Roman Feasting and Bakeries
Kassandra sat herself down in the opposing seat to Reyna. The praetor sat ominously across the desk of her office and stared deep into her soul, black eyes piercing any sort of mental defence she could have put up.
The office room was well furnished, with plenty of bookshelves and even a stand for displaying battle armour, presumably the golden plates that the demigod daughter of Bellona was currently wearing. Kassandra was a little envious of such beautiful armour, she'd have to get some for herself at some point even if it was just to walk around in.
The window behind Reyna also let in just enough light at just the right angle to shimmer right into the ex-huntress' eyes. Annoying.
"So, you are a daughter of Bellona?" started Reyna, leaning back in her chair.
The daughter of (Y/N) nodded. The praetor looked in thought for a moment, before putting her fingers to her lips and producing a loud whistle. The office door was pushed open, but instead of a human walking in, two robotic dogs did. One gold and one silver.
"Argentum and Aurum," introduced Reyna, the two hounds moving to either of her sides. 'Gold' and 'silver' in Latin, pretty bland names. They had ruby eyes and sharp metal teeth, so Kassandra wondered why they were allowed inside the Pomerian line but not her daggers.
"Your pets?" asked Kassandra curiously.
"Sort of, though they serve a greater purpose though than ordinary pets. They were blessed to always know when a person is lying to me, and if someone does they will attack. So now I ask you again, are you a daughter of Bellona, the goddess patron of Rome?"
Despite knowing she was telling the truth, Kassandra couldn't help but feel nervous. Reyna managed the whole leader thing so well, Kassandra would probably be more inclined to submit to her than Zeus.
"Yes, Bellona is my mother."
Despite understanding that the ex-huntress wasn't lying, the praetor still looked suspicious. Her eyes remained narrowed.
"Alright. How come you've never come to New Rome before? You seem to be of age to join."
"My parents sent me to a... boarding school where I kept up my studies. Then I was found by the Greeks and they brought me here. Jason's told me about you, and the idea of having a half-sister was what really got me here."
No lie in hearing range, the dogs remained at Reyna's side. The Hunters was basically a glorified boarding school for girls, right?
"You're either really good at lying, or you're telling the truth."
"Why can't you accept I'm a child of Bellona?" asked Kassandra. "Why couldn't you just take my word for it back with the others? Ask anyone there, even Jason, and they'll tell you what I'm telling you now."
Reyna sighed and spun around in her seat to look out through the window.
"If you are a daughter of Bellona, then you'll be the only other to arrive here at camp other than me for the last twenty years. For gods and goddesses, that's a pretty long time to go without having children. But now you're here, looking similar age to me, which can only mean she had you close to when she had me and my sister."
A second half-sister? Her day just kept getting better!
"Our mother is strict and orderly. She takes interest in those who peak her interest, so it's not crazy to think she just didn't find a good partner, then out fathers matched her desires."
There was momentarily silence in the room besides from Argentum spinning around in a circle to chase after his own tail.
"Your father... who was he?"
Oh Hades.
"He was a... doctor. Tended to brave warriors in conflict and even fought in battle himself. He was kind and strong, I aspire to be like him one day."
Another block of silence. Maybe making people feel nervous was a hidden technique of children of Bellona Kassandra needed to master, and that Reyna could teach her. Outside, the sound of people gathering in the forum grew louder.
The praetor finally turned around, something the ex-huntress couldn't understand present in her eyes. She stood from her seat and moved around the desk to stand over Kassandra, gesturing for her to rise, so she did. Then, she unexpectedly enveloped her in an embrace. It wasn't that Kassandra hadn't been hugged before, but this felt different compared to when she celebrated a volleyball victory or a successful day of training with Chiron.
Reyna wasn't a naturally trusting or opening person, but it was as if a force in the room guided her mind. It felt right to the praetor
"I trust you. Welcome to your home, sister."
After the interrogation, Kassandra and Reyna left the office and headed back to the forum.
Sets of couches and low tables had been carted into the forum until it resembled a furniture showroom. Romans lounged in groups of ten or twenty, talking and laughing while wind spirits -aurae- swirled overhead, bringing an endless assortment of pizzas, sandwiches, chips, cold drinks, and fresh-baked cookies. Drifting through the crowd were purple ghosts- Lares- in togas and legionnaire armour.
Around the edges of the feast, fauns trotted from table to table, panhandling for food and spare change. In the nearby fields, a war elephant frolicked with Mrs. O'Leary, and children played tag around the statues of Terminus that lined the city limits.
Kassandra and Reyna found their place to sit with some of the Roman officers, Percy, Annabeth and the crew. Luckily the sisters found a seat next to each other and took their respective places.
There were further introductions amongst the group, and soon enough they began to exchange stories. It was all rather nice to listen to, Kassandra spent most of her time munching down on honey cakes. She couldn't explain why, but she had always loved them, memories of raiding her pater's supply back home flooded back to her.
