"Ohana means family.
Family means nobody gets left behind."
-Stitch; Lilo and Stitch
CHAPTER 5: Families and Politics
A semicircle of tiered seats faced a dais with a podium and three chairs.
Murmurs erupted among the senate about having three praetors instead of the usual two. One would have to go back to the Greeks but who it would be was the question. Jason sat on the first from the left of the chairs. He had donned the ceremonial cape and toga with golden clamps on his shoulders. His gaze was fierce and confident but Piper could tell he was nervous of facing senate again.
Politics will always be a pain in the podex, even for a camp of demigods.
Reyna sat on the center chair, her posture regal and tense. She had on white, silky robes with a golden belt to match. The purple cape laid out behind her with the same golden clamps that Jason wore. Aurum and Argentum on either side of her, growling quietly, eying the senate with a purposeful goal: make a chew toy out of annoying protesters.
Percy was on the last seat, garbed in the same clothing as Jason. His eyes eyed the senate calmly but dangerously, exactly like the calm before the storm. He unconsciously twirled the edge of his cape between his fingers, growing bored and irritated by the murmurs that reached his ears.
On the rest of the room, there sat the centurions, the senate, several ghosts, veterans and the Greeks. The Romans were all in formal togas while the Greeks had donned their best armors and gears but no weapons. Weapons weren't allowed inside New Rome. The god of boundaries, Terminus, had insisted that they leave their weapons behind the Pomerian Line quite vehemently.
"The people of New Rome and visitors," Reyna said and the room quieted. Reyna nodded at the Greeks briefly before continuing. "We call this meeting upon obvious reasons. One, and our top priority, is to defeat Gaea and her children of Giants. Two, one of our visitors' comrade had been taken by said enemy."
"Then, let them deal with it! It's their comrade." One of the senators complained.
Jason glared at the senator. "Roman or not, she is a child of the gods. Annabeth Chase is the daughter of Athena and one of the leaders of Camp Half-Blood. Gaea plans to sacrifice her life in reparation for the downfall of the Titans. If this happens, we'll not only lose a valuable ally but we'll still face the wrath of the earth goddess. We're not as stupid as she thinks to believe her vengeance will end with one demigod."
The senate murmured in low tones, their eyes darting from Jason to Percy, no doubt comparing the two and to see if Percy would be baited to prove himself as well. Percy merely looked thoughtful at the notion of losing Annabeth forever, as if he was merely debating if wasting resources to save the Greek leader would be a benefit to him or the Legion.
Piper looked proud at Jason and Leo was inconspicuously giving him a thumbs-up. Thalia was proud of Jason, too, but looking at Percy only boiled her blood. Her eyes met with Hazel and she shrugged slightly in sympathy.
"Jason is right. We have to help in any manner we can. A team will be dispatched on a quest to find Annabeth Chase and also lead a scout party as they do so. I volunteer to go on this quest, find Annabeth Chase and bring news that will help us plan and win this war." Reyna said.
"You?" Percy asked her, frowning. All eyes turned to him but he didn't seem to care. He only had eyes for Reyna and they spoke in a silent language Thalia had only seen Percy use with Annabeth.
"We need to get her back, Percy." Jason said, annoyance creeping into his diplomatic voice. "Camp Half-Blood will follow no one else but her since you're pretty determined to stay away from them."
"Why? Camp Half-Blood has done nothing for us." Percy demanded. A murmur of agreement erupted from the senate. The Greeks were seething from where they sat. Piper was glaring at every single Roman that agreed with Percy and Leo's hands were smoking. Thalia simply looked murderous.
"If you don't, then you won't stand a chance." A voice said.
Everyone turned at the entrance of the Senate House. There, clad in black, Nico di Angelo stood in all his dark glory. His dark eyes were blank, his pale skin almost sickly and his lean posture straight. Percy glared at him while Thalia, Hazel and Piper smiled at him. Jason and Leo seemed surprise but recovered quickly and gave a curt nod. Well, Jason did. Leo grinned at him toothily. The other Romans didn't seem surprised at all, some seemed irritated. He walked into the room and stood in front of the dais, turning to face the crowd with his back to the praetors.
