Fourth chapter, the biggest so far. another 12 234 words or 20 word-pages.
first announcement: I am going to try updating a bit more regularly, more or less every month something that can meet my standards (this does not mean they will always be over 8 000 words, but I will try to have at least five thousand words each [unless impossible])
Second announcement: I've added a picture to the story. For those who're interested, just type Smite, Bellona & golden armour (yes, it is a wallpaper from that game and no, I haven't played it).
Lastly I was asked about Persephone's current powers and whether she retained anything from Poseidon. I am afraid that Persephone lost most of her Poseidon-inherited powers apart from a few vestiges (for example she can still swim and sail, mostly because she's experienced in these rather than having some innate talent though, furthermore she is unable to talk to horses and sea-animals although she remains a great horse- and fish-whisperer). As requested I will be adding a list with powers inherited from Juno in the future, or I will have them clearly explained in a chapter (and add a list for good measure). However that will remain in the future for a while. Whilst I have a general idee about her powers, I refrain from binding myself to a certain set of powers until I am certain about those and the consequences they'll have. (I don't want to give her powers just because they seem nice or the opposite: being forced to add powers because I forgot them in the first run.) I will reveal though that they'll be mostly subtle, rather passive or supportive (so no brain-washing or mental control). Considering her adoptive mother's nature I figured these kind of powers were more suitable than something overly dramatic.
All reviews are appreciated.
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing from the series except a number of paperbacks.
Thalia sighed instantly when she entered the arena.
A few feet away from the entrance, Clarisse turned her head for a fraction of a second towards the lieutenant of the Hunt before returning it towards her latest sparring partner. The daughter of Ares blocked a quick slash from the boy's sword with her shield and then tried to shove it in his face. The boy raised his shield in return and succeeded to block most of the force with it. Even so he still heard some bells ringing when the bronze rim struck his helmeted forehead. Using the distraction Clarisse stabbed her spear between his legs. Then she stepped backwards whilst moving the tip of her spear to the left. Her opponent, still distracted by the blow instinctively tried to create some distance between them and took a step backwards. With the spear caught between his legs, he stumbled and fell down, upon his back. A quick kick from Clarisse's sandaled foot removed the sword from his hand. A moment later the boy felt a shadow fall over him and looking upwards, he saw Clarisse had raised her shield high above her head, almost as if she was planning to make it fall down like an axe or he shuddered at the comparison, the blade of a guillotine. Considering the weight of the shield, the comparison was less farfetched than most would initially assume.
"I yield." He whispered instantly.
Clarisse stared at the boy for another second, as if she was actually contemplating to slam it down, then she nodded.
"Pick another partner," she ordered him whilst turning away, towards Thalia. Said girl gave her single nod then she pointed her head towards the seats of the tribunes next to the field.
Around them, as if by some kind of silent order, another seven teens ended their spar almost simultaneously and walked towards the tribune as well. Even if they kept a respectful distance of the two, it would be hard to mistake their intention, bodyguards.
Thalia snorted softly at them, but she did send the three silver-jacked girls a small smile. Clarisse on the other hand simply rolled their eyes.
"You think they trust me enough to take down a single little tree-nymph." She muttered loud enough for Thalia to hear her. Artemis's lieutenant raised a single eyebrow in return.
"You notice they send four campers against three hunters." Thalia whispered in return. "Feeling confident, even after our last capture the flag?"
Clarisse glared at the huntress for another few seconds, then she shrugged.
"You found anything?" Clarisse asked her whilst taking a seat.
Thalia shook her head. "Nothing." She whispered, obviously frustrated. "If I wasn't so annoyed with Persephone, I'd be impressed."
"You found out how she left?" Thalia asked her in return.
"I know who is to blame." Clarisse replied instead, then her expression darkened and she stood up for a moment.
"Keep it up, you spineless wimps!" She yelled with a loud voice at some of the campers. "You wouldn't fight off a pack of girl scouts selling cookies, let alone a horde of Cyclopes! You really wanne call yourself, heroes?"
Clarisse sat herself down again. "Bloody newbies."
Thalia gave an exasperated sigh. "You really love making their life difficult."
"You wanne help?" Clarisse asked her whilst removing her helmet from her head.
The eternal teen shrugged. "It is not as if I have something better to do."
Clarisse sighed in reply whilst rubbing a hand through the few pale brown hairs which had been able to escape her bandana and had now been pasted against her skull.
"My siblings are exhausted." Clarisse said. "They, Enyo's children as well as Phobos's and Deimos's brood have been running double tours for the past two months."
She gave another sigh. "I'll never repeat it and I am going to kill you violently if you do, but I am glad you and the Hunt arrived last night. I doubt we could keep it up for another week as it was."
Thalia shot Clarisse a for her unusually gentle look. "I am sure you could gone through another month of two without sleep or rest." She joked.
"One of the northern outposts was attacked three days ago. They counted seven slain empousai within the defences before they turned to dust." Clarisse replied whilst shaking her head. "One day before that, it was one of the southern posts, we drove them off without losses on our side, but they've been sneaking around for at least another week."
"Probing for a gap in your defences?" Thalia suggested.
Clarisse nodded. "I am certain of it and when they find one, they'll pour through it and destroy whatever outpost it is that had the misfortune of dropping it's guard."
"And than it will be up to us to fix it and flush 'em out." Clarisse reminded them both.
"Most likely." Thalia admitted.
"I'll have some of my huntresses look for traces of them," Thalia promised the daughter of Ares. "If we can catch them unaware, we might be able to turn the tables on them for some time, War-girl."
She smiled at the bronze armoured girl. "It might allow you and your siblings some of the much needed sleep."
"Sleep is for the weak." Clarisse replied with some of her more usual bluster, seemingly forgetting her earlier remark about exhaustion.
Thalia chuckled for a moment, then she sighed. "Wasn't this supposed to end or at least be reduced after Chronos's defeat?" She asked no one in particular.
Clarisse sighed again. "It has lessened, Thalia." Clarisse whispered, now actually looking much more guarded than before. She waited for a moment, checking her surroundings. "They're no longer united, their attacks are not as organised as before. It is mostly their numbers that makes us stretch ourselves to the limit at the moment."
"So you've noticed the increase in numbers as well." Thalia said curiously.
"I am a daughter of war, Thalia." Clarisse reminded her. "Weapons, species, attack patterns, ... I notice those things. They've grown in numbers, however they're no longer united."
"Chronos should've waited a bit longer. He would have had at least twice as many monsters if he did." Thalia said. "You think we should be grateful?"
Clarrisse made a frustrated motion with her hands. "They're mostly waiting now, catching their breath after the beating we gave them last time. What worries me is what will happen once they're done doing that."
"You mean if they turn upon us in force?" Thalia asked her.
Clarrisse shook her head. "That's frankly the least of my fears. No, what if they find a few more like Sess and Antiphates among their hordes."
"Or one of the remaining Titans or Gods to unite and lead them." Thalia added, suppressing a shudder.
"It will be the Titan-Wars all over again for us." Clarisse admitted. "And I am not looking forward to that as much as I should considering I am a daughter of Ares." She added sourly.
"You've mentioned it to Chiron?" Thalia asked her.
"I did, but I think he hopes I am reading too much in everything. Still he allowed me to work those newbies a bit harder than before." Clarisse replied sounding tired before her voice gained a harder edge. "Something he should have done months ago. They wouldn't have had the breath to complain about Persephone if he did."