Jason explained how he'd arrived at Camp Half Blood without his memory, and how he'd gone on a quest with Piper and Leo, with Kassandra dipping in and out out of the plot line, to rescue the goddess Hera from imprisonment at the Wolf House in northern California. Good first quest, but someone just had to interrupt.
"Impossible!" Octavian broke in. "That's our most sacred place. If the giants had imprisoned a goddess there-"
"They would've destroyed her," Piper said. "And blamed it on the Greeks, and started a war between the camps. Now, be quiet and let Jason finish."
Octavian opened his mouth, but no sound came out. The benefits of Piper's charm speak were lovely sometimes. However, when Kassandra turned to chuckle with Reyna, the praetor was looking back and forth between Jason and Piper, her brow creased, as if just beginning to realise the two of them were a couple.
"So," Jason continued, "that's how we found out about the earth goddess Gaea. She's still half asleep, but she's the one freeing the monsters from Tartarus and raising the giants. Porphyrion, the big leader dude we fought at the Wolf House: he said he was retreating to the ancient lands- Greece itself. He plans on awakening Gaea and destroying the gods by... what did he call it? Pulling up their roots."
Percy nodded thoughtfully. "Gaea's been busy over here, too. We had our own encounter with Queen Dirt Face."
Percy recounted his side of the story. He talked about waking up at the Wolf House with no memories except for one name- Annabeth. The girl in question seemed to almost cry.
The son of Poseidon told then them how he'd travelled to Alaska with Frank and Hazel, the two officers, and how they'd defeated the giant Alcyoneus, freed the death god Thanatos, and returned with the lost golden eagle standard of the Roman camp to repel an attack by the giants' army. Impressive. Kassandra beating up a blind cyclops and getting her shoulder burnt off wasn't exactly on par with that.
When Percy had finished, Jason whistled appreciatively. "No wonder they made you praetor."
Octavian snorted. "Which means we now have three praetors! The rules clearly state we can only have two!"
"On the bright side," Percy said, "both Jason and I outrank you, Octavian.So we can both tell you to shut up."
Octavian turned as purple as a Roman T-shirt. Jason gave Percy a fist bump.Even Reyna managed a smile, though her eyes were stormy.
"We'll have to figure out the extra praetor problem later," she said. "Right now we have more serious issues to deal with."
"I'll step aside for Jason," Percy said easily. "It's no biggie.""No biggie?" Octavian choked. "The praetorship of Rome is no biggie?"
Percy ignored him and turned to Jason. "You're Thalia Grace's brother, huh? Wow. You guys look nothing alike."
"Yeah, I noticed," Jason said. "Anyway, thanks for helping my camp while I was gone. You did an awesome job."
"Back at you," Percy said.
"We should talk about the Great Prophecy. It sounds like the Romans are aware of it too?"
Reyna nodded. "We call it the Prophecy of Seven. Octavian, you have it committed to memory?"
"Of course," he said. "But,Reyna-"
"Recite it, please. In English, not Latin."
Octavian sighed. "Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall-"
"An oath to keep with a final breath," Annabeth continued. "And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death."
Everyone stared at her- except for Leo, who had constructed a pinwheel out of aluminium foil taco wrappers and was sticking it into passing wind spirits. Sort of rude in Kassandra's opinion, Octavian may not be the friendliest guy but he was the augur and it was his job to handle such prophecies.
The big kid, Frank, sat forward, staring at Chase in fascination, as if she'd grown a third eye. "Is it true you're a child of Min- I mean, Athena?"
"Yes," she said, a defensive tone rising in Annabeth's voice. "Why is that such a surprise?"
Octavian scoffed."If you're truly a child of the wisdom goddess-"
"Enough," Reyna and Kassandra snapped simultaneously. Kassandra blushed and motioned for her sister to continue.
"Annabeth is what she says. She's here in peace. Besides..." She gave Annabeth a look of grudging respect. "Percy has spoken highly of you."
The daughter of (Y/N) was one of the worst people at camp in terms of reading body language, but Reyna had let her guard slip. Being so close to her also allowed Kassandra to get a real good examination.
The tone of Reyna's voice, Percy shamefully looking down at his food; yes, the ex-huntress really did feel like some sort of Aphrodite kid in the moment.
Reyna had a crush on Percy, but his love for Annabeth was too great for Reyna to even stand a chance. Gods, there was some sort of protective surge over Kassandra, she was half tempted to throw Percy across New Rome. Instead, she settled by placing a reassuring hand on her sister's knee. The praetor gave her a half-thankful smile.
She was so thankful the praetor had opened up to her so easily. Was it that, or was Reyna just not used to having family?
"Uh, thanks," she told Reyna. "At any rate, some of the prophecy is becoming clear. Foes bearing arms to the Doors of Death... that means Romans and Greeks. We have to combine forces to find those doors."
