TRIGGER WARNING: Implied/Reference of Sexual Assault/Rape of a Minor. One mention but I still wanted to notate it.
Mercurius watched the latin camp, feeling it easier to deal if only to distract him from rushing to Leaneíras' side.
Bellōna's daughter was going over some reports, a plate of mofongo at her side that she was ignoring. Surprising, if he was honest. Her sister usually tore into hers as if it were her first meal of the day even after having three plates. Medea was sitting on top a temple of to her Mother, holding precious jewels and stones to her chest to search for Perseus. "I call upon the powers that be to bring what I want straight to me by fire air earth and sea as I say so mote it be."
No one came.
He sensed it when an illegal dream went into the air. Strange that it was for Father had blocked all visions, dreams, and Iris-messages to and from Olympos. Truthfully, he could find and report whomever was doing so, but managing to get around his Father, Ζεύς, the god of air, was worthy of his silence. A small amount of chaos and trickery, something to soothe not only the boredom that he was stuck with but also his worry for his Lea.
Mercurius sighed, continuing to look upon the New Roma. He raised a brow when he saw Háidēs' boy walking around the place. Why he was there, the god was not sure, and it was strange to witness the fact that it was not only Hḗrē that would turn their back on the same oath that they swore to uphold. They had sworn to keep the knowledge of the two camps apart though Lady Styx had looked at them as if they were being unreasonable so he supposed that she would not punish any of them for breaking said oaths.
Mercurius could also not fault them considering he told Lea about them. It was a bit hard to keep it a secret considering that Trent told her first and then her friendship with Medea and now the simple fact that her brother's blessing was little Octavius Verus, the son of Troia. Said boy was currently beginning his campaign for praetor, sweet talking a few of the city governors to support his claim. He had to turn his gaze when those same adults moved to show him exactly how he could repay them and while the boy's eyes flashed in fury, he still allowed it.
Mercurius was not going to be surprised when they dropped dead in the following weeks. Octavius' definition of a mark switches between political value and those that could drop dead; sometimes they were one in the same when they decide that for their help, he needed to pay them with his body even if he were still a minor.
There was also Bellōna's daughter, Venus' daughter, and Hḗphaistos' son, but he was not going to waste his time remembering that time bomb.
He turned his attention back to Nico as he entered Percival's Pizzeria and immediately ordered a plate of Risotto alla Milanese and Osso Buco. Since the boy had learned of his italian origins, Mercurius knew of his trips to Italy, but it seemed that New Roma also managed to give him a taste of his heritage without having to expend so much energy to go to the country. New Roma did boast about the fact that they kept the staples of their own italian heritage even while being on American soil. They regularly imported things from Italy and Roma in particular while keeping small sections (nothing more than long strips) for other cultures.
Magnus and the pixie that he, Medea, and Lea kidnapped from Pterophoros were working together with a few of Trivia's children and other mages to bring winter to the Bay Area. It was going well enough. They managed to freeze the lake with the help of the limnads. He sighed, turning to a screen that he had been ignoring only to see those searching for his Stepmother, free-falling to the earth. At Hḗphaistos' son's order, Jason got him and Drew out of the way, but the two followed after him quickly. They land in another place that reeks of death and he does not even fight it when Árēs came to drag him out of his temple.
He was actually starting to believe that Father had ordered this if only to keep him from rushing off to do his job.
When they made it to the throne room, he was surprised to see that Apóllōn actually looked worried. Hērmês was at his side immediately for not many things could truly worry his brother. But he soon learned that the children were in the home of Midas. And while Diónysos was pleased by the arrival of his friend and even Dēmḗtēr was happy about the revival of her son, they could not truly be pleased by the sight of the trio's parents and their worry. For Drew in particular since the king was known to hold a grudge almost as long as Apóllōn.
