A/N: Note at the end. Sorry for the long-ass wait.

Enjoy.

Chapter XV

The large door rattled with a sharp noise as it closed behind the creature, throwing the large room into darkness once more. Slowly it advanced, one step at a time. One foot then another. The Domina wasn't going to like this. He knew this for certain, because he himself, for the first time from the time he was summoned, was afraid.

Even without looking at her, he could feel her presence through their connection. That of a master and a slave. He was forever bound, sworn to carry out her wishes, but now, the closer he approached, the farther away he wished he was. She was not going to like this.

"Ah, dear Magister, I can take it from your presence before me that you've taken care of our little unexpected surprise." Her voice held a certain quality to it. Self-aware and commanding, she was used to being in charge, leading and voicing commands. He was sure that their connection made her vocal quality even more pronounced as he felt a small bead of cold sweat start to trickle down from his nape and down his back.

"Our canis was… insufficient, my lady. It seems it still somewhat feeds those heretics even through the ages, no matter how small the connection. They gave their blessing to a boy, but he is yet young, unexperienced, and lacking in matters of knowledge, we can end him whenever you command, your highness." He knew it wouldn't be enough.

He could feel her presence approach him and he wanted to run. Every instinct in his body told him to use the time to escape as fast as he could. Yet he remained. The bond was above all.

"You're telling me, Magister," Her voice was much closer now. She was right in front of him, even though he couldn't see her. "That my faithful pet, much like you, couldn't finish off a single untrained Roman scum that couldn't even handle a blade, and now these abominable creatures gave him their blessing?" She did not sound amused. Her voice lowered from her normal speech to a low hiss into an almost inaudible growl as she stood facing him.

"Yes Domina." He said, his voice calmer than he expected it to be. He couldn't hide the truth no matter how much he'd try. Then he felt a hand on his face, fingers touching him and from his forehead to his neck, and he thought that maybe he made a big deal over nothing.

Then, in one swift, agonizing motion, her fingers settled painfully around his neck, and he could feel himself losing breath and being hoisted off of the ground. Now panicked, he started flailing his limbs, searching for breath.

"I know I'm yet weak, slave, and my servants are yet to appear in their true forms and power, but pray tell me how a Romulus spawned teenager killed one of my dogs. And it shall better be a good explanation if you don't want to spend another century down in Phlegathon." Yes, very upset indeed.

"Lady," He choked. "He used a burst of divine energy unlike anything we've witnessed in the last five centuries," Her grip lessened a little, and he gasped again. "He could manipulate his abilities to a degree far above anyone who just received acknowledgement." He began, his voice rasp from the pressure on his throat. "Thus, I have reason to believe, Domina that the cursed remains of the Olympians have bestowed upon him more power during the battle, a final gamble before they're snuffed out from existence!" The pressure on his throat let more and more until the hand let go of his throat.

"Do you know, Servus, that which I hate the most?" Her voice lost some of its edge, but he knew that it was still quite sharp.

"Romans, lady?" He held back a cough from the pressure that almost crushed his throat.

She gave a light laugh. "A good guess, Servus, but you should know that my most hated thing on this earth, beyond all else, is untapped potential that could be used against me. I will not let that happen to me again. I am close to achieving my goals, and I will not let one lousy Roman spawn to ruin what I've done to come this far." The slave never heard such emotion from his lady in a long time, and so he too took her words to heart.

"I understand Domina, will you sic me upon him?" He asked, not wanting her to answer.

"No, servus, you'll wait for now. Send Corvus. Have him keep watch and report. A chance will present itself in time. The gods can do no more to help him now, and without guidance, even the greatest potential is a stone awaiting its carver. The next time we will fight, we shall make sure our victory. Once and for all." She ordered.

"As you wish, Domina. It will be done." The slave answered as the figure in front of him retreated back deeper into the building. He let out a sigh of relief, and left to fulfill his master's orders.

"So what you're saying, basically," Percy started and a pregnant pause that lasted a few seconds. "Is that the Olympians used the last of their strength to bless me with divine power that will somehow help me achieve whatever they want me to achieve, and now they're completely out?" he summarized, once again sitting in the small office of his foreign language class with his teacher and the only other student he was studying with, which he just saved the other night from the termination of her mortal coil.

Mark, to his credit, looked taken aback when Percy and Reyna arrived at his office first thing in the morning. Then he seemed skeptical when they conveyed to him the events that happened within the pool building, and then he seemed almost shocked when he saw the new tattoo marked on Percy's hand. Leading them to a rather lengthy discussion which Mark justified to the faculty as an 'emergency Latin situation' that somehow worked in approving both Percy and Reyna to skip their first periods. Percy had to admit, Mark had to have some sway or charisma to pull that one off.

"Yes, but as much of a major development as it is, there's something even bigger that we must now take care of." Mark replied. Percy watched as he got up and started walking around the room, stopping in front of his large bookshelf, taking a book, reading a passage, and then leaving it for another one.

"Magister, I'm-" Reyna, who Percy noticed was quieter than usual when they were having their club meetings, face cast downwards, suddenly made her voice heard.

"I'm in the middle of something, Reyna." Mark responded immediately, as if he knew she'd speak.

