This is the sequel to Semper Invicta and the end of a three year project. I hope everyone enjoys.


A loud explosion woke Frank from his slumber, and he practically fell out of bed. One hand grabbed his sword, and his eyes darted around. A few deep breaths made him realize that the loud explosion was just someone's fist banging against the front door. He laid his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes tiredly.

The pounding only continued, until Frank was forced to stand and stumble towards the door. He had only gotten a few hours of sleep, due to the nightmares. When Frank thought everything was peaceful, he would remember the destruction and death that had swept through the demigods only two months before. He remembered the relationships that had been destroyed and would never be fixed.

Frank opened the door and came face to face with a tired looking man. The man held a tablet out towards Frank and spoke, "I just need a signature to prove to Lupa that I did the statue in fairness and all that jazz. You know my work is perfect, just sign the damn thing. It was hard to do without a model. Pictures don't really do anyone justice, and it makes the sculpting harder. The other praetor already examined it and signed off on it, so I'm heading out."

"Thank you," Frank muttered. He grabbed the tablet and signed, without looking at the screen. There was no doubt that the man's work was perfection. His entire bloodline was dedicated to making statues of former praetors for Camp Jupiter. Frank handed the tablet back, and the door was slammed into his face a moment later. The man's family also wasn't known for manners.

The son of Mars walked back towards his room and got dressed. Then, he left his house and quickly took off. As Frank walked through the newly rebuilt Camp Jupiter, all he could remember was the pile of ashes that had been there not long ago. The Romans had been ran from their homes, and when they returned, it had been burned to the ground.

It took two months and plenty of help, but Camp Jupiter had been rebuilt. It was larger than before and a lot more defensible. Most of the buildings had been updated, and one of the new items added was a large wall of marble that held all the names of those that had died. Frank walked towards it and stared down at all of the names. His eyes watered, and there was a hollow pain in his chest.

Frank finally turned away and looked around Camp Jupiter. There was no one in his sight. They had a week to themselves, per Lupa's orders. She wanted all of the Romans to be able to visit their families and just enjoy a week. Frank wouldn't be surprised if some of the demigods didn't return. His plans were to stay at the camp for most of the week and train, after his date with Hazel.

The two would be going to a dinner and a movie. It would be something fun and lighthearted. Frank sighed softly and realized he had reached his destination. His eyes moved up to look at the Hall of Praetors. The simple name matched the simple, white building. Frank placed a hand on the door and stepped inside.

Frank glanced to his right. The statue of the first ever praetor for Camp Jupiter stared down at him. His eyes moved to the left and looked at a more modern statue, even thought it was from fifty years ago. Frank stared walking down the long hall. He saw his fellow praetor in the distance.

The son of Mars stopped at the last statue on his left side. There was empty space next to it that would belong to the next praetor to keel over, retire, or have something else happen to them. Frank looked at the newest statue and couldn't discern how he felt. Was it regret?

"Why didn't we hold a real trial?" Astrid asked. Frank looked at his fellow praetor. She had been voted into the position a little over two months ago. Astrid looked back at him. "We exiled Reyna for a crime that she committed when she was ten years old, and we don't even know the full story. I wish we could take it all back."

Frank looked up at the statue of Reyna. The statue's cold expression stared at the opposite wall. Could the statue tell how much Frank regretted his decision? Did it know that he felt guilt every time he thought of the person that he got exiled? Frank didn't know how he could even begin to make up for it, especially since he didn't know how to get in contact with Reyna.

Frank remembered the moment clearly. He remembered the crime being announced in front of all of the Romans. Reyna had looked shocked and blindsided, but she had admitted to the crime. The remnants of the senate had put a vote forward on whether to exile Reyna or not. Frank's vote had kept Reyna from being exiled, until he changed it.

"I was protecting Hazel," Frank whispered. Astrid looked at him in confusion, and she opened her mouth. Frank looked away. He couldn't reveal why he was protecting Hazel without revealing her secret. "I thought Reyna was going to do something to lead to Hazel's death, and I just let my emotions take control."

"Emotions got us into this mess," Astrid commented. She sat across from the statue and stared at it. "Revenge, anger, and fear have ruined everything for us. I'm worried about our future. This thing with the Sixth Legion is going to come to a head. They declared war on us, but we haven't seen or heard anything about them."

"Reyna wouldn't," Frank began. Then, he looked down. If it was still a few months ago, Reyna would have done everything to protect Camp Jupiter. The wars changed her though. Frank didn't know if the Reyna he use to know was even there, and part of it was because of Frank.

The Sixth Legion was now her army, and it was an army that had just disappeared off of the map. The Olympians claimed that the Sixth Legion went back to Rome, but no one could really confirm where they were. The last they had seen of Reyna was at her sister's wedding, but she had only been there for less than a hour.

In Frank's free time, he tried to learn about the Sixth Legion. There was nothing about them in the history books, and any Lars that he asked all gave him a blank look before continuing on with their day. When he searched through old files, there was no mention about the Sixth Legion. The only mention of Rome was a few groups that went their on scouting missions or quests. The Sixth Legion was a ghost.

