Last Chapter: link
Hola!
So this celebrates the 100 page mark as well as the fact that it is nearly 10 in the morning and that I am not in school. That's a right people, I am in March break! Woot-woot! This means I might get to 200 pages because of all my spare time!
Anyways this one is friggin huge! It's really big, and I was going to seperate it but I re-read the comments, felt warm and fuzzy and because of the fact I didn't want 2 chapters to be just about meeting the houses, I decided not to. This rates a 30 on the word-page-scale. It is mother of all chapters, and I invite you to read it only bits at a time.
First off, I'd like to remind you that the fanfction awards are happening. So go, nomminate! The Rebel Soldier isn't nominated yet, as well as SO MANY OTHER GOOD FANFICTIONS on this spot! So go nominate, the best writer, best cliffhanger, best original character sections are practically empty! (if you don't know what an original character is it is a character that the writer created; like Kyrie Snipe, Lee Munroe, Evan Nakamura, Elle Trick; if you want an example you know for sure if you've read to this point, Karen Mallock, all the characters like that!) I've already nominated, now you GO!
Here is the link so you can GO! : link
@Persephone – That was just before the battles of Manhattan and Othrys started, so they killed Jenna and disappeared from the Romans and back to Greece.
@GreekRules - I never got Luke and Annabeth. I was like ‘what?’ I believed in Percabeth from the first book!
@TheWineDude – Neither do I. And yay, I’m a goddess! (of awesome writing, I’ve been called)
@dementorskiss- I don’t know if Annabeth is actually born in March, I just guessed. But I do know Nico is born in May, it’s written in my school agenda.
@Nico – The whole alphabet? WHOA! That is so awesome!
@dragonsaphira- Luke took that secret to the grave. (but it was a complete accident)
@liverpoolrock – Thank you for mentioning it, I can’t believe I forgot! But yes, I hope everyone has had a thought or prayer if you’re religious for them.
@psalm1003 – At that point Luke was hosting a titan, so really…
@PersesJr – They will get some time alone, don’t rush me!
@thillahector – Jenna’s further implication in the story will not be revealed if there is any.
@tracytracy – 1) I’m not done yet, don’t rush me!
2) Depending on what you’re talking about, she went to gather the other Underworld soldiers, or she went up front to do the sacrifice.
3) Leo doesn’t even know he’s flirting!
@dagandawg – Thank you!
@lebowitzso – It depends on who you are. Jason thought that the councils at camp were childish, but the Greeks think that the councils at the City are too serious. Your race of demigod confirms what your impressions and tolerances are.
@everybody who thinks that Leo and Hazel would be cute together: Interesting…
@everybody who feels even remotely sorry for Jace Gayle: Nobody is born evil. Except for Gaia…
Your update for the next book: 122 pages, about to start chapter 14 (he he he) and 37, 815 words. I haven’t even touched it today yet! God I write too much…
16
June 22nd: The City
Piper McLean
The Light parade
Jason and Dakota didn’t show up for dinner. Gwen, Hazel, Reyna and Bobby assured us it wasn’t odd, it happened when Lupa was out of the City.
The meal went by normally. At some point Gwen checked her watch and told us to block our ears. Knowing the Stolls, I feared something similar to all the things I’d seen them do to innocent people. I did and a super loud bullhorn sounded followed by a rhythmic music.
-Are you ready? A heavy male voice sounded.
-For what? A shrill one replied. Then 17 glasses throughout the room shattered. Everyone whose glass didn’t explode started laughing.
-Did you do that Gwen?
-Nah, one of my sibs. She said between laughter.
-Who? Kyle, Joel?
-Can’t tell you which one or it disrespects the sacred laws of Mercury cabin. Reyna rolled her eyes.
-Sure…
-There’s a code, it’s posted on the wall! Gwen said.
-How come I never saw it? Percy asked.
-I’m pretty sure you had bigger problems than finding a piece of paper on a wall, like, oh I don’t know, identity, amnesia and common house-sold objects going all sharp-blade on you.
-Yeah, those are hard on a guy. Jason said sitting down at the end of the table.
-You got yourself in that mess Grace. Dakota said, plopping down in front of him.
-Did I have a choice? He asked.
-Hestia was super persistent, so Hera/Juno must’ve been worst. Percy said.
-I know she scared me. Something about mass destruction and death, very good when you’re trying to talk someone into something. Jason said as food appeared on Dakota and his’ plates.
-Hestia had fall of Olympus and end of time going for her. Percy said.
-Piper take notes. Lou Ellen said. I made a face.
-You’re a charm speaker? Bobby asked.
-Yeah. Well… Yeah. I said, not mentioning my power was down.
I still didn’t know what was up with that. It’d never done that before, and this was not a good time for it. Aphrodite had said it herself: I was going to have to be peacekeeper in a Roman-Greek meeting. That was happening now. I needed the charm speak now.
-Half of Venus’ kids are.
-Half? How many would that be?
-7 or 8. Bobby said.
-Whoa! I said.
-Why isn’t that how its like at Camp?
-No. There’s this girl called Drew Arthurs-
-Who is a hellhound. Lou said.
-Well, yeah- and me.
-That’s it? Charmspeak is how a lot of them make it here because of it. That’s how they get in and then they find jobs. Bobby said.
-Unless you’re Hilary. Gwen said.
-Hilary?
-Hilary Shehan. She’s the only child of Venus that’s got some kind of power. She is praetor of the 16th legion and Senator. Bobby said.
-You’d get along with Hilary, Piper. Jason said.
-Anybody can get along with Hills. Gwen said.
-Actually a lot of people don’t like her. Dakota said.
-Why wouldn’t you like Hills?
-Jealousy and grudges mostly. Dakota said.
-Jealousy is like drinking a poison and waiting for the other person to drop dead… Bobby said thoughtfully.
-Hun?
-I’ve lived with a psychologist for ever; I’m full of these quotes deep down.
-Hopefully they are very deep. Gwen said. Bobby made a face at her.
For the rest of the meal bullhorns sounded at random times. After the second one we got up and helped Jason and Dakota search the room. Leo found it and he had to jump and cling onto a support beam to find the activator. He managed to pull himself on and sit on the beam. He pulled through the duct tape and jumped down. Surprisingly he landed it, and he pulled a wire and it stopped. He handed it to Gwen.
-You can return this to your sibling. If he wants a blueprint for a smaller one he can call me. He said.
-Leo! I protested.
-What? Don’t you remember Hedge’s bullhorn?
-Heck yes. I said grimly.
-Oh… Right. He said. Gwen took a look at it.
-Styx I think I made this when I was little. She said investigating the grey plastic box.
-I thought it wasn’t you? Jason said.
-Yeah well I live in a house full of klepto people. The shirt Gabby’s wearing right now could be Quittrie’s- and I think it is.
She slipped it in her pocket.
-If you made that when you were little I’m sort-of scared to see what you can pull off now. Lou Ellen said. Gwen grinned.
-Oh you should, Spellcast. She said with a twinkle in her crystal blue eyes.
-It’s okay; I’ll stop Gwen from being too mean to you. She can’t come in the house anyways; people go crazy when they do. Hazel said.
-Does that include me? Lou asked.
-Shouldn’t. Hazel said taking a sip of water.
-Oh geez that’s reassuring. Lou said.
-I don’t know how they did it, I wasn’t there. This was ages ago.
-All the minor gods have houses? Nico asked.
-Yes. Bianca said.
-Took Camp until last year to acknowledge we existed. Lou muttered under her breath.
-It’s normal. Roman mythology has more gods then Greek, but they were barely treated right here until last summer. Jason said. Hazel shivered as if remembering a bad memory.
-Yeah isn’t there like a goddess of door hinges? Annabeth said.
-Cardea. Reyna said.
-Wow… Leo said.
-Shut up Valdez, Gwen said. She has a kid here.
-No Ashlee died last month, where have you been? Bobby said.
-Out of town, remember? Gwen said.
-Ashlee Doten? Really? Jason asked.
-Yeah her. Some kind of accident in the forest. Bianca said.
-Oh for Juno’s sake… For some people going in the forest is fine, but others please stay home. Reyna said.
-Agreed. Jason said.
-I thought Gwen said all the animals were in the hunter’s areas? Karen asked.
-Animals, not monsters. And then you’ve got those who integrate themselves in human society. Hazel said. She looked at the other end of the table where the “stupido squad” -as they called it- sat.
-Shush Haze, I have to live with them. Reyna said.
-Not me.
-Hazel you know who they’ll take it out on…
-Changing subjects. Percy said.
-I can help with that. Someone said. I looked towards her and I saw a new girl walk up.
She had long black hair gathered in a ponytail, swooped over her shoulder. She had skin like Snow white and a little pink to her cheeks. Her smile was sweet and small and her eyes were a unique shade of blue so dark it was nearly black. She gave Jason a push on the shoulder.
-Glad you’re back, Jason.
-Hey Hilary. He said. She turned towards me.
-I’m Hilary Shehan, daughter of Venus, head of house and a bunch of other things. I just got told one of the newcomers was a daughter of Aphrodite; I just wanted to say hi.
-Oh, hey. I’m Piper McLean. I said. She frowned as if to remember something. Oh, Styx.
-McLean… Like Tristan Mclean, the actor?
-Umm, yes.
-Oh my gods! That’s the guy in the movie and the popcorn and the hellhound! Hazel said.
-That movie was the best ever. Reyna said.
-You wouldn’t say that if a hellhound wouldn’t have walked into the theatre. Bobby said.
-Yeah the swordplay was horrible. Reyna acknowledged.
-I know! Annabeth said.
-I remember that movie. It was friggin hilarious, though. Hilary said.
-That’s because the kid with the popcorn was not sitting next to you. Jason said.
-Oh right, that was you and Reyna! Hilary laughed. Her laughter was like jingle bells and you couldn’t help but feel good. It helped smooth over the Reyna and Jason reference.
-Oh gods don’t remind me. How do you explain to a 5 year old boy why you’re holding a sword in your hand? Reyna said.
-Nail file. Jason recalled rolling his eyes.
-That was not my idea, that was Gwen being “spontaneous”. Reyna said.
-Good times… Just wanted to say hello Piper, so you at least knew one of us. Hilary said.
-Thanks, glad to meet you. I said. Hilary smiled and went back to her table.
-Is Hilary a charm speaker? Annabeth asked.
-No, which just makes her even more incredible. She got where she is by herself, and she didn’t start off any stronger.
-Well she’s been here since she’d 4. Jason said.
-Yeah but no 4 year old starts training at 4 unless you’re a warling. Dakota said.
-Can I object to being called that? Reyna asked.
-No. Warling is an awesome term. Gwen said.
-She started training same time as us, right? Dakota asked Jason, suddenly puzzled.
-Yeah... Wait, no, bronchitis.
-Right.
-She got bronchitis real bad when we were 5 and couldn’t start training with the rest of us. Jason clarified.
-5? Karen asked.
-Yes. Dakota said.
-Spartans started training at age 7, it’s not so bad, Karen. Annabeth said.
-Not so bad? That’s actually good. According to dad, I could shoot a gun by the time I was 3. Reyna said.
-Yeah well you learnt how to decapitate a dummy before you could spell your name, Rey. Hazel said.
-No! Reyna protested. Well…
-I thought so. Hazel said.
-And she still can’t spell. Jake muttered going pass.
-Let’s look at your English grades, genius. She called. Jack passed her and I saw his elbow ram into her skull but she didn’t say a thing, and I doubt anybody else noticed. Jace followed.
-Jerks. She said.
-It’s okay Reyna, not everyone’s good at spelling. Take Percy here. Lou Ellen said. Percy shot her a look but it made a few people laugh.
-Doesn’t matter really. As long as you can fight you’re fine. Reyna said. Annabeth and Bobby both bit back something and they had the exact same looks on their faces. It was actually pretty funny; a few other people saw it. These two were going to get along just fine. Hazel got up.
-I’ll see you later on kay? She said. She darted off before anyone responded.
-Where is she going? Karen asked.
-Nobody knows. Gwen said.
-I honestly think it’s better that way sometimes.
We talked for a couple more minutes until Bobby spoke up.
-Hey, you guys want to see something cool? He said.
-Yes.
-Sweet, common. Bobby said. Reyna asked something in Latin and he answered, still in Latin so I had no idea.
-It is tonight? Reyna asked.
-Yes, where have you been? Hazel asked.
-I was out of town with Gwen! Reyna frowned.
-Common. Bobby said. As the crowd in the cafeteria thinned, we followed.
It was amazing. It was basically a light parade. The whole of the cavalry unit was out on their horses, elephants or Pegasi. Strands of light that were probably magic lit up their rides as they paraded through the City streets. Not in any form or order, but it lit up the night and was incredible to see. The Pegasi swooped around in the skies and I even saw the riders hold onto the stomach of the horses as they flew (think Odysseus and sheep style).
But it wasn’t just the cavalry unit, dancers were dancing, strands or just balls of light onto their clothes or hair, and some jugglers were juggling fire as well. There were no other lights but those, and the effect was breath taking. Gwen bit her lip when she saw the fire being tossed around.
-I didn’t think they’d do a light show this year. Jason said smiling.
-Why not? I asked.
-Well this is a yearly thing. The consuls usually stay on Olympus or in the New York area after the solstice; they get back on the 22nd. It’s a “Yeay the consuls didn’t get killed by the gods or the New York monsters” thing. Dakota said.
-You came back, that has to count for something. Reyna said. I bit my lip. He was back where he belonged… I guess…
-Common, no use standing there like statues. Gwen said.
