Leo, Chapter 14
"So Jason," Leo began as they trudged out of the senate house, "where to next?"
"I dunno," Jason shrugged. "Any ideas, Dakota, Frank?"
"Go find more Kool-Aid!" the one who was previously gulping down Koll-Aid yelled. Jason shook his head, and Frank rolled his eyes. Piper, however, looked just as confused as Leo.
"He's addicted to Kool-Aid," Frank explained. Leo wondered how you could be addicted to Kool-Aid, but he shrugged it off.
"Why don't we go train somewhere," Piper suggested. "We could try to learn each others styles as best as we can, so that when we're fighting monsters and giants and such we know better what to do."
"I like it," Leo voted, and Jason and Frank nodded.
"Lemme just go get Hazel," Frank said. "And Jason, we should probably change into normal clothes."
Jason nodded. "We'll be a few moments," and the two of them took off in the direction of their houses, or barracks, or whatever.
"I don't get why they wear those," Piper snorted after they were out of hearing distance. "Jason looks ridiculous in it."
Leo was about to make a comment, but Hazel popped in out of nowhere.
"What looks ridiculous on Jason?" she asked.
"The toga," Piper replied.
Hazel laughed. "You should see the picture Gwen has of him wearing a toga for the very fist time. He put it on backwards, and has the most horrified look on his face."
Piper giggled. "He put it on backwards?" And suddenly, both girls were having a laughing fit. Hearing Hazel laugh brought something back to Leo. Something distant. And suddenly those golden eyes looked very familiar, as well as her voice, and her name. Had Leo seen her before while on the run from foster home to foster home? Surely not, he doubted Hazel had ever been to one, as she'd come back from the dead not to long ago, while Leo was at Wilderness School.
"Hazel," he began. "This might sound weird but you suddenly seem familiar." Hazel immediately stood up straight, regaining herself from her laughter, and stared at him with fearful wide eyes.
"Hey guys," Frank greeted, and put his arm around Hazel. The daughter of Pluto immediately relaxed. Leo had the feeling that when he did certain things it brought back a painful, displeasing memory for Hazel. He was glad she was happy with Frank though. Those two were practically meant to be.
"So… wanna go train some now?" Jason asked the group. The all nodded, and set off, playing with their weapons.
"So do you wanna duel?" Leo asked Frank.
Frank hesitated for a moment, and then nodded slowly. "Okay."
"Great," Leo cheered. He looked over and saw Hazel and Jason teaching Piper some Roman moves, and beauty queen picked them up easily.
"Hey um, Leo," Frank stuttered nervously. "Can we not use powers, just a weapon battle?"
"Oh c'mon man, I can't fight otherwise," Leo complained.
"I'm sure you can," Frank said nervously, "but please?"
"Fine," Leo sighed. He wondered why Frank was so nervous, but he wasn't going to push it. He was probably scared that Leo would burn him, like most people. But in case it was something personal Leo gave Frank some space. He knew what it was like to be pushed on a topic that you didn't want to discuss.
"How about sword on sword," Frank suggested. "Neither of us are really used to it, but it'll be good practice, and we're bound to need the skill sometime."
"Mmkay," Leo decided. Frank tossed him a sword he picked out of a bin. Leo felt its grip, about the right size, but it was standard length, a little too long for Leo's liking. Frank picked out an identical one, and they began sparring. It was mostly just wapping the weapons back and forth like little kids did while pretending to be pirates or jedis, or whatever, but they threw in a few demigod moves. After what seemed like a few minutes Leo finally managed to disarm Frank. Frank was obviously trained with the bow and arrow, but when Leo wasn't busy building the Argo II he was picking up a few sword fighting moves.
"Took you long enough." Piper rolled her eyes, and Leo looked over to see her, hazel, and Jason all watching with bored expressions.
"It didn't take that long," Frank argued. Piper shook her head.
"Bout an hour," Jason chuckled. "And honestly Leo, you do much better with celestial bronze." He removed the sword from Leo's hand, and set it back into the bin.
