Hey guys! Sorry, this chapter is horrific! I was almost not even gonna post it... But I promised you a chapter nearly four days ago... So here it is, my horrific disappointment of a chapter... Go on let the thumbs down's come... First though... Shout-outs! Yes, I will be doing shout-outs from this point on, so go on and give it a request! Now, ON WITH THE STORY!:

Back in Rome, about a week later…

Annabeth was watching an intense Gladiator Match. Wimerus the Defiler was dueling against the Horrific Twins. So far, he was losing. This match had been going on for an hour, when they normally last a couple minutes.

Her attention was called away when a messenger arrived, whispering quickly to her father. Her father's face paled, and he got up so quick, he almost spilled his wine. He gestured to her, and she followed suit, as did Carios. She noticed that the messenger had the Roman Numerals: "XI", which symbolized that he was part of the 11th Legion.

They quickly went into a vacant chamber. In the room were numerous lounge chairs, and in the center was a table with maps. Her father, the messenger, and Carios surrounded it. Annabeth stood on the left of her father. The messenger began speaking.

"My lords," he said, "Imperator Appius Porcius Scipio, is dead." Her father put his head in his hands, while Carios shook his head slowly. Annabeth understood why. Appius was leading their third invasion attempt of the Picts.

"So, how many are dead?" Her father asked with a hoarse voice.

"About 36,000 dead, another 3,000-4,000 captured, and presumably executed, and 5,000-6,000 wounded." The messenger spoke, wringing his hands while speaking. Carios' face was scrunched up, frustration clear on it. Her father was breathing deeply, his face red. This report said that over 90% of the 11th Legion was annihilated.

"You," Carios said with a tight voice, "are dismissed." The messenger bowed deeply, and hurried out of the room. The silence of the room was deafening. Annabeth understood the whole situation. They were running out of Legion's to throw at the Picts.

"So," her father said, breaking the tense silence, "who else have we got?"

Annabeth scratched her head, ticking off Legions in her mind. "What about the thirtieth?" Carios asked.

Annabeth sighed, "No, they're engaged in the Tarraconensis region."

"The sixteenth?" Her father asked, peering at the map.

"Engaged in Arabia Magna." Carios replied.

"We need to find a Legion near Britannia!" Annabeth exclaimed. Her father glanced at her, eyes showing the frustration that she clearly shared.

"That leaves only four: The 3rd Legion, the 17th Legion, the 18th Legion, and the 23rd Legion." Carios shook his head.

"Nay," he replied, "We only have two Legions." Her father looked at him. "The 18th was defeated in Germania, all casualties. And the 3rd Legion shattered, three-quarters joined up with the 23rd Legion, the rest joined the 18th before they were destroyed." That meant, that the 23rd Legion, under Imperator Decimus Hirtius Priscus, was now at 87,500 legionnaires strong. Her father was hesitant to send in the twenty-third, for the simple fact that the 23rd are Imperial Heroes. They put down a rebellion in Terracones, and fought rebels in Marrakesh. The whole of Rome worshiped the 23rd, ever since the 9th Legion got defeated. Losing the 23rd... well, morale would be at an all time low...

"Well, we really don't have a choice, do we?" Her father asked, looking around the table hesitantly. Carios shook his head, his face pale. Annabeth tried to go over all the logical choices. There were no others.

"No," Annabeth finally spoke, "we have no choice." Her father nodded, and muttered something under his breath.

He looked around and yelled, "Messenger!" A minute later, a messenger came tearing into the room, skidding to a stop.

"Yes, Caesar?" He saluted, and stood at attention. Her father repeated the plan: tell the 23rd that they were being shipped off to Britannia. The messenger paled, since he would be sent along with the 23rd. "As you command, Caesar!" He bowed once more, and briskly left the room. Annabeth now felt curious of the entire past of the 23rd Legion.

They went back and watched the rest of the Gladiator tournaments. They ended about two hours before nightfall, which would allow Annabeth some time still. Her father gave her permission, after she asked him, to go to the Legion archives. She arrived at the archives, and immediately set off to find the scrolls she was looking for. Annabeth passed by numerous Legion Archive alcoves, she passed the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on. Finally, she found what she was looking for.

The 23rd Legion's Archive.

Annabeth quickly grabbed the scrolls, and strode back down the alcove corridors. A scribe approached her, saw whom she was, and bowed, allowing her the scrolls. She made it back to her guard, and they got back to the palace. Once there, she quickly bathed, and slipped into her bed. She opened up the first scroll on the pile. It was a record of it's origins.

She read: in 30 AD, the young Centurion, Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo, proved himself in battle against enemies of Roma, fighting them on the grounds of Cappadocia. However, by 67 AD, Emperor Nero became suspicious of the recently appointed Imperator Corbulo. Emperor Nero ordered Corbulo to kill himself, which Corbulo did loyally, yelling "Axios!" After the death of possibly, Roma's most loyal Imperator, Emperor Nero appointed Corbulo's 2nd-in-command, Braetus Villinius Umbraeor, as the new Imperator of the 23rd.

Annabeth skimmed the next few sections of the scroll, finishing that scroll rapidly. She picked up the next scroll, and read: In 122 AD, the 23rd Legion was the first legion to successfully push the Berber tribes out of present day Mauretania. They were then immediately sent to Syria to put down a large rebellion of Christians, where it had come down to violence. It took the 23rd six years to put down this rebellion.

She now reached for the final scroll, after previewing the other four scrolls. This one read: As of 230 AD, the 23rd put down the largest insurrection in record, including Greek, Roman, and Persian records, in Hispania. It took a massive battle, in which the 23rd Legion faced over 200,000 Spaniards on the ford of the Bernesga River. The 23rd used the river to force the enemy to come through an almost funnel, and used the Greek Phalanx to keep the Spaniards from breaking through. While the Phalanx held, archers of the 23rd, fell numerous Spaniards while they were stuck in the funnel. The battle lasted nine brutal days. The Spaniards surrendered after losing nearly all 200,000 of their men. The 23rd Legion had, on the first day, lost their Imperator Helis Graenamus Dellius, and the brave 2nd-in-command, Decimus Hirtius Priscus, held the battered and outnumbered Legion through eight more days of horrific carnage. The Legion walked away from the fight with only 7,000 men of their 50,000 original.

Annabeth felt a whole new level of respect for the present Imperator of the 23rd Legion. She felt it in her core, that if anyone could win the fight with the Picts, it was Decimus. She rolled up the scrolls and set them on the nightstand by her side. She blew out the nearby candle, and closed her eyes, preparing for the next day of the Gladiator Contest.

I hate this chapter... I am so, extremely unsatisfied with this! I'm sorry for the horrific abomination that is this chapter... I should've burned this and never let it be seen... Oh well, this is the best that I have a the moment... So, next chapter should be of average length, I promise! Next Release Date:

10-08-13

Now, once again, sorry for the disappointment... And As Always, Have A Nice Day!