Latin terminology is used here. For Latin terms you do not know, refer to the glossary at the bottom.
Their procession halted at the outskirts of the bright and thriving city, coming to an efficient stop before the gates. A man stood there flanked by guards and a group of official-looking men, waiting for them patiently with the sun on his back, obscuring him from Jason's sight. Jason himself stood at a reasonably average height with a strong build for a boy of only 14 years, with a gladius strapped securely to his waist, though he was dwarfed by his father's impressive height and even more impressive build.
His father strode ahead from Jason's side and hailed the man ahead of them, leading the procession into the city. The man raised his arm in response and walked forward to greet his father. Both of them saluted before they shook hands and began talking. Jason let his mind wander and admired the city around him. He had never visited this strange, buzzing and positively alive city before – his father had always left him with his mother at home in the capital. He admired how quiet it seemed in comparison to Roma, though still buzzing feverishly as civilians went about their business in the bustling marketplaces.
Jason snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed his father gesturing for him to come forward and obeyed, standing at his father's side. His father gestured again to the man in front of him with a smile on his bearded face.
"Jason, this man is Castellan. He is the governor of this city and will be my aide while I conduct my inspection." Jason nodded and then his father gestured to him. "Castellan, this is my son, Jason." The man called Castellan surveyed him intently, looking at him from head to toe with interest. Jason bowed in respect to the man as his father had taught him.
"Ave, Propraetor." Jason said, inclining his head to Castellan who responded in turn. Now that he was closer and the sun no longer in his eyes, Jason saw Castellan's features in sharp relief and he was surprised to see that the man looked little older than he was, though if he had heard correctly from his father during their travels, the man was approaching his thirtieth year. Jason also noted, with some surprise, a lack of stress lines on the man's face. "As my father said, my name is Jason Grace, though if it pleases you, you can address me as Jason only."
"Ave, Jason. My name is Luke Castellan and you can address me as Castellan or," Castellan smiled now approvingly and even a little proudly, revealing perfectly white teeth. "As you did before, Propraetor."
Jason nodded. From the corner of his eye he caught another rare look of approval from his father before his father stepped forward and took charge of the conversation. Castellan and his father broke into a leisurely walk and Jason fell in step behind them, knowing that he had fulfilled his role so far. Castellan treated them to a tour of the city and its fortifications. His father inspected the city guard - the Vigiles Urbani - and was evidently satisfied with them if the approving smile on his face was any indication.
Castellan and his congregation then led them through the bustling marketplace where Jason looked from corner to corner, looking from trinkets on display to stalls bursting with food and a lavish selection of wines of all colours and flavours. He distinctly heard someone shouting but was only brought out of his attention on the stalls when he was knocked off balance when something small and fast slammed into him.
He glanced down at the cause of the disturbance, realising it was a boy somewhat younger than him with messy black hair who had ran into him. The boy looked up fearfully before another shout caught Jason's attention. The boy remained where he was on the floor, frozen in fear. The shout went up again and Jason heard the words this time - a mixture of profanity and slurs he now realised were directed at the boy. The source of the shouts hurtled around the corner and stopped ahead of them, having spotted the boy: a towering girl younger than Jason with hair bearing a striking resemblance to the colour of mud. She advanced forward towards Jason and the boy and stopped only when one of his father's guards stepped forward with their hand on their gladius, a calculating gleam in her eyes as if she were considering how to both get to the boy at Jason's feet and get away with it. She backed off and the gleam in her eyes faded when she noticed Castellan and her face paled, her stance shifting to submissive and her tone apologetic.
"Forgive me, Propraetor." She hastily muttered. Jason was entirely convinced she was only sorry for being caught. Castellan waved his hand dismissively though there was a glint of steel in his eyes, a warning to the girl.
"Vado, La Rue." Castellan flicked his hand dismissively again. "Leave this child be, or you'll be cleaning the city for a week."
The girl flinched but dared not challenge Castellan's authority and so shrank back before she disappeared around the corner once more. They then turned to the boy at Jason's feet who still bore a fearful expression. Jason lowered himself to one knee and extended his hand to the boy who flinched and looked from Jason's hand to his face as if expecting a trap. When Jason smiled the boy took his hand and Jason helped him to his feet, brushing dust from the boy's tunic.
"Thank you, sir." the boy muttered, his eyes on the floor, daring not to look up. A look of recognition lit up in Castellan's eyes when the boy spoke and he seemed to reprimand himself for forgetting a name.
"Perseus, is it?" Castellan inquired and the boy nodded quickly. Castellan seemed satisfied with the boy's answer before he exchanged a look with Jason's father. "If I may, I think it would be a good idea for your son to explore the city in greater depth while we proceed to business; I have heard tell of how efficient you are." His father nodded.
"As you say, Castellan. Ramirez-Arellano," His father began. One of the guards behind Jason - a girl older than him that he was friendly with and who was responsible for training him to be a swordsman, clad in full armour with a gladius at her waist - stiffened up with her back straight. "You will accompany my son as an escort. Try to keep him in one piece."
"Ita domine." The girl replied. Jason turned his attention from his father and Castellan back to the boy and smiled again.
"Ave, Perseus. I am Jason." The boy returned his smile and nodded, relaxing when Jason's tone became more casual. Castellan, his father and their congregation departed to finish the tour of the city, leaving Jason, his escort and the boy alone. "Could I ask why that girl was harassing you?" The boy shrugged.
"She always is. She says I'm not a true Roman." Perseus said, a sad look in his eyes that changed quickly to defiance.
"I'd say you're more Roman than she is." Jason began kindly, his smile still present. Perseus looked at him curiously. Jason assessed the boy's stance and body and nodded. "You have what she lacks - the makings of a soldier." The boy's eyes shone with happiness at the compliment and Jason wondered just how often the girl - La Rue - confronted him.
"You think so?" Perseus asked, a grin on his face. Jason nodded and rested a hand on Perseus's shoulder.
"Of course. It's my job to know these things." Or rather it would be in a few years, Jason privately thought to himself.
"Would you be kind enough to show me and Reyna here," Jason indicated his escort to Perseus, "Around the city Perseus?"
"Call me Percy," He replied. "And of course." Percy took Jason's hand and led him eagerly through the marketplace. Reyna fell into step behind him, her palm resting on the pommel of her gladius constantly. He showed Jason and Reyna a variety of stalls he was evidently familiar with, food stalls, jewellery stalls and even a wine stall whose merchant Percy was friendly with. Jason took each opportunity to speak to the people, inquiring about how business was, how they were faring and what they thought about the city. He was surprised when he heard few, if any, complaints from them - usually there was at least one complaint to be made about a city.
Jason also questioned Percy. The younger boy told him his father, nicknamed Neptunus by his colleagues, was a busy man and had served the Empire as a legionnaire. Jason learned that this 'Neptunus' was tasked with managing a century of the Vigiles Urbani that Jason's own father had just inspected, and that he was training Percy to follow in his place as a legionnaire. Jason was both impressed and pleased - impressed that the boy already dreamed of serving the Empire and pleased with himself that he had assessed the boy's stance and body accurately. He also, as they were walking through one of the broader, busier streets, that the attacks from the La Rue girl were frequent - if they didn't happen at least once every other day, then Percy counted himself lucky. Percy led them up a hill just outside the city, a place where they had agreed to rest a while, muttering something about not being confident enough to stand up to her: his father had been training him but La Rue's father was a hardened war veteran who had trained her to hold a sword before she could even walk, or so the rumour went. Jason shook his head and turned to Reyna.
