Chapter 13- The Titan's Pitch

"Faithless

Is he that says farewell when

the road darkens"

J.R.R. Tolkein

Michael and his cohort began setting their troops, perching 5 archers on the lower buildings around them and 3 of their legionnaires with crossbows in order to cover the ground. 2 runners were placed at the edges in order to send messages in between or call for back-up if needed. There were two squads placed, one led by Michael, the other led by Gina (The Primus Pilus).
According to Eagle Scouts, there was a warband, led by a cyclops not too far away from their position

"Send a message to Gina. Tell her that our archers have been perched in line to the entrance of the enemy sights and that we're prepared to move at a moment's notice," Michael told a runner who nodded and jogged off. The son of Venus was slightly nervous as his fellow legionnaires got into formation.
There were 30 of them in one squad; the swordsman at the front while his spear-carriers at the side surrounding them to cover outside ranges.

"Sir," spoke Emile, one of the runners, "latest reports from the eagles show that they seem to be grouping more towards here. More specifically, towards the east points."

"Population size?" Michael asked, mentally sighing
"Increase by half approximately sir," she replied. Michael cursed silently. They must have realised the numbers were lower here and regrouped.

"Send word quickly to Gina. We need at least 7 more archers sent here now and another 15 foot soldiers. Tell her to spare no more than that but to have them sent as soon as possible," he ordered.

He turned around to his cohort and started shouting commands.
"Cohort! Ad Aciem!" The response was instantaneous as the sounds of shields clanging against one another rang through the air. Romans lived and breathed discipline and his was like second nature to them.

"Kahale! We have eyes on! 200 metres and approaching!" shouted one of the archers. Michael narrowed his eyes as they awaited his orders in anticipation.

"Eiaculare Flammas! Take down the front line if you can. Hold down their wave as long as possible!" He told them. A few moments later, the sky was filled with flaming arrows and the sounds of monsters roaring in pain.

"Are the traps ready?" Michael asked Alex, the son of Vulcan.
"All in place within the bushes. There's a trip wire that'll signal when they're arriving close by," Alex replied.
"What's the charge?"
"Detonator. No time limit. At any point, just need to press this button and boom!"

Michael paused to think for a moment. Just then a group of legionnaires arrived to their position. 7 archers and 15 ground troops.
"We were sent here for you optio," one of them spoke. Suddenly an idea came to the son of Venus. Something he saw with Jason and Percy during War Games. The element of surprise to rattle them and then break them apart. It was a slightly different tactic but clearly effective and he knew that they needed to adapt to survive and thrive.

"Archers, join the others and cover us. The rest of you, take 5 of my men at the back line and converge north-west of here by 100 metres, undetected. Don't engage in battle, just sneak using your pila and destroy your backline. Once you hear us charge, attack them from the side where they least expect it and meld back in. Understand?" he asked as they nodded.

"150 metres and approaching!" called the archer.
"Hold your fire!" Michael ordered. He turned to Alex, "The moment you get the signal, blow them straight to hell!"

A few moments later, the device in his hands started emitting a soft beep. Alex glanced at Michael who nodded.
"Archers, prepare for fire," Michael shouted. Right afterwards, the sounds of explosions came up ahead as bright rays of fire tore into view. Past the smoke, another wave of dracanae came through.

"Pila Iace!" Michael roared as javelins were thrown across.
"Gladium stringe!" Michael shouted as the sound of swords being reading filler the air.
Then came a creature that Michael didn't recognise. It was black, with white horns and looked similar to an ox.

"What is that?" Michael asked in confusion and slight fear.
"A Centicore sir," Alex replied. Michael looked at him incredulously.
"Those haven't been seen for a long time," Michael said, his eyes widening.
"Well neither has Saturn. I guess things are changing,"

"Archers, wall of fire!" Michael shouted. A line of fire rose between them and the monsters.

"On my mark!" Michael yelled.
50 metres.
25 metres.

"Oppugnare!" Michael shouted. A wave of cheer passed through as they marched forward.

Another wave of monsters came past as the Centicore moved forward. Behind him came 2 more Centicores. They ran at full speed, their white horns glowering out.

