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Seeker's Waking

By Jadejj and Trynia Merin

(both are 6 years old)

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I had seen him before around the school. I just never went up to him before since I was confused on what I saw. Dad told me I might be gifted but I never saw this coming. The boy I speak of had purple hair and a brace on his one leg. It was the spirit I saw hanging around the boy that spooks me the most. I could tell the spirit was Greek from the outfit he wore but it wasn't that I could see it. The spirit seemed to notice me. I would of stay away but when those two older boys pushed that boy around I had to do something.

"Leave Achilles alone!" I slap my hand on my mouth just as the words left my mouth. I felt my cheeks heat up.
Gods how could I say that out loud. The bullies laughed at me. They were about to do something but a teacher came over and pulled them away. It was now just he and I looking at each other.

"Ah sorry about that." I ran my hand though my hair. I had started to grow it long. "My name is Julius. What's yours?"

Archie looked at him. He felt sad at first. Now he felt a bit better someone was on his side. "Uh... my name is Archie."

"So it's not Achilles." Julius could still feel his face was flushed. He moved over to Archie. "I'm kind of new around here. Dad just bought the old farm out side of town." Julius sat down on the swing.

"Achilles?" Archie asked.

"I..." Julius shook his head. "I thought I saw something...I sorry for the mistake."

"That's okay. Thanks for helping me out," Archie said, moving a bit closer.

He looked a bit funny at Julius. "Um, why did you help me?"

"It wasn't right. Two against one." Julius looked at Archie. "Anyway my whole family lives on that farm now."

"Your family? On a farm? Is that a lot of people or a few?" Archie asked.

"Well my family is gypsies. They live in the mobile homes but not the ones you seen."

"Gypsies? That's cool. Then you travel all over the place then. Wish I could travel away from here," Archie said with disgust.

"Sure it fun but I never had any real friends." Julius sighed. "Dad worked at odd jobs and stuff but now since I'm older we are staying here for longer time."

"My dad's never around much. He's a doctor. Mom's there when I go home. She's nice, but I don't have any friends either." Archie said quietly, looking towards him. He brushed purple hair from his face.

"My mom is gone." Julius looked at the ground. "I got lots of family but...I feel like an outsider for some reason."

"I'm sorry. And I sort of feel like an outsider too. Strange huh?" Archie said glancing at Julius. "You always felt like an outsider?"

"Only my father seems to care about me but he has to work a lot too." Julius wiggled the swing a bit.
"So we both have something in common. Both have fathers who are really busy. And we both feel like we don't fit in." Archie said quietly. "Say..."

"Yes, Archie." Julius smiled at Archie.

"Do you... want to be my friend?" asked Archie quietly.

"I love to be your friend, Archie." Julius held out his hand to Archie. "Maybe you can come over to my place soon."

Archie reached out to shake Julius' hand. "Thank you. I'd think it would be cool to visit a farm. I live in a small town and don't see the country much."

Julius giggled. "I don't live far out of town Archie but there's a huge forest out back of our land too. A great play to play."

Archie grinned. "Awesome! Maybe we can pretend we're heroes fighting like in old times... or have a secret place we can meet that only us two know about..."

Julius smiled. "Sounds like fun to me Archie."

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Second Part
(both are now 8 years old)

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Julius felt nervous taking Archie to his home today. His father was out and his grandfather was left in charge. He always made feel he didn't belong. "Now Archie we got to head to the woods. I don't want to upset Grandfather too much with you being here. He kind of a..." The school bus bounced. "So straight to the woods, okay?"

"I got you," nodded Archie. He couldn't help noticing Julius seemed a bit spooked over something.

Julius took a short breath. His hand twitched. His head felt like someone had punched him a few times.
Something was wrong with him but he didn't know what to do about it. "We'll be getting off soon."

Archie wanted to ask him what was wrong but wasn't sure. "Hey are you okay?"

"I'm just nervous. My grandfather...he makes feel like a stranger in my own home." Julius lowered his head.
"Come this is our stop." The school bus slowed down.

Archie decided to wait before asking more. He moved to try and get up before the bus stopped, and jarred his
Ankle a bit. He caught hold of the seat and waited for Julius to lead the way.

Julius held out his hand. "It's okay Archie. We all have our weaknesses."

Archie gave a small smile and let him steady him. "Thanks."

The school bus stopped and Julius moved forward. He led Archie off the bus and headed for the farm. "I'm sorry for being like this Archie. It's just the first time father been away for along time."

"That's okay. I guess that must have really been hard for you without Father. Let's just have some fun." Archie said, trying to cheer Julius up as he followed him.

Julius smiled. "Your right it's time for some fun." The boy picked up a bit of speed. "Race you to the woods."

"Hey, I'll get there before you!" Archie laughed. He burst into a run.