Drew took the survival lessons from Apóllōn seriously so that she could change out of her clothing and into something new. It was amusing to see that after her last two instances with major quests, she took to making sure that she had a change of clothes and hair products so that her hair didn't smell like outside. She had even taken to figuring out nature-friendly laundry detergent so that she could wash the clothes she had removed while utilizing her cordless hair dryer to fix her hair. She applied her facial mask, a bonnet for her hair, and some pajamas before curling up on the golden couch with the emerald-green outfit laid out for the next day.
Aphrodítē sniffled, dabbing at her eyes as Drew braided her hair up before placing rolls to the ends so that she could get fluffy curls. "She's so wonderful. Ugh, we may actually have to go glamping one day."
Hērmês alongside the other gods of Theoi tou Nomioi grimaced. Glamping was a mockery of actual camping and most of them refused to even acknowledge its existence.
The night passed by quickly and he kept his eyes on Leaneíras who slept restlessly before she gave up on it in entirely and teleporting herself over to the United Kingdom to begin her search over there. Why she thought her brother was there, he knew not, but he could admit that there were a lot of places that could probably help her also. Iona in particular had been a center of spiritual pilgrimage for over 1,400 years, and it was considered one of the most sacred places in Scotland.
Funnily enough, she was doing nothing to stop from becoming a cryptic though he knew that she didn't notice, but there was suddenly an uptick of interest of the "female spirit" at the Isle of Iona. It certainty didn't help when whispers of her name by the dryads and naiads caught the attention of the spiritualist nor the "discovery" of the Jaxson pantheon. And she had only been there for a few hours, though it probably hadn't helped when she visited other places in the United States.
The only positive signed was the uptick in people worshipping "the old gods" and more of their children were being discovered. Father had seriously been considering opening a camp in the ancient lands. Diomēdēs could be the trainer. Either way, she was a point of confusion and shock and worry and a lot to the delicate sensibilities of catholics, jews and christians (and some part of Hērmês wondered why they chose that as a designation when it started as a slur though maybe it was to reclaim it?). The hours that she flitted about the various places in the United Kingdom, teleporting every which of way with the only thing to show for her appearance was the excess mageia in her eyes and the swoosh of her wine-dark hair.
It certainly didn't help matters when two children had wandered over to her as she was moving through St Nectan's Waterfall and Leaneíras fixed one of their dolls and the other's broken arm before teleporting away. By the time that she did realize that people were attempting to track her which just so happened to be when Pope Benedict XVI had been flown over in an attempt to banish her, she had cursed then cursed louder when he threw "holy water" at her, turned his robes into an old-fashion chlamys with her name embroiled in the seams before teleporting away; not without burning a message into the sand thrice-over.
Οι θεοί περπατούν ανάμεσά μας in ellinika, Oi theoí perpatoún anámesá mas, The gods walk among us.
Hērmês hummed before sending an order to Aiolos to send a bunch of anemoi thuellai after the plane when the Pope leaves once more. A lot of it to make his flight uncomfortable.
It was almost enough to distract from the fact that the satyr, Gleeson, had awakened.
(It was hilariously only topped by the entire #LuciferIsComing and #GodLovesUs campaign that had occurred on twitter.)
While they all talked and explained everything, Drew took the time to change into her newest outfit, fluffing up her hair and even applying a bit of makeup. He didn't understand why until Leo questioned it and she stated that she refused to be caught off-guard and indecent in case of another attack. She was not wearing her defeated-person-of-interest clothing which was one of a kind because she didn't set out to be defeated in the first place.
The entire "talk" with Midas wasn't even surprising though Artemis was pleased to note that her hunters had been giving him pain and Apóllōn was amused to see that his curse still lingered even after the old king's resurrection. That amusement went away when he turned Drew into a life-sized golden statue with Leo right after her.
"By Father, let it go," Apóllōn huffed.