"Your gladius please, Reyna." She obliged, unsheathing it and placing the hilt in his waiting hand. Jason then turned back to Percy and smirked, circling the boy. Percy blinked and shifted nervously as Jason walked around him. "Show me your stance, Percy." Percy obliged, entering his stance. Jason examined the boy's posture, tapping the inside of Percy's leg with the tip of Reyna's gladius. "Wider. Shoulder width apart."
Percy obliged once more and widened his stance. Jason then pressed the tip of the sword into the back of Percy's knee gently. Percy bent his knees forward as Jason instructed and sat into his stance when Jason tapped him on the top of his shoulder while Reyna looked on approvingly. Jason then placed the hilt of Reyna's gladius in Percy's hand, adjusting the boy's grip and the positioning of the blade.
"Good footwork," She commented. "Now your stance is stronger, it won't be easy to overwhelm you."
Jason nodded in agreement before he unsheathed his own gladius in one fluid movement and suddenly slashed at Percy, who reflexively parried it with his own sword before he lunged forward. Jason batted his blade aside effortlessly and smirked, lowering his gladius.
"See?" said Jason after a moment, a proud smirk on his face. "Reflex can only save you so many times. A strong stance can overcome any attack. Well," He glanced in Reyna's direction. "Almost any attack."
Jason tossed his gladius to Reyna and took a step back. Reyna caught the gladius and twirled it around, adjusting her grip. Jason sat down a distance away from the two.
"Now try out your new stance against Reyna." Jason said with a mischievous grin. Percy blinked in surprise and looked from Jason to Reyna, who had already dropped into her own stance with her gladius raised. The boy shook his head and focused on Reyna, his sword in the stance Jason had shown him.
Reyna attacked first, feigning first to the left before switching and slashing at Percy's right. Percy saw through the feint, to Jason's surprise, and parried it swiftly, knocking her blade aside and driving his own blade forward towards her chest. Reyna span around, pivoting on her heel, and deflected Percy's gladius effortlessly with her own, knocking the blade clean out of his hand with the force of the blow. She placed the tip of her sword at his throat and Percy dropped to one knee. Reyna sheathed her gladius and pulled the boy to his feet. Jason smiled.
"Not quite there yet." He laughed and Percy shrugged embarrassedly. "But then again, Reyna learned to use a sword before she could walk, so it's no major defeat."
"Practice makes perfect." Reyna interjected. Jason nodded in agreement and pointed at her gladius. Reyna obeyed and unsheathed it and handed it to Jason in a single movement. Jason looked at Percy expectantly and the boy dropped into his guard position. Reyna folded her arms and watched.
"Watch my swing, Percy." Jason said, raising his gladius. Percy obeyed and kept his eyes intently on Jason's blade. He slowed down his movements to allow the boy to follow him when he guided his gladius down in a slow slash. "Do you see the way my wrist moves when I use this sort of attack?" Percy nodded. "Good." Reyna strode forward and pointed at a section of Jason's blade, right near the tip. "Strike there as hard as you can and you'll knock my blade aside and stagger me, maybe even disarm me. That's what Reyna did to you."
Percy obeyed and imitated Reyna's earlier movements, pirouetting on his heel and thrusting his sword against Jason's, knocking the slash brutally aside. Jason smiled approvingly while he fixed his grip on his gladius.
"It's crucial when you're getting attacked to identify someone's weak points and use them against them." Percy nodded, understanding. "Attack me without your sword." The boy raised an eyebrow and hesitated. Jason discarded his gladius and so did Percy after a moment.
Jason beckoned him to start and Percy complied, throwing a punch at him. Jason sidestepped the punch and stepped in to Percy's space, sliding his foot behind one of Percy's and pushing on the boy's chest. Percy's balance and stance broke and he fell, though Jason caught him before he hit the floor.
"The next time that La Rue attacks you, just see where she's weakest. If she throws a punch at you or kicks you, knock her down and keep her there." He said. Percy smiled approvingly when Jason pulled him back to his feet and patted his clothing down, freeing it of dust and dirt. "Now, I'd say that's enough of combat training for a future warrior for one day." A disappointed expression crossed Percy's face fleetingly, disappearing when Jason ruffled his hair affectionately. Despite only knowing the boy for a few hours, he had really taken a liking to him, and the same was true in reverse.
"So, Percy, what do you do for fun in this city?" He asked, sheathing his gladius and handing Reyna hers.
The memory faded as quickly as it had come to him as he looked out at the nearing city. Even from this distance, he could see the familiar outline of Castellan and his aides waiting to greet him at the city entrance. He raised his arm, much as his father had done, and hailed him, striding out to meet him with his guards - and Reyna - following behind him. He saluted the man as his father had once done.
"Ave, Castellan." He began, a friendly and warm smile gracing his features. The man looked exactly as Jason remembered him, as though time itself had stood still for the man, even though very nearly a decade had passed. "I see the years have treated you well." Castellan nodded appreciatively.
"A blessing from the Gods, no doubt." He saluted Jason in return with a smile. "Though, if I may, it seems the years have treated you far fairer than I." Castellan gestured to Jason. "The boy that once stood before me is gone, replaced instead by a man. Your father must be proud." Jason blushed and grinned.
"You are too kind." Jason reached inside his robe and brought out a sealed scroll and handed it to Castellan. "I have been instructed to inspect the city to ensure it is prepared for Vulcanalia. I should be finished within a fortnight, Castellan, and I hope to begin immediately."
"You are truly your father's son - straight to business, just like him." Castellan nodded in thought for a moment before he swept his arms towards the city and gestured Jason to walk with him, guiding him in. "It has been a while since you last visited, my friend, but nothing has changed. The layout of the city is still the same as it once was, with a few new additions to house the growing population."
Jason nodded and allowed his mind to wander as Castellan navigated them through the bustling city. He recalled the various stalls the boy called Perseus had once shown him and made a mental note to visit the marketplace at one point to see if anything had changed.
"Is the boy called Perseus still in the city?" He asked. Castellan considered it for a moment then replied with a nod.
"Yes, I believe he is. You may recall his father commanded the Vigiles Urbani - he now manages our busy port. I believe his son is one of the senior harbour guards."
Jason inclined his head at that and continued following Castellan. The blond-haired man led him to the city's main government building and guided him straight to the archives. He left him then, telling him that if he required any help to send for him and he would be there as soon as possible. Jason nodded absentmindedly as he took in the grand scale of the city archives, wondering how his father possibly managed to compile a report on this sheer size so quickly. He shook his head to dismiss the daunting thought and sat down at the nearest desk, pulling the nearest scroll towards him.
He lost count of just how many scrolls he studied and just how many figures he noted down. He took note of anything and everything, from the total population of the city to the amount of livestock and the city's annual crop yield. He rolled up the scroll he had been writing on and secured it before he placed it inside his robes. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that his guards were waiting patiently nearby. Reyna, he noticed, was resting her palm over the pommel of her gladius and Jason smiled, recalling how he had never seen her without her sword in gripping distance. He raised his arm and called one of the men Castellan had left with him over to him. The man practically ran forward and bowed hastily when he reached Jason's desk.