We sort-of separated into smaller groups. Percy of Annabeth walked off, hand in hand, and I bit my lip as Jason and Reyna did.
I followed Leo, Dakota and Bobby across the streets.
-Valdez you could practically join in. I said.
-What do you mean? Bobby asked. Leo held out his palm and it blazed.
-That. I said.
-Oh… Is that? You’re a fire user? Man, I didn’t even think people like that actually existed! I thought it was just something Vulcan’s kids had come up with to make themselves look stronger. Dakota said.
-I’m the first in a couple of centuries according to my siblings. Leo said.
-That’s fantastic! Is it drainable? Can it burn through things that regular fire can’t? Bobby asked, the questions chasing each other like heartbeats.
-No. It can’t work through gold for example. Leo said. I shivered. Ewe, gold.
-You have bad experience with that, Piper? Dakota asked.
-I got turned to gold by Midas last year. It wasn’t pleasant. I said.
-Midas? Him too? Dakota asked.
-Yeah, he was back. Leo said.
-Lord… Dakota said.
-Everybody’s been back. Have you not heard the over-excited people talking about John Lennon being back? Bobby asked.
-No that’s Beethoven. Dakota said.
-Whoa… Last I heard was Eleanor Roosevelt. Leo said.
-Wow Valdez, where have you been? That was ages ago, newest was John A McDonald. I said.
-The guy who founded McDonalds?
-No, the first prime minister of Canada. Bobby said.
-Whoops. You sure it wasn’t him?
-Leo. I said. We walked around looking at the sky, the stars, occasional helicopters and City itself. Everyone was walking outside in cliques. Nobody fighting, just walking around, head high. This place would be neck cramp central tomorrow.
-It’s really awesome that they did it. I thought they wouldn’t, the Aediles surprised me. Dakota said.
-Have you ever been to a summer council? I asked.
-Yeah, last year. Except right after there was a vote passed and they removed Jason and I as consuls and replaces us with two older consuls that were like 40 something- June and Pete. Because we weren’t “adequate enough” for the tough times.
-The Stupido squad people made that happen? Leo asked.
-Partially. Jace Gayle wasn’t… He wasn’t in there.
-Why? I asked.
-Well, he was nice before last August let’s just say. He lost someone, and I don’t think he’ll never be the same whether he gets over her or not.
Awe… So he wasn’t born a total idiot. Or as much of an idiot. I wouldn’t have seen it coming in a million. Jace Gayle and a girl… Sure, why not?
-But we’re not really supposed to talk about Jenna, Dakota said. When did you guys get to Camp?
-Same time as Jason, December 19th or so. I said.
-And you’re 16? Lucky you made it that long.
-We had coach Supergoat. Leo said.
-What?
-What Leo’s trying to say it’s because of coach Hedge. Our protector was out coach.
-He was a satyr right?
-Yeah. They all are. Leo said. Dakota and Bobby smirked.
-That’s… odd…
-Don’t you have satyrs as protectors here?
-We send geniuses. Bobby said.
-Blue guys that sing? Leo asked.
-No, they’re not Disney characters; lose all images you have of those things. Geniuses are spirits. They find a half-blood and steer him in the right direction.
-If it’s a spirit how can it defend if it comes to a fight? I said.
-You’d be surprised. Besides, the point is to recruit fighters, even if you won’t fight in the army. The first fight, or the coming, is a test. If you survive, you are worthy of the City. If you don’t, then you might as well have died young. Dakota said. Her voice had a Spanish accent to it.
-Are you originally Spanish? Leo asked.
-Well my mom was French but she was adopted by people in a town near the Mexican border after her parents died in an accident, she was raised in Spanish and given a Spanish first name- just because she was so young, she didn’t have one yet. My family’s life story is ridiculously confusing, but anyways, her name was Estefanìa Ledécit.
-My mom too. She was Latino-American. Leo said.
-Así que hablan español que? Dakota said.
-Si. Leo replied.
-Great! You’ll have to talk to my little brother Dael. He’s trying not to lose his Spanish but I haven’t been able to help him out much.
-Sure. If I see him. Leo said.
-I’ll introduce you; I don’t think things are going to get any easier for me even with Jason here. Dakota said.
-Is the sudden chaos all about Gaia or Terra? I asked.
-Partially. People are complaining about, well, you guys. We’re not getting any new people but we’re losing some. There was an earthquake in the south of the State the other day and we think it’s because she’s stirring some more. And it goes on and on. Dakota said.
-Sorry about that. And it will get better. I said.
-Yeah you won’t be empress every day as long as Grace is here. You’ll be praetor every two days, which for you is nearly a day off. Bobby tried to cheer her up.
-Oh yes. Dakota said.
I noticed how she looked about ready to drop and she had bags under her eyes- even in the light of the tiny dots. I wondered when was the last time she’d gotten a good night’s sleep, where she’d actually not gotten up in the middle of the night and had felt good and energised waking up.
Finally the praetors started rallying everyone in. The elephants and horses went back to the Stables, the Pegasi landed.
Dakota grabbed onto a guy’s arm. He turned around with a knife in his hand but lowered it when he saw Dakota.
-Mike, can you take Leo to your house? He’ll need to stop by the boat, but…
-Sure thing Da. Common sarcastic boy. Mike said.
Oh great, Leo had a rep.
-See you, Piper. He said. I grabbed his arm as he walked past me.
-Keep your mouth shut. I said to him, my voice low. He did a thumbs up and followed Mike into the darkness.
-Let’s find Hilary; and Bobby you wanted to go find Annabeth, right? Dakota said.
-Percy might have taken her. I said.
-Maybe. I’ll go try to find her. He said. Good night.
-You too Bobby.
-Yeah. I said.
-Common, let’s find Hilary. Dakota said. We walked across the crowd.
-She might be with Van. Dakota said.
-Who?
-Van Knas, her boyfriend.
-I thought you weren’t really allowed to date?
-Nah, it’s especially marriage. Well, I shouldn’t say that… It’s especially among the soldiers and senators I guess…
-Hilary’s both.
-Hilary’s Hilary as much as Jason and Rey are Jason and Rey. Dakota said. I bit my lip.
-Why? Dakota asked suspiciously and I knew exactly what she was thinking.
-Nothing, just trying to get the rules down. Is he happy with her? I asked.
-Yeah, they both are. Well… It’s complicated. She said.
-My mom’s goddess of this stuff, I think I can keep up. I said.
-Well then, they’re happy to be together, but Reyna gets beaten for it.
-Beaten? By who?
-Her brothers. They’re the only 4 in Bellona house, and not only was she the last born, but she’s the only girl. So of course that’s one weakness that her brothers beat her for. Then she fell for Jason and they started going out, and there goes a second weakness.
-Well can’t you do anything about it, that’s not right!
-No. Not until Reyna gets some permanent damage, dies, gets beaten in public, or puts in an official complaint.
-What a stupid rule! I said outraged.
-Business in the houses stay in the houses, there’s nothing we can do against it. Dakota shrugged.
-Why won’t she do it? I asked. I was probably overcrowding Dakota with questions, questions about a girl I shouldn’t even care about, but I didn’t care. I needed answers about the girl I shouldn’t even care about.
-She sees it as a form of weakness and she won’t allow it to herself. She rather take punches then admit she can’t handle it. And her brothers aren’t giving up any time soon. You saw how scarred and bruised up she is; of course there’s some monster stuff in there, but that’s not the only reason. And it’s not just them, it’s also the sons of Mars. Dakota said.
-It is all monster caused then. I said.
It sucked to be Reyna.
I mean, most kids deal with bullies at some point. Get dissed, shoved in lockers, but this was something else. Her own brothers… Drew was a hellhound, but compared to the Gayle brothers, she was post-person for sisterhood. I mean, I’d seen how beaten up Reyna was and that was the fault of mainly 3 guys? Her age, her full siblings? The Hades was the world coming to? How was Reyna not dead or depressed? Fighting a fight bigger than her, she should have been out ages ago. She did need a break, she did need something good in her life…
And she did need Jason Grace…
-Hills! Dakota called. A girl spun around.
-Oh, there you are! I was looking for you! I thought you might’ve taken her to the cabin yourself. Hilary said.
-No, I’m not allowed in for no reason, and I wouldn’t leave Piper alone. Dakota said. I looked at her.
-No, it’s not you, it’s the people here. She assured me.
-Yeah I know. I said.
-I know it’s quite scary. How low we can get… Hilary said. She smiled sadly.
-Oh well, maybe we can change that around. You coming Piper? We should stop by the Argo II before, I guess.
-Yes, and please. I said.
-Do you have a clue where Grace is? I feel like making sure he’s still here, there might be a Persian camp you know. Hilary said, dead serious. Dakota laughed.
-Probably at the boat, it got moved into Vulcan’s temple by the way. Either that or he’s retrieving his sister from the forest, which’d probably take a while. Dakota said. I nearly told Hilary that I’d changed my mind about going to the boat.
-He does have his stuff there. Common, Pipes. Can I call you Pipes?
-Better than anything else I’ve ever been called.
-That’s frankly kind-of sad. Hilary said.
-Bye you two. I’ve got to stop by the office to grab a few papers. Dakota said.
-Da you’ll die in there! Don’t; lay back for the night, Jason can help you tomorrow. You know he’d say the exact same thing. Get a decent night of sleep for once. Write, draw, something! Hilary said.
-Fine. Dakota said not protesting too hard.
-Good. Common Pipes. He said.
I followed her away from the forum and to a big white temple. A quick word in Latin between Hilary and the guards (in which she did beat her eyelashes), and they let us through. The door was open.
Valdez and his new brother were inside and Mike looked like a little kid on Christmas morning.
-Is that real ivory?
-Yeah we couldn’t find a material better suited to resist- zoned out on that one.
Bobby and Annabeth were going through a similar conversation but with the oar-rowers, Percy was looking like ‘mayday, mayday, technical word, no clue!’
-And these things generate the power for the whole boat? How powerful is the motor?
-Depending on the amount of power we let it take from the battery, but around—zoned out of the conversation too.
I grabbed my backpack in a corner. Hilary looked around in awe.
-This thing is beautiful! I can only imagine the destruction power… She exclaimed.
-Triremes were basically floating tanks, except bigger, with more people in it and this one has rotating bastillas and murderers. Annabeth informed her.
-Rotating bastillas, are you kidding? Bobby said.
-No they took forever to build but once the gear systems were nailed they worked perfectly. Annabeth said.
-You’ll have to show me but not tonight, it’s nearly curfew. Bobby said.
-Right. Annabeth took a bag from the ground and handed it to Percy.
-Your armour’s still in it, I can’t believe you took nothing out. She said before picking up hers.
-See you tomorrow Piper. Annabeth said.
-Yeah. I said. Hilary walked me to the house. The curtain serving as door was pink. Uh oh.
And I was so surprised with the inside.
So the house did spell out “Neat freak supreme” and smell like perfume, but the pink wasn’t as overwhelming.
The living room was occupied by a large marble hearth engraved with something in Latin. There was a glass coffee table under neat piles of Fashion and gossip magazines (some in French!) and the walls had wallpaper with connected flower outlines, something you might see in a sowing room. A bunch of white pouffes were assembled around, and a simple white chandelier hung from the ceiling. About 3 kids were sitting in the room.
-Welcome to Venus’ house, Piper. Hope you like it here. She said. She urged me further in.
-People! She said down a hallway. A few more kids materialised. There were about 20 of them, the youngest was 2 and ran into Hilary’s arms.
-Hello Margaret. Hilary said lifting the little girl up in her arms, and holding her at her side.
-We have a new sister here. People this is Piper McLean.
She pointed out all of her siblings. The girls: Avery, Ella, Peyton, Caroline, Prue, Zoe, Willow, Riley and the little girl in her arms, Margaret Di Cosimo. And the boys: Scout, Logan, Brice, Brandon, Aidan, Wyatt, Fox, Oliver, Hunter and Asher.
-I’m never going to remember all the names. I said.
-Just remember, Hilary, Margaret and Logan. Well, Logan over there is easily recognisable by the other house’s girls’ gawking. Hilary said. Logan made a face at her.
-Alright then. Isn’t Margaret a little..? I started.
-Young? For sure, but she’s no worst then Jason or Dakota.
-Or even nearly you. Fox said. He was a ginger and his eyes were dark. He looked on his guard, a hand on the sword at his side.
-I was three, that’s not as bad. Hilary said readjusting Margaret who was at her side. Margaret started playing with her big ear rings.
-Owe, careful Margo. Hilary said gently taking the toddler’s hands off her earing.
-And aren’t you supposed to be sleeping? Who was in charge of that tonight? Willow?
-Sorry Hills. A girl with hair going straight down on either side of her face, sort of like a willow’s branches, said.
-That’s fine. Piper you want to help me out?
-Sure.
-You can leave your bag in the living room for now, carry on everyone. Hilary said. Everybody disappeared.
Hilary changed Margaret into pyjamas and laid her down in a playpen in the girl’s room (which was the attic- yes there was one).
The room had 5 white bunks and two white plastic straw-looking chests at the foot. The walls were done in a pink wallpaper and there was a huge window overlooking the forum. Part of the ceiling was inclined and there was a bulletin board with pictures pined on. One was a pic of Hilary on a beach smiling like crazy, her head on the shoulder of a guy that was probably Van. There were pictures of the other girls and Margaret in various places. The room was in perfect order like Aphrodite cabin. I guess that didn’t change.
-Alright, you say good night to Piper? Hilary asked Margaret.