Frank tried to approach Lupa about the Sixth Legion. The wolf goddess claimed to know nothing about them and told Frank to try and question the other Olympians, so he did. The only one who answered him was a minor god names Tyre. Even then, Tyre was only able to tell him a few things.

The night before Julius Caesar was betrayed by the Senate, he became the champion of a Fate. That gave him strange powers along with immortality. When he was stabbed by the senate, he was taken to an area out of the city and then began to gather demigods for a small army. Caesar never went near Rome again, so he wouldn't look like a threat.

After the true power of Rome moved, Caesar began to grow the size and power of his army. He made a base deep in the forest, and no one knew the exact location of it, other than members of the Sixth Legion. There came a time when a goddess, Arcadia, was forced to join as punishment for disobeying her father. Her brother, Tyre, was keeping an eye on the Sixth Legion for Jupiter, and he was in much better graces. Those good graces kept Tyre from learning everything about the legion that he was suppose to keep an eye on.

Tyre was able to tell Frank there was two bases. One was large and near the capital of Rome. It housed the Sixth Legion for a month out of the year, and it also housed training recruits. Tyre watched over their training, but that was the most he did with the Sixth Legion. The other base was the one that no one knew about.

"Frank, you there?" Astrid asked. A hand passed in front of Frank's face and he blinked. His eyes moved towards his fellow praetor. "I was just letting you know that I'm off to go look over some files. Try to have some fun with Hazel on your date."

"I will. Thank you," Frank said. He smiled at Astrid and held a hand out. Astrid took it, and Frank helped her to her feet. With one last glance at Reyna's statue, they both walked out of the building. The walk was in silence, but it was a comfortable one. "You should take a break this week. Everyone else is."

"There is no rest for the wicked," Astrid replied. She smiled. "I know what everyone thinks about me. I have to be prepared for anything that could come our way. Reyna also left a ton of files behind, and I've been trying to go through them and see if we can learn anything about her location."

"Can you promise to try and find some time to relax?" Frank asked. After a moment of seemingly debating the question, Astrid nodded. As they stepped outside, they both looked around. Astrid gave Frank another nod and walked away.

Frank heard another set of footsteps, and he turned around. A smile came to his face, as Hazel kissed his cheek. She pulled away and watched him with a worried look. Hazel spoke, "You've been really pushing this Sixth Legion thing. Maybe, you should take a break."

"I'm worried about what is going to happen," Frank admitted. He looked at Hazel and sighed tiredly. "Everyone is worried about the Sixth Legion and Reyna's mental state. I don't think she will do anything, but I would be a fool not to prepare for it."

"Reyna wouldn't do anything against us," Hazel said. It sounded like she actually believed the words, but Frank couldn't share that sentiment. He heard the whispers throughout Camp Jupiter. Some of them thought that Reyna would return to her former camp and make them pay a bloody price.

The two stood in silence for a moment. Frank tried to shove thoughts of the Sixth Legion out of his head and focus on his date for the night. The two were going to have a relaxing night, and nothing bad was going to happen. That's what Frank repeated to himself.

His eyes looked around for the demigod that would be their ride. The demigod was going to catch up with his brother in the city and go on a tour of the country. After their date, Frank and Hazel would catch a ride to Camp Half-Blood with Piper and Jason. Then, they would discuss what move to make with the Sixth Legion.

"It takes time for all wounds to heal," Hazel finally said. She heard footsteps and turned her head. Frank turned as well and saw a demigod running towards them. "We just need a little more time to heal all those wounds."

"Is time going to heal all of the wounds that those wars caused?" Frank questioned. Before Hazel could answer, the demigod stopped in front of them and breathed heavily. "Ada, what's going on?"

"There's an Iris message," Ada began. She took another deep breath. "Theia had been watching it yesterday, and she started talking about finding the truth. I ignored her and went to bed, but when I woke up today, I found a note. Theia left to go to Rome."

"Wait," Frank interrupted. Theia was a child of Veritas, who was always asking questions. She wanted to answer life's greatest questions and would do anything to achieve that. What question was she trying to answer now though? "You said she left for Rome, to find the truth. There's only one person, who might be in Rome, that she would be going to."

"Rome is a dangerous place," Hazel said. "There's no way that Theia can survive on her own. Does she have any family there? Is there anyone we can talk to? We have to let the Sixth Legion or someone know."

"We'll figure something out. Ada, what was the Iris message that Theia was watching?" Frank asked. Ada swallowed painfully and motioned for them to follow. She took off running the way that she came. Frank shared a look with Hazel and ran after Ada. His mind was racing with what had happened. He couldn't believe a demigod had just taken off to Rome.

Ada led them to of them towards a fountain. It was a half destroyed one that barely worked half of the time, so no one ever tried to use it. Ada reached a hand into her pocket and tossed a coin into the fountain. It was a copper coin that Frank had never seen before. Ada spoke, "Show me the message that was sent to the barbarians."

