Raven hadn't meant to sound rude but she couldn't believe she had been standing next to Jason Grace this whole time and just not known. She hadn't even thought to ask this kid his name. She just assumed Jason would be off doing something heroic or something. Jason stood there blinking.
"Uh yea..." He said staring at her, "Do we...know each other..?"
Raven's cheeks turned beet red, she thought she'd nipped that habit of blurting things she wasn't supposed to in the bud but apparently not. "Sorry, uh no...I mean sort of. I mean..."
"Ya know what? I'm just not going to ask."
"Yea that would be best."
Jason led the way up the hill.
"So," He said, "Where are you from? You must be pretty impressive; I mean a goddess sent you. What'd you do to earn that sort of honor?"
Raven had to stop herself from saying: Well, I gave her my lunch.
"Aw nothing much," She shrugged, "I'm not a hero. Those are my friends. They're the impressive ones."
"Really?" Jason said, "Tell me about them."
"Well," Raven shifted, crossing her arms, "There's Annabeth. She's the smart one. The pretty one. She's kind of like our leader, I mean she doesn't know it yet but she'll grow into it. Then there's Grover, our faun friend, he's super cool. We're sort of nature buddies. Then well..."
"Then what?" Jason asked as Raven trailed off.
"Then there's Percy Jackson..." Raven said his name the way you might say The Isles of the Blest. Raven blushed and shook her head, chiding herself for remembering him. "He's son of Neptune. He's just really great..."
Jason frowned but didn't say anything about it. "So you guys are like independent? That sounds dangerous."
"Oh it is," Raven nodded, "Like our last adventure. That was something."
"What'd you do?" Jason asked quizzically looking at her with curious blue eyes.
"It's hard to explain," Raven shrugged, "See last winter someone stole your dad, Jupiter's lightning bolt...I don't know if you guys heard but Jupiter blamed Percy for the disappearance."
Jason looked at her for a second, "You're messing with me."
"No!" Raven said, "It's true, see at the time we thought it was Hades who had really done it so we traveled all the way from New York to Los Angeles to talk to Hades. We fought Medusa and we met Mars! We retrieved the lightning bolt and returned it to your dad! It's true."
"But," Jason said, "We never heard anything like that..."
"Really?" Oops, Raven was sure the Romans had heard something was wrong in Olympus or something. After All for everything that seemed to happen at camp half blood there seemed to be something similar going on at camp Jupiter. Like the defeat of Kronus and the battle at mt. tam. "Well maybe Cameron heard but didn't want to worry the troops."
"Maybe..." Jason frowned, "Well if what you say is true I guess you and your friends really helped out my dad then. That's amazing. I can see why aurora likes you so much."
"Yea well Aurora likes me just as much as she likes to mess with me." Raven said, "Besides It wasn't really me. It was Percy. He was really amazing."
"Sounds like you like him," Jason said.
Raven laughed nervously. "No way. I don't like him. We're friends. Just friends."
"Right," Jason said a slight twinkle in his blue eyes.
"Look, let's just walk, okay?" Raven said, "Walk."
"Okay whatever you say," Jason rolled his eyes.
When they reached the temple at the top of the hill Raven looked up at it. She wondered who the augur was. It couldn't be Octavian right? If Jason and Reyna weren't praetors than it was logical to assume Octavian wasn't Augur, but still there was this sick feeling in her stomach.
"Come on," Jason said, "I know this part is super dumb but it's best to get it over with."
Raven nodded, giving a weak. "I guess." She said thinking for a moment, "Hey thanks for showing me around camp and stuff and just ya know kind of being cool but I think it'll go better if I did this part alone."
Jason smiled and shrugged, "No problem, I mean it was my pleasure. And hey if you get the go ahead, I could totally stand for you. The fifth Cohort is pretty awesome."
Raven smiled a bit. "Right. Sounds like a plan."
Jason turned and jogged down the hill. Raven stood there and watched as he disappeared in the distance. She turned back to the temple in front of her and brushed off her toga before entering. The marble floor was etched with fancy mosaics and Latin inscriptions. Sixty feet above, the domed ceiling sparkled gold. The whole temple was open to the wind.
In the center stood a marble altar of a massive golden statue of the Jupiter the sky god, dressed in a silk XXXL purple toga, holding a lightning bolt. Raven couldn't help but agree with Percy. That was not what the master bolt looked like, but she didn't say anything. Mainly because there was no one to say anything to. The temple was empty. Raven noticed the pile of stuffed animals at the foot of the stature and crinkled her nose. Someone was nearby at least.
"Hello?" She called, "Raven Blouse here? Ya know here to get told I can stay?"
No answer.
"Stupid Augurs," She muttered, "Can't even show up to rip apart some stupid stuffed animals."
"Rude." She heard a voice behind her, "You know it's customary to treat your superiors with a little bit of respect. Especially when they hold your fate in their hands."
