wanted more time to train and hone my skills. I didn’t feel ready and last night had frightened me, but apparently Chiron and Jason felt I should keep going.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">As soon as I shut my door we were off. Alice slammed the gas and jetted us off on our quest. Sam told me that he was going to be the one leading the quest, a fact I had no problem with. He had much more experience in both quests and combat than me.

We hadn’t been driving for more than thirty minutes and Sam asked us, “Anybody hungry?”

“I could eat,” I said.

Alice only sighed and rolled her eyes as she pulled into a coffee shop. I went in and quickly got a coffee roll and returned to the car. Everyone but Kara were inside getting or doing whatever they needed.

“So, we haven’t really talked since all of this has happened,” I said.

“It’s only been three days,” she responded. “That’s not a lot of time.” She stared off in the distance. “Everything seems to be moving more quickly now. Even in the Titan War, I feel like we always had more time. We’re moving too fast.”

“The whole world is moving too fast. I think we’re just trying to keep up,” I said. I fiddled with my food. “So, what’s your story?” I asked. “Or is that too painful?”

“No, it wasn’t that bad.” She smiled and go t a mischievous look in her eyes. “It was just after we met actually. We were in homeroom together back in sixth grade.”

“Of course I remember. You were always nice to me, even then.”

“Yeah, anyway, we were talking about Lord of the Rings, you were reading the book, and I left to go to the bathroom. That’s when I met my first monster. When I was leaving the bathroom a Scythian Dracaena, half snake, half woman, got in my way. It would’ve killed me too but Alice found me. She whipped out a sword and cut it in half. I remember I was so confused.”

“Wait,” I interrupted. “Alice knew she was a half blood in sixth grade?”

“Yeah she was determined by the time you showed up. Sam though, he was determined back in fifth grade. He’s the oldest of us all. Grace came around during that summer, that’s why her family moved here. Hannah came up in eighth grade but she learned faster than any of us. She always worked separately from us. Sometimes she’d work with Alice, but that was just because they’re sisters.”

“That makes sense. Alice’s a daughter of Apollo.”

“Yeah, the music, archery, and literature knowledge usually give it away quickly.” Kara looked at me like she was seeing me for the first time. “You’re really clueless aren’t you?”

“Hey, like I said, just trying to keep up. It’s only been three days and it’s not like we were hanging out the entire time. In fact, I saw you guys like twice.”

“Don’t worry, Drew. I’m just messing with you.” She then paused, thinking. “You know who my Olympian parent is right?”

“Oh of course, you’re mother is Aphrodite. It was easy to figure that out, you’re so beautiful and, you know.”

“You saw me last night with Grace.”

“Yeah.”

Kara sighed. “And you know Sam is Athena’s kid, right?”

“I assumed,” I said. “He does a lot of leading. You know what I mean?” Kara nodded. “I know exactly what you mean. He’s always the leader when we work together.”

“It seems like he knows what he’s doing.”

“Oh, absolutely, Sam’s damn good at being the leader. It’s just that, you know, other people want to prove themselves.”

“You mean you.”

“Of course I mean me.” She laughed and slid back in the car. “Speak of the devil.”

The other three were coming out of coffee shop and that meant it was time to get back on the road.

Alice and Sam talked to each other in the front and Kara and Grace whispered over next to me but it was too quiet for me to hear. I looked out the window and watched the landscape speed past. My eyelids stared to get heavier and heavier. I fought it for a while but when you’re in a cramped car and no one’s talking to you, it gets boring. I drifted into sleep.

I saw a man standing outside a walled city. He was armored in heavy bomb squad armor and cradled a heavy machine gun in his arms.

“Send out the behemoth!” shouted a voice from the city and a monster ran out from the city’s gates. It was the same monster that I’d fought and killed in camp half blood.

The man looked nonplused. He leveled his heavy weapon and bronze scythed through the behemoth’s armor and it fell dead at his feet. He kicked the fallen monster and it disintegrated into ashes, now scattered.

“Do you have anything to challenge me?” shouted the armored man.

<p style="text-indent:.5in"> A man standing ten feet tall emerged from the city. His golden armor glowed in stark contrast to the grimy dark armor of the machine gun wielding man. The golden man drew a long sword the seemed to be made of molten metal.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">The machine gun opened fire. Bronze bullets tore up the ground around the golden warrior’s feet as he ran. He was able to keep just ahead of the stream of bullets. He swung his flaming sword and blocked a spattering of rounds from hitting his armor and then brought the blade down to cut the heavy gun. The machine gun morphed into a long bladed katana. That parried the molten sword.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">The bomb squad armored man didn’t seem to fit with his ancient weapon.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Dresnat, you’ve don’t have to do this,” said the gold armored man.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“No, I don’t really have to do anything, but I’ve been wanting to for a long time,” retorted the other man.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Dresnat lunged forward and his katana morphed into two, one in each hand, and he brought them down of the golden warrior. He was only just able to block the deluge of blows. Dresnat brought down a heavy handed blow with both weapons that shattered the molten sword that fell upon the ground, bubbling, hissing, and steaming.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” said the golden warrior as Dresnat kicked him to the ground. The katana shifted into a large scythe like the kind reapers were shown to carry. He brought it down and the golden warrior ceased to move.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Dresnat looked to the city and the ramparts clattered with archers and catapults that all fired at once. The brutal man raised his hand and the missiles aimed for him burned away into dust. He stomped toward the city. His long weapon now morphed into a grenade launcher.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">He fired and the gate crumbled from the concussive force. A line of Greek and Roman armored warriors stood in defensive rows, their spears were all pointing at the heavily armed and armored man.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Dresnat laughed.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">“Hold the line,” someone shouted and the warriors all shifted closer together, tightening their formation.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Dresnat fired a grenade into their ranks. The warriors fell and their formation shattered and then Dresnat now wielding a large axe descended upon them. The Greeks and Romans fell as the man waded through their midst, his weapon rocked back and forth like a pendulum.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Two men rushed the axe swinging destroyer. One, tall blond and proud was able to block the axe as it swung towards him and the other, black stormy hair leapt in the air and stabbed his sword into the Kevlar dome of a helmet the man wore and it stuck there, imbedded into the face.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Dresnat dropped his axe and staggered backwards. The blond boy drove his sword into Dresnat’s stomach and let it stay in as the armored man fell to the ground.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">But the tank of a man wasn’t finished. He rose and pulled the blades out of his armor and casted them aside. He grabbed the blond boy and snapped his neck. The stormy haired warrior somehow got his sword back and slashed at Dresnat who roared and threw a ball of fire at his enemy who nimbly dodged it.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">As the warrior brought down a blow at Dresnat’s weakened helmet, Dresnat grabbed the sword with one hand and punched the warrior with the other. He took the stolen sword and brought it down on the stunned warrior.

<p style="text-indent:.5in">Dresnat recovered his axe and morphed it into a flamethrower, spitting fire like a dragon. The city burned around him and all he could do was laugh.

There was a hand on my shoulder and I woke with a start.

“Drew, it’s time to get up now,” Alice said.

“Where are we?” I asked, still groggy.

“Drew, get up now.”

I rubbed my eyes. When I opened them I saw Alice was still in the driver’s seat and then looked out the window I’d been sleeping against. I immediately understood why Alice wanted me up.

There was a car driving beside ours on the freeway. It was full of short, green skinned, froglike creatures. They were jeering at us and were merging through lanes of traffic, getting closer to us.

“What the heck are those?” I asked as calmly as I could manage.

“Goblins!” said Grace. “I hate the buggers.”

“Goblins? Those aren’t Greek, are they?” I said, thoroughly confused.

Sam, from the front of the car, spoke up. “They’re not actually goblins, they’re angry swamp sprits called…”

“They’re goblins Drew,” interrupted Alice with finality. “Anyway, can you use your shotgun and tear them apart before they get to us, please?”

“Sure, no problem,” I said and then realized I made a serious mistake. “Um, maybe a small problem. I kinda packed my shotgun in my duffle bag.”

“You’ve got to be freaking kidding me!” Alice was upset. “Sam, take the freaking wheel!”

Everyone in the car was confused.

“What did you say?” asked Sam.

Alice looked at him and spoke very calmly. “I have to take care of the goblins, so Sam, because you are in the shotgun seat I’m asking if you can take the wheel for me. It’ll be for about five seconds.”

She didn’t wait for an answer. She let go of the wheel and Sam grabbed it and stopped the car from swerving into a mini-van. Alice lowered the window and slid half way out of the car. She leaned backwards and tugged on a wrist band. It swelled and morphed into the longbow that I’d seen her use. She pulled an arrow put of nowhere as far as I could tell and she aimed at the driver of the goblin’s car.

The goblin driver’s eyes got big and he tried to change lanes but an eighteen wheeler semi blocked him off.

Alice winked and released the arrow. The windshield of the goblin’s car shattered by instead of spinning off away from us, their car jumped forward. The dead goblin driver had landed on the gas pedal. Sam and I pulled Alice back into the car right before the goblin’s car rammed into my beautiful 2000 Lincoln Continental with all leather interior and sunroof.

The two cars spun and slid off the free way into a drop off.

I was the first to wake. My car was on its side but everyone in the car was breathing, thank the lord. The goblins hadn’t fared nearly as well. Their car was upside down and it looked like half the goblins had died in the crash.

I tried to open my door, above me but it was jammed shut from where the goblins had rammed us. I drew my knife and broke the glass. I pulled myself out and saw that the trunk had been busted open. I ran to my duffle bag and grabbed my shotgun.

I’d been careless and my favorite possession had suffered for it. I was going to rectify my mistake. I checked that it was fully loaded with eight shells and I clicked off the safety. The goblins were starting to stir and I pumped shell after shell into their car. When my weapon was empty I reloaded and knelt down to inspect my damage.

The goblins were all dead, now just smoldering piles of ash.

With all threats momentarily dealt with, I went to take care of my friends, but they were all ready stirring. My shotgun blasts were loud enough to wake the dead. Alice crawled out the sun roof and went over to collect her things from the ground. I opened the driver’s side door and it came off its hinges.

“Goram it!” I yelled and threw the door away. Sam climbed through the opening I’d just made.

