Forge and I strolled down the street away from the cars taking the other kids home from taekwondo. He seemed oddly quiet, like he was expecting to leave martial arts class and go for a walk with a demigod. He kept glancing at my sword cautiously, like I would whip it out and slash him in half if he didn't keep an eye on it. The girl that I had sat with before called out a goodbye to Forge, who waved back shyly. I suspected a relationship was blossoming between them, but didn't say anything in case I embarrassed Forge. Once the cars were out of sight and earshot, I told him the story...
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I regretted telling him soon after, one thing to remember about Forge is that he won't shut up!
"So, I'm a demigod?"
"Yep"
"And we're going to camp half-blood?"
"Yes Forge"
"So that's why my mother left..."
That last part surprised me. "Your mother?"
He nodded sadly. "Yea, she left soon after I was born. I was raised by my dad and my step-mom. They're alright, I guess."
It sounded like something wasn't entirely true in his story, his tone of voice and the way he drooped his head gave a gloomy impression. I decided to steer clear of the subject.
After an hour or so of walking, Forge decided that he was bored. He started whining and complaining that his feet were hurting.
"Can demigods fly?" He asked.
I knew it was risky, but my feet were sore too. I took his hand, even though it was awkward, and we flew out over the water and away from New York.
Forge kept yelling more random questions in my ear. "How are we doing this!? Can I do this too!? Are we there yet!? Am I talking too loud!?"
The temptation to drop him into the valley below us was overwhelming. I ignored his questions and continued to glide towards an enormous pine tree at the top of a hill at Long Island Sound. I floated lower to the ground in case we were spotted by monsters, and that hellhound itself was enough monsters for one night.
We made it to the barrier and Forge gazed up at the tall branches of the pine tree. "This looks suspicious."
I rolled my eyes. "You continue to amaze me with your intelligence."
Forge shot me an angry look. "I'm new to this stuff!"
I smiled a little because the amusing boy reminded me of myself when I first arrived at camp half-blood.
"If you really must know, that tree protects the whole camp. It forms a barrier that monsters can't get through."
"That's cool." Said Forge, now staring at the tree like it was a giant candy bar.
I looked toward the camp: the rolling strawberry fields to the east, the cabins and the beach to the west and the big house not far away. "C'mon Forge, there's someone you've gotta meet."
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Forge wanted to know everything! If he passed a single object or building, he would ask what it was.
I did my best to keep up. "That's the sword fighting area. That's the stables. We have horses so that we can race chariots. Don't touch that! Come back!"
I was ready to blast the little brat with lightning and tell Chiron that he got killed by a cyclops or something, but at that moment the centaur himself galloped from the shadows of the bush. He held a bow with an arrow nocked, like he was just in a battle. His light brown stallion lower body glistened in the moonlight. Behind him, red flashes lit up the bush and loud battle cries echoed through the camp.
He gave the two of us a worried look. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"
"Chiron it's me! Zac!" I cried out, holding up my hands.
Forge gazed up at the sweaty face of the centaur. "Are you a horse? Or a human?"
"Both." Chiron replied in between quick breaths. "What is your name?"
I put myself between Chiron and Forge, worried that the centaur would shoot the demigod. "This is Forge. I brought him here just as you asked, remember?"
Chiron sighed, relaxing a little, and lowered his bow. "Good. Good. I'm afraid I cannot talk now. Zac, take Forge to cabin eleven and get back here as fast as you can!"
Without another word, he disappeared into the bush again yelling a battle cry.
I jogged toward the cabins, my heart pounding in my chest. Forge did his best to keep up.
"Where are we going?" He asked. "What's going on?"
"I don't know!" I yelled back.
He stayed silent, obviously getting the message. A couple of demigods in full battle armour rushed past us, back towards the bush. Something was definitely wrong, and I had to get back as quick as I could!
I dropped Forge off at the front door of cabin eleven, the Hermes cabin. I knocked on the door and waited impatiently for a minute or two. A tall, scrawny-looking boy with shaggy blonde hair answered and rubbed his eyes sleepily.
"What's going on?" He said while yawning.
I pushed Forge in lightly. "Please get him settled into a bed and asleep as soon as possible! I'm sorry for the trouble, but there's something wrong in the bush and I have to get back there to help!"
The boy nodded, he had obviously been in a similar situation before.
Forge looked at me with a sad and worried expression. He must've been feeling incredibly lost and scared of the unknown right now, but there was no time to explain.
"I'm sorry Forge," I said. "I'll explain everything tomorrow, but for now you need to get to sleep. You've got a big day ahead of you."
He opened his mouth to reply, but stopped himself. Maybe he knew that this wasn't the best time to ask more questions. The boy from the Hermes cabin lead him inside and gave me a small smile before closing the door. I still felt worried sick for Forge as I sprinted back toward the bush.