"Annabeth Chase is the key to winning this war. In rescuing her, you gain the favor of the Greeks. And though, the Roman Legion is undoubtedly strong, it is not strong enough to win this alone. You need all the allies available to you and the Greeks are a force to be reckon with as well. Together with the Legion, you are formidable. She's also not simply a leader and a demigod of the Greeks but she is also one of the Seven." Nico said.
"The Seven?" one of the centurions, Dakota, asked.
"I think your augur could enlighten you with that." Nico offered, gesturing to Octavian who was more than glad to take the spotlight. He took Nico's place as Nico stepped back, right beside Percy. Octavian stood tall in front of the dais and looked at his fellow Romans with a smug expression on his face.
"There is an ancient prophecy, written hundreds of years ago. We call it the Prophecy of Seven. Its words are these;" Octavian said, his voice taking in an animated tone and he cleared his throat. "Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire, the world must fall. An oath to keep with a final breath. And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death."
The Greek campers have heard it before. Thalia knew it was the very first prophecy Rachel Elizabeth Dare had uttered ever since becoming the Oracle. The Romans murmured to themselves, the ghosts appearing and disappearing and Reyna sat, thoughtful, Jason stared knowingly and Percy was speaking with Nico is hush tones. They seemed to be arguing but what about, Thalia didn't know. When Octavian finished, Nico stepped forward, throwing Percy one last disappointed glare and put a hand on Octavian's shoulder. The Roman jumped at his touch and glared at him but Nico ignored him.
"The Seven is known. The Oracle of Delphi had a vision of their identity." Nico said. "One of them is Annabeth Chase."
Reyna nodded. "Then it's settled. We send a rescue party to save Annabeth Chase. I will make preparations."
Nico shook his head. "You can't come on this quest, Reyna."
"Why not?" she demanded, almost angrily.
"Because no one would be left to lead the Roman camp." Nico stated simply.
"What about me? I'm a praetor and I'm not going anywhere." Percy retorted, glaring at Nico severely.
"You'll have to. You're one of the Seven, too." Nico said.
"Why do I have to go?" Percy almost whined, glancing at Reyna who was looking at him with a hidden panic beneath her stoic gaze.
"Because, Percy," Thalia yelled, exasperated, finally losing her patience. All Romans turned to her, some with distaste, others on edge. "As part of the Seven, you are obligated to take part. We need the best to be on the front lines and overcome this before it gets out of hand and as much of a petulant dick you've become, you're one of the strongest demigod to be born. We need your help. Be a jerk all you want, but do your duty as a leader and protect innocent lives!"
The Romans were stunned silent. Again. They seemed to be doing this a lot whenever Thalia Grace spoke up. Some of the more open minded Romans, like Dakota, looked impress. The others, not so much. Jason looked proudly at her and the others threw her a beaming smile. Even Nico smirked at her.
"Then, it's settled," Leo said. "Jackson's coming with us. We go save Annabeth. Kick some ugly, evil goddess butt. Save the world. Sounds like a plan."
Reyna scowled at empty air but she reluctantly nodded. Jason looked satisfied with the meeting while Percy had murder in his green eyes. Senates and ghost alike started to protest. But Nico touched his index finger on his lips and they quieted against their ghostly will while Piper sighed, frustrated, and stood gracefully, speaking in soft and persuasive charmspeak.
"Please, stop talking." She said.
Every moving mouth was clamped shut.
The centurions took their place.
"Did she just-"
"How did she-"
Piper glared at them and they quieted immediately. If a girl who could bend you to her will demands silence, by the gods, you give it to her.
"Nico," Thalia called after it was silent enough. Nico turned to her, eyebrows raising questioningly. "You gave us the information and it seemed like you know a lot of things already. Tell us. Where do you think we should start looking?"
"That's easy, Thalia. An army of dirt creatures had already started to gather in that area. Though, Hercules' power remains strong keeping outside forces in, Gaea clearly knew another route to bypass his boundaries." Nico said. When the hint of Hercules didn't seem to ring any bell with any of the campers, Nico elaborated. "Gaea plans to sacrifice her at the foot of Mount Olympus, the original home of the gods."
Percy was on an island, the sea and sky meeting each other, blue against blue. He was walking along the shore line for no apparent reason. He breathed in the sensation of being so close to his territory, filling him up with strength and heightened his senses.