“You okay, Drew,” Sam asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I loved that car, man.” I walked away to help Grace and Kara out of the back seat. It was a simple matter of using my knife to cut the jammed door off. It left deep jagged gashes in my car that could never be truly recovered from.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “So what’s our plan now?” I asked. “Where are we?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “The sign on the freeway said that the next exit was Providence, Rhode Island,” said Alice.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Sam put on his ‘calculating’ face. “We’ll just take a bus from Providence to Boston, Massachusetts and then we’re going to take a train or something to Concord, NH and then we’ll walk from there.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">              “I should’ve expected something like this,” I said. “My poor car.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Stop your belly aching, we’ve got to move,” said Alice.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yay, walking,” Kara said sarcastically.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You’ve got to be freakin’ kidding me!” I shouted.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “The stupid things got spits acid!” shouted Kara.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Bloody brilliant!” I shouted in my frustrated anger.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “My power doesn’t work on them,” said Grace, just as frustrated as me. “How do you kill these freaks?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I racked the slide to my shotgun. “I think I’ve got a plan,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Okay, I’ll explain the situation. Everything was going fine until we got to the bus station. We’d walked through the woods and only came across one group of goblins, but they took a grand total of five minutes to kill them all. We’d just purchased tickets when a pack of wild dogs ran up into the station and started barking at us. We thought they were harmless but them the lead on started drooling and the liquid was green and dripping. Then they all started to circle around us.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               When we tried to push past them they showed themselves for what they really were, a pack of wild hydras. They were smaller than I’d read about. They were the size of German Shepherds but they still had long snakelike heads with shark teeth. Seriously, why do monsters have to have shark teeth? Sam had smashed right through them and that scared them. I was able to distract a bunch of them by slashing with my knife which allowed everyone to get to cover.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The normal human civilians freaked out scattering. The hydras weren’t interested in them. In fact they went out of their way not to hurt the people. That was a great help, it allowed all of us to get good positions as the monsters wormed through the panicking people. But now the normal people were all gone, which was probably a good thing. Monsters were finicky, unstable, and easily confused. They might’ve attack someone on accident.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Now to the current situation, it’s simple math really, shotgun plus Drew equals a ton of dead monsters. I leapt from cover and fired on the closest hydra. Like I thought, the shotgun shells were hot as fire which is what it took to kill these things.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yo everyone, I can kill these things!” I shouted for all to hear. I heard police sirens in the background. Yelling that I can kill things with police on the way is probably not a good idea.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The remaining hydras all focused their efforts on me. I only barely got behind a concrete barricade before their acid hit me. Luckily I made it but I was pinned down.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I concentrated and let the sun heat me up. My view turned to the third person and I was able to see that Alice was able to drop one with four or five arrows but the ones that Sam, Kara, and Grace had attacked were only growing more snaky heads.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The bus arrived at the stop, a little ways off. I looked to Sam and he gave me a nod. He and Alice sprinted out of cover and I stood up and unloaded my shotgun. The monsters scattered and the rest of us ran as fast as we could to the bus.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The bus driver saw me follow my friends on. His eyes got wide but he managed to take my ticket. I didn’t understand what was wrong until I realized I had my shotgun slung over my back. I quickly put it into my duffle which still was undamaged.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The bus was really nice. It was a coach bus and because our encounter with the hydras, there was no one else on the bus. We each were able to get our own seats. Kara and Grace sat together though, across from me. Sam was directly in front of me and Alice was in front of the girls.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Sam explained to us that our ride was a three hour ride to Boston but we’d still be able to make it to New Hampshire by eight or nine o’clock, so we’d still have a whole day in New Hampshire to get the information we need and then we return to camp by midday Saturday.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Okay, so does that give us time to sleep?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Drew, you are so lame,” said Grace.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I’m joking, jeesh,” I said. “So, tell me guys how has been being a demigod been these past few years?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Alice rolled her eyes. “Do you mean besides the whole getting attacked and almost dying, all the time, thing?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yeah, besides that.” I hesitated looking for the right words. “I mean, I know it’s scary and dangerous, but I mean, you can’t tell me that it’s not fun. I’ve been doing this for less than a week and it’s been the best less than a week I‘ve ever had.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Seriously, you’ve almost been killed almost a dozen times, you found out both your parents are monsters, and the goblins wreaked your car and you still say that this has been the best time of your life?” asked Alice skeptically.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I looked her strait in the eye.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I’ve never been happier in my life.” And that was completely true. In what other life would I be able to run around with swords and guns and fight monsters? I’m a hero, maybe that feeling will pass in time, but now I was proud and excited.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Well, if you think this life is all glamour,” Sam said. “I’ll tell you how I found out that I was a half blood.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Alice sat up. “I’m not sure he’s ready for that yet.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Seriously?” I asked. “You guys are keeping secrets from me now, after all we’ve been through?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Alice looked at me like I was crazy. “Yeah, all three days of it. We’ve been together for year, Drew. You’re still the new guy.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Alice, it’s my story,” said Sam.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yes, Sam, it’s your story. Don’t let others control your decisions,” I encouraged.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">              “You know what, I don’t think you’re ready, Drew,” Sam said with a self satisfied smirk.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Jerk.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You can’t want it too much.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You’re still a jerk,” I said. “And if that’s all, I’m going to sleep.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You’ve spent all day either sleeping or fighting monsters,” complained Kara.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “It takes a lot of effort and energy to be as awesome as I am,” I responded, puffing up my chest and sitting straighter to make myself look taller and more buff.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask about something,” Sam said. “What’s up with your eyes?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I’m not sure, I can see normally, but I haven’t taken out my contacts, or even felt them in a while. I’m not sure they’re there anymore,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “That’s not what I mean,” he said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “What are you talking about, Sam?” asked Grace. She seemed thoroughly concerned, which I appreciated more than I really explain.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “His eyes glow when he’s fighting,” Sam said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Oh, you mean when I go into third person,” I said like it was a perfectly normal thing.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Wait, what?” asked Alice. Everyone was really confused and that was quite apparent on their faces. Eyebrows were knit, heads were tilted, you know, the classic signs of confusion.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yeah, if the sun and the moon once or twice, hits me in a weird way and I’m excited enough I go into a third person view. It’s really handy. Plus I can see where my blade or shotgun is going to hit. That’s how I go all crazy in battle,” I explained.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “And when that happens your eyes glow?” Sam asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Gold in the sun and silver in the moonlight.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I have never heard of that as a godly trait or gift,” Sam said. “How about you guys, ever heard of anything like that, at all?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Everyone just shook their head respective heads.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “That is so weird. So, what about you guys? You have any cool abilities or like special magic weapons?” I asked, slightly deflecting. The heavy levels of attention were getting a little uncomfortable and I was genuinely interested in their special stuff.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “My wrist band turns into a bow,” said Alice. She raised her wrist to show us a yellow band with strings hanging off it. “The strings are arrows. I can hold up to thirty of them. And the best part it’s solar powered so the ammo rejuvenates if you give it time. It was a gift from my father after I killed Python the Lesser.” She shivered. “I hate snakes. As for abilities, I’m a really good shot, that’s really it.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yeah, I saw that,” I said. “You, shooting the goblins on the freeway, was freaking amazing. You were a sniper!”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I’m one of the best shots in the world. I’m probably only second to Will Solace, my cabin leader, but it’s close.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Can you shoot more than one arrow at a time?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Oh totally, that’s how I killed Python,” she said. “I took out both his eyes before he knew what was happening. After that it was easy.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Well, except the venom being spat everywhere,” noted Kara.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “And the thrashing around,” said Grace.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “And the fact I was passed out the entire time,” said Sam.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Alice just dismissed them with a wave of her hand. “All I had to do was shoot a bunch of arrows into his mouth.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Then why didn’t you kill it faster?” asked Kara.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You guys wouldn’t get it to open its mouth.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “It spat poison when it opened its mouth!” Kara exclaimed.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I can’t wait for this quest to be over so we can have conversations like this,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Like what?” Grace said. “Arguing about whose fault it was that we almost died over and over again.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I’m just glad to be part of the group.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Everyone decided to take a nap on our way. They all spread out so they could have their own secluded sleeping areas. There was no one else around so we felt safe. But I just couldn’t sleep. I was still pumped up from the car crash and then the hydra attack. So I just sat there staring at the ceiling. Kara came over to my seat.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Can’t sleep,” she asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yep.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Mind if I sit with you?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Sure, no problem.” I sat up so she’d have room to sit next to me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               She sat there without saying anything for a little bit but looked like she was thinking hard so I didn’t say anything to disrupt her.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Did you mean it?”she finally asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Mean what?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “That I was beautiful,” she said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Um,” I was taken completely by surprise. Kara had never acted like this to me before. Occasionally she’d flirt but that was just messing around. This, well, this seemed serious.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You said that when we were talking before,” She continued. “I was just wondering if you meant it.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yeah, of course,” I said. “You’re very beautiful. Honestly I wasn’t surprised at all when I found out you were a daughter of Aphrodite.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You’re sweet, Drew,” she said. “Are you in love with Grace?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Kara was just full of questions that could just stop me cold.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Grace is a friend who is also very beautiful,” I stammered. I was bad at this kind of conversation.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “She seems to like you,” Kara said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Well, I am pretty great,” I said trying to lighten up the conversation.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I’m serious, Drew. You’ve made quite an impression on her.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “But you don’t like that?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I don’t know,” she said. “There are very few boys that we feel comfortable dating. We don’t date mortals because you can’t be fully honest with them and the relationship puts them in constant danger. And on top of it all we’re usually put together. I mean our group and the only guy is Sam but Sam’s not our type and he really only cares about Alice anyway.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Kara was on a roll.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “So when someone comes along that’s nice and you know...”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Attractive,” I said with a smug little grin which was meant as a joke.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               She gave me a look, but I saw her smile.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yeah, I guess so,” she said. “It’s nice to hear that you think I’m beautiful.” She looked at me with her deep brown eyes. But I couldn’t go forward.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Did Grace tell you we kissed?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Kara looked away. “Yeah she told me.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I care about Grace,” I said. I looked at my knees and traced a pattern with one finger, a nervous gesture I know but I couldn’t help it. “I have for a long time.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “So you do love her,” Kara said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I looked Kara in the eye.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I’ve liked Grace since I’ve met her and that was in middle school,” I started, working myself up. “I believe that everything happens for a reason, so the fact she’s a half blood well that’s makes me wonder.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “That sounds like you want me to infer something from that,” Kara said her expression was the exact opposite of excited.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Kara, I dated a lot in high school. You saw that, you were friends with a lot of them. But do you remember freshman year when I asked you out?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Freshman year? No.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               She looked confused but then there was a look of realization and then it shifted to horror.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Oh Drew, that was a long time ago, I was young and stupid.” She tried to spit out the words as fast as she could.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “When you shut me down, laughed at me, well let’s just say it hurt,” I said. “No one was sympathetic. Everyone had the same opinion you did. That was one of two events that caused me to change myself.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I paused and took a deep breath.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “In hindsight, I’m glad you rejected me. If you hadn’t I might’ve stayed that geek kid wearing plain button ups and glasses forever with friends that broke me down just so they didn’t feel as bad about themselves.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Wait you said there was another event?” Kara said. “What was the other event?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I smirked and exhaled a quiet laugh.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “That was when Grace shut me down later that year.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Kara looked at me confused.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I’ve liked you both but you’re always together, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Whenever I try to determine which one of you I want, well, you’re both there.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Neither of us said anything for a minute but Kara broke the silence.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You know, I think I’m going to see if I can take a nap.” She left my seat and laid down a few rows ahead of me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Getting off the train was uneventful. I made sure to give the bus driver a big tip. I appreciated that he didn’t stop me from getting on or call the police, because that would’ve been difficult to deal with.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               We tried to get another bus to Concord, New Hampshire because it was literally ten minutes away from Bow, where my house was and where our mission objective was, but there were no north bound buses until tomorrow and that was far too long for us. We needed to get going as soon as possible. We didn’t want to get to New Hampshire after dark. We needed to scout out my home and make a plan of attack.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Sam asked for directions to the next closest bus station and the guy at the boot was helpful enough. He pointed us in the right direction. I would’ve tipped him but I didn’t have much cash left and if I had to buy a ticket to New Hampshire and then back to New York, well, I hope I left some back in my house.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I thought about it as we walked. It felt like a lot longer than three days since I’d been there and my life had been completely changed. I didn’t mind that much though. I’d never felt right with my old life. I always wanted something more.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Boston is a simple enough city to navigate and all of us had been there to many times to count. Yet that still didn’t keep us from getting lost. And for anyone who is planning on going to Boston there are places that people will be very pleasant when you ask for directions, there are others where people aren’t. And then there are parts that are just plain dangerous. When I saw the Irish flags from every other building and the high number of pubs I got nervous.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You guys, this is a very bad idea,” I said. “I mean unless one of you is Irish, I know this place and they are not friendly to outsiders.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Sam shook his head and dismissed my concerns. “We need directions and really, I’m not afraid of any mortal.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               He turned and opened the door to the closest pub and stepped in. The others followed, Grace looked to me and shrugged and I grudgingly followed her. The pub was dark and smelled of a sharp mixture of body odor and alcohol, but it was empty.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Sam walked right up to the bar nonplused by the situation.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Hey, where’s the closest bus station.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The bartender turned slowly. He was a big man. He wasn’t that tall but his massive beer gut made up for it and his head was bald, but it looked like he’d shaved it himself, and poorly at that. His eyes looked up at Sam and then the rest of us. He scowled and spat on the ground.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “It’s about ten blocks, back the way you came, Greek dogs,” he said before turning away and wiping down the bar with a dirty rag.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Excuse me sir,” Sam said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Sam, just drop it and let’s go,” I said to him. I used to have family that lived down in the Irish district of Boston and it did not take them long to get angry.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Sam put a twenty dollar on the bar and slid it towards the bar man.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               He looked at it a moment, took the money, and then grabbed something from under the bar. I grabbed Sam and pulled him backwards which might’ve saved his life. The man was holding a large heavy club.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You come in here, my place of business, soiling the ground with your Greek taint and then you have the nerve to insult me?” He shouted and leapt over the bar with more agility than anyone that fat should have.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I pushed Sam away and I raised one of my hands, showing that we weren’t a threat.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I’m sorry sir, my friend wasn’t thinking,” I said in as calm a voice as I could muster with an angry, fat bar man wielding a club that could’ve easily brained a walrus, threatening me. “We’ll just be on our and go back to where we came.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               That’s when something hit me. He’d called us Greeks and I knew that maybe me and Kara with our Mediterranean skin might be able to pass as Greek, but the other three, hell, Grace was Hispanic, there was no way they could be Greek.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Wait,” I said stupidly, just as we were about to get out. “Why did you call us Greek?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               A smile crept over the man’s face. He lunged at us, unleashing an unearthly yell in the process. He cut off our exit and bolted the door before breaking off the lever that would unlock the bolt.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Oh, godlings, how I’ve missed you so,” the man said. “It’s a pity you don’t have a satyr with you. I might’ve let you out with a warning, but no, now I get my revenge on you half bloods.” He raised his club and smashed the table Sam was taking cover behind.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Sam summoned his sword and shield and shoved the wreckage aside. He locked in combat with the bar man but he was out of his league. The club hit Sam’s shield and he flew across the bar and slammed into a pool table.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The man turned to the rest of us, his club held above his head. I was trying to figure out a plan to get us out of here so I had to stall for time.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You are you?” I asked. “And what did we do to you?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               He let his club drop, but his grip was still tight on it, and it smashed another table.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I, you foolish hero, am the great Silenus, teacher of the god of wine, Dionysus!” With his free hand he reached and grabbed a bottle of beer and downed it in one, disturbing, gulp.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I’m and the most wise and drunkest advisor to the wine god. I am the god of beer!” He said this with pride apparent on his face. Then his smile disappeared.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “And I was betrayed by heroes. Odysseus left me to die in the Cyclops’ cave!”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I remembered the story now, we’d learned it in sixth grade reading class. It was one of the best parts of the Odyssey but I didn’t remember Silenus being there.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You were in the Odyssey?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yes and the treacherous Odysseus left without waking me!”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You slept through Odysseus driving a spike into the Cyclops’ eye and then monster throwing rocks and screaming?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yes.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Deep sleeper, I can respect that,” I said, mildly impressed.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Sam stirred over in the corner and that brought Silenus back to reality.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I almost forgot, I have to kill you now!” he said his grin returned. Alice took a shot but Silenus side stepped faster than he should’ve been able to. He was definitely breaking the laws of physics.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The arrow broke a tinted window and brilliant sunlight flooded the room and splashed onto me. Silenus raised his club and went straight for Alice.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I felt the sun warm my body and I stepped in between my friend and the crazy minor god.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I put my hand out and shouted at the top of my lungs, “NO!” The warmth in my body was forced out of me. A brilliant starburst flashed and it threw Silenus through the wall and into the street. The beer and other alcoholic beverages started to catch fire and exploded spreading the flames over the building.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Grace helped me get Sam up and out of the building that was now structurally unsound. Once we were out I let Sam down and Grace took a tube out of her pocket and emptied some liquid on Sam’s face and he woke with a start.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I saw Silenus stir in the middle of the street. I put my foot on his chest, pinning him to the ground and I drew my knife holding it up to my face.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Where is the closest ride to Concord, New Hampshire?” I shouted.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Silenus squinted, his eyes weren’t adjusted to the light and the face they were bloodshot from too much drinking didn’t help him.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Where do I have to go?” I yelled.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “How would I know? Just let me out of the sun. It hurts my eyes!” he whined. His breath smelled worse than his bar.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Not until you tell me what I want to know.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               He scowled and after trying to rise, I pressed my knife up to his throat and he stopped struggling.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Fine,” he spat. “There’s a bus station, three blocks east of here. Now let me go!”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I did and he ran to his burning building, screaming at the fire. I heard sirens in the distance so I collected our bags and got us going. Sam had to go slow for a little while, but moved faster when I alerted him to the sirens.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               We didn’t talk the whole way to the bus station. There were too many people staring at us while we were walking. It was uncomfortable but no one impeded our progress on the street or in the station. We were able to get our tickets relatively cheap so when the bus showed up we got on with about twenty other people. We moved to the very back and took a few calming breaths.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Okay, Drew,” said Alice. “What the hell was that?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I don’t know,” was the only response I could give. After a few seconds of my friends just staring at me, I said, “My instinct just took over and I exploded.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You did what?” asked Sam.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “After you got knock out, I blew up,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Well that’s messed up,” he said and I completely agreed.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “What did it feel like when you did that?” asked Kara.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Like I was on fire on the inside and it wanted to get out of me all at once,” I said. “Basically it hurt, a lot.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">Now that I was on the bus, out of danger, my adrenaline must’ve stopped slowing because I felt raw, as if all of my pores had been on fire and I was exhausted and there was this copper taste I couldn’t get out of my mouth.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You guys, do you mind if I fall asleep?” I asked. “You know, because I took down a minor god.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “He was a very minor god, Drew, it almost doesn’t count,” Alice said. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I took that as a yes and I rested my head on my duffle and almost instantly passed out. My dreams took me far away from this place. I saw a white sandy beach and Greek ships were beaching themselves and Greek warriors swarmed out of the ships.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The sand exploded and scorpion men and wadjets attacked from underfoot. The Greeks looked like they were in trouble. They were scattered and monsters were in their midst, but that didn’t last long.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               There was one Greek warrior with a small bow and a lack of any armor, leapt from the lead ship, shooting three arrows in mid air, killing the same number of Egyptian monsters. The Greeks rallied and together cut down the monsters. They cheered and the archer led them up the beaches towards an army of Egyptian soldiers.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The Egyptians charged and fell to the arrows of the lead man and then they crashed into the formation of Greek warriors, falling before their spears. The archer fired arrow after arrow at close range until he was out. He refused to fall behind the safety of his fellow Greek’s shields, instead when he was out of arrows he drew two long knives and spun them gracefully, cutting down soldier after soldier.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Before long the Egyptians fled before the might of the Greeks and the Greeks raised the archer on their shields. He stood, balancing himself carefully and yelled to his fellows.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I am Hylas, the great hunter, son of Atlas, and I will lead you to victory!”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The ground shook with the volume of the Greek’s cheers.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I woke to a hand on my shoulder. I looked at it was Grace.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Hey Drew, do you mind if I sit here?” she asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Sure,” I said and moved my duffle under foot and moved in, giving her the aisle seat. I saw that Kara, Sam, and Alice were asleep. It was dark out, but that shouldn’t be right. I checked my watch and it read 9:45 pm.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Why’s the bus taking so long?” I asked Grace. This should’ve been an hour and a half drive, not a five hour trip.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Something’s wrong with the roads in New Hampshire,” she said. “I think whatever’s leading the monsters at your house is trying to buy time to prepare for us.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “That’s a comforting thought,” I said sarcastically. “So where are we now?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “We’ve just entered New Hampshire but we had to go through Vermont.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Okay so we’re about two hours out, sweet. So, how are you?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Grace smiled and shook her head. “I’m doing fine Drew, how are you?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I looked at her quizzically. “You’re fine, but you woke me up when you could’ve just listened to your iPod or something. You want to talk to me, I guessing so what is it?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You like getting right to the point don’t you?” She asked rhetorically. “Drew, how do you do it?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “What do you mean?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I mean.” She paused trying to put together the right words. “I mean, how have you done everything you’ve done since Monday. You stole a gun from a wraith, beat Ryan and then Stoll brothers with just your knife, then you killed the behemoth that escaped destruction from the Titan War and has been hiding in the woods ever since.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Oh, so that’s how it got there, I was wondering about that,” I interrupted.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “And that’s not counting all the things you’ve done on the quest, the goblins, hydras, and Silenus. The only half bloods, that talented, I’ve seen were Percy and Jason and both of them are big three children.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Well, I’m definitely not big three. I’m thinking that I’m a son of Apollo,” I said, not unintentionally changing the subject.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Grace’s eyes knit together in confusion. “Why do you think that?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Or maybe Helios, if he’s still around,” I continued. “Oh and my reasoning is that when I can do all those cool things the sun hits me and it warms my body. That’s when I can go into third person.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “But you fought the behemoth at night and we were inside when fighting Silenus.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yeah but isn’t the moon just a reflection of the sun and Alice broke the window in the pub, so that’s my reasoning,” I started to fiddle with my leather jacket. “I just want to know why he hasn’t claimed me yet. People keep telling me that I’m really good, but apparently I’m not good enough. See, I have no problem with being the second best as long as I belong. As long as I’m undetermined, I don’t belong.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I paused to catch my breath.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Sorry,” I said. “I kind of went on a rant right there.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “It’s okay,” she said and gave me a hug. “You’ll be determined soon, I’m sure. You’re eighteen and you’re one of the most powerful half bloods I’ve ever met. You’re Olympian parent probably just wants what’s best for you.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I enjoyed the hug. It made me feel comfortable and safe but she let go. In the absence of embrace I felt cold, not unbearably so, but enough to wish it lasted longer.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               ‘I’m sure that you’re right,” I said. “You’ve seen way more heroes get determined than I have, I’m sure.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yes, way more.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I don’t know why I found that funny, but I couldn’t help but laugh when she said that.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “What?” she accused.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Nothing,” I said. But he gaze inquired further. “It’s just that I really like being part of you guys’ group.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               She gave me a cute smile. “I’m glad too.” She rested her head on my shoulder.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Hey, Drew I’m tired. Wake me when you need me,” she said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I will.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               She fell asleep, her head still on my shoulder, breathing deeply. She snuggled closer to me and I managed to take off my leather jacket and drape it over both of us.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Sam awoke, in the seat in front of me and saw us there. He smiled mischievously and I mouthed ‘shut up.’ He shook his head, but didn’t say anything. He just looked forward and pulled out a book.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I started to doze off and Sam was awake so I didn’t have to worry about anything, so I let my body take over. I closed my eyes and for once in too long, I didn’t dream. It was just peaceful sleep.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               There was a loud shout and both Grace and I woke with a start. She jumped into Kara’s seat before the other girl woke and I put my leather jacket back on.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               There was another shout and I saw what had disturbed us. It was a small rotund man with the head of a boar. It squealed like a pig and the people around it started screaming again. I wonder what they saw, if the mist parted for a moment and let the mortals see this monster, or was it like a deranged man or something else. I didn’t know and it really didn’t matter.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               We were almost to the bus station, but we were still on the freeway. We needed another five minutes, tops, but these people didn’t have that with the pig dude. I pulled my shotgun out of my bag but Alice pushed that out of the way.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You’ll damage the bus and kill everyone in here,” she hissed.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “But its Celestial bronze,” I argued.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “It may not kill mortals but it still hits everything around them!”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Fine then,” said, frustrated and I drew my knife. Sam had his sword out but his shield was too bulky for the bus aisle.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Kara stood and put her hand on Sam’s shoulder.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I got this,” she said. She flicked her wrist and her sword was out. “Hey porkers, over here! You want the blood of demigods, then take it!”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The mino-boar pulled a heavy axe from behind its back.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Oh,” Kara said, surprised. “That might be a problem.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The beast charged, squealing and brandishing the axe. It tried to gore Kara with its tusks but she blocked and kicked the boar back.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               This wasn’t going to work. Its main type of attack was to rush forward and kill whatever’s directly in front of them. I saw the emergency exit door next to me and I got and an idea.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Kara,” I called to her. “When he charges, just let him pass! I’ve got a plan.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The monster lowered its head and swung his axe, scything the empty row of seats in front of him clean it two. It charged forward and Kara jumped out of the way and the last moment and I let three beats of my heart thump and then I pulled the emergency exit handle. The door started to open, a good plan, the only problem was that I couldn’t get out of the way fast enough.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The pig tackled me and knocked the air out of me. We both fell out of the bus going 75 miles per hours. The pig hit me on an angle so when he pulled me out of the bus, he pulled us through spinning. When we hit the asphalt, I was on top so he took the worst of the damage. I bounced off hit and flew almost ten feet off the freeway into a grassy side ditch.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               My back hurt a lot from the fall, but I tried to get up. I didn’t know how much damage the half man-half boar hybrid freak could take. I staggered over to the freeway’s side rail that I’d completely cleared during my short flight and held onto it for support. I saw the pig dude in the middle of the road. It saw me and picked its self up and charged. I felt inside my jacket but my knife wasn’t there. I must’ve dropped it when I was tackled. I didn’t see it on the road so it must still be in the bus. I hoped.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Then I realized I was unarmed and a giant pig of death was running towards me. I let go of the railing and held myself up the best I could in a modified boxing stance. If I was going to die, I was going to go down fighting.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The beast was closing, only one lane of traffic in between us. I tried to go into third person, but there was too much pain breaking my concentration. Then a car hit the mino-boar. The pig man spun off the hood of the car, staggering away, but still on its feet until it was lost under the tires of a jet black Hummer.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I collapsed into the grass and just laid there for a moment. I focused on breathing and how my new favorite car was the Hummer.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               After about five minutes, I decided it was time to get up so I bit the bullet and fought through the pain. I was able to get up and I started to limp to the bus stop. I moved as fast as I could but that wasn’t very quick. My right leg and back were throbbing.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I lost my footing on a patch of loose dirt and I slipped backwards. I hit the back of my head and I saw stars. I tried to focus on getting up but you know, the grass was really soft.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               In my dream, I saw a lake. It was beautiful and serene, no human presence had disrupted it. Then there was a mighty rumble and the earth shook as two armies marched from opposite ends, moving together, leaving nothing but dust and trampled shrub in their wake. One was a horde of barbarian warriors; their weapons and armor were varied and chaotic. The other was orderly, they were ancient Rome.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               A stampede of horses with wild riders charged out of their hordes. The horses themselves looked ravenous, like they were thirsty for Roman blood.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               A horn sounded and a Roman cavalry intercepted the horde’s forces. There was one barbarian wielding a mighty spear that no Roman could touch. But one man, after watching a half dozen of his countrymen cut down, charged. When the spear came to cut into him, with inhuman speed, the Roman rider, grabbed the spear shaft and cleaved it in two.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The barbarian roared in anger and tossed the broken spear shaft into the fighting armies. He drew a long sword and the two riders charged each other. They clashed once, twice, and then a third time.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               On the fourth, the Roman let go of his horse’s reins, an act of complete trust, and with the extra mobility he was able to slip under the barbarian’s sword. This left his sword free to cut at the barbarian’s saddle.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The barbarian struggled to untangle himself from the saddle that had fallen from his horse. The Roman dismounted and met the barbarian’s blade stroke for stroke. While the barbarian’s ferocity was unmatched, however, the Roman’s skill and speed were just too great obstacles for the barbarian. He made a wide swipe to the roman’s helmeted head. The blade took the helmet clean off, but the Roman’s head was untouched and his blade was buried deep in the barbarian’s chest.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The Roman threw the barbarian to the ground and stamped on the barbarian’s hands, breaking the bones. The barbarian gasped for breath but he was dying.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Mamilus listen to me, I am Titus Herminius Aquilinus, I am a hero of Roman and the blood of titans flows through my veins. I will not let you destroy Rome. We are the future.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The Roman shoved and the barbarian fell to the ground, clutching at the hole where his heart used to be.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I groggily woke to the smell of barbeque. It was dark out but I could hear the crackle of an open camp fire. Turned my head to see the fire but I immediately wished I hadn’t. Sitting around the fire were about a dozen of short, froglike bipeds: goblins.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “The half blood awakes!” shouted one of them. It stepped away from the fire and picked up a large stick. I tried to get up but then I realized I was bound by my wrists and ankles. I struggled against my bounds, to no avail, they were tight.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yes, good half blood, squirm,” croaked the goblin. It poked my in the side, unnecessarily hard. “It makes your juices so much more tasty.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Let’s cook him!” shouted a goblin. The one with the stick turned and slapped the one that had spoken up with the stick.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Of course we’re going to cool him,” said the stick wielding goblin. “They always taste better cooked.” He gave me a smile full of jagged and broken teeth.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You’re an unpleasant fellow,” I said. I don’t know what I was thinking. Maybe I was just annoyed with the situation, maybe it was head trauma.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               It poked me with the stick again, harder.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Shut up, meat,” the goblin said. “We don’t get to eat half blood meat, like, ever.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yeah, I wouldn’t expect so,” I responded.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I mean, you guys are like, totes, hard to catch,” the goblin said. The more it spoke the more it sounded like a teenage girl. I don’t know which was worse; its voice or the fact they were going to eat me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Wait,” the goblin said, a thought dawning on him. “What do you mean, ‘wouldn’t expect so?’”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I decided just to be honest. I mean at this point what did I have to lose?

