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Post by foxx on May 11, 2010 22:34:28 GMT -6
"We've got to get over the hill... Come on, you two; we're almost there!"
The wind picked up, blowing against the trio of people struggling up the side of a hill. Trees from the forestline groaned in protest as the wind tore at their branches. The two children almost didn't hear the satyr's yells over the rushing in their ears.
The boy reached over, grabbing the hand of the girl beside him and holding tightly, her fingers responding by gripping back. Their free hands were occupied with bags that were slung hurriedly over their shoulders. The two were highly similar in appearance; both had the same lightly tanned skin, dark golden hair, and honey-gold eyes--twins.
The wind began to die down a bit, as it had been doing at regular intervals for quite a while, and things began to clear somewhat. The twins looked up, pausing briefly to stare up the hill. At the very top of the grassy summit stood a tall pine tree, one taller than either of them had ever seen before. The two exchanged a long glance, and in unison, they looked behind them, down the hill toward the field below.
"HEY!" called an angry voice; the satyr trotted down toward them a few steps, waving his hands hurriedly; "Come ON! It isn't safe out here!" He beckoned wildly, and the siblings jogged after him, panting at the struggle uphill; they appeared worn and tired, their clothes torn in places and their hair unkempt and tussled from the wind.
As the trio neared the top of the hill, the satyr began to calm, a relieved smile gracing his lips. His expression changed quickly, however, when a growl split the semi-silence. The group stopped instinctively and turned to look, just as a large sphinx prowled toward them, her human lips pulled back in a snarl with her feline claws protruding threateningly.
The satyr's eyes widened, and he grabbed at the twins' arms, pulling them toward the top of the hill. "Get INSIDE!" he bellowed frantically, brusquely dragging them past him and slinging them toward the top of the hill. "You have to get past the tree!"
"in"?
Without further hesitance, the two kids pulled one another up the hill, scrambling toward the tree. They stopped as soon as they'd passed the pine, just in time to see their satyr companion hobble past the pine tree himself. The sphinx bounded toward them, and the girl screamed, covering her eyes; the boy hugged his sister protectively. The sphinx snarled as she collided with an unseen force. She fell back with a heavy thud, hissing and growling. She paced back and forth a few times, then turned and galloped away, irate that she had lost her targets.
The twins released each other slowly, their golden eyes wide with shock. The satyr slumped against the trunk of the pine tree, breathing heavily. The boy of the two exhaled suddenly, his legs buckling underneath him. He collapsed there on the grass, exhausted. "Nathaniel!" his sister gasped, scrambling to try and pick him up. The satyr stood, trying to help her lift the boy. "It's alright, Madelaine..." he assured her, standing with one of Nathaniel's arms over his shoulder.
Madelaine was about to speak, when the sound of hooves silenced her. "Easy there, Trevor..." Madelaine shut her mouth quickly, her eyebrows raising as a great white horse approached; well...at least, the bottom was a horse. Where the horse's neck and head would have been, instead there was a human torso. The centaur chuckled at her expression, kneeling to examine the boy. "You've brought us more half-bloods, Trevor?" he asked. The satyr, Trevor, nodded wearily. "Yes, Chiron..." he answered, dipping his head respectfully. The centaur Chiron nodded, lifting Nathaniel's limp form off the grass and settling the boy across his strong back. Chiron patted Madelaine on the shoulder gently. "Fear not, young half-blood," he said, his voice radiating comfort; "You and your brother are safe at camp."
Before Madelaine could ask what he meant, Chiron turned and trotted down the other side of the hill, Nathaniel sleeping securely on his back. The girl's golden eyes followed the centaur, leaving the sight of him to gaze upon what was on the other side of the hill. At first, it had been an inconspicuous field of strawberries...but now there was a large campground, covering many miles of the land. There were cabins and training grounds, workshops and a gigantic pavillion.
Behind her, Madelaine heard Trevor laugh. "It's always the same reaction," he said, amused as he led her down the hill toward the camp.
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Post by Luke on May 13, 2010 0:30:26 GMT -6
It was the story of his life. Being moved from place to place because of circumstances that were out of his control. A young boy ran a hand through his hair and resisted the urge to sigh slightly. After a moment, he abandoned the annoyed look on his face and picked up a happier look. That one fit him much better. He would look around at his surroundings, watching his guide lead him to the destination.