-Ood ight ‘Per. Margaret said.
-Goodnight. I said thinking of how cute she was. She had long brown curls and I could count colors in her irises, green and blues.
-By Margaret. Hilary said. We crept out of the room.
-Until 10 nobody’ll be up there. Common, let me show you the house. She said.
The most exciting room was the sewing room. It was installed so 4 people could be sewing at the same time and there was even a change room with a curtain in a corner. Rolls of fabric filled cubby holes up to the ceiling and mannequins held what projects were being finished or were. Some kids sat at drawing tables sketching and coloring and comparing drawings.
-No clue what Aphrodite’s about, but in Venus we make. This is a smaller version of the Seemster’s department in the City, which is conveniently right next door. They take care of any official clothing and the tunics for the armour as well as the costumes for the dancers sometimes. Peyton and Ella here- hold on- Pey! Ella! She called. Two girls got up and walked towards her.
-Yeah Hills? One said. She looked about 18 with black hair packed up behind her head, 3 different colors on her upper eyelid and a dozen piercings in each ear.
The second following her looked 15 and her hair was blonde, with about 12 different rainbow coloured streaks. Her eyes were emerald green, with a brown section and a birthmark at the corner of the right.
-I just wanted to show Piper what you guys did, Peyton may I..?
-Oh yeah. The girl with the piercings said. She handed Hilary her sketchpad and started flipping.
At some point she flipped back and put a finger on a deep purple, nearly black gown. It went down with folds at exactly the right place in the skirt, the top going around the neck leaving the shoulders bare. It had amazingly detailed beading along the waist.
-That’s gorgeous. Hilary said.
-Please be my model! I need someone to put it on and nobody’d look that good in it other then you! I was thinking specifically about you when I designed it! Peyton begged.
-Sure, just not this week.
-Yes! I can get started, I have your measures too, they’re the same, right?
-No I grew 5 feet in the last 2 months. Hilary said. Peyton made a face and Hilary kept flipping until she found a white dress with a burgundy drape.
-See, this is the kind of thing Dakota wears when she’s serving as empress or at a tournament. Hilary said.
-And you guys make it?
-We’ve always got two of everything because you never know, especially with Dakota.
-Why? I asked.
-Dakota… Doesn’t exactly… Give a damn about the clothes on her back. She already got attacked in one of the empress dresses, by a hellhound. She’s using that as ammo to be able to wear armour. Hilary said.
-She looks great in dresses! Ella said.
-But dresses are pains. I piped up.
-Try ours, they’re really good and Ella’s got the perfect dress one of you! Peyton said.
-Oh my gods, exactly what I was thinking with her skin tone the color would be perfect!
Ella flipped through her own notebook and showed me a party dress that nearly made me gag at first sight. After second glance it wasn’t that bad. Pretty simple. The flowers at the bottom of the straps were a killer though, but nothing worst then what Aphrodite had gotten me into at the first camp fire.
-What do you think? Please? Ella said with hopeful eyes. I swallowed.
Make friend, make friends.
-Sure Ella.
Don’t scream, don’t scream.
-Yeay! Ella hugged me suddenly. Oh God, Lacy in Roman.
-Ella, don’t scare her. Common Piper, let’s let the people here work. We backed out of the room, after Hilary reminded everyone of the curfew.
-That’s what Peyton and Ella do. There are 5 kids here who make fabric too.
-Like from scratch?
-Yeah. Prue’s a farmer, Brice and Caroline are performers that often go on recruitment missions, Zoe is a professor. For the younger kids, under 10, the army’s out of question. They get tutored on mortal subject a little, and learn different skills to see where they’re going at in the City. Of course those who are already determined to be soldiers- and you wouldn’t believe how many are- don’t care. I was labeled as a failed daughter of Venus because of that, good thing I’m pretty, or else they might make me sleep outside. The rest of the kids here are soldiers.
-I didn’t think a lot would be soldiers.
-Well, nobody’s very high up.
-Except for you and Logan. Somebody said passing. She had brown hair packed up behind her head and a short neck. Her arms were pretty muscled and she had eyes that I couldn’t decide the color of. Grey or blue.
-Avery Finnick. She said holding out her hand. I shook it.
-Piper McLean. I introduced myself.
-Yeah I guess you’ve got a point Avery, and you.
-Pff, I’m decanus.
-What?
-A sous-second. In charge of 6 men if the second and praetor are busy, usually.
-Yup.
-Well hey, decanus of 1, that’s good. We all know Jason’s hard on his soldiers.
-All the praetors are. Logan said before going in the guy’s room. He had brown hair with lighter sections, a pale face and blue eyes. I couldn’t figure out his age, 16 to 19 really.
-Logan Finnick. Hilary reminded me as he passed.
-He’s your full brother? I asked Avery.
-Oh yeah, a lot of kids are. The gods don’t flirt really; when they fall for a mortal they’re usually in for a while. Like the Madison kids, there are 3 of them because one died, and the Gayles…
-The Gayles are quadruplets, Avery, not the same thing. Hilary said. I saw worry in her eyes. How was it going now that Reyna had been given a high title?
-Either way. And Willow’s my little sister, I’m the loser middle child. Avery said.
-No you’re not; middle children are awesome. Hilary said as we walked to the living room. I starred at the inscription on the marble fireplace again. The writing was in cursive but I couldn’t read.
-It means “Sometimes you rather the blade then a broken heart, and sometimes you rather the blade take the broken heart out of your chest and life to just make it stop”. Hilary said.
-Who said it? I asked.
-A child of Venus a long time ago. Avery said.
There was another bulletin board and one picture drew my attention.
It was Jace Gayle and he was standing next to a very curvy girl. She was average height. A red bandana was folded up and holding thick brown hair, packed behind her head. There wasn’t anything extraordinary about her physique until you looked at her eyes. Apple green and they shone like nothing else.
Her smile was small and it was the kind that I knew was either true or non-existent. She looked like the kind of person that could walk into a room and make everyone inside feel good, in her long cargo shorts and plain red T-shirt. She had a guitar swung on her back and a gladus at her waist. Jace Gayle looked actually… Happy. He was smiling and that looked pretty authentic. He still had the angry light in his eyes but he didn’t look about to hit somebody or even touch the gladus at his waist.
-Is that the Jenna girl that Jace was with? I asked. Hilary looked where I was.
-Oh. Yeah, that’s her, Jenna Elemes. Hilary said. She walked to the picture and unpicked the picture.
-I don’t know why it’s there, usually it stays in my photo album. Margaret must’ve been looking for my knife again and found it, someone put it up for her. Anyways… Yeah.
Hilary suddenly looked like someone had plopped something heavy on her shoulders. I recognised her. It was Jake and Nyssa when you mentioned Beckendorf. Leyla and Mitch when you mentioned Silena. Will and Kayla when you mentioned Michael Yew.
It was Camp when you mentioned the Titan war.
-Sorry. Bad question.
-No it was a fair one. Sorry, she was like my best friend. We were nearly sisters which is weird considering I had 10 real ones here.
-Thank Hills. Avery said.
-I never said you weren’t! Hilary said. Avery elbowed her.
-I’m kidding, I’m kidding Hills.
-Alright. It’s getting late, though. Everybody in bed, now! No buts and awes, get your butts into your rooms! Hilary said down the corridor.
I picked up my bag and followed Hilary up to the attic. Margaret slept through the noise. A few curtains had been drawn and the girls were taking turns changing behind them.
-Here Pipes, this bunk’s empty. Hilary said showing a lowercase bunk. A girl I vaguely remembered as Zoe was sitting on top brushing her thick black hair, her legs dangling over the side. She looked 18 or 19, a young adult anyways. Zoe nodded and brought her legs back and kept brushing.
I put my bag on the bunk, untied Katoptris from my waist and took out my pyjamas. I changed behind one of the curtains, went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, and sat on my new bed and listened to the gossip. I was lucky, it wasn’t Latin, instead it was French. Caroline was talking about a celebrity I remembered having met once at some kind of event. Hilary came back up the stairs.
-The guys are good, common people it doesn’t take that long. Hilary said.
-Okay, okay, pushy. Willow said. I swung my legs on the bed and slipped under the covers. My head touched the pillow and I felt like I was sleeping in a hotel, with the heavy and soft covers and the pillow that’d probably keep the shape of my head 3 hours after I woke up.
But I slept with Katoptris at arm’s reach because there was no way not to have noticed the nasty glares my sisters had given me.
Leo Valdez
June 22nd: The City
I pass the test of survival (according to the 5 year old)
The forges hadn’t impressed me too much. My hopes for the cabin were about as great as the ones I have for geography substitutes (I’ve had some pretty awesome ones though).
The curtain opened for us as we approached, like in supermarkets. The only thing I couldn’t get was why there was a curtain.
The walls were plated in metal and the room looked like a section of the actual forges at Camp Half-Blood. There was a huge fireplace that roared, and a guy was melting something in there. I looked everywhere amazed. This was a forge.
-Yo bro! The guy said. He was either 13 or 14 and had short, curly dark hair. He was African-American with a big smile, a scar across his eyebrow and yellowish eyes like heated metal.
-Yo. I said looking around.
-Leo this is Zane Attique. Zane, Leo Valdez. Zane removed the blade from the fire and put it to an anvil before picking up a hammer. He started hitting on the blade to form it into something sharp and deadly and awesome. I looked at the shape.
-That’s a Xiphos, right?
-Yeah. Zane said not really paying attention to me.
-Reyna Gayle sent the City into a Xiphos phase. Mike said.
-Woo that is one hot chick. Zane said.
-Dude you’re 13. It’s not happening. Mike said.
-Besides, isn’t she taken? I said.
-Yeah that too. Mike said. Zane shrugged.
-Only the boring people don’t dream. That makes me the party boy!
-No, you’re hallucinating. Anyways, she won the tournament with one.
-A Greek sword? I asked.
-Yeah. Zane said.
-Why wasn’t she using a gladus?
-I reckon to show off Greek weaponry and what it can do. It’s a strategical move according to Dakota and Anna, but I still reckon it’s more in the soldier then the weapon. And even then, it was a dumb move. Mike said.
-Hey, Greek weaponry can do a lot of damage. The ballistas on the boat are Greek.
Mike shrugged. He picked up a sword from a wall and it was so polished I could see reflections.
-This is a gladus. You are probably familiar with these swords. Therefore you know that these were used for ages to slice a guy’s throat in two.
-Yeah, but you know, that’s all in the past, no need for any of that now. I said. Then I thought of my mom and wanted to smack myself. Mike put it back.
-I’ll give you a tour. He said.
Mike was downright serious. I was scared of cracking a joke with him around. Were we even related? I mean, sure Nyssa was pretty serious but this was downright ridiculous.
-Where is everyone? Don’t you have like a whole bunch here?
-Oh yeah. 19 counting me. 9 girls, 10 boys. Audrey, Emmy, Madeline, Estela, Nathaly, Neva, Anna, Marisol and Elva are the 9 girls. Axel, John, Jaedan, Sam, Ben, Noah, Rowan, James, Zane and I are the guys.
-I will never remember that.
-Good Lord. Mike said rolling his eyes. I wasn’t good with people, but it was getting pretty clear that Mike didn’t like me.
-Anyways they’re either in the forges or somewhere in the house. Usually some are in bed by this time. Mike said.
-What? That’s ridiculously early! I said. Then I realised that just because we’d gone to bed at midnight and woken up at 4 in the morning at Camp for the Argo didn’t mean that they had too.
-Some of them have to get up even earlier than usual to get to the forges before dawn and fix or replaces broken armour or weapon that the soldiers leave us. Sometimes they go to the stock room as well. Some of them are also securing the boat into place. Vulcan’s allowed us to keep it in his temple.
-So the gods’ve been answering here? I asked.
-No not really. This is a rare thing.
-They answered at the Senate thing earlier.
-Yeah but they had no choice. If they didn’t do it, Jason and Dakota would’ve gone through with it anyways and that’d just humiliate them more. Trust me, I know Da. Mike said.
-You’re her second, right?
-Yes. Speaking of which, I’m not available to play tour guide tomorrow. You’ll have to follow either Marisol or Noah tomorrow. Mike said.
-Let’s pretend I just got here and have no clue whatsoever who Marisol and Noah are, they would be..?
-Let’s pretend I don’t have a strong desire to strangle you. Mike grumbled leading me to a room.
It had two stories, except one of them was only half of one. Metal beds were pressed against the walls and to get down there was a handle-free stair case or zip line that went downhill until you only had a few feet to jump.
The beds were cots with circular arcs over the head. A TV screen was probably on the top. There was a some storage underneath and a digital photo frames exposing pictures. There were air vents and ear buds attached on the side of the domes. There was a table in the middle with 9 toolboxes; each one had a name engraved in, and different materials. Whatever wall space was free was lined with shelves of half-finished projects or diagrams of engines. But so many of them were half finished, some of them were ruined.
-Anna? Mike asked.
-Yeah? A voice croaked. I got chills as I recalled the first time I’d ever met Jake.
-Is Marisol..?
-She’s out. The same voice said.
-Can we..?
-Sure thing Mikey. She said. I followed Mike to the back.
Anna wasn’t in a body cast but she looked in a worst state than that. She had curly locks of copper coloured hair spread out on her pillow and a thin face that didn’t belong with her strong arms and callused hands; both lying on either side of her body.
One of her eyes was sparkling green like jade, and the other was closed and puffy, with white calluses underneath, like an infection. Her neck and torso were wrapped in ace bandages and so was one of her arms. She had long legs covered by jeans, resting above the sheets. She looked tired like even just the effort of making her chest rise and fall was draining her.