"I'm going for a walk. Tell Castellan not to worry about my disappearance." The man nodded and Jason paused for a moment, his father's advice coming back to him: be complimentary and charismatic and the men will do whatever you ask. He added after a moment of thought, "And also tell him that I've began my report and I'm very impressed with what I've seen so far." The man nodded once more and waited for Jason to add anything else on. Jason flicked his hand dismissively and the man bowed again before scurrying out of the room.
He stood up and straightened his robes, combing a hand through his hair and massaging his temples to ward off an oncoming headache. Reyna stood waiting for him and he strode to her and the two left the archive, heading back out into the bustling city. Jason glanced at the sky - a decision he regretted an instant later when the sun glared down at him - and gathered that it was around midday already. He sighted contentedly when a sea breeze wafted over him and Reyna, carrying with it the smell of salt. He turned to look at Reyna and raised an eyebrow.
"We never did see the port in all of our visits here, did we?" Reyna shook her head, her hand, as always, resting on the pommel of her gladius. "Let's change that then." She nodded and Jason led the way through the busy city. They passed through the marketplace and the fond memories of the sights and smells he had once experienced here flocked back to him stronger than ever before; the marketplace was exactly as he remembered it, with a few new additional scents of fruit and berries that no doubt belonged to some of the city's exquisite wine. They didn't stop to look, however, and Jason pressed on towards the port.
They stopped with a satisfied sigh when they first caught sight of the dock and the boats there. The sea was lapping gently against the stone walls and the moored ships rocked gently. From a distance, Jason could see approaching ships. He glanced in each direction of the dock and caught sight of the man that was no doubt in charge - lightly clad in leather armour and with a gladius at his waist, the man stopped occasionally at each moored ship and seemed to scrutinise it carefully, even running his hand along the wood to check for dents and holes. Jason walked towards him and, as the man got closer, his rank became apparent. The way the port authorities gathered around him, the man was undoubtedly the harbourmaster Castellan had been referring to earlier. A boy that was undoubtedly the man's son stood at his side, similarly clad in light leather armour with an old, tarnished gladius at his waist. The boy's sharp, angular, high cheekbones that accentuated his sea green eyes and black hair perfectly seemed almost familiar to him. He shook the thought from his head when he noticed the harbourmaster approaching. The man nodded his head respectfully and saluted.
"I was not aware you had arrived, Domine." The man said. Jason returned his salute. "I must say I am surprised to see you at the docks so soon after arriving, though. I am the harbourmaster here. Feel free to call me Neptunus, everybody else does."
"A fitting name, I think. It was only a matter of time until I visited the docks, I never had the chance when I visited with my father all those years ago." Jason replied after a moment's glance at the boy standing next to the man. "How has the port fared these past months, Neptunus?"
Neptunus regaled him with tales of how quiet the port had been in terms of unlicensed trade and smuggling. Jason's mind wandered to the boy next to Neptunus and caught only snippets of what Neptunus was saying - a few smugglers here and there, a scuffle or two a month - and he found himself increasingly distracted by the black-haired boy. He seemed to be purposely avoiding his eye, instead looking intently at a group of merchants crowding the nearby marketplace and glancing at the people passing them. He remained silent while his father talked, and Jason was reminded of himself years ago: he, too, had spoken only when spoken to and had listened to and obeyed his father completely. Jason was brought out of his reminiscing when he noticed Neptunus looking at him intently, waiting for a reply.
"I'm pleased to hear you have had little trouble, Neptunus." Jason hastily replied. "You are doing an admirable job and I will be sure to make mention of it in my report."
Neptunus nodded, pleased, and looked ready to speak again when a shout rose up. They turned as one to the source and from a distance spotted a merchant scuffling with a group of guards. Neptunus heaved a weary sigh and saluted once more to Jason who returned it automatically.
"Forgive me, but duty calls. My son will be your guide in my stead." Jason nodded and Neptunus strode off, his hand gripping the pommel of his sword and a fierce look in his eyes. Jason turned to face the boy, pausing when he heard Neptunus's powerful voice ringing over the dock, commanding the merchant to stop, and noticed that - at last - the boy was finally looking at him. Time seemed to rewind before Jason's eyes and he was transported back to a grassy hilltop with a smaller boy with the same jet black hair and sea green eyes standing in front of him, gripping a gladius clumsily. He blinked the image away and smiled.
"What happened to the little boy I once knew that couldn't hold a sword to save his life?" He teased, cracking a smile. Even Reyna grinned behind him. "It's good to see you again, Perseus."
"It seems my friend has grown up and made himself all important." Perseus countered, folding his arms and returning the smile. "I'd heard an inspector had been dispatched to the city but I didn't dare think it would be the same family after all this time."
"My father now works for the Senate. Somebody had to do his job." Jason shrugged and began walking. Percy took the lead after a second and guided them towards the marketplace. Reyna followed silently behind, her hand on her sword as always, her hawk-like eyes sweeping the area for any potential threats.
"The man next to me is a stranger." Percy thought aloud. "Your activities of choice used to be sparring and roughhousing, not talking and inspecting. What happened to wanting to join the exercitus Romanus?"
"How poetic." Jason laughed. "I do still intend to join up, but my father said I should see the empire I plan on defending with my life first." He glanced up at the sky, then, and noticed how low the sun was and frowned. Had the day really gone by so quickly? "Not enough time in the day it seems. I've got a pile of scrolls waiting for me. Would you care to come back with me so we can talk more and reminisce?"
"I would," Percy hesitantly began. "But my father i-"
"Our friend here will handle it." Jason said, indicating Reyna with a smooth gesture. Reyna frowned and looked ready to complain but Jason silenced her when he pointed at the gladius at Percy's waist. "I'll be fine, Reyna." Reyna nodded and, reluctantly but obediently, walked off.
Jason took the lead then and quickly located one of Castellan's men when he approached the main city buildings. The man guided them to Jason's allocated quarters and bowed, leaving them. Jason paused and allowed Percy to enter first, wanting to see the boy's face when he saw the interior. Jason had already seen the furnishings his father's rooms had had, he imagined he'd have an identical room.
Percy opened the door and Jason couldn't help but grin when the boy's mouth dropped open. He watched as the younger boy took in the rich furnishings of the room, the elegant furniture and the beautiful tapestry adorning the walls. Percy was clearly unused to the sheer amount of luxuries in one location. He watched the subsequent facial expressions with a hint of amusement before he himself strode in and gestured to the bed and the chairs.
"Make yourself comfortable. We may be here a while." Jason noticed a pitcher of wine was waiting on his desk with a set of goblets. He poured two out and handed one to Percy. The boy raised an eyebrow but accepted it. "Seeing as you're a man now, I feel no guilt whatsoever in offering you wine."
Jason turned back to his desk and pulled the scrolls spread out there towards him. He noticed that Castellan had taken the liberty of having the scrolls he had looked at in the archives delivered to his room and made a mental note to thank him. He took a sip of the wine while Percy settled himself on the bed and blinked in surprise: a rich, flavourful mixture of berries and fruit that complemented each other perfectly exploded over his taste buds, leaving a fruity, teasing aftertaste behind that only made him crave more. Percy's reaction was identical and the two shared a grin.
"It seems the city lives up to its reputation as the finest winemakers in the empire." Jason said admiringly while swirling the contents of his goblet around. "I can see why Roma imports this wine so heavily now."
