For all those who read and reviewed, thank you so much! No words can describe what I'm feeling. Anyway, it's Sunday and I decided to get a chapter done before I go to my basketball game today. Since it is Sunday, I feel a bit generous (surprise, surprise) and I decided to do two questions instead of the usual one. If you get one right, you have a choice of a prequel story or sneak peek for the next chapter. Get both of them right and you get both prizes. I think this is my worst chapter so far because I was trying to hard so please forgive me. By the way, no more of that line gives me. I feel too lazy for that.
#1QOTC: What is the name of Thalia's fearsome shield?
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Reyna patted me on the shoulder. "I'm just kidding," she informed me. I don't know if that was supposed to help with the evil look in Frank's eyes. If nobody else could defend me with that, I'll have to protect myself. I took a deep breath.
"Hey, Reyna? Do you have a pair of scissors I could borrow?"
Reyna frowned and handed me a pair of scissors. (She's a praetor. Of course she has scissors.) "Any special reason you need this? Are you going to cut your hair?" I smirked and hoped I didn't look like a villain or something.
"I'm not going to cut my hair, silly," I said. Reyna's eyes grew a bit stormy. Maybe she didn't like to be called 'silly.' I wonder why. "Hazel, forgive me because I'm going to cut your boyfriend!"
Frank rolled his eyes. (After how many more rolls will they get stuck up in his head?) "And why would you do that, Verity?"
"Gee, I don't know, maybe because you look like you want me to fail?"
Frank got up from his chair and I had to strain my neck to look up. This is starting to hurt... Gods, the burn! "And what makes you say that?"
"I don't want to break my neck just by looking at a guy so sit down, Hulk!" I stretched as far as I can and I put my hands on his shoulders, forcing him back down to his chair. "You had an evil gleam in your eyes!
Don't think I didn't see that!"
Frank and I started arguing, me using the scissors as my pointer finger and Frank showing me a tattoo on his forearm (SPQR or something. I really don't know or care.) From the corner of my eye, I saw Hazel and Reyna shaking their heads, rolling their eyes, as if to say 'Why did I allow her to stay?' Poor guy. To them, he must remind them of a girl. Before Frank can take my scissors (sorry, Reyna's) Hazel pulled me away.
"Okay, Verity, that's nice. You're the first to pick up a fight with a praetor. Aren't you hungry?"
I glared at Frank, but nodded my head. Now you think about it, I felt like somebody left me starving for 21 centuries. (Then again, I would be dead, so 21 nanoseconds. That makes more sense.) "You're going to have to sit with Frank and Reyna, unless you want a Cohort to invite you now." Even though I had only a day's worth of information about Cohorts and new demigods or legacies, I knew that you had a better chance of getting into a Cohort when the other members saw your skills. "It's okay, I'll eat now. But first things first..."
An earthquake of throbbing left me seeing spots and I tried to push it aside, tried being the key word here.
"Do you have a place for showers? I'm pretty sure nobody's going to eat with the scent of dried blood."
Hazel sighed. "Are you positive you want to get a shower before lunch? If we don't get to the mess hall now, I'm pretty sure everyone will think we're kidnapped or something." Reyna nodded.
"Good point. Verity, you'll be sitting with Frank and me, and please you two, act mature and no fighting in front of the whole camp."
"Yeah Frank. Act mature and control your hormones," I sniggered. Frank glared at me, blushing, and he mouthed Watch your back. I'll get you later, not in front of Reyna and Hazel. I waved aside Frank's comment and smiled at a very confused Hazel. Reyna held back a grin. "An inside joke," I told Hazel. She nodded, understandingly.
"Verity, by the way, Frank, Hazel, and I have to talk in private about something so I hope you understand. I'll assign someone to show you around and you can participate in training and classes." Reyna looked at me expectantly and I nodded.
"So, are we just going to stand here, talking the whole day away or are we going to go eat because I'm famished." Ah, Frank.
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"Settle down, Cohorts." Reyna's firm voice was understood by everyone and everyone sat down in their places. Reyna continued.
"Today, someone entered Camp Jupiter, passing the magic shield, meaning she was a demigod. The only problem is that she wasn't trained by the goddess Lupa and that she has no memory of who she is."
I could see and hear murmuring from everywhere. The only thing most people were saying in common was something along the lines of 'So Percy Jackson in girl form.' Frank picked it up from there and each person quieted down.
"Since she doesn't know her name, she decided to temporarily change her name to Verity. Verity, get up." Frank turned to me and I felt flames leap onto my face as everyone stared at me. Fine, I'll admit it, I looked out of place in my red hoodie, ripped wine-red knee length jeans, and black combat boots. My special necklace didn't make things better; the side where the gold blade would come from was concealed as silver pearls while the silver blade side was a gold chain. The pendant was a small orb, filled with a multicolored substance or something. My auburn hair was in a messy braid, streaks of blue and purple labeling me as a 'bad girl.' My olive skin tone was splashed with freckles and I'm pretty sure the scar in my right eye didn't make me look too friendly. Still, I smiled like it was normal for me to have no memory and end up in a strange Roman camp. Frank gestured for me to sit back down.
"Now, most of you may be thinking that Verity was like our former praetor Percy Jackson but Verity didn't have training with Lupa. My co-praetor Reyna and I hope you treat Verity like an equal. You may all eat."
After Frank sat down, ghosts started floating everywhere. When one came close to me, I choked back a scream. Frank smirked at me. "Well, someone's afraid of ghosts."
I don't know who was glaring at him harder- me or the ghost. At the same time I said, "I'm not afraid of ghosts!", the ghost snapped at Frank, "Who are you calling ghost, Zhang? I'm a Lar, for Jupiter's sake!" Frank looked taken back and Reyna muttered something under her breath, like, 'I told you so.'
The Lar and I looked at each other warily. He was translucent with a glowing blue toga and gray hair. The Lar looked at me funny. Frank seemed to notice the tension between us and tried to sound upbeat.
"Hey, I was just joking. Verity, this is Caxton, a Lar, who are simply angry ghosts. Caxton, I'm pretty sure you just heard about Verity." The Lar said nothing and Reyna looked at us. "Caxton, is anything wrong?"
He glared at my necklace and my scar, looking at me straight in the eye. "She's not supposed to exist." The ache in my head that I had earlier thundered back and the dark consumed me. The last thing I saw were Frank's arms reaching for me and Caxton's narrowed violet eyes.
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Oops, I'm sorry for not being sorry for putting a cliffy. Well, at least this chapter's pretty long. I hope you enjoyed this so far. Sorry for not updating sooner, school's a pain in the ass. Forgive me for my language.
#2QOTC: What color did Percy think Thalia's eyes first were?
Remember, get both questions right for both gifts or you get only one prize, your choice of what you want. First person to review the correct answers first get first dibs. Have a nice Sunday, people!