But the look on her face of absolute hatred of the situation she was in and of her fatigue, which was the worst.
It barely looked like hate but somehow I knew that was it. Mike stood next to her and gently pushed a strand of her hair out of her good eye.
Doughboy meets Doughgirl. What had gone wrong here? Was their dragon silver? Was it worst then Festus had been?
-Hey Mikey. She croaked.
-Hey Anna. This is Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus.
-The switch, right? Anna asked.
-Yeah. Valdez, this is Anna Smith, head of house. He said.
-Hey Leo. She said.
-Hi. I said.
The curse was totally here too.
-Have you guys been having a problem at your camp too? It’d make everything easier to explain. She said her voice soft. She didn’t sound like the kind of person who ever got mad.
-Anny, I’ll explain. Mike said.
-There was an accident in here, Anna said completely ignoring Mike, and all the projects went haywire at once. It wasn’t pretty. I got the worst of it as you can see. She said.
Mike chewed on his lip and his eyes filled with worry for his older sister. She reached out with her able arm and touched his face.
-Jaedan, Estela and Rowan got some ugly too of course, but they’re up and about. Anyways I heard you and Mike talking, we sort-of stand clear of the house now. We’re not allowed to create as much until we figure it out and it’s too much if we’re stuck in the one place where we can create. The others stick in the forges and just make, make, make with the designs that are already planned out, or prey to Vulcan for answers. Anna said.
-There is a curse at Camp too. We don’t know why, but I think it broke once the boat took off.
-So there really is a boat? Man, I got to see that. Anna said. She smiled a little.
-And it flies hun? She asked.
-Yeah, but it’s better on sea.
-I bet, just the hull of it wouldn’t have great wind resistance, not with the point in the front. Anna said. She lifted her hand and touched a tactile screen that was running a program like Microsoft Paint and started drawing the hull shape.
-Too much resistance. She determined. As she lowered her hand she winced as if something in her shoulder went wrong.
-Anna? Mike asked a little alarmed.
-I’m fine Mike, she said. Anyways I better get some sleep or the medics will yell at me again. Hope you like it here Leo. It used to be… Really nice.
The exact same words as Jake. This was not a coincidence. It couldn’t be. Not the curse, nothing about it.
Mike pulled the blankets over Anna and said something in Latin before indicating me to follow him.
-8 of us are soldiers, the rest are at the forges right now, or unsetting the lights from the parade.
-Or making Xiphos swords in the cabin! Zane hollered.
-In desperate attempts to make Reyna Gayle fall for him, yes. Mike said. He pushed a door besides the girl’s bedroom. The boy’s room was the exact same thing.
-There’s a free bed over there.
-Does it belong to a dead person?
-What?
-Never mind. I put my bag down on it. There were no pictures on it.
-I’ve got something for you. I said. I took a paper folded in 4 from my bag and handed it to him. He took it and looked at both sides before unfolding it. He studied the blueprint with wide eyes.
-I really do have to see this thing soon. You accomplished this in little more than 6 months with a crew of how many? Mike asked. The door of the house opened and I hear people come in. Mike got up.
-Common. He said. We met the kids in the main room. 8 girls and 8 guys tucking their coats in lockers locked with iris identification, or talking to Zane, showing him new weapons.
-People. Mike said. They looked up at him.
-This is Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus which is what the Greeks called Vulcan. Mike said. I felt like public enemy number 1 with all the stares I got. Then a little girl about 5 came up.
-I’m Elva Tinker and I’m going to be a soldier. She said starring at me.
-Umm… I bet? I said. Elva looked satisfied with this response as she nodded her head and ran off deeper in the house.
-Elva don’t bother Anna! A girl with the same bronze curls called. Her skin had a gold undertone to it. She held out her hand and I shook it.
-I’m Neva Tinker. Elva’s my little sister. Neva said.
Never Tinker, Neva Tinker… Good thing I didn’t open my trap.
Before I could even think of anything else to say she ran off after Elva.
-I’m John Dears. Another with shaggy brown hair and thick lips said.
-Hi. I said.
-I’m Noah James. Another with a British accent said.
-I ‘am Madeline Deséjoure. Yu must excuze mi ‘Inglish. I am from zee région of Québec. A girl with long flowing blond hair and sparkling blue eyes said, with a heavy French accent.
-No prob. I said. Madeline smiled at me.
-Axel Deséjoure. Another said, with an equally heavy accent.
One by one they introduced themselves and I made a huge effort to stay focused on the introductions, I couldn’t goof off on this.
-15 to ten guys, let’s go. Mike said. Everybody scrambled to get to bed.
Annabeth Chasse
June 22nd (evening): The City
Daedalus’ second laptop
I followed Bobby into Minerva’s house, still smiling from my first evening with Percy in a long time. It had been amazing! His kisses were even sweeter then I remembered them, and my hand felt even more right in his then I'd recalled...
I had this weird tingling in my fingertips and the muscles in my legs were suddenly stiff. It was that sense I’d had once the boat’d gotten through the City’s borders and when we’d walked into the senate. Just because I’d made it here didn’t mean I was welcomed. And anything but safe.
Bobby opened the door and held it open as I walked in.
I was in a giant lab. There was a row of 4 stations like in chemistry class. A SMART board was on the wall and 2 girls were reproducing a map on it. I recognised the outlines of Italy and Greece. They stopped and turned to look at us.
-Hey. Bobby said.
-Hi. One that looked about 13 said. She had brown hair and grey eyes, under horizontal eyebrows. She wore a purple shirt and I saw one of her legs was artificial.
-Timmy, Miceala, this is Annabeth Chasse. Annabeth; Miceala Finnegan, and Timmy Sollerte. Timmy was the younger one, and Miceala looked about 19 with a straight face, penetrating grey eyes and her blond curls pulled back tightly.
-Hello. I said. Timmy walked up to me and extended her hand.
-My real name’s not Timmy, but I don’t remember what it is. I know alternatively it’s spelt with apostrophes but I was too young to remember last time I heard it.
-Alright. I said. Miceala came too and I shook hers as well.
-Mi-cee-ala, I’m known to send people to the infirmary for pronouncing it wrong. Miceala said.
-I’ll remember that. I said. She grinned.
-Where’d Pete go? Bobby asked.
-How should I know? Miceala asked.
-You were here. Bobby said stepping in further into the cabin and glancing down a hallway.
-He’s in the Sim’. Timmy said. I checked the walls out.
I had no idea what color they were, but they were swimming under blueprints, maps, fact sheets, battle maps and other documents over lapping each other. There was a long table in the center and it was covered with models of Ancient vehicles or war machines and gods know what else, piles of books... Over our heads were dangling flying machine models, prototypes for robots of birds and bugs and airplanes, reminding me of my dad’s study. There were even battlefield replicas.
The room was supposed to be a living room probably, but the fireplace was being used to keep something in a metal barrel and the couches were stacked against the wall. It had filing cabinets, one for each of the kids probably, on one side and a fireplace taking up wall space on the other. Diagrams were exposed on the mantel.
-Thanks Timmy. Annabeth you coming?
I slid my backpack off my shoulder but kept Daedalus’ laptop. I didn’t even let the kids I’d grown up with touch it, this was not going to be left for the people here.
I followed Bobby into the corridor and into a room. He held it open and I stepped in. The walls and floors were like a piano, glossy and black. And then I saw an arrow fly at me.
I drew my knife and knocked it out of the way, as well as all the others flying at me. But I couldn’t see an archer, these weren’t real… Then one of them faded in mid-air like a holograph.
Oh…
The lights got flicked open and the walls became regular walls. At the back there was a window letting people in a room full of buttons and switches, accessible by a door. A control room probably for the simulation of the arrows I’d seen. One guy spoke in his head set.
-Bobby, careful!
-Sorry, you didn’t put the in-use light on! Bobby who was standing behind me said. The guy took off his headset and walked out of the room. He was in his young twenties and had short brown hair. Irony grey eyes that sparkled with intelligence were his main feature. He wore an aviator jacket and baggy jeans.
-Hey, I’m Paris Jefferson but you might want to call me Pete. In the control room there’s Shea Analas and Ray but his last name’s foreign and I can’t pronounce it to this day. The guy who must be Ray lifted his hands in a sign of exasperation.
The two guys responded to their names. Shea was an Asian teenager, 18 maybe, with those fake glasses people wear for some reason. Ray was a strong guy most definitely a soldier by the look on his face. A nasty scar ran down the middle of his face, down his nose and lips.
-I’m Annabeth Chasse. I said.
-We’ve heard somewhat about you. We just knew you were our sister. Pete said. Shea took off the glasses and joined Pete.
-Hey. He said.
-Hi.
-Those were some pretty sick moves with the knife, Shea said. Celestial bronze, right?
-Yes.
-May I..? I wanted to say no and put Reaper back in the scabbard but I figured it would show trust, handing him my only defence. Or stupidity... I hesitated but passed him the blade. He ran his finger across the sharp edge.
-Didn’t need them though, it’s a simulation. If it hits you it’d only have stung but your reflexes are pretty darn sharp. Pete said.
-It’s got a name? Ray asked giving me my knife. I put it back in the scabbard at my waist.
-Reaper. Just named it, but I’ve had it since I’m seven. I said.
-So this is the blade of the prophecy of the Elder gods? Bobby said.
-Yeah. I said not rushing to evoque that subject. I noticed glares on the laptop case.
-What’s the triangular symbol? Shea asked.
-It’s a delta, the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet, d sound. It’s the symbol of Daedalus. Jason told me you studied the labyrinth. I said; the last part for Bobby.
-You got one too?
-What? You have one of Daedalus’ laptop? I asked.
-Yeah, come check it out. He said. He turned to Pete.
-Just wanted to introduce her. Annabeth, Pete’s the head of house, he’s the oldest.
-I’m turning 22 next October, they’ll kick me out of the City after that. He explained.
-Good riddance. Shea said. Pete gave him a little punch and Shea and Ray sniggered. Bobby took me back to the first room.
-We’ve got a bunch of labs here, that’s just the simulator, it gets used by nearly everybody but it’s of recent making. I was only 7 when they started elaborating on it. Bobby said. He opened a locked file cabinet that had his name printed on it and took out a laptop.
He put it on the table and opened it before pressing for power. Timmy put the SMART board’s pen down and ran to see. Bobby opened a file and we started critiquing various machines and applying changes to copies of the blueprints on Paint, Timmy piping in now and then. Miceala came too and she joined in. We were at the second when Pete started knocking on doors and urging everyone back to bed. Bobby shut power and put it back in the locked cabinet.
-I want to see yours tomorrow. He said.
-Sounds fair.
-People! Pete said.
-Bye. There’s training tomorrow and Jason and Da are putting you in a legion.
Legion? Oh! Right, the City, army, legions… Daedalus’ laptop was distracting. His plan for aqueducts that purified water as it passed through… Genius!
-Yeah. I said.
-Follow me. Timmy said. She led me to the girl’s bedroom.
There were windows on the roof, supplying plenty of sunlight during the day, but that showed the stars at night. I saw Heracles, Ursa major, Ursa minor…
The girls stopped searching the retractable drawers under their beds to stare at me.
-This is Annabeth Chasse, daughter of Athena. Bobby said.
-Minerva right? One with brown hair tied to the side of her head and strict eyes said.
-Yeah. Bobby said. Bye. He said.
-Yeah. I said. He ruffled Timmy’s hair before going to the boy’s bedroom.
-Annabeth, that’s Meredith Slavinski, Marie Finnegan, Ariadne Young, Justine Theodoras and Eleanor Salvatore. I looked at each of the girl.
Meredith was the girl with the strictest eyes. Marie was Miceala’s older sister, with prominent pupils and layered blond hair, darker at the roots. Ariadne was 11 years old and her hair was flowing and black, and she looked unusually strict and mature, sort-of like a mini Athena. Justine Theodoras was 15 and looked like she was on top of the world with her bright smile that looked about 97% fake and her raven black curls. But there was something genuine in her eyes, the gleam of intelligence or the sadness, maybe both actually. Eleanor was the youngest girl, about 7 years old. She was cheeky and extremely short, still a child, but I knew she had some deep knowledge locked behind her eyes; just at first glance she wasn’t a normal kid.
-I bet she doesn’t speak Latin or anything. Marie said.
-I speak Latin, Ancient Greek and English, try me.
-Capital of Bulgaria?
-Sofia, spelt with an ‘f’.
-How long was the American civil war?
-4 years 1861-1865.
-When was Paris’ “Notre Dame” Cathedral completed?
-Around the year 1345. I said. Marie gave me a cold look before grabbing her clothes and going for the bathroom.
-Whoa… Eleanor said.
-Nice Annabeth. Miceala said impressed. I smiled.
-Thank you.
-There’s a free bunk here. Miceala said pointing to the one under hers. I put my backpack down and chewed on my lip. Was openly declaring my fluency in Latin a mistake? Would I have missed much of the news going around because of that?
Show them what you know, they’re impressed by knowledge, not too different from Athena’s kids. I though.
But that was the problem, I knew Athena’s kids. I knew how they thought after knowing them for such a long time and in which frame of mind they stood. Here, it was completely different. I’d have to see what I could make of these 15 new kids.
I put Reaper down but picked it back up and brought it along to get changed.
It’s not I didn’t trust the kids in Minerva’s cabin. It’s I knew except for 2, they didn’t trust me.
*Hilary Shehan
** Who can figure out Willow, Avery and Logan Finnick's last name? It does have a meaning!
Next chapter(s): link
Hola!
