Chapter 3: Hazel
I lay quietly on my bed in the barracks of the Fifth Cohort, waiting for Frank to arrive on any new information updates on the overall performance of the camp. 7:59…8:00. He still hasn't made an entrance yet, and that got me a little worried. Recently, the praetors had loads of work coming for them and it has not only came from inside the camp, so I haven't gotten any quality time with Frank. Both of us has been busy with our burdened work load, and ever since our visit at Camp Half-Blood, the only time we get to enjoy a moment was at 8:00. I glanced at my clock nervously. 8:02. His normal reporting time was no later than eight, so a feeling of apprehension began to churn inside of me.
"Hazel! Turn around!" a familiar voice said. I turned to see an Iris message with a boy with messy, dark brown hair and black eyes. His skin was covered in a plate of dust, and he was wearing a dirty orange Camp Half-Blood shirt with a tool belt strapped around his waist.
"LEO VALDEZ!" I bellowed in shock. My heart literally skipped a beat for a moment, and my anxiety was replaced with excitement and stupefaction. "WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE YOU?"
"It's great to see you too. Look we can't speak very long, but Calypso and I are on our way to Camp Half-Blood but we've got a tad bit more information on Gaea's aftermath." A girl with long, silky, wavy blonde hair in a loose ponytail and golden eyes appeared next to him. She gave a small smile at the Iris message.
"Okay well I'm afraid that if you're going over there, it'll be really hard on managing a date to go there too, considering there's so much things to do at the camp." I said sadly. Leo just gave a goofy grin.
"Just promise me you guys will be there okay?" he replied faintly. The Iris message began to fade.
"Wait Leo-" There was so much questions I had for him.
"Catch you later Hazel." The message disappeared and there was a slow knock on the barrack's door.
"Hazel?" Frank's voice came from outside.
"Come in." I replied promptly. He opened the door and a small smile spread across his face. Not a usual friendly smile, but more professional and praetor-like.
"Sorry I'm late. Did I miss anything? How's the reports in the Fifth Cohort?" he asked. I avoided looking at him in the eyes.
"We're fine, thanks for asking." That was a lie. There was a lot of commotion going on from the other cohorts which would eventually be passed down to me. And I was considered the problem-fixer even though I wasn't the leader of any of the other Cohorts. Because the Fifth was currently the strongest, we had the most responsibilities.
Frank looked at me with interest. "You're hiding something, Hazel." He sat next to me and put his big hand over mine.
"Leo Iris messaged me right before you came here, and he's alive and well. He brought someone with him." I said, holding my sudden tears back. His eyes bulged out and were full of shock.
"Leo's alive?" he asked, "But Nico said…"
"Nico was wrong. He managed to survive and is now on his way to Camp Half-Blood. He also said he had some information and that we needed to report there too." I explained. As much as Frank seemed happy on Leo's survival, he shook his head.
"You did tell him with the amount of work here is too much for us to go to Camp Half-Blood for a little break, right?"
"I told him but he just said to follow his plans." Before Frank could say anymore, a huge crash came from far away. Reyna's voice boomed from Frank's portable radio.
"Frank we have a little problem." He groaned.
"I'll be right there." he replied to the radio, and started to exit. "I'm really sorry Hazel, but I've got to go." I sighed wistfully.
"Why don't I come with you?" I suggested. "I'm free right now." He smiled.
"Good idea." He held out an arm but I just walked in front of him, leaving his expression hurt.
When we went to the Praetor's headquarters, next to the Praetorian gate was a big fire and chaos right next to it.
"What's going on here?" Frank shouted. Fauns and other free-spirits started running around screaming. Don the Faun yelled, "That fire took my only precious money! Someone give me some spare change!"
I spotted Reyna who ran towards us. "Glad you two came on time. There's something inside creating the fire and we can't seem to get it out." I couldn't help the feeling that the fire didn't look normal. I inched closer to inspect it.
"Hazel don't! It grows over you if you get near it, and we've tried everything to put it out. Even water isn't helping." Reyna warned. I concentrated and scooted even closer, and the fire curved over me. Heat surrounded the area I stood but there was something unusual about it. I stepped in the fire and for a minute, I thought my theory was wrong, but I opened my eyes and saw that the whole fire was an illusion.
"Hazel!" Frank cried behind me. Everyone gasped and a voice spoke articulately from the heart of the fire.
"I rise from Mount Etna avenging my mother Gaea." The ground began to rumble, and within a flash, the illusion was gone.
Thanks for reading! Tell me what you think and I hoped you liked it so let me know.
