(A/N: While you might have expected this chapter to be about Annabeth and Reyna's conversation before a possessed Leo does you-know-what, I won't go that route here. Instead, here's a conversation between Bellona and Colton and Kayla before that happens. Due to the short space this occupies in the book between the events of last chapter and when Leo fires on Camp Jupiter, this will be a short one. Anyways, enjoy!)
The odyssey in Homer's Iliad began just after the end of the Trojan War. For me, the odyssey I would be on for the next couple of months began in a much less celebratory though by no means any less dramatic kind of way. As to what I exactly was doing in bringing Kayla to Bellona's temple, I intended to meet with the Goddess one more time before hopefully departing soon for the quest to defeat the Giants and prevent Gaea from rising — and also introduce my girlfriend to her.
To be honest, I was kind of nervous of exactly how introducing the girl who was the Monster Queen was going to go over with this goddess, even with Kayla also being my girlfriend at that. I really, really was. But that was the thing with Kayla being by my side once more. She made all my worries and fears melt away if they were little more than just ice. She just had that quality about her that always made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
And believe me, carrying her the way that I was as I jogged up to Temple Hill had me feeling all of those things full force. "Where are we going..?" Kayla asked me, curiosity present on her face.
"Up here — to one of the temples up here on Temple Hill.. there's a goddess up here I would like for you to meet.." I calmly replied, as I gently set my girlfriend down on her feet at the base of the hill once I got there, then gently took her hand in mine, and we both started walking up the hill hand in hand.
Temple Hill was a place that would just blow you away by the sheer magnificence of it all — except for the shitty excuse of a shrine/temple/whatever they called it for Neptune, and judging from the look on Kayla's face, it was clear that even she felt a little bit intimidated from the luxuries crowning many of these temples. "Whoa.." she muttered. "..this is so different.."
"Yeah.." I said back to her. "The Romans are many things.. but they take worshipping the gods way more seriously than those of us back at Camp Half Blood."
"You got that right.." she said back to me. "..because seriously, these temples have more opulence than many of the casinos in Vegas."
I couldn't help but crack up laughing a bit at that, because she was right. Casinos in Sin City were fancy alright, but they didn't have shit on these temples here in New Rome, that was for sure. And to be fair, these temples did not have shit compared to the opulence that was Olympus itself.
Kayla turned to me now as we approached Bellona's temple. "So who's in here..?" she asked, curious and a little bit concerned too.
"Quite simply, this goddess is the mother of my fellow praetor.. and as of last night, another one of my honorary parents.." I said back and her jaw just dropped open.
"Seriously Colton..? Three gods while in Rome..? I'm starting to think that maybe the Fates are starting to favor both of us a bit too much.." she said playfully, and that made me smile — even though she did have a point. I kissed her forehead and she sighed happily.
"I mean, given the fact that things as usual once again fall on my shoulders with the Great Prophecy and all.." I started, before Kayla cut me off and stopped walking for a moment.
"Our shoulders, Colton.. whatever Gaea and Porphyrion throw at us, we'll face down together. We're currently the two most deadliest demigods in a long, long time.. so if either of them try anything, they're going to find that we're not easy marks to take down.." she said, looking serious and devoted at the same time. Those words charged up my sense of devotion, duty, and resolve to see this through to the end and keep her, my family, and the Gods safe from Gaea and Porphyrion's wrath.
"You're right.." I said back, honestly kind of relieved that she didn't think the burden of all of this had to rest on my shoulders alone. "..gods, I love you so much Kayla Knowles."
"And I love you too Colton Reynolds~" she said back, before we both started walking again, straight into the temple of Bellona.
The goddess herself was standing by her altar again, seemingly off thinking in her own world once again. I knelt near the foot of the altar and after a few short moments, Kayla also did the same. "Greetings, my lady Bellona.." I said politely.
She turned around and looked at the two of us. "Greetings to you too, Colton Reynolds.. and I believe this lady is one of the Greek daughters of Apollo. Kayla Knowles, correct..?" she replied.
