The Half-Blood Wars

By HephaestusBuilds

(Edit 8/23: I fixed all the italics FF removed for some reason upon upload.)

Beta'd by PixelFun20

Author's Note:

Hey everyone! It's FINALLY here! You have no idea how happy I am to be putting out the Prologue for this story or how grateful I am for your patience and understanding getting this story out. Did you notice I changed the name of this story? Do you like it? Greece vs Rome was always a working title. I know you all want to get to the story asap, but I have a few important things to let you know first.

First, I have no set date for the release of Chapter 1. I've only started planning it as of writing this. Also, I have made the decision to make this a long-term story. Meaning, that it won't be updated weekly like I try to do for my other stories and will instead be released when I deem them ready. I know people want weekly uploads, but I'm going to be doing a long Pertemis story after I finish my current Percabeth story, Champion of Olympus.

Second, I have created a Wattpad account under the same name and will putting this story up there as well for the time being. I still haven't decided if or when I'll move this story from here to there. Feel free to give me your thoughts in a Review or PM. Speaking of my Wattpad account, I'd love it if you guys followed me on there as well. I'll admit that I really don't know how the site works yet, as it is really confusing, but I intend to put up a few Original Short Stories on there before long. And then, after this is a good way in, I plan on starting my Original Novel I've had in my head for years.

Third, ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE CLOSED. So please don't send me any, they won't be selected.

Well that's it for now. If you guys like this Prologue and want to see more of it, then please, please let me know in a Review or PM. If I don't get enough support for this story then I'll have to drop it for another I have planned. See you all at the bottom,

Hephaestus

I also want to give a HUGE shoutout and thanks to PixelFun20, my wonderful, amazing, helpful and patient Beta that is the reason why this Prologue is at the quality it is! Thanks so much! Sorry again for somehow forgetting to mention you before!

Prologue: May The Gods Have Mercy

My name is Captain Verania Ulixes of the Democratic Theocracy of Greece, and may the gods have mercy on what my fellow officers and I are about to do.

Ever since I was old enough to understand the lessons my father and birth country drilled into my mind, I had been taught the history of this world. How, in the days before years were counted, the Gods roamed free on earth and interacted with us mortals. When, thousands of years ago, two world superpowers were born, destined to thrive and one day expand unto the entire earth. The Democratic Theocracy of Greece and The Holy Roman Empire. The two most powerful, long lasting and militarized civilizations to have ever existed on Gaea's green earth. Their history and wars, both against each other and other nations across time and the world, have lasted for as long as anyone can remember, since their first conflict over two thousand years ago. I had the history, pride and mission of my people drilled into me in order to create the perfect soldier, with never a thought of who I would be without a war to fight. I was literally bred for the sole purpose of war, trained as a child to kill, taught that anything could be sacrificed for it. Family, friends… even loved ones.

After being forced to flee my birth country as a young woman, I traveled across the sea to the premier military capital of Greece, New Sparta, in order to forge a new destiny as a soldier in the Greek Military to combat The Holy Roman Empire.

I, like every citizen of the world, wished for a conclusion to this never-ending war that had not only spanned countries and continents, but thousands of years as well. And I would have given anything to end it and hold my former home, and Greece, my adopted home, accountable for their many sins… but not this.

Not my humanity.

In the past century, however, with an uneasy stalemate settling between the two nations, fears of an escalation back to an all-out war were running higher than ever. This was only fueled by the fact that the Holy Roman Empire had been selectively breeding powerful half-blood soldiers for centuries and amassing control over almost the entire eastern hemisphere. Something needed to be done before Greece was left in the dust. A decision had to be made.