An old man appeared before Julius. "Julius." The boy paled and backed off a bit. "Grandfather."

Archie stopped when he saw Julius backing off. He lowered his brows and stopped running.

"I take that is Archie." Julius looked at Archie and then back at his grandfather. "Yes, sir." The man huffed. "Do what you want but soon you have nothing left." With that said the man turned and walked to the house. Julius felt his strength leave him as he sank to the ground.

Archie glared at the man and slowly crouched by his friend. Resting his hand on his shoulder he asked, "Hey you okay?"

"Why does he make me feel so small, Archie? I haven't done anything to him." Julius rubbed his eyes.

Archie patted his friend's shoulder. "It doesn't matter what he thinks. You're a good friend, and if he doesn't see that you're important, then it's HIS loss."

"I know but he seems to have power over me..." Julius stood up. A grin grew on Julius's lips. "Tag you're it." He raced off towards the woods.

"Hey come back here!" Archie laughed, panting after him. He felt annoyed and worried for his friend, wondering what power his grandfather had over Julius. He realized Julius would tell him when he was ready.

Julius leapt over rocks and branches. He felt the most freedom with Archie in the woods. "So you give up yet?"
Julius was up a tree now looking down at Archie.

"NO way!" Archie laughed as he suddenly leapt and tried to climb the tree. He grabbed the nearest branch and swung up, not quite reaching his friend yet.

Julius smiled and leapt to another tree. "You never catch me." Julius laughed.

Archie laughed back, swinging back and forth on his branch. He flipped over and around like on the parallel bars and flung himself after Julius like he was flying. He managed to just about reach a branch on the next tree, and hung suspended by one hand. "Won't stop trying though!"

"Good you are going to need those skills." Julius smiled and kept moving. He was nearing the river when lost his sight for moment. Next thing he knew he was in the river. "Archie!" He yelled out.

"Hang on I'm coming!" Archie cried. He rushed towards the river, and saw the current was carrying his friend away. Taking a breath he dove in, and started swimming as fast as he could after him. He reached out his hand and grabbed Julius collar quickly in the water.

The current then pulled them both down. Julius turned to look into Archie's blue eyes. He felt the presser on his lungs screaming for air. He knew Archie would be in the same trouble. He felt something else tug on him. He gripped his friend's hand and there was a flash of light. Next thing Julius knew he was taken big gasps of air.
"Archie are you alright?" He looked over at his friend.

"I... I think so. What the heck happened?" Archie gasped, trying to breathe.

"I lost my sight for a moment. I'm sorry for dragging you down with me into the water." Julius sat up. Water dripped down his face.

Archie wrung his shirt out, and wiped water out of his face. He shivered a bit, and slowly helped drag his friend further up the riverbank where it wasn't so wet. He helped him sit down on a log so they could both dry off. "It's okay. Are you all right now?"

"Archie...I haven't told you everything yet about me have I?" Julius looked at Archie.

Archie panted, and wrung out his wet jacket. He shivered a bit in the cold. "No, you haven't. But I figured you'd tell me when you were ready. Because we all got secrets we have reasons to keep."

"Do you remember when we first meet what I called you?" Julius looked at Archie.

"You called me Achilles. I thought that was major weird. But I figured there was some reason why..." he looked back at him oddly.

"I'm scared, Archie. I'm not what my grandfather wanted. He wanted a girl..." Julius shook his head. "What I'm going to tell you, you can't tell anyone for a long time."

"What is it? Is it some reason why you called me Achilles? Cause it's like an ancient Greek myth... because it's giving me a weird feeling like I should know why... but it's just out of my reach," he said. "Why did your grandpa want a girl?"

"I know you read Greek poetry. What do you know of the Greek God Hera?" Julius removed his own jacket by now.

"I... well she was the wife of Zeus and the queen of the gods," he said. "And she was jealous of Zeus having other kids. And she had an assassin who did her work for her if she wanted someone out of the way..." he said slowly, trying to remember his knowledge of myths.

"I'm descended from that assassin of hers..." Julius let out a breath.

"What?" Archie gasped slowly. He looked hard at his friend, as if he'd seen him for the first time. Slowly it began to make sense.

"Holy cow... this is weird... but I... believe you."

"Something about you Archie made me call you Achilles back then." Julius looked up at the sky. "I got powers growing inside me, Archie. I think my grandfather out to kill me..."

"Holy smokes, that's awful! He can't do that! I won't let him!" Archie said angrily. He sensed he had his own origins, his own secrets that he was trying to understand.

"Now you know why I'm scared of him." Julius sighed.

"No wonder. Hey, I'm sorry," said Archie, putting an arm around his friend in sympathy. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Being my friends is a great start but I let you know if anything comes up." Julius hugged Archie. "I know something else but that I need to think about before I tell you."

