Ch. 8: Frost and Flowers

For Hannah- Thanks for reading. 3

Hazel stood on the precipice of the Caldecott Tunnel, staring glumly down onto the buildings that made up the barracks, mess hall, and baths of the Roman Legionnaires. The daughter of Hades frowned as a small nugget of gold pushed itself upward through the soil, coming to a rest at the toe of her boot. She idly kicked it forward, watching as it fell several feet before coming to a stop. She could hear the din coming from the mess hall- it would be dinner, and she did not relish the chaos that ensued with each meal.

She sighed heavily and shifted her gaze to the Little Tiber, getting lost in the current as it rushed on its way to the lake that nestled against New Rome. Winter had settled heavily along the Eastern Coast- the normal, brisk 66 degrees had fallen into the alarmingly unnatural 40s range. Instead of the standard sweatshirt, Hazel was bundled in a heavier winter jacket, watching her breath billowing out as mist in front of her. The abnormal rainy drizzle pierced her skin with ice-like quality.

Everything's wrong. Ever since Nico died...something is happening.

Although Hazel had no interaction with her father, she had become increasingly aware of a lack of presence. But, until it had disappeared, she had not, in fact, known it was there to begin. And it was only for the last month that the absence had been felt- like a tooth that had suddenly fallen out.

She shivered and hugged her coat closer to her body as the rain became soft snow. The cold cut through Hazel's clothing as if it wasn't even there, and her throat ached with the intake of each frigid breath. She shook her head, feeling silly but spoke into the air.

"Father? I know that...that things have been difficult after...Nico. But, please. Tell me what to do. Give me a sign that you're listening. I don't-" Hazel's voice broke as she spoke into the silently drifting snow. "I don't want to be alone."

The last word had barely left her mouth when a crunch of snow sounded behind her. She was no longer alone and hadn't been since she had summited the hill.

Hazel turned, her eyes widening at the horrifying creature in front of her. Through the curtain of falling snow, the thing towered above her, roughly the size of a giant. Its humanoid shape moved slowly toward her, glowing red eyes piercing through the white air. Elongated arms hung at the thing's sides, sharp claws threatening in their sharp silence. Skin stretched painfully thin over protruding bones- more than human or giant would ever claim to have.

Hazel's watched as the thing approached her. Then, finding her voice, she called out, "Who are you?"

It paused in its trek forward and cocked its enormous head to the side as if studying her. The tension in the air changed and, for a split second, Hazel stood frozen in the snow. The creature surged forward, moving impossibly fast and raising its arm in an arc before bringing it crashing down. Hazel flung herself to one side, cold and wet snow invading her mouth and eyes. Although blinded, she clawed her way through the snow, trying to move away from the creature. She spat out the snow and yelled into the cold air, "Legionnaires! To me!"

But her voice, muffled by the snow, fell well short of the barracks and the mess hall, which would already be loud. She tried to get to her feet, scrambling to stand. A ferocious blow landed on her back and sent her sprawling, once again, into the snow. She rolled over and over, evading the subsequent blows that rained down, one after the other. She clambered through the snow, frozen fingers digging into the soft sleet. Pushing herself up, she ran as quickly as she could, unable to see through the worsening weather.

She screamed, her voice carried on the wind, "Help! Romans- to me! Frank!"

An ominous growl softly echoed through the snow, and she looked behind her. There was nothing. Hazel stilled and cautiously drew her spatha. She turned in a slow circle and muttered aloud, "Now would be a perfect time to help me out, Dad. Please. Unless you want to lose your last kid."

It was as if something shifted in the air- a quiet spread over the area, and even the soft tink of snow falling on snow faded. Hazel felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise, and she spun around almost too late. As it was, the creature's arm swung downward, catching the edge of her spatha and sending it spiraling through the air. Its other arm was already arching down, and Hazel braced herself for impact.

But it never came.

Hazel opened her eyes and stared. The creature's eyes had turned a muddy brown. Hazel squinted toward the thing, realizing the red color was sullied by green, the color of chlorophyll. A thorny stalk stabbed through the monster's neck, a wheezing sound whistling around the protruding plant. It turned slowly, and Hazel glimpsed a figure on the other side. A woman stood alone, her black hair billowing about her face. Her green dress was as frost over spring grass, and her eyes, a liquid gold, glared at the creature. Another thorned stalk grew in her hand like a spear, and she held it aloft as if about to throw.

"Hazel Levesque. Back away now."

Hazel stared at the goddess in confusion. "But, I-"

"Do not argue with me, child! Go now! Rally the others and come back to my aid. Now!"

Hazel nearly flew down the hill. Several times she lost her footing beneath her and fell, her face skidding against the sharpness of the snow. She tasted blood in her mouth at one point, but whether it was from the cold or the beating she had taken earlier, she could not tell.

Nearing the mess, she flung open the doors. It took but a moment for the nearest legionaries to recognize her and call for quiet. Frank rushed forward from the head table, followed at a more steady clip by Reyna. Frank reached toward Hazel's face, and she winced as his fingers brushed against her marked skin.

"Hazel, what-"

But Hazel cut him off, gasping out, "No time. We have to- she's fighting alone. We have to help! On the Caldecott Tunnel!"

Reyna's eyes hardened, and she nodded. "5th and 12th cohorts to me. Vanguards from each approach with infantry following behind. Cannae tactic until we know what we're dealing with."

The Roman demigods moved fluidly to follow Reyna's orders even as Hazel shook her head. "I have to go back. I have to-"

Frank shook his head. "We're going. You don't need to go back."

Hazel yanked her arm free from where the son of Mars held it. "I'm going, Frank. I'll see you on the battlefield."

Ignoring Reyna's order to stop and Frank's confused face, Hazel turned and ran back to the solitary goddess and creature. But, there was no need as the battle had been brought to the mess hall.

Outside, the goddess was on her knees, green blood flowing from a deep gash running above her eyebrow and curving down her face to her lip. Her hate-filled eyes glared up at the creature, and she spat at it, green staining its dingy white skin.

Its eyes had regained their red color and glittered with alien malice. A deep rumble came from its throat as if the creature was laughing in amusement. It moved toward the goddess and grabbed her arm. Pulling her forward, it opened its glistening red maw and lowered it to the goddess. It hissed, and several garbled noises issued forth in what Hazel realized was a different language.

As the creature's face moved closer to the goddess, she struck suddenly. The beast howled in pain and wheeled away, dropping the goddess. A sturdy blade of a plant jutted out from the monster's eye, a sickly yellow liquid seeping from the wound.

The wind picked up until it screamed through the air, snow whirling in a frenzy. Then, as suddenly as the wind had started, it stopped. The snow lessened to a soft patter until it, too, was no longer. The temperature rose, and the grass steamed. The creature was gone.

Hazel at the lead, the Roman demigods stared at the goddess as she pushed herself to her bare feet. Her dress was torn, and Hazel could see several gashes on the woman's lithe frame. She fixed her watery gold eyes on Hazel and approached the daughter of Hades slowly, a slight limp hindering her walk.

Once the goddess stood in front of the gathering, the legionnaires fell to their knees in a dutiful bow. Hazel bowed her head.

The goddess waved away the formalities and looked at Hazel, her eyes distraught. She fixed her gaze on the Roman demigod. Hazel could see the birth of spring, the growing of flowers and crops, the emergence of animals awakened from their winter slumbers- all were reflected in Persephone's sorrowful eyes.

"Tell me, Hazel Levesque: where is my husband?"