I copied a lot of the og lines from SON but I won't be doing that a lot. I just really like how Uncle Rick sets the scene.

I will be making this my own.

I will show, in the next chapter, a snap shot of his past experience before Lupa.

Rowan smiled at the countless dead people, their auras brushing against him like cobwebs. Shimmering purple warriors stood outside the armory, polishing ethereal swords. Others hung out in front of the barracks. A ghostly boy chased a ghostly dog down the street. And at the stables, a big glowing red dude with the head of a wolf guarded a herd of unicorns. None of the campers paid the ghosts much attention.

"Ghosts... They're Lares. House gods, right?" Rowan asked Jason.

Jason looked startled. " You know a lot for a mortal."

They stopped at the center of camp, where two wide stone-paved roads met at a T.

A street sign labeled the road to the main gates as via praetoria. The other road, cutting across the middle of camp, was labeled via principalis. Under those markers were hand-painted signs like Berkeley 5 miles; NEW ROME 1 MILE; OLD ROME 7280 MILES; HADES 2310 MILES (pointing straight down); RENO 208 MILES, AND CERTAIN DEATH: YOU ARE HERE!

The buildings were freshly whitewashed, laid out in neat grids like the camp had been designed by a fussy math teacher. The barracks had shady porches, where campers lounged in hammocks or played cards and drank sodas. Each dorm had a different collection of banners out front displaying Roman numerals and various animals—eagle, bear, wolf, horse, and something that looked like a hamster.

Along the Via Praetoria, rows of shops advertised food, armor, weapons, coffee, gladiator equipment, and toga rentals. A chariot dealership had a big advertisement out front: CAESAR XLS W/ANTILOCK BRAKES, NO DENARII DOWN!

At one corner of the crossroads stood the most impressive building—a two-story wedge of white marble with a columned portico like an old-fashioned bank. Roman guards stood out front. Over the doorway hung a big purple banner with the gold letters SPQR embroidered inside a laurel wreath.

Jason stopped here. "This is the Principia, where Alex and Chandler work. You'll meet up with them after the Augury." They then moved out of Camp, towards the city proper. He watched a bunch of kids in swimsuits and towels head into a building that had steam coming out of a row of chimneys. Laughter and watery sounds echoed from inside, like it was an indoor pool—Percy's kind of place. "Bath house," Jason said. "We'll get you in there before dinner."

As they approached the front gate, the barracks got bigger and nicer. Even the ghosts looked better—with fancier armor and shinier auras that he could feel.

"You guys are divided into different cabins?" Rowan asked.

"Sort of. We have five cohorts of about forty kids each. Each cohort is divided into barracks of ten—like roommates."

"You're telling me there's two hundred kids at camp?"

"Roughly."

"And all of them are children of gods, or do you have legacies here as well?"

Jason nodded. "Yup. sometimes they have powers, but it doesn't really matter as they can be trained. All the best Roman generals and emperors—you know, they all claimed to be descended from gods. Most of the time, they were telling the truth. The camp augur we're going to meet, Octavian, he's a legacy, descendant of Apollo. He's got the gift of prophecy."

They stopped outside the main gates. The fort was situated on the highest point in the valley, so they could see pretty much everything.

The road led down to the river and divided. One path led south across a bridge, up to the hill with all the temples. The other road led north into the city, a miniature version of Ancient Rome. Unlike the military camp, the city looked chaotic and colorful, with buildings crowded together at haphazard angles. Even from this far away, Rowan could see people gathered in the plaza, shoppers milling around an open-air market, parents with kids playing in the parks.

"You've got families here?" he asked.

"In the city, absolutely," Hazel said. "When you're accepted into the legion, you do ten years of service. After that, you can muster out whenever you want. Most demigods go into the mortal world. But for some—well, it's pretty dangerous out there. This valley is a sanctuary. You can go to college in the city, get married, have kids, retire when you get old. It's the only safe place on earth for people like us. So yeah, a lot of veterans make their homes there, under the protection of the legion."

A crooked stone path led past a crazy assortment of tiny altars and massive domed vaults. Statues of gods seemed to follow Rowan with their eyes, each one oozing an aura of intense energy that he could feel under his skin. Eventually they passed a massive red crypt decorated with human skulls on iron spikes, and it was here that Rowan felt hot, like his skin was on fire.

"Please tell me we're not going in there. " Rowan asked.

Jason shook his head. "That's the Temple of Mars Ultor."

He pointed toward the summit. Clouds swirled over the largest temple, a round pavilion with a ring of white columns supporting a domed roof. "That is Jupiter's temple, right?"

"Yeah." Jason sounded edgy. "Octavian reads auguries there—the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. Come on, he's not busy just yet."

The marble floor was etched with fancy mosaics and Latin inscriptions. Sixty feet above, the domed ceiling sparkled gold. The whole temple was open to the wind.

