The Chronicles Of Luna and Leo: Book One

The moonlight and dim flames of my dwindling campfire reflect off of my purple and silver compound bow laid on the log beside me. I move the coals around with my designated fire-poker (aka a long, sturdy stick I found) and watched the embers dance. The sun would start rising any moment and yet I haven't slept a wink.

This voyage had been nothing but troublesome since we were assigned it.

In the flickering firelight, I can see my twin brother snuggled up in his sleeping bag, I shake my head. A Cyclops could stomp through here and he wouldn't even stir, he sleeps that deeply.

I pull my waist length hair over my shoulder and start to unbraid it, mostly to fix my tangled hair but also for comfort. My silvery white hair cascades down my shoulder into my lap in waves. I usually put my hair in a ponytail at the bottom of my head and braid it to help keep it together when we're fighting but also as a way to cut off my hair given the circumstance arrives.

I look back at my twin as I run my fingers through my mess of hair and shake my head for the second time, I despise that he can sleep so soundly. It's hard to believe we're even related to be particularly honest.

Leo is ginger, firetruck engine red to be clear, with mountains of freckles and these crazy orange eyes that match the sunset on a summer night. He sculpted, super tall and slender whereas I'm tall as well but I'm broad and built strong with my silvery/whitish hair and dark blue eyes to match the night sky, complete with grey flecks.

Built exactly as Artemis and Apollo designed us, that's the thing about Leo and I, we are created by the twin gods to be protectors for the demi-gods while they hunt/fight monsters or need transport to a safer place.

I look around at our little encampment in the thick brush and watch our small companions with interest. Leo, being a social butterfly, had gotten to know the kids better then I had over the past few days of helping them to Camp Drachma, the safe place here up north to bring half-bloods to train.

What we hadn't known when assigned our quest by our chaperone (if you wanna call the oldest half-blood I've ever known that) Ulysses, was that the three children snoring around my campfire were spawns of one of the Big Three. Poseidon's children, a set of twins and younger sister born to the sea god. Super high profile. The twins were fraternal, a boy and girl, like Leo and I, were just old enough to be detected by monsters and their younger sister wasn't far behind.

All three of them smelled like the ocean, salt water and ocean breeze wafted around them, not subtly at all. their appearance was even better, sandy blonde hair with eyes the color of the sea and skin so tanned that people from the coast would be envious.

The youngest stirs in her sleep and mumbles to herself as she rolls over, I move the coals around again and throw in two more logs to bring up the flame and smoke. We can't let these kids die, Poseidon would skin us alive. I tune into the noise around our small company and pay close attention. Nothing suspect, just nocturnal animals doing their thing and our crackling flames.

Thank the gods I couldn't hear anything but it didn't calm my nerves much, just because nothing is making noise doesn't mean there isn't anything out there, watching and waiting to make it's move.

My brother sits up and yawns, stretching then rubbing the sleep out of his face. He looks around until his eyes land on me, he gets up and comes to sit with me at my trust log I've taken residence on since dusk the night before.

"Man, you didn't sleep at all did you?" He asks, eyeing my tightly rolled pack "These kids really have you on edge huh?"

I nod "It's not very often you get a child from the Big Three let alone three of them.." I brush my hair behind my ears and look at the trio sleeping across from where we're sitting "It's hard not to be on high alert, especially when the ocean is nowhere near us.." I trail off, my brother nodding in return this time, our keen sense of smell being the exact same.

"Yeah.." He puts a hand on my shoulder "They'll be alright, I mean they are some of the strongest demi-gods in history by design, I mean other then us" He smiles and it makes me cast a small smile.

The twins awake as the sun lights up the dark sky as I come back for a hunt, gotta make breakfast somehow. Gods, I'm glad these aren't Aphrodite's children.

I skin the two rabbits and put them on a spit over the fire, pulling out a pan to put on the coals, cracking eggs I found.

The twins stay quietly speak with Leo before the youngest awakes to the smell of breakfast.

"Good morning guys, sleep well?" I ask, trying to be kind.

