Clipeum stood, looking to his twin sister, Alenia, for support. She smiled assuredly at him, and stood next to him near the arena door.
"Clipeum, we will do fine. We have made it this far, so you think we will give up so easily," Alenia inquired of him.
Clipeum smiled at her "No. only worried that I may never come back to such an annoyance after we win," he told her.
She smirked, before punching Clipeum in the shoulder, muttering "Culus," at her brother. Clipeum only smiled and gave his sister a hug in response.
"Gladiators, enter the arena!" Came the arena announcers voice. Clipeum readied his dual Gladii, as Alenia readied her long bow. The twins stepped out into the light of the arena, coming face to face with two large, middle aged men. One man had a shield, the other wielded a Gladius, however both had a Pilum tied to their back. They sneered at the twins, before laughing condescendingly at them.
"This is all you have for us? Twin children? Pathetic," came the voice of the larger man. Clipeum glared at him, and Alenia looked as if she was coming up with a strategy. As a horn blew, the battle was initiated, and Alenia rushed to the wall, seeming to hug onto it as she took pot shots at the two men. One man rushed Clipeum, while the other blocked Alenia's shots. Clipeum met the man rushing halfway, and struck the mans Gladius with both of his own. He dragged one Gladius from the mans own, and reached to stab the man in the stomach, however the man grabbed the blade and kicked Clipeum in the stomach, sending him onto his back with a grunt, dropping both his Gladii. The man placed his foot on Clipeum's chest, and threw his Gladii at where Clipeum's head was. Clipeum moved his head just in time to make the blade stab the coliseum ground. Clipeum then grabbed the man's foot, then twisted, then applied more force to twist even harder, breaking the mans foot. The man let out a yell of pain, and Clipeum pushed the man off of him, before grabbing his Gladii and stabbing at the mans side, however the man jumped to the side, falling in the process. Clipeum turned his attention to the man who was preoccupied with Alenia. He was making ground fast and Alenia couldn't seem to land any shots. Just as Clipeum was about to rush the man, he noticed a Pilum flying past his head. Next, Clipeum heard Alenia let out a blood curdling scream. He turned to her again and noticed the Pilum had pinned her leg to the wall. She tried to keep shooting at the man, but it was no use. Clipeum raced with the man to make it to his sister, only to be pulled back at the last second.
"Not yet, child," said a voice in his head. He tried to fight the force pushing him back, however it was too strong. He was forced to watch as the man drove his Pilum into Alenia's neck. Clipeum watched as the life drained from his sister's eyes. She looked at him one last time, before her eyes glow was drained. Clipeum was horrified as the men, somehow the one with the broken leg was up again, laughed. He had lost everything that he ever had, His sister. She was what had kept him going. Horror gave way to anger, and Clipeum rushed toward the grinning men. He slashed at the shield holders stomach, creating a bleeding gash. The man with the broken leg couldn't move fast enough, and Clipeum finished the shield holder in one fell swoop. He put both blades together and decapitated the man.
Now was the other mans turn to become enraged. He rushed Clipeum, shoving him to the ground again, before putting his Gladius in both hands, and driving it toward Clipeum's chest. Clipeum felt his strength and resolve suddenly renew, and grabbed the blade of the Gladius. He pushed it back, but the man applied more strength. Clipeum pushed his hands together, and he felt the sharp Gladius pulling his flesh apart. However, just as Clipeum was going to give up, the Gladius suddenly broke, and the man thrust the broken swords hilt into Clipeums chest, which did little to nothing except annoy him. Everything was silent, even the divine beings were impressed. They didn't notice the little things, what was holding Clipeum back and strengthening him. How had this boy shattered a blade with his bear hands?
The man was silent. "What the hell is this kid," he asked himself in his mind. Clipeum stood, not really understanding, himself, what had happened. He grabbed his Gladii and the mans confidence was quickly draining.
"W-wait kid! I don-," the man was cut off. Clipeum drove his Gladii into the man's leg, causing him to fall. Clipeum's face was red with rage, and he drove his Gladii into the man's other leg. Clipeum, then, grabbed the man's neck. The man looked at Clipeum, fear in his eyes.
