𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋 𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑, percy jackson

CHAPTER 68! how good he looked if i wasn't so shocked he was still alive

about half a mile to the west, where the horns were blowing, a roman fort stood on a hill, with a defensive trench lined with spikes, high walls, and watchtowers armed with scorpion ballistae.

inside, perfect rows of white barracks.

a column of demigods emerged from the gates, their armor and spears glinting as they hurried toward the city. in the midst of their ranks was an actual war elephant.

i gasped, and shook annabeth while pointing at the animal.

"look! it's so cute. i want one." i frowned.

"it's.. an animal." annabeth nodded her head, still distracted.

the ground was still several hundred feet below. i searched the crowd for percy, but a loud explosion went off.

both girls spun around.

"unacceptable!" an angry statue shrieked.

he had exploded into existence, right there on the deck. sulfurous yellow smoke rolled off his shoulders. cinders popped around his curly hair. from the waist down, he was nothing but a square marble pedestal. from the waist up, he was a muscular human figure in a carved toga.

"i will not have weapons inside the pomerian line!" he announced in a fussy teacher voice. "i certainly will not have greeks!"

"hi!" i greeted, with a wave.

"you're not greek." he commented, his voice a little squeaky. "have i seen you before?"

"terminus," jason said. "it's me. jason grace."

"oh, i remember you, jason!" terminus grumbled. "i thought you had better sense than to consort with the enemies of rome!"

"but they're not enemies-" jason began.

"that's right," piper jumped in. "we just want to talk. if we could-"

"ha!" snapped the statue. "don't try that charmspeak on me, young lady. and put down that dagger before i slap it out of your hands!"

piper glanced at her bronze dagger, which she'd apparently forgotten she was holding. "uhm.. okay. but how would you slap it? you don't have any arms."

"impertinence!" there was a sharp pop and a flash of yellow.

piper yelped and dropped the dagger, which was now smoking and sparking.

"lucky for you i've just been through a battle," terminus announced. "if i were at full strength, i would've blasted this flying monstrosity out of the sky already!"

"hold up." leo stepped forward, wagging his wii controller. "did you just call my ship a monstrosity? i know you didn't do that."

the idea that leo might attack the statue with his gaming device was enough to snap annabeth out of her shock.

"ooh, beat his ass." i urged.

"no, let's all calm down." annabeth raised her hands to show she had no weapons. "i take it you're terminus, the god of boundaries. jason told me you protect the city of new rome, right? i'm annabeth chase, daughter of-"

"oh, i know who you are!" the statue glared at her with its blank white eyes. "a child oi athena, minerva's greek form. scandalous! you greeks have no sense of decency. we romans know the proper place for that goddess."

annabeth clenched her jaw. this statue wasn't making it easy to be diplomatic. "what exactly do you mean, that goddess? and what's so scandalous about-"

"right!" jason interrupted. "anyway, terminus, we're here on a mission of peace. we'd love permission to land so we can-"

"impossible!" the god squeaked. "lay down your weapons and surrender! leave my city immediately!"

"which is it?" leo asked. "surrender, or leave?"

"both!" terminus said. "surrender, then leave. i am slapping your face for asking such a stupid question, you ridiculous boy! do you feel that?"

"wow." leo studied terminus with professional interest. "you're wound up pretty tight. you got any gears in there that need loosening? i could take a look."

he exchanged the wii controller for a screwdriver from his magic tool belt and tapped the statue's pedestal.

"stop that!" terminus insisted. "weapons are not allowed on roman soil inside the pomerian line."

another small explosion made leo drop his screwdriver.

"the what?" piper asked.

"city limits," jason translated.

"and this entire ship is a weapon!" terminus said. "you cannot land!"

down in the valley, the legion reinforcements were halfway to the city. the crowd in the forum was over a hundred strong now.

i turned away, beginning to ignore him.

i scanned the faces.

percy.

he was walking toward the ship with his arms around two other kids like they were bestfriends. a boy with a black buzz cut, and a girl wearing a roman cavalry helmet.

he looked so at ease, so happy.

i would've screamed about how good he looked if i wasn't so shocked he was still alive.

he wore a purple cape just like jason's, the mark of a praetor.

"leo, stop the ship!" i turned around.

"whatever you want." he pulled out the controller and yanked it upward.

all ninety oars froze in place. the ship stopped sinking.

"technically, we're hovering over new rome." i spoke,

annabeth almost grinned. "there's no rule against hovering over new rome, is there?"

the statue frowned. "i like technicalities, still."

"please." i begged, "all the weapons will stay here. all we wanna do is make peace. please."

terminus sniffed. "i suppose. for now. you may climb down your ladder to new rome. please try not to destroy my town."

"i won't. i promise." i nodded.