"Ad testudinem!" Michael shouted. All their shield locked in response, covering all angles as they held the ferocious attacks of the supposedly-extinct species.
"Shoot outwards," Michael ordered as they let their blades thrust forward to damage the monsters. "Push forward!"

They began to move forward, each time taking down another wave of monsters. It seemed to be endless but the Romans held their ground and didn't give away an inch.

Just as another wave of monsters came through, Michael's side group came barrelling through.
"Join the second squad!" he yelled. "Archers! Rain them from the back!"

Slowly the numbers began to decrease as they edged forward; the monster population beginning to thin.

"Emily!" Michael yelled for his runner, "Send eagles to scout ahead. I want to make sure there's no more left before I break formation!" Emily nodded as she ran to send an eagle.

It was a tense filled 10 minutes as the ADHD romans waited but soon Emily came back running, "No more sir. Clear field! Third Cohort have also reported success on their side!"

There was a collective sigh that spread through as there was a cheer across the cohort.

"Well done everyone. Remember this is just one battle, we must be ready for more to come. But commend one another on this victory!" Michael told his cohort as they prepared to pack up everything.

"Michael!" Alex called as Michael turned towards him. "Something doesn't seem right,"
"What do you mean?" Michael asked as he retracted his traps on the floor.
"I put up a few instruments around our site just so I could detect any changes in the atmosphere. Generally, when there's magic involved, it causes changes in the area around the site of magic. The sensors near Centurion Heaney's group are buzzing like crazy. The air pressure has changed drastically in a time period of 10 seconds and a change in ozone. Either there's about to be a bad climate storm or…"
"Or there's a half blood, or worse a divine being about to attack our Cohort on their end," Michael finished. "How sure are you of this?"

"Unless my sensors are wrong? Fairly certain," Alex responded.

"Emily!" Michael yelled as the runner looked at her optio, "Get an eagle to scout ahead towards Gina's squad." She frowned in confusion but went ahead and did as she was told. At that very moment, things changed. The earth began to shake wildly as they struggled to hold themselves. The sky darkened as thunder rumbled loudly. Michael and Alex looked at each other, their fears confirmed.

"Emily. Change of plans. Send a message to the Second Cohort, emergency level. Tell them to get to Gina's location. NOW EMILY," he yelled the last part to shake her out of her daze. She nodded and dashed away quickly.

"The rest of us. We're joining the rest of our cohort now. Let's move!"

Percy jumped into the depths of the ocean, the cold water washing over his skin, waking him up like a shot of adrenaline being injected into his body. The breastplate seemed to weigh lighter as he felt more flexible in his natural home. He concentrated, allowing the ocean to stretch his senses; he could tell the pearl was nearby, underneath him. It seemed almost too easy and being a demigod, he knew it could never be that easy.

He swam deep down into the ocean, the faint glow of the pearl slowing coming into view. He looked around for any signs of danger but to his surprise there was nothing. He couldn't feel any presences in the ocean either.

Soon enough he reached a cliff wall towards the side of the ocean. Near the middle surely enough, the pearl was embedded. He grazed his fingers over it, the raw power of the sea washing over him. It reminded him of the purest fresh water, the ocean at night just rippling its power in the background. He gripped the pearl and with slight force, it tugged out of the wall and he pocketed it.

"Well well well. I have been waiting to meet the newest celebrity in the divine world. The infamous son of Neptune, rumoured to have been raised into one of the greatest warriors since Caesar himself,"

Percy whipped his body around in an instant, his gladius pointing at…a person? Standing in front of him was a female, breathing normally underwater, glancing at him with a calculated look.

