Another Son Of Hermes

Chapter 1

"And this," Grover said, breathing in as if trying to inhale the essence of their surroundings, "is half blood hill!" Grover had long since abandoned his baggy jeans and fake feet, leaving his furry goat legs and hooves exposed and was galloping up the hill faster then Rory had ever seen a goat move.

"I'm sure you'll be claimed tonight." The satyr's voice was an echo from far away, Grover clearly hadn't noticed the distance between them "Ever since Percy made the gods promise half-bloods have been claimed everyday!" To avoid getting loosing Grover, Rory accelerated and soon caught up with him.

"Oh you're going to love camp! There's camp fires and capture the flag, don't worry though, no-one has died playing it in ages..." Rory stopped, suddenly alarmed, but once again Grover carried on without him. Rory had heard all about recent events in the demi-god world and had understood why so many had died in the second Titan war, but serious injuries and even death during capture the flag? This place seemed pretty brutal.

Rory had been on the verge of expulsion from his fourth school when Grover found him, it had taken him a while to get used to olympus being on the six hundredth floor of the Empire State Building but after he had encountered his first monster Rory knew that Grover spoke the truth.

Rory sped down the hallway, accelerating every time the next wave of fear hit him. Grover was cantering faithfully beside him. The floor almost shook every time the caretaker's feet hit the ground. Lockers fell like dominoes in the presence of Mr Walker. Threads in the shoulder of Rory's shirt snapped as Grover caught him buy the sleeve and dragged him into an empty art room. Rory was pushed so forcefully into the room that he fell onto a stray painting, smudging and (in Rory's opinion) greatly improving the Van Gough replica.

"He's a Cyclops." Grover said, in between breaths. Rory stared at him in alarm.

"Mr Walker? A Cyclops?" he said to Grover who was now chewing nervously on the end of a paintbrush.

"I hope this brush isn't made of animal hair, I'm a vegetarian." Grover muttered. "Oh Cyclops...look at Mr Walker through the window. Look at his face. See through the mist." Through the window the caretaker's appearance was slightly blurred, but it was just about clear enough for Rory to look at Mr Walker, really look. There was a singular eye where there should have been two, it was large and ugly and increased Rory's fear just that little bit higher than he cared to admit.

"Grover, we need a weapon if we're going to kill him. Knives from the kitchens? A saw from technology?" Grover shook his head in dismay.

"Only celestial bronze would kill it, we could run but the mortals won't be safe" Rory spun around and paced about the room trying to come up with a plan. He was searching the room for anything that could help them, when he stumbled across a fire door in the corner of the room. He didn't even stop to think, letting his ADHD kick in he just ran towards the door and pushed it open.

"No!" Grover yelled "You've set off the alarm, the fire service will be called."

"Perfect." Rory said, still running from the school "The mortals will evacuate, safe from the cyclops."

"Come on." Grover smiled "Camp Half-Blood's this way."

Rory, lost in thought, took a while to notice the large centaur gallop towards him. The horse/human hybrid extended an arm and Rory shook it cautiously.

"I'm Chiron." he said "Activities director here at Camp Half-Blood."