Chapter Seven

The Commander's Blade

Reyna's note sent shivers down my spine each time I looked at it.

Some vast conspiracy lurked beyond those words. I could sense it. A darkness shifting and stirring, awakening in the void. Consequences of actions that had compiled over generations, centuries even. A debt to be paid. But what was that debt? What had the gods done? What did their children have to do with it?

I stood in the door of my new living quarters, the Third Legion barracks. It was strangely modern looking compared to the rest of the camp. A long, sleek, gray room lined up and down with metal bunks covered each by plain, matching sheets. Reyna had arranged for us to meet in two hours, so I had some time to set up my living space. The barrack was empty of people at the time, they were apparently setting up for what the camp called "War Games." Thus, I had the room to myself, free to do what I wished. Walking down the middle of the room, I found my bunk, marked by a piece of painter's tape bearing the name, "Jason."

When I was young, I had what people call "Hyperlexia," where one pretty much teaches themselves to read. It wasn't even from me reading someone's mind. I would plow through as many newspapers and books as I could possibly find thrown out of houses or shops. From time to time, my knowledge of grammar and the English language was augmented by some scholar or teacher who happened to pass by.

As I remembered my days on the streets, I realized that even from two days ago, I was an entirely different person. It struck me as strange how easily I had fallen into place at Camp Jupiter, and how everything around me seemed almost, normal.

I had the top bunk and climbed the metal ladder to reach it. I flopped down onto the mattress and found that there was something underneath it. I got down from the bed and pried the mattress up. Underneath was a hollow metal tray in which I assumed people could keep their belongings. In it, hidden halfway by shadow was a shining work of metal. I reached in and delicately removed it from the bunk. What I found it to be was a gleaming iron sword, around two and a half feet in length from hilt to tip, beautiful but wickedly sharp. I recognized its style from museums I had visited; It was a Roman Gladius. On it were inscribed the words, "Judex Finalis." I quickly translated this to mean, "The Final Judge."

I decided that I would keep this newfound blade. I didn't even know if it was allowed, but something about it felt right. It had been left for me, and I would take it. Later, I found two more notes, one from Reyna, and the other was not labeled with a name. The one from Reyna read:

Meet me at 1:00 today, after you've gotten your barrack space settled and you've eaten lunch. We should be able to finish our conversation before War Games, but I doubt you'll be in the mood to participate once you've comprehended what I'm about to tell you.

-Reyna Ramirez-Arellano

The second note was more of an instruction sheet on where to find the gear needed for the stay at camp. After collecting the needed items, which included, a helmet, belt, and a breastplate, and… well that was it. Apparently, they went around fighting with jeans on or something. I hung the items on the side of the bunk and reread the note several times to see if I had missed anything. I then grabbed the belt and strapped the iron sword to my waist. I didn't know why I did, I just put it on. It seemed respectful. To the blade at least.

Just then a crowd of teenage boys burst through the barrack doors and started hanging up their own equipment. I could hear the female members of Legion Three entering into the second floor of the barrack.

As I watched the boys file in, I realized with a start that I would have a bunkmate. Would he be an enjoyable one or a nuisance? I knew there were more options that he could be than just enjoyable or nuisance, but as my mind was trying to frantically cope with the fact that I would have to get to know them, I was not in the mood to think optimistically.

My bunkmate soon found his way to where I stood. He had short reddish-brown hair that glinted in the sunlight from the open door, and blue eyes that seemed vividly alive. He smiled when he saw me, and reached out to shake my hand, I reached forward shakily and took it. We shook and he smiled again; He had a devilish grin.

"Hey! You must be Jason!"

"Yeah," I replied, with a nervous laugh.

"I'm Ethan. Welcome to Legion Three!"

"Thanks, um⎯⎯⎯ yeah I was just working on getting my stuff situated." I really did not know how to respond. His grin was so distracting.

"Oh, that's great! We're about to eat lunch so don't worry about that right now⎯⎯⎯Oh, that's a cool sword! A Gladius, a commander's blade! I didn't know we had any left!"

I blushed sheepishly; I had forgotten that I was still wearing the sword. It felt silly now that I thought about it. I shifted it nervously on my hip trying to make it look like I was taking it off while at the same time deciding what on earth I was going to do with it.