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Okay, I just want you guys to understand, you’re not exactly the best fighters. I took out a dozen of you guys with very little effort in Rhode Island earlier today. What I’m saying is, if I wasn’t knocked out when you found me, you wouldn’t have been able to get me.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The goblin looked at me like he was going to bite me, which to be honest, probably killed me. Maybe not right away, but the wound would definitely be infected. This guy probably never brushed his teeth, ever. I guess being a homeless bum of a monster didn’t get you a good dental plan.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               But he resisted. In fact he backed off and dropped his pointy stick. He went over to a fallen log a little ways off and drew a pair of sabres from it. He came back to me. I tightened my eyes and tried to come to terms with this. I was going to be killed by a goblin. Well I guess that’s better than drowning or something.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The goblin dropped one of the sabres in front of me and he cut my bindings. He pointed to the sabre on the ground with his.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Pick it up and prepare to duel,” the goblin was serious. I guess I really hurt his feelings.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “But you said we were going to cook him!” exclaimed the goblin that had spoken up before.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The goblin with the sabre turned on him and cut him strait in half.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I held the poorly balanced weapon and went in the sabre fencing stance.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The goblin turned and threw himself at me. I parried, pivoted, and struck back in riposte. The goblin parried and then jumped back and we stood there a minute just sizing each other up, looking for weakness. I was obviously still sore so I was slower than normal. Plus I’d already tried to go into third person with no success.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The goblin, on the other hand, was really short, about three and a half feet tall. That was still taller than any of his fellows, but it’s still really short.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               We reengaged, clashing steel. Advancing, striking, retreating, blocking. It was like chess, but instead of pieces, it was muscles, so I couldn’t afford to lose a single piece.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I tried to fight as cautiously as possible but the goblin kept throwing himself at me. He was a surprisingly talented fencer. Well at least I wasn’t being roasted over a fire, tied to a stick.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">              The goblin was tiring. Throwing itself around over and over again must’ve tired him out. He just came at me from the front. But I was tiring too. He threw himself at me and I made a desperate stab. It caught him in midair and he fell to the ground, dissolving into a pile of dust.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The other goblins looked at the pile of dust, then to me, and then back to the dust. Then they all rushed me on mass. I tried to back pedal but my heels got caught on the goblin’s dropped sabre. I fell to the ground and I slashed at the goblins. I nicked two or three but nothing that did anything more than annoy them. They were crawling all over me and I couldn’t move my arms. They were going to suffocate me with their bodies, which if you’ve never been crushed by a swarm of goblins, I’ll tell you, it’s not a pleasant feeling.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Then they screamed. The goblins ran, screaming. I gasped for breath and coughed. In a few moments the screaming stopped and strong hands helped me up. I got to my feet and I saw Alice, Grace, and Kara kicking over piles of dust.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “What took you guys so long?” I asked, jokingly.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Sam shoved me, more forcibly than the normal, just kidding around, type of shove.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You fell out of a bus. It was half impossible to get out of the station. There were police everywhere.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Are they looking for us?” I asked. That could slow us down considerably.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “No, we were able to get out before they saw us,” Alice said. “But we’re going to need to get a ride.” Alice looked concerned. It was like she knew what we had to do but she didn’t like the idea of it.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You have an idea?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yeah,” Alice said. “We need a ride and preferably somewhere to sleep and recover tonight.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Kara spoke up, but she was obviously nervous. “We could call Lacey. She promised that she’d help us after the Cyclops incident.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “No, we can walk and then make camp in the woods,” Sam said without hesitation. “That was the original plan and that’s what we’re going to stick to.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Hey,” Grace said. “The situation’s changed, Sam. That means we have to change the plan. Drew’s not walking long distances for a little while.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Okay, I just want to clear something up,” I butted in. “I’m fine, a little sore maybe, but fine.” “Drew, you fell out of a bus and then almost got eaten by goblins,” Grace continued. “You’re anything but fine. You need to rest.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I agree with Grace’s assessment,” said Alice.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               She addressed Sam. “I don’t like it any more than you, but I think it might be necessary to call Lacey.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Sam glared at the girls. “Do you really think that Lacey will really help us?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I have a quick question,” I spoke up.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yes, Drew, what is it?” Sam asked exasperated.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Who’s Lacey?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Oh, we probably should’ve mentioned that earlier,” Alice said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Mentioned what?” I asked skeptically.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Lacey,” Sam said. “You know her.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Wait, Lacey? Like Lacey from school Lacey?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yeah, she’s,” Sam started.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “A half blood like us? Hannah said there weren’t any other half bloods in Bow,” I said, the anger apparent in my voice.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “No she’s not a half blood, but she’s involved,” Sam said. “What’s up with you, Drew? Why is this such a big deal?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Alice spoke up before I got a chance. “Sam, remember prom night, after we killed the hellhounds? Lacey went back to the dance.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Oh,” Sam said, catching on. “She danced with Drew.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yes,” I said. “Then we went out on a few dates, but it didn’t work out.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Wait,” Kara said. “You dated Lacey?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yeah,” I said. “We kept it quiet though. She was embarrassed of me. Alice saw us break up at the Little Coffee Shoppe.” I remembered how crushed I was when someone I truly cared about told me that I just couldn’t give what she needed so she was just going to move on. And if there was one person I didn’t want involved in this world, it would be Lacey. This was supposed to be a time for me to start over and leave all the baggage of my past life.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Anyway,” I said getting back on topic. “If she’s not a half blood, how’s she involved with this?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Lacey is a shape shifter,” Grace said. “She’s a creature known as a lynx.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Lynx?” I questioned. “I’ve never heard of it.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Not many people have,” Sam said, trying to regain a position of authority in the group. “The lynx is a rare creature. They shift from human to cat and anything in between. Their most powerful ability is that they know things. Things that are hidden to the rest of the world are clear to them. Unfortunately they don’t usualy like helping people. They make deals and they hold you to them. If you don’t keep up you end, then the claws come out. And trust me Drew, you do not want to be on the receiving end of that.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “This is the weirdest day ever, of all time,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “So are we going to call her?” asked Kara.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Sam chewed it over. He bit his lip as he thought.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Fine, yeah, do it,” Sam said to Kara. “But be careful, you know how dangerous she can be.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Hey, she likes me,” Kara said. “We’ll need to walk a little ways. I saw a 24 Hour Burger and I’ll be able to use their phone.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You don’t have a cell phone?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Cell phones attract monsters,” said Kara. “Back home or at camp, we wouldn’t worry about it but here, well, we’re not going to risk a quest.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Oh and Drew, here you go,” said Sam. He unslung my duffle bag. I grabbed it and practically ripped it open. Too my relief, my knife was there. I put it on the inside of my leather jacket and zipped up both the jacket and the bag.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Thanks, Sam, I owe you.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yeah, well, we didn’t think you were dead yet.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “We should be moving now,” said Kara, interrupting our moment, but Sam agreed.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Okay, move out party people.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               It took about ten minutes for us to get to the Burger joint. It would’ve been faster but I wasn’t exactly on my game. I was more injured than I thought. My adrenaline must’ve stopped pumping because it started getting hard to breath and my legs and back were really messed up. I didn’t say anything to my friends. They had enough to worry about and we were going to get it taken care of anyway.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               When we got into the Burger place Kara was able to convince the manager to use the phone. Kara was pretty good at getting what she wanted. She then came over and sat in the booth we’d taken.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Okay, here’s what’s up,” Kara said. “Lacey’s going to be here in about ten minutes, we just have to wait here for her to show up and we’ll be good to go.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Sam’s eyes wandered around the store and then he looked startled.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Kara,” he said. “Did you make the call on a cell phone?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yeah, but she’ll be here in ten minutes,” she said. “Unless there’s a monster right outside we’ll be long gone before they track us.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I felt cold.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Well I don’t want to disturb anyone.” Sam said. “But there’s a maniticore outside.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “A manticore?” I asked. “Like the part lion, part spike throwing monster of death?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yeah, that’s accurate enough,” Sam said and he fiddled with the salt and pepper shakers.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Okay, how do we kill it?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “We’re not,” Sam said. “We are going to sit right here until either Lacey arrives or the monster comes in. It might just pass us by. We’re not big three children so our auras aren’t that strong and we’re surrounded by fast food. Nothing screams normal, average, not half blood, human like fast food.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I looked to where Sam had seen the monster. It was taller than I was and it was wrapped in a trench coat but that didn’t cover his hands, or I should probably say paws. They looked like a lion’s paws; big as catcher’s mitts lined with large claws that could probably tear right an elephant. Then there was the bulge in the back. That probably was his spike throwing tail.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               It glared inside to building, looking for us. He started looking in my direction and I turned back around to my friends.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Okay, so how’s everyone doing?” I asked nervously.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “We only need to wait six more minutes,” said Kara.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Then I came to a realization.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “How powerful is that thing?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Really powerful,” Alice said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Powerful enough to take on the five of us?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yeah,” Alice said. “Or close enough, so we really don’t want to test it.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Five minutes.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               One of the Burge place’s staff came over to us.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Um sirs and madams, were going to ask you to leave,” said the man, well man might be a stretch. He was no older than us.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Why?” Sam asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You used our phone and now you’re just taking up space that could be given to paying customers,” he said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You know what,” Sam said, exasperated. “Get me a burger.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Um, you’ll need to come to the register,” he said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I don’t want to,” Sam said and he pulled out five bucks “Here’s my money, just bring me a burger. Keep the change, I don’t care.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I need you to come to the register. It’s company policy and I’m not a waiter.” The man was starting to get annoying.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Do us a favor,” Kara said and touched the man’s arm. “For me.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Um, yeah, okay,” he stammered and walked off.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Pig,” Kara muttered.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “How much time’s left?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Kara checked her watch. “Two minutes.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “This has been the slowest few minutes ever.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               We sat in silence. Kara watched the seconds tick by. Sam fiddled with his watch, but his watch but it didn’t have the time on it. It was just a picture of crossed swords.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Hey, Sam,” I said. “What’s up with your watch?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “This is my magic item,” he said, he seemed relieved to have a distraction. “It cost me twenty golden drachmas but it was totally worth it. I press this button here.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               He pressed the button and it turned into a regular clock.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Really cool,” I commented.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yeah, but that’s not the best part,” he continued. “You press the other button and it goes back into the symbol you just saw and if you hit it again it turns into my shield and I draw my sword right out of a sheath on the back of the shield.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Wow, that’s amazing,” I said. “I’ve got to get myself a magic item.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “She should be here,” Kara said. “Now!” She pointed outside and a van pulled up. A beautiful blond girl stepped out. That was Lacey alright. The manticore dropped its trench coat exposing its lion’s mane and spiked tail.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Oh shoot,” I said. “We’ve got to help her.” I stood and a pain shot up through my back. I ignored it, but Grace took my arm and pulled me back down.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Just wait,” she said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">                Lacey looked at the beast and rolled her eyes. She walked towards it and rolled, dodging a barrage of spikes. She came up and kicked the manticore. It flew backwards and landed on its back. She jumped on top of the monster and snapped its neck. Lacey stood up and brushed herself off.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Okay, now we can go,” Sam said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Holy,” I said. “So basically Lacey can wreak all of us if she wanted to.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yeah,” Kara said. “That’s why some people.” She pointed to Sam. “Feel uncomfortable around her.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “She’s a monster,” Sam defended himself. “She’s not always stable.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Wait,” shouted the staff worker. “What about your burger?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “My gift to you,” said Kara.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The man shut up.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Next time, no burger joints,” Kara said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “That place was your idea,” Sam said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Grace stifled a laugh. Kara just glared at Sam.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Lacey welcomed us with open arms, literally. She hugged every one of us. She paused when it came to me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I see you’ve finally found out you’re a half blood,” she said and then hugged me. “It took you long enough.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Wait,” Sam said, he put up his hands in a ‘time out’ motion. “You knew Drew was a half blood?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Lacey looked at Sam like he wasn’t thinking at full capacity. “Of course I knew. There’s very little I don’t know. I’m a lynx.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Why didn’t you tell us?” asked Grace.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Because I was told not to,” Lacey said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “By who?” Sam asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “They told me not to say,” she said. “Anyway, you guys need a ride?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yeah,” Kara said. “And if you wouldn’t mind, a place to sleep tonight. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yes, that’s no problem,” Lacey said. “You’ll need all your strength for tomorrow.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You know what’s going on there, don’t you?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Of course I know. Now everyone get in.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Lacey’s house was made for nothing but comfort. The front room had a long couch and a number of overstuffed chairs in front a titanic home entertainment system. The guest bed room was huge. It had half a dozen bunked beds, all queen sized. Then there was the bathroom. There were sectioned areas in it. There were three standing showers in a separate area from the toilet stalls and then in yet another room, a fairly decent sized hot tub.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I threw my things on one of the bottom bunked beds. Lacey had a hot home cooked meal waiting for us and I would’ve been a bad guest if I didn’t eat everything. Everyone else in my group agree with me. We’d gone pretty much all day without eating.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Right after the meal, I grabbed a change of clothes for the one’s I was wearing were starting to show records of today’s activities. I ran to the hot tub and stripped down and jumped in. The Jacuzzi jets felt so good on my sore muscles and the soapy bubbles cleaned off all the dirt, grime, and sweat I’d acclimated over the day.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Hey, is there anyone in here?” shouted Lacey as she opened the hot tub room’s door.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yes, yes, there is someone in here!” I shouted back.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I heard the door close and I let myself sink back into the bubbles. Then Lacey came around the corner.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Whoa!” I said, quite surprised. “I’m in here!”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Yeah I heard you,” Lacey said. “Not that anyone else will, the room is sound proof.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “What are you doing?” I asked. I was glad I’d decided to go with extra bubbles.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Lacey smiled in a way that made me feel uncomfortable. Well to be honest the whole situation of me in a tub with her standing there was uncomfortable.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I wanted you to know that I hold the answers you seek,” she said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               That got my interest really fast.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You know who my parents are?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “That’s exactly what I just said.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Then tell me,” I said. I was so excited I almost jumped out of the tub, but I remembered that I was still in the bath.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You have to give me something in return,” she said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “Okay, anything,” I said. “What do you want?” “You, Drew,” She said. “Meet me in my room. It’s at the top of the stairs.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               She then left me alone. I considered for a moment before drying myself and redressing. I went to the front room and saw something that stopped me cold.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Grace and Kara were sitting there alone laughing about something. I came to a realization. Neither of them needed me. When it came down to it they had each other.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I turned and went up the stairs.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               Lacey and I lay in the bed exhausted and she turned to me and said, “Okay that was very nice, but now I need to sleep. So it’s time for you to get out.” I got off the bed and started to redress, slightly confused. “But what about..” I started to say.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I’ll talk to you in the morning,” she said. “And hurry up.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I left the room and returned down stairs. There was Grace and Kara asleep in each other’s arms. I went to the showers and just stood in one. The warm water washed over me. I’d made a very big mistake. Whatever Lacey would tell me would’ve come in time and I rushed into it without truly thinking about the consequences.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               The water didn’t comfort me so I had to leave. There were very few places to sit down and rest that weren’t already taken. I just sat in the hallway against the wall, hating myself. I’d been given incredible skills and an incredible life and I just gave into my carnal pleasures. That’s not the way of a hero. Well okay maybe that’s the way of the Greek warrior, but I believe in a bigger God. I closed my eyes, wallowing in self loathing and all of my energy left me. I passed out and my dreams carried me far away.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I looked up to see a mountain. Something inside me told me that this was the Mount Olympus in Greece. My gaze fell away from the mountain and to the field. There were fallen warriors in Roman and Greek armor scattered over the field. Piles of ashes and columns of dust, what was left of slain monsters, blew away in the dust.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               There were a few standing warriors searching the fallen for survivor. I did not join them. There was something wrong. My feet walked me away from them away from the field of battle and then I saw what this dream wanted me to see. It was me holding the broken body of a female hero. I couldn’t tell who it was; the face was obscured in shadow.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I large cat came up behind mourning version of me and it shifted to Lacey.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “It’s a shame,” she said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               I set the girl down and I turned.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “You tricked me,” I accused.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I just showed you a possible future,” she said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in">               “I’m done with this,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You’re never going to be done, Drew. There’s nowhere in this world that you can’t be found. I’ll always know where you are. You gave me that power.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You never said that. You said you just wanted me.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I say a lot of things, that doesn’t mean I don’t have other reasoning. I know everything about you now. You gave yourself to me.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Then there’s only one thing to do.” I pulled out my curved knife and the lynx looked like it was unsure of the outcome. She backed up, her smug, condescending, or seductive looks were gone. They were replaced by a look of true fear. She hadn’t seen this coming. She turned back into a cat and I lunged. She was nimble but I was faster. I moved faster than physically possible for a human. My blade connected and the cat fell. She turned to her human form and begged.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Please, Drew you don’t have to do this! This isn’t you!”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Drew doesn’t exist anymore.” I raised my blade. “My name is Dresnat.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I was rudely brought to consciousness by my duffle bag hitting me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yeah, I ‘m awake,” I said in a groggy voice. It took me a moment to remember where I was and what I’d done, but when I did it came down heavily, like an anvil on my shoulders.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We were drugged,” said Sam.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I stood up and a little hesitantly joined my group. They were all sitting around the table. No one was looking at each other. They just kept their heads down intently studying the wooden finish of the table.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What’s going on?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Lacey, that bitch, drugged us,” Sam grumbled.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Do you guys remember last night?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yup,” said Kara. She wasn’t meeting anyone’s eyes. She just fiddled with a fork on the table.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Grace looked at me but when I met her gaze she looked away.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “It’s not a magic roofie, Drew,” Sam said. “It elevates hormone levels. It’s basically a super powerful love potion.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “So, Drew, what did Lacey want from you?” asked Alice.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I didn’t want to just tell everyone about last night but they deserved to know. It was embarrassing and I didn’t know how they would take it, but they were my team and I had to tell them that I failed.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Me,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam let out a sharp curse.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “This is all my fault,” said Kara. “We never would’ve come here if I didn’t push for it.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “So, what happened?” Alice asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I made a mistake,” I said. I didn’t go into any more detail but I didn’t have to. They all seemed to have understood me perfectly.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Is that what you thought last night was?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               We spun around to see that Lacey had snuck up behind us oblivious.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “That hurts my feelings,” she said with a brilliant smile on her face. I knew that she was just messing with us, but it was still infuriating. “Maybe I won’t tell you about your father.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I don’t care,” I said. “Come on guys we have a job to do and my house isn’t very far.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I walked away from Lacey but when I got to the door it wouldn’t open.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We can’t leave until she lets us, Drew,” said Grace quietly and defeated.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “That’s right,” said the lynx. “And I don’t want you to leave yet so please pull up a chair and get comfortable.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I glared at her but she just made a kissy face and me so I grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the table with my friends on the opposite side from her. I set my duffle on the floor next to me. I kept one hand on the zipper.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “So I got what I wanted last night,” she said beaming. “So I’ll give you what you want.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We want to go,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Alice shot me a look that plain as English said, ‘don’t tick off the monster that can kill all of us if she felt like it.’

