The Senate Forum was an open area, marked off by four walls which only consisted of six long white marble columns. There was a single long rectangular marble table in the middle and fourteen matching chairs. It was all out in the open with no roof and Clarke briefly wondered what the Romans did when it rained or snowed.
Then she remembered they were in northern California where it rarely ever rained, let alone snowed.
By the time, Clarke, Lexa, and Luna could see the Forum, all of the Centurions were already present, including Anya, Gustus, Indra, Uzac and a few others Clarke recognized but forgot their names.
Her friends had yet to arrive.
Clarke quickly took a quick sweep of everyone around the table from a distance. These were Lexa's closest advisors and the Camp's leaders. These were the people she was going to be working with indefinitely for the next few weeks. Clarke frowned as she realized something.
"I thought you said the Senate was made up of thirteen people," Clarke leaned over to whisper to Lexa as they approached. Twelve Centurions and the Praetor, Clarke recalled Lexa saying. "Why are there fourteen people here then?"
"Oh, no." From beside Clarke, Luna muffled a groan, her face distorting just the slightest in displeasure. "Titus is here."
"Who's Titus?" Clarke asked. The name didn't ring a bell.
Lexa sighed wearily on the other side of Clarke. "Titus, the one at the very end of the table over there, is the camp Augur."
Clarke looked over to the boy Lexa pointed out. He was a rather scrawny boy with a wide forehead, long ears, and a pointy nose that reminded Clarke of a vulture. He didn't look like your typical Roman demigod and Clarke had a hard time imagining him swinging a sword.
"He's in charge of interpreting prophecies from the gods," explained Lexa dryly. "He technically can't vote, but because of his position as Augur, he has the right to attend the Senate meetings since he is supposed to speak for the gods. If the Praetor is the head of all political decisions, then the Augur is like the head religious figure, I suppose."
Lexa's jaw was slightly clenched as she spoke. She approached the Forum with weariness in her steps. If he was here, then this meeting was not about to go as smoothly as Lexa hoped it would. Titus was a meddler, often mixing in his own agenda and messing with Lexa's.
"He's a douchebag," Luna cut in, eyeing the boy with distaste. "He's a legacy of Apollo and unfortunately, the only one in this camp gifted with prophetic sight. You would think that out of over two hundred demigods to choose from we'd have better odds, but alas." Luna sighed, clearly not a huge fan of Titus. Luna leaned into Clarke and placed a hand on her shoulder - an action that caught Lexa's attention - and whispered, "He was also very outspoken about his distrust in the Greeks and his disapproval of this alliance so watch your back around him, Clarke."
Clarke nodded slightly, taking in the advice as she glanced over at Titus only to see his eyes already locked onto her, like a predator observing its prey before going in for the kill.
It didn't faze Clarke. She'd face scarier things than an underweight teenager in her life, but she made a mental note to keep an eye out for him. Something about the boy didn't sit right with her either. And if both Luna and Lexa were wary of him, then that's two more good reasons for Clarke to watch out for him.
"Don't mind him too much," Lexa told her with a small frown and Clarke could feel Lexa's breath hitting her ear from their proximity. It was making it just a tad bit difficult to concentrate. "He's harmless. Mostly. And I'm sure he just wants what's best for the Legion."
Next to her, Luna rolled her eyes as if she couldn't believe that Lexa was defending the guy.
"You guys don't have an Oracle?" Clarke asked instead. The idea of an Augur was foreign to her.
"An Oracle?" Lexa asked, shooting Clarke a confused look.
"I have a mortal best friend," Clarke explained in whispers. They were almost at the table now, so she lowered her voice. "His name is Wells. He's blessed with sight by Apollo. Whenever we go on a quest, he just sort of gets possessed by the Oracle of Delphi and spouts out a prophecy. It's quite helpful actually."
Lexa furrowed her eyebrows into a look of concentration at Clarke's words. Clarke couldn't help but find it adorable.
"No," said Lexa, giving Clarke another strange look. "We don't have an Oracle. Whenever we need a prophecy, we send Titus to consult the Auguries and he comes back with a prophecy. He is very adept at his job," said Lexa with a slight frown.
"How does that even work?" Clarke asked curiously.
"Not a clue," muttered Lexa. The slight frustration in her tone gave away the fact that she'd obviously wondered the same thing many times in the past.
"Just don't let him near your teddy bears," Luna muttered into Clarke's ear as she walked past them to take her seat in between Anya and Indra. "He'll use them as sacrifices to the gods."
"Um, okay?" Clarke didn't know what to make of Luna's warnings. She also didn't bring any stuffed animals with her to Camp Polis. (She'd outgrown them back in elementary school). Clarke tried imagining Titus standing over a teddy bear with a knife, its innards spilled everywhere, and praying to the gods. She couldn't decide if the image was more hilarious or terrifying. She definitely preferred the Oracle much more.
Clarke stopped by the table as Lexa took her seat at the head of the table, right next to Titus and Anya. She did a quick survey of the table. There were no more seats. Clarke could feel the awkwardness of remaining the only person still standing creep into her body, but she refused to let it show. Lexa frowned at the sight.
"Where are the extra seats I asked to be brought up here?" Lexa asked, displeased. "Was I somehow unclear when I said that the Greeks would be joining us today?" Her eyes flashed warningly. There was a moment of silence as all of the Centurions looked thoroughly chastised.
"Forgive me," Titus sneered, taking in Clarke's presence with judging eyes. "I had not expected them to wake up in time," he paused. "-given the extent of their injuries from last night, so I had them removed. I see at least one of them managed to get out of bed on time today." His eyes bore into Clarke's. "Consider me surprised. I had heard so much about the infamous Greek lax attitude."
Lexa frowned as she realized Titus was already stirring up trouble and the meeting hadn't even formally begun yet.
Clarke raised a challenging eyebrow in Titus's direction. He didn't scare her. And she could see right through his bullshit. "I don't mind standing," she said. It actually gave her more leeway to be intimidating if she were the only one standing at a table full of people sitting. However, she also didn't want to step on Lexa's toes.