The youngest smiles at me "I slept so good, thank you for watching over us all night! We really appreciate it"

"All part of the job" I reply, giving the small girl a little smile back.

Soon, after eating, we pack up the kids belongings and start our trek once again. We get about 10 kilometers up the trail when the scent hits me.

"Get down wind, in the bushes" I hiss behind me, basically shoving the kids into the bushes and crouching down beside them, bow in full draw, arrow at the ready "Stay down and don't move and muscle or make a sound" I whisper to them, all three nodding in agreement.

Leo pulls out his knife out of the sheath on his thigh, looking over at me and nodding. He caught the scent right when I did.

We all watch, our holding our breath as three harpies land on the ground where we had been standing moments before.

They look around and start inspecting, Leo raising his one hand to signaling to take a shot as the harpies move closer and closer to our location. He makes a fist and drops it as he hops out of the bush, startling the harpies and I take my first shot.

The arrow lands straight in-between the harpy closest to me and it fades away to dust. Leo stabs another one through the heart, it turning to dust instantly. He goes to take his next swing as the last harpy leaps off the ground, screeching at us. No doubt signaling the cavalry, stupid harpies.

I line up my shot and send the arrow flying, the one fletching catching on my face and leaving a small cut across my cheek. The arrow flies through the harpy's mouth and pierces the back of her throat, another one bites the dust.

"Get moving, now!" I say to the kids, grabbing my two arrows and helping them up "Leo, we gotta move and find cover, mask the our scent and hide the tracks" I say, looking over at him.

He follows my orders as I rush the kids along the path, my heart racing as I'm waiting for the crashes of bushes to begin.

We make it to a cave by dusk, luckily nothing found us this time. Leo and I sit around the fire with the twins.

"So, those things were harpies right?" The boy, Xander I think his name is, asks.

"Yes" I reply "Somebody been doing Greek monster studies?" I tease, Xander's face goes a slight red colour.

"I learned a little in school before we left, we were doing Greek studies in history class" He replies, giving me a small smile.

"We were taught in a similar fashion" Leo replies "A lot more hands on though, I'd say" He lets out a laugh, poking the coals of the fire around. We all let out a small giggle.

I focus back on Xander "So you all got to go to public school?" I ask, gesturing around at the three of them.

"Yeah, Bronte and I just started grade 10 and Eleni was in the 8th grade when we left with you guys" Xander replies, pushing his glasses up his nose "If you don't mind, what was it like for you guys growing up? I mean, you guys were children at one point right?"

I give a nod "Yes, we started out as babies like you guys, our creation was based upon a woman who prayed at the palace of Aphrodite for a set of twins to bless her life. Her prayers became a reality when both Artemis and Apollo visited our mother and gave her a quest that peoples lives depended on, which would be raising and training us to be the ultimate weapon against evil. Hence why we help ferry people like you, demi-gods, to protective camps and other places. You three, though, are very special. Not very often do the two of us run into or even hear of children born to one of the Big Three"

Eleni looks at me with a raised eyebrow "What is 'The Big Three?'"

Leo rests a hand on Eleni's shoulder "The Big Three are three brothers, Zeus the king of the gods, Poseidon king of the seas and Hades the king of the underworld. You three are Poseidon's children and at Camp Drachma they will teach and train you to harness the powers you posses" He says, giving her shoulder a small squeeze "Anytime you need any clarification on any of this, just ask. We won't lie to you"

I nod in return "Alright guys, get some shut eye. We have to get a move on in the morning, we're almost at camp"

I unroll my pack and set down my sleeping bag, tucking into it to keep the cool, damp cavern air out. I watch the fire intently as Xander, Bronte and Eleni all settle in and fall asleep.

"Luna" Leo says quietly, I face towards him.

"Yeah?" I reply.

"I'll stay up, get some shut eye dude" He says, moving the coals around and adding logs to our fire.

"Thanks Leo, wake me as soon as you need anything" I say back, settling back into my sleeping bag. As soon as I'm comfortable, my eyes shut and I'm transported into the dream world.