Hi guys. So I was really happy when I saw Percy's test had a good reception. I took so long cause I originally planned on a choice kind of test, like the previous ones, but somehow I brought in Aeneas into the story and I kind of lost control of where I was going with the challenge and then I had this time travel training test I wasn't so sure about. I'm just relieved I didn't get booed for it.
Once again, thanks to all reviewers. A big shout out to Katherine again for the spectacular review. Also to bornlucky101, .star.x and wisegirl77 who I think are my most loyal reviewers. All three of them have their own SON fics, I recommend everyone go check them out, they're great. To PenNameless1994: Gracias. It was fun getting a review in my native language, which is Spanish. On that note, my whole putting the period outside quotation marks "like so". is because that's how you quote in essays in Spanish. Sorry for the mistake, but let me know about that kind of stuff, I'll try not to do it again.
Wow, long author's note. Anyway. Chapter 10, hope you like it.
Chapter 10 – Unexpected News
Reyna was seething as she made her way down Mission Peak's slope and headed towards the valley where Castra Roma was hidden. She checked her watch and saw that it was just past midnight, meaning they were now a full day late from their scouting mission. On her left, the river where they had left the three new demigods resurfaced out of the mountain's side and went on towards the Bay, where it would finally join the sea. She looked back towards the great peak and saw that the entrance into its inner corridors was firmly shut, which meant that the new arrivals were still facing their challenges, or perhaps, that they had failed. The thought made her shiver, there was something special about that group and she had a feeling, a strong one, that the leader of the group was somehow related to Jason's disappearance. She needed to talk to him.
As she descended the pathway with Bruce and Alexa in tow, Reyna contemplated the vast expanse that was Castra Roma. True to Roman spirit and tradition, the huge encampment, roughly the size of six adjoining football fields, was shaped as a perfect square and its edges were made up of defensive walls. The walls consisted of high stone ramparts or agger surmounted by a wooden palisade or vallum. Soldiers were able to walk on top of the ramparts and patrol the edges of camp, making sure they were never surprised or caught unaware by the enemy. Every hundred feet around the wall there was a watchtower, complete with settings for a catapult, ballista or mangonel, all of them armed with Imperial gold projectiles that could shoot at any possible land, sea or airborne target that approached camp unannounced. On the outside of the wall, a deep outer ditch or fossa had been dug, to make sure no one could enter camp on foot without having to sink waist deep in mud and other nasty surprises. Reyna watched the building with pride, even if anyone overcame the magical boundaries that protected the valley, Castra Roma was the most secure place on the face of the planet. It never had, and it never would, be taken by force.
She continued walking down towards the main gate, the Porta Praetoria, wondering how on earth they were going to report what had happened the previous day to Lupa without it sounding like an utter disgrace. Not only had they been spotted by the group they were supposed to be covertly watching, they had also had their butts handed to them by two untrained demigods in hand to hand combat, the type they were supposed to be best at. And they hadn't discovered anything about Jason. Reyna sighed; Lupa was not going to be impressed with their performance and she might even demote her from her current rank if that stupid kid with the black hair and green eyes blabbed too much about their fight.
The Porta Pretoria was only a couple of hundred of feet away, its two grand towers gaining prominence and starting to dominate the scenery, when a voice rang clear through the starry night, causing birds to fly away from nearby trees and disappear into the darkness of the nearby forest.
"Who goes there?" called the voice, strong but not aggressive. Reyna thought she recognized who was calling out and she approached confidently.
"It's Reyna!" she cried out as loud as she could. "Centurion of the Legion! I'm with Bruce and Alexa, returning from a scouting expedition!"
There was no answer from camp, but Reyna could hear the cranks of levers being pulled to open the doors for her and her team. She hurried up and saw a soldier walk out and wait for them at the entrance. As she neared, she recognized him.
"Bobby!" she called out, running the last few yards to the Porta Praetoria.
"Hey Reyna," he answered, with a smile. "You're late, you know."