And while Jason had no access to his memories, the years of operating as Iūnō's champion still lingered as he faced off against Lityerses. The illegitimate prince was fast. He slashed and sliced, but his fighting style was all offense, no defense. And well... Jason may have been built like tank, but he moved like an assassin and soon enough, he countered, sidestepped, and blocked. Lityerses seemed surprised to find him still alive.
Jason smiled just as sharply as the lightning that he wields, "Dude, the only thing i haven't seen yet is my Father, the God of gods. Trust, we can handle this, or I can knock you right through his front door."
Mārs and Bellōna barked out laughs. "Now that is good trash talking!"
"What is that style?" Lityerses growled. "You don't fight like a Greek."
"Legion training," Jason said, his muscles flexing as he poised. "It's Roman."
"Roman?" Lityerses struck again, and Jason deflected his blade. "What is Roman?"
"News flash," Jason said. "While you were dead, Rome defeated Greece. Created the greatest empire of all time."
"Impossible," Lityerses said. "Never even heard of them."
"Well," Mercurius mused. "You were dead."
Jason spun on one heel, smacked Lityerses in the chest with the butt of his javelin and sent him toppling into Midas's throne.
"Oh, dear," Midas said. "Lit?"
"I'm fine," Lityerses growled.
"You'd better help him up," Jason said.
Lityerses cried, "Dad, no!"
Too late. Midas put his hand on his son's shoulder, and suddenly a very angry-looking gold statue was sitting on Midas's throne.
"Curses!" Midas wailed. "That was a naughty trick, demigod. I'll get you for that." He patted Lityerses' golden shoulder. "Don't worry, son. I'll get you down to the river right after I collect this prize."
Midas raced forward. Jason dodged, but the old man was fast, too. He did spend his time running around Diónysos' and the satyrs. Jason kicked the coffee table into the old man's legs and knocked him over, but Midas wouldn't stay down for long.
Technically speaking, since Jason and the others did break in, they would be cursed for such disrespect of xeníā; guest-friendship, but Midas allowed them in. He had been hospitable to them in a more abstract way while they did the same. They weren't even a true threat to him and Lityerseus—their hosts—until the two of them became threats. Well, Gleeson did threaten the two so maybe they did break it first? But again, Midas allowed it and even waved it off.
There was also the major glaring fact that Midas was supposed to be dead and was currently working with their enemies so mayhap, Hērmês and his Father could ignore the break of custom.
Mercurius sensed the immediate used of Jason's power long before the air pressure even dropped. Midas must've felt it too, because he stumbled to his feet and grabbed his donkey ears.
"Ow! What are you doing?" he demanded. "My power is supreme here!"
Thunder rumbled. Outside, the sky turned black.
"You know another good use for gold?" Jason said.
Midas raised his eyebrows, suddenly excited. "Yes?"
"It's an excellent conductor of electricity."
Jason raised his javelin, slinking into the old king's personal space and stabbing him right through his chest, and the ceiling exploded. A lightning bolt ripped through the roof like it was an eggshell, connected with the tip of Jason's spear, and sent out arcs of energy that blasted through Midas and tore the sofas to shreds. Chunks of ceiling plaster crashed down. The chandelier groaned and snapped outfits chain, and Midas screamed in pain and falling under the chandelier as it pinned him to the floor when Jason stepped away. The glass immediately turned into gold.
When the rumbling stopped, freezing rain poured into the building. Midas cursed in Ancient Greek, thoroughly pinned under his chandelier, his newly gain life being fading from his grasp once again. The rain soaked everything, turning the gold chandelier back to glass. Drew and Leo were slowly changing too, along with the other statues in the room.
Then the front door burst open, and Gleeson Hedge charged in, club ready. His mouth was covered with dirt, snow, and grass. Diónysos sighed with a small smile.
"What'd I miss?" he asked.
"Where were you?" Jason demanded, eyes a bit dilated and face pale. "I was screaming for help."
Hedge belched. "Getting a snack. Sorry. Who needs killing?"
