Thanks to Juliette36, check out her story, Salvation.

Enjoy the chapter.

DUOBUS

I was lying in one of the bunk-beds in the Second Cohort barracks. That afternoon, the gods had given gifts to the Seven, completely forgetting about the other demigods who risked and lost their lives for them. Only the Seven (or some of the Seven) were important enough to be acknowledged. Praetor Reyna didn't get anything and she had been completely abandoned by Grace and Jackson.

The only good thing that came out of the War was that my father risked his neck for a minute of time with me, I was still buzzing from when he said he was proud of me. Well, that and the two new friends I had.

Kai was very outgoing, being a son of Apollo, it went with the territory. He'd lost all of his sibling to the War apart from an overbearing older brother. When he was happy, his sky blue eyes would glow. He was very flirtatious, he'd tried to lighten everyone's moods with a few perverted comments [see, at least I didn't call you, and I quote, 'a loud-mouthed bastard who doesn't know when to shut the Pluto up']. It didn't go down well, so he'd stopped.

There was a son of Minerva [sorry. Your mom is Athena, happy?], I still couldn't understand how he had been born. Brain children or not, it was scandalous, a maiden goddess having a cabin full of children. Daniel Washington, or Dan to us, was very tall and lean and always putting his foot in his mouth. It was amusing to everyone, apart from Dan who didn't understand why everyone was laughing. The Greeks were staying in the Barracks until repairs to their Camp were done.

I heard a dull thump as someone hit the ground, I could recognize that cherry red hair anywhere. Kat glanced around before slipping silently out of the room. I didn't think, I just followed.

The hallway was dark, Kat was shining a flashlight that gave off just enough light to see. She stopped suddenly, and shone the light in my face. It was dim, but I was still blinking spots out of my eyes.

"Chris? What the Pluto do you call this?" She gestured at nothing in particular, her brown eyes gleamed gold in the light. I knew what she meant; what was I doing up this late?

I folded my arms defensively, I was seeing pink and yellow splotches of light, "The last time Christina investigates at night? What are you doing? You know what happens if you're out after curfew!"

Kat sighed and put her finger to her lips, "Follow me." She started creeping along the corridor, I trailed several paces behind. I had no idea why I followed, since the penalty for breaking curfew was a three months of non-stop community service. Funnily enough, there had been no rule-breaking since that punishment was introduced.

I was led through the familiar wooden corridors of my barracks. Kat dragged me into the shadows as a patrolling centurion turned the corner ahead. He must have seen us! But to my surprise the centurion walked past our corridor like nothing was wrong. Unobservant moron.

Kat let out a short sigh of relief before dragging [she was dragging me and it hurt. A lot] me back down the passage. I briefly wondered why I was following her in the first place, I could just go back to sleep and forget this happened. But I wasn't that sort of person, my nature made it near impossible to abandon my friend to the horror of chariot washing.

"Where are we going?" I hissed, picking at my pajama shirt sleeve.

Kat froze, as if expecting someone to pop out of the walls and put us on no pay whilst whipping us with a squid... or something. "The war isn't over," she whispered quietly, looking up underneath her short dark eyelashes.

"What?" The Giant War has to be over. Terra is asleep. End of story. "It is. It has to be."

She let out a short laugh, "No. It doesn't."

"You're wrong!" I protested.

Kat slapped a hand over my mouth, I resisted the urge to lick it, "First rule, I'm never wrong. Second rule, if I'm wrong, look back to the first rule. I'm the daughter of Mars! Of course I know when a war is over!"

This time, I really did lick her hand. She recoiled in disgust and scowled at me. "Where are we going?"

"To the Praetors. The Greeks aren't the smartest bunch, all I had to do was smile at the fire elf and, lo and behold, I know about a 'secret' meeting. Now come on."

I grabbed her shoulder, uncalled for jealousy rose in my chest, "You flirted with that traitor?"

"He's cute, what can I do?" Kat shook my hand off her effortlessly.

"You could stick something sharp and pointy into that enemy of Rome," I suggested [mind out of the gutter, Kai].

Kat and I hovered outside of the imposing double doors that let to the Senate House. I absent-mindedly traced the ornate decoration. Horatius, Hercules, Jupiter, every single 'mythological' figure was carved into the white marble. I was reaching a particularly gory battle scene when Kat tapped my shoulder, signaling that the meeting inside was reaching a critical point.

I pressed my ear to the door, the voices on the other side were muffled, but audible. At a guess, I would say that the Roman Senate and the Greek cabin leaders were present. A quiet male voice spoke up, "Well, that seems... enterprising."

I could almost hear the next person roll his eyes, "When Neeks says 'enterprising' he means 'morally deficient'." The boy's voice was low and melodic, I probably would have found him attractive if I swung that way.

The first voice replied halfheartedly, "I definitely mean enterprising. If I'd meant 'morally deficient', I would say, 'now that's something I would have done'. Anyway, this Titan dude seems smart enough."