"We were delayed," said Alexa. "We found some new demigods on their way to camp. We had to take them to Mission Peak to be tested and they were, let's say, troublesome."
"Really?" he asked, looking surprised. "And you took them to Mission Peak? New demigods aren't supposed to go there, even trained heroes sometimes struggle when training there."
"Well we couldn't take them to the Wolf House, could we?" said Bruce forcefully. "Until further notice, Lupa's determined newbies are to be tested in the mountain."
"Poor suckers" murmured Bobby. "Hope they make it. But how did you find them? If they came all the way up here, then where's their guardian?"
Reyna tensed at the question. "They claim their guardian was Garret and that he, um, went missing, two days ago… They came here on their own under his instructions."
Bobby shook his head, like he understood. "You should go to Lupa, and quickly too. You don't want to be any later than you already are and you need to report this. Besides, Hazel's team's back and they've brought home some news, big news."
"What?" asked Bruce violently. "Did they find Jason?"
"No," said Bobby quickly. "But it's better if you hear it from Lupa directly. Go. She's at the praetorium. She's expecting you, too."
Reyna didn't wait another second. She pushed Bobby gently aside walked quickly into Castra Roma. For an instant, she paused at the entrance and surveyed the impressive architecture inside the defensive walls. Castra Roma was divided bytwo main roads which crossed it from side to side. The first road, the Via Principalis cut through camp from the western gate where it led to the sea, all the way to the eastern gate, which faced Mission Peak and the surrounding forests, the place where they now stood. The other road was the Via Praetoria and it connected the southern gate with its northern counterpart, which looked towards the highway and the city of San Francisco. In the middle of this last road, close to the very centre of camp, there was the praetorium, the place where Lupa met with the praetors and centurions, where all important discussions were held and where all the major decisions in the history of Castra Roma had been taken.
They walked as fast as they could down the Via Praetoria, heading straight for the tall building at the heart of camp. The grounds were quiet and empty in the middle of the night as most campers were asleep, resting before another day of grueling training began the next morning. A low wind rustled the blades of grass and made dust rise from the stones that paved the road. The camp's pathways were lit by torches that were held on braziers just above their heads but they seemed unnecessary that night as there was a full moon which bathed the entire camp, making it a very clear summer night.
When they finally arrived at Lupa's door, they hesitated. It was always an experience to visit Lupa, and not always a pleasant one, and certainly not when you were at fault. They weren't anxious to see their teacher's reaction to their mission but waiting would only make matters worse. Unwillingly, Reyna knocked hard on the door, three times, and walked slowly into the praetorium.
The main hall was silent, empty and dark. Lupa wasn't there. With a little surprise, they continued down the long corridor behind it, sided by large round columns on either side, until they reached the study at the end of the hall, where the she-wolf sometimes worked. Before they had even reached it, the door opened and out came Dakota, daughter of Minerva and the recently appointed interim praetor of the First Legion.
"Reyna!" she said. "You are late, you know. I was wondering if I was going to have to send someone to find out if you died. What happened?"
"It's a long story," said Reyna. "Is Lupa inside? I don't want to be any later than I already am."
"No," said Dakota. "I'm afraid she just left, didn't say why either, just that something big was happening in Olympus and that she'd been summoned by Lord Jupiter. She said you should report to me on your mission and that some form of disciplinary measure would be necessary for your tardiness. Sorry, Rey. Now come on, follow me."
They all walked out of the praetorium and headed for the southeast corner of camp, where they found the dying embers of the camp fire, inside the small amphitheatre they used for meetings, shows and other activities, a much friendlier place for their story.
"So," began Dakota, "where were you this past week? Why are you so late?"
Reyna stared at the fire, looking depressed, and she began her story. "We travelled as far east as Denver, searching for Jason or for any information on his whereabouts. We started at Mount Tamalpais, where we had our last fight with the Titan army, to see if any of our old enemies had taken him. We found nothing but rubble, Atlas, and bad memories. So we continued making our way east, looking everywhere we could think of. We looked with the families of every camper who lived in the area and in all the places we knew he had ever visited. He was nowhere to be found. We even searched and found the Cumaean Sybil, prophetess of the gods, to see if she had any information for us, but when we found her she wouldn't speak to us, she remained silent for our whole time there. She almost drove me mad."