"Nonsense," Lexa stated firmly. She would not let Clarke stand uncomfortably for the length of this discussion. Only gods knew how long these Senate meetings tended to last. "Go," she nodded at Gustus. "Fetch the chairs."
"All three?" Gustus asked, looking between Lexa, Clarke, and Titus with uncertain eyes. "Or just one?"
"Perhaps just one," said Titus.
"My friends are coming," Clarke stated with her chin up, refusing to avert her eyes from Titus.
"They're late," Titus retorted. "We do not wait for latecomers."
"Go," Lexa interrupted. "Fetch three chairs," she told Gustus. She glanced at Clarke briefly, sending her a silent apology. "We'll start the meeting as soon as the chairs get here, whether that is with or without the rest of the Greeks."
It was a compromise and Clarke recognized it as one. She sent Lexa a grateful nod.
Titus sank back in his seat, not completely satisfied but subdued for now. Clarke bit back a sigh as Gustus went to go carry out Lexa's orders. She kept herself from shaking her leg in anxiety as she waited for Raven and Octavia to show up.
It definitely didn't help that the Centurions were all watching her carefully out of the corners of their eyes. Most of them regarded her with a cold indifference. Others however looked at Clarke as if she were seconds from blowing up the camp. She couldn't exactly blame them either.
Clarke tried to imagine how she would feel if the Romans all of a sudden came to Camp Ark and completely showed them up in Capture the Flag. She'd probably be a little bit pissed too.
'One step forward, two steps back,' Clarke thought grimly.
This was not how she'd hoped for the meeting to start. Clarke glanced to her right and took in Titus's smug expression. Luna was right. She would have to keep her guard up around him. Clarke took another sweep around the table.
'How many of them are allies? How many of them are not?' she wondered, taking in each of the Centurions.
She knew she could count on Lexa and Luna. Lexa was the one who initiated the alliance in the first place and Luna had been the most open in welcoming them to camp since they got here.
Anya, Clarke could tell, only begrudgingly accepted their presence because of her loyalty to Lexa. Still, that was enough for Clarke. And even though Lincoln wasn't present at the moment, Clarke had a feeling they could count on him too. The rest however…
'Gods Kane, this is a much more difficult quest than I'd anticipated. I wonder if Bellamy had to go through the same things when he was here or if all the politics of the Roman society just completely flew over his head.'
Clarke refocused. Gustus and Indra were fiercely loyal to Lexa from what Clarke could gather. That said however, they also seemed a bit more reluctant than Anya to accept the alliance. For some reason, Clarke got the feeling that Gustus in particular did not like her very much.
Uzac, the Centurion of the Twelfth Cohort was also definitely not an ally. However, he was also a pushover. Clarke had a feeling he was the type to pick the easier side, the winning side. If necessary, Clarke could always find ways to stronghold him to her advantage.
'If it had to come down to that,' Clarke thought solemnly. She'd rather not have to threaten any of the Centurions. Fear made for a flimsy alliance.
And Titus, well, Clarke could already tell Titus was going to be a thorn in her side for the rest of her time here. Though in what way, Clarke couldn't exactly grasp yet.
Unfortunately, the rest of the Centurions were all still a mystery to Clarke. The odds were, once again, not in Clarke's favor.
'Or Lexa's,' Clarke realized as her eyes automatically drifted over to the praetor's seat. This entire alliance was Lexa's idea. If it failed, it could cost Lexa her entire praetorship. But if it worked…
The sound of hurried feet against marble jolted Clarke from her thoughts. She looked up to see Raven and Octavia sprinting for the forum, making it just in time before Gustus arrived with the chairs. Though their appearances were disheveled as if they'd just jumped out of bed – which Clarke had no doubt was true – they'd actually made it in time.
"It seems the Greeks made it this time," Titus sneered, eyeing the three of them with heavy disapproval in his eyes. "Barely."
"Woo," Raven gasped, collapsing over her knees. "Alright, we're here. Let's get this party started." Her comment earned her a few scornful looks.
Clarke subtly shook her head at her friend's behavior before taking her seat directly across the table from Lexa. Octavia and Raven shuffled over, planting themselves into the seats next to hers.
"Sorry," Octavia muttered to her under her breath. "We got lost on the way here. All of their signs are in Latin and you know how bad Raven's dyslexia gets even with Greek."
"Hey," Raven bit back. "Like you were any help."
Lexa cleared her throat from across the table, interrupting their squabble, and Clarke immediately averted her eyes to hers, giving Lexa her full attention. She found green eyes already looking at her.
"Now that we're all here," Lexa began, eyes scanning the Centurions once. "Let us begin the Senate meeting." And with the early splashes of sunlight lighting the Forum from the east, the Senate meeting commenced.
As soon as Lexa had finished speaking, Titus rose from his seat and cleared his throat. From the corner of her eyes, Clarke saw Luna roll her eyes in exasperation. Even Anya looked like she'd rather be covered in feathers again than listen to him speak. Lexa gestured for him to speak with a barely concealed pained expression. Clarke could tell she was a little miffed that she was being interrupted already.
Clarke took a breath as she prepared herself. She had a feeling that whatever Titus had to say, it wouldn't be anything good for the Greeks.
" Heda , I stand by my initial position and advise you to rethink your decision to ally the Twelfth Legion with the Greeks," Titus said pointedly, glaring directly at Clarke without any restraints. "They are our enemies. Not our friends, nor our allies. They cannot be trusted."
'So far so typical,' thought Clarke wryly.
"Titus," Lexa tried to interrupt with a stern frown, but Titus was not done.
He suddenly whirled around and pointed a bony finger in Clarke's direction. Clarke met him head on with a dry look. 'Do you worst,' she mentally challenged him.
Titus fumed. " Especially this one. She reeks of death . She's bad luck! Nothing good will come to the legion if we associate ourselves with her. There is a reason there hasn't been a child of Pluto in over hundreds of years. The last time there was a child of Pluto at Camp Polis, the legion was almost wiped out!"