Hazel, the girl with the cavalry helmet and the long curly hair, picked up something next to her plate. It looked like a large ruby; but before anyone could be sure, Hazel slipped it into the pocket of her denim shirt.
"My brother, Nico, went looking for the doors," she said.
"Wait," Annabeth said. "Nico di Angelo? He's your brother?"
Hazel nodded as if this were obvious.
Nico di Angelo. Kassandra had received limited information about him from those at camp. A son of Hades whose sister died on a quest to save Annabeth and Lady Artemis, a heroic yet untimely death. Nico was spoken by the youngsters as someone to be feared, and as by the elders at camp someone to be respected. Everyone agreed he was powerful.
During one of her quests for knowledge on her father, Nico came up in conversation with Annabeth. She was tired from spending days on end searching for Percy, and her speech at the time was slurred. Despite a multitude of questions, all Kassandra could make out were the words 'Nico', 'Adoptive', 'Angelo' and 'Sword'.
"Okay. You were saying?" continued Annabeth, shaking her from her thoughts. Reyna reassuringly patted her hand, which was still on the praetor's knee. Kassandra withdrew her hand.
"He disappeared." Hazel moistened her lips. "I'm afraid... I'm not sure, but I think something's happened to him."
"We'll look for him," Percy promised. "We have to find the Doors of Death anyway. Thanatos told us we'd find both answers in Rome- like, the original Rome. That's on the way to Greece, right?"
"Thanatos told you this? The death god?"
Percy took a bite of his burger as if it were all casual dinner conversation. "Now that Death is free, monsters will disintegrate and return to Tartarus again like they used to. But as long as the Doors of Death are open, they'll just keep coming back."
Piper twisted the feather in her hair."Like water leaking through a dam,"she suggested.
"Yeah." Percy smiled. "We've got a dam hole."
"What?" Piper asked.
"Nothing," he said. "Inside joke. The point is we'll have to find the doors and close them before we can head to Greece. It's the only way we'll stand a chance of defeating the giants and making sure they stay defeated."
Reyna plucked an apple from a passing fruit tray. She turned it in her fingers, studying the dark red surface.
"You propose an expedition to Greece in your warship. You do realise that the ancient lands- and the Mare Nostrum- are dangerous?"
"Mary who?" Leo asked.
"Mare Nostrum," Jason explained. "Our Sea. It's what the Ancient Romans called the Mediterranean."
Reyna nodded. "The territory that was once the Roman Empire is not only the birthplace of the gods. It's also the ancestral home of the monsters, Titans and giants... and worse things. As dangerous as travel is for demigods here in America, there it would be ten times worse."
"You said Alaska would be bad," Percy reminded her. "We survived that."
Reyna shook her head. Her fingernails cut little crescents into the apple as she turned it. "Percy, travelling in the Mediterranean is a different level of danger altogether. It's been off limits to Roman demigods for centuries. No hero in his right mind would go there. Besides... there is a rumour 'he' has been returning to action."
The Romans at the table squirmed uncomfortably, and a cold presence washed over everyone. Kassandra's ears peaked up.
"He? Who's that?" she asked, inhaling yet another honey cake.
Her sister brushed her cloak down and readjusted her sitting position.
"There have always been stories of monsters and savage beasts that terrorise demigods and mortals. But there was one who took it a step further. We don't know where he comes from or how long he's lived or if he's ever been slayed, but he is oddly human, yet not."
There was something familiar about the description, but Kassandra continued to listen.
"Records in our libraries lack a name or titles, but there are records of his existence and activity. He's been recorded in various places throughout history, from the collapse of Eastern Rome, to the conquest of Athens by the Romans and to destruction of the library of Alexandria; the list goes on. What we do know though is that he possesses a power, a technique. Similar to how children of Neptune can communicate with sea creatures and children of Venus can charm speak. He can control other monsters."
Kassandra's face must have turned bleach white, because she earned a few weird looks from the others. There was no way, was she talking about Ichiro? Annabeth seemed to have come to the same conclusion, and she was more vocal.
"We had a run in with him a couple months back, this monster summoner you speak of. He goes by the name of Ichiro and attacked the camp."
Percy gasped and dropped his burger onto his plate. "Was everyone ok, did anyone get hurt?"
Chase looked down at her own food. "We lost a couple, the camp was in ruins for a while before everything got fixed up. He came with someone else too who put Kassandra into a coma for a month and a half."
Now it was Reyna's turn to grow nervous for her sister. The ex-huntress didn't dare mention Ikari past that, it was bad enough everyone had the thought of Ichiro on their minds.
"It wasn't too bad, we just got caught by surprise," admitted Kassandra.
"You say his name is Ichiro? Doesn't seem like anything we've heard of before."
"We suspect it's something he picked up, not his real name. It means 'first born' in Japanese."