So this celebrates the 100 page mark as well as the fact that it is nearly 10 in the morning and that I am not in school. That's a right people, I am in March break! Woot-woot! This means I might get to 200 pages because of all my spare time!
Anyways this one is friggin huge! It's really big, and I was going to seperate it but I re-read the comments, felt warm and fuzzy and because of the fact I didn't want 2 chapters to be just about meeting the houses, I decided not to. This rates a 30 on the word-page-scale. It is mother of all chapters, and I invite you to read it only bits at a time.
First off, I'd like to remind you that the fanfction awards are happening. So go, nomminate! The Rebel Soldier isn't nominated yet, as well as SO MANY OTHER GOOD FANFICTIONS on this spot! So go nominate, the best writer, best cliffhanger, best original character sections are practically empty! (if you don't know what an original character is it is a character that the writer created; like Kyrie Snipe, Lee Munroe, Evan Nakamura, Elle Trick; if you want an example you know for sure if you've read to this point, Karen Mallock, all the characters like that!) I've already nominated, now you GO!
Here is the link so you can GO! : link
@Persephone – That was just before the battles of Manhattan and Othrys started, so they killed Jenna and disappeared from the Romans and back to Greece.
@GreekRules - I never got Luke and Annabeth. I was like ‘what?’ I believed in Percabeth from the first book!
@TheWineDude – Neither do I. And yay, I’m a goddess! (of awesome writing, I’ve been called)
@dementorskiss- I don’t know if Annabeth is actually born in March, I just guessed. But I do know Nico is born in May, it’s written in my school agenda.
@Nico – The whole alphabet? WHOA! That is so awesome!
@dragonsaphira- Luke took that secret to the grave. (but it was a complete accident)
@liverpoolrock – Thank you for mentioning it, I can’t believe I forgot! But yes, I hope everyone has had a thought or prayer if you’re religious for them.
@psalm1003 – At that point Luke was hosting a titan, so really…
@PersesJr – They will get some time alone, don’t rush me!
@thillahector – Jenna’s further implication in the story will not be revealed if there is any.
@tracytracy – 1) I’m not done yet, don’t rush me!
2) Depending on what you’re talking about, she went to gather the other Underworld soldiers, or she went up front to do the sacrifice.
3) Leo doesn’t even know he’s flirting!
@dagandawg – Thank you!
@lebowitzso – It depends on who you are. Jason thought that the councils at camp were childish, but the Greeks think that the councils at the City are too serious. Your race of demigod confirms what your impressions and tolerances are.
@everybody who thinks that Leo and Hazel would be cute together: Interesting…
@everybody who feels even remotely sorry for Jace Gayle: Nobody is born evil. Except for Gaia…
Your update for the next book: 122 pages, about to start chapter 14 (he he he) and 37, 815 words. I haven’t even touched it today yet! God I write too much…
16
June 22nd: The City
Piper McLean
The Light parade
Jason and Dakota didn’t show up for dinner. Gwen, Hazel, Reyna and Bobby assured us it wasn’t odd, it happened when Lupa was out of the City.
The meal went by normally. At some point Gwen checked her watch and told us to block our ears. Knowing the Stolls, I feared something similar to all the things I’d seen them do to innocent people. I did and a super loud bullhorn sounded followed by a rhythmic music.
-Are you ready? A heavy male voice sounded.
-For what? A shrill one replied. Then 17 glasses throughout the room shattered. Everyone whose glass didn’t explode started laughing.
-Did you do that Gwen?
-Nah, one of my sibs. She said between laughter.
-Who? Kyle, Joel?
-Can’t tell you which one or it disrespects the sacred laws of Mercury cabin. Reyna rolled her eyes.
-Sure…
-There’s a code, it’s posted on the wall! Gwen said.
-How come I never saw it? Percy asked.
-I’m pretty sure you had bigger problems than finding a piece of paper on a wall, like, oh I don’t know, identity, amnesia and common house-sold objects going all sharp-blade on you.
-Yeah, those are hard on a guy. Jason said sitting down at the end of the table.
-You got yourself in that mess Grace. Dakota said, plopping down in front of him.
-Did I have a choice? He asked.
-Hestia was super persistent, so Hera/Juno must’ve been worst. Percy said.
-I know she scared me. Something about mass destruction and death, very good when you’re trying to talk someone into something. Jason said as food appeared on Dakota and his’ plates.
-Hestia had fall of Olympus and end of time going for her. Percy said.
-Piper take notes. Lou Ellen said. I made a face.
-You’re a charm speaker? Bobby asked.
-Yeah. Well… Yeah. I said, not mentioning my power was down.
I still didn’t know what was up with that. It’d never done that before, and this was not a good time for it. Aphrodite had said it herself: I was going to have to be peacekeeper in a Roman-Greek meeting. That was happening now. I needed the charm speak now.
-Half of Venus’ kids are.
-Half? How many would that be?
-7 or 8. Bobby said.
-Whoa! I said.
-Why isn’t that how its like at Camp?
-No. There’s this girl called Drew Arthurs-
-Who is a hellhound. Lou said.
-Well, yeah- and me.
-That’s it? Charmspeak is how a lot of them make it here because of it. That’s how they get in and then they find jobs. Bobby said.
-Unless you’re Hilary. Gwen said.
-Hilary?
-Hilary Shehan. She’s the only child of Venus that’s got some kind of power. She is praetor of the 16th legion and Senator. Bobby said.
-You’d get along with Hilary, Piper. Jason said.
-Anybody can get along with Hills. Gwen said.
-Actually a lot of people don’t like her. Dakota said.
-Why wouldn’t you like Hills?
-Jealousy and grudges mostly. Dakota said.
-Jealousy is like drinking a poison and waiting for the other person to drop dead… Bobby said thoughtfully.
-Hun?
-I’ve lived with a psychologist for ever; I’m full of these quotes deep down.
-Hopefully they are very deep. Gwen said. Bobby made a face at her.
For the rest of the meal bullhorns sounded at random times. After the second one we got up and helped Jason and Dakota search the room. Leo found it and he had to jump and cling onto a support beam to find the activator. He managed to pull himself on and sit on the beam. He pulled through the duct tape and jumped down. Surprisingly he landed it, and he pulled a wire and it stopped. He handed it to Gwen.
-You can return this to your sibling. If he wants a blueprint for a smaller one he can call me. He said.
-Leo! I protested.
-What? Don’t you remember Hedge’s bullhorn?
-Heck yes. I said grimly.
-Oh… Right. He said. Gwen took a look at it.
-Styx I think I made this when I was little. She said investigating the grey plastic box.
-I thought it wasn’t you? Jason said.
-Yeah well I live in a house full of klepto people. The shirt Gabby’s wearing right now could be Quittrie’s- and I think it is.
She slipped it in her pocket.
-If you made that when you were little I’m sort-of scared to see what you can pull off now. Lou Ellen said. Gwen grinned.
-Oh you should, Spellcast. She said with a twinkle in her crystal blue eyes.
-It’s okay; I’ll stop Gwen from being too mean to you. She can’t come in the house anyways; people go crazy when they do. Hazel said.
-Does that include me? Lou asked.
-Shouldn’t. Hazel said taking a sip of water.
-Oh geez that’s reassuring. Lou said.
-I don’t know how they did it, I wasn’t there. This was ages ago.
-All the minor gods have houses? Nico asked.
-Yes. Bianca said.
-Took Camp until last year to acknowledge we existed. Lou muttered under her breath.
-It’s normal. Roman mythology has more gods then Greek, but they were barely treated right here until last summer. Jason said. Hazel shivered as if remembering a bad memory.
-Yeah isn’t there like a goddess of door hinges? Annabeth said.
-Cardea. Reyna said.
-Wow… Leo said.
-Shut up Valdez, Gwen said. She has a kid here.
-No Ashlee died last month, where have you been? Bobby said.
-Out of town, remember? Gwen said.
-Ashlee Doten? Really? Jason asked.
-Yeah her. Some kind of accident in the forest. Bianca said.
-Oh for Juno’s sake… For some people going in the forest is fine, but others please stay home. Reyna said.
-Agreed. Jason said.
-I thought Gwen said all the animals were in the hunter’s areas? Karen asked.
-Animals, not monsters. And then you’ve got those who integrate themselves in human society. Hazel said. She looked at the other end of the table where the “stupido squad” -as they called it- sat.
-Shush Haze, I have to live with them. Reyna said.
-Not me.
-Hazel you know who they’ll take it out on…
-Changing subjects. Percy said.
-I can help with that. Someone said. I looked towards her and I saw a new girl walk up.
She had long black hair gathered in a ponytail, swooped over her shoulder. She had skin like Snow white and a little pink to her cheeks. Her smile was sweet and small and her eyes were a unique shade of blue so dark it was nearly black. She gave Jason a push on the shoulder.
-Glad you’re back, Jason.
-Hey Hilary. He said. She turned towards me.
-I’m Hilary Shehan, daughter of Venus, head of house and a bunch of other things. I just got told one of the newcomers was a daughter of Aphrodite; I just wanted to say hi.
-Oh, hey. I’m Piper McLean. I said. She frowned as if to remember something. Oh, Styx.
-McLean… Like Tristan Mclean, the actor?
-Umm, yes.
-Oh my gods! That’s the guy in the movie and the popcorn and the hellhound! Hazel said.
-That movie was the best ever. Reyna said.
-You wouldn’t say that if a hellhound wouldn’t have walked into the theatre. Bobby said.
-Yeah the swordplay was horrible. Reyna acknowledged.
-I know! Annabeth said.
-I remember that movie. It was friggin hilarious, though. Hilary said.
-That’s because the kid with the popcorn was not sitting next to you. Jason said.
-Oh right, that was you and Reyna! Hilary laughed. Her laughter was like jingle bells and you couldn’t help but feel good. It helped smooth over the Reyna and Jason reference.
-Oh gods don’t remind me. How do you explain to a 5 year old boy why you’re holding a sword in your hand? Reyna said.
-Nail file. Jason recalled rolling his eyes.
-That was not my idea, that was Gwen being “spontaneous”. Reyna said.
-Good times… Just wanted to say hello Piper, so you at least knew one of us. Hilary said.
-Thanks, glad to meet you. I said. Hilary smiled and went back to her table.
-Is Hilary a charm speaker? Annabeth asked.
-No, which just makes her even more incredible. She got where she is by herself, and she didn’t start off any stronger.
-Well she’s been here since she’d 4. Jason said.
-Yeah but no 4 year old starts training at 4 unless you’re a warling. Dakota said.
-Can I object to being called that? Reyna asked.
-No. Warling is an awesome term. Gwen said.
-She started training same time as us, right? Dakota asked Jason, suddenly puzzled.
-Yeah... Wait, no, bronchitis.
-Right.
-She got bronchitis real bad when we were 5 and couldn’t start training with the rest of us. Jason clarified.
-5? Karen asked.
-Yes. Dakota said.
-Spartans started training at age 7, it’s not so bad, Karen. Annabeth said.
-Not so bad? That’s actually good. According to dad, I could shoot a gun by the time I was 3. Reyna said.
-Yeah well you learnt how to decapitate a dummy before you could spell your name, Rey. Hazel said.
-No! Reyna protested. Well…
-I thought so. Hazel said.
-And she still can’t spell. Jake muttered going pass.
-Let’s look at your English grades, genius. She called. Jack passed her and I saw his elbow ram into her skull but she didn’t say a thing, and I doubt anybody else noticed. Jace followed.
-Jerks. She said.
-It’s okay Reyna, not everyone’s good at spelling. Take Percy here. Lou Ellen said. Percy shot her a look but it made a few people laugh.
-Doesn’t matter really. As long as you can fight you’re fine. Reyna said. Annabeth and Bobby both bit back something and they had the exact same looks on their faces. It was actually pretty funny; a few other people saw it. These two were going to get along just fine. Hazel got up.
-I’ll see you later on kay? She said. She darted off before anyone responded.
-Where is she going? Karen asked.
-Nobody knows. Gwen said.
-I honestly think it’s better that way sometimes.
We talked for a couple more minutes until Bobby spoke up.
-Hey, you guys want to see something cool? He said.
-Yes.
-Sweet, common. Bobby said. Reyna asked something in Latin and he answered, still in Latin so I had no idea.
-It is tonight? Reyna asked.
-Yes, where have you been? Hazel asked.
-I was out of town with Gwen! Reyna frowned.
-Common. Bobby said. As the crowd in the cafeteria thinned, we followed.
It was amazing. It was basically a light parade. The whole of the cavalry unit was out on their horses, elephants or Pegasi. Strands of light that were probably magic lit up their rides as they paraded through the City streets. Not in any form or order, but it lit up the night and was incredible to see. The Pegasi swooped around in the skies and I even saw the riders hold onto the stomach of the horses as they flew (think Odysseus and sheep style).
But it wasn’t just the cavalry unit, dancers were dancing, strands or just balls of light onto their clothes or hair, and some jugglers were juggling fire as well. There were no other lights but those, and the effect was breath taking. Gwen bit her lip when she saw the fire being tossed around.
-I didn’t think they’d do a light show this year. Jason said smiling.
-Why not? I asked.
-Well this is a yearly thing. The consuls usually stay on Olympus or in the New York area after the solstice; they get back on the 22nd. It’s a “Yeay the consuls didn’t get killed by the gods or the New York monsters” thing. Dakota said.
-You came back, that has to count for something. Reyna said. I bit my lip. He was back where he belonged… I guess…
-Common, no use standing there like statues. Gwen said.