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “That will come later. Don’t you worry sweetie,” the shape shifter responded. “What’s your first question?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam spoke up before I could say something stupid.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Let’s make the best out of the situation, okay?” he said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “There we go,” she said. “Someone’s got the right attitude.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Who are Drew’s parents?” Sam asked nervously.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “His mother is a woman named Yurizan Rikoski. She was a Bosnian immigrant who met Drew’s father after he broke out of his prison. She’s the mortal and currently lives in Los Angeles California where she works as an analyst for the FBI. She’s thirty five years old,” Lacey said. “And his father..”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The earth shook and I felt the air got noticeably colder, interrupting the lynx. She stood and started to back out of the room. The hair on the back of her neck was sticking up and her face showed a panicked expression.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You can all leave now,” she said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I took this as my opportunity. I didn’t care that so much who my father was. I’d find out sooner or later. I wanted that monster to die. I’d been slowly unzipping the duffle until I could get hold of my shotgun. I drew my weapon and my chair fell backwards as I stood getting a clear shot.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The lynx looked even more panicked and started to shift into a cat like I’d seen her do in my dream. I pulled the trigger. I heard a cat howl and I racked the slide aiming for another shot. My friends were too surprised to do anything but get out of my way.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I saw the lynx try to limp off and I fired again. The celestial bronze buckshot hit my target and the cat slammed against the wall.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               But then the cat started to grow.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Do you really think you can beat me with your little toy?” it hissed.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               She stood upright, covered in fur, her hands ended in long claws, and her mouth was full of long razor sharp teeth. Lynx was both frightening and physically attractive at the same time. I felt a strange mixture of emotions at that moment but I fought through it.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I fired again but the pellets seemed to bounce off of her. She lunged at me but Sam intercepted. His shield threw her across the front room, but she didn’t stay down long. I was glad that my friends had my back.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Get out of my house,” Lacey hissed. “Before I get even more angry.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               We kept our weapons up and backed out of the room. Grace got the door and Alice covered us with her bow.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               We got to the street and watched to make sure that Lacey didn’t follow us. We cautiously jumped some regular mortal’s fence and started hiking through the woods. It was the fastest way to old home and our target.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “So we’re not going to address the crazy crap that just happened?” I asked the group.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We should probably just forget about it,” said Grace. “You know the whole night. It was all messed up.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I noticed Sam and Alice trade glances. Maybe being drugged woke up something real in them. That’d be interesting. Maybe I was just seeing things that weren’t there. I don’t know.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in 400.2pt">               “Yeah, you’re probably right,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               No one really was in a mood to talk. Nearly dying is nothing compared to what had happened so we just kept our thoughts and our words to ourselves.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “But I still have a question,” I said, breaking our silence. “What the heck was that whole thing with Lacey at the end?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You mean when you shot her?” Sam said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “No, I mean she was about to tell me who my dad was and the earth shook. What was up with that?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Gaea, mother of the giants,” Sam said somberly. “For some reason she wants to keep you in the dark.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I don’t like her much,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Gaea or Lacey,” asked Alice. “Both.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               We moved over a hill and Alice waved for us to get down. She crawled on our bellies until we could see my old home. It was exactly the way I’d left it. It was a small Colonial with a large open front lawn with trees surrounding the entire property.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “So the plan is that we just walk up in there?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yeah,” Sam said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “This is a dumb plan.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Do you have a better one?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “No.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam, Kara, and I got up and walked up to the house. Alice and Grace decided to hang back and provide cover in case the plan went to hell which we all knew would happen.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I was halfway up the driveway when I saw the first monster. There was a large wolf in the woods. It was a ways off but it was probably a watch dog, ready to signal the pack in things got squirrely.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I was distracted by a bird call. It sounded like a hawk and I looked up to the sky to see a flock of large birds. They quickly revealed themselves as what they really were when one dived low over the building to get a better view of us. It had the black furred body of a panther and black feathery wings, topped off by a long beaked face. It was a flock of gryphons.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I felt for my knife and I was happy to feel that it was still in place. I kept my shotgun on top of everything else inside my duffle so I could get to it easier. That made me feel a little better. At least I was walking into a swarm of monsters armed to the teeth.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I went to my front door and knocked three times. A short woman with dark hair came up to the door and when she saw me her face beamed. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days. Her clothes were dirty and her hair was a mess. On top of it her eyes were blood shot, seemingly from crying. It was the woman who I thought was my mother for the past eighteen years.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               She threw open the door and hugged me with more force than I would’ve thought possible to a woman of her size.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Oh Drew, we were so worried, please come in,” she said, waving me and my friends in. “Where we you?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I looked to my friends and they nodded. That meant we were going to go through with the plan. We’d completed step one, walk into the trap. But step two was harder. Tell the truth and complete a forceful confrontation. I took a deep breath to slow my rising heart rate.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Well the first big thing was that I was attacked by Doc Cohen,” I said. To my credit I sounded quite calm, which helped my confidence.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What?” my mother started but I interrupted.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Oh that’s not the craziest part. I went to a camp were the children of the Greek gods train to fight monsters. They told me that you, Dad, and Josh have been lying to me my entire life. They told me that one of my parents actually is an Olympian god. You aren’t my mother are you?” I accused.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What, Drew, that’s crazy!” my ‘mother’ said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I dropped my duffle bag and straightened my back, taking full advantage of my full high of over six feet. My ‘mother’ was barely five feet. I was going for imposing.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Is that even my name?” I shouted. I felt a well of frustration, anger, and confusion starting to bubble to the surface. I knew I had to keep calm, but my emotions were getting the best of me. I felt hot, almost feverish.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Drew, I think that your friends here might be bad influences on you,” she said as she took a step back away from me, her hands crossed her chest in a defensive pose more than a defiant one.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               A tall man and a young boy with dog in toe came into the room. My ‘father,’ ‘brother,’ and the dog they’d got to replace me, when I was planning on going to college. I guess that wasn’t going to happen now.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Drew, you’re home,” the man claiming to be my father came to give me a hug but I drew my knife and he backed up. The dog growled.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “If you’re regular mortals our weapons won’t affect you at all,” I said. I’d regained my composure. I was rock solid now.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Drew, are you on drugs?” asked Josh.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I’d really appreciate it if you stopped lying to me,” I said. “Who do you work for and who is my real father?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Drew, we can get you help,” the woman said reaching out to me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I slashed with my knife and it made a small cut on the woman’s hand but that was enough to make her façade fall away. I finally saw her for what she actually was; a monster.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               She had the head of a falcon and carried two long blades over her back. The dog jumped at me. It grew as if flew through the air. By the time it collided with my chest it was a slobbering jackal that was biting at my throat. I dropped my knife trying to hold it back.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I saw out of the corner of my eyes that Sam and Kara were fighting in my living room. The one that had been my brother had a pair of arrows sprouted from its chest.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Alice was doing her job well. I must’ve been too low to the ground to be helped, however.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I’d never had any experience fighting dogs except in video games so I tried to do what they did and snap the dog’s neck, but that was harder than it looked. After getting my hand bitten twice, luckily I was wearing my fingerless gloves, I was able to grab its head and jaw and twist them violently. There was a snap and the beast started to melt as I cast its slackened form off me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I recovered my knife and I was able to get the drop on the Falcon headed Avenger with the arrows protruding from it. My blade took the bird’s head right off.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I paired with Kara and tried to subdue the last two monsters. We needed one wounded but alive. I kept on going for the legs, but my knife was just too small to be effective.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               With a bang, the door to the garage burst open and Grace came in. The Avenger fighting Sam leapt away from him, directly at Grace. She threw up a screen of pink power that coated the beast’s face. It stiffened and collapsed at her feet.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The one remaining bird monster turned, just to be shot through the head with an arrow and crash into Sam’s shield and sword.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam and I wrestled the stunned Avenger into a chair that we’d put into the bathroom. Sam duct taped it down so it couldn’t move once it came to.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “How long does the powder take to wear off?” I asked Grace.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               She shrugged. “It varies, but it’s usually between one and five hours. I’ll watch it for a while. We’ll take turns until it wakes up.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I patted her on the shoulder as I walked past her. I decided to go up to my room and see if they’d done anything to it. I climbed up the stairs and turned immediately to the right. I held my knife in my hand and I slowly pushed the door open, but there was no threat. It was just my room. Nothing had changed in my whole time gone, which now that I said that was less than a week, but it did feel a lot longer.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I saw my book shelf and touched that special series. They’d prepared me well for this world. Then I got to my bed side table. There was a multitool that I’d won at a Yankee swap last Christmas. I thought it might come in handy so I slipped it into my cargo pants’ left side pocket.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Then I saw something that made me pause, my Mosin Nagant. It was a long range Russian rifle that my ‘dad’ had given me for Christmas last year. It was too big to put into my duffle so I slung it over my shoulder. I needed the ammunition for it so I went into the master bed room and went through the drawers until I found two things, one the ammo and two the key to a fireproof safety box.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I took the box from underneath the bed, where it always stayed. I opened it up and took out a small six-shooter handgun. I loaded six rounds and put it into my cargo pants right pocket. I stuffed the ammunition into my duffle. Then I saw a curious thing it was a lighter. It was the plain chrome color like the normal Zippo lighter it was. When I picked it up and inspected the opposite side, and American flag symbol was stamped in the metal. I flicked it open and lit it. The flame was normal. I closed and snuffed out the flame’s life. Then I saw the papers in the box. They were records of my birth and my passport. They were lies. I flicked the lighter back on and I torched the papers. I closed the box. I slipped the lighter into my pocket. I didn’t know what was special about it, but I had a burning desire to keep it close.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I returned to my room. I put down my duffle and rifle. I went to the bookshelf. I pulled off a few of my personal favorites and put them in a backpack. I closed the door behind me quietly.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I pushed the book shelf over and watched it splinter and snap as it fell to the ground. Panicked footsteps sounded behind me, but I ignored them. I pulled off a long piece of wood from the book shelf and brought it down against the large wooden desk. It broke to pieces before me. I moved and started hitting my dresser with everything I had.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               My door flew open and Grace stood there, sword drawn. Looked around the room at my destruction and here expression was one of complete shock and confusion.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I dropped the piece of wood and I inspected my now stinging hands. I really should have pot on gloves before I started smashing everything. They were torn up and I had at least a half dozen splinters imbedded in my palm.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What the hell?” Grace said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I sat down on my bed. It still had the camo colored comforter I’d gotten for my birthday. I felt tears, not of physical pain, no, they were tears of a different, deeper pain. But I fought them back. I never cry, not after freshman year. I was in a dark, depressed place. But I hated that person. I decided to change. I changed myself and I swore to never cry. I didn’t cry when my church split apart, or when my great uncle died, two months later, or even when my dog died two months after that.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Sorry about that,” I said, regaining my composer. “Needed to blow off some steam, you know.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Grace just looked at me funny, like she was trying to determine if I was crazy or not. I looked away and picked at the splinters in my hand.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               She sat down next to me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Drew, its okay,” she said. “Well, it shows you have serious anger management problems. I mean usually us half bloods just kill things.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I laughed. “I was thinking like, oh my whole life is a lie so just break all my stuff, you know. Send a message to the universe,” I rambled. “Or something like that.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “So you’re not taking this as well as you want everybody to think?” she said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Kinda, yeah,” I said. I stood and started walking to the door but Grace stooped me by closing it first.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">“You’re incredibly brave, Drew,” said and took a step towards me.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">I was incredibly aware how close she was too me. She took my hand and looked into my eyes.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">“You’re the bravest hero I’ve ever seen,” she continued. “Don’t sell yourself short.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I looked into her eyes and I saw something in her eyes. It was more than a moment of passion; it was something more, much more. I took a step closer to her, but before anything else could happen a shout from down stairs brought us back to reality and Grace stepped away. She opened the door and went down the stairs. I recovered my things and followed her.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I set them down on the island in my kitchen. My rifle got some looks from Alice and Kara. I just said, “New toy.” My gaze fell upon Kara and she caught it. She was smiling but she saw that there was no more doubt in my eyes. She looked away, her expression downcast and I went over to Sam.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               He had the bird faced monster still perfectly secured to the chair, away and ready for questioning. In its current state, the Avenger was a shirtless man in an Egyptian man skirt thing with a bird’s head. It didn’t like being tied down. That was obvious by the fact it kept struggling against its bonds but its attempts were fruitless. Sam knew one thing that all demigods were taught very early on; even I was taught this simple fact, always carry large amounts of duct tape. am was able to be liberal in his use of the binding strip.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam looked at me and took me aside, closing the door on the bird man monster, and out of earshot of the others.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Drew, I’m sorry but I think you shouldn’t be a part of the questioning process here,” Sam said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I was stunned. The whole reason we were here was because of me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Excuse me?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You’re too emotionally involved,” Sam explained. “We can’t afford that you might lose it during the questioning. We have to be sure to get everything out of it.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You’ve got to be freaking kidding me,” I said frustrated. The worse thing about the situation is that I understood his reasoning and I would’ve done the exact same thing in his situation.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Drew,” he said. “We just have to be really careful here.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I turned away from him.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You’re in charge, Sam It’s your call,” I said and walked away.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam went into the bathroom and waved in Grace who was clutching her bag of powders. Sam closed and locked the door behind them. That gave me an idea. I went into the garage and popped the hood of my ‘dad’s’ car. It was a stick shift so we wouldn’t be using that. Plus it was very small. The other car in the garage, a green Subaru Outback would be our mode of transportation back if everything went according to plan.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I pulled the car battery out of the car and got jumper cables. I put them on the island with my things.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Kara and Alice watched me work. I found a container of medical grade hand sanitizer and I put it next to the car battery.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What are you doing?” asked Alice.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Just in case Sam can’t break the Avenger,” I said. Then a thought occurred to me. “Wasn’t this place crawling with monsters when Hannah checked it out?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yes,” said Alice.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Then where are the monsters?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “They’re waiting.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Come again?” Alice sighed. They’re outside waiting for something to happen. She walked to the window and waved me over.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “There are some wolves, over there goblins, and right there is a nasty Cyclops,” she pointed out.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “And on the other side,” Kara said. “Are some more wolves, and a half dozen scorpion men.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Well at least we know we’re surrounded,” I said cheerily.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I sat at the island and counted up my ammunition. I only had a dozen slugs left for the shotgun, but my new rifle had twenty rounds. I cleaned and loaded both weapons. A clean gun is a happy gun and a happy gun doesn’t miss fire or explode in your hands.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Do you guys have any idea why we haven’t been attacked yet?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I thought you’d never ask,” Alice said. “There’s something about this house. They can’t get in so we’re safe.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Great, so we’re good to go,” I said. “Hey, I’m tired.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yeah, yeah, head to bed,” Kara said, with a dismissive wave of her hand.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I went upstairs and sat down on my bed but I was too nervous and jumpy. I got up and cleared the rubble I’d created.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I put it into a pile on the floor but then I decided just to toss it out the window. I was in a mood and I liked watching the pieces of rubble smash into bits. It was cathartic if nothing else.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I laid back down on my bed and just starred at the ceiling. It was impossible for me to sleep knowing that thing was down there. Well I guess impossible is a bad term because I did fall asleep, but to be fair it took almost an hour of staring at the ceiling.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I was a Delta Force Commando. I could tell that from the uniform I was wearing and the patches that adorned it. Also I carried a large assault rifle cradled in my arms. I was in a helicopter with three other commandos.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               We were flying over New York City and there was an invading army swarming through the streets.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “So what are you going to do to the Ruskies when we get a hold of them,” said one of the commandos.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               My body went into first person video mode. I had no control but I saw through my eyes.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Hey Seraph, you’ve seen what I do to Russians,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “And anyone else who crosses you,” said another of the commandos.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Hell yeah, Dresnat, you’re the best torturer the US has,” said Seraph.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I’m like Jack freakin’ Bauer,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Dresnat, I’d heard the name before, somewhere I wasn’t sure where.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Sandshark, you’re with Dresnat. Seraph, follow me in,” said the leader of the commando team.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You need me to watch your back, Chimera?” said Seraph.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “No, I just don’t trust you among people so I need you close,” said Chimera.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “It’s Dresnat you need to be worried about around civilians,” Seraph said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Hey, hey, hey, I never shoot civilians,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What about Cairo?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Part of the mission,” I said. “Doesn’t count.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “He kills people,” said Seraph. “It’s a real problem.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You want me to quit?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Hell no, we need sociopaths.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               We all laughed and I found that my laughter was genuine. This Dresnat really enjoyed causing pain to others. That was concerning.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Drew, wake up,” said an angry voice.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I rolled over and mumbled, “I don’t want to.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Drew, we’re having some trouble,” I opened my eyes and looked at the speaker. It was Sam and if he was here then he wasn’t grilling the Avenger.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What do you need?”I asked, pulling myself up to a sitting position.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Alice said you were working on a backup plan on getting him to talk.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I got out of the bed and I smirked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You need me to loosen him up?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Just check out the situation and tell me what to do,” he said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I went down stairs, Sam following close behind.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Why do you think I’m a qualified torturer?” I asked. “I’m curious.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You had all that stuff out down stairs and remember last year you gave that report on American torture techniques,” he said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I got an A on that report, but I think I scared the teacher,” I joked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “That’s truer than you know,” Sam said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I walked into the bathroom and saw that it was bruised up. Sam had tried to beat the answers out of it but he was doing it wrong. For a being like this, obviously dedicated to its cause, I mean the dude pretended to me my father for eighteen years, you needed to go to a different type of pain. Blunt force trauma was an easy pain to ignore.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Give me ten minutes, alone,” I said as cryptically as possible.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “No, just show me how to use these,” Sam said pointing to the car battery, jumper cables, and hand sanitizer.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “That’ll take too long,” I said. “It’s taken eight seasons of 24, Taken, and more Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone movies than I can count. It will take way too much time. All I need is ten minutes and no matter what you hear, don’t open the door.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I took my effects and brought them into the bathroom. No one stood in my way, they just watched as I locked the door behind me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Hello father,” I said. When I walked into that room I was angry. I wanted nothing more than to cause pain but something warm inside shut off my rage. I had a singular thought, find out the information I wanted, what the team needed.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The Avenger looked at me. It had a burning hate in its eyes.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “So I’m not here to talk,” I said. “You can talk if you want. That’s why I’m here, get you to talk. I’m also here to hurt you, hopefully in a way you’ve never been hurt before. I washed my hands and put on my fingerless gloves.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I then attached the jumper cables to the car battery and touched the positive and negative tips together just too make sure it was working properly. It was and sparks arched throughout the room.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I took a bucket and filled it with water and put the monster’s feet in it.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Hey, you know what I want to know, correct?” I asked, my tone dripping with false concern.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The monster just glared but didn’t say anything.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Good,” I said and I shocked the beast. All of the muscles in its body tightened. The monster struggled against its bonds and after five seconds I stopped.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The monster started to breath, but it was ragged. Just like I thought, it’d never been electrocuted before.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I brought the cables back against the monster and it convulsed. I had to ignore it. I kept the stream of electricity for fifteen seconds.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I let up and grabbed a towel from the rack and threw it over the bird’s head. I opened the door and they all looked at me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “How’s it?” Sam started but I put a finger up. I opened a kitchen closet and found what I needed: a hose.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I returned to the bathroom and locked it again. I hooked the hose up to the sink and I sprayed the water over the towel. I didn’t think the bird had ever been water boarded before. This was a real day of firsts for him. Three times I started to drown him and three times I cut off before I actually did. I decided I had to use the multi tool.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I took the towel off and threw in behind him. Next I pulled out the multitool and selected the shortest knife blade. I went to his fingers and cut right underneath the nail of each finger then I took the lighter and cauterized each of the wounds.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The monster screamed. Finally, I was making progress.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I then moved to the pliers and started taking off finger nails. After each fingernail was removed I applied a liberal application of the medical grade hand sanitizer. I could tell each finger hurt more than the last.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               It looked like he was starting to crack. Sweat gleamed over his body and I moved to the fish scaler. I was basically a series of wide serrated bumps. I started with the upper arms and I started taking off the skin.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Hyperion!” the Avenger screamed.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I stopped my blade.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Apologies,” I said. “I didn’t quite get that.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Your father is Hyperion,” it said in between huge gasps of air.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Hyperion is a titan,” I said. “They have mortal children?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The monster didn’t respond immediately so I continued taking off skin and then the words were flowing like a stream.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “No, they weren’t supposed to,” it said. “But Hyperion broke free and he fathered a child, a child that was hidden from the world. You.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I then remembered where I’d heard Dresnat before, in my dreams twice before this last one in the helicopter. The warrior with bomb squad armor that’d thrashed everything in its path. Then me, when I’d killed the lynx on the battlefield.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I threw the multitool in the sink and I left the bathroom.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “He’s all yours Sam,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “He’s talking?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yes.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Drew,” Grace said cautiously. “Is everything okay?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I don’t know,” I said. I looked to her. “Oh I found out that my father isn’t Apollo like I thought.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Alice gave me a weird look but didn’t say anything.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “My father,” I continued. “Is the titan Hyperion.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Wait, say that again?”asked Alice.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I looked at her with an expression that said ‘seriously,’ but I responded anyway.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “My father is the titan Hyperion. Lord of fire, light, and the east. He’s older than the gods.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “How the hell did a titan have a mortal kid?” asked Kara.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yeah, they generally thought of mortals as little more than entertainment or food,” said Grace.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Well that’s a comforting thought,” I said. I felt exhausted and kind of chilled. “But torturing family always makes me tired so I’m going to go sleep in my bed for the last time in my life.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               They just looked at me as I walked away and went to my room. I sat there on my bed too tired to fall asleep. I sat on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Everything was kind of just swimming around in my head but everything started to make sense. My third person view when I was in contact with light, the sunburst of flame when I was angry, my ability to turn off my emotions, my sword fighting skills, and I guess my knife too. Annabeth had called it a weapon of the east.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               There was a knock on the door. I scramble out of the bed and sat on it.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Come on in,” I called calmly.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Grace stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Hey Drew, are you okay?” she asked me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Oh yeah, I’m totally fine,” I said. “I have no problem with my father being one of the bad guys.” “Drew, you can’t choose your family,” Grace said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yeah I know, but I had a second chance,” I said. “No one gets that and I went from normal to an absent mother and father who tried to kill all humans.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I’ve never heard of a titan’s child before. It makes you special if nothing else,” she said and took a seat next to me on my bed.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I’ve seen titan kids in my dreams,” I said. “They’re interesting fellows.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Oh so that’s what you dream about,” Grace said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Among other things.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Like what?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Trust me I don’t sleep because of my dreams,” I said. “You really don’t want me to get into that. Truthfully that crap scares me sometimes.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We all dream, Drew,” she said. “But just remember you always wake up. Dreams aren’t real.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I looked at her and I felt a tug in my gut. I knew that I wanted to be with her but I didn’t know now how I would be received by the camp. They were all the children of the Greek gods and I’m the son of one of their greatest enemies. I might ruin her. I looked away without saying anything.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Drew, I don’t care that you’re the son of Hyperion,” Grace said. I felt her put her hand on my leg.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Do you want this?” I asked. “After everything?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yes, Drew,” she said. “But I’m not the only one.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I turned to her in confusion and she gave me a look so I let her continue without further interruption.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Kara likes you too, Drew,” Grace said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I didn’t know how to respond. I was aware that Kara had a certain feelings for me but I’d thought I’d smashed them asunder on the bus ride to Boston.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What are you saying?” I asked. My confusion was peaked and I wanted Grace to say what she meant in plain words. After everything in the past few days I just wanted a straight answer.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Both Kara and myself like you,” she started. She was breathing shallowly, like she was nervous of my reaction to her next words, which was not an unfounded fear, for the record. She was certainly putting a lot on the line with them.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “And we both want to be with you, you know, what I mean,” Grace continued and stroked between my legs before I could react.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “But you’re sisters,” I said, but Grace interrupted me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Only half sisters and that’s only on the Olympian side so it really doesn’t count at all, really. We’re cabin mates, best friends before anything.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               My head was spinning. Hearing this put what I’d seen between Grace and Kara at Lacey’s home in a different light.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Drew, please say something,” asked Grace.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I’ve been struggling between which of you I wanted to try a relationship with,” I started.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You don’t have to choose,” Grace said. Her hand was rested on my leg. “We’re kind of a package deal.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “How will this work?” I asked. “Am I going to be like dating both of you or are we going to keep it secret or what?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Kara, please come in here,” Grace called and Kara entered the room, locking the door behind her.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “So he said yes?” Kara asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “He has a lot of questions,” Grace responded.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Then let’s answer them.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Grace turned to me and pulled my face close to hers. Our lips brushed together and her tongue caressed my lips.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I couldn’t do it. I broke away and stood, backing away from the two of them. My head was spinning. It felt like it was going to split in half. I cradled my head in my hands and I felt my body temperature increase.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “No,” I gasped.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               There was a fire inside me and it wanted out. There was a deep tug in my stomach and I doubled over, falling to my knees.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What’s wrong, Drew?” Grace said as she stepped towards my shaking form.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “No!” I coughed out and then there was a crash and something large slammed into us. We fell to the ground in a pile and a wolf was standing over us.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Son of a freaking gun,” I shouted. A large, grey furred wolf with evil yellow eyes had smashed through the window and was blocking the exit to the room

