Chapter 2
The Truth comes with a Test
(Sean)

I walked into my house with Jason to find my mom cooking in the kitchen. She was cooking Pasta, the one she always has on her lunch break; beside that, on the stove was her father's spaghetti sauce shipped from Italy. Jason asked my mom if there was enough for both of us and I slapped the back of his head, giving him a look.
"Mom, I was attacked today."

My mother immediately stopped what she was doing and turned to face me, her face full of concern.
"What do you mean you were attack, by who?"

"Devon attacked me-"

"I should have seen it coming, I'm sorry I didn't stop him sooner" Jason interrupted

"I don't understand" my mother was scared, but not for herself. It made me feel awful.

"Mom, I need to know who my dad is, it's part of it. I think you know that." I was trying not to sound angry, but I was. How could she keep something this big from me?

My mother gestured for me to sit while she sat; she grabbed my hands across from the kitchen table.

"Sean, your father was a great man, but I don't know who he was, you know I would of told you if I did." the same answer as usually. However, this time I was not taking it.
"Mom, I know that my father was a god," I said very quietly and lightly.

Her eyes widened and shook her head, she took a deep breath.
"He is a god, but I don't know which one, he was an amazingly kind man, you two look so much alike. I'm sorry, he told me I couldn't tell you. He told me that you would never be accepted in the mortal world and to send you to a city, but I couldn't put myself through it. To just send you away." she turned to Jason. "Is it time, does he have to go?"
"Yes, after today he should go, he'll be safer, he has to train." he said like he meant it, which helps slightly.
"What happened exactly?" Jason told her about Devon.

She was a little mad that Jason didn't know about Devon sooner but Jason said he wasn't a Protector he can't sniff out monsters like regular Protectors which were supposed to be fauns. The oracle told them I was special they sent the best fighter to keep me safe, and Jason was the best.
"Why am I so special?" I asked
"I don't know"
"hmm, mom you really don't know who my father is"

She turned away and walked into the other room. She came back with a picture of me, my father, and my mother I was a baby it was right after my birth.
"Sean this is a picture of your father, before he had to return to Olympus," she said lightly as if she hoped this day would not come. The person was tall, handsome, had a beard and a serious face. He was smiling and holding me happily, as if he won the lottery.
"I don't know what his god name is but his name here on earth was Julius," my mother said.
"Thanks mom" I hugged her and she kissed my forehead. I turned to Jason.
"When do I get to go to this city, Jason?" he nodded.
"I'll be right back" Jason didn't answer my question, but walked out the front door and outside.
"Sean" my mother grabbed my arm and in her other hand was a sword. She handed me the sword. It was gold like Jason's with a black leather handle, and was perfectly balanced.
"Your father warned me that you are different Sean, don't trust anyone. Okay?"
"I can trust Jason mom." I said to reassure her.
"Promise me not to trust anyone just yet, okay?" She looked very concerned, it kind of scared me.
"Okay, I promise." I said just to get her to stop giving me that look.
"And Sean, I know what happens next, you will be tested to see if you are strong" still giving me that look. I hugged her.
"I will be fine mom, I promise. I'll show you" I smiled, she fake smiled back at me.

Jason came back into the room.
"We have to go, it's time"

Jason said to my mom. She hugged me for reassurance.
"Remember what I told you, and trust your instincts."

With that, we left and took Jason's car and headed west. We were on the highway and it was deadly silent for almost an hour oh driving, I couldn't take it anymore.

"How do you do it?" I asked. Jason took a minute to answer.

"I guess, you just don't think about it, it becomes the norm."

"How can you live a life like this? Constantly fighting, watching your back all the time, doesn't it ever wear you down?"

"Yeah, but when you get to the city, you'll see it's easier to handle."

"Why's that?"

"Because you're not the only one anymore, you got a family."

"Where's your family? Are they at this city?" I swore I saw his eyes spark with anger.

"Maybe, I'll tell you another time, after you're tested."

And that was the end of our conversation, until he told me to rest up before we get there. So I listened and climbed into the back and went to sleep. When I woke up we were pulling into a park, then we veered right and drove down a long dirt road. We got out and started walking up to a huge stone mansion, with a gateway in front that said in Latin Wolf House.
"Go in" Jason ordered with a very serious face, the most serious I have seen yet.

I walked into the wolf house alone trying to feel confident but I was mostly concerned that what I find here isn't going to be easy to overcome. I walked down this hallway with lots of cool Greek and Roman art, even some Celtic and Norse relics, The first thing I saw was a picture of a wolf with two babies sucking on the wolf's nipples. 'Weird' was the first thing that came to mind. Then I saw a painting on the wall, it was two brothers building the city of Rome, at least I thought it was Rome. Then out of nowhere I heard a growl, I looked around and I was still in this very long narrow hallway, so I stopped admiring the art and kept walking, at the end of the hall we're stairs. I looked up the stairs, and saw nothing dangerous. So I walked up the stairs still ready for an attack. I reached the top floor and saw another statue of a goddess. She was probably my age or little younger, she was naked with a bow and arrow it was made out of bronze and very well done. Again, when I was admiring the art in this place I heard another growl, this time it was a lot closer. I followed the sound into another room. I walked into this room which was dome shaped, the room was literally a circle and in the center of the room was a reddish brown wolf, not a wolf statue an actually living breathing wolf. The wolf was staring at me and growling silently almost like a cats purr. Then while staring at the wolf right into its eyes, I could understand it, she spoke in my mind, the only way I can describe it is like an echo in your mind.
"Who am I?"