"As for you Frank," Jason pursed his lips, "Stick to the bow and arrow."
"Why don't we go find Percy and Annabeth," hazel suggested.
"Yea," Leo laughed. "Then we can interrupt another one of their make out fests!" Frank and Jason started laughing along with him, after he'd told them what had happened with the couple making out at the bottom of the Little Tiber. Piper rolled her eyes, and Hazel sighed, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like boys. But they followed after them, although they trailed a little behind, in deep conversation.
"Ouch, Tyson," they heard a voice coming from the stables, "you're squishing me!" Leo recognized Annabeth's voice and they peeked inside to find Annabeth being given a bear hug by a Cyclops.
"Sorry Annabeth," the Cyclops apologized, setting her down. "But miss Annabeth so much!"
"Hey guys!" Hazel called as they marched inside. "Hi Tyson, hi Ella." Leo then noticed a red harpy perched near the roof of the stables.
"Friends," she chirped. "Ella sees friends. '…my best friend, Mary Kay Shiner, and I were making the strawberry frosting for her birthday cupcakes…' page 2, Allie Finkles Rules for Girls: Moving Day, by Meg Cabot." Annabeth warily picked up the paperback kids book, flipped too page two, and scanned the page. Her eyes widened.
"Word for word," she gasped, dropping the book. Frank and Percy nodded, laughing at her reaction, while Jason, Piper, and Leo all wore astonished looks.
Hazel smiled. "Ella memorizes everything she reads; literally everything. She even memorized a phrophecy from-" She stopped talking abruptly when she received a glare from Percy. But the words were already out.
"Sapientia filia ambulat solus, marcam Palladis ardet per mihi," Ella recited. Jason's eyes grew wide, while Frank and Hazel shrugged.
"Wh-wh-what did she say?" Annabeth stuttered. Jason opened his mouth but Percy shot him another one of his cutting glares.
"Percy," Annabeth complained. "What's so secretive you can't tell me?" He gave her a pleading look, but Annabeth gave him an equally as stubborn look back. But before either said another word, Ella repeated something that Leo could understand.
"Wisdom's daughter walks alone, mark of Athena burns through Rome."
"Is that what she said in Latin?" Piper broke the silence. Jason nodded.
"You can speak Latin?" Annabeth asked Percy.
He shook his head. "No, I just heard it in English before, and guessed that's what she said this time, because she said it in Latin on our quest and Hazel and Frank said that that was it."
"Well why were you being so stubborn on telling me?" Annabeth questioned.
"Well… cause… uh… it…" Percy stuttered, and Leo couldn't blame him; Annabeth was quite intimidating with that gaze, which she was giving Percy right now.
"Did you not trust me?" Annabeth accused. Percy frowned and shook his head.
"No, no, I just didn't want to tell you until I figured out what it meant," Percy explained.
"Ya think with your seaweed brain you can figure it out?" Annabeth retorted. "People have nicknames for a reason." Percy rolled his eyes but pecked her on the lips. Hazel grabbed Frank's hand and Leo saw the older boy smile. He looked over and saw Piper smiling at the happy couple, not noticing the longing but short glance Jason gave her. Honestly, he thought that couple was overdue.
The rest of the day went over with lunch, a spot check on the Argo II, cleaning the engine, dinner, getting ready for bed, and before Leo could bat his eye, he was on his bed.
He was still a little paranoid about Khione popping out from the middle of nowhere. Despite popular beliefs, he was very observant when he wasn't preoccupied, and when Annabeth had been stirring her lemonade; the ice cubes repeated the same tune that Khione's bracelet had when they were at Boreas' palace. Two quick tones, and after a moment, three more. And then it repeated, and repeated, and repeated, and repeated. Leo didn't think it was a coincidence, since sadly, the fates just didn't like those.
"Well Leo," he told himself, "you'll just have to deal with it." And on that note, his eyelids shut and he plunged into a deep slumber.