Chapter 10

For the next couple of days Damien was continued to be taught about the roman history and about his abilities as a demigod, he spent countless hours with Frank and Hazel, listening to the stories and how the camp operated.

They took him of a tour of the barracks and explained about the different cohorts he met a few of the other Demigods who were kind enough, though he got some dirty looks from some of the guys at the second cohort, he recognised a couple from the incident on the roof. He would remember to stay clear of them in the foreseeable future, he had already said to Reyna he would try and not have anymore incidences.

He didn't see much of Reyna, just a quick glance here and there around the camp, but she was always being followed by others who were deep in conversation, Frank said that she insisted on taking most of the Praetor paperwork even though he tried to help her, he admitted that he wasn't very good at the paperwork side of things.

Frank was just saying how you get traditionally designated into cohorts, but in the circumstances a centurion would have to give a recommendation

"I am a centurion of the fifth cohort" piped up Hazel "If you want to join ours then you would be most welcome"

Damien smiled at her "That be great, don't think many others would want me" he joked

Frank chuckled slightly "Especially the guys in the second after you beat up six of their guys unarmed"

The three laughed

"How did you do that by the way?" he asked "And the whole running up the wall thing?"

Damien simply shrugged, no more of his memories had returned, but he hadn't expected anything to happen overnight, it sucked but there was nothing he could do to change it.

They ate their meal in the large dining hall, people flooded in and out as Damien's eyes looked at each one of their faces

"She doesn't eat in the main hall" Hazel said

"Who?" Damien replied taking his eyes from a group of girls who had just entered

Hazel smirked "Reyna normally eat in her office under mountains of paperwork" she continued eating

Damien was a little confused he hadn't been looking for anyone, he looked at the smirk that covered her petite features

"What are you smiling at?" he asked curiously, leaning towards her

She put on a butter-wouldn't-melt face "Nothing just smiling"

After lunch Hazel had other duties to perform so Frank and Damien continued their tour of the camp,

"I should probably show you one of our training sessions, you will be initiated into a war game after you receive your tattoo and a place in the fifth cohort" Franks mumbled along

"Tattoo, like yours?" Damien asked eyeing the black crossed spears and several black lines underneath it, he had noticed that all of the others had them as well, just different versions.

"Yer but you won't have spears, you'd have…" he faltered "I actually don't know what you would have being the first child of Letus"

Frank continued walking towards a large building with large swords engraved in the stone work over the large double doors, he entered and Damien followed close behind

"This is the barracks where all of the weapons are kept, after use all items are clean and re-sharpened" Frank gestured to the racks filled with swords "Every week we have a war game, the probatios build a new fort, half of us defend and half attack, we use real weapons and get real injuries"

"You guys actually try and kill each other?" Damien asked looking at the sharpened gold blades

Frank smiled "No we never kill one another and any injuries we get can be treated at the medic station with nectar and ambrosia"

Damien turned to Frank "Who and what now?"

"Oh right it is food and drink of the Gods, it can heal Demigods faster than normal medicine" Frank explained

Just then another Demigod came running up to them, she saluted him

"Sorry to interrupt but you are needed at the medic camp" she seemed flustered from running

Frank nodded and looked to Damien "You wanna come with or can you make your way back by yourself?"

"You go man I'll be fine" Damien smiled kindly at him for the offer

Frank nodded and jogged off with the young soldier, leaving Damien alone in the barracks with no idea how to get back

"Oh well" he muttered to himself looking around the large room filled with swords and spears, he spotted some armour hung on the wall, with dozens of helmets lined on the shelves above them, they were shined to within an inch of their life. He could see his reflection in the gold, he looked terrible, he hadn't been sleeping that great, he had actually been sleeping on the roof.

He reached out to touch the shield, his finger connecting with the cold smooth metal

And that's when it happened his mind was forced back, back to the city streets, he was on a rooftop, his fingers touching the gold of a necklace, he looked up to the face who was wearing it, he brushed the blonde hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear

"Now you will be protected" he said to her "That is all I want"

"All you want?" the blonde teased as she pressed her lips to his

"Maybe not all I want" he mumbled against her lips

Damien felt a hot pain in his chest as he collapsed against the cold hard floor gasping for breath, he clasped his chest but a moment later the pain was gone, he lay there for a moment unsure of what was going on, after easing his breathing he stood on shaky legs.

He needed help and there was only one person that he could trust with this, only one

Reyna

He took off running as fast as his unsteady legs would take him