Hey, what's going on? No updates? Ah, it's November, it's true. Maybe we're all depressed :)

okay new chapter, more serious, a bit of politic, I've tried to not make it very long, probably because I didn't want to make another chapter about battles. pffff. I have enough with history of the XXth century, 100 years of war, oh yeah.

Jason felt like he could kill, he felt as if he was able to grab the highest mountain and throw it on top of Olympus. For the first time he really felt anxious, so anxious it was drowning him like quicksand, filling his lungs as the fear blocked his heart. Jason tried to keep it under surface, that burning sensation, that wishing to thrust his new sword through Lexio's heart.

It had been a few long journeys, but Jason never hoped to believe that he would meet his army. It was too much to ask, too much to believe that this would happen. It happened at nine in the afternoon; the cold rain hammered the leaves overhead as he tried to grab some still dry wood. He saw him, well, it wasn't easy to miss him, a thin sick looking kid, with a weird column construction, clavicles strangely pushed forward as if someone had been grabbing them for a long time and had left it in strange diagonals, his brown hair fell over his clear eyes, his big dark lips barely parted, as he breathed heavily, with an obvious exhaustion. The tension from his arms was an obvious sign of his nervousness.

Jason breathed out as he grabbed his coin, feeling the metal quickly warm up between his fingers. He followed him as he stumped around bending strangely to his left side. Jason continued crouching between the leaves as the boy, not much older than him, maybe 14, walked away until they reached a cave not too far away from theirs.

- Alberto. – Jason's blood froze as he recognized the voice; the boy in front of him had stopped and raised his hand in a strange salute before running towards the thin figure of the son of Ogme. Alberto started to speak in Spanish as the tall figure of Lexio appeared from the entrance, more people peek their heads to look at the kid that stumped towards them, making a bag of plastic appear from under his dirty shirt. Jason followed closely, cursing for not having Lexio for his own. He watched as they entered the cave, waited a few minutes as a short skinny guy, not older than 16 frowned as he gazed across and froze a few feet over his head. Jason was suddenly aware of his purple shirt that didn't quite bend and let himself fall, surrounded by the tall weeds, covering his head with his hood. He was saved by someone calling the guy and his scrupulous scouting inside the cave.

Lifting his head, feeling his heart pounding crazily against his chest, he crouched again his coin in his right hand and moved forwards trying to move himself out of the sight of the cave. When he reached the wall of the mountain he advanced slowly, trying to be as silent as possible as he reached the opening of the cave. Slowly he took a peek inside to see thirty guys and girls sitting around a small fire, passing sandwiches around the circle they formed, trying to absorb the heat that emanated from the fire…

Heat, fire. Those delicious flickers of light, hot light. Far away from that cold rain, that crush his bones…He was meant to be looking for wood; he should inside his cave, eating next to it, next to…

- JASON! – He jumped out of his skin as he tried to contain a scream, He turned away from the cave that had suddenly turned silent as he ran away from it, his heart beating à tout rompre inside his chest, stumbling over bushes, falling over roots, but standing as soon as he could. Before he reached the forest he looked behind. Their weapons drawn, their eyes following the boy he had seen stay behind, that had examined… He disappeared into thin air; Jason's heart got trapped in his throat. Where…? He collided into someone, and stumbled down, his coin leaving his hand. Coughing he tried to stand up when he felt the tip of a sword under his shin. Looking up he saw him. His dark eyes were as dry and cold as the bones of a skull, his face expressionless, his strong forearm was tripled with veins. They stood there looking into each other's eyes until he brought the silence:

- Criar los cuervos que te arrancarán los ojos, pobre hermano mío que eres, Félix. La fortuna no te ha dado nada, ¿no?

And there he was. Jason's hand searched around instinctively. The rounded metal shape of his coin got trapped between his fingers. His eyes quickly gazed to look at it but the tip of his sword pressed harder against his throat.

- Don't touch it. – He looked up to look at his cold eyes. He could imagine for a second Mat's eyes reflecting in his black pupils.