She sighed again. "Personally I am more afraid I am not reading enough in it."
"What do you mean?" Thalia asked her.
"Persephone." Clarisse explained. "It is something I came up with some days ago."
Thalia tilted her head in response. "Continue." She demanded.
"Well as much as I hate to think those idiots drove Persephone into running away, what if they didn't. What if something else happened, what if her treatment was only some coincidence or an excuse to cloak what really happened?" Clarisse whispered.
"You think someone killed or kidnapped Persephone, rather than her running away." Thalia whispered in return.
Clarisse nodded. "I know it seems rather farfetched but after Luke, I don't think it is impossible, not really."
"I find it hard to believe anyone would be capable of taking Persephone down without attracting attention." Thalia replied, obviously doubtful.
"I find it hard to believe that she disappeared and that it takes over four days before anyone notices it. It still happened." Clarisse rebutted.
"Anything which supports your ideas?" Thalia asked her.
Clarisse shook her head. "I checked the labyrinth, still closed down and I couldn't really find a gap in the Border." Clarisse chuckled for a moment. "Your old tree is doing fine by the way."
"I know, still thank you for checking." Thalia replied.
"But to continue. I checked up who stood on guard outside the camp and likewise checked upon the harpies. They saw nothing, but most of them were some of those half-trained new kids." Clarisse snorted. "I bet they wouldn't have noticed it if Persephone stole one of chariots on her way out."
"Besides," Clarisse added. "if it is one of the new guys or Luke's old crowd we might still be nowhere."
"You think one of them is a spy?" Thalia asked Clarisse.
"Honestly, " Clarisse confessed, "I don't know anymore, Thalia. I am a warrior. I like things to be simple, point me at my opponent and I fight. Tell me to defeat the enemy and I'll find a way. There are few things that determination, courage and strength can't hold back and I like that."
"This," Clarisse made a sweeping motion with her arm. "this is far from simple and I feel like I am growing more insane with every passing day."
Clarisse growled and raised her right hand, clawing it like the talons from a bird. "We should protect the new campers, we should teach them to protect themselves, we should go easier upon them since the war has ended. We should work harder at finding more demigods, we should make sure they reach the camp safe so we should keep a closer watch upon the roads, the outposts are under constant attacks maybe we should abandon those and stay safe behind the Borderline and ..." Clarisse's growling turned into an animal-like roar.
"Those cursed idiots should make up their mind, damn it." She growled. "They want us to do at least a hundred things, most of them contradicting each other."
"It used to be so simple, Thalia." Clarisse told her whilst clutching her own head. "We were fighting monsters and everyone helped."
Clarisse shook her head. "Now it feels more like everyone is fighting everyone whilst the monsters are watching us, occasionally probing for a weakness and when they find that."
Clarisse slammed her fist into the palm of her other hand.
"It is like I told Chris before, Thalia." Clarisse whispered. "I am angry and tired. It is not just physically."
She pointed at her temple. "It is mostly here."
"Clarisse..." Thalia began, but Clarisse interrupted her.
"Don't Thalia. I know what I am saying. I am a warrior, I wanne go back to that. Just us against an hostile world with our backs to the wall and a comrade to watch our flank."
She grinded her teeth together. "Luke took that from me, Silena was the best friend I ever had and he forced her to become a traitor. Now he's doing the same to the camp."
"I doubt Luke intends to..." Thalia began but Clarisse shook her head again.
"I am no fool, Thalia. I know that he honestly believes he's doing the right thing, again! But this isn't my camp anymore. For all the arguments, my camp stood together. I didn't like you when we met, just like I didn't like Persephone at the time but at no moment would I have hesitated to stand by you two when in danger, just like you two wouldn't have hesitated either."
"And now we're friends." Thalia added.
Clarisse sighed. "And now we're friends." She repeated tired and softly but without any bite or sign of hesitation about it.
"You might not spend enough time in here to notice, but this isn't the same camp you left behind and I am not just talking about the absence of an unified army of monsters and demigods intend upon our destruction." Clarisse said. "These campers, They're like children. Arrogant and bragging, judging, constantly arguing or making demands, mostly about petty things." Clarisse sighed. "I am tired of them, mostly."
"You're planning to run off as well?" Thalia asked her.
Clarisse shook her head. "No," she said. "Even if I understand why Persephone would do so. No, me, my siblings and some of the other campers decided to leave the main camp for some of the southern outposts. We'll set up some defences there and then we'll see. We're not abandoning the Camp despite loathing most of the newbies, but we're tired of how we're treated here."
"Is Chiron aware?" Thalia asked her.
"He isn't and neither is old too-drunk-to-remember-the-names-of-those-who-walk-around-here-for-several-years." Clarisse chuckled for a moment. "I doubt he'll be pleased, neither will the rest of the campers but that's their problem not ours."
"Let them try and stop you, eh?" Thalia suggested. "If they try, give me a sign. I wanne watch the massacre, so will the rest of the Hunt."
"Chris would charge you for tickets." Clarisse whispered conspiratorially.
"Give us a good show and I might even buy my popcorn from him." Thalia whispered in return.
"Sincerely though, about Persephone, if you find her," Clarisse began.
"I'll make certain to let you know." Thalia reminded her. "But I am afraid the odds aren't as great as most of these idiots assume they are."
Clarisse grinned at the girl, remembering the eruption of "Mount Thalia" when Travis had tried to explain why none of them had been worried about Persephone before.
"Well, we thought she had merely joined the Hunt, I mean we've all heard the rumours in the Camp." Travis told Thalia, speaking as fast as he could whilst the girl who had grabbed him by the throat suddenly decided that coating the fingers of her other hand in lightning was a good idea. For his remaining good health, Travis realised it would be better to him that he abstained from mentioning that Thalia had started a few of the rumours about the Hunt herself during her time as a camper.
"Contrary to some of the rumours in Camp Half-Blood," Thalia told the Stoll adopting a tone which made it absolutely clear that she would publically castrate him, his twin and for good measure Luke as well, if he ever dared to contradict her on the current subject, "the Hunt isn't a poorly disguised travelling agency for badass lesbians."
It also seemed better to forget that Thalia hadn't been adding the word badass in those days, either.
Shaking her head to dislodge the memory, Clarisse missed the first notes of the horn.
"You heard that?" Thalia asked her.
Clarisse nodded. "An attack," she said trying to interpret the sound, "at the southern border."
Thalia smirked. "Hunters!" She yelled, before grasping her silver horn and making a long, high note sound throughout the arena and it's surroundings.
"I'll take my girls to the border at once." She suggested. "We'll slow down whatever it is until you are there."
Clarisse nodded. "Understood." She said whilst giving a half-mocking salute.
Clarisse pointed Maimer at the previously training demigods. "All armed Campers of War with me!" she yelled at them before raising her weapon to sky.
"Move it, you maggots!" She yelled, but without much of a bite.
Noticing some sons of Ares with an obviously laboured breath, she ordered them to stand back. "Get to the others gathering at the cabin." She said, making clear she would allow nobody contradicting her at the issue. "Once there are at least twenty, take those with you to the border."
"We'll need some impact when we strike them." She reminded them. "Not piecemeal."
Clarisse was a daughter of Ares herself and one of the oldest of those too, she knew better than forbidding a child of war of going into battle for "minor" reasons like exhaustion, lack of armour or poor odds.
Unlike most of the other campers who seemed intent on running to the Border, Clarrise and the other children of War turned to the left and slowed down after a few hundred feet. Simply marching the last bit of distance to the stables.
