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The white-haired amnesiac wasn't able to see anything through the veil of descending liquid, but he could definitely feel it, multiple sets of eyes locked onto him from unknown directions. It was hard to say if the gazes were hostile in nature, but Chion wasn't taking any chances as he quickly unzipped his bag and pulled out the only real weapon in his possession, his bow and arrows.
Just like he always did, the youth stowed all of his confusion and completely unnecessary feelings to the side for a later date, to tackle it when he was in a proper environment for it. There was a time and place for everything, and at that moment, it was pure survival mode. The last few minutes or so had left him lost and confused with an abundance of unanswered questions, and as much as he wanted to sit down and ponder it all, it wasn't the proper moment to do so. For now, he needed to assure his own safety and prepare for any given eventualities that might appear. Hesitation and any superfluous emotion could cloud his judgment, potentially getting himself killed as a result.
"If you go straight from this spot, you'll find a large Pine tree about half a mile into the woods. Pass that, and you'll be safe."
Bow in hand, Chion steeled himself for the journey, taking a deep breath. Without a word, he began a steady jog forward, dashing towards the treeline before him.
The rain made it extremely difficult to navigate the further in he went, especially with how hard it was coming down, so the individual wasn't able to traverse the forest as fast as he would've liked to. Floor caked in mud, slowing movements. Almost running into trees. Tripping over foliage and various overgrown roots. With no knowledge of the terrain and limited vision, Chion could only stumble along, fighting to stay on his feet, senses on high alert. In such a predicament, the youth knew he was easy prey, but there wasn't anything he could do about it.
As he moved through the forest, Chion felt the palm of his hand itch more and more, the sinister presence he had felt clinging to his heels.
It was only a matter of time before the unknown entity made its move. When that happened, it was game over.
(("Come on. Run through outcomes. What can you do?")) Chion grit his teeth, unwilling to just accept his own inadequacy. (("The environment. Your weapons. How can you turn the tide in your favor? What can you do to at least stall the enemy?"))
The goal wasn't to engage the enemy, a choice that would most definitely get him killed, but rather, it was to cross the checkpoint before being overwhelmed. Chion had no clue about the number of pursuers nor about who or what the mysterious beings even were, completely in the dark on all fronts. Clashing without any scrap of information was akin to laying down on the ground and asking them to put the youth out of his misery. The only reason Chion had survived the battle with the bronze bull was because of the data he accumulated whilst fleeing from it. The harsh reality was that he was still a kid.
He had no hope of overpowering anyone. He needed to rely on facts and proper strategy.
All that being said, the only real choice, just like the time with the drowned bovine back in Canarsie, was the Greek Fire. Arrows by themselves weren't going to do much in the current conditions, at least for an untrained archer such as himself. It might as well have been lumps of wood and iron for how well they would serve. If he wanted to slow the enemy down or even to make them hesitate, he would have to show them some form of weapon that would make then falter.
Basically, it was a bluff. It wasn't the prettiest of choices, but it was all Chion had to work with as he took position behind a few bushes.
(("Wasting up my only remaining shirt, but I don't have another option.")) The youth quickly dropped the bag, taking out the shirt and pants he had worn yesterday. Ripping them into multiple layers of thin strips, he tied the cloth around as many arrows as he could. (("Greek Fire acts similar to the effects of nitroglycerin, an equally volatile liquid that I know about for some reason. With enough concussive force applied to any part of the liquid, it reacts violently, causing a chain reaction and obliterating whatever it touches. With Greek Fire, the resulting blast lights any contact on fire."))
The image of a flaming bull sinking into a body of water flashed through the youths mind, causing Chion to smile ever so slightly as he pulled out his last jar of sloshing green liquid.
(("Even if the fire gets drenched, it'll continue to burn until it runs out of a fuel source.")) The white-haired individual flicked off the jars lid and began pouring the green liquid over the clothed arrowheads, letting it soak in. (("From here on out, every shot I take will have to count. I only have enough for six in total. There are no other options available."))
Picking himself up off the floor, Chion quickly collected the arrows and stowed them as carefully as he could in the quiver, sticking the non clothed ones into his bag. As dumb as it sounded, he had no use for them in the current scenario, even as a last resort measure. He couldn't shoot moving targets even without rain, and if the assailants got close enough for the youth to use the arrow as an improvised dagger, it would probably be too late anyway. Additionally, he didn't want any other arrows rubbing against the Greek Fire covered ones just in case it caused a premature explosion. He wasn't trying to meet an untimely end by his own weapon.