"What's the capital like?" Percy interjected, taking a light sip from his goblet. Jason glanced over with a raised eyebrow and a fleeting expression of surprise on his face.
"You mean you haven't seen it?" He asked. Percy shook his head. "One day I will take you with me and show you everything Roma has to offer. It's beautiful, Percy." He paused and took a sip from his drink before he changed the topic. "Do you plan on enlisting, Perseus? The boy I remember seemed to enjoy sparring as much as I did, among other things." Percy raised an eyebrow at the use of his full name and blushed the same shade of red as his wine.
"In a year, yes." He said after taking a moment to compose himself, a smile gracing his face. "The Classis, that is. Something about the sea just seems to appeal to me." Jason now raised an eyebrow.
"An unusual choice. Most prefer the exercitus." He shrugged after a moment. "I wish you luck with your choice."
He continued searching through the records Castellan had provided him with, chatting the time away with Percy until the sun had long since set and their wine had long been drank. Percy began to stand - swaying slightly from the wine - and stretched.
"Thank you for the wine, Jason, but I have to go." Percy blinked a few times, evidently trying to focus his eyesight. "My father will be expecting me by now."
"You could stay here," Jason protested. "I'm sure your father wouldn't mind, knowing you're helping me." Percy smiled.
"A kind offer, and perhaps one night I will accept, but for now I will leave you in peace." He raised a hand in farewell and Jason nodded, not pressing on further. Percy excused himself with another nod and a wave and then he was gone. Jason gestured to Reyna - who was waiting patiently outside his door as his guard - and she nodded, following Percy to make sure he got home safely. He spent another hour or so perusing the documents and making notes before he too, finally and wearily, turned in.
He woke to a violent shaking - everything was clattering around wildly and violently. His scrolls rolled from the desk and fell. The empty pitcher of wine rolled over and smashed on the ground. Jason jumped out of bed, but by the time he had gathered his wits and dressed, all had gone silent. The shaking had stopped as suddenly as it had started. He hastily washed with the basin provided and fixed his attire before moving over to his door and throwing it open. Reyna was already waiting for him, an alarmed look on her face, clad already in full armour and with her hand resting firmly on her sword. He was surprised to find Percy already awake and standing next to her, looking surprisingly relaxed and unalarmed compared to the two of them. He raised an eyebrow before he turned to face Reyna.
"Fetch Castellan immediately." He ordered, combing a hand worriedly through his hair. "This event cannot go unexplained." Reyna inclined her head.
"Ita, domine." She replied, saluting before she stalked off down the corridor and out of sight. Jason turned to Percy, his heart still racing from the shaking, and gestured him nervously into the room. Percy strode in and sat on one of the chairs next to the desk and watched Jason with a hint of amusement. Jason paced the room for a moment, stopping only to gather the scrolls that had fallen and sweeping the broken glass pitcher up.
"You've never experienced a quake before?" Percy asked, sipping from a goblet of water he had poured from an unbroken pitcher. "I thought you had visited Campania felix many times?"
"Several times." Jason corrected him. "And not once did I experience anything like this. My father told me once how he had been here when a great quake hit, but that's neither here nor there." Percy nodded. The two of them turned their heads when a knock came at the door. "Enter." Jason called.
Reyna led the way in, with a smaller man than Castellan trailing in behind her. He was dressed equally as richly as Castellan, though their appearances differed greatly. Where Castellan was well built, similarly to Jason himself, this man was slim and wiry, and his tanned skin drew Jason's attention. He discarded the thought immediately and looked to Reyna for explanation.
"Castellan was indisposed and begs your pardon, so he sent his advisor in his stead." Reyna gestured to the man - Jason saw he was around the same age as Castellan but he, too, looked younger than he was - and the man sprung forward, bowing when he reached Jason. Jason noticed a small patch covering one of the man's eyes and gathered from the man's calloused hands and soldier-like gait, not unlike Reyna's and Jason's own, that it was from a history of military service.
"Advisor Nakamura, at your service." The man said. "Though if it pleases you, you can address me as Ethan." Jason beckoned the man forwards and pulled a seat out for him. The man threw a curious glance at Percy who was sat, lazing on Jason's bed and watching with faint interest. Reyna settled herself standing against the wall, her arms folded.
"You know I am inspecting this city." Jason began. Ethan nodded and settled himself, watching Jason intently with his hands neatly on his lap. "I was woken this morning by shaking and, naturally, I was concerned. Are they anything to be worried about, Advisor Nakamura?"
"Not at all." Nakamura replied. "The quakes have been here as long as the buildings have, Domine, and they are little more than a minor irritant at most." Jason nodded and paused a moment, allowing the information to sink in. He busied himself for a moment by scribbling down what Nakamura had said in his report. He pulled a scroll yellow with age towards him and scanned through it quickly.
"It says in a report here that a great quake hit the region around 16 years ago and permanently damaged one of the temples here." Jason said, reading from the scroll. He looked up at Nakamura and raised an eyebrow. "Have you experienced a great quake similar to that since then?" Nakamura shook his head. Jason nodded absentmindedly for a moment before he focused again on Nakamura. "Thank you for your help, Advisor Nakamura, you have been invaluable. My guard here," He indicated Reyna. "Will escort you to wherever you wish to go from here."
"You are most generous, Domine." Nakamura said as he rose and adjusted his robes. He led the way out of the room with Reyna at his side, closing the door behind them. Jason sat back in his chair and nursed his temples, lost in thought. Percy sat silently on Jason's bed, waiting for the older boy to speak.
"Did he speak the truth, Perseus?" Jason asked after a few minutes. He brought his head up and stared into Percy's eyes intently, waiting for his answer. Percy nodded genuinely.
"He did. The quakes are entirely commonplace and little to be concerned about." Jason seemed satisfied with this answer and sat back in his chair again.
"How can a city prepare for Vulcanalia with such quakes?" Jason shook his head bemusedly. "How has the city been doing in terms of preparation, anyway?"
"More merchants have been coming into the city." Percy answered him. "That's why the marketplace is so busy - it's never that packed usually. My father even told me that some of the farmers are keeping their livestock rather than selling it to make sure there are enough sacrifices for the festival." Jason nodded again, pleased with Percy's answer, and then stood and stretched.
"It's far too early to be compiling my report," Jason said. "I'd much rather be wandering the city."
"That would be much more achievable if you were dressed more like a commoner or a guard." Percy pointed out. "You'll be bothered less by the people if you don't look like an official."
"You have a point." Jason conceded, inclining his head to Percy. To remedy his appearance, Jason strode over to one of the dressers and pulled out one of his more simple outfits: a plain tunic, belt and cuffs. He quickly stripped down then, untroubled by his lack of clothing in front of Percy, and strapped his own gladius to his belt. He turned to face Percy - who had not averted his eyes throughout - and waited for his approval. The boy nodded after a moment, bringing his eyes back up to look at Jason's.
"Now you look as much a commoner as I do." He said, standing up briskly and fixing his own clothing. Jason nodded at the remark and led the way to the door. He opened it and found Reyna waiting patiently outside, having returned from escorting Nakamura already. He shared a brief look with her before he nodded.
"We're ready to go, Reyna." He indicated Percy to her over his shoulder. "Percy's coming with us. We're going to look around the city and make sure the marketplace can cope with the festival's needs."