"He's also a great fighter," said Jason, "He was able to combat me, Leo and Piper all at once and not take a single hit. His fighting style was something I've never seen before, he didn't have to empower his strikes with strength or anything.He just hit us so many times so fast we couldn't do anything."
The prospect of fighting Ichiro was becoming more and more draining for Kassandra.
"There's one last thing about him," said Reyna. Everyone turned to her. "The most prominent archive of this 'Ichiro' was during the fall of Western Rome. A daughter of Minerva saw him-"
"We have that recording too," said Annabeth, "Could I get a look at your library sometime?"
The praetor nodded, and continued.
"Anyway, we have the most detailed encounter with him at that point in time. He ravaged Germanic and Roman soldiers according to a daughter of Minerva who witnessed it, but then something strange. He set out from the city with haste, the child of Minerva following. He made it west across the Palatine hill and the River Tiber before coming across a group of people. They were later identified as demi-gods and legacies from old Camp Jupiter."
Everyone was silent, the only noise being the chatter of others in the forum. Reyna had a daunting look on her face, as if it had been her to witness the whole thing.
"The demigods had been sent out in a similar fashion as Aeneas had from Troy by the gods, to found a new city for the Olympians and people of Rome. Except they never managed to fulfill their quest; because Ichiro massacred them."
No one was willing to be the first to speak after that. Ichiro had killed a group of refugees in cold blood, and if they were demi-gods/ legacies there was a good chance they weren't even adults.
"We'll... we'll be good," said Leo unsurely. "The Argo II can get us through anything, right?"
Even though it was his ship and the gathered ones were some of the strongest demigods of the modern age, there was still that sense of uneasiness. So much about Ichiro had been left in the dark, hidden for them to only fear about.
"Well, we'll have to hurry," Jason added, resuming the position of leader. He was just as good as Annabeth at it. "I don't know exactly what the giants or this Ichiro being are planning, but Gaea is growing more conscious all the time. She's invading dreams, appearing in weird places and more powerful monsters are rising to join her side. We have to stop the giants before they can wake her up fully, no matter the risk."
"Seven half-bloods must answer the call," Annabeth said. "It needs to be a mix from both our camps. Jason, Piper, Leo, and me. That's four. Kassandra's got her own thing going on so she doesn't count."
"And me," Percy said. "Along with Hazel and Frank. That's seven."
"What?" Octavian shot to his feet. "We're just supposed to accept that? Without a vote in the senate? Without a proper debate? Without-"
"Percy!"
Tyson the Cyclops bounded toward them with Mrs. O'Leary at his heels. On the hell hound's back sat the skinniest harpy the ex-huntress had ever seen- a sickly-looking girl with stringy red hair, a sackcloth dress, and red-feathered wings.
Kassandra only knew about Tyson, the brother of Percy, from Percy himself. He certainly seemed to live up to the tales Jackson had wove.
Tyson stopped by their couch and wrung his meaty hands. His big brown eye was full of concern.
"Ella is scared," he said.
"N-n-no more boats," the harpy muttered to herself, picking furiously at her feathers. "Titanic, Lusitania, Pax... boats are not for harpies."
Leo squinted. He looked at Hazel, who was seated next to him. "Did that chicken girl just compare my ship to the Titanic?"
"She's not a chicken." Hazel averted her eyes, as if Leo made her nervous. "Ella's a harpy. She's just a little... high-strung."
"Ella is pretty," Tyson said. "And scared. We need to take her away, but she will not go on the ship."
"No ships," Ella repeated. She looked straight at Annabeth. "Bad luck. There she is. Wisdom's daughter walks alone-"
"Ella!" Frank stood suddenly."Maybe it's not the best time-"
"The Mark of Athena burns through Rome," Ella continued, cupping her hands over her ears and raising her voice. "Twins snuff out the angel's breath, Who holds the key to endless death. Giants' bane stands gold and pale, Won through pain from a woven jail."
The effect was just as bad as the Ichiro news, like someone had dropped a bomb in the middle of the forum. Everyone stared at the harpy, silence consuming them all once more.
Around them, the sounds of the feast continued, but muted and distant, as if their little cluster of couches had slipped into a quieter dimension. Percy was the first to recover. He stood and took Tyson's arm.
"I know!" he said with feigned enthusiasm. "How about you take Ella to get some fresh air? You and Mrs. O'Leary-"
"Hold on." Octavian gripped one of his teddy bears, strangling it with shaking hands. His eyes fixed on Ella. "What was that she said? It sounded like-"
"Ella reads a lot," Frank blurted out. "We found her at a library."
"Yes!" Hazel said. "Probably just something she read in a book."
"Books," Ella muttered helpfully. "Ella likes books."