With quick and efficient movements, it had only taken Chion around a minute or so to prepare everything. Nothing had changed since then. The rain was still coming down, and the hostile gazes were still present.
They were a LOT closer, though. Chion could feel it, almost intuitively. He needed to move.
Turning around, the youth continued his journey, eyes peeled for the large pine tree that would somehow save him from the encroaching danger. It was probably around then that the assailants finally made their move, no longer sticking to the shadows.
Chion sensed it long before he could hear it. The deep growl. Splashes of feet against the muddy ground. Without hesitation, the youth kicked off of the tree next to him and slid across the slick forest floor, keeping his body low.
Something passed over the back of his neck mid slide. The young teen paid it no attention as he yanked one of the arrows from his quiver and knocked it, aiming it right at the spot he had just vacated.
There, yanking its enormous jaws out of the trunk of a tree was a dark beast with glowing red eyes. It was hard to tell its shape or any sort of details due to the rain, but its immense size was pretty easily distinguished. It was smaller than the bull, about the size of a grizzly bear, but much faster and more ferocious. Only reason Chion had even dodged it was because he had been on high alert for the slightest bit of movement, to the point where he would have done the same exact maneuver, even if it had been a squirrel.
The two of them locked eyes as the beast turned its head, its sharp canines visible even through the screen of water pouring from above.
Chion released the arrow.
Fwick! BOOM!
Green flames burst into existence upon impact, blasting a sizeable crater at the monsters feet, some of the force just barely grazing the beast. There was an unearthly howl of pain, but Chion didn't stick around to see the result of his work, using the explosion as a cover to slip away.
(("That's one."))
No longer caring about the terrain, the drenched teen sprinted through the forest, doing his best to avoid trees and shrubbery, ears peeled for the monsters approach. The first arrow had definitely left an impact on the first beast, but, unfortunately for Chion, there was more than one.
Fwip! BOOM!
(("Two."))
The youth aimed for a fast-moving shape barely visible through the thick blanket of rain. He didn't hear a whimper of pain, but nothing else approached him, which worked just as well, allowing him to continue forward unimpeded. At least until the third shape made its appearance seconds later, skidding directly in front of him.
Fwip! BOOM!
(("Three."))
Chion gave the beast a passing glance as he ran on by, arrow nocked in the bow. Gazes locked, the youth pulled back and took aim.
Fwip! BOOM!
The arrow narrowly missed its target as the dark shape darted out of the way just before impact, the concussive force grazing its body as the projectile destroyed a large tree. The tree toppled over, causing a loud bang but Chion ignored it, focusing on his adversaries. He only had two arrows remaining and had managed to force two of the monstrosities to retreat and rethink their decisions after nearly getting hit. With the last two arrows, he needed to sow a seed of doubt and caution into the beasts mind. It would deter them from attacking recklessly and at the exact same time.
The best way to do that was to cause massive damage to at least one of them. If the chance presented itself, he needed to nail one of them.
Only problem with that was their speed. They were MUCH faster than he himself was, let alone the speed of a novice archer such as himself. He would have to lure them in closer and take a proper shot or let them come closer on their own accord. He was sticking with the latter. Only a fool would take a gamble on his own accord, especially one that could very well cost him his life. If they kept their distance for the rest of the way, then that was fine with him, but if they tried to attack him, he had a strategy in the wait.
Either way it unfolded, he was surviving. Chion would make sure of it no matter what.
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He felt as if he was getting close to his destination, or at least within proximity. Chion had been running for what felt like ages, though that tended to happen when monsters were riding his coattails the entire way through.
A good indication that he was approaching his checkpoint was how frantic the monsters were behaving, moving all over the place, letting out snarls and frustrated growls. The rhino sized behemoths would also make various attempts to lash out, trying to blind side the youth without him taking any notice. It was very clear they weren't too fond of the idea surrounding the clothed Greek Fire arrows because the moment Chion so much as glimpsed their attempted approach, they would immediately take evasive action. One of them had even disappeared in its entirety, as if melding into the shadows themselves. If Chion hadn't seen a man disappear in a literal puff of smoke yesterday and fought a sentient mechanical bull, he probably would have been quite amazed.
Now, it was just a nuisance. If the beasts could use that move to avoid being hit by an arrow, then he would be up a creek without a paddle.
