Drake's Misguided Adventure

Chapter 1 - Make an Impression

   The slimy mud was cracking under each step he took. Climbing up this hill is child's play, but the mere fact that it's in the woods makes it extra tiresome. Drake has his fair share of experiences of the woods, in fact, he's lived in them most his life. Actually, looking back, Drake couldn't quite remember him leaving the forest in his childhood. Oh well, it doesn't matter.

The grand diose marker of the camp is now at his side. He honestly could not explain what he saw. Not really, but a bit of dramatization isn't so bad in his mind. He literally could only see trees as far as the eye could see, but he knew the ocean was near. The hill needed to be bigger is all he thought. If it was just another five feet, then he could see over the roof of the trees.

Walking past the marker he unconsciously began to hold in his breathe. There would be a world of problems if this doesn't work, literally. He's confident in his abilities, but that doesn't mean he wants the world on his tail. Gripping tightly on his bag he began going for his weapon. His foot came slowly as it passed the entrance to the camp. His body suddenly went on alert and upon completing his passage, he stops. Nothing happens. He is in the clear.

A huge weight lifts from his shoulders and he could feel the tension of the weight itself off him.

"So, this is it," he said out loud. He looks behind him. He is officially cut off from the rest of the world. This camp made it so that all here can enjoy a peaceful living. Well, for the most part anyway. There were other beings that weren't too happy with the existence of this camp and would very much like to see it destroyed. Rumors go that even in this camp the campers are prepped for the worst-case scenario. Almost as if they know their bliss is only momentary. "Can such a place really be?"

"Sure, it can," a voice comes from the distance. A girl no older than he was approaching him. She stands a little shorter than him by a few inches with her dark mid-length hair loosely draping over shoulders. She radiates power and gave him a sincere look. "You're standing in it. It's not perfect. We do get the occasional attacks, but it's nothing we can't handle. After all, it's what we're trained for."

Drake looks into this girl's eyes, they were captivating. "I'll take your word for it. I'm Drake by the way."

He stretches out his hand. She grabs it and gives a firm handshake, "Welcome to camp Drake, I'm Aina. I was sent here to welcome you to camp but, if you don't mind me saying, you're much older than our average newcomer. How old are you?"

"16, will that be a problem?"

"No, just curious. That means we're the same age. Hope you don't mind taking orders from someone the same age."

"Not at all, experience and expertise are all I care about."

Aina makes a pleased smile, deep inside she was happy that the newcomer isn't showing any signs of being a difficult camper. Makes her job easier. "Good, follow me to meet the camp director."

Drake followed her lead, but there was a burning question he has, "how did you know I was there?"

"Every entrance rings an alarm at the main house, we call it the Big House, by the way, the number of rings is a code for what entered our domain. For example, for newcomers it rings once every three seconds. For returning campers it rings twice. For forced entrance, it rings nonstop until the director stops it manually, and, well that's it really."

Drake finds that odd and threw out a suggestion, "what if you get visitors? How many rings does it make then?"

Aina just looks back at Drake gives a soft shrug, "we don't really get visitors, and the visitors we do get just kind of appear, you know. They don't even bother with the entrance. What can you do, gods? They're pretty fickle with the rules, and well, overall concern for anybody else."