The Huntress

Chapter 1

You never really realise how much litter there is on the streets until you have clean it up everyday.

But, before I go on, I should probably introduce myself. I'm Jade. Well, legally my birth name is Emily Brown, but that sounds really boring and girly, neither of which I am. Although, me as a person, I am pretty boring and so is my life, but I don't like people thinking I'm boring, so I call myself Jade.

That's one of the advantages of being an 17-year old orphan, being able to change your name and nobody really notices. But back to reality.

I sighed as I leaned against a wall next to the pavement, I really hated cleaning the streets for Community Services. "This stinks," I mumbled to myself, and flicked a piece of.... well, something, out of my hair. "Ms Brown!" yelled Mrs Blout, scowling at me. "Get off your lazy butt and actually do something in your pathetic life!" "Yes, ma'm," I called, rolling my eyes as she turned her back to me.

"It's a miracle she was ever married," I grumbled under my breath. To explain, her husband died last year, but she insisted on remaining 'Mrs'. If I married her, I would also rather be dead, I thought to myself. I looked over my shoulder and watched her walk slowing up the front steps. Knowing her though, the poor man is probably still fighting exhaustion from lack of decent sleep.

I could only just stop myself from laughing out loud, as I swooped down and picked up an empty chip packet and threw it in my black bag. I walked further down the road and, just as I was about pick up a sweet wrapper, I noticed something shiny put of the corner of my eye.

I slowly made my way towards it. I bent down and saw a golden coin lying between litter. I looked around. Don't ask me why, but this coin made me nervous. I debated in my head whether or not I should take it, and finally decided to pocket it.

I picked it up and examined it. It had a smooth surface and had "The Twelfth Legion" ingraved across both sides in Greek. I frowned. "How did I know it was  Greek?" I ask myself, then quickly realise I said it out loud and almost kicked myself.

I had an annoying habit of thinking out loud. I realised that I probably looked wierd, staring at a coin like it had just told me that I was half cow, half dog. I put it in my pocket and walked across the road to continue with my chore. I stuck around the area, seeing if anybody would come back for it. I walked around for hours, until finally three teenagers came and started rummaging around the trash on the ground, clearly looking for something.

There were two boys and a girl. The girl was beautiful and had a blue, white and black feather hanging off the end of a small plait that fell on the side of her face. Her eyes seemed to always be changing colour, adding to her alluring beauty. And she seemed to be really angry. I was close enough to hear her yelling at a well-built, blonde guy with golden rimmed glasses.

"I can't believe you lost it! What if some monster comes by and picks it up?" She yelled at him. "Do you even know how much trouble we'd be in?" The blonde rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous action. He was tall and muscular. Like a blonde Superman, I thought.

"Look, Pipes, I'm sorry okay? You know I didn't drop it on accident! And I'm just as stressed as you are," He said desperately, looking at the girl with sad and worried eyes. His eyes were electric blue. If he didn't look like he was just about to start crying, I may have turned around and ran away in fear.

The second boy was still rummaging through the litter on the other side of the street. Finally he came back and stood next to "Pipes". He was handsome, but slightly scrawny compared to the blonde. He had jet black hair and wore a hoodie with "Sea you later" written on the back. I frowned and wondered, since I have dyslexia, if I had read that wrong.

"Nothing here," he sighed and looked around. "Maybe we should ask around?" "Sure, ask homeless people if they've seen a golden coin and they will totally hand it over," snorted the girl, sarcastically. The boy with black hair held up his hands in defense. "Geez, Piper. Sorry. It was just a suggestion."

Piper closed her eyes, pinched her nose and sighed, in an I'm surrounded by idiots kind of way. "I agree, but Percy's got a point, Pipes," said the blonde Superman. "And remember, you have your charmspeak." She hesitated before saying,"Okay fine. Let's start over there," she suggested, pointing to left. They all nodded and moved off.

As they walked away, I stuck my hand in my pocket and fiddled with the coin. About half an hour later, they headed in my direction. "Hi, sorry to bother you, but we were wondering if you by any chance picked up a golden coin? About the size of a penny?" asked the girl, Piper.

There was something different in her voice than earlier on. What had the blonde meant by, "Charmspeak"? "Um, what's your name?" I asked nervously. The girl looked suprised that I hadn't answered her question. "Why would that be important?" she asked, frowning. I shrugged. "I just feel more comfortable talking to someone who's name I know."

"Oh. Um, I'm Piper, that's Percy," she pointed to the black haired guy, who flashed her a smile. His eyes were sea-green, quite similar to mine. "And this is my boyfriend, Jason." Piper gestured to the blonde. She said 'boyfriend' like it was important. Then the girl turned impatient.

" Now can you please answer my question?" she demanded. I frowned. I did not appreciate her bossing me around. Luckily Percy noticed and quickly interjected.

"It's a simple yes or no question. Yes, you give it to its rightful owners, that's us by the way, or no. Which means we'll leave and you can continue on with your day." He smiled at me, a fake one of course, and I considered my options. "Actually....