Ch3

The cold gnawed at his bones as he tightened his grip on Gram, feeling the weight of the sword in his hand. Across the frost-ridden training ground, Arminius stood tall and unwavering, his eyes sharp as steel. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the snow that stretched between them, and the biting wind whipped up loose snow, blurring the edges of his figure. But there was no mistaking the confidence in the older warrior's stance.

Samirah shifted beside him, her hands steady on her axe, her breath visible in frosty bursts. To his left, Alabaster raised his golden sword, its gleaming edge reflecting the last slivers of daylight. "You guys ready?" He asked as they looked at Arminius in the distance. Their teacher's sword glistened in the morning light.

Sam nodded. "Lets do this."

Arminius moved the instant they closed in, sidestepping with uncanny speed and dodging Alabaster's opening swing. Samirah followed up with a swift strike, her axe slicing through the air with deadly precision, but Arminius angled his own blade in a sharp parry, sending her stumbling back as she struggled to regain her footing. Before he had a chance to think, Alabaster moved in beside him, thrusting with the golden sword aimed at their opponent's side.

Arminius twisted and brought his weapon up, deflecting Alabaster's blow in a quick, seamless arc. The sheer force of the block sent Alabaster reeling backward, but it left an opening. He saw his moment and lunged, swinging Gram in a low, sweeping arc, aiming to catch Arminius off-guard. The clash of metal reverberated in the thin air as Arminius caught the blade with his own, their swords locked in a brief, brutal struggle.

He pressed harder, feeling his muscles strain, but Arminius barely flinched. With a swift turn of his wrist, he broke the hold and sent him stumbling backward, forced to catch himself against the icy ground. He barely regained his balance before Samirah was beside him, diving forward with her axe. She swung down with a furious strength that would've made any opponent stagger. But Arminius, anticipating her move, shifted his stance, sidestepped, and delivered a sharp, precise kick that knocked her back.

Breathing heavily, he glanced at Alabaster, who nodded and stepped forward again, his golden sword slicing through the air in a deadly flurry of strikes. Arminius matched each one, moving with such ease it was as though he could see every attack before it even happened. Every move, every twist, every strike from Alabaster and Samirah was met by the unyielding barrier of Arminius's defense.

"Damn he's tough," Alabaster spat on the ground as he muttered some incantation. Green flames flew at Arminius who easily avoided the attacks.

"Not son of Hecate but you'll need to do better than that," Arminius said.

He gathered his breath, feeling the fire of determination flare as he gripped Gram tighter, knowing he couldn't hold back. "Come on lets get him together."

With a quick nod to his friends, he charged forward once more, darting past Alabaster to strike with a sudden feint. He aimed low, intending to force Arminius into a defensive posture, but his opponent saw through the move instantly. Arminius sidestepped yet again, and before he could even react, Arminius swung his blade with controlled force, knocking Gram from his grasp and sending him sprawling onto the frozen ground.

Arminius stood over them, an approving glint in his eyes as he surveyed the trio. "Not bad," he said, his voice steady, though his gaze was assessing. "But you still have a lot to work on. Now go and practice the sword formations I taught you all."

His body ached from the bruises as he assumed a fighting stance. Next to him Alabaster and Samirah also grumbled as they gripped their weapons tightly.

The cold air hung heavy as he raised Gram, adjusting his stance under Arminius's watchful eye. Beside him, Samirah held her axe with steady confidence, while Alabaster swung his golden sword in precise, rhythmic arcs. Each of them worked on different techniques, practicing fluid movement and calculated strikes, the bite of the wind sharpening their senses.

Arminius stood nearby, his stance relaxed but his eyes sharp, taking in every movement, every slip, and every moment of hesitation. The veteran warrior's voice cut through the chill. "The Romans won't go easy on you like this," he warned. "They fight with relentless precision, and they'll use every weakness, every misstep, to end you."

His grip tightened on his sword, picturing the enemies Arminius spoke of—the Romans who wielded their strength and discipline like weapons. The thought lingered, a weight that settled somewhere deep. Alabaster glanced over, pausing mid-swing, and eyed Arminius with curiosity.