They headed off then, with Reyna and Percy serving as both his guards and his guides through the maze-like city. Jason spent the majority of the time moving from market stall to market stall, chatting with the merchants that tended to them and generally assessing the morale of the city. He checked the items on a list Castellan had given him and ensured that the markets were actually prepared to supply the festival's feast.
They stopped at several stalls and sampled the items for sale. One merchant was kind enough to let them try the wine he was selling and once more Jason found himself blinking himself silly from the powerful and fruity taste of the delicious wine. They sampled a variety of other stores before Jason finally pocketed his list and combed a hand wearily through his blond hair, displacing the golden locks.
"Time for a break, I think." He said, looking around the immediate area for something to do. Percy grinned.
"I know a certain hilltop not that far from here. We could go there and rest for a while?" He suggested.
Jason considered this for a moment and, after a brief shared glance with Reyna, the two nodded and beckoned Percy to lead the way.
Percy guided them to a small and familiar hilltop a small distance from the city, slightly uphill atop the peaceful mountain that watched over the city. They sat in companionable silence for a while - Jason lay on the grass, dozing peacefully. Reyna sat, seemingly lost in thought but perked up after a moment and looked over at Percy with a curious and even mischievous look in her eye.
"Let's see how much you've improved, Perseus." Reyna said, rising and unsheathing her gladius. "Let's spar." Jason opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Percy glanced calculatingly over at Reyna before he nodded and rose to his feet, his sword already in his hand. Jason pushed himself a distance away from the two and watched with an amused expression on his face as the two dropped into their stances.
Reyna was the first to move. She lunged aggressively but precisely at Percy's right in a feint but changed direction at the last moment and instead slashed at his left. Jason expected the manoeuvre to catch Percy off-guard as it had done to Jason himself many times in the past, but the boy saw through it and countered it with a clean flick of his sword, lunging immediately in a counterattack aimed at her armoured chest. An impressed look crossed both Jason and Reyna's faces, and Reyna dodged Percy's counterattack and moved backwards several paces out of his range. She wove herself around his next attack until she was behind him, and slashed at his exposed back. Jason watched with a smile as Percy dove forward to avoid the blow, his eyes focusing intently on the boy's body as he moved, watching as the boy quickly became overwhelmed by Reyna's ferocious assault. Percy attempted a counter here and there but he increasingly became more defensive as Reyna pushed him back and battered his defence down.
A calculating look crossed Percy's face as he spotted an opening in Reyna's defence. Jason watched as the boy's muscles visibly tensed, betraying his planned actions, and watched as Percy seized the fake opening, lunging with his blade forward towards Reyna's now exposed chest. Reyna countered the slash, brutally smashing her own blade against the tip of Percy's, jerking the blade harshly to the side and breaking the boy's grip on the sword. The gladius flew out of Percy's hand and landed a small distance away on the ground with an audible thud. Reyna advanced and pressed the tip of her sword against Percy's throat. Percy visibly froze in surprise and blinked in shock, raising his hands slowly after a moment.
"I cederet." He muttered after a moment. Reyna grinned and lowered her sword, sheathing it smoothly with a satisfied look on her face. Jason watched as Percy retrieved his sword and noticed that the boy's face had completely drained of colour and laughed, grabbing the boy's attention.
"It's good to see my hero can be undone so easily by such a simple feint." He taunted playfully. Percy glared over at him fiercely. Jason winked, enticing a blush out of the boy. "I learned the hard way that if an opening in the middle of combat looks too good to be true, it usually is - especially with Reyna." Jason pulled up the arm on his tunic and turned his right arm over, showing the white scars that littered his skin to Percy. "Souvenirs of my training sessions with Reyna when I didn't pay attention."
"Well, if you lost to her then there's no shame in me losing." Percy said, grinning. Reyna looked overly pleased with herself and Jason rolled his eyes at her.
"If you were as smooth with your swordsmanship as you are with your tongue then you'd never lose a fight." Jason muttered. Percy blushed again and Jason laughed.
They returned to the city after a short while more spent lounging on the hilltop. Jason marvelled at how his worries and anxieties over his report had seemed to slip away as they lay there on the grassy surface, staring up at the clouds. Despite being in his twenty-third year, he felt as if he were fourteen again while he was in the company of Reyna and Percy, unbothered by the troubles of the empire. He ran a hand through his hair once more, wrinkling his nose when his hand came away slightly damp with sweat from the hot sun.
"I don't know about you two," Jason began, sparing a glance at Reyna and Percy who looked at him, waiting for him to continue talking. "But I'm filthy and in dire need of a bath."
Percy nodded in agreement, mimicking Jason and running a hand through his hair which was considerably damper from sparring. "Sounds good to me." Reyna seemed reluctant and Jason noticed, sweeping his eyes to glance at her expression.
"You don't have to come with us, Reyna." Jason said, watching as her face relaxed into a thankful expression. She bowed to him.
"Thank you, Domine. I will take my leave." Reyna bowed promptly again before she strode off and out of sight, leaving Jason and Percy behind. The two shared a look before Jason gestured for Percy to lead the way.
"After you." He said simply. "You know where the private baths are, after all."
Percy chose a relatively quick path to the nearest Thermae and found it deserted, closed except for special admittance. He grinned lopsidedly when he was allowed to enter with Jason behind him, enjoying the perks that came with being the friend of an official. They unbuckled their weaponry and removed their belts in the first room – the apodyterium – and placed them neatly away. Jason took a moment to spare a glance around the room, admiring the patterned masonry that adorned the walls before, with a mischievous glance at Percy, he stripped down completely. He watched with amusement as Percy blushed red and turned away, busying himself with stripping down and folding his clothes. When they were done they handed their clothes to the waiting capsarii and proceeded in to the tepidarium where they sat in comfortable silence while the unctores anointed them. Jason closed his eyes and enjoyed the heat of the room while he was anointed – it was a pleasant heat, not too hot as to be boiling and not too cold as to be freezing. He opened his eyes after a while and spotted Percy's eyes roaming over his body. The boy blushed and averted his gaze when he noticed Jason watching him.
They stood when the unctores finished and Percy led the way in to the much hotter caldarium. While Percy led the way to the puelos – a large quadrangular bath filled with pleasantly hot water – Jason's eyes were drawn to the boy's naked back. He raised an eyebrow in surprise when he saw the outline of a faint white scar along the boy's back. When they settled next to each other in the water, Jason placed his elbow on the edge of the bath, resting it, and traced the white scar along Percy's back with his index finger. Percy tensed up at the sudden touch and the boy shivered, but he did not object. Jason finally spoke up.
"How did you get this scar?" He asked, tracing the scar with his fingertip again, hoping that the question wasn't too personal. Percy didn't mind and he smiled sadly.
"Clarisse La Rue." He said, enjoying the sensation of Jason tracing his scar. "She was the bully you and your father saved me from, once."
Jason nodded, still absentmindedly tracing the scar tenderly. "I remember her." He looked up at Percy then and his hand stopped, much to Percy's disappointment. "Does she still bother you, Perseus? Say the word and she'll be cleaning the city after Vulcanalia. I'll make it so."
Percy smiled then – a proper smile, and Jason's breath caught when the corners of the boy's mouth tugged upwards and revealed the whites of the boy's teeth.