Luckily, it was reasonable to assume such an outcome was unlikely. If they could meld into the shadows repeatedly without consequence as the beast had shown, then he wouldn't even be alive. They could just travel through whatever medium was needed and reappear behind the white-haired youth, take his life, and call it a day. The car sized canines were afraid of the arrows because they had no way to get past them without taking a massive hit, meaning the shadow travel gimmick must come at a cost. It also affirmed that these beasts COULD die and feel pain. Otherwise, why would they even fear the explosions.
With every move taken, every step towards his own desired safety, Chion took note of his findings. Every arrow shot. Every move made by the beasts. None of it was missed. 1It was all analyzed and noted for future use. 1He wasn't beating them today. Especially not in a three versus one scenario where the terrain and weather were actively working against him. But, if he escaped and ran into them again, he would need the information to employ proper countermeasures. Chion couldn't run the tests he wanted, such as skin density, available powers, and physical capabilities, but it wasn't like he was going to run up and ask them to cooperate.
Fwip! BOOM!
Leasing another bolt, the youth sent it spiraling into the exposed shoulder of one of the beasts, finally managing to hit one dead on after it wandered in too close. It howled in pain and tried to fight off the flames but eventually collapsed. It didn't get back up again, it's body covered in brilliant green tendrils.
(("That's five. One more left.")) Chion didn't let the death of one beast cloud his goal or his decision making. He kept it pushing. (("They don't know how much I have. But they'll be desperate to do something soon."))
Right on cue, moments after the death of their fellow canine, the other two rushed in simultaneously, starting a worst-case scenario. They came from opposite ends, snarls of rage erupting from their throats as they rapidly closed the distance.
(("Damn!!")) Chion reached into his hoodie pocket. (("I have no choice."))
Fwip! Fwip! Fwip!
Arrows, similar to the ones resting in Chions backpack, pierced through the stormy forest, sinking into the muddy ground by the beasts feet. More arrows soon followed the first wave, forcing the demonic hounds to halt their charge and quickly back up to avoid being struck down. They weren't too happy about it, biting the air towards Chion, but it appeared they weren't stupid, giving the youth a bit of distance as they looked towards where the projectiles had flown from.
Chion himself took that instance to start running.
"Cut them down!!"
That made the youth halt in his tracks as numerous individuals clad in varying amounts of leather armor charged from the rainy treeline, making themselves known. Wielding weapons such as swords, spears, javelins, and bows, these newcomers looked like real warriors, charging into the fray without a second thought. Chion wasn't sure where these strangers had come from, but he wasn't about to complain as he nocked his last remaining arrow. With the added addition of these weapon clad warriors, pushing back the canines was almost guaranteed.
However, the youth didn't get the chance to do much of anything as the moment the strangers entered the marshy battlefield, the two monsters glared at Chion and immediately fled the scene. They didn't bother to look back.
A cheer rang through the crowd as everyone raised their weapons towards the retreating behemoths, celebrating the victory of a battle they hadn't even truly fought.
Not that Chion cared. He was freed from his assailants and finally able to breathe. Though wary of the sharp instruments in the hands of his new friends, he didn't believe they would attack him personally, or at least he hoped they wouldn't. He still had an arrow left and a trump card within his hoodie, and humans with swords were nowhere near as dangerous as the beasts had been.Definitely the easier task between the two.
Kneeling to the ground, Chion began taking out the regular metal tipped arrows and returning them back into the quiver. With the now dangerous clothed arrowhead, he would have to find a place to safely detonate it so as to not get anyone caught in the crossfire. As for the rest of the green liquid he had kept in the jar as a get-out-of-jail free card, the one that was tucked into his hoodie, the youth merely placed it back into the backpack. There was no longer any real need for the explosive flames nor any need for the bow and arrows. As far as Chion was concerned, he had already reached his checkpoint, safety being assured the moment the strangers entered the picture.
"Hey. Are you okay?"
Chion looked up from his work, zipping his backpack and throwing it over his shoulder. Only to nearly fall back onto his knee.
It was the guy from his vision, the one who had talked to the blonde haired girl.
It was unmistakable. The scar starting from the eye, dragging all the way to the chin. The close cropped sandy blonde hair. The blue eyes. It was an exact one to one replica of the teenager he had seen on the pier. If Chion had been skeptical about where he was or if he was in the right place, all traces vanished the moment he realized whom he was talking to. It finally felt as if the young man was on the right track to figuring everything out and piecing together the various mysteries that were plaguing his life.