We sort-of separated into smaller groups. Percy of Annabeth walked off, hand in hand, and I bit my lip as Jason and Reyna did.
I followed Leo, Dakota and Bobby across the streets.
-Valdez you could practically join in. I said.
-What do you mean? Bobby asked. Leo held out his palm and it blazed.
-That. I said.
-Oh… Is that? You’re a fire user? Man, I didn’t even think people like that actually existed! I thought it was just something Vulcan’s kids had come up with to make themselves look stronger. Dakota said.
-I’m the first in a couple of centuries according to my siblings. Leo said.
-That’s fantastic! Is it drainable? Can it burn through things that regular fire can’t? Bobby asked, the questions chasing each other like heartbeats.
-No. It can’t work through gold for example. Leo said. I shivered. Ewe, gold.
-You have bad experience with that, Piper? Dakota asked.
-I got turned to gold by Midas last year. It wasn’t pleasant. I said.
-Midas? Him too? Dakota asked.
-Yeah, he was back. Leo said.
-Lord… Dakota said.
-Everybody’s been back. Have you not heard the over-excited people talking about John Lennon being back? Bobby asked.
-No that’s Beethoven. Dakota said.
-Whoa… Last I heard was Eleanor Roosevelt. Leo said.
-Wow Valdez, where have you been? That was ages ago, newest was John A McDonald. I said.
-The guy who founded McDonalds?
-No, the first prime minister of Canada. Bobby said.
-Whoops. You sure it wasn’t him?
-Leo. I said. We walked around looking at the sky, the stars, occasional helicopters and City itself. Everyone was walking outside in cliques. Nobody fighting, just walking around, head high. This place would be neck cramp central tomorrow.
-It’s really awesome that they did it. I thought they wouldn’t, the Aediles surprised me. Dakota said.
-Have you ever been to a summer council? I asked.
-Yeah, last year. Except right after there was a vote passed and they removed Jason and I as consuls and replaces us with two older consuls that were like 40 something- June and Pete. Because we weren’t “adequate enough” for the tough times.
-The Stupido squad people made that happen? Leo asked.
-Partially. Jace Gayle wasn’t… He wasn’t in there.
-Why? I asked.
-Well, he was nice before last August let’s just say. He lost someone, and I don’t think he’ll never be the same whether he gets over her or not.
Awe… So he wasn’t born a total idiot. Or as much of an idiot. I wouldn’t have seen it coming in a million. Jace Gayle and a girl… Sure, why not?
-But we’re not really supposed to talk about Jenna, Dakota said. When did you guys get to Camp?
-Same time as Jason, December 19th or so. I said.
-And you’re 16? Lucky you made it that long.
-We had coach Supergoat. Leo said.
-What?
-What Leo’s trying to say it’s because of coach Hedge. Our protector was out coach.
-He was a satyr right?
-Yeah. They all are. Leo said. Dakota and Bobby smirked.
-That’s… odd…
-Don’t you have satyrs as protectors here?
-We send geniuses. Bobby said.
-Blue guys that sing? Leo asked.
-No, they’re not Disney characters; lose all images you have of those things. Geniuses are spirits. They find a half-blood and steer him in the right direction.
-If it’s a spirit how can it defend if it comes to a fight? I said.
-You’d be surprised. Besides, the point is to recruit fighters, even if you won’t fight in the army. The first fight, or the coming, is a test. If you survive, you are worthy of the City. If you don’t, then you might as well have died young. Dakota said. Her voice had a Spanish accent to it.
-Are you originally Spanish? Leo asked.
-Well my mom was French but she was adopted by people in a town near the Mexican border after her parents died in an accident, she was raised in Spanish and given a Spanish first name- just because she was so young, she didn’t have one yet. My family’s life story is ridiculously confusing, but anyways, her name was Estefanìa Ledécit.
-My mom too. She was Latino-American. Leo said.
-Así que hablan español que? Dakota said.
-Si. Leo replied.
-Great! You’ll have to talk to my little brother Dael. He’s trying not to lose his Spanish but I haven’t been able to help him out much.
-Sure. If I see him. Leo said.
-I’ll introduce you; I don’t think things are going to get any easier for me even with Jason here. Dakota said.
-Is the sudden chaos all about Gaia or Terra? I asked.
-Partially. People are complaining about, well, you guys. We’re not getting any new people but we’re losing some. There was an earthquake in the south of the State the other day and we think it’s because she’s stirring some more. And it goes on and on. Dakota said.
-Sorry about that. And it will get better. I said.
-Yeah you won’t be empress every day as long as Grace is here. You’ll be praetor every two days, which for you is nearly a day off. Bobby tried to cheer her up.
-Oh yes. Dakota said.
I noticed how she looked about ready to drop and she had bags under her eyes- even in the light of the tiny dots. I wondered when was the last time she’d gotten a good night’s sleep, where she’d actually not gotten up in the middle of the night and had felt good and energised waking up.
Finally the praetors started rallying everyone in. The elephants and horses went back to the Stables, the Pegasi landed.
Dakota grabbed onto a guy’s arm. He turned around with a knife in his hand but lowered it when he saw Dakota.
-Mike, can you take Leo to your house? He’ll need to stop by the boat, but…
-Sure thing Da. Common sarcastic boy. Mike said.
Oh great, Leo had a rep.
-See you, Piper. He said. I grabbed his arm as he walked past me.
-Keep your mouth shut. I said to him, my voice low. He did a thumbs up and followed Mike into the darkness.
-Let’s find Hilary; and Bobby you wanted to go find Annabeth, right? Dakota said.
-Percy might have taken her. I said.
-Maybe. I’ll go try to find her. He said. Good night.
-You too Bobby.
-Yeah. I said.
-Common, let’s find Hilary. Dakota said. We walked across the crowd.
-She might be with Van. Dakota said.
-Who?
-Van Knas, her boyfriend.
-I thought you weren’t really allowed to date?
-Nah, it’s especially marriage. Well, I shouldn’t say that… It’s especially among the soldiers and senators I guess…
-Hilary’s both.
-Hilary’s Hilary as much as Jason and Rey are Jason and Rey. Dakota said. I bit my lip.
-Why? Dakota asked suspiciously and I knew exactly what she was thinking.
-Nothing, just trying to get the rules down. Is he happy with her? I asked.
-Yeah, they both are. Well… It’s complicated. She said.
-My mom’s goddess of this stuff, I think I can keep up. I said.
-Well then, they’re happy to be together, but Reyna gets beaten for it.
-Beaten? By who?
-Her brothers. They’re the only 4 in Bellona house, and not only was she the last born, but she’s the only girl. So of course that’s one weakness that her brothers beat her for. Then she fell for Jason and they started going out, and there goes a second weakness.
-Well can’t you do anything about it, that’s not right!
-No. Not until Reyna gets some permanent damage, dies, gets beaten in public, or puts in an official complaint.
-What a stupid rule! I said outraged.
-Business in the houses stay in the houses, there’s nothing we can do against it. Dakota shrugged.
-Why won’t she do it? I asked. I was probably overcrowding Dakota with questions, questions about a girl I shouldn’t even care about, but I didn’t care. I needed answers about the girl I shouldn’t even care about.
-She sees it as a form of weakness and she won’t allow it to herself. She rather take punches then admit she can’t handle it. And her brothers aren’t giving up any time soon. You saw how scarred and bruised up she is; of course there’s some monster stuff in there, but that’s not the only reason. And it’s not just them, it’s also the sons of Mars. Dakota said.
-It is all monster caused then. I said.
It sucked to be Reyna.
I mean, most kids deal with bullies at some point. Get dissed, shoved in lockers, but this was something else. Her own brothers… Drew was a hellhound, but compared to the Gayle brothers, she was post-person for sisterhood. I mean, I’d seen how beaten up Reyna was and that was the fault of mainly 3 guys? Her age, her full siblings? The Hades was the world coming to? How was Reyna not dead or depressed? Fighting a fight bigger than her, she should have been out ages ago. She did need a break, she did need something good in her life…
And she did need Jason Grace…
-Hills! Dakota called. A girl spun around.
-Oh, there you are! I was looking for you! I thought you might’ve taken her to the cabin yourself. Hilary said.
-No, I’m not allowed in for no reason, and I wouldn’t leave Piper alone. Dakota said. I looked at her.
-No, it’s not you, it’s the people here. She assured me.
-Yeah I know. I said.
-I know it’s quite scary. How low we can get… Hilary said. She smiled sadly.
-Oh well, maybe we can change that around. You coming Piper? We should stop by the Argo II before, I guess.
-Yes, and please. I said.
-Do you have a clue where Grace is? I feel like making sure he’s still here, there might be a Persian camp you know. Hilary said, dead serious. Dakota laughed.
-Probably at the boat, it got moved into Vulcan’s temple by the way. Either that or he’s retrieving his sister from the forest, which’d probably take a while. Dakota said. I nearly told Hilary that I’d changed my mind about going to the boat.
-He does have his stuff there. Common, Pipes. Can I call you Pipes?
-Better than anything else I’ve ever been called.
-That’s frankly kind-of sad. Hilary said.
-Bye you two. I’ve got to stop by the office to grab a few papers. Dakota said.
-Da you’ll die in there! Don’t; lay back for the night, Jason can help you tomorrow. You know he’d say the exact same thing. Get a decent night of sleep for once. Write, draw, something! Hilary said.
-Fine. Dakota said not protesting too hard.
-Good. Common Pipes. He said.
I followed her away from the forum and to a big white temple. A quick word in Latin between Hilary and the guards (in which she did beat her eyelashes), and they let us through. The door was open.
Valdez and his new brother were inside and Mike looked like a little kid on Christmas morning.
-Is that real ivory?
-Yeah we couldn’t find a material better suited to resist- zoned out on that one.
Bobby and Annabeth were going through a similar conversation but with the oar-rowers, Percy was looking like ‘mayday, mayday, technical word, no clue!’
-And these things generate the power for the whole boat? How powerful is the motor?
-Depending on the amount of power we let it take from the battery, but around—zoned out of the conversation too.
I grabbed my backpack in a corner. Hilary looked around in awe.
-This thing is beautiful! I can only imagine the destruction power… She exclaimed.
-Triremes were basically floating tanks, except bigger, with more people in it and this one has rotating bastillas and murderers. Annabeth informed her.
-Rotating bastillas, are you kidding? Bobby said.
-No they took forever to build but once the gear systems were nailed they worked perfectly. Annabeth said.
-You’ll have to show me but not tonight, it’s nearly curfew. Bobby said.
-Right. Annabeth took a bag from the ground and handed it to Percy.
-Your armour’s still in it, I can’t believe you took nothing out. She said before picking up hers.
-See you tomorrow Piper. Annabeth said.
-Yeah. I said. Hilary walked me to the house. The curtain serving as door was pink. Uh oh.
And I was so surprised with the inside.
So the house did spell out “Neat freak supreme” and smell like perfume, but the pink wasn’t as overwhelming.
The living room was occupied by a large marble hearth engraved with something in Latin. There was a glass coffee table under neat piles of Fashion and gossip magazines (some in French!) and the walls had wallpaper with connected flower outlines, something you might see in a sowing room. A bunch of white pouffes were assembled around, and a simple white chandelier hung from the ceiling. About 3 kids were sitting in the room.
-Welcome to Venus’ house, Piper. Hope you like it here. She said. She urged me further in.
-People! She said down a hallway. A few more kids materialised. There were about 20 of them, the youngest was 2 and ran into Hilary’s arms.
-Hello Margaret. Hilary said lifting the little girl up in her arms, and holding her at her side.
-We have a new sister here. People this is Piper McLean.
She pointed out all of her siblings. The girls: Avery, Ella, Peyton, Caroline, Prue, Zoe, Willow, Riley and the little girl in her arms, Margaret Di Cosimo. And the boys: Scout, Logan, Brice, Brandon, Aidan, Wyatt, Fox, Oliver, Hunter and Asher.
-I’m never going to remember all the names. I said.
-Just remember, Hilary, Margaret and Logan. Well, Logan over there is easily recognisable by the other house’s girls’ gawking. Hilary said. Logan made a face at her.
-Alright then. Isn’t Margaret a little..? I started.
-Young? For sure, but she’s no worst then Jason or Dakota.
-Or even nearly you. Fox said. He was a ginger and his eyes were dark. He looked on his guard, a hand on the sword at his side.
-I was three, that’s not as bad. Hilary said readjusting Margaret who was at her side. Margaret started playing with her big ear rings.
-Owe, careful Margo. Hilary said gently taking the toddler’s hands off her earing.
-And aren’t you supposed to be sleeping? Who was in charge of that tonight? Willow?
-Sorry Hills. A girl with hair going straight down on either side of her face, sort of like a willow’s branches, said.
-That’s fine. Piper you want to help me out?
-Sure.
-You can leave your bag in the living room for now, carry on everyone. Hilary said. Everybody disappeared.
Hilary changed Margaret into pyjamas and laid her down in a playpen in the girl’s room (which was the attic- yes there was one).
The room had 5 white bunks and two white plastic straw-looking chests at the foot. The walls were done in a pink wallpaper and there was a huge window overlooking the forum. Part of the ceiling was inclined and there was a bulletin board with pictures pined on. One was a pic of Hilary on a beach smiling like crazy, her head on the shoulder of a guy that was probably Van. There were pictures of the other girls and Margaret in various places. The room was in perfect order like Aphrodite cabin. I guess that didn’t change.
-Alright, you say good night to Piper? Hilary asked Margaret.
