I have plans for Octavian, which you'll get to see the seeds of here... I hope you enjoy.

"I like it here!" Lydia barked as Jason and Aaron left D'Anthony's office in the Principia. She had been startlingly quiet, so much so Aaron feared the Tiber washed aside her blessing from Artemis, thankfully it did not seem to be the case. "This magical essence is lovely and they are all so nice to you, Aaron. I want to see Alex again, his pets were so nice. I think D'Anthony thinks your cute, he smelled like he did."

Blushing, Aaron scowled at his pup. "Your a brat, and yes he is... but keep that under your hat." He noticed Jason's curious eyes. " I can speak to my familar and she me, it's part of the connection. Normally I'd have cast a spell to link us, but Diana did it for us as a gift for my saving her."

"From what? She is an insanely powerful goddess, what could you save her from?" Jason looked horrified, amazed and doubtful all at once.

"From holding up the Sky, a perfect prison for someone as powerful as she is..."

As they approached the front gate, the barracks got bigger and nicer. Even the ghosts looked better – with fancier armour and shinier auras. Their auras are stronger, richer, it was clear their worship was far greater and more diverse, allowing them to feed on the living more then most other spirits could but in such a way that left them far closer to the living, in a way that they gave back as much as they took. A rare concept for the dead from Aaron's personal experience.

'You guys are divided into different cabins?'he asked.

Jason nodded. "In a way. We have five cohorts of about forty kids each. Each cohort is divided into barracks of ten – like roommates.'

Aaron coughed hard. "Two hundred plus kids in camp? And all of them Demigods and Legacies?"

Jason laughed. "Not all of them are children of major gods. There are hundreds of minor Roman gods. Plus, a lot of the campers are legacies – second or thirdgeneration. Maybe their parents were demigods. Or their grandparents."

Aaron's chest ached at that note. At Camp halfblood he had been taught that most Demigods never make it to twenty, but here... here they thrived. It was far better then Camp Halfblood as far as he was concerned.

'Why? Does that surprise you?'"

"I have saved many a demigods, led them to saftey... my brother is a demigod. I have seen so much suffering for your kind, it just never occured to me that you might live long enough to establish legacies, families of any kind. Do they have powers like a demigod?"

"Sometimes. Sometimes not. But they can be trained. All the best Roman generals and emperors – you know, they all claimed to be descended from gods. Most of the time, they were telling the truth. Octavian, he's a legacy, descendant of Apollo. He's got the gift of prophecy, apparently.

'Supposedly?'

Jason's face was one of extreme hate, so much so it actually startled Aaron. 'You'll see.'

'So the divisions,'he asked, 'the cohorts, whatever –you're divided according to who your godly parent is?'

Jason actually shuddered. " No, the officers decide where to assign recruits. If we were divided according to god, the cohorts would be all uneven. For example, I'd be alone since I am the only child of Jupiter there is here."

'Wait!' A Lar ran towards them – an old man with a medicine-ball belly and a toga so long he kept tripping on it. He caught up to them and gasped for air, his purple aura flickering around him. Aaron felt intense power around the man, he might look like a joke but it was clear he was not to be trifled with. "'This is him?" the ghost panted. 'A newrecruit for the Fifth, perhaps?"

'Vitellius... we have things to do." Jason said, trying to be polit.e

The ghost scowled at Aaron and walked around him,inspecting him like a used car. 'I don't know,'he grumbled. "We need only the best for the cohort. Does he have all his teeth? Can he fight? Does he clean stables?"

With extreme seriousness, Aaron answered. "Yes, very well actually, and if I have to though I'd prefer not to."

'Aaron, this is Vitellius." Jason's expression said: Just humour him. 'He's one of our Lares; takes an interest in newrecruits.' On a nearby porch, other ghosts snickered as Vitellius paced back and forth, tripping over his toga and hiking up his sword belt.

'Yes,'Vitellius said, 'back in Caesar's day – that's Julius Caesar, mind you – the Fifth Cohort was something!

Twelfth Legion Fulminata, pride of Rome! But these days? Disgraceful what we've come to."