"She speaks only when she is ready, Reyna" interrupted Dakota. "That is why she only comes to camp at times of great danger or of momentous decisions. You cannot force prophecy or induce it at your will or convenience. You know this. Why did you seek the prophetess out? Neither she nor Apollo will appreciate it."
"I was getting desperate!" answered Reyna. "It's been over a month and there's been no news! She could have helped us, if she had wanted to, if she had even tried."
"No, Reyna. She couldn't have. And it was not your place to ask or even pressure her!" said Dakota strongly. "That was way out of line! Lupa would be furious. There could be consequences for this."
Dakota gave her a steely glare and looked her in the eye, but didn't say anything. After a while, Reyna took up her story again.
"After we left the prophetess, we realized we had run out of time, and so we made our way back to Castra Roma on the double. We met some monsters on the way back but nothing major; they mostly kept out of our way, though I don't know why."
"Is that all?" asked Dakota, softly.
"No," answered Reyna. "When we were approaching Castra Roma, we spotted three teenagers heading through the forest towards camp. We followed them covertly for a morning, trying to find out whom they were and if they presented a threat, seeing as how they were very close to our borders and heading straight for the northern gate".
"Did you engage them?" asked Dakota.
Reyna hesitated for a second.
"Um, actually" interrupted Alexa, "they engaged us. One of the kids separated from the others, circled their position and ambushed me."
"How did this happen?" asked the praetor.
"It was my fault" said Reyna quickly. "I was tailing him, but he knew I was on him and I… lost him."
"So three of our best soldiers were outsmarted by a fresh kid in the middle of the woods, no less than two miles from Castra Roma, in territory they were perfectly familiar with" said Dakota. There was surprise in her voice and some measure of disapproval. But she was also impressed.
"Well yeah," said Bruce. "But Reyna and I noticed what the kid had done immediately and went for him moments after he got to Alexa. He didn't stand a chance, really."
"So you confronted him," said Dakota. "Did he offer resistance?"
"Yes," said Alexa. "This other kid from their group showed up and we all got into a fight. The first kid, Liam was his name, he didn't have much going for him except for instinct, some rash courage and sheer luck. I fought him and beat him."
"And the other?" asked Dakota.
Both Reyna and Bruce tensed at the question. They knew there was no lying to Dakota, she would weasel any lie in seconds, but the real answer was embarrassing. Alexa however, didn't seem to have any misgivings.
"The other kid fought Bruce and Reyna in one of the most intense duels I've ever seen. The guy was armed with a magical bronze sword and he gave them a fair fight. He was-"
"A bronze sword?" asked Dakota, interrupting her with a sudden intensity. "Are you sure it was bronze?"
"Yeah," said Alexa. "It kind of glowed, but I don't see the relevance of it."
"What was his name?" asked Dakota again.
Reyna answered then. "He said his name was Percy Jackson. And he was just plain weird, from his fighting style, all disordered and unpredictable, to the way he talked. But he was very good."
Dakota stayed silent for a few seconds looking somber and obviously thinking deeply. "That name sounds familiar" she said. "So, did he win? In the fight, I mean."
"Nobody won," said Alexa quickly. "Their last friend broke up the fight and forced us to talk. We realized they were demigods and so we took them to Mission Peak, so that they could be tested before coming to Castra Roma. And then we came back to camp."
Dakota was silent again for several seconds. "Reyna," she said finally, "I'm not sure what to do now. Your mission was obviously a failure, you didn't find any information, you managed to disrespect the Cumaean Sybil and then you battled and, let's face it Bruce hasn't bragged at all about the fight, you were beaten by two untrained demigods. These actions are dishonorable for Castra Roma, Lupa would have you on double duty for a month, maybe even demote you from your post as Centurion."
Reyna stiffened and only said "Yes, I know."
