It was another summer at Camp Half-Blood, it was around eight o'clock in the morning on a Friday there were a few clouds up in the sky, and the weather was going to be very nice later on in the day. There were several campers out and about already going on about their day at the Big House, Mr. D and Chiron were sitting at the front deck playing a game of chess against one another, they were also talking about a the game of Capture the Flag later on in the evening which was held every Friday evening.
There were a few Apollo kids at the archery range doing some target practice with
Bryan Phelps watching them as well as doing his own archery practice. The Ares kids were out at the training grounds practicing and sparing with each other or with some dummies as well
Jace Wright the head counselor for Ares Cabin and
Alanna Benton the head counselor for the Athena cabin were busy sparring against one another, Alanna obviously having the upper hand.
Eva Vaughn was tending to the strawberry fields along with a few members of the Demeter cabin and some of the Dionysus kids as well, talking with each other along with a few satyrs as well. Over at the forges with the other Hephaestus kids
Lauryn Klein was making a new set of armor for a few of the other campers hard at work with the next thing that they were building.
The Hermes kids were in their cabin currently they were being led by
Juan Mcclain, they were planning on setting up some pranks on some of the other campers, though they may or may not have their sights on pranking Ryland right now. Over at the arts and crafts area was
Tammy Weeks and some Iris cabin members working on some pottery or drawing, or just painting whichever it was that they were working on some were working on some sculptures as well. The Hypnos kids were all sleeping in their cabin
Isaac White was the only one who wasn't asleep rather in the cabin itself playing some video games, however he was yawning a whole lot, and looked like he was about to crash at any moment as well.
Some of the Nemesis cabin were at the climbing wall
Scarlett-Rose Coffey was almost to the top of the climbing wall dodging the obstacles that happened to come out and hit some of the fellow campers who were there as well falling to the ground and getting a bit injured as well.
Kevin Villegas was shortly following after her to the top of the climbing wall as well occasionally getting out of the way of the other campers who were trying to climb.
Dana East and
Clifford Tyler were at the camp store running it for the day selling whatever the other campers needed to buy or sell to them.
It was a familiar enough scene, thick trees towered on all sides of a small clearing and cast long shadows across the ground that seemed to stretch on for miles. The soft cacophony of birds, monsters, and rustling leaves in the trees creating a dull roar over the otherwise peaceful forest. Before him wooden fence that seemed as if it could ward off even the master bolt stood and inside towered yet even healthier and thicker trees. What would have been a beautiful scene ruined by hideous scorch marks across the ground and wood. Beings which he could not place, giants to be certain, but ones wreathed in mighty flames with glowing orange eyes like stories of demons of old lay waste to the fence before him. He knew this scene all too well, and the events that followed. It had been seared into his memory and something he saw every night. He knew the horror he was about to witness, yet at the same time, it never stopped the blow from delivering. No matter how many times he willed himself to turn away, to run forward, scream, do anything. He couldn't move. He was simply a spectator to a horrific act. Yet something was different today, as the massive fire-giants seemed to freeze in the middle of the assault. For that matter, the whole forest became still. Shadows stopped creeping across the ground as their casters froze as if somebody captured the moment in time. To his right, the Daughter of Poseidon stood frozen in the middle of some vague attack. Before him, another girl with brilliant blonde locks raised her shield to defend from a might sword coming down from a giant before it.
Everything was frozen perfectly at this moment before the disaster. A calm before the storm that would haunt the boy for the next two years. Yet he did not approach the scene, despite Ryland shouting and willing himself to surge forward and destroy that giant himself. No, instead the boy slowly turned around in this infinite, frozen waste of a forest. Sounds ripped through the calmness that had taken, eerie sounds of creatures fighting. Yet he couldn't quite place what the creatures were. Then they suddenly came into view as one soared through the air before slamming into the ground before him with a mighty thud. A mighty eagle, laying too still. A distant look in its eye, staring forever at something that seemingly wasn't there. Looking up, he could hear the sounds of labored breathing and saw many other animals before him. Some creatures he didn't even recognize. A horse with a sea green mane stood out, accompanied by a deer silver as the moon itself, a cow that seemed to glow with grace, a large and blood red boar, and a dove. All larger than they should be, and seemed as if they had been through vicious fights respectively. Each bore grave injuries, and sat in some ensemble on their knees or splayed across the ground. Yet there was no sign of what had done this to them. His eyes widened in terror at the violent scene, trying to comprehend the meaning behind it all.
