A Tale of Romans and Slaves | PJO/HOO

Chapter 62: Percy

Tonight was the night.

I sat on top of the largest of the small hills that surrounded Lord Hades' manor, which were quite convenient for hiding armies. I could see how they'd give the manor a defensive advantage, seeing as he would have the high ground by placing his army on them. But for that to work, he'd need to know that enemies were coming.

Which, in my case, he didn't. We had made sure of that when we caught a messenger sent from King Jason himself riding to the manor. The poor boy looked like he hadn't slept for days, and was currently fast asleep in one of our cells.

This was our biggest attack yet. In the past eight months, we had been attacking different manors, baths, mines, anywhere with slaves. Almost everyone we freed joined our army, and the ones who didn't were supplied horses and rode to wherever it was they wanted to go. Most women chose not to fight, settling in the more traditional but equally, if not more so, important jobs of cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children. But Lord Hades had the biggest army and best defenses of anyone we'd ever faced.

But that wasn't why I was so nervous for the battle, why my heart was racing and I was sitting here, away from my army, needing the silence to calm down.

It was because I was about to see her again. Annabeth.

For the past eight months, I had dreamed and daydreamed about how our reunion would go. How I'd hold her tighter than I ever have, and kiss her harder, too. How I'd confess my love for her, and tell her how much I missed her. Everything.

But I also had my fears. What if she had found another man, or even a woman, and replaced me? What if our time apart had demolished her feelings for me?

I tried not to think about it.

As the sun finally set, I returned to camp. Only our army was here. The woman and children were a few miles away, and safe. We had set up camp a small distance away from the hills.

As I walked into the camp, Luke approached me.

"The men are ready," My second-in-command told me.

Our first attack would be small, 12 men who were fast and strong who would climb the walls and take out the guards, before opening the Manor's doors. Then the rest of us would storm in.

"Tell them that it's time," I told Luke. He nodded and ran off to tell the men.

The rest of us waited for the signal, which was a horn blow. I sat at camp with Luke and a few others in silence. He was a good friend of Annabeth's, and was also nervous about seeing her. It was unnaturally silent without the sounds of Katie and Travis, who for some reason had recently gotten married, bickering. Both of them were sneaking into the castle.

Then we heard it: the sound of the horn.

We surged to our feet, grabbing our swords and armor. It was time.

We had set up camp right next to the road leading to the door of the manor, and we surged through it, ready to attack. More horns were blowing now, because the Romans had spotted us, and were getting ready to attack. The open doors of the manor greeted me as I lead my men through them, my sword already unsheathed. Romans were already coming up to greet us, and as we charged, I could only think one thing:

I'll see you soon, Annabeth.