"But I must-"

"You must nothing, discipula, until I find what I need."

"You don't understand, I-" At this Reyna finally brought her head up, and Percy never thought he'd see her nearly at the point of crying, but now, her face raw with emotion she couldn't hide, he was certain she was on the brink of crying. And he hated it.

Mark closed the book he was skimming through with a swift and sudden motion, slamming it down on the edge of the bookshelf, causing a hard sound to echo in the room and silence Reyna from saying anything further. At the snapping sound Percy's eyes darted from Reyna's face to Marks, and it was the first time that he saw a somewhat negative emotion showing itself upon his usually calm teacher's face. Was it anger, desperation, regret? He couldn't be sure.

"What happened?" Percy asked, truly confused about what was accruing between his friend and their teacher.

Mark closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, turning towards Percy.

"I'm sorry." It was Reyna, not his teacher, which spoke first.

Percy turned to her, and it appeared that whatever she was apologizing to him for, it pushed her over the edge, and tears started falling down her face, which she hurried to wipe away.

"You're sorry, Reyna? Sorry for what?" He asked, still confused.

Voice choked, she tried to answer him, but her voice failed her. In a moment she got up and left the room leaving the door wide open.

"Reyna!" Percy tried to go after her, but felt a strong hand on his shoulder holding him in place, not letting him continue. He tried to shake his shoulder free but the grip held firm, and Percy was sure that a teacher should not have so much physical strength. He turned towards Mark with anger clear on his face, this was not the time to hold him from helping. But as he turned, Mark stared back, and he seemed like a different person entirely. His face stern, he stared into Percy's eyes, and Percy felt that the whole world was staring into his soul at once. He didn't dare move.

"We have bigger issues than hurt feelings and raw emotion, Percy, it's time that you acknowledge it. Close the door, and sit down." His voice was calm and commanding. He let him go and went to his seat.

As much as Percy wanted to go after her, he knew he couldn't. Not now. He'd find her later. Now it was time to understand what he got himself into. He closed the door, trying to calm himself as much as he could, and sat down in front of his teacher.

"Why didn't you let Reyna speak?" He asked straight away.

"We have on time for this Percy, now-"

"Answer me Mark or I swear I will find her and you'll never see me again." He had enough. If anger was the way to get Mark to react then so be it.

"You think you can escape the fates? Did you not-"

"She saved my life gods damn it! It's more than you ever did so just give me an answer." It was the first time Percy heard himself shout so strongly at someone, he even surprised himself. This made Mark finally pause. He took another breath and let it out.

"Reyna acted rashly, and without thinking ahead," Mark started after a few seconds of silence in which Percy though that he ought to leave the room and never see another word in Latin.

"She took you to the pool, which she told me was in order to cheer you up from the hard training you two were always up to, so that she could test out your powers as a demigod." He continued.

"But I couldn't use my-"

"I'm not done. Listen until the end." Mark said.

"You couldn't use your powers because you weren't ready yet, Percy. Different demigods develop differently and once they've gathered enough strength in themselves and their surrounding their power manifests. Were the gods still here they would've overseen their child in prayer, and know to send help, or to guide as necessary, But they're gone. Once your powers manifest you become a magnet to monsters big and small who seek power to reach a higher stratum of the command chain, an endless power struggle."

"But that time at the beach, when I was dragged underwater and could breathe, and stay dry?"

"These were unconscious actions you made, unaware that you were making them by your own hand. Once you take command, you take the mantle of a true demigod. Ready to face whatever it was that was out there to challenge you. Your scent is intensified and sent out, a trail of the prey leading its predator. "

"So these monsters I fought, at the beach and in the pool, how did they find me?" Something wasn't adding up.

"I'm trying myself to think of that, but what Reyna did put you in danger, and what the gods gave you now puts you in an even greater danger. Whoever sent these creatures knows about you, and your importance."

"My importance? Being the son of Neptune is that big of a deal to these creeps?"

"That's one side of it. Show me your marked hand again." Percy reached his hand and lay it on the table. Mark pointed at the new marking that now adorned his hand since the events in the pool.

"This is the other. You are the son of a great and powerful god. Capable of massive power. And also you are the first Soldier of Rome to exist in the last five-hundred years. You are an omen, both good and bad, that whatever hope the gods have of regaining their seats now rests in your hands, and if you succeed, we might see the rise of a new Rome. One of your making. That, Perseus, is your importance."

Reyna left the school in a flash, tears still streaming down her face. She just wanted to give Percy some confidence, and in return they both almost lost their lives. And after all that, all that she endured and suffered, Percy was named Soldier. Was she not good enough? Not devoted enough, to the point that even her teacher was disappointed in her?

She heard the cawing of birds above her as she kept walking without a destination, looking to vent her frustrations.

'There's been a development, Domina, now is the time to harvest a lone crop.'

"Call him." A commanding voice called out to the darkness, knowing her orders will be obeyed.

Salvete all,

I'm not updating this fic as much as I'd like due to a myriad of reasons that are both up to me, and not.

The next chapter is already in the works so I hope you'll have less of a wait 'till the next one.

Thank you for your reviews and support.

See you next time,

T.I.