-Ood ight ‘Per. Margaret said.
-Goodnight. I said thinking of how cute she was. She had long brown curls and I could count colors in her irises, green and blues.
-By Margaret. Hilary said. We crept out of the room.
-Until 10 nobody’ll be up there. Common, let me show you the house. She said.
The most exciting room was the sewing room. It was installed so 4 people could be sewing at the same time and there was even a change room with a curtain in a corner. Rolls of fabric filled cubby holes up to the ceiling and mannequins held what projects were being finished or were. Some kids sat at drawing tables sketching and coloring and comparing drawings.
-No clue what Aphrodite’s about, but in Venus we make. This is a smaller version of the Seemster’s department in the City, which is conveniently right next door. They take care of any official clothing and the tunics for the armour as well as the costumes for the dancers sometimes. Peyton and Ella here- hold on- Pey! Ella! She called. Two girls got up and walked towards her.
-Yeah Hills? One said. She looked about 18 with black hair packed up behind her head, 3 different colors on her upper eyelid and a dozen piercings in each ear.
The second following her looked 15 and her hair was blonde, with about 12 different rainbow coloured streaks. Her eyes were emerald green, with a brown section and a birthmark at the corner of the right.
-I just wanted to show Piper what you guys did, Peyton may I..?
-Oh yeah. The girl with the piercings said. She handed Hilary her sketchpad and started flipping.
At some point she flipped back and put a finger on a deep purple, nearly black gown. It went down with folds at exactly the right place in the skirt, the top going around the neck leaving the shoulders bare. It had amazingly detailed beading along the waist.
-That’s gorgeous. Hilary said.
-Please be my model! I need someone to put it on and nobody’d look that good in it other then you! I was thinking specifically about you when I designed it! Peyton begged.
-Sure, just not this week.
-Yes! I can get started, I have your measures too, they’re the same, right?
-No I grew 5 feet in the last 2 months. Hilary said. Peyton made a face and Hilary kept flipping until she found a white dress with a burgundy drape.
-See, this is the kind of thing Dakota wears when she’s serving as empress or at a tournament. Hilary said.
-And you guys make it?
-We’ve always got two of everything because you never know, especially with Dakota.
-Why? I asked.
-Dakota… Doesn’t exactly… Give a damn about the clothes on her back. She already got attacked in one of the empress dresses, by a hellhound. She’s using that as ammo to be able to wear armour. Hilary said.
-She looks great in dresses! Ella said.
-But dresses are pains. I piped up.
-Try ours, they’re really good and Ella’s got the perfect dress one of you! Peyton said.
-Oh my gods, exactly what I was thinking with her skin tone the color would be perfect!
Ella flipped through her own notebook and showed me a party dress that nearly made me gag at first sight. After second glance it wasn’t that bad. Pretty simple. The flowers at the bottom of the straps were a killer though, but nothing worst then what Aphrodite had gotten me into at the first camp fire.
-What do you think? Please? Ella said with hopeful eyes. I swallowed.
Make friend, make friends.
-Sure Ella.
Don’t scream, don’t scream.
-Yeay! Ella hugged me suddenly. Oh God, Lacy in Roman.
-Ella, don’t scare her. Common Piper, let’s let the people here work. We backed out of the room, after Hilary reminded everyone of the curfew.
-That’s what Peyton and Ella do. There are 5 kids here who make fabric too.
-Like from scratch?
-Yeah. Prue’s a farmer, Brice and Caroline are performers that often go on recruitment missions, Zoe is a professor. For the younger kids, under 10, the army’s out of question. They get tutored on mortal subject a little, and learn different skills to see where they’re going at in the City. Of course those who are already determined to be soldiers- and you wouldn’t believe how many are- don’t care. I was labeled as a failed daughter of Venus because of that, good thing I’m pretty, or else they might make me sleep outside. The rest of the kids here are soldiers.
-I didn’t think a lot would be soldiers.
-Well, nobody’s very high up.
-Except for you and Logan. Somebody said passing. She had brown hair packed up behind her head and a short neck. Her arms were pretty muscled and she had eyes that I couldn’t decide the color of. Grey or blue.
-Avery Finnick. She said holding out her hand. I shook it.
-Piper McLean. I introduced myself.
-Yeah I guess you’ve got a point Avery, and you.
-Pff, I’m decanus.
-What?
-A sous-second. In charge of 6 men if the second and praetor are busy, usually.
-Yup.
-Well hey, decanus of 1, that’s good. We all know Jason’s hard on his soldiers.
-All the praetors are. Logan said before going in the guy’s room. He had brown hair with lighter sections, a pale face and blue eyes. I couldn’t figure out his age, 16 to 19 really.
-Logan Finnick. Hilary reminded me as he passed.
-He’s your full brother? I asked Avery.
-Oh yeah, a lot of kids are. The gods don’t flirt really; when they fall for a mortal they’re usually in for a while. Like the Madison kids, there are 3 of them because one died, and the Gayles…
-The Gayles are quadruplets, Avery, not the same thing. Hilary said. I saw worry in her eyes. How was it going now that Reyna had been given a high title?
-Either way. And Willow’s my little sister, I’m the loser middle child. Avery said.
-No you’re not; middle children are awesome. Hilary said as we walked to the living room. I starred at the inscription on the marble fireplace again. The writing was in cursive but I couldn’t read.
-It means “Sometimes you rather the blade then a broken heart, and sometimes you rather the blade take the broken heart out of your chest and life to just make it stop”. Hilary said.
-Who said it? I asked.
-A child of Venus a long time ago. Avery said.
There was another bulletin board and one picture drew my attention.
It was Jace Gayle and he was standing next to a very curvy girl. She was average height. A red bandana was folded up and holding thick brown hair, packed behind her head. There wasn’t anything extraordinary about her physique until you looked at her eyes. Apple green and they shone like nothing else.
Her smile was small and it was the kind that I knew was either true or non-existent. She looked like the kind of person that could walk into a room and make everyone inside feel good, in her long cargo shorts and plain red T-shirt. She had a guitar swung on her back and a gladus at her waist. Jace Gayle looked actually… Happy. He was smiling and that looked pretty authentic. He still had the angry light in his eyes but he didn’t look about to hit somebody or even touch the gladus at his waist.
-Is that the Jenna girl that Jace was with? I asked. Hilary looked where I was.
-Oh. Yeah, that’s her, Jenna Elemes. Hilary said. She walked to the picture and unpicked the picture.
-I don’t know why it’s there, usually it stays in my photo album. Margaret must’ve been looking for my knife again and found it, someone put it up for her. Anyways… Yeah.
Hilary suddenly looked like someone had plopped something heavy on her shoulders. I recognised her. It was Jake and Nyssa when you mentioned Beckendorf. Leyla and Mitch when you mentioned Silena. Will and Kayla when you mentioned Michael Yew.
It was Camp when you mentioned the Titan war.
-Sorry. Bad question.
-No it was a fair one. Sorry, she was like my best friend. We were nearly sisters which is weird considering I had 10 real ones here.
-Thank Hills. Avery said.
-I never said you weren’t! Hilary said. Avery elbowed her.
-I’m kidding, I’m kidding Hills.
-Alright. It’s getting late, though. Everybody in bed, now! No buts and awes, get your butts into your rooms! Hilary said down the corridor.
I picked up my bag and followed Hilary up to the attic. Margaret slept through the noise. A few curtains had been drawn and the girls were taking turns changing behind them.
-Here Pipes, this bunk’s empty. Hilary said showing a lowercase bunk. A girl I vaguely remembered as Zoe was sitting on top brushing her thick black hair, her legs dangling over the side. She looked 18 or 19, a young adult anyways. Zoe nodded and brought her legs back and kept brushing.
I put my bag on the bunk, untied Katoptris from my waist and took out my pyjamas. I changed behind one of the curtains, went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, and sat on my new bed and listened to the gossip. I was lucky, it wasn’t Latin, instead it was French. Caroline was talking about a celebrity I remembered having met once at some kind of event. Hilary came back up the stairs.
-The guys are good, common people it doesn’t take that long. Hilary said.
-Okay, okay, pushy. Willow said. I swung my legs on the bed and slipped under the covers. My head touched the pillow and I felt like I was sleeping in a hotel, with the heavy and soft covers and the pillow that’d probably keep the shape of my head 3 hours after I woke up.
But I slept with Katoptris at arm’s reach because there was no way not to have noticed the nasty glares my sisters had given me.
Leo Valdez
June 22nd: The City
I pass the test of survival (according to the 5 year old)
The forges hadn’t impressed me too much. My hopes for the cabin were about as great as the ones I have for geography substitutes (I’ve had some pretty awesome ones though).
The curtain opened for us as we approached, like in supermarkets. The only thing I couldn’t get was why there was a curtain.
The walls were plated in metal and the room looked like a section of the actual forges at Camp Half-Blood. There was a huge fireplace that roared, and a guy was melting something in there. I looked everywhere amazed. This was a forge.
-Yo bro! The guy said. He was either 13 or 14 and had short, curly dark hair. He was African-American with a big smile, a scar across his eyebrow and yellowish eyes like heated metal.
-Yo. I said looking around.
-Leo this is Zane Attique. Zane, Leo Valdez. Zane removed the blade from the fire and put it to an anvil before picking up a hammer. He started hitting on the blade to form it into something sharp and deadly and awesome. I looked at the shape.
-That’s a Xiphos, right?
-Yeah. Zane said not really paying attention to me.
-Reyna Gayle sent the City into a Xiphos phase. Mike said.
-Woo that is one hot chick. Zane said.
-Dude you’re 13. It’s not happening. Mike said.
-Besides, isn’t she taken? I said.
-Yeah that too. Mike said. Zane shrugged.
-Only the boring people don’t dream. That makes me the party boy!
-No, you’re hallucinating. Anyways, she won the tournament with one.
-A Greek sword? I asked.
-Yeah. Zane said.
-Why wasn’t she using a gladus?
-I reckon to show off Greek weaponry and what it can do. It’s a strategical move according to Dakota and Anna, but I still reckon it’s more in the soldier then the weapon. And even then, it was a dumb move. Mike said.
-Hey, Greek weaponry can do a lot of damage. The ballistas on the boat are Greek.
Mike shrugged. He picked up a sword from a wall and it was so polished I could see reflections.
-This is a gladus. You are probably familiar with these swords. Therefore you know that these were used for ages to slice a guy’s throat in two.
-Yeah, but you know, that’s all in the past, no need for any of that now. I said. Then I thought of my mom and wanted to smack myself. Mike put it back.
-I’ll give you a tour. He said.
Mike was downright serious. I was scared of cracking a joke with him around. Were we even related? I mean, sure Nyssa was pretty serious but this was downright ridiculous.
-Where is everyone? Don’t you have like a whole bunch here?
-Oh yeah. 19 counting me. 9 girls, 10 boys. Audrey, Emmy, Madeline, Estela, Nathaly, Neva, Anna, Marisol and Elva are the 9 girls. Axel, John, Jaedan, Sam, Ben, Noah, Rowan, James, Zane and I are the guys.
-I will never remember that.
-Good Lord. Mike said rolling his eyes. I wasn’t good with people, but it was getting pretty clear that Mike didn’t like me.
-Anyways they’re either in the forges or somewhere in the house. Usually some are in bed by this time. Mike said.
-What? That’s ridiculously early! I said. Then I realised that just because we’d gone to bed at midnight and woken up at 4 in the morning at Camp for the Argo didn’t mean that they had too.
-Some of them have to get up even earlier than usual to get to the forges before dawn and fix or replaces broken armour or weapon that the soldiers leave us. Sometimes they go to the stock room as well. Some of them are also securing the boat into place. Vulcan’s allowed us to keep it in his temple.
-So the gods’ve been answering here? I asked.
-No not really. This is a rare thing.
-They answered at the Senate thing earlier.
-Yeah but they had no choice. If they didn’t do it, Jason and Dakota would’ve gone through with it anyways and that’d just humiliate them more. Trust me, I know Da. Mike said.
-You’re her second, right?
-Yes. Speaking of which, I’m not available to play tour guide tomorrow. You’ll have to follow either Marisol or Noah tomorrow. Mike said.
-Let’s pretend I just got here and have no clue whatsoever who Marisol and Noah are, they would be..?
-Let’s pretend I don’t have a strong desire to strangle you. Mike grumbled leading me to a room.
It had two stories, except one of them was only half of one. Metal beds were pressed against the walls and to get down there was a handle-free stair case or zip line that went downhill until you only had a few feet to jump.
The beds were cots with circular arcs over the head. A TV screen was probably on the top. There was a some storage underneath and a digital photo frames exposing pictures. There were air vents and ear buds attached on the side of the domes. There was a table in the middle with 9 toolboxes; each one had a name engraved in, and different materials. Whatever wall space was free was lined with shelves of half-finished projects or diagrams of engines. But so many of them were half finished, some of them were ruined.
-Anna? Mike asked.
-Yeah? A voice croaked. I got chills as I recalled the first time I’d ever met Jake.
-Is Marisol..?
-She’s out. The same voice said.
-Can we..?
-Sure thing Mikey. She said. I followed Mike to the back.
Anna wasn’t in a body cast but she looked in a worst state than that. She had curly locks of copper coloured hair spread out on her pillow and a thin face that didn’t belong with her strong arms and callused hands; both lying on either side of her body.
One of her eyes was sparkling green like jade, and the other was closed and puffy, with white calluses underneath, like an infection. Her neck and torso were wrapped in ace bandages and so was one of her arms. She had long legs covered by jeans, resting above the sheets. She looked tired like even just the effort of making her chest rise and fall was draining her.
