I woke up laying in a cot, white canvas stretched over me and a soft mattress below me.
Where the heck was I?
I groaned as it all came rushing back- the fight, the monster, and the pain.
Almost in greeting, my shoulder sent a sting up my arm. Hi, Avi! Remember me?
I glanced down out of the corner of my eyes, not that surprised to see my arm wrapped in bandages. They ached a bit, but the initial pain that I had experienced was far, far away.
I managed to lift my head up, taking a sneak peek at my surroundings.
I was in a huge canvas tent, with lines of cots on either side. Some were occupied – like, for example, the one next to me. It was a boy whose entire torso was bandaged, and he was just groaning.
Silently in my head, I counted the groans. I was way bored.
Groan. One. Groan. Two. Groan. Three. Groan. Four. Groan. Five.
I went on like this, trying to keep my mind at bay.
Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen.
An even louder groan.
Thirty six, thirty seven, thirty eight.
And a sigh to accompany.
I realized that I was becoming drowsly, my arm aching annoyingly, so I slapped myself in the face to wake up.
“What was that for?” A voice startled me and I jumped, if you can jump laying down, and craned my neck to see where the voice was coming from.
A boy was standing to the left of my bed, the corners of his mouth turned upwards in an amused smile.
I crossed my arms, giving him a soft glare.
“Uhh… Nothing?” I questioned, and his smile grew a bit.
“I should probably tell Chiron that you’re awake.” He says, flashing me a quick grin before turning and exiting the tent.
I sigh through my nose.
And I still didn’t know where I was.
“Ah. Our Sleeping Beauty has awakened!”
The man in front of me spoke fondly, as he relaxed inside his wheelchair.
I find myself blushing at the remark, but not before noticing a certain lever on the arm of his chair.
“What’s that?” I ask curiously, pointing to it.
The man’s – Chiron, I think – eyes widened, and he glanced up at me curiously.
“Nothing. Just an… Uplifter button, shall we say.” He said with a bright smile.
I frowned slightly, still intrigued by the button.
He opened his mouth to say something, but the urge was irresistible.
I lunged forward, tapping the button, and dancing back, my eyes glowing with mischief.
Chiron let out a slight yelp as the chair shuddered beneath him, before he began to rise out of it.
That’s it?
I mentally sighed. I had been expecting something like a bomb, something exciting.
But wait.
As his bottom half began to come into view, my eyes widened and I stumbled backwards, staggering into the railing as a dark brown horse bottom clip-clopped out of the wheelchair – with Chiron’s ‘man half’ atop of it.
“I should’ve known.”
He sighs, before glancing at me.
“Wh-What are you?” I stutter, narrowing my eyes and regaining my feet.
Chiron smiles.
“A centaur, my dear. Half horse, half human!”
For some reason, I wasn’t surprised at this.
Chiron's smile grows as he takes in my un- shocked reaction, a light of secrecy glimmering in his eyes as he trots forward, putting an arm around my shoulders.
"Let's go show you around camp, shall we?"