"A sweet offer, but completely unnecessary." Jason's confusion must have shown on his face, so Percy added, "I gave as good as I got, I used the advice you and Reyna gave me. She hasn't bothered me since."
Jason's face split into a grin then and he ruffled the boy's hair lovingly. "That's the boy I knew from all those years ago."
Percy shared the grin and his eyes faltered, glancing down at Jason's lips. Jason's grin widened when the boy leaned in towards him and stopped inches away, as if asking for Jason's permission. Even with the heat in the room, he could still feel Percy's hot breath ghosting against his cheek. After waiting a further moment to tease the boy, Jason finally closed the distance between the two, his hand snaking its way around Percy and pulling him close, his other hand threading its way through the boy's hair as he brought their lips together. He allowed Percy only just enough time to savour the innocent kiss before he tore himself away with a mischievous grin, enjoying the disappointed and flushed expression that flitted across Percy's face at the lack of contact.
"That's all you're getting for now," Jason began with a teasing tone and an even more mischievous expression on his face. "Once Vulcanalia is over and my report is done, we'll have all the free time we want." He leaned forward then, his breath grazing against Percy's ear and eliciting a shiver from the other boy. "I might even bring you with me when I return to the capital. The thermae are even better there."
Jason felt the boy grin when he leaned in to the crook of Jason's neck. "I'll have to help you complete that report pretty quickly then."
Jason returned the grin. "My hero."
They retired from the baths soon after, cooling themselves with colder water before drying themselves and retrieving their clothes, changing in flirtatious silence, casting glances at each other every few seconds. They left the thermae feeling much more refreshed and relaxed both physically and emotionally than they had felt before they bathed and Jason stretched, enjoying the relaxed, lethargic feeling in his muscles.
I could get used to feeling like this. He thought. He spared a glance skyward and was surprised to find it late afternoon already.
The two shared another glance before they headed off in unison back to Jason's chamber where they enjoyed a relatively quick meal before they set about compiling and writing his report on the city. Jason read aloud from a list in front of him provided by Castellan while Percy checked them against the list Jason had written the previous day. They finished Jason's report in half the time it would have taken Jason on his own. Jason glanced up after a while when the room had long grown dark and quiet, save for the scratchings of his ink-dipped metal pen on the scroll in front of him, and saw that Percy had fallen asleep on the bed, the list still clutched in his hand. Jason took a moment to savour the view of Percy's face free of expression and peacefully slumbering before he moved over and gently prised the list from the boy. He shook his head with a small smile as he untied the boy's armour and placed it neatly on the side, his own not-so-fond memories of falling asleep in armour and waking up covered in bruises coming back to the forefront of his mind. He took a moment to manoeuvre the boy in to a more comfortable position on the bed before he stripped down himself and joined him, pulling the cover over the two of them. The world went black and he drifted asleep the exact moment his head touched the soft pillow, managing to wrap an arm around the boy before sleep took him.
Jason's eyes opened wearily, his vision bleary and an unfamiliar warmth and weight snuggled into his chest. He glanced down and was met with soft locks of black hair tickling his face and smiled, pressing his nose down into Percy's hair and inhaling. He grinned when he caught the scent of sea salt – even after bathing, the smell of the sea still clung to Percy as if he had just dived in the deep waters five minutes earlier. Percy stirred when Jason brought a hand to the boy's cheek, tracing one of the boy's cheekbones fondly, and stretched, looking around in confusion and rubbing his eyes sleepily.
"I must have fallen asleep reading." Percy said after he had woken himself properly.
Jason stood up while the boy adjusted himself to his surroundings and dressed. Percy glanced down and blushed crimson when he realised he was wearing little and leaving even less to the imagination.
"I'm guessing I have you to thank for removing my armour?" He asked.
Jason turned and grinned back at the boy, winking flirtatiously. "Of course. I was very thorough."
Heat rushed to Percy's face and red leaked into his cheeks, leaving him as brilliantly red as a rose. A daring expression crossed his face after he regained his composure and he arched his eyebrows in an unspoken and flirtatious challenge.
"Well," he said, pausing to bite his lip and looking at Jason's clothed body. "I guess I'll have to return the favour after the festival tonight."
"I hope that's not an empty promise." Jason said, taking a sip of wine from the goblet set next to the bed, savouring the fruity taste that seemed less delicious now that he was looking at Percy with a coy smile on his face. The boy responded by standing and pulling on his clothes with deliberate slowness, making sure Jason was watching.
A sudden knock on the door startled the boy, who tangled himself quickly in his clothing and lost his balance, falling with a thud to the floor. Jason snorted and nearly inhaled all of his wine, choking in an attempt to clear his airway. Percy repaid Jason's laughter by throwing his tunic at Jason's head when the older boy moved towards the door. Jason dodged the tunic and opened it, unsurprised to see Reyna waiting there. She inclined her head respectfully.
"Domine, the bonfires have been constructed and all of the necessary preparations have been made. The festival has already begun." She said. Jason looked at her in confusion for a moment before he turned on his heel and looked out of the window, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw the bright sunlight of the late afternoon already shining through.
"We must've slept pretty late if they've already made the bonfires…" Jason commented aloud to himself.
Reyna nodded and Jason turned back to her, spotting the merest hint of a smirk on her face. "I figured you would need longer to… refresh yourself this morning, Domine." Jason watched as Reyna cast a glance at Percy before she averted her eyes and returned to looking at him, the hint of a smile on her face growing with each passing minute.
Jason grinned sheepishly. "It's not what you're thinking, Reyna." He could tell she didn't believe him just by looking at her. "We'll meet you at the central bonfires in a while."
Reyna nodded and took her leave without another word, glancing back only once with a smug grin on her face. Jason closed the door and turned on his heel again. He was greeted with the sight of a shirtless Perseus waiting impatiently for his tunic. Jason took a moment to sip from his wine and savoured the view before he bent over and picked the thrown tunic from the floor, throwing it back to the boy.
"As much as I'd like to see you make good on your word before the festival, I'd sooner wait for the main event." He watched streaks of red permeate Percy's cheeks and decided there and then that it was one of his favourite sights to behold. He took another sip of his wine and savoured his view of a blushing and embarrassed Percy before he turned around and allowed him to dress privately.
They left the room soon after once they had ensured Percy was decently clothed – a task which took far longer than it should have because Jason spent half the time teasing the younger boy, and the younger boy would always rise to the bait and throw whatever article of clothing he was holding at him. The first thing Jason noticed was how busy the city was – sure, it had seemed busy when he first arrived, but now it seemed to have swelled and even doubled in size. There was a loud chatter in the air from all the people talking and celebrating and drinking. Jason busied himself with Castellan and his waiting advisors in ensuring that the final preparations for Vulcanalia were made and that the city was ready for the evening ahead of them, with Reyna and Percy flanking him as his personal guards.
He spent so much time with his head down in a list, wandering the city and inspecting the bonfires with Castellan that he barely noticed the time. When he finally looked up with weary eyes, the sky had gone dark, Castellan had given his speech, the bonfires had been lit and the sacrifices were being prepared. He was brought out of his thoughts once more when Percy took the list out of his hands and put a goblet of wine in its place.
"You've done enough today, Jason." He said, lifting Jason's hand upwards towards Jason's mouth. "Drink and celebrate like everyone else. You've done everything you needed to."