I immediately thought you are the wolf that was in my dream. Then another memory came to me, a more recent memory. The statue early with the wolf feeding the baby's.
"Lupa the she-wolf goddess" I said as confidently, which surprised me.
"Very good, many don't care to know my name, which in itself was a test. You take in your surroundings; you notice and take in all information that you can, impressive. Child are you as strong as observant?"
"Yes"
"Good, you will have three tests here, Child." She narrowed her eyes towards a 6-Foot wide wooden door on the far side.
"Test one."

Then the door opened. I saw a lion with super sharp teeth and about twice as big as an actually lion. So I unsheathed my sword and stepped forward. The lion came out and growled out fire.
"Fight!"

The lion charge as soon as Lupa barked out her kill order. I ran towards the fire breathing lion and that's when the fun began. I ran at the lion and it shot fire right at my upper torso. While running I slide right under the fire and was directly under the lion. I stabbed the lion right in its belly and it roared in rage. From the wound poured out monster dust then it explode all over me. I stood covered in monster dust, and turned to Lupa.
"What's next Lupa!" and smiled arrogantly. Lupa smiled in an amused way.
"The next test is going to be more challenging, but I think you can handle it"

Uh oh.

"Send out the Hippoi Diomedios".

I knew what that was I learned it in Greek mythology class. A man-eating horse owned by some king. Heracles fetched them as one of his twelve labors to the gods. I waited for it to appear. Then I saw it. It was 8 feet tall and had spiked hooves, I forget that the myth also says they were breed for war, they were made to kill. It looked mad at me, kind of, like a fat kid does with cake.
"FIGHT!"

I charged the horse, the horse flew up and shot back down towards me and kicked me right in the gut. I flew back and fell on my back, it was about to slam its entire weight on me, but I rolled away seconds before, then whack I was kicked again. I rolled a couple of feet away and, my rib was most likely broken. I stood up and despite it failing the first time, I still charged it. The horse came down for another kick, but I grabbed the leg as soon as it shot towards me. I mounted the horse and stabbed it in the neck. The horse and it screamed in pain and fell to the ground and I fell down with it. I fell right on my bad ribs that were most likely broken. Then as I was thinking about the pain in my torso, Lupa growled.
"Get up Child, one last test" I stood up.
"Let's do this" I said weakly
"Very well, your last test is me, you must defeat me." she smiled amused at the thought.
"Perfect." I muttered under my breath. Mostly because I was wounded and tired, and knew there was no way, I could win this.
"FIGHT!" Lupa charged at me so fast I couldn't react.

She tackled me to the ground and tried to bit me, but I elbowed her right in the snout. I pushed off her and she whined in pain. While she whined I slashed at her to get some breathing room, but she jumped up and clawed my left cheek with three little claw cuts bleeding from my face.
"Come on" she was toying with me.
'Stab not slash' I listened to this hallucination and tricked Lupa.

I stood up and she came at me for the final kill. At the last second, I faked a slash, rolled onto my knees, and stabbed her right in her side. She whined again, but not in pain; it was purely angry. She tackled me so hard I hit my head on the ground and was dazed, she bit my right hand, and I dropped my sword.
"You are a very strong warrior, your father must be one of the elder three, welcome into my army child" She got off me, then bit my shirt and sat me up. "Come, Jason will be happy you passed." I stood up, barley and followed Lupa out of the mansion where Jason was outside waiting.
"Where are we going, Lupa" I said.
"To the Eternal City of course, you passed, you are more than worthy" I saw Jason staring at me waiting for something special.
"Jason, grab on to my fur we shall go to the city through me," Lupa ordered.
Jason groaned as if he hated that.

"What about the car Lupa?"

She smirked and looked at Jason like this 'you want me to eat your car'
"I said grab on Jason, you to child" I listen to her and grabbed her fur, but I wish I hadn't.

We twisted through time and space and suddenly we came to a complete stop, my stomach felt like it shot up into my throat and into my knees and back to my stomach. We were in a beautiful grass hillside city and in front of a giant gateway. On top it said in Latin "The Eternal City" through the gateway were many kids like me. Younger and older, the oldest I saw then was 16-17, in the distance down a hill were 14 bunkers, in the further distance on top of another hill was the Coliseum, and a leaning tower of Pisa. There was so much more in the far distance. I was excited to think this would be my new home. But sad that my mother would not be a part of it.