Now that she'd said her piece, the harpy seemed more relaxed. She sat cross-legged on Mrs. O'Leary's back, preening her wings. Obviously, Percy and Frank and Hazel were hiding something. Just as obviously, Ella had recited a prophecy- a prophecy that concerned primarily Annabeth.
"That was a prophecy,"Octavian insisted. "It sounded like a prophecy."
No one answered. Annabeth erupted with a seemingly forced laugh. "Really, Octavian? Maybe harpies are different here, on the Roman side. Ours have just enough intelligence to clean cabins and cook lunches. Do yours usually foretell the future? Do you consult them for your auguries?"
Her words had the intended effect. The Roman officers laughed nervously. Some sized up Ella, then looked at Octavian and snorted. The idea of a harpy issuing prophecies was apparently just as ridiculous to Romans as it was to Greeks.
"I, uh..." Octavian dropped his teddy bear. "No, but—"
"She's just spouting lines from some book," Annabeth said, "like Hazel suggested. Besides, we already have a real prophecy to worry about."
She turned to Tyson. "Percy's right. Why don't you take Ella and Mrs. O'Leary and shadow-travel somewhere for a while.Is Ella okay with that?"
"'Large dogs are good,'" Ella said. "Old Yeller, 1957, screenplay by Fred Gipson and William Tunberg."
"You're an interesting character," joked Kassandra, laughing a little and earning a few chuckles.
Percy smiled like the problem was solved.
"Great!" he said. "We'll Iris-message you guys when we're done and catch up with you later."
The Romans looked at Reyna,waiting for her ruling.Reyna had an excellent poker face, perhaps she would make a better goddess than Kassandra? The praetor would definitely manage her situation better.
She studied Ella, but Annabeth couldn't guess what she was thinking."Fine," the praetor said at last. "Go."
"Yay!" Tyson went around the couches and gave everyone a big hug- even Octavian, who didn't look happy about it. When the cyclops enveloped Kassandra, it was warm and like hugging a massive teddy bear with muscles.
Then he climbed on Mrs. O'Leary's back with Ella, and the hell hound bounded out of the forum. They dove straight into a shadow on the Senate House wall and disappeared.
"Well." Reyna set down her uneaten apple. "Octavian is right about one thing. We must gain the senate's approval before we let any of our legionnaires go on a quest—especially one as dangerous as you're suggesting."
"This whole thing smells of treachery," Octavian grumbled. "That trireme is not a ship of peace!"
"Come aboard, man," Leo offered. "I'll give you a tour. You can steer the boat, and if you're really good I'll give you a little paper captain's hat to wear."
Octavian's nostrils flared. "How dare you-"
"It's a good idea," Reyna said. "Octavian, go with him. See the ship. We'll convene a senate meeting in one hour."
"But..." Octavian stopped. Apparently he could tell from Reyna's expression that further arguing would not be good for his health. "Fine."
Leo rose, and as he did so Kassandra could have sworn she saw something; a spirit or a ghost, something or someone appearing and disappearing before her eyes. She rubbed her eyes, and the thing was gone. Weird.
"Back soon," Leo promised. "This is gonna be epic."
Something was really off, but since the daughter of Bellona couldn't explain it she said nothing. The wind spirits began clearing the plates, Kassandra grabbing onto one last honey cake.
"Uh, Reyna," Jason said, "if you don't mind, I'd like to show Piper around before the senate meeting. She's never seen New Rome."
Reyna's expression hardened. Gods, these boys were dense. Was it possible he really didn't understand how much Reyna liked him? It was obvious enough to someone simple like Kassandra. Asking to show his new girlfriend around Reyna's city was rubbing salt in a wound.
"Of course," Reyna said coldly.
Percy took Annabeth's hand."Yeah, me, too. I'd like to show Annabeth-"
"No," Reyna snapped.
Percy knit his eyebrows. "Sorry?"
"I'd like a few words with Annabeth,"Reyna said. "Alone. If you don't mind, my fellow praetor."
Her tone made it clear she wasn't really asking permission.
(This little bit here of Reyna, Jason and Percy is arguably the funniest thing in all of HoO to me but also the saddest)
"Come, daughter of Athena." Reyna rose from her couch. "Walk with me."
The others went their separate ways after that, Jason going off to show Piper all the best spots and Percy, Hazel and Frank moving to chat with some other Romans, leaving Kassandra by herself. She could go talk with Percy and catch up with him, but he seemed content with his new friends. So she set off towards the heart of the city for some exploration.
Everyone was still hanging around the forum, so the city was pretty much dead. Windows were closed, street booths were vacant and the streets were silent beside the sound of Kassandra's sandals clacking on the floor.
It was all so wonderfully built, from terraced gardens, the fountains and temples, the winding cobblestone streets and gleaming white villas. Annabeth was probably having the time of her life looking around. Kassandra could only hope Reyna wasn't chewing her out.
The idea of living here was something that reminded her of Olympus.