Jason looked from Percy to the goblet and raised an eyebrow, smiling playfully. "If I didn't know better, Perseus, I'd say you were trying to get me drunk."
Percy smiled coyly and pressed the goblet to Jason's lips. "I'll admit the thought had crossed my mind."
Jason blinked and then smiled, parting his lips and allowing Percy to tip the contents of the goblet into his mouth. He downed it in one and Percy looked surprised. Their attention was brought to the nearest bonfire when Castellan announced the sacrifices were about to begin. The chosen livestock were brought forward and Jason put his arm over Percy's shoulder. When the animals were brought to the fire, Percy buried his face into the crook of Jason's neck and closed his eyes. Jason cupped the boy's ear but did not look away: he had to play the role of an official and not just look the role, so he had to look. It was brutal and chilling, but Jason got through it.
With the offerings to Vulcan made, Jason filled two goblets of wine and handed them to Percy and Reyna. When they both raised their eyebrows and looked ready to refuse, he silenced them with a look and a smirk.
"You should be allowed to enjoy Vulcanalia too." The two shared a glance and still looked ready to protest. Jason took a moment to refill his own goblet and sipped from it, a grin forming on his lips when he looked at the two again. "That's an order, Jackson, Ramírez-Arellano."
Percy grinned and shrugged, then downed his drink after a moment, surprising Jason. Reyna confined herself to taking a small sip from her goblet, savouring the wine rather than practically inhaling it like Percy.
Jason found himself a seat and watched the festival progress. He watched and listened as songs were sung honouring Vulcan and his many forges, listening to the melodic music played by skilled musicians who gathered around the roaring bonfires and sipping from his goblet that was never allowed to be empty. He watched with a blurry, amused expression on his face – his eyes somewhat unfocused and a grin constantly adorning his lips, his head swimming from the alcohol – as Percy became more and more drunk and clumsy with his actions and even Reyna seemed to loosen up a little, her stoic demeanour giving way to a smile after her second goblet of wine.
Jason stood and found Castellan sometime after spotting Percy staring up at the sky dazedly and excused himself for the evening. He made a conscious effort to commend Castellan and his advisors for their effective organisation of the festival, impressing both Castellan and himself with how formal and official he had managed to be even when obviously drunk.
With that done, Jason turned and weaved his way clumsily through the dancing and celebrating crowds, losing his footing more than once and stumbling, though never falling. He found Percy pretty quickly and helped the boy to his feet.
A drunken grin crossed Jason's face as he forced his eyes to focus on Percy's face, taking the empty goblet out of Percy's hands. "T-that's enough wine for one evening, don't you think?" Jason was surprised his speech wasn't ridiculously slurred and grinned. Maybe I'm getting used to this wine after all?
Percy grinned up at Jason and rested his head on Jason's shoulder again while Jason half-carried, half-steered the boy away from the crowd. He found Reyna on the way and told her to enjoy herself and to make sure she got some sleep that night before he continued walking on, supporting Percy along the way. He was almost certain he could hear Reyna's laughter at their drunken swaying even when they reached Jason's door.
Percy stopped them before Jason could open the door, moving in front of him and wrapping his arms around the older boy's neck. He stood on his toes and brought his lips clumsily against Jason's, his breath smelling like the zesty, fresh fruit used in the vibrant wine. Jason let out a soft gasp in surprise as Percy's hands wandered downwards and grinned into the kiss. Percy returned the grin and reached behind him with one hand, opening the door and leading the way in, never breaking the kiss, and closing the door behind them.
Jason's eyes snapped open and he shot up in bed, dislodging Percy who had been resting his head on his chest. He looked around in alarm, his head pounding and his vision somewhat blurry. Percy looked the same, his eyes darting around the room, looking for whatever had woken them. They shared a confused glance before the answer came: a sudden boom that shook the room and the building. The two dived out of the bed and ran towards the window, Percy with a slight limp, and looked out. Jason privately thought to himself disbelievingly that he was surely looking out into the fiery underworld and not the city of Pompeii.
The sky was black and stormy and there was no sign of the sun. A howling wind tore its way through the city as another boom shook the buildings around them. Thunder roared its displeasure in the skies above, as if Jupiter himself commanded it, and lightning streaked violently across the sky, striking tall trees around the city. What looked like black rain that Jason figured was ash was pouring from the sky, covering the rooves of the buildings around them. Everything – absolutely everything was shaking. Smaller buildings with weak foundations flew apart and crumbled from the force. Taller buildings – like the one they were in – shook madly but remained standing, remaining mostly unscathed. Jason looked up at the source of the noise and his heart near stopped, his breath caught in his throat and he gasped in shock and fear. The mountain – the seemingly peaceful, slumbering giant he had relaxed on not two days before was awake and very much alive, beating the land with quakes and hurling ash into the sky.
People were running and screaming in the streets. Quakes they were used to, but storms like this they were not. They ran covering their mouths and letting out loud, harsh, raspy and desperate coughs Jason could just about hear from his window over the mountain screaming its rage and hate for all to hear, spewing fire and ash out of its once peaceful and fertile top.
Jason's eyes widened in shock and he gulped in fear, then he cursed loud enough to wake the gods. He ran back to the bed and picked up his discarded clothes from the evening before and quickly dressed. He looked over and saw Percy still frozen at the window, his face devoid of colour and his eyes empty of everything save fear and terror. Jason steeled himself and projected an expression of controlled calm when the boy looked to him for example. Jason walked over and placed a reassuring hand on Percy's shoulder, forcing the boy to look at him.
"Percy. Get dressed. We're going to be okay." The boy looked at him dazedly, but Jason could see fear losing its control over the boy. "You're with me. You're safe. Get dressed." Percy blinked before he nodded, running as fast as his limp would allow before he dressed. The door to their room flew open and Reyna ran in, a wild look in her eyes but otherwise her face was devoid of emotion like Jason's. She gestured wildly for them to follow and Jason nodded, pulling Percy by the hand out of the room.
They stuck close together, hardly able to hear themselves let alone each other over the raucous cacophony of the civilians' screams of terror, their violent and raspy coughing and the monstrous roars of the mountain. They sprinted through the streets, slowing down only to help the wounded citizens on their way, and each time Jason would yell "Fugite! Fugite!"
Percy knew where the civilians were heading – the places they always went when quakes hit: they would gather under strong arches and wait the quakes out, knowing themselves to be safe under the arches. Percy had never hid under one himself and had always stayed at his father's side by the sea. Now he was alone, save for Jason and Reyna. His face was pale with palpable fear. Jason did not lead them to the arches and Percy's stomach settled somewhat.
The reached one of the stables on the city outskirt and found a lone horse tied up, thrashing against its bindings and neighing desperately to escape. The beast calmed enough for Percy and Reyna to saddle themselves on it and the two looked, waiting for Jason to join them. Jason shook his head and slipped his father's ring off, grabbing Percy's hand and sliding it on to the boy's ring finger. Confusion took over Percy's fear, temporarily holding back fear while Reyna went white with shock – she knew what he was doing.
"I'll see you soon, Perseus, but I have to make sure the people are okay." Jason said in as calm a voice as he could manage, fighting back the quavering tone in his voice and the fear that was no doubt visible in his eyes. Percy moved to dismount from the horse but Jason pushed him back on and slapped the horse's hind. "Fugite! Go!"
