Nebula

Six

[aut consiliis aut ense / either by meeting or the sword]

The Principia was every classical architect's dream. Built with white marble, the sleek building was at least two stories, with immaculate columns and glittering floors. Steps led up to the ornate golden front door, outside which, hung purple and gold banners. The courtyard was dotted with trees which shook softly in the oddly warm winter breeze.

            "Woah," Sophia murmured, her eyes wide as they approached the praetorian building.

            Kaden smirked at Sophia's astonishment, leading them towards the building. To Tessa's chagrin, he had remembered the way to the building, after all. The son of Venus led the group, a slight swagger in his step. "I know." He said.

            Dale glanced around the courtyard, nodding in agreement. "Kind of reminds you of Olympus, doesn't it?"

            Tessa would say so; the throneroom of the gods and the Principia were built in a similar fashion, and she wondered what she would find on the inside. Would there be a blazing hearth and ceiling of constellations inside this official building too?

            The four demigods made their way up the marble steps and towards the ornate front door, which as if on cue, swung open as soon as they approached.

            "Yeah, that's not creepy," Tessa muttered under her breath, eyeing the shimmering doors as she and her friends passed them.

            To her discovery, the Principia was not a replica of the Olympian throneroom, which she found a relief. The foyer was large, with a babbling fountain in the center of the room and a grand staircase behind it that lead to the upper floors. Balconies dotted the halls of the other floors, as if people could watch anything that was happening in the foyer from above. The floor was sparkling marble, and more banners glittered around the vast room.

            A teenage boy paced in the center of the foyer, his violet cloak billowing around his ankles as he did so. Aside from that, he bore no other sign of his status, even though Tessa knew that this boy was Kaya'a co-praetor. He had a dark brown hair like Tessa's, with tanned skin and even darker eyes. He looked up as Tessa and her friends approached, stopping in his tracks.

            A vacant smile stretched across his lips as his gaze fell upon Kaden at the front of the group. "So the charming hero returns at last." He drawled, his voice tonally powerful. "Kaden Gray...welcome home."

            Four sets of eyes fell upon Kaden, who as always, took the situation in stride. His posture was perfect, his head held high. With a slight smirk, Kaden's green eyes glimmered as he looked back to the boy. "Thank you, Alex," He said cheerily.

            The praetor, Alex, stood up a little straighter. "Are you going to introduce me to your little entourage?"

            "Task force," Tessa corrected, her words sharp. "We're no one's entourage."

            Alex's dark eyes flicked over to Tessa, as if just now acknowledging her presence. His smile seemed to stretch a little more. "Who might you be?"

            Before Tessa could speak, the sound of footsteps reverberated through the tense air in the foyer. She glanced at the grand staircase behind Alex and found Kaya descending it, a much more amiable smile on her face than her colleague's.

            "Alex, be nice," The daughter of Trivia corrected simply. "These are our guests. We must be gracious hosts."

            Alex had no response as his partner joined him at his side. Kaya had stripped of her armor, standing before them in shorts, a t-shirt, and her cape. Back in her own element, that amiable aura had begun to radiate from her, and the enemy that Tessa had made her out to be had disappeared.