"Oh, you don't have to take it off, I think it suits you just fine. Just stand a little taller, that's all⎯⎯⎯ Yes, that's it. Now how about we go get some lunch?"

"Yeah." I responded, with a shaky laugh.

Lunch was served in a vast room, lined with pillars, and fashioned in an ancient Roman style like most of the camp. It was a fairly sunny day, and the sun, at its highest point of the day was hot on ground; The shade of the building was a welcome retreat. As Legion Three made their way to the tables that had been set up, I noticed that people seemed to be talking to the air around them, as if there were someone there. Ethan, who was walking alongside me, nudged me and whispered, "The lares are pretty interested in you, you must be something special." He grinned at me; I looked back at him, utterly confused.

"What's a lare?"

"Oh, there those weird ghost things that float around, you can see them at some of the tables."

I looked around, but I didn't see any "Weird ghost things."

"Ethan, I still don't see them."

"That's strange, all demigods can see them."

"Well, apparently I'm not a demigod then."

"That's ridiculous! We all saw you⎯⎯⎯" His voice cut down to a whisper, "You know… Control all those people."

I lowered my head, crestfallen that my reputation was already marred permanently. He must of seen that I was ashamed, because he spoke again, "Oh gods, I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

It was strange that after having my powers for my entire life, that I had, innately, a sense of when the powers should be used. When I learned to control it, my entire outlook on life had changed, not for better, or for worse; It changed in a way that altered everything about me; An epiphany which I did not fully comprehend. It hurt me somehow, then to use my ability on someone whom, after only fifteen minutes of knowing, I had grown to love.

Diving headfirst into his consciousness, I floundered for a moment, and then found my bearing in the realm of his mind which formed his innermost emotions. Two distinct emotions stood out to me, one being mild distrust, and the other, an intense pity. It struck me how easily he hid the first, and only faintly masked the latter.

Before I had gained command of my power, I had been drowned in the person's mind. Every emotion and feeling, thought, or motive was so visceral that I had never had the time to fully digest what it truly was that made the person them. In the moment I plunged into Ethan's mind, part of the murky depths of that great revelation were cleared. A shard, a sliver, a singular pronounced form of meaning appeared to me. I knew partway, what it truly was to be human.

The bond between body and spirit is formed out of contradictions. A person may believe one thing, and the next moment, do the opposite of what their convictions would have dictated. There are limitless motivations that exceed the limits of each other, winding together into the twisted web of truth, beliefs, intents, desires, perceptions, and the lies we tell ourselves to hide each when we deem it necessary.

When I looked inside of Ethan, I found an emotion that overrode the distrust and pity. Compassion. It was a warm fire that called him to befriend me, to make me feel welcome, so that I could be spared the same from others.

I pulled out of his mind, solemn and speechless. Ethan was staring at me, concerned. "Did you just, read my mind? I mean you got this whole blank stare thing going on and I just thought that maybe⎯⎯⎯"

Gasping, the full realization of what I had just done fell hard on top of me. I had violated him so completely and rummaged through the most holy sanctum of a human being. It dawned on me that I had done this subconsciously for my entire life, and yet, disturbingly, I found no horror in the idea. The only distress I found was the fact that I had done it willingly.

"Jason? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, It's just⎯⎯⎯"

"The lares?"

"Y⎯yeah, the lares." I lied, nodding in fake agreement.

Suddenly my head erupted in pain, my skull burning like I had just dunked it in acid. I gripped my head and fell to my knees, screaming, gladius scraping the ground as I dropped.

"Jason!" Ethan yelled. I tried to respond but the pain was too overwhelming. My mind fluttered for a moment, and then:

Black.

I stood on a hill, overlooking a great battlefield. A multitude of armies clashed below, men, monsters, deities, all using their full force to destroy the other. A visceral hatred seemed to hang over the battle, driving all participants to rage against the other.

My hands touched unfamiliar clothing, and I looked down to see myself in ceremonial armor. My hands looked as if flakes of skin were falling off, like a rotting corpse. And at my hip, I saw the same sword that I had pulled from the bunk. The gladius, the commanders blade. Which meant…

The armies…

The battle…

Which meant that whatever this fight was, wherever it was, I had a part to play. Whatever the war, I was a leader of some sort. Whatever this was…

I had caused it.