A Fun Chapter, and one I really enjoyed.

"So, where do we start?" Leo asked Aaron, shaking as he held out his firey hands.

Aaron had painted around then, in a wide circle, a strange circle of sigils he did not understand. Aaron smiled at him and grabbed the fire itself in his hands, making Leo yelp... but when he pulled back he saw not a single sound. "This ritual is one of protection, you are not strong enough to break it. Neither can hurt the other, it is a pretty simple spell actually. The grimoire I got from Persephone had several wards in it, drawing on sacred plants and the essence of nature, I can cast powerful protections. In this case, I was able to cast a ward that prevents any harm by drawing on the protective power of Sacred Rowan and the essence of Water to render your powers moot, specifically your fire powers. This spell is designed to stop wild fires from spreading, you cannot overpower it, trust me. You cannot hurt anyone, it was a tricky spell, even for me. I have never tapped into water's magic, It took more power than I would like. This barrier will last about an hour, maybe more. I'll feel it when the magic breaks, don't worry about that. When it does, we will stop. Until then, feel free to practice your powers as you'd please."

Shaking, Leo started to gently play with his fire, creating tiny waves and pulses of flame. It was awkward, having sworn to no longer use his fire, at least until he met his father, but his mother's kind words and blessing had eased his concerns massively. After a few minutes, ADHD kicked in and Leo was literally juggling fire, creating massive streams and pulses of power so strong that Aaron was recoiling from the sheer heat of it all.

Aaron stepped out of the barrier and said. "Try your biggest blast, you only have a few more minutes, let's see your best shot!"

Leo groaned and in one massive wave, unleashed a blast of power strong it sent him on his butt, the magic barely contained by the fire-containing barrier. He almost fainted, so drained from using his powers, but his eyes were wide and he was so deeply excited that he managed to stand up and giggle. "Did you see what I did?"

Beaming, Aaron nodded. "You are awesome, kid! Really awesome, you've got a ton of natural power and a shocking level of control for someone that has not touched his power in so long. Seriously, you are an amazing kid."

That made Leo giggle as much as a twelve year could. "Really, you think so?"

"I know so... now... we can only practice that so often, that spell is draining on me, but we can definitely work on your combat skills. You are already better with your constructive powers than most of your siblings, so we will try to get your combat skills to a higher level. I think we can try to start you with a blade, then move on to a hammer or something. You should always have a weapon, the absence of one is never okay. Your powers, no matter how great, should never be relied on."

Leo nodded, his brother Beckendorf had made it clear how many demigods died early just the day before. He refused to be a statistic, so he would listen to his adoptive brother in this.

"You're a small kid, I don't see you wielding a massive blade of any variety... so maybe you should use a dagger or small hammer... let's hook you up fast and see where we start, shall we?"

"""

Persphone was worried as she watched Aaron teaching Leo to use his chosen weapon, which ended up being a hammer like his powerful father. Though he was great with Leo and a few others, was rather separate from the Greek Demigods. He held himself apart, and was held apart by the Demigods many of whom saw him as an intruder. His mortal status, that she had claimed him when so few other gods had bothered to claim their children... it left a bitter taste in their mouths. She heard, while listening in, to those kids and felt their hatred, their fear, their distrust of her boy and his growing powers.

And Aaron was growing, very strong. She knew, by the time the war ended, he would be a force to be reckoned with by mortal standards. It had been a long time, centuries, since such a gifted mage had been found to train, especially without the marks of divinity.

"Please, be careful, my love, and do not falter as the world gets harder..." She sighed, holding her hands close to her chest. "I have had you save my husband's children, and in return for my blessing on them, he will bless you. I am opening our world up to you, you must keep your heart and mind open. I foresee a difficult time ahead for you...and with that, you must be careful. Power like yours, even to the gods, can be noticed as it burns so bright."

"""

That Night

"Mitte animam meam, per umbram et somnum, ad eorum quae peto susceptionem arma det auxilium." Aaron muttered, laying on his sacred circle, focusing hard on the presence of Bianca and Nico. He hoped, this time, his magic was strong enough, his soul flexible enough, to send his soul through space and darkness to their dream realm so he could educate them as he promised. The magic was not tricky, but the power and flexibility was hard for a mere mortal.

He waited as the spell was cast, feeling the power rise around him. For a long moment nothing happened, and then like the winds of time, he was torn from his body and shot into the shadowy veil of dreams. The movement was painful, spiritually, but before he could think too much on it, he stopped, and saw a stunned Bianca and Nico looking at him.

"Hiya!" He said. " Told you I would be here."

They both nodded, nervous excitement in their eyes. "So, what now?"

"Now we train." Focusing, he snapped his fingers and the world around them changed, becoming the camp's arena. The kids were both armed with bronze swords and armor. "Go to a dummy, I will show you how to fight. Stabbing, slashing, Greek combat in it's entirety. I am not the best, but I am above average in my skills. I lack the raw strength, speed and durability of your kind, but skill is only inherited by children of war. Now, move like this, and remember to always keep your feet moving. A slow warrior is a dead one."

To his pleasure, the kids moved with a grace that was inhuman, not on the level of the children of war or Hermes, but they were clearly powerful demigods with powerful bodies even in their dream state. They were not going to be instant warriors, but they were going to be hard to kill. It was satisfying to watch, and he knew that just maybe the kids would survive the war to come.

Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.

This was a joy to write.

Love, your Ninja Overlord,

Mika.