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Reyna laid her head back and swallowed painfully. She was sitting in her tent. The Romans had already been informed that they should prepare. Reyna had given them orders and left them alone.
After that, she had gone to see the demititans. Reyna had requested a favor from them. She didn't remember what it had been.
Reyna looked down at the bottle she was holding. She took another drink and winced as it burned going down. Reyna lowered the beer and stared at the ground. Her mind was already foggy.
It wasn't her proudest moment, but she needed something to get her mind off of things. It had been easy enough to get it. The hardest part was finding a place to drink it. Reyna took another sip and winced as some of the beer hit her stitches.
She had no clue what she was doing. Chances were that she was going to die in the next two days, so it didn't matter. Nothing did. Reyna looked down at the now empty beer bottle in her hands. She glanced at the other empty bottle near her.
The beer was doing its job because she felt relaxed. Her mind was off of the people who had died because of her. Reyna dropped the second bottle near the first. She grabbed another and flipped out her dagger. Reyna opened it with her dagger.
Reyna took a sip of the beer. She lowered it and sighed tiredly. Reyna jumped as she felt someone take the beer from her hands. She slowly looked behind her.
"What are you doing?" Annabeth asked. She didn't sounded angry. Granted, Reyna was seeing double at the moment, so she wasn't good at deciphering tones.
"Having a drink," Reyna answered. Her mouth moved without her permission.
"Reyna, you can't do this," Annabeth whispered. She looked at the six pack that Reyna had near her bed.
"I can do whatever I want," Reyna said. She stood and stumbled. Annabeth caught her. "I'm fine."
"You're drunk," Annabeth whispered. Reyna looked away. She wanted to be angry, but the feeling wouldn't come.
"I'm fine," Reyna insisted. She tried to walk away, but Annabeth gripped her arm. "Chase, I need to go."
"Reyna, we need to talk," Annabeth said. She sounded concerned. Reyna slowly looked at her. Annabeth watched her sadly. "What has this war done to you?"
"What hasn't it done?" Reyna demanded suddenly. She shoved Annabeth away. "I've lost my home, my troops, my strength in my right hand. I've been injured more times than I can count."
"My bitch of a mother allowed for my camp to fall," Reyna continued. She couldn't stop. "The assholes on Olympus let it fall as well. Why should I have to sacrifice my life for them? Maybe, I should let Ouranos destroy everything."
"You don't mean that," Annabeth began. Reyna laughed bitterly.
"I do. Damn it. I do mean it," Reyna said. She looked at the ground. "Why should they be allowed to live if they don't do anything? We are the ones sacrificing our lives."
"Do you know about the pills for my schizophrenia? Gone. Sula took them," Reyna continued. She founded herself shaking. "I'm fucked."
"Stop talking like that," Annabeth ordered.
"It's the truth," Reyna said. "I deserve it though. I let my camp fall."
"It didn't fall," Annabeth argued. "It is occupied. You are going to take it back after we destroy Ouranos."
Reyna looked away. She tried to speak, but her voice wouldn't work. Annabeth spoke in a softer voice, "This is not you. Reyna, you are not this person."
"I just want to stop the pain," Reyna whispered. She felt tears in her eyes. "I close my eyes, and I see everyone who died. The only thing my nightmares consist of is them dying."
"Annabeth, I can't," Reyna continued. "I cannot do this anymore. It's too much."
Annabeth gently grabbed Reyna's face. She spoke, "You don't have to do this alone."
"I do," Reyna cried. She felt tears trickle from her eyes. "You guys might be here, but it is my burden to kill Ouranos. You don't experience the nightmares. I'm alone, and I can't do this anymore."
Annabeth hugged Reyna tightly. Reyna couldn't hold it in anymore. She buried her face in Annabeth's shoulder and started to cry. The daughter of Athena rubbed her back silently.
Reyna tried to speak but was crying too much to form words. Annabeth just held her. Reyna gripped Annabeth's shirt. She just wanted it all to stop.
"Everything's going to be okay," Annabeth whispered. Reyna didn't speak. Annabeth rubbed her back gently. Reyna forced herself to calm down, and she was able to stop crying after a minute.
"You've been holding everything in for your entire. It's not going to happen anymore. Tonight, you are going to tell me about everything," Annabeth said. She pulled away from Reyna.
"I don't need to put that on you," Reyna argued. She wiped tears from her eyes.
"You need to put it on someone. I will be that person," Annabeth said. Reyna looked away. After a moment, she looked back at the empty beer bottles.
Reyna slowly sat down. She buried her face in her hands. Tears leaked out of her eyes. Reyna felt pathetic. She should just force her feelings aside and focus on the job.
Annabeth sat by her and spoke, "Reyna, please."
"I will," Reyna promised. She sniffled and looked up at Annabeth. "Thank you."
"Alcohol doesn't help," Annabeth whispered after a moment. "It feels good for only a few hours. In the long run, it doesn't help. Trust me."
"It numbs the pain Annabeth," Reyna argued. "It's the only thing that stops it."
"You are stronger than this," Annabeth whispered.