Quiet murmurs broke out amongst the Centurions at Titus's heated speech and Clarke fought back a sigh. Once again, she really should've seen this coming.
Clarke made a face as she subtly sniffed herself. "I do not stink of death," she muttered under her breath. "Death doesn't even have a scent. I would know."
"Wow," Octavia muttered back dryly. "Not even a minute in and we're already being insulted. Which god was it that had the bright idea of making the two camps work together again?"
"Hera, your favorite goddess," Clarke answered her sarcastically. Octavia's expression darkened.
"Figured it would be her to come up with such a hopeless idea," muttered Octavia. "Stupid cow-faced goddess."
Clarke waited for the skies to darken and for lightning to smite Octavia into smithereens. Nothing happened. Perhaps Hera was in a forgiving mood today.
"Think of this like an early morning soap opera," said Raven with fake dry cheer. "So much drama."
"I agree with Titus," a Centurion whose name Clarke did not know stood up. He turned to glare at Clarke. "The Greeks are tricky. They are honorless. Just look at those stunts they pulled yesterday. That is not how a legionnaire fights. It is not Roman!"
"I'll show you honor," Octavia muttered under her breath, quick to anger. She gripped the handle of her sword and Clarke had to grab her hand in an iron-like grasp in order to stop her from doing anything stupid or drastic.
One by one, each of the Centurions began voicing their opinions against the alliance, their voices clashing against each other and overpowering others. To Clarke's surprise, there were some Centurions that came to their defense. Clarke mentally kept a list of each Centurion and their opinions.
Anya, Luna, Indra, and Gustus, Clarke noticed, remained quiet, not picking a side.
"So are we just going to sit here and let them insult us, or are we going to retaliate?" Raven asked sassily. "Because I can think of like ten different insults for chicken boy over there," she said gesturing to Titus as she shot him a glare.
"I can think of twelve," Octavia stated darkly.
"Thirteen," Raven shot back competitively.
"No, stay calm," said Clarke, shooting both of them a look. "There's no point in us saying anything. It'll only make things worse. We'll just have to wait it out." She sighed as she sunk into her chair, leaning back to watch the argument break out.
The Centurions weren't even paying them any attention anymore. They were just yelling at each other. She glanced at Titus who was looking way too smug about the chaos he'd inspired. "Trust me, I want to wipe that grin off his face just as much as you do," Clarke stated darkly.
Clarke turned her attention away from the chaos to the figure sitting at the head of the table. Lexa too had yet to make a move and that was the main reason Clarke was content to just watch things unfold. She wanted to see how Lexa would handle this. How much control of her Senate did Lexa really have?
The girl in question merely sat in her chair and watched the Centurions bicker and yell over each other with blank eyes as she tapped her fingers impatiently on the table, waiting. Finally, her patience ran thin.
"Enough!"
The forum silenced immediately and the Centurions settled into their seats, reluctantly but also obediently.
Clarke couldn't help but smirk in awe of Lexa's power.
Lexa did not look happy. There was a hard set to her jaw and steel in her eyes that made her look very reminiscent of a pissed off Athena – the one goddess that Clarke would hate to make an enemy out of.
'Lexa would make a terrifying enemy,' Clarke thought absentmindedly, as a rush of respect surged forth from her chest for the girl.
And Clarke might've been imagining things, but she swore she could make out the faint scent of ozone in the air.
"We have discussed this before," said Lexa sternly, a hint of an edge to her tone. "We took a vote and the Senate voted yes to the alliance, if I recall correctly," Lexa stated firmly, daring anyone to refute her claim.
No one did. Titus's scowl deepened at the reminder of his inability to officially vote.
"The Greeks do not fight like us," Lexa stated, her eyes briefly glancing at Clarke's before returning back to the Senate. "But that is the point. We've fought the Mountain for hundreds of years with only repeated losses to show for it," said Lexa heatedly. "No more."
She turned to Clarke, who sent a small nod in Lexa's direction for reassurance. They were in this together. "With the Greeks, we can come up with new ways to defeat the Mountain once and for all."
Lexa then turned to Titus. "The gods have willed for our two camps to work together. That is what we're doing. As Augur, I'm sure you understand your duty to carry out the gods will?" Lexa asked pointedly.
"I know what the gods have said," said Titus, bowing his head in what looked like mock respect. "But they did not say we must invite them into our homes . Besides, what can they even offer us in our war against the Mountain?" His eyes flashed dangerously as they landed on Clarke.
"It seemed we had plenty to offer yesterday," stated Clarke through clenched teeth, refusing to back down from Titus. "I doubt I have to remind some of you that."
Clarke glanced pointedly at one of the Centurions who had his arm in a sling. She had a vague memory of bashing him into the wall with Hannibal. The Centurion averted his gaze sheepishly. It made Clarke want to smile in satisfaction.
Clarke then turned to look back at Titus. "I have to admit though, I don't recall seeing you out there on the field yesterday."
"That's because he wasn't," Luna assisted with a poorly hidden mischievous grin, ignoring the scowl Titus shot in her direction. "Titus prefers to watch from the safety of the sidelines."
"I'm the Augur," Titus protested. "If anything were to happen to me, Camp Polis would have no one to communicate with the gods."
"Perhaps you'd like a personal demonstration then?" Octavia grinned coldly. "Of what exactly we have to offer."
Titus shot her an unimpressed look. "Is that a threat, Graecus ?"
"Oh, sit your ass down, Titus," Anya mumbled, finally fed up. "Like you'd be able to take her on in a one on one fight," said Anya, giving Octavia an appraising look.
She might not like the Greeks very much, but as a daughter of Bellona, she knew how to spot a decent warrior when she saw one. The fact that Octavia had stood up against her, Gustus, and Indra with only Lincoln at her side, who was not a very skilled swordsmen, earned her Anya's begrudging respect. "She'd have you on your ass begging for your life in five seconds flat."