"P-Plea-," the man was cut off once again. Clipeum pulled on the mans neck, causing the man to scream in pain as the crowd stunned, wondering why the hell this kid was doing. Clipeum pulled harder and the mans head disconnected from his body, causing the large body to fall to the ground with a thud. Clipeum dropped the mans head next to his body before rushing to where his sister's pale, dead body was.
"Alenia! Alenia! Please, no," Clipeum begged and pleaded, hoping against hope that she could still somehow be alive. He knew it was in vain, but it felt right. When he was done, he grabbed her bow and placed it on his back, tying it to himself so it wouldn't slip. This was Clipeum's way of keeping a piece of his sister.
Clipeum turned to see twelve figures standing before him. He readied his Gladii, only for them to fall to his sides with his arms. He tried to fight, but just like when he tried to save Alenia, the force was too powerful.
"Relax, boy, we only wish to talk," Said the man in front. The man snapped his fingers, and all of them disappeared with Clipeum in a flash of golden light. When Clipeum's vision came back, he was surrounded by the twelve figures, however all of them seemed at least fifteen meters taller than him. Clipeum didn't know these people personally, but he could make a guess as to who they are and he was pretty damn surprised to be in their presence.
"Lord Jupiter," Clipeum started. "Why am I here though? I mean... How... What?" He finally stopped before looking even more idiotic.
Jupiter rolled his eyes at the boy. "Listen boy. This tournament was a way to choose a guardian for the children of our children, the demigods," Jupiter informed Clipeum. Clipeum nodded in response, motioning for Jupiter to continue.
"Since you have been declared the arena champion, you have won the right to guard the demigods. You are tasked with guarding the Jupiter Military Camp, The home of the demigods," Jupiter said, finalizing his statement. Clipeum took it in and thought for a moment.
"Okay, but how am I suppose to do this? I don't have any way to keep them safe. Just hoping I'm stronger than some monster," Clipeum said. Jupiter grunted in annoyance.
"You will choose one God or Goddess to make you their champion. Choose now, and choose wisely. You cannot undo this effect," Jupiter told Clipeum. Clipeum thought long and hard. If he chose Neptune, he could control water. Pluto must have had his benefits, then there was Jupiter himself. However, Clipeum wanted to feel unique and take a leap of faith.
"I choose Boreas, Lord Jupiter," Clipeum said. Everyone's eyes bugged out, why had he chosen such a minor god?
"Er... very well, boy." Jupiter said, surprise clear in his voice. Jupiter shouted something in an unknown language, and Clipeum heard it carried along in the wind. A second later, Boreas appeared, kneeling before Jupiter.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, M'lord," Boreas inquired. The god looked around and his eyes landed on Clipeum. He grinned, before groaning. Clipeum found it kind of strange, but kept his eyes fixated on Lord Jupiter.
"Boreas, old friend. I summoned you here to bless this boy. He has bested the greatest foes in the coliseum, and has been named the Guardian of Demigods. He chose you as a patron, and we request you make him your champion," Zeus said, trying to sound nice, though his tone said there was no choice.
Boreas sighed "Yes, M'lord, at once!" He said. Boreas pointed his hand in Clipeum's direction, before flashing away. There were a few instantaneous things. First, Clipeum's body rejected the power Boreas gave him and fought it. Clipeum screamed in pain, until his body submitted and the power settled within him. However, his appearance had also changed. His hair turned from a greasy and dirty Brown to a clean and windswept Crystalline Blue. His eyes shifted from a deep-dark Obsidian Black color, to a Shimmering and shiny Snowy White color.
He stood, and the room suddenly became at least thirty degrees cooler, as if all the heat in the air was ripped away, before shifting to thirty degrees hotter than it was, as if all the coolness was ripped from the air. After a few minutes of constant weather shifts, the room settled at a perfect temperature. Clipeum apologized.
"I guess something that happens now is controlling and regulating temperature around me," Clipeum explained. The figure watching on smirked, Clipeum didn't know his true power yet. Jupiter just nodded before flashing away, followed by the rest of the gods. Clipeum sat confused for a few minutes, before being sent to Jupiter Military Camp.