The horse shot off at breakneck speeds and Reyna took the reins, barely managing to keep control of the horse to prevent the two from being flung off. Percy looked back with a face as pale as death itself and even from a distance, Jason could see the unmistakable tears that streaked their way down the boy's cheeks. He forced a calm expression on his face and attempted to steady his breathing, even attempting a confident smile. Percy's expression remained unchanged and Reyna grabbed onto him tightly when the horse jumped over fallen debris. With a heavy heart, Jason turned to look at the fiery mountain with a pale face, knowing that his façade hadn't fooled Percy. His body broke out in fearful tremors that challenged the quakes in their violence and he offered a silent prayer to the gods to help them – help him.
With Percy's direction, Reyna quickly spurred the horse towards the port and saw that Neptunus was waiting, diverting the civilians that had not sought shelter under the stone arches onto the few, available boats that were docked in the port. The two dismounted from their horse and the horse bolted, overtaking those who ran out of the city and away from the mountain rather than into the water. They could see the water thrashing around violently, disturbed from its lazy slumber by the quakes and Percy knew it was only a matter of time before the water began to rise.
Neptunus spotted Percy instantly and even over the screams of the people and the roars of the mountain, Percy could hear his thundering voice clearly, yelling for him to get on a boat. Percy looked wide-eyed at his father and shook his head wildly, fighting to get free of Reyna's iron grip to get back to Jason and bring him to the dock. Neptunus's eyes snapped to Reyna and he barked an order for her to get him on the boat and keep him there. Reyna nodded her head and she took a stronger grip on Percy, half-carrying him, half-dragging him onto the nearest boat while Percy kicked and hit and bit and tore to get free. When he finally broke her vice-like grip on him, the boat had already been filled, untied and launched too far for Percy to swim back. He watched with maddening desperation as his father shrunk from his view, a lone figure looking back at him from the docks, his hand reached out as if to grasp Percy, and Percy screamed his fury and his hurt at the world that his father and Jason weren't with them. And then it all went black.
News of Vesuvio had spread far and wide across the Empire long before Percy and Reyna arrived at the capital, Roma. Whispers and rumours spread like wildfire, claiming that the gods had been angered and Vulcan had not been pleased with the offerings made. Hasty decisions were made by the emperor to increase the offerings made to the god each year, and across the empire, prayers were held to the gods to spare them the wrath they had unleashed in Campania.
Percy raised his head when Reyna approached him and gestured for him to lead the way. She escorted him into a marble chamber adorned with beautifully sculpted statues of the gods and exotic plants he hadn't seen before. Sat behind a desk with a pale face and unmoving was a man who looked almost as if he were made of marble himself. His expression was blank and betrayed no emotion, though Percy saw through him, and he saw fear. The man looked up when Percy approached. Percy shared a glance with Reyna and she nodded approvingly at him. Percy removed Jason's ring from his finger and placed it in front of the man. This close to him, Percy recognised some elements of the man's face – the chiselled jawline was unmistakable: it was the same as Jason's.
The man studied the ring for a moment before he glanced from it to Percy and then back again. His face, if possible, grew even whiter and his expression slipped, his face contorting violently into agony and his eyes twitched before he regained his composure. He flicked his hand at Percy and spoke only one word: "Speak."
Percy launched into his explanation and explained how Jason had commanded them to flee, telling them to get to safety while he remained behind to ensure the citizens were safe. He paused for a moment.
"I-I don't know whether your son survived the gods' wrath, Domine." He said, after a moment of tense silence.
The man took a moment to process Percy's story. He shot a glance in Reyna's direction before he returned to looking at Percy.
"I remember you, boy." The man said simply after another moment of silent thought. "My son took a liking to you the moment he saw you those many years ago." He paused again to take a small sip from his water goblet. "If my son is dead, he will have died an honourable hero and he will have died well. He will be honoured, as will the other victims of this catastrophe, and he will live well. He did his duty and died a true Roman." Percy twitched but held his tongue, wanting to point out how if his father had not made obedience such an important thing, Jason would not have felt compelled to remain and would not have died. "I thank you for going to the trouble to bring me this news… you will be rewarded, of course." Percy began to refuse but the man silenced him with a commanding look. "But please, leave me to grieve for now."
Percy bowed and swiftly left the room. Reyna followed behind him, watching the boy's face carefully.
It had been some time since they had arrived at the capital, and yet more days passed, blurring together in an amalgamation of hurt, suffering, pain and then emptiness in successive, unending cycles that threatened to break the resolve of even Reyna. Reyna had kept him company since they had arrived, but Percy could tell she too was grieving, though she tried to hide it from him and he found they often drowned their sorrows in wine – though not Pompeii's wine. That wine was too painful to drink, for both of them.
It was on the seventh day after arriving that they were broken from their sorrow when news of Campania survivors arriving reached them. The two perked up and shared a glance, neither of them daring to hope, and headed down to the source of the commotion. They arrived at the main city gates and fought their way through the crowd to the front. Reyna snarled at any who shot them a look or looked ready to get in their way and they quickly backed off, fright evident on their faces.
The two watched as survivors in varying conditions poured in to the city. Percy noticed that each and every one of them wore clothes blackened and smeared with ash and soot. Percy's heart faltered a little with each face he looked at and was met with disappointment time and time again. When the flow of people ended, he turned with a heavy heart and began walking away. Jason wasn't there, and neither was his father.
Reyna's arm shot out and grabbed Percy, pulling him to a stop. He looked back in surprise before his eyes widened in shock and his breath caught in his throat.
Two men were walking towards the city – from this distance, Percy and Reyna could tell they were battered and bruised and covered with ash, but very much alive and well. Percy recognised the taller, bulkier man immediately – his father was alive. His heart was lifted immediately and for the first time in days, Percy genuinely smiled. When they slowly got closer, Percy saw that his father was supporting someone. His father's arm was around the other's waist while he half-carried him forward, and Percy could see the other man was limping.
The smaller man raised his head and Percy saw the strikingly familiar blue eyes and the soot-covered blond locks and he and Reyna let out a cry of surprise and joy, before the two of them surged forward and embraced the two men. Jason smiled weakly, fatigued by his journey, before he and Neptunus returned the hugs with relieved smiles on their faces.
Glossary
Roma - Rome, the capital city of the Empire.
Ave - "Hail"
Propraetor - Roman rank equivalent to a governor
Vigiles Urbani - "Watchmen of the city", the firefighters and police of ancient rome.
Gladius - the primary sword of Ancient Roman foot soldiers
Vado - "Go"
Ita Domine - equivalent to "Yes Lord"
Neptunus - Latin name for the god Neptune
Exercitus Romanus - "Roman Army"
Classis - the Roman Navy/fleet
Campania felix - literally "fertile countryside", the Latin name for the southwestern region of Italy, Campania
I cederet - "I yield"
Thermae - Roman bath
Apodyterium - the entrance room in a Roman bath where people undressed and stored their clothing
Capsarii - slaves that attended the apodyterium and managed clothing
Tepidarium - the warm room in a Roman bath
Unctores - slaves that annointed people before they bathed
Caldarium - the hot room in a Roman bath
Puelos - a quadrangular bath filled with hot water in the caldarium
Vulcanalia - Roman festival celebrating the god Vulcan/Vulcanus
Fugite - "Flee"
Vesuvio - Latin name for Mt. Vesuvius