Clarke saw several Centurions bite back a smile at Anya's sass. Even Lexa seemed like she was struggling to keep her expression neutral. Luna, meanwhile, was not even trying to hide her wide grin of amusement. She met Clarke's eyes from across the table and shot her a discreet wink.
Clarke, for one, was starting to warm up to Anya.
And Anya wasn't even done yet.
"The whole point of the meeting was to discuss what the Greeks can offer us, before you hijacked it and moved it off topic. So you can either shut up and let it proceed or you can leave since you aren't even a Senator anyways. Don't you have some stuffed animals that need to be gutted or something?" Anya asked snarkily.
Titus turned a deep shade of red as he plopped himself back down onto his chair in a fit of anger, almost like a child that was refused his favorite toy. "They're necessary for Auguries. You wouldn't understand anything," he mumbled under his breath.
"Bite me," Anya retorted dryly. Titus stayed mum, properly chastised.
Raven bit back a chuckle. "I like her," she purred, eyeing Anya appreciatively. "I really like her."
"Keep it in your pants, Rae," Octavia teased quietly. Raven merely rolled her eyes at the gibe.
Lexa gave Anya a small look of appreciation before addressing the Senate once more. "Now onto the main matters at hand," her voice rang out authoritatively. She pulled up a holographic map of the Mountain for everyone to see which had Raven oohing at the piece of technology.
"The Mountain has been our enemy for as long as the camp's history. For centuries, Mountain Men have captured, killed, and mutilated our Roman legionnaires." Lexa's voice lowered as she said her next statement. "Many praetors in the past have tried to defeat the Mountain." She paused, meeting Clarke's eyes. "They have all failed."
The seriousness of the situation finally hit Clarke. The pressure and burden that Lexa carried alone on her shoulders – Clarke could sympathize with how Lexa must've felt on a day to day basis, how she was forced to shoulder it all as Praetor.
Clarke knew what it was like to have so many people depend on you like this. She felt a rush of empathy for this girl she barely knew, yet somehow, felt a connection to.
"Despite our long history with the Mountain," Lexa continued her explanation, her eyes dark and grim. "Little is known about the people who reside inside the Mountain, only that for some reason, they cannot be subjected to the air outside and are forced to stay confided to inside the Mountain," said Lexa. "The only time they venture outside, is when they're wearing these special suits that protect them from outside air. Once they are outside, they capture our campers and turn them into Reapers."
Lexa took a small breath. Her voice grew tight as she continued. "The Mountain Men take our legionnaires and turn them into savages that do their bidding. These Reapers have no semblance of thought or resemblance of the people they used to be. They are dangerous, savage, and brutal."
"So like zombies," Raven hummed absentmindedly. "That's cool."
Clarke elbowed her under the table as several nasty glares were shot their way. She knew Raven meant no harm, that the girl probably didn't even mean to say that last comment out loud, but now was not a good time for Raven's signature snark.
"Not cool," Raven corrected immediately as if waking up from a trance after realizing what she just said. "Not cool at all. Nothing cool about being turned into brainless killer savages." Octavia kneed her under the table to get her to stop talking, but the damage was done.
"There is nothing cool about watching your loved ones get dragged away by cannibalistic savages, thinking you'll never see them again only for them to return as one of them, forcing you to impale them with your own hands through the chest with your gladius because even death is more forgiving at that point," Anya said darkly, eyes flashing through so many emotions so quickly Clarke had trouble keeping up. She did learn one thing though — don't cross Anya.
Raven paled and sunk into her seat at the glare Anya directed at her. "Sorry," she winced, offering a weak apology. Anya continued to glare at her but offered no more words. Octavia patted Raven's knee softly, before quickly coming up with a distraction.
"Hey Clarke, doesn't that area look familiar?" Octavia asked, pointing at the map of the Mountain.
Clarke bit back a sigh of relief, quickly sending a mental thank you to Octavia for getting them out of a potentially tense situation before eyeing the map and its geological features.
"Kind of?" It did look vaguely familiar but not entirely. "Where is the Mountain exactly?" she asked, searching for green eyes. She recognized that it was in California, but that was it.
"It's located on Mount Weather," answered Lexa, completely focused on Clarke as if every word the blonde spoke was important.
"Is that near Mount Orthys?"
Lexa raised an eyebrow in mild surprise at Clarke's question before understanding crossed her features. She nodded. "It is." A pause. "I forgot that you fought in the Titan War," said Lexa. "Mount Orthys is to the north of Mount Weather and was the base camp for the Titan army."
Raven made a face. "Isn't that where you and Octavia had to hold up the sky?" she asked Clarke, having recovered from her blunder. "When Atlas plotted to kidnap Artemis and we had to save her?"
"Yeah it is," said Octavia, rubbing her arms as if the pain of holding up the weight of the sky for three days still lingered. "And then of course, Finn became Kronos and we thought he fell to his death but the bitch survived."
Clarke grimaced. These weren't exactly pleasant memories. "I remember," she muttered. Too well on some days.
"Whatever did happen to their base camp and the rest of their army?" Octavia wondered out loud. "I sort of just assumed it fell when Kronos was defeated."
"Lexa led an attack on Mount Orthys last summer and toppled Kronos's throne," Luna answered. "The same time Kronos was trying to take over Olympus."
"Huh," Clarke grinned fondly at Lexa. "So even last summer, we were working together against a common enemy."
Lexa looked at Clarke, an unreadable expression on her face, before matching Clarke's grin with a knowing gaze. "I guess so."
Funny, how Fate had brought them together at last.
"What's the red circle surrounding the Mountain?" Clarke asked, reverting her attention back to the map.
"My gods, the Greeks are clueless about everything," groaned Titus, speaking up for the first time since being chastised by Anya. "This would be faster if we'd just-"
"Faster?" Luna interrupted with a slight scoff. "We've fought the Mountain for hundreds of years. What's a few more hours?" She gave him a sharp look. "Unless you have a brilliant idea that could help us take down the Mountain. Then please, the floor is all yours."
Unable to come up with a good response, Titus huffed and sat back down pouting.
