Pablo

I sat in New Rome quietly. Unusual for me I must say. I gently sipped my espresso and watched the people pass. An old man walked hand and hand with his granddaughter, shop owners shouted greetings across the street to each other, fellow legionnaires chatted and enjoyed their Sunday afternoon off. The whole city reminded me of home.

I'd a knack for trouble as a kid. My hometown, Silves, was perfect for an aspiring thief. It was a sleepy city in the south of Portugal full of narrow streets and slippery cobbles. The sort of place travel books described as typical. An ancient Moorish castle overlooked the city and its ancient walls protected it from the advancing world. But, like most places tourism had made its mark. I'm not complaining though, it was all good business for me. I could unbuckle a fanny pack, pick a pocket and beg for a few euro all at once. The local polícia turned a blind eye so long as they got a cut and tourists were usually back in their hotels before they noticed anything was amiss. The only person who was troubled by my petty thievery was my mother. She'd drag me to church every day of the week and make me confess to the Padre. She blamed it all on my absent father. He had bad Italian blood. Every thing that went wrong for us was my fathers fault.

The threats of hell never deterred me of course. It just added to the excitement. Eventually my mother issued her final threat. She told me the story of Mormo. Mormo was old and gnarled and grey. She would roam the cities of Europe in her shawls and bite any child who stole or misbehaved. She'd gone after my father once but he'd outsmarted her, so she was especially hungry for his children's blood. I laughed at her and paid the story no heed. She was always trying to scare me straight, it was the Catholic way after all.

I was casually going through the pockets of an overweight German tourist outside the cathedral the next day, when a Roma beggar lady grabbed me. I kicked and thrashed but couldn't break free. She croaked out a low guttural moan that might have been laughter and clamped her rotting teeth down onto my fingers. It took a while for people to react to my screams but eventually they came and drove her off. I was carried back to my mothers house, screaming and clutching the bleeding stumps on my left hand. Afterwards no one believed me when I told them about her murky yellow eyes or her endless rows of teeth. No one but my mother. She cried and held me told me it wasn't my fault and that it was my fathers curse.

After that we moved to America. She said Portugal had become too dangerous for me. Enemies of my father would come for me and her. I was too young to understand of course, but I was happy to go. The idea of travel excited me, the idea of America exhilarated me. It was a big adventure.

The rest is pretty standard Demigod stuff. I ended up in the Wolf House, training with Lupa. Grew faster, harder and stronger. Learnt I was the son of a god. Eventually made my way south to the Legion. As I crossed the little Tiber I was claimed. A son of Mercury. I'd no letters of recommendation, no family in New Rome but I was vouched for by a legionnaire of the fourth cohort. A mountain cunningly disguised as a demigod called Horace. Nice guy. I think. Didn't converse in words so much as grunts but he looked out for me. My first week I may have given cheek to someone who turned out to be a son of Mars. He only managed to break two of my ribs before Horace caved his skull in. Nice guy.

I snapped out of my reminiscences as Liam Twomey plonked himself down at my table and started grinning lazily at me. Turned out the kid was a Legacy, of Jupiter no less. Descended from Hercules. I'd been filled in by his uncle Antonio who ran the chariot shop downtown. Antonio's sister, Liam's mother, had left New Rome at nineteen, wanted to live a normal immortal free life. She'd managed it too until Liam's scent had gotten too strong. The monster attacks had gotten too frequent so she sent him off to the Wolf House. A bit harsh and a bit selfish. You could take the Roman out of Rome but you couldn't take Rome out of the Roman eh.

"Enjoying New Rome?" I asked

"Too much lad," he drawled, "If the food doesn't kill me the women will."

I laughed, "Don't get used to it kid. You're joining the legion today. We'll have you digging ditches in no time."

He just gave a nervous laugh and looked around himself. The medics had done an good job on him, a garish scar on his left temple but that was it. The matted black fur he'd called hair had been cropped short, roman style, and his tattered rags replaced with a purple t-shirt and black jeans. He'd be good looking if he was about five inches shorter and thirty pounds heavier. The women of Rome had nothing to fear from this would be womanizer. He gave me a funny look when he caught me laughing but I waved him off.