"I will say, it is an honour to meet you Perseus Jackson. It's nice to finally meet the newest gossip amongst the Titans. You are quite the demigod from what I've heard,"

"Yeah, I get that a lot. Now, who the hell are you and what do you want?" He demanded.
"My name is Pronoea, the goddess of Foresight. Or better known as the wife of Prometheus." She introduced herself.
"How did you manage to hide your presence from me? This is my father's element," He asked.
"You can put down the blade. I'm not here to harm you. And if I wanted to, I'd do it somewhere you're not at your strongest," she told him but he didn't lower his blade once.
"You didn't answer my question. How did you hide your presence from me?" Percy repeated.
"This may be your father's element, but he's not the only one in command of the seas. There are other forces at play right now Perseus Jackson, and many of those forces are not on your side and do not wish for your side to succeed. I believe that deep down you know the answer to your own question," she said with a knowing smile. Percy thought for a moment before looking back at her, her face confirming his fears.

"Oceanus? Saturn managed to convince him to join his side?" Percy asked. She nodded.

"Indeed son of Neptune. Things are changing. In the first war, my husband picked to side with the Olympians. He foresaw their victory and that their reign would be for the betterment of the world. Now history repeats itself. But this time, Saturn has gained powerful allies and is recruiting numbers far beyond what you can believe. But he doesn't wish to harm you, nor does he wish to harm your comrades. He wishes to extend a hand of alliance to you all. All he wants is Olympus. To have those who sit all high and mighty on their throne brought down on their knees and be taught a lesson in humility. For far too long have they ruled over the Western Civilisation without caring for the mortal world they reside over. Many half-bloods have been abandoned under their watch, many of the disasters that have been inflicted on this planet are a result of their carelessness. But what do they care? They're immortal beings, their lives go on endlessly. It simply does not affect them; the life of a human life is gone in a blink of an eye to them. Saturn wishes to change this. He wishes betterment for all those join him. He does not want to wage war on you. He wants you as an ally," Pronoea explained.

"And what guarantee is there that after he's done, he won't just turn his back on us and throw us off to the depths of Tartarus? Or just enslave all of mankind to bow to his will?" Percy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't you think that question went through my husband's mind? He created the very first version of you, back during the Golden Age. He tricked Jupiter into giving you the better part of the meal and gave you all fire to help your kind advance. But there's so much more that you are capable of. Jupiter won't allow that kind of advancement because he fears it. However, Saturn is willing to allow it. My husband has only your best interests at heart, all of your kind. He is also the titan of foresight," she replied

"And crafty counsel," Percy shot back as she shrugged.

"True. But he's smart. He knows how to make calculated decisions. He knows which side has the advantage. There are many bitter half bloods that have joined our cause as a result of neglection from the Olympians and their fellow gods and goddesses," Pronoea told him.

"I would never-" Percy started.

"I'm not asking you to make a decision now. You have just been given a burden of information on behalf of my side and you need time to process it. But everything I've said is genuine. I swear it on the Styx. I'm not here to fight you. You are free to go. Just take time to consider what I've told you. We don't wish to fight your kind. We want to preserve and advance them. All we want is Olympus. The Black Death, World War One and Two, many other wars, all of these are a result of the mistakes made by the Olympians. We could do far better than they could. Just think on it…." She ended with a small smile. There was a flash of blue light and she disappeared.

Percy stood still for a moment as he let out a shaky breath. That was one of the most tensed conversations he had ever had in his life. The worst part was he couldn't fault anything she had told him. Percy wasn't stupid, he knew many of the mistakes that the Olympians made, but he was always told that despite their flaws, they were his family, and most important of all, they all served a higher purpose. Rome itself. They were all the heirs to Rome, descended from the Twelfth Legion Fulminata, all of them working as parts of a machine, fighting for one another and in hopes for a better world of peace and unity, keeping down the monsters that wished to ruin that. That was what he had been raised into. Being the perfect warrior to ensure all that remains. And that's why he fought for Olympus, for his family, for Rome. But one single conversation with a goddess has entirely turned his mind upside down.

He shook his head. He didn't have time to think about this right now. He had a mission to complete and he was wasting time. He looked around for any other signs of danger but could see none. No monster, nothing to attack him. At this point, he'd have preferred to fight a monster than have that conversation with the wife of Prometheus.

"Hey, you alright?" Leila asked him as he jumped back onto the ship.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Percy replied as he sat down on a bench.
"So what monster did you have to face?" Reyna asked as they sat around him.
"No monster. Just a goddess," Percy replied, his eyes still looking far away.