Raven spun around. A tall boy stood before her. He was sickly pale with blonde hair and a slightly crazy look in his eyes. He was skinny and annoyed looking. Perhaps a year or two older than her but he was about her height. She looked him up and down and immediately felt sick. There was no mistaking this kid the way she had Jason. This was Octavian. Raven scowled at him.
"Well," She hissed, "I don't tend to act respectful to people I don't respect."
"Wow," He narrowed his eyes at her, "you're just the unpleasant one aren't you?"
Raven scrunched up her nose at him.
"Whatever," She said, "just read your entrails or whatever you do."
"I don't just read entrails," Octavian spat back; "I read the will of the gods!"
"Whatever," Raven rolled her eyes, "Seriously I thought our oracle was bad..."
"Oracle!?" Octavian sounded insulted, "I'm no silly oracle! I am and augur. Besides the idea of an oracle would be stupid once Cameron lets me go searching for the sibylline books."
"Right," Raven said, "Your dumb Books of prophecy."
"They aren't dumb," Octavian countered, "They're very important. If I just had one...man with that kind of knowledge."
"Whatever," Raven said fishing through her bag, "Fine if it's that important you can have mine. Hasn't done anything for me so far. Doubt it will."
Octavian turned around so fast that Raven thought his neck would snap. She fished her leather bound book out of her book and stuck it out to this skinny blond kid. She had no need for the book. She'd memorized most of them. The important ones anyway. Besides that, it's not like knowing the prophecies gave you any power. Trying to change them only brought you harm, and if Octavian wanted to do just that, then hallelujah.
The crazy look in Octavian's eyes intensified by like a thousand times as he reached for the book from Raven's hands. He hesitated like he was afraid she'd take it away at the last second. Finally he took it and flipped through the pages read the lined slowly.
"It's real," He whispered, "This is a real book of prophecies."
He looked up at Raven as if seeing her for the first time. He studied her. White toga, sandals, silver circlet. She placed her hands on her hips as she shouldered her bag again. She really needed to change. She had no idea why Eos wanted her to wear this dumb thing here anyway. But yet again why does Eos do anything she does.
"And you're just giving me this?" Octavian confirmed.
"Why not?" Raven shrugged. "It's yours, keep it."
"Ya know I think we could be friends." He looked Raven up and down like he had thought it over and deemed her useful. She seriously hated this guy. Like she would ever help him. The stupid book did not mean they could ever ever be friends.
"Ew," Raven said, "Just tell me I can stay so we can go play wargames."
"Right." Octavian said, frowning but holding his new book close to his chest like it was some sort of lifeline. Raven resisted the urge to call him a nerd. He turned to the altar and picked up a teddy bear from a giant pile off to the side. He raised his knife and split it open. He was silent for a long time.
"What did it say?" Raven asked after a long pause and leaned over to see, "It said I could stay right?"
It had long since gotten dark out but the torches in the temple provided plenty of light for them to see by. Even with that light Raven didn't see anything in those but white pieces of fluff. That was it. Octavian was crazy.
"Uh yes," He finally said, "The gods have deemed you worthy of joining the legion. You can tell Cameron."
"Great," She said, but looking at Octavian she could tell something was off. She could tell he was lying about something. It wouldn't have surprised her. She shook her head. Maybe she was imagining it. She turned, "Well have fun with your book."
Jason met her at the bottom of the hill.
"Hey I know you said I could go ahead but I wanted to see what Octavian had to say," He said, "He did say you could stay right?"
"Yea," Raven huffed, "I gave him a book and he flipped, said I could stay."
Jason gave her a look but didn't question her.
"I guess we can tell Cam the good news," Jason said, "new campers are rare, especially ones that come from the outside. Most of the time we get legacies from new Rome, ya know. I'm glad you could join us."
"Thank you," Raven gave him a sideways smile, "Still willing to stand for me to join the fifth? I don't think anyone else would."
"Of course!" Jason said, "Now days no one wants to join..."
"Shame," Raven said, "I don't know a lot about camp Jupiter but ya know, I think that the fifth is something special."
"Yea," Jason smiled, "I think so too. Anyway let's go see if we can find Cam."
New Rome was probably the prettiest thing Raven had ever seen, and Raven had seen Elysium. She kept running ahead and pointing at things and Jason would have to jog to keep up, but he smiled in amusement. The torch light cast a soft orange glow over the city, college students and little kids ran through the streets. Woman and men laughed together and walked around. Raven understood why Percy wanted to go to college and live here...with Annabeth.
Raven shook the thought from her head. In a big clearing at the edge of New Rome more than two dozen demigod soldiers stood around a circle around Cameron who was holding a piece of paper and pointing around the clearing.
"What's going on?" Raven whispered to Jason.
"Homecoming," Jason explained, "Since a lot of the summer campers are coming from the mortal world at the end of this week we have this big dance thing where everyone plays dress up and gets a date to kind of get that modern world feeling out of there system. It's not really my kind of scene but some people are into it."
"Ya don't say," Raven mused, "I didn't think Romans knew how to party."
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"Nothing," Raven grinned at him.