"Come on man" I said. "Lets get you to Camp."

Liam

Life in New Rome was great whilst it lasted. I couldn't understand why Mam wouldn't want to live here. I'd always been told of the family history, that we were descended from Jove and had the strength of Hercules. I'd believed them too. I'd no reason not to, but I don't think it sunk in till my fifteenth birthday. That's the day I hurled my teacher through a wall. Turned out he was a monster so it was okay with me, but try telling the cops that. I went on the run, with my parents blessing of course, and headed for the Wolf House. That's were I learnt about my powers. I'm quite weak usually, fifty percent skin fifty percent bone, but when adrenaline starts pumping I'm like a god amongst men. It's enough to scare me sometimes. Lupa told me there were plenty of kids with powers at camp, some a lot more dangerous than mine. At least I wouldn't be a freak to them.

Terminus stopped us at the Pomerian Line. I'd been warned about him by my uncle but it was still a surreal sight. An ancient Roman statue that could probably vaporize me without a second thought.

Pablo turned to me and murmured , "Play it cool."

I looked at him questioningly but before I could say anything Terminus stopped us.

"Who do we have here? Pablo Trapaceiro and a new face. Who is this?"

"Eh, Liam Twomey" I said.

"Oh yes, I heard you were coming. Regulation haircut, camp approved clothing." He was staring at me as if he was trying to find something to chide me about.

"Entirely too tall though. Try to shave a few inches off for the next time."

"Er... I'll do my best..."

He turned his attention to Pablo who flashed an innocent smile.

"Pablo Trapaceiro... I don't suppose you'd turn out your pockets for me?"

Pablo gave him a 'who me?' look and turned them out.

"Polo mints, three Denarii, some lint..."

"I'm a changed man Terminus" he said, "That lecture you gave me the last time really straightened me out."

I shook my head incredulously. Butter wouldn't melt.

"Hmm. Good. I believe Julia has your weapon, Julia!"

A little girl of about eleven stepped out from behind him with a deadly looking golden blade. It was somewhere between a scythe and a dagger.

"Thank you M'lady" Pablo said before leaning into a bow so deep he almost fell over. Julia giggled and blushed.

" Now, now." Terminus said, "On your way, some of use have work to do"

"Of Course Lord Terminus" Pablo intoned. He gave a quick salute before hurrying off. I followed.

"So does he always check you like that?" I asked.

"Every time" Pablo grinned. "It's gotten to be a game for me really."

"But did you steal something?"

"Of course I did. Everything I'm wearing."

I just shook my head and laughed. This guy was something else. I studied him as we walked. He was short and lean, dark skin and curly black hair but with bright blue eyes. He had an angelic face but his manic smile and glinting eyes betrayed his mischievous nature. He was like a satanic cherub.

Two guards stopped us outside the camps walls. They took off their helmets as we approached and I was struck by the contrast. The first guard was a girl, about fourteen I'd say. She was small and impish and had a pretty face, not gorgeous, but pretty. She smiled warmly at me like we were old friends but then grimaced when Pablo started flirting with her. The other guard had a Germanic look about him and had to be part giant. He was approaching seven foot tall, and was more muscle than man. He glared at me impassively like he'd sized me up already and had come to the conclusion that I wasn't even worth killing.

Pablo took care of the introductions. He quickly nodded to the girl, "Rebecca this is Liam,"
I went to shake her hand put Pablo stood in between us and turned me towards the behemoth.

"And this is Horace, you've already met briefly of course. Ready for round two with this big string of misery, eh Horace?"

Horace grunted genially and shook my hand with monstrous paw. "Welcome to the Legion" he drawled in a Texas monotone.

"Don't get too attached yet Horace. He has to make it past two Praetors and an augur yet. We'll see you guys later, hopefully." Pablo said.

He steered me past them and in through the gates of Camp Jupiter.

"Horace likes you" he grinned.

"What did you mean 'get past' Praetors and an Augur?"

He looked at me like I was a bit slow. "Well we have to see if they'll let you live don't we?"