"Hey, you're not supposed to be thinking about that."
Startling the girl, she spun around and almost fell over. The voice laughed. When she regained her footing, she could see the glow of Hector on the other side of the street, leaning against a street lamp.
"Gods, you scared me," said Kassandra, Hector strolling over to her side.
"Well you were pretty occupied back there with your new sister and friends, I didn't want to interrupt. Plus, I wanted to take a look around."
"It really is beautiful," admitted the daughter of (Y/N).
"Yes. I have long wondered what became the legacy of my sweet Troy. Thank you for bringing me here, Kassandra."
"It's nothing, your service towards me is immeasurable."
Their height difference had drastically decreased, but Hector was still a little taller unfortunately. His breathing was irregular as if her were panicking. But when she looked at his face, it was anything but.
"Are you... okay?" she asked, concerned.
The prince didn't respond. Then, he suddenly collapsed to the ground.
"Hector!" squeaked Kassandra, instinctively grabbing onto his arms so he didn't smash his head on the floor.
Somehow, despite him being a ghost, she caught him. Unfortunately, in the moment she could only slow down his fall, so he was still flat on his back by the end of it.
"What happened? Are you hurt? Do I need to call Hades or something or should I-"
Her hands were already emanating golden light. (Y/N) had gifted her natural healing, but it wasn't very strong on anyone but herself. She didn't even know if her healing extended to the undead, but it was worth a shot. Just as her hands were going to connect, Hector stopped her.
He had a complete poker face on, something she had seen many a time during their spars or when she caught him in deep thought.
"Don't waste your strength on me m'lady, it's nothing serious. Just a thought I had."
The prince shuffled to sit up, and Kassandra placed herself next to him.
"Do you want to talk about it? Seemed like a pretty serious thought."
Hector looked down at his greaves and sandals, before looking directly up at the cloudy sky.
"This place... When I was killed in combat by Achilles, my spirit wandered the battle field and city until my corpse was returned to my father. Preserved by the gods, a small compensation for my death. After that, I met my cousin Aeneas in his dreams. I told him that I had foresaw that our Troy was to fall and he had to flee the city with his family and the household gods. He did so, and my message allowed for Rome to founded."
He spoke of the events like they were yesterday, a recent memory.
"I watched Rome grow and prosper, never choosing to reincarnate in fear I'd forget all that I had seen and fought so hard for. I had made peace with Achilles and Odysseus, but my family... Scamander and Andromache never met me in the Underworld despite being guaranteed passage to the Underworld. I fear they moved on to reincarnation without me."
"Is there anything I could do to help?" asked Kassandra.
Hector shook his head. "I have learned to move on, they must have moved on too. But just seeing this place... the continuation of my city... it's just a lot to take in. I died for Troy and that's something I'd never change. It's simply so overwhelming to see that she truly did prosper and meet her destiny as a city that could challenge any other in the world."
The prince sniffled a little and his armour clanked as he got up to his feet, wiping his eyes with his wrists. Kassandra had never seen her companion so emotional, but she could understand. If Reyna was her to be her older sister, then perhaps Hector would be her older brother figure.
"Well, when this is all over and we get my new full family back, save the world and all that, I'll try and put a favour in with Hades. You'll get to meet all the Romans, and hey, we could even-"
She was interrupted by the sound of an alarm, a really loud one at that. It was a ringing noise and their bonding moment was shattered. Was it... an oven alarm?
Scouring the street for the source, just a little further down she could make out where it was coming from. A bakery, with a few cute coloured chairs outside. Despite being so cute, the alarm was freakishly loud and spoilt the view. For a solid twenty seconds the ghost and goddess stood in the middle of the street, and the alarm kept ringing.
"Perhaps someone requires help," said Hector.
Kassandra nodded, and jogged down the road with prince of Troy in tow.
Kassandra practically barrelled through the front door of the bakery, and her nose was instantly assaulted with a wave of delicious smells. She was stunned for a moment before resuming her search.
The inside was quaint, but the ex-huntress continued to follow the noise and smell. It seemed to be coming from behind the counter and in the back of the place, which made sense. It was probably an oven alarm now she thought about it, maybe the baker was out and forgot to turn the oven off.
Would it be rude to go in? It wasn't her place and she didn't have permission, but the bakery and all the sweet treats could get burnt so surely she was justified. Besides, it's not like she hadn't frequently stolen from mortal stores in the past, so she didn't exactly have the strongest morals.
Jumping over the till, Kassandra darted through the door that lead into the kitchen, and what greeted her was one of the most confusing sights she had ever seen.
There was a girl, maybe fifteen going on sixteen, wearing a bakers cap and hair net containing a lengthy amount of dark brown hair. Completing the baker look she had on an apron, but since she was turned away from the daughter of (Y/N) that was all the view she got.