"I don't feel like it," Reyna admitted. Annabeth handed Reyna the beer bottle that she had first taken from her. Annabeth grabbed another beer bottle and used her dagger to open it.
"Then, we drink," Annabeth said. She held the beer up and tapped it against Reyna's. "Auld lang syne. For the days gone by and the friends lost."
Reyna stared into the beer bottle. She watched the liquid. Reyna stood and threw the beer bottle at the ground in anger. It shattered.
Annabeth watched her silently. She didn't take a sip from her beer. Reyna sat down and spoke, "This isn't me."
"What am I doing?" Reyna asked herself. "I wouldn't drink. I wouldn't attack my friends. What is happening to me?"
"You've held in your feelings your entire life. It's causing you to crack," Annabeth answered. "The pressure is getting to you. I know it's hard, but you have to rely on your friends."
"I can't when it comes down to it," Reyna whispered. "I have to defeat Ouranos by myself."
"How are you going to do it?" Annabeth questioned. She placed the beer down and moved closer to Reyna.
"Hylla thinks I am going to allow Ouranos to take control of me, and I will try to fight back against him," Reyna muttered. "Ouranos thinks I am going to take a dip in the River Styx. They're wrong, but I can't talk about. When I think about it, I feel like I am going to chicken out."
Annabeth nodded silently. She looked at Reyna and spoke. "I'll be back."
Reyna nodded and laid back on her bed. She listened to Annabeth leave. Reyna took a shaky breath. She didn't know what to think or do at the moment.
It had been a stupid move to get drunk. If they were attacked, Reyna would be an ineffective leader. She closed her eyes tiredly. As Reyna was about to fall asleep, she heard footsteps.
Reyna opened her eyes. She stared as she saw a man standing there. He had black eyes and black hair that was cut in a military style. Reyna stood but stumbled.
"Who are you?" Reyna demanded. She could hear how her words were slurred. That was not good. The man remained silent. He held his arm out.
The daughter of Bellona stared. The man had seven tally marks on his arm. They were gold instead of the normal black. There was a tattoo of a crossed sword and torch on his arm.
Reyna blinked a few times. She was sure that her schizophrenia was causing her to see things, or the beer was causing it. Reyna spoke, "Who are you?"
"I do not speak English," the man said in Latin.
"Who are you?" Reyna repeated in Latin. She grabbed her sword and tried to unsheathe it. Reyna managed to get it halfway out of the sheathe before she dropped it. The man simply looked at her.
"A warrior from another time," the man answered. "A son of Bellona and a praetorian guard. I see you have my armor."
"You?" Reyna questioned. "You're from Sula's story. The one who went to the River Styx and dipped his armor into it. You're a myth."
"No," the man said longingly. "I begged for vengeance, and Bellona granted my wish. She made me an immortal. It was my job to protect what was left of the Roman empire."
"There was nothing left," Reyna argued.
"There was still demigods," the man argued. "I have protected them. After the dark ages, I became a ghost. People could not see me because the Roman empire had faded away. No one longer believed in it."
"I was at Camp Jupiter," the man continued. "I saw you with Ouranos and the Labyrinth."
"That was you?" Reyna asked. The man nodded. Reyna looked away unsure of how to react. "Have you always been there?"
"Yes," the man answered. "I have protected your campers when I could. No one can see me. You only can because we are both children of Bellona."
"You've been alone all this time?" Reyna asked.
"Not for much longer," the man answered. He walked towards Reyna and placed a hand to her heart. Reyna gasped as an odd feeling shot through her body. It wasn't pain, but she couldn't describe it. "There is no emperor; therefore, I must go."
"Where?" Reyna gasped. She stumbled back. The man steadied her.
"My duty is done," the man answered. "I have spent so much time defending my country. The empire has been long gone. The republic has made its return."
Reyna had a million questions, but she couldn't even think. She stared. The man smiled and turned away as Annabeth walked into the tent. Reyna slowly looked at her before watching the man leave.
"What's wrong?" Annabeth questioned. She was holding a six pack of soda and a box of pizza. There was a backpack slung across her back.
"Nothing," Reyna lied. "I was seeing things."
"We should get you some more pills," Annabeth said. Reyna nodded slightly. She laid back on her bed but made room for Annabeth. The daughter of Athena sat by her and opened her backpack
Reyna made a noise as Annabeth placed ice on her knee. She spoke, "Can I get a warning next time?"
"Ribs," Annabeth warned. She tossed a towel at Reyna and pulled out another ice pack. Reyna sighed and laid the towel on her ribs. She made another noise as the ice pack was pressed against her ribs.
Reyna groaned. Annabeth handed her a slice of pizza. Reyna spoke, "Where do you want me to start."
"It's your story," Annabeth answered. She opened a soda and handed it to Reyna. "You can start when and where you want."
"That doesn't make it any easier," Reyna complained.
"It's not easy," Annabeth said in a soft voice. "It's hard to open up, but you need to."
"I know," Reyna muttered. She sighed and closed her eyes. After opening them, she looked at Annabeth. "I'm ready,"