A.N.: Late night upload. It's still technically Friday, right? For me, at least. Oh well.
20
Reyna
Reyna handled the pegasus ride fairly well, all things considered. That wasn't to say that she normally didn't, as she had ridden them plenty of times before, and wasn't particularly prone to any kind of motion sickness or dizziness. However, even as she took off from Half-Blood Hill with Nico and Tabitha and their three pegasi, she knew something was off. In fact, she had felt off ever since she had used the Torch to help cure the sick demigods at Camp Half-Blood. It hadn't been anything major - mostly just a minor headache and some coughing. By the time they were airborne, though, it began to get worse, the pain growing in both her head and other places in her body, a sharp soreness and aching spreading out down her chest and through her limbs. Reyna did her best not to focus on it, but with an hours-long flight and each of them having a separate pegasus, there wasn't much else to focus on aside from the blurred landscape and whistling winds.
It was a definite relief when she spotted Camp Jupiter ahead of them, the sun overhead in an afternoon sky. The familiar landscape of the Oakland Hills and the sprawl of Roman buildings in the valley came into view as the three of them began to descend down from the sky, their pegasi swooping down with speed.
As they descended to land just outside of the main barracks, a handful of campers came out to meet them, and as they climbed off of their mounts, Reyna spotted two among them that stepped forward to greet her.
"Reyna," Frank said. "You're back," he said with a hint of surprise. He had his armor on over his clothes, and had his sword sheathed at his side.
"We were beginning to think we would really have to take on Tahoe without you," Jason said as he looked her over. Unlike Frank, he was still dressed in his casual wear, with an orange Camp Half-Blood shirt and jeans. "It's good to see you're alright."
Reyna patted her pegasus on the neck before turning back to the two of them. "It's good to see you, too." She glanced over to see Nico and Tabitha nod in greeting, then began to walk with them up towards the camp proper.
"How has everything been going here? Preparations still underway, I assume?"
Frank nodded beside her. "We've made good progress on gathering everything we need, and the scouts have staked out a spot just west of Rubicon Bay to set up a base camp. I think we'll be right on time."
Reyna nodded in approval as they stepped into the road cutting through the camp. The place was alive with demigod campers, fauns, and even the ghostly forms of Lares, all active and energized. It felt good to be back home, mostly.
"What happened with you, exactly?" Frank asked. "If you don't mind me asking," he added quickly.
She gave him a thoughtful glance. "I'll fill you in later. For now, we have work to do."
As she spoke, she caught a glimpse of something just past Frank, towards the back of one of the cohort barracks, and her pounding headache grew intense for a moment before she was able to focus back in. Whatever she thought was there definitely wasn't anymore. It seemed like it might have been a lone ghostly Lar or a particularly pale camper, but just for a moment a jolt of recognition had passed through her, and whether it was what she had actually seen or not, she couldn't get the image of her father's cruel and twisted face out of her head.
(|- - - - -[H]- - - - -|)
The next few days passed with familiarity, as Reyna settled back into the place and role she had known for most of her life. There was much to be done, from discussing battle strategies with Frank and the rest of the Council, to facilitating combat and team trainings, to taking inventory of their equipment and weaponry, to arranging travel for the large number of demigods. She had been away from Camp Jupiter for so long between her time at Camp Half-Blood and her time with Mason on Ogygia, but thankfully she didn't find it too difficult to readjust.
However, once a day passed, she realized that whatever it was that she had begun to feel at Camp Half-Blood was still there, and it was getting worse.
It began bearable enough. Stinging headaches that would wax and wane throughout the day. A sore throat that brought a consistent cough. Nausea that would kick in if she stood too quickly. She brushed it off and attributed it to fatigue, doing her best to ignore it as she went about her busy days.
The morning that the camp was set to travel to Lake Tahoe was when it became too much to ignore.