'Vitellius." Aaron smiled. "I can sense your power, the other ghosts might mock you but I can tell you are quite wise and powerful. Strong enough to see things you ought to not see, right?" he smiled at the Lar, who froze in shock and actually shivered. "I mean, you can see the Past, young Alex told me that... so I assume you can see things about me that Juno wants hidden... that might not be smart, just so you know."

The ghost's furry purple eyebrows shot up, his aura paling. "A Necromancer indeed, to sense... "

"Your a child of Apollo or Asclepsius right? I can sense the healing sunniness in your aura... it's faint, so a legacy I am presuming?" He sniffed the Ghost, smiling when his suspicions were confirmed by the Ghost's nod. "Thought so... anyway, I need to get my Augury done, why don't you come back and we can talk about how you think I can best support Rome."

The Ghost nodded, looking very enthusiastic. "I'd love nothing more, a wise child you are. Juno chose well...very well, I will return." He marched away, pulling his toga up every few feet.

'Sorry,' Jason said. "He's eccentric, but he's one of the oldest Lares. Been around since the legion was founded."

"He's stronger then you realize, don't undervalue him. Trust me, it would be a bad idea."

They stopped outside the main gates. The fort was situated on the highest point in the valley, so they could see pretty much everything. The road led down to the river and divided. One path led south across a bridge, up to the hill with all the temples. The other road led north into the city, a miniature version of Ancient Rome. Unlike the military camp, the city looked chaotic and colourful, with buildings crowded together at haphazard angles. Even from this far away, Aaron could see people gathered in the plaza, shoppers milling around an open-air market, parents with kids playing in the parks.

'You've got families here?'he asked, his chest hurting so much more. He felt hate forming towards the Greeks, knowing how poorly they treated their own.

'In the city, absolutely,'Jason said. 'When you're accepted into the legion, you do ten years of service. After that, you can muster out whenever you want. Most demigods go into the mortal world. But for some – well, it's pretty dangerous out there. This valley is a sanctuary. You can go to college in the city, get married, have kids, retire when you get old. It's the only safe place on earth for people like us. So, yeah, a lot of veterans make their homes there, under the protection of the legion."

Jason pointed south across the river. Dark clouds were gathering over Temple Hill. Red flashes of lightning washed the monuments in blood-coloured light. "Octavian is busy." He said. 'We'd better get overthere."

On the way, they passed some goat-legged guys hanging out on the side of the road.

"Jason!'one of them cried. He trotted over with a big grin on his face. He wore a faded Hawaiian shirt and nothing for pants except thick brown goat fur. His massive Afro jiggled. His eyes were hidden behind little round rainbow-tinted glasses. He held a cardboard sign that read: WILL WORKSINGTALKGOAWAY FOR DENARII.

'Hi, Don. "Jason said. 'Sorry, we don't have time –"

'Oh, that's cool! That's cool!'Don trotted along with them.

'Hey, this guy's new!'He grinned at Aaron. 'Do you have three denarii for the bus? Because I left my wallet at home, and I've got to get to work, and –'

'Don, "Jason chided. 'Fauns don't have wallets. Or jobs. Or homes. And we don't have buses. Your parasistes, remember?"

'Right,'he said cheerfully, 'but do you have denarii?'

Annoyed, Aaron reached for his magic and dived into Don's aura. " Holy crap, why are you so lazy... your a powerful species, that could give so much to Rome... you know what, that's going to be contribution. I will make the Fauns useful." He wasn't kidding either, he found the one thing Greece had over Rome and it would be something he changed, fast.

Don bleated. 'Fauns! Work for the camp! Hilarious!'

"Fauns are, um, free spirits," Jason sighed. "They hang out here because, well, it's a safe place to hang out and beg. We tolerate them, but –'

"Not for long, if they live here with their intense magic..." Aaron shook his head. "I have seen Fauns do amazing things, I've trained a few in combat, practiced magic with them... trust me, they will be useful. I will make them useful."

Jason didn't seem like he bought it, but he just sighed. "Fine, if you think you can." They walked in uneasy silence the rest of the way to Temple Hill. A crooked stone path led past a crazy assortment of tiny altars and massive domed vaults. Statues of gods sprouted everywhere. Then they passed a massive red crypt decorated with human skulls on iron spikes.

