A.N/ Hey guys, those who read my review know the reason for my absence, and I apologize again.

Chapter IX

His final lesson should've been Latin, the one class that he was used to looking forward to. But as Percy stood up from his seat after the bell signaled the end of his Biology lesson, he began to feel anxious rather than excited.

Whatever Mark said to him before, he couldn't mean it right? How did he know about it anyway? Could Reyna possibly have told him? And if so, why in the world would he choose to believe a high-schooler rambling on and on about monsters, weapons and a near death experience that happened in the middle of the night. Even as he thought about it now Percy came to the conclusion that he was either dreaming the past events – a possibility that he shot down due to the immense pain that he felt the night before – or that he was absolutely, clinically insane. He didn't know what he preferred.

His footsteps on the hard floor tiles made an echo that Percy never heard before as he went down the stairs and towards the school gymnasium. It haunted him, made him want to stop in his steps. He wanted time to stop, and the bad feeling in his gut to disappear. But soon – sooner than he wanted – he found himself before the large sliding doors of the gym.

Reaching his hand to the handle, he noticed it was shivering. Why was he so nervous about this? It was just an illusion, after all. He would explain it to Mark, go talk to Reyna, transfer to Italian and never ever talk about hippie monsters trying to kill him, his strange tattoo, or the fact that he say Reyna cut off a head effortlessly and with the grace of a dancer. Yeah. Good plan. Go Percy.

With a deep breath, he moved the door aside and entered. The gym was a tall building. The smell of freshly waxed wood assaulted his nostrils as he got further inside. The wooden floor must've been waxed recently. The next thing Percy heard was a bouncing sound. The one basketballs made when they were dribbled. He looked towards the basket at the far end of the gym to see Mark, wearing an appropriate teachers clothing that included what looked like a heavy and very dark blazer, jumping, basketball in hand, and shooting it from the three-line towards the basket.

Percy kept watching as the ball hit the ring, spun on it twice, and went inside with a soft sound before landing on the floor and making its signature sound once more. Mark turned to Percy with a little smile on his face.

"What a strange concept for a game, huh Percy?" Mark asked, without turning.

"What do you mean, sir? Basketball?" He answered.

"Yes, all modern ball games seem to be based around the same concepts of hoops and goals, trying to score more than the opponent. And that's it." Mark noted, as he turned to him.

"I think people like simplicity, sir, it makes it easy to follow and cheer for the team you want to win." Percy didn't really get Mark's remarks about the nature of ball games, but everything was better than talking about what he meant by 'training' him.

"Ah yes. All people want, Percy, are bread and games, nothing better to please the crowed. Happy to see it's still the same." Mark continued.

"The same?" Percy wondered. "The same as what sir?" He asked.

As Mark began to open his mouth to respond, the sound of the sliding gym door made his close it once again. Percy turned to look at the newcomer, which was none other than his savior, Reyna, dressed in gym shorts and a sweat absorbing tank top. Percy did not see that one coming.

"Reyna. Glad you could join us, but I fear that the sports attire wouldn't be necessary today. We're not into that stage just yet. Soon enough." Mark looked as if he wanted to laugh, but held it back, very well, if Percy would've noticed him at the moment.

What Percy did notice, rather, almost too preoccupied with was the fact that Reyna had gym clothes on. Damn puberty. He wished he could just poof into the stage where all hormones and zits were done with, but he knew he had to suffer through it, that is if he didn't die before then.

Reyna herself, Percy noticed, was first puffed up and looked rather looking forward for whatever 'training' was going to happen today for whatever reason. Her face got rather down when their teacher told her that whatever they were going to do today wasn't whatever she was thinking. Percy didn't know if he felt bad for her somewhat downed mood or happy to be out of whatever Reyna was looking forward to.

"Now," Mark turned his gaze from Reyna back to him, the subtle amusement on his face seemed to go down as well, he noticed.

"Percy, after what you and Reyna have been through last night I fear I must advance my plans further and in a more hasty way than I would've liked." Percy felt this wasn't going to be good for him.

"Now, before I begin I-"

"What did you tell him Reyna?" Percy turned towards her.

Reyna too, seemed to be listening to Mark, when she snapped due to his question. "It's best for the Magistre to explain. Please listen well Percy, it's important." She sounded more sincere than the casual talks he had with her. Like the time when they talked last night.

"As I was saying," Mark started.

"As I've told you before, believe it or not, Percy, you are a demigod. The son of an ancient and powerful being that rules aspects of this earth and its people, as is marked by your Legion Tattoo."

Mark was saying these things again, like it was business as usual. Yeah sure. You're just the son of a massively powerful being that rules earth. No biggie. Was he being serious?

But then again, Percy wondered, whatever that creature was that attacked him last night also said that he was the son of something. The details were pretty hazy due to him being on the brink of death, but why would they both say that without any context of each other? And how did he know about his tattoo anyway, did he catch that when Percy ran out of the classroom yesterday?

"Okay," Percy interrupted.

"Say I'll go along with your theory for a few seconds," He continued.

"Where are all these almighty gods now? The only god I saw was either in my messed up video games or from whatever little mythology I picked up on from my mom as a kid. And how do you know about my tattoo anyway?" Percy questioned.