"No one, now!" Jason said. "Just grab Leo. I'll get Drew."
"Don't leave me like this!" Midas wailed before he coughed once and stilled. All around him the statues of his victims were turning to flesh—his daughter, his barber, and a whole lot of angry-looking guys with swords.
Jason grabbed Drew's golden bag and his own supplies. "Let's get out of here," Jason told Hedge. "I think these guys will want some quality time with the prince."
They all watched as they dunked the two of them in the river; Drew more than once since it seemed that Midas' curse went more than skin-deep. With a little worked and the golden barely held together chariot that sat in the driveway, Jason harnessed the anemoi thuellai to get further away.
And that's when his Leaneíras screams to the heavens, spewing curses one right after another, curling into herself as she cradled... oh, as she cradled Ethan's ring to her chest. Her mageia swirled around her, almost blinding to the mortals that stumbled across her before striking out at the ground around her. She sniffled, tears filled with mageia streaming down her face as they landed on the ground, crocus flowers sprung from the pavement before she teleported away to her cabin where she cried into the fur of Salome.
When she finally cried herself to sleep, Salome exited the cabin to drag Lou Ellen and his sons, Travis and Connor, to her cabin. They immediately gathered her. Lou Ellen escaped to the bathroom to clean her up for bed while the brothers cleaned up as much as they could under Salome's watchful eyes as those two sons of his had the stickiest fingers. When Lou Ellen brought her back out, the three of them carried her back to the Eleventh Cabin where they placed her onto the upper levels in the area designated for her. His children all looked worriedly as she was carried in, but Travis and Connor managed to reassure them that she was going to be okay and Cristóbal got the younger ones to agree to being there for her and helping to take care of her.
(Something that was sure to horrify her when she awakened and realized that she may actually have to commit to being a stepmother.)
Father looked exasperated as Leo revealed that Hḗphaistos was the one to go around his words to speak to his son. He held one hand out and with a lot of grumbling, Hḗphaistos handed over his pirating equipment.
"There's more, though," Jason said. "When I dreamed about Hera in her cage, she said Zeus was acting unusually paranoid. And Hera—she said she went to those ruins because a voice had been speaking in her head. What if someone's influencing the gods, like Medea influenced us?"
Great. He really had to say that. Already, he caught the side glances from the gods littering around and he just knew it was going to take work to get things under control again. It was enough to irritate him, so he ordered Aiolos to send a heatwave to the thirteen colonies, the ones deep in winter. Take that for global warming. He felt guilty about it immediately even when Father overrode it, but still... it was going to give him a headache having to deal with the theoi that saw everyone as an enemy.
Their hearts ached for Drew as she spoke about having to choose between her soulmate, her blessing, and the Queen, Hḗrē who as the leader of the gods of marriage was also one of the people that Drew answered to as the protector of ill-fated lovers.
Of course, the posturing came when Lukáо̄n's pack ventured into their area. Despite not having his memories, Jason was one of Lupa's and considering that she raised him, he held a special place in her heart as one of her pups. Just about as much Remus and Romulus actually. The barbed insults that Jason didn't even notice he was making with every little twitch that he did. Truthfully with how weak Drew was, who definitely their other heavy hitter, it was a good thing he wasn't growling or making any other noises that would offend the old king.
Drew struggled to her feet, and her eyes glowed just a bit; a brilliant rose-gold, charm dripping from every letter that she spoke. The winter solstice was drawing closer, and her powers were growing stronger the faster it approached. Honestly, it was only a little terrifying of what Drew and Eliza would be able to do if they really sank into those powers. "Apollo Lykios, god of the silver bow, son of rich-haired Leto and supremely great Zeus, allow me power over them or grant me strength to destroy them if I have ever pleased you."
Apóllōn smiled sharply, reaching through the heavens to imbue her with strength, banishing the chill from her bones. In the next second, some of Lukáо̄n's pack began to back away from the main members.
