When I woke up, I was back in the infirmary, with a dark skinned girl by my side. She noticed me, and glanced at the clock. "Three hours, nice record," she intoned, and got up, headed for the doors.
No vision, weird. But, something else...
"Hey, um, what happened?" I asked, slowly hoisting myself off the bed. My feet were bare, so I hopped back and forth on the freezing floor, trying to zoom in on my shoes. "While we're still on that, did you take my boots off?"
The girl studied her nails, which were gelled blue, like I was no importance to her. Probably not, but, being kind has to be on her mind, right?
"If you wanted to go on the quest, too late, Verity," she said, pronouncing my name like crap. Okay, fine, my pseudonym of a name. I shivered, and took my hoodie off, and put my feet in the sleeves. I'm definitely not the brightest, because, of course, my legs slipped through the sleeves. Very useful.
"Do you usually act like you're missing a few brain cells?" The girl watched my antics, looking like she lost her dignity, while I looked shameless. "Just because we're Roman doesn't mean we don't own shoe racks." She pointed to the wall on her right, and I ran to it, forgetting, ahem, my clothing.
"AH!" I pushed my hands so I wouldn't fall, but that ended my feet sliding, and I fell, bottom down. "Made it," I managed, and accepted her hand. Ooh, pretty nails.
I started putting the socks rolled carefully in a boot. "You technically didn't answer either of my questions," I mused, and looked up at her, tying my laces. She narrowed her eyes at me, which looked almost gray, but somehow brown. She studied me as I got up, and I felt like a lab rat.
"May I help you?" The snark needs to go.
"Did you always have those bruises and scars on your arms?" Her voice was gentle, and I looked down, seeing the dark splotches and cuts decorating my skin. I shrugged, replying, "Life of the gods' descendant, eh. So, what happened?"
She sighed, and started walking, me jogging behind. Don't you dare slow down, Verity. Reyna will give you the most weirdest punishments ever invented and have everyone ogle. "Hold up, I still never got your name."
Her ponytail almost whipped me, and I spit out the strands. Gee, thanks. "I'm Ka'lyn, alright?
"I'll be nice, so don't test my patience," she ordered. We were still walking, and during that time, I had managed to pull my hoodie on. Whew.
"You don't know Harry, or Juliana, but it was Harry who talked, making you…collapse," she added dryly. I was more than tempted to interject a comment, but held my tongue. She paused to give fist bumps and greetings to some campers walking by us. "All the praetors explained were that the three members for the quest were chosen. They've been gone by now, by the way," she added, glancing at me. I made a strangled expression, gesturing to my mouth, making choking noises. She face palmed and grit, "I never told you couldn't talk, Verity."
"So, is Harry the son of Trivia?" I asked. "Because I'm pretty sure he's Harry Potter." I grinned, but got no reaction, instead, a glare. "Spoilsport," I muttered.
"But is he?" After receiving Ka'lyn's nod, I piled more information on my hypothesis. "And Juliana, the daughter of…Hebe?" Gods, what was her Roman equivalent?
"Juventus? Yes, she is." Ka'lyn stopped in front of a building, where I first had gone to, where the praetors talked. She knocked on the door, and said, "It's Ka'lyn, from the Fourth Cohort, praetors, and I'm with Verity."
I couldn't hear Frank rushing to the door. Guess only Hazel has that…charm. I fidgeted with my fingers, and managed, "Thanks." Ka'lyn gave me a strange look, like, 'You're-not-so-bad-kid.'
"Just, don't go around fainting too much. You might finish Camp's stock of ambrosia and nectar in the time you're here, falling whenever a guy talks." She smirked, and my face with warm. "That's disgusting considering me and Caxton," I shot.
She laughed loudly, and regained her composure when the door opened, revealing reyna, a Lar next to her. I remembered him vaguely, the one that had suggested Frank go around naked. Well, three quarters, since boxers—let's not go there.
"Praetors, Vitellius," Ka'lyn acknowledged, nodding her head towards them, almost like 'Wassup, homies?'. My knees buckled, and I bent, and when Vitellius commented, "This girl knows respect," I realized it looked like I was curtsying.
Heat bloomed on my cheeks, and I wasn't positive if I was embarrassed, proud, or about to slap myself for being so weary from walking.
"Thank you, Ka'lyn," Reyna replied. "You're excused from whatever duties for the day for taking care of Verity." She nodded at her, who nodded in concern, and, before leaving,bumping my clenched fist with hers, lightly. I felt an electric shock, and when she left, I felt like I was holding a very thin string.
Strange.
"Verity, come in." Reyna seemed more at ease, as she walked inside. Frank gave me a tight smile, and I thought of Hazel. Was she—no. She couldn't be.
We sat down, well, minus the Lar, course. "How's Hazel doing?" I blurted, feeling anxious. Frank exhaled, before answering. "She can move now, talk, but can't remember what happened. A friend of hers, Katherine Reed, told us that their bunks were ripped ad torn apart, like someone was looking for something. This is where you come in, Verity." Reyna folded her hands at the wrist, like a professional henchman. (that's a very scary thought, Reyna, a henchman. Ooh)
"Yeah, I didn't steal anything?" I answered helpfully. Vitellius peered at me, his features gruff. "You're very respectful, I'll give you that," he admitted grudgingly, "but you look suspicious. Back in my day, honesty was honoured." He leaned closer to my face, while I leaned back. "Whoa, okay, sir, but I think you forgot I was unconscious almost the entire time, during my time at Camp Jupiter. You can't be implying I was sleepwalking, because all times, there were people watching over me. " I want to know if they liked watching me sleepy. Gods, that sounds wrong and creepy, ew.