"You'd think he'd learn by now to keep his mouth shut," Octavia commented quietly. It wasn't quiet enough apparently, as Titus shot her a dark look from across the table.
"As I was saying," said Lexa, ignoring Titus completely. The area outlined in red is the danger zone," said Lexa, answering Clarke's question. "The Mountain Men release an acidic fog as a defense mechanism so we can't get too close to it else we'd literally burn up alive. That is also about as far out as the Reapers will venture. Legionnaires who have wandered too close to the danger zone in the past during quests, either on purpose or by accident, have disappeared."
"I have a question," Raven asked, raising her hand as if she were in elementary school. Lexa raised an eyebrow as she nodded for her to speak.
"You said the Mountain Men can't tolerate the air and need to wear hazmat suits or whatever," said Octavia. "So why can't you just tear up their suits when they come out?"
"It's not that easy," Indra shot back. "These Mountain Men are dangerous. They have special powers. Most of the time, we can't even get close to them to get at their suits."
"Can't Lexa shoot lightning?" Raven pointed out. "And there are always arrows, no?"
"Not all children of Jupiter can shoot lightning, you know," Lexa stated giving Raven a look before deflating slightly. "But yes, I can shoot lightning."
"It's not that simple though," Lexa reiterated, looking a bit frustrated. "These Mountain Men, some of them have powers like a god. They're dangerous."
"Powers like a god," Clarke repeated with a frown. "Are they demigods?"
Lexa shook her head. "We've considered that possibility, but no. It doesn't make sense for them to be demigods. And no, before you ask, they aren't Titans either. Or gods. We're pretty sure."
"Have you asked the gods about any of this?" asked Clarke. "What did they say?"
Lexa furrowed her eyebrows as if she was having trouble comprehending Clarke's question. "The gods only speak to us when they want to. And even then, it's always through the Auguries, never in person."
In the background, Titus let out a pretentious self-entitled humph.
"Wait," Clarke balked. Lexa and Luna had explained to her what an Augur was earlier but she had no idea that the Augur was the only way of communication between the Roman demigods and the Roman gods.
That explained Titus's importance a bit more.
"So you've never talked directly to a god before?" Clarke asked as Raven and Octavia exchanged surprised glances.
"The gods do not have the time to engage in direct communication," said Lexa, eyeing Clarke's expression of bewilderment. Clarke noticed she avoided answering the question directly.
"Are you saying that the gods have visited you before?" Titus huffed indignantly, finding the idea that the gods would appear before Clarke of all people ridiculous.
"Yeah," said Clarke, still reeling from the fact that it wasn't commonplace for them to see a god. "They sort of just pop up and visit whenever," she said, recalling the many times she ran into Hermes, Apollo, Aphrodite, Ares, or Hephaestus during a quest. Or more like they sought her out.
"Even when they're unwelcome," commented Octavia, earning them several confused scandalous looks.
"I also visit my dad in the Underworld at least once a month," Clarke added but quickly realized it might've been better not to have said anything. She'd forgotten how the Romans viewed the Underworld and was rewarded with several ostracized looks for her comment.
Titus glowered at her. "Perhaps the Greek gods are nosy and meddlesome but the Roman gods are different. They. Know. Better ."
Clarke saw Lexa open her mouth to reprimand him for his comment, but Clarke beat her to it.
Now Clarke wasn't the biggest fan of the gods - she was at odds with a few of them herself, namely Ares, and she had a bone to pick with them on how they ran certain things. So Clarke knew that they weren't perfect, but that didn't stop her from seeing red.
"Watch what you say, Roman ," Clarke warned, surprising even herself with the amount of venom in her tone. She was standing now, towering over everyone else even with her short stature. She was done letting Titus just walk all over them. "You insult our gods? You do know we have the same gods, right?"
Titus shot her a scornful degrading look, but Clarke wasn't done.
"You call yourself Augur, yet you don't seem to understand the gods at all," Clarke declared heatedly. "Perhaps I should take your place as Augur, seeing that you clearly can't keep to their words." Clarke didn't actually have any desire to be Augur, but she knew how to use her words to hit where it would hurt the most.
Titus turned red with resentment. Clarke had attacked the source of his important status in the Legion. Yet he seemed unable to move or speak. Clarke wondered what was suddenly wrong with the guy. He looked like he was choking on air.
A gentle touch on her elbow brought Clarke back to the rest of the world and it was only then Clarke realized she had tunnel visioned.
"Chill," Octavia told her quietly. She shot a discreet glance to their surroundings and Clarke followed her gaze. Everyone else had stopped moving and were all staring at her, some with pale faces and a hint of fear in their eyes.
"Or don't chill," said Raven with a sheepish smile. "It's getting a bit cold." She rubbed her hands up and down her bare arms to emphasize her point.
Clarke realized with a jolt of fear that she could see Raven's breath in the air even though it was summer and immediately reeled in her powers. The temperature rose back to normal and Clarke watched as the small bit of frost that had formed on the table in front of her melt away leaving a little puddle.
'Shit,' Clarke cursed mentally. She quickly surveyed the damage.
The Centurions blinked back to life as if waking up from a trance. They looked at each other in confusion, still trying to comprehend what'd just happened and slowly gathered themselves back together.
Clarke could feel Lexa's probing eyes on her but she didn't feel like meeting her gaze at the moment. Instead her eyes shifted to Anya and found the girl studying her with distrust shining in her eyes. Even Luna was analyzing her.
She cleared her throat. "Have you seen any of these Men without their suits on?" she asked Lexa, finally meeting scrutinizing green eyes. "That could clue us in on their identity." She knew it was a weak attempt at a diversion but she hoped Lexa would take it.
For a second, Lexa didn't answer. She just sat there staring at Clarke. Clarke didn't know where to look. Finally, Lexa seemed to take mercy on her.
"The only ones who have are the ones who were captured. But no one ever escapes the Mountain. Once you're captured, you're done for. They're either not alive anymore to tell us who the Mountain Men are or they have been turned into Reapers," Lexa answered quietly.
