Octavian stood quietly at the dias with a small red teddy bear in his hands and a ceremonial knife in the other. As he cut the teddy bear open and looked to see what it said would come to pass his mind wondered back to the old day when he young, around five years old. The time when his mom and dad were still living together and his half-brother, Luke, had still been living with them in that small apartment complex that Octavian had once called home.
* Fifteen years earlier*
"Lukey, get up. It's time for breakfast, Lukey!" Octavian's small hand roughly poked his older brother in the side as he lay silently on his bed. "Are you alive, Lukey?" Octavian whispered into Luke's ear. Luke didn't respond. He remained motionless. "Lukey, wake up." Octavian cried wondering if his older brother was alright. Octavian leaned closer to Luke as he looked at his brother's tan skin and sandy blonde hair. Luke was nine years old, four years older than Octavian, but just as immature. "Lukey," Octavian came closer when Luke opened his eyes swooping Octavian into his arms.
"Got ya," Luke laughed holding Octavian's head close to his chest.
"Let go, Lukey," Octavian whined trying to escape his older brother's grasp.
"Last one to the table is a rotten egg," Luke released Octavian and ran for the door.
"That's cheating, Lukey!" Octavian shrieked slowly climbing down the bed and running as fast as his little legs could take him into the dining room.
The house was small with only two rooms, but enough to fit the two boys and the parents comfortably. It was the one place that Octavian truly missed, but always felt pained to go back to.
Octavian rushed to the kitchen table where Luke sat with his a fork and knife in his hands and a prideful smile on his face.
"That wasn't fair, Lukey," Octavian sat across from Luke with his arms folded and his face turning as red as a freshly picked tomato.
"Lies," Luke objected. "That was totally fair and square!" Luke stuck his tongue out at Octavian and Octavian spit back. "Ew, that was nasty!" Luke wined wiping the spit off his face. Luke glared at Octavian and Octavian glared back. They were having a bro to bro showdown. Only one person could decide the match; dad.
"I think Octavian one this one Luke. He looks like an angry dwarf who had just eaten a can of hot Chile peppers." Octavian's father, Alberto, laughed brushing his fingers through the two boy's blonde, stingy hair.
Octavian's father was a tall, muscular man. His hair was dark and sleeked back. He had a California tan, dark eyes and an award winning smile. Octavian of course looked like his mother, small, pale, blue eyed with sandy blonde hair and a small smile that was hard to distinguish any source of real feeling inside. Octavian's mother was a quiet woman, and was different than most. She tended to space out and exclaim that monsters were running around the house. Alberto always said that she was just seeing things, but Octavian knew that his father could see them to. They all could. The monsters were the reason Octavian was teased so much at pre-school. No one believed him, but his parents and Luke who the world also viewed as crazy maniacs.
"Daddy, Lukey pushed me!" Octavian reached for his Alberto who gently picked him up and kissed him on the cheek.
"Why would you push him, Luke?" Alberto looked down at Luke with a concerned look as he held Octavian close to his face.
"But, Al, he spit on me and I didn't push him I just wanted to get to the table first. He's just making up stories to get me in trouble." Luke glared at Octavian and took a small bite of sausage that was set down on his plate.
"Are you making up stories, little man?" Alberto asked Octavian. Octavian looked up at Alberto with big blue eyes.
"I love you, daddy," Octavian mumbled continuing to look at his father with big blue eyes.
"Alright, you're pretty handsome, so I guess I'll have to forgive you," Alberto smiled and kissed Octavian on the cheek and set him down in his seat.
"Hello my handsome boys," Octavian's mother, May walked into the room. She had dark circles under her eyes and was wearing a pale blue robe with white slippers on her tiny feet.
"Mommy," Luke and Octavian ran for their mother wrapping their arms around her.
"Good morning, my angels," she gently kissed the two boy's on the forehead and sat down for breakfast.
They ate breakfast, watched T.V, and played a few games until around noon when Luke and Octavian decided to go play outside just before lunch.
"We'll be back in time for lunch, mom" Luke opened the door and walked outside with Octavian close behind. Octavian's mother had no idea how wrong that statement really was. That day had Luke had brought his backpack and a jug of water with him as they were playing. Octavian hadn't known what this meant at the time until the next day.
While they were playing catch Luke threw the ball out of Octavian's reach. Octavian paused and ran for the ball se he could continue playing with his brother. While he was gone Luke picked up his bag and snuck over to the fence quietly passing by the wind chimes attempting to get out Octavian's sight.
"Where are you going, Lukey? Can I come?" Octavian ran after his brother who stood next to grey wired fence. Luke looked up to the sky as if looking for the right answer.
"I'm…I'm going on a special mission," Luke finally said kneeling down to Octavian's height so only he could hear the words that he was saying. "Its top secret only the bravest of the brave can go." Luke whispered to Octavian.
Octavian's face lit up with pride. "I'm brave," Octavian clenched his fists and stepped forward only to fall down on his butt.
"I know you're brave, but this mission isn't for you. It's mine and mine alone." Luke took in a shaky breath and embraced Octavian. "I love you so much, Octavian. I'm sorry that I hurt you and tease you. You will always be my favorite little brother." Luke stood up and walked over to the fence and began to climb.
"When will you be back?" Octavian asked wondering if this mission thing was really a good idea or not.
