War Child

Chapter V

We walked to the main house, it was an oversized light gray house. This is where most of the camp decisions are made. The person that oversees everything at the camp lives here, he has a little apartment and office upstairs. I wondered how he got up there seeing how he was part horse.

Orchid opened the door and walked in I followed behind her almost tripping on the rug. "Oh yeah, watch your step," Orchid spoke. "You think?" I replied with sarcasm in my tone.

We were in an average sized room that had a large pool table in the center. I walked around as Orchid went to find Boom. The house was nice, it was extremely clean, it had awesome games, and it smelled like fresh oranges.

After a few minutes, Orchid returned with Boom trotting behind. We sat around the pool table and I explained as much as I could about what happened at the infirmary. "I see, it's happening sooner than we planned for. If she can just walk into camp when the border is getting worse," Boom looked concerned about the whole thing.

"What's wrong with the border? And who exactly was that?" I questioned. "The camp is getting sick and that makes the invisible border weaken letting monsters into camp. The monster you fought was Medusa, don't you remember her from your mythology classes or books?" Orchid explained.

I nodded it made a lot more sense now, but this all seemed so unreal. It was like I was dreaming and needed to wake up before it turned into a nightmare.

"We should see if the Oracle will work?' Orchid suggested. "Take Noah up to the oracle and see if it will work for him." With that Mr. Boom trotted away to what looked like the armory.

"Follow me," Orchid said and walked up the staircase. I followed looking around at all the pictures on the walls. It was mostly demigods some of the pictures looked pretty old and others looked newer.

We turned the corner and she pulled out a letter to the attic. "Okay, you're going to go up there and see if the Oracle will give you a prophecy. It's the woman that looks like a skeleton by the way. And do not poke her, that's rude."

I nodded and climbed up the latter shutting it after I got up there. It smelled like an old lady's basement if that makes any sense. I looked around at the full attic till my eyes landed on an old very old woman in the corner. She had a green veil looking thing over her face. She looked like she was pulled from her grave her skin looked like it was rotting and she really did look like a skeleton.

"Speak your name and whom you belong to?" the oracle spoke in a very low voice, it was like she had been smoking and drinking for too many years. "I'm Noah Meurtre, son of Ares god of war and bloodshed," I spoke a little louder than normal not knowing if her hearing was still good.

"No need to shout kid!" She yelled, but it was more of a deep whisper. For a minute nothing happened I was going to start walking back down until her eyes started to glow. At first, it was a light green then it grew to the brightest green I had ever seen in my life. Smoke was coming out of her eyes then she opened her mouth letting the green smoke fall out of there too. "What is going on?" I stepped closer to see if it was real.

I really wanted to poke her, but remembering what Orchid said I decided not to. I just watched and waited for her to speak.

"A child of war shows the mark,

To save the lost on this embark.

Before the world gets put to sleep,

He shall find the purple creep.

One decision left to make,

Shall be the end of his fate."

I watched the smoke slowly fade, "That was awesome and terrifying at the same time," I mumbled to myself. I made my way down the ladder saying a quick thanks to the oracle. I got back to where Orchid was "Did it work?" she questioned. "Yes, and it was awesome why didn't anyone tell me about it before?"

"Because the oracle is only to be used in emergency situations, like this one. She is getting too old for the job and it takes a lot of energy out of her."

"Oh, so am I supposed to know what it means or not? Because I don't?" She nodded "Of course you're supposed to know what it means it's based off you," She said as we walked back to the room with the pool table in it.

"So now what?" I asked. "Tell me what the oracle said, word for word if you can," she walked out and sat on the porch. It was nice because you could see the whole camp from up here. I told her the prophecy that I was given. I was surprised that I could remember it that well.

She thought for a moment "I think it's time for your first quest and hopefully not your last."