After many years of intense debate in the Senate where the motion was denied and revised over and over in an endless cycle, a simple, three-page document came down from the Supreme General himself, created in order to combat and finally destroy the Holy Roman Empire once and for all and preserve our way of life. Looking back, I laugh at not recognizing the signs all around me. The ones I had seen since my birth as I was raised to be a soldier. The way the Supreme General went around Senate vote and procedures to obtain his goal. How we, the military, the ones honor-bound to protect our people, began registering, documenting and later forcefully recruiting half-blood children as soldiers. After all, those who neglect learning their history will one day be doomed to repeat it. And I no doubt had not learned from mine. I could only pray to any God still out there to give me the strength I would need to do what needed to be done.

We were to assemble and form a small unit of the most elite soldiers Greece—no, the world had ever seen. But who would make up this unit?

The Supreme General said it was never really a debate, no other group of mortals could match the sheer innumerable legions of Roman soldiers. Not even our specialized units of sentient full and half-blood Monsters could match Rome in open ground combat while we won small battles in the seas and air. So the answer to the kind of soldiers to pick was clear.

Half-bloods.

Half-bloods, the children born from powerful Gods, Monsters or other divine beings and often possessing some sort of unique abilities, were the best-bred soldiers our nation had to offer. They would be documented at birth, observed over the first months and years of their life, where the chaff would be separated from the wheat, and then finally conscripted into the military where they would be raised from a young age to do nothing but serve their nation. The most promising, intelligent, strong and capable of these children would be formed into an elite, specialized unit of Half-Bloods and trained to want nothing but to serve their nation and fear not even Thanatos himself.

It sickened me, becoming a part of this again, this time on the other side of the glass and forcing young, innocent children into the life of a soldier, like my fellow siblings and I were many years ago in my home country, but I had my orders. And I followed those orders because I believed in the man and woman ordered to lead this herculean task. Two of the Supreme General's most trusted officers, Colonel Dreven Wolfe and Matron Freyja Gyldenløve, arrived with the orders to treat these children as… well, children, and not emotionless, military weapons or ordnance like our mindless golems. Gods know I had no proper experience with children…

Even after speaking with Colonel Wolfe, I couldn't understand how the military could condone such a thing after we'd tried so hard as a country to avoid becoming what we hated and feared most. It pained me as I looked over the grainy, black and white photos and simple, spartan bios of children listing their height, weight, abilities and destructive potential like they were mere explosives, weapons or military ordnance. I envied their innocence and purity, the beauty of their souls; mine had long since been stripped from me by war and my birth country. Even to this day, all these years later, I regret memorizing their names and faces. Regret treating them like children, like… my children. I regret ever using their names, getting to know them and in turn letting them get to know me. But above all, I regret letting myself care for them. Because, like it or not, prayers or not, despite all I and my fellow officers tried to do, these one hundred and seventeen children were all owned by the military, destined to one day face Rome in battle, and one thing above all was certain:

A majority of them wouldn't survive past the first year.

~~~x~~~

Captain Verania Ulixes was stood with her back straight in ever-perfect form at the center of the amphitheater. Previously, the large, centuries old stone building had held meetings for senior officers, but from now on it would act as a classroom and introductory hall of sorts for the new recruits. Ulixes looked around her at the half circle rows of stone seats that stacked on top of one another as she waited for the children—no, recruits, she corrected herself—to arrive. The large stone amphitheater was heated by an elaborate maze of pyro-lines in the walls, but she still felt a stubborn chill in her battle-worn bones. Perhaps it was her nerves. Perhaps it was her conscience, but that didn't matter now. As her old Commanding Officer used to say; a conscience was never a good thing to have as a soldier.

A set of heavy footsteps echoed towards her, drawing Ulixes out of her thoughts. As another figure approached, she made sure her black uniform was straight and to perfect military standard before she was fully in sight.

"Colonel Wolfe is waiting in the box, Captain Ulixes. He wishes to just observe them for now and will greet them when he deems the time is right," said a low, gruff, and undeniably inhuman female voice. "The recruits are ready as well. He says to send them in on your order."

Ulixes turned and looked up at the almost two hundred and twenty centimeter, emerald green-skinned Minor Ogress that dwarfed even her imposing height and build. "Thank you, Drill Sergeant Ogzad." Ulixes sighed, looking one last time to the empty amphitheater. "Please summon Matron Gyldenløve and request her presence, I feel it is important to have a… kind face present when they arrive."

The gargantuan Ogress nodded, her four thin, traditional braids moving slightly from the motion, causing the long, otherworldly feathers intertwined in their ends to sway. "Yes, Captain. I'll send for her right away." She made to step away but paused, looking to the Captain. "Shall I assume she still doesn't condone this particular assignment?"

Ulixes made to roll her eyes, but checked the motion. Colonel Wolfe was watching them from his box, after all, and he demanded nothing less than constant professionalism from his subordinates. "You know the answer to that question, Drill Sergeant Ogzad," she told her taller companion. "Matron Gyldenløve is a kind, humane woman, that doesn't condone violence or cruelty, we should all be opposed to this as much as she is. To be using these innocent children as living weapons is making Greece all the more like Rome."

The Ogress let a breath out of her nose, like she was amused. "So I take it she's still upset with you?"

"Watch yourself, Drill Sergeant," she warned the imposing woman, before standing up straighter and getting back to the matter at hand. "Send a page to fetch Matron Gyldenløve, as well as Deacon." She added as an afterthought: "Then lead the recruits in, with Ordnance #087-117 bringing up the rear. We don't want any of our new boots to try to run off before we even begin, now, do we?"

"At once, Captain." The Ogress nodded before turning around with unexpected grace for her size and walked off.

~~~x~~~

Several sets of heavy wooden doors, reinforced with Celestial Bronze, opened on the top row of seats, and one hundred and seventeen children—each guided by a Spartan Marine adorned in black fatigues—began filing in, lead by the same Ogress Captain Ulixes had spoken to. An even larger, over two hundred and fifty centimeter titanic figure that looked to be completely made out of earthen clay brought up the rear. All of the children had darkened bags under their eyes and scuffs on their skin and clothes, no doubt from their less than gentle collection and shipment to the base. It all seemed routine at first, she had greeted countless recruits like this, but those were voluntary, she told herself. That is, before one of the children tried to force himself past his retainer. For his efforts, he was rewarded with a quick whack to the back of the head with a baton and forcefully sat down as the other children took their seats.

As soon as they were all seated on the stone risers, Captain Ulixes let out one last sigh and stepped forward to address the recruits. "As per Military Code 3879, you are all hereby property of and conscripted into the Greek Military Special Unit, 1st Half-Blood Regiment, codenamed: Immortal Spartans."

She had to stop at the lump in her throat. How could these children, no younger than ten and no older than fifteen, understand what she just said? What it meant for them? Their lives and future? She couldn't even understand the ethics and reasoning behind it herself and she had been bred for war and had been in the military since birth. They had no understanding what this all meant, their lives as they knew them, are gone. Now they only live to serve the military.

She mentally shook off her thoughts and made a bold step forward, increasing the stern tone of her voice as well as the volume so that she stole the attention of the entire room. "Every one of you here has been called upon by your country, your Gods, your Supreme General and your people, to serve. You are among the most elite children and teenagers from across Greece's vast country and settlements, where only the fastest, strongest, smartest and most capable are permitted to serve. I am Captain Verania Ulixes of the 1st Half-Blood Regiment and I speak to you on behalf of your Supreme General and your Senate and would like to welcome you all to the Leonidas Military Training Base."

"I will personally be overseeing your training throughout and past boot camp until the top graduates are deemed suitable for combat. But there is one thing you should know about me first…" She hardened her eyes and glared at the children. "I am not your mother, or your friend, nor your maiden aunt. My word is the word of my superiors, and it is law. Every soldier on this base, every piece of equipment and every thought is dictated and run through me and my superior Colonel Wolfe. When I speak, you will listen. When I address you, you will answer promptly with either 'yes ma'am', 'no ma'am', 'yes Captain' or 'no Captain'. And when you address me, it will be by either 'ma'am' or 'Captain'. Is that understood?"