"You will need that." A voice said. Someone was walking beside him but he can't seem to look at her. She was familiar somehow, her voice, the smell that came off her skin, her presence, the entire island. They all rang little bells in his head.
"They found me, Percy." She said.
"Who found you?" Percy said, still looking out to the beach.
"Gaea."
"Why was she looking for you?"
"Because I have something she wants."
"Which is?"
"Time."
"Can you be a little more specific than that?"
She laughed. "There are many hidden treasures in earth and across the universe. Time is one of them. I am the guardian of Time. And she has found me."
"What is she planning to do with Time?"
"That is exactly why I came to find you. To warn you." She placed her hand on his shoulder gently and they both stopped. Percy was still compelled to look straight to the ocean. He couldn't turn around and face her. He tried but each time he did his body would tell him 'No-not-enough-ocean'.
But she was familiar, an old friend. His body relaxed under her touch. Maybe she was the blonde girl underneath the glass?
No, a part of his brain disagreed. Not her.
"Who are you?"
"My identity is precious, young demigod, but we have met before."
"We have?"
"I cannot say any more. Time is running short. This dream is ending. But soon, you will learn the truth. I will help. You must follow me."
"How do I know I can trust you?"
"You can't."
Percy said nothing.
"Be careful, my hero."
Percy woke up, not with a start but with a slight tremble in his hands. The dream was made by someone very powerful and the trembling was an aftershock. He swung his legs on the edge of the bed and rubbed a hand down his face. He sighed. He got up, stretched and went into the shower.
Who was that girl? Did the Greeks know her? Is she an enemy? Should I believe her? Percy thought.
They ran over and over again in his head. He trudged down to his living room and he wasn't surprised to see Reyna there and a smile came readily to his lips. But then he noticed her scowl and uneasiness and finally noticed another presence in his house. Thalia Grace sat cross-legged on the plush white couch in her full battle regalia. Her tiara gleamed silver even in daylight, her armor shining, her bow was strapped on her back and she looked positively innocent. Too innocent.
"What are you doing here?" Percy demanded.
"Good morning to you, too." Thalia muttered as she got up, sarcasm dripping off every word. Percy unconsciously took Reyna's hand and twirled it tight. She squeezed reassuringly. Thalia tried to look like she didn't notice.
"I just came by to make a truce." Thalia said.
"Not accepted. Get out." Percy said, frowning.
Thalia sighed, looking weary. Percy almost felt bad. Almost.
"Can we talk?" Thalia said then glanced at Reyna. "Privately."
"No." Percy said but Reyna looked at him and smiled slightly though it looked more like a grimace.
"I'll need to talk to Octavian then go and prepare a council meeting. We have a war to plan." She said and untwined her hand out of his reluctantly. As she walked away, Percy looked at her, almost pensively. But the moment passed and he went back to glaring at Thalia.
"Make it quick." He snapped.
"Look, Jackson," Thalia started. "Let's call it quits, okay? Percy, no matter how much we can't stand each other—"
"Got that right."
"—And we'll probably spend a good amount of time wanting to strangle each other—"
"Glad you have a working brain under that tiara, Grace."
"My point is," Thalia hissed and sighed. "No matter what, Percy, you are my family. And you can't give up on family. You taught me that"
Percy took a moment and swallowed. "What about Jason? Isn't he your family?"
Thalia smiled sadly. "I didn't even know my brother was alive until a few months ago. For a long time it's only been me, you, Annabeth, Grover and—.. and Chiron." Her eyes glazed over, lost in memories and Percy saw how truly old Thalia was. Her proud posture slumped slightly and she sighed. She looked him straight in the eyes, sky blue on ocean green. "No matter what you think, I will always be your older cousin and I don't know about Romans but we Greeks take care of our family. No matter how tempting it is to turn around and never look back."
Percy took a moment before whispering, "Romans do that, too."
Thalia smiled. Percy noticed it was purely genuine and content. He swallowed another lump growing in his throat.
"I'm glad to hear it." She said. Her smile grew into a grin. "Now, pack up. We have a goddess to knock out back to dreamland."
Percy can't help but grin back to another Greek for the first time in a long time.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry it took such a long time to post this. I've been debating how it progresses from here. I decided to change so much I'm unsure how to go about it. But it will be done. Don't worry. Comment and let me know what you think.