"You had to fight a goddess?" Reyna asked, her eyes widening.
"No, no," Percy shook his head, "No fight. She just wanted to wanted to have a conversation with me. It was Pronoea, the wife of Prometheus."
"What did she want?" Leila asked.
"Same thing that The Crooked One and Menoetius asked. For me to join their side, their cause. I declined and she let me go. One thing I discovered however, is that things have changed this time around. Oceanus has joined their side. Looks like they managed to convince him to join their cause. It's how the monsters managed to get past the defence barriers. Oceanus is using his powers to hide their presence, to try and hinder us"
"She…. just let you go?" Jason questioned with a raised eyebrow as Percy shrugged his shoulders.
"She wasn't interested in a fight with me. She gave me their pitch, told me to think over it and then left."
"And what are you thinking?" Jason asked. Percy was silent, no reply sounding from him.

"Look we're wasting time alright. I have the pearl that we need. We can create a gateway to the Castalian Spring. We don't have a lot of time and we've already had to send out an envoy to deal with a monster group. So, let's get a move on," Percy said.

Jason observed his cousin, his eyes narrowing. His eyes were avoiding him, his hands were jittery with some sense of nervousness instilled and his jaw was clenched. Something happened down there, something that he wasn't telling them and it had shaken him right down to his roots.

"Alright do it. I'm assuming you know how to do this?" Jason asked as Percy nodded.
"Salacia told me that these pearls, they are embodiments of the ocean and their divine essence. It's just like tapping into my father's powers. His blood flows through my veins, just as the power of Atlantis and its magic does. All she said is that I'd know on instinct what to do when I need to do it," Percy said.

He took a deep breath and held the pearl in his hand, closing his eyes. He focused on channelling his powers, feeling the endless power of the sea, ready to let loose eternal destruction. He could feel the waves all around him, like a clock, pulsating and controlling the motion of the water and the tides, rising to the pull of the moon. He could feel his body starting to get warmer and he was barely aware that his skin had a dark blue aura and his tattoos were glowing. Then came out a string of words. He wasn't sure where the words were coming from but he knew what he was saying even though he didn't recognise the language. It must have been Atlantean. Midway, he switched to Latin and then the water around them began to swirl. There came a heavy fog, wrapping around their ship as silver and dark blue lines began forming around them, creating some sorts of a tunnel.

"What in Jupiter's name is happening?" Jason asked in a slightly awed voice.
"I'm using Atlantean magic and the Mist to manipulate space and create a portal of sorts directly to our destination. We're currently shifting between phases. Technically we're still in the same location but in a completely different state. Just as soon as I can stabilise this, we can begin moving," Percy replied. They waited in silence, still looking in wonder at the position around them. Finally, the lines around them stopped moving and interlocked with one another. Percy tapped his fingers on the boat and they began moving through the long tunnel that he created.

"We should be there in around 90 minutes," Percy said and immediately collapsing on Jason, who reacted at the last second and caught him in time.

"He's exhausted," Jason said, taking a quick look at his cousin. He picked him up and took him down to the resting quarters.

"You two, go and get some rest. You'll need your full strength for when we leave. We have no idea what we could be expecting," Jason said. Reyna nodded and went down without another word. Leila however remained for a moment.

"Percy seems to be hiding something," Leila said after a moment of silence. Jason nodded.
"I've realised that. But whatever it is, he needs time to process it himself first. Questioning him now won't do any good," he replied back as she raised an eyebrow.
"And how do you know that?" Leila asked
"Because I'd need the exact same thing," Jason replied before walking towards his resting quarters.

Percy woke up on a bed, still half dazed. His body was still taxed from using his abilities and the fight and he could feel the weariness in his body.

"How you feeling?" came a voice to his right. He turned around to see Jason.
"Slightly tired but I'll recover," Percy replied as he tried to sit upright but felt a wave of nausea hit him.

"Hey hey," Jason said, "your body is still recovering from our ordeal. Here, have some water." Jason gave him a bottle of water which he downed at once.

