SPQR
“My, your fellow recruits are going to have a field day with this.” Reyna said with no small amount of amusement in her voice.
Xander just shrugged while she read through the papers his mom had given him, his references. Though he didn’t know why he needed them, wasn’t this just a summer camp? Though the talking she wolf he had stayed with for a week did put that into some question.
“A legacy, twice over, and a demi-god. Well, it happens,” she muttered to herself, “but I can’t say I’ve seen this…combination before.”
While she was reading through his paperwork, Xander took the time to look at his surroundings. The camp headquarters, or principia as he was corrected, was impressive. A two-story wedge of white marble, with columned portico like a bank. They had teenagers acting as guards in front, two of them, in blue jeans, combat boots, steel & leather armor, horsehair tailed helmets, with tall spears.
A mosaic glittered on the ceiling, Romulus & Remus suckling at the tit of their adopted mother, Lupus, the she-wolf, the mother of Rome.
The floor was shiny, polished marble, the walls draped in purple velvet. He’d never been in a place like this before, not in all his 11 years.
“Do you know what Camp Jupiter is?” She finally addressed him, shaking him from his inner musings.
“Ah, no, ah, can’t say that I do. Not a summer camp then?” Her dark piercing eyes made him feel like a fool.
He couldn’t read the look in her black orbs, but Xander felt like he’d amused her in some way.
“No, not a summer camp,” she continued to look him up and down, in his opinion for an uncomfortable amount of time, before continuing, “I’m the Praetor here, one of them at least. Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, daughter of the Goddess Bellona, Goddess of War.”
“Um, nice to meet you.” He replied, bemused at this all. Sure, the talking wolf lady had said stuff about gods, Rome, and demi-gods, but he’d just thought someone had spiked his fruit punch before nap time.
“Your mother gave you these to pass on?” His credentials.
“Yeah, before I got all sleepy and ended up having a week long conversation with a talking wolf.” He’d made the mistake of calling her a dog once, and only once, Xander was pretty sure the deep scratches on his shoulder would scar.
“Alexander LaVelle Baptiste?” She asked, her eyebrows furrowing while she did so.
“Yeah, no, ah, Baptiste is my mom’s maiden name. My dad’s last name is…” He was cut off.
“Your mortal step-father’s name doesn’t matter to me. Camp Jupiter is the last encampment of Rome, our cohorts, like myself, are made up of the legacies and children of the Gods & Goddess of Rome.”
If he had to guess, Xander would bet money this wasn’t the first time she’d given this speech.
“Your references state that you are a legacy on top of being the son of a Roman God,” not giving him a chance to mow over that statement, “this will open many doors for you at camp. Probably first choice of cohorts.”
“My dad’s a God? And what’s a legacy?” Do people put LSD in kids fruit punch?
“A legacy just means one of your ancestors was also a God or Goddess, grandparents, great grandparents, ext. In your case, you have two Godly ancestors.” Behind her big wooden desk, she flipped through his paperwork a second time.
“Your great, great, great grandfather was the God Vervactor. The God of ploughing. A God of the field.” Reyna just grinned as she read.
“Your mother’s father, your grandfather, was the God Insitor. The God of sowing crops.”
“What’s so funny about Gods of planting stuff?” Xander said, confused at her amusement.
“Oh,” she said with a smirk, “it gets better.”
“Your father, while a minor God as well, is arguably still a very….powerful and respected deity. The God Cupid. The God of erotic love, affection, and desire.”
“I still don’t know what the big deal…..” Xander’s voice tapered off, “wait a second.”
“Ah, light finally dawns. You’re descended from a God of ploughing fields, sowing his seed in said fields, and erotic love.”
“Are you making a sex joke? To an 11 year old?” Xander said with a frown.
“Someone did.” Reyna answered him with a chuckle.
“Welcome to Camp Jupiter. Don’t knock anyone up while you’re here.”