'That's the Temple of Mars Ultor." Aaron said. "I am not the most educated in Roman culture, I admit but that one I know from what Juno taught me."

Jason nodded. "Ultor means "the Avenger". He's the second-most mportant god of Rome."

Aaron pointed towards the summit. Clouds swirled over the largest temple, a round pavilion with a ring of white columns supporting a domed roof. "That building oozes Jupiter's power, I imagine that is where we are going."

"Octavian reads auguries there – the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus."

'Jupiter … the best and the greatest?" Then he felt a wave of Neptune's power, the power of his brother Percy. "And is that all they give to Neptune?" he gaped in horror walking to a small blue building the size of a toolshed. A cobweb-covered trident was nailed above the door. Percy peeked inside. On a small altar sat a bowl with a moldy bagel. His heart sank. " This is so wrong, Neptune is the reason you have rain, he is the reason you have horses, he deserves more respect... and I am fixing this now. Neptune, I know you can hear me. I offer my promise to make you more popular. Your my stepdaddy, there is no way I am allowing this disrespect to go by unanswered."

'I'm sorry, Aaron," Jason said. 'It's just … Romans were always scared of the sea. They only used ships if they had to. Even in modern times, having a child of Neptune around has always been a bad omen. The last time one joined the legion … well, it was 1906, when Camp Jupiter was located across the bay in San Francisco. There was this huge earthquake –'

'You're telling me a child of Neptune caused that?" Aaron frowned, his weak prophetic power picking up a falsehood in that statement. " It's not true, I can sense that much in your statement... I think they blamed them out of fear."

"It's just what they say." Jason had the decency to at least look apologetic. Anyway … Romans fear Neptune, but they don't love him much."

Turning back to the altar, he placed his hand on the altar and sent a fragment of his magic, infused with the potent Earth magic of the area, into it. "Stepdad, I will make you more respected as you deserve. Lupa said they feared you, but this is...wrong. I will fix this, as much as I can."

Above them, thunder rumbled. Red lightning lit up the hill. "Octavian's almost done," Jason said. 'Let's go.' Compared to Neptune's toolshed, Jupiter's temple wasm definitely optimus and maximus. The marble floor was etched with fancy mosaics and Latin inscriptions. Sixty feet above, the domed ceiling sparkled gold. The whole temple was open to the wind. In the centre stood a marble altar, where a kid in a toga was doing some sort of ritual in front of a massive golden statue of the big dude himself: Jupiter the sky god, dressed in a silk XXXL purple toga, holding a lightning bolt.

The kid at the altar raised his hands. More red lightning flashed in the sky, shaking the temple. Then he put his hands down, and the rumbling stopped. The clouds turned from grey to white and broke apart. A pretty impressive trick, considering the kid didn't look like much. He was tall and skinny, with straw-coloured hair, oversized jeans, a baggy T-shirt and a drooping toga. He looked like a scarecrowwearing a bedsheet.

The guy in the toga turned. He had a crooked smile and a slightly crazy look in his eyes, like he'd just been playing an intense video game. In one hand he held a knife. In the other hand was something like a dead animal. That didn't make him look any less crazy.

'Aaron," Jason said, 'this is Octavian." He stepped in front of Aaron slightly, like he was protecting him. It was clear from every ounce of his body language he was not happy to be there and that he in no way trusted the boy before them.

"The graecus!" Octavian announced. " How interesting."

It was here that Aaron noticed that there was a whole pile of mutilated stuffed animals at the foot of Jupiter's statue. "Seriously?" Aaron asked. Octavian stepped off the dais. He was probably about sixteen, but so skinny and sickly pale, he could've passed for younger. At first he looked harmless, but as he got closer Aaron wasn't so sure. Octavian's eyes glittered with harsh curiosity, like he might gut Aaron just as easily as a teddy bear if he thought he could learn something from it. Octavian narrowed his eyes. "Your too comfortable, I have never seen anyone so... calm to be here."

" I am stronger then you, in all ways I might add, and I know Juno would never allow me to to be killed by you. Why did you call me "the Greek"?'