She waited for a brief second for their reply. After not receiving any, she raised her voice even more and barked, "IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?!"

After receiving a rather frightened combination of "yes ma'am"s and "yes Captain"s, she placed her arms behind her back and stared straight ahead as she continued. "You have all been called upon and gathered by your country due to your divine blood or unique abilities in order to combat the Holy Roman Empire." Upon mentioning their eternal enemy, she could feel the hatred in the room fluctuate for a second that was quickly replaced by rapt interest. "You have been selected to be the newest and greatest addition to the Greek Military. You should all feel proud, for today, today we are making history." That still doesn't condone it, she thought.

"As you know, we have been at war with the Romans for countless centuries," Her eyes glanced around the room briefly. "And those select few of you in this room will one day be the conclusion to that war." Several of the children—no, recruits—were leaning forward as if they were about to leap from their seats and ask what they could do for their country. Like all good Greek children, she thought.

"But you should know these things. Your families… are gone. Your homes… are gone. Your lives… are gone. From now until you sail into Hades, your fellow recruits will be your family. The Leonidas Military Training Base will be your home. And your lives will be dedicated to the service of your country."

She was just about the call the people behind her forward when a boy, the same one that resisted the officer earlier, spoke up.

"Well how about fuck you?!" He yelled, climbing to his feet. The bulky Minotaur soldier behind him made to grab the boy, but Verania motioned for him to let the boy proceed. The boy, about fourteen or so, glared at her like he actually believed she would be intimidated by him. "What you're doing is illegal! This is kidnapping! You have no right to-."

"That is where you are wrong, recruit." She cut him off sharply. "Our government is lead by the chosen followers of the Gods themselves and their words are the words of the Gods. Are you speaking out against the Gods? Do you dare think yourself above our Holy protectors? Above the Senate? Above the Holy Hiereia of Olympus themselves?" She demanded with a harsh, accusing tone that made the no doubt religious boy— because all Greek citizens were religious zealots in one way or another— step back and dart his eyes to the ceiling as if he expected Lord Zeus himself to cast down a lightning bolt and strike him dead on the spot. After a second the boy calmed himself, but she didn't give him a moment to relax. She took a step forward and moved her eyes over all the eyes in the room before her.

"And your parents, for your information, have all agreed to give us legal custody of all of you so that you may one day serve your country in a way no other Greek ever could. What we are building here, will no doubt change the world." She rested her eyes on the boy that had spoken out. "But let me assure you, not all of you will graduate. Most of you will not even make it past Hades Week. In order to train you to be the best military fighting force in history, it will be difficult. The hardest experiences of your lives. On the road ahead of you, there will be hardships, eliminations, dropouts, failures. Out of the one hundred and seventeen of you gathered here today, only the top ten will pass and be named… Immortal Spartans."

After the boy was pushed back down into his seat, Verania motioned for the three people behind her to step forwards beside her. The first was the Minor Ogress she had spoken to earlier. She was incredibly massive and imposing at over two hundred and twenty centimeters tall. She was dressed in an immaculate tan military uniform shirt, olive green Drill Sergeant's cover, black belt, matching combat boots and long olive green combat pants. Verania felt the entire crowd grow tense as she stepped forwards. They were most likely not used to seeing a full-blooded Minor Ogress as females were much rarer than males, especially one in a position of authority, up close.

"This, is Drill Sergeant Daltha Ogzad. She will be in charge of your boot training. You will treat her with the utmost respect, is that understood?" She let them reply and continued. "When you address her, it will only be by 'Drill Sergeant'. She will be in charge of your day to day activities and training and demands nothing less than perfection. Anything less than perfection will be punished by PT, or Physical Training, as well as cleaning duties."

