~Sorry about the long wait for an update, I've been busy. This chapter will be extra long for all the readers. If I have any readers. Anyways, here we go. Into the fourth battalion. Oh! I don't own anything, except the characters and the Camp Illion idea. ~
~mythgirl100ad
Lake jumped down the dirt steps, following Danny. The others had gone to what Alan said, was the grand meeting room. Lake walked up behind him, tapping his shoulder. "Hey, where are we going?"
Danny swung around, grabbing his wrist and flipping him onto to his back on the ground. Lake landed with a thud, groaning in pain. "What was that for?" he said, getting to his feet.
"Don't you ever touch me, or I'll do a lot worse next time," the son of Poseidon said, gritting his teeth together.
"I was just wondering."
Danny sighed, twisting his spear in his hands, "We're heading towards the Battalion Number 4, that's where you've been assigned. Once we're in there get lost, then meet me in the arena tomorrow. I want your training over as soon as possible. Got that?"
Lake flinched, squinting his green eyes at Danny, "Fine, whatever you want Salt-breath."
"What did you just call me?"
"Salt-breath, that's what you smell like. A bucket of old smelly salt that's been left out to cut in the sun for umpteenth million years, I'm surprised no one has told you that before! You totally smell like it." Lake was pinned to the ground by Danny, receiving several blows to the face. He returned these with force. These continued for several long moments until a girl's voice screamed.
Lake felt Danny's weight lifted off of him. He opened his uninjured eye to see the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She had shoulder-length amber-brown hair with honey colored eyes. She had the most perfect make-up he'd ever seen, even on super-models. She was wearing a green t-shirt and had some sort of silver tiara in her hair. She had her arms crossed and a really annoyed look on her face.
"Your name is Lake, right?"
Lake stood up, trying to straighten out his shirt and dusting himself off, "Yeah! My name's Lake Daniels. What's your name! You're really pretty!" he slammed his hands over his mouth realizing what he had said.
The girl smiled, "My name's Mabel but everyone here calls me Maybe." Maybe's smile seemed to make him want to melt.
Only then did he realize a bunch of thirty or so kids were standing behind her. Danny was being held by a tall, blonde kid with blue eyes. A girl with pixie-cut brown hair walked up to him, her brown eyes sparkling, "Welcome to the fourth Battalion. Name's Hannah." She smiled at him.
Maybe smirked, "Well Lake, I'm in charge. To clear things up, I'm the leader of Battalion number 4 or the Fourth Battalion. I'm the camp's prophet too and I'm technically a princess. You've already met Danny. I figured he needed a friend, that's why I assigned him to be your mentor. He'll teach you what you need to know. If not and it fails…"
Hannah came up in front of him, smiling again, "I can be your mentor if you'd like."
"Hannah!" Maybe scolded.
"I'm sorry, he just seems so, sad…" Hannah said before going to stand behind her.
Lake blinked, "I am not sad! I'm perfectly happy!"
Maybe frowned, "Lake, look, life here isn't easy. We never get the best quests. The world has forgotten about us. The world doesn't treat the Trojans like they do the Greeks or the Romans. Sure there are their camps, one in New York and one in California. The mist hides them from one another but we know their real. We don't like the Greeks but we don't like the Romans either."
He blinked, "Why not, I thought Aeneas, didn't he escape? I mean he carried on the legacy."
She sighed, "Aeneas formed the Roman Empire. His empire then went on to conquer the Greeks."
"Isn't that good? I mean, they destroyed the original Troy, they got what they deserved."
Maybe shook her head, "No. Helen belonged to us. Aphrodite promised her to us. The Greeks didn't respect her decision. And they destroyed us for it. Greeks are tyrants and Romans are cowards. Aeneas was a coward. But no one will ever know that but us. No one will ever understand that."
The other demi-gods lowered their heads and repeated the words, "Greek tyrants and Roman cowards."
Lake nodded slightly, "I think I understand."
"Don't worry, you will in time," she said, "But till then, it's dinner time." She clasped her hands together. "To the cafeteria!" With that the Battalion filed down the street to the large building. Lake stayed where he was, not quite sure what to do.
He turned around to see the girl, Hannah, who had just tapped on his shoulder. "Are you going to come eat dinner or not?" she asked.
He shrugged, "I'm not sure."
"You want to go home, don't you Lake? To see your dad?"
Lake blinked, "How did you know it was my dad who was mortal?"
Hannah smiled, "Maybe told us. She was the one who sensed your presence and sent the Ares Twins to find you. She knew it was boy, Austin Texas, mortal dad, immortal mom."
"Anything else?" he asked, curious.
Hannah got a conflicted look on her face, "Well she did mention something about the Great Prophecy."
"That what?"
"The Great Prophecy:
A half-blood of the eldest gods
shall reach sixteen against all odds
And see the world in endless sleep
The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap
A single choice shall end his days
Olympus to persevere or raze
Lake gulped, "What?"
Hannah fiddled with a sword at her belt, "Well you see it's a prophecy that was issued seventy years ago by the Oracle of Delphi. Since then the Big Three, Zeus, Hades and Poseidon have made a pact to no longer have any demi-gods kids."
"But Danny, isn't he a son of…."
"Poseidon, yes, and there's another kid here, Marcus. Son of Hades. There are a few others but things have gone from worst to bad in that last year."
"Excuse me?" Lake choked out.
"They're supposed to be dead. Last year someone stole Zeus' master bolt from Olympus and a few kids from the Greek camp saved it and brought it back. Things aren't that much better this year either."
"What do you mean?"
Hannah sighed, "I'd better let King Henry do it, he's planning to give us all the lowdown tonight after dinner."
"King Henry?"
Hannah frowned, "My brother."