"All' right, mount up, people." Clarisse ordered the remaining teens. "Best riders alone, the others ride with two or even three demigods."
Some of the campers stared at her after the last part. "We ride to the battlefield." Clarisse told them, "but most of us will fight upon our own feet."
A small cheer came from the forty teens who had accompanied her.
"Mind waiting for another sec." A voice asked her, making her smile instantly.
"Chris?" Clarisse asked without looking behind her, seemingly very focussed upon mounting her Pegasus instead.
"Great minds think alike." The boy replied, obviously entertained. "You weren't planning to enter into combat without me, weren't you."
"You were late." Clarisse replied but unable to hide her grin.
"I had to pick some kids up." He said in return, pointing at a few of his own siblings and some children of Aphrodite, each of the last was armed with a short bow made of horn.
"Lacy?" Clarisse said, calling the daughter of Aphrodite out.
Said girl, a rather shy looking girl in her mid-teens raised her hand in return, obviously not really comfortable with the attention from the much tougher looking daughter of Ares.
"You remember what we discussed?" Clarisse asked her whilst patting the neck of her own Pegasus, a rather dark coloured animal that was scraping his hooves impatiently through the dirt.
Lacy nodded in return. "Do you think it is necessary?" She asked Clarisse.
Clarisse shrugged. "I don't know." She admitted. "but if we get in a pinch, it will help. At least for a short while.
Chris gave Clarisse an apologetic look and reached for the girls hand before leading her to a tall black Pegasus who seemed to keep a bit from the others.
"You remember what we kindly requested of you?" Chris asked the horse, still feeling rather stupid for being talking to a horse without Persephone, or Tyson for that matter. Blackjack neighed in a way that resembled a nod.
"Then you also remember why we ask this of you." Chris said, for a moment the horse stared intently into Chris eyes, making the teen feel rather uncomfortable. Then the Pegasus nodded again and kept his head (and his wings) lowered, allowing a rider to mount him.
Lacy was looking very uncomfortable once she sat in the saddle, even with Chris's reassurance that she couldn't fall out of the saddle.
Padding the sword which hung in front of Lacy from one of the horns of the saddle. "It is made by Tyson." Chris said reminding her of the weapon, whilst taking her own bow and quiver with him.
"Don't worry about anything for now." Chris continued. "Just stay close to the rear and hide yourself behind your siblings until one of us gives the signal."
"Remember to look confident!" Clarisse added whilst leading her Pegasus to Chris's.
"You ready to kick some ass?" She asked Chris the moment the boy sat in the saddle.
"I am up to it." Chris replied. "You think you'll be able to keep up?" He continued before giving his horse a gentle kick to send it off.
"Ooh, that boy did not just challenge me." Clarisse exclaimed with a loud voice, provoking quite a bit of laughter behind her whilst taking of herself.
The battle at the edge of the border was going badly when Clarisse and Chris arrived.
Even a rather conservative headcount would number the monsters around a two hundred. True, minor monsters mostly, empousae, dracanae, lastyrgoinians and a few Telekhines. There was not even a single major monster in sight, if it had been the case there was little chance that the members of the small outpost, even with the help from one of the guard patrols at the border would have been able to survive.
As it was now Clarisse saw a short column of maybe thirty demigods desperately trying to reach the border whilst another twenty demigods had charged through the Border which protected the camp to help them.
"Idiots." Was the first thing Clarisse thought when she noticed the border guards. There was a small river to the side and she had no doubt that most Telekhines were quickly swimming through the water in an attempt to cut the campers off rather than to continue wobbling forward at the rear of the monster-forces.
Dracanae were dangerous and experienced fighters with a sword or spear, an excellent force in a battle, but they moved rather clumsy with their mix of walking and slithering, meaning that most of these were likewise at some distance from the fight. The empousae were faster, but again their dissimilar legs meant they had a rather typical gait which was a bit slower than most humans could run. Lastly there were the lastyrgoinians and it were mostly these that did the actual fighting at the moment. Still it wasn't as if the others wouldn't be catching up in the end.
She made her Pegasus halt for a moment in the air, then she pointed Maimer at the ground underneath them.
"Have most of the demigods dismount there." She ordered Mark. "Chris and me will take down as many of Telekhines as we can before we rejoin you. If we're not back before the phalanx is ready, send two or three of the remaining pegasi-riders to us.
"Will do." Mark replied before steering his Pegasus to the ground.
"Remember," Chris yelled after the teen, "children of Hermes at the flanks, not in the centre."
Clarisse chuckled for a moment. "Understood, strategos." She said before pointing her spear at the course of the river. "Shall we?"
Clarisse skimmed a first time over the water, unsurprisingly she noticed quite a few dark shapes, Telekhines.
"Okay, Chris are you ready?" She asked him. In reply Chris raised the small bow he had taken from Lacy and aimed a first arrow upon the shapes in the water.
A moment later Clarisse skimmed diagonally across the water, this time stabbing her spear down several times before she reached the safety of the shore. Two telekhines drove up to the surface, still some time away from dissolving in the water. Whilst a third jumped out of the water, towards her. However his clawing hands fell much too short to reach Clarisse and his body fell back into the water. Before he reached the safety of the water again, the telekhine erupted in a rather high-pitched scream and struck the river with an inelegant thud which made the water splash around him. A combination of gold and red mixed itself with the water of the river whilst the telekhine's thrashing died down. Behind Clarisse Chris placed another arrow upon his borrowed bow.
Clarisse threw her boyfriend a quick smile, before refocusing upon her task.
"There is more than enough water to make Maimer's electricity dissipate." She warned Chris.
The boy threw a quick glance behind him. "Then we'd better get on with it." He reminded her. "Before they're starting without us."
"Just watch my back." Clarisse replied, turning her pegasus around for another attack.
"That joke is just too easy, Clarisse." He whispered, whilst indeed watching his girlfriends back. His sharp eyes quickly detected another motion in the corner of his eye, costing another three telekhines a trip to Tartarus.
The telekhines quickly realised their assailants strategy and it didn't take long before some of them attempted to reach the riverbank in an attempt to catch Clarisse. Two more died by Chris's arrows, another three by the blade of Maimer. But enough reached the bank to imperil Clarisse who couldn't gain the necessary speed and therefore altitude to cross the river again whilst defending against the large demon-seals. Noticing the danger, Chris drew his sword and spurred his Pegasus forward. A moment later Chris's animal rammed a first Telekhine back into the river, his sword quickly ended another pair of Telekhines existence upon the earth for the moment. Freed from her distraction, Clarisse continued her assault upon the Telekhines in the river, until the water gained a vague red and golden shine.
More Telekhines crawled out of the water and Clarisse and her boyfriend exchanged another glance.
"What's stopping those reinforcements?" Clarisse asked angrily.
As in reply there was a soft cracking sound followed by a sharp twang. A second later one of the Telekhines fell backwards into the water a silver arrow sprouting from the top of his head. Merely moments later other Telekhines were falling as well, each with at least one arrow inside of him. those who hesitated had little time to regret it whilst those who turned around, had only seconds to reach the water and to swim away. One extraordinary large Telekhine who was momentary protected by a screen of large rocks and trees wasted a few moments with wondering where the arrows came from. Than he was set upon by a small pack of feral looking wolves, which tore him literally apart in seconds.
Clarisse blinked for a moment, staring at the instantaneous turning of the tide. Next to her Chris slowly sheathed his sword and reached for his borrowed bow.
