Ch. 14
War was on the horizon. It was a simple fact that evoked terror in all but the bravest that the world had to offer. The Roman army's general Annabeth was one of these few. She had no trepidation of death, which even a fool could see as she stood on the front lines of a future war zone, donning a vibrant red cape that signaled her position, just like Julius Caesar once had. However, only those closest to her knew that she was not fearless. The thought of leaving Earth without a lasting legacy horrified her and mingled with her darkest nightmares. The pressure that her great ancestors had unknowingly placed on her was more than most could stand, but she faced her challenges bravely and wisely, refusing to give up in times of peril. This was one of the reasons that she was so favored by the Roman gods.
This was Annabeth's first time in battle with an entire ten legions under her command, but the general did not feel any nerves. With her shield adorning the head of Medusa clasped to her arm, and her deadly sword by her side, the girl had never felt so comfortable in her life. Just like every child of Minerva, Annabeth was a scholar at heart, and from the teachings of Sun Tzu she had learned that nothing was more important for her men than having their leader fight alongside them. But not just any leader—no, a leader that was calm in the face of danger, humble when praised, and above all, honorable. Annabeth knew that her men would fight to the death for her, as there was no greater honor for a Roman than falling in battle defending one's home.
Standing amongst her elite soldiers against a Parthian army that could only be described as barbaric brought her out of her internal musing. Although Annabeth was not one that would usually fret over such pointless matters, one quote orated by Alexander the Great himself came to mind when looking at the general that Parthia sent to greet her army: "I am not afraid of an army of lions led by sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion."
The man that was glaring at her with something that could only be described as pure hatred from across the quarter mile that separated both armies was clearly not a sheep. The daughter of Minerva easily recognized the man to be a demigod—a son of Zeus, or whatever the former Olympian king had become among the mortals, to be exact. The thought of Zeus being given the shaft by all of Rome caused a huge smirk to plaster across her face since she was sure that was the reason why the man looked like he wanted to skewer her with his sword before words were even exchanged. She would later admit that this was not the smartest thing that she had ever done.
Glancing behind her, Annabeth saw Zoë standing to her right. She was wearing the brilliant armor that Perseus had once gifted her. She was starring warily at the unfamiliar army across from them on the field. Although she hated to admit it (and never would aloud), she was extremely thankful that her uncle had asked the former Roman consul to stand guard for her. The immortal's awareness that she had acquired after so many military campaigns was something that Annabeth envied. But it was also something that had saved her life after Zoë had slit the throat of an assassin that managed to get past all their defenses except for Percy's admittedly scary girlfriend, who was merciless to say the least when performing her duties.
At first her legionnaires were all confused as to who the mysterious bodyguard of their general was. In fact, some of her most loyal officers even questioned why the stranger was given the position instead of one of them. Unfazed by the scrutiny, Zoë challenged all of officers, saying that if any of them could dispatch her in a dual that they could take her position as Annabeth's bodyguard. Two of the legions best fighters engaged her at once, and from under her mask, Zoë could not help but laugh at their foolishness. She quickly defeated the warriors, greatly embarrassing them, and ensuring that no one else would question her position. Annabeth held in a chuckle when she thought of how scared her officers would be if they found out the true identity of Zoë. Even the most courageous of men might need a change of undergarments after that revelation.
Zoë saw Annabeth looking over at her and smiled warmly at her. The two had become close friends over the time they had spent together, and Annabeth knew that Zoë was trying to reassure her, so she grinned back.
Their current situation on the field was not anything that Annabeth had ever read or heard about before. Neither leader was attempting to negotiate peace, and instead the two forces just stared across the field, sizing each other up. They didn't even speak to one another—not a single word had been whispered.
Everyone present knew that there was no avoiding this war. The pride of both empires was at stake, and neither Trajan nor whomever was under Zeus's control would step down. There would be no signing of a peace treaty. It was simple: one empire would perish, while the other would gain land and a big stake in the history books.
The truth was that Annabeth had not been expecting this standoff, but she would not step down, especially after hearing from her mother what Zeus had done to her family. A grandmother whom she would never meet, and her precious uncle, who had almost perished at his hand. Annabeth had vowed long ago that she would do whatever she could to take revenge on Zeus, and here she was, presented with the perfect opportunity. She would not fail.
A loud bang rang across the silent space from the Parthian army. Their general could clearly be seen giving a speech to his army, and his troops were all riled up, ready for a fight. Annabeth walked fearlessly a few yards in front of her troops and turned, trusting that her men would warn her of any approaching danger that she could not see. As she looked over the Romans, Annabeth couldn't help but grin at the fierce determination glittering in all of their eyes. They were silent, further proving the respect that they had for their leader, compared to the unruly Parthian soldiers.
Her voice projected flawlessly to all her men. "Today we will fight these savages. First they disrespect our gods, and now they dare march toward our homes? No!" Annabeth snarled. "Today is a great day! Today we will once again prove the might of Rome to all of our foes! This day will be etched in history forever, the day that we together crush their army and lay claim on Parthia. We will destroy any proof of the existence of such a pathetic empire! Today, we fight for Rome!"
And with that, the Romans roared their vicious cries and willingly followed their general towards the Parthians. The battle had begun, and as the gods watched closely from above, they knew that their own war was rapidly approaching.
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