'Hundreds of years of war and they don't even know who they're fighting against,' Clarke thought to herself in mild surprise. It sounded like a doomed war. She needed more answers. There were too many unknowns. She turned to Lexa.
"In order to get a better understanding of what we're up against, we're going to need a closer look," Clarke stated.
Lexa nodded as if she'd expected Clarke to say such a thing. Lexa addressed Anya. "How do you feel about leading a quick scouting mission?"
"Alone with the Greeks?" Anya scowled, shooting them a distasteful wary look. "You better pray to the gods I don't accidentally skewer one of them." She said that looking straight at Clarke.
'Fun,' Clarke sighed. The last thing she wanted was to make an enemy out of Anya.
"I'll like to see you try," Octavia complained under her breath.
"You could take Lincoln with you," Lexa offered, taking just the smallest glance in Octavia's direction before averting her eyes back to Anya,
"Do I have a choice?" Anya grumbled, but she recognized an order when it was given.
"Unless there are any other volunteers here who want to go along," said Lexa, scanning the table.
"I will join."
Immediately, Lexa regretted asking.
Clarke looked over the person who'd spoken, expecting Luna to have volunteered. She was not that lucky. Next to her, Octavia muttered a "You have got to be kidding me."
Anya raised an eyebrow at the guy who'd stood up. "You?" she sneered, half laughing, half mocking. "Can you even ride a pegasus?"
Titus pulled his chin up indignantly. "I've never tried, but how hard can it be?" he huffed, obviously putting on airs. "I am still one fourth god, you know."
Anya's smile disappeared from her face as she realized Titus was being serious. She regarded him with suspicious eyes. "What are you up to now, Titus?" she spat out coldly. Clarke was surprised at her animosity.
"Nothing," said Titus, faux innocently. "I merely want to get to know our Greek friends here a little better."
"Hmhmm, I'm sure that's it," muttered Anya dryly. It was clear she didn't believe a word he said.
"Is there a problem?" Titus asked, looking at Clarke specifically. "Or are you going to go back on your words about our people working together?"
Clarke clenched her jaw but forced herself to keep her anger in check. Not a single cell in her body wanted to spend more time with Titus but he was right. She couldn't back out. Besides, she could take him, right?
"No, no problem," she bit out, forcing a fake smile onto her face. "We'll love to have you with us as we go scout your most dangerous enemies. I'm more concerned about you, though," said Clarke, putting as much fake concern into her voice as possible. "What happens if we get ambushed? Will you be okay? I hear you're not too good with a sword. Or a bow."
Titus smirked at her attempt at trying to rile him up. "Don't worry about me , Graecus. "
Clarke resisted the urge to huff at his pretentiousness. She turned to look at Lexa who was watching Titus very closely.
Lexa trusted Titus as much as she could throw him. All of her instincts were screaming at her that this was a bad idea. Still, there was no way for Lexa to refuse him no matter how much she'd like to, not after she'd openly asked for volunteers and not after Clarke already agreed. With a reluctant heart, Lexa nodded her head. "Very well, you six will leave at noon."
Titus was the first to stand and accept. " Sha, Heda," he said with a slight bow and a smirk on his face.
Anya stood up after and also bowed slightly. "Sha, Heda. I'll get Lincoln to ready the pegasi. " She eyed Titus warily and Clarke was assured that if anything, Anya seemed to hate Titus more than she disapproved of them.
Lexa nodded her approval. "It should be quick and simple. Avoid the danger zone if possible and if you happen to come across Reapers or Mountain Men," said Lexa, looking straight at Clarke as if these words were for her only. "Run."
Clarke let out a breath, feeling the pre-anxiety of a quest seep into her gut. "I'll keep that in mind."
"That Greek Barbie doll is dangerous," Anya stated as soon as they were alone after the meeting. Lexa turned to look at her oldest friend.
"I know," sighed Lexa. Clarke was proving to be a valuable ally, but a dangerous one. She kept throwing Lexa for a loop and Lexa didn't like not knowing what to expect every time Clarke was involved. It was like having to act out a play without seeing the script beforehand. Clarke kept Lexa on her toes, a feeling she hadn't felt in years.
"Whatever she pulled back there in the meeting with Titus, it wasn't normal," said Anya, sounding agitated. "I've never felt anything like it. It was-"
"Terrifying," Lexa finished for her. Anya nodded. There was no other word to describe how'd she felt in the moment Clarke stood up to Titus. It was fear in its purest form and it made Lexa want to curl up into a trembling ball.
Still, it hadn't affected Lexa as much as it did to Anya. She'd seen the girl grip the edge of her seat until her knuckles turned white. Lexa had only felt the sting of terror, felt everything bad overtake her consciousness, for a split second before it was gone. It still shook her more than she'd like to admit, but it left just as quickly as it came.
Lexa briefly wondered why that was. She noticed that Clarke's two Greek friends also didn't seem to be as shaken as her Centurions were. Was it a conscious decision?
"How would you know?" Lexa asked, her voice masking how offkiltered she'd felt by the sensation. "We have no idea what powers a Pluto child should have. What she did back there, doesn't Pluto have a Helm of Darkness that instills fear in people?"
Anya regarded Lexa with dark eyes. "You know I'm not the biggest fan of Titus - in fact I hate him."
Lexa nodded. She knew.
"But Titus wasn't wrong about one thing," said Anya imploringly. She needed Lexa to understand. "The last time Camp Polis had a child of Pluto on its grounds…" She didn't finish her statement. She didn't need to. Lexa knew exactly what Anya was referring to.
There was a legend once upon a time of a child of Pluto that came to Camp Polis. Not much else was known about this child except that during their stay here, more than half of the Legion was wiped out by some mysterious event and Camp Polis almost ceased to exist. Ever since then, there hadn't been another child of Pluto to step foot into Camp Polis and the legend of Wanheda, the Commander of Death, remained but a whispered myth.
Clarke was not a child of Pluto but a child of Hades. Lexa didn't know if there was a difference. She hoped there was, even if she didn't particularly buy into superstitions.