"Thalia?" Clarisse asked with a loud voice, although in truth she held little doubt about the identity from her reinforcements.
The silver jacketed huntress walked calmly out of the woodwork, closely followed by another seven huntress.
"Who else?" She asked with an obvious pride in her voice, before her voice became a bit more cheerful and she pointed at her boot, saying. "Heel, girl."
One of the wolves immediately ran towards her, taking her place at Thalia's feet.
"You took your bloody time, getting here." Clarisse told her whilst pointing her spear at the killed Telekhines. "I was afraid we'd be doing all the work. Did you get lost in the forest?"
She smirked a bit when she noticed the disgruntled expression of most Hunters which her words caused.
Thalia shook her head in reply. "Far from it, we've been here for a while." She admitted, making Clarisse frown.
"There were six Lycans at this side of the river." She explained. "another five at the other bank. We had to kill those before we could help."
"Lycans?" Clarisse repeated.
"Werewolves." Thalia added helpfully.
"I know what Lycans are." Clarisse snapped. "But they haven't been close to the Camp in what? Seventy years? They're supposed to remain at the other end of states, no?"
"I know." Thalia admitted whilst rubbing her hand affectionately over the head from her own wolf. "Clearly someone forgot to mention that little fact to those mutts, over there."
"If I judged their age correctly, each of them but one was rather young." Thalia added.
"They might be upon some sort of quest of their own for Lycaon." Clarisse suggested.
"Most likely." Thalia admitted. "I'll ask lady Artemis permission to leave in the morning. If those mutts are arrogant enough to partake in an assault on Camp Halfblood then there is a lot of trouble brewing in the West."
"Trust me," she continued when she noticed Clarisse's expression. "You don't want to discover the amount of trouble Lycaon is capable of brewing."
"They can only die by silver, is it not?" Clarisse asked her.
"Yes, unfortunately."
"Than I owe you one," Clarisse admitted, suppressing a shudder at the thought of a giant wolf jumping at her from the forest whilst she flew above the river bank.
Thalia chuckled. "Good enough." She replied.
Away from the stream, the leader of the quickly retreating members from the outpost was currently swearing at every Titan and "previously" treacherous God or Goddess she could remember.
Dragging her knife across the throat of Lastyrgonian, the girl dove away from the wave of blood and gold dust that seemed to surge from the wound. For a moment she lay there, than a heavy looking club slammed into the earth, merely inches above her dagger. She blinked for a second, then she launched the weapon at the cannibal's face, making the creature instinctively slap his hands over his features, a bit of red and golden blood pouring through the gaps between his fingers.
Quickly scrambling backwards, the girl stood up whilst grasping one of her spare daggers in her hand. A moment later the bleeding Lastyrgonian in front of her rejoined his brethren in Tartarus and she reached for a third dagger.
"Back to the border!" She yelled with a clear voice. "They can't get us there."
She took another quick step backwards when she evaded a wild swipe from a club which a Lastyrgonian had swung in the direction of her voice. Then she noticed the rough looking humanoid staring directly at her.
She swore again, a sound which was instantly hidden by the Lastyrgonian's loud roar of pain when an arrow struck his thigh. It threw her a furious glare before he limped off, hiding himself behind some of the nearby trees.
"Thomas," she yelled at one of the few demigods behind her with a bow, "am I still invisible?"
"There is quite some mud upon your back, Annabeth." He replied, "I can see your outline easily."
She groaned and removed her cap. There was no point in remaining half-invisible if the only ones using ranged weapons at the moment were your friends.
The blond evaded another strike and struck the Lastyrgonian's hand with her shield, a small leather buckler with a bronze umbo.
She lacked the time to finish the monster off, instead she turned around again and continued running towards the border.
In front of her was a small column, perhaps a little over thirty-five fighting demigods and a few satyrs, something between forty-five and fifty if you counted the walking wounded at the front of the column. The warriors of camp Half-Blood were currently locked in vicious running battle with the fastest from the approaching monsters, which were almost solely Lastyrgonians.
The resulting battle was going poorly at best, calling it a confusing mess was doing it some justice as well.
It was a seemingly never ending loop of running, pushing some of the slower kids forward and turning around to exchange a few strikes with the faster monsters before they seemed to get to far from the column and they were forced to turn around. In the series of clashes between demigod and monster, at least two demigods had fallen, possibly more and whilst at least twice as many Lastyrgonians had left their bodies upon the field, the exact nature of the fight meant that the demigods had been unable to extract the vengeance they would have in a battle of a different nature.
Still, she held little doubt about the demigods reaching the safety from the border, especially with the reinforcements of the border guards, what she feared was the number of survivors with them.
Clarisse stared at the rather fast approaching column of demigods and satyrs. It was a rather familiar sight for the survivors of Titan's wars. Seeing a small group of demigods and godly servants like dryads or satyrs surrounded and under attack by monsters, seeing them desperately trying to fight off their attackers whilst running for the safety of the border or one of the lesser camps. Seeing them trying to keep their wits and ranks together, knowing that once the group fell apart and everyone only tried to save their own skin, was the moment all battles ended and the massacre began.
She could remember Persephone once comparing it to a massive boar chased by hounds or wolves. None of the predators is strong enough to kill the boar on its own, but together they could do so easily so the boar ran instead of confronting the pack head on. Once running the hunters chased after him, wounding him, trying to whittle his strength down whilst the boar either tried to reach safety or comrades, all the while threatening his assailants with his tusks. If he did succeed, the pack had rarely another choice but to break off their attack or else risk their own annihilation, but if the pack was capable of sapping enough of his strength to slow the boar down or even capable of cutting him off!
Clarisse gazed upon the picture of a red boar which adorned a number of shields from her siblings. She smirked, she doubted Persephone had chosen the boar in her analogy by coincidence. The two of them had been a part of those hunted columns for too many times. So had Annabeth and whilst she had to applaud the teen's ability to keep a level head, Annabeth lacked the instincts to keep the column properly together or the savagery to make her opponents look for easier prey elsewhere.
She guessed that was part of the reason why she and Annabeth had never been able to get along, certainly with Persephone, Thalia, Tyson or even Nico there had been something to bind them together, but once that had been cut off they were simply to different. Annabeth was all about calm rationality, when she spoke about war it was almost like a game of chess or a mathematical formula.
This was as far from the truth as possible to Clarrisse, even if she understood that those "board games" had their uses. More importantly it felt wrong to her, war just like many other things should have only as much to do with calmt and rationality as was strictly necessary. War was mostly about emotions, guts and gore. There was nothing remotely intelligent or civilised about it. Truth to be told she preferred it this way over Annabeth's mathematics. Mathematics couldn't be fought, instincts could.
You don't think war, you smell it, hear it, feel it, sometimes even taste it. It was the scent of human bodies pressed together, sweat, blood and even excrements, it was the sound of a few instruments and battle cries as well as the much more numerous growling and grunting, it was the clenching of your guts when the fear settled and the shaking of your limbs due to nervousness, it was the salt taste of sweat and the hint of metal in blood. There was very little glory in war, even she knew that.
She could feel the weight of her shield now, the weight of the heavy oak and bronze trying to pull her arm downwards. Her legs weren't shaking though, even if occasionally they felt like they would. The churning inside of her stomach hadn't stopped though and she endured the familiar feeling of her fears whilst keeping her eyes fixed upon the charging lastyrgonians whilst most of the monsters behind them were gathering in two rough battle lines.