It took a mountain for the Iris message to appear. A man's face stared back at them. His face was caked in blood and covered with bruises. He stared to bring his hand to the Iris message but stopped. The man spoke, "Brothers and sisters, today is the day that we have long awaited for."

"For months now, there have been rumors that the ghost is dead. That thing that called itself the leader of the Sixth Legion is dead. His legion is now fighting within itself for control. Now is the time for us to strike and take our lands back. We must join together."

"The Sixth Legion has divided us for too long," the man continued. His eyes held insanity in them. "They have taken our lands and divided us. A puppet of theirs hold power over the Council. It is time to rise against them."

The man stopped talking and frowned. He waved his hand in front of the Iris message and turned around. Two more men stood in the background, and both of them looked at the man. After a moment, the man spoke, "Is this thing working? I was told I just had to flip that coin, and it would work."

Both of the men shrugged and seemed to be examining the Iris message. The man sighed and looked back at the Iris message. He spoke, "The iron is rusted, and now, we can break it. All you have to do is join me."

The door behind the man opened slightly, and he turned around. One of the men by the door grabbed onto it and gasped. The tip of a sword appeared out of his back, and the door was slammed open into the other man.

An armored figure stepped through the open door. They looked at the remaining man, and even though a faceplate covered their features, Frank had a terrible feeling about who it was. The man grabbed his sword from the ground and held it up.

"Barbarians are always getting into such trouble," the armored figure commented. Frank let out the breath he was holding, as he didn't recognize the voice. It wasn't Reyna, and that was all that mattered. The figure pulled off their helmet, and the man took a quick step back.

The woman smirked and glanced at the Iris message. Her features were near perfect, which meant she was a child of Venus. Frank did recognize the face, but it took him a few moments to think of the name: Aquitaine. The man was pale and seemed absolutely terrified.

"If I'm being honest, I think that you may have started those rumors," Aquitaine stated. She looked at the man and smirked. "Julius Caesar is dead. He passed two months ago, but he did not leave his legion behind without a successor. Did you know that, Ben?"

"Did he name you as his successor?" Ben demanded. He hissed and went to take another step forward, but something seemed to stop him. "You've always had the Council wrapped around your finger, ever since you turned your back on your family. I bet you even had Julius Caesar wrapped around your finger."

"Have you heard of the reaper?" Aquitaine questioned. She took a step forward, and her lip twitched, almost like she was in pain. "I'm sure the barbarians have heard the story of the reaper that stalks the night and returns those who escaped death back to their hell. Can you guess who our new imperator is?"

"I'm not scared," Ben muttered, but there was a quiver in his voice. Aquitaine smirked and glanced to her right. Ben quickly turned his head, and a sword was stabbed into his chest. Aquitaine whispered something into his ear and threw him to the ground.

Aquitaine pulled her sword out of Ben's chest and turned towards the Iris message. She spoke, "The Council asked our imperator to handle this poison named Ben and his lackeys. The Council also asked us to deliver a simple message: follow the treaty. If anyone that is part of the Council, including the Sixth Legion, decides to step out of their bounds, the Council will eviscerate them."

Aquitaine ran her sword through the Iris message and ended it. The Iris message started back from the beginning with Ben's face. Frank ran a hand through the Iris message. Was the Council what Theia wanted to find answers for, or was she just trying to find Reyna?

"Did Theia say anything about this Council?" Frank asked. Ada shook her head and wouldn't look up. "We'll have to call the Senate together and figure out how to track down Theia."

"I tried," Ada whispered. She took a painful breath and looked up. "I tried to send an Iris message to my brother, but it didn't work. It wouldn't go through, and I know he's just hanging out with his mortal girlfriend. I haven't been able to send any messages, other than using that bronze coin to playback that message."

Frank frowned and reached a hand into his pocket. He pulled out a golden drachma and tossed it towards the mist of the fountain. It went right through. Frank stared for a moment and looked down. They needed to get messages out quickly and let Lupa know about Theia. There was a chance that Lupa could intervene and find Theia or contact Reyna.

"We'll get dinner and send messages to everyone," Hazel said, as if she was reading Frank's mind. Frank smiled slightly and heard footsteps. He turned to see a fully armored Roman walking towards them. The Roman stopped walking.

"Praetor, there is a woman here who calls herself Aquitaine. She claims to be from the Sixth Legion and is here to talk on their imperator's behalf," the Roman reported. He looked Frank in the eyes, and Frank could see the excitement in them.

"Bring her to the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus," Frank answered. He looked away. "Make sure that she disarms and gives all of her weapons to you. I want someone to keep an eye on the meeting from afar, and I want someone else to send a message to all of the senators. We need them for an emergency meeting."

The Roman nodded and turned away. He jogged back the way that he came. Frank turned towards Hazel, and she nodded to him. She grabbed his hand and spoke, "This will work, Frank. All we need to do is sit down and talk. This is a good beginning for that."