Lukáо̄n's red eyes crinkled with humor, not seeming to notice. "A brave try, girl. I admire that. Perhaps I'll make your end quick. Only the son of Iūpiter is needed alive. The rest of you, I'm afraid, are dinner."
Jason took a step forward. "You're not killing anyone, wolf man. Not without going through me." Lukáо̄n howled and extended his claws. Jason slashed at him, but his golden sword passed straight through as if the wolf king wasn't there.
Lukáо̄n laughed. "Gold, bronze, steel—none of these are any good against my wolves, son of Iūpiter."
"Silver!" Drew cried., pulling out one of her arrows. It flew fast and sure, glowing almost as Apóllōn manipulated it as it pierced two beasts in one merciless blow. "They're hurt by silver."
"We don't have any silver!" Jason said.
Wolves leaped into the firelight though it was filled with uncertainty as the wolves turned on each other. Hedge charged forward with an elated "Woot!"
Then Leo struck. He threw a glass bottle, and it shattered on the ground, splattering liquid all over the wolves—the unmistakable smell of gasoline. He shot a burst of fire at the puddle, and a wall of flames erupted. Drew shot another one of her arrows into the pack. It flew fast and sure, glowing almost as it pierced three beasts in one merciless blow. Wolves yelped and retreated as their packmates laid dying in the snow. Several caught fire and had to run back into the snow. Even Lukáо̄n looked uneasily at the barrier of flames now separating his wolves from the demigods and those that continued to fight with one another, clawing and biting down to the white meat until they laid bleeding in the snow.
"Aw, c'mon," Gleeson complained. "I can't hit them if they're way over there."
"What are they doing," Jason asked, but Drew only beamed happily. "Oh, thank you, Lord Apóllōn! Thank you very much."
Every time a wolf came closer, Leo shot a new wave of fire from his hands, but each effort seemed to make him a little more tired, and the gasoline was already dying down.
"I can't summon any more gas!" Leo warned. Then his face turned red. "Wow, that came out wrong. I mean the burning kind. Gonna take the tool belt a while to recharge. What you got, man?"
"Nothing," Jason said. "Not even a weapon that works."
"Lightning?" Drew asked, summoning another arrow.
Jason concentrated, but nothing happened. "I think the snowstorm is interfering, or something."
"Unleash the venti!" Leo said.
"Then we'll have nothing to give Aeolus," Jason said. "We'll have come all this way for nothing."
Lukáо̄n laughed. "I can smell your fear. A few more minutes of life, heroes. Pray to whatever gods you wish. Ζεύς did not grant me mercy, and you will have none from me."
"Please! Your pack is fighting right in front of you," Drew scoffed. "Some big bad alpha you are." She looked over the rest of his pack and a few of them were unfortunate to catch her gaze. "Drop dead."
Like a puppet without strings, they did fall to the ground, melting into puddles of shadows. The wolves that allied themselves with the demigods kept a barrier between the two right as the flames began to sputter out. Jason cursed and dropped his sword. He crouched like he was ready to go hand-to-hand. Leo pulled his hammer out of his pack. Drew hefted her bow as best as she could. Gleeson hefted his club, and he was the only one who looked excited about dying.
Mercurius reached out to for a chalice of wine, eyes glued to the screen. He was focused that he almost missed the smile on Artemis' face as a ripping sound cut through the wind—like a piece of tearing cardboard. A long stick sprouted from the neck of the nearest wolf—the shaft of a silver arrow. The wolf writhed and fell, melting into a puddle of shadow.
More arrows. More wolves fell. The pack broke further in confusion and those that turned away from Lukáо̄n backed away to defend those on the quest. An arrow flashed toward Lukáо̄n, but the wolf king caught it in midair. Then he yelled in pain. When he dropped the arrow, it left a charred, smoking gash across his palm. Another arrow caught him in the shoulder, and the wolf king staggered.