"I'm assuming you're here to question me on something?" Percy said once he felt more grounded.
"What gave that away?" Jason said with a small smile on his face
"Wouldn't be you if I wasn't going to get some heartfelt lecture on something," he replied causing Jason to roll his eyes before turning serious.

"What really happened down there Percy?" Jason asked as Percy's face turned slightly sour.
"Is it really that obvious?" Percy said with a grim look on his face.
"You've been quite…. jittery since you came up. And I'm assuming that it's not just this Menoetius curse thing. So, what happened?" Jason asked as Percy let out a sigh.

"They gave me more than just a pitch. They told me their aims and motives. They don't want a war with us. Roman legionnaires I mean," he added looking at the confusion on Jason's face. "They only want Olympus. They want to make the gods pay for all of their mistakes. And this time, they have another advantage. They have their own demigods recruited. Half-bloods that haven't been recruited by Lupa. Ones that have been abandoned by the gods. They have more Titans convinced to join their cause. They even told me about many of the mistakes made on this planet as a result of their carelessness," Percy explained to him, "It just makes me wonder, are we really fighting for the right cause. We've been told to serve Rome. But Rome is nothing without the people that serve it. Primarily, legionnaires. Legionnaires that our enemies wish to preserve and help us advance. So, now you tell me, what is the right choice here?"

Jason frowned for a moment as he listened to his cousin's words.
"Percy, the gods aren't perfect. In many ways they're like us, even if they don't wish to admit it. We make our mistakes that affect others. Gods make mistakes that affect the planet they control. And yes, some of those mistakes affect a larger part of people. But that's just the way of life. They're not perfect. But they strive towards something good. Something better. For Rome. Isn't it what we all work for? Unity and expansion. Preserving our legacy and protecting our family. The Olympian gods, for better or worse, are our family," Jason told him. Percy didn't say anything for a while. Jason always found it amusing how his face changed with his thoughts, the way his eyes darkened and his jaw would clench.

"You know you should become a therapist of sorts. You're good at giving pep talks," Percy finally said after 5 minutes as Jason let out a snort.
"You sure you're up to come along?" Jason asked as Percy nodded.
"Won't be able to fight too much but I'll still tag along in case," Percy replied. "Let the others know that we're arriving in 10 minutes,"

All four of them met on deck. The island was slowly coming into view.
"This is it," Leila said, "the Castalian Spring. The island that has been missing for however long. And we managed to get here,"

Their ship slowly began to tilt as Percy docked them on the edge. He turned towards Jason with a hints of a slight smirk.

"Well, after you Quest Leader,"

Author's Note: Well it's been a while. Sorry for the long wait between the chapters but I have continuous exams from April 20th to May 25th and since they are the most important exams of the entire year, I have been extremely busy. But nonetheless, I managed to get this chapter out and even though there wasn't too much, I hope it was still entertaining to read. I currently have holidays for 2 weeks so I'll try to get out another chapter (albeit slightly shorter than this one) but one filled with more action to entertain you all.

Anyways, 4154 words. Still not too bad. As usual thanks to ashblaze03, RageSage, HellRaiderS, Yamajiji (welcome to the story), theone1278 and Blackhairedboy916 for reviewing. Like I keep on saying every chapter (and will continue to do so), each and every review means a lot. Gives me motivation as a writer and good feedback to improve on my own skills as a writer.

Some responses to your reviews:
ashblaze03: Glad you liked it, I'm trying to ensure that Percy isn't too unbalanced or it just ruins the story.

RageSage: Yeah that was my first thought as well lol, sounded a lot like Luke's last name.

Blackhairedboy916: Don't worry, I'm a male and I don't take offense to it, you weren't sure, not your fault.

As I said earlier, sorry for the long time in between but until May 25th, things are unfortunately going to be very busy for me so I hope you all can understand that. Thanks still for all of your support.

And that's pretty much all from me for this chapter

Hope you all enjoyed the chapter

Discord Server: VUMM3Sb

I'll see you all in the next one

SpiritsOfTheWorld