In the center stood a marble altar, where a kid in a toga was standing in front of a massive golden statue of the Head God himself: Jupiter the sky god, dressed in a silk XXXL purple toga, holding a lightning bolt.

He was tall and skinny, with straw-colored hair, oversized jeans, a baggy T-shirt, and a drooping toga. He looked like a scarecrow wearing a bed sheet. The guy in the toga turned. He had a crooked smile and a slightly crazy look in his eyes, like he'd looked into Hell and enjoyed what he saw. In one hand he held a knife. In the other hand was something like a dead animal. That didn't make him look any less crazy.

"Rowan,... " Jason said, "this is Octavian."

Octavian looked at the fuzzy thing in his hand and laughed. "No, no. Once upon a time, yes. We used to read the will of the gods by examining animal guts—chickens, goats, that sort of thing. Nowadays, we use these." He tossed the fuzzy thing to Rowan. It was a disemboweled teddy bear. Then Rowan noticed that there was a whole pile of mutilated stuffed animals at the foot of Jupiter's statue.

Octavian stepped off the dais. He was probably about fourteen, but so skinny and sickly pale, he could've passed for younger. At first he looked harmless, but as he got closer, Rowan knew he was wrong. There was real evil in this boy, like so many abusive foster parents, the kind that got kids just to hurt them or get money... he knew they would be enemies.

Octavian narrowed his eyes. "You seem nervous."

Rowan sighed, feigning innocence. "I new to this, to this world."

Octavian waved his knife at the pile of stuffing on the altar. "The message in the Auguries said: The Mortal has arrived, he who seeks hope. It was oddly clear. You seek to join the legion?"

Jason spoke for him, telling the little he knew. "Now, please, read the augury for Percy. Can he join the legion or not?"

Octavian slashed open a teddy bear's belly and poured its stuffing over the altar. He muttered a few words over the fluff, and turned with a big smile on his face.

"Good news!" he said. "Rowan may join the legion. We'll assign him a cohort at evening muster. Tell Alex and Chandler that I approve."

"""

The principia was even more impressive inside. On the ceiling glittered a mosaic of Romulus and Remus under their adopted mama she-wolf (Lupa had told Rowan that story a million times). The floor was polished marble. The walls were draped in velvet, so Percy felt like he was inside the world's most expensive camping tent. Along the back wall stood a display of banners and wooden poles studded with bronze medals— In the center was one empty display stand, as if the main banner had been taken down for cleaning or something.

In the back corner, a stairwell led down. It was blocked by a row of iron bars like a prison door.

In the center of the room, a long wooden table was cluttered with scrolls, notebooks, tablet computers, daggers, and a large bowl filled with jellybeans, which seemed kind of out of place. Chandler and Alex, two very stocky boys, sat behind the table and sat in the two high-backed chairs.

Chandler was a white guy with ginger hair and tons of freckles. Alex was a thick black boy with skin the color of coal, with incredible aristocratic features. Both even sat with a refined energy, like they were kings of the world, or at least New Rome.

"Tell us, Rowan, how did you find this place?" Alex asked, his tone soft and strong. Rowan did as he was told and lay out the story, simple as it was. "I see... it is rare for anyone without divine blood to be apart of our world, but it does happen. Usually by marriage or similar ties. Your story is interesting. Oh well, as you were accepted by Lupa and the gods, we will accept you here. You will need to be vouched for, but I am sure someone will do so. Now... you mentioned magic... and your interest in that field. We have many magic wielders here, many children of Hecate and Trivia and similar legacies. I am sure we can arrange for something, it will give you the means to serve the gods all the better."

Rowan bowed his head, realizing he had to be respectful, he was facing experienced warriors and keepers of great power. Stupidity would be punished. "I would deeply appreciate that."

"Hmm... " Chandler started. "I do not expect much from you, but we can always use a warm body."

Rowan immediately knew he disliked Chandler, but kept his tone mild. "I am rather competent, I am sure I can help in my own way."

The Ginger sneered. "We'll see. Take him away, Jason."

And so that is what Jason did. As soon as they were a bit away, Jason sighed. "Chandler is a son of Mars, he has a temper. Alex is a child of Nemesis, but he's pretty great. Stay on their good side, whatever you do. Now, let's get you cleaned up, dinner is in an hour. We have Gladiator matches today, but you've got no training, so you can stay out."

"I appreciate that..." And Rowan truely did, wondering just what the hell his life had become, knowing he had no choice but to accept it anyway. It was his best option and frankly...

All he had.

Who could have guessed magic, myths and gods would be his life? He sure as Hades couldn't have... but here he was and here he will be until death does him part.

Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.

This was a lot of fun.

Love, your Ninja Overlord,

Mika.