Mads-Chikistorm- thank you! i appreciate it :D
SEASBLU- i agree; tests are the worst. especially testing anxiety
Maryam Clarus- omg always choose sleep! Have you read all of HoH? i hope this doesn't spoil you! I'm also very jealous if you haven't, i wish i could re-experience the books for the 1st time again
Guest 1- i've read up to the burning maze- haven't gotten the chance to read tyrant's tomb yet. as far as a rewrite, maybe ;)
Guest 2- yeah no worries i'm still updating! i should be finished uploading by june 10th
"Are these guys aware they're on our side?" Rosie exclaimed, running past Jason as one of the dead legionnaires they conjured was chasing her.
"I'm trying my best!" Jason snapped, flustered.
The legionnaires were a bit...aimless. They floundered around, chest-bumping one another and struggling with their weapons, only to occasionally hit a monster or two.
It didn't help that the Earthborn kept throwing stones at their soldiers, instantly vaporizing them. Empousai gnashed their fangs viciously, reminding Rosie of Isabel and her cronies back at Wilderness. Monsters were throwing vials of Greek fires at them- Rosie tried her best to extinguish these. In fact, most of the monsters seemed to possess a fiery object, and most seem dead-set on burning Rosie to a crisp.
"Why aren't they listening to you?" Piper cried to Jason, shooting out a ham from her cornucopia.
Jason shook his head, as Nico did a poor attempt at commanding the legionnaires himself. "I...I'm not sure."
"WATCH OUT!"
Frank had appeared, stabbing a cyclops approaching them.
Rosie's jaw dropped seeing Frank; his shirt was soaked in blood, having been shot with an arrow.
"Uh, Frank, buddy, you're kinda bleeding-"
"Yeah, just stab your buddy there!" Piper was using her charmspeak to encourage monsters to attack one another.
Nico let out a yell of aggravation, pushing one of the legionnaires out of the way. "These stupid ghosts! They aren't listening!"
"I'm sorry…" Jason muttered in a low tone.
Frank nearly collided with Rosie, attempting to steady himself. He was sweaty, and looked to be on the verge of losing consciousness.
"Frank!" She snapped.
"Cohorts!' He yelled in a commanding tone. "Locks shields!"
Slowly, the zombies obeyed, putting their shields together in a ragged defensive formation.
"How the hell did you do that?" Jason exclaimed, suddenly defensive.
"I'm the ranking Roman officer," he said. "They-uh, they don't recognize you. Sorry."
Jason winced. Rosie figured this made sense- how were the legionnaires supposed to follow someone who wasn't even sure how he felt about the Roman part of his identity? Jason was still trying to figure out who he was and what he wanted, and the soldiers sensed that.
"How can we help?" he finally spoke.
A gryphon screeched overhead, Nico smacking it with the scepter.
Rosie shook her head. "Come on, people, we're trying to have a conversation here!"
"Orbem formate!" Frank commanded.
About two dozen zombies obeyed this order, forming a small ring around them. It wouldn't help for long; too many monsters were still charging forward.
Frank moaned. "My rank!" he said miserably.
"All of these monsters are rank!" Piper yelled, stabbing a centaur.
Rosie doubled over, clutching her side as she laughed. "Good one, Pipes!" Rosie flicked her hand at an earthborn, cracking it into a million pieces.
"No," Frank said. "I'm only a centurion."
Jason cursed, waving his sword dangerously close to Rosie's head. "That's right- you can't control a whole legion. You're not high enough in rank."
"So?" Rosie asked. "Can't we do a switcheroo?"
"Remind me to buy you a dictionary," Nico said, shaking his head. "But she's right, Jason- can't you promote Frank?"
"Promote?" Frank and Jason said in unison.
"Yes, promote," Piper snapped impatiently. "Come on, Jason, do it!"
Jason glanced at the ground, and Rosie realized he was afraid. For some reason, he wasn't ready to give it up.
"I...I can't," he blurted out.