Her limbs felt heavy, but she knew that would change soon enough. Her throat was dry, that wouldn't. Her breathing grew faster, but every time she exhaled what should have been a soft, barely noticeable sound became a throaty noise, like the growl or hiss from a predator. Unnoticed by herself, a red sheen began escaping her skin as if her blood was evaporating before the eyes of the other campers. Her fingers paled when she grasped her weapons harder, an action which was imitated by numerous others. Until a couple of seconds ago, she had felt cold, but now that cold was rapidly being replaced with warmth and obeying the urge to do something, anything at all, she smacked the ashen shaft of Maimer against the rim from her shield, initiating the clashing of numerous weapons.
Clarrisse stepped forward and she threw a quick look behind her, at Chris who gave her a gentle stare and for a single moment her eyes softened. Then she turned her head again, a rapid almost brusque motion and her eyes were just as harsh as before. There was no trace of mercy or kindness left in those eyes but she smiled, it was a brutal, almost demented grin which left her exposing her teeth to the enemy. Clarisse focused her attention entirely upon the enemies in front of her, trusting her siblings and Chris to protect her vulnerable flank whilst she killed everything that dared to oppose her. She wouldn't look back, she trusted them and just as importantly, she never wanted to have them see her looking at them with the expression she saved for an enemy.
Clarisse growled loudly whilst stabbing Maimer deep into the stomach of the Lastyrgonian, she raised her shield to stop the club from the dying monster upon the top of the rim and then slammed the centre of the hoplon's in its face, grinning evilly when she heard the crunch from the breaking bone. Another Lastyrgonian charged her and she stepped forward, planting a boot upon the chest of the dying Lastyrgonian and blocked her new opponent's swing with the centre of her shield. She took a diagonal step forward whilst pulling at Maimer, forcing the stomach of the slain Lastyrgonian to release her weapon. She lunged forward and slashed Maimer across the chest of a third Lastyrgonian making a loud electric crackle pierce through the cacophony of grunting and growling before the Lastyrgonian screamed in pain. The second Lastyrgonian fell upon his left knee after she brought the full weight of her shield down upon his right knee during her sidestepping of him. He died moments later when Chris finished him off with a quick thrust through the heart. Clarisse simply grunted whilst slapping the sword from an Empousai aside with the shaft from her spear and seemed to push her shield towards the servant of Hecate, making her hastily step backwards, only to be stopped by the shield of the Dracaena behind her. A short, throaty laugh escaped Clarisse 's lips whilst she pierced the Empousai's chest with the tip of Maimer.
Another opponent threatened her vulnerable left flank, but the Empousai was thrown backwards by a powerful slam from her shield. She stabbed Maimer in the throat from the Dracaena who's shield had been pushed down by the dying Empousa and roared, the crimson sheen which had enveloped her body turned into a blazing bonfire. All around her monsters took a first step backwards and then a second as well, making the daughter of Ares laugh all the louder. It was no mere laughter though, instead it seemed like a mixture of a rapid heaving as if she was a drowning man in need of water, animal-like growling and laughter. There was a hint of lunacy in her eyes when she stabbed her spear in her next opponent and an obvious relish in the shedding of blood.
Behind his girlfriend Chris resisted the impulse to swear, knowing he couldn't afford to waste his breath. the teen simply stabbed his sword down into the leg of a Lastyrgonian before slamming his shield in the face of the distracted cannibal. Unable to spare the time to kill him, Chris left it to one of his siblings to finish the monster off and continued forward. He killed another cannibal with a quick through the throat, an idiot who was distracted by his desire to turn away from Clarisse and somehow failed to notice the proximity of the other demigods.
Stepping up his pace he somehow succeeded in keeping the pace with Clarisse, protecting her flank whilst covering his own weapon with several layers of blood and gold dust.
Grasping the moment of the monster's hesitation, Chris threw a quick glance at his & Clarisse's siblings as well as the other children of War. Most of his own siblings had stayed behind to protect the vulnerable flank of the phalanx. He could see them fight hard and well, killing every monster that had the brains to try sneak around the sheer impenetrable wall of oak and bronze. He couldn't help but feel jealous for the much easier job they had, killing small groups and even individual monsters instead of the seemingly never-ending swarm with which he was confronted.
He sighed and blocked another slash from a long, surprisingly thin looking blade with his own leaf shaped sword, planted the heel from his boot upon his opponents sandaled feet, crushing some of the small bones and slid the ogres throat. Then he kicked the monster back into the mob and lunged at the exposed dracaena behind it.
Behind them the phalanx was approaching, slowly but unstoppable. Individual monsters had been ruthlessly piked down by the demigods. Larger groups threw themselves upon them and discovered themselves unable to stop them, instead they discovered they were now in the range of the spears as well. Blades, clubs and spears failed against the heavy shields, a number of those weapons were simply slapped away by the spears of the demigods though and their monstrous owners then found those same spears aimed at the exposed parts of their bodies. And all the while the phalanx marched onwards, slowly but unrelenting. Killing all what stood before them and crushing everything under their boots that wasn't able to escape.
Behind the phalanx, the pegasi-riders had been waiting each with either a bow or a long, two-handed lance in their hands and seeing the dishevelled ranks from the monsters grasped the opportunity eagerly. All but one Pegasus unfolded their wings and galloped forward before they jumped and remained in the air. Most of Aphrodite's children simply stayed in the air using their new position to pepper the ranks of the monsters with arrows whilst staying out of the reach of the monsters. Like their half-sibling, Eros, each of them was an capable archer although none of them was capable of equalling the Hunters or the born marksmen which were the children of Apollo. The others, children of Hermes and Enyo flew a few feet above the helm crests of the Greek demigods before striking the already dishevelled ranks of the monsters. The weight and impetuosity of their charge slamming monsters aside if those had the good fortune to escape the long lances. There were few pegasi-riders, only four, but each caused a deep wedge in the lines of the monsters before turning around again.
At the original front of the battle, Annabeth had united the remains of the outpost and the Border-patrol and formed a more rudimentary phalanx. Well aware of the proximity of the border, she send the wounded of with another three healthy demigods and most of the remaining satyrs for support and hopefully unnecessary protection. Unfortunately whilst the remaining number of demigods under her direct command was only a little less than Clarisse's she knew the difference in quality was immense. If they charged down and engaged the monsters, many of them would die against the superior numbers. This meant that there was little she could do except for threatening the monsters with her own battle line and trying to whittle down their numbers with arrows and skirmishes. She had rarely felt so powerless.
Behind Annabeth, Luke was rapidly approaching with another hundred demigods, unfortunately most of them, whilst not exactly young children were rather new campers and few were in full armour and none of them was fresh like Clarisse's forces had been.
The blond teen recognised her boyfriend immediately and smiled. Luke ran immediately towards her.
"Are you all right?" He asked her, immediately searching for traces of wounds amidst the dirt that been smeared upon her.
"I am." Annabeth confirmed, then she pointed at Clarisse's phalanx. "Due to them, have your demigods fan out, we got to help them!"
Luke nodded and paced his hand upon the hilt of his sword, Backbiter.
"You've heard her, heroes." Luke yelled at them whilst unsheathing his sword. "form a battle line!"
"Do you have the veterans to form a phalanx?" Annabeth asked him.
Luke shook his head in reply, making Annabeth curse for a moment.
Behind them the demigods were slowly taking up positions, she could hear the numerous cabin-heads and other leaders yell orders, mostly veterans first before the younger campers started mimicking them. It was almost torturously slow and even more so to Annabeth and the first campers who had witnessed the much more fluid formation from the War-phalanx.