"So why help the Greeks?" Alabaster asked. "The Greco-Roman civilization is tied together."

Arminius crossed his arms. "The Greeks… they're different. Calmer, more deliberate," he replied, casting a look toward the horizon as if searching for something long past. "Even when they held the title of Rome, their hearts were never set on blind conquest. There's a world of difference between fighting to defend and fighting to dominate." He shook his head. "Though to be honest the Byzantine Empire was as Roman as modern day Taiwan is Chinese."

Samirah tilted her head, watching Arminius with a thoughtful expression. "How long has this been going on—this tension between Rome and Asgard?"

Arminius sighed, a hint of something unreadable in his gaze. "Far too long," he said quietly. "Centuries of hostility and mistrust. We clash, we spill blood, and the cycle continues. I've fought alongside my own kind for Asgard, against Rome, for longer than I care to remember. And yet…"

Arminius trailed off, looking at each of them in turn, his expression hardening. "I still hope one day we'll see peace. But the Romans—they know only one language. Violence, conquest, and an unyielding thirst for power."

The wind cut across the tundra, filling the silence that followed. He exchanged a glance with Alabaster and Samirah, sensing they all felt the same weight in Arminius's words. Great more fighting. Personally he'd rather there not be a war but he knew that there was peace in strength and he wouldn't let the Romans hurt the camp.

Jason Grace sighed as he sat by the firepit and looked into the flames. It had been a chaotic few weeks and he was still just getting used to camp. From going on a quest with a girl who claimed to be his girlfriend and a guy who claimed to being his friend to regaining to accepting a lot of things he was slowly getting used to everything here.

I've been through so much. He was getting his memories back, yet despite that it was if there was a hole inside of him that could not be filled. All my life my path has been chosen by others. It was always his duty to follow the gods, after all he was the son of Jupiter.

"Hey Jason are you ok?"

For a second he feared it would've been Piper, his girlfriend as sweet as she was constantly wanted to be by his side and it kind of was annoying. Yet as he looked up he saw Annabeth. "Hey. I'm just thinking."

"Are your memories coming back?" Annabeth asked.

He frowned at the flames. "A little." Rubbing his head he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry your boyfriend is still gone."

"I'll find him one day," Annabeth said softly. "Magnus will also come back and everything will be as it was."

"He's your cousin right?" He asked. He had heard the name a few times, apparently he was Annabeth's cousin but not many people spoke of him. "Was he taken too?"

Annabeth shook his head. "No." She paused and frowned at the flames. "Hera thought it would be the best if he left." She said her words carefully yet there was a bit of anger in her words.

"Oh was it because of me?" His few days here Annabeth was oddly cold to him almost as if he had done something personal against her.

"It's not your fault," Annabeth muttered. "It's the gods."

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

Annabeth sighed. "He's somewhere safe, finding allies to help the camp. Maybe when he's back I'll see how he is."

"Maybe I could him? I mean how bad could he be?" he asked.

Annabeth froze. "I'll think about it." She shook her head. "How are things with you and Piper?"

He looked at the fire and did his best to not frown. "They're ok." Yet deep down he would be lying to himself if he said he knew a lot about her or wasn't annoyed by her affection at times. "I won't disappoint her." He was Jupiter's son the model legionnaire and everything in his life was always subject to the whim of the gods.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "You know the gods always meddle in human affairs but you if you don't feel comfortable with her you can be just be honest with her."

"I am comfortable with her," he said quickly. With a deep sigh he looked down at the flames. "It's just that all my life the gods have chosen my life and it was my duty to follow."

Annabeth looked at him her gray eyes showing sympathy. "Well you are your own person. You should live your life as you please."

He paused not knowing how to respond to that. All his life he had his life dictated to him, the idea of living for himself was never really an option. Yet he would be lying to himself if he said it didn't appeal to him.

"I know," he muttered. His gaze drifted to the daughter of Athena. "Oh I heard you have a cousin here?"