He still wasn't exactly sure what this was about. If he hadn't known any better, he wouldn't have believed it for a second. But of course, this was no illusion or some form of trickery. This was actually happening.
He brushed a strand of hair from his face, and stared off into the distance--his hazel eyes attempting to look for some sign that the trek was almost over. He was tired, hungry, and majorly confused. He had already been running a good part of the way for obvious reasons. He would wipe the sweat from his brow and look over at the one leading the way.
"Hey....how much farther are we goin'?"
He had a heavy Brooklyn accent and usually spoke loudly--so it was no surprise when the satyr leading him looked at him as if he had just threatened to stomp a puppy. Although, it wasn't really something that he could control--even if he wanted to.
"Shhh!"
Thomas stifled his laughter.
"We're about there, actually."
Thomas nodded slightly as they pushed onward up and hill and then stopped for a moment, looking taken aback. He could have sworn that there was a strawberry field not moments ago. But apparently he had been momentarily insane, because it was now a huge campground. The boy rubbed his eyes and stood there for a while, looking dumbfounded.
"This-"
He started.
"-is gonna take a while to get used to."
With that, he was led down the hill toward the camp.
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Post by foxx on May 13, 2010 1:02:36 GMT -6
"...Is he going to be okay?" Madelaine stood anxiously at the opening of the infirmary building, peering inside as Chiron was resting Nathaniel onto a bed. The boy's eyebrows furrowed, and he shifted a bit, golden eyes wavering open. Chiron observed him, arms folded. "He's fine," he said in answer to Madelaine's question. Already, the girl was at the bedside, grinning at her wakening brother. "He was just a little exhausted," Chiron explained; "Nothing a bit of rest won't cure."
Nathaniel sat up, rubbing his head. "...Where am I?" he asked, peering from underneath his hand. He jumped a bit, shaken when he noticed the large white centaur standing at the foot of the bed he was on. "Camp Half-Blood," Chiron answered, smiling gently; "You and your sister are very safe here, with much thanks to your guide, Trevor. You should thank him when you get the chance."
Nathaniel's expression grew a bit stony. "So...how long are we supposed to stay here anyway?" he asked, and Chiron's face lost its cordial demeanor. "Well... Your parent sent you here, I'm sure," he mused; "For your own safety, you are here. You are going to be with others like you, and you will learn things that pertain to you." Nathaniel didn't seem to be satisfied. "That doesn't answer my question," he replied; "When are we going home...?" Chiron turned, wordlessly exiting the infirmary, his hooves clopping against the ground. Nathaniel looked at his sister. "...Maddie, when will we see Mom?" Madelaine dropped her gaze to her hands.
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Post by Luke on May 13, 2010 1:33:05 GMT -6
Thomas made his way into the camp, being led by the satyr. He would look from side to side, making a visual note of his surroundings. It was a rather odd place to say the least. But then again...he was rather odd himself. He yawned slightly and stretched before started noticing the tears in his clothing. As he wiped the sweat from his brow again, he realized that what he had a rather nasty cut on his forehead.
Apparently he was being led to some form of infirmary. He would deny that he needed medical attention. To be perfectly honest, he was hungrier than he was hurt. It was a rather unfortunate turn of events for the boy.
He would enter the building and look around at the others in said area.
"I'm tellin' ya! I don't need anything! I feel perfectly fine!"
He would sigh only slightly as he was made to take a seat so they could look him over. Even though the situation wasn't exactly anything he wanted to deal with, he managed to keep a kind of cheerful demeanor about him. It was a rather odd sight to see. Although, it didn't stop him from pleading his case.
"It's just a scratch!"
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Post by foxx on May 14, 2010 0:54:59 GMT -6
Just as Chiron was exiting the infirmary building, another boy was being brought in. The centaur chuckled, watching the boy argue and protest as he was taken to a cot for examining. "The sooner you let them look," Chiron told him, "the sooner you can get out of this building and be fed and clothed more properly. I'm sure you'd appreciate clean clothes and a warm meal."
From across the room, just on the other side, Madelaine was still attempting to placate her worrysome sibling. Nathaniel was sitting smugly on the bed, his eyebrows furrowed with his golden eyes steeled on the floor. "Nate... Please cheer up," the girl pleaded, her forehead creased with concern. "Not until I'm at home with you and Mom." He scoffed, folding his arms. "No one's making us stay here."
