by Emery Pugh
Chapter 15
Hector
Before leaving for Grand Central Terminal, Chiron called me once again. This time, it was to the armory. He presented me with an assortment of weapons, all of which I had no idea how to use. But one appealed to me – a black Stygian Iron blade.
I frowned. “One problem – I have had practically no training.”
“You have natural talent,” Chiron assured me. “You’ll learn fast.”
I highly doubted it.
On the train, I ran my fingers over the smooth, dark metal. I’ve never felt or seen anything so in tune with me – the sword just felt like a perfect fit.
In front of me, Godric nearly jumped out of his seat. I didn’t know much about quests and monsters, but one thing was blatantly obvious: something was up, and it wasn’t good.
Godric whispered something to Sanderson, and then turned to us. “I just heard something… unusual. Keep your eyes peeled, and stay alert. Don’t worry, though – it shouldn’t be much to worry about.”
The last part didn’t sound sincere.
Then I heard it too – grrrr. A black dog head poked up from the row of seats in front of Andromeda, who instinctively drew her Celestial bronze dagger. Godric unsheathed his Imperial gold blade. Sanderson lunged for his bow and quiver. Coach Hedge hefted his baseball bat and gritted his teeth, muttering “die!” Garret put his reed pipes to his mouth, ready to play a magical melody.
Meanwhile, I sat there, completely frozen.
“Hector!” Garret hissed quietly. “Get out your sword! Quickly!”
I fumbled with the sheath and clumsily retrieved the sword, nearly dropping it.
The dog climbed on top of its seat, revealing its small shape. Its body was fully dark except for a few patches of gray, which lacked fur and looked like burn scars, and its eyes glowed a soft amber. Its claws were as sharp as a cat, and it was about as large as a domestic dog. I haven’t had much monster training, but I could still recognize it – it looked like a baby hellhound.
Everyone else sat down with sighs of relief, stowing their weapons away. The baby hellhound made no attempt to attack. It tentatively reached out a paw to me.
“It’s drawn to you,” Garret explained. “Hellhounds are creatures of the Underworld, and you’re a son of Hades.”
I’ve never seen a dog look so hideous, but I gave it a chance. Sheathing my sword, I reached towards the hellhound and took it in my lap. It squealed with delight and closed its eyes.
I stroked its head and back. The baby hellhound looked content as it drifted into sleep. I did the same, and the land of dreams took me over.
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Startled, I woke up, panting and sweating. Everyone else was sound asleep, except for Godric and Sanderson. They were playing chess on a miniature board to pass the time. The board was magical though, since a normal one couldn’t hover.
My memories of the dream were fuzzy – it involved that serpent, Jormungandr. He talked about destroying all demigods and something about rising sea levels. Two things that could cause a whole lot of trouble.
Godric turned to me, noticing I was awake. “Bad dreams?”
“Yeah.” I wiped a bead of sweat from my eyebrow. “It was about the serpent.”
He nodded in understanding. “Dreams and visions like those are common for demigods. So, uh, I guess you gotta just get used to it.”
Sanderson was concentrated on the chess board. Suddenly, he exclaimed quietly, “Ha! Get checkmated, Godric.”
“Flip,” Godric muttered. “I should’ve seen that.”
“Wanna play?” Sanderson offered. The pieces reassembled themselves and the board drifted closer to me.
“Sure, but I’ll lose,” I grinned. “That’s one cool chess board, though.”
“Thanks. It’s a gift from Apollo.”
Andromeda and the satyrs stirred, yawning and blinking their eyes.
“Ugh, another vision,” Andromeda complained. “More serpent stuff.”
Garret rifled through his backpack and found a few herbs. “Here, guys, take these next time you sleep. It should help prevent bad dreams, and it’ll increase sleep efficiency.”
Godric looked hurt. “Hey, where were these things when I needed them most?” He waved his hand and cracked a smile. “Nah, I’m just kidding. Thanks.”
“Got a world chess championship here, huh?” Andromeda asked jokingly.
“Not quite,” Sanderson said. “But close enough.”
“Come on, Hector!” Coach Hedge urged me on. “Beat him! I always lose, and it’s time for vengeance.”
Alas, I lost the world chess championship, but at least I made it to the endgame. Finally, I felt like I belonged somewhere with these people. I’ve been looking for a community for ages – I hope this was finally it.
Sanderson reached out his hand. “Good game, Hector. Not many reach the endgame against me.”
I shook his hand. “Good game, Sanderson. You’re pretty dang good at this game.”
“Thanks. Now, does anyone else want to lose?” Sanderson looked around with an innocent face. A ripple of laughter passed through us.
Garret leaned over to me and pointed at the hellhound. “Oh, and you might want to name your little pet there.”
I had totally forgotten about the baby hellhound. I looked at it, and it looked right back at me. Due to my powers from Hades, I knew this was a female hellhound.
I thought for a moment. “Is Charis okay with you?”
The pup barked with delight. I assumed she liked the name.
“Alright, Charis it is.” I had already started to like the baby hellhound.
Suddenly, Charis stood up and bared her fangs at a man walking through the train car. Grrrr. Whoever it was, Charis did not like them.
“Guys,” I interrupted. “Beware that man. Charis doesn’t like him.”
Sanderson frowned. “Charis? Oh. That’s your hellhound’s name, right?”
I nodded. “Yeah. She’s baring her fangs at him, that can’t be a good sign.”
The chess board folded itself up and the pieces vanished. Everyone held their weapons and scrutinized the mysterious person. He was cloaked with several layers of robes – an unbuttoned one, colored light brown, on the outside. Underneath, I could see several black cloaks. The man’s face was hidden by a brown sun hat and sunglasses. The headwear was normal, but the cloaks were unusual considering that it was in the middle of August.
I nearly jumped out of my seat when I examined his face. It wasn’t a man’s face, but instead a snake’s.
“Look at his face!” I whispered. “That’s a snake!”
The cloaks dissipated, revealing several 20-foot long King Cobras.
They hissed, and then lunged.
The Lighthouse 