Lexa regarded Anya with fake amusement in her eyes. "Don't tell me you believe in those stories. They're just myths, Anya."
Anya scowled. "So were the gods until we found out our real bloodlines."
Lexa couldn't find a good rebuttal for that. She needed to talk to Clarke, to pick at her brain and understand what made her tick. It was like putting together a puzzle. Piece by piece, she'll slowly get a better picture of who Clarke was and what she was capable of. Lexa had a feeling this puzzle would take her a long time to complete.
"Keep an eye on her during the scouting mission," Lexa requested. She would go herself, but she had Praetor duties that kept her from leaving Camp too often.
"As if you have to ask," Anya stated. She had her own questions about the daughter of Hades.
In all her years as a demigod, Anya held the strong belief that Lexa was the strongest demigod to ever exist. When she was serious, Lexa could move mountains on her own. Anya had witnessed her strike down the Titan Army in a fury so unrelenting it could be compared to the worst storms the skies had to offer. No one stood a chance against Lexa the day they stormed Mount Orthys.
Luna came a close second behind the daughter of Jupiter, but she lacked the willingness to take extreme measures that Lexa possessed, making her far less dangerous as an enemy.
Clarke, also a child of the Big Three, undoubtedly had powers that other demigods like Anya could only dream about. And Anya suspected from what she'd seen of the girl so far that Clarke also possessed that extra bit of steel in her character.
In that way, she was similar to Lexa.
And that made her extremely dangerous. Anya only hoped Lexa knew that too.
"So are all Senate meetings like that, or were we just lucky?" Clarke asked Lexa once they were alone in Lexa's office. Gustus had come knocking at their bunker telling her that she'd been summoned by Lexa to debrief about the meeting.
"Sometimes," Lexa stated with a weary sigh, regarding Clarke with a guarded look. "There are worse ones, but there are also better ones." She gestured for Clarke to sit in the chair across from her. Clarke sat down and waited for Lexa to tell her why called her here.
"I feel like I should apologize for Titus's behavior," said Lexa with a small frown once Clarke was settled. Her eyes searched for Clarke's.
Clarke waved her off. "Don't," she insisted. "I sort of expected it. Besides, you have nothing to apologize for."
"He may not look like much," said Lexa, her tone warning. "But words are his weapons. And he uses them as ruthlessly and as skillfully as any legionnaire with a sword. I want you to be prepared. He is dangerous. Make no mistake of that."
"I've always found Apollo children to be good with words, given their poetic inclinations," Clarke joked. "Though Apollo himself gives horrid haikus."
"Clarke." Lexa spoke her name as if she couldn't decide whether or not she was exasperated or charmed by Clarke's humor.
Clarke grinned at Lexa before allowing herself to be more serious for a second. "Don't worry. I've faced worse adversaries than Titus. I'll make sure to keep my guard up."
"Don't underestimate him," warned Lexa. "I don't know what he's planning," she said frowning. "But I find it a bit uneasy that he volunteered himself for this scouting mission." Lexa sighed, slouching in her chair and in that moment, Clarke couldn't help but notice that she looked a lot more her age.
It was easy to forget, with the way Lexa carried herself and the way others addressed her, that Lexa was also only eighteen years old. She looked so small and tired in her big praetor chair. Clarke had never seen anyone look so young yet so old at the same time.
"I have a question," Clarke spoke up.
Lexa looked up lazily at her and Clarke took it as a cue to continue.
"Have you…" She started only to change her mind. "Before, during the meeting, when I asked if you've ever seen a god before, you didn't give me a straight answer."
Lexa gave her a tight lipped smile. "So you caught that, huh? I figured you would. You're quite observant, aren't you?" Lexa looked away, afraid Clarke would be able to read her if she looked directly into those blue eyes.
Clarke tried not to blush at the compliment.
Lexa sighed. "Roman gods have different philosophies than their Greek counterparts," explained Lexa. "They try not to meddle with their children's lives. They saw that trait as one of the reasons for the downfall of the Greek civilization," said Lexa carefully. Clarke knew she meant no offense. "So the only way we talk to the gods is through the Auguries."
"But you've seen them," said Clarke, sounding sure of herself.
Lexa nodded stiffly. "I saw Juno when I was seven." Her voice was slightly strained and Clarke had a feeling there was more to it.
"That's young," Clarke stated with surprise. She didn't even know she was a demigod until she was eleven.
"I'd ran away from home," shrugged Lexa as if it were no big deal, but Clarke could tell she was just putting on an act. Her shoulders were tense and her eyes were stormy. "Apparently, as a daughter of Jupiter, I smelled amazing to monsters."
Clarke smiled a bit in understanding. She'd gotten the same comment from a few monsters herself.
"One day, I came home from elementary school to find my mother being ripped apart by a couple of Harpys who had smelled me on her," revealed Lexa, her voice even and empty.
Clarke fought back a gasp. Her chest constricted in sympathy towards the girl but she tried hard to keep the emotion off her face. She had a feeling Lexa wasn't the type of person to appreciate her sympathy.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered. She didn't know what else to say. There were no words that could soothe the pain for Lexa or convey how Clarke felt. Lexa remained indifferent, her face carefully crafted into a blank expression but Clarke could still make out the pain in her eyes.
'It must've been horrible,' was all Clarke could think. 'And Lexa was so young too.'
Lexa hummed like she'd come to terms with it long ago but Clarke knew better. She knew just how devastating death could be and how long the effects of loss last.
"I didn't know what to do. I was helpless. I was seven. So I ran," said Lexa, with a hint of spite. Clarke was a bit surprised with her willingness to open up to her. "Juno came to me then. Guided me to the Wolf's House where Lupa trained me until she deemed me worthy enough to come here to Camp Polis. I've been here ever since."
Clarke swallowed. What did one say to a story like that? "Thank you," she managed to get out, her throat impossibly dry. "For sharing that with me." She didn't say anymore. She didn't say anything like 'It must've been hard,' or 'You've been through a lot.' She knew they were useless.