The rest of the kitchen seemed in a state of disorderly order. Everything seemed to be chaotically strung around in a mess, but there was a sense of personal tidiness to it all. Bowls of cake mix and batter sat on various counters, plenty of trays covered in pastries and cookies ready for the oven everywhere they could be. Ingredients were wherever there was a spot of space. That explained the strong smell.
The explanation for the noise was just on the side. Ovens covered the wall, various timers ticking away, and the one closest to Kassandra being the one to emit such an irritating beeping.
"Hey, I think your alarm is going off," said Kassandra sarcastically. The girl continued her work without acknowledging her.
Hector, who was just a step behind the goddess, shared a confused look with her.
"Lady?"
Still no response. Was she a ghost or something like that?
Edging forwards, Kassandra cautiously held an arm out, and tapped her on the shoulder. With a squeak the girl spun around, and with a knife in her hand, cut Kassandra across the face. Time slowed down. Golden blood began to drip from the wound on her face, stretching from her left ear, across her face, and finishing under her right eye.
The wound wasn't what surprised her though, it was the girl's appearance. She was beautiful. Even though she used the term often, it still seemed to retain its value every time. Her face was pure and innocent. Large dark eyes that could catch her in a trance, double their size at the shock of the event. She seemed like some sort of model.
The girl gasped at the wound she had inflicted, making a noise Kassandra couldn't quite understand in her awe. The knife dropped to the floor in a clatter, stained with golden fluid. Tentatively dabbing the wound with her fingers, the ex-huntress stood in wonder whilst the girl panicked.
Her hands made various odd shapes Kassandra couldn't understand, and suddenly time went back to how it was before.
(Before we continue, it is important to know that I am not fully taught on the following disability, but I am trying my best to present it and if anything is written wrongly then it is not my intent to do so.)
She had seen those sorts of hand signs before, but she just couldn't pin it. The wound on her face began to close up and the girl gasped in shock. Oh Hades, had she already given up her secret goddess identity?
"M'lady," started Hector from out of sight, "Do you understand her?"
Kassandra shook her head, and the girl continued to make her signs.
"It's sign language. I've only heard of it from people I met in the Underworld, but it's the way deaf people communicate. Different hand signs have different translations to words."
"Are you deaf?" asked Kassandra, before realising just how stupid that was of her to ask. Yet the girl nodded.
"Lip reading," said Hector.
The wound on her face completely closed over as if it had never been there. Coming to her senses, the girl turned back to her station and grabbed a stack of post-it notes that were left on the side and a pen. She scribbled down a few words and tore off the note, handing it to her.
I'm so sorry, you caught me by surprise.
Kassandra held her hand out and the girl handed her the notes. She scribbled down her own message, it would be easier than forcing her to lip read her.
It's my fault, I shouldn't have interrupted you like that. One of your alarms was going off and I didn't know if it was being attended to.
Upon reading the note, the baker's brows shot up and she darted over to the ovens, manically flipping switches and rotating knobs. Soon enough she found the one bleeping and the noise finally stopped.
Thanks for that, I had no idea. I haven't seen you around before and you bleed golden blood, are you a goddess?
Kassandra laughed to herself and took the pen and notes.
If you promise to keep it a secret, then I am. My name's Kassandra and I'm a somewhat new arrival to the pantheon. Yours?
Siopi.
Silence? Fitting but cruel almost. Her reaction was irregular, she expected something more volatile. Was Siopi used to running into gods and goddesses?
How come you're so relaxed about this?
I've met my fair share of odd people. I guess you're just another new encounter for the books.
Huh, she wanted to inquire more but there weren't many post-its left and she didn't want to waste them.
So do you run this bakery?
Yes, my mother passed it onto me when she died a year or so ago. I've always worked here because I was never let into the army due to being deaf.
And are you a demigod or a legacy?
A demigod. My father is Harpocrates and he's actually the reason I'm deaf. Some sort of curse or gift, it was never directly specified. As the god of silence I guess he assumed permanent silence was a positive in his twisted mind.
Kassandra was lucky to have such good godly parents, she could have easily ended up with one of the many terrible ones.
You seem pretty accustomed to it, I assume that was sign language earlier?
She nodded.
How come you're not out there in the forum with the others drinking and eating? You shouldn't be working in a time of celebration, no one should.
Siopi got a sad look in her eyes before she wrote down her thoughts on the post-it.
Some of the other kids my age have not so welcoming opinions on my curse. It's better for me to stay out of sight than to start an argument in the forum over nothing.
There was a deep anger ignited inside of Kassandra. Who could be enough of a jerk to bully a deaf kid as kind as Siopi?
That's minotaur. You shouldn't have to isolate yourself because others are idiots. If anything they don't deserve you.
Siopi blushed a little at the compliment. Ever since her mother passed, she had been alone with her silence. It was so warm to hear the affection of another. They stood together awkwardly, and behind Kassandra, Hector could only chuckle to himself before dissipating into thin air and back into the diadem of his goddess.