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The wolf snarled at us and I felt my initial anger shift into uncertainty. I was unarmed, Grace was armed, and the wolf had very large claws and fangs. The only thing I had was the lighter I found in the fire proof box.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I pulled it out as the wolf started stalking forward. I flicked the starter, hoping that somehow that would help. I didn’t care if it was a gift, if you can call it that when something of that magnitude is forced upon you, or if it was as simple as the wolf being afraid of fire.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               What actually occurred was greater than anything I could imagine.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">                The lighter sparked and I was suddenly holding a handgun. It was matte black, simple and elegant. The wolf looked alarmed and started to back off.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I was confused, but now I had a gun and I had to use it. My weapon shot brilliant silver bullets and I saw them sparkle in the light before they hit the creature. It took a pair of shots to drop the wolf and it puffed away in a burst of snowflakes.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I breathed and the two girls just stared at me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What in holy hell was that?” Kara asked to no one in particular.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I want to know about your new weapon,” said Grace. “You’re holding out on us Drew.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I looked at the handgun in my hand and I closed my fist on instinct. The handgun morphed back into the silver lighter with the American flag stamped into the cold metal.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Honestly,” I said. “I had no clue that would happen. Aren’t we supposed to be safe in here?” I addressed Kara. “You and Alice told me that this building was safe.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I guess something changed,” Kara shrugged.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Grace held up her hands.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We need to get to the others, make sure they’re fine and then get out of here,” she said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I nodded in agreement.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “This building would provide quite poor shelter from attack,” I said. “There are too many ways in. We can’t cover them all.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I didn’t forget what’d just happened with Grace and Kara, but I tried to push it out of my mind. It was too strange and after the mistakes I’d made I couldn’t let myself do something so away from my God’s wishes. After everything that was still heavy in my mind, weighing me down like an anchor.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               After I stuffed my effects into my pockets, we ran down the stairs to see a large, monster in cruel red armor wielding a long two pronged blade that crackled with energy, standing outside the bathroom. Alice and Sam were thrown to the ground on either side and the door to the basement behind them was smashed open.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               It was the Tartarian spawn and it held the limp body of the tortured Avenger. Its neck craned as we thundered into the kitchen.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               It roared with its four mandibled mouth, each one lined with long shark-like teeth, and charged.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Kara and Grace blocked the fierce strikes, but the monster wasn’t interested in them. Its beady black eyes were trained on me. It pressed them back hard and even though they were experienced monster fighters, they were obviously outmatched. It was only a matter of time.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               My body heated, but it wasn’t the angry, destroy everything, heat that I’d felt before the wolf attacked. This was a comfortable warm, like a hug on the inside, and I went into the third person. I grabbed my shotgun. The warmth made me feel calm and in control of myself.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Move!” I shouted at the top of my lungs.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Grace and Kara thankfully, dove aside and I fired the Mossberg 500.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The beast took the hit and pressed forward. I fired again and I saw its armor crack, but I couldn’t get off another shot. It was too close and it swung its energy blade. I tried to block with my shotgun but the blade cut straight through it and all I held onto was a molten stump of metal.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I threw the scrap metal at the beast as it pounced on me. I moved my head just in time to avoid getting my head skewered by its weapon, but I was now pinned to the ground, by a much heavier opponent and I was no grappler.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I drew my knife and it cut into the Tartarian spawn’s chest oozing a blue blood that stank like tar.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               It jumped up as a series of arrows hit its back. Alice was back in the game, firing bolts like a mad woman. The beast rushed her and pushed her, but didn’t finish her off. Instead it dove down into the basement.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I with my curved kukri knife in hand, chased after the monster.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You can’t fight them alone, Drew,” shouted Sam who was only just now pulling himself off the ground.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I watched the monster scramble on the ground and turn a corner, but I stopped myself from jumping down the stairs after it. I backed up and helped up Sam.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What’s happening?” I asked. “I thought we were safe in here.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Alice shook her head.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I don’t know, it’s not supposed to be like this,” she said. “Somehow the magic border around this building has fallen.” I heard screeches of angry vicious birds and the howling of wolves. The monsters were closing in.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I sheathed my knife and grabbed the Russian rifle. I checked to make sure it was still full, which it was of course. I loved the sharp crack sound cycling the bolt made when I checked my weapon.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We need to go now, or we’ll be over run,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               There was a chorus of assent and we made our way to the front door, just to be face to face with a large Cyclops. It was nearly fifteen feet tall and it smashed through the front of the house.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I shot a round into its knee cap and the monster roared as its leg collapsed underneath its weight, but it was pulling itself back up. Behind it wolves and goblins screamed for blood.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               We turned to go out the back way but there were a dozen scorpion men crawling up the back porch.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               That left only one way out, descend into the basement.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam looked at me, asking with a single glance if there was any other way than following a monster that’d almost killed him.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I shook my head so he led us down the stairs and turned into the guest room but he quickly backed out and closed the door.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “There’s a drakkon in your guest bed, Drew,” he said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Okay, then this way,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               We turned around into the other part of the basement, the storage area of the basement but we quickly saw there was no door out that way. It was just a solid wall of concrete.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “That must’ve happened after I left,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Kara was the first to say what was on everyone’s mind.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We have to fight the drakkon don’t we?” she asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What exactly is a drakkon,” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Like a dragon, but smaller and no wings,” said Sam.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “But they’re poisonous,” added Grace.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Bloody, freakin’, brilliant,” I cursed to no one specifically.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               There was a clamor above us and Sam looked to me. He was strangely calm for the situation, he even smiled.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Breaching!” he yelled as he charged the door with his shield and shattered the guest room door into wooden shrapnel. And in that moment I saw yet another reason Sam was the leader of the group. His being the child of Athena gave him a calm in the face of danger that the average person simply couldn’t understand.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               There it was, a giant coiled dark purple colored serpent with four tiny legs, reared up and hissed, exposing fangs the size of my forearm.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam caught its attention quickly by cutting its side as he ran passed it. Alice put a few arrows in its joints, causing the beast to shake chaotically. Kara slashed it a few times, forcing it back. Grace blew a cloud of green powered that seemed to burn the monster. I finished it off by punching one of the huge Russian bullets through the beasts head. That was all it took to take the beast down. Maybe they were tougher in one on one fights. I don’t know. I did know however I was never going to use that bed again, no matter how tired I was.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               We moved together to the glass sliding doors out, but they were locked and even me and Sam slamming against it together wouldn’t even chip the glass.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We’ve backed ourselves into a corner,” said Sam.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Thank you for stating the obvious,” said Alice sarcastically.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We’re just going to hold off here aren’t we?” asked Grace.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam nodded somberly. The moment of glee when smashing through the door was now over. We were all coming to the same conclusion. We were going to die down here.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I kicked over the few chairs in the room.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Drew, what are you doing?” asked Alice.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I turned away from my work to address the group.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I’m making barricades. If we’re going to die then we might as well kill as many of these monsters out as we can,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Then there was a rumble under the earth. It wasn’t very long but when it stopped the world went silent. There was no more stomping of monstrous feet above of or screams of birds of prey.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “It’s quiet,” I started to say.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Don’t you dare finish that,” said Alice. She was nervous and running low on arrows. I noticed less than ten left. She needed to get out into the sun, but that was impossible in our current situation.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “It sounds like they’re gone,” said Kara.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “They’re there,” Sam said. His eyes scanned the ceiling but they fell upon the whole that he’d broken, we’re the door was. It was now the only was in or out.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               There was a creak and the closet burst open. I was the first to respond for I could see what was happening without turning around due to my extended sight.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We’ve been engaged!” I shouted and fired my rifle, but I wasn’t fast enough to cycle the bolt to get another shot for the Tartarian spawn were fast. Three of them rushed into our midst.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “There are three of the bastards!” shouted Sam as he slammed his shield into one.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               One with damaged armor tackled me to the ground. It held a small glowing punching dagger over me and roared, getting spittle into my face, but I didn’t need my face to see.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               My fist curled around one of the deceased drakkon’s fangs and I drove it into the maw of the ugly beast on top of me. I saw it grab its throat so I pushed it off me and took out the six shooter.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I aimed at the closest monster and emptied the rounds into its back. It roared and made a series of wild slashes.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               It locked eyes with its companion and the one that was undamaged grabbed Kara. It grabbed Kara’s sword and threw it away. It held its weapon against Kara’s throat and held her in front of itself as a literal human shield.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The other one dove behind its partner into the closet and disappeared into a tunnel.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               At that moment a pair of scorpion men and a half dozen goblins came into the room.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Drew, Grace,” Sam shouted. “Handle her!” He pointed to the closet and then he turned and engaged the incoming monsters. Alice had his back with an arrow knocked and aiming at the taller of the two scorpion men.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I turned away from my friends and followed Grace into the closet. I slide the closet behind us, locking it so that the monsters we were chasing would be forced to fight us and not able to double back and attack Sam and Alice’s unprotected flank.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The only problem was that there was no light in the tunnel and so I lost my third person view, which could be a problem in the near future. Fighting enemies I couldn’t see wasn’t really my specialty.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I tried to reload the six shooter but I realize I’d left all the ammunition in my duffle bag, upstairs in the kitchen. I toss aside the useless weapon and I drew my knife.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               There was a shuffling sound ahead of us and I heard a surprised squeak from Grace. I’m not going to lie; my heart skipped a beat too.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You heard that, too?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “It’s probably best if we don’t talk,” Grace said. “That way we can at least hear the enemy coming.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I shut my mouth and kept moving forward. There was an animalistic snarl and the tunnel lit up in the light of an ignited energy blade. I saw that Grace had recovered Kara’s weapon and was Florentining, wielding one sword in each hand. Kara’s in her right, dominant hand and her own in her left.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               She let out a barbaric yell and threw herself at the monster. I’d never seen Grace fight as fiercely as right then. Honestly I hadn’t thought of Grace as much of a warrior. She was a support unit, carrying her magic cosmetics that did wonders against our enemies. But direct assault was not generally her forte.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               She was proving me wrong.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The Tartarian spawn was being pushed back. It only carried one weapon, granted it was longer, but the combination of two weapons was enough to counter the monster’s attack.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               When the blade ignited, I was able to regain my enhanced sight and I jumped to the opportunity. I saw a perfect may to kill the monster. I sprinted, but not at the fight, no that would be suicide, coming between Grace and the monster born from Tartarus was just plain dumb. No, I sprinted at the wall and I used it as a spring board to sail over the conflict and land behind the monster.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               It tried to turn to face me but I drove my knife into its leathery neck. The monster spasmed and it twisted and fell. When I stabbed it, its guard was dropped and Grace landed a number of blows to its stomach and chest. The monster was dead, but in its death throes it twisted my knife out of my hand and its blade sputtered off, leaving us blind again.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I dropped to my hands and knees to recover my knife, but all I could find was entrails. Grace walked into me and knocked me over on accident. It was dark and neither of us could see plus the cavern wasn’t that big.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Come on, Drew,” she hissed. “Stop screwing around, we need to save Kara.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I dropped my knife,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               There was a scream down the path. It was high pitched, like that of a girl. It could’ve been any female, but we only knew of one down there.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I forgot about my knife and rushed down the path.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We’re coming Kara!” Grace shouted and then I remembered something. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the lighter. I flicked it and a flame appeared, but that gave us all the vision we required. We’d just entered a large room. There was one way in and out, the way we’d come and there was the Tartarian spawn holding Kara, one of the punching daggers up to her throat.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               We stepped forward but the beast tightened its grip and snarled making it abundantly clear: if we came any closer he would kill her.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Let her go,” Grace growled.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The monster mad a chucking sound in the back of its throat. It sounded like as close to laughter as that odd mouth could make.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I was nervous and I wished I had a weapon. I thought that the lighter would turn into a handgun again, but it didn’t seem to work like that. My thumb kept drumming against the sparker and then I thought, an assault rifle with specialized scope would be perfect for this situation.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The lighter sparked and I was holding the Israeli made Tavor Assault Rifle for the 21st century, also known as the TAR-21 or just TAR, with a modified night vision scope, exactly what I wanted. I didn’t question it. That’s how magic works. It does as long as you didn’t question it. I just raised the weapon to my shoulder and sighted at the monsters head. I made sure that that the weapon was on semi auto and then started breathing to lower my heart rate and decreasing weapon sway, increasing accuracy.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               It knew it was going to die so it brought the dagger up but before it could stab Kara I fired.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The assault rifle had 30 rounds in the magazine so I knew I could be liberal with my application of bullets. I tore right through its fist, dropping the dagger, and then every other round fired was placed into the evil monster’s ugly head.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               It slumped and Kara staggered forward in the dark.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Where are you guys?” asked Kara. I took my eyes away from the sight and squeezed the weapon and it turned back to a regular looking lighter. I flicked it and there was enough light to see.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Grace ran to Kara and held her in her arms.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We’re right here,” Grace whispered to her close friend. “It’s going to be okay.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We need to get back to the others,” I said. I hated myself for interrupting them but Sam and Alice could be dying right now. I wasn’t going to allow that to happen.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               They nodded in agreement and Grace gave Kara back her sword as we ran back to my house. I stopped for half a second to pull my knife out of the remains of a disintegrating Tartarian spawn and ran double time.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               When we got to the closet door I knifed it and it slid right open to find Sam and Alice sitting down next to each other in the middle of the destroyed bedroom. The glass door that seemed to be unbreakable was smashed asunder behind them.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You guys won?” I asked, surprised to see all the piles of ashes, dust, and assorted goo and my people were still alive and kicking.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You sound surprised,” said Alice see looked at me with raised eyebrows.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Oh, no, that’s not what I meant,” I stammered.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yeah, whatever,” she said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Sorry we ruined your house, Drew,” said Sam.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Oh we’re not done with this place yet,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I was surprised to find that the garage was almost completely untouched. The Subaru Outback was still fully functional and I was able to get the keys off the crumbled mantle piece. I pulled the car out of the way so I could get at my main target, the propane tanks. There were three of them and I placed one in the front room, one in the kitchen, and one in the far room. That way it would take the whole house down.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I made one more pass through the house. There were a few things I wanted to keep, a blanket, a few pillows, and a handful of books. I threw those few things into the trunk of the Subaru and then I pulled out the lighter. I was away from everyone, no distractions, no adrenaline, nothing special. I flicked the lighter and it produced a regular flame. I flicked it again and nothing special happened. I got kind of annoyed and I flicked it one more time and I got what I was hoping for, the TAR-21 assault rifle. I looked through the sights and pulled the trigger.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The first tank exploded and triggered the next and the next. The whole building went up in flames. I tried to think through the feelings on the matter. I’d grown up in this place that was now in flames. All I could feel was happiness that the place was burning and all the lies burning up as well.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I was a new person now. Drew Rikoski. It was better than my old name, more real if nothing else.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I hiked over to where I’d parked my new car and where my friends were waiting for me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We need somewhere safe to rest for the night,” said Sam. “Anyone have any ideas?” His clothes were torn in a dozen places and there was a long cut on his right forearm that needed to be looked at.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “There’s nowhere in this town where we can be safe anymore,” said Grace.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What about one of your homes,” I asked the group.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam shook his head.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Five demigods all together, our aura is overpowering to most monsters so they’ll flock to us. We’re not going to risk our families as collateral damage,” Sam explained.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “So that’s why there’ve been so many monsters attacking us?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yes,” said Sam.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “It also doesn’t help that you’re the son of a titan,” said Alice.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam gave her a look but Alice either didn’t see it or ignored it.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You’re aura is very powerful and different from anything these monsters have sensed in a very long time, if ever.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Beautiful,” I said. “So I’m the reason we’re all going to die.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I looked at my friends and saw how true that statement might be. Sam wasn’t the only one who was in serious pain. They all looked exhausted. Kara had a large bruise growing where the Tartarian spawn had grabbed her. Grace was pale. Her reckless attacks had drained her. Part of Alice’s hair had been sheared away but some monster that got a little too close during the fighting. It made her look scrappy. Not that Alice needed that.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We need supplies,” said Alice. “And there’s only one place in town we can get them.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam perked up.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “The school,” he said. “It’s Saturday.” He checked his watch to make sure he had the right date. “Yeah, perfect, no one will be there so we’ll be able to get our supplies and keep holed up for the night. We need to send a message to camp. We’ve got some serious intel and they need to know as soon as possible.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Okay then everybody load up,” I said and slipped into the driver’s seat. Sam instinctively moved towards the same seat but checked his movement and hoped into the back. Our bags had been pretty much destroyed by the monster so besides my few things in the back we didn’t have much.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “There’s not going to be like a giant monster waiting to kill us in our sleep at the school right?” I asked. I thought it was a fair question. I mean, I seriously wanted to sleep. I probably shouldn’t been driving either. But anyway I wanted to be ready if there was a monster planning on killing us.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “No the school is pretty repulsive to monsters,” Sam said. “The stink of humanity is thick in there. That’s why it takes monsters months to locate their half blood targets even though they come in contact with them every day and since we left earlier this week they wouldn’t have any reason to stick around.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “So we’re finally getting a break?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yes, an honest to goodness break.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               We got to the school and he had to break in. After everything we’d done, breaking into a school seemed like nothing. I mean, I just blew up a house. Which in hindsight probably was a dumb move, but I was angry and it was cathartic.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I followed my friends through the empty school, which was strange to see. Usually it was full to bursting with bodies but now it was cavernous. They led me to the library, where my journey had truly begun, and they went into one of the side offices.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam came out with a large back pack and emptied it onto a table. It was full of pouches of little brownie looking things, a couple of canteens, and a handful of golden coins with the faces of Greek gods and goddesses on them.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Ambrosia, nectar, and drachmas,” Sam said. “Everything we need.” He booted up a computer and pulled up the internet. I looked over his shoulder and saw him type in “rainbows” into the search bar and he enlarged a picture of a particularly colorful one.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Everyone treated this as completely normal actions.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What are you doing?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam grabbed one of the coins and said loudly, “Oh, Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering. Show me Chiron at Camp Half Blood!” And he threw the coin at the computer screen where it shimmered and disappeared, replaced by a picture of Chiron sitting in his wheel chair at a table with Annabeth and Jason.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Leo needs more time, they’ve come up with some unseen complications,” said Jason, oblivious to us.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We don’t have time, Percy,” Annabeth stopped midsentence and looked straight at us. “Hello Sam, Drew.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yo what’s up?” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Drew, let the adults talk,” Sam said and pushed me away.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Alice, Grace, and Kara all walked up to the screen.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Oh everyone’s there,” Annabeth said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yeah, but we need to talk about a few things we found out during our trip,” Sam said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Chiron wheeled his chair around to face us. Concern was written all over his face.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We’ve completed our quest,” Sam said. “We were able to get into Drew’s home and capture one of the monsters that were posing as his parents. We were able to coerce the monster into telling us who Drew’s parents were.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam stopped talking and looked over to me. He had a pained look on his face.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “My dad’s Hyperion,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Jason and Annabeth looked confused but Chiron looked frightened. He recovered his composure, but I saw it. I was afraid of that reaction. The fact I was the son of a titan was going to be a problem.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “How is that possible?” asked Annabeth.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yeah, I’d kind of like to know that too,” I agreed.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Everyone looked to Chiron and he sighed deeply.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Hyperion was in a prison deep within the chambers of the field of punishment. You see he was a powerful lieutenant in the fight against the gods in their fist war. Hyperion was second only to the titan Atlas in strength. 19 years ago Hyperion broke out with the help of a number of half bloods, who thought that Hyperion was destined to kill a monster that came down from Canada, but they misunderstood the prophecy and Hyperion killed them all. For three days the titan disappeared. He resurfaced in New York and was subdued by Zeus and Poseidon together. They dragged him down into the pit of Tartarus and Athena was set to check on his prison weekly.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Chiron brushed his hand through his hair, a nervous gesture and he looked like he was about to stand up but he didn’t. He just shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I’ve been waiting and I’ve checked each hero born in that year, but there were so many. Their victory over Hyperion made the gods want to celebrate ad thus many half-bloods were born. I’d forgotten in my complacency.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Am I really that dangerous?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Titan children are more powerful than the average half-blood. The power they access is older, more chaotic and tied to emotions and nature. It will be harder for you to fight your emotions, especially those of anger. Hyperion was not known for his cool head. I should’ve realized it when you were drawn to the Eastern knife and especially your fight with the behemoth in the woods. That was too obvious.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Chiron was not taking his mistake very well. I felt bad that he felt guilty. I liked Chiron a lot, he’d been nothing but pleasant with me from the start.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Hey, at least I’m on your side, right?”I said, trying to lighten the mood.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You’re chaotic at the core, child.” Chiron said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Don’t give up on me yet,” I said with a smile. “My best friends are half bloods. I’m not going to turn on you guys.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You can’t understand how much that lightens my heavy heart,” Chiron said. “I just wish I had more time before I threw you into the quest. You weren’t ready.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Sir, Mr. Chiron, don’t worry about it,” I said. “Us heroes never had enough time. We have to adapt to the situation and deal with it. You did everything you could in the time we had.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Not everything,” I Chiron said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Everything you were expected to do,” I countered. “I mean sure you could’ve spent extra time with me and maybe figured it out, but then you would’ve been denying the other campers. I have nothing against you or the camp. In fact eh camp was the most fun I’ ever had in my life. I just hope I get a chance at the climbing wall.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Chiron’s smile felt reassuring, like I had the approval of a parent. That was a weird feeling after everything I’d done today basically killing my parents and torching my home.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Was there anything else that you found out at Drew’s home?” Chiron asked shifting his attention to Sam. “Like who was in control of the monsters or what they were trying to do?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam looked extremely tired in that moment. He found out something big he hadn’t told me. He probably thought I couldn’t handle it or we just simply didn’t have enough time. I did have a problem with asking too many questions some times.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “The monster told us that he was sent by a giant,” Sam said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Chiron’s facial features scrunched together in confusion.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “19 years ago?” he asked, obviously surprised.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yeah, a giant named Anax commanded them to come out of hibernation and pretend to be mortals to guard, not capture or kill, a child. That meant to raise it as their own, as a regular mortal child. He didn’t know why, but it was important to the giant.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “That explains the interference from Gaea,” said Grace.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What interference?” Chiron said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Grace traded glances with Sam and he reluctantly nodded, biting his lip.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Well,” Grace started. “There was a tremor when we were trying to escape a lynx’s den.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What were you doing in a lynx’s den?” Chiron asked. His expression and tone were quite stern.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We’d spent the night,” Grace said. “We have a friend who happens to be a lynx in the area. We’ve made deals with her in the past. She’s been helpful.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Chiron looked skeptical. “You can’t trust lynxes so tread cautiously. They can twist just about anything around to help their cause.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We know,” she said. “We’ve had numerous encounters with her.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Chiron looked to Sam, dropping the subject.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Do you know where this Anax is?” he asked. “We’ll need to destroy it as soon as possible. Kill one giant and their reach will lessen.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yes,” said Sam. He took a deep breath. “He’s right here, in Bow.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The color in Chiron’s face drained.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “How fast can you get out of there?” he asked. His voice was quiet but full of urgency.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam shook his head. “Sir we can’t go anywhere. My team is exhausted. We just fought more monsters than we’d ever even seen before including three Tartarian spawn.