"Luke," she began.
Said boy guessing her thoughts, shook his head. "They'll be just as good in couple of months."
"In a couple of months, maybe." Annabeth admitted to herself. "let's hope that these two hundred monstersare an exception."
"We'll march down slowly and in good order." Annabeth called out to the demigods behind them.
"We're not going to charge them?" Asked, almost yelled a son of Hermes, a veteran of the Titan-Wars.
Annabeth shook her head. "We got to retain the formation, we can't attack them piecemeal." She told him with a calm voice.
"We're over a hundred strong." The demigod almost yelled back. "We can cut them down with ease."
"And suffer at least ten dead and even more wounded." Annabeth added in her mind. She couldn't blame him for the idée though, during the Titan Wars taking on a foe whilst outnumbered two to one would have been called good odds, something which still defied every bit of common sense in her head. However there was massive difference between the campers of the Titan Wars and the ones they had with her. She started to feel some greater understanding for Clarisse and Persephone who had been the most active participants in the defence of the camp afterwards. The difference seemed almost ridiculous and not all of it could have been simply attributed to the much, much greater experience of the veterans.
Staring at Luke she knew he agreed with her, even if he would protest against it for a while, but the training would have to get a bit more intense than it currently was, unless attacks like these would stop suddenly. "Best not expect that too much though," she thought. "when did monsters ever do what we hoped them to do."
Upon the battlefield the monsters had noticed the approach from the much larger force of demigods and had further recoiled from the battle against the children of War. Chris and some of the other leaders of the children of War had noticed the shiver that had went through their ranks and felt their own morale soar. Nearly a quarter of the monsters had been forced to retreat from the actual battle to deal with the threat from the other campers, what remained showed plenty of signs of breaking already. Clarisse noticed the same instinctively as well. She erupted in another growl and almost as if strengthened by their fear, she seemed to redouble her efforts, singlehandedly tearing deep gaps into their ranks.
For a few moments ignored by the monsters, Chris reached for a small horn he had strapped to his belt. He had "borrowed" the instrument a couple of days ago from a son of Apollo, absentmindedly he wondered whether the kid had noticed the "misplacement" of the horn or not.
He took a deep breath before putting the horn upon his lips and a rather poor imitation of a hunting call blared across the battlefield.
"Well if that doesn't chase them off," he thought whilst silver arrows began falling down, piercing the unprotected backs from monsters, "few things will."
Noticing the approach of the other demigods, he smirked again.
"Well," he whispered with that same smirk, "it seems that this might be the best opportunity we get to test our little plan. May Apollo have mercy on our ears.
He placed the horn once more upon his lips
This time it was a angry blare which blew across the battlefield. Moments later the pegasi-riders turned around and formed a thin, menacing line above the wall of bronze from the phalanx, leaving a single opening in the centre. For a single second time seemed to stand still, than a pitchblack shadow seemed to fall from the sky. The black Pegasus neighed angrily and seemed to glare at the monsters in front of it. Upon it's back the rider pointed her sword, a long leafshaped bronze weapon at the opposing mass of monsters.
The field fell momentarily silent.
"Campers," she yelled. "Shell I begin?"
A massive roar from the ranks underneath her came in reply.
"Persephone!"one yelled, whilst another went "Titan's bane" or "Monster slayer!"
The ranks of the monsters fell apart and turned around, they had enough. Behind them both forces of demigods broke ranks and chased after them, ruthlessly killing everything too slow to outpace them.
"Persephone's" Pegasus descended slowly, making no attempt to chase after the monsters. On top of the Pegasus the rider's contours seemed to shimmer. Her face quickly lost its tan and it's features became more rounded, younger whilst her dark hair was turning into a bright blonde. Her figure became a bit smaller with less developed muscles and she seemed all of suddenly rather out of her place upon the black Pegasus with a sword in her hand.
"Ehm, how did I do?" She asked Chris who was rapidly approaching, all the while supporting a rather tired looking Clarisse.
"You did great, Lacy." Chris told her genially. "I doubt they noticed a thing."
"Still not confident enough." Clarisse grunted, "but it was not too shabby for a first time."
"She means you fooled most people." Chris added. "And a good job."
Clarisse gave him a disgruntled look before she stabbed the rear-spike of her spear in the ground and sat down leaning against a tree trunk. The teen took her helmet off and threw it a few feet away from her. Then she removed her bandanna from her head and swept her hand through her hair.
"Take a rest, you've earned it." Chris told Lacy whilst he kneeled beside Clarisse and carefully placed a hand upon her shoulder. For a moment Clarisse stifled, then she nodded and rested her head upon his shoulder. The girl closed her eyes.
"Guess you've earned your rest as well." Chris added noticing his girlfriend with a small smile.
"Not tired." Clarisse mumbled, "just resting."
"That's what I said." Chris replied, his smile growing a bit larger. "Resting."
"Good."
He sighed, when he noticed the approaching Annabeth and Luke, as well as a mischievous smiling Thalia, who's own spear was flickering a bit more than it should.
"No rest for the wicked and weary." Chris mumbled ruefully, no doubt the two first mentioned wanted an explanation for their faux-Persephone.
"You offered to see me?" Persephone asked her.
Reyna raised her head up, her eyes were narrowed and she glared for a moment, then she sighed rather deeply.
"I've just been through entire meal with Octavian." She said, half growled. "I am sorry if I seem... tense, but after that I'm not as relaxed as I had intended to be."
"Octavian?" Persephone asked, somewhat recalling the name, whilst she took the chair opposite of Reyna's desk.
"He's the one that branded you." Reyna reminded her.
Persephone instantly touched the bandage upon her arm and made a face when a fresh wave of pain shot through the limb.
"I think I can... understand that." Persphone replied, making Reyna snort.
"A sadistic bastard?" She asked Reyna who had bended to her side for a moment, aiming her eyes at something underneath the table. Persephone could see she was moving her arm and Reyna's eyes seemed to soften for a moment.
"Without a doubt, but a bit more subtle than you're imagining." Reyna replied before staring into Persephone's eyes. She sat there another few seconds like that, then she shook her head, once again dismissing that nagging feeling about the name Persephone Jackson. "If you have the bad luck of meeting him again, which you will, don't let him open his mouth, trust me on that."
"A politician?"
"Yes."
"Great." Persephone muttered whilst rubbing her hand against her forehead. "just what I don't need, more liars and smart talkers."
The older teen shook her head again. "Still you called me here for more than just a warning about Octavian, isn't it?"
"Yes," Reyna admitted. "It's about your cohort, the fifth. What's your first impression of them?"
"Hm, before I answer that question, how straight-laced are you?" Persephone asked her in return.
For a moment Reyna's frowned at her, then she gave a tiny hint of a smile.
Persephone sighed. "Honestly I am not certain. Most of them seem as far off from my idea of a legionary as they could be, and others." She shook her head. "To tell you the truth I am surprised that most of them ever passed Lupa's judgement."
Reyna laughed, but without any pleasure in her voice, then she shook her head.
"Do you know the history of the fifth cohort?" She asked Persephone.
"Mother and Lupa gave me an impression of what they've been through until recently. They stopped after an expedition to Alaska. Where the legion lost it's eagle. They stopped after that but that's what twenty-thirty years ago?"