Do you bake? Wrote the daughter of Harpocrates.
Besides from a batch of burnt cookies, most definitely not. Responded Kassandra. Siopi smiled to herself.
Would you like to learn? If you have the time, that is.
Kassandra looked around the busy kitchen. She could spare half an hour surely. It seemed too good to be true, getting to spend time with a Roman doing something so care-free. Just like when she met her father at the palace of Aeolus, except minus the trickery and wicked brothers.
She reached for the last post-it note, before an explosion rocked the store. The ex-huntress stumbled back and Siopi did so too, sensing the ground shake.
"Stay here, I'll check it out," promised Kassandra. The daughter of Harpocrates nodded.
Outside, she leapt up onto the roof of the bakery to survey her surroundings. It was chaos.
Down in the forum, an explosion of a crater had taken form and demigods and legacies alike scattered in panic. An attack?
The Argo II launched a second volley. Its port ballista fired a massive spear wreathed in Greek fire, which sailed straight through the broken dome of the Senate House and exploded inside, lighting up the building like a jacko'-lantern. If anyone had been in there, they wouldn't have survived.
Down in the forum, chaos was spreading. Crowds were pushing and shoving. Fistfights were breaking out. She had to act. Jumping back down, Kassandra burst back into the bakery and threw herself over the counter to get to the kitchen. There, Siopi was crouched down on the floor, fear in her eye.
The ex-huntress snatched up the last post-it and scribbled down a few words, handing it to her.
Attack, find safety, I'll be back.
By the time she looked back up, Kassandra was long gone.
The daughter of Bellona watched it unfold from a top a building just next to the forum.
If weapons had been allowed in the city, Kassandra's friends would have already been dead. The Roman demigods in the forum had coalesced into an angry mob. Some threw plates, food, and rocks at the Argo II, which was pointless, as most of the stuff fell back into the crowd.
Several dozen Romans had surrounded Piper and Jason, who were trying to calm them without much luck. Piper's charm speak was useless against so many screaming, angry demigods. Jason's forehead was bleeding. His purple cloak had been ripped to shreds. He kept pleading, "I'm on your side!" but his orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt didn't help matters- nor did the warship overhead, firing flaming spears into New Rome. One landed nearby and blasted a toga shop to rubble.
Armed legionnaires were hurrying toward the forum. Two artillery crews had set up catapults just outside the Pomerian Line and were preparing to fire at the Argo II. Kassandra didn't have any weapons to disarm the situation, but that was exactly what she had been training for.
Chaos was the theoretical mass that created everything with energy. The energy left over still stewed around the universe, and that energy created gods, titans and other beings above the level of humans. Then by that logic, the energy could be manipulated into anything by anyone with the knowledge of how to do so. That was the logic Kassandra applied to the energy manipulation.
A glimmering set of armour encased her, simple in design and effective. Not too complicated, the only thing she had once struggled with being the ability to make the joints work properly.
Another explosion rocked the forum. This time the flash of light was directly overhead. One of the Roman catapults had fired, and the Argo II groaned and tilted sideways, flames bubbling over its bronze-plated hull. There was a figure clinging desperately to the rope ladder, trying to climb down. It was Octavian, his robes steaming and his face black with soot.
Meanwhile, Percy and his friends, Hazel and Frank, were standing in the middle of a fountain as Percy repelled the angry Romans with blasts of water. Percy's toga was in tatters, but he looked unhurt. Annabeth appeared from the side and began to talk to them.
The Argo II continued to return fire. Legionnaires in the field scattered as one of their catapults was blasted to splinters. Now came the real complicated bit. Harnessing offensive energy capabilities.
Kassandra raised her hand and pointed a finger gun at the nearest catapult. She closed one eye and took aim, then... PEW.
A streak of golden light shot from her fingertips like a bullet, and with the speed of a bullet hit the catapult dead on. The weapon exploded into a thousand pieces, but she was far from done. Spinning, she redirected her aim at the Argo and... PEW. The main ballista of the ship was gone. If they really needed it, Leo could fix it later.
Finally, she locked her aim down onto the forum. In the heart of the chaos where demigods fought, she took aim. Calm and collected breaths. Simple thoughts. PEW.
A beam of energy arched through the air and directly through the crowd of chaos, barely missing a few Romans and Percy himself. The fighting momentarily ceased and people turned to look in Kassandra's direction. Out of everyone in the crowd, she only locked eyes with one.
Reyna.
There were too many signals for her to decode, too many emotions present in the Praetors stare. She'd explain herself later. Now, she watched as Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Hazel and Frank all made a dash to the ladder of the airship.
With a tear in her eye at the loss of everything she could have had gone in moments, Kassandra made the blinding transport to the deck of the Argo II.
Hades, she had been so close. So close to her dream.