"I'll be fine." Chion answered the man's question, the Greek Fire arrow held close to his side. "I wasn't injured."
"That's good news. I was afraid we'd be too late." The older teen grinned, giving him a sort of mischievous look. "It's a good thing you held out as long as you did."
"It wasn't easy," Chion admitted. "I had to use up most of my options. I might have been in a tough spot if you hadn't shown up when you did."
"Well, you made yourself quite simple to find luckily. All we had to do was follow the loud explosions." The blonde stranger swiped a band of rainwater from his face and placed hand on his sword. "What were those noises anyways? Hellhounds don't have anything that's that loud."
(("Hellhounds? Those monsters I take it.")) Chion quickly took note. (("He also spoke of them as if there's a bit more than those three. A scary thought."))
In response to the teenagers' question, the white-haired individual held up his arrow, offering it over to the blonde warrior. The man took it carefully, not saying a word as he examined it, from the shaft to the cloth covered point where it was dripping with a mixture of rain water and green liquid. Emotionless, the blonde glanced towards the soaked Chion, blue meeting a brighter neon blue.
"You used Greek Fire," the man correctly concluded. "That's quite clever. Using it to launch explosive arrows is quite creative."
"I did what I had to," Chion responded. It felt useless to brag about it.
The man stared at the youth for a few more seconds before breaking out into a smile, tossing it far backwards. He held out his hand as the arrow exploded. Mud and water were sent in all directions, but the blonde didn't seem to really care, his eyes fixed onto the white-haired individual.
"Luke Castellan."
Tilting his head slightly, the amnesiac hesitated for a few seconds before eventually accepting the outstretched hand.
"Chion Pagos."
"Welcome to Camp HalfBlood," Luke said, holding his arms out. "Safe haven for Demigods. You can tell us about your journey later. For now, let's get out of this rain. Do you have any fresh clothes in that bag?"
(("Demigods? Camp HalfBlood?")) More foreign terms that Chion would have to decipher as he went along. (("More crucial information I know nothing about."))
"I used up my last outfit to make the fire bombs," Chion replied. "I had more but....I had a situation."
"Monster attack?"
"Pretty much." Chion shrugged.
Luke nodded as if he expected as much. "If you know what size you are, I'll fetch you something you can wear. Do you know who your parents are?"
"I have parents?" Chion asked.
Luke laughed. "I ask myself the same question. But how about a demigod? Do you know what that is?"
"Based on the wording of it, I guess it's a half god?" Chion touched his chin as he properly thought about it. "You asked who my parents are as well. Are you trying to tell me that that's what I am? Half god?"
Luke looked a little surprised, but he nodded. "You're quick on the uptake. But yeah, you're a demigod. Though we just call them Half-Bloods."
(("Demigods. Also known as Half-Bloods, the same name as the camp we're at right now. A camp made specifically for Demigods?")) Chion watched as Luke motioned for the rest of the warriors to start heading back. (("It would definitely make sense, hence what Festus said."))
"If you go straight from this spot, you'll find a large Pine tree about half a mile into the woods. Pass that, and you'll be safe."
(("However, if that IS the case, then that would have to mean.....")) Chion let out a sigh. (("Welp, it's not the strangest thing I've learned in the past two days. Actually, it makes everything far more logical in a certain way."))
"So, gods are real then?" Chion questioned, already knowing the answer.
"Well, the Greek gods are?"
"What?"
"It's a lot to explain. We can talk about it later. We should get you to the infirmary to get you looked at."
"Hey, Jack Frost. Were you the one who killed that Hellhound?"
Chion turned his head, glancing towards the one who had shouted. He hadn't been expecting them to be addressing him, having no idea who Jack Frost was, so he was surprised when a girl slightly taller than him was up close and personal with him. He couldn't see much of her because of her leather armor and odd looking helmet, but she looked rather fierce, as if she would smack his head off if she could. Clutched in her right hand was a large canine tooth, about the size of Chions pinky finger. It was hard to mistake it for anything else but a tooth extracted from the Hellhound. Tilting his head, he tried to find the body they had pulled it from, but it was nowhere in sight. 1It was definitely too heavy to move, so Chion was slightly confused.
"Yeah, that was me." Chion took a step away from the female warrior, regaining some personal space. "Why?"
"Here."
Without another word on the subject, the girl shoved it into the youths hand and walked away.
And yet, it was still far from the weirdest interaction he had had all day.
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