Chapter One: Beginnings
I woke up one morning to the sound of my mom leaving, as I normally did. I slowly got dressed and walked out of my room. I had put on my normal everyday clothes, my black joggers, black tee shirt, and a black overcoat. I walked out of my room to find a note and a plate of pancakes on the dining room table, I picked up the note and began to read it.
"Happy birthday Josh! I know you're asleep now but I just wanted to make you a special breakfast! Your favorite Chocolate chip pancakes! I left a little gift on the back of the note, be sure to take it with you! Happy 17TH! Much love, Mom"
I loved my mom, she works so hard for both of us. She worked hard to get us the house in rural New Jersey after I got kicked out of every school in the area where I grew up, so if I got kicked out of this school my mom would be upset. I turned the note over and found a pen taped to the back. It was a golden colored ball point pen, just like the one my mom used for her everyday things. I took off the tape and without thinking I hooked it on my pocket. I quickly ate my breakfast and walked outside. I was waiting for my ride to school. I stood outside in the cold for five minutes before a blue honda accord pulled up, It was Emma Miranda. She was one of the few friends I had at school, she was a girl who had a lot of the same interests as I did, so we got along and she wasn't bad to look at either. I hoped in the car, let out a breath of relaxation and we drove off,
"So did your mom get you anything for your birthday?" Emma asked, her eyes fixated on the road ahead.
"Just a pen, a golden one like she has." I replied, putting my hands behind my head.
"Oh, that's nice." She said,
"Yeah, and she made me breakfast, so I'm pretty happy." I replied.
"Yeah that does sound nice." Emma said.
I closed my eyes and we rode in silence until we pulled into the parking lot of our school building. I hated the place. It reminded me of a prison, the walls were solid brick, and there were hardly any windows. The only thing that said it was an actual school was the sign above the front door and the large flag pole near the entrance.
"Ugh, this place is a prison.." I said, opening one eye to look where we were.
"I feel you, I mean we're seniors in high school anyway so we literally just finished this year and were done with highschool for good." Emma replied.
"Yeah that's true, I still don't even know what I wanna do after this though." I replied.
"I already know what I'm gonna do… I'm gonna save people the only way I know how.." Emma said, her voice in a trance-like state.
We got out stuff and walked into the building, our mood instantly being depressed from being here.
"I'll see you in the sixth period gym." I said, as I waved bye to her.
She nodded and waved back, then we walked into our own classes. From that point I hardly paid attention to anything, I just went from one class to another, my mind blanking. By the time sixth period rolled around I felt like it had only been two seconds since I got into the building. I walked into our massive gym and sat down. I watched as our gym teacher got our game ready, I could tell it was dodgeball. I actually enjoyed it because I could whip the ball at people's faces and not get in trouble. As the teams got sorted I realized it was all my friends on one side, and all the popular jocks on the other. My whole team consisted of me, Emma, Brandon, Ashley and David, while the whole opposite team consisted of all the other people's names I couldn't care to remember.
"Alright! Begin!" Our gym teacher boomed.
The opposing side raced for the balls in the middle of the room, while my side stayed back. Every person on that side had a ball in hand, while my side was standing ready to avoid or catch them. As soon as we stood apart I could feel a cold chill in the air, like something deadly was about to happen. The opposing side began to grow cruel, their eyes changed from happy to full of bloodlust and malice, their smiles began to change to a cruel grin.
"Oi What's happening?" I snapped, "Can you all see that?" I asked.
I didn't get a response, but I could tell that they saw it too. They all had wide mouths and shocked expressions, all but Emma.
"Em' What is this? Do you know?" I asked.
"Yeah… I thought I had more time, damn it all. Josh takes out your pen and clicks it." Emma snapped, drawing a silver dagger from her pocket.
I held the pen in my hand, "Oi oi What are you doing?" I asked.
"I'm going to expel some Eidolons.." She said,
I clicked the pen, then it began to change in my hand, I began to recognize the shape. It was a Spartan Hoplite slashing sword, but the color was a shiny gold, not bronze like all regular swords of that kind.
"Its imperial gold, just touch the possessed with it and the spirits inside them will leave." Emma said, her voice commanding.
"Possessed?" I asked.
"Those kids are being possessed by Eidolons, greek ghosts, and they need to be expelled otherwise they'll hurt the bodies they're possessing and they'll hurt others. Can you help me?" She asked.
I pushed all the questions I had out of my mind and nodded, I looked over, the odds were five on two.
"So I just have to touch them with my sword and they'll go away?" I asked.
Emma nodded, her dagger sitting firmly in her hand.
"Just try to keep the damage to the body at a minimum. They cannot control what they're doing." Emma said.
I nodded, "Let's go." I said, my voice firm.
We walked over and stood ready, the five of them encircling us like animals.