She ignored the few murmurs in the room, deciding to let it pass since they would learn proper military conduct tomorrow. Continuing, she gestured to the next person in line. A short, squat woman with wide hips, a slightly chubby stomach, a rather round derrière and a rather ridiculously large, ample bosom. She was dressed head to toe in an elegant and formal, deep red dress with a white headdress that flowed back past the shoulders, a pure white apron that came down from her shoulders and down her front and tied behind her deep red dress. She wore a long, deep red cloak over her shoulders that settled over her long sleeves. She had white cuffs and a large, wide, white belt that covered most of her waist to just under her chest. On the front of the belt was a symbol of a circle made out of braided knots that looked foreign to the recruits. On the front of her apron was the symbol of the Rod of Asclepius, the Greek God of Medicine as well as the symbol of the Medical Society of Greece. Her headdress bore a deep red band with a blue stripe over her forehead, a signifier for a rank that the sharp-eyed members of the crowd just now started to recognize.

"This," Verania continued. "Is Freyja Gyldenløve, the Chief Matron Medical General of the Military." At this several breaths hitched in the room as eyes widened. All of the children had heard of Matron Freyja Gyldenløve, of course, but they had never seen her before, let alone in person. Several of the recruits bowed their heads to the most respected woman in Greece, while the rest, bar one strangely amorphous girl with bluish-purple skin that rudely remained unmoving, nodded their heads in respect.

The woman, Matron Freyja Gyldenløve, stepped forward and offered the recruits a large, kind and warm smile that seemed to calm the souls of the crowd—she was the Matron after all, of course they trusted her. "Hello, my children. As Captain Ulixes said, I am Matron Freyja Gyldenløve, it is a pleasure." She nodded her head to them in formality. Her voice was kind, with a calming aura and an undeniably foreign Norse accent. "I, along with every soldier in this room was hand picked to train, groom and nurture all of you into the greatest soldiers you can be. We will all be fully dedicated to your training and growth." Her voice was slightly forced, restrained like she was reading a script and didn't believe or agree with what she was saying. "I want to assure you all, that at least while I am here, you will be taken care of and looked after. The journey ahead of you will be long and challenging, my children, but I assure you, that you will all be safe. You have my word."

She stepped back beside Drill Sergeant Ogzad, and a few of the children didn't miss the unapproving look Captain Ulixes gave the Matron. Her audacity to openly disrespect the Matron most definitely surprised them. After a second, Ulixes gestured to the final person in line, a tall, handsome boy of about thirteen that was dressed in a matching uniform to the Captain, consisting of black combat pants and tucked in military uniform shirt. He seemed dwarfed by the two massive, imposing women, but he had a certain aura around him that commanded respect. He strode forward with immaculate posture like he was an automaton and halted on the spot, looking to the crowd.

"My name is Alesandro Deacon." His voice was low and perfectly enunciated for his age, no doubt hardened by his military upbringing. His tone commanded respect and held a sense of authority and nobility that all the recruits easily recognized. He gave them a look like he was evaluating them and could read them just by a look. "As you know, I am the first child of Lord Zeus in over a century, the first since the fabled Day of Blackened Sky that lead to the thousands of Gods of our world to flee the earth. I will be your squad leader. My birth, as you all know, has been prophesied by our Oracles to one day lead us to find an end to this Holy War." He hardened his eyes and made a bold step forward, holding one hand out to them while keeping the other behind his back. "Alone, I cannot hope to end this war, so I must call upon you, my Half-Blood brothers and sisters, to follow me and help me put an end to this pernicious war. Follow me as you would follow my father, my Greeks, and I shall lead you all into a better world."

Author's Note:

Thanks for reading. If you liked it, please let me know in a Review or PM. I'd say more but I have to leave for work in 3 minutes and I haven't gotten ready yet.

QOTD: 'Who is your godly parent? Any gods permitted.'