Frank cleared his throat, giving me and Vitellius a meaningful look. I raised my hands in surrender as Vitellius backed up. Is it humanly possible to push a gho—I mean Lar?
"I believe you, despite, ahem"—Frank looks pointedly at Vitellius, who harrumphs—" some may believe, but you popping out of nowhere—"
"Actually, I was by the river, and Hazel found me," I interjected, feeling defensive.
"And the gods showing us a prophecy to our augur, and Hazel just got paralysed, all after you coming to Camp Jupiter?" Frank went on, completely ignoring me. "Cliché or?" He raised his hands in frustration, before running a hand through his hair. It had grown a little more. Reyna looked back and forth between us, noticing the tension. I exhaled.
"I don't know," I admitted. "So if you want to, kick me out, whatever. I'll probably have a dragon come from the sky during teatime."
Vitellius gazed at me. Don't jinx it, it said.
"Well, you're on probation, Verity." Reyna whistled, and her two hounds stepped from behind her chair. "And you weren't lying, or Aurum and Argentum would've torn you to shreds. No, Verity," she added, after my noticing my furious look, "we don't know how you and Romulus Blake aren't on good terms, but he spoke no lies when he was here. So don't even go there."
Death's evident during the quest.
Rex. I felt cold, despite my warm hoodie. He was by my chair, across from Vitellius, who frowned, and looked around (Ooh, that rhymed). I tried not to look mistrustful, but of course, I was looking right at the guy, man, fine, Lar , who had called me suspicious looking. Maybe it was the hair…
"I got two questions. What is probation? I'm not a criminal, right?" I started hyperventilating, and gripped the armrests tightly. Drama queen, Rex chortled, and I felt him tugging on my ponytail, lightly, before disappearing or however he vanished. Ow.
"What do the people these days say? 'Chill'?" I nodded, and Vitellius scowled. "Well then, chill! You're just on trial, meaning you could do anything you want but no trouble. Or you'll be out, and you'll like it." I relaxed, brightening up.
"So, ROMULUS WAS IN HERE?!" I tensed again, and slumped back in the chair after receiving an eye roll from everyone else in the room. Man, it sucks being the youngest. Did Hazel feel like this ever? Probably not.
"He spoke nothing about you, calm down," Frank told me. "He was here with the other questers, and they left, approximately…" Frank checked the clock above the door. "Two hours and fifteen minutes ago." He gave me an impressed look. "For someone whose new and curious about, well, basically everything, you're a heavy sleeper, got to hand that to you, Verity."
I narrowed my eyes. "May I be excused to talk to…Caxton?" I noticed the jewelled hounds, and how they were baring their fangs at me. After a quick thinking, I added quickly added, "He said he'll talk to me privately."
Fine, he never even mentioned that, but he was dropping hint bombs when we were in the weapons room with Romulus. He had stuff to tell me, right?
The hounds relaxed and paced back and forth, reminding me of centurions. Roman jokes, anyone?
Reyna extended her hands, and her, um, 'pets' walked to it, and she rubbed their heads affectionately. "Just remember, you're on probation," Reyna reminded, before saying yes. The moment that door hit the frame, I was running all the way to the Fifth Cohort barracks, maintaining my energy that it was a pity Reyna wasn't able to see this.
Caxton…to be honest, I had no clue where Lars went when teenagers faint in front of the whole Camp, so decided to go to Hazel Levesque. Of course, as soon as I stepped out of the door, there were campers everywhere, asking me questions I could barely hear and/or had answers to.
A Hispanic girl, around Ka'lyn's age, noticed me running towards her, I hoped, Cohort, and stopped me. "Whoa, cowgirl, you Verity?" Gasping, I nodded, and she studied me, smacking her gum in her mouth before blowing a light blue bubble.
"Yeah, I think Hazel's looking for you," she informed, and grabbed my arm, pulling me inside the quarters. "Yoo-hoo, Hazel, I found your VIF!"
"Um, thanks?"
"Oh, that's just 'very important fainter."
"Probably deserved that."
"Verity!" Hazel tackled me into a hug, and I breathed out the words I saw while I was conked out.
"Nico and Arion will aid the fourth."
)(()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()())(
Before you throw that confetti, I'm not technically people. Just here on ffn, adding another chapter to this story, about to update stuff on profile—Maybe I'm back, so let the rejoicing begin!
Haha, I know. I think I missed this site more than I thought, so wow. Anyway, how is this new update? I've grown, how shall I put this, older, so I think I lost that usual Verity charm. Seriously hoping that I didn't. So, a QOTC? Old habits definitely don't die, I guess.
QOTC: Who is Arion?
Be warned, expect a really late sneak peek, though. Ciao and Happy Thanksgiving!