Reyna had woken not only to the expected headache, but also a worrying lack of energy or strength. It took her a solid minute to lean up and out of bed, and walking was an entirely new ordeal. Her legs felt like jelly, and it took everything in her to walk upright and confident when she went out into the Via Principalis, the eyes of various demigods glancing her way. She felt a twisted sense of gratitude that the campers were used to her stern and serious demeanor, as it would have been a struggle to maintain a smile in her condition.
As she watched the demigods pack their equipment into the black SUVs that would take them the short drive up to Lake Tahoe, she wondered what she should do. It was possible that whatever she had would pass, or at least dwindle enough by the time she had to carry out the real leadership on the battlefield. It seemed unlikely, though, given how it had worsened over the past few days. It still seemed like it would be just bearable enough to push through. And push through she would, after everything she had gone through to be here, with her Legion, for this important moment. After every worry that she wasn't going to be there to be her friends' strength, she wasn't going to let it slip by just for a passing illness. She also didn't want to admit to the creeping suspicion of what this ailment most likely was.
A shiver went through her spine in the cool morning air, snapping her from her thoughts, and as it did, her breath caught. Across the way from her, up by one of the nearby bath buildings, a figure stood, still and facing her.
Even from a distance, even in her weak state, even with the figure's wispy form, she knew immediately. The face she still couldn't escape from, after all this time, was simply standing a few dozen feet from her, completely still. Its features were somehow recognizable even from the distance, twisted in a wide-eyed, tight-lipped scowl that Reyna had wished she would never see again.
As she stood there, frozen in place, a voice crept into her mind, somehow both familiar and foreign.
You will never find recompense for what you've done. Nor for what you have failed to do.
The voice grated the inside of her head, her headache pulsing intensely as she cringed.
Not when you refuse to face the truth.
"You… are not real," Reyna muttered, trying to draw strength from somewhere inside her.
You are wrong. And you will pay dearly if you cannot realize that. I am your greatest anguish.
"Reyna?"
Another voice entered her ears as she turned to see Jason standing beside her. He was dressed in his armor, and stood tentatively with a hesitant expression. "Are you okay?"
As she studied his face, from his short blonde hair, to his light blue eyes, to the scar on his lip, a new sensation passed through her. Despite everything, her mind traveled all the way back to the day she had woken up to him having gone missing, and then quickly to the day when he had returned to Camp Jupiter with Piper beside him. The pounding in her head quickened, matching the rate of her heart thumping in her chest. Emotions she had left either buried or half-mended shot up through her chest on their own, threatening to burst out with violence. Betrayal. Abandonment. Disappointment. Everything.
And still, she managed to keep a straight face.
"Yes," she said quietly, barely opening her mouth.
Jason looked her over once more. He had never been the most observant outside of battle, so he seemed mostly convinced.
Ah, a close second. Such pain he has caused you.
She glanced back towards where the figure had been, but found nothing.
"You sure?"
Reyna kept her eyes fixated on where the ghostly figure of her father had stood just moments ago.
"Yes," she said, in as much an effort to convince herself as it was to convince him.
(|- - - - -[H]- - - - -|)
"So, Reyna and Frank will lead the main group through the valley here," Michael said, gesturing down to the map they had laid out across the table. "While Leila and I take the rest up this ridge to flank," he said, pointing again. "And we leave our onagers back here to cover in case they begin to scatter."
Reyna nodded as they pored over their plan, trying to stay focused. Her, Frank, and Centurions Michael and Leila stood around the table under the main war tent, which stood in the middle of the makeshift encampment that Camp Jupiter had established in the forest just west of Lake Tahoe. The dirt clearing now hosted a plethora of tents and vans beneath the surrounding trees, the campers either preparing their equipment for battle or just anticipating it.
They continued discussing their plans, drawing out paths on the map and discussing contingency plans in the case of unexpected complications. It had taken them months to track down what ended up being the largest horde of surviving monsters from the attack on Camp Jupiter, as well as strays from the surrounding area. Their scouts had discovered a den of monsters hiding out in the hills of Tahoe, led by none other than the gorgon Stheno. Now, in order to ensure the safety of Camp Jupiter, they were poised to eliminate the last remnants of the invading forces.