Dakota considered her carefully. "However," she said, "Lupa isn't here and it falls to me to issue your disciplinary sanction. Lupa will never revoke my decision, it would be against our rules, but I have to be fair. So, you will keep your rank as a Centurion, but you will receive a reprieve. To start with, you, Reyna, as the commander of the mission, will mount full guard in front of Mission Peak until such time as the three new demigods make it outside or until two days have passed, at which time we can assume they died. After that, you are all on stable duties for this week and running double shifts in the mornings. Bruce and Alexa, you can go to your cabins now. Reyna, stay for a second."
Bruce and Alexa immediately stood up and, with a quick "yes ma'am!" they turned and made their way back to their cabins, their shoulders slightly hunched and without talking. Reyna stayed there, expectant, and before Alexa and Bruce had really left the amphitheatre, her curiosity got the better of her.
"What did Hazel find?" she asked Dakota. With her question, every fiber of her being trembled, maybe they had found something important, maybe they had even found Jason's location.
Dakota gave her a sad look before answering. "I'm afraid there are still no clues about Jason's disappearance, all of our teams have found nothing on him, it's like he just evaporated from the face of the earth." She paused for a second and saw Reyna's face drop terribly. "But Hazel did find out something important, a clue perhaps as to what is going on in Olympus."
"What?" asked Reyna.
"Hazel travelled north" said Dakota. "And I mean way north, she went through Canada and as far as Anchorage in Alaska. She was obviously looking for clues about Jason but her primary objective was to find information about the suspicious monster activity we've been seeing lately. There is something going on in the tundra up north, there are hundreds of monsters moving in that direction and they are searching for something. That is why you had such an easy time on your way back; most of the evil mythological creatures are being mobilized north. Hazel said they were constantly digging in random places and searching in caves in the mountains. They faced some Hyperborean giants and tried to get the information from them, but they only said their master wanted it and that they had to find it."
"Find what?"
"We don't know. The only thing certain right now is that there are massive forces accumulating north of the border searching for something and that they are being led by someone the Hyperborean giants simply refer to as Father or Master. Lupa was actually considering sending the full force of Castra Roma against these monsters, before they can find what they are looking for."
"Does anyone have any idea what that may be?" asked Reyna.
"We can guess," said Dakota. "There are many items of power that monsters would crave to get their hands on, like weapons left behind by the Titans. What worries me more is who this Father guy is. The only ones with that kind of power, to order around such a number of monsters, were the Titans and they are now all gone, sent back to Tartarus or defeated by the gods. If there is a new mastermind behind every monster in the country, we could have another war on our hands."
"So what are we going to do about it?" asked Reyna.
"Right now, only Centurions and Hazel's team have been informed of the situation. Lupa was going to make a decision before she was forced to leave in a hurry. So, for now, I'm waiting for the rest of the scouting teams to return before I make a decision. And I also want to talk with this new demigod you've found. It looks like he's had some training if he can beat you in a swordfight. He might know something."
"Fine," said Reyna, standing up. "I'll let you know the moment he comes out of the mountain, but he might not be in any condition to talk."
"Why not?" asked Dakota.
"Well, they were all at least sixteen and I left them at Mission Peak to be tested. You know that the older they are, the harder the tests are, Roma and Aeneas will be vicious with them."
"If they're as good as you say, they'll make it. Now go, you'll have to stand guard all night at Mission Peak, there's no telling how long it'll be until they come out, if they ever do. Come find me when you've got all three of them."
"Sure," said Reyna. "See you tomorrow."
And with that, Reyna stood up and headed straight back the road she'd come from, for a sleepless night until the idiot guy who had beaten her showed up to her camp. She was probably going to kill him.
Hi guys, sorry for the very late update. I was in mid-terms last week and then work got kind of intense. I know I promised a chapter a week, I'm sorry. So, hope you liked chapter 10, please review even though it's kind of a filler chapter. I'm just starting to introduce Castra Roma and the characters there, there will be several chapters at camp but exciting things when Percy gets there.
See ya. WPR