Chapter One - Goodbyes and Hellos

Clay hugged his father for the last time taking a deep breath of his cinnamon and campfire smell before all five of clay's siblings ran red faced and snotty noses all saying their byes to their half-brother. Finally, he escaped the clutches of his younger siblings, packed and ready to go the scroll clutched in his hands fighting the tears the weight heavy in his chest.

He walked off to his first mission hiking up and down mountains walking across fields traveling across oceans before finally making it to the shores. Like the waves around him, slow waves of exhaustion overcame him. the sun burning his skin. The salty air filled his lungs.

His sandy blond almost brown looking hair messy and sticking to his for head from the journey his skin more tanned from when he started and his forest green eyes final laid upon the giant structure.

In the distance as he slowly walked over to an ancient building was split into four parts the closest corner to clay was made of mossy stone and vines that crawled up over time. An earthy smell of freshly fallen rain, freshly cut grass and newly bloomed flowers lingering in the air. The bird's songs ringed thought from the distance calming like a calming song from the most beautiful instruments. Walking thought the stone giant arches like the building had the vine twisted around the mossy stone. Finally, he got to his destination after the long walk thought the maze-like halls. Clay realized how big this place is, having an entire journey just though the halls of the building.

When he got to the middle of the building where the four sides met. The one on his right to him made with white stone with carved gold details and never-ending fire burning bright give a warmth to the room.

The other on his left-hand Water falling from the top of the wall disappearing before touching black stone floor with sliver imbedded thought it looked like a clear night sky. Give a cool almost nighttime breeze even though the many thick walls. The final one across from him with white stones and the floor was seemingly made of clouds.

He was rewarded by the memorizing sight a glowing orb so bright that it lights up the room but somehow wasn't blinding. The orb had a blue grey and an orange yellow thing swirling though like an endless dance. As clay was so distracted by the orb, he didn't realize that he wasn't alone.

"Hey mate," a deep voice said from the fiery quadrant of the room. The shocked clay head twisted so fast to the direction of the voice to see a man.

He looked a few years older that clay. Tall with broad shoulders covered in muscle and with a few small scars, his tanned skin glowed in the light showing the tiny freckles along his body. the light shone on the blond hair like the sunlight touching gold, with deep honey brown eyes. He had a white sleeveless shirt with embroidered gold details with the neckline bagging down low to see a gold chain with a sun pendant and a black rope with a sliver ring attached to it. Baggy black pants that bagged up at his leather boots. He also had leather Armor covering parts of his arms with a gold band with writing that clay identified as the sun hieroglyphics.

"So, we're going to just ignore I'm here," a feminine voice said in the aquatic quadrant. Imminently clay turned his head to see a figure in the shadows.

"Nix?" the fiery man said confusing clay who in the world is Nix

"Who else?" the girl said stepping into the light the girl was short skinny, with short fluffy black hair half tied up showing a slivery blue under the black, her pale skin glowed in the light of the orb, with dull blue grey eyes looking down of an old leather book with gold details. She had lightweight silver and black leather Armor padding and had silver arm band with moon hieroglyphics, her button up shirt her was a dark blue with bishop sleeves silver details. She multiple mix of silver and gold rings. With four necklaces, one gold with a sun pendant and the other silver with a moon pendant and one a sliver necklace with pearls and moonstone beads the final one was a black rope with a gold ring attached to it.

"You know each other?" clay asked.

"Yep, we grew up together… Unfortunately," Nix said bitterly giving the man a dirty look. Obviously, him pissing off and as soon as the man tried to say something back. clay beat him to it saying

"That's cool," clay trying to keep the peace. Silence filled the room, and the awkwardness covered them like blanket "what's your names. I'm Lachlan but you can call me clay." clay asked trying to end the tension.

"Sorin son of the fire goddess," the blond man said still staring at the girl.

"Amaris child of the moon god but call me nix or I'll slit your throat," said nix with a warning tone.

"What missions are you guys on?" Sorin said ignoring nix

"The Zen mission" clay replied

"But so am I" said Sorin confused

"Odd. Normally they'd only send one demigod for a mission like this," said nix

But before any of them could speak up the orb started to speak in a calming mysterious voice