Jason looked confused for a second but shrugged. Cameron looked over her shoulder and noticed them. She excused the demigods and they walked off in a few groups. She walked over to them, looking at Jason without regarding Raven.
"Ah, Son of Jupiter," She said, "Daughter of Nemesis. Planning is such a hassle. They all want my approval on things. They should know by now that I don't really care. Anyway what did the augur say? I assume something good."
"Octavian said it was cool for me to stay," Raven shrugged, "Although I'm not really sure whose idea it was to let that clown decide anything."
"That was my idea, new recruit," Cameron said coldly, "Octavian may be eccentric but he has untapped potential, He's a loyal roman soldier, and I'm hoping a position of power will allow him to, express that."
Raven had to force herself not to laugh, the only thing that boy was loyal to be himself and his own quest for power.
"Anyway it's about time we start the legion assemble and the war games," Cameron said, "Jason, you should go join your cohort and change into your armor, a centurion needs to set an example and uh, Raven, hmmm...uh, Sarah? John?"
Two of the Roman soldiers jogged over.
"Take Raven to the assembly, She'll need to be assigned a cohort."
The two soldiers nodded and waved for Raven to follow them. Jason waved goodbye and she waved too and smiled a little. The two soldiers nudged her along. Sarah said something about getting her changed and into some proper armor.
"Although with what I hear around here, I doubt you'll even have to use it." Sarah said.
Raven looked confused, "What do you mean?"
"Oh nothing," Raven didn't think it was nothing but she decided questioning Sarah wouldn't get her anywhere anyway. As they walked they passed the Lares, who looking in their direction but didn't say a word. She thought that was odd. When Percy was here they had called him Greek. Maybe it was because her mother didn't have a different roman aspect.
Raven had to admit the legion was more than a bit intimidating the first four cohorts, each forty kids strong, stood in rows in front of their barracks on either side of the Via Praetoria. The Fifth Cohort assembled at the very end, in front of the principia, She saw Jason standing in the very front wearing full body armor and carrying a red and gold shields the size of a refrigerator door, a harpoon-like spear called a pilum, a gladius, a dagger, and about a hundred pounds of other equipment. He looked pretty ridiculous and Raven stifled a laugh.
Raven had been given a purple tee-shirt and jeans to change into, which felt way more comfortable that that toga which she had to pick up to run. Raven hated dresses and girly thing. She barely wore jewelry, except her blue seashell choker, which allowed her to breathe underwater and her silver circlet. She was given armor as well but she wasn't nearly as deck out as Jason or the others. Polished chain mail and greaves and a helmet with a big plume on top of it, her black curls stuck out from under it, and leather combat boots with iron cleats. They were at least easier to walk in than roman sandals.
Cameron stood in front of the cohorts on a pure white Pegasus. She was wearing a helmet and walking back and forth in front of the legion. She glanced over at Raven and Raven could have been wrong but she could have sworn that was a glare. She squeaked and slunk back. Cameron was scary.
Octavian shouted, "Colors!"
The standard-bearers stepped forward. They wore lion-skin cape and held poles decorated with each cohort's emblems. The last to present his standard was Jacob, the legion's eagle bearer. He held a long pole with absolutely nothing on top. Raven knew what was supposed to be up there and she wanted to assume the poor kid that he'd get to present the real eagle eventually but she knew better than to speak out. The embarrassment in the air was nearly tangible.
"Romans!" Cameron's cold voice boomed over the legion, "We have a new comer in our midst. The goddess Aurora has brought her to us, Raven Blouse, Daughter of Nemesis."
Raven's shoulders tensed as the roman eyes fell on her; she raised her hands to awkwardly wave. Jason flashed a smile which sort of calmed her.
"She seeks to join the legion. What do the auguries say?"
"I have read the entrails!" Octavian announced. "The auguries are favorable. She is qualified to serve!"
Was this who they greeted all new recruits? Raven wondered because this is really some hello. Waita make the new kids feel welcome.
The campers gave a shout: "Ave! Hail!"
The senior officers stepped forward, one from each cohort. Jason as the most senior centurion turned towards Raven. He gave her a reassuring smile. God she was glad he was cool with her. If she had to have one friend in camp Jupiter she was glad it was him. She didn't care what Hazel and Annabeth had said. He had more than proven himself in her book. He did what he was supposed to, and protected his family. That was all that mattered to her.
"Raven," He said, "Your letter of reference."
Raven jumped, ripped out of thought. She unfolded her letter from her pocket and handed it over. Jason held it up for all to see. "Letter of reference from the goddess Aurora. She favors this demigod."
He handed the letter to Cameron. She cleared her throat, "Now. Will any legionnaires stand for her?"
Jason opened her mouth and Raven sighed revealed she had someone ready to stand for her. She didn't know what happened when no one stood for you but she doubted anything good. Nothing ever good happened to you when you didn't fit in in camp Jupiter.
But the voice Raven heard speak wasn't Jason's at all. Her eyes flew open and she whipped her head to look at who was speaking, in horror.
"I will stand for her," Octavian said, "To join the first."