"Curse them!" Lukáо̄n yelled. He growled at his pack, and the wolves turned and ran. Lycaon fixed Jason with those glowing red eyes. "This isn't over, boy."
The wolf king disappeared into the night.
More wolves were baying, but the sound was different—less threatening, more like hunting dogs on the scent. A smaller white wolf burst into the cave, followed by two more.
Gleeson said, "Kill it?"
"No!" Drew said, a small smile appeared on her face. "Wait."
The wolves tilted their heads and studied the campers with huge golden eyes. The ones protecting them crouched low in defense but didn't attack.
A heartbeat later, their masters appeared: a troop of hunters in white-and-gray winter camouflage, at least half a dozen. All of them carried bows, with quivers of glowing silver arrows on their backs.
Their faces were covered with parka hoods, but clearly, they were all girls. One, a little taller than the rest, crouched in the firelight and snatched up the arrow that had wounded Lukáо̄n's hand. A pleased and affectionate smile appeared on Ζεύς' face at the sight of her while Hērmês scowled for her knew that the arrow she held was the one that was carved from his Lucas' soul.
"So close." She turned to her companions. "Phoebe, stay with me. Watch the entrance. The rest of you, follow Lycaon. We can't lose him now. I'll catch up with you."
The other hunters mumbled agreement and disappeared, heading after Lukáо̄n's pack.
The girl in white turned toward them, her face still hidden in her parka hood. "We've been following that demon's trail for over a week. Is everyone all right? No one got bit?"
Jason stood frozen, staring at the girl. One of the wolves huffed, a large russet brown wall of furry muscle whose form shimmering in front of them before a teenage girl, with curly hair so long that it covered her like a blanket. "Getting bit is how I got into this mess," she murmured, voice still raspy from the change. The other wolves converged around, acting as bodyguards and barriers from the elements and inappropriate gazes. Though she had only partially shifted, and her claws were still dripping in the blood of her old pack members. "Do you have some clothes? And who are you?"
"Thalia," Drew breathed.
The girl tensed before she pulled down her parka hood. Her hair was spiky black, with a silver tiara across her brow. Her face had a super-healthy glow to it, as if she were a little more than human, and her eyes were brilliant blue.
"Drew?" Thalia asked.
"Thalia." Jason stepped forward, his voice trembling. "I'm Jason, your brother."
For a minute, Jason and Thalia faced each other, stunned. Then Thalia rushed forward and hugged him.
The wolf-girl huffed, turning to look at Phoebe. "Seriously, clothes? The wind is a bit breathy."
"My gods! She told me you were dead!" Thalia gripped Jason's face and seemed to be examining everything about it while Phoebe waved the wolf ahead. "Thank Artemis, it is you. That little scar on your lip—you tried to eat a stapler when you were two!"
Leo laughed. "Seriously?"
Gleeson nodded like he approved of Jason's taste. "Staplers—excellent source of iron."
"W-wait," Jason stammered. "Who told you I was dead? What happened?"
At the cave entrance, one of the white wolves barked. Those from Lukáо̄n's pack tensed. Thalia looked back at the wolf and nodded, but she kept her hands on Jason's face, like she was afraid he might vanish. "My wolf is telling me I don't have much time, and she's right. But we have to talk. Let's sit."
The rest of the wolves followed the first ones lead as they ventured into the tent, shifting into human forms to change. A few moments later, Drew followed them in also so that she could dry out her clothes before changing into the huntress attire, grumbling all the while that she had just put them on. Once Jason, Gleeson, Leo, and Thalia finished with their talk, they made their way to tent and in the next moment, Hḗphaistos and Apóllōn gasped as the wolf-girl brushed her curls from her face and made eye contact with Leo. "Leo? primo hermano, ¿Eres tú?"
"Eh? What? Alina? Prima hermana, ¿Eres tú?"