Lexa's stormy green eyes met hers and Clarke found herself captivated. She couldn't look away.
"Venus visited me a couple of times," said Lexa continued, scowling at the mention of the goddess. "That nosy goddess."
Clarke grinned a bit. It seemed Aphrodite was just as annoying in her Roman form. The goddess of love had pestered Clarke quite a bit as well about her love life.
"And then of course two years ago, Juno reappeared in front of me and told me about the importance of having our two camps work together," said Lexa.
Clarke nodded. "Hera appeared at Camp Ark too with the same message."
Lexa frowned as her eyes drifted away to gaze out of the window in her office. "I wonder why."
Clarke shrugged. "I find it to be easier not to dwell too much on what the gods say or why they do things a certain way. They can be confusing."
"Perhaps," Lexa said dismissively, still staring out the window.
"So…" Clarke drawled. "You've never seen your father then," she said quietly.
Lexa shook her head, keeping her gaze fixed outside the window. Clarke felt another pang of emptiness hit her chest for the girl in front of her. She couldn't imagine knowing her father was out there, watching her every move, but refusing to actually contact her. Especially since Lexa's other parent was already out of the picture.
Clarke couldn't imagine the loneliness Lexa must've endured when she was younger.
Hades, despite his godly disposition, had always been a decent father once Clarke found out he existed. He always came to her, reassured her when Clarke needed it most, and respected her. His support was probably half the reason why Clarke made it out alive the past five years and the reason why the gods didn't lose the war in the previous year.
Nothing made Clarke prouder than the moment when Hades told her she was his favorite demigod child by far, that he was proud to have her as his daughter. Clarke would give anything to keep him in her life.
Meanwhile, Lexa, poor Lexa here, had never seen her father even once, never been patted on the back for her hard work or received a warm fatherly smile. She had to face everything Clarke faced with an unstaggering belief in the gods despite their absence.
It felt cruel of the gods. Lexa's mother was dead. Her father was alive, but not allowed to contact her.
But then again, what did Clarke know? She wondered if Lexa ever wanted to see Jupiter, if she ever craved his validation even a little bit.
Clarke was left to stand awkwardly as Lexa kept her gaze out the window. Lexa looked so open, so vulnerable and lost in her thoughts that Clarke didn't want to interrupt. Suddenly the Roman shifted her attention to her.
"There's something I have to ask you as well," said Lexa, pinning Clarke to the floor with her clear green eyes.
"What is it?" Clarke asked, her voice catching. After Lexa revealed so much to her, Clarke found herself wanting to return the favor.
"What happened back there in the meeting?" Lexa asked, her face suddenly hardening as if she'd slipped on a mask.
Clarke blinked at the sudden shift in power dynamics between them. Gone was the vulnerable side to Lexa, hidden behind that familiar aura of power. Now, Clarke was the one being scrutinized. "What do you mean?"
Lexa just looked at Clarke as if she knew Clarke was playing dumb. Clarke, however, was a bit at a loss of what Lexa was referring to. So much went wrong during that meeting. She'd have to be a bit more specific.
"When Titus insulted your gods," said Lexa carefully, keeping her eyes trained on Clarke. "You snapped."
Clarke swallowed. Ah, that.
Right. She'd almost forgot it happened. She'd hoped Lexa would've forgotten too.
"The temperature dropped," continued Lexa, eyeing Clarke as if trying to dissect her. "Ice formed on the table in the middle of summer. I know it's colder in the mornings, but it's not that cold," she said, with a raised eyebrow. "Then Titus looked like he couldn't speak a word, and we all know how much he likes to talk," gibed Lexa, lifting her chin in a royal intimidating sort of way. "Something tells me there was something preventing him from talking."
Clarke smiled weakly. "Uh, right. About that." How should she explain this?
"Sometimes, when I get really angry," Clark drawled, glancing around the room as she grasped for the right words. "I can generate an aura of intense cold?" Clarke finished with a sheepish shrug. "Also, Hades has divine authority over the power of fear, you know as the god of the Underworld and all, so sometimes I can induce terrible terror when I want to be intimidating?"
She phrased it more like a question than a statement, but she couldn't help it. She hadn't meant to use any of these powers. Titus must've made her angrier than she'd thought and she slipped. Usually, she had a much better grip on her powers. Truth be told, she hated using these specific abilities and only reserved them for the worst of people.
After all, she knew what it was like to be gripped with irrational and terrible fear - she'd watched her father punish the worst of sinners to madness.
Lexa regarded her for a brief second before the smallest of smiles broke across her lips. "So what I got from that is that we shouldn't make you angry? That explains why a few of my Centurions looked downright terrified. I thought for sure Uzac was about to wet his pants."
Lexa didn't mention that she had also felt, at least for a few seconds, the cold paralyzing grip of fear seep into her chest as she sat frozen to her seat with goosebumps rising from her arms to her neck. It alarmed her more than she'd like to admit but she also understood. After those few seconds of genuine fear, Lexa was left with nothing but awe at Clarke's power.
Lexa felt like she finally found someone who could probably prove to be her equal.
And it was terrifying just as much as it was exciting.
Clarke laughed, a bit relieved that Lexa wasn't too afraid of her. She didn't know what she'd do if Lexa were to shun her away.
"That would've been a sight," grinned Clarke. "But hey, I'm not the only one with anger quirks," she said, raising an eyebrow in Lexa's direction. "Was it me or was there a hint of ozone in the air the entire meeting. I almost thought a thunderstorm was heading our way."
Lexa grinned dryly at her. "Guilty." She shrugged. "It's a good intimidation tactic."
"It reminds them that you can literally smite them with lightning," Clarke rephrased amusedly.
"Doesn't mean I will," Lexa rolled her eyes in good humor. "And I only carried through with the threat once," added Lexa with a small smile that made it impossible for Clarke to tell whether or not Lexa was joking.
Clarke laughed either way, her adoration for the girl in front of her growing exponentially. Mentally, she thanked the Fates for allowing them to meet. She had a feeling that they would do great things together and only time would tell.