We were finally here. I was totally unable to keep still and Annabeth was the same as we both paced back and forth as we neared the location of the Roman camp, both of us only thinking of Percy. Annabeth had gone over even the most microscopic detail to make sure everyone was ready and even managed to get Hedge to take a break in his cabin so that we looked as friendly as possible as we approached. I was now thinking that maybe Leo shouldn't have used the dragon head for the ship. It looked anything but friendly. I'd switched to sight this morning because I wanted to see the camp for myself, but had already agreed that when we met everyone, I'd go blind so that I didn't look threatening at all and hopefully, would encourage the Romans to be unguarded around me. I was to go first with Jason as a kind of 'break the ice' kind of deal, though I doubted Annabeth would be able to wait long before she couldn't hold herself back anymore. Leo was at the stern quarterdeck, of course, so I went up to hang with him for a while as he rushed back and forth between his controls, switches and levers, where I once again asked why he had bothered to make things so difficult for himself. "You kidding? Because it's awesome!" It was always his standard answer, so I just decided not to question him anymore.
None of us wore armour. It was a gamble that we figured would help the Romans see us as friendlies if it paid off, otherwise it would be a horribly bad idea if things went wrong. My hair was braided at the top of my head, twisting over several times before then running down my back in fishtail braids, my now standard go-to braid because it was ironic and kind of funny, being a daughter of Poseidon and all. I wore silver seashell earrings and even had a string of pearls coiled around my hair as it hung over my shoulder. Again, ironic I know. These pearls were actually a gift from the nereids from my last birthday where I'd turned nineteen. Seeing as they had gathered these themselves from the ocean and threaded them for me, it had been rude to refuse and they had also told me that whilst wearing them I wouldn't have to keep on wearing the Fleece since the pearls were imbued with magic from the sea, so it was like I was permanently walking in the ocean so my body would no longer run the risk of exploding so long as I didn't overdo it. I was more or less healed now, so the pearls would be able to finish up the last of my healing since their power wasn't as strong as the Fleece's, but I was so grateful for them that I'd worn them in my hair every day since then when at camp and as a belt under my shirt whenever I was in the mortal world so people didn't notice. Piper had helped me with my hair and since the pearl string was dainty, she said it looked pretty awesome. She herself was wearing a feather in her hair, so I didn't feel out of place at all. I saw it as merely…acknowledging my heritage. You seeing this dad? I'm wearing pearls in my hair. You better appreciate this considering our rocky relationship at first. Anyway other than the pearls, I wore a plain black sleeveless shirt with a ripped orange camp Half-Blood that I'd cut off at the midriff with jeans and combat boots.
Of course my bracelets were fixed to my wrist, fingering Amaryllis nervously but trying to keep a cool composure. Looking down below as horns began to ring out, I studied the sight of Camp Jupiter. The Oakland Hills surrounded the entire perimeter, where I immediately viewed a glittering lake and a river that lay calmly around one side of the area, being drawn first to the water before I then noticed the city. To be honest, it took my breath away. It was like I was looking into a window to the past with hints of the future, because as I stared down at the city I could very well imagine what Rome might have looked like in the prime of its empire. The buildings were all pristine and built to perfection and even from all the way up here I could tell that the streets were all perfectly clean. I wonder what the punishment for littering was. Knowing the Romans, probably something completely extreme. Still, despite how amazing it looked, there were some recent scars and stress on the city which reminded me that things hadn't been easy up here either. Word had reached us that Camp Jupiter had also had their fair share of trouble with a giant and army trying to crush them. Thankfully though, they seemed to have pulled through.
I was so busy taking in the sights of the city that I completely missed the change in tension in the air until it was too late, only managing to give a shout of warning the same moment something went BOOM on the ship's deck whereby the force of the sudden presence ricocheted around us until they yelled in complete indignation. "Unacceptable!" Blinking and coughing as a rather foul tasting and smelling smoke had filled the air which reminded me of rotten eggs, I found myself staring at a statue of a man on top of a pedestal, only he didn't have any arms and he looked rather angry at us. "I will not have weapons inside the Pomerian Line! I certainly will not have Greeks!" I had no clue who this dude was, but he was super whacked out. Leo had leaped behind me when the boom had sounded, mostly out of instinct because I made a pretty effective human shield though I shot a glare down at him over my shoulder because, come on, not cool.
"Terminus. It's me. Jason Grace." Jason spoke up, taking the lead as Annabeth looked like she was still in the middle of having a heart attack. Now the statue turned his head and glowered at Jason, apparently unimpressed by his presence.
"Oh, I remember you, Jason! I thought you had better sense than to consort with enemies of Rome!"
"But they're not enemies…"
"That's right. We just want to talk. If we could…" Piper had tried to intervene with her charm-speak, but apparently Terminus was unimpressed by it because it had no effect on him at all.