"Oooooo we have a daughter of Hypno… and a son of-" One boy said, his voice ragged and rough.
"DON'T SAY ANOTHER WORD!" I snapped.
If he had said another word about my father I would have snapped. I cannot stand when anyone brings him up in any way, he left me and my mother even before I was born. My mother always said he was always watching me from the shadows but I never understood that, so my father is a sore subject for me.
"Shut your mouth, demon!" I barked.
"Or what puny demi-god! You'll cut me up? Go ahead!" He retired.
"I'll expel you and make sure you never possess another soul again." I replied calmly.
That got him to lunge at me, I calmly turned my blade to its side and pressed it against his chest. The ghost let out a wail of pure agony, as if he was being burned alive. Moments later i began to see a thin outline of a man flow from the boys body,
"CUT THAT!" Emma snapped.
I shoved the boy's unconscious body out of the way and slashed at the ghost, then he vanished in a sparkle of light.
The other four stood around us, standing still.
"They have high emotional reactions and are driven purely by that, if we toy with them we can take them out easily, i just noticed it when you mentioned expelling that ghost.'' Emma replied.
"I agree.."
"You who… Demigods over here!!" A voice called.
I turned towards the sound and saw that one of the possessed had taken our gym teacher hostage, he had a hand on her throat. I could see she was unconscious so she couldn't fight back, I knew I'd have to save her.
"Dont!" Emma snapped.
"He'll kill her!" I barked back.
"If you attack him you might kill the possessed!" She retorted.
"Tsk… it's either one or the other!" I barked, racing off towards the hostage.
"Let her go!" I barked.
"Come and make me!" The ghost replied.
I flipped my sword in my hand, leaving the back of the blade out front. I jumped when the ghost thrust the hostage at me, dodged the unconscious body and struck the ghost in the head. In the blink of an eye I slashed the female ghost that came out of the body, which dissipated in a sparkle just like the last one.
"Josh!" Emma barked, her voice fearful.
I whipped around to see that the remaining three possessed were beginning to creep closer to her, she tried to attack one but got kicked in the back by another. Before I could even move they jumped on her like a pack of rabid dogs, kicking and stomping on her while they laughed. I could already see her body beginning to break, I ran over, bloodlust pouring from me, how dare these puny creatures hurt the one I cared for, I dare they kick her like she was a rock on the road. I grabbed the closest one in my hands and threw him into his buddies, which gathered their attention to me.
"You bastard!" "How dare you!" "You little shit!!" They screamed as they got up.
"Your opponent is me now.." I said, my voice firm.
"Three on one! Ha, I'll take those odds!" One barked.
They all began to advance, but it seemed like they were moving in slow motion to me. It was my first time being in combat like this but I didn't feel any fear, my breathing was perfectly calm. I began to speak, I had never spoken these words but they felt right.
"Dark Style: Evil Expulsion…" I spoke calmly.
I pointed my open palms in the direction of the ghosts, as if on cue they let out a wail of agony. Then they were expelled from the bodies of the students in unison and then sparkled away just like before.
I then proceeded to collapse to my knees, feeling as if I had just run a hundred miles. My body was aching all over, every muscle in my body was sore and weakened. I turned around and saw Emma was standing up, clutching her left arm. She walked over and knelt down beside me,
"Are you ok?" I asked.
She nodded, her eyes teary.
"I'm sorry, I let you get hurt." I said.
"And then you saved me, and defeated the monsters, with no casualties in one fell swoop. I'd say it even." She said, her voice shaky.
"You three, gather around, we have some time left before the school wakes up." Emma replied.
Brandon, Ashley and David walked over, blank expressions on their faces.
"I can explain everything you just saw, and I can take you to a safe place to protect you from monsters like these and ones that are more dangerous… Will you listen?" Emma asked.
No one argued or disagreed, they just sat and listened as she began to talk.
"I don't know how I can tell you what needs to be said other than this, the Greek gods and goddesses, all the heroes and monsters, Olympus and Tartarus, everything, is real. There is a place where the descendants of the gods and goddesses call home, it's called Camp Demi-God. It's a place where you can train, grow stronger, master your powers and fight these monsters to keep yourself and others safe… all of the children of the Greek gods and goddesses are living in this camp." She hesitated for a moment then she asked a question,
"Will you go to this camp?" She asked.
This time everyone responded, Brandon, Ashley and David nodded their heads.
"But I will say this, the road to this camp is deadly, monsters will try to attack us and kill us. Do you still want to go?" She asked again.
They nodded again, their eyes locked and firm.
"Alright, follow me and I'll take you to safety." Emma said, standing up.
"Let's go, I'm eager to master this power.." I said, opening and closing my hands.
With that we got up, left the building and began to walk in the woods. Our destiny hangs in the balance of the trek to this Camp Demi-God.