"What?" Nico exclaimed.
Jason looked panicked, as he attempted to explain himself. "I...I just...that's it?" He said, his face falling. "I thought I'd have more time to...fix things."
Rosie and Piper glanced at one another, and Rosie gave her a nod. He needed to know.
"Calla's death wasn't your fault," Piper said to him.
Jason scoffed. "Of course it was-"
"Your Dad did it, Jason- it was all Zeus. He used the mist to manipulate you and Reyna- it's why Grant left. You didn't do anything. He's the one who killed Calla."
"Do you have any idea what's going on?" Nico muttered under his breath to Frank.
"Absolutely none," Frank panted back.
Jason's face showed a series of emotions as he attempted to process this: shock, disbelief, anger, sorrow.
"What? I-I don't understand."
"Promoting Frank doesn't take it all away," Rosie said softly to him. "Grant, Calla, Reyna- you can still hold onto that part of you."
"The title praetor means nothing," Piper said. She awkwardly glanced at Frank. "Sorry, Frank."
Jason suddenly stood straighter, like a true soldier.
"Frank Zhang! I, Jason Grace, praetor of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata, give you my final order: I resign my post and give you emergency field promotion to praetor, with the full powers of that rank. Take command of this legion!" Jason's voice echoed throughout the chamber, booming powerfully.
Frank seemed to grow taller. Maybe it was her eyesight, but he looked like he was glowing. He didn't seem bothered by the arrow in his arm anymore.
"Legion!" Frank yelled in a booming voice that echoed throughout the cavern. "Agmen formate!"
Instantaneously, every dead legionnaire in the cavern drew his sword and raised his shield. They hacked their weapons at the monsters across from them, a wall of defense now in front of them.
"Archers!" Frank commanded. "Eiaculare flammas!"
Ghosts mounted arrows in unison, sending flaming arrows towards the enemy.
A noise came out of Nico, and everyone turned to him in shock.
"Wait," Jason said, a slow smile appearing.
"Holy shit," Rosie said in awe. "Was that a laugh?"
"No," Piper said, shaking her head in disbelief. "It can't be-"
"He totally laughed!"
"Let's turn this tide!" Nico said, grinning.
"Cuneum formate!" Frank yelled.
The battle began to turn in their favor. Frank became their leader, shouting orders in Latin to the legionnaires.
Rosie decided that this was his Emily Zhang moment- pure badassery. He was the true Roman soldier he always wanted to be- it made sense why he idolized Jason so much when they first met.
"Jason!" Frank called, grabbing his attention. "Fly a few legionnaires across the pit, will you? The enemy's left flank is weak- see it? Take it!"
Jason smiled, bowing- what a nerd, she thought. "My pleasure!"
Three dead Romans rose into the air, flying over the chasm. Jason then flew himself across, cutting through the enemy with the soldiers.
"Rosie!"
Rosie focused, doing her best soldier impression- standing up straight, saluting Frank. "Sir, yes, sir!"
She saw a quick glimpse of a smile on his face. "Take care of the Earthborn, will you?"
"Aye, aye, captain!"
"That's praetor to you!" Frank grinned, as Jason flew Rosie across the chasm.
"Alright, come here, play-doh men!" she called, chasing down the Earthborn, smashing them to pieces with one flick of her hand, the cavern rumbling pleasantly.
"Nico," Frank continued to command like he had been doing it his whole life. "Get me more numbers!"
"I'm on it." Nico raised the scepter of Diocletian, more soldiers spilling out to help fight.
"Piper, counter those empousai! We need some chaos," Frank exclaimed.
Rosie could see Piper grin from across the chasm. "My middle name is chaos!" She started slinging insults at the female demons: "Your makeup is smeared! Your friend's talking about you!"
As Rosie and Jason kept the fight up across the chasm, she realized the dead legionnaires were forming a bridge- perfect for their friends to cross over.
"Hold on a little longer!" Rosie yelled to Jason over the chaos- he nodded.