Reyna nodded. "The legion suffered a lot of casualties during the expedition, few of those who took part ever made it back alive and those that did," Reyna paused for a moment and shook her head. "I don't know whether it is true or merely a fairy tale." She admitted. "But from what I heard, not even a single soul was willing to tell what happened, others even had gone mad."
"And the Fifth was made the scapegoat in the aftermath." Persephone completed the story.
Reyna nodded again. "In the defence of the camp, the praetor who led the expedition, a former centurion of the Fifth named Michael Varus went in against most other centurions and his colleague at the time."
"They put someone named Varus at the head of a legion?" Persephone asked her.
"Spare me the jokes about 'Varus, Varus! Give me back my legions' and 'Progress, scarcely more than three cohorts worth of legionaries and a single eagle'." A glowering Reyna told Persephone. "The jokes might have been original when he campaigned for the post, not a quarter of century after the disaster he caused."
Persephone smiled sheepishly. "I couldn't resist the opportunity." She admitted.
"So did a lot of people." Reyna deadpanned.
Than she sighed again. "Either way, in the aftermath most of the Fifth and all of its officers were killed, the eagle was lost and so were the original banners of the Fifth. What remained was little more than those too young, sick or wounded for the expedition. That was the first time the senate suggested erasing it entirely in attempt to get rid of the shame."
Reyna turned her head towards Persephone. "Honestly, I think it would have been better if they would have ended it at the time."
Unknown to her, Persephone narrowed her eyes for less than a second.
"Why?" She asked Reyna upon a tone which betrayed nothing of the conflict inside of her. The newly minted centurion had already become aware of the rot inside of her cohort, just like she had some indication about the way it was abused and at the same time encouraged by the other parts of the legion.
"If they would've wiped they name at the time, it would've ended the shame. There was scarcely anyone remaining of the original cohort, few people would suffer if the remains of the Fifth disappeared." Reyna explained to her. "unlike the full numbers it has now."
"Afterwards they mostly filled it up with the gutter scrapings of the recruits." Reyna continued, sounding rather tired and more than a bit disappointed.
"Don't take it the wrong way?"Reyna added, at least trying to sound a bit more upbeat. "It isn't like they're the scum of the earth or anything, it's just usually they're," Reyna paused for a moment, obviously looking for words, "the least desirables. Those without ancient families or a great name to protect them, those who don't seem extraordinary at a first glance, ..."
"They're still the least of the campers." Persephone said, waiting how Reyna took the statement.
"Us Romans value strength, Persephone," Reyna chided her, "Respect is something earned not given or demanded and considering what they've done so far to regain their honour."
"True, please continue." Persephone replied.
"Either way, most cohorts used the Fifth to get rid of their least desirables and the least interesting recruits." Reyna continued.
"Something the other cohorts made certain to make the Fifth aware of." She added in her mind.
"Isn't it hard to regain their honour if the better members are almost instantly transferred to the other cohorts?" Persephone asked Reyna instead.
Reyna chuckled for a moment.
"Did I tell you that they're still regularly debating about erasing the Fifth cohort from the list." Reyna told her with a calm voice whilst staring into Persephone's eye.
"Some of them think to remove the Fifth and instead institute an Eleventh cohort."
Reyna snorted. "As if a change of names would help without changing anything else."
The praetor noticed Persephone stifling, it was faint, barely noticeable but it was there.
Then she shook her head and unknown to Persephone, she rubbed Aurum's head. The other teen only noticed a slight motion of the praetor's arm.
"Tell me, Persephone, what are you planning to do with the Fifth?" She asked the older teen, as entertaining as it was trying to find out what the daughter of Juno really was thinking by minute clues from tone and tic's, she couldn't afford to waste time.
"Just what is best for them and the camp." Persephone answered, clearly trying to frustrate Reyna's attempts at fishing for information.
"And would that involve switching to a real cohort the moment that you have the opportunity?" Reyna asked her, purposely putting an emphasis on the word real.
She noticed another flash of irritation in Persephone's eye. Reyna smiled instinctively.
"If that would be the best for everyone." Persephone replied, with only a hint of sourness in her voice.
A loud growl instantly erupted from behind the table which made Persephone jump out of her seat and launch it a point next to the table, just in time to strike Aurum. A moment later riptide rested in her hand and was pointed successively at the golden dog, Reyna and Argentum who had likewise appeared next to the table, unveiling each and every single one of the gleaming, sharp teeth in its maw.
"It would seem that you lied." Reyna explained to her, looking rather smug but still raising her empty hands in a pacifying gesture. "I wonder where the lie was?"
Persephone glared at her for a single moment, then she said: "I am not planning to leave the cohort in the sorry state it currently is."
Both automatons instantly took a step back and stopped growling although neither closed its muzzle completely, just enough to appear less threatening.
"It seems that you speak the truth." Reyna told her, now sounding a bit more pleased.
She reached for the silver dog whilst motioning the golden dog with her head. "Aurum and Argentum." She explained whilst Argentum walked backwards to her. "These were a gift from Vulcan to one of the previous praetors. They're no weapons, nor are they alive but they're even more loyal than the actual animals to the true Praetors, as dangerous as a member of Lupa's or Diana's pack and they can detect a lie or a half truth even if the speaker herself isn't actually aware of it himself.
Reyna smiled whilst petting the Argentum. "It is a bit cheating for a conversation like these, but it helps." Persephone noticed Aurum pushing her chair back towards her with its head and Reyna signified that she could retake her seat.
"What are you planning with the Fifth?" Reyna asked her, now adopting a friendlier tone than before. "And please speak the truth." She added with a small smile.
"That joke was horrible." Persephone replied.
Both dogs remained silent.
"Traitors." Muttered the praetor with mock-annoyance.
Persephone shook her head. "Honestly, I am not really certain what I'll have to do." She began.
"You're going to try turning the Fifth in proper cohort." Reyna concluded, making Persephone nod.
Reyna sighed.
"I applaud that thought, Persephone, I really do." She said. "However to tell you the truth, I am doubtful whether it can be done."
"You're not the first to try that and," Reyna began, "if you do, I doubt you will be the last."
"There is something rotten in the cohort, I know of at least three of their centurions who tried and a lot of legionaries who did the same. All failed and most of them eventually requested a transfer to one of the other cohorts."
"Which is most likely part of the problem." Persephone interrupted her. "They see their own cohort as some sort of prison which they have to escape if they wanne mean something."
"True," Reyna said, agreeing with her. "But how do you solve that?"
"Giving them something to take pride in for starters." Persephone reminded her.
"Pride, in what?" Reyna asked her, snorting. "You saw how they greeted you, even after your performance. There is no pride in them."
Persephone remembered some of the faces and expressions during her introduction. There had been some pride, but in themselves and nothing for their cohort, most likely from members who were serving with the hope for a better cohort.
"The Fifth has serious issues, but they're not just limited to the rank and file of the cohort." Persephone said remembering the other centurions and just as importantly the reaction of the other legionaries once they heard she was member of the Fifth.
"You're talking about Dakota, Gwen and the others?" Reyna asked her. "They're hardly ideal, but they keep the order."
"They're a huge part of the problem, Gwen is the kind of girl you expect to organise a slumber party, not to lead an army and Dakota seems about as interested in being a proper leader as I am in becoming a maenad."
"Gwen is popular," Reyna replied defending the centurions although she wasn't overly passionate about it. "most legionaries don't wanne let her down. Dakotta, ..." Reyna sighed. "He was one of those who tried to change the Fifth and eventually just gave up."