Luke looked at Octavian with pain and sorrow in his blue eyes. "Good bye, Octavian." Luke climbed over the fence and within seconds he was gone. That was the last time he ever saw big brother, Luke.
Octavian ran back inside and played with his toy's waiting for his big brother to return, but as the days passed by without his brother, Octavian wondered whether the mission was actually real or if Luke had made the whole thing up to get away from him because, Luke, didn't actually love Octavian. After six months of waiting Octavian knew why Luke left. It wasn't because of some stupid mission he didn't want to be here with us anymore, so he ran away. During those six months Octavian's mother changed dramatically and it only got worse as time went by. She spaced out more than usual and as for him and his father she slowly began ignoring their very existence. Six years have passed since Luke ran away.
Octavian heard a knock on the door and his mother quickly rose from her seat to answer it. "Luke," she cried only to see an empty porch. "He'll be back for lunch just like he said. There's no need to worry. Look at the pretty flowers." Octavian's mother said this many times when a bird landed on the porch or when they had guests which all stopped coming to their house because of her.
Alberto tolerated May's behavior for six long years. May was the love of his life, but it soon became clear to both him and Octavian that something had to be done.
"May, can I speak to you?" Alberto asked looking down at May who continued to make and burn chocolate chip cookies and stare into the dead Lily's in front of her.
"Not now, Luke, you'll be back for lunch time and then we can talk." May looked down at the dead Lily's with glazed eyes.
"May, enough about Luke, he's gone! I know that you loved him. I loved him to, but he's not coming back, and if you haven't noticed you have another son, Octavian. He's eleven years old now, did you know that?" Alberto pointed at Octavian who sat on the floor playing Pokémon on his brand new Gameboy that his father had given him for Christmas last year.
"Luke, who's Octavian," May asked taking a bite of the burnt chocolate chip cookies. Stacks of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were piled on the cabinets. She started making them every year, then those years turned to months and the months into weeks. Jugs of Kool-Aid were piled in the sink. Alberto went and recycled them every chance he got until May got angry and threatened to kick him and Octavian out of the house if he continued to throw the jugs away. That was six months ago.
"Octavian is your son May, our son!" Alberto barked. Octavian could hear the anger and pain in his father's voice. It made him sad. Octavian got up and walked into his room. Octavian sat on his window seal. The rain beat heavily outside. From outside his door he could hear the shrill cries of his parents arguing in the background. He even heard the sound of a breaking vase. A tear trickled down his pale cheek.
"Octavian," Alberto burst into the room holding a large suitcase and back pack in his hand and dropped them on the floor. "Start packing, now" his father ordered.
"Why," Octavian asked holding his Gameboy close to his chest.
"You and I are going on a trip. Mommy needs some space. We'll be leaving in ten minutes, understand." Alberto looked down at Octavian and gently kissed him on the fore head. "I love, sweetheart," Alberto walked out of the door to give Octavian time to pack. The screaming and fighting continued.
Octavian packed all of his clothes, shoes, a few sketchbooks that he loved, pencils, paint and his three favorite books. He closed the suitcase and the back pack and grabbed the jacket he'd left out and put it on and walked out the door.
"Dad," Octavian opened the door and peered down the narrow hallway.
"You ready," Alberto walked up to him and grabbed his suitcases. "Let's go, buddy."
"You can't go Luke! Wait, Luke!" Octavian's mother cried as Alberto slammed the door behind him. Him and Octavian raced to the car and drove off. That was the last time Octavian ever saw his mother.
"Daddy where are we going," Octavian asked looking back at the small, blue apartment complex. He could still see a glimpse of his mother looking out her window with that glazed look in her once beautiful blue eyes.
"I told you we're going on a vacation. A very long vacation, you'll love it, I promise." Alberto hesitated concentrating on the road ahead of him.
"Dad, really, where are we going?" Octavian asked again hoping to get a real response back.
Alberto sighed. "We're going to a place called Camp Jupiter. It's a place for people like us. The people there see monsters to and there, they are considered Warriors of Rome." Alberto said.
"Is Luke there?" Octavian asked.
"I don't, baby. I don't know where Luke is, but where ever he is I hope that he's alright." Alberto smiled at Octavian and continued driving. Within a week time they entered into Los Angeles, California. It was beautiful, warm and full of strange people and monsters.
Alberto stopped in front of a small river and helped Octavian unpack his things and his own.
"Are you ready," Alberto asked. Octavian nodded his head. They walked past the river and into the woods where two men in Roman armor stood with swords and spears in hand.
"Former praetor, Alberto, it' an honor to see you," The two men moved aside revealing a large tunnel that was covered in bushes and thorns.
"And who might this little tyke be," One of the solders asked looking down at Octavian as if he was cutest thing that she'd ever seen.
"This is my son, Octavian. I'm taking him to the place I was raised, Camp Jupiter and this time I don't suspect that we will be leaving any time soon." Alberto smiled and held Octavian close kissing him gently on the cheek.
"Well then if that's the case welcome home Alberto and welcome to Camp Jupiter, the twelfth legion of Rome, Octavian." We entered into the cave and the rest is history.
Octavian touched the stuffing that lay before him. The Greek has arrived, it said as it showed him glimpses of a boy with black hair, sea green eyes who could control the sea's. The last thing the augury's showed him was the Greek standing over the dead body of what he knew to be his long lost half-brother, Luke Castellan.
"Percy," Hazel said, "This is Octavian."
"The graecus!" Octavian announced. "How interesting."