Frank took the lead, charging forward with his sword. Frank was glowing as he charged across, an expression on his face that Rosie had never seen. He sliced through monsters like they were nothing- dust showering upon their heads as they diminished.
Monsters were attempting to retreat, but Frank's legion didn't allow that.
"Testudo formation!" Frank shouted. "Single file, advance!"
More soldiers kept arising, thanks to Nico's doing. Frank kept wading forward, the sheer force of his presence knocking monsters over.
Rosie was covered in wet clay, but having a blast. She slashed and dodged, stabbing clay monsters as she went. Her powers were different- dare she say it, easier to control. She again wondered the impact of emotions on her powers- this was the most level headed she had been in a while, and it showed.
"I'm having too much fun with this!" Piper yelled to her, grinning as she made two empousa engage in a catfight.
"I'm oddly jealous!" Rosie shot back.
Before she knew it, the last Earthborn had exploded….the battle was over.
Frank still seemed to be going through his fiery transformation, for his pants were smoldering, along with his reddish glow.
"Frank," Jason said, eyes wide. "You're on fire."
Frank looked down, as if noticing his pants for the first time. He patted at them, putting the flames out.
"And...um, no biggie, but there's an arrow in your arm," Rosie mentioned.
"Yeah," Frank nodded, pulling out the arrow without wincing at all. "I'll be okay."
Piper forced Frank to eat some ambrosia. She bandaged one of his wounds, shaking her head in amazement.
"Frank, that was amazing. Completely terrifying...but amazing."
Rosie waggled her eyebrows at him. "Praetor Frank," she said, whistling.
"Oh, shut up," Frank said, rolling his eyes.
Jason clapped him on the shoulder lightly. "It's well deserved," he said. "You were meant to be a praetor."
Frank swallowed hard, looking like he was going to cry. "Thanks, Jason."
"The dead won't stay much longer," Nico piped in.
Frank faced the troops. "Legion!"
The zombie soldiers snapped to attention, looking at him.
"You fought well- I thank you. You may now rest- dismissed."
The soldiers, one by one, crumbled into piles of bones, armor, shields, and weapons.
"Hazel and Leo," Frank muttered. "We have to find them."
Rosie glanced at the tunnel those two had gone into, now blocked off by rubble.
"We can't go that way," Nico said. "Maybe..."
Nico suddenly swayed dangerously, looking pale. Jason quickly grabbed him, preventing him from falling.
"Nico," Rosie said, stepping closer to him. "What's up?"
"The Doors," he gritted out, clutching his side in pain. "Something's happening. Percy and Annabeth...we need to go now."
"How, though?" Jason asked. "The tunnel is gone."
Rosie glanced at the walls of the chamber, noticing an eerie glow on the walls. Her friends didn't seem to notice. She suddenly felt like maybe, this place was full of more surprises than they thought.
She placed a hand on the wall, the Mist bending her to will. A door opened, opening up.
"I think I can fix that."
They followed this passageway. It was dark, narrow, and slightly odorous. Rosie knew there was probably more to this place than meets the eye. She'd have to ask Hazel about it later.
They eventually reached another door, and Rosie swung it open, aware that it led to another room.
The Doors of Death were already gone- that was most likely Hazel's doing. Several faces turned to look at them as they entered, one by one. There were people that made sense, like Leo and Hazel. But there was also who must've been Hecate- Rosie recognized her from Hazel's description. The blonde goddess' deathly black eyes bore into them, her pale skin seemingly glowing in the air. Her dark gown made it look like she was levitating.
There was also a twenty-foot giant towering over them, wearing a robe of shadows. His ash-colored legs swung dangerously as he growled at them.
But Rosie wasn't paying attention to any of that. She was looking beyond them, at the two figures clutching on to one another- Percy and Annabeth.
Percy's eyes met hers, and she felt a wave of relief so strong, she wanted to sink to her knees.
Jason gripped his sword. "Sorry, we're late," he said. "Is this the guy who needs killing?"