"Okay, take your time," Archie said quietly. "But I hope that whatever it is, I'm still your friend."


"I can't see you as anyone else Archie." Julius smiled. "I've been having dreams of late and they are going something going to happen that going to change the world."

"What kind of dreams?" asked Archie? "Do you have the gift of second sight or something?"

"No that for someone else. It's just only my self I see and it's scare me that I could be the destroyer of the hope of the world..." Julius shook.

"How could you destroy the world? Do you think that Hera herself would make you do such a thing? Or something else?" asked Archie, still floored but he instinctively knew that his friend was right, and it terrified him.

"All I'm sure for it's another God that making do these things?" Julius sighed.

"Archie...if that really happens I need you to stop me. By any means. I do mean that."

"So, you mean that if you ever get to the point where you need someone to stop you from destroying the world, then I'm the one who will defeat you?" Archie asked.

"Yes, you. I trust you to do this Archie." Julius played with his ponytail. "I'm just going to become more powerful over time."

"I... I promise that my hand will be the one that defeats you, if you ever turn to evil and try to destroy the world," Archie hung his head.

"Only if I can't be saved, Archie. You have to see both side of the coin." Julius took a deep breath. "You won't be alone Archie. I can't see their faces but you will have other friends but that all I can tell you."

"I see. Then I promise to stop you any way I can if that happens. But I'm the one who will call the final shot if it's you vs. me. And I pray it never happens," he said quietly.

"Same here Archie. I don't want to hurt anyone or put the world in the hands of a mad god either." Julius smiled again and tapped Archie's shoulder. "Tag you're it again." He ran off.

"Aww nuts!" Archie gasped, suddenly distracted from the terrible promise he made. He rushed off after his friend, hoping he'd never have to harm him.

***

Third part
(both are now 13 years old)

***

Julius had to see Archie before he left. He had to explain why he had to disappear. He had tears in his eyes.

Archie was looking for Julius. He felt in his gut something was wrong.

Julius leaned up against a tree and started to sob. He didn't want to leave but his father explained they had to leave or his grandfather would do something they would regret.

Archie felt as if he needed to go into the woods. Something told him Julius was there, and needed him. Slowly he wandered into the woods looking for his friend.

Julius rubbed his eyes and looked at the sky though the trees. By now his father would be looking for him but he had to see Archie at lease one more time.

Archie shook his head, wondering why he had these weird gut feelings. He stopped at the entrance to the woods and waited.

Julius stumbled out of the woods. His eyes were red from crying.

Archie suddenly heard something and saw a shape moving. "Who's there?" he called, walking towards it.

"Archie?" Julius called out to his friend.

"Julius! Are you okay?" he asked, hearing the distress in his friend's voice. He rushed over.

Julius gripped onto Archie. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry...I got to leave. Dad says I have too. I don't want to go..." He gasped out.

"Whoa, wait a minute... hey... what do you mean you got to leave?" Archie gasped, wrapping him in a hug. He could tell his friend was devastated.

"Dad... he heard his own father planning to..." Julius' frame shook. "He is going kill me, Archie..."

"Wait... grandpa's going to KILL YOU? Why?" gasped Archie, patting his friend's back. He steadied him.

"I'm not a girl, Archie. He wants a woman seeker. So dad taking me away...I don't know if I ever see you again..."

"Oh no." gasped Archie. He felt his stomach twist. "You mean you have to leave?" Archie began to cry.

"There isn't any chose, Archie. I have to leave or its death..." Julius pulled back. "I can't even write or he will find me. When I get older I come back. I look for you." Julius' eyes were dark red. "I promise."

"Don't... forget me!" Archie sniffled. His arms reached out but he knew he had to stay back.

"Please don't forget me," Archie began to sob, watching his friend retreat.

"How can I. Remember our promise. That important promise." Julius took a deep breath. "And keep that locket close to your heart at all times. I got mine." The teen touched his check.

(Little lockets with a picture and a message in each of them Archie's says 'Let your feet find the right path.' Julius' 'Let your eyes see the right path.')

He held his locket in his hand and sniffled. "I will always remember, my friend." He gripped his friend's hand in a tight squeeze one last time.

"I got to go now but remember what I said. You will have more friends. Trust them." Julius slowly pulled away. "Let's the faiths have their day. I will find you again." With that said Julius disappeared.

Archie leaned against the tree trunk and sobbed. Slowly he slid down; slumping to the ground which was hard and cold. "I won't forget you my friend," he vowed. "And I will keep my promise, and believe I will have others that are as good as you are, Julius."

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That the being of my Class of the Titan's fan fic. More to come and I hope you all enjoyed it. Thank you Trynia Merin for your help.