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Post by Luke on May 14, 2010 1:21:49 GMT -6
Thomas looked over toward Chiron as he spoke to him about being fed and clothed when he was done. Almost immediately after that was said, the boy sat down and let them take a look at him. The happy look on his face would only intensify as he thought of food and a decent pair of clothes.
He would look at Chiron again. He thought about asking about his mother...but there was really no point. Dwelling on such things would only make the situation more difficult. He had never seen his mother much to being with, so it wasn't exactly a heartbreaking experience to be away. He figured he would be able to see her again when the time came. So, instead he would grin slightly.
"So....what's for dinner?"
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Post by foxx on May 14, 2010 1:49:56 GMT -6
Chiron chuckled again, folding his arms across his chest. "You're a surprising one," he mused, smiling; "For once, I get asked about future meals instead of 'why I'm half horse.'" Chiron shrugged as an answer to the boy's question. "Not sure yet..." he answered, watching absently as Thomas was patched up from small scrapes and bruises; "But before you get any meal-food..." Chiron paused, taking a few steps toward a nearby table. There he picked up a bowl of what looked like golden crisps, and a goblet of liquid. "Try this first; not too much, but it should make you feel a little less exhausted."
On the other end of the room, Nathaniel and Madelaine were being given the same crisps and liquid. Madelaine was more accepting than her brother, who was staring into the goblet rather than drinking it. "Nate, really," he heard his sister giggle; "Take a drink of that... It tastes like...almost like Mom's brownies." Nathaniel looked at her skeptically, then back at the drink even more judgingly. Sighing lightly, he took a sip of the drink, expecting, in a strange way, for the drink to taste like chocolate. He recoiled instinctively from the drink, looking at his sister with a raised eyebrow. "...Brownies?" he repeated. Madelaine nodded, a 'that's what I said' look on her face. "It tastes like butterscotch..." Nathaniel argued, but felt himself compelled to take another sip; it was indeed a butterscotch taste; butterscotch was his favorite candy, so of course he'd know the taste--he ate enough of it.
Madelaine set her cup aside, sitting on the bed beside her brother. She sighed contently, amazed at the sudden new rush of energy she had. "I don't know what they gave us," she said, smiling somewhat, "but it sure made me feel better... How about you?" Nathaniel nodded simply, staring into the liquid. He lifted his gaze, and, upon meeting his sister's familiar honey-colored eyes, he felt a small smile tug at his lips. "...Yeah."
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Post by Luke on May 14, 2010 2:19:55 GMT -6
Thomas, even though he was extremely hungry, listened to what Chiron had to say. He would peck slightly at the food before him. Unfortunately for the boy, it was pretty awesome stuff. He would take a sip from the goblet and was surprised when it was just as good. It made him slightly sad to let the stuff go.
Afterward, he noticed that he was not as tired as before. He actually felt great! His grin would widen as he looked back toward Chiron, extremely pleased with the outcome of that.
"...that's awesome! What is that stuff?"
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Post by foxx on May 14, 2010 2:59:18 GMT -6
Chiron's warm smile grew a bit at Thomas's reaction. The centaur chuckled, placing the goblet and plate of crisps back on the table. "It is nectar and ambrosia," he answered; "Food of the gods, in simpler terms. You can have a bit of it, but too much is never good; this kind of sustainence can kill a mortal, even a small bit."
Nathaniel looked up from his half-full cup, watching the centaur speak to another boy across the room. Curious, he listened to what the centaur was saying, or at least what he could catch. ...Nectar and ambrosia? Food of gods? The boy raised an eyebrow, eyeing the crisps and liquid skeptically. If it was fatal for mortals...why could they drink and eat this? Was it some sort of slow poison for mortals? Nathaniel set the cup and crisps aside, pushing them away as if it would make them disappear altogether; the thought made him uncomfortable, and he wouldn't dwell on something so bizarre. Madelaine noticed her brother's strange actions, a thin eyebrow lifted. "Nate, what's the matter?" she asked, though she failed to hide the tinge of amusement in her voice. Nathaniel shook his head. "Eh... Nothing."
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Post by Luke on May 14, 2010 3:13:10 GMT -6
Thomas listened to the centaur speak. So the stuff he had just consumed was food that the gods ate? That was definitely a trippy thought. He looked a bit taken aback as Chiron said that the stuff could kill a mortal--though that look was only momentary. Scanning the room for a moment, he noticed a kid pushing the bowl and goblet away. He would have to stifle laughter. A small smile would appear on his face.
