This was short, but a fun chapter that started a good new arc, where he goes on his Quest. Enjoy.
Reading the Haruspex was easy for Aaron, no different the somehow understanding the Grunts, whisker movements and twitches that made up Lupa's language. It was like a part of his brain was designed for it and so easily he was able to read it...
It was a mixed bag, strangely enough.
"Success and Hardship, a mixed effort. Follow the path he left behind. A change in the status quo, a new fate awaits you. A new fate for many." He frowned at the entrails of the teddy bear, frowning. "What the hell is that supposed to mean, are they always this vague?"
Octavian sneered. "For some of us, it is quite clear."
"Then what does it mean, oh wise one?" He turned and glared at Octavian, filling his voice with magic like Agnes had taught him just a few days passed, forcing his natural passion filled charmspeech to amp up to eleven. It wasn't easy, he felt a strain in his head from the raw focus it took. He wasn't a natural charmspeaker, he had no ties to Love or Beauty, but he had passion galore and a strong will and that was enough.
The magic had instant sway on Octavian, who shuddered and spoke in monotone. "Not a clue, I just want to act better then you... hey you used magic against me!"
Aaron shrugged, not in the mood to listen to the little boy's shit. "I am probably off to my death, I don't have time to care about your crap. Now that I know you are useless, I am going to get my stuff ready for the morrow. See ya." Bowing low, though falsely, to Jupiter's ugly statue, he turned on heel and left the annoyingly thundering temple. He didn't care if it was disrespectful, not int he slightest. He was in too much of a bad mood to care. Determined to get at least some positivity, he went to Neptune's temple first. He had prepared a sacrifice for the man, or rather had Alex grab it for him. Alex, being a powerful Lar, was strong enough to touch things when he focused. By the time he reached said temple, he saw Alex there was food wrapped in foil. " Thank you for this."
" Not a problem, Aaron!" Alex beamed a smile at him. " I am going to miss you."
"Same, buddy, same..." And with that he walked into the temple, seeing the tiny bowl on the altar. "Lord Neptune, I prepared you two offerings. The first is this piece of lasanga, delicious and rich. I will keep it in the tupperware, so it doesn't ruin your altar. The second, and most important one, is this drowning reversal potion. A wonder of magic, it is amazing, and I thought you would like it. I made it myself, using the Roman's scrolls. It is pretty epic... anyway, I thank you for adding your name to my brand, showing the world that you have faith in me and that our arrangement has merit.
I ask that you watch over me as I face the greatest threat I ever have. A monster that can infect me with his curse, a being who's punishment can never be argued with. He was evil inside and out long before his curse... I have to slay him." He started to cry, as silly as it was. He wasn't half the warrior most Demigods were, not like Percy. " I am a healer, a witch... I can fight well but well enough to face him and his pack... I am in doubt. I beg of you, watch over me and guide me... please."
To his shock, he felt a swirling of power around him. Like waves crashing against the beach. It did not give him an ounce of power, but he knew if nothing else it meant that Neptune was listening and that meant something.
Bowing low, he turned on heel and marched out of the shrine... and started on the path to Pluto's temple for the next part of his pilgrimage. After him Juno was next and he had gifts for them both. Food, like with Neptune, but also an enchanted Scrying bowl for Pluto that he made himself ( they weren't too hard to make, he'd be honest, it was a simple enchantment but his first outisde of Talismans) and a piece of amber blessed to purify minor posions for Juno. He doubted they would care too much for them, but they were important to him so he hoped they would appreciate them.
If it meant they would aid him them that was all the better.
The next day, just after breakfast, Aaron and Lydia left the camp after some nice farwells. They were thoroughly packed, with all sorts of interesting things, including a lot of silver from the Forges and some cool things he had the chance to make personally while practicing Roman and Greek Magic. He had added a silver spikey collar to Lydia, to make her a little safer from Werewolves.
Terminus awaited at the edge of the Hill, waiting for Aaron and Lydia. "Id please." Aaron sighed and handed him the Id. "Ahhh. Augry in Training and Legionare Aaron Mathews." He smirked. " I foresaw great things from you. Now, a piece of advice, both for your quest and for protection spells. Focus on what you want to avoid but also what you wish to embrace. Both are needed to cast such spells and will be vital for your quest. Now, come over here so I can pat you down." The god performed a strange, mental patdown that Aaron could sense. "You seem to be clean,'Terminus decided. 'Do you have anything to declare?'
"Nothing you would be interested in. Just a lot of silver, and some potions, a scrying bowl and a piece of amber enchanted to purge posions. I am hoping it would at least stem the flow of Werewolf venom... sigh."
Terminus frowned. "It might slow it down, if nothing else..."
"I approve! Off you go, then, Augur Aaron. Out you go, now. Good luck!' An invisible force kicked them both across the boundary. When Aaron looked back, Terminus was gone. In fact, the entire valley was gone. The Berkeley Hills seemed to be free of any Roman camp.
"Okay, that was cool." Sighing again, he turned to Lydia. "So, I guess here we are. Let's go."
She yipped at him once before jogging away from him, both of them moving towards their new destiny... off to ridicolous things.
""
"Aaron is going to kill someone." Meggy groaned, her one eye aching from the strain of the stupidity of the situation. "Why did you leave Nico, your going to get yourself or someone killed."
The little shit, Nico D'Angelo, had decided to abandon the Camp once it became clear he wasn't fully accepted. She couldn't fully blame him, many campers were outright cruel and brutal... that didn't change her worries for the boy, or worries for Aaron's wrath when he found out. The boy had done so much to preserve Nico, to train him, get him to come to camp safely... to keep Bianca alive.
Nico abandoning the Camp, especially with Kronos searching for Demigods to recruit... it was a literal nightmare...
The best she could hope for was a locator spell that would pick up Nico's trail and hope for the best...and talk to Bianca, she needed to know. No matter how hard that conversation would be. Maybe she'd even be able to help... hopefully at any rate.
"Aaron, whereever you are... please find Nico and help him. He can't be alone for so long, with only the Dead for company... "
It was silly praying to a mortal, but her brother had done so much for her and the gods, it just felt right to do that. She hoped it helped, even slightly.
'''
Juno's heart ached, and the urge to smite her stupid husband was beyond strong. "How dare he set one of my Champions off on such a pointlessly dangerous quest. He never cared about Lyacon and his affects on Rome before. This reeks of purpose, I just wish I knew what... I pray it is not because of his fear of mortal magic users." She muttered that last part, reminding herself of how much her husband resented magic using mortals. They were too unpredictable, too capable of gaining the power needed to hurt the gods. His paranoia was far too great, even as Jupiter, to allow any powerful being to go unpunished.
Being mortal made it worse, mortals did not repeat events and share a constant stream of personality traits like those of divine blood did. They were unpredictable, harder to navigate and made the biggest changes. It was what made Jupiter unsure, unhappy and afraid of them at times. Her head ached from the hypocrisy of it.
What was the worst part of this whole debacle was that she could not see Aaron's future, it was being blocked by Jupiter's power. She knew he was hiding something, some tragedy, she just wasn't sure what. Whatever it was, it was enough to satisfy her husband's paranoia and ease his constant fears. She hadn't seen him in such a good mood in ages...
Frowning, she turned her mind outward and searched for Aaron, instantly finding him and his beloved Lydia.
"Be safe, my dears, even I cannot help you here... your quest is not one of Fate, but of the gods and thus has no path of clarity or inherit divine protection behind it. Please be safe."
Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.
This was short but fun.
Love, your Ninja Overlord,
Mika.