I know, Saffa :):). But what's the fun without a hero at a school? I thought of starting out the fanfiction with Jason at the Legion camp, but it just didn't appeal to me...
David-El, I searched for Nemesis's Roman form, but it came up as—Nemesis. Thanks for the... um, I can't find the word... but THANKS! :):)
Chapter FOUR
"Weak?" Hazel asked. "Weak? What are you talking about, you mangy old—"
Hazel said a word so bad that I was sure that whoever her godly parent was, he or she would be silently groaning in shame.
Lupa's eyes glittered. Watch your language, girl. If I wanted kill you, I could have done that a minute ago. Now, keep silent while I decide what to do with this—
Hazel absolutely refused to shut her mouth. I was sure that Lupa would feed her to the wolves. "Keep silent? I'm not gonna listen to a wolf, don't tell me to keep silent! She's not weak, she went through with driving a car for five kajillion miles without stopping when she had this huge gash on her arm, wolf!"
Lupa's ears twitched. Nevertheless, Romans don't just 'pass out' like Reyna did over there. She must be punished for her incompetence to deal with pain.
My stomach clenched. "But, Lupa," I began.
No buts. I will give her one hour to recover. If she is not awake by then, we will wake her up immediately and we send her into the Coliseum.
I froze. "What? You can't send her—"
"Into the Coliseum!" Bobby yelled. Me and Hazel jumped. He had been so quiet that I had almost forgotten that he was there.
"The Coliseum's supposed to be only reserved for newcomers," Bobby said. Hazel frowned.
"—Or betrayers and prisoners who deserted the Legion Camp. You can't do this to Reyna! When was the last time you sent someone into the Coliseum just because they passed out from sheer pain?"
Lupa was on him in an instant. If you don't enjoy the idea of sending Reyna into the Coliseum, Quaestor, would you like me to send her in right now and have you do the honors of killing her?
Bobby gulped. "N-no, but still—"
Lupa pressed him into the ground even deeper.
"Fine!" Bobby yelled with resignation. "Fine!"
Lupa calmly got off of Bobby and shook her fur. Jason, get Augustus to watch over her.
"Can I?" I pleaded.
No. Get the son of Mars, now!
I hastily bowed and raced towards the first legion's bunker, feeling Lupa's cold and baleful gaze behind me, sinking into my back.
"Reyna," I muttered to myself. "Please, please, wake up."
Gwendolyn interrogated me as soon as I stepped foot in the bunker, her brown eyes full of worry. "I heard that Lupa—"
"Sentenced Reyna to the Coliseum if she didn't wake up within an hour!" I snapped. "And she told me to get Augustus to guard her."
Gwendolyn turned pale. "Say what? Lupa can't—but—why—?"
Augustus was the half-brother of Bobby, but he was by far more ruthless.
With a heavy heart, I reluctantly knocked on the blood-red door of the Mars part of the First Legion's bunker.
The rock music that was blaring from the speakers nearly knocked me down as the door blew open. The whole bunker reverberated with the bass that was bearing down on the elegantly-tiled marble floor.
One of Augustus's siblings, Matt, glared at me. It didn't matter to them that I was Praetor of their Legion, they never welcomed anyone properly (except Bobby)—except their own siblings.
"Whaddya want, punk?" Matt scowled.
"I want to see Augustus," I told him. "Lupa wants him."
Matt curtly nodded, and disappeared within the room. A couple moments later, I heard heavy footsteps.
"Hey, Jason," Augustus said. "Say that Lupa wants me? For what?"
I cringed—almost. "Reyna passed out."
Augustus arched an eyebrow. "She did?"
"Yes," I said.
"Blast that," Augustus said. "Tell Lupa that I'm not guarding her."
I jolted. "W-what? Lupa'll tear you alive for disobeying her!"
"I told you," Augustus said indifferently. "Blast what Lupa said. She can do whatever she wants with me—whip me a hundred times, I don't care. For the last time, Jason: I—am—not—guarding—Reyna. Period."
I saw a flash of pity cross his eyes when he said that, and that wasn't typical of him. For the first time, I wondered if Augustus actually liked Reyna. That thought was so disturbing that I shook it from my mind.
"In fact," Augustus said, "I'm coming with you to tell Lupa that in person."
I shakily walked out of the First Legion's headquarters, my knees quaking. For the first time in the history of Castra Romana, somebody had disobeyed Lupa. Wait, make that the second. Or the third? I thought that Bobby had just had an argument with Lupa, as with Hazel.
Hazel... she was really rebellious. I wondered who her parent was.
Lupa bounded over to me. I see that you brought—
Augustus marched up to Lupa, respectfully bowing. He straightened quickly. "I'm not going to guard Reyna," he said. Straight and to the point.
Lupa cocked her head as if she hadn't heard correctly. Repeat?
"I will not guard Reyna," Augustus said, enunciating each word clearly. "I absolutely refuse, Lupa."
Lupa growled. By Saturn, what is wrong with today's events? First, Jason brings back a passed-out Reyna and the new recruit, Hazel, has to lug her off the griffin. Then, she has an argument with me about Reyna not being weak. Bobby soon followed. And now you?
There was a pause.
No matter, Lupa said. She's going to the Coliseum right now. Hazel's assessment can wait until Reyna is finished.
"Finished?" Augustus asked disbelievingly.
"Finished?" I snapped. "Finished?"
Finished, Lupa calmly said. But as she is a rather good fighter, I will impose a condition: If she survives for twelve hours in the arena with only two major injuries or less and is still conscious, I will spare her. Otherwise, yes, finished.
I was stunned. "Lupa, the record of staying alive in the Coliseum is ten minutes when not doing an assessment. How can Reyna survive for an hour? It's utterly impossible."
Lupa bared her teeth in what seemed like a wolfish smile. Don't underestimate her, she said. After all, she is a daughter of Minerva, goddess of wisdom and battle. She will have to devise a... plan. Which is why her team always wins in Capture the Flag. Do you doubt her strategies? If she was as good as a fighter as you, Jason, I would appoint her as consul without a second thought.
Obviously, Lupa thought very highly of Reyna. She was just annoyed by her 'unableness to cope with injuries' (as if!). But the First Legion hasn't had a consul for centuries. Lupa had told me that if I had better strategies than charging into battle immediately, she would appoint me as consul. So basically, if I had Reyna's brains and she had my fighting skill, we would both probably be appointed consul.
Well? What are you waiting for? Lupa snarled. Get Reyna and wake her. Send her to the Coliseum.