Then the sounds of battle started behind him once more. Whirling around as if called by some puppeteer, Ryland dashed towards the giant attacking the girl with the blonde hair. He knew what came next, he couldn't allow it. The scene he left behind forgotten as his desperate dash overtook the boy's panicked mind. He would save her, this time things would be different. They had to be. As the distance closed between them, Ryland reached for his shield to through and distract the giant. Yet a sudden burst of pressure slammed into his chest and he was off his feet. The impact enough that he didn't even remember his time in the air, simply slamming into the ground with enough force to ram the air from his lungs. Gasping desperately, he tried to force himself to his feet but only to be slammed once more to the ground. Coughing up blood and looking down at a searing pain in his abdomen, Ryland's eyes went wide to see a jagged tooth sticking out of his skin. His attention then turned forwards as he heard heavy, wet slithering through the grass before him. Shock coursed through his veins as he couldn't move, frozen in the spot as surely as if Medusa had glared him down. Yet the being before him... was not Medusa. A massive serpent of deep green color, eyes that pierced his very soul glaring him down. With an open maw that could easily swallow him whole, and rows of hideous, jagged teeth that matched the one buried in his side. Behind the creature, he could see a massive pillar of flame shooting upwards, accompanied by those hideous screams of pain that haunted his dreams to this day. The screams of a girl burning as punishment for her foolishness in fighting such a powerful creature. Then the serpent lunged, and Ryland could only begin to scream as its maw surged closer and his vision went black.
The scream finished with a loud echo and the creaking complaint of a steel-framed bed. Covered in sweat and with a wild look in his eyes, Ryland tore his shirt upwards to look where his hideous wound had been. Yet there was simply smooth skin there, not even the sign of an old wound healed. Touching his abdomen, he could feel exactly where the tooth had broken out of his skin. Yet it simply... didn't exist. The hammering of his heart finally began to slow as Ryland turned his attention upwards, finally hearing the soft thundering that was always rumbling through his cabin. With a look that went a thousand yards, the boy looked up towards the statue of his father that sat in the far corner of the room. Staring ahead with its emotionless expression, as if uncaring of the obvious experience Ryland had just experienced. He couldn't help but feel more alone than he did at that very moment. It was a firm reminder that he was supposed to be the strong one at camp. So, with the dying screams of his friend still roaring in his ears Ryland rose and went about a quick morning routine. Dressing and such, Ryland tried to make himself look as composed as ever. Whatever he had just dreamed... he needed to talk to somebody about it. Well, two people. One who know how to interpret dreams, and the person who had been there that day. To confirm what he had seen hadn't actually happened.
Stepping out his cabin into the orange-colored landscape of a camp at sunrise, Ryland let out a long sigh. He wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to keep up this confident facade anymore. Forcing those thoughts from his mind, he summoned the winds to lift him high into the sky as if he were a superhero from the comics he used to read. From this point, he was able to easily see most of Camp and identify two shapes running near the beach. Exactly who he needed. Moments later, Ryland was landing ever so gracefully before Kiera and Zeke, the two runners he had seen. His stature and expression did not give off the carefree attitude he usually presented, instead seeming tense like that of a warrior about to engage in battle. His eyes still had a bit of a far-off glance and seemed to still show slight evidence of the tears he had unknowingly shed earlier. Walking towards the two, he completely ignored the boy and focused solely on the daughter of Poseidon.
"Kiera. We need to talk, now. Alone." He said firmly, a tone that seemed confident on the surface but for those who knew him or were really paying attention a slight waver betrayed some unease within his voice. His tense posture not once fading despite his usual relaxed attitude.
Kiera Donovan
Location: Camp Half-Blood, the beach
Kiera had gotten up early in the morning right after breakfast she had left her cabin to grab some of her running shoes, she usually always went out to the beach which was always the place where she'd always be when not tending to the horses. Feeling the nice warm air already hitting the skin, she would look out at the horizon seeing the Long Island Sound in the distance was the ocean. In her ears were a pair of earbuds loud
music could be heard if anyone was close enough to listen to her music as she ran past a few of the other campers who were there as well.
Kiera quietly hummed to herself as she listened to the song as she was about to finish her run for the day Kiera quickly came to a stop when Ryland landed right in front of her. She had known him the past two years since she came to camp and Kiera was fairly close to him, and when she heard the tone of his voice. Kiera pulled the ear buds out of her ear and paused the song as she looked up at Ryland for a moment as she untied the pony tail for her hair.
"Whats wrong Ryland?" Kiera asked and looked at the cabin.
"Do you want to talk in my cabin or yours, or somewhere else?" She asked.
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