But now, at the cusp of what was anticipated to be a strong victory, Reyna found herself struggling to find the strength to put everything towards their goal.
Even now, you are blind.
Reyna stared at the map on the table in front of her, feeling a cold presence behind her.
You refuse to acknowledge the weed that's rooted deep in your being.
"Reyna."
The hatred that consumes you.
"Reyna!"
She blinked. Frank was stood in front of her, looking into her eyes with concern. Glancing around, she realized that the rest of them had left, with just the two of them left in the tent.
"Are you okay? You seem… out of it."
She nodded slowly. "I'm tired, admittedly. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure? We might be able to wait if you-"
"No," Reyna said firmly. "We've waited long enough. I am…"
She stopped mid-sentence, her mind taken back to the last time she had said something similar. Images of an island at night, with scarred hands tying rope and cutting wood, came flooding back. A voice, calling out in the darkness, pleading with her to rest. A vacant bed, and an occupied chair.
All of it, now front and center as a reminder. A reminder of the fact that she always had a choice, even if it would be a difficult one to make.
So she made it.
Reyna took a deep, shaky breath as she looked up at Frank, letting a small part of the façade drop. "…not fine."
Silence filled the tent as he looked at her with surprise. "What is…?"
"I don't know," she said. "But I don't think I can lead them tomorrow." She met his eyes. "It has to be you," she said quietly.
Frank swallowed, glancing to the map that was still laid out across the table.
"I know you're strong enough," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "And right now, I'm… not." Even as she said the words she leaned to the side to cough, wheezing for a moment. "Lead your people to victory. You've done it before, with far less help and much more formidable opponents."
He looked back to her, searching her eyes for assurance, before reaching up to put his hand on hers atop his shoulder for just a moment. "I will," he said confidently.
Reyna nodded, and they both stood for a moment, the two Praetors silently getting strength from one another. Then Reyna turned to leave the tent, doing her best to ignore the figure standing in her peripheral vision as she made her way to her own tent.
(|- - - - -[H]- - - - -|)
Reyna would have been lying if she had said that it was a restful night. Her throbbing headache and burning temperature left her restless and awake for much of the night, and the time that was spent sleeping wasn't peaceful, either, her mind consumed with nightmares of her home in Puerto Rico, or her friends dying on the battlefield.
Despite the small amount of sleep she got, when the early morning light began to peek through the tent fabric, it was still a relief. The morning passed by in a haze, from a quick breakfast, to the rush of campers preparing, to them lining up in formation at the edge of camp. Frank must have made the announcement of her absence in the coming battle, as a handful of campers gave her solemn but affirming nods or greetings as they passed by, clearly not wanting to bother her. She wondered how much of her state was showing outwardly.
Before she knew it, the Legion had begun their march into the hills where Stheno and her horde were encamped, Frank's commands echoing out into the forest until they disappeared out of both sight and earshot.
Reyna resolved to make something of her time back at base camp, so she tried to check in with the handful of campers staying behind, as well as see one of the medics to get any form of diagnosis or aid. Still, there wasn't much to be done, as she wasn't in any state to be standing vigil as a sentry, and the medic didn't have much to offer other than some regular painkillers.
So, as torturous as it was, she waited.
(|- - - - -[H]- - - - -|)
Reyna woke to the sounds of someone entering the tent.
She wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep, but at some point in the day, she had been sat on a stool in the corner of the main war tent, poring over the contingency plans they had, and must have dozed off from exhaustion.
As her senses began creeping back in, she heard the tent flap open as someone walked in. They either didn't notice her or didn't want to disturb her, as they walked to the other side of the tent without a word. Reyna was still half-asleep, her eyes barely letting in the evening light as she stirred, the pain starting to come back. The room slowly came into focus around her, and she rubbed her eyes before glancing around.
