Artemis Child

Artemis Child Ch44

"What the hell?" I asked myself as I woke up to an empty sky. I was floating on something, it felt like a small boat. The image of fire and lossing my family came to mind. It was the last thing I remember, and it confused me. I remember escaping out of the fire, but in my mind after I open the door it changes to me looking up from this boat.

   There were no memories to connect the two things. I sat up and a was greeted by my long bangs. They were also unfamiliar to me, so I moved them to the left side of my face. My chest and back felt as if I took a spear to the heart.

   In my back belt loop I found a foot long blue blade that made an image of some guy pop in my head he helped me tie up a winged creature. But I can't place where or when it was. I used the blue blade to dice my hair, shorter. I used the water as a mirror, and did my best to make it even.

   I stuck my hand in the water to wash the hair from my hand. The water hissed around my ring. And something weird happened.

   A black creature formed in the water and it had come from my ring. The creature launched onto the boat, and stood tall with eyes that changed from blue to red. He was tall with a pointy nose, bone thin fingers, and a fur collar coat on.

   "Cory, you look so weak with out me." He said with a animal voice that had snarls and growls. I didn't know what he ment, but I did feel weaker now. He jumped onto me and started to choke me. "I healed you only so I would not die again. Now you will die alone, again." He said and my breath started to gasp under the pressure.

   I couldn't get him off of me, he was heavy like metal only with a much harsher grip. "Haha I missed this feeling. The fear in people's eyes and the smell of it is intoxicating." He said with a snarling laugh. My body moved on its own after that.

   I punctured the tips of my fingers, then drew a thick line on opposite wrist. With a quick turn of my hands, my palms calm crashing up into his chest. There was a spark from somewhere and the blood exploded, launching the beast thirty feet away.

   It hit one of the walls around the river, and then sank beneath the surface the dark figure waded through the water and returned to my ring. I was left breathing heavily, on a boat.

    The boat came around a turn, and onto a small bank where the river ended. There on the bank was someone in a jersey and cargo shorts.

   "Hey um, is this the short cut to Disneyland?" I asked him as the boat came to a full stop. "Not even close." was his answer. He was built well, high shoulders, and forearms like Redwood trees. "I'm Cory." I greeted him with my hand stretched out. "Jake." he replied and shook my hand. "From Statefarm?" I asked him as a joke. "No, why does everyone make that joke?" He asked me.

   "It's a commercial." I answered. "So Lupa brought you to camp, or did you have to get here yourself?" He asked and started walking up to the two empty towers for a guard. I decided to ignore the answer and follow, mostly because I had no idea.

   "That's a no." He said and we walked into a small group of people. All armed with gold colored weapons. "Halt. Friend or foe?" They asked with a sturn look. A symbol shown over Jake's head. It was two spears that glowed red.

  "Ah child of Mars." One teen replied in the back of the group. A bow symbol shown over me. There was a small gasp from the croud. "A male child of Diana?" The voice sounded like a question.

   They lead us through a small town, with Roman style buildings. The building that we first entered is where we got the camp initiation. It was a tattoo with the letters SPQR and the symbol that shown over our heads.

   Then we were told everything that was about Roman gods and mortals. Every time I would mention a greek god's name, people gave me a harsh look. It's not my fault that my father told me about greek mythology.

   Since most of the cohorts were full we got placed into the clean up cohort, Cohort V. A sign hung on a small stone building, and this made me question why I hadn't questioned why I am going along with this.

  "Hello, welcome to Fifth Cohort." A teen in paramilitary shirt that was mixed with roman style cloth. He was tall as heck, with a bow slung over his shoulder. His hair was like Jake's only a deep V was cut into his hair in the back leading down to his back.

  "Names Marc, this is Lexi, my sister." He said and pointed to a girl that shyly sharpened a long sword. "Lupa has been busy with so many new demigods so we are going to be all going to training." He said with a sigh. He obviously disliked training, but his sister didn't make a sound.

   I looked over to her, and she must have been starring at me because she moved her head really fast in a different direction. I hoped my hair doesn't look bad and that what was distracting her.

   We walked to a big building that basically said 'I'm the boss.' Cause it stood taller, broader, and more crouded than all the others. We stopped in front in front of a girl in a purple toga cloth thing on her. Beside her was two dogs. One silver colored the other the same color as her spear. "Reyna, the new kids here need to arm up. Do you think Octa would mind?" Marc asked the girl.

   The dogs looked at me and got in a position that looked like they were about to pounce. They bared their teeth and dashed. I got tackled by the silver one, and the other pounced on top in a literal dog pile. For some reason I wrestled them playfully, they were barking with happy reply to wrestling.

   "Aurum, Argentum, Attention." Reyna said as an order. They rolled off me, and stood next to her, they stayed as still as statues. "I have never seen them do anything like that to anyone." She said and pet Argentum's head.

   "It's ok, I'm better at talking to dogs that I am to talking to women." I replied. "Wait did I say that last part out loud?" Lexi made a small giggle from behind her brother.

    "Anyway, they need weapons." He insisted. "Fine, but if you get Baskilisk duty it isn't on me. Since Lord Pluto's daughter brought back weapons they have been under steady stock. But if they go to Evan, they could get trans-weapons." She said and pointed with her thumb to one of the far buildings. "Thanks." He said and we followed him again.

    We all got swords which felt so awkward in my hands. It was lighter than my blue blade that I still had, yet it was twice as long. "Why is it called a trans-weapon?" Jake asked him, while he studied his sword.

   "Well one reason is because it changes to a different weapon. The first thing it changes to is set as its second default, so pick wisly." Lexi answered him and changed hers to an axe. Suddenly an image of a dark haired girl appeared in my head. In the image I was holding a tulip and we were in a restaurant.

    The image made my heart ache, so I tried not to think about it. "So how did you do that?" I asked her. Her gaze met mine, and she started to fidget in place. "You....um...just...um." She started. "You basically command it in your mind." Her brother said for her.

    I imagined a longer weapon something for distance. Sure enough the weapon clicked and extended to a five and a half foot javlin. "Here we go!" I exclaimed and spun the weapon like it was familiar.

  "You seem to be used to that." Jake commented, which snapped me back to confusion. "Yeah, I don't know how. But I am."