"That's only some of the rot on the inside though," Persephone told her. "I am no less worried about the rot on the outside."
"Explain?" Reyna asked her, now sounding much more curious.
"Did you ever check their weaponry and armour yourself?" Persephone asked Reyna in return.
"I did not, that's the job of their officers." Reyna said. "I don't believe I ever saw more than the first line and those usually looked fine, more or less."
She raised her head for a moment. "Has this anything to do about the complain I received from a quartermaster about your behaviour?" She asked Persephone .
Persephone's eyes narrowed for a sec. The boy had smelled like a pig, looked like a pig and now she found out he squealed like one as well. She would have to remember that for the future in case she "forgot" and "accidently" locked him up with the Clazmonian Sow.
In return she reached for her backpack and pushed the books with the sales to the Fifth over the table towards Reyna.
"What did you find out?" Reyna asked her.
"At the moment, very little, except the fact that he was swindling the Fifth, most likely with the help from at least one of their centurions and possible with the protection of some higher rankers."
"All that in less than a day?" Reyna asked her suspiciously.
"The boy was foolish, arrogant and overly confident in his protection by the centurion and I-don't-know-who-else." Persephone explained. "Furthermore he reacted rather badly upon the transition."
"What transition?" Reyna asked her, staring at Persephone who sported a small, but rather smug smile.
"He was used to being stoat among rabbits, I made him stare into the eyes from a hungry she-wolf." Persephone said turning the small smile she had sported earlier into a broad, almost feral grin.
For a moment Reyna stared at her with a rather curious expression, then she snorted.
"I never saw a sign of swindling. What proof do you have?" She asked her.
In return she took two mail hauberks out of the backpack, making Reyna for a moment raise an eyebrow at her.
"This is the one he tried to dump on me first, the second is the one I gained after persuading him." Persephone said pointing at the large rings of the hauberk which she had taken back with her, well aware that she would need more evidence than just her testimony.
"This should never have left the forge." Reyna said after taking a single look. "What about the rest?"
"The weapons and helmet were fine. It was only the hauberk, at least it was with me." Persephone told her.
"Go on."
"Quite a few of my legionaries have likewise faulty equipment." Persephone continued, Reyna ignored the "my legionaries"-comment for now.
"Define quite a few!"
"At least a third has been equipped with one or more pieces of rubbish!"
"Gods." Muttered Reyna angrily before sighing. "If they had been pitted against monsters with those, ..."
Persephone shrugged, but still her voice contained a bit of venom. "In their defence, I doubt he or any of them expected the Fifth to serve in a serious battle against monsters."
"Still, I agree that the Fifth has no priority for weaponry but there's a difference between giving your own an advantage and giving those toys away!" Reyna replied.
"Did he offer better in exchange for money?" Reyna asked her.
"He tried to bribe me with such once he realised who he was talking to." Persephone replied smugly, leaving no room for doubt about the effectiveness of the attempt, before adding. "It is quite obvious that is usually the case though."
Reyna swore. "It is equally obvious that at least one Centurion was in on the plot, most likely in exchange for a percentage and that the others closed their eyes for it."
She growled. "They're responsible for the equipment of their troops, if something like that happens to even one of their legionaries they have to intervene, coming to me if that is necessary."
It had a reason that Persephone held no high opinion of her fellow centurions of the Fifth.
"They never did?" Persephone asked her curiously.
"Never, neither me nor Jason ever saw or heard so much as a mention about a request for taking a look at their weaponry."
"You don't have a secretary who could have 'waylaid' such a request?" Persephone asked her.
"We haven't. Jason and I have been the sole responsible for that administration, exactly for that reason." Reyna added coldly. The previous praetors had utilised such secretaries, unfortunately at least one of the three had been one of Octavian's cronies. Afterwards both she and Jason had agreed not to employ such if they were somehow able to handle the load themselves.
For a moment Reyna wondered if she might be too harsh on the other centurions of the Fifth, it wasn't difficult to imagine they had actually tried to do something about the problem, only to be slapped down in return. In hindsight, that wasn't overly unlikely. For all their qualities, their predecessors had been rather impatient and even more so with those who failed to reach their standards and unfortunately they had considered the Fifth far below their standards.
"I see why you believe some higher ups might have been involved." Reyna told Persephone angrily. "In hindsight I can imagine quite a few who might have unwittingly or not have aided that attempt."
Persephone tilted her head for a moment, obviously surprised about the amount of cooperation.
"Jason and I have been praetor for less than a year, Persephone. I can assure we knew nothing about it." Reyna reminded her. "And as you can see, we're not happy about finding out it happened."
"What about those higher-ups?" Persephone asked her.
"We'll see what we can do." Reyna told her before admitting. "I doubt we'll be able of doing a lot though, I suspect most are more about neglecting to do something rather than actively participating."
"Furthermore half the camp will find little fault with their actions if they can spin it right." She added in her mind, unknowingly mirroring Persephone's thoughts.
"This is such a headache." Whispered Reyna angrily.
"Is that a reason to quit it altogether?" Persephone asked her mockingly.
"No!" Reyna replied, almost spat obviously angry.
She noted the approving smile upon Persephone's features.
Reyna sighed. "You still planning to reform to Fifth?" She asked her.
Persephone raised a single mocking eyebrow.
"It won't be simple, if it is even impossible and it won't be making you popular, at least not with the rest of the legion as you can see." Reyna warned her.
"I knew it wouldn't be simple when I started thinking about it." Persephone told her. "And I knew it wouldn't make me popular, in fact, It will probably make me the most hated centurion of the Fifth."
Reyna sighed.
"Then I wish you the best. Start with your own century and we'll see how good it works before expanding to the rest of the cohort." Reyna told her. "Take care of your cohort, I'll try to keep the others off your back, as well as offer some help when possible."
"Appreciated." Persephone replied whilst extending her hand to the praetor. "And please, be so kind to let me reintroduce myself." "
My name is Persephone Jackson, Daughter of Juno, Centurion of the first century, second maniple of the Fifth cohort, at your service." She said utilising a much warmer, less guarded tone of voice than before. Persephone gave her a bright, kind smile which showed Reyna a hint of her white teeth and there was no trace of deception or suspicion in her eyes.
"Nice to meet you."
Reyna accepted the hand, showing a smaller, but still for her unusually lightly guarded smile.
"Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, never call me that! Happy to have you lead the Fifth." She replied.
"Thank you for this conversation, I am certain it helped." Persephone told her.
Reyna showed her a small grin.
"Is there anything else you wanted to ask?" Persephone asked her whilst walking towards the door.
Reyna hesitated for a moment and Persephone knew she saw Reyna's eyes point at Argentum & Aurum for a fraction of a second. Then it was gone and Reyna shook her head.
"It shouldn't matter by a lot." Reyna replied.
"Are you certain?" Persephone asked her obviously catching Reyna's doubts.
"I am certain." Reyna told her after having another deep intake of breath.
Dismissing the notion as unimportant Persephone placed her hand upon the handle from the door. "Well if you change your mind, You know where to find me." She told her.
Reyna waited until the teen had closed the door behind her.
"It was no lie." She thought, as the praetor it wasn't supposed to matter that the girl looked like someone from her past, and even if she was that person, it still shouldn't matter.
Still she knew she just had lost a great opportunity to find out whether her doubts where anything more than her imagination or not.
She sighed and sat down again. "Got to get Jason." she thought whilst staring at some of the documents upon the desk. "We'll have work to do! Especially with what I might have unleashed."
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