Annabeth's posture turned rigid. "I did," she said carefully. "He's not here right now."

"Oh." He was taken aback by the stiffness in her voice, her gaze hardened as if expecting a fight. "I just heard it from others campers. Is he ok?"

"He is," Annabeth said carefully. "He just isn't here at the moment due to outside circumstances."

"I see," he said carefully.

"His name is Magnus," Annabeth said softly. "For a long time he was my only family…but now he is far away."

"Who is his godly parent?" He asked.

Annabeth froze as she stealthily looked around. "He's unclaimed."

He raised eyebrow but decided to not push it. Growing up he learned to read people and he could tell Annabeth did not want to talk about it.

That night Jason had a dream. The sounds of the Roman legion fighting off a ferocious enemy in the woods. They came from all sides as they ambushed and cornered the legion. The screaming and begging as the enemy descended up them all while two black birds flew into the sky.

"Quinctilius Varus give me back my legions!" A voice roared as the savages decimated the Roman legion.

His eyes shot open as he sat up in his cabin. Just a dream. Yet as he looked around his dark cabin he wondered why he dreamt of the Varian Disaster.

It was Rome's biggest disaster. He fell onto his bed as he remembered what he had learned of it. The legion never forgot and the name Arminius was often synonymous with traitor in Camp Jupiter. The man who learned our ways and stabbed us in the back.

It may have been a result of his time in Camp Half Blood but he began to wonder why he did what he did? The books always referred to Arminius as one the biggest traitors of Rome responsible for one of the biggest defeats in Roman but never why. He stared up at the statue of his father. What made him do it? Did he even care about Rome? The thoughts weighed on his mind as he fell back asleep.

The next morning he decided to talk to Chiron. The centaur was in the Big House reading a book. "Ah Jason do need something?"

"Actually I do." He scratched his head. "You know about Roman history right?"

Chiron nodded. "I do."

"I wanted to talk to you about the Varian Disaster," he said

Chiron froze. "What about it?"

He frowned as he noticed the centaur's body turn rigid. "I just wanted to know why Arminius betrayed Rome."

Why is so tense? Yeah it was Rome's biggest disaster but the way Chiron's face turned pale was as if he asked something horrendous.

Chiron sighed. "Let me ask you this Mr. Grace, do you think Rome treated everybody with respect? No nations history is clean and Rome while strong also met with resistance from those who resisted her rule." The centaur looked up at him. "You know very well what happens when you go against Rome."

He frowned as he thought of the centaur's words. Of course he had learned some of the less than pleasant things Rome did to its enemies such as Carthage and Britain. Even at Camp Jupiter there were a lot of attitudes he didn't like, attitudes he always wished he could fix.

"I always stories of him," he said softly. "One of the biggest traitors in Rome history."

"I wouldn't take the story at face value," Chiron said calmly. "Arminius was a loyal man. In the end he couldn't support the nation that oppressed his people and family."

He thought of the centaur's words. "Is that why he rebelled?"

The centaur nodded his face tense. "He was a smart man, very smart. But his heart was loyal to his own family and people more than Rome."

He avoided Chiron's gaze. "Well thank you."

"No problem. Let me know if you need anything," Chiron said.

"Oh why is Annabeth's cousin out of the camp?" He asked.

Chiron froze. "He's on a quest."

"Oh." He scratched his head. What is going on with this guy? Everyone seemed to talk about him but at the same time he knew so little of him. Yet whenever this Magnus guy was mentioned around him there was always this unease in their eyes.

"Jason!" he winced as Piper wrapped her arm around him.

He forced a smile. "H-Hey." I swear she always wants to be with me. It wasn't that he didn't like Piper but he deep down a part of him struggled to be in a relationship with a clingy girl he hardly new.

Piper hugged him and gave him various kisses on his neck. "Want to go canoeing?"

"Sure." I can't disappoint her. Lady Juno put us together. With that he forced a smile on his face and help Piper as she clung to him like a lifeboat.