|
Ash was born on June 21, exactly five months after Luke and Nike met. Luke was a middle-aged, slightly clear-sighted man who loved watching and playing many different sports. He especially liked the really unique sports like skeleton, rugby, cricket, etc. The two of them met at after a rugby game in a bar. Luke's favorite team had won the championships and so in celebration, he and his bros decided to go to a bar and drink a few shots. Luke started getting really drunk and began flirting with a woman who looked around his age. He woke up at his house with a massive headache and without clothes. He processed the information and realized that he had had a one nighter with the woman. She had apparently left early, as it was really late.
A few months later, Ash appeared on his doorstep with a note that said she was his. He decided to raise Ash as best as he could. He taught her about the different sports and taught her how to play each one. He hired a few other trainers to teach her archery, fencing, and horseback riding. He made sure to teach every single sport out there that he knew about. Of course, she didn't get to learn every one of them, some she only leanred the rules, others she learned the history of them, she was able to get the basics of about 20 sports, but she was only able to actually play about 10 of them.
For education, Ash was tutored privately by some of the best tutors Luke could find. Due to the money he earned from playing all those sports, he was able to pay for some of the best tutors around. He made sure Ash was not only sports smart, but also street smart and learned the basic subjects like math, science, history, and English. Luke discovered that Ash was diagnosed with Dyslexia, and she was unable to do any reading, so instead he or the tutor read for her, so she could still at least learn the concepts for when she spoke out loud. They watched Jeopardy together everytime it was on, and they scored the points just like in Jeopardy, and the winner got to make the loser do anything they wanted, as long as it was appropriate of course, so a lot of the rewards involved increase of allowances, doing chores for a week, taking them out somewhere, etc.
The first time Ash learned she wasn't exactly normal was when she was playing truth or dare with a bunch of her friends, with a mixture of boys and girls. She was dared to kiss one person in the room, so without any thoughts at all, she turned to her right and kissed her best friend, Sarah, on the lips in front of all her friends. They were all completely shocked at Ash's actions, and Ash got really confused as well. Sarah didn't mind, but Ash wasn't exactly sure they felt the same way about each other. She went to her dad and talked to him. He explained that some people fall straight and end up marrying and dating people who were of different sex, but other people choose different paths and end up marrying and dating people who are of the same sex. He explained to her that there wasn't anything to be ashamed of and told her to just be herself.
Sarah and Ash started dating a bit, but when they both turned 13, about a year later, Sarah told Ash that she didn't feel the same way about Ash, and she ended up breaking up with her. Ash was sad at first, and didn't want to be friends with Sarah any longer, but she realized that perhaps Sarah just wasn't meant for her. Maybe, she wasn't like her, so she told Ash instead of deceiving her. Ash respected that Sarah was brave enough to tell Ash the truth, and made up with her.
On June 20(a day before her 14th birthday), Ash was finally attacked by a hellhound. Earlier she was given a celestial bronze sword from her dad with a note saying to use it wisely and to push the bottom of the hilt for something more useful for aerial attacks. It also said it was from her mother. Ash had tested it and discovered if she pushed the bottom of the hilt, it turned into a bow, and arrows appeared on her back inside a quiver. When she pushed a button along the handle of the bow, it turned back into a sword. When she sheathed it, it turned into a bronze ring. He explained that it had been in her basket when she appeared on his doorstep. He told her to have it.
She was taking a jog in the neighborhood, when a hellhound appeared. It charged at her. Instinctively She pushed her ring and it turned into a sword she swung the sword at the hound, and it dissolved when she hit it a second time in the torso, but she was badly bruised, and there were claw marks on her arms, which were caused by the hellhound. She ran back towards the house. Suddenly a man ran towards her. As he got closer, she noticed the man didn't have any pants on. She also noticed that he had goat legs below his waist. She started to freak out, but the man quickly explained to her that he was her protector and that the things attacking her were monsters. They went inside the house, and the man told them about everything. At first they thought the man was insane, but after hours of explaining everything and showing them pictures of camp and showing them his goat legs, they finally believed him, and Ash was allowed to go with the satyr. They hugged each other before Ash and the satyr had to leave.
Ash still wasn't exactly sure how to take all of the information. She followed the man to a large hill. Suddenly just as they were yards away from the entrance, another hellhound charged at them. Ash stabbed it three times, making the hellhound dissolve before finally crossing. She was claimed by Nike as when she walked through the border. She's now been here for a week, and she is starting to get to know the area. She also stays year round for extra training, but she stays in contact with her dad, who misses her.
|