"Ha! Don't try that charm-speak on me, young lady. And put down that dagger before I slap it out of your hands!" This rather ridiculous threat hung in the air as Piper asked the statue how he would slap away her dagger since he didn't have any hands or arms, but this only seemed to offend the guy. Can't imagine why. "Impertinence!" All at once Piper squeaked as her dagger suddenly dropped out of her grasp and fell with a clatter to the floor with the same smoke that had appeared with the statue now surrounding it. "Lucky for you I've just been through a battle, if I were at full strength, I would've blasted this flying monstrosity out of the sky already!"
"Hold up. Did you just call my ship a monstrosity?" Leo demanded as he stepped forwards and I quickly grabbed hold of his shirt at his shoulder to keep him from trying to turn this statue guy into rubble, because I had a feeling that Leo's head would probably be the next thing to roll to the floor if he didn't watch himself. "I know you didn't do that."
"Chill Leo. We all know your ship is cool." I placated him though he still grumbled that his ship was way more than just cool. Still he didn't attempt to go toe to toe with this Terminus guy and left it well alone as Annabeth stepped in, trying to be diplomatic with her greetings as she identified the statue as the god of boundaries who guarded the city of New Rome, though Terminus was completely unimpressed with Annabeth despite her attempt to be polite and civil.
"Oh, I know who you are! A child of Athena, Minerva's Greek form. Scandalous! You Greeks have no sense of decency. We Romans know the proper place for that goddess." Even I felt offended even on Annabeth's behalf, making a sound in my throat akin to a growl as I started to stomp forwards with an idea to hit that statue god's head with something large and heavy like a hammer but this time it was Leo holding me back, though he had to throw his entire weight against me in order to try and waylay me even the slightest as Annabeth narrowed her eyes sharply at Terminus and demanded to know what he meant by what he said but Jason interrupted them, looking rather alarmed and panicked.
"Right! Anyway, Terminus, we're here on a mission of peace. We'd love permission to land so we can…"
"Impossible! Lay down your weapons and surrender! Leave my city immediately!"
"Which is it? Surrender or leave?" Leo questioned rather smartly, huffing slightly from the effort he had expended keeping me from teaching that statue some manners.
"So much for Roman hospitality." I muttered under my breath, though not quiet enough so that I couldn't be heard. I shot a pointed look at the god who scowled at me.
"Both! Surrender, then leave. I am slapping your face for asking such a stupid question, you ridiculous boy! Do you feel that?" Of course this was completely stupid, though Leo was now looking at Terminus with interest and I knew that look very well. That mad glint in his eye told me that he wanted nothing better than to try and pull Terminus apart to see if there were any mechanisms inside him, even offering to loosen any gears though when he pulled out a screwdriver from his magic tool belt, Terminus practically screamed at him. "Stop that!" Next thing I knew, the screwdriver was on the floor. "Weapons are not allowed on Roman soil inside the Pomerian Line."
"Dude, screwdrivers are tools, not weapons."
"I –" Terminus paused then, frowning and I almost laughed because I could just imagine him trying to scratch his head in order to make a comeback for me. "In any case, this entire ship is a weapon! You cannot land!" Seeing as we weren't going to get anywhere with trying to persuade the stupid statue to let us land, it was Annabeth who came up with the solution. The ship was to remain aloft in the air so that it didn't touch the ground, which meant we weren't technically breaking the rules about having weapons on Roman soil and this seemed to satisfy the god who allowed us all to climb down. Jason went first then I followed, now blind so that I appeared as completely non-threatening as possible, though before I had left Terminus had warned me not to even think about bringing Amaryllis to the ground, even in its pendant form. I had no idea who he knew about my weapon, but I had no choice but to leave it behind, though I felt totally exposed without it, it was kind of weird. However, the eagerness to find my brother overcame any hesitation at leaving the ship without a weapon and soon I was down that ladder and following Jason's rather strong aura that left a metallic taste to the air. The crowds parted around him and beside me Annabeth felt tense, and I couldn't blame her.
There was a large mass of people gathered, I could hear and feel them all around, but those who I was familiar with I could pick out in an instant. Tyson and Mrs O'Leary were ahead of us, though a new figure came through the crowds that bore a similar disposition to Jason, a presence that was strong and fulfilling, taking up the air and carrying it upon them in a manner only a leader could. I'd bet anything that was Reyna, the other praetor that Jason had once worked alongside to lead Camp Jupiter. He'd described her to us beforehand, so I imagined a girl with long dark hair and piercing eyes, very pretty. It wasn't her that we were interested in, however, because now I could sense my brother. My entire body shivered and I almost shouted out his name but I managed to catch myself in time, blinking slowly as I tried to hone in as close as I could on his location and could imagine that he was grinning stupidly at us the way he always did, that moronic brother of mine. "Jason Grace, my former colleague…I welcome you home. And these, your friends…" Reyna had started to talk but she stopped when I felt Annabeth suddenly surge forwards from my side and I could only imagine she and Percy were rushing at one another. I was rather glad I couldn't see at that particular moment, because it always wigged me out when Percy started kissing his girlfriend or got overly cute and cuddly with her. I mean, that's my baby brother, people, I still remember him in diapers. Not that he would want me to bring that up in public.