But the look on her face of absolute hatred of the situation she was in and of her fatigue, which was the worst.
It barely looked like hate but somehow I knew that was it. Mike stood next to her and gently pushed a strand of her hair out of her good eye.
Doughboy meets Doughgirl. What had gone wrong here? Was their dragon silver? Was it worst then Festus had been?
-Hey Mikey. She croaked.
-Hey Anna. This is Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus.
-The switch, right? Anna asked.
-Yeah. Valdez, this is Anna Smith, head of house. He said.
-Hey Leo. She said.
-Hi. I said.
The curse was totally here too.
-Have you guys been having a problem at your camp too? It’d make everything easier to explain. She said her voice soft. She didn’t sound like the kind of person who ever got mad.
-Anny, I’ll explain. Mike said.
-There was an accident in here, Anna said completely ignoring Mike, and all the projects went haywire at once. It wasn’t pretty. I got the worst of it as you can see. She said.
Mike chewed on his lip and his eyes filled with worry for his older sister. She reached out with her able arm and touched his face.
-Jaedan, Estela and Rowan got some ugly too of course, but they’re up and about. Anyways I heard you and Mike talking, we sort-of stand clear of the house now. We’re not allowed to create as much until we figure it out and it’s too much if we’re stuck in the one place where we can create. The others stick in the forges and just make, make, make with the designs that are already planned out, or prey to Vulcan for answers. Anna said.
-There is a curse at Camp too. We don’t know why, but I think it broke once the boat took off.
-So there really is a boat? Man, I got to see that. Anna said. She smiled a little.
-And it flies hun? She asked.
-Yeah, but it’s better on sea.
-I bet, just the hull of it wouldn’t have great wind resistance, not with the point in the front. Anna said. She lifted her hand and touched a tactile screen that was running a program like Microsoft Paint and started drawing the hull shape.
-Too much resistance. She determined. As she lowered her hand she winced as if something in her shoulder went wrong.
-Anna? Mike asked a little alarmed.
-I’m fine Mike, she said. Anyways I better get some sleep or the medics will yell at me again. Hope you like it here Leo. It used to be… Really nice.
The exact same words as Jake. This was not a coincidence. It couldn’t be. Not the curse, nothing about it.
Mike pulled the blankets over Anna and said something in Latin before indicating me to follow him.
-8 of us are soldiers, the rest are at the forges right now, or unsetting the lights from the parade.
-Or making Xiphos swords in the cabin! Zane hollered.
-In desperate attempts to make Reyna Gayle fall for him, yes. Mike said. He pushed a door besides the girl’s bedroom. The boy’s room was the exact same thing.
-There’s a free bed over there.
-Does it belong to a dead person?
-What?
-Never mind. I put my bag down on it. There were no pictures on it.
-I’ve got something for you. I said. I took a paper folded in 4 from my bag and handed it to him. He took it and looked at both sides before unfolding it. He studied the blueprint with wide eyes.
-I really do have to see this thing soon. You accomplished this in little more than 6 months with a crew of how many? Mike asked. The door of the house opened and I hear people come in. Mike got up.
-Common. He said. We met the kids in the main room. 8 girls and 8 guys tucking their coats in lockers locked with iris identification, or talking to Zane, showing him new weapons.
-People. Mike said. They looked up at him.
-This is Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus which is what the Greeks called Vulcan. Mike said. I felt like public enemy number 1 with all the stares I got. Then a little girl about 5 came up.
-I’m Elva Tinker and I’m going to be a soldier. She said starring at me.
-Umm… I bet? I said. Elva looked satisfied with this response as she nodded her head and ran off deeper in the house.
-Elva don’t bother Anna! A girl with the same bronze curls called. Her skin had a gold undertone to it. She held out her hand and I shook it.
-I’m Neva Tinker. Elva’s my little sister. Neva said.
Never Tinker, Neva Tinker… Good thing I didn’t open my trap.
Before I could even think of anything else to say she ran off after Elva.
-I’m John Dears. Another with shaggy brown hair and thick lips said.
-Hi. I said.
-I’m Noah James. Another with a British accent said.
-I ‘am Madeline Deséjoure. Yu must excuze mi ‘Inglish. I am from zee région of Québec. A girl with long flowing blond hair and sparkling blue eyes said, with a heavy French accent.
-No prob. I said. Madeline smiled at me.
-Axel Deséjoure. Another said, with an equally heavy accent.
One by one they introduced themselves and I made a huge effort to stay focused on the introductions, I couldn’t goof off on this.
-15 to ten guys, let’s go. Mike said. Everybody scrambled to get to bed.
Annabeth Chasse
June 22nd (evening): The City
Daedalus’ second laptop
I followed Bobby into Minerva’s house, still smiling from my first evening with Percy in a long time. It had been amazing! His kisses were even sweeter then I remembered them, and my hand felt even more right in his then I'd recalled...
I had this weird tingling in my fingertips and the muscles in my legs were suddenly stiff. It was that sense I’d had once the boat’d gotten through the City’s borders and when we’d walked into the senate. Just because I’d made it here didn’t mean I was welcomed. And anything but safe.
Bobby opened the door and held it open as I walked in.
I was in a giant lab. There was a row of 4 stations like in chemistry class. A SMART board was on the wall and 2 girls were reproducing a map on it. I recognised the outlines of Italy and Greece. They stopped and turned to look at us.
-Hey. Bobby said.
-Hi. One that looked about 13 said. She had brown hair and grey eyes, under horizontal eyebrows. She wore a purple shirt and I saw one of her legs was artificial.
-Timmy, Miceala, this is Annabeth Chasse. Annabeth; Miceala Finnegan, and Timmy Sollerte. Timmy was the younger one, and Miceala looked about 19 with a straight face, penetrating grey eyes and her blond curls pulled back tightly.
-Hello. I said. Timmy walked up to me and extended her hand.
-My real name’s not Timmy, but I don’t remember what it is. I know alternatively it’s spelt with apostrophes but I was too young to remember last time I heard it.
-Alright. I said. Miceala came too and I shook hers as well.
-Mi-cee-ala, I’m known to send people to the infirmary for pronouncing it wrong. Miceala said.
-I’ll remember that. I said. She grinned.
-Where’d Pete go? Bobby asked.
-How should I know? Miceala asked.
-You were here. Bobby said stepping in further into the cabin and glancing down a hallway.
-He’s in the Sim’. Timmy said. I checked the walls out.
I had no idea what color they were, but they were swimming under blueprints, maps, fact sheets, battle maps and other documents over lapping each other. There was a long table in the center and it was covered with models of Ancient vehicles or war machines and gods know what else, piles of books... Over our heads were dangling flying machine models, prototypes for robots of birds and bugs and airplanes, reminding me of my dad’s study. There were even battlefield replicas.
The room was supposed to be a living room probably, but the fireplace was being used to keep something in a metal barrel and the couches were stacked against the wall. It had filing cabinets, one for each of the kids probably, on one side and a fireplace taking up wall space on the other. Diagrams were exposed on the mantel.
-Thanks Timmy. Annabeth you coming?
I slid my backpack off my shoulder but kept Daedalus’ laptop. I didn’t even let the kids I’d grown up with touch it, this was not going to be left for the people here.
I followed Bobby into the corridor and into a room. He held it open and I stepped in. The walls and floors were like a piano, glossy and black. And then I saw an arrow fly at me.
I drew my knife and knocked it out of the way, as well as all the others flying at me. But I couldn’t see an archer, these weren’t real… Then one of them faded in mid-air like a holograph.
Oh…
The lights got flicked open and the walls became regular walls. At the back there was a window letting people in a room full of buttons and switches, accessible by a door. A control room probably for the simulation of the arrows I’d seen. One guy spoke in his head set.
-Bobby, careful!
-Sorry, you didn’t put the in-use light on! Bobby who was standing behind me said. The guy took off his headset and walked out of the room. He was in his young twenties and had short brown hair. Irony grey eyes that sparkled with intelligence were his main feature. He wore an aviator jacket and baggy jeans.
-Hey, I’m Paris Jefferson but you might want to call me Pete. In the control room there’s Shea Analas and Ray but his last name’s foreign and I can’t pronounce it to this day. The guy who must be Ray lifted his hands in a sign of exasperation.
The two guys responded to their names. Shea was an Asian teenager, 18 maybe, with those fake glasses people wear for some reason. Ray was a strong guy most definitely a soldier by the look on his face. A nasty scar ran down the middle of his face, down his nose and lips.
-I’m Annabeth Chasse. I said.
-We’ve heard somewhat about you. We just knew you were our sister. Pete said. Shea took off the glasses and joined Pete.
-Hey. He said.
-Hi.
-Those were some pretty sick moves with the knife, Shea said. Celestial bronze, right?
-Yes.
-May I..? I wanted to say no and put Reaper back in the scabbard but I figured it would show trust, handing him my only defence. Or stupidity... I hesitated but passed him the blade. He ran his finger across the sharp edge.
-Didn’t need them though, it’s a simulation. If it hits you it’d only have stung but your reflexes are pretty darn sharp. Pete said.
-It’s got a name? Ray asked giving me my knife. I put it back in the scabbard at my waist.
-Reaper. Just named it, but I’ve had it since I’m seven. I said.
-So this is the blade of the prophecy of the Elder gods? Bobby said.
-Yeah. I said not rushing to evoque that subject. I noticed glares on the laptop case.
-What’s the triangular symbol? Shea asked.
-It’s a delta, the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet, d sound. It’s the symbol of Daedalus. Jason told me you studied the labyrinth. I said; the last part for Bobby.
-You got one too?
-What? You have one of Daedalus’ laptop? I asked.
-Yeah, come check it out. He said. He turned to Pete.
-Just wanted to introduce her. Annabeth, Pete’s the head of house, he’s the oldest.
-I’m turning 22 next October, they’ll kick me out of the City after that. He explained.
-Good riddance. Shea said. Pete gave him a little punch and Shea and Ray sniggered. Bobby took me back to the first room.
-We’ve got a bunch of labs here, that’s just the simulator, it gets used by nearly everybody but it’s of recent making. I was only 7 when they started elaborating on it. Bobby said. He opened a locked file cabinet that had his name printed on it and took out a laptop.
He put it on the table and opened it before pressing for power. Timmy put the SMART board’s pen down and ran to see. Bobby opened a file and we started critiquing various machines and applying changes to copies of the blueprints on Paint, Timmy piping in now and then. Miceala came too and she joined in. We were at the second when Pete started knocking on doors and urging everyone back to bed. Bobby shut power and put it back in the locked cabinet.
-I want to see yours tomorrow. He said.
-Sounds fair.
-People! Pete said.
-Bye. There’s training tomorrow and Jason and Da are putting you in a legion.
Legion? Oh! Right, the City, army, legions… Daedalus’ laptop was distracting. His plan for aqueducts that purified water as it passed through… Genius!
-Yeah. I said.
-Follow me. Timmy said. She led me to the girl’s bedroom.
There were windows on the roof, supplying plenty of sunlight during the day, but that showed the stars at night. I saw Heracles, Ursa major, Ursa minor…
The girls stopped searching the retractable drawers under their beds to stare at me.
-This is Annabeth Chasse, daughter of Athena. Bobby said.
-Minerva right? One with brown hair tied to the side of her head and strict eyes said.
-Yeah. Bobby said. Bye. He said.
-Yeah. I said. He ruffled Timmy’s hair before going to the boy’s bedroom.
-Annabeth, that’s Meredith Slavinski, Marie Finnegan, Ariadne Young, Justine Theodoras and Eleanor Salvatore. I looked at each of the girl.
Meredith was the girl with the strictest eyes. Marie was Miceala’s older sister, with prominent pupils and layered blond hair, darker at the roots. Ariadne was 11 years old and her hair was flowing and black, and she looked unusually strict and mature, sort-of like a mini Athena. Justine Theodoras was 15 and looked like she was on top of the world with her bright smile that looked about 97% fake and her raven black curls. But there was something genuine in her eyes, the gleam of intelligence or the sadness, maybe both actually. Eleanor was the youngest girl, about 7 years old. She was cheeky and extremely short, still a child, but I knew she had some deep knowledge locked behind her eyes; just at first glance she wasn’t a normal kid.
-I bet she doesn’t speak Latin or anything. Marie said.
-I speak Latin, Ancient Greek and English, try me.
-Capital of Bulgaria?
-Sofia, spelt with an ‘f’.
-How long was the American civil war?
-4 years 1861-1865.
-When was Paris’ “Notre Dame” Cathedral completed?
-Around the year 1345. I said. Marie gave me a cold look before grabbing her clothes and going for the bathroom.
-Whoa… Eleanor said.
-Nice Annabeth. Miceala said impressed. I smiled.
-Thank you.
-There’s a free bunk here. Miceala said pointing to the one under hers. I put my backpack down and chewed on my lip. Was openly declaring my fluency in Latin a mistake? Would I have missed much of the news going around because of that?
Show them what you know, they’re impressed by knowledge, not too different from Athena’s kids. I though.
But that was the problem, I knew Athena’s kids. I knew how they thought after knowing them for such a long time and in which frame of mind they stood. Here, it was completely different. I’d have to see what I could make of these 15 new kids.
I put Reaper down but picked it back up and brought it along to get changed.
It’s not I didn’t trust the kids in Minerva’s cabin. It’s I knew except for 2, they didn’t trust me.
*Hilary Shehan
** Who can figure out Willow, Avery and Logan Finnick's last name? It does have a meaning!
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