- And what will you do if I do? – His gaze lowered until he was nearly kneeling in front of him, his face so close he could imagine the texture of his skin, hard and raspy. But there was something else, a kind of cold aura, as if it was made of cold November mornings, sadder, greyer. His skin seemed to be gelid without touching it. They were so close Jason felt uncomfortable, and as he tried to put some space between them a cold feeling started to grow over his stomach and tided his throat. The fear started to grow inside him as those stony eyes bore into him, Lexio's stare turned quickly to a glare, and his face slowly tore into a scowl of disgust.

- Then I will have to kill you.

- Lexio! – Jason turned to look at the boy who spoke as he fell down from the sky, his daggers unsheathed in his hands. Lexio shook his head and Jason watched him stand back sheathing his blades as a circle started to form around him.

- Idos, esto es entre nosotros.

- Pero Lex-

- Id. – He stood up before looking down at him. – Come on Jason. Don't try to run away, we despise bunnies.

- Now, Son of Jupiter. Why do you hate me? – Lexio put the sword aside but standing right in front of him. Jason took a step back, surprised of the proximity Lexio kept. He blinked, thinking back at what he had asked, slowly the old anger and hate started to reappear as Mat's pleading eyes and Lexio's attitude replayed in his mind.

- You could've saved him. – Lexio's eyebrow rose, showing a real sign of confusion and feelings. His eyes bore into his again before nodding and stepping closer to him again.

- Ah, that boy from the Hyperborean Cyclops in Denver I think…What of him?

- You could have saved him. – Jason growled trying to not sound scared of Lexio's sudden capacity to read into his mind.

- I couldn't. I never give third chances. I would not make him an exception.

- But it was unfair! He didn't even have time to use it! – Jason exploded, trembling in fury. Lexio looked at his shaking form with calm eyes as if it didn't surprise neither fright him that Jason gripped his weapon furiously between in fingers.

- What is unfair, Jason Grace? Me? The gods? The Fortune? Or is it simply life? Why do some have to have and other have to be have-nots? Some can die in hunger while others can live in the sweetness of their childhood until well entered their 20s. Was it fair from your father to strike the Collibri? Or is it fair that you are betraying Felix by griping that magnificent weapon and trying to threaten my life? So I will answer you with a question: Are you sure I wasn't fair, or is it responsibility that you feel because you thought of helping him and the only thing you were able to do was to witness his death? Ponder my words, Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, because if I had saved him, his heart would serve to feed Tezcatlipoca, like a slave, like an enemy and my head will be stuck in a stick. Yes I saved my life, you might call me egoist, but Felix would be almost alone against my brother. Ponder my words, because the war is about to break lose.

Jason did. The rest of the travel he kept toying with those words, trying to find a weakness on them to keep hating him…but there wasn't any to him. With horror he found that he was right, he felt responsible, awfully responsible for his death. Why? How could he? He couldn't believe it. Their entertain had turned his head up sight down, he woke up feeling his cold eyes over his skin, so empty and amoral that it was terrorific. Nina kept glancing at him, she had been the first one to find him lost in the woods, soaking wet as he stared at the retreating figure of Lexio. She hadn't pushed him but he believed she somehow knew what had happened.

- You know we're going to have to talk about your disobedience to the Senate, right? – She asked him once. He looked at her, surprised of it.

- You can't be serious.

- He could have killed you, Jason.

- But he didn't

- He didn't but he could've.

- He wanted to chat. – He spat, listening the sarcasm of it.

- Maybe, but that didn't save me and Reyna to be fright to find you there. – Jason looked up, feeling her resentment. Nina's hand collided with his face sending him onto his butt. – You're just an egoist, Jason! I expected better from you.

- WHAT DID YOU DO THAT! – He screamed. Reyna looked between both of them, surprised by Nina's sudden violence. Jason rose up ready to counterattack her, as the gathering anger and confusion he had felt on this mission created something new, but Reyna quickly stopped him as Nina took a deep breath before exhaling.