It must have been a fairly long smooch, because for a while no one talked and I just stood there awkwardly, twisting at my camp bracelet since it was the only one I had been allowed to keep wearing. Stupid statue god and his rules. Finally Percy started to talk, and to hear his voice sent a painful wave through me because I had missed him so much and hearing him again was like suddenly breaking through water to breathe air, only he didn't get to finish whatever it was he was saying. I heard a grunt as someone hit the floor, making me blink until Annabeth growled down at her boyfriend with a venomous tone that terrified even me. "If you ever leave me again, I swear to all the gods…" My brainless brother laughed at Annabeth, which was probably a very risky thing to do because based on how I felt alone, she could have been even closer to the temptation to kill him than I was and that certainly wouldn't have helped.
"Consider me warned. I missed you, too." I listened carefully as both got to their feet, and once I had separated Annabeth and Percy in my head, I started forwards. "Hey big sis. Long time no-!" My fist forward and next thing Percy knew, he had a fist-shaped bruise forming at his gut where I had punched him and doubled him over. "Oof!"
"Perseus Jackson you piece of minotaur dung! Do you have any idea how worried I've been about you?! How dare you forget all about your family?! I don't care if a goddess messed with your head, that is no excuse to make both me and mom worry about you! I should string you up by your toes and leave you to be harpy food!" Technically speaking I knew it wasn't his fault that he'd lost his memories and got kidnapped but it was no excuse and I needed to vent how I was feeling. "If you ever pull a stunt like this again then you better pray to all the gods for deliverance because even they won't be enough to save you from me." Percy coughed and sucked in a fresh gulp of air as he stood up, my senses picking up his height elevation and I realised then that he'd grown taller.
"Missed you as well sis." Then he hugged me, and he hugged me tight. Everything felt right in the world, so I choked down a sob and locked my arms around him as I confirmed that he had indeed grown taller. We were about the same height now, but he had lost all residual baby fat he'd once had which was now replaced with what felt like lean and honed muscle. Whatever had happened to him these past eight months, it had done his physical condition the world of good. "I'm glad you're here Lils."
"Dumb-dumb." I muttered to him but couldn't help but smile. Eventually I had to let him go because everybody was just watching us speechlessly, Jason rather nervously speaking up again in order to introduce Piper, Leo and me to Reyna, who I could feel was studying us carefully one by one.
"And this is Annabeth. Uh, normally she doesn't judo-flip people." Oh so that's what had happened. Awesome. I knew I liked Annabeth as Percy's girlfriend.
"You sure you're not a Roman, Annabeth? Or an Amazon?" I decided I liked Reyna too, who'd spoken with mirth and amusement which seemed to help break the ice between us as everyone else who continued to spectate remained on edge. Annabeth assured Reyna that she only attacked her boyfriend like that, which seemed to further improve relations as Reyna spoke again. "It seems we have a lot to discuss. Centurions!" Several other Romans seemed to move forwards, my keen ears picking up their footsteps and the heaviness of their armour as it shifted on their bodies, continuing to observe my surroundings as Reyna ordered a welcome feast to be prepared, though her orders were interrupted by some guy who honestly sounded like a weasel, so it wasn't a great first impression of him and to be honest it never really improved after that.
"You're letting these intruders into the camp? Reyna, the security risks…"
"We're not taking them to the camp, Octavian. We'll eat here, in the forum." Reyna corrected him with an edge to her voice which told me that she was irritated and probably had to deal with this kid interrupting her a lot if it grated on her nerves that badly.
"Oh, much better. You want us to relax in the shadow of their warship." I admit, I don't think I was going to like this guy much either. He sounded like a real pain in the ass. I listened with a slight smirk as Reyna pulled rank on the interrupting kid which made her sound rather impressive, I could understand why Jason had talked about her with so much respect when he'd talked to me and Annabeth about Camp Jupiter and how things were run here. Honestly it was very different to Camp Half-Blood and the punishments were pretty harsh and the rules incredibly strict, but there were plenty of things that sounded just as awesome or even more so than our camp. Maybe we could one day have a third camp that meshed the best parts of both.
"These are our guests. We will welcome them, and we will talk to them. As augur, you should burn an offering to thank the gods for bringing Jason back to us safely."
"Good idea," my brother agreed with no small hint of satisfaction in his voice. "Go burn your bears, Octavian." I looked up in alarm.
"Bears? Not real bears, right?"
"No sis, teddy bears."
"Oh okay." I answered without really processing his answer until it suddenly hit me what my brother had said. "Wait, what?" Teddy bears?