They stood there silently for a moment before falling into each other's arms sobbing. "Te extraño como un pájaro extraña volar," she gasped, and Leo only held her tighter, ugly sobs falling from their lips as they clutched at each other. "Prima, ¿Qué te sucedió?"
"It's a long story, hermano," she murmured before pulling back just a bit, a ring of red surrounding her mocha eyes. "But these hunters are right. We do not have much time. Lycaon will not stand for our defection nor would like that you've gotten away. Come. We must leave now and—" She stepped forward, breathing in his scent before stepping away. "Yes, this way I can always find you. I will not be separated from you again."
WORD COUNT: 4946
THINGS TO KNOW:
1) Mofongo is traditionally made from deep-fried green plantain pieces mashed with garlic and either salt-cured pork, pork crackling, butter, or oil. Some recipes use a salty broth to soften the plantains while mashing.
2) Risotto alla Milanese is a savory, saffron-infused variety of risotto, a classic dish consisting of long grain rice cooked in broth
3) Osso buco is a specialty of Lombard cuisine of cross-cut veal shanks braised with vegetables, white wine, and broth. It is often garnished with gremolata and traditionally served with either risotto alla milanese or polenta, depending on the regional variation.
4) Limnads were a type of naiad that lived in freshwater lakes.
5) The "Theoi Nomioi" were the gods of the countryside, the pastures and wild forests. They fell under the dominion of three gods: Hērmês the lord of the herds, Diónusos the god of wild vegetation, and Ártemis queen of the beasts.
6) xeníā - ancient Greek concept of hospitality. It is almost always translated as 'guest-friendship' or 'ritualized friendship'. It is an institutionalized relationship rooted in generosity, gift exchange, and reciprocity. Historically, hospitality towards foreigners and guests (Hellenes not of your polis) was understood as a moral obligation.
TRANSLATIONS:
1) Primo hermano, ¿Eres tú? - first cousin, is that you?
2) Prima hermana, ¿Eres tú?" - first cousin, is that you? .. Lina and Leo are first cousins.
3) ¿Qué te sucedió? - what happened to you
4) Te extraño como un pájaro extraña volar - I miss you like a bird miss flying.
WORDS TO KNOW:
1) Apóllōn Lykios - Apóllōn of the Wolves
COMMENTS FROM THE AUTHOR:
1) I find it crazy that I already have Nico's soulmark created xoxo.
2) Something that I find wild is that I wanted to write a Árēs x OC fic, but like... Aphrodítē is terrifying. I just can't.
3) Hērmês seeing Apóllōn with the smallest of frowns on his face: "how can i turn that frown upside down?" Careful there, Argeïphontes, your favoritism is showing.
4) As you can see, i utilized some ideas from MLNW and then expanded on it. And truthfully, that's how i originally planned for Lina's appearance though it was going to be a standalone story for her where her love interest was Octavian.
5) It hasn't been brought up because I forgot about it, but Lea has two long scars across her back. One from the BOTL and another from battling Hekátē during TLO.
6) I operate fully under the belief that Hḗrē had Percy either with her at the Wolf House and using her powers to protect him or had him stuffed away in her temple. He was somewhere that had a strong connection to her.
7) Yk, I think my biggest issues with Frank and Piper is that they are supposed to be Geminis. JUNE GEMINIS at that. As a June Gemini, literally June 9th 1998, 7:04 am CST for USA/ 1:04 pm GMT-6:00 International, they don't... they don't fit.
8) I like to imagine that the city part of New Roma is roughly the same size as San Diego.
8A) The praetors run the entire thing, but the structure of the government is also different because I don't see how people over 30 & 40 yrs old are willing to listen to a bunch of teenagers. So, the Senate is not the only major form of government because again, why are teenagers running the city when a bunch of adults are literally there. This will also play into the fact that praetors typically only hold office for 1 year in Ancient Roma, but I had Ezra and Meerholz doing a four-year term.
8B) And traditionally, you had to be at least 30 to even be a praetor.