The dreaded day came so quickly. They arrived at the border when the sun was rising, casting long shadows on the golden grass. Maggie imagined the boars were big, but they were about the size of Jet with brown fur and warty faces with giant ivory tusks. They all were well muscled and had a few scars here or there, some fresh from fights and campers trying to kill them. They were everywhere around the camp, forcing everyone to be trapped in the city where it was walled up, even the military. Not so small piglets chased each other around, under close guard from their parents now that Kateo was around. He really took out these things? Especially the babies protected by their mothers? Taking on a full grown boar would have broke his neck the, stupid idiot.
Well, if it isn't the wolf and his little pet, A gruff, but female voice said behind them. A giant silver boar with a black mane and new tusks came lumbering toward them. Oh, it's you now stop calling Kateo a pet before I bite your head off. The boar wrinkled its snout, its mouth curved up, and its eyes sparkled with amusement. I can call him whatever I want and I know you can't bite my head off. You can never beat me, plus father wouldn't stand you killing a high ranking officer in his army. And what is that? Another human pet? My my my, you should start a human pet center. I would like one that will clean my hooves. Jet growled and snapped at the boar, teeth barred. Shut up you stupid pig. The boar got closer, an angry fire in her eyes now Whimpering dog… Hot head… Skipper tooth… Hoof Brain. They rattled on and on like that, in each other's faces.
"What's her problem", Maggie asked? Kateo put down his mask and stared blankly at the distance. "It's just Terra, Okkoto's daughter. She is like that Clarisse La Roo person from my father's stories, she picks on the smaller boars and is also in charge of making them strong. Her and Jet are old enemies so they fight like this all the time. Could you tell me about that place". Maggie turned around to her old camp, a guard stood at the wall staring at her and talking to a friend. She put down her mask in case they had binoculars. New Rome was supposed to be her end, return and everyone has every right to kill her. Although she did miss their brownies, she never wanted to see her brothers or her step father. "My old home", then a thought flashed through her mind, "Kateo have you ever tried brownies". His mask blocked his face, but Maggie knew he was giving her a funny look. "What the heck is a brownies"? A smile appeared across her face. Yes it was stupid to go over there, but maybe she could just cut Nathan's throat, just a little bit. "I will be right back", she said and took off down the hill.
The boars ignored her, letting her pass, while some bowed once she was noticed. Moro might be right. They might have ranks and some bow to the higher one. She never expected giant pigs to use a military system. Well, humans shouldn't be the only intelligent thing on this planet.
She arrived at the Camp Jupiter wall which was old fashioned stone, of course. They used to be pristine and new looking, but it looked like there was some boar problems, smashed bricks, flattened walls and a few chips and holes and arrows sticking out because of misfires.
Maggie rolled her eyes. Of course Camp Jupiter would try to fight the boars, they were proud idiots. She wouldn't be surprised if one jumped down, ran at a boar and got killed doing it, but by the blood and what looked like lost limbs, they had already done that.
Using the uneven bricks she climbed up the wall as easy as crawling. Some parts she had to use her knife, but at the top she just leapt onto the guard path. Staring at her was a bewildered Roman guard about the age of twenty holding a spear with shaky hands. Using all of his courage he ran at the masked figure and Maggie just jumped up, landed on the spear, and smacked him in the face with the butt of her new dagger. The dude fell to the ground unconscious.
Maggie snorted. She couldn't believe she actually admired these wimps when she was a kid, thinking they were so brave to stand and fight against enemies coming at the wall. Really they were the weakest in the camp set up there to get stronger and out of the way of the elites
She climbed down the stairs in one of the watch tower and passed a few guards who looked at her questioningly. Some looked familiar, Jake, Hon, and Arnold, some of the people she met in preschool. She was way weaker than them when she was around and they were her friends because they were always pushed around by the bigger kids with stronger arms. "Hi Arnold", she said in the tone she used when she was a kid. The skinny blonde stopped and looked around, scared at hearing Maggie the phantom. Little did he know she was the golden fur covered masked person walking by. He gave a sad sigh and leaned against the door and studied his celestial bronze knife.
New Rome hadn't changed much. The buildings were still old fashioned, fauns talking with sytrs and learning how to help the demigods, and people always walking around with heavy armor. Just looking at the breast plates brought weight to Maggie's shoulders. The only thing different was the sense of danger that Kateo taught Maggie about. Roman legionnaires limped along, arms missing or wrapped in bandages, missing limbs and more bandages, parent's mourning over their dead children who were born before the curse.