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Who’s were they?” Chiron asked. “Drew’s,” Alice thumbed over to me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Oh, of course.” Chiron thought to himself for a moment.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Where are you now?” he asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We’re holed up in the public high school in town,” said Sam.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Alright,” Chiron was thinking fast, I could almost see the wheels turning in his head. “You should be fine for the night. But tomorrow morning, as soon as you can pull out and get out of the state. We’ll send a heavy strike team to assist you in taking down the giant.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Chiron turned to Jason.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Can you lead that team? You have the most experience fighting giants and right now you’re our best fighter,” he asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You don’t have to flatter me,” Jason joked. “I can easily rally up a few Apollo and Ares kids and we can be there in about five or six hours. Then we’ll kick some titan tail.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam interrupted Jason.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I don’t think that would be a good idea,” said Sam. “It took us two days to get here and we’ve made the drive dozens of times. We were attacked over and over again. If you send a force of half bloods up here they’re just going to get themselves killed. The giants obviously didn’t want us to make it this far and the only reason we could was because we surprised them with our knowledge of the terrain and Drew’s quickly developing godly powers.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Do you have a better plan?” asked Chiron.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam nodded.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yes,” he said. “My team will be more than ready to fight the giant in the morning. We should be safe here until then.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Just the five of you against a giant and whatever horde of monsters he keeps at his disposal,” Chiron said. “That’s a suicide mission and I will not allow that. You are all too vital to this fight.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Sir,” I perked up. I had Sam’s back. We were tight and right now that was the closest I had to family. It was my job to have his back. “With all due respect, Jason fought two titans much stronger than this one with even fewer companions.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Chiron looked at me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “How would you know that?” he asked. I wasn’t sure if it was more confusion or accusation in his voice, but it certainly wasn’t pride.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “The books,” I said. “I read them, a lot.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Chiron shook his head with disbelief.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Those were special circumstances,” Chiron explained. “They had no choice and the gods were backing them up.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “They didn’t know it, did you Jason?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Jason looked to Chiron apologetic.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I honestly didn’t think that Zeus was going to help me,” he said. “I was lucky he was watching and listening.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “There could be gods watching over us right here and now,” I said. “This is the best shot we’ve got. Another larger force is going to be attacked at every move. None of them will make it, let alone assist in fighting a giant. They’ll slow us down if nothing else.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You’ve made up your mind all ready, haven’t you?” asked Chiron.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I looked to Sam and he straightened up and looked like the stoic leader we needed him to be right then. He was showing us that he knew best, he had all the answers. The battlefield and their tactics were his specialty.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Sir,” he said. “Yes, I’ve made up my mind. My team will go after the giant tomorrow morning and we will kill it, one way or another. We’ll then return to camp as soon as we can. We have a car and we’ve got enough money so we’ll be able to get a bus or train and we’ll be there in a day or two tops.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Chiron nodded in resignation.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You are in the field so I have to respect your decision,” Chiron said. “That doesn’t mean I have to like it. I’ll have a team assembled and you call us one way or another and I will send the team to pick you all up.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Thank you sir,” Sam said. “If there’s nothing else, we should be getting rest. Tomorrow’s going to be a big day for us.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Oh yes, of course,” he said. “Go and please try not to die.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We always do,” responded Sam in a way that sounded like they’d traded those lines many times before. Chiron passed his hand through our apparition and the connection fizzed and dissolved.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Okay,” Sam said. “I’m freaking hungry, who wants to go steal some cafeteria food?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Seriously?” said Alice. “Cafeteria food?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You have a better suggestion?” Sam asked grinning like a fool. He knew that this would mess with her.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               She just rolled her eyes.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Just do whatever,” Alice said, walking away.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               She pulled five sleeping bags and threw them at each of us. Some with more force than others, for instance Grace’s was tossed with well, grace, while mine almost made me fall to the ground. Alice could be funny at times.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I took my sleeping bag and threw it on a table and followed Sam going to the café.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam knelt down when we got to the cafeteria door and cursed.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “The freaking thing is locked,” he complained. “Drew, go get Kara, I need her to pick this lock.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Kara can pick locks?” I asked. I was surprised because really she just didn’t seem like the type.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Oh yeah, she’s the best lock pick outside of Hermes cabin,” Sam responded, still distracted by the lock. He started to fiddle with the dial.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Alright, no problem,” I said and walked back.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Come on Drew, hustle!” shouted Sam from the door, eagerly.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I rolled my eyes and waved back at him, but I didn’t increase my speed. Sam sighed and turned back to the lock. Hey fiddled with it and cursed again.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam always, well I guess the best term would be that he appreciated food.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I opened the door and heard the girls from over in a corner of the room talking.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “So he didn’t want to have sex with both of you?” Alice was saying.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I stopped walking, wincing when the door closed behind me with a click. Walking in on them talking about me was more than a little awkward and I was unsure about how I should proceed. This wasn’t combat, there was no instinct for this, so I ducked into a row of books.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yeah, I think that he saw us at Lacey’s and that freaked him out a little bit,” said Grace. “I hoped that the two of us together would’ve solved all our problems there, but it was probably too much in one day for poor Drew.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “So you two are seriously going to try to share him?” asked Alice.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yeah well if he saw what happened at Lacey’s then he knows that we’re comfortable with each other’s bodies,” said Grace in a playful tone.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “How do you think Lacey is anyway?” Kara asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I don’t know,” Alice said. “I mean we’ve come closer to killing her before but she’s always forgiven us.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Maybe she just didn’t like being interrupted by Gaea,” said Grace.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I’ll check on her before we leave,” said Kara.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Okay, I was satisfied that the conversation had moved away from a sensitive topic that they wouldn’t want me to hear so I walked out from my hiding spot.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               It took a second for the girls to notice me and when they finally did they were startled.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Hey Kara, Sam needs you to pick a lock for him if you don’t mind,” I said. I didn’t make eye contact. I didn’t want them to know that I’d heard anything important.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What did you hear?” Alice snapped.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I gave her my best confused look and started to back up.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Um, nothing sorry,” I said awkwardly.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Oh, don’t mind her,” said Kara. “Let’s go get Sam his food before he eats us all instead.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Kara led me away from the others.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Did you hear anything?” she asked in a low whisper.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “About what?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Nothing, don’t worry about it,” she said, seemingly satisfied.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam heard our footsteps and turned away from the lock.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Took you long enough!” he said. “I’m starving.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You know thousands of kids go without eating for days at a time,” Kara said. “You can wait ten seconds.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You just like to torture people,” he said to Kara.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               That comment made me wince. I hoped that Kara and Sam didn’t see that and from their facial expressions I saw that they didn’t. Torture is clearly written as a bad thing in the Bible but I was good at it and to be honest I felt a rush from the total control of the situation. The only problem was that afterwards I felt bad and jittery about it. Luckily I was distracted by all the other events of the day so I couldn’t wallow in my feelings of self pity and loathing. I couldn’t afford those emotions right now. I was in a war zone for all intents and purposes.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Kara pushed Sam aside and knelt down to the lock. After a moment of looking over the lock she took a lipstick container and uncapped it. Her sword sprung up and Sam jumped back to avoid losing an eye. Kara whipped the lock fell off the door.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I could’ve done that myself,” said Sam.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You just would never have thought about it,” teased Kara. “I guess that big brain of yours only works in battle and class.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You have no idea how true that it,” Sam responded as he pushed open the doors.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Inside was dark. You could still see but not well. There was mostly only junk food and snacks. They were the only things in packages so all the other stuff would be brought it later so it wouldn’t go bad, sitting around in a building without people for two days.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam piled up two boxes and picked them up, walking back towards the library.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Grab whatever you want and return to base, we’ll make a plan there,” he said through a mouthful of potato chips and pop tarts. “Take your time though. There are so many good choices.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I nodded, signifying that I understood and I grabbed a few granola and those unnecessarily sugary breakfast cereal bars and turned to follow Sam but Kara stopped me. She pinned me to a wall.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Drew, did you hear anything?” she asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Um, I didn’t,” I started, tripping over my own words and the confusing nature of the situation.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Don’t lie to me, Drew,” Kara said. She had her sword out and dangerously close to my neck. In hindsight I don’t think she would’ve cut me but it the moment you don’t always think properly.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yeah, I heard you talk about me a little,” I said. “Please move your sword away from my neck. It makes me feel kind of uncomfortable.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               She shoved me and stepped away.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “And last night, at Lacey’s,” Kara said. She was walking in circles, working herself up. “You saw that too?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yeah, I saw all of that,” I said. I looked at the floor and rubbed my foot on the crease between two tiles. I also brushed my hand through my hair. I really needed a hair cut, but that wasn’t relevant.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “And so you think that there’s something between me and Grace,” Kara said. I could tell that she was angry. She was tense and the sword was still out.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Kara look,” I started.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “No Drew, listen to me,” Kara interrupted and got right up in my face. It was unnerving how fast she could move and I was backed up against a wall again. “At Lacey’s, yeah, that was just the drug, not us. I want you to understand that perfectly.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Okay, I understand,” I stammered.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Then when me and Grace went up to your room,” she said. She had really intense eyes and it was really hard not to look at them. They were like daggers into my soul. I wasn’t able to look away. “You can’t imagine how lonely this life can be and we were just trying to give you and us a way to be happy and actually have someone.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I was confused and I must’ve looked it because Kara just rolled her eyes and took a step back.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You don’t understand anything do you?” she said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I think I do,” I said. “But there’s something I want you to understand. Part of this is my choice and on top of that I’m still a Christian.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Really, Drew?” Kara questioned. “You still believe in God after seeing all the crazy crap that happens to us. The gods, the titans, the giants.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yeah,” I said. “I still believe, especially because of everything that’s happened.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Kara just looked at me, dumbfounded. I don’t think she was attracted to me anymore. I turned away from her. Whatever spell she was spinning to keep me there had worn off. She looked incredibly drained and step backwards a few steps.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I left her there in the dark and walked back to the library where everything seemed normal. Sam was sharing his food with Alice and Grace and they were all talking about something, smiling and laughing.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Hey Drew, come on over here,” shouted Grace.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Sorry, but I’m kind of tired,” I lied. “I don’t want to pass out in the middle of conversation.” Truth was I didn’t want to talk. I needed to get away for a minute. What Kara had said had hit a nerve. I had to think about it for a little while.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I took my sleeping bag and unrolled it underneath a desk. I saw Kara enter the library and she looked at me. Our eyes met and she diverted her gaze quickly. I got into the sleeping bag and tried to fall asleep.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               It took awhile and I listened to them all laugh and share stories but eventually my body shut down and I fell into a dream filled sleep.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I saw an island in the middle of a lake. I’d been here before; at least I had in my dreams. I saw two monstrous beasts lumbering across the island. The other smaller monsters fled from them trying not to be trampled by the giants.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Anax, brother, I’ve seen that they will come here” said the smaller of the two giants. He seemed to be molded from sandstone above his dragon legs.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Asterius, you mustn’t worry about them,” the taller giant said. His body seemed to be hewn from solid granite. He wrapped a massive stony arm around the smaller of the pair. “They will come here, as you have seen and then we, you and me, will face them in battle. They will cower before our might and we will devour them like the tiny morsels they are.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You mustn’t under estimate them, brother,” said Asterius. “The tiny mortals are smarter and stronger than we give them credit for. Remember the first time? You under estimated the mortal and then you and me were killed.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We were young and the gods were with him,” said Anax. “This is completely different. They are alone, just the five, no gods and more importantly, no interference.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “The one mother hid,” Asterius said, looking as nervous as a twenty foot tall statue of rock could. “He’s more dangerous than even he knows.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Well, brother, let’s hope they don’t attack at sunrise,” Anax said with a toothy, well really it should be more like dagger like fang-y, grin. “The sun’s light gives him most of his power. Take it away and he’s just a normal half blood.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “We will win?” asked Asterius, looking up to his brother the same way a human child would to a more knowledgeable younger brother. It was strange how human they seemed.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Oh yes, we will win,” Anax said with a cackle. “We will win and then we will feast. I haven’t tasted the flesh of heroes in an age.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               My view panned over the island and onto the lake. The water was calm. The only ripples were caused by the blowing wind. I saw the shore of the mainland and I recognized the coast and watched as my view traveled over a very short way over a soccer field and then over the school where we were sleeping.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               It was still dark out but I could feel that the sun was going to come over the horizon soon. I could see a man standing in the parking lot of the school. He was just outside and he was looking straight at me. Not me, like my physical body but me, my view. He looked middle aged, in a sharp business suit. He had black hair including his close cut beard and mustache. He waved at me and then frowned like I wasn’t doing what he wanted. He motioned for me to come closer. I didn’t exactly have control of my vision so I opened my eyes.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I woke and sat up, hitting my head on the desk above me in a loud crash. I rubbed my head and jumped up. Everyone else was soundly sleeping and I was glad I hadn’t wakened any of them. I crept out as quickly and quietly as I could out of the building and jogged into the parking lot where the man was standing.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You took your sweet time getting out here,” he said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I rubbed my head. It was still sore and I was starting to get a headache. It was a nice throbbing feeling on my forehead.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I’m sorry, but I don’t exactly know who you are and I hit my head so could you please just get on with it,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Excuse me, that is no way to speak to the king of the gods,” said the man.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               All I could say to that was, “Oh, so you’re Zeus.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               He looked at me quizzically like he was reconsidering what he was actually doing down here.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yes, that is my name,” he said. “And you are the son of Hyperion, hidden away from even my view for almost two decades.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You can just call me Drew,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You don’t realize what’s happening right now do you?” he asked me incredulously.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I’m hopefully going to kill a giant or, I guess two giants,” I said. “You want to help, because I guess we can let you tag along.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The king of the Olympian gods looked at me like I was the craziest person he’d ever met.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “No, I will not be joining you on your fight for this is your fight and no one else’s,” Zeus said. “Even if I wanted to I couldn’t interfere, the Fates have forbidden it.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               That annoyed me. The Fates had always annoyed me. They got in the way of people trying to do what they thought was right.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Forget the Fates,” I said, with a little more anger than I intended.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I suddenly noticed that the sky was full of storm clouds. The only light was from the school and the flashes of lightning in the distance.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Don’t test me child,” said Zeus. “You are very powerful for a half blood, but I am still a god and can crush you into dust with little more than a thought. I came here to give you information on yourself that could help you against the giants you will be facing soon.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Oh,” I said, slightly embarrassed and too be honest, kind of afraid. The longer I was in his presence, the more I could tell that this man was powerful. There was an aura about him that pulsated through the air, into my lungs and out my mouth and nose. The air tasted like ozone, like right before a thunder storm. “Well I’d appreciate that.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Zeus rolled his eyes and I could tell he thought about just leaving then without telling me anything more. I guess that was an improvement to almost electro-punching me a second ago.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You’re the child of a titan, just like the gods,” he said. “The giants are only able to be killed by mortals and gods working together, but you might fit the requirement for god.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Really?” I asked. I looked at my hands but they were unchanged. I know that, now after the fact, that there wasn’t going to be any changes but hey, I was excited and got caught up in the moment.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Maybe,” Zeus cautioned. “Much about you is still is hidden. There hasn’t been a mortal child of a titan since the early days of Rome”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Herminus,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yes,” Zeus agreed. “Now he was a great hero, but so often overlooked by my son, Horatius.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               We stood in awkward silence for a few moments and the Zeus spoke.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Well, I should be going,” he said. “I wish you luck and hope that you are enough to kill the giants. I will see to it that you are not accosted on your way to the island.” There was a flash of lightning and the man in the suit vanished and the sky cleared. The first beams of light were starting to break through the trees to the East.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               It took me a moment to really understand what had just happened. Zeus, king of the Olympians had honored me with his presence enough to try to help me. I ran back to my friends.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Everyone, it’s time to get up!” I shouted. I repeated that a few time until my friends started stirring.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Drew, shut up!” shouted Sam.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “No Sam, get up. Zeus says it’s time to go kill some giants!” I said while poking at him with my toe.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Wait what?” asked Alice.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yeah, I just talked to Zeus and before that I had a dream that there are two giants on the island. The island is also like really close and we have to go like now, while I’m as strong as possible.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down Drew,” said Sam, no fully awake.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Okay I had a dream and I saw two giants. They’re smaller than the giants I’ve read about. One’s twenty feet tall and the other giant is just a little bit taller than that. Also I’m strongest in the morning as the sun is rising. Then I talked to Zeus and he said that I might be able to kill giants if I’m working with you people, you know, because I’m a child of the titans like gods and stuff, so yeah, that’s all I have to say.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Everyone was up, awake, and staring at me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “So are we going to, like, go now, or something?” I said, making large, sweeping, let’s go motions with my hands.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Can we talk about this for a moment?” asked Sam.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “No!” I shouted. “There’s no time, we’re burning sunshine. We’ll talk on the way, I promise. Just drop everything except your weapons and let’s go!”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               That was enough to get them to follow me. Also I didn’t really give them a choice since I kind of just ran off. They caught up to me as I was kicking open the double doors out of the school.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Okay Drew,” Sam said as we walked. “Please explain slowly what happened.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I did,” I said. “I had a dream. In that dream there were two giants. We have to kill said giants. They said that I’m strongest in the morning, which is like now. Then Zeus showed up and he told me that I might be able to kill the giants when I’m fighting alongside you regular mortals.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Okay, sure, why not,” said Sam. I think he found the whole situation ridiculous.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Wait, where are we going?” asked Grace.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “To the shore!” said me and Sam together. We hadn’t planned that, actually I didn’t know he knew that.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “How do you know where we’re going?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “How do you know where we’re going?” Sam countered.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “My dream showed me,” I responded.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “The monster told me when I was asking it questions,” he said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Okay, enough you two,” shouted Alice. That was enough to shut us up. Getting Alice mad was never a smart thing. I knew that even before I knew I was a half blood she was vicious.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               We got to the docks and there was one long canoe with five paddles just sitting there waiting for us.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What about water monsters,” Kara said. “The boat has no defenses and I don’t think our weapons are going to be very effective against them.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Zeus said he would make sure our path to the island was clear,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Oh,” she said. “I guess Zeus thought of everything.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “He is the king of the gods,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Did I say you could talk?” Alice asked, sweetly. That somehow made it more scary.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “No ma’am,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You need to seriously calm down,” she said to me. “These are going to be the worst things you’ve ever fought so put your freaking game face on.” Alice was tense. I didn’t know if there was anything behind that other than we might be moving forward, straight to our deaths.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I felt inside my leather jacket. My knife was still there, where it was supposed to be. I also checked that my lighter was in its proper place, just to be careful, which it was. I knew that it would have to be my go to weapon right off the bat in this fight. Getting an assault rifle in the fight would key. I’d be able to spray hot lead on the giants long before they’d be able to hit me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “So how are we going to do this?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What do you mean, Drew?” said Sam.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I mean, what’s the plan? How are we going to take on two giants on their own turf?” I continued.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Everyone was waiting for the answer and I hated myself for putting that pressure on Sam but I knew what Alice was trying to do when she snapped at me. The whole team needed to be focused.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I’m just going off the team’s experience with larger than human monsters, Cyclopes, ogres and the like, as well as Jason and his team’s experience fighting these types of giants,” he started. “Alice should hang back with Grace. O, I’ll need you to provide cover. Hit the joints or the mouth if it’s not too difficult. Don’t waste your shots on anything too difficult. Grace, I need you to make sure nothing gets too close to her. Kara, I want you near Drew, you have a longer reach with your sword.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Actually,” I interrupted Sam. I took out my lighter and flicked it. A flame was produced. I looked at it annoyed and flicked it again and I had the TAR again. “I’ve got a longer reach than Kara.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam gave me an annoyed look that perfectly said ‘why didn’t you tell me this earlier,’ like he was one to talk, but he vocalized no criticisms.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “That’ll help things certainly,” he said. “Is that thing a full automatic weapon?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I smiled from ear to ear.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Oh yeah,” I said quite eagerly. “Each magazine has thirty rounds of fully automatic fire. It is a beautifully crafted weapon.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Okay excellent,” Sam went on, cutting me off before I could totally geek out about the gun. “Hang back a little ways Drew. Cover me and Kara. We’ll try to keep the giants busy. Get them to damage each other by diving in and out of their reach, leading them towards each other. Hopefully, the combination of ranged attacks will kill them.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “That sounds like a decent plan,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam smiled. “It’s my job, isn’t it?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               We were silent the rest of the canoe ride. We paddled as quietly as we could but when it came down to it, we just wanted to get their fast. Everything was quiet. There were no birds in the air or insects chirping. There was a faint breeze that seemed to be pushing us towards the island.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               When we beached our canoe we jumped out of that thing as soon as we hit dirt. We did not want to be caught on a beach head against any enemy, especially one with superior forces. I’d seen too many movies where soldiers try to storm a beach and they get slaughtered by a smaller amount of people.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The ferns went up to our chests and there tall coniferous trees that obscured our vision of the sky. We pushed forward through the trees. I basked in the warm light of the sun as it penetrated the canopy for a moment and I went into third person. I was able to see more than before, but unless we got out of the heavy foliage, I might just be better off with normal first person vision.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I had mixed emotions when we broke the tree line. There was an open area in front of a large stone temple. I was happy I could see everything well out in the open, but the temple freaked me out.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “So, um,” I started nervously. “Do we just go into the temple or how does this work?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I felt the earth shake beneath my feet but it quickly passed. Then there was a rumble. I saw a small puddle and it rippled, like in Jurassic Park right before the T-Rex attack. Of course in the book there were two t-rexes which I felt was more applicable to the situation at hand.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               A figure about twenty five feet high stepped out of the temple wielding a large straight cleaver looking sword. It was easily larger that I was. It was a brutal cutting weapon made for mostly blunt force trauma to d its damage. On hit with that would break bones, if not kill instantly.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Welcome heroes, to the island of Lade,” said the giant. It looked was exactly like my dream had shown me. Large blue scaled dragon legs and granite skin that just may have been actually made of stone.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Thank you,” I said and got a sharp poke in the back with an arrow.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “That was unnecessary,” I whispered to Alice who just smirked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I am Anax,” the giant continued. “And you will all die here.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Anax, the giant, charged us. His blade dug a deep trench in the dirt behind him. It was a brilliant display of raw power.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I was the first to react, probably due to the fact that I was in my element right then. The early morning sun rising from the east, the dominion of my father. That was a weird thought. I shouldered my rifle and pulled the trigger. My enhanced vision let me put each bullet into the giant’s right knee cap.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The giant staggered forward and swung the blade in a heavy arch. We all scattered. I saw Alice and Grace fall back into the forest. Kara did a perfectly executed combat roll and cut at the back of the legs and Sam just got right out of the way. He was heavier than Kara so he had to be more tactful.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I moved back, out of the way and ejected the empty magazine. I was kind of unsure how to move forward next. I didn’t have another magazine except right then I felt a weight on my belt. I looked down and I smiled. There was another magazine just sitting right there. It didn’t seem to be attached by anything so that was weird but I decided to just go with it. If I started to question the physics of magic it would just drive me crazy. I never like physics anyway.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I took the magazine and slapped it into the receiver, hit the charging handle and aimed at the giant. But then it hit me. Where was the other giant?