She didn't see who the first person was immediately, but as the tent flap opened to another person entering, the first person must have only just then noticed she was there, walking over to where she was sitting.
"Reyna?" the voice said, and as it did, Reyna felt a surge of emotion well up inside her, urging her to look up.
What met her eyes wasn't a person standing over her in the war tent, but a person standing before her on the streets of Camp Jupiter. He stood before her among a crowd of people gathered around them in the middle of camp, the sun beating down in an afternoon sky, and the light partially eclipsed by the shape of a ship in the sky. She studied the person's face, from his short blonde hair, to his light blue eyes, to the scar on his lip, searching for the boy she once knew, the ally she had by her side for so long, but all she could find was someone who had abandoned her, forgotten her, and had now returned with someone else by his side.
"So, yeah… it's good to be back," Jason said.
Reyna's hands shot up from her side, lunging out to grab at his throat. As he stumbled back, she missed, grasping a clump of his orange shirt sticking out from the top of his armor. Even so, she held on, shaking her hands as she stared wide-eyed at the boy, who was reeling back in shock.
"You… would dare… to abandon me," she hissed, her voice low but menacing.
"To forget me…"She leaned over him, holding him against the war table.
Her voice quieted even more, but remained steady.
"To… replace me…"
The boy stared up at her with wide and confused eyes, but he didn't struggle. Instead, he braced himself against the table against her assault, searching her face as if he were trying to figure out who she was.
"Reyna!" a voice yelled out from beside them, and although she didn't turn, she recognized it as Michael Kahale. At the same time, something grabbed her arm, trying to pull her away from her grip on Jason. She resisted for a long moment, her hands still latched onto his shirt. However, as she turned to glance to who was pulling on her, and she saw the familiar face of Tabitha Klaus, strained in effort and worry, she faltered, letting her hands slip away. She felt Tabitha drag her gently away from the table, Reyna's strength and anger fading away as the haze over her mind lowered, the surroundings of the tent around them coming back into her vision, and the pounding headache returning with it.
She realized they were all standing still, looking at her with varied expressions of worry, confusion, and anger. Jason was still leant on the table, staring at her with deep breaths. She couldn't meet his eyes as she braced herself against a stool, trying to quell the tempest of emotion, pain, and confusion swirling around inside of her.
They remained silent, Michael giving Jason a harsh look as Tabitha glanced around the room, not meeting anyone's eyes. After a long moment, the silence was interrupted by yet another figure entering the tent, the shadowed form stepping in with intent and searching the space rapidly before his eyes landed on Reyna. He stepped forward.
"We need to talk," Nico said. "Now."
Michael gave a face of frustrated disbelief. "Excuse me?"
"Not you," Nico said, not even turning his head. He pointed at Reyna. "You." He then pointed at Tabitha. "And you." He gestured to the front flap of the tent.
Tabitha tentatively grabbed Reyna's arm, helping her up and towards the exit, which Reyna did not have the strength or will to fight.
"Wait, hold on," Michael said, stepping forward and looking threateningly towards Nico. "Our Praetor is clearly experiencing some major issues right now. We need to deal with this."
"And we will," Nico said through gritted teeth, his dark hair falling in front of his equally dark eyes. "But this is important, trust me."
"She just assaulted a fellow Legionnaire," Michael said, gesturing to Jason. "I will not have you brushing that aside so easily!"
Nico turned to face Michael completely, who took an instinctive step back from the son of Hades' intense aura. "Perhaps if you had an ounce of foresight you would know that that is exactly why I am here, and that there is much more to it than you would allow anyone to even attempt to explain." Nico turned to meet Reyna's eyes, his expression softening for just a moment as he did.
"Mason is in trouble," he said more calmly.
Nico then turned to Michael again. "And for your information, not only are these two vital to that problem," he said, gesturing to Reyna and Tabitha. "But he may very well be the sole solution to this problem as well," he spat, gesturing to both Jason and Reyna. "So you tell me, Kahale. Are you going to stand in the way of that?"
He didn't.