Diary of Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano

I don't know why I had the idea to write a diary. It seems a bit cliché, the praetor and her secret diary. Aw, screw it. I'll just gonna write this.

The Greek oracle, Rachel Dare, truly made an impression. We talked a lot today, about our past, about the friendship between the camps, about Octavian's and Leo Valdez' deaths, and about prophecies. Apparently, she proclaimed the prophecy known as the Prophecy of the Seven, that we Romans know since eons, only last year. It's hard to believe.

And somehow, I often seem to end up thinking about her. She is really admirable, always funny, self-assured, and very straightforward. Calls a spade a spade. And on top of that, she is experienced in arts. I admire her, and I was so embarrassed when I found that I had said that loud. But she was just, like, thanks, as if people would compliment her every day.

Why do I care and think so much about her? Sure, as praetor it's my job to build a friendship with the Greeks and their emissaries (i.e. Tyson, Ella and Rachel), but the last times I found so many admirable characteristics united in one person were when I met Jason and Percy. I am not falling in love, am I? Besides, both me and her are supposed to be straight, considering that I tried to and she actually did date Percy Jackson.

And another thing: If you, whoever you might be, somehow read this, I'll make sure that Nico di Angelo himself sends you to the fields of punishment. I am not joking.

Reyna

Reyna closed the book and stored it in her backpack. While she had been writing her first diary entry, the legion build up a camp, including a palisade and a moat. Reyna cracked a smile. With all due respect to the Greeks, Roman engineers were still unbeaten when it came to building something in a brief time span.

After dinner, Reyna stopped by Rachel's tent. "That might sound stupid, but would you lend me a hair-brush?" Rachel smiled and handed Reyna her blue plastic brush. Reyna's eyes widened. "Is that-" "Yup. This thing hit Kronos in the eye." Reyna was impressed. "You are full of surprises, oracle."

The next morning, Reyna allowed Rachel to drive their car. Rachel had told her that she had passed her driving test between the two wars, and for a girl who had survived two wars, led a group of demigods through a magic labyrinth, and beaten the Lord of Time with a brush, driving an SUV was not much of a challenge.

Reyna told Rachel that Octavian hadn't always been such an idiot. "You know, there was a time when he sincerely cared about the camp, but he slightly changed. One day I thought 'that's not the Octavian I once knew'. The power spoiled him." They discussed whether or not Octavian would be send to the fields of punishment or not. Reyna took the view that he was responsible for Leo Valdez' death and thus would be send there, while Rachel argued that he might have helped to defeat Gaea, and thus had a chance to reach Asphodel. After a while they both ran out of arguments and got bored.

They talked about themselves instead, but they didn't find many similarities. Both of them had once fallen in love with Percy Jackson. Both of them had a very uncommon taste in music, Rachel liked the Frank Sinatra vinyls that Chiron kept at the Big House, and Reyna listened to Elvis Presley music when no one else was in the same room. But beyond that, they were as different as could be. Rachel spent a few months of the year at Camp Half-Blood, participated in youth work and modern arts projects, and attended a finishing school, while Reyna spent the whole year at Camp Jupiter, attended sessions of the senate, and barely ever smiled.

There wasn't much to do during the next three days. They alternated with driving, read books or listened to music. Reyna was glad when the skyline of San Francisco appeared in front of them. Five days of driving and sleeping in tents were four days too much for her liking. Not that she couldn't bear it, of course she could. But that didn't mean she liked it.

Diary of Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano

Yesterday we have reached Camp Jupiter. Finally home.

The reception wasn't all nice. Octavian has still many supporters at camp and in New Rome. For them, he died as a martyr. It won't be easy to deal with them. Frank set up guards around the principia.

I'm surprised how much Zhang has changed. Gone is the clumsy, insecure teenager. The same goes for Hazel Levesque. Daughter of Pluto or not, the legion respects her now. She radiates self-confidence and strength. The former outcasts have shown their true selves and proven to be born leaders. She'll make a good successor if I ever step down, or die.

Frank has refused to move into the praetor's house, the one that has been inhabited by Jason. He insists that he belongs with his troops. And I seem to be the only one who minds about that. Fine from me. He can sleep in the centurion's room, together with Dakota and Hazel. If they don't mind, that is.

Rachel Dare and Ella, with a little help from the harpy's boyfriend, Tyson (I don't get used to the thought of a harpy and a cyclopes – a good cyclops – being a couple), have begun to reconstruct the Sibylline Books. They write everything down that the harpy says and compare it to the fragments of the books that have been recovered. It is a painstaking and tedious work, and I don't envy them. On top of that, they have to work in Jupiter's temple. This place is creepy. As if it weren't enough that the intimidating statue of Lord Jupiter stares at them, but the place is filled with the reminiscence of Octavian. This will take years, at the very least. But Delphi is still silent, so the Sibylline Books might be our only chance.