Kayla nodded.
"Rise then, children.. for I have been looking forward to this.." she said more in a serious tone. "Kayla, I am Bellona, the Roman goddess of war."
We both rose, but Kayla looked confused by that. "Shouldn't that belong to the Roman version of Ares though..?" she asked, turning to me — her eyes looking for an answer.
"Technically yes, but also no.." I replied back to her.
"Mars and I are twins, you see.." Bellona explained. "We both share the title of being the deity of war, but while my twin brother focuses more on martial victory and combat, my domain encompasses policy and foreign warfare."
Kayla simply just said "oh" and nodded, understanding better now. "Well then.. that explains a lot.." she said simply.
"I will admit — I initially was hesitant and against the idea of your 'boyfriend' being over here at the camp of the children of the Roman aspects of the Gods.." Bellona confessed, more to Kayla than to me. "..due to the past crimes and misdeeds of bearers of the mantle of being the Monster King against Rome, but in the span of about a week, he has sure proven me wrong about him."
"He has that ability to surprise people just when you think you have him figured out.." Kayla said, chuckling. "..of course, that's part of why I fell hard for him."
"Indeed.. you have chosen well, Ms. Knowles.." Bellona continued. "Now.. what have you two come—"
She was now interrupted as a shrill sound suddenly pierced the air.
Light flashed, and then there was an explosion and screams. The three of us rushed outside, and we all froze with shock and horror at the sight of smoke rising up from the forum. My eyes looked up to the Argo II, and there was Leo at one of the ballista with his eyes glazed over in a way that was all too familiar.
I clenched my fists in anger, because I should have fucking known.
Eidolons.
And just like that, the second biggest regret of my entire life as a demigod had just occurred. If not getting rid of Octavian before he could cause any major damage to the quest to stop Gaea and the Giants and inadvertently setting up the stage for the third and final war I would have to face before I could finally live out the rest of my life with the girl I love was the biggest regret of my life, not having my subordinates conduct any anti-eidolon precautions and thus make sure one didn't cause the mess that Octavian would now throw into the quest to stop Gaea was my second biggest regret now.
Either way, things had just gone to shit as could be expected and now, it was time to leave.
"Gaea, you son of a bitch!" I shouted, and Bellona went from angry and hurt that Leo had seemingly betrayed the Romans to alarmed.
"You don't mean..?" she asked.
I turned to her, as the sounds of chaos started erupting from the forum. "Yeah, I do. Only one monster that could leave someone with their eyes glazed over and make Leo do this. Eidolons.. me, Lavinia, and Michael encountered them during our quest for Argonaut. Either way.. this one just did major damage to our cause.." I said, just flickering between the forum and Bellona in case Romans came out to attack me and Kayla or Bellona decided to turn on us.
"You can say that again.." Kayla muttered, shocked.
Bellona's gaze hardened. "Then you all must leave now.. or they will kill you. I will go to Olympus and see what is going on there. Make haste, you two!" she shouted.
Then, like a ghost, in the blink of an eye, she was gone and I looked at Kayla. I took out one of my swords and handed it to her. "Help the others to the ship.." I said, while taking out Argonaut and the other normal Greek sword I had. Thank god I had added a fifth sheath to this last night, with which to sheathe Argonaut in it.. meaning I could use the cyborg arms I had received during the quest if I needed to. "..I'll hold them off."
She quickly kissed me on the lips now after taking the sword. "Don't die, my king.." she said with a mixture of worry, concern, and seriousness in her voice.
I just gave her a smile. "Don't worry, I won't.." I said back, and we both charged into the forum. Either way, I was a bit pissed off now, because I so did not miss this — having to deal with people that now want to kill you at all.
Of all the things this incident caused, the failure to keep old tensions from reigniting themselves between Greek and Roman demigods arguably played a major role in driving the performance I would put on starting from now to a few days into August. But for now, all I could do was wonder how exactly was everyone supposed to be on the quest going to get out of this?
To be continued..