"Food of the gods, eh? I am not surprised."
He would laugh slightly before he realized that he was all patched up. His smile would turn into a large grin again. Thoughts of food and decent clothing made him giddy. He could almost jump for joy.
"So, what's next for the people after they get outta this building?"
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Post by foxx on May 16, 2010 14:19:41 GMT -6
Chiron seemed intrigued at this. "Not surprised, huh?" he repeated, smiling a ibit; "My, you are a curious one. You've not questioned a thing except food." He laughed somewhat, then moved to answer Thomas's other question when it had subsided. "Well, you have to get situated into your cabin..." he said, absently looking out of the infirmary door; he had his gaze on a single cabin that was settled in a row of others; "Cabin 11 is where you'll be staying, at least for now, until you're determined."
Nathaniel and Madelaine had their own scrapes and bruises tended to, and before either of them realized it, they were both feeling and looking much better than they had when they first arrived at the camp.
Madelaine was looking down the row of beds curiously, eyeing the boy on the other side that was talking to Chiron. "He must've just gotten here, too..." she mused absently. Nathaniel followed her gaze, sighting the boy as well. "Maybe..." he said simply. "I wonder what the centaur is talking to him about?" "...Eh, probably nothing..." "Nathaniel, stop being so bland. Be a bit happier." Madelaine paused, then smiled a bit. "What happened to my cheerful brother?" Nathaniel slid off the bed, his hands in his pockets. "Home with Mom."
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Post by Luke on May 16, 2010 22:14:25 GMT -6
"Eh, once you've been in Brooklyn for so long, things tend to not surprise you a whole lot. Though, this is definitely pretty trippy. Gonna take some gettin' used to."
He looked over at Chiron as he spoke about being situated into cabin 11. He said something about staying there until he was 'determined'. What exactly did he mean by that? It could have meant many things....but he wasn't going to go through all of them in his head. Instead, he would just ask.
"Uh...whaddya mean when you say 'determined'?"
He scratched the back of his head, completely unaware that he was being eyeballed. Though, even if he had noticed, he wouldn't have bothered to say anything. No reason to point something like that out. It was just too much trouble.
He looked at Chiron with a slightly puzzled look on his face, waiting for some type of explanation.
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Post by foxx on May 19, 2010 19:23:04 GMT -6
Chiron smiled brightly. "Finally, something that caught your attention," he said in an amused tone, his tail flicking behind him; "All the young people that come here have come here for the same reason; either they were sent, or they were brought here." The centaur paused, taking a sidestep and eyeing Thomas sideways. "Have you ever wondered why you were brought here, Thomas?" he asked after a few silent moments; "Possibly...strange happenings back home, with your parent?" Matter-of-factly, Chiron had said "parent", as if he knew Thomas had only had the one, rather than both a mother and a father.
"Nate, where are you going?" Madelaine asked, standing up and following her brother; "I don't think we need to go wandering around here without someone's instruction... We just got here." Nathaniel shrugged, his gaze on the centaur. His pace slowed a bit, and he looked at her. "I dunno... I guess we can stop and talk to the centaur guy if it bothers you that badly."
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Post by Luke on May 19, 2010 20:45:21 GMT -6
Thomas thought for a moment. Of course he had wondered why he had been brought here--he just hadn't voiced it. Although, he was unsure of why he had kept the question to himself. It wasn't everyday you get taken away from your home to go off to some camp.
"Yeah....all the time."
He nodded slightly as he spoke of strange happenings with his 'parent'. A few moments later the importance of that statement hit him. It was strange that he apparently already knew that Thomas had no idea who his father was. He would glance over at Chiron with a slightly confused look on his face. How did he know that?
"Yeah. But...you said parent...like ya knew I didn't have two."
He scratched the back of his head.
"How is that possible?"
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Post by foxx on May 24, 2010 0:28:51 GMT -6
Chiron's amusement seemed to grow, but a hint of enthusiasm began to travel along with it, a small smile ever-spreading on his face.
And there went the question, the one asked so many times that had gone through the centaur's ears many a day. How is that possible? It was the one thing everyone at this camp asked, no matter what; in some form or fashion, eventually every camper questioned reality upon arrival.
"Thomas..." Chiron began, stepping sideways a bit and resting his weight on one hoof liesurely; "You are unique, yet at the same time, you share a similarity with every camper here. Do you know what that similarity is?"
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