" I saw it in the auguries.'Octavian waved his knife at the pile of stuffing on the altar. 'The message said: The Greek has arrived. Or possibly: The goose has cried. I'm thinking the first interpretation is correct. You seek to join the legion?"

"Yes, Juno brought me here for that purpose, and a few others."

'Juno,'he mused. 'We call her Juno Moneta. Juno the Warner. She appears in times of crisis, to counsel Rome about great threats.' He glanced at Aaron, as if to say: like mysterious Greeks, for instance. "The will of the gods is hard to discern, I had trouble even getting anything on you, as if your Fate has been obscured."

''Just read the augury for Aaron. Can he join the legion or not?' Aaron could almost see Octavian's mind working, calculating whether or not Aaron would be useful. Octavian turned towards the altar and raised his knife, grabbing a random teddy bear. Octavian slashed open the bear's belly and poured its stuffing over the altar. He tossed the bear carcass aside, muttered a fewwords over the fluff, and turned with a big smile on his face. Aaron frowned and stepped forward, and peared into the Stuffing, and knowledge overtook him.

'Good news!' Octavian said.

Aaron interrupted him. "I can read the Sacrifice fine, it is called Haraspex by the way not Augury. That's reading bird flight patterns... anyway, the gods unanimously declared my acceptance, all of them. I am not the best prophet, I admit, but that one was easy. The gods are oozing intent here, Juno has personally declared for me. You are unable to do anything but accept me."

Jason smirked. "Seems as you have a challenger for your postion, Octavian, I wondered if that would happen. His prediction even seemed better then yours, I wonder what will happen when the gods take notice?"

Octavian scowled, a hateful expression that radiated cruelty. "I can read them just fine, I just tell you what you need to know."

"No, you can't read it entirely, your limited to your weak blood I am not." Aaron shrugged, ignoring Octavian's hateful eyes. "My magic is strong and I have been studying Prophetic magics. I have the basics mastered, but I am trying to see into the future and past with spells. That is my next mission. I am best with Dice rolling, but I am so new and so busy I rarely had the chance. I guess I will have to practice, to get better at that."

Octavian was actually shaking as Jason led him away, Aaron knew he unintentionally made a new enemy.

" I hate that guy," Jason muttered in English. 'If I had my way – he's be thrown out via catapult. Don't underestimate him, I shouldn't have agitated him like that." He sighed. "I just let my hate get the better of me. He has a lot of friends he's bought in camp. He can be very dangerous, there are those that think he killed his aunt, who was the previous Augur."

Aaron nodded. "I could ask the gods for answers about that, he has some divine protection from Apollo but if he murdered family then Juno could trump that easily. She is big about familial loyalty."

Jason turned to him, smiling. "I can see why the Gods sent you... I have one more place for you to see before Muster... the Temple of Pluto. If we are going to see my sister, it's there."

"Just the place I wanted to see, I am a big fan of Pluto, always have been. Can't wait to make a freindship there."

Jason actually shuddered once more. "Your wierd... but your a necromancer, so I guess I can understand that."

Lydia barked. "Can I bite that man, he didn't even recognize me or say a damn thing to me... granted I didn't even pee on him like I wanted but... sigh... to be ignored." Aaron actually jumped, having almost forgotten she was there. She was a sneaky thing, his pup.

:::

Jason had a feeling, a feeling that Aaron was there to overthrow Octavian. He was a powerful sorcerer, an ex priest of Hecate and a prophet in all but blood. He could easily overthrow Octavian if he proved himself, making him a powerful leader within the camp. Yes he was very, very new but it was clear that he knew what he was talking about and could easily connect with the gods.

Jason swore he sensed Neptune's power swirling when Aaron offered his magic as a sacrifice. He swore the god was listening... that was more then most could claim. If they could turn that power, that gift into actual power then the camp could rise to greater heights. He just had to see where this went, to see if Aaron was as competant as he thought and seemed. If he was...

Then there was nothing that could stop them from gaining the greatness that Jason foresaw for their future.

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

This was fun.

Love, your Ninja Overlord,

Mika.