It was sad and all, but that was because they run into battle against those boars and even the Ares kids would look at one of their comrades getting hurt easily, get him, and get everyone off the field and hiding. Or maybe they would get brains and just talk to the leader, ask for passage through the army, not just go attack the monsters like a drunk idiots.
Finally she got to Granny Alexandra's. She made the best brownies and other pastries in the world. Plus if you are part of the legion, you get free brownies based on how many years you have been in Camp Jupiter.
"Hello there. Welcome to Alexandra's bakery, we are having a sale on day old ambrosia and we are giving away extra brownies in celebration to the anniversary of when Gaea was defeated". Oh yeah, that. Hold on a mo. That means Jason and his family is here.
Maggie could already imagine getting zombied around by Mary Anne so she could get killed by the roman legion. Just fantastic.
"Can I just get eight brownies to go please", Maggie asked. "Tattoo or four drachma please". Maggie showed the person at the counter her tattoo, four years. She had been in the legion four years before the Lupa incident. How she got in, well she might have accidentally killed a monster who was trying to tear her friend to shreds. It was an accident involving Maggie hiding and knocking over a rack of spears onto the beast. The kid, Arnold made the story sound like she was a super hero that fought the beast with her bare hands like what Percy Jackson did to the minotaur.
"Ballona, nice. That means you are related to praetor Reyna. Oh dear. I only have three brownies. Wait here and let me make some more". The lady smiled and walked away.
Maggie sighed and looked around the food court, she recognized a few parents and people. There was Jason, blonde hair and shaved beard with his wife Piper, Leo, Jason's son, and of course Mary Anne who didn't seem to notice her, good. Then there was… Oh no.
There was one of her step brothers strutting up to her as if his bandaged leg didn't hurt him, even though Maggie could easily see his weakness and how his flirting grin. Gross. "Hey babe", he said walking up to Maggie, swishing his Bieber hair cut to the side. GROSS! "Can I help you", Maggie growled through clenched teeth. "Well, my family is over there having a bite and I got bored so I walked over here to talk to a hot lady like you. gross, Gross, GROSS. Ew, ew, ew. GOSSSSSSSS! Maggie wanted to puke, there was no way her brother was asking her out on a date and calling her a "hot lady". "Hey Daniel I saw her first", wined her other brother, eight year old Dawson. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW! They began fighting over Maggie when the lady came back with hot, gooey, delicious, brownies. "Here you go my lady, would you like that in a bag or on a tray"? "Bag please. I am not eating these here". The lady put her brownies in a bag and gave the bag to Maggie who walked away, the boys too busy fighting to notice her departure.
Kateo was one lucky dude, getting hot brownies, the best kind. It was rare that anyone got them hot unless they woke up real early in the morning or, like Maggie's situation, didn't have enough. The lady had traded the three old ones for three of the hot ones so they were all ready to go.
She was climbing up the stairs when she heard, "wait, come back. It is too dangerous out there, Maggie". Maggie turned around to see Mary Anne coming at her with Reyna close behind, the rest of the family behind them. Crap. Maggie ran up the stairs, passing a bewildered Arnold and a whole ton of other guards. "Don't let her escape you idiots", she heard her mother yell. All of the guards fumbled their spears and tried to stop Maggie, but she was too good with the blade attached to her tail. Finally she emerged in daylight, giving her a view of the camp and the field full of boars. Reyna came out right behind her as she readied herself to jump off the edge, not enough time for climbing down. "Maggie, please, you might get hurt. Don't do it", her mother pleaded, looking sencier. And what mother, die from the Roman execution blade or stay in the dungeons, leaving Kateo and the others alone in this world. Not in Hadese. "What do you care", she said instead and jumped.
She heard Reyna's cry and her trying to catch her lion skin coat, but she missed and Maggie landed on a big red boar below. It grunted with displeasure and kept eating the grass down there and maybe even an arm. Maggie slid off of the boar and jumped across the river, running across the grass and through the crowd of widely grazing boars. Finally she got to the top where Kateo sat, watching Jet fight Terra in a wrestling match. "Welcome back, how did that go", Kateo asked, lifting his head from Moro's fur where he slept. She was napping too, head in her paws. "Not the best, but hey". She held up the bag holding the brownies, still hot, still fresh, and still in perfect rectangles.
Well, how was that. Next chapter I am hoping will be exiting, but I have no idea what to do to please you guys. Any ideas that you would like to share, comment and Keep dreaming my friends.