- Do you know why he didn't kill you?

- Yes! For Felix!

- No. – That froze him to his bones. Even Reyna let his arm go to turn and look at Nina. – No, Jason, he didn't. He's giving you a second chance; he doesn't give those to everyone.

The army arrived two days after Jason, Nina and Reyna came back from their quest, Dakota was proud of his friend for succeeding in his quest, although he felt a bit jealous. But Jason had changed, he kept thinking about something and it obviously wasn't helping that they were preparing for the battle and he was the second in lead of the Cohort, but he didn't explained. Jason and Reyna spent a lot of time together talking, and Dakota was afraid that they were excluding him, Gwen and Bobby although they were in the same Cohort as him. He was suddenly aware of the brotherly bonding he had grown over his friend. At dinner he pushed him, Gwen as well, trying to break that wall of ice…but nothing. Nothing was said; he had become distant and serious. The boy had disappeared; he could see it as the monsters attacked, he looked older as he lead them, obeying the centurion, imposing himself over the most veteran members, showing them his capacity as leader, Little by little they all managed to expulse the army but there were losses. Important ones, one of them was the Praetor (I had to get rid of him, poor guy. Mea culpa to say he was a legacy of Minerva :S I hope you'll forgive me). Dakota wasn't an expert but he could guess things weren't going to be easy. The other praetor decided to call some advanced elections; Nina had her possibilities but the Centurion from the First, a certain Gary-something, had been the one to lead the preparations for the attack and had showed an excellent leadership when the Praetor had fall and had been the main reason of success.

For a week or so the debates on the Senate were heated up, curiously Octavian only showed interest on supporting his companion of Cohort. Nina was probably the other voice of the debate, less aggressive than Octavian and Gary, accusing her to be too close to the philosophy of Felix and their enemies; soon most of the Senate was against her and Gary was named Praetor by majority.

- Don't be ashamed, Nina. – Said Max after the eleccions. They were all inside his small shop, the afternoon flaming light's dyed her face as she looked down at the table, her jaw clenched. – He only asked you to be loyal to the Legion, Octavian could have pressured you to do worse…

- In front of the entire Legion! – She spat. – He called me traitor in implicit; how do you expect me to be calm after this? – Max sighed.

- He didn't ask you to clean his feet in front of all for example. – She smirked, humorless.

- I would have thrown him the towel on his face then and I would have had a good reason! – Max pressed his eyes together.

- At least Octavian isn't in power. – Jason mused, trying to lift the spirits.

- He's not in power because he doesn't need to be; he already has the power, Gary is a good leader in a battle but is unable to make a decision without influence. – Max corrected. – He knows how to take an order or a situation and turned it into something helpful or resolve the problem but you can't ask him to invent one. The other Praetor worked well and completely with our deceased one. But she doesn't have the influence Victor had, she will not be able to stop Gary and Gary will only follow the one he knows better and influences him better: Octavian; he will tell him everything he wants to hear and he'll obey like a sheep. The only thing she can do is stay in power and don't let Octavian take the other leadership. – Nina sighed. (Was it a bit confusing? You tell me if it is).

- Curse him and the hour that saw him born. We need Felix now!

- Nina. – Max reached her hand from the other side of the table. – I received a letter from him just this morning. – Her face rose up, murderously. – You were too occupied to take notice. – Max stood up reaching two envelops over the counter and handed one to Nina who broke the closing and read the paper like if it could save her life. They looked at her expectantly, after reading it at least twice she sighed and resumed:

- He's sending help. Alvar and Désiré, well at least it's something.

- Jace, this one is for you. – He turned to look at Max hand him a piece of paper. Jason opened it under the curious looks of the others, Dakota moved so he was able to read over his shoulder. There was a letter and then a strange necklace with the form of a hand done out of copper and attached to a cowhide.

- What's this? – He asked.

- It's an Iber symbol for hospitality. – They turned to look at Nina. – Or to recognize a long gone friend; in our case, it will show Alvar who he has to trust.