As he finished his query, both the face of teacher, and the one of his classmate got more solemn, and Percy felt as if the usually hotter gym got a little bit colder.

"It's a long story, Percy." Reyna turned to look at him.

"Let's just say that one thousand five hundred years of people stopping supplying them power left them a husk of their former selves. They remain due to us being here. We are their only connection to this world. This is why we exist, Percy. For them." As she said this, Reyna's voice lowered, and she cast her eyes down. Her voice slowed down to almost a crawl of drabbled words by the time she was done.

Yet Percy picked up another detail. "Us, Reyna? What do you mean us?" A chill ran down from his scalp all the way to his legs. This was wasn't getting any better.

She looked at him once again, her eyes now shimmering. Was she being serious? He never thought he would see this girl on the brink of tears. Reyna lifted her left arm, and faced it towards Percy. At exactly the place where he had his tattoo stood the bold letters that marked him as well. SPQR. She didn't have a trident, instead a sword and what looked like a rectangular shield. No way.

"I'm a demigod as well." The shimmering of her eyes was replaced with an emotional wall, and Percy couldn't figure out if she was that determined to get him in on the act, or it was what felt like silent rage that permeated through a crack in her persona. This was all way too serious.

"I don't understand," Percy muttered. It was driving him mad. He didn't want to believe it, but after what he saw on the beach, and what Reyna did, and his own mysterious abilities, it was rather hard to deny it.

"My mom said that my dad left before I was born, simply disappeared. If these gods are really that weak then how could he have met my mother?" It was a logical question. He held onto any logic he had remaining.

"A good question, discipule, and one I am wondering myself to this very day. Had I the ability to speak to the gods so that they may explain how and why I'm here I would've asked them already," Mark replied.

"And yet, all I can remember was appearing in this time not long ago with a single mission engraved into my psyche – 'save our children, make Rome stand once again as a shining beacon of hope.'" Percy could see that whatever his teacher was talking about, he wasn't lying or making it up, there was no hint of deception on his face from what he could see.

"What do you mean make Rome stand once again? Last I checked Rome was still a big place full of spaghetti and tourists. Are the gods planning to shut it down or something?" Every new detail Percy learned led to even more questions. He knew what they were talking about was well into the fictional, and if someone were to enter the gym and hear their talk, he would no doubt think that they were doing some kind of action role-playing game.

"I'll explain the details later. Right now, it's important that you know what you're up against, and that me and Reyna help shape you up into a legionnaire that can defend himself and his brothers and sisters in arms. We don't want another repeat of the beach incident yesterday."

So she did tell him after all. Percy felt unsure as to Reyna's intentions with him. Will she now report his every move to Mark? Will he forever live in a shell of fear and doubt about who he can trust constantly? Percy didn't want that. Everything but that.

"Okay then," Percy started. "Why don't you start with the monsters? Why now? Why not attack and kill me when I was a baby, or a kid in the playground? They had plenty of chances."

"Again, a good question Percy. This one, though, I can answer you. When a demigod is born, they begin growing like any normal human child," Mark started. Percy found himself paying his undivided attention. Finally some answers.

"The problem starts when they develop their divine abilities. Around age fifteen to sixteen. When their divine blood starts to manifest itself, it produces a certain, scent." Mark continued. Percy noticed Reyna's eyes were downcast once again. Was his scent that noticeable? He noted to put on some more deodorant in the mornings.

"Monsters are attracted to that scent. They locate you with it. They thirst for divine blood to strengthen them. They would stop at nothing to get it." Mark looked solemn all of a sudden, so did Reyna.

"Okay, so why don't we run to whatever safe space the gods have for us here? Some shelter or a few cabins in the woods? A camp or something? Sounds like something reasonable that a parent does to protect their child?" Percy questioned. At this Reyna seemed to shut down even further, and Mark gave out a heavy sigh.

"The old world was destroyed, Percy." Mark started.

"Destroyed? What do you mean destroyed?" A bad feeling was welling up in his stomach again.

"It means, Percy, that once the base of their belief was nearly wiped, the gods have nearly no power at all, as I mentioned before."

Oh no. Percy was starting to put two and two together.

"Out of the demigods that come to this world, few survive their teenage year. A lack of experience and training makes them easy prey, and they are consumed, along with more of their parent's influence." Pictures were running through Percy's head, replaying the scene that occurred yesterday. It could've easily been different. He could've died had Reyna not been there. How many more had a different outcome?

"That's why I'm here, Percy." Mark continued.

"To help and teach the ones who must survive and keep going. And keep fighting, so that the glory of the senate and people of Rome, and their gods, would not perish into oblivion. And I'm thinking you're just the one that was meant to restore and give hope to future generations." Mark's eyes felt like they were piercing his, and the weight of his words reached straight into his heart.

Him? Savior of the Roman people? A Legionnaire? What was that? It was-

"Just like in my dreams." Percy's eyes widened. Followed shortly by both pairs of the people near him.

As I mentioned before, this story will never be abandoned. I care for it way too much at this point, and want to tell it.

I understand if you'd rather unfollow due to irregular updated, yet I'm trying my best, and I'm thankful to all those enjoying my story.

Thank you for your patience, and see you in the next one,

T.I.