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               We couldn’t afford to be attacked from behind by another giant even if this one was smaller than the rest. I’d punched rounds into the giant so if I had the ability to kill giants when teamed with mortals I’d done my part.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I sprinted towards the temple without anything to impede my progress and immediately lost my enhanced vision upon crossing into the building. It was a disturbing to say the least. I still had the laser red dot sight mounted on the top of my rifle so in combination of my gun skills I could still aim pretty darn well.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               It was dark, but not overly so. There must’ve been some magic at work blocking my power. I moved through the building and heard something behind. I turned and shot off a three round burst through the chest of a scorpion man. I heard scuttling to my eight o’clock and turned again and fired. I followed this pattern half a dozen times. I knew I only had four more bursts left, but nothing rose up to challenge me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I ejected the magazine and I felt another on my belt. I slapped it into the receiver after casting away the other one.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Then there was a rumble and small stones fell from the ceiling.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You shouldn’t have come here half blood,” said a deep gravelly voice. A giant rose from the shadows on the far side of the temple. It held a giant spiked whip. The giant was the other I saw in my dreams. It was smaller that Anax and it looked like it was made out of a softer stone. But it was definitely hard enough to crush me into dust if I made the wrong move. “I see the future from the stars and I know that you cannot kill us. You are not a god, no matter what Zeus says.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “No,” said an unseen voice from the ceiling. “But I am.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               A large cat dropped from the ceiling onto the giant’s head.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You’ve got to be freaking kidding me,” I shouted, more to myself than anyone else and I sprayed my rifle’s red hot bullets into the giant. The cat’s long claws dug deep into its face and the giant howled in pain.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Brother, I’ve failed you!” it yelled as it fell to the ground in a pile of stone and dust.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I starred at the figure that walked out of the wreckage. She was blond and beautiful and she was giving me a brilliant smile that stretched from ear to ear.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Hi Drew,” said Lacey. “Did you miss me?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You’re a god?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I asked you a question first,” she said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I rolled my eyes and sighed, but I decided to play along.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Honestly,” I said. “No not really, you’ve made things quite difficult for me.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Sorry about that,” she said in a completely unapologetic tone. “And I’m a god by technicality. My mother, like I said before, is Aphrodite and my father is Ares, her oldest lover. I am prone to moments of extreme violence,” she said while checking her nails, nonchalantly.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Well I guess that makes sense,” I said, kind of uncomfortable. “You tore that thing up. Why did you come here?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               She shrugged.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I saw that you guys were going to die and I didn’t want that to happen yet,” she said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I guess I appreciate that,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “This isn’t just about you.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               We both just stood there. When I started to walk away she stayed put not even looking at me. There was an awkward moment of silence but I forced myself to break it.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Can you please help me?” I asked in a defeated tone.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Help you with what?” she said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I sighed. “We can’t kill the giant without you.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Sure,” she said and started to walk past me.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “That’s it?” I asked. “No, ‘let’s make a deal’ first?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               She turned and looked at me in the eye with a look that invited very sinful acts.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Do you want to make a deal?” she asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Nope,” I said and walked right out of the temple.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               What I saw when I got outside was not something I wanted to see. Sam was tiring. I saw his shield was bent in a heap off to the side of the battlefield and he wasn’t moving very fast. Kara kept on having to do riskier and riskier moves to keep Anax distracted and then there was Alice and Grace. They were holding off against a crowd of six armed creatures that seemed to be made of mud, the earthborn.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Lacey and I locked gazes and charge together. I fired round after round at Anax’s head and it turned to face me and Lacey who had taken the shape of a Bengal tigress.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I closed my eyes for a moment and then they glowed gold, giving me my enhanced vision again. It was good to be able to see 360 degrees. I aimed my remaining rounds into the right knee of the giant again and was satisfied when I saw the giant stagger.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Lacey took the opportunity and dug her claws into Anax’s upper arm and neck. She started tearing at the rock hard skin, but her claws and teeth seemed to tear it like nothing my friends had.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Go help Alice,” I shouted at Kara and Sam. “We’ve got this here.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I didn’t wait for a response. I slipped my lighter into my coat pocket and pulled out my knife. The giant was still distracted with Lacey. He had dropped his sword and was in the process of trying to Lacey off like a tick so I cut into the wounded knee and twisted downwards.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               There was a heavy resistance and I put all my weight behind that knife, pushing against it, desperately trying to make that leg useless.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               With a horrible roar Anax pulled off Lacey and threw her off. She landed on her feet like all cats but was swatted out of the air by a granite fist when she tried to jump back to attack.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Anax then directed his attention towards me. He raised his fists to crush me and I yelled, putting in the last of my strength into the knife. It snapped and I fell on my face in the dirt, rolling end over end between the giant’s legs. My vision showed me that the knife breaking saved my life for there was a deep crater where I’d been standing just a moment ago.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I shook myself and went for the only weapon I had, my lighter. I flicked it and instead of the assault rifle I was expecting, I held a long katana sword. It was razor sharp and shone in the light beautifully.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I rushed the still struggling giant. I was behind him now so I took two cuts at the back of its legs. I then stabbed my blade into its flank and threw myself up. I grabbed the giant’s shoulder and pulled myself up driving my sword into its throat.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Its hands failed in the air like a turtle because it just couldn’t reach me, but refused to stop trying.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I saw Lacey, still in tiger form, jump onto Anax’s throat and slash and bite through the stony skin.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Arrows started to sprout from Anax’s mouth and they looked like they were on fire. I used my vision to see that Grace was adding some cosmetic cream to Alice’s arrows that immediately caught fire when launched from the bow.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Kara and Sam charge forward, swords raised and they dug into any part of the giant they could reach.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Then things went wrong. Anax managed to throw off Lacey again and having given up on me he went for the only available targets he had left, Kara and Sam.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               For once, Kara was the slow one.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Her blade had been caught in a knee joint and Anax’s back hand slapped her across the open area where she collided with a tree, where she laid, unmoving.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “No!” I screamed and pulled myself higher on Anax, so now my feet were wedged between his shoulder blades. I pulled my sword out and drove it against the side of Anax’s neck.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               With my first strike I started to glow. I could feel the fire coming up and this time I had no desire to hold it in.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               With my second strike I started to burn and my sword blade turned red hot.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               With my third strike all the fire inside me erupted in a sunburst they could probably see in space. My katana was no longer made of metal when it passed through the giant’s skin, but fire and light.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">I was back in my normal view, holding a lighter in my hands, standing on the headless form on Anax, the giant. I felt faint and burnt out. There was a copper taste in my mouth but then I saw something that caused me to keep moving.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Anax’s served head rolled away and Lacey, now in human form, put a foot on it like a conqueror. Its body slackened and folded forward, dissolving in a pile of rocks, but I wasn’t interested in that at all. I ran to Kara’s fallen body.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               But I was too late. I checked for signs of life. A breath or a pulse, but there was nothing. I held my head in my hands and sat in the dirt in despair.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Grace and Lacey came to my side and Grace after checking her the same way I did and kept repeating, “Wake up Kara, you have to wake up!”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Lacey put a hand on her shoulder.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “She’s gone, Grace,” was all that she could say.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I ran my hands through my hair and I felt tears build up in my eyes, but I pushed them back as hard as I could.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “This is your fault!” Grace yelled at me and she pummeled me with her fists.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I fell backwards, partly due to my exhaustion, partly due to the force of Grace’s fury. She jumped on top of me, slapping and punching me but I did nothing to defend myself. It was my fault. After almost six years of the team working together, they suddenly get a new member and Kara dies. It was my fault. I wasn’t fast enough, not strong enough to kill the giant. Maybe if I’d stayed and fought the giant, we would’ve been able to beat it without letting my friends die.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Sam and Alice pulled Grace off me and I saw Lacey gingerly pick up Kara’s body.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I’m going to return this to your camp,” said Lacey is a solemn voice and she walked off into the conifers. No one stood in her way. No one said anything. There was still too much shock. Grace pushed away from the other two and fell to the ground. It didn’t take very long for Alice and Will to join us and just morn for a few minutes.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               We’d come this far to beat the giants but we’d still lost a friend. Was that a win? It didn’t feel like one.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I was grateful when I felt Sam hands on my shoulder.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “It’s time to go, Drew,” he said. I grabbed his hand and he helped me up. “On your feet.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">              Sam got us back on our feet and back to the school. There a team of campers were waiting for us. Apparently Chiron decided to forego our decision and sent a team to help us after all. The four of us remaining to seats in the back of the bus and after fielding a number of questions from the extraction team we all fell asleep.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I was in a small Chinese restaurant. I recognized it as this little local place I loved. There I saw a man in a business suit sitting at a booth and he waved for me to come over. I didn’t hesitate to slide across from him.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Zeus?” I asked. It wasn’t sure if I was hallucinating or not. It’d been a rough day already and the sun hadn’t even reached its zenith. Then again what is a dream but a hallucination?