"Quiet, Ambassador," Praetor Reyna's tones cut through the atmosphere like a knife through butter [I'd like to see you come up with a better metaphor]. Kat shivered beside me, the night was cold and the breeze wasn't helping. I took off my lilac dressing gown and draped it over her shoulders, leaving me in only a pink t-shirt and sweats. Kat smiled at me. And I smiled back.

"Thanks," she breathed. We turned back to the door, ears against the crack.

"-is going to destroy us all?"

But who? That was my question. But 'how' might be better to ask.

"Our information states otherwise. He doesn't want to kill us. He just wants revenge against the gods, and how better to do that that kill their children? The gods do care about us, you know, they just have a funny way of showing it," that was the superior but kindly tones of Daniel's older brother.

The next voices were unknown to me. "Funny way of showing it? They completely ignore us!"

"It's for the best."

"Like Hades it is!"

"Silence!" Praetor Reyna called, "The Senate has proposed a Quest. We need volunteers, Centurions and Cabin Leaders, three of you must go. We need the best for this mission."

"Excuse me, Praetor, but we appear to have, for lack of a better word, visitors."

Pluto's pauldrons [at least I'm stealthier than you two]! I was about to drag Kat away, when the marble doors opened.

I wonder how ridiculous we must have looked. A scowling daughter of Mars, with a lilac dressing gown draped over her shoulders like a cape. And me, brown hair messed up and tangled, gray eyes bleary with sleep and one arm raised awkwardly in greeting. We must of made quite a pair.

Kat glared holes into the people in the Senate House. Several demigods looked away, only a few were able to hold her gaze.

Praetor Reyna's dark eyebrows rose into her hairline. "How were you not seen?"

Well, Praetor, to answer your question, most of the night patrol had ditched their shift. I didn't dare voice my thoughts, but I think Praetor Reyna knew what I was thinking.

She continued swiftly, "No matter. How much did you hear?"

"Who wants to kill us?" Kat blurted out. I would have face-palmed were we not in the presence of a highly volatile cocktail of Senators and Lars. "I mean, we've just won two wars, we deserve a break!"

Praetor Reyna smoothed back her hair, it was unnecessary considering that it was in a tight braid, "We do, but what you don't realize is that it is the perfect time to strike us," her face morphed into a glower. "Report to Terminus at six o'clock tomorrow, I'm sure he can find a job for each of you."

My jaw dropped open at what spilled from my mouth next, "Or we could find this Titan you were on about." I could have slapped myself, I almost did. Kat looked at me like I was insane, which in a way, I was.

"No, you won't," one of the Senators said, Larry, I thought his name was. "For one, you are not above the rank of Centurion. Second, you have just broken several rules by coming here. You won't be leaving New Rome in a while."

Praetors Reyna and Frank and the Ambassador eyed Kat and I. "I was only promoted because it was necessary for the Alaska quest. Also, the Greeks go on quests all the time, sometimes without any training," Praetor Frank pointed out. Some of the Senators looked disgusted, whilst the Greeks looked at their feet, "and from what I've seen, these two are more than capable of defending themselves."

"Damn straight we are!" Kat snorted, before remembering the present company and added mockingly, "Praetor." Unpleasantness was Kat's natural defense mechanism, so when presented with the potentially embarrassing situation of forgetting respect, she would make it worse.

I wasn't sure whether to volunteer for the quest or not. On one hand, I was terrified, sure I'd fought in two wars, but stranded with two other people and following the advice of a partially insane augur wasn't my idea of fun. But Kat would be going, and I would never let her get hurt. Ever.

I could sense the Senators considering Praetor Frank's words, and I was terrified. The Greek leaders didn't seem to have an opinion, but I knew that the Ambassador would sway the debate to fit his vision. It was him I was most worried about, because if he wanted, I would go on this suicide quest against my will. To be honest, I hated the Ambassador with a vengeance.

The Praetors locked eyes with eachother, I imagine their conversation went something like this:

Reyna: Neither of them are Centurions [she's always been a sucker for rules] and we need a Greek on the quest! They aren't going!

Frank: But-

Reyna: [I swear she almost growled] No.

"Praetor Zhang and I have come to a decision-"

The Ambassador interjected, "If I may-"

"Neeks, maybe you shouldn't," the golden eyed boy next to him said. I vaguely recognized him from somewhere.

"Thank you, Will," the Ambassador said frostily. "It is the Senate I address," he nodded respectfully toward the half-dressed Senators. "Maybe we should experiment. Forgive me for this, but the older Romans are so driven by rules and tradition that they have become robotic-"

I tuned out of his speech. One thing was clear. Unless I refused, I was going. It must have been ages before I payed attention again.

"Christina Flint, daughter of Triton, will you strive to save Rome from almost certain destruction?" Reyna scowled, I guess the debate didn't go her way.

My next words sent the room into confusion, I suppose what I said wasn't very Roman, "I'm going to have to decline."

Kat looked at me with something akin to betrayal in her eyes, I realized that she had already accepted. I'd let down my best friend and it wasn't even four in the morning.

This is mostly a filler chapter, explaining how they get sent on a quest. Review!