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yes, child,” he said in a kind voice.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The waitress came up to both and Zeus ordered for both of us.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I’d like some crab Rangoon with teriyaki chicken and the boy will have General Tso’s chicken with a bowl of maraschino cherries.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “How did you know my favorite?” I asked.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               He looked at me like I was mentally deficient.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I’m the king of the gods. I know a lot of things.” “You were wrong about me,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yes, I guess I was,” he said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Look sir,” I said. “I know you’re king of the gods, but if you don’t want to talk about whatever you want to talk about can you just let me sleep? Today hasn’t been the best day ever.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Zeus looked pained, but he looked me in the eyes are spoke.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You have done me a service,” he said. “I’m here to make you a deal.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I haven’t had the best luck with deals recently sir,” I said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               He nodded in agreement.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “No you haven’t and too be honest you aren’t going to really like this one either,” he said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Then go ahead,” I said. “What is it?”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               The waitress returned with our food and Zeus got distracted with his. He dove into it.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “This is really great,” Zeus said. “I can’t believe it. The best Chinese food in the world might be here, all the way in New Hampshire.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">                I just picked at the cherries waiting for him to get to the point.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               He sighed when he saw that I wasn’t eating and continued.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “I need you to leave camp half blood,” he said.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “What?” I was astounded. I just couldn’t believe what he was saying. I know that’s redundant but I just want you to understand just how surprised I was.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You are dangerous, Drew,” Zeus said. “You are the son of a titan. Monsters will flock to you and you will kill them. During that process you will become something different than you are now. You will become a monster just like them. People get hurt around you. Normally you would be hunted down but I believe that you aren’t truly evil. You will always have a deep dark side. At the next stop I want you to get out and run. I don’t care where, just go. In return I will have your friend Kara, brought back to life.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “You want me to trade my life for hers?” I said, cutting through the crap.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “No Drew. I need you to stay away from the other heroes. It’d be for their safety. Don’t do it for me, do it for your friend. Hades has agreed to this plan as well. ”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               I thought for a moment and I remembered Grace screaming that she hated me. I still cared about her but I knew that she didn’t care for me anymore. Really it was an easy decision.

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               “Yeah, I’ll do it. I’ll run away.”

<p style="tab-stops:.5in center 3.25in left 400.2pt">               Okay so I know I said that I wouldn’t trade my life for anything, even now and that’s still true. I saved Kara, we killed two giants, and now I can do anything